Control Values Research Articles

Wearable accelerometers reveal objective assessment of walking symmetry and regularity in idiopathic scoliosis patients

Background Scoliosis is a multifaceted three-dimensional deformity that significantly affects patients’ balance function and walking process. While existing research primarily focuses on spatial and temporal parameters of walking and trunk/pelvic kinematics asymmetry, there remains controversy regarding the symmetry and regularity of bilateral lower limb gait. This study aims to investigate the symmetry and regularity of bilateral lower limb gait and examine the balance control strategy of the head during walking in patients with idiopathic scoliosis. Methods The study involved 17 patients with idiopathic scoliosis of Lenke 1 and Lenke 5 classifications, along with 17 healthy subjects for comparison. Three-dimensional accelerometers were attached to the head and L5 spinous process of each participant, and three-dimensional motion acceleration signals were collected during a 10-meter walking test. Analysis of the collected acceleration signals involved calculating five variables related to the symmetry and regularity of walking: root mean square (RMS) of the acceleration signal, harmonic ratio (HR), step regularity, stride regularity, and gait symmetry. Results Our analysis reveals that, during the walking process, the three-dimensional motion acceleration signals acquired from the lumbar region of patients diagnosed with idiopathic scoliosis exhibit noteworthy disparities in the RMS of the vertical axis (RMS-VT) and the HR of the vertical axis (HR-VT) when compared to the corresponding values in the healthy control (RMS-VT: 1.6 ± 0.41 vs. 3 ± 0.47, P < 0.05; HR-VT: 3 ± 0.72 vs. 3.9 ± 0.71, P < 0.05). Additionally, the motion acceleration signals of the head in three-dimensional space, including the RMS in the anterior-posterior and vertical axis, the HR-VT, and the values of step regularity in both anterior-posterior and vertical axis, as well as the values of stride regularity in all three axes, are all significantly lower than those in the healthy control group (P < 0.05). Conclusion The findings of the analysis suggest that the application of three-dimensional accelerometer sensors proves efficacious and convenient for scrutinizing the symmetry and regularity of walking in individuals with idiopathic scoliosis. Distinctive irregularities in gait symmetry and regularity manifest in patients with idiopathic scoliosis, particularly within the antero-posterior and vertical direction. Moreover, the dynamic balance control strategy of the head in three-dimensional space among patients with idiopathic scoliosis exhibits a relatively conservative nature when compared to healthy individuals.

An attention-based deep learning model for phase-resolved wave prediction

Abstract Phase-resolved wave prediction capability, even if only over two wave periods in advance, is of value for optimal control of wave energy converters (WECs), resulting in a dramatic increase in power generation efficiency. Previous studies on wave-by-wave predictions have shown that an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model can outperform the traditional linear wave theory-based model in terms of both prediction accuracy and prediction horizon when using synthetic wave data. However, the prediction performance of ANN models is significantly reduced by the varying wave conditions and buoy positions that occur in the field. To overcome these limitations, a novel wave prediction method is developed based on the neural network with an attention mechanism. This study validates the new model using wave data measured at sea. The model utilizes past time histories of three Sofar Spotter wave buoys at upwave locations to predict the vertical motion of a Datawell Waverider-4 at a downwave location. The results show that the attention-based neural network model is capable of capturing the slow variation in the displacement of the buoys, which reduces the prediction error compared to a standard ANN and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) model.

Discovery of Novel Antioomycete Metabolites from the Marine-Derived Fungus Paraconiothyrium sporulosum.

In our screening program for natural products that are effective in controlling plant diseases, we found that the culture filtrate of Paraconiothyrium sporulosum SFC20160907-M11 effectively suppressed the development of tomato late blight disease caused by Phytophthora infestans. Using a bioassay-guided fractionation of antioomycete activity, 12 active compounds (1-12) were obtained from an ethyl acetate extract of the culture filtrate. Chemical structures of five new compounds 1-5 were determined by the extensive analyses of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), and circular dichroism (CD) data. Interestingly, mycosporulonol (1) and botrallin (8) completely inhibited the growth of P. infestans at concentrations of 8 and 16 μg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, the spray treatment of 1 and 8 (500 μg/mL) successfully protected tomato seedlings against P. infestans with disease control values of 92%. Taken together, these results suggest that the culture filtrates of P. sporulosum SFC20160907-M11 and their bioactive metabolites can be used as new antioomycete agents for Phytophthora late blight control.

