Microstructure regulation and microwave absorption properties of ZnO/RGO composites.

Electromagnetic waves can cause different degrees of damage to the human body. People are developing unique nanomaterials with excellent reflection loss (RL), thin thickness, wide frequency band and light weight to improve the absorption efficiency of electromagnetic waves. Using a hydrothermal method, ZnO nanocrystals are combined with graphene oxide (GO). After heat treatment, evenly dispersed ZnO nanocrystals are attached to the GO surface or inserted into the lamellae, and the amount of Zn(CH3COO)2·2H2O and GO is selected to obtain ZnO/RGO nanocomposites with different mass ratios (1 : 1, 1 : 2, 1 : 3). The ZnO/RGO nanocomposites were mixed with paraffin wax with different mass ratios (15, 20, 25, 30 wt%) to explore their electromagnetic parameters and wave absorption properties. It is found that at 25 wt%, ZnO : GO = 3 : 1 and thickness of 3 mm, the sample exhibits excellent wave absorption performance (-36.6 dB) and wide effective absorption bandwidth (6.6 GHz). The microwave absorption performance is enhanced because ZnO nanocrystals inhibit RGO agglomeration and improve impedance matching between the heterostructure interface and RGO.

Global, regional, and national burden of hearing loss in children and adolescents, 1990-2021: a systematic analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021.

BACKGROUND: Hearing loss in children and adolescents is attracting increasing attention as a growing public health problem. This study aimed to analyze the burden of hearing loss in children and adolescents from 1990 to 2021 to provide a new basis for further epidemiological research, disease prevention, and public health policy development. METHODS: The prevalence and years lived with disability (YLDs) of hearing loss in children and adolescents from 1990 to 2021 at the global, regional, and national levels were extracted from the Global Burden of Disease 2021 database. The estimated annual percentage change (EAPC) was used to assess trends in prevalence and YLDs. Pearson correlation analysis was used to assess the relationships between sociodemographic index (SDI) and prevalence and YLDs. RESULTS: In 2021, approximately 97.83 million children and adolescents under the age of 20 years were affected by hearing loss globally, resulting in approximately 3.91 million YLDs. From 1990 to 2021, the prevalence rate increased from 3537 per 100,000 to 3711 per 100,000, with an EAPC of 0.15% (95% CI: 0.12-0.17). The burden of hearing loss was greater in low-middle-SDI region and low-SDI region. Mild hearing loss accounted for 62.1% of the total cases and was the predominant type of hearing loss. Otitis media was the leading preventable cause of hearing loss, with 46.9% of hearing loss attributed to otitis media. Moreover, in children under 5 years of age, 68.7% of hearing loss was attributed to otitis media. Pearson correlation analysis revealed that the prevalence rates and YLDs rates of hearing loss were negatively correlated with the SDI (R = -0.57, P < 0.001; R = -0.64, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The burden of hearing loss in children and adolescents has increased over the past three decades and remains high. The burden is greater in less economically developed countries or regions. Policymakers should pay attention to the increasing burden of hearing loss in children and adolescents and take targeted measures to control this burden.

The polymorphisms in cGAS-STING pathway are associated with mitochondrial DNA copy number in coke oven workers.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the interaction effects of Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) exposure and variants in cGAS-STING genes on mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn) in workers. METHODS: The mtDNAcn was determined by real-time quantitative polymerase-chain reaction in 544 PAHs-exposed workers and 238 office workers. The polymorphisms were detected by flight mass spectrometry. RESULTS: The mtDNAcn in PAHs exposure group was significantly lower than non-occupational exposure population (P < 0.00). The cGAS rs610913 CA+AA had significant interaction effects with STING rs11554776 GG+GA (P = 0.035), rs7380824 CC+CT (P = 0.026), and rs78233829 GC+CC (P = 0.034) on mtDNAcn. The generalized linear model results showed that the influencing factors of mtDNAcn include PAHs exposure (P < 0.001) and the interaction of PAHs exposure and cGAS rs 311678 AA+AG (P = 0.047). CONCLUSION: The influencing factors of mtDNAcn include PAHs exposure and the interaction of PAHs exposure and cGAS rs 311678 AA+AG.

