A Longitudinal Analysis about the Effect of Air Pollution on Astigmatism for Children and Young Adults

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the correlation between air pollution and astigmatism, considering the detrimental effects of air pollution on respiratory, cardiovascular, and eye health. Methods: A longitudinal study was conducted with 127,709 individuals aged 4-27 years from 9 cities in Guangdong Province, China, spanning from 2019 to 2021. Astigmatism was measured using cylinder values. Multiple measurements were taken at intervals of at least 1 year. Various exposure windows were used to assess the lagged impacts of air pollution on astigmatism. A panel data model with random effects was constructed to analyze the relationship between pollutant exposure and astigmatism. Results: The study revealed significant associations between astigmatism and exposure to carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and particulate matter (PM2.5) over time. A 10 {\mu}g/m3 increase in a 3-year exposure window of NO2 and PM2.5 was associated with a decrease in cylinder value of -0.045 diopters and -0.017 diopters, respectively. A 0.1 mg/m3 increase in CO concentration within a 2-year exposure window correlated with a decrease in cylinder value of -0.009 diopters. No significant relationships were found between PM10 exposure and astigmatism. Conclusion: This study concluded that greater exposure to NO2 and PM2.5 over longer periods aggravates astigmatism. The negative effect of CO on astigmatism peaks in the exposure window of 2 years prior to examination and diminishes afterward. No significant association was found between PM10 exposure and astigmatism, suggesting that gaseous and smaller particulate pollutants have easier access to human eyes, causing heterogeneous morphological changes to the eyeball

Downregulation of Fat Mass and Obesity Associated (FTO) Promotes the Progression of Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) ranks as the second most malignant type of primary liver cancer with a high degree of incidence and a very poor prognosis. Fat mass and obesity-associated protein (FTO) functions as an eraser of the RNA m6A modification, but its roles in ICC tumorigenesis and development remain unknown. We showed here that the protein level of FTO was downregulated in clinical ICC samples and cell lines and that FTO expression was inversely correlated with the expression of CA19-9 and micro-vessel density (MVD). A Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that a low expression of FTO predicted poor prognosis in ICC. in vitro, decreased endogenous expression of FTO obviously reduced apoptosis of ICC cells. Moreover, FTO suppressed the anchorage-independent growth and mobility of ICC cells. Through mining the database, FTO was found to regulate the integrin signaling pathway, inflammation signaling pathway, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling pathway, angiogenesis, and the pyrimidine metabolism pathway. RNA decay assay showed that oncogene TEAD2 mRNA stability was impaired by FTO. In addition, the overexpression of FTO suppressed tumor growth in vivo. In conclusion, our study demonstrated the critical roles of FTO in ICC

Prospects of Nanotechnology in Clinical Immunodiagnostics

Nanostructured materials are promising compounds that offer new opportunities as sensing platforms for the detection of biomolecules. Having micrometer-scale length and nanometer-scale diameters, nanomaterials can be manipulated with current nanofabrication methods, as well as self-assembly techniques, to fabricate nanoscale bio-sensing devices. Nanostructured materials possess extraordinary physical, mechanical, electrical, thermal and multifunctional properties. Such unique properties advocate their use as biomimetic membranes to immobilize and modify biomolecules on the surface of nanoparticles. Alignment, uniform dispersion, selective growth and diameter control are general parameters which play critical roles in the successful integration of nanostructures for the fabrication of bioelectronic sensing devices. In this review, we focus on different types and aspects of nanomaterials, including their synthesis, properties, conjugation with biomolecules and their application in the construction of immunosensing devices. Some key results from each cited article are summarized by relating the concept and mechanism behind each sensor, experimental conditions and the behavior of the sensor under different conditions, etc. The variety of nanomaterial-based bioelectronic devices exhibiting novel functions proves the unique properties of nanomaterials in such sensing devices, which will surely continue to expand in the future. Such nanomaterial based devices are expected to have a major impact in clinical immunodiagnostics, environmental monitoring, security surveillance and for ensuring food safety

