Construction of a Molecular Dynamics Model of N-A-S-H Geopolymer Based on XRD Analysis.

A geopolymer is a low-carbon cementitious material, and its condensation process is akin to the formation of inorganic polymers. The crystal phase of synthesized geopolymers was identified using XRD; the scattering peaks of amorphous phases were analyzed, and the zeolite minerals akin to different n(Si)/n(Al) geopolymers were determined. Based on this, a model structure of N-A-S-H geopolymers was established.

Dietary Polysaccharide Intervention Modulates Clinical Symptoms by Regulating Ovarian Metabolites and Restructuring the Intestinal Microbiota in Rats with Letrozole-Induced PCOS.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a prevalent endocrine and metabolic disorder. This study investigated the mitigating effects of the polysaccharide (ACP) on a letrozole-induced PCOS rat model. Results demonstrated that ACP reduced obesity and ameliorated dyslipidemia in PCOS rats.

Influential mechanism of water occurrence states of waste-activated sludge: Specifically focusing on the pore characteristics dominated by cation-organic interactions.

The solid pore characteristics are commonly considered as the important influential factors on waste-activated sludge (WAS) dewaterability, and should be related to the cohesive force of bio-flocs dominated by cation-organic interactions at solid-water interface. This study aimed to establish an approach for regulating the solid pore structure of WAS by cationic regulation. The influential mechanism of WAS dewaterability was accordingly explored from the perspective of the pore characteristics dominated by cation-organic interactions.

Out-of-pocket medical expenditures, remittances and health outcomes in China.

This study examines the relationship between out-of-pocket medical expenditures, remittances and health outcomes in China using Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and Propensity Score Matching (PSM) methods. The analysis is based on data from the Global Financial Inclusion database by the World Bank (2021), encompassing a sample of 3,446 individuals. The results indicate that out of-pocket expenditure has a negative impact on health outcomes, while remittance shows a positive association across all age groups, including reproductive and non-reproductive populations.

A quantitative theory integrating solid surface hydrophilicity and pore structure features for non-phase-change drying of sewage sludge through gradient increase of ultrahigh filtration pressure.

The sustainable application of thermal sludge drying process is limited by the high energy consumption due to the phase-change latent heat of moisture. This study proposed that the ultrahigh pressure filtration could realize the non-phase-change sludge drying. The lowest water content of 28.

Intelligent upgrade of waste-activated sludge dewatering process based on artificial neural network model: Core influential factor identification and non-experimental prediction of sludge dewatering performance.

Owing to the extremely complex compositions and origins of waste-activated sludge (WAS), the multiple physiochemical properties of WAS have impacts on its dewaterability, and there is a complex interaction relationship among the multiple physiochemical properties, which makes it difficult to identify the controlling factors on WAS dewaterability. Accordingly, there is still no unified certainty in the appropriate ranges of physiochemical properties for the optimal dewaterability of sludge from different sources, resulting in a lack of clear theoretical basis for technical selection and optimization of sludge dewatering processes. The large consumption of conditioning chemicals and low process efficiency stand for the major deficiency of existing sludge conditioning technologies.

Relationship between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and bone mineral density in elderly Chinese.

Objective: As our society grows older, both bone loss and fatty liver have become important issues. However, the relationship between reduced bone mineral density and fatty liver remains controversial. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and less bone mineral density in the ankles of Chinese people over 65.

Crystallization-driven evolution of water occurrence states with implications on dewaterability improvement of waste-activated sludge.

This study proposed to improve the dewaterability of waste-activated sludge (WAS) through crystallization-driven evolution of water occurrence states. Primarily, the feasibility of clathrate hydrate (i.e.

miR-1-3p Inhibits Osteosarcoma Cell Proliferation and Cell Cycle Progression While Promoting Cell Apoptosis by Targeting CDK14 to Inactivate Wnt/Beta-Catenin Signaling.

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a common bone malignancy and is diagnosed frequently in children and young adults. According to previous RNA sequencing, miR-1-3p is downregulated in OS clinical samples. Nevertheless, the functions of miR-1-3p in OS cell process and the related mechanism have not been revealed yet.