Neurosteroid [3α,5α]3-hydroxypregnan-20-one inhibition of chemokine monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 in alcohol-preferring rat brain neurons, microglia, and astroglia.

Neuroimmune dysfunction in alcohol use disorder (AUD) is associated with activation of myeloid differentiation primary response 88 (MyD88)-dependent Toll-like receptors (TLR) resulting in overexpression of the chemokine monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1/CCL2). MCP-1 overexpression in the brain is linked to anxiety, higher alcohol intake, neuronal death, and activation of microglia observed in AUD. The neurosteroid [3α,5α][3-hydroxypregnan-20-one (3α,5α-THP) has been reported as an inhibitor of MyD88-dependent TLR activation and MCP-1 overexpression in mouse and human macrophages and the brain of alcohol-preferring (P) rats. We investigated how 3α,5α-THP regulates MCP-1 expression at the cellular level in P rat nucleus accumbens (NAc) and central amygdala (CeA). We focused on neurons, microglia, and astrocytes, examining the individual voxel density of MCP-1, neuronal marker NeuN, microglial marker IBA1, astrocytic marker GFAP, and their shared voxel density, defined as intersection. Ethanol-naïve male and female P rats were perfused 1 h after IP injections of 15 mg/kg of 3α,5α-THP, or vehicle. The NAc and CeA were imaged using confocal microscopy following double-immunofluorescence staining for MCP-1 with NeuN, IBA1, and GFAP, respectively. MCP-1 intersected with NeuN predominantly and IBA1/GFAP negligibly. 3α,5α-THP reduced MCP-1 expression in NeuN-labeled cells by 38.27 ± 28.09% in male and 56.11 ± 21.46% in female NAc, also 37.99 ± 19.53% in male and 54.96 ± 30.58% in female CeA. In females, 3α,5α-THP reduced the MCP-1 within IBA1 and GFAP-labeled voxels in the NAc and CeA. Conversely, in males, 3α,5α-THP did not significantly alter the MCP-1 within IBA1 in NAc or with GFAP in the CeA. Furthermore, 3α,5α-THP decreased levels of IBA1 in both regions and sexes with no impact on GFAP or NeuN levels. Secondary analysis performed on data normalized to % control values indicated that no significant sex differences were present. These data suggest that 3α,5α-THP inhibits neuronal MCP-1 expression and decreases the proliferation of microglia in P rats. These results increase our understanding of potential mechanisms for 3α,5α-THP modulation of ethanol consumption.

Scientific rationale for the indicators of biological urine monitoring in adolescents in Kazan City

BACKGROUND: Biomonitoring is crucial for assessing the level of pollution in a population, identifying risks and studying the impact of changes in technology. Knowledge of the reference values of trace elements in biological material is critical in comparing exposed with non-exposed groups and accurate. The control values of trace elements are crucial for ensuring public health and occupational safety. AIM: To study and analyze concentrations of priority chemical pollutants in the urine of adolescents aged 14–17 years in three zones in Kazan City and determine reference values for this age group. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The concentration of elements in urine of 276 adolescents aged 14–17 years was measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. RESULTS: The upper 95 percentiles and their confidence intervals (RV95) were determined, which established the upper limit of the current background exposure to adolescents for 12 biomarkers, interpreted as “conditional” reference values for this age group. The following reference values for adolescents in Kazan City were obtained: Al, 12.80 µg/L; Cr, 1.02 µg/L; Mn, 3.53 µg/L; Hg, 0.65 µg/L; Cu, 110.91 µg/L, and Ni, 8.72 µg/L. In adolescents, the highest level of exceedance over background values was observed in zones 1 and 2 (Kirovsky and Privolzhsky Districts): Al exceeded by 1.4 times, Cr by 1.3 times in zone 1 (Kirovsky District), Mn by 1.5 times, Hg by 1.3 times, and Cu by 1.14 times in zone 2 (Privolzhsky district).The results are of interest for further analysis and identification of interrelations in the territory of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, where exposure levels may vary between regions or separate subgroups living in the same territory. CONCLUSION: Research in the field of biomonitoring in Kazan established the levels of exposure to toxic elements among the studied population and provided means for comparing exposure for further research by population groups by age, sex, and ethnicity. Moreover, biomonitoring results can be used to determine research priorities, measure exposure trends over time, and verify effectiveness of individual measures to combat pollution and other measures in the field of the environment and public health. The study presents modern technologies for assessing exposure to chemical pollutants using human biomonitoring methods and demonstrates its advantages.