Identification of a ZC3H12D-regulated competing endogenous RNA network for prognosis of lung adenocarcinoma at single-cell level.

BACKGROUND: To identify hub genes from the competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and to explore their potential functions on prognosis of patients from a single-cell perspective. METHODS: We performed RNA-sequencing of LUAD to construct ceRNA regulatory network, integrating with public databases to identify the vital pathways related to patients' prognosis and to reveal the expression level of hub genes under different conditions, the functional enrichment of co-expressed genes and their potential immune-related mechanisms. RESULTS: ZC3H12D-hsa-miR-4443-ENST00000630242 axis was found to be related with LUAD. Lower ZC3H12D expression was significantly associated with shorter overall survival (OS) of patients (HR = 2.007, P < 0.05), and its expression was higher in early-stage patients, including T1 (P < 0.05) and N0 (P < 0.05). Additionally, ZC3H12D expression was higher in immune cells displayed by single-cell RNA-sequencing data, especially in Treg cells of lung cancer and CD8 T cells, B cells and CD4 T cells of LUAD. The functional enrichment analysis showed that the co-expressed genes mainly played a role in lymphocyte activation and cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction. In addition, ZC3H12D was associated with multiple immune cells and immune molecules, including immune checkpoints CTLA4, CD96 and TIGIT. CONCLUSION: ZC3H12D-hsa-miR-4443-ENST00000630242 ceRNA network was identified in LUAD. ZC3H12D could affect prognosis of patients by regulating mRNA, miRNA, lncRNA, immune cells and immune molecules. Therefore, it may serve as a vital predictive marker and could be regarded as a potential therapeutic target for LUAD in the future.

An integrated analysis of the competing endogenous RNA network associated of prognosis of stage I lung adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Accumulating evidence indicates that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involving in the tumorigenesis and metastasis of lung cancer. The aim of the study is to systematically characterize the lncRNA-associated competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network and identify key lncRNAs in the development of stage I lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). METHODS: Totally, 1,955 DEmRNAs, 165 DEmiRNAs and 1,107 DElncRNAs were obtained in 10 paired normal and LUAD tissues. And a total of 8,912 paired lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA network was constructed. Using the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset, the module of ME turquoise was revealed to be most relevant to the progression of LUAD though Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA). RESULTS: Of the lncRNAs identified, LINC00639, RP4-676L2.1 and FENDRR were in ceRNA network established by our RNA-sequencing dataset. Using univariate Cox regression analysis, FENDRR was a risk factor of progression free survival (PFS) of stage I LUAD patients (HRs = 1.69, 95%CI 1.07-2.68, P < .050). Subsequently, diffe rential expression of FENDRR in paired normal and LUAD tissues was detected significant by real-time quantitative (qRT-PCR) (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This study, for the first time, deciphered the regulatory role of FENDRR/miR-6815-5p axis in the progression of early-stage LUAD, which is needed to be established in vitro and in vivo.

Stem cell therapies for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: mesenchymal stem cells as a promising treatment option.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD) is an inflammatory disease characterized by the progressive and irreversible structural and functional damage of lung tissue. Although COPD is a significant global disease burden, the available treatments only ameliorate the symptoms, but cannot reverse lung damage. Researchers in regenerative medicine have examined the use of stem cell transplantation for treatment of COPD and other diseases because these cells have the potential for unlimited self-renewal and the ability to undergo directed differentiation. Stem cells are typically classified as embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, and adult stem cells (which includes mesenchymal stem cells [MSCs]), each with its own advantages and disadvantages regarding applications in regenerative medicine. Although the heterogeneity and susceptibility to senescence of MSCs make them require careful consideration for clinical applications. However, the low tumourigenicity and minimal ethical concerns of MSCs make them appear to be excellent candidates. This review summarizes the characteristics of various stem cell types and describes their therapeutic potential in the treatment of COPD, with a particular emphasis on MSCs. We aim to facilitate subsequent in-depth research and preclinical applications of MSCs by providing a comprehensive overview.

