Background: Diabetes and diabetes-related complications are major causes of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Depressive symptoms and perceived stress have been identified as possible risk factors for beta...Background: Diabetes and diabetes-related complications are major causes of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Depressive symptoms and perceived stress have been identified as possible risk factors for beta cell dysfunction and diabetes. The purpose of this study was to assess associations between depression symptoms and perceived stress with beta cell function between African and Haitian Americans with and without type 2 diabetes. Participants and Methods: Informed consent and data were available for 462 participants (231 African Americans and 231 Haitian Americans) for this cross-sectional study. A demographic questionnaire developed by the Primary Investigator was used to collect information regarding age, gender, smoking, and ethnicity. Diabetes status was determined by self-report and confirmed by fasting blood glucose. Anthropometrics (weight, and height and waist circumference) and vital signs (blood pressure) were taken. Blood samples were drawn after 8 10 hours over-night fasting to measure lipid panel, fasting plasma glucose and serum insulin concentrations. The homeostatic model assessment, version 2 (HOMA2) computer model was used to calculate beta cell function. Depression was assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) and stress levels were assessed using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Results: Moderate to severe depressive symptoms were more likely for persons with diabetes (p = 0.030). There were no differences in perceived stress between ethnicity and diabetes status (p = 0.283). General linear models for participants with and without type 2 diabetes using beta cell function as the dependent variable showed no association with depressive symptoms and perceived stress;however, Haitian Americans had significantly lower beta cell function than African Americans both with and without diabetes and adjusting for age, gender, waist circumference and smoking. Further research is needed to compare these risk factors in other race/ethnic groups.展开更多
Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate how individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus’ pancreatic β-cell function index and insulin resistance index are affected by tuberculosis infection. Methods: The st...Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate how individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus’ pancreatic β-cell function index and insulin resistance index are affected by tuberculosis infection. Methods: The study group consisted of 89 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and tuberculosis infection who were admitted to Jingzhou Chest Hospital between March 2019 and March 2021. Gender and duration of diabetes were matching conditions. The control group was made up of 89 patients with type 2 diabetes who were admitted to Jingzhou Central Hospital’s endocrinology department during the same period. The two patient groups provided general information such as gender, age, length of diabetes, and blood biochemical indexes such as glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting glucose (FPG), and fasting C-peptide (FC-P). The HOMA calculator was used to calculate the HOMA-β and the HOMA-IR, and intergroup comparisons and correlation analyses were carried out. Results: Regarding gender, age, disease duration, FC-P, and HbA1c, the differences between the two groups were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). However, BMI, FPG, HOMA-β, and HOMA-IR showed statistically significant differences (P < 0.05). In comparison to the control group, the study group’s HOMA-β was lower and its HOMA-IR was greater. According to Spearman’s correlation analysis, HOMA-β had a negative association (P th FPG, HbA1c, and the length of the disease, and a positive correlation with BMI and FC-P. A positive correlation was found between HOMA-IR and BMI, FPG, and FC-P (P < 0.01), as well as a correlation with the length of the disease (P > 0.05) and HbA1c. Conclusions: In type 2 diabetes mellitus combined with tuberculosis infection, the patients had higher FPG levels and lower FC-P levels, the secretory function of pancreatic β-cells was more severely impaired, and insulin resistance was more obvious.展开更多
Recent studies have mostly focused on engraftment of cells at the lesioned spinal cord,with the expectation that differentiated neurons facilitate recovery.Only a few studies have attempted to use transplanted cells a...Recent studies have mostly focused on engraftment of cells at the lesioned spinal cord,with the expectation that differentiated neurons facilitate recovery.Only a few studies have attempted to use transplanted cells and/or biomaterials as major modulators of the spinal cord injury microenvironment.Here,we aimed to investigate the role of microenvironment modulation by cell graft on functional recovery after spinal cord injury.Induced neural stem cells reprogrammed from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells,and/or thrombin plus fibrinogen,were transplanted into the lesion site of an immunosuppressed rat spinal cord injury model.Basso,Beattie and Bresnahan score,electrophysiological function,and immunofluorescence/histological analyses showed that transplantation facilitates motor and electrophysiological function,reduces lesion volume,and promotes axonal neurofilament expression at the lesion core.Examination of the graft and niche components revealed that although the graft only survived for a relatively short period(up to 15 days),it still had a crucial impact on the microenvironment.Altogether,induced neural stem cells and human fibrin reduced the number of infiltrated immune cells,biased microglia towards a regenerative M2 phenotype,and changed the cytokine expression profile at the lesion site.Graft-induced changes of the microenvironment during the acute and subacute stages might have disrupted the inflammatory cascade chain reactions,which may have exerted a long-term impact on the functional recovery of spinal cord injury rats.展开更多
Background During the transition period,the insufficient dry matter intake and a sharply increased in energy consumption to produce large quantities of milk,high yielding cows would enter a negative energy balance(NEB...Background During the transition period,the insufficient dry matter intake and a sharply increased in energy consumption to produce large quantities of milk,high yielding cows would enter a negative energy balance(NEB)that causes an increase in ketone bodies(KBs)and decrease in reproduction efficiency.The excess concentrations of circulating KBs,represented byβ-hydroxybutyric acid(BHBA),could lead to oxidative damage,which potentially cause injury to follicular granulosa cells(fGCs)and delayed follicular development.Sirtuin 3(Sirt3)regulates mitochondria reactive oxygen species(mitoROS)homeostasis in a beneficial manner;however,the molecular mechanisms underlying its involvement in the BHBA-induced injury of fGCs is poorly understood.The aim of this study was to explore the protection effects and underlying mechanisms of Sirt3 against BHBA overload-induced damage of fGCs.Results Our findings demonstrated that 2.4 mmol/L of BHBA stress increased the levels of mitoROS in bovine fGCs.Further investigations identified the subsequent mitochondrial dysfunction,including an increased abnormal rate of mitochondrial architecture,mitochondrial permeability transition pore(MPTP)opening,reductions in mitochondrial membrane potential(MMP)and Ca^(2+)release;these dysfunctions then triggered the caspase cascade reaction of apoptosis in fGCs.Notably,the overexpression of Sirt3 prior to treatment enhanced mitochondrial autophagy by increasing the expression levels of Beclin-1,thus preventing BHBA-induced mitochondrial oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction in fGCs.Furthermore,our data suggested that the AMPK-mTOR-Beclin-1 pathway may be involved in the protective mechanism of Sirt3 against cellular injury triggered by BHBA stimulation.Conclusions These findings indicate that Sirt3 protects fGCs from BHBA-triggered injury by enhancing autophagy,attenuating oxidative stress and mitochondrial damage.This study provides new strategies to mitigate the fGCs injury caused by excessive BHBA stress in dairy cows with ketosis.展开更多
Using porous carbon hosts in cathodes of Li-S cells can disperse S actives and offset their poor electrical conductivity.However,such reservoirs would in turn absorb excess electrolyte solvents to S-unfilled regions,c...Using porous carbon hosts in cathodes of Li-S cells can disperse S actives and offset their poor electrical conductivity.However,such reservoirs would in turn absorb excess electrolyte solvents to S-unfilled regions,causing the electrolyte overconsumption,specific energy decline,and even safety hazards for battery devices.To build better cathodes,we propose to substitute carbons by In-doped SnO_(2)(ITO)nano ceramics that own three-in-one functionalities:1)using conductive ITO enables minimizing the total carbon content to an extremely low mass ratio(~3%)in cathodes,elevating the electrode tap density and averting the electrolyte overuse;2)polar ITO nanoclusters can serve as robust anchors toward Li polysulfide(LiPS)by electrostatic adsorption or chemical bond interactions;3)they offer catalysis centers for liquid–solid phase conversions of S-based actives.Also,such ceramics are intrinsically nonflammable,preventing S cathodes away from thermal runaway or explosion.These merits entail our configured cathodes with high tap density(1.54 g cm^(−3)),less electrolyte usage,good security for flame retardance,and decent Li-storage behaviors.With lean and LiNO_(3)-free electrolyte,packed full cells exhibit excellent redox kinetics,suppressed LiPS shuttling,and excellent cyclability.This may trigger great research enthusiasm in rational design of low-carbon and safer S cathodes.展开更多