Neuropeptide Y is involved in the regulation of the frequency and strength of rat atrium spontaneous contraction

BACKGROUND: The relevance of the problem increases due to the established cardioprotective effect of neuropeptide Y in pathological conditions such as hypertension, heart failure, and its possible therapeutic use in cardiovascular diseases. AIM: Study of the effect of neuropeptide Y on the frequency of spontaneous activity and amplitude-time parameters of the myocardium contraction of the rats’ right atrium during different periods of postnatal ontogenesis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The experiments used 73 white outbred rats of 7 days (n=23), 21 days (n=25) and 100 days (n=25) of age. Using the classical strain-gauge method, the parameters of isometric contraction of isolated rat atrial myocardium were determined with the addition of a non-selective Y-receptor agonist. The isometric contraction curve was processed using the Chart 8.0 program. Statistical processing of the results was performed in MS Excel and IBM SPSS Statistics 2020. The significance of the differences was calculated using the Student’s t test. Data were presented as mean ± error of mean (M±m); n was the number of atrial myocardium preparations used. Changes were considered statistically significant at p 0.05. RESULTS: Neuropeptide Y at a concentration of 10–7 M reduces the frequency of spontaneous activity of the right atrium strips of rats with a preserved sinus node in 7, 21 and 100-day-old animals by 8.1%, 15% (p=0.038) and 7.9% (p=0.046) respectively in comparison with the control value. The amplitude of isometric contraction of the atrial myocardium in 7-day-old animals decreases by 12.4% (p=0.041), the duration of contraction decreases in 21-day-old animals by 12% (p=0.040), and in 100-day-old animals does not change compared to control. CONCLUSION: Neuropeptide Y reduces the frequency of spontaneous activity, increases the contraction duration, reduces the isometric contraction amplitude of rat myocardial strips in early postnatal ontogenesis.

A quantitative study on emotional appetite, mindful eating, and risky behaviors in male substance use disorder patients

ABSTRACT Background and Objective To evaluate the emotional appetite, eating awareness and risky behaviors of patients with substance use disorder. Method A total of 292 individuals were enrolled in this study; 142 individuals with a substance use disorder and 150 healthy individuals. Our sample was male. The Mindful Eating Questionnaire (MEQ), Emotional Appetite Questionnaire (EAQ) and Risky Behaviors Scale (RBS) were used. p < .05 was considered statistically significant. Results The results showed that the levels of smoking, emotional appetite, irregular eating habits, school dropout, antisocial behaviors and substance use increased in individuals with a substance use disorder (p < .05). In contrast, there was no significant difference in disinhibition, focus, eating control, eating discipline, mindfulness and interference values related to eating awareness (p > .05). Conclusions This study highlights the effects of substance use disorders on emotional eating and risk behaviors, but not mindful eating. However, more studies are needed.

Locomotion gait control of snake robots based on a novel unified CPG network model composed of Hopf oscillators

Snake robots with limbless structure and rich locomotion gaits have been designed and built for wide application in various fields including military reconnaissance, pipeline operation, disaster search and rescue, etc. However, the problem how to flexibly and smoothly control switch and change of different locomotion gaits is still facing enormous challenges. A novel unified design rule of the CPG network model composed of improved Hopf oscillators is proposed, based on which a variety of different network structures can be created by designing connection distances and coupling weights among all oscillator units. Through the relationships between the control parameters of the Hopf oscillator, decoupling of the bifurcation parameters is achieved to solve inconsistent output waveform amplitude when the bifurcation parameters are not completely equal. Furthermore, five typical movement modes of biological snake are designed and smooth switch between different locomotion gaits is realized. A control system is constructed based on the Robot Operating System (ROS) and a prototype of snake robot is built, and the effectiveness of the proposed CPG model in controlling locomotion gaits was verified through simulations and experiments. The CPG modeling approach has important theoretical significance and practical instructive value for motion planning and gait control of snake robots in complex environments.