Global knowledge mapping and emerging research trends in the microbiome and asthma: A bibliometric and visualized analysis using VOSviewer and CiteSpace.

Background: Numerous prior studies have extensively highlighted the significance of the microbiome in association with asthma. While several studies have concentrated on the asthma microbiome in previous research, there is currently a lack of publications that employ bibliometric methods to assess this area. Methods: In this study, the Web of Science Core Collection database was utilized as the data source, and the SCI-EXPANDED index was employed to ensure that the retrieved data were comprehensive and accurate. All original research articles and review articles related to the correlation between asthma and the microbiome were systematically searched from the inception of the database until June 20, 2023. These articles were subsequently visualized and analyzed using VOSviewer and CiteSpace software. Results: A total of 1366 relevant publications were acquired, indicating a consistent annual increase in global publications in the field. The United States and China emerged as the top two contributors to international publications. Among prolific authors, Susan V. Lynch achieved the highest publication record, with Hans Bisgaard and Jakob Stokholm sharing the second position. The majority of publications concentrated on allergy-related and microbiome areas, with a few comprehensive journals standing out. Journals with 40 or more publications included the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Allergy, Frontiers in Immunology, and PLOS One. The top 5 cited journals were the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, PLOS One, American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Clinical and Experimental Allergy, and Nature. Upon analyzing keywords, high-frequency terms, such as asthma, gut microbiota, microbiome, children, childhood asthma, allergy, risk, exposure, inflammation, diversity, and chain fatty acids emerged as representative terms in the field. Conclusion: This study systematically presented a comprehensive overview of the literature regarding the association between asthma and the microbiome over the last two decades. Through a bibliometric perspective, the findings may assist researchers with a better understanding of the essential information in the field.

Triiodothyronine (T3) promotes browning of white adipose through inhibition of the PI3K/AKT signalling pathway.

Obesity arises from an imbalance between energy consumption and energy expenditure, and thyroid hormone levels serve as a determinant of energy expenditure. We conducted experiments at the animal and cellular levels and combined those findings with clinical data to elucidate the role of triiodothyronine (T3) in facilitating the browning of white adipose tissue (WAT) and its underlying mechanism. The results showed (i) the impaired metabolic function of local WAT and the compensatory elevation of systemic thermogenesis in obesity; (ii) T3 treatment of white adipocytes in vitro and local WAT in vivo induced a shift towards a morphologically "brown" phenotype, accompanied by upregulation of mRNA and protein expression of browning-related and mitochondrial function markers, which suggest that T3 intervention promotes the browning of WAT; and (iii) the aforementioned processes could be modulated through inhibition of the PI3K/AKT signalling pathway; however, whether T3 affects the PI3K/AKT signalling pathway by affecting insulin signalling remains to be studied and clarified. The results of our study indicate that T3 treatment promotes browning of WAT through inhibition of the PI3K/AKT signalling pathway; these findings offer novel perspectives regarding the potential of localised therapies for addressing WAT volume in individuals with obesity.

The value of discharged case fatality rate in estimating the severity and epidemic trend of COVID-19 in China: a novel epidemiological study.

Aim: The main objective of this study was to explore the value of the discharged case fatality rate (DCFR) in estimating the severity and epidemic trend of COVID-19 in China. Subjects and methods: Epidemiological data on COVID-19 in China and Hubei Province were obtained from the National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China from January 20, 2020, to March 31, 2020. The number of daily new confirmed cases, daily confirmed deaths, daily recovered cases, the proportion of daily deaths and total deaths of discharged cases were collected, and the total discharge case fatality rate (tDCFR), daily discharge case fatality rate (dDCFR), and stage-discharge case fatality rate (sDCFR) were calculated. We used the R software (version 3.6.3, R core team) to apply a trimmed exact linear time method to search for changes in the mean and variance of dDCFR in order to estimate the pandemic phase from dDCFR. Results: The tDCFR of COVID-19 in China was 4.16% until March 31, 2020. According to the pattern of dDCFR, the pandemic was divided into four phases: the transmission phase (from January 20 to February 2), the epidemic phase (from February 3 to February 14), the decline phase (from February 15 to February 22), and the sporadic phase (from February 23 to March 31). The sDCFR for these four phases was 43.18% (CI 39.82-46.54%), 13.23% (CI 12.52-13.94%), 5.86% (CI 5.49-6.22%), and 1.61% (CI 1.50-1.72%), respectively. Conclusion: DCFR has great value in assessing the severity and epidemic trend of COVID-19. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10389-023-01895-4.

