ALKBH5-mediated mA demethylation ameliorates extracellular matrix deposition in cutaneous pathological fibrosis.

Background: Elevated extracellular matrix (ECM) accumulation is a major contributing factor to the pathogenesis of fibrotic diseases. Recent studies have indicated that N6-methyladenosine (mA) RNA modification plays a pivotal role in modulating RNA stability and contribute to the initiation of various pathological conditions. Howbeit, the precise mechanism by which mA influences ECM deposition remains unclear.

Targeting the nuclear long noncoding transcript LSP1P5 abrogates extracellular matrix deposition by trans-upregulating CEBPA in keloids.

Keloids are characterized by fibroblast hyperproliferation and excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) and are a major global health care burden among cutaneous diseases. However, the function of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA)-mediated ECM remodeling during the pathogenesis of keloids is still unclear. Herein, we identified a long noncoding transcript, namely, lymphocyte-specific protein 1 pseudogene 5 (LSP1P5), that modulates ECM component deposition in keloids.

The Effect of a Reminiscence Therapy-Based Hybrid Board Game on Anxiety and Loneliness Levels in Older Adults: An Experimental Study.

Anxiety and loneliness are prevalent psychological issues faced by older adults. To tackle these concerns, group reminiscence therapy has been widely recognized as an effective non-pharmacological form of intervention. Despite its proven efficacy, the implementation of this therapy normally requires professional guidance, limiting its accessibility to specialized institutions such as hospitals.

Structures and Energetics of EH (E = As, Sb, and Bi) Cations.

EH (E = As, Sb, Bi) structures involving multiple bonds have attracted much attention recently. The EH cations (protonated EH) are predicted to be viable with substantial proton affinities (>180 kcal/mol). Herein, the bonding characters and energetics of a number of EH isomers are explored through CCSD(T) and DFT methods.

Enhanced recovery of phosphorus from hypophosphite-laden wastewater via field-induced electro-Fenton coupled with anodic oxidation.

Electrochemical recovered ferric phosphate (FePO) precipitates from hypophosphite-laden wastewater were shown to be an efficient method for phosphorus (P) recovery. However, the influence of chloride ions (Cl) coexisting commonly in wastewater is not known for this treatment. Herein, a field-induced electro-Fenton coupled with anodic oxidation electrochemical system consisting of a Ti-RuO anode, an Fe inductive electrode and an activated carbon fiber (ACF) cathode, namely Ti-RuO/Fe/ACF(NaCl) system, was established to recover phosphorus (P) as FePO from hypophosphite-laden wastewater in the presence of Cl.

The Thalamocortical Mechanism Underlying the Generation and Regulation of the Auditory Steady-State Responses in Awake Mice.

The auditory steady-state response (ASSR) is a cortical oscillation induced by trains of 40 Hz acoustic stimuli. While the ASSR has been widely used in clinic measurement, the underlying neural mechanism remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the contribution of different stages of auditory thalamocortical pathway-medial geniculate body (MGB), thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN), and auditory cortex (AC)-to the generation and regulation of 40 Hz ASSR in C57BL/6 mice of both sexes.

ALKBH5-mediated mA demethylation fuels cutaneous wound re-epithelialization by enhancing PELI2 mRNA stability.

Background: Impaired wound re-epithelialization contributes to cutaneous barrier reconstruction dysfunction. Recently, N-methyladenosine (mA) RNA modification has been shown to participate in the determination of RNA fate, and its aberration triggers the pathogenesis of numerous diseases. Howbeit, the function of mA in wound re-epithelialization remains enigmatic.

How we learn social norms: a three-stage model for social norm learning.

As social animals, humans are unique to make the world function well by developing, maintaining, and enforcing social norms. As a prerequisite among these norm-related processes, learning social norms can act as a basis that helps us quickly coordinate with others, which is beneficial to social inclusion when people enter into a new environment or experience certain sociocultural changes. Given the positive effects of learning social norms on social order and sociocultural adaptability in daily life, there is an urgent need to understand the underlying mechanisms of social norm learning.

The application of augmented reality in plastic surgery training and education: A narrative review.

Continuing problems with fewer training opportunities and a greater awareness of patient safety have led to a constant search for an alternative technique to bridge the existing theory-practice gap in plastic surgery training and education. The current COVID-19 epidemic has aggravated the situation, making it urgent to implement breakthrough technological initiatives currently underway to improve surgical education. The cutting edge of technological development, augmented reality (AR), has already been applied in numerous facets of plastic surgery training, and it is capable of realizing the aims of education and training in this field.

Lean adipose tissue macrophage derived exosome confers immunoregulation to improve wound healing in diabetes.

Chronic non-healing wounds, a prevalent complication of diabetes, are associated with increased mortality in diabetic patients. Excessive accumulation of M1 macrophages in diabetic wounds promotes inflammation and results in dysregulated tissue repair. Adipose tissue macrophages (ATMs) derived from healthy lean donors have the ability to improve glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity, as well as modulate inflammation.

Effects of Organic Chromium Yeast on Performance, Meat Quality, and Serum Parameters of Grow-Finish Pigs.

Trivalent chromium (Cr) is an essential trace element for humans and animals. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of chromium(III) yeast (CrYst) on growth performance, carcass characteristics, meat traits, antioxidant status, immune traits, and serum biochemical parameters of grow-finish pigs. A total of 72 commercial hybrid barrows (Duroc × Landrace × Large White) of approximately 50 kg body weight were allocated into two dietary treatments randomly, which received a corn-soybean meal basal diet or a basal diet supplemented with 100 mg CrYst/kg.

