Mental Health Status of Cisgender and Gender-Diverse Secondary School Students in China

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Freight Data-Driven Research on Evaluation Indexes for Urban Agglomeration Development Degree

A reasonable comprehensive evaluation of the degree of urban agglomeration development is of great significance for its sustainable development. Although there are some studies on the evaluation of urban agglomeration development degree from the overall development level, only a few studies consider internal development equilibrium and internal interaction intensity. This work uses freight trip data as the main empirical data to establish three alternative evaluation indexes named the overall freight intensity, the internal freight intensity equilibrium level, and the internal freight interaction relative intensity to reflect the urban agglomeration’s overall development level, internal equilibrium level, and internal interaction level, respectively. Then, this work weights the above three alternative indexes to comprehensively evaluate the comprehensive development degree of 14 Chinese urban agglomerations. Finally, this work classifies these urban agglomerations into three stages according to the comprehensive evaluation values. The research results could help us to reasonably evaluate the degree of comprehensive development of urban agglomeration

Stabilizing Effect of Soluplus on Erlotinib Metastable Crystal Form in Microparticles and Amorphous Solid Dispersions

Microparticles (MPs) and amorphous solid dispersions (SDs) are effective methods to improve the dissolution of insoluble drugs. However, stability is a concern for these two high-energy systems, resulting from high surface area and amorphous polymorph, respectively. As an amphiphilic polymer, Soluplus (SOL) is usually used as a carrier in SDs. In this study, erlotinib microparticles (ERL MPs) and erlotinib solid dispersions (ERL SDs) were prepared with SOL by bottom-up technology and solvent evaporation. The solid-state properties of ERL MPs and ERL SDs were characterized by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Powder X-Ray Diffraction (PXRD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The ERL MPs existed in a metastable crystal form A while the ERL SDs existed in an amorphous state. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) showed that there was a hydrogen bond interaction between the N-H group of ERL and the carbonyl group of SOL in ERL MPs and SDs. The dissolution profiles of ERL SDs and ERL MPs were improved significantly. ERL MPs showed better stability than ERL SDs in accelerated stability test. The discrepant stabilizing effects of polymer SOL in two systems may provide effective ideas for solubilization of insoluble drugs and the stability of drugs after recrystallization

Physiological Characteristics of Sunburn Peel after Apple Debagged

The bagging of fruits provides efficient protection from high-intensity sunlight and improves fruit color and quality. However, bagged fruit suddenly exposed to bright light can cause sunburn and destroys the peel cell structure. In this study, fruits from ten-year-old apple trees of ‘Gala’ variety were debagged, and the effect of sunburn on fruits was divided into: (1) normal peels (BFN), (2) peels with albefaction (BFA), and (3) browning (BFB). The non-bagging fruits (NBF) were set as a control to study the physiological characteristics of apple fruits with different levels of sunburn. Our results showed that in the early stages of debagged fruits’ sunburn, the cell structure of the peel was partially destroyed, the color of the injured fruit surface turned white, and the peroxidation in the cell membrane of the peel increased. Initially, the fruit improved its photosynthetic protection ability, and the activity of antioxidants and phenolics was enhanced, to cope with external injury. However, with the increase in duration of high-intensity sunlight, the cell structure of the peel was severely damaged, and the increase in membrane peroxidation resulted in brown coloration of fruits. Under the same conditions, the photoprotection ability and antioxidant enzyme activity of non-bagged fruits showed higher levels. In conclusion, the non-bagged fruits were more adaptable to high-intensity sunlight as compared to debagged fruits

Genome-Wide Identification, Phylogenetic and Expression Analyses of the Ubiquitin-Conjugating Enzyme Gene Family in Maize.

BackgroundUbiquitination is a post-translation modification where ubiquitin is attached to a substrate. Ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes (E2s) play a major role in the ubiquitin transfer pathway, as well as a variety of functions in plant biological processes. To date, no genome-wide characterization of this gene family has been conducted in maize (Zea mays).Methodology/principal findingsIn the present study, a total of 75 putative ZmUBC genes have been identified and located in the maize genome. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that ZmUBC proteins could be divided into 15 subfamilies, which include 13 ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes (ZmE2s) and two independent ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme variant (UEV) groups. The predicted ZmUBC genes were distributed across 10 chromosomes at different densities. In addition, analysis of exon-intron junctions and sequence motifs in each candidate gene has revealed high levels of conservation within and between phylogenetic groups. Tissue expression analysis indicated that most ZmUBC genes were expressed in at least one of the tissues, indicating that these are involved in various physiological and developmental processes in maize. Moreover, expression profile analyses of ZmUBC genes under different stress treatments (4°C, 20% PEG6000, and 200 mM NaCl) and various expression patterns indicated that these may play crucial roles in the response of plants to stress.ConclusionsGenome-wide identification, chromosome organization, gene structure, evolutionary and expression analyses of ZmUBC genes have facilitated in the characterization of this gene family, as well as determined its potential involvement in growth, development, and stress responses. This study provides valuable information for better understanding the classification and putative functions of the UBC-encoding genes of maize

The causal effect of schizophrenia on fractures and bone mineral density: a comprehensive two-sample Mendelian randomization study of European ancestry

