641 research outputs found

    MicroRNA-421 protects against chronic intermittent hypoxia-induced vascular endothelial cell injury by targeting TLR4

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    Purpose: To investigate the role of miR-421 in endothelial cell injury caused by chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH), and to unravel the mechanism of action. Methods: A rat aortic endothelial cell model of CIH was established by 18-h exposure to hypoxic treatment. Cell viability was evaluated by MTT while cell apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry. Cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were assessed by cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) assay kit. The mRNA and protein levels were also determined. Sprague Dawley rats were used to establish a rat CIH model over a 6-week hypoxic exposure. The degree of lung and renal injuries in the rats were observed by HE staining. Results: MiR-421 was downregulated and toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) upregulated in CIH cells compared to control cells. Treatment of CIH cells decreased their viability, increased cellular ROS levels, promoted cell apoptosis, and caused changes in protein levels of apoptosis- and inflammation-related genes. However, miR-421 mimics reversed these results caused by CIH treatment. Dual luciferase reporter assay verified that TLR4 was targeted by miR-421. Moreover, TLR4 overexpression suppressed the protective effect of miR-421 on CIH cells. Finally, miR-421 agomiR inhibited CIH-induced TLR4 upregulation in rats. Histopathological examinations confirmed that miR-421 agomiR inhibited CIHinduced injury and collagen deposition in rat lungs and kidneys. Conclusion: MiR-421 protects vascular endothelial cells against CIH-induced injury in rats by targeting TLR4, which may provide a biomarker for the diagnosis and treatment of CIH-induced injury. Keywords: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, MiR-421, TLR4, Chronic intermittent hypoxia, Vascular endothelial cell

    Exploration on dynamics in a ratio-dependent predator-prey bioeconomic model with time delay and additional food supply

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    In this manuscript, a novel ratio-dependent predator-prey bioeconomic model with time delay and additional food supply is investigated. We first change the bioeconomic model into a normal version by virtue of the differential-algebraic system theory. The local steady-state of equilibria and Hopf bifurcation could be derived by varying time delay. Later, the formulas of the direction of Hopf bifurcation and the properties of the bifurcating periodic solutions are obtained by the normal form theory and the center manifold theorem. Moreover, employing the Pontryagin's maximum principle and considering the instantaneous annual discount rate, the optimal harvesting problem of the model without time delay is analyzed. Finally, four numeric examples are carried out to verify the rationality of our analytical findings. Our analytical results show that Hopf bifurcation occurs in this model when the value of bifurcation parameter, the time delay of the maturation time of prey, crosses a critical value

    Effect of Football Shoe Collar Type on Ankle Biomechanics and Dynamic Stability During Anterior and Lateral Single-Leg Jump Landings

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    In this study, we investigated the effects of football shoes with different collar heights on ankle biomechanics and dynamic postural stability. Fifteen healthy college football players performed anterior and lateral single-leg jump landings when wearing high collar, elastic collar, or low collar football shoes. The kinematics of lower limbs and ground reaction forces were collected by simultaneously using a stereo-photogrammetric system with markers (Vicon) and a force plate (Kistler). During the anterior single-leg jump landing, a high collar shoe resulted in a significantly smaller ankle dorsiflexion range of motion (ROM), compared to both elastic (p = 0.031, dz = 0.511) and low collar (p = 0.043, dz = 0.446) types, while also presenting lower total ankle sagittal ROM, compared to the low collar type (p = 0.023, dz = 0.756). Ankle joint stiffness was significantly greater for the high collar, compared to the elastic collar (p = 0.003, dz = 0.629) and low collar (p = 0.030, dz = 1.040). Medial-lateral stability was significantly improved with the high collar, compared to the low collar (p = 0.001, dz = 1.232). During the lateral single-leg jump landing, ankle inversion ROM (p = 0.028, dz = 0.615) and total ankle frontal ROM (p = 0.019, dz = 0.873) were significantly smaller for the high collar, compared to the elastic collar. The high collar also resulted in a significantly smaller total ankle sagittal ROM, compared to the low collar (p = 0.001, dz = 0.634). Therefore, the high collar shoe should be effective in decreasing the amount of ROM and increasing the dynamic stability, leading to high ankle joint stiffness due to differences in design and material characteristics of the collar types

    Data Cubes in Hand: A Design Space of Tangible Cubes for Visualizing 3D Spatio-Temporal Data in Mixed Reality

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    Tangible interfaces in mixed reality (MR) environments allow for intuitive data interactions. Tangible cubes, with their rich interaction affordances, high maneuverability, and stable structure, are particularly well-suited for exploring multi-dimensional data types. However, the design potential of these cubes is underexplored. This study introduces a design space for tangible cubes in MR, focusing on interaction space, visualization space, sizes, and multiplicity. Using spatio-temporal data, we explored the interaction affordances of these cubes in a workshop (N=24). We identified unique interactions like rotating, tapping, and stacking, which are linked to augmented reality (AR) visualization commands. Integrating user-identified interactions, we created a design space for tangible-cube interactions and visualization. A prototype visualizing global health spending with small cubes was developed and evaluated, supporting both individual and combined cube manipulation. This research enhances our grasp of tangible interaction in MR, offering insights for future design and application in diverse data contexts