Raspberry-like AgBiS@PVP nanoparticles for enhanced sonodynamic and chemodynamic cancer therapy.

Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) is a non-invasive treatment, preferred by many researchers. Ultrasound is applied to tumor lesions, enriched with a sound sensitizer. The activation of the sound sensitizer produces reactive oxygen species (ROS), which kill the tumor cells.

Disruption of REC8 in Meiosis I led to watermelon seedless.

In triploid watermelon (Citrullus lanatus), the homologous chromosomes of germ cells are disorder during meiosis, resulting in the failure of seeds formation and producing seedless fruit. Therefore, mutating the genes specifically functioning in meiosis may be an alternative way to achieve seedless watermelon. REC8, as a key component of the cohesin complex in meiosis, is dramatically essential for sister chromatid cohesion and chromosome segregation.

Mechanism insights into liquid polarity regulation for enhanced dewatering of waste-activated sludge: Specifically focusing on the solid-liquid affinity reduction depending on phase-transfer and conformational features of amphiphilic protein.

This study proposed that decreasing liquid polarity could weaken the intermolecular polar force at solid-liquid interface of waste-activated sludge (WAS). Accordingly, a process for enhanced sludge dewatering through liquid polarity regulation was established. The liquid polarity was quantified by dielectric constant and the decrease of liquid dielectric constant below 50 was found to significantly improve the solid-liquid separation performance of WAS in terms of filterability by >70%.

Detection of Fe and Hg Ions by Using High Fluorescent Carbon Dots Doped With S And N as Fluorescence Probes.

In this paper, carbon quantum dots (N-S-CDs) containing sulfur and nitrogen were synthesized using citric acid and thiourea. The average particle size of N-S-CDs is 8 nm. The N-S-CDs surface contains various of functional groups, which has good water solubility.

Effects of Sinapic Acid Combined with Cisplatin on the Apoptosis and Autophagy of the Hepatoma Cells HepG2 and SMMC-7721.

Sinapic acid (Sa) is a small-molecule phenolic acid compound predominant in fruits, vegetables, and grains. This study investigated the antitumor effects of cisplatin (DDP) combined with Sa (Sa/DDP) on the hepatic cancer cells (HCC), HepG2 and SMMC-7721. The HepG2 and SMMC-7721 cells were treated with Sa or Sa/DDP, and the cell proliferation and cell cycle were detected using the MTT assay.

The Rapid Cytological Process of Grain Determines Early Maturity in Weedy Rice.

Shorter grain-filling period and rapid endosperm development endow weedy rice (WR) with early maturity compared to cultivated rice (CR). However, the role of the cytological features and antioxidative enzyme system during grain development are largely unexplored. We selected four biotypes of WR and their associated cultivated rice (ACR) types from different latitudes to conduct a common garden experiment.

Altered Fecal Microbiota Composition in Older Adults With Frailty.

Objective: Frailty is a common geriatric syndrome that is diagnosed and staged based mainly on symptoms. We aimed to evaluate frailty-related alterations of the intestinal permeability and profile fecal microbiota of healthy and frail older adults to identify microbial biomarkers of this syndrome.

Methods: We collected serum and fecal samples from 94 community-dwelling older adults, along with anthropometric, medical, mental health, and lifestyle data.

Gene Flow Risks From Transgenic Herbicide-Tolerant Crops to Their Wild Relatives Can Be Mitigated by Utilizing Alien Chromosomes.

Integration of a transgene into chromosomes of the C-genomes of oilseed rape (AACC, 2 = 38) may affect their gene flow to wild relatives, particularly (AABB, 2 = 36). However, no empiric evidence exists in favor of the C-genome as a safer candidate for transformation. In the presence of herbicide selections, the first- to fourth-generation progenies of a × glyphosate-tolerant oilseed rape cross [EPSPS gene insertion in the A-genome (Roundup Ready, event RT73)] showed more fitness than a × glufosinate-tolerant oilseed rape cross [PAT gene insertion in the C-genome (Liberty Link, event HCN28)].