Identification and functional analysis of a three-miRNA ceRNA network in hypertrophic scars.

Background: Hypertrophic scar (HTS) is a fibrotic disorder of skins and may have repercussions on the appearance as well as functions of patients. Recent studies related have shown that competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) networks centering around miRNAs may play an influential role in HTS formation. This study aimed to construct and validate a three-miRNA (miR-422a, miR-2116-3p, and miR-3187-3p) ceRNA network, and explore its potential functions.

CD39 Fibroblasts Enhance Myofibroblast Activation by Promoting IL-11 Secretion in Hypertrophic Scars.

Fibroblasts (Fbs) are critical to hypertrophic scar (HTS) formation and were recently shown to be highly heterogeneous. However, Fb heterogeneity in HTSs has not been fully elucidated. In this study, we observed an increased fraction of CD39 Fbs in HTS after screening four Fb subtypes (CD26, CD36, FAP, and CD39).

Inhibition of CUB and sushi multiple domains 1 (CSMD1) expression by miRNA-190a-3p enhances hypertrophic scar-derived fibroblast migration in vitro.

Background: Hypertrophic scar (HTS) is a fibroproliferative skin disorder characterized by excessive cell proliferation, migration, and extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition. The CUB and Sushi multiple domains 1 (CSMD1) has previously been identified as the key regulatory gene of hypertrophic scar by a large sample GWAS study. However, further research has not yet been conducted to verify this finding in other HTS patients and to determine the underlying mechanism.

Exendin-4 induces a novel extended effect of ischemic tolerance via crosstalk with IGF-1R.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor (GLP-1R) agonist exendin-4 (Ex-4), a drug that has been used in the clinical treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus, also confers a neuroprotective effect against stroke. Although GLP-1 analogs were reported to induce sustained insulin secretion and glucose tolerance improved after cessation of treatment, no study has revealed whether Ex-4 exerts sustained neuroprotection against stroke and the underlying mechanism after treatment cessation. In this study, mice were pretreated with Ex-4 for 7 days, and middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) was performed on different days after cessation of Ex-4 treatment.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 cleavage product GLP-1(9-36) reduces neuroinflammation from stroke via the activation of insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor in astrocytes.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is an endogenous gut hormone and a key regulator in maintaining glucose homeostasis by stimulating insulin secretion. Its natural cleavage product GLP-1 (9-36), which was formerly considered a "bio-inactive" metabolite mainly due to its low affinity for GLP-1 receptor, possesses unique properties such as cardiovascular protection. Little is known about the effects and mechanisms of GLP-1 (9-36) in cerebral ischemia and reperfusion injury.

Metagenomic Study Suggests That the Gut Microbiota of the Giant Panda () May Not Be Specialized for Fiber Fermentation.

Bamboo-eating giant panda () is an enigmatic species, which possesses a carnivore-like short and simple gastrointestinal tract (GIT). Despite the remarkable studies on giant panda, its diet adaptability status continues to be a matter of debate. To resolve this puzzle, we investigated the functional potential of the giant panda gut microbiome using shotgun metagenomic sequencing of fecal samples.

Multiaxial Fatigue Damage Parameter and Life Prediction without Any Additional Material Constants.

Based on the critical plane approach, a simple and efficient multiaxial fatigue damage parameter with no additional material constants is proposed for life prediction under uniaxial/multiaxial proportional and/or non-proportional loadings for titanium alloy TC4 and nickel-based superalloy GH4169. Moreover, two modified Ince-Glinka fatigue damage parameters are put forward and evaluated under different load paths. Results show that the generalized strain amplitude model provides less accurate life predictions in the high cycle life regime and is better for life prediction in the low cycle life regime; however, the generalized strain energy model is relatively better for high cycle life prediction and is conservative for low cycle life prediction under multiaxial loadings.

A New Energy-Critical Plane Damage Parameter for Multiaxial Fatigue Life Prediction of Turbine Blades.

As one of fracture critical components of an aircraft engine, accurate life prediction of a turbine blade to disk attachment is significant for ensuring the engine structural integrity and reliability. Fatigue failure of a turbine blade is often caused under multiaxial cyclic loadings at high temperatures. In this paper, considering different failure types, a new energy-critical plane damage parameter is proposed for multiaxial fatigue life prediction, and no extra fitted material constants will be needed for practical applications.

An Orally Active Allosteric GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Is Neuroprotective in Cellular and Rodent Models of Stroke.

Diabetes is a major risk factor for the development of stroke. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonists have been in clinical use for the treatment of diabetes and also been reported to be neuroprotective in ischemic stroke. The quinoxaline 6,7-dichloro-2-methylsulfonyl-3-N-tert- butylaminoquinoxaline (DMB) is an agonist and allosteric modulator of the GLP-1R with the potential to increase the affinity of GLP-1 for its receptor.

Intranasal Delivery of Exendin-4 Confers Neuroprotective Effect Against Cerebral Ischemia in Mice.

Exendin-4 is now considered as a promising drug for the treatment of cerebral ischemia. To determine the neuroprotective effects of intranasal exendin-4, C57BL/6J mice were intranasally administered with exendin-4 daily for 7 days before middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) surgery. Intranasally administered exendin-4 produced higher brain concentrations and lower plasma concentrations when compared to identical doses administered interperitoneally.