AIM To investigate factors causing diabetes recurrence after sleeve gastrectomy(SG)and duodenal-jejunal bypass(DJB).METHODS SG and DJB were performed on rats with diabetes induced by high-fat diet(HFD)and streptozotoc...AIM To investigate factors causing diabetes recurrence after sleeve gastrectomy(SG)and duodenal-jejunal bypass(DJB).METHODS SG and DJB were performed on rats with diabetes induced by high-fat diet(HFD)and streptozotocin(STZ).HFD was used to induce diabetes recurrence at 4 wk postoperatively.Body weight,oral glucose tolerance test,homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance(HOMA-IR),insulin signaling[IR,insulin receptor substrate(IRS 1,IRS2,phosphatidylinositol3-kinase and AKT in liver and skeletal muscle],oral glucose stimulated insulin secretion,beta-cell morphology(mass,apoptosis and insulin secretion),glucagon-like peptide(GLP)-1,PYY and ghrelin were compared among SG rats with common low-fat diet(SG-LFD),SG with HFD(SG-HFD),DJB rats with LFD(DJB-LFD),DJB with HFD(DJB-HFD)and shamoperation with LFD(Sham)at targeted postoperative times.RESULTS SG and DJB resulted in significant improvement in glucose tolerance,lower HOMA-IR,up-regulated hepatic and muscular insulin signaling,higher levels of oral glucose-stimulated insulin secretion,bigger betacell mass,higher immunofluorescence intensity of insulin,fewer transferase-mediated d UTP-biotin 3’nick end-labeling(TUNEL)-positive beta cells and higher postprandial GLP-1 and PYY levels than in the Sham group.The improvement in glucose tolerance was reversed at 12 wk postoperatively.Compared with the SG-LFD and DJB-LFD groups,the SG-HFD and DJB-HFD groups showed higher HOMA-IR,down-regulated hepatic and muscular insulin signaling,and more TUNEL-positive beta cells.No significant difference was detected between HFD and LFD groups for body weight,glucose-stimulated insulin secretion,betacell mass,immunofluorescence intensity of insulin,and postprandial GLP-1 and PYY levels.Fasting serum ghrelin decreased in SG groups,and there was no difference between HFD-SG and LFD-SG groups.CONCLUSION HFD reverses the improvement in glucose homeostasis after SG and DJB.Diabetes recurrence may correlate with re-impaired insulin sensitivity,but not with alterations of beta-cell function and body weight.展开更多
Three-dimensional(3D)bioprinting fabricates 3D functional tissues/organs by accurately depositing the bioink composed of the biological materials and living cells.Even though 3D bioprinting techniques have experienced...Three-dimensional(3D)bioprinting fabricates 3D functional tissues/organs by accurately depositing the bioink composed of the biological materials and living cells.Even though 3D bioprinting techniques have experienced significant advancement over the past decades,it remains challenging for 3D bioprinting to artificially fabricate functional tissues/organs with high post-printing cell viability and functionality since cells endure various types of stress during the bioprinting process.Generally,cell viability which is affected by several factors including the stress and the environmental factors,such as pH and temperature,is mainly determined by the magnitude and duration of the stress imposed on the cells with poorer cell viability under a higher stress and a longer duration condition.The maintenance of high cell viability especially for those vulnerable cells,such as stem cells which are more sensitive to multiple stresses,is a key initial step to ensure the functionality of the artificial tissues/organs.In addition,maintaining the pluripotency of the cells such as proliferation and differentiation abilities is also essential for the 3D-bioprinted tissues/organs to be similar to native tissues/organs.This review discusses various pathways triggering cell damage and the major factors affecting cell viability during different bioprinting processes,summarizes the studies on cell viabilities and functionalities in different bioprinting processes,and presents several potential approaches to protect cells from injuries to ensure high cell viability and functionality.展开更多
BACKGROUND Umbilical cord(UC)mesenchymal stem cell(MSC)transplantation is a potential therapeutic intervention for atherosclerotic vascular disease.Integrin beta 3(ITGB3)promotes cell migration in several cell types.H...BACKGROUND Umbilical cord(UC)mesenchymal stem cell(MSC)transplantation is a potential therapeutic intervention for atherosclerotic vascular disease.Integrin beta 3(ITGB3)promotes cell migration in several cell types.However,whether ITGBmodified MSCs can migrate to plaque sites in vivo and play an anti-atherosclerotic role remains unclear.AIM To investigate whether ITGB3-overexpressing MSCs(MSCs^(ITGB3))would exhibit improved homing efficacy in atherosclerosis.METHODS UC MSCs were isolated and expanded.Lentiviral vectors encoding ITGB3 or green fluorescent protein(GFP)as control were transfected into MSCs.Sixty male apolipoprotein E-/-mice were acquired from Beijing Vital River Lab Animal Technology Co.,Ltd and fed with a high-fat diet(HFD)for 12 wk to induce the formation of atherosclerotic lesions.These HFD-fed mice were randomly separated into three clusters.GFP-labeled MSCs(MSCs^(GFP))or MSCs^(ITGB3)were transplanted into the mice intravenously via the tail vein.Immunofluorescence staining,Oil red O staining,histological analyses,western blotting,enzymelinked immunosorbent assay,and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction were used for the analyses.RESULTS ITGB3 modified MSCs successfully differentiated into the“osteocyte”and“adipocyte”phenotypes and were characterized by positive expression(>91.3%)of CD29,CD73,and CD105 and negative expression(<1.35%)of CD34 and Human Leukocyte Antigen-DR.In a transwell assay,MSCs^(ITGB3)showed significantly faster migration than MSCsGFP.ITGB3 overexpression had no effects on MSC viability,differentiation,and secretion.Immunofluorescence staining revealed that ITGB3 overexpression substantially enhanced the homing of MSCs to plaque sites.Oil red O staining and histological analyses further confirmed the therapeutic effects of MSCs^(ITGB3),significantly reducing the plaque area.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction revealed that MSC^(ITGB3)transplantation considerably decreased the inflammatory response in pathological tissues by improving the dynamic equilibrium of pro-and anti-inflammatory cytokines.CONCLUSION These results showed that ITGB3 overexpression enhanced the MSC homing ability,providing a potential approach for MSC delivery to plaque sites,thereby optimizing their therapeutic effects.展开更多
The interfacial defects and energy barrier are main reasons for interfacial nonradiative recombination.In addition,poor perovskite crystallization and incomplete conversion of PbI_(2) to perovskite restrict further en...The interfacial defects and energy barrier are main reasons for interfacial nonradiative recombination.In addition,poor perovskite crystallization and incomplete conversion of PbI_(2) to perovskite restrict further enhancement of the photovoltaic performance of the devices using sequential deposition.Herein,a buried interface stabilization strategy that relies on the synergy of fluorine(F)and sulfonyl(S=O)functional groups is proposed.A series of potassium salts containing halide and non-halogen anions are employed to modify SnO_(2)/perovskite buried interface.Multiple chemical bonds including hydrogen bond,coordination bond and ionic bond are realized,which strengthens interfacial contact and defect passivation effect.The chemical interaction between modification molecules and perovskite along with SnO_(2) heightens incessantly as the number of S=O and F augments.The chemical interaction strength between modifiers and perovskite as well as SnO_(2) gradually increases with the increase in the number of S=O and F.The defect passivation effect is positively correlated with the chemical interaction strength.The crystallization kinetics is regulated through the compromise between chemical interaction strength and wettability of substrates.Compared with Cl−,all non-halogen anions perform better in crystallization optimization,energy band regulation and defect passivation.The device with potassium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide achieves a tempting efficiency of 24.17%.展开更多
Commercialization of perovskite solar cells(PSCs) requires the development of high-efficiency devices with none current density-voltage(J-V) hysteresis. Here, electron transport layers(ETLs) with gradual change in wor...Commercialization of perovskite solar cells(PSCs) requires the development of high-efficiency devices with none current density-voltage(J-V) hysteresis. Here, electron transport layers(ETLs) with gradual change in work function(WF) are successfully fabricated and employed as an ideal model to investigate the energy barriers, charge transfer and recombination kinetics at ETL/perovskite interface. The energy barrier for electron injection existing at ETL/perovskite is directly assessed by surface photovoltage microscopy, and the results demonstrate the tunable barriers have significant impact on the J-V hysteresis and performance of PSCs. By work function engineering of ETL, PSCs exhibit PCEs over 21% with negligible hysteresis. These results provide a critical understanding of the origin reason for hysteresis effect in planar PSCs, and clear reveal that the J-V hysteresis can be effectively suppressed by carefully tuning the interface features in PSCs. By extending this strategy to a modified formamidinium-cesium-rubidium(FA-Cs-Rb) perovskite system, the PCEs are further boosted to 24.18%. Moreover, 5 cm × 5 cm perovskite mini-modules are also fabricated with an impressive efficiency of 20.07%, demonstrating compatibility and effectiveness of our strategy on upscaled devices.展开更多