Study on the Interactive Factors between Physical Exercise and Mental Health Promotion of Teenagers.

Adolescence is a key period of growth in life, and the psychological development of teenagers in this period is in a stage of rapid maturity without maturity, with distinct characteristics of self-contradiction. People's in-depth understanding of the concept of mental health has prompted people to have a new understanding of the function of physical exercise, trying to make an in-depth study of the function of physical exercise. Teenagers are considered to be the main force for the future development of our society, so in the process of educating teenagers, we should not only pay attention to the exercise of physical quality but also pay attention to the education of psychological quality. With the rapid development of modern society and science and technology, human life is becoming more and more prosperous, and people have to face various conflicts and troubles. The faster pace of life makes people face more pressure. In this paper, the interaction between adolescent physical exercise and mental health factors is discussed, and the promotion effect of physical exercise on college students' mental health is analyzed, so as to provide theoretical basis for further improving adolescent mental health.

Finding Lung-Cancer-Related lncRNAs Based on Laplacian Regularized Least Squares With Unbalanced Bi-Random Walk.

Lung cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths. Thus, it is important to find its biomarkers. Furthermore, there is an increasing number of studies reporting that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) demonstrate dense linkages with multiple human complex diseases. Inferring new lncRNA-disease associations help to identify potential biomarkers for lung cancer and further understand its pathogenesis, design new drugs, and formulate individualized therapeutic options for lung cancer patients. This study developed a computational method (LDA-RLSURW) by integrating Laplacian regularized least squares and unbalanced bi-random walk to discover possible lncRNA biomarkers for lung cancer. First, the lncRNA and disease similarities were computed. Second, unbalanced bi-random walk was, respectively, applied to the lncRNA and disease networks to score associations between diseases and lncRNAs. Third, Laplacian regularized least squares were further used to compute the association probability between each lncRNA-disease pair based on the computed random walk scores. LDA-RLSURW was compared using 10 classical LDA prediction methods, and the best AUC value of 0.9027 on the lncRNADisease database was obtained. We found the top 30 lncRNAs associated with lung cancers and inferred that lncRNAs TUG1, PTENP1, and UCA1 may be biomarkers of lung neoplasms, non-small-cell lung cancer, and LUAD, respectively.

Relationship between miRNAs polymorphisms and peripheral blood leukocyte DNA telomere length in coke oven workers: A cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors affecting telomere length (TL) in coke oven workers by analyzing the interaction between miRNAs polymorphisms and coke oven emissions (COEs) exposure. METHODS: A total of 544 coke oven workers and 238 healthy controls were recruited. Peripheral blood was collected from the subjects, genomic DNA was extracted, leukocyte TL was detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and fifteen polymorphisms of eight miRNAs were genotyped by flight mass spectrometry. RESULTS: Statistical analysis showed that the peripheral blood DNA TL in the exposure group was shorter than that in the control group (P < 0.001). Generalized linear model found that COEs-exposure [ß (95%CI) = -0.427 (-0.556, -0.299), P < 0.001], genotype CC+CT for miR-612 rs1144925 [ß (95%CI) = -0.367 (-0.630, -0.104), P = 0.006], and the interaction of miR-181B1 rs12039395 TT genotype and COEs-exposure [ß (95% CI) = 0.564 (0.108, 1.020), P = 0.015] were associated with the shortened TL. CONCLUSION: COEs-exposure and miR-612 rs1144925 TT could promote telomere shortening in coke oven workers. The interaction of miR-181B1 rs12039395 TT genotype and COEs-exposure could protect telomere. This provides clues for further mechanistic studies between miRNA and telomere damage.