The Outlook of the Development of Innovative Products from Biocompatible Natural Spider Silk in the Beauty Thread-Lifting Industry.

Embedding thread lift rhytidectomy, also known as "thread lifting" in China, with the natures of simple operation, less trauma and quick recovery, is progressively used in clinical practice as a new technology of face lifting. Herewith, a brief introduction of the previous advances of thread lifting techniques and materials in the facial beauty industry, combined with the discussion on various types of sutures, common complications, and the site of actions were provided. The main limitations of present thread lifting material include: (1) the use of non-absorbable sutures is liable to cause allergies and a series of complications; (2) the absorbable sutures are easily degradation, and people need to reshape in a relatively short period.

Expression and function of miR-155 in rat synovial fibroblast model of rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common autoimmune disease characterized by joint synovial inflammation and is a challenge for researchers and clinicians. MicroRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) represent a group of small non-coding RNA molecules that post-transcriptionally regulate mRNA expression and are involved in various diseases, including cancer, autoimmune and metabolic diseases, as well as neurological disorders. In the present study, various experiments were performed to investigate the effects and underlying mechanism of miR-155 in RA using rat synoviocytes induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to model rheumatoid arthritis.

Vagus Nerve Stimulation Attenuates Acute Skeletal Muscle Injury Induced by Ischemia-Reperfusion in Rats.

Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) has been shown to attenuate ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury in multiple organs. The present study aimed at investigating whether VNS could exert protective effects against I/R injury in the skeletal muscle. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: the control, I/R, and I/R+VNS groups.

Awareness and Attitudes Regarding Industrial Food Fortification in Mongolia and Harbin.

This study assessed awareness and attitudes regarding industrial food fortification among adults in urban and rural Mongolia, and the city of Harbin, China. Between 2014 and 2017, surveys were collected from healthy men and women aged ≥18 years (182 Harbin residents and 129 urban and rural Mongolians participating in a nationwide nutrition survey in Mongolia). Survey reproducibility was assessed among 69 Mongolian participants to whom it was administered twice (summer and winter).

Overexpressed eNOS upregulates SIRT1 expression and protects mouse pancreatic β cells from apoptosis.

Loss of sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) activity may be associated with metabolic diseases, including diabetes. The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential effects of overexpressed endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) on cell proliferation and apoptosis with SIRT1 activation in the Min6 mouse pancreatic β cell line. A pcDNA3.

Neurologic Serious Adverse Events Associated with Nivolumab Plus Ipilimumab or Nivolumab Alone in Advanced Melanoma, Including a Case Series of Encephalitis.

Background: Despite unprecedented efficacy across multiple tumor types, immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy is associated with a unique and wide spectrum of immune-related adverse events (irAEs), including neurologic events ranging from mild headache to potentially life-threatening encephalitis. Here, we summarize neurologic irAEs associated with nivolumab and ipilimumab melanoma treatment, present cases of treatment-related encephalitis, and provide practical guidance on diagnosis and management.

Methods: We searched a Global Pharmacovigilance and Epidemiology database for neurologic irAEs reported over an 8-year period in patients with advanced melanoma receiving nivolumab with or without ipilimumab from 12 studies sponsored by Bristol-Myers Squibb.

Safety Profile of Nivolumab Monotherapy: A Pooled Analysis of Patients With Advanced Melanoma.

Purpose We conducted a retrospective analysis to assess the safety profile of nivolumab monotherapy in patients with advanced melanoma and describe the management of adverse events (AEs) using established safety guidelines. Patients and Methods Safety data were pooled from four studies, including two phase III trials, with patients who received nivolumab 3 mg/kg once every 2 weeks. We evaluated rate of treatment-related AEs, time to onset and resolution of select AEs (those with potential immunologic etiology), and impact of select AEs and suppressive immune-modulating agents (IMs) on antitumor efficacy.