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In order to evaluate the effects of electromagnetic radiation generated by the dual-drive motors of an electric vehicle on special passengers with cochlear implanted, this study considers a cochlear implanted passenger as the research object, takes the drive motors in electric vehicle as the exposure source. A calculation model including the vehicle body, brain tissue, skull, eyes, human body, and cochlear implant is built, and the finite element method is used to calculate the induced electric field ( E i n ), specific absorption rate (SAR), and temperature changes in different tissues and organs of the passenger’s body. The results show that the maximum value of E i n on the human body surface is 60.8 mV/m at the ankle. The E i n around the cochlear implant inside the human head is also high, with a maximum value of 57.1 mV/m. The maximum SAR of the human body is   1.99 × 10 − 6   W / k g , which also appears near the cochlear implant. Besides, the maximum temperature rise of the human body, brain tissue, and cochlear implant is 0.10 °C, 0.28 °C, and 0.0076 °C, respectively. Calculation shows that the E i n   and SAR of the human body and different tissues are much lower than the safety limit specified in the guidelines of the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), and the temperature rise does not reach the thermal damage threshold in the guidelines. The electric field around the electrode tip and the surface of the cochlear implant, the temperature rise of the cochlear implant also meet the requirements of the ICNIRP and the International Organization for Standardization’s 14708–7 medical device standard. The results could enrich the study on the electromagnetic environment of electric vehicles and provide references for the design and improvement of cochlear implants and electromagnetic exposure protection for vehicles.

Background Aucubin (Au), an iridoid glycoside from natural plants, has antioxidative and anti-inflammatory bioactivities; however, its effects on a traumatic brain injury (TBI) model remain unknown. We explored the potential role of Au in an H 2 O 2 -induced oxidant damage in primary cortical neurons and weight-drop induced-TBI in a mouse model. Methods In vitro experiments, the various concentrations of Au (50 μg/ml, 100 μg/ml, or 200 μg/ml) were added in culture medium at 0 h and 6 h after neurons stimulated by H 2 O 2 (100 μM). After exposed for 12 h, neurons were collected for western blot (WB), immunofluorescence, and M29,79-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) staining. In vivo experiments, Au (20 mg/kg or 40 mg/kg) was administrated intraperitoneally at 30 min, 12 h, 24 h, and 48 h after modeling. Brain water content, neurological deficits, and cognitive functions were measured at specific time, respectively. Cortical tissue around focal trauma was collected for WB, TdT-mediated dUTP Nick-End Labeling (TUNEL) staining, Nissl staining, quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (q-PCR), immunofluorescence/immunohistochemistry, and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) at 72 h after TBI. RNA interference experiments were performed to determine the effects of nuclear factor erythroid-2 related factor 2 (Nrf2) on TBI mice with Au (40 mg/kg) treatment. Mice were intracerebroventricularly administrated with lentivirus at 72 h before TBI establishment. The cortex was obtained at 72 h after TBI and used for WB and q-PCR. Results Au enhanced the translocation of Nrf2 into the nucleus, activated antioxidant enzymes, suppressed excessive generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and reduced cell apoptosis both in vitro and vivo experiments. In the mice model of TBI, Au markedly attenuated brain edema, histological damages, and improved neurological and cognitive deficits. Au significantly suppressed high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1)-mediated aseptic inflammation. Nrf2 knockdown in TBI mice blunted the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory neuroprotective effects of the Au. Conclusions Taken together, our data suggest that Au provides a neuroprotective effect in TBI mice model by inhibiting oxidative stress and inflammatory responses; the mechanisms involve triggering Nrf2-induced antioxidant system.

Only a few types of inflammasomes have been described in central nervous system cells. Among these, the absent in melanoma 2 (AIM2) inflammasome is primarily found in neurons, is highly specific and can be activated only by double-stranded DNA. Although it has been demonstrated that the AIM2 inflammasome is activated by poly(deoxyadenylic-deoxythymidylic) acid sodium salt and leads to pyroptotic neuronal cell death, the role of AIM2 inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis in early brain injury (EBI) after subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) has rarely been studied. Thus, we designed this study to explore the mechanism of gasdermin D(GSDMD)-induced pyroptosis mediated by the AIM2 inflammasome in EBI after SAH. The level of AIM2 from the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with SAH was detected. The pathway of AIM2 inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis, the AIM2/Caspase-1/GSDMD pathway, was explored after experimental SAH in vivo and in primary cortical neurons stimulated by oxyhaemoglobin (oxyHb) in vitro. Then, we evaluated GSDMD-induced pyroptosis mediated by the AIM2 inflammasome in AIM2 and caspase-1- deficient mice and primary cortical neurons generated through lentivirus (LV) knockdown. Compared with that of the control samples, the AIM2 level in the CSF of the patients with SAH was significantly increased. Pyroptosis-associated proteins mediated by the AIM2 inflammasome were significantly increased in vivo and in vitro following experimentally induced SAH. After AIM2 and caspase-1 were knocked down by an LV, GSDMD-induced pyroptosis mediated by the AIM2 inflammasome was alleviated in EBI after SAH. Intriguingly, when caspase-1 was knocked down, apoptosis was significantly suppressed via impeding the activation of caspase-3. GSDMD-induced pyroptosis mediated by the AIM2 inflammasome may be involved in EBI following SAH. The inhibition of AIM2 inflammasome activation caused by knocking down AIM2 and caspase-1 alleviates GSDMD-induced pyroptosis in EBI after SAH.