Annelid-inspired high-elongation origami robot using partial material removal.

Existing soft robots face challenges given the need for an improved flexible robot elongation rate, bending angle and movement flexibility in space target acquisition, disaster search and rescue, unknown environment detection and other fields. Yoshimura tubular origami shows good applied performance with regard to the axial elongation ratio. However, due to the characteristics of nonrigid folding and a negative Poisson's ratio, the axial elongation length and bending angle of the Yoshimura tubular origami mechanism are limited. Annelids show highly flexible body movement. By analyzing the main factors limiting the axial elongation rate of the Yoshimura tubular origami mechanism and imitating the morphological characteristics and motion mechanism of annelid somite joints, we proposed a method to achieve high flexibility and large angle bending of a tubular origami mechanism based on local material removal and macroscopic elimination of the negative Poisson's ratio. Combined with a Ni-Ti memory alloy wire segmented driving scheme based on force constraints and geometric constraints a continuous origami robot is designed. The optimal cutting amount of the origami mechanism is determined by experiments, and the maximum elongation ratio and bending angle of the origami mechanism reach 2.5 and 3 times those before material removal, respectively. The paper folding module unit was solved in a kinematic analysis workspace. Finally, a prototype was used to verify the performance and demonstrate the application potential of the robot in an unstructured rescue scene.

Comparison of different probiotics in the treatment of acute diarrhea in children: A protocol for systematic review and network meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Acute diarrhea has a serious impact on the health and lives of children. Previous studies have shown that probiotics have positive and reliable efficacy in the treatment of acute diarrhea in children, but the efficacy of different types of probiotics varies. This study will evaluate the clinical efficacy of different kinds of probiotics in the treatment of acute diarrhea in children by means of network meta-analysis. METHODS: According to the retrieval strategy, randomized controlled studies on probiotics in the treatment of acute diarrhea in children will be searched from PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, CNQI, Wanfang, VIP, and Chinese biomedical databases. The retrieval time limit will be from the establishment of the database to January 2022. The quality level of the included studies will be assessed using the Cochrane Risk Bias Assessment Tool and the strength of evidence for outcome measures will be assessed using the Grading of Recommendation Assessment, Development, and Evaluation method. All data analysis will be performed by Revman5.3, Gemtc 0.14.3 and Stata 14.0. RESULTS: This study will evaluate the efficacy of different kinds of probiotics in the treatment of acute diarrhea in children by evaluating diarrhea duration, stool frequency, length of hospital stay, adverse reactions, etc. CONCLUSIONS: This study will provide a reliable evidence-based basis for the selection of probiotics for the treatment of acute diarrhea in children. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Private information from individuals will not be published. This systematic review also does not involve endangering participant rights. Ethical approval will not be required. The results may be published in a peer-reviewed journal or disseminated at relevant conferences. OSF REGISTRATION NUMBER: DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/MNJAE.

Circulating Tumor Cell Identification Based on Deep Learning.

As a major reason for tumor metastasis, circulating tumor cell (CTC) is one of the critical biomarkers for cancer diagnosis and prognosis. On the one hand, CTC count is closely related to the prognosis of tumor patients; on the other hand, as a simple blood test with the advantages of safety, low cost and repeatability, CTC test has an important reference value in determining clinical results and studying the mechanism of drug resistance. However, the determination of CTC usually requires a big effort from pathologist and is also error-prone due to inexperience and fatigue. In this study, we developed a novel convolutional neural network (CNN) method to automatically detect CTCs in patients' peripheral blood based on immunofluorescence in situ hybridization (imFISH) images. We collected the peripheral blood of 776 patients from Chifeng Municipal Hospital in China, and then used Cyttel to delete leukocytes and enrich CTCs. CTCs were identified by imFISH with CD45+, DAPI+ immunofluorescence staining and chromosome 8 centromeric probe (CEP8+). The sensitivity and specificity based on traditional CNN prediction were 95.3% and 91.7% respectively, and the sensitivity and specificity based on transfer learning were 97.2% and 94.0% respectively. The traditional CNN model and transfer learning method introduced in this paper can detect CTCs with high sensitivity, which has a certain clinical reference value for judging prognosis and diagnosing metastasis.