Ghana, renowned for its abundant gold reserves, plays a significant role in the global mining industry. Effective management and accurate forecasting of these reserves are vital for sustainable resource utilization an...Ghana, renowned for its abundant gold reserves, plays a significant role in the global mining industry. Effective management and accurate forecasting of these reserves are vital for sustainable resource utilization and economic planning. Forecasting gold reserves and estimating their production lifespan are complex tasks that require robust statistical models capable of capturing the underlying dynamics of gold deposit accumulation and extraction. To this end, the four-parameter Beta distribution function emerges as a promising candidate due to its flexibility and ability to handle non-negative data. This research aims to investigate the fitness and applicability of the four-parameter Beta distribution function for forecasting Ghana’s gold reserves and estimating the production lifespan of this precious resource. The empirical paper relied mainly on quarterly secondary datasets on gold reserve between the years 2009 and 2022 secured from the Minerals Commission of Ghana, Accra. Several known statistical distributions including Beta, Weibull, Normal, Logistic and Gamma were explored with Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE) and evaluated using model selection criteria as AIC and BIC. Goodness of Fits were evaluated using Kolmogorov-Smirnov Test (K-S), Cramer-Von Mises Statistic and Anderson-Darling Statistic. Based on the analysis conducted, the four-parameter Beta distribution provided the best fit for gold reserve in Ghana. At a 99.9% confidence level and considering the current annual average gold production estimate of 3,700,031.248 to 4,302,647.888 ounces, the projected lifespan of gold production in Ghana extends to the year 1,953,765. This astounding estimate suggests that the country’s gold reserves are expected to sustain production for an extended period, providing a critical resource for economic development and supporting the mining industry well into the distant future.展开更多
Ghana, renowned for its abundant gold reserves, plays a significant role in the global mining industry. Effective management and accurate forecasting of these reserves are vital for sustainable resource utilization an...Ghana, renowned for its abundant gold reserves, plays a significant role in the global mining industry. Effective management and accurate forecasting of these reserves are vital for sustainable resource utilization and economic planning. Forecasting gold reserves and estimating their production lifespan are complex tasks that require robust statistical models capable of capturing the underlying dynamics of gold deposit accumulation and extraction. To this end, the four-parameter Beta distribution function emerges as a promising candidate due to its flexibility and ability to handle non-negative data. This research aims to investigate the fitness and applicability of the four-parameter Beta distribution function for forecasting Ghana’s gold reserves and estimating the production lifespan of this precious resource. The empirical paper relied mainly on quarterly secondary datasets on gold reserve between the years 2009 and 2022 secured from the Minerals Commission of Ghana, Accra. Several known statistical distributions including Beta, Weibull, Normal, Logistic and Gamma were explored with Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE) and evaluated using model selection criteria as AIC and BIC. Goodness of Fits were evaluated using Kolmogorov-Smirnov Test (K-S), Cramer-Von Mises Statistic and Anderson-Darling Statistic. Based on the analysis conducted, the four-parameter Beta distribution provided the best fit for gold reserve in Ghana. At a 99.9% confidence level and considering the current annual average gold production estimate of 3,700,031.248 to 4,302,647.888 ounces, the projected lifespan of gold production in Ghana extends to the year 1,953,765. This astounding estimate suggests that the country’s gold reserves are expected to sustain production for an extended period, providing a critical resource for economic development and supporting the mining industry well into the distant future.展开更多
Traumatic brain injury(TBI)is the main cause of disability,mental health disorder,and even death,with its incidence and social costs rising steadily.Although different treatment strategies have been developed and test...Traumatic brain injury(TBI)is the main cause of disability,mental health disorder,and even death,with its incidence and social costs rising steadily.Although different treatment strategies have been developed and tested to mitigate neurological decline,a definitive cure for these conditions remains elusive.Studies have revealed that vari-ous neurotrophins represented by the brain-derived neurotrophic factor are the key regulators of neuroinflammation,apoptosis,blood-brain barrier permeability,neurite regeneration,and memory function.These factors are instrumental in alleviating neu-roinflammation and promoting neuroregeneration.In addition,neural stem cells(NSC)contribute to nerve repair through inherent neuroprotective and immunomodulatory properties,the release of neurotrophins,the activation of endogenous NSCs,and in-tercellular signaling.Notably,innovative research proposals are emerging to combine BDNF and NSCs,enabling them to synergistically complement and promote each other in facilitating injury repair and improving neuron differentiation after TBI.In this review,we summarize the mechanism of neurotrophins in promoting neurogen-esis and restoring neural function after TBI,comprehensively explore the potential therapeutic effects of various neurotrophins in basic research on TBI,and investigate their interaction with NSCs.This endeavor aims to provide a valuable insight into the clinical treatment and transformation of neurotrophins in TBI,thereby promoting the progress of TBI therapeutics.展开更多
Extracellular vesicles are released by all cell types and contain proteins,microRNAs,mRNAs,and other bioactive molecules.Extracellular vesicles play an important role in intercellular communication and in the modulati...Extracellular vesicles are released by all cell types and contain proteins,microRNAs,mRNAs,and other bioactive molecules.Extracellular vesicles play an important role in intercellular communication and in the modulation of the immune system and neuroinflammation.The cargo of extra cellular vesicles(e.g.,proteins and microRNAs)is altered in pathological situations.Extracellular vesicles contribute to the pathogenesis of many pathologies associated with sustained inflammation and neuroinflammation,including cance r,diabetes,hype rammonemia and hepatic encephalopathy,and other neurological and neurodegenerative diseases.Extracellular vesicles may cross the blood-brain barrier and transfer pathological signals from the periphery to the brain.This contributes to inducing neuroinflammation and cognitive and motor impairment in hyperammonemia and hepatic encephalopathy and in neurodegenerative diseases.The mechanisms involved are beginning to be unde rstood.For example,increased tumor necrosis factor a in extracellular vesicles from plasma of hype rammonemic rats induces neuroinflammation and motor impairment when injected into normal rats.Identifying the mechanisms by which extracellular vesicles contribute to the pathogenesis of these diseases will help to develop new treatments and diagnostic tools for their easy and early detection.In contrast,extra cellular vesicles from mesenchymal stem cells have therapeutic utility in many of the above pathologies,by reducing inflammation and neuroinflammation and improving cognitive and motor function.These extra cellular vesicles recapitulate the beneficial effects of mesenchymal stem cells and have advantages as therapeutic tools:they are less immunoge nic,may not diffe rentiate to malignant cells,cross the blood-brain barrier,and may reach more easily target organs.Extracellular vesicles from mesenchymal stem cells have beneficial effects in models of ischemic brain injury,Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases,hyperammonemia,and hepatic encephalopathy.Extracellular vesicles from mesenchymal stem cells modulate the immune system,promoting the shift from a pro-inflammato ry to an anti-inflammatory state.For example,extracellular vesicles from mesenchymal stem cells modulate the Th17/Treg balance,promoting the anti-inflammatory Treg.Extracellular vesicles from mesenchymal stem cells may also act directly in the brain to modulate microglia activation,promoting a shift from a pro-inflammatory to an anti-inflammatory state.This reduces neuroinflammation and improves cognitive and motor function.Two main components of extracellular vesicles from mesenchymal stem cells which contribute to these beneficial effects are transforming growth factor-βand miR-124.Identifying the mechanisms by which extracellular vesicles from mesenchymal stem cells induce the beneficial effects and the main molecules(e.g.,proteins and mRNAs)involved may help to improve their therapeutic utility.The aims of this review are to summarize the knowledge of the pathological effects of extracellular vesicles in different pathologies,the therapeutic potential of extra cellular vesicles from mesenchymal stem cells to recover cognitive and motor function and the molecular mechanisms for these beneficial effects on neurological function.展开更多
