Explore the vast range of titles available.

RationaleThe chronic mild stress (CMS) paradigm was first described almost 40 years ago and has become a widely used model in the search for antidepressant drugs for major depression disorder (MDD). It has resulted in the publication of almost 1700 studies in rats alone. Under the original CMS procedure, the expression of an anhedonic response, a key symptom of depression, was seen as an essential feature of both the model and a depressive state. The prolonged exposure of rodents to unpredictable/uncontrollable mild stressors leads to a reduction in the intake of palatable liquids, behavioral despair, locomotor inhibition, anxiety-like changes, and vegetative (somatic) abnormalities. Many of the CMS studies do not report these patterns of behaviors, and they often fail to include consistent molecular, neuroanatomical, and physiological phenotypes of CMS-exposed animals.ObjectivesTo critically review the CMS studies in rats so that conceptual and methodological flaws can be avoided in future studies.ResultsAnalysis of the literature supports the validity of the CMS model and its impact on the field. However, further improvements could be achieved by (i) the stratification of animals into ‘resilient’ and ‘susceptible’ cohorts within the CMS animals, (ii) the use of more refined protocols in the sucrose test to mitigate physiological and physical artifacts, and (iii) the systematic evaluation of the non-specific effects of CMS and implementation of appropriate adjustments within the behavioral tests.ConclusionsWe propose methodological revisions and the use of more advanced behavioral tests to refine the rat CMS paradigm, which offers a valuable tool for developing new antidepressant medications.

Flavonoids are a group of natural polyphenolic substances that are abundant in vegetables, fruits, grains, and tea. Chiral A-ring-containing flavonoids are an important group of natural flavonoid derivatives applicable in a wide range of biological activities such as, cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, antioxidant, and enzyme inhibition. The desirable development of chiral A-ring-containing flavonoids by isolation, semi-synthesis or total synthesis in a short duration proves their great value in medicinal chemistry research. In this review, the research progress of chiral A-ring-containing flavonoids, including isolation and extraction, structural identification, pharmacological activities, and synthetic methods, is comprehensively and systematically summarized. Furthermore, we provide suggestions for future research on the synthesis and biomedical applications of flavonoids.

In the context of advancing new quality productive forces (NQP), the optimization of factor allocation is of critical importance. This study empirically examines how inter-firm land allocation affects the development of NQP and explores the moderating roles of labor, capital, and data factors from a perspective of factor synergy. Combining theoretical analysis with empirical investigation, the findings are as follows: (1) optimizing land allocation across firms significantly enhances the level of urban NQP, and this result remains robust after accounting for endogeneity and a series of robustness checks; (2) capital expansion and the scaling of data resources substantially reinforce the positive effect of land allocation on NQP, whereas the interregional mobility of labor—particularly high-skilled workers—exerts a negative moderating influence. The results suggest that policymakers should promote the rational allocation of land resources while leveraging the synergistic effects of labor, capital, and data to accelerate the development of NQP at the local level.

The unique advantages of surface/interface engineering are pivotal in advancing the design and development of high-performance electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorption materials. We present a universal microwave molten salt carbon (C) diffusion control strategy based on surface/interface engineering. This method leverages microwaves to promote the amorphous transformation and rapid diffusion of C on the carbon fiber surface, allowing for the rapid and controlled formation of three-dimensional multilayered gradient core-shell structures, primarily consisting of Ti 2 AlC 0.5 N 0.5 MAX. This unique structure with cavities contributes to the incident and multiple EMW losses. TACN-1 exhibited an efficient reflection loss of −83.4 dB at a thickness of just 1.9 mm and effectively isolates internal radiant heat, making it a promising material for stealth applications. This study not only advances the application of diffusion-controlled surface/interface engineering but also introduces a universal approach for modulating multilayered gradient structures in MAX phase ceramics. Surface/interface engineering promotes the development of electromagnetic wave absorbers. Here, the authors present a unique three-dimensional multilayered gradient core-shell structured MAX phase ceramic and report its absorption mechanism.

