Human body form reveals cumulative effects of ecological and socio-cultural factors. China's provides an exceptional context for investigating these multifactorial influences, not only because of its extensive geographic and cultural diversity, but also because recent decades have been marked by rapid economic development, urbanisation, migration, and the population-level trauma of the Great Famine. Using anthropometric data from > 90,000 adults across 213 geo-referenced groups from mid-late-20th and early-21st centuries, we applied Bayesian hierarchical models to assess the roles of climate, altitude, urban-rural status, linguistic affiliation, and time in shaping stature, body mass, relative sitting height, and body breadth. Substantial secular increases in body size, particularly body mass, were associated with recent economic development and urbanisation. Males and females responded similarly across environmental and temporal gradients, indicating limited sex-based differentiation. Northern groups remained taller and heavier than their southern counterparts. Notably, maximum precipitation, not temperature, emerged as the strongest climatic correlate, likely reflecting indirect effects of subsistence and disease burden. Relative sitting height increased modestly over time, while relative body breadth showed a stable east-west gradient, potentially shaped by population history. Regional exceptions, including highland Tibetan and Sherpa populations and northeastern groups, along with widening divergence among linguistic subgroups, underscore the persistent roles of migration, developmental constraints and potential high-altitude adaptation. These findings show that recent changes in human body form in China cannot be understood as simple outcomes of modernisation alone, but instead reflect layered interactions among ecology, population history, socio-economic transformation, and cohort-specific historical experience.
Relapse after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantations (allo-HSCT) carries poor outcomes, often necessitating a second transplant. However, toxicity concerns limit repeated total body irradiation (TBI), and its impact in later allo-HSCT is largely unknown. We evaluated outcomes of patients with hematological malignancies who underwent ≥ 2 allo-HSCTs incorporating TBI for graft failure or relapse. We analyzed 37 patients who underwent TBI ≥ 2 times with a cumulative dose > 12 Gy. TBI was delivered using either two-dimensional radiotherapy or intensity-modulated radiation therapy. Myeloablative conditioning consisted of 12 Gy in six fractions, and reduced-intensity conditioning consisted of 3-4 Gy in two fractions. Median follow-up among survivors was 64.9 months. Thirty-one patients received TBI twice and six received TBI three times. The median cumulative dose was 16 Gy. The 1- and 2-year overall survival rates were 48.6% and 27.0%, respectively; the non-relapse mortality rates were 31.4% and 49.9%, respectively. Median cumulative doses to the lungs, kidneys, and liver were 10.8, 11.7, and 16.0 Gy, respectively. After the second allo-HSCT, one patient developed Bearman grade ≥ 3 or late grade ≥ 3 adverse events in the lungs (10.8 Gy), seven in the kidneys (median, 11.7 Gy), and four in the liver (17.2 Gy). No association was observed between cumulative organs-at-risk dose and grade ≥ 3 toxicities. Second or third allo-HSCT incorporating repeated TBI with alternating myeloablative and non-myeloablative doses achieved salvage for a relatively substantial number of patients with tolerable toxicity, given the high-risk status of disease and repeated allo-HSCT.
Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) frequently experience workplace violence in prehospital settings; however, evidence on the role of body-worn cameras (BWCs) in this context is limited. This study examined the factors associated with frequent workplace violence, the perceived need for BWCs, and actual BWC use among South Korean EMTs, incorporating individual- and regional-level indicators. A nationwide cross-sectional survey was conducted among EMTs employed by provincial fire departments in South Korea. Survey data on sociodemographic characteristics, work conditions, workplace violence over the past year, and BWC-related perceptions and behaviors were linked to province-level assault indicators from the National 119 emergency medical services (EMS) Statistical Yearbook (2020-2024). The main outcomes included frequent workplace violence, high perceived need for BWCs, and BWC use. Regional assault burden was modeled as tertiles of a five-year mean provincial assault index and as a continuous measure per 10-unit increase. All primary outcomes were self-reported within a knowledge-attitude-practice (KAP) survey design. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to estimate adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). To address within-province clustering, Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) were additionally used as a sensitivity analysis. Of 3,595 EMTs included in the descriptive analyses, 2,555 provided complete violence data. Nearly all respondents (99.7%) reported some workplace violence in the past year, and 17.3% were classified as experiencing frequent workplace violence. Overall, 64.4% reported using a BWC, and 87.9% expressed a high perceived need. Frequent violence was associated with younger age, longer EMS career, higher daily call volume, and working as an EMT rather than an ambulance driver, but not with regional assault burden. High perceived need for BWCs was more common among female EMTs and varied by age, again without clear associations with regional assault indices. In contrast, actual BWC use was associated with job position, shorter EMS career, lower call volume, and high perceived need, and was inversely associated with higher regional assault burden. Workplace violence was highly prevalent among South Korean EMTs, and the perceived need for BWCs was widespread. Individual and work-related factors, rather than province-level assault burden, were the key determinants of frequent violence and BWC-related perceptions, whereas BWC use was less common in regions with higher recorded assault indices.