Traumatic brain injury is a serious and complex neurological condition that affects millions of people worldwide.Despite significant advancements in the field of medicine,effective treatments for traumatic brain injur...Traumatic brain injury is a serious and complex neurological condition that affects millions of people worldwide.Despite significant advancements in the field of medicine,effective treatments for traumatic brain injury remain limited.Recently,extracellular vesicles released from mesenchymal stem/stromal cells have emerged as a promising novel therapy for traumatic brain injury.Extracellular vesicles are small membrane-bound vesicles that are naturally released by cells,including those in the brain,and can be engineered to contain therapeutic cargo,such as anti-inflammatory molecules,growth factors,and microRNAs.When administered intravenously,extra cellular vesicles can cross the blood-brain barrier and deliver their cargos to the site of injury,where they can be taken up by recipient cells and modulate the inflammatory response,promote neuroregeneration,and improve functional outcomes.In preclinical studies,extracellular vesicle-based therapies have shown promising results in promoting recove ry after traumatic brain injury,including reducing neuronal damage,improving cognitive function,and enhancing motor recovery.While further research is needed to establish the safety and efficacy of extra cellular vesicle-based therapies in humans,extra cellular vesicles represent a promising novel approach for the treatment of traumatic brain injury.In this review,we summarize mesenchymal ste m/stromal cell-de rived extracellular vesicles as a cell-free therapy for traumatic brain injury via neuroprotection and neurorestoration and brainderived extracellular vesicles as potential biofluid biomarkers in small and large animal models of traumatic brain injury.展开更多
Several densities or probability laws of continuous random variables derive from the Euler Gamma function. These laws form the basis of sampling theory, namely hypothesis testing and estimation. Namely the gamma, beta...Several densities or probability laws of continuous random variables derive from the Euler Gamma function. These laws form the basis of sampling theory, namely hypothesis testing and estimation. Namely the gamma, beta, and Student law, through the chi-square law and the normal law are all distributions resulting from applications of Euleur functions.展开更多
The spontaneous bursts of electrical activity in the developing auditory system are derived from the periodic release of adenosine triphosphate(ATP)by supporting cells in the Kölliker’s organ.However,the mechani...The spontaneous bursts of electrical activity in the developing auditory system are derived from the periodic release of adenosine triphosphate(ATP)by supporting cells in the Kölliker’s organ.However,the mechanisms responsible for initiating spontaneous ATP release have not been determined.Our previous study revealed that telomerase reverse transcriptase(TERT)is expressed in the basilar membrane during the first postnatal week.Its role in cochlear development remains unclear.In this study,we investigated the expression and role of TERT in postnatal cochlea supporting cells.Our results revealed that in postnatal cochlear Kölliker’s organ supporting cells,TERT shifts from the nucleus into the cytoplasm over time.We found that the TERT translocation tendency in postnatal cochlear supporting cells in vitro coincided with that observed in vivo.Further analysis showed that TERT in the cytoplasm was mainly located in mitochondria in the absence of oxidative stress or apoptosis,suggesting that TERT in mitochondria plays roles other than antioxidant or anti-apoptotic functions.We observed increased ATP synthesis,release and activation of purine signaling systems in supporting cells during the first 10 postnatal days.The phenomenon that TERT translocation coincided with changes in ATP synthesis,release and activation of the purine signaling system in postnatal cochlear supporting cells suggested that TERT may be involved in regulating ATP release and activation of the purine signaling system.Our study provides a new research direction for exploring the spontaneous electrical activity of the cochlea during the early postnatal period.展开更多
Objective:To investigate the effect of abnormal ovarian granulosa cell metabolism on in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer(IVF-ET)outcomes in obese polycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS)patients.Methods:Patients with PC...Objective:To investigate the effect of abnormal ovarian granulosa cell metabolism on in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer(IVF-ET)outcomes in obese polycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS)patients.Methods:Patients with PCOS who met the study criteria were screened according to the inclusion criteria.A total of 32 patients with obese PCOS were recruited into the study group,and 39 patients with non-obese PCOS were recruited into the control group.The general data(age,body mass index,and years of infertility),insulin resistance index(HOMA-IR),follicle-stimulating hormone(FSH),luteinizing hormone(LH),granulosa cell mitochondrial function,and IVF-ET outcome of patients in the study group and control group were retrospectively analyzed.Results:The differences in age and years of infertility between the study group and the control group were insignificant(P>0.05),and the body mass index(BMI)of the study group and control group was 30.5±1.24 kg/m2 and 22.3±1.12 kg/m2,respectively,in which the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05);the HOMA-IR of the study group was significantly higher than that of the control group(P<0.05);the reactive oxygen species(ROS)in the study group was significantly higher than that in the control group(P<0.05),and the ATP content in the study group was significantly lower than that in the control group(P<0.05);comparing the FSH and LH levels between the two groups,the difference was not statistically significant(P>0.05);the rate of IVF-ET failure was significantly higher in the study group than in the control group.Conclusion:PCOS is a complex endocrine disorder,and obesity is one of the independent risk factors for the development of PCOS.展开更多
BACKGROUND Bladder cancer(BC)is the most common urological tumor.It has a high recur-rence rate,displays tutor heterogeneity,and resists chemotherapy.Furthermore,the long-term survival rate of BC patients has remained...BACKGROUND Bladder cancer(BC)is the most common urological tumor.It has a high recur-rence rate,displays tutor heterogeneity,and resists chemotherapy.Furthermore,the long-term survival rate of BC patients has remained unchanged for decades,which seriously affects the quality of patient survival.To improve the survival rate and prognosis of BC patients,it is necessary to explore the molecular mechanisms of BC development and progression and identify targets for treatment and intervention.Transmembrane 9 superfamily member 1(TM9SF1),also known as MP70 and HMP70,is a member of a family of nine transmembrane superfamily proteins,which was first identified in 1997.TM9SF1 can be expressed in BC,but its biological function and mechanism in BC are not clear.AIM To investigate the biological function and mechanism of TM9SF1 in BC.Overexpression of TM9SF1 increased the in vitro proliferation,migration,and invasion of BC cells by promoting the entry of BC cells into the G2/M phase.Silencing of TM9SF1 inhibited in vitro proliferation,migration,and invasion of BC cells and blocked BC cells in the G1 phase.CONCLUSION TM9SF1 may be an oncogene in BC.展开更多
文摘Background: Diabetes and diabetes-related complications are major causes of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Depressive symptoms and perceived stress have been identified as possible risk factors for beta cell dysfunction and diabetes. The purpose of this study was to assess associations between depression symptoms and perceived stress with beta cell function between African and Haitian Americans with and without type 2 diabetes. Participants and Methods: Informed consent and data were available for 462 participants (231 African Americans and 231 Haitian Americans) for this cross-sectional study. A demographic questionnaire developed by the Primary Investigator was used to collect information regarding age, gender, smoking, and ethnicity. Diabetes status was determined by self-report and confirmed by fasting blood glucose. Anthropometrics (weight, and height and waist circumference) and vital signs (blood pressure) were taken. Blood samples were drawn after 8 10 hours over-night fasting to measure lipid panel, fasting plasma glucose and serum insulin concentrations. The homeostatic model assessment, version 2 (HOMA2) computer model was used to calculate beta cell function. Depression was assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) and stress levels were assessed using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Results: Moderate to severe depressive symptoms were more likely for persons with diabetes (p = 0.030). There were no differences in perceived stress between ethnicity and diabetes status (p = 0.283). General linear models for participants with and without type 2 diabetes using beta cell function as the dependent variable showed no association with depressive symptoms and perceived stress;however, Haitian Americans had significantly lower beta cell function than African Americans both with and without diabetes and adjusting for age, gender, waist circumference and smoking. Further research is needed to compare these risk factors in other race/ethnic groups.
