One-Pot Fabrication of Kinetically Inert Ultrasmall Manganese(II) Chelate-Backboned Polymer Contrast Agents for High-Performance Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

Traditional macromolecules or nanoscale Mn chelate-based magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents (CAs) suffer from complicated and laborious synthesis processes, relatively low kinetic stability and relaxivity, limiting their clinical applications. Herein, we fabricated a series of kinetically inert Mn chelate-backboned polymers, P(MnL-PEG), through a facile and one-pot polymerization process. Particularly, P(MnL-PEG)-3 demonstrates a significantly higher relaxivity of 23.

Cold atmospheric plasma attenuates skin cancer via ROS induced apoptosis.

Background: Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) has been widely used in biomedical research, especially in vitro cancer therapy. Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) is a malignant tumor originating from epidermal keratinocytes. However, the mechanism of CAP therapy on CSCC remains unclear.

[Screening value and correlation of body measurement indices for metabolic syndrome in the population undergoing physical examinations in Chengdu during 2018-2020].

Objective: To investigate the screening value and correlation of body measurement indicators for metabolic syndrome(MS) and to provide evidence for MS screening.

Methods: Through a cross-sectional research approach, data from individuals aged 18 and above who participated in health examinations at the North Health Management Center of Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital from 2018 to 2020 were reviewed. Data including height, weight, waist circumference, hip circumference, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, smoking history, and alcohol consumption history were collected.

Role of environmentally related technologies and revenue taxes in environmental degradation in OECD countries.

The purpose of this study is to validate the impact of foreign direct investment inflows (FDI inflows), trade openness (TO), environmentally related technologies (ERTs), environmentally related tax revenues (ERTRs), and economic growth (EG) on carbon dioxide (CO) emissions by employing a PMG (pooled mean group) estimator with a dataset of 36 OECD countries spanning from 1990 to 2020. Im-Pesaran-Shin, Fisher-type, and cross-sectional augmented Dicky-Fuller tests indicate that study variables are stationary at I (0) and I (I). Kao and Pedroni cointegration test results show that cointegration exists across regressors and regressands throughout the sample of OECD countries.

Low temperature plasma suppresses proliferation, invasion, migration and survival of SK-BR-3 breast cancer cells.

Background: Low temperature plasma (LTP) is a developing field in recent years to play important roles of sterilization, material modification and wound healing. Breast cancer is a common gynecological malignant tumor. Recent studies have shown that LTP is a promising selective anti-cancer treatment.

Interrelationship among environmental policy stringency, financial globalization in OECD countries, and CO2 emission with the role of technological innovation and financial development.

The study examines the nexus between financial globalization (FG), environmental policy stringency (EPS), financial development (FD), and technological innovation (INV) on CO2 emission with moderating effect of technological innovation on financial development and environmental degradation in 36 OECD countries with an updated dataset from the period of 1990 to 2020 using PMG (Pooled mean group) panel ARDL method. The results of stationarity tests; (Levin, Lin, and Chu test; ADF Fisher test) demonstrate that selected variables are stationary at level I(0) and first difference I(I); this confirms that PMG estimator can be employed. Cointegration tests indicate that cointegration exist among the variables.

Cold Plasma Irradiation Attenuates Atopic Dermatitis Enhancing HIF-1α-Induced MANF Transcription Expression.

Cold atmospheric plasma has been widely applied in medical treatment clinically, especially skin diseases. However, the mechanism of cold atmospheric plasma on the treatment of skin diseases is still undefined. In this study, dinitrofluorobenzene-induced atopic dermatitis mice model was constructed.

Effect of profilin-1 on the asymmetric dimethylarginine-induced vascular lesion-associated hypertension.

Previous studies have demonstrated that the levels of asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), an endogenous inhibitor of nitric oxide (NO) synthesis, are strongly associated with hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. Profilin-1, an actin-binding protein, has been documented to be involved in endothelial injury and in the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells resulting from hypertension. However, the role of profilin-1 in ADMA-induced vascular injury in hypertension remains largely unknown.

Cold Plasma Irradiation Regulates Inflammation and Oxidative Stress in Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells and Human Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma.

Atmospheric pressure cold plasma has shown multiple biological effects of anti-bacteria and anti-cancer. In this study, the effect of atmospheric pressure cold plasma on respiratory inflammation and oxidant stress is explored. Tunicamycin was used to stimulate human bronchial epithelial cells (HBECs) and A549 cells for inflammatory response and oxidative stress, followed by atmospheric pressure cold plasma treatment.

Modelling the symmetrical and asymmetrical effects of global oil prices on local food prices: A MENA region application.