Determining the Case Fatality Rate of COVID-19 in Italy: Novel Epidemiological Study.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19, which emerged in December 2019, has spread rapidly around the world and has become a serious public health event endangering human life. With regard to COVID-19, there are still many unknowns, such as the exact case fatality rate (CFR). OBJECTIVE: The main objective of this study was to explore the value of the discharged CFR (DCFR) to make more accurate forecasts of epidemic trends of COVID-19 in Italy. METHODS: We retrieved the epidemiological data of COVID-19 in Italy published by the John Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. We then used the proportion of deaths to discharged cases（including deaths and recovered cases） to calculate the total DCFR (tDCFR), monthly DCFR (mDCFR), and stage DCFR (sDCFR). Furthermore, we analyzed the trend in the mDCFR between January and December 2020 using joinpoint regression analysis, used ArcGIS version 10.7 to visualize the spatial distribution of the epidemic CFR, and assigned different colors to each province based on the CFR or tDCFR. RESULTS: We calculated the numbers and obtained the new indices of the tDCFR and mDCFR for calculating the fatality rate. The results showed that the tDCFR and mDCFR fluctuated greatly from January to May. They first showed a rapid increase followed by a rapid decline after reaching the peak. The map showed that the provinces with a high tDCFR were Emilia-Romagna, Puglia, and Lombardia. The change trend of the mDCFR over time was divided into the following 2 stages: the first stage (from January to May) and the second stage (from June to December). With regard to worldwide COVID-19 statistics, among 6 selected countries, the United States had the highest tDCFR (4.26%), while the tDCFR of the remaining countries was between 0.98% and 2.72%. CONCLUSIONS: We provide a new perspective for assessing the fatality of COVID-19 in Italy, which can use ever-changing data to calculate a more accurate CFR and scientifically predict the development trend of the epidemic.

Effects of 10-Day Complete Fasting on Physiological Homeostasis, Nutrition and Health Markers in Male Adults.

Fasting shows great potential in preventing chronic diseases and has to be surmounted under some extraordinary circumstances. This study aimed to investigate the safety, time effects of metabolic homeostasis and health indexes during prolonged fasting. Thirteen participants were recruited to conduct a 10-day complete fasting (CF) in a controlled health research building under medical supervision including 3-day Baseline (BL), 10-day CF, 4-day calorie restriction (CR) and 5-day full recovery (FR). Body healthy status was assessed by surveying pulse, blood pressure, body weight (BW), blood glucose and ketones, body composition and nutritional and biochemistry indexes at different times. BW declined about 7.28 kg (-9.8%) after 10-day CF, accompanied by increased pulse and decreased systolic blood pressure, but there were no changes to the myocardial enzymogram. Body composition analysis showed fat mass was constantly lost, but lean mass could recover after CR. The energy substrate switch from glucose to ketone occurred and formed a stable dynamic balance between 3-6 days of CF. The lipid metabolism presented increased total cholesterol, LDL-C, ApoA1 and almost no changes to TG and HDL-C. Prolonged CF did not influence liver function, but induced a slight decrease of kidney function. The interesting results came from the marked increase of lipid-soluble vitamins and a significant decrease of sodium and chlorine. Adults could well tol-erate a 10-day CF. A new metabolic homeostasis was achieved. No vitamins but NaCl supplement should be considered. These findings provide evidence to design a new fasting strategy for clinical practice.

Hepatic metabolite responses to 4-day complete fasting and subsequent refeeding in rats.