文摘Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate how individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus’ pancreatic β-cell function index and insulin resistance index are affected by tuberculosis infection. Methods: The study group consisted of 89 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and tuberculosis infection who were admitted to Jingzhou Chest Hospital between March 2019 and March 2021. Gender and duration of diabetes were matching conditions. The control group was made up of 89 patients with type 2 diabetes who were admitted to Jingzhou Central Hospital’s endocrinology department during the same period. The two patient groups provided general information such as gender, age, length of diabetes, and blood biochemical indexes such as glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting glucose (FPG), and fasting C-peptide (FC-P). The HOMA calculator was used to calculate the HOMA-β and the HOMA-IR, and intergroup comparisons and correlation analyses were carried out. Results: Regarding gender, age, disease duration, FC-P, and HbA1c, the differences between the two groups were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). However, BMI, FPG, HOMA-β, and HOMA-IR showed statistically significant differences (P < 0.05). In comparison to the control group, the study group’s HOMA-β was lower and its HOMA-IR was greater. According to Spearman’s correlation analysis, HOMA-β had a negative association (P th FPG, HbA1c, and the length of the disease, and a positive correlation with BMI and FC-P. A positive correlation was found between HOMA-IR and BMI, FPG, and FC-P (P < 0.01), as well as a correlation with the length of the disease (P > 0.05) and HbA1c. Conclusions: In type 2 diabetes mellitus combined with tuberculosis infection, the patients had higher FPG levels and lower FC-P levels, the secretory function of pancreatic β-cells was more severely impaired, and insulin resistance was more obvious.
基金supported by the Stem Cell and Translation National Key Project,No.2016YFA0101403(to ZC)the National Natural Science Foundation of China,Nos.82171250 and 81973351(to ZC)+6 种基金the Natural Science Foundation of Beijing,No.5142005(to ZC)Beijing Talents Foundation,No.2017000021223TD03(to ZC)Support Project of High-level Teachers in Beijing Municipal Universities in the Period of 13th Five-year Plan,No.CIT&TCD20180333(to ZC)Beijing Municipal Health Commission Fund,No.PXM2020_026283_000005(to ZC)Beijing One Hundred,Thousand,and Ten Thousand Talents Fund,No.2018A03(to ZC)the Royal Society-Newton Advanced Fellowship,No.NA150482(to ZC)the National Natural Science Foundation of China for Young Scientists,No.31900740(to SL)。
文摘Recent studies have mostly focused on engraftment of cells at the lesioned spinal cord,with the expectation that differentiated neurons facilitate recovery.Only a few studies have attempted to use transplanted cells and/or biomaterials as major modulators of the spinal cord injury microenvironment.Here,we aimed to investigate the role of microenvironment modulation by cell graft on functional recovery after spinal cord injury.Induced neural stem cells reprogrammed from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells,and/or thrombin plus fibrinogen,were transplanted into the lesion site of an immunosuppressed rat spinal cord injury model.Basso,Beattie and Bresnahan score,electrophysiological function,and immunofluorescence/histological analyses showed that transplantation facilitates motor and electrophysiological function,reduces lesion volume,and promotes axonal neurofilament expression at the lesion core.Examination of the graft and niche components revealed that although the graft only survived for a relatively short period(up to 15 days),it still had a crucial impact on the microenvironment.Altogether,induced neural stem cells and human fibrin reduced the number of infiltrated immune cells,biased microglia towards a regenerative M2 phenotype,and changed the cytokine expression profile at the lesion site.Graft-induced changes of the microenvironment during the acute and subacute stages might have disrupted the inflammatory cascade chain reactions,which may have exerted a long-term impact on the functional recovery of spinal cord injury rats.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32102549)the National Key R&D Program of Ningxia(2021BEF02023)+2 种基金the earmarked fund for CARS(CARS-36)the Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Program(ASTIP-IAS06)the National Key R&D Program of Gansu(21YF5NJ196)。
文摘Background During the transition period,the insufficient dry matter intake and a sharply increased in energy consumption to produce large quantities of milk,high yielding cows would enter a negative energy balance(NEB)that causes an increase in ketone bodies(KBs)and decrease in reproduction efficiency.The excess concentrations of circulating KBs,represented byβ-hydroxybutyric acid(BHBA),could lead to oxidative damage,which potentially cause injury to follicular granulosa cells(fGCs)and delayed follicular development.Sirtuin 3(Sirt3)regulates mitochondria reactive oxygen species(mitoROS)homeostasis in a beneficial manner;however,the molecular mechanisms underlying its involvement in the BHBA-induced injury of fGCs is poorly understood.The aim of this study was to explore the protection effects and underlying mechanisms of Sirt3 against BHBA overload-induced damage of fGCs.Results Our findings demonstrated that 2.4 mmol/L of BHBA stress increased the levels of mitoROS in bovine fGCs.Further investigations identified the subsequent mitochondrial dysfunction,including an increased abnormal rate of mitochondrial architecture,mitochondrial permeability transition pore(MPTP)opening,reductions in mitochondrial membrane potential(MMP)and Ca^(2+)release;these dysfunctions then triggered the caspase cascade reaction of apoptosis in fGCs.Notably,the overexpression of Sirt3 prior to treatment enhanced mitochondrial autophagy by increasing the expression levels of Beclin-1,thus preventing BHBA-induced mitochondrial oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction in fGCs.Furthermore,our data suggested that the AMPK-mTOR-Beclin-1 pathway may be involved in the protective mechanism of Sirt3 against cellular injury triggered by BHBA stimulation.Conclusions These findings indicate that Sirt3 protects fGCs from BHBA-triggered injury by enhancing autophagy,attenuating oxidative stress and mitochondrial damage.This study provides new strategies to mitigate the fGCs injury caused by excessive BHBA stress in dairy cows with ketosis.
基金support by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(51802269,21773138)Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(XDJK2019AA002)+1 种基金the Venture&Innovation Support Program for Chongqing Overseas Returnees(cx2018027)the innovation platform for academicians of Hainan province.