暂无摘要（点击查看详情）
Cardiac transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR-CM) is a progressive myocardial disease ultimately leading to heart failure. Standard diagnostic workup includes 99mTc-DPD scintigraphy performed after 2.5-3 h. The purpose of this study is to compare early (1 h after injection) to late imaging of 99mTc-DPD scintigraphy and SPECT for the detection of ATTR-CM. Early imaging could improve patient comfort and examination efficiency. 50 patients undergoing 99mTc-DPD scintigraphy and SPECT for suspected ATTR-CM were included. Imaging was performed at both 1 h and 2.5-3 h post-injection. Tracer uptake was assessed visually (Perugini score), semi-quantitatively (e.g., heart-to-mediastinum ratio, HMR), and quantitatively (e.g., maximum standardized uptake value, SUVmax). ATTR-CM was diagnosed in 28% of patients. Median visual Perugini score was significantly higher for early imaging (0.5 vs. 0, p < 0.001). Findings were validated using an external validation cohort. Intraclass correlation coefficients between early and late imaging were very good. Visual evaluation of early imaging demonstrated comparable sensitivity, specificity, and overall diagnostic accuracy to late imaging. HMR and SUVmax from early imaging showed higher diagnostic accuracy. No false-negative results were observed. Visual evaluation using the Perugini score was slightly less consistent between readers in early compared to late imaging, with lower inter-observer agreement at 1 h. Early 99mTc-DPD imaging provides diagnostic performance equivalent to conventional late imaging while substantially enhancing patient comfort and workflow efficiency. Adoption of early imaging protocols, complemented by quantitative and semi-quantitative analysis, may streamline ATTR-CM diagnostics, enabling timely diagnosis and treatment.
High-intensity multimodal training (HIMT), combines aerobic and resistance exercise within a single session, offering a time-efficient training mode. However, the efficacy of HIMT for physical adaptations compared to other combined training models (e.g., inter-session concurrent training [ISCT]) remains unclear. This two-arm parallel randomised controlled trial examined the physical adaptations of 7 weeks of HIMT compared to a matched active control (ISCT) in recreationally active adults. The HIMT group completed 4 × 45-min sessions/week integrating aerobic and resistance exercises. The ISCT group completed 2 × 45-min resistance sessions/week and 2 × 45-min aerobic sessions/week. Training intensity was prescribed at ≥ 7 RPE (CR-10) with weekly volume and exercise selection matched across groups. Maximal strength, aerobic capacity, anthropometry and body composition were assessed pre and post-intervention. Both HIMT (n = 38) and ISCT (n = 37) demonstrated small improvements in upper- and lower-body strength, peak oxygen uptake and maximum work rate (p < 0.05). Trivial but significant improvements were also observed in fat mass, body fat percentage, lean mass, waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio (p < 0.05). A modest group × time interaction favoured ISCT for reducing body fat percentage (b = -0.628, 95% CI [-1.21 to -0.046], p = 0.035 and d = -0.082). Seven weeks of HIMT and ISCT improved muscular strength, aerobic fitness and body composition. Separating high-intensity aerobic and resistance sessions across days may offer a small advantage for reducing relative body fat. Longer interventions may be needed for greater adaptations. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ETH24-9364, ACTRN12624000556549, Protocol: available on the Open Science Framework.
