Science Progress最新文献

Background and objectiveHyperhomocysteinemia (HHCY) is regarded as a significant risk factor for both fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular incidents in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. The objective of this research was to investigate the association between cystatin C (CYSC) and HHCY in individuals diagnosed with CKD.MethodsRetrospective cross-sectional study was conducted on clinical data and laboratory data of 85 individuals with CKD. The patients were divided into two distinct groups according to a threshold homocysteine (HCY) level of 15 µmol·L-1: the normal HCY group consisting of 40 cases, and the high HCY group (HHCY) comprising 45 cases. Moreover, the correlation between CYSC and HCY was examined. The correlation between CYSC and HCY was assessed. To further validate this relationship, HCY levels were measured in the culture medium following CYSC overexpression and silencing in vitro.ResultsOur study found that CYSC levels were significantly elevated in CKD-associated HHCY patients compared to CKD patients without concurrent HHCY (p < 0.05). CYSC and HCY showed a positive correlation (p < 0.05). CYSC was determined to be an Independent risk factor for CKD-associated HHCY. In vitro experiments have demonstrated that elevated levels of HCY were observed in the culture supernatants from OE-CYSC mesangial cells compared with the control and OE-negative control groups (p < 0.05). Conversely, the opposite trend occurs.ConclusionsIn conclusion, the findings suggest that CYSC may be the potential to serve as a biomarker to detect high HCY levels associated with CKD.

ObjectiveThis study aimed to assess the preoperative nutritional status of patients admitted to the vascular surgery clinic using the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) and further explore related risk factors, to provide a basis for clinical nutritional management.MethodsThis cross-sectional study included inpatients admitted to the Department of Vascular Surgery of the Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from October 2021 to March 2022. We retrospectively collected preoperative clinical data of these patients and applied the GLIM criteria to analyze their risk of malnutrition. A total of 113 vascular surgery patients were included, with a mean age of 68.76 ± 11.77 years. Among these, 31 inpatients were classified into the malnourished group, while 82 were in the well-nourished group.ResultsCompared with the well-nourished group, inpatients in the malnourished group were characterized by an older age, lower body mass index, and a higher incidence of cerebrovascular disease. Additionally, they exhibited lower hemoglobin and albumin levels, reduced pre-albumin, and a greater prevalence of arteriosclerosis obliterans in the lower limbs or gangrene. Multivariable analysis showed that age ≥ 70 years (OR = 4.57, 95% CI: 1.34-15.64, p = 0.015), gangrene (OR = 6.55, 95% CI: 2.14-20.07, p = 0.001), and cerebrovascular diseases (OR = 6.04, 95% CI: 2.01-18.14, p = 0.001) were independently associated with malnutrition.ConclusionsThe risk of malnutrition in patients admitted to the vascular surgery clinic was relatively high. Special attention should be given to inpatients over 70 years old, with gangrene or cerebrovascular diseases. This study highlights the importance of routine nutritional screening and assessment using the GLIM criteria in this high-risk population. Early identification and targeted nutritional intervention for high-risk patients are recommended to improve surgical outcomes.

ObjectiveAlzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by amyloid-beta (Aβ1-42) aggregation, oxidative stress, and neuronal loss, necessitating novel therapeutic agents to mitigate these pathological hallmarks.MethodThis study investigates the neuroprotective and antioxidant properties of newly synthesized borenium (compounds 1-4) and borinium (compounds 5-8) derivatives in an in vitro AD model using differentiated SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells exposed to Aβ1-42. Furthermore, automated Total Antioxidant Capacity assays were conducted using commercially available kits on culture media collected from cell cultures following 24 h of incubation. 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5 diphenyltetrazolium bromide and lactate dehydrogenase tests were done to determine the cytotoxicity of boron compounds after application to the exposed cell lines of Aβ1-42.ResultsIt was determined that the boron compounds applied to the cell lines at different concentrations did not show any neurotoxic effect at a concentration of 50 μM in 24 h of incubation. All boron compounds were determined to have antioxidant properties. It was found that the borinium compounds are much more neuroprotective than the borenium.ConclusionThese findings highlight the therapeutic potential of borenium and borinium compounds as neuroprotective and antioxidant agents for AD, warranting further mechanistic and in vivo studies.