Background: Fasting has been widely used to improve various metabolic diseases in humans. Adaptive fasting is necessary for metabolic adaptation during prolonged fasting, which could overcome the great advantages of short-term fasting. The liver is the main organ responsible for energy metabolism and metabolic homeostasis. To date, we lack literature that describes the physiologically relevant adaptations of the liver during prolonged fasting and refeeding. For that reason, this study aims to evaluate the response of the liver of Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats to prolonged fasting and refeeding. Methods: Sixty-six male SD rats were divided into the fasting groups, which were fasted for 0, 4, 8, 12, 24, 48, 72, or 96 h, and the refeeding groups, which were refed for 1, 3, or 6 days after 96 h of fasting. Serum glucose, TG, FFA, ß-hydroxybutyrate, insulin, glucagon, leptin, adiponectin and FGF21 levels were assessed. The glucose content, PEPCK activity, TG concentration and FFA content were measured in liver tissue, and the expression of genes involved in gluconeogenesis (PEPCK and G6Pase), ketogenesis (PPARα, CPT-1a and HMGCS2) and the protein expression of nutrient-sensing signaling molecules (AMPK, mTOR and SIRT1) were determined by RT-qPCR and western blotting, respectively. Results: Fasting significantly decreased the body weight, which was totally recovered to baseline after 3 days of refeeding. A 4-day fast triggered an energy metabolic substrate shift from glucose to ketones and caused serum hormone changes and changes in the protein expression levels of nutrient-sensing signaling molecules. Glycogenolysis served as the primary fuel source during the first 24 h of fasting, while gluconeogenesis supplied the most glucose thereafter. Serum FFA concentrations increased significantly with 48 h of fasting. Serum FFAs partly caused high serum ß-hydroxybutyrate levels, which became an important energy source with the prolongation of the fasting duration. One day of refeeding quickly reversed the energy substrate switch. Nutrient-sensing signaling molecules (AMPK and SIRT1 but not mTOR signaling) were highly expressed at the beginning of fasting (in the first 4 h). Serum insulin and leptin decreased with fasting initiation, and serum glucagon increased, but adiponectin and FGF21 showed no significant changes. Herein, we depicted in detail the timing of the metabolic response and adaptation of the liver to a 4-day water-only fast and subsequent refeeding in rats, which provides helpful support for the design of safe prolonged and intermittent fasting regimens.

Molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction of matrine from radix Sophorae tonkinensis.

In the study, molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) with special molecular recognition properties of matrine (MAT) were prepared in our lab, using melamine-urea-formaldehyde (MUF) as the functional monomer and matrine as the template. An equilibrium binding experiment was performed to investigate the binding ability of the MIPs, and indicated that the MIPs had a high adsorption and good elution ability to the target molecule MAT, when the template/functional monomer ratio (T/M) was 5 mg g(-1). Scatchard analysis and isothermal equilibrium adsorption indicated that only one kind of binding site had existed in the MAT-imprinted polymers with its dissociation constants estimated to be 3.31 × 10(-4) mol L(-1) (200-400 mesh (inch(-1))) and 6.83 × 10(-4) mol L(-1) (over 400 mesh (inch(-1))) depending on the mesh of the MIPs. MAT purification and elution experiments were carried out using MIPs as the solid-phase extraction (MISPE) sorbent, and acetone, water, and chloroform as the elution solvents. The results demonstrated that MIPs achieved their highest adsorption capability after treatment with alkaline solution, while acetone was the most efficient elution solvent. Then, a crude extraction of matrine in radix Sophorae tonkinensis was performed using these MIPs as the separation medium. The results showed that MIPs had a high MAT selectivity, and the amount of matrine content obtained by MISPE was 1.4-fold to that obtained by liquid-liquid extraction.

Coniferous canopy BRF simulation based on 3-D realistic scene.

It is difficulties for the computer simulation method to study radiation regime at large-scale. Simplified coniferous model was investigated in the present study. It makes the computer simulation methods such as L-systems and radiosity-graphics combined method (RGM) more powerful in remote sensing of heterogeneous coniferous forests over a large-scale region. L-systems is applied to render 3-D coniferous forest scenarios, and RGM model was used to calculate BRF (bidirectional reflectance factor) in visible and near-infrared regions. Results in this study show that in most cases both agreed well. Meanwhile at a tree and forest level, the results are also good.