Chronic exposure to low-dose MC-LR induces ileal inflammation in mice through the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway.

The global phenomenon of cyanobacterial bloom pollution is spreading globally due to climate change and eutrophication. It is well established that harmful cyanobacteria produce a wide range of toxins including microcystin-LR (MC-LR), a cyclic heptapeptide toxin known to damage various organs. The intestinal tract is the main site of MC-LR absorption and one of the targets susceptible to toxicity.

Effects of Fertility-Sparing Surgery on Prognosis and Fertility of Patients With Ovarian Borderline Tumors.

Objective To compare the safety and efficacy of fertility-sparing surgery in patients with ovarian borderline tumors (BOT). Methods A total of 121 BOT patients undergoing fertility-sparing surgery between January 2010 and October 2022 were retrospectively analyzed.The univariate analysis,multivariate analysis,and survival curves were employed to evaluate the clinicopathological and surgical variables and fertility.

Exploring the comprehensive link between climatic factors and vegetation productivity in China.

Understanding the influence of climatic factors on vegetation dynamics and cumulative effects is critical for global sustainable development. However, the response of vegetation to climate and the underlying mechanisms in different climatic zones remains unclear. In this study, we analyzed the response of vegetation gross primary productivity (GPP) to climatic factors and the cumulative effects across various vegetation types and climatic zones, utilizing data on precipitation (P), temperature (T), and the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI).

[Process in the role of vasoactive intestinal peptide in the treatment of ulcerative colitis by regulating the balance of T follicular helper cells/T follicular regulatory cells].

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an autoimmune disease based on the persistent damage of colonic mucosal barrier. It has been found that the abnormal expression of follicular helper T (Tfh) cells and follicular regulatory T (Tfr) cells is closely related to the occurrence and development of UC. Tfh cells can secrete pro-inflammatory factors and assist B cells to produce antibodies, which can promote the development of UC, while Tfr cells can inhibit the activity of Tfh cells and secrete anti-inflammatory factors.

Dynamic process of ecosystem water use efficiency and response to drought in the Yellow River Basin, China.

Ecosystem water use efficiency (WUE) is a crucial indicator of the impact of climate change on terrestrial ecosystems, reflecting the balance between biological processes (photosynthesis and transpiration) and physical processes (evapotranspiration). However, the response mechanisms and driving processes of WUE to drought remain to be further understood. In this study, we analyzed the spatial and temporal dynamics and response mechanisms of WUE in the Yellow River Basin (YRB) using data on Gross Primary Productivity (GPP), Evapotranspiration (ET) and Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI), which revealed the cumulative effect of drought on WUE and assessed the ecosystem's resilience.

Asymmetric response of vegetation GPP to impervious surface expansion: Case studies in the Yellow and Yangtze River Basins.

Terrestrial gross primary production (GPP) changes due to impervious surfaces significantly impact ecosystem services in watersheds. Understanding the asymmetric response of vegetation GPP to impervious surface expansion is essential for regional development planning and ecosystem management. However, the asymmetric response of vegetation GPP to the impacts of impervious surface expansion is unknown in different watersheds.

Water Quality Degradation Due to Heavy Metal Contamination: Health Impacts and Eco-Friendly Approaches for Heavy Metal Remediation.

Water quality depends on its physicochemical and biological parameters. Changes in parameters such as pH, temperature, and essential and non-essential trace metals in water can render it unfit for human use. Moreover, the characteristics of the local environment, geological processes, geochemistry, and hydrological properties of water sources also affect water quality.

Berberine alleviates myocardial diastolic dysfunction by modulating Drp1-mediated mitochondrial fission and Ca homeostasis in a murine model of HFpEF.

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) displays normal or near-normal left ventricular ejection fraction, diastolic dysfunction, cardiac hypertrophy, and poor exercise capacity. Berberine, an isoquinoline alkaloid, possesses cardiovascular benefits. Adult male mice were assigned to chow or high-fat diet with L-NAME ("two-hit" model) for 15 weeks.

PHB2 ameliorates Doxorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy through interaction with NDUFV2 and restoration of mitochondrial complex I function.