Polydopamine is a versatile and modifiable polymer, known for its excellent biocompatibility and adhesiveness. It can also be engineered into a variety of nanoparticles and biomaterials for drug delivery, functional modification, making it an excellent choice to enhance the prevention and treatment of orthopedic diseases. Currently, the application of polydopamine biomaterials in orthopedic disease prevention and treatment is in its early stages, despite some initial achievements. This article aims to review these applications to encourage further development of polydopamine for orthopedic therapeutic needs. We detail the properties of polydopamine and its biomaterial types, highlighting its superior performance in functional modification on nanoparticles and materials. Additionally, we also explore the challenges and future prospects in developing optimal polydopamine biomaterials for clinical use in orthopedic disease prevention and treatment.

Soil salinization is a common environmental problem that seriously threatens crop yield and food security, especially through its impact on seed germination. Nanoparticle priming, an emerging seed treatment method, is receiving increasing attention in improving crop yield and stress resistance. This study used alfalfa seeds as materials to explore the potential benefits of cerium oxide nanoparticle (CeO 2 NP) priming to promote seed germination and improve salt tolerance. CeO 2 NPs at concentrations up to 500 mg/L were able to significantly alleviate salt stress in alfalfa seeds (200 mM), with 50 mg/L of CeO 2 NP having the best effect, significantly ( P< 0.05) increasing germination potential (from 4.0% to 51.3%), germination rate (from 10.0% to 62.7%), root length (from 8.3 cm to 23.1 cm), and seedling length (from 9.8 cm to 13.7 cm). Priming treatment significantly ( P< 0.05) increased seed water absorption by removing seed hardness and also reducing abscisic acid and jasmonic acid contents to relieve seed dormancy. CeO 2 NP priming increased α-amylase activity and osmoregulatory substance level, decreased reactive oxygen species and malonaldehyde contents and relative conductivity, and increased catalase enzyme activity. Seed priming regulated carotenoid, zeatin, and plant hormone signal transduction pathways, among other metabolic pathways, while CeO 2 NP priming additionally promoted the enrichment of α-linolenic acid and diterpenoid hormone metabolic pathways under salt stress. In addition, CeO 2 NPs enhanced α-amylase activity (by 6.55%) in vitro . The optimal tested concentration (50 mg/L) of CeO 2 NPs was able to improve the seed vigor, enhance the activity of α-amylase, regulate the osmotic level and endogenous hormone levels, and improve the salt tolerance of alfalfa seeds. This study demonstrates the efficacy of a simple seed treatment strategy that can improve crop stress resistance, which is of great importance for reducing agricultural costs and promoting sustainable agricultural development.

Background Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder, and eye movement abnormalities are a significant symptom of its diagnosis. In this paper, we developed a multi-task driven by eye movement in a virtual reality (VR) environment to elicit PD-specific eye movement abnormalities. The abnormal features were subsequently modeled by using the proposed deep learning algorithm to achieve an auxiliary diagnosis of PD. Methods We recruited 114 PD patients and 125 healthy controls and collected their eye-tracking data in a VR environment. Participants completed a series of specific VR tasks, including gaze stability, pro-saccades, anti-saccades, and smooth pursuit. After the tasks, eye movement features were extracted from the behaviors of fixations, saccades, and smooth pursuit to establish a PD diagnostic model. Results The performance of the models was evaluated through cross-validation, revealing a recall of 97.65%, an accuracy of 92.73%, and a receiver operator characteristic area under the curve (ROC-AUC) of 97.08% for the proposed model. Conclusion We extracted PD-specific eye movement features from the behaviors of fixations, saccades, and smooth pursuit in a VR environment to create a model with high accuracy and recall for PD diagnosis. Our method provides physicians with a new auxiliary tool to improve the prognosis and quality of life of PD patients.