Ilustrações de cartilhas escolares na Primeira República (1889-1930) : a historiografia da educação no Espírito Santo por entre traços e espaços em branco

Este estudo objetivou investigar significados das ilustrações contidas nas cartilhas utilizadas no ensino primário, no Espírito Santo, na Primeira República, sendo que, nesse recorte temporal, procuramos tomar as duas reformas educacionais capixabas desse período: a Reforma Gomes Cardim (1908-1909) e a Reforma Atílio Vivacqua (1928-1930), como de pontos de referência em nossa investigação. Partindo de uma análise dessas ilustrações no conjunto de projetos políticos, pedagógicos, culturais e estéticos que perpassaram a escolarização no Espírito Santo, procuramos mapear o panorama que contextualizava a produção dessas ilustrações, nas esferas: social, política, econômica, cultural e educacional, procurando compreender suas relações de força e possíveis tensões; investigar se as ilustrações se relacionavam com os métodos de ensino propostos nas cartilhas, procurando estabelecer e compreender a presença ou ausência dessa relação nas práticas pedagógicas propostas para o ensino primário capixaba, nesse período; bem como, verificar quais os possíveis impactos e reflexos das Reformas Educacionais ocorridas na Primeira República, no Espírito Santo, sobre as ilustrações nas cartilhas, procurando identificá-los. Nessa investigação historiográfica, nossa ancoragem teórico-metodológica fundamenta-se em interlocuções com Marc Bloch, em sua perspectiva histórica, onde buscamos compreensão do ofício do historiador, de modo que, privilegiando a multiplicidade das fontes, procuramos tensioná-las a fim de alcançar o seu testemunho histórico; em Ginzburg, construímos fundamentos que nos permitiram tomar o método indiciário como ferramenta de pesquisa, assim como, suas reflexões sobre morfologia das imagens, por meio do método morelliano, e suas aproximações com as teorias warbuguianas, nos embasaram na abordagem histórica e leitura de fontes iconográficas; por fim, em Benjamin, procuramos compreender o contexto de produção das ilustrações, que, pertencendo ao campo de domínio da linguagem da arte, em suas várias formas de expressões, abrangem percepções de mundo, do seu momento histórico. Desse modo, analisando, historicamente, as ilustrações nas cartilhas, percebemos que as mesmas se constituem como indícios que nos oferecem pistas de propostas pedagógicas, tendências metodológicas e políticas públicas, do espaço e tempo de sua produção, circulação e utilização. Portanto, concluímos que as ilustrações têm a potência de narrativas de uma cultura escolar, ao representarem palavras, textos e temas, assim sendo, detêm valores, sentidos e significados. Portanto, enquanto objetos culturais, trazem informações, que registram pontos de vista culturais e escolares das épocas, além dos elementos que desenvolvem habilidades de leitura e escrita. À vista disso, concluímos que as ilustrações e seus significados, que lhe são atribuídos ao longo do tempo nos espaços escolares, se constituem como possibilidades que oportunizam narrativas historiográficas.This study aimed to investigate meanings of the illustrations contained in textbooks used in primary education in Espírito Santo, during the First Republic. Given this time frame, we attempted to take both capixaba educational reformations: Gomes Cardim Reformation (1908-1909) and the Atilio Vivacqua Reformation (1928-1930), as benchmarks in our investigation. Based on an analysis of these illustrations on the set of political, educational, cultural and aesthetic projects that permeated the school in Espírito Santo, we tried to map the landscape that contextualized the production of these illustrations, in the social, political, economic, cultural and educational realms, seeking to understand their power relations and possible tensions; investigating whether the illustrations were related to the teaching methods proposed in the textbooks, and trying to establish and understand the presence or absence of that relationship in the pedagogical practices proposed for the capixaba primary education in this period, as well as check what the possible impacts and outcomes of Educational Reforms occurred in the First Republic, in Espírito Santo on the illustrations in textbooks were, trying to identify them. For this historiographical research, our theoretical and methodological anchoring is based on dialogues with Marc Bloch, in his historical perspective, where we seek understanding of the historian's craft, so that in favoring the multiplicity of sources, we attempt to bend them in order to achieve their historical testimony; in Ginzburg, we build foundations that allowed us to take the evidential method as a research tool, as well as his reflections on the morphology of images, through the Morellian method and its approach to the Warburgian theories, which supported with the historical approach and the "reading" of iconographic sources; Finally, in Benjamin, we tried to understand the context of production of illustrations, which, belonging to the domain of the language of art, in its various forms of expression, encompasses perceptions of the world, and its historical moment. Thus, historically, analyzing the illustrations in textbooks, we realize that they constitute as evidence that give away hints of educational proposals, methodological trends and public policies, about the space and time of its production, circulation and use. We therefore conclude that the illustrations have the narrative power of a school culture, as they represent words, texts and themes, therefore, holding values, senses and meanings. Therefore, as cultural objects, provide information, which record cultural and school views of their times besides the elements meant to develop reading and writing skills. In view of this, we conclude that the illustrations and their meanings, which are assigned over the course of time in school spaces, are constituted as possibilities that allow for historiographical narratives.FAPE

