Extensive evidence suggests that ambient air pollution contributes to a higher risk of hospital admissions for cerebrovascular diseases; however, its association with admissions for sequelae of ...stroke remains unclear. A time‐stratified case‐crossover study was conducted among 31,810 older adults who were admitted to hospital for sequelae of stroke in Guangzhou, China during 2016–2019. For each subject, daily residential exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), inhalable particulate matter (PM10), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), and ozone (O3) was extracted from a validated grid data set. Conditional logistic regression models were used for exposure‐response analyses. In single‐pollutant models, each interquartile range (IQR) increase of lag 04‐day exposure to CO (IQR: 0.25 mg/m3) and lag 3‐day exposure to O3 (69.6 μg/m3) was significantly associated with a 4.53% (95% confidence interval: 1.67%, 7.47%) and 5.63% (1.92%, 9.48%) increase in odds of hospital admissions for sequelae of stroke, respectively. These associations did not significantly vary across age or sex. With further adjustment for each of the other pollutants in 2‐pollutant models, the association for CO did not change significantly, while the association for O3 disappeared. We estimated that 7.72% of the hospital admissions were attributable to CO exposures. No significant or consistent association was observed for exposure to PM2.5, PM10, SO2, or NO2. In conclusion, short‐term exposure to ambient CO, even at levels below the WHO air quality guideline, was significantly associated with an increased odds of hospital admissions for sequelae of stroke, which may lead to considerable excess hospital admissions.
Plain Language Summary
Stroke continues to be the global leading cause of death and adult disability. Despite obvious improvements in the treatment of stroke, about one‐third of stroke survivors experience significantly physical and neuropsychological sequelae. Sequelae of stroke is always disabling and prolonged, which may impose substantially direct and indirect economic burden for individuals, family, and the society. Thus, identifying risk factors for sequelae of stroke is critical to prevent hospital admissions and reduce its burden of disease. As an ongoing public health concern worldwide, ambient air pollution has been linked to a variety of cerebrovascular diseases; however, the adverse effects of ambient air pollution on sequelae of stroke are yet to be evaluated. In this study, we used a case‐crossover design to investigate the effects of ambient air pollution on hospital admissions for sequelae of stroke. We found that short‐term exposure to ambient carbon monoxide (CO) was significantly associated with an increased odds of hospital admissions for sequelae of stroke and posed considerable excess hospital admissions even at CO levels lower than the WHO air quality guideline. Our findings provide new evidence that reducing ambient CO exposures may be an effective approach to prevent hospital admissions for sequelae of stroke.
Key Points
Short‐term exposure to ambient carbon monoxide (CO) was significantly associated with an increased odds of hospital admissions for sequelae of stroke
Ambient CO exposure may contribute to considerable excess hospital admissions for sequelae of stroke
Our findings provide useful clues for the public to help prevent hospital admissions for sequelae of stroke by considering the effect of CO exposure
Emerging evidence indicates that blood-retinal barrier (BRB) damage is the main cause of diabetic retinopathy (DR), and the downregulation of tight proteins (TJs) located between endothelial cells ...and the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated inflammation in Müller cells result in BRB injury. In this study, we aimed to study the protective effect of lychee seed polyphenol (LSP) on BRB integrity and the mechanism of action. By establishing a cellular model of BRB injury by using high glucose (HG)-induced hRECs or co-culture system of hRECs with MIO-M1 cells, we found that LSP significantly maintained the integrity of monolayer of hRECs as revealed by the decreased PD40 permeability and increased TJs, including ZO-1, Occludin, and Claudin 5. In addition, LSP inhibited the NLRP3 inflammasome activation and the levels of inflammatory cytokines via the TLR4/MYD88/NF-κB pathway. Collectively, this study provides valuable insight into the utilization of LSP in the treatment of DR.