文摘Using porous carbon hosts in cathodes of Li-S cells can disperse S actives and offset their poor electrical conductivity.However,such reservoirs would in turn absorb excess electrolyte solvents to S-unfilled regions,causing the electrolyte overconsumption,specific energy decline,and even safety hazards for battery devices.To build better cathodes,we propose to substitute carbons by In-doped SnO_(2)(ITO)nano ceramics that own three-in-one functionalities:1)using conductive ITO enables minimizing the total carbon content to an extremely low mass ratio(~3%)in cathodes,elevating the electrode tap density and averting the electrolyte overuse;2)polar ITO nanoclusters can serve as robust anchors toward Li polysulfide(LiPS)by electrostatic adsorption or chemical bond interactions;3)they offer catalysis centers for liquid–solid phase conversions of S-based actives.Also,such ceramics are intrinsically nonflammable,preventing S cathodes away from thermal runaway or explosion.These merits entail our configured cathodes with high tap density(1.54 g cm^(−3)),less electrolyte usage,good security for flame retardance,and decent Li-storage behaviors.With lean and LiNO_(3)-free electrolyte,packed full cells exhibit excellent redox kinetics,suppressed LiPS shuttling,and excellent cyclability.This may trigger great research enthusiasm in rational design of low-carbon and safer S cathodes.
基金Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.81300286 to Liu SZ and No.81471019 to Hu SYFoundation for Outstanding Young Scientist in Shandong Province,No.BS2013YY031 to Liu SZ+1 种基金Science and Technology Development Program of Shandong Province,No.2014GGE27485 to Liu SZSpecialized Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China,No.20130131120069 to Liu SZ
文摘AIM To investigate factors causing diabetes recurrence after sleeve gastrectomy(SG)and duodenal-jejunal bypass(DJB).METHODS SG and DJB were performed on rats with diabetes induced by high-fat diet(HFD)and streptozotocin(STZ).HFD was used to induce diabetes recurrence at 4 wk postoperatively.Body weight,oral glucose tolerance test,homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance(HOMA-IR),insulin signaling[IR,insulin receptor substrate(IRS 1,IRS2,phosphatidylinositol3-kinase and AKT in liver and skeletal muscle],oral glucose stimulated insulin secretion,beta-cell morphology(mass,apoptosis and insulin secretion),glucagon-like peptide(GLP)-1,PYY and ghrelin were compared among SG rats with common low-fat diet(SG-LFD),SG with HFD(SG-HFD),DJB rats with LFD(DJB-LFD),DJB with HFD(DJB-HFD)and shamoperation with LFD(Sham)at targeted postoperative times.RESULTS SG and DJB resulted in significant improvement in glucose tolerance,lower HOMA-IR,up-regulated hepatic and muscular insulin signaling,higher levels of oral glucose-stimulated insulin secretion,bigger betacell mass,higher immunofluorescence intensity of insulin,fewer transferase-mediated d UTP-biotin 3’nick end-labeling(TUNEL)-positive beta cells and higher postprandial GLP-1 and PYY levels than in the Sham group.The improvement in glucose tolerance was reversed at 12 wk postoperatively.Compared with the SG-LFD and DJB-LFD groups,the SG-HFD and DJB-HFD groups showed higher HOMA-IR,down-regulated hepatic and muscular insulin signaling,and more TUNEL-positive beta cells.No significant difference was detected between HFD and LFD groups for body weight,glucose-stimulated insulin secretion,betacell mass,immunofluorescence intensity of insulin,and postprandial GLP-1 and PYY levels.Fasting serum ghrelin decreased in SG groups,and there was no difference between HFD-SG and LFD-SG groups.CONCLUSION HFD reverses the improvement in glucose homeostasis after SG and DJB.Diabetes recurrence may correlate with re-impaired insulin sensitivity,but not with alterations of beta-cell function and body weight.
文摘Three-dimensional(3D)bioprinting fabricates 3D functional tissues/organs by accurately depositing the bioink composed of the biological materials and living cells.Even though 3D bioprinting techniques have experienced significant advancement over the past decades,it remains challenging for 3D bioprinting to artificially fabricate functional tissues/organs with high post-printing cell viability and functionality since cells endure various types of stress during the bioprinting process.Generally,cell viability which is affected by several factors including the stress and the environmental factors,such as pH and temperature,is mainly determined by the magnitude and duration of the stress imposed on the cells with poorer cell viability under a higher stress and a longer duration condition.The maintenance of high cell viability especially for those vulnerable cells,such as stem cells which are more sensitive to multiple stresses,is a key initial step to ensure the functionality of the artificial tissues/organs.In addition,maintaining the pluripotency of the cells such as proliferation and differentiation abilities is also essential for the 3D-bioprinted tissues/organs to be similar to native tissues/organs.This review discusses various pathways triggering cell damage and the major factors affecting cell viability during different bioprinting processes,summarizes the studies on cell viabilities and functionalities in different bioprinting processes,and presents several potential approaches to protect cells from injuries to ensure high cell viability and functionality.
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.82100301Key Science and Technology Research Program of Hebei Provincial Department of Health,No,20221014.
文摘BACKGROUND Umbilical cord(UC)mesenchymal stem cell(MSC)transplantation is a potential therapeutic intervention for atherosclerotic vascular disease.Integrin beta 3(ITGB3)promotes cell migration in several cell types.However,whether ITGBmodified MSCs can migrate to plaque sites in vivo and play an anti-atherosclerotic role remains unclear.AIM To investigate whether ITGB3-overexpressing MSCs(MSCs^(ITGB3))would exhibit improved homing efficacy in atherosclerosis.METHODS UC MSCs were isolated and expanded.Lentiviral vectors encoding ITGB3 or green fluorescent protein(GFP)as control were transfected into MSCs.Sixty male apolipoprotein E-/-mice were acquired from Beijing Vital River Lab Animal Technology Co.,Ltd and fed with a high-fat diet(HFD)for 12 wk to induce the formation of atherosclerotic lesions.These HFD-fed mice were randomly separated into three clusters.GFP-labeled MSCs(MSCs^(GFP))or MSCs^(ITGB3)were transplanted into the mice intravenously via the tail vein.Immunofluorescence staining,Oil red O staining,histological analyses,western blotting,enzymelinked immunosorbent assay,and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction were used for the analyses.RESULTS ITGB3 modified MSCs successfully differentiated into the“osteocyte”and“adipocyte”phenotypes and were characterized by positive expression(>91.3%)of CD29,CD73,and CD105 and negative expression(<1.35%)of CD34 and Human Leukocyte Antigen-DR.In a transwell assay,MSCs^(ITGB3)showed significantly faster migration than MSCsGFP.ITGB3 overexpression had no effects on MSC viability,differentiation,and secretion.Immunofluorescence staining revealed that ITGB3 overexpression substantially enhanced the homing of MSCs to plaque sites.Oil red O staining and histological analyses further confirmed the therapeutic effects of MSCs^(ITGB3),significantly reducing the plaque area.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction revealed that MSC^(ITGB3)transplantation considerably decreased the inflammatory response in pathological tissues by improving the dynamic equilibrium of pro-and anti-inflammatory cytokines.CONCLUSION These results showed that ITGB3 overexpression enhanced the MSC homing ability,providing a potential approach for MSC delivery to plaque sites,thereby optimizing their therapeutic effects.
基金supported by the Defense Industrial Technology Development Program(JCKY2017110C0654)National Natural Science Foundation of China(11974063,61904023,62274018)+1 种基金Chongqing Special Postdoctoral Science Foundation(cstc2019jcyj-bsh0026)Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(2021CDJQY-022).