Drought stimulus enhanced stress tolerance in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) by improving physiological characteristics, growth, and water productivity

The impact of drought events on the growth and yield of wheat plants has been extensively reported; however, limited information is available on the changes in physiological characteristics and their effects on the growth and water productivity of wheat after repeated drought stimuli. Moreover, whether appropriate drought stimulus can improve stress resistance in plants by improving physiological traits remains to be explored. Thus, in this study, a pot experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of intermittent and persistent mild [65%–75% soil water-holding capacity (SWHC)], moderate (55%–65% SWHC), and severe drought (45%–55% SWHC) stress on the growth, physiological characteristics, yield, and water-use efficiency (WUE) of winter wheat. After the second stress stimulus, persistent severe drought stress resulted in 30.98%, 234.62%, 53.80%, and 31.00% reduction in leaf relative water content, leaf water potential, photosynthetic rate (Pn), and indole-3-acetic acid content (IAA), respectively, compared to the control plants. However, abscisic acid content, antioxidant enzyme activities, and osmoregulatory substance contents increased significantly under drought stress, especially under persistent drought stress. After the second rehydration stimulus (ASRR), the actual and maximum efficiency of PSII and leaf water status in the plants exposed to intermittent moderate drought (IS2) stress were restored to the control levels, resulting in Pn being 102.56% of the control values; instantaneous WUE of the plants exposed to persistent severe drought stress was 1.79 times that of the control plants. In addition, the activities of superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, catalase, and glutathione reductase, as well as the content of proline, under persistent mild drought stress increased by 52.98%, 33.47%, 51.95%, 52.35%, and 17.07% at ASRR, respectively, compared to the control plants, which provided continuous antioxidant protection to wheat plants. This was also demonstrated by the lower H2O2 and MDA contents after rehydration. At ASRR, the IAA content in the IS2 and persistent moderate drought treatments increased by 36.23% and 19.61%, respectively, compared to the control plants, which favored increased aboveground dry mass and plant height. Compared to the control plants, IS2 significantly increased wheat yield, WUE for grain yield, and WUE for biomass, by 10.15%, 32.94%, and 33.16%, respectively. Collectively, IS2 increased grain growth, yield, and WUE, which could be mainly attributed to improved physiological characteristics after drought-stimulated rehydration.

T Helper Cells Producing Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony Stimulating Factor as a Risk Marker for Coronary Heart Disease.

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is related to aberrant aggregation of immune cells in the plaques. This study focused on identification of abnormal T cell subtypes and inflammatory factors in CHD patients. To this end, the subtypes of T cells in peripheral blood of CHD patients (n=141) and healthy controls (n=46) were analyzed by flow cytometry. Plasma concentrations of cytokines were analyzed by multiplex assay. It was shown that the number of T helper cells producing granulocyte-macrophage CSF (GM-CSF) was higher in CHD patients in comparison with healthy controls. In addition, the fractions of Th1 and Th17 cells as well as the levels of IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, and IL-10 in CHD patients also surpassed the control values (p<0.05). However, the level of GM-CSF was insignificantly lower in CHD patients. Thus, we revealed a relationship between the number of T cells producing GM-CSF and the severity of CHD. Our results can be used to develop new potential biomarkers for CHD detection.

A highly sensitive on-site duplex genotyping method dRPG for simultaneous detection of SARS-CoV‑2 key mutations with single nucleotide resolution

Genotyping is an important part in nucleic acid detections, showing great application values in precise medicine, molecular breeding, pathogen detection, and food safety control. Multiplexing is an essential requirement by genotyping, but poses challenges on developing on-site genotyping methods. By combining the highly specific recognition and the multi-target distinguishing ability of the Argonaute protein from Pyrococcus furiosus (PfAgo) with the exponential amplification capacity of recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA), this study has established a novel duplex genotyping method suitable for on-site detection, the duplex RPA-PfAgo Genotyping (dRPG). The method can simultaneously detect two key mutations of SARS-CoV-2, L452R and E484Q, with single nucleotide resolution. The entire detection procedure can be completed within 1.5 hours, and the sensitivity is one copy per reaction for both mutations. This study reports the first multiplex genotyping that combines PfAgo with RPA, and meets the accuracy, sensitivity, and simplicity requirements of on-site genotyping. The dRPG method is expected to serve as an effective tool for long-term tracking of SARS-CoV‑2 mutations, and provides a technological repository for on-site multiplex genotyping of important nucleic acid targets.