This paper explores the complex nexus between the global oil prices and the food prices of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region during the period 2000-2020. Both linear and nonlinear models of the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) approach are adapted into panel data form to investigate the symmetrical and asymmetrical influence of oil prices on food prices. The key results are summarized: (i) the long-term effect of oil prices on food prices is significantly positive including both oil-exporting and oil-importing nations.

Brugada syndrome associated with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: A case report.

Background: Brugada syndrome (BrS) is an inherited disease characterized by an electrocardiogram (ECG) with a coved-type ST-segment elevation in the right precordial leads (V1-V3), which predisposes to sudden cardiac death (SCD) due to polymorphic ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation in the absence of structural heart disease. We report the case of a 29-year-old man with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. BrS is associated with a high incidence of SCD in adults, and increasing the awareness of BrS and prompt recognition of the Brugada ECG pattern can be lifesaving.

LINC00565 promotes proliferation and inhibits apoptosis of gastric cancer by targeting miR-665/AKT3 axis.

Background: Numerous studies have shown that long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) is involved in gastric cancer (GC). A relevant microarray containing gastric cancer-related lncRNAs was downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas database.

Methods: qRT-PCR was used to analyze LINC00565 and AKT3 expression in tumor tissues and cell lines.

Targeting Nrf2-mediated heme oxygenase-1 enhances non-thermal plasma-induced cell death in non-small-cell lung cancer A549 cells.

Non-thermal plasma (NTP) treatment has been proposed as a potential approach for cancer therapy for killing cancer cells via generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). As an antioxidant protein, Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) has been known to protect cells against oxidative stress. In this paper, we investigated the role of HO-1 activation in NTP-induced apoptosis in A549 cells.

Hypericin-photodynamic therapy inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis in human rheumatoid arthritis fibroblast-like synoviocytes cell line MH7A.

Objectives: To elucidate the effects and potential mechanisms of hypericin-photodynamic therapy (HYP-PDT) for treating the human rheumatoid arthritis (RA) fibroblast-like synoviocyte (FLS) MH7A cell-line.

Materials And Methods: MH7A cells were subjected to HYP-PDT intervention and apoptosis was evaluated via MTT, nuclear staining, and flowcytometry analyses. Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) were measured with the fluorescent probe 2'7'-dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA).

[Temporary ectopic implantation of amputated fingers and dorsalis pedis flaps for thumb reconstruction and skin defect repair of hands].

Objective: To investigate the feasibility of temporary ectopic implantation of amputated fingers and dorsalis pedis flaps for thumb reconstruction and skin defect repair of the hand.

Methods: Between February 2006 and February 2012, 9 patients with thumb amputation having no replanted condition were treated. There were 7 males and 2 females with an average age of 35 years (range, 20-45 years).

Involvement of profilin-1 in angiotensin II-induced vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation.

Profilin-1, a regulator of actin polymerization, has recently been linked to vascular hypertrophy and remodeling. Whether profilin-1 is involved in angiotensin (Ang) II-induced proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells leading to vascular remodeling in hypertension remains unclear. The present study was designed to analyze the correlation of profilin-1 and vascular remodeling during hypertension and to evaluate the role of profilin-1 in proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells and the underlying mechanisms.

Soluble epoxide hydrolase: a promising therapeutic target for cardiovascular diseases.

Epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) are cytochrome P450 (CYP450) products of arachidonic acid and EETs are endogenous lipid mediators synthesized by the vascular endothelium which perform important biological functions, including vasodilation, anti-inflammation, antimigratory, and cellular signaling regulations. However, EETs are rapidly degraded by soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) to the corresponding diols: dihydroxyeicosatrienoic acids (DHETs), which have little active in causing vasorelaxation. A number of studies have supported that the inhibition of sEH (sEHIs) had cardiovascular protective effects in hypertension, cardiac hypertrophy, atherosclerosis, ischemia-reperfusion injury, and ischemic stroke.

Destruction of inorganic municipal solid waste incinerator fly ash in a DC arc plasma furnace.

Due to the toxicity of dioxins, furans and heavy metals, there is a growing environmental concern on municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) fly ash in China. The purpose of this study is directed towards the volume-reduction of fly ash without any additive by thermal plasma and recycling of vitrified slag. This process uses extremely high-temperature in an oxygen-starved environment to completely decompose complex waste into very simple molecules.

Salvage of amputated thumbs by temporary ectopic implantation.

Purpose: To determine the indications and benefits of ectopic implantation in the salvage of amputated thumb.

Basic Procedures: Two cases of avulsed amputated thumbs were temporarily ectopically implanted onto the forearm and foot, with microvascular anastomoses. When the stump condition allowed, and the soft-tissue defects were repaired, the ectopic implanted thumbs were replanted to their anatomic positions.