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The amyloid-β protein (Aβ) protein plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). It is believed that Aβ deposited in the brain originates from the brain tissue itself. However, Aβ is generated in both brain and peripheral tissues. Whether circulating Aβ contributes to brain AD-type pathologies remains largely unknown. In this study, using a model of parabiosis between APPswe/PS1dE9 transgenic AD mice and their wild-type littermates, we observed that the human Aβ originated from transgenic AD model mice entered the circulation and accumulated in the brains of wild-type mice, and formed cerebral amyloid angiopathy and Aβ plaques after a 12-month period of parabiosis. AD-type pathologies related to the Aβ accumulation including tau hyperphosphorylation, neurodegeneration, neuroinflammation and microhemorrhage were found in the brains of the parabiotic wild-type mice. More importantly, hippocampal CA1 long-term potentiation was markedly impaired in parabiotic wild-type mice. To the best of our knowledge, our study is the first to reveal that blood-derived Aβ can enter the brain, form the Aβ-related pathologies and induce functional deficits of neurons. Our study provides novel insight into AD pathogenesis and provides evidence that supports the development of therapies for AD by targeting Aβ metabolism in both the brain and the periphery.

Summary This meta-analysis aimed to investigate the associations between osteocalcin (Ocn) and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). It was revealed that both total Ocn and undercarboxylated Ocn (unOcn) were negatively related with FPG and HbA1c, and the association of unOcn with FPG was more pronounced in men. Introduction The aim of this study was to investigate the strength of associations between Ocn and FPG and HbA1c using a meta-analysis approach. Methods A search was carried out using the databases of PubMed, ISI Web of Science, and the Cochrane library from 2007 to 2014 to identify related studies. A pooled effect size with 95 % confidence intervals (CI) was derived. Results The meta-analysis included 39 studies involving 23,381 participants. The overall correlation was −0.16 (95 % CI, −0.19 to −0.14) between total Ocn (tOcn) and FPG and −0.15 (95 % CI, −0.20 to −0.11) between undercarboxylated Ocn (unOcn) and FPG. In the analysis of the association between Ocn and HbA1c, the pooled correlation was −0.16 (95 % CI, −0.18 to −0.14) for tOcn and −0.16 (95 % CI, −0.23 to −0.08) for unOcn. The magnitude of the correlation between unOcn and FPG is significantly higher in men than in women ( r  = −0.18, 95 % CI, −0.21 to −0.14; r  = −0.09, 95 % CI, −0. 13 to −0.05, respectively; P for interaction < 0.05). Similar trend was also found between unOcn and HbA1c but without significance (for men,  r  = −0.19, 95 % CI, −0.24 to −0.14; for women,  r  = −0.09, 95 % CI, −0.22 to 0.04, respectively; P for interaction > 0.05). No indication of significant publication bias was found in any method. Conclusions This meta-analysis demonstrated that both unOcn and tOcn were similarly and negatively correlated with FPG and HbA1c in humans. The negative correlations between unOcn and glucose metabolism appear to be more pronounced in men than in women.

Background: Sedentary behaviour is ubiquitous in modern society. Emerging studies have focused on the health consequences of sedentary behaviour, including colorectal cancer, but whether sedentary behaviour is associated with the risks of colon and rectal cancer remains unclear. No systematic reviews have applied quantitative techniques to independently compute summary risk estimates. We aimed to conduct a meta-analysis to investigate this issue. Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, and Google Scholar databases up to May 2013 to identify cohort and case–control studies that evaluated the association between sedentary behaviour and colon or rectal cancer. A random-effect model was used to pool the results of included studies. Publication bias was assessed by using Begg’s funnel plot. Results: Twenty-three studies with 63 reports were included in our meta-analysis. These groups included 4 324 462 participants (27 231 colon cancer cases and 13 813 rectal cancer cases). Sedentary behaviour was significantly associated with colon cancer (relative risk (RR): 1.30, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.22–1.39) but did not have a statistically significant association with rectal cancer (RR 1.05, 95% CI, 0.98–1.13). Subgroup analyses suggested that the odds ratio (OR) of colon cancer was 1.46 (95% CI: 1.22–1.68) in the case–control studies, and the RR was 1.27 (95% CI: 1.18–1.36) in the cohort studies, the OR of rectal cancer was 1.06 (95% CI: 0.85–1.33) in the case–control studies, and the RR was 1.06 (95% CI, 1.01–1.12) in the cohort studies. Conclusion: Sedentary behaviour is associated with an increased risk of colon cancer. Subgroup analyses suggest a positive association between sedentary behaviour and risk of rectal cancer in cohort studies. Reducing sedentary behaviour is potentially important for the prevention of colorectal cancer.

