Association Between Vitamin D and COVID-19-Related Outcomes: An Umbrella Review of Meta-Analyses.

Context: COVID-19 remains globally pandemic, and although several meta-analyses have explored the association between vitamin D and COVID-19 relative to clinical outcomes, a unified view has not yet emerged.

Objective: To summarize the evidence for associations between vitamin D levels and COVID-19-related clinical outcomes and to assess the strength and validity of these associations.

Data Sources: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews databases were searched from January 1, 2020, to June 15, 2024.

A network pharmacology-based study to investigate the mechanism of curcumin-regulated regenerative repair of quadriceps femoris muscle in KOA rats.

Background: Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a very common musculoskeletal disorder, and patients with KOA often exhibit significant quadriceps femoris muscle atrophy. It is well established that curcumin (CUR) exerts protective effects on skeletal muscle. However, the efficacy of CUR in treating KOA-induced quadriceps femoris muscle atrophy and its underlying mechanisms remain uncertain.

Effects of foot reflexology massage on pregnant women: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies.

To explore the effects of foot reflexology massage on anxiety, pain, duration of labor, labor satisfaction, blood pressure, pulse rate and respiratory rate in pregnant women. We systematically searched eight databases for randomized controlled studies on the effects of foot reflexology massage on pregnant women. The inclusion criteria were as follow: participants were pregnant woman; the intervention is foot reflexology or foot massage; the control intervention is placebo, usual care, or no intervention; outcome indicators included pain, anxiety, birth satisfaction, duration of labor, blood pressure, pulse, and respiration; and study type was randomized controlled study.

Maximum Spreading of Impacting Ferrofluid Droplets under the Effect of Nonuniform Magnetic Field.

This article investigates the maximum spreading of ferrofluid droplets impacting on a hydrophobic surface under nonuniform magnetic fields. A generalized model for scaling the maximum spreading is developed. It is observed that, if the magnetic field strength is zero, a ferrofluid droplet not only demonstrates similar spreading dynamics as the water droplet but also obeys the same scaling law for the maximum spreading factor.

Circular RNAs: from biogenesis and function to diseases.

Objective: Evidence suggests that various diseases may contribute to the circular RNAs (circRNAs) expression disorder. This review was aimed at looking for appropriate biomarkers for the treatment of diseases.

Data Sources: The comprehensive search used online literature databases including PubMed of National Center for Biotechnology Information and Web of Science.

[The role analysis of APX gene family in the growth and developmental processes and in response to abiotic stresses in Arabidopsis thaliana].

Oxidative stress caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS) is one of the major abiotic stresses in plants. Under adverse growth conditions, the incoordination of various metabolic processes in plant cells can result in increased hydrogen peroxide (HO), thus causing a variety of threats and injuries to plant cells. Ascorbate peroxidase (APX) is an important enzyme to remove HO in plants.

[Expression regulation of plant ascorbate peroxidase and its tolerance to abiotic stresses].

Ascorbate peroxidase (APX), a type I heme peroxidase, catalyzes oxidation of ascorbic acid. It possesses a high degree of specificity to ascorbic acid. APX gene cluster consists of four sub-clusters: the gene clusters of cytosol, chloroplast, mitochondria, and peroxidase.