Independent effects of maternal obesogenic diets on offspring outcomes are acknowledged, but data on paternal and combined maternal-paternal obesity remain limited. We investigated independent and combined maternal-paternal effects of an obesogenic (OB) high-fat, high-sugar diet on offspring outcomes. Male (pat) and female (mat) rats were fed a control diet (CON) or OB diet for 5 weeks pre-mating. Four groups were established: matCON-patCON, matCON-patOB, matOB-patCON and matOB-patOB. Offspring outcomes included birth weight and naso-anal length, survival rates to weaning, weaning weight, retroperitoneal fat mass and plasma leptin. Mating success was reduced in OB-exposed fathers. Male and female offspring from mothers fed the OB diet had lower birth weights. In males, birth weights were further reduced in the matOB-patOB group. Combined maternal-paternal obesity was also associated with shorter body length and higher neonatal mortality in offspring of both sexes. Postnatal survival was lower with maternal obesity and worsened with combined maternal-paternal obesity. At weaning, male offspring exposed to maternal or combined maternal-paternal obesity showed increased body weight, adiposity and plasma leptin concentrations. In females, body weight at weaning was higher across all parental obesogenic diet groups, and increased adiposity and plasma leptin concentrations were observed in maternal and combined maternal-paternal obesity. Parental obesity had independent, combined and sex-specific effects on early-life outcomes, most severe with combined maternal-paternal obesity. These findings emphasise the interacting role of maternal and paternal nutrition in shaping early-life outcomes and highlight the need for research to determine effective strategies to optimise the health of both parents prior to conception.
The Greater flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) is one of the most recognizable species breeding in the Ebro Delta Natural Park. In 2019, high per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) concentrations were found in two months old flamingo chicks. Motivated by these findings and the global concern for PFAS contamination, we monitored flamingos PFAS exposure over a five-year period. The study aimed to assess PFAS contamination patterns in chick's blood, temporal trends, examine potential effects on their body condition, and identify potential contamination sources by analysing PFAS in water. We collected a total of 148 flamingo blood samples from 2019 (n=47), 2022 (n=51), and 2024 (n=50), and water samples (n=8) within the natural park. All chicks from the three studied years presented PFAS in their blood, indicating a chronic and early-life exposure to these contaminants to the breeding colony. ∑PFAS concentrations ranged from 4.53 to 576 ng/mL , and PFOS, PFOA and PFHxS were detected in all individuals. In 2024, mean ∑PFAS were of 55 ng/mL, lower than those detected in 2019 (78.2 ng/mL) and 2022 (81.7 ng/mL) (p < 0.05). The PFAS decline was driven by lower PFOA and PFHxS levels, likely reflecting recent European regulatory measures. The body condition of flamingos was found to be higher in those years with higher total precipitation during the breeding season (p < 0.05), likely due to a higher productivity of feeding sites. Notably, individuals with higher PFHxS and PFHpA concentrations exhibited reduced body condition (p < 0.05). PFAS were detected in all water samples indicating widespread contamination in the area, with the highest concentrations in agricultural fields which are important flamingo feeding areas. Overall, this study provides evidence of early PFAS exposure in a Special Protection Area for Birds and demonstrates the value of incorporating contaminant biomonitoring into conservation programs.
Although nutritional and exercise interventions in mixed populations of non-dialysis and dialysis chronic kidney disease patients can improve muscle health, no study has specifically targeted dialysis patients or assessed their dietary intake. This systematic review and meta-analysis examined whether combined interventions improve physical performance, nutritional status, dietary intake, and quality of life (QOL) in adults receiving dialysis. Following the PRISMA 2020 statement (PROSPERO CRD42024543470, registered on May 16, 2024), PubMed, Ichushi Web, and Web of Science were searched to September 30, 2024 for randomized, cluster-randomized, or crossover trials comparing combined nutrition plus exercise with sole either alone or with no intervention in adults (≥18 years) on hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis. Favorable outcomes included physical performance, skeletal muscle mass, body mass index, energy and protein intake, QOL, and mortality, whereas the unfavorable outcome was gastrointestinal symptoms. Random-effects meta-analyses calculated mean differences (MDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Eight trials with 231 hemodialysis patients were eligible; seven contributed to quantitative synthesis. Nutritional interventions involved mainly oral supplements, and exercise (resistance, aerobic, or neuromuscular electrical stimulation) was performed two to three times/week for 3-12 months. Combined therapy significantly improved the 6MWT distance (MD 45.17 m, 95% CI 12.60-77.75), gait speed (MD 0.09 m/s, 95% CI 0.02 to 0.17), and TUG time (MD -1.44 s, 95% CI -2.63 to -0.25). No significant differences were observed in the Sit-to-Stand test, lean body mass, BMI, intake, or QOL. Compared with nutritional intervention alone, combined nutrition and exercise intervention was associated with improved physical performance outcomes in hemodialysis patients but showed no clear benefit for dietary intake, body composition, or QOL. The certainty of evidence was very low for all outcomes.