Abstract Background Schizophrenia was clinically documented to co-occur with fractures and aberrant bone mineral density (BMD), but the potential causal relationship remained unclear. This study aimed to test the causal effects between schizophrenia and fractures as well as aberrant BMD by conducting Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses. Methods Two-sample MR was utilized, based on instrumental variables from large genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of schizophrenia as exposure, to identify the causal association of schizophrenia with mixed fractures, fractures at different body sites (including skull and facial bones, shoulder and upper arm, wrist and hand, and femur) and BMDs of forearm (FA), femoral neck (FN), lumbar spine (LS) and estimated BMD (eBMD). Multivariable Mendelian randomization (MVMR) analysis was performed to minimize the confounding effect of body mass index (BMI). Results Result from inverse variance weighting (IVW) method provided evidence schizophrenia increased the risk of fractures of skull and facial bones [odds ratio (OR) = 1.0006, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.0003 to 1.0010] and femur [OR =1.0007, 95% CI: 1.0003 to 1.0011], whereas, decreased the level of eBMD [β (95%CI): -0.013 (-0.021, -0.004)]. These causal effects still existed after adjusting for BMI. Sensitivity analyses showed similar results. However, no causal effect of schizophrenia on fracture or BMD in other parts was detected. Conclusion The current finding confirmed that schizophrenia was causally associated with the fractures of skull, face and femur as well as eBMD, which might remind psychiatrists to pay close attention to the fracture risk in schizophrenic patients when formulating their treatment strategies

Differential effects of different antipsychotic drugs on cognitive function in patients with chronic schizophrenia

Background Cognitive impairment is core feature of schizophrenia. The impact of antipsychotics on cognition remains controversial. This study aimed to examine the effects of long-term use of different types of antipsychotics on cognitive impairment in schizophrenia patients. Methods We used the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) to assess the cognition of three groups of schizophrenia patients (318 on clozapine, 125 on risperidone, and 166 on typical antipsychotic drugs) and 399 healthy controls, and used the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale to assess schizophrenia symptoms of patients. Results Patients taking typical antipsychotics scored higher on the immediate memory and delayed memory index than those taking clozapine or risperidone (allp&lt; 0.01). Patients taking clozapine scored higher on the language subscale than those taking risperidone (p&lt; 0.05). Multiple regression analysis showed that the drug type was identified as an independent contributor to the immediate memory, language, and delayed memory index of RBANS (allp&lt; 0.05). Conclusions Patients taking typical antipsychotics have better memory than those taking clozapine or risperidone. Patients taking clozapine have better language function than those taking risperidone.</p

The Role of Mitophagy in Regulating Cell Death

Mitochondria are multifaceted organelles that serve to power critical cellular functions, including act as power generators of the cell, buffer cytosolic calcium overload, production of reactive oxygen species, and modulating cell survival. The structure and the cellular location of mitochondria are critical for their function and depend on highly regulated activities such as mitochondrial quality control (MQC) mechanisms. The MQC is regulated by several sets of processes: mitochondrial biogenesis, mitochondrial fusion and fission, mitophagy, and other mitochondrial proteostasis mechanisms such as mitochondrial unfolded protein response (mtUPR) or mitochondrial-derived vesicles (MDVs). These processes are important for the maintenance of mitochondrial homeostasis, and alterations in the mitochondrial function and signaling are known to contribute to the dysregulation of cell death pathways. Recent studies have uncovered regulatory mechanisms that control the activity of the key components for mitophagy. In this review, we discuss how mitophagy is controlled and how mitophagy impinges on health and disease through regulating cell death

Interaction between job stress and the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism affects depressive symptoms in Chinese healthcare workers

Background: Chronic exposure to job-related stress can lead to depression and BDNF polymorphism may play an important role in this process. The role of the stress x BDNF Val66Met interaction in depression has been studied widely using childhood stress, but few studies have utilized chronic stress in adulthood as a moderator. This study was to examine the chronic stress x BDNF Val66Met interaction in job-related depression in the healthcare workers in a Chinese Han population, which has not been reported yet. Methods: Using a cross-sectional design, 243 doctors and nurses were recruited from a general hospital in Beijing, and were assessed for depression with Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS), and the stress using the House and Rizzo&#39;s Work Stress Scale. The BDNF Val66Met polymorphism was genotyped. Results: There was a significant positive association between job stress and depressive scores (p &lt; 0.001). No significant main effect of the BDNF Val66Met genotype on depressive symptoms was observed (p &gt; 0.05). A statistically significant interaction between BDNF Val66Met and job stress on depressive symptoms was found (p &lt; 0.05); individuals with Val/Val genotype showed a higher SDS score than Met allele carriers only in the low-stress group, without significant differences in SDS score between the BDNF Val66Met subgroups in medium-or high-stress group. Limitations: Limitations include cross-sectional study design, the small sample size only in healthcare workers and only one polymorphism in BDNF gene was analyzed. Conclusions: Our results suggest a close relationship between job-related stress and depression, and the interaction of the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism and chronic stress in adulthood may impact the depressive symptoms.</p