Effects of Endodontic Irrigants on Shear Bond Strength of Mild Universal Adhesives to Dentin

PurposeThe objective of this in vitro study was to evaluate the shear bond strength (SBS) of several universal adhesives to dentin treated with sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), and NaOCl followed by ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). Materials and MethodsAdhese Universal (ADU), Scotchbond Universal (SBU), Prime & Bond Elect (PBE), Prime & Bond Active (PBA), and Optibond XTR (OBX) were included in the study. SBS values were determined in self-etch mode with no pretreatment of the dentin, after a twenty-minute exposure of the dentin to 6% NaOCl, and after a twenty-minute exposure to NaOCl followed by a one-minute exposure to 17% EDTA. Experimental groups were repeated using a total-etch technique (except OBX). ResultsAdhesives in self-etch mode had significantly reduced SBS following dentin exposure to NaOCl (p<0.05), while with a total-etch technique only PBA was affected (p<0.05). SBS in self-etch mode when NaOCl exposure was followed by EDTA were equal to or higher than negative control values (p<0.05). For total-etch groups, ADU was negatively affected by NaOCl + EDTA exposure (p<0.05). PBE exhibited lower SBS following NaOCl + EDTA exposure when compared to just NaOCl exposure but was not different from the negative control (p<0.05). ConclusionFor the adhesives tested, the use of 17% EDTA following NaOCl exposure negated the negative effects of NaOCl on SBS in self-etch mode. When used in total-etch mode, results varied significantly, with some adhesives performing better or worse depending on the specific testing condition.

Study of the influence of the extract of pipsissewa on cell cultures

The development of new diuretics of plant origin is an actual direction. Chimaphila umbellata (L.) is a perennial herb with diuretic, astringent, analgesic and other effects; and it can treat various conditions such as edema, dropsy, etc. Pipsissewa herb helps the removal of nitrogenous and chloride salts from the body due to the content of arbutin glycoside, tannins (up to 5 %). The aim. Evaluation of the effect of pipsissewa extract on L929 cell culture. Materials and methods. Cell line L929 (fibroblasts of mouse adipose tissue) was obtained in the low-temperature bank of the Institute of Problems of Cryobiology and Cryomedicine of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. Cells were cultured in DMEM medium (Bio West, France) enriched with 10 % FBS (Lonza, Germany) with 1 % antibiotic-antimycotic (Bio West, France), in a CO2 incubator (Thermo Fisher Scientific, USA) at 37 ºС in an atmosphere with 5 % CO2. Determination of the minimum toxic concentration at which the cells remained alive was evaluated by morphological features (shape, monolayer integrity, adhesion to plastic). The study of the effect of pipsissewa extract on various cell functions was determined by the following methods: the ability to preserve morphological integrity - by the phase-contrast microscopy method, energy exchange - by the MTT test method, pinocytotic function - by the neutral red absorption method, migratory function - by the scratch test method, proliferative activity - by the doubling calculation method population Results. It is proposed to use concentrations of 0.05, 0.02, 0.01, 0.005 % of pipsissewa extract for further research. After carrying out the MTT reaction, the transition of MTT to formazan was confirmed microscopically in the negative control (native cells), at PE concentrations of 0.01 % and below, and the absence of a reaction in the positive control (cells killed by ethanol) at PE concentrations above 0.02 %. When recording the parameters of the NP absorption reaction, it was determined that PE at a concentration of 0.02 % and higher sharply suppresses pinocytotic activity, despite the partial preservation of cell adhesion, reducing the concentration by two times no longer affects mitochondria. A concentration of 0.01 % reduces proliferative activity, and at a concentration of 0.005 %, no difference with the control values ​​was found. Conclusions. When studying the assessment of the effect of pipsisewa extract on L929 cell culture, a toxic effect on these cells was established when added to the culture medium at a concentration above 0.01 %. The toxic effect had a threshold effect. Migratory and proliferative functions were the most sensitive, energy, pinocytosis and preservation of morphological integrity of cells were less sensitive