文摘The interfacial defects and energy barrier are main reasons for interfacial nonradiative recombination.In addition,poor perovskite crystallization and incomplete conversion of PbI_(2) to perovskite restrict further enhancement of the photovoltaic performance of the devices using sequential deposition.Herein,a buried interface stabilization strategy that relies on the synergy of fluorine(F)and sulfonyl(S=O)functional groups is proposed.A series of potassium salts containing halide and non-halogen anions are employed to modify SnO_(2)/perovskite buried interface.Multiple chemical bonds including hydrogen bond,coordination bond and ionic bond are realized,which strengthens interfacial contact and defect passivation effect.The chemical interaction between modification molecules and perovskite along with SnO_(2) heightens incessantly as the number of S=O and F augments.The chemical interaction strength between modifiers and perovskite as well as SnO_(2) gradually increases with the increase in the number of S=O and F.The defect passivation effect is positively correlated with the chemical interaction strength.The crystallization kinetics is regulated through the compromise between chemical interaction strength and wettability of substrates.Compared with Cl−,all non-halogen anions perform better in crystallization optimization,energy band regulation and defect passivation.The device with potassium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide achieves a tempting efficiency of 24.17%.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. NSFC62004182)the Career Development Grant of Institute of Chemical Materials (Grant No. STB-2021-10)the Sichuan Science and Technology Program (Grant No. 2022JDRC0021)。
文摘Commercialization of perovskite solar cells(PSCs) requires the development of high-efficiency devices with none current density-voltage(J-V) hysteresis. Here, electron transport layers(ETLs) with gradual change in work function(WF) are successfully fabricated and employed as an ideal model to investigate the energy barriers, charge transfer and recombination kinetics at ETL/perovskite interface. The energy barrier for electron injection existing at ETL/perovskite is directly assessed by surface photovoltage microscopy, and the results demonstrate the tunable barriers have significant impact on the J-V hysteresis and performance of PSCs. By work function engineering of ETL, PSCs exhibit PCEs over 21% with negligible hysteresis. These results provide a critical understanding of the origin reason for hysteresis effect in planar PSCs, and clear reveal that the J-V hysteresis can be effectively suppressed by carefully tuning the interface features in PSCs. By extending this strategy to a modified formamidinium-cesium-rubidium(FA-Cs-Rb) perovskite system, the PCEs are further boosted to 24.18%. Moreover, 5 cm × 5 cm perovskite mini-modules are also fabricated with an impressive efficiency of 20.07%, demonstrating compatibility and effectiveness of our strategy on upscaled devices.
文摘Ghana, renowned for its abundant gold reserves, plays a significant role in the global mining industry. Effective management and accurate forecasting of these reserves are vital for sustainable resource utilization and economic planning. Forecasting gold reserves and estimating their production lifespan are complex tasks that require robust statistical models capable of capturing the underlying dynamics of gold deposit accumulation and extraction. To this end, the four-parameter Beta distribution function emerges as a promising candidate due to its flexibility and ability to handle non-negative data. This research aims to investigate the fitness and applicability of the four-parameter Beta distribution function for forecasting Ghana’s gold reserves and estimating the production lifespan of this precious resource. The empirical paper relied mainly on quarterly secondary datasets on gold reserve between the years 2009 and 2022 secured from the Minerals Commission of Ghana, Accra. Several known statistical distributions including Beta, Weibull, Normal, Logistic and Gamma were explored with Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE) and evaluated using model selection criteria as AIC and BIC. Goodness of Fits were evaluated using Kolmogorov-Smirnov Test (K-S), Cramer-Von Mises Statistic and Anderson-Darling Statistic. Based on the analysis conducted, the four-parameter Beta distribution provided the best fit for gold reserve in Ghana. At a 99.9% confidence level and considering the current annual average gold production estimate of 3,700,031.248 to 4,302,647.888 ounces, the projected lifespan of gold production in Ghana extends to the year 1,953,765. This astounding estimate suggests that the country’s gold reserves are expected to sustain production for an extended period, providing a critical resource for economic development and supporting the mining industry well into the distant future.
文摘Ghana, renowned for its abundant gold reserves, plays a significant role in the global mining industry. Effective management and accurate forecasting of these reserves are vital for sustainable resource utilization and economic planning. Forecasting gold reserves and estimating their production lifespan are complex tasks that require robust statistical models capable of capturing the underlying dynamics of gold deposit accumulation and extraction. To this end, the four-parameter Beta distribution function emerges as a promising candidate due to its flexibility and ability to handle non-negative data. This research aims to investigate the fitness and applicability of the four-parameter Beta distribution function for forecasting Ghana’s gold reserves and estimating the production lifespan of this precious resource. The empirical paper relied mainly on quarterly secondary datasets on gold reserve between the years 2009 and 2022 secured from the Minerals Commission of Ghana, Accra. Several known statistical distributions including Beta, Weibull, Normal, Logistic and Gamma were explored with Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE) and evaluated using model selection criteria as AIC and BIC. Goodness of Fits were evaluated using Kolmogorov-Smirnov Test (K-S), Cramer-Von Mises Statistic and Anderson-Darling Statistic. Based on the analysis conducted, the four-parameter Beta distribution provided the best fit for gold reserve in Ghana. At a 99.9% confidence level and considering the current annual average gold production estimate of 3,700,031.248 to 4,302,647.888 ounces, the projected lifespan of gold production in Ghana extends to the year 1,953,765. This astounding estimate suggests that the country’s gold reserves are expected to sustain production for an extended period, providing a critical resource for economic development and supporting the mining industry well into the distant future.
基金Laboratory Animal Foundation Program of Military,Grant/Award Number:SYDW[2018]01Promotion Plan of the Air Force Medical University,Grant/Award Number:2020SWAQ11Shaanxi Province Innovation Capability Support Plan,Grant/Award Number:2021PT-037。
文摘Traumatic brain injury(TBI)is the main cause of disability,mental health disorder,and even death,with its incidence and social costs rising steadily.Although different treatment strategies have been developed and tested to mitigate neurological decline,a definitive cure for these conditions remains elusive.Studies have revealed that vari-ous neurotrophins represented by the brain-derived neurotrophic factor are the key regulators of neuroinflammation,apoptosis,blood-brain barrier permeability,neurite regeneration,and memory function.These factors are instrumental in alleviating neu-roinflammation and promoting neuroregeneration.In addition,neural stem cells(NSC)contribute to nerve repair through inherent neuroprotective and immunomodulatory properties,the release of neurotrophins,the activation of endogenous NSCs,and in-tercellular signaling.Notably,innovative research proposals are emerging to combine BDNF and NSCs,enabling them to synergistically complement and promote each other in facilitating injury repair and improving neuron differentiation after TBI.In this review,we summarize the mechanism of neurotrophins in promoting neurogen-esis and restoring neural function after TBI,comprehensively explore the potential therapeutic effects of various neurotrophins in basic research on TBI,and investigate their interaction with NSCs.This endeavor aims to provide a valuable insight into the clinical treatment and transformation of neurotrophins in TBI,thereby promoting the progress of TBI therapeutics.