ObjectiveGlobal election campaigns generate substantial amounts of plastic waste, particularly banners and posters, which degrade into microplastics through weathering processes. Despite growing awareness of microplastic pollution, little attention has been paid to campaign materials as a potential source. This study aimed to qualitatively assess the potential for microplastic generation from election banners and posters and to explore sustainable strategies to reduce this emerging form of pollution.MethodsWe collected seven campaign materials (six banners and one poster) that had been displayed in typical urban environments for over one month under average conditions of 16.3 °C, 33.2 mm precipitation, 56.0% relative humidity, and 558.15 MJ/m² cumulative solar radiation. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to identify polymer composition, while scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was employed to examine surface morphology before and after controlled abrasion simulating environmental weathering. Relevant literature and sustainability frameworks were further reviewed to propose mitigation strategies.ResultsFTIR analysis identified polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyester (PES), and polypropylene (PP) as the dominant polymers in the collected materials. SEM images revealed distinct degradation patterns: mesh structures of banners exhibited severe surface cracking and fragment detachment, while poster fibers showed cotton-like morphologies after abrasion. Inset images (1500×) displayed fragments in the tens-of-micrometer range, suggesting the potential for respirable microplastics. Although this study did not quantify microplastic loads, the results provide qualitative evidence of their generation under real-world weathering.ConclusionsThis study provides the first qualitative evidence that election campaign materials can act as a source of microplastics, highlighting the urgent need for sustainable alternatives. Future research should focus on quantitative recovery and exposure assessment to strengthen risk evaluation. Integrated approaches-combining regulatory frameworks, sustainable material innovation, community-based recycling, and digital campaigning-are recommended to reduce the environmental footprint of political campaigns and align with global sustainability goals.

To develop a predictive model to assess the risk of peri-operative hypothermia occurrence in children undergoing thoracoscopic lobectomy and validate its effectiveness. 172 children who underwent thoracoscopic lobectomy were randomly divided into a training set of 124 cases and a validation set of 48 cases in a 7:3 ratio. The study found a 33.1% incidence of intraoperative hypothermia (IPH) in children undergoing thoracoscopic lobectomy. Logistic regression analysis was performed using SPSS 26.0 to screen influencing factors, establish a risk prediction model, and draw the receiver-operating characteristic curve. Univariate analysis identified anesthesia-skin incision time, operating-room temperature, humidity, basal body temperature, end body temperature, and body temperature half an hour after anesthesia as influencing factors. Multivariate logistic regression revealed anesthesia-skin incision time (odds ratio (OR) = 1.595), operating-room humidity (OR = 4.094), and body temperature half an hour after anesthesia (OR = 112.595) as independent predictors. The nomogram model demonstrated an excellent discrimination with area under the curve (AUC) of 0.989 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.976-1.000), maximum Youden index of 0.94, sensitivity of 1, specificity of 0.94, and cutoff value of 0.195. The Hosmer-Lemeshow test (χ₂ = 1.751, P = 0.195) and bootstrap resampling (consistency coefficient = 0.947) confirmed the model's goodness of fit, internal consistency, and stability. Validation set results are similar to those in the training set, with an AUC of 0.989 (95% CI: 0.969-1.000), a sensitivity of 1, a specificity of 0.929, and a calibration curve error of 0.032 (<0.05), indicating high predictive accuracy. These findings suggest nomogram is a robust tool for predicting IPH in the pediatric thoracoscopic lobectomy.

ObjectiveTo investigate the physical and chemical stability of cefminox sodium, cefuroxime sodium, cefoxitin sodium, ceftizoxime sodium, cefmetazole sodium, ceftazidime and cefamandole nafate when continuously infused with 0.9% sodium chloride (NS) and 5% glucose (GS).MethodsSeven cephalosporin antibiotics were reconstituted in 50 and 100 mL of NS and GS, and stored at room temperature. Samples were collected at 0, 2, 4, 8, and 24 hours to evaluate changes in appearance, pH, insoluble particle count, and drug content.ResultsThe admixture solutions of cefuroxime with both solvents turned yellow at 8 hours. The relative percentage content of the low-concentration group in NS dropped to 82.97% at 24 hours. When cefamandole nafate was admixed with NS, contents of both high and low concentrations dropped below 90% at 8 hours and below 60% at 24 hours. The pH change of the high-concentration group exceeded 1.0 pH unit at 24 hours. For cefoxitin sodium, the pH change of all concentration groups admixed with both solvents exceeded 1.0 pH unit at 24 hours. The high-concentration group in NS declined to 87.72%. The admixture solutions of cefminox with both solvents showed slight discoloration at 24 hours. When cefminox was admixed with GS, the contents of both concentration groups dropped below 90% at 2 hours. All other drug-solvent-concentration combinations had all indicators within the specified limits.ConclusionWhen admixed with NS, cefmetazole, ceftazidime, and ceftizoxime are stable for 24 hours continuous infusion; cefoxitin and cefminox for up to 8 hours; and cefuroxime and cefamandole nafate for 4 hours. When admixed with GS, cefmetazole, ceftazidime, and ceftizoxime are stable for 24 hours; cefoxitin for up to 8 hours; cefuroxime for 4 hours; and cefminox has a stability period of less than 2 hours, so GS is not recommended as it is continuous infusion solvent.