Study of the influence of the extract of pipsissewa on cell cultures

The development of new diuretics of plant origin is an actual direction. Chimaphila umbellata (L.) is a perennial herb with diuretic, astringent, analgesic and other effects; and it can treat various conditions such as edema, dropsy, etc. Pipsissewa herb helps the removal of nitrogenous and chloride salts from the body due to the content of arbutin glycoside, tannins (up to 5 %). The aim. Evaluation of the effect of pipsissewa extract on L929 cell culture. Materials and methods. Cell line L929 (fibroblasts of mouse adipose tissue) was obtained in the low-temperature bank of the Institute of Problems of Cryobiology and Cryomedicine of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. Cells were cultured in DMEM medium (Bio West, France) enriched with 10 % FBS (Lonza, Germany) with 1 % antibiotic-antimycotic (Bio West, France), in a CO2 incubator (Thermo Fisher Scientific, USA) at 37 ºС in an atmosphere with 5 % CO2. Determination of the minimum toxic concentration at which the cells remained alive was evaluated by morphological features (shape, monolayer integrity, adhesion to plastic). The study of the effect of pipsissewa extract on various cell functions was determined by the following methods: the ability to preserve morphological integrity - by the phase-contrast microscopy method, energy exchange - by the MTT test method, pinocytotic function - by the neutral red absorption method, migratory function - by the scratch test method, proliferative activity - by the doubling calculation method population Results. It is proposed to use concentrations of 0.05, 0.02, 0.01, 0.005 % of pipsissewa extract for further research. After carrying out the MTT reaction, the transition of MTT to formazan was confirmed microscopically in the negative control (native cells), at PE concentrations of 0.01 % and below, and the absence of a reaction in the positive control (cells killed by ethanol) at PE concentrations above 0.02 %. When recording the parameters of the NP absorption reaction, it was determined that PE at a concentration of 0.02 % and higher sharply suppresses pinocytotic activity, despite the partial preservation of cell adhesion, reducing the concentration by two times no longer affects mitochondria. A concentration of 0.01 % reduces proliferative activity, and at a concentration of 0.005 %, no difference with the control values ​​was found. Conclusions. When studying the assessment of the effect of pipsisewa extract on L929 cell culture, a toxic effect on these cells was established when added to the culture medium at a concentration above 0.01 %. The toxic effect had a threshold effect. Migratory and proliferative functions were the most sensitive, energy, pinocytosis and preservation of morphological integrity of cells were less sensitive

Analysis of the Variation in Antioxidant Activity and Chemical Composition upon the Repeated Thermal Treatment of the By-Product of the Red Ginseng Manufacturing Process.

Steamed ginseng water (SGW) is a by-product of the repeated thermal processing of red ginseng, which is characterized by a high bioactive content, better skin care activity, and a large output. However, its value has been ignored, resulting in environmental pollution and resource waste. In this study, UHPLC-Q-Exactive-MS/MS liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and multivariate statistical analysis were conducted to characterize the compositional features of the repeated thermal-treated SGW. The antioxidant activity (DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, and OH) and chemical composition (total sugars, total saponins, and reducing and non-reducing sugars) were comprehensively evaluated based on the entropy weighting method. Four comparison groups (groups 1 and 3, groups 1 and 5, groups 1 and 7, and groups 1 and 9) were screened for 37 important common difference markers using OPLS-DA analysis. The entropy weight method was used to analyze the weights of the indicators; the seventh SGW sample was reported to have a significant weight. The results of this study suggest that heat treatment time and frequency can be an important indicator value for the quality control of SGW cycling operations, which have great potential in antioxidant products.

