Ucp1 Ablation Improves Skeletal Muscle Glycolytic Function in Aging Mice.

Muscular atrophy is among the systematic decline in organ functions in aging, while defective thermogenic fat functionality precedes these anomalies. The potential crosstalk between adipose tissue and muscle during aging is poorly understood. In this study, it is showed that UCP1 knockout (KO) mice characterized deteriorated brown adipose tissue (BAT) function in aging, yet their glucose homeostasis is sustained and energy expenditure is increased, possibly compensated by improved inguinal adipose tissue (iWAT) and muscle functionality compared to age-matched WT mice.

Optimizing Large-Scale Educational Assessment with a "Divide-and-Conquer" Strategy: Fast and Efficient Distributed Bayesian Inference in IRT Models.

With the growing attention on large-scale educational testing and assessment, the ability to process substantial volumes of response data becomes crucial. Current estimation methods within item response theory (IRT), despite their high precision, often pose considerable computational burdens with large-scale data, leading to reduced computational speed. This study introduces a novel "divide- and-conquer" parallel algorithm built on the Wasserstein posterior approximation concept, aiming to enhance computational speed while maintaining accurate parameter estimation.

Transferrin receptor levels and its rare variant are associated with human obesity.

Aim: Iron homeostasis is critical for functional respiratory chain complex of mitochondrial, thus potentially contributing to fat biology and energy homeostasis. Transferrin receptor (Tfrc) binds to transferrin for extracellular iron uptake and is recently reported to be involved in brown fat development and functionality. However, whether TFRC levels and variants are associated with human obesity is unknown.

A fluorinated peptide with high serum- and lipid-tolerence for the delivery of siRNA drugs to treat obesity and metabolic dysfunction.

Obesity is the major risk factor for metabolic diseases such as fatty liver, hyperlipidemia and insulin resistance. Beige fat has been recognized as a therapeutic target considering its great potential to burn energy. Since the evolutionary discovery of RNA interference and its utilization for gene knockdown in mammalian cells, a remarkable progress has been achieved in siRNA-based therapeutics.

A Designed Lithiophilic Carbon Channel on Separator to Regulate Lithium Deposition Behavior.

Issues with unstable SEI formation and uncontrollable lithium dendrite growth impede the practical use of lithium anode in high-energy batteries. Herein, a lithiophilic carbon channel on separator is designed to regulate lithium deposition behavior. The designed channel is formed by carbon nanosheet with cubic cavity (CNCC) prepared by hard template method.

An Antipulverization and High-Continuity Lithium Metal Anode for High-Energy Lithium Batteries.

Lithium metal is one of the most promising anode candidates for next-generation high-energy batteries. Nevertheless, lithium pulverization and associated loss of electrical contact remain significant challenges. Here, an antipulverization and high-continuity lithium metal anode comprising a small number of solid-state electrolyte (SSE) nanoparticles as conformal/sacrificial fillers and a copper (Cu) foil as the supporting current collector is reported.

Transferrin Receptor Functionally Marks Thermogenic Adipocytes.

Background: Thermogenic adipocytes, including beige and brown adipocytes, are critical for thermogenesis and energy homeostasis. Identification of functional cell surface markers of thermogenic adipocytes is of significance for potential application in biological and clinical practices.

Methods: With a combination of RNA-sequencing of and models, we identified transferrin receptor (Tfr1), a receptor specialized for cellular iron uptake, as a previously unappreciated cell surface molecule for thermogenic adipocytes compared to white adipocytes.

Comprehensive analysis of circular RNA profiles in skeletal muscles of aging mice and after aerobic exercise intervention.

Aging induces gradual accumulation of damages in cells and tissues, which leads to physiological dysfunctions. Aging-associated muscle dysfunction is commonly seen in aged population and severely affects their physical activity and life quality, against which aerobic training has been shown to exert antagonizing or alleviating effects. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) play important roles in various physiological processes, yet their involvement in aging-associated muscle dysfunction is not well understood.

Designing Realizable and Scalable Techniques for Practical Lithium Sulfur Batteries: A Perspective.

To progress from the coin lithium sulfur (Li-S) cell to practical applications, it would be necessary to investigate industrially scalable methods to produce high-quality and large quantities of Li-S configurations. In this Perspective, we focused on the feasibility of scalable production of high-quality and large quantities of cathode composite, the construction of highly safe and highly stable electrolyte, and durable lithium metal anode. The results presented here suggest that the construction of highly secondary microstructures from nanoparticles is the key solution to achieve scalable cathode composite.

Role of Wnt/β-catenin, Wnt/c-Jun N-terminal kinase and Wnt/Ca pathways in cisplatin-induced chemoresistance in ovarian cancer.

The aim of the present study was to explore the expression of Wnt signaling proteins β-catenin, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and Ca/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) in ovarian cancer cells, and assess the correlation between this expression and cisplatin-induced chemoresistance. SKOV3 ovarian carcinoma cells and SKOV3/DDP (cisplatin resistant) cells were treated with cisplatin in the absence or presence of a Wnt signaling activator (CHIR-99021, glycogen synthase kinase 3β inhibitor) or inhibitor (XAV-939, tankyrase inhibitor). Following incubation for 48 h, cell viability, proliferation and cytotoxicity were measured using a sensitive colorimetric cell counting kit.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of neonatal hearing screening program in China: should universal screening be prioritized?

Background: Neonatal hearing screening (NHS) has been routinely offered as a vital component of early childhood care in developed countries, whereas such a screening program is still at the pilot or preliminary stage as regards its nationwide implementation in developing countries. To provide significant evidence for health policy making in China, this study aims to determine the cost-effectiveness of NHS program implementation in case of eight provinces of China.

Methods: A cost-effectiveness model was conducted and all neonates annually born from 2007 to 2009 in eight provinces of China were simulated in this model.

[Erythromycin effects on apoptosis of epithelial cell in nasal polyps].

Objective: To study the effect of erythromycin on apoptosis in epithelial cell and investigate the significance of epithelial cell apoptosis in nasal polyps forming.

Method: Epithelial cell collected from thirty nasal polyps and six inferior turbinates were cultured in Dulbecco Eagle and Ham F12 (1:1) and divided into two groups, one cultured with Erythromycin(Erythromycin group), another cultured without Erythromycin (control group). Apoptosis was detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP nick end labeling.

[Effect of erythromycin on apoptosis of epithelial cell in nasal polyps].

Objective: To study the effect of erythromycin on apoptosis and expression of Bax and Bcl-2 of epithelial cell in nasal polyps.

Methods: Epithelial cells from thirty nasal polyps and fifteen inferior turbinates were cultured in Dulbecco Eagle and Ham F12 (1:1) and divided into two groups (one group were treated with Erythromycin). Apoptosis was detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP nick end labeling and expression of Bcl-2 and Bax detected by immunohistochemistry at 1, 3, 5 days after culture.