Drug delivery for osteoarthritis (OA) treatment is a continuous challenge because of their poor bioavailability and rapid clearance in joints. Intra-articular (IA) drug delivery is a common strategy and its therapeutic effects depend mainly on the efficacy of the drug-delivery system used for OA therapy. Different types of IA drug-delivery systems, such as microspheres, nanoparticles, and hydrogels, have been rapidly developed over the past decade to improve their therapeutic effects. With the continuous advancement in OA mechanism research, new drugs targeting specific cell/signaling pathways in OA are rapidly evolving and effective drug delivery is critical for treating OA. In this review, recent advances in various IA drug-delivery systems for OA treatment, OA targeted strategies, and related signaling pathways in OA treatment are summarized and analyzed based on current publications.

Salvia miltiorrhiz, commonly known as “Danshen” in Chinese medicine, has longstanding history of application in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Renowned for its diverse therapeutic properties, including promoting blood circulation, removing blood stasis, calming the mind, tonifying the blood, and benefiting the “Qi”, recent studies have revealed its significant positive effects on bone metabolism. This potential has garnered attention for its promising role in treating musculoskeletal disorders. Consequently, there is a high anticipation for a comprehensive review of the potential of Salvia miltiorrhiza in the treatment of various musculoskeletal diseases, effectively introducing an established traditional Chinese medicine into a burgeoning field. Aim of the review: Musculoskeletal diseases (MSDs) present significant challenges to healthcare systems worldwide. Previous studies have demonstrated the high efficacy and prospects of Salvia miltiorrhiza and its active ingredients for treatment of MSDs. This review aims to illuminate the newfound applications of Salvia miltiorrhiza and its active ingredients in the treatment of various MSDs, effectively bridging the gap between an established medicine and an emerging field. Methods: In this review, previous studies related to Salvia miltiorrhiza and its active ingredients on the treatment of MSD were collected, the specific active ingredients of Salvia miltiorrhiza were summarized, the effects of Salvia miltiorrhiza and its active ingredients for the treatment of MSDs, as well as their potential molecular mechanisms were reviewed and discussed. Results: Based on previous publications, Salvianolic acid A, salvianolic acid B, tanshinone IIA are the representative active ingredients of Salvia miltiorrhiza . Their application has shown significant beneficial outcomes in osteoporosis, fractures, and arthritis. Salvia miltiorrhiza and its active ingredients protect against MSDs by regulating different signaling pathways, including ROS, Wnt, MAPK, and NF-κB signaling. Conclusion: Salvia miltiorrhiza and its active ingredients demonstrate promising potential for bone diseases and have been explored across a wide variety of MSDs. Further exploration of Salvia miltiorrhiza ’s pharmacological applications in MSDs holds great promise for advancing therapeutic interventions and improving the lives of patients suffering from these diseases.

This study aimed to investigate the eye movement behavior characteristics and associated brain functional activity changes in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients during a complex visual task, using virtual reality (VR) eye movement tasks combined with functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) technology. A total of 27 PD patients and 29 healthy controls were included in the study. Participants performed a \"Whack-a-Mole\" eye movement task on a VR platform. Fixation time and task error rates were recorded, and fNIRS was used to measure changes in brain oxygenation. The differences in oxygenated hemoglobin concentration in brain regions between PD patients and healthy controls were assessed during task performance. The PD group exhibited a significantly higher task error rate compared to the control group (  = 0.02), and a significantly longer mean fixation time (  = 0.001). fNIRS results revealed that the PD group had considerably higher oxygenated hemoglobin concentrations in the bilateral primary visual cortex (V1), visual association cortex, primary somatosensory cortex (S1), and auditory cortex compared to the control group (  < 0.05). PD patients exhibit significant eye movement behavioral impairments during the execution of complex visual tasks, accompanied by compensatory brain functional activation in relevant brain regions. These findings provide important insights for the early diagnosis and therapeutic intervention of PD.