Features of Bone Mineral Density, Calcium-Phosphorus Metabolism and Bone Remodeling in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Introduction. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex autoimmune disease with variable clinical manifestations associated with multiple autoantibodies formation and deposition of immune complexes, and other immune processes. Despite significant advances in treatment, the disease remains disabling, in particular, due to increased bone fragility and low-energy fractures. The study of bone remodeling in patients with SLE should help to improve the therapy and quality of their treatment. The aim of the study. To investigate the features of bone mineral density, calcium-phosphorus metabolism and bone remodeling in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Materials and methods. The study involved 123 women with SLE aged 21-51 years. The comparison group (CG) consisted of 25 women without SLE in premenopausal status of the appropriate age. The control group included 25 practically healthy women. In order to study bone mineral density (BMD), dual-energy X-ray densitometry (DXA) of the lumbar spine was performed using a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometer. For the study of calcium-phosphorus metabolism (CPM), total calcium (Ca), ionized Ca, phosphorus (P) in blood and Ca, P, creatinine in daily urine, as well as parathyroid hormone (PTH) and 25-hydroxyvitamin D in serum were determined. Markers of bone remodeling (osteocalcin, procollagen type 1 amino-terminal propeptide (P1NP) and isomerized C-terminal telopeptide (β-crosslaps) in serum were measured. To achieve the stated goal, the first step included the determination of bone damage prevalence in patients with the diagnosed SLE; the second step was directed towards the characterization the particular bone condition in patients with SLE based on the results of BMD, CPM indices and markers of bone remodeling assessment. Results and discussion. According to the results of DXA of the lumbar spine, 88 (71.54 %) women of the SG and only 8 (32.00 %) women of the CG had a decrease in BMD (p &lt; 0.001). According to the mean values, the studied CPM indices of the SG patients, CG and control group wemen exposed no significant differences. Similarly, no significant differences were detected in the mean values of urinary phosphorus and in between blood PTH values in SG, CG, and control. The level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D was significantly lower in SG (15.14 ± 0.80 ng/ml) than in CG (19.62 ± 0.46 ng/ml) and control (22.38 ± 1.34 ng/ml) p &lt; 0.05. The mean value of osteocalcin in woman with SLE was significantly lower than in CG and control (11.81 ± 0.49 ng/ml versus 18.61 ± 0.75 ng/ml and 19.28 ± 1.88, p &lt; 0.001). No significant difference were detected in between the mean values of P1NP in SG, CG and control. The mean values of β-cross laps were significantly higher in patients with SLE (0.51 ± 0.02 ng/ml) compared to GC (0.26 ± 0.02 ng/ml) and control (0.28 ± 0.02 ng/ml), p &lt; 0.001. Conclusions. Bone mineral density, calcium-phosphorus metabolism and bone remodeling in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus have peculiarities as follows: a significant decrease in bone mass in 71.54 % of patients, namely 18, 70 % - grade I osteopenia, 21.14 % - grade II osteopenia, 14.63 % - grade III osteopenia; 17.07 % - osteoporosis, increased calcium excretion, vitamin D deficiency, decreased osteoblastic and enhansed osteoclastic functions.

Hydration mechanism and kinetic response of a C4A3$-C2S binary system

The physical properties of C4A3$-C2S (ye´elimite-belite) clinker system will change with the proportion of C4A3$ or C2S, but the effect of mineral proportion change on hydration mechanism is not systematic and unclear. The C4A3$-C2S binary system was established by experiments, and its hydration process was characterized. The kinetic response of C4A3$-C2S binary hydration system was studied by Kondo model. The results showed that the change of design mineral ratio directly affects the hydration process and the hydration mechanism. The experiment and analysis show that when the design mineral ratio of C2S was lower than 65 wt%, the dominant factor of hydration was mainly controlled by nucleation mechanism (The hydration acceleration period is particularly significant), and when the ratio of C2S was higher, it would be controlled by diffusion mechanism. The precise value of the boundary reaction control is between 65 wt% (design mineral ratio of C2S) to 75 wt%. Only when the hydration kinetics of the binary system is controlled by the diffusion mechanism, the CH product can be stably crystallized. The classical Kondo model is suitable for the C4A3$-C2S hydration system.

An amplicon panel for high-throughput and low-cost genotyping of Pacific oyster.