    Methylmalonic acid levels in serum, exosomes, and urine and its association with cblC type methylmalonic acidemia-induced cognitive impairment

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    BackgroundThe cblC type methylmalonic acidemia is the most common methylmalonic acidemia (MMA) in China. The biochemical characteristics of this disease include elevated methylmalonic acid and homocysteine (HCY), increased propionylcarnitine (C3), decreased free carnitine (C0). In this study, we aimed to clarify the roles of these biomarkers in cblC-MMA induced cognitive impairment and evaluate the capacity of methylmalonic acid in different fluids or exosomes to distinguish cblC-MMA induced cognitive impairment.Methods15 non-inherited hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) patients, 42 cblC-MMA patients and 57 age- and sex-matched healthy children were recruited in this study. The levels of HCY were detected by an automatic immune analyzer. The levels of acylcarnitines and methylmalonic acid were detected by tandem mass spectrometer.ResultsThe main findings were all biomarkers as HCY, acylcarnitines and methylmalonic acid had capacities for distinguishing patients with cblC-MMA induced cognitive impairment from healthy children. The methylmalonic acid in different fluids or exosomes had good performances for distinguishing patients with cblC-MMA induced cognitive impairment from HHcy patients. The methylmalonic acid in serum exosomes and neuronal-derived exosomes were able to distinguishing cblC-MMA patients with cognitive impairment from patients without cognitive impairment. The methylmalonic acid in neuronal-derived exosomes might be helpful to evaluate the severity of cblC-MMA induced cognitive impairment.DiscussionMethylmalonic acid levels in serum exosomes, especially in serum neuronal-derived exosomes, serve as potential biomarkers for distinguishing cblC-MMA induced cognitive impairment

    Progress in Research and Development Prospects of Aronia melanocarpa

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    Aronia melanocarpa is a berry with unique edible and medicinal value. It boasts a high content of polysaccharides, anthocyanins, and various other bioactive ingredients. These compounds exhibit multiple effects such as antioxidant, anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, modulation of blood sugar and lipid, hypotensive function, anti-cancer, and amelioration of depressive symptoms. The applications of Aronia melanocarpa span across the realms of food, pharmaceuticals, and health products. Predominantly, Aronia melanocarpa products are presented in the form of juice, wine, and powder, etc., employing rather straightforward processing techniques. Notably, industries revolving around this berry are nascent, indicating expansive market opportunities. This review mainly focuses on the active ingredients, efficacy and the current developmental trajectory of Aronia melanocarpa products. The objective is to provide a comprehensive reference for high-value development of Aronia melanocarpa and catalyzing the growth of associated industries

    Aortic dissection induced by vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitors

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    Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) contributes to angiogenesis and vasculogenesis. The occurrence and progression of tumors are accompanied by angiogenesis. Vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitors (VEGFI) have been used in anti-tumor treatment. However, aortic dissection (AD) is one of the VEGFI-associated adverse reactions with cute onset, rapid progression, and high case fatality rate. We collected case reports of VEGFI related to aortic dissection in PubMed and CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure) from inception to 28 April 2022. Seventeen case reports were selected. The medication included sunitinib, sorafenib, pazopanib, axitinib, apatinib, anlotinib, bevacizumab, and ramucirumab. This review discusses the pathology, risk factors, diagnosis, and treatment of AD. Vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitors are related to aortic dissection. Although current literature lacks clear statistical evidence on the population, we offer points to encourage further confirmation of the best methods of care for these patients

    Two-element interferometer for millimeter-wave solar flare observations

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    In this paper, we present the design and implementation of a two-element interferometer working in the millimeter wave band (39.5 GHz - 40 GHz) for observing solar radio emissions through nulling interference. The system is composed of two 50 cm aperture Cassegrain antennas mounted on a common equatorial mount, with a separation of 230 wavelengths. The cross-correlation of the received signals effectively cancels the quiet solar component of the large flux density (~3000 sfu) that reduces the detection limit due to atmospheric fluctuations. The system performance is obtained as follows: the noise factor of the AFE in the observation band is less than 2.1 dB, system sensitivity is approximately 12.4 K (~34 sfu) with an integration time constant of 0.1 ms (default), the frequency resolution is 153 kHz, and the dynamic range is larger than 30 dB. Through actual testing, the nulling interferometer observes a quiet sun with a low level of output fluctuations (of up to 50 sfu) and has a significantly lower radiation flux variability (of up to 190 sfu) than an equivalent single-antenna system, even under thick cloud cover. As a result, this new design can effectively improve observation sensitivity by reducing the impact of atmospheric and system fluctuations during observation
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