基金supported in part by the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion Spain(PID2020-113388RB-I00 to VF and PID2021-124359OB-100 to VMM)Conselleria Educacion Generalitat Valenciana(CIPROM/2021/082 to VF)co-funded with European Regional Development Funds(ERDF)to VF and VMM。
文摘Extracellular vesicles are released by all cell types and contain proteins,microRNAs,mRNAs,and other bioactive molecules.Extracellular vesicles play an important role in intercellular communication and in the modulation of the immune system and neuroinflammation.The cargo of extra cellular vesicles(e.g.,proteins and microRNAs)is altered in pathological situations.Extracellular vesicles contribute to the pathogenesis of many pathologies associated with sustained inflammation and neuroinflammation,including cance r,diabetes,hype rammonemia and hepatic encephalopathy,and other neurological and neurodegenerative diseases.Extracellular vesicles may cross the blood-brain barrier and transfer pathological signals from the periphery to the brain.This contributes to inducing neuroinflammation and cognitive and motor impairment in hyperammonemia and hepatic encephalopathy and in neurodegenerative diseases.The mechanisms involved are beginning to be unde rstood.For example,increased tumor necrosis factor a in extracellular vesicles from plasma of hype rammonemic rats induces neuroinflammation and motor impairment when injected into normal rats.Identifying the mechanisms by which extracellular vesicles contribute to the pathogenesis of these diseases will help to develop new treatments and diagnostic tools for their easy and early detection.In contrast,extra cellular vesicles from mesenchymal stem cells have therapeutic utility in many of the above pathologies,by reducing inflammation and neuroinflammation and improving cognitive and motor function.These extra cellular vesicles recapitulate the beneficial effects of mesenchymal stem cells and have advantages as therapeutic tools:they are less immunoge nic,may not diffe rentiate to malignant cells,cross the blood-brain barrier,and may reach more easily target organs.Extracellular vesicles from mesenchymal stem cells have beneficial effects in models of ischemic brain injury,Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases,hyperammonemia,and hepatic encephalopathy.Extracellular vesicles from mesenchymal stem cells modulate the immune system,promoting the shift from a pro-inflammato ry to an anti-inflammatory state.For example,extracellular vesicles from mesenchymal stem cells modulate the Th17/Treg balance,promoting the anti-inflammatory Treg.Extracellular vesicles from mesenchymal stem cells may also act directly in the brain to modulate microglia activation,promoting a shift from a pro-inflammatory to an anti-inflammatory state.This reduces neuroinflammation and improves cognitive and motor function.Two main components of extracellular vesicles from mesenchymal stem cells which contribute to these beneficial effects are transforming growth factor-βand miR-124.Identifying the mechanisms by which extracellular vesicles from mesenchymal stem cells induce the beneficial effects and the main molecules(e.g.,proteins and mRNAs)involved may help to improve their therapeutic utility.The aims of this review are to summarize the knowledge of the pathological effects of extracellular vesicles in different pathologies,the therapeutic potential of extra cellular vesicles from mesenchymal stem cells to recover cognitive and motor function and the molecular mechanisms for these beneficial effects on neurological function.
基金supported by Notional Institutes of Health Grant,No.1R01NS100710-01A1(to YX)。
文摘Traumatic brain injury is a serious and complex neurological condition that affects millions of people worldwide.Despite significant advancements in the field of medicine,effective treatments for traumatic brain injury remain limited.Recently,extracellular vesicles released from mesenchymal stem/stromal cells have emerged as a promising novel therapy for traumatic brain injury.Extracellular vesicles are small membrane-bound vesicles that are naturally released by cells,including those in the brain,and can be engineered to contain therapeutic cargo,such as anti-inflammatory molecules,growth factors,and microRNAs.When administered intravenously,extra cellular vesicles can cross the blood-brain barrier and deliver their cargos to the site of injury,where they can be taken up by recipient cells and modulate the inflammatory response,promote neuroregeneration,and improve functional outcomes.In preclinical studies,extracellular vesicle-based therapies have shown promising results in promoting recove ry after traumatic brain injury,including reducing neuronal damage,improving cognitive function,and enhancing motor recovery.While further research is needed to establish the safety and efficacy of extra cellular vesicle-based therapies in humans,extra cellular vesicles represent a promising novel approach for the treatment of traumatic brain injury.In this review,we summarize mesenchymal ste m/stromal cell-de rived extracellular vesicles as a cell-free therapy for traumatic brain injury via neuroprotection and neurorestoration and brainderived extracellular vesicles as potential biofluid biomarkers in small and large animal models of traumatic brain injury.
文摘Several densities or probability laws of continuous random variables derive from the Euler Gamma function. These laws form the basis of sampling theory, namely hypothesis testing and estimation. Namely the gamma, beta, and Student law, through the chi-square law and the normal law are all distributions resulting from applications of Euleur functions.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China,Nos.81870732(to DZ),82171161(to DZ),81900933(to YS),and 82000978(to ZL).
文摘The spontaneous bursts of electrical activity in the developing auditory system are derived from the periodic release of adenosine triphosphate(ATP)by supporting cells in the Kölliker’s organ.However,the mechanisms responsible for initiating spontaneous ATP release have not been determined.Our previous study revealed that telomerase reverse transcriptase(TERT)is expressed in the basilar membrane during the first postnatal week.Its role in cochlear development remains unclear.In this study,we investigated the expression and role of TERT in postnatal cochlea supporting cells.Our results revealed that in postnatal cochlear Kölliker’s organ supporting cells,TERT shifts from the nucleus into the cytoplasm over time.We found that the TERT translocation tendency in postnatal cochlear supporting cells in vitro coincided with that observed in vivo.Further analysis showed that TERT in the cytoplasm was mainly located in mitochondria in the absence of oxidative stress or apoptosis,suggesting that TERT in mitochondria plays roles other than antioxidant or anti-apoptotic functions.We observed increased ATP synthesis,release and activation of purine signaling systems in supporting cells during the first 10 postnatal days.The phenomenon that TERT translocation coincided with changes in ATP synthesis,release and activation of the purine signaling system in postnatal cochlear supporting cells suggested that TERT may be involved in regulating ATP release and activation of the purine signaling system.Our study provides a new research direction for exploring the spontaneous electrical activity of the cochlea during the early postnatal period.
基金Baoding Science and Technology Program Project(Grant No.2241ZF120)Hebei Health Care Commission Scientific Research Funding Project(Grant No.20170827)+1 种基金Funding Project of Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University(Grant No.2016Q016)Funding Project of Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University(No.2022QC66).
文摘Objective:To investigate the effect of abnormal ovarian granulosa cell metabolism on in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer(IVF-ET)outcomes in obese polycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS)patients.Methods:Patients with PCOS who met the study criteria were screened according to the inclusion criteria.A total of 32 patients with obese PCOS were recruited into the study group,and 39 patients with non-obese PCOS were recruited into the control group.The general data(age,body mass index,and years of infertility),insulin resistance index(HOMA-IR),follicle-stimulating hormone(FSH),luteinizing hormone(LH),granulosa cell mitochondrial function,and IVF-ET outcome of patients in the study group and control group were retrospectively analyzed.Results:The differences in age and years of infertility between the study group and the control group were insignificant(P>0.05),and the body mass index(BMI)of the study group and control group was 30.5±1.24 kg/m2 and 22.3±1.12 kg/m2,respectively,in which the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05);the HOMA-IR of the study group was significantly higher than that of the control group(P<0.05);the reactive oxygen species(ROS)in the study group was significantly higher than that in the control group(P<0.05),and the ATP content in the study group was significantly lower than that in the control group(P<0.05);comparing the FSH and LH levels between the two groups,the difference was not statistically significant(P>0.05);the rate of IVF-ET failure was significantly higher in the study group than in the control group.Conclusion:PCOS is a complex endocrine disorder,and obesity is one of the independent risk factors for the development of PCOS.
基金Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.82260785.
文摘BACKGROUND Bladder cancer(BC)is the most common urological tumor.It has a high recur-rence rate,displays tutor heterogeneity,and resists chemotherapy.Furthermore,the long-term survival rate of BC patients has remained unchanged for decades,which seriously affects the quality of patient survival.To improve the survival rate and prognosis of BC patients,it is necessary to explore the molecular mechanisms of BC development and progression and identify targets for treatment and intervention.Transmembrane 9 superfamily member 1(TM9SF1),also known as MP70 and HMP70,is a member of a family of nine transmembrane superfamily proteins,which was first identified in 1997.TM9SF1 can be expressed in BC,but its biological function and mechanism in BC are not clear.AIM To investigate the biological function and mechanism of TM9SF1 in BC.Overexpression of TM9SF1 increased the in vitro proliferation,migration,and invasion of BC cells by promoting the entry of BC cells into the G2/M phase.Silencing of TM9SF1 inhibited in vitro proliferation,migration,and invasion of BC cells and blocked BC cells in the G1 phase.CONCLUSION TM9SF1 may be an oncogene in BC.