Objective This study investigated the use of a modified laparoscopic repair of paraostomy hernia technique, called “D-Type parastomal hernia repair surgery” which combines abdominal wall and extraperitoneal stoma reconstruction, in patients with parastomal hernia (PSH) following colorectal stoma surgery. The aim was to determine whether D-type parastomal hernia repair surgery is a promising surgical approach compared to the traditional laparoscopic repair technique (Sugarbaker method) for patients with PSH. Methods PSH patients were selected and retrospectively divided into two groups: the study group underwent D-type parastomal hernia repair, while the control group underwent laparoscopic Sugarbaker repair. Clinical data from both groups were analyzed. Result Compared to control group ( n  = 68), the study group undergoing D-type stoma lateral hernia repair had significant increase in total operative time (98.82 ± 12.37 min vs 124.61 ± 34.99 min, p  < 0.001). The study group also showed better postoperative stoma bowel function scores in sensory ability, frequency of bowel movements, and clothing cleanliness without a stoma bag ( p  = 0.037, 0.001, 0.002). The treatment cost was significantly higher in the control group (3899.97 ± 260.00$ vs 3215.91 ± 230.03$, p  < 0.001). The postoperative recurrence rate in the control group was 26.4%, while in the study group, it was 4.3%, with a significant statistical difference ( p  = 0.024). In terms of long-term postoperative complications, the study group had an overall lower incidence compared to the control group ( p  = 0.035). Other parameters showed no significant differences between the two groups. Conclusion The study suggests that D-type parastomal hernia repair surgery is a safe and feasible procedure. Compared to traditional surgery, it can reduce the recurrence of lateral hernia, improve postoperative stoma bowel function, and save medical resources.

Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1), a transcription factor that is critical for tumor adaptation to microenvironmental stimuli, represents an attractive chemotherapeutic target. YC-1 is a novel antitumor agent that inhibits HIF-1 through previously unexplained mechanisms. In the present study, YC-1 was found to prevent HIF-1 α and HIF-1 β accumulation in response to hypoxia or mitogen treatment in PC-3 prostate cancer cells. Neither HIF-1 α protein half-life nor mRNA level was affected by YC-1. However, YC-1 was found to suppress the PI3K/Akt/mTOR/4E-BP pathway, which serves to regulate HIF-1 α expression at the translational step. We demonstrated that YC-1 also inhibited hypoxia-induced activation of nuclear factor (NF)- κ B, a downstream target of Akt. Two modulators of the Akt/NF- κ B pathway, caffeic acid phenethyl ester and evodiamine, were observed to decrease HIF-1 α expression. Additionally, overexpression of NF- κ B partly reversed the ability of wortmannin to inhibit HIF-1 α -dependent transcriptional activity, suggesting that NF- κ B contributes to Akt-mediated HIF-1 α accumulation during hypoxia. Overall, we identify a potential molecular mechanism whereby YC-1 serves to reduce HIF-1 expression.

Although ketamine shows a rapid and sustained antidepressant effect, the precise mechanisms underlying its effect are unknown. Recent studies indicate a key role of p11 (also known as S100A10) in depression-like behavior in rodents. The present study aimed to investigate the role of p11 in the antidepressant-like action of ketamine in chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) rat model. The open-field test, forced swimming test and sucrose preference test were performed after administration of ketamine (10 mg kg −1 ) or a combination of ketamine and ANA-12 (a tropomyosin-related kinase B (TrkB) antagonist; 0.5 mg kg −1 ). The lentivirus vector for p11 was constructed to knock down the hippocampal expression of p11. In the CUMS rats, ketamine showed a rapid (0.5 h) and sustained (72 h) antidepressant effect, and its effect was significantly blocked by co-administration of ANA-12. Furthermore, ketamine significantly increased the reduced expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the hippocampus of CUMS rats, whereas ketamine did not affect the expression of p11 in CUMS rats 0.5 h after administration. In addition, ketamine significantly increased the reduced ratio of p-TrkB/TrkB in the hippocampus by CUMS rats, and its effect was also blocked by ANA-12. Moreover, the reduced expression of BDNF and p11 in the hippocampus of CUMS rats was significantly recovered to control levels 72 h after ketamine administration. Interestingly, knockdown of hippocampal p11 caused increased immobility time and decreased sucrose preference, which were not improved by ketamine administration. These results suggest that p11 in the hippocampus may have a key role in the sustained antidepressant effect of ketamine in the CUMS model of depression.