Evasion of anti-growth signaling: a key step in tumorigenesis and potential target for treatment and prophylaxis by natural compounds

The evasion of anti-growth signaling is an important characteristic of cancer cells. In order to continue to proliferate, cancer cells must somehow uncouple themselves from the many signals that exist to slow down cell growth. Here, we define the anti-growth signaling process, and review several important pathways involved in growth signaling: p53, phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), retinoblastoma protein (Rb), Hippo, growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15), AT-rich interactive domain 1A (ARID1A), Notch, insulin-like growth factor (IGF), and Krüppel-like factor 5 (KLF5) pathways. Aberrations in these processes in cancer cells involve mutations and thus the suppression of genes that prevent growth, as well as mutation and activation of genes involved in driving cell growth. Using these pathways as examples, we prioritize molecular targets that might be leveraged to promote anti-growth signaling in cancer cells. Interestingly, naturally-occurring phytochemicals found in human diets (either singly or as mixtures) may promote anti-growth signaling, and do so without the potentially adverse effects associated with synthetic chemicals. We review examples of naturally-occurring phytochemicals that may be applied to prevent cancer by antagonizing growth signaling, and propose one phytochemical for each pathway. These are: epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) for the Rb pathway, luteolin for p53, curcumin for PTEN, porphyrins for Hippo, genistein for GDF15, resveratrol for ARID1A, withaferin A for Notch and diguelin for the IGF1-receptor pathway. The coordination of anti-growth signaling and natural compound studies will provide insight into the future application of these compounds in the clinical setting

Self-Organizing Circuit Assembly through Spatiotemporally Coordinated Neuronal Migration within Geometric Constraints

Neurons are dynamically coupled with each other through neurite-mediated adhesion during development. Understanding the collective behavior of neurons in circuits is important for understanding neural development. While a number of genetic and activity-dependent factors regulating neuronal migration have been discovered on single cell level, systematic study of collective neuronal migration has been lacking. Various biological systems are shown to be self-organized, and it is not known if neural circuit assembly is self-organized. Besides, many of the molecular factors take effect through spatial patterns, and coupled biological systems exhibit emergent property in response to geometric constraints. How geometric constraints of the patterns regulate neuronal migration and circuit assembly of neurons within the patterns remains unexplored.We established a two-dimensional model for studying collective neuronal migration of a circuit, with hippocampal neurons from embryonic rats on Matrigel-coated self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). When the neural circuit is subject to geometric constraints of a critical scale, we found that the collective behavior of neuronal migration is spatiotemporally coordinated. Neuronal somata that are evenly distributed upon adhesion tend to aggregate at the geometric center of the circuit, forming mono-clusters. Clustering formation is geometry-dependent, within a critical scale from 200 µm to approximately 500 µm. Finally, somata clustering is neuron-type specific, and glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons tend to aggregate homo-philically.We demonstrate self-organization of neural circuits in response to geometric constraints through spatiotemporally coordinated neuronal migration, possibly via mechanical coupling. We found that such collective neuronal migration leads to somata clustering, and mono-cluster appears when the geometric constraints fall within a critical scale. The discovery of geometry-dependent collective neuronal migration and the formation of somata clustering in vitro shed light on neural development in vivo