ObjectiveImmune-inflammatory dysregulation contributes to the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and other chronic disorders. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP) are established inflammatory biomarkers, yet their blood-based assessments are costly, time-consuming, and invasive. The Immune Status Questionnaire (ISQ), a brief self-report measure, may offer a noninvasive alternative for identifying individuals who require further immune evaluation. This study examined the associations among ISQ, IL-6, CRP, and physiological factors in patients with schizophrenia.MethodsThis retrospective chart review included 94 patients with schizophrenia, among whom 74 completed both blood sampling and the ISQ assessment. Hierarchical linear regression and structural equation modeling (SEM) were used to examine associations between immune markers and physiological variables.ResultsISQ and cholesterol significantly predicted CRP levels, whereas IL-6 and cholesterol remained significant in the final regression model. SEM confirmed these pathways, showing that age, ISQ, and cholesterol influenced CRP through IL-6 mediation. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses identified an ISQ cutoff score of 10 and an IL-6 threshold of 3.0 pg/mL, yielding an area under the curve of 0.59 and a negative predictive value of 72.2%.ConclusionsThe ISQ demonstrates modest but practical potential as a noninvasive preliminary screening tool for immune dysfunction in schizophrenia. Given its accessibility and low cost, the ISQ may complement laboratory testing during early clinical evaluation. However, due to the limited sample size and retrospective design, further large-scale, community-based studies are warranted to validate its reliability, discriminative ability, and broader clinical applicability.

Aiming to address the current problems in the industrial cleaning field, including water waste, blind spots, and poor equipment compatibility, this study proposes a three-dimensional vision-based cleaning robot design. The proposed design is primarily developed for cleaning workpieces in the manufacturing of rail transit equipment. It integrates both high-flow, low-pressure cleaning and low-flow, high-pressure cleaning, using the proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control technology to precisely adjust the cleaning pressure and water temperature, allowing robots to automatically adapt to the characteristics of various materials and stains. The proposed design employs a template matching algorithm and an improved CIoU-YOLOv7 object recognition algorithm to achieve rapid workpiece recognition, stain detection, and accurate positioning. Compared to the baseline algorithm, the proposed method increases the detection accuracy by 5-10%, reaching 62.34%. The genetic algorithm optimizes the cleaning path, reducing the total path by 64.7% compared to the original path while increasing efficiency by 10.5% over the basic genetic algorithm. These improvements enable efficient automatic cleaning of various workpieces, enhancing both cleaning efficiency and quality. The proposed method not only saves water but also significantly enhances the intelligence level of cleaning systems by reducing the number of generations required to achieve an optimal solution by 95%. Thus, the proposed design can effectively address the problems of low efficiency in traditional cleaning methods.

Global sustainable development relies heavily on stable and efficient grain production, where reliable and durable harvesting machinery plays a crucial role. However, the harsh operating conditions experienced by these machines in the field often lead to premature failure. These failures not only cause crop losses and economic burdens but also undermine sustainability goals by increasing the lifecycle environmental footprint through the consumption of materials and energy for repairs and replacements. Furthermore, unexpected downtime can lead to harvest delays, resulting in food waste and inefficient fuel use. This review focuses on research aimed at enhancing the operational fatigue reliability and durability of harvesting machinery. It specifically reviews the latest advancements in the application of sensor technology, signal processing methods, computer simulation techniques, and data analysis methods to advance harvesting machinery durability research. Furthermore, it identifies the challenges in current research, including obtaining accurate load data, handling uncertainties, and validating models. Looking ahead, this review highlights a necessary shift towards integrated, intelligent systems that can transform harvester design and maintenance from a reactive process into a proactive strategy for ensuring lifecycle sustainability.

Background and Objectives: Hypoglycaemia and intolerance may occur during enteral nutrition (EN) in patients with sepsis in the intensive care unit (ICU). Bolus, intermittent (continuous during the day with pauses at night), and continuous EN techniques may have different effects on these outcomes. Our primary aim was to assess the effects of these three EN methods on blood glucose levels (BGLs), with a secondary focus on their impact on the development of feeding intolerance. Methods: This was a single-centre, prospective, randomised, controlled trial conducted in a tertiary-care adult ICU. After obtaining ethics committee approval and family consent, 93 patients with sepsis were and randomised into three groups: Bolus, intermittent, and continuous EN. BGLs were measured four times daily for 7 days. Outcomes evaluated included normoglycaemia (70-180 mg/dL), hypoglycaemia (BGL <70 mg/dL), hyperglycaemia (BGL >180 mg/dL with insulin requirement), time to target calorie (TC; defined as the day when 75% of the calculated caloric value was reached), and feeding intolerance-high gastric residual volume (defined as gastric residual volume of ≥250 mL). Results: Intermittent feeding was associated with more unfluctuated/stable BGL within days and between days (p = 0.001 and p = 0.003, respectively). The bolus group had the highest risk and the intermittent group had the lowest risk of developing intolerance (p = 0.014). The continuous feeding group had the highest insulin requirement (p = 0.025). There were no significant differences between groups in terms of TC or requirement of dextrose administration (p = 0.414 and p = 0.579, respectively). Conclusions: In ICU patients with sepsis, intermittent feeding provided superior glycaemic control and reduced risk of developing intolerance compared to bolus or continuous methods. The confirmation of these findings necessitates larger studies encompassing a broader cohort of patients.