The hematopoietic system is extremely sensitive to ionizing radiation(IR) and is easily damaged after exposure. Recent studies [1, 2] have shown that hematopoietic lineage differentiation may play a key role in Ionizing radiation -induced acute injury. C57BL/6 mice matched for age, sex and weight were randomly grouped and intraperitoneal injected with PBS, Evolocumab (80.0 mg/kg) or MMP9-IN (20.0 mg/kg). Survival time, body weight, pathology, hematopoietic cell differentiation changes and organoids of the mice after IR (10.0 Gy) were compared, and the mechanism of action in tissues was verified by transcriptome sequencing. Ionizing radiation can inhibit hematopoietic cell lineage differentiation and affect cholesterol metabolism. The expression of the Pcsk9 gene was significantly upregulated after IR. Treatment with a Pcsk9 monoclonal antibody (Evolocumab) exerted significant radioprotective effects, including improving the survival rate of irradiated mice, reducing body weight loss, preserving the integrity of the bone marrow cavity, and promoting cellular proliferation. Flow cytometric analysis showed that Evolocumab significantly increased hematopoietic precursor cells and hematopoietic stem cells and promoted their differentiation into ST-LSKs and MPPs. In addition, the proportions of CMPs and GMPs were increased, whereas the proportion of MEPs was decreased. RNA sequencing results suggested that the IR-induced downregulation of Cd3e within the hematopoietic cell lineage pathway could be rescued by Evolocumab, which was further validated at the cellular level. CD3e is a T-cell-associated marker, and Evolocumab treatment was associated with an increased proportion of CD3e+ T cells. Analysis of previously reported hematopoiesis-related factors [3-5] indicated that Evolocumab markedly upregulated Mmp9 expression. Correlation analysis revealed that Pcsk9 was negatively correlated with Cd3e, whereas Cd3e was positively correlated with Mmp9. Following ionizing radiation, Mmp9 knockout (Mmp9 KO) mice exhibited reduced survival compared with wild-type mice. Moreover, in wild-type mice, administration of an MMP9 inhibitor (MMP9-IN) attenuated the radioprotective effects of Evolocumab, indicating that Mmp9 contributes to Evolocumab-mediated radioprotection. Evolocumab exerts a positive effect on promoting the proliferation and differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells against IR-induced hematopoietic system injury, with its protective mechanism likely involving the activation of hematopoietic cell lineages to upregulate CD3e+ T cells and Mmp9 expression.
Internalization of appearance ideals and sociocultural pressures contribute to body dissatisfaction and eating disorders. Japanese adolescents report high levels of body dissatisfaction despite relatively low body mass index compared to peers in other countries, highlighting potential cultural influences. However, the Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire-4-Revised (SATAQ-4R) has not been validated in Japan. This study aimed to develop a Japanese version of the SATAQ-4R and examine its psychometric properties among Japanese adolescents. A nationwide population-based study was conducted in 2023 among 1,368 adolescents aged 11-17 years (girls: n = 694; boys: n = 674). Participants completed self-reported questionnaires. The factor structure of the SATAQ-4R was evaluated using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (EFA and CFA), internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha, and convergent validity was examined using eating-related measures. EFA suggested a five-factor 23-item structure for girls and a seven-factor 23-item structure for boys. CFA showed suboptimal fit for the female model and comparatively better fit for the male model. Most subscales showed acceptable internal consistency, although one female pressure-related subscale showed inadequate reliability. Correlations with external measures provided partial evidence of convergent validity, with associations varying by sex and subscale. These findings provide preliminary evidence for psychometric properties of the Japanese SATAQ-4R. However, suboptimal female model fit, inadequate reliability of one female subscale, and mixed convergent validity evidence indicate that the resulting Japanese models should be used with caution. Level III, cross-sectional observational study.