Maintaining genetic diversity in cultured shellfish can be challenging due to high variance in individual reproductive success, founder effects, and rapid genetic drift, but is important to retain adaptive potential and avoid inbreeding depression. To support broodstock management and selective breeding in cultured Pacific oysters (Crassostrea (Magallana) gigas), we developed an amplicon panel targeting 592 genomic regions and SNP variants with an average of 50 amplicons per chromosome. Target SNPs were selected based on elevated observed heterozygosity or differentiation in Pacific oyster populations in British Columbia, Canada. The use of the panel for parentage applications was evaluated using multiple generations of oysters from a breeding program on Vancouver Island, Canada (n = 181) and families selected for Ostreid herpesvirus-1 resistance from the Molluscan Broodstock Program in Oregon, USA (n = 136). Population characterization was evaluated using wild, naturalized, farmed, or hatchery oysters sampled throughout the Northern Hemisphere (n = 190). Technical replicates showed high genotype concordance (97.5%; n = 68 replicates). Parentage analysis found suspected pedigree and sample handling errors, demonstrating the panel's value for quality control in breeding programs. Suspected null alleles were identified and found to be largely population dependent, suggesting population-specific variation impacting target amplification. Null alleles were identified using existing data without the need for pedigree information, and once they were removed, assignment rates increased to 93.0% and 86.0% of possible assignments in the two breeding program datasets. A pipeline for analyzing the amplicon sequence data from sequencer output, amplitools, is also provided.

Apoptosis, Autophagy, and Mitophagy Genes in the CA3 Area in an Ischemic Model of Alzheimer's Disease with 2-Year Survival.

Currently, no evidence exists on the expression of apoptosis (CASP3), autophagy (BECN1), and mitophagy (BNIP3) genes in the CA3 area after ischemia with long-term survival. The goal of the paper was to study changes in above genes expression in CA3 area after ischemia in the period of 6-24 months. In this study, using quantitative RT-PCR, we present the expression of genes associated with neuronal death in a rat ischemic model of Alzheimer's disease. First time, we demonstrated overexpression of the CASP3 gene in CA3 area after ischemia with survival ranging from 0.5 to 2 years. Overexpression of the CASP3 gene was accompanied by a decrease in the activity level of the BECN1 and BNIP3 genes over a period of 0.5 year. Then, during 1-2 years, BNIP3 gene expression increased significantly and coincided with an increase in CASP3 gene expression. However, BECN1 gene expression was variable, increased significantly at 1 and 2 years and was below control values 1.5 years post-ischemia. Our observations suggest that ischemia with long-term survival induces neuronal death in CA3 through activation of caspase 3 in cooperation with the pro-apoptotic gene BNIP3. This study also suggests that the BNIP3 gene regulates caspase-independent pyramidal neuronal death post-ischemia. Thus, caspase-dependent and -independent death of neuronal cells occur post-ischemia in the CA3 area. Our data suggest new role of the BNIP3 gene in the regulation of post-ischemic neuronal death in CA3. This suggests the involvement of the BNIP3 together with the CASP3 in the CA3 in neuronal death post-ischemia.

Design, Synthesis and Performance of Photo-Responsive Liquid Crystal Polymers with Stepwise Deformation Capability.

Photo-responsive liquid crystal polymers (LCPs) have potential application value in flexible robots, artificial muscles, and microfluidic control. In recent years, significant progress has been made in the development of LCPs. However, the preparation of LCPs with continuous and controllable stepwise deformation capabilities remains a challenge. In this study, visible photo-responsive cyanostilbene monomer, UV photo-responsive azobenzene monomer and multiple hydrogen bond crosslinker were used to prepare photo-responsive LCPs capable of achieving continuously and controllable stepwise deformation. The comprehensive investigation of the multiple light response ability and photo-induced deformation properties of these copolymers were conducted. The results revealed that in the first-stage of photo-induced deformation under 470nm blue light irradiation, the deformation angle decreased with a reduction in cyanostilbene content in the copolymer component, ranging from 40° in AZ0-CS4 to 0° in AZ4-CS0. In the second-stage of photo-induced deformation under 365nm UV irradiation, the deformation angle increased with the increase of azobenzene content, ranging from 0° of AZ0-CS4 to 89.4° of AZ4-CS0. Importantly, the deformation between these two stages occurred as a continuous process, allowing for a direct transition from the first-stage to the second-stage deformation by switching the light source from 470nm to 365nm. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.