Background: Doxorubicin (DOX) is among the most widely employed antitumor agents, although its clinical applications have been largely hindered by severe cardiotoxicity. Earlier studies described an essential role of mitochondrial injury in the pathogenesis of DOX cardiomyopathy. PHB2 (Prohibitin 2) is perceived as an essential regulator for mitochondrial dynamics and oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) although its involvement in DOX cardiomyopathy remains elusive.

YKL-40 derived from infiltrating macrophages cooperates with GDF15 to establish an immune suppressive microenvironment in gallbladder cancer.

Despite of the high lethality of gallbladder cancer (GBC), little is known regarding molecular regulation of the tumor immunosuppressive microenvironment. Here, we determined tumor expression levels of YKL-40 and the molecular mechanisms by which YKL-40 regulates escape of anti-tumor immune surveillance. We found that elevated expression levels of YKL-40 in plasma and tissue were correlated with tumor size, stage IV and lymph node metastasis.

Understanding structure-performance relationships of CoO/CeO catalysts for NO catalytic oxidation: Facet tailoring and bimetallic interface designing.

Crystalline structure and bimetallic interaction of metal oxides are essential factors to determine the catalytic activity. Herein, three different CoO/CeO catalysts, employing CeO nanorods (predominately exposed {110 facet), CeO nanopolyhedra ({111} facet) and CeO nanocubes ({100} facet) as the supports, are successfully prepared for investigating the effect of exposed crystal facets and bimetallic interface interaction on NO oxidation. In comparison with the {111} and {100} facets, the exposed crystal facet {110} exists the best superiority to anchor and stabilize Co species.

Mechanical Properties and Failure Mechanism of Anchored Bedding Rock Material under Impact Loading.

In view of the problem that anchored bedding rock material is prone to instability and failure under impact loading in the process of deep coal mining, and taking the lower roadway of a deep 2424 coal working face in the Suncun coal mine as the engineering background, a mechanical model of anchored bedding rock material was established, and the instability criterion of compression and shear failure of anchored bedding rock material was obtained. Then, the separated Hopkinson pressure bar was used to carry out an impact-loading test on the anchored bedding rock material, and the dynamic mechanical properties of the rock with different anchoring modes and bolt bedding angles were studied; the evolution law of the strain field of the anchored bedding rock material was also obtained. The results show the following: (1) The bolt support could effectively improve the dynamic load strength and dynamic elastic modulus of the rock material with anchorage bedding, the degree of improvement increased with the increase in the angle of the bolt bedding, and the full anchorage effect was much higher than the end anchorage effect was.

Association of HbA1c with carotid artery plaques in patients with coronary heart disease: a retrospective clinical study.

Background And Aims: Haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels have been shown to be related to carotid artery plaques. However, studies on the relationship between HbA1c levels and carotid artery plaques in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) are limited and inconsistent. Our objective was to examine the correlation between HbA1c levels and carotid artery plaques in patients with CHD.

Characterization of waste cell biomass derived glutamate decarboxylase for in vitro γ-aminobutyric acid production and value-addition.

Waste biomass of Lactobacillus brevis obtained from in vivo γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) production was used for value-addition. This study aims to extract glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) and characterize it for in vitro GABA production. Extracted GAD showed an excellent activity for in vitro GABA production.

Percutaneous Vertebroplasty Versus Kyphoplasty for Thoracolumbar Osteoporotic Vertebral Compression Fractures in Patients with Distant Lumbosacral Pain.

Background: In clinical practice, we have found that the pain caused by thoracolumbar osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (OVCF) is sometimes not limited to the level of the fractured vertebrae but instead occurs in areas far away from the injured vertebrae, such as the lower back, area surrounding the iliac crest, or buttocks, and this type of pain is known as distant lumbosacral pain. The pathogenesis of pain in distant regions caused by thoracolumbar OVCF remains unclear.

Objectives: To compare the clinical efficacy and imaging outcomes of percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) and percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) in the treatment of distant lumbosacral pain accompanied by thoracolumbar OVCF and to explore the possible pathogenesis of distant lumbosacral pain caused by thoracolumbar OVCF.

Deletion of the E3 ubiquitin ligase, Parkin, exacerbates chronic alcohol intake-induced cardiomyopathy through an Ambra1-dependent mechanism.