Bromide (Br-) dilution is the criterion to determine extracellular water. While 3h equilibrium is typically used in athletes, the optimal equilibrium time has not been assessed. The study aimed to determine the optimal time of equilibrium of Br- in athletes before and after increasing water intake (WI). Thirty-one athletes [21.5 (0.8) years; 41.9% females] from the H2OAthletes randomized controlled trial (clinicaltrials.gov ID: NCT05380089) were included in this longitudinal sub-analysis. Athletes were assessed before and after a 4-day intervention to increase WI (experimental group) or maintain WI (control group). Br- dilution was assessed through saliva before and 3, 4, and 5h post-dose. Total body water (TBW) and water turnover (rH2O) was measured through deuterium dilution. Body composition was determined through the 4-compartment model. At baseline, most athletes achieved equilibrium at 3h (45.2%) or 4h (48.4%). After the intervention, most athletes (70.4%) achieved peak concentration at 3h, with fewer reaching at 4h (14.8%) or 5h (14.8%). No differences in body composition, TBW, or rH2O were observed between athletes grouped according to the time of peak, both before and after the intervention. Time of peak was not associated with the intervention group [x2 (1)=1.439; p=0.487] or sex both before [x2 (1)=0.230; p=0.891] and after the intervention [x2 (1)=0.728; p=0.695]. Br- equilibrium appears to occur 3h to 4h post-dosing, suggesting it is unnecessary to extend the collection to 5h, reducing the burden on athletes. Future studies should include larger samples to confirm the current findings.
Socioeconomic disadvantage is associated with higher obesity risk in older adults, but whether walkable neighborhoods modify these inequalities remains unclear. We examined whether neighborhood walkability moderates the association between area-level socioeconomic status (SES) and adiposity among older adults with overweight or obesity living in Mediterranean cities. This cross-sectional study analyzed baseline data from 1286 urban-dwelling adults aged 55 to 75 years with overweight or obesity and metabolic syndrome residing in six Andalusian cities. Area-level SES was assessed using the 2011 Spanish Deprivation Index, and neighborhood walkability was derived from an open-source index incorporating population density, street intersection density, and access to daily amenities. Adiposity outcomes included waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, and a body shape index, all objectively measured. Two-level linear regression models, with individuals nested within census tracts, evaluated SES-walkability interactions while adjusting for demographic and lifestyle factors. No overall differences in adiposity were observed between higher- and lower-SES neighborhoods. However, walkability significantly modified the SES-adiposity association. In highly walkable and dense neighborhoods, participants living in more deprived areas had larger waist circumference and higher body shape index compared with those in less deprived areas, indicating a steeper SES gradient in central adiposity. In low-walkability neighborhoods, SES differences in central adiposity were minimal. No interaction was observed for body mass index. Highly walkable urban environments may therefore amplify socioeconomic inequalities in abdominal obesity among older Mediterranean adults with overweight or obesity. Urban planning strategies promoting walkability should incorporate equity-focused, age-friendly approaches to ensure benefits reach socioeconomically disadvantaged populations.
Concussion biomechanics are understood through rigid-body head kinematics during long-duration impacts. However, short-duration head impacts represent a distinct loading regime in which skull vibration and flexural deformation may play a role in injury mechanisms not captured by traditional metrics. Here, I suggest that transient excitation of skull flexural modes could help explain how impacts with low-magnitude rigid-body accelerations produce concussion-like signs and symptoms. This mechanism remains a hypothesis and is intended to complement, not replace, established strain-based mechanisms.