A review of source tracking techniques for fine sediment within a catchment

Excessive transport of fine sediment, and its associated pollutants, can cause detrimental impacts in aquatic environments. It is therefore important to perform accurate sediment source apportionment to identify hot spots of soil erosion. Various tracers have been adopted, often in combination, to identify sediment source type and its spatial origin; these include fallout radionuclides, geochemical tracers, mineral magnetic properties and bulk and compound-specific stable isotopes. In this review, the applicability of these techniques to particular settings and their advantages and limitations are reviewed. By synthesizing existing approaches, that make use of multiple tracers in combination with measured changes of channel geomorphological attributes, an integrated analysis of tracer profiles in deposited sediments in lakes and reservoirs can be made. Through a multi-scale approach for fine sediment tracking, temporal changes in soil erosion and sediment load can be reconstructed and the consequences of changing catchment practices evaluated. We recommend that long-term, as well as short-term, monitoring of riverine fine sediment and corresponding surface and subsurface sources at nested sites within a catchment are essential. Such monitoring will inform the development and validation of models for predicting dynamics of fine sediment transport as a function of hydro-climatic and geomorphological controls. We highlight that the need for monitoring is particularly important for hilly catchments with complex and changing land use. We recommend that research should be prioritized for sloping farmland-dominated catchments

A review of source tracking techniques for fine sediment within a catchment

Excessive transport of fine sediment, and its associated pollutants, can cause detrimental impacts in aquatic environments. It is therefore important to perform accurate sediment source apportionment to identify hot spots of soil erosion. Various tracers have been adopted, often in combination, to identify sediment source type and its spatial origin; these include fallout radionuclides, geochemical tracers, mineral magnetic properties and bulk and compound-specific stable isotopes. In this review, the applicability of these techniques to particular settings and their advantages and limitations are reviewed. By synthesizing existing approaches, that make use of multiple tracers in combination with measured changes of channel geomorphological attributes, an integrated analysis of tracer profiles in deposited sediments in lakes and reservoirs can be made. Through a multi-scale approach for fine sediment tracking, temporal changes in soil erosion and sediment load can be reconstructed and the consequences of changing catchment practices evaluated. We recommend that long-term, as well as short-term, monitoring of riverine fine sediment and corresponding surface and subsurface sources at nested sites within a catchment are essential. Such monitoring will inform the development and validation of models for predicting dynamics of fine sediment transport as a function of hydro-climatic and geomorphological controls. We highlight that the need for monitoring is particularly important for hilly catchments with complex and changing land use. We recommend that research should be prioritized for sloping farmland-dominated catchments

Graphene-Based Nanocomposites for Energy Storage

Since the first report of using micromechanical cleavage method to produce graphene sheets in 2004, graphene/graphene-based nanocomposites have attracted wide attention both for fundamental aspects as well as applications in advanced energy storage and conversion systems. In comparison to other materials, graphene-based nanostructured materials have unique 2D structure, high electronic mobility, exceptional electronic and thermal conductivities, excellent optical transmittance, good mechanical strength, and ultrahigh surface area. Therefore, they are considered as attractive materials for hydrogen (H2) storage and high-performance electrochemical energy storage devices, such as supercapacitors, rechargeable lithium (Li)-ion batteries, Li–sulfur batteries, Li–air batteries, sodium (Na)-ion batteries, Na–air batteries, zinc (Zn)–air batteries, and vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFB), etc., as they can improve the efficiency, capacity, gravimetric energy/power densities, and cycle life of these energy storage devices. In this article, recent progress reported on the synthesis and fabrication of graphene nanocomposite materials for applications in these aforementioned various energy storage systems is reviewed. Importantly, the prospects and future challenges in both scalable manufacturing and more energy storage-related applications are discussed