Background And Purpose: Chronic alcohol consumption contributes to contractile dysfunction and unfavourable geometric changes in myocardium, accompanied by altered autophagy and disturbed mitochondrial homeostasis. The E3 ubiquitin ligase Parkin encoded by PARK2 gene maintains a fundamental role in regulating mitophagy and mitochondrial homeostasis, although little is known of its role in the aetiology of alcoholic cardiomyopathy. Here we assessed the effects of Parkin deletion in chronic alcohol-evoked cardiotoxicity.

Increased phagocytosis in the presence of enhanced M2-like macrophage responses correlates with increased primary and latent HSV-1 infection.

After HSV-1 infection, macrophages infiltrate early into the cornea, where they play an important role in HSV-1 infection. Macrophages are divided into M1 or M2 groups based on their activation. M1 macrophages are pro-inflammatory, while M2 macrophages are anti-inflammatory.

Effect of hypercholesterolemia alone or combined with hypertension on the degree of coronary artery stenosis in patients with coronary heart disease angina pectoris: A medical records based retrospective study protocol.

Background: Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death globally. Angina pectoris is closely associated with coronary artery insufficiency, which seriously affects the quality of life and work of patients. Hypercholesterolemia and hypertension (HTN) are risk factors for CHD angina pectoris.

Novel compact high-speed passive gamma-ray assay equipment for uranium enrichment measurement of fuel rods.

Uranium enrichment measurement is an essential quality inspection for fuel rods before delivery to users. Generally, compared with active neutron assay (ANA) equipment, passive gamma-ray assay (PGA) equipment is more economical and safer. However, the current PGA equipment based on photomultipliers is too slow (1 m/min) to meet the growing needs in China.

Acetylation in cardiovascular diseases: Molecular mechanisms and clinical implications.

Acetylation belongs to a class of post-translational modification (PTM) processes that epigenetically regulate gene expression and gene transcriptional activity. Reversible histone acetylation on lysine residues governs the interactions between DNA and histones to mediate chromatin remodeling and gene transcription. Non-histone protein acetylation complicates cellular function whereas acetylation of key mitochondrial enzymes regulates bioenergetic metabolism.

βig-h3 enhances chondrogenesis via promoting mesenchymal condensation in rat Achilles tendon heterotopic ossification model.

Heterotopic ossification (HO) is a poorly characterized disease with ectopic bone formation in the musculoskeletal soft tissues. HO is widely considered as a tissue repair process goes away, with endochondral ossification to be the major pathological basis. The molecular mechanism of how the resident/recruited progenitor cells for tissue regeneration error differentiated into the chondrocytes remains unknown.

Chest CT screening in patients with overweight or obesity using spectral shaping at 150 kVp: compared with 120 kVp protocol and spectral shaping at 100 kVp protocol.

Purpose: To evaluate the image quality (IQ) and the figure of merit (FoM) of chest CT screening in patients with overweight or obesity using a tin filter for spectral shaping at 150 kVp.

Materials And Methods: Patients with overweight or obesity (N = 150, body mass index ≥ 26 kg/m) with indications for chest CT screening were prospectively enrolled and randomly divided into three groups: 120 kVp group (standard radiation dose/tube voltage, 120 kVp/CT volume does index, 4.68 mGy); Sn100 kVp group (1/10th radiation dose level/100 kVp with a tin filter/0.

Association between lumbar disc herniation and facet joint osteoarthritis.

Background: This study was performed to investigate the association between lumbar disc herniation (LDH) and facet joint osteoarthritis (FJOA) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Methods: Between March 2012 and September 2018, a total of 441 segments from 394 patients with LDH were included in the study. LDH was classified according to the Michigan State University (MSU) classification, in which the degree of LDH is divided into 3 levels (expressed as 1, 2, and 3) and the location of LDH is divided into 4 zones (described as A, AB, B, and C).

Interrelationship between Alzheimer's disease and cardiac dysfunction: the brain-heart continuum?

Dementia, a devastating neurological disorder commonly found in the elderly, is characterized by severe cognitive and memory impairment. Ample clinical and epidemiological evidence has depicted a close association between dementia and heart failure. While cerebral blood under perfusion and neurohormonal activation due to the dampened cardiac pump function contribute to the loss of nutrient supply and neuronal injury, Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common type of dementia, also provokes cardiovascular function impairment, in particular impairment of diastolic function.