The construction of a 100-MeV high-intensity cyclotron, from which proton beam will be extracted through stripping to several proton beam lines for different users, has been completed at China ...Institute of Atomic Energy. Given that it is the H-ions that are to be accelerated in the machine, the peak field is only 1.35 T. To simplify the fabrication, the pole adopts straight sector instead of the spiral one. Meanwhile, vertical focusing should be sufficiently high to obtain high-current proton beam. All these demands make it particularly difficult for the design and fabrication of the main magnet, which is heavy in weight and challenging to meet precision requirement in fabrication. In the process, we have developed a high-performance parallel computation PIC code for beam dynamics of high-current cyclotrons and for FFAGs, which can be used for beam dynamic simulation at a very precise level. The result is then applied to guide the design, fabrication, installation, magnetic mapping, and shimming of the 416-ton main magnet with a precision requirement up to 0.05 mm. Another challenge is due to the deformations of the magnet without/with the vacuum. The whole map measured in the vacuum has to be completed in such a big machine for the first time in the world. The result shows that all requirements, including the isochronous field, vertical focusing, and imperfection fields, have been satisfied properly. The first beam and the stable beam for an 8-h commissioning test had been achieved on July 4 and July 25, 2014, respectively.
Highlights • We report the first human case of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) occurring in Shaanxi Province, Western China. • Our study indicates significant levels of SFTS virus ...antibodies among healthy humans. • Other infections in the village may have resulted from natural exposure.
Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is the leading cause of end-stage kidney disease, and satisfactory therapeutic strategies have not yet been established. The Shen-Yan-Fang-Shuai Formula (SYFSF) is a ...traditional Chinese formula composed of Astragali radix, Radixangelicae sinensis, Rheum officinale Baill, and four other herbs. It has been widely used as an effective treatment for DKD patients in China. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying SYFSF’s renoprotection. In this study, we compared the protective effect of SYFSF to irbesartan on the histology and renal cells in type 2 DKD rat model and high-glucose (HG) cultured mesangial cells, respectively. We found that SYFSF could significantly decrease urinary albumin, cholesterol, and triglyceride. And a decrease in serum creatinine was also found in SYFSF-treated group compared with irbesartan-treated rats. In addition, SYFSF inhibited the interstitial expansion and glomerulosclerosis in diabetic rats. Notably, SYFSF markedly downregulated the expression of MCP-1, TGF-β1, collagen IV, and fibronectin in diabetic rat models and HG-induced mesangial cell models. The renoprotection was closely associated with a reduced expression of TNF-α and phosphorylated NF-κBp65. Our study suggests that SYFSF may ameliorate diabetic kidney injury. The observed renoprotection is probably attributable to an inhibition of inflammatory response and extracellular matrix (ECM) accumulation mediated by TNF-α/NF-κBp65 signaling pathway.
Abstract
We investigate the protective effect of curcumin (CU) on the hepatic ultrastructural damage induced by cisplatin in mice. 18 adult Kunming mice were randomly divided into normal saline (NS) ...group, cisplatin treatment group (CP) and CU + CP group (n = 6 for each group). Mice in control group and CP group were administered with NS (20 mL/kg/day) and CU + CP group were i.p injected with CU (200 mg/kg/day) for 10 days. Then cisplatin (50 mg/kg/day) was injected in mice of CP group and CU + CP group, while those in control group were given the same volume of NS. Five days after injection all mice were killed and liver dissected. The hepatic morphological structures were observed under light microscope and transmission electron microscope. The results indicated that CU alleviated the hepatic histopathological damages induced by cisplatin, which included declined body weight, vacuolated cytoplasm and blurred liver trabecular structure. Moreover, no hepatic ultrastructural damages were observed in the CU protective group with condensed and marginated nuclear chromatin, bile canaliculi outstreched and bile deposited.
Abstract
To investigate the effects of X-ray irradiation on the proliferation and apoptosis of MCF-7 breast cancer cells; MCF-7 breast cancer cells were irradiated with X-ray. After irradiation, ...morphological changes and growth inhibition rate of the irradiated cells were observed under an inverted microscope. 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay was used to assess the proliferation of the irradiated MCF-7 cells. Transmission electron microscope was used to observe the morphology and ultrastructure of the irradiated MCF-7 cells. Western blotting was used to analyze the expression level of apoptosis-related protein caspase-3. Our results showed, at 48 h after the irradiation (0 Gy and 8 Gy), cells oval in shape, cell shrinkage or swelling and partial formation of debris under inverted microscope; as well as cytoplasmic vacuolization or inspissation, increased electron density of cytoplasm, structural damage of organelles, blurred mitochondrial cristae and chromatin margination under transmission electron microscopy; the survival rate of MCF-7 cells in X-ray group was 17.3% lower than that in control group (0 Gy) (p < 0.001); while caspase-3 expression increased evidently in X-ray group compared with control group (0 Gy) (p < 0.05). In conclusion, X-ray irradiation can inhibit the proliferation of MCF-7 cells and induce apoptosis through increasing caspase-3 expression.