In India groundwater is an important source for domestic and agricultural purposes. Management of this resource is very important to meet the increasing demand of water. In this study, the ionic concentrations of groundwater from Mulakalacheruvu area, Chittoor district, Andhra Pradesh, South India have been calculated during May 2014 and the major ionic concentrations have been analyzed by hydrochemcial and statistical methods in order to trace the main processes controlling the groundwater chemistry. The results have suggested that these groundwater samples belong to Na-HCO3 (18 samples), Ca-HCO3 (16 samples) and Mg-HCO3 (6 samples) types. The hydrochemical methods suggest that the rocks in the aquifer system are sources of the major ions in the groundwater, and the silicate is the main mineral phase. Three sources viz. mafic silicate, felsic silicates and easily soluble minerals have been identified as responsible for the chemical variations of the groundwater. Further, the source contributions of silicate minerals for the groundwater hydrochemistry have been analyzed. These results suggest that the hydrochemistry of the groundwater in the south-eastern area is mainly controlled by weathering of felsic silicate (61-100%), whereas the north-western area is principally contributed by mafic silicate minerals (48-100%).

The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of dietary glycyl-glutamine (Gly-Gln) on postweaning growth, small intestinal morphology, and immune response of stressed or nonstressed piglets. Pigs (n = 144; initially 4.49 kg and 14 d of age) were randomly allocated to 24 pens (6 pigs/pen) in an environmentally controlled nursery and assigned to Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge (PBS vs. LPS) and Gly-Gln supplementation (0 vs. 0.15%) in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments with 6 pens/treatment. The LPS was the stress-inducing agent, and it was injected on d 7 and 14 of the 21-d experiment. Inflammatory challenge with LPS reduced ADG (P < 0.05) and tended to reduce ADFI (P = 0.06) of piglets from d 7 to 21 of the experiment. Supplementation of Gly-Gln increased ADG and G:F from d 0 to 21 (P < 0.05). On d 21 (1 wk after the second LPS injection), there was an LPS challenge x diet Gly-Gln interaction for ADFI (P < 0.05), but it was difficult to ascertain whether Gly-Gln increased ADFI. A trend for an LPS challenge x diet Gly-Gln interaction was observed for ADG (P = 0.07). There were no differences in lymphocyte proliferation among treatments. The LPS challenge increased crypt depth (CD) of the duodenum and decreased the ratio of villus height (VH) to CD of the ileum (P < 0.05) on d 14 (1 wk after the first LPS injection), whereas dietary supplementation of Gly-Gln increased VH of the ileum and VH:CD of the duodenum (P < 0.05). The concentration of peripheral blood IL-1beta was increased by injection of LPS (P < 0.05) and was decreased by dietary Gly-Gln supplementation during the experimental period (P < 0.05); however, there was no interaction of LPS challenge x Gly-Gln addition for IL-1beta concentration. Concentrations of peripheral blood IL-2 tended to increase at d 14 (P = 0.09) and soluble IL-2 receptor tended to decrease at d 7 (P = 0.06) in piglets supplemented with Gly-Gln; therefore, the peripheral blood IL-2/soluble IL-2 receptor system tended to favor the secretion of IL-2 during the first 2 wk of the experiment. In conclusion, considerable suppression of growth and immune function occurred in early weaning piglets challenged with LPS, and such depression could be alleviated by dietary Gly-Gln supplementation independent of the LPS challenge.

It is of great significance to study the influence of evaporation on the protection and management of regional water resources. In this study, water samples have been collected from a typical enclosed water body, Liuxi, a small brook in the campus of Suzhou University in May and June, and then analyzed for their hydrogen and oxygen stable isotopes. The results indicate that the samples collected in June have higher d18O and dD values relative to the samples collected in May, and both of them have d18O and dD values plotted at the right of the meteoric line, in combination with their lower deuterium excess (d-excess) values relative to the meteoric line, implying that the water has been influenced by evaporation. Moreover, the d-excess values showed decreasing and increasing in different sampling sites, which was demonstrated to be influenced by different extents of evaporation. Based on the calculation, the residual water quantities were 70–75% and 51–70% for May and June relative to the initial water, which indicates that about 10% of the water had evaporated during May and June.

In order to meet the demand of obtaining chlorophyll a concentration distribution in the offshore waters of Hong Kong on a rapid and large scale, based on the daily measured chlorophyll a concentration data and the HJ-1A/B satellite multispectral data in 2009–2019. Taking Modis-Aqua and Himawari series chlorophyll a concentration of remote sensing products as comparative data. Through per-process to extracted the reflectivity of each band combined and statistical correlation analysis with measured data, select the highest correlation band combination as the characteristic variable to statistical regression analysis with two-thirds of the measured chlorophyll a concentration data, constructing multiple regression algorithms. Determination of the best inversion algorithm by verified accuracy of the remaining one-third of the measured data. Inversion of chlorophyll a concentration in the offshore waters of Hong Kong from 2009 to 2019, the results show: 1). The best inversion algorithm is a univariate cubic regression algorithm, R2 is 0.942, RMSE is 0.285 μg/L, RPD is 33%; 2). The overall trend of remote products is the same as the measured data, but the value is slightly higher than the measured data;3). The distribution characteristics in the offshore waters of Hong Kong in the recent ten years are “high in the east and low in the west”, and the average concentration in the western waters is about 5 μg/L lower than the eastern waters.