In this study, we report a simple and efficient two-step method consisting of water-in-oil (W/O) emulsion technique and subsequent annealing process for synthesizing the hollow reduced graphene oxide microspheres embedded with Co nanoparticles (Air@rGO€Co). The microspheres showed good electromagnetic properties because of the coexistence of magnetic loss and dielectric loss to microwaves. The minimum reflection loss (RL min ) value of S 1.5 reaches −68.1 dB at 13.8 GHz with a thickness of 2.2 mm, and the absorption bandwidth (lower than −10 dB) is 7.1 GHz covering from 10.9 GHz to 18.0 GHz. More interestingly, we can easily controll the microwave absorbing properties of the microspheres by changing the ratio of the two components in the composites. The excellent electromagnetic match at the corresponding resonance peaks for dielectric and magnetic loss play an important role in improving microwave absorption property. Our study provides a good potential method for preparation of lightweight microwave absorbing materials.

Background To investigate the epidemiological profile and antimicrobial resistance patterns of genital mycoplasma in Eastern China and provide evidence-based guidance for clinical management. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical records, mycoplasma culture results, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing data from patients with suspected urogenital tract infections between 2018 and 2023. Results Among 47,619 suspected infected patients, 20,830 cases tested positive for genital mycoplasma infection, with an overall infection rate of 43.74%. The infection rate of pure Ureaplasma spp. was 37.00%, for pure Mycoplasma hominis (Mh) was 0.66%, and for the co-infections with Ureaplasma spp. and Mh was 6.08%. The infection rate in females (44.00%) was significantly higher than that in males (20.12%), with a statistically significant difference ( P  < 0.001). The observed changes in each age group showed statistically significant differences ( P  < 0.001). Seasonally, the infection rate of mycoplasma in spring was slightly higher than that in winter. Regarding drug resistance, genital mycoplasmas generally exhibited a higher resistance rate to fluoroquinolone drugs, while the resistance rates to tetracycline, doxycycline, pristinamycin, and josamycin were relatively low. The average resistance rates to ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin in patients with pure Ureaplasma spp. infections were relatively high, at 83.39% and 66.34%, respectively. And the resistance rates showed an increasing trend year by year ( P  < 0.001). Patients with pure Mh infections had the highest resistance rate to ofloxacin (80.32%), followed by ciprofloxacin (69.21%), with no significant differences in resistance rates across the years. Patients co-infected with Ureaplasma spp. and Mh had the highest average resistance rates to both ofloxacin and ciprofloxacin, exceeding 90.00%. Conclusion The infection rate of genital mycoplasma in Eastern China is relatively high, predominantly Ureaplasma spp., with significant resistance to fluoroquinolone drugs. It is necessary for the hospital to enhance monitoring for the genital mycoplasma infections and to conduct drug resistance analysis to guide rational medication use and infection control measures. Clinical trial number Not applicable.

Inflammation plays a crucial role in cancer development. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), a measure of inflammation, is obtained from a complete blood count. However, little is known about the association between NLR and cancer in the general adult population in the United States. This study aimed to evaluate whether NLR is associated with cancer in American adults. This retrospective cross-sectional study included 28,016 adult participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) dataset spanning 2005 to 2018. Data on demographics (age, sex, race, marital status, Poverty-Income Ratio, education level), lifestyle factors (smoking, alcohol consumption, body mass index), medical conditions (hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease), and laboratory parameters (hemoglobin, platelet count, alanine aminotransferase, creatinine, albumin, and lactate dehydrogenase), were collected. Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the research objectives. Of the total 28,016 participants, 2639 had cancer. The mean age was 49.6 ± 17.6 years, and 50% were male. A positive association between NLR and cancer risk was observed after multivariate adjustment (OR = 1.20, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.05–1.36, p  = 0.006). Similar patterns were observed in subgroup analyses (all p -values for interaction > 0.05). A higher NLR was directly correlated with an increased risk of developing cancer in adults.