All flies (Diptera) possess halteres, reduced hindwings that are active mechanosensory organs. Halteres are necessary for flight control in all winged flies, and many taxa also oscillate their halteres during non-flight behaviors. The functions of these oscillations and their resulting sensory input are unknown. We tracked the large halteres of crane flies (Tipulidae) during free, standing behaviors and found that halteres oscillate during postural adjustments, independent of wing movements. In the absence of body movements, haltere oscillations are driven by passive displacement of the legs. Displacement of the haltere itself is insufficient to initiate oscillations. Perturbation experiments showed that haltere sensory feedback informs stabilization behaviors by the legs, in which freely behaving flies with ablated halteres exhibited reduced postural stability against perturbations and required longer recovery times. The halteres provide inertial information across multiple kinds of stabilizing behaviors, whether the fly uses them to remain stationary on a moving substrate or to move its body into a more stable position after a perturbation. Taken together, these results show that halteres can inform leg-based behaviors, revealing a critical sensory role for halteres beyond their established function in flight.
We construct a novel effective field theory for a compact body coupled to gravity, whose key feature is that the dynamics of gravitational perturbations is explicitly determined by known solutions in black hole perturbation theory in four dimensions. In this way, the physics of gravitational perturbations in curved space are already encoded in the effective field theory, thus bypassing the need for the higher-order calculations that constitute a major hurdle in standard approaches. Concretely, we model the compact body as a spherical shell, whose finite size regulates short-distance divergences in four dimensions and whose tidal responses are described by higher-dimensional operators. As an application, we consider scalar perturbations and derive new results for scalar Love numbers through O(G^{9}) for Schwarzschild black holes and for generic compact bodies. Finally, our analysis reveals an intriguing structure of the scalar black-hole Love numbers in terms of the Riemann zeta function, which we conjecture to hold to all orders.
Pain exhibits significant circadian rhythmic characteristics, sharing a bidirectional regulatory relationship with the biological clock. Circadian rhythm disruption has been confirmed as an important risk factor for various chronic pain conditions, severely affecting patients' pain perception and treatment response. This narrative review was informed by searches of PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar (January 2000-March 2026), supplemented by backward citation tracking.We synthesize recent advancements in molecular biology and neuroscience to elucidate the interplay between circadian rhythms and pain. Furthermore, it evaluates the clinical potential of rhythm-based intervention strategies. Emerging evidence indicates that circadian rhythms dictate pain pathogenesis by modulating core clock gene expression, endocrine signaling, and neuro-immune functions. While the diurnal patterns of pain perception are well-documented, recent studies have begun to unravel the underlying molecular mechanisms and neural circuitry. Notably, circadian misalignment exacerbates pain sensitivity and diminishes the potency of conventional analgesic treatments. Circadian biology is pivotal to modern pain management. Leveraging rhythm-based strategies offers a novel paradigm for the individualized treatment of chronic pain. This review provides a theoretical framework and practical insights for future mechanistic research and precision clinical practice. For many people, pain changes during the day. It might feel worse in the morning, afternoon, or night. This happens because of how we sleep, how much we move, when we take medicine, and our body’s natural clock. We read many studies to learn how this inner clock controls pain and why taking medicine at the right time matters. We found that pain goes up and down because of our body clock, but also because of our habits, light, and bad sleep. The idea of treating pain at exact times is a good one, but doctors still need more proof. We do know that taking everyday pain pills or sleep medicine at certain times can really help. However, many other ideas have only been tested on animals so far, not people. In the future, scientists need to do better tests on humans. Using smart watches and simple health tests could help doctors find out who will feel better by taking their medicine at the perfect time.