High quality polycrystalline Zn
0.98
Cr
0.02
O thin films were deposited on glass substrates by RF magnetron sputtering technique. The effects of the gas-flow ratio of O
2
/Ar on the crystallographic ...structures and optical properties of the thin films were systemically studied by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), photoluminescence (PL) and ultraviolet–visible transmittance measurements, respectively. XRD patterns show that all the films with hexagonal wurtzite structure have a preferred orientation with the
c
-axis perpendicular to the substrate plane. The results from SEM images reveal that the particle size of the Zn
0.98
Cr
0.02
O thin films firstly increases and then decreases with the increasing O
2
/Ar gas flow ratio. In addition, these films have a high optical transmittance in the visible light region. And it is found that the band gap can be enlarged with the O
2
/Ar gas flow ratio increasing. The PL measurements indicate that the intensity of the near band-edge emission increases gradually, whereas the intensity of the defect-level emission decreases with increasing O
2
/Ar gas flow ratio. Based on these results, it can be concluded that the O
2
/Ar ratios play a key role in controlling the stoichiometric and optical properties of the Zn
0.98
Cr
0.02
O thin films.
Background and aims
Although visceral hypersensitivity is a major pathophysiological feature of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), its molecular mechanisms are still poorly understood. c-fos is a ...well-established marker of cell activation. Accumulating evidence demonstrates that norepinephrine (NE) system is dysregulated in IBS; however, very little is known on its mechanism. It is our hypothesis that elevated expression of
c-fos in central nervous system (CNS) correlates with visceral hypersensitivity in rat model of IBS.
Furthermore, we explored the changes of NE system in IBS patients.
Methods
The rat model of IBS was induced by heterotypic chronic and acute stress. Tissues obtained from rat model were analyzed for c-fos levels in CNS (frontal lobe, hippocampus, cornu dorsale) and colon by immunohistochemistry. Real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was used to detect tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in the colonic tissues obtained from IBS patients.
Results
The rat model of IBS was associated with increased expression of c-fos in different parts of CNS (
P
= 0.001,
P
= 0.002, and
P
= 0.002, respectively), but normal in colon (
P
= 0.207). The clinical parameters (colonic motility and sensation) of rat model were significantly correlated with elevated c-fos in CNS (
P
< 0.05). Enterochromaffin cells and serotonin in colon were related to the elevated c-fos in CNS (
P
< 0.05). The TH messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA level of IBS-D patients was almost four times as much as that of controls.
Conclusions
Elevated expression of c-fos in CNS might be one of key mechanisms in etiology of IBS. Therefore, regulation of CNS activation could be a major targeting effect when treating IBS patients.
The blast colony-forming cell (BL-CFC) was identified as an equivalent to the hemangioblast during in vitro embryonic stem (ES) cell differentiation. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the ...generation of the BL-CFC remain largely unknown. Here we report the isolation of mouse lysocardiolipin acyltransferase (Lycat) based on homology to zebrafish lycat, a candidate gene for the cloche locus. Mouse Lycat is expressed in hematopoietic organs and is enriched in the Lin−C-Kit+Sca-1+ hematopoietic stem cells in bone marrow and in the Flk1+/hCD4+(Scl+) hemangioblast population in embryoid bodies. The forced Lycat transgene leads to increased messenger RNA expression of hematopoietic and endothelial genes as well as increased blast colonies and their progenies, endothelial and hematopoietic lineages. The Lycat small interfering RNA transgene leads to a decrease expression of hematopoietic and endothelial genes. An unbiased genomewide microarray analysis further substantiates that the forced Lycat transgene specifically up-regulates a set of genes related to hemangioblasts and hematopoietic and endothelial lineages. Therefore, mouse Lycat plays an important role in the early specification of hematopoietic and endothelial cells, probably acting at the level of the hemangioblast.
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