In this study, we report a simple and efficient two-step method consisting of water-in-oil (W/O) emulsion technique and subsequent annealing process for synthesizing the hollow reduced graphene oxide microspheres embedded with Ni nanoparticles (Air@rGO€Ni). The microspheres showed good electromagnetic properties because of the coexistence of magnetic loss and dielectric loss to microwaves. The minimum reflection loss (RL min ) value of Air@rGO€Ni microsphere reaches up to − 59.7 dB at 11.6 GHz with a thickness of 2.7 mm and an absorption bandwidth (lower than − 10 dB) is 4.8 GHz (9.4–14.2 GHz). Their resistance to chemical corrosion is amazingly, after treatment in hydrochloric acid for 5 days, the saturation magnetization (Ms) values of Air@rGO€Ni microsphere has fallen only six percentage points. More interestingly, we can easily controll the microwave absorbing properties of the microspheres by changing the ratio of the two components in the composites. The unique 3D structure and excellent electromagnetic match at the corresponding resonance peaks for dielectric and magnetic loss play an important role in improving microwave absorption property. Our study provides a good potential method for preparation of lightweight microwave absorbing materials.

Interfacial solar steam generation (ISSG), involving the use of solar energy to evaporate water at the water‐to‐vapor interface, has presented prospects for the desalination and purification of water due to high energy conversion efficiency and low‐cost freshwater generation. Herein, inspired by the aligned nanostructure of plants for efficiently transporting nutrient ions, we optimally design and construct a biomass‐based Janus architecture evaporator with an oriented nanostructure for ISSG, using the ice template method, followed by biomimetic mineralization with the resource‐abundant and low‐cost biomass of the carboxymethyl cellulose and sodium alginate as the raw materials. Taking advantage of the oriented nanostructure allowing efficient transportation of water and coordination capacity of sodium alginate for effective enrichment of heavy‐metal ions, the biomass‐based Janus architecture shows much lower thermal conductivity and an ultrahigh steam regeneration rate of 2.3 kg m−2 h−1, considerably surpassing those of previously reported oriented biomass‐based evaporators. Moreover, the biomass precursor materials are used for this Janus evaporator, guaranteeing minimum impact on the water ecology and environment during the regeneration process of clean drinking water. This study presents an efficient, green, and sustainable pathway for ISSG to effectively achieve heavy‐metal‐free drinking water. A Janus evaporator with a biomass‐based architecture and a biomimetic‐oriented pore nanostructure is constructed for efficient removal of heavy‐metal ions during interfacial solar steam generation by imitating the nanostructures in natural plants. This work presents an effective, green, and sustainable pathway for interfacial solar steam generation to efficiently achieve heavy‐metal‐free drinking water.

Background Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is an autoimmune rheumatic disease mostly affecting the axial skeleton. Currently, anti-tumour necrosis factor α (anti-TNF-α) represents an effective treatment for AS that may delay the progression of the disease and alleviate the symptoms if the diagnosis can be made early. Unfortunately, effective diagnostic biomarkers for AS are still lacking; therefore, most patients with AS do not receive timely and effective treatment. The intent of this study was to determine several key metabolites as potential biomarkers of AS using metabolomic methods to facilitate the early diagnosis of AS. Methods First, we collected samples of plasma, urine, and ligament tissue around the hip joint from AS and control groups. The samples were examined by nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry, and multivariate data analysis was performed to find metabolites that differed between the groups. Subsequently, according to the correlation coefficients, variable importance for the projection (VIP) and P values of the metabolites obtained in the multivariate data analysis, the most crucial metabolites were selected as potential biomarkers of AS. Finally, metabolic pathways involving the potential biomarkers were determined using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database, and the metabolic pathway map was drawn. Results Forty-four patients with AS agreed to provide plasma and urine samples, and 30 provided ligament tissue samples. An equal number of volunteers were recruited for the control group. Multidimensional statistical analysis suggested significant differences between the patients with AS and control subjects, and the models exhibited good discrimination and predictive ability. A total of 20 different metabolites ultimately met the requirements for potential biomarkers. According to KEGG analysis, these marker metabolites were primarily related to fat metabolism, intestinal microbial metabolism, glucose metabolism and choline metabolism pathways, and they were also probably associated with immune regulation. Conclusions Our work demonstrates that the potential biomarkers that were identified appeared to have diagnostic value for AS and deserve to be further investigated. In addition, this work also suggests that the metabolomic profiling approach is a promising screening tool for the diagnosis of patients with AS.