Ophiopogon japonicus (Thunb.) Ker Gawl. is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb commonly used to "nourish yin and moisten the lung", and has long been applied for the prevention and treatment of lung-related disorders in classical medical texts such as the Treatise on Typhoid Fever and Item Differentiation of Warm Febrile Diseases. Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a chronic progressive fibrotic lung disease with limited therapeutic options. Although Ophiopogon japonicus has shown anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic potential in respiratory diseases, its pharmacological mechanisms against PF remain unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the protective effects of Ophiopogon japonicus aqueous decoction against PF and to investigate whether its anti-fibrotic effects are associated with the modulation of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 subunit α (HIF1A)/tubulin beta 3 class III (TUBB3) axis-associated M2 macrophage polarization and arginine metabolic alterations. Potential bioactive constituents of Ophiopogon japonicus aqueous decoction were first screened using UHPLC-Q Exactive Orbitrap-HRMS combined with Lipinski's rule of five. A bleomycin (BLM)-induced mouse model of PF was then established, and Ophiopogon japonicus aqueous decoction was administered as an intervention. Body weight, pulmonary function testing (PFT), micro-CT, histopathology, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were used to evaluate its pharmacodynamic effects. Network pharmacology, Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) mining, weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), machine learning (ML), transcriptomics, metabolomics, and single-cell transcriptomics combined with virtual knockout analysis were further integrated to identify candidate targets, related pathways, and metabolic alterations. Finally, flow cytometry, western blotting, immunofluorescence (IF) co-staining, AlphaFold3, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulation were performed to further assess phenotypic changes, predicted molecular associations, and candidate active constituents. Ophiopogon japonicus aqueous decoction significantly alleviated BLM-induced PF, and 16 potential bioactive constituents were identified. In vivo experiments showed that Ophiopogon japonicus aqueous decoction attenuated body weight loss, pulmonary dysfunction, micro-CT abnormalities, histopathological injury, collagen deposition, inflammatory responses, and fibrosis scores in PF mice. Bioinformatic analysis identified HIF1A as a candidate hub target and TUBB3 as a key feature gene. Further multi-omics analysis showed that the HIF1A/TUBB3 axis-associated module was closely associated with M2 macrophage polarization and arginine metabolic dysregulation; combined with virtual knockout analysis, these results further suggested that HIF1A may be located upstream of TUBB3 at the predicted regulatory-network level. Experimental analyses showed that Ophiopogon japonicus aqueous decoction intervention was associated with decreased HIF-1α and TUBB3 protein expression, reduced M2 macrophage polarization, and partial correction of arginine metabolic dysregulation. Structural simulation suggested that Ophiopogonin D could stably bind to HIF-1α and TUBB3. This study demonstrated that Ophiopogon japonicus aqueous decoction alleviates BLM-induced PF. Integrated multi-omics analysis and experimental evidence suggested that its anti-fibrotic effects may be associated with modulation of HIF1A/TUBB3 axis-associated M2 macrophage polarization and arginine metabolic dysregulation. Ophiopogonin D may be one of the candidate active constituents associated with these protective effects.
The Fermi polaron, arising from interactions between a mobile impurity and a degenerate Fermi sea, is a many-body quasiparticle that provides a sensitive probe of strongly correlated electronic phases in atomically thin semiconductors. In doped transition-metal dichalcogenides, the attractive and repulsive polaron branches are well established in monolayers. However, extending active control and quantitative, branch-resolved probing to stacked geometries has remained elusive because spectral quenching and weak optical contrast restrict access to Fermi polaron signatures. Here, we integrate electron-doped WS2 flakes from monolayer to quadrilayer with a strain-tunable plasmonic metasurface, enabling a high-contrast scattering readout at room temperature through coupling between Fermi polaron resonances and surface plasmons. This platform enables the quantitative extraction of polaron branch spectral weights and coupling strengths across different layer numbers. We uncover a systematic thickness dependence of the spectral weight distribution and demonstrate continuous and fully reversible spectral weight transfer between attractive and repulsive branches in bilayers and quadrilayers, with near-complete transfer achieved in bilayers. By identifying the layer number and strain as complementary control parameters for Fermi polarons, our results establish metasurface-enabled scattering spectroscopy as a practical route to resolve and manipulate many-body resonances in stacked van der Waals semiconductors, bridging idealized monolayer polaron physics and device-relevant architectures.
Energy expenditure and appetite control, long considered to operate independently, have in recent years been explored as an interactive system whose dialogue plays a central role in human energy homeostasis and body weight control. The present commentary describes the currently available literature regarding the effect of acute exercise-induced energy expenditure and substrate oxidation rates on the subsequent control of energy intake in adolescents with obesity. In addition, recent findings indicating the importance of daily energy metabolism, in interaction with body composition, are discussed in this context of pediatric obesity. The current findings in adolescents with obesity have confirmed the fundamental relationships among Fat Free Mass, Resting Metabolic Rate and Energy Intake, and have raised novel hypotheses regarding the roles of substrate oxidation and protein metabolism in the tonic control of appetite. Interestingly, our evidence suggests that in the acute control of food intake in response to exercise, the induced energy expenditure and substrate oxidation rates do not appear to be associated.