Individual behavioral and sporting risk factors affecting injuries in recreational skiers and snowboarders: a case-control study

This case-control study aimed to analysis of the relationship between individual behaviours and sports risk factors and injuries among skiers and snowboarders. During the 2021-2022 winter season, 1132 injured and 1069 non-injured skiers and snowboarders were surveyed regarding demographic, self-reported individual behavioural and sporting characteristics. Multivariate regression analysis revealed previous snow-sports injury (OR: 26.39, 95% CI: 13.32-52.31, P < 0.001), nervousness (OR: 3.78, 95% CI: 2.91-4.90, P < 0.001), calm (OR: 1.90, 95% CI: 1.46-2.48, P < 0.001) and fearful (OR: 20.60, 95% CI: 11.45-37.04, P < 0.001) emotional states, and higher risk-taking behaviours (OR: 3.72, 95% CI: 2.87-4.83, P < 0.001) were important risk factors associated with injuries to all skiers and snowboarders. Compared to snowboarders, the risk of injury to skiers was more likely to increase as the length of their skiing experience increases. Emotional and cognitive levels appear to be important conditions that influence injuries to skiers and snowboarders, a proper understanding of the potential interactions between cognition and behaviour appears to be important for public ski safety management.

A comprehensive review of biodetoxification of trichothecenes: Mechanisms, limitations and novel strategies

Trichothecenes are Fusarium mycotoxins with sesquiterpenoid structure, which are widely occurred in grains. Due to high efficiency and environmental friendliness, biological detoxification methods have been of great interest to treat this global food and feed safety concern. This review summarized the biological detoxification methods of trichothecenes from three aspects, biosorption, biotransformation and biotherapy. The detoxification efficiency, characteristics, mechanisms and limitations of different strategies were discussed in detail. Computer-aided design will bring a new research paradigm for more efficient discovery of biodetoxifier. Integrating different detoxification approaches assisted with computational tools will become a promising research direction in the future, which will help to maximize the detoxification effect, or provide precise detoxification programs for the coexistence of various toxins at different levels in actual production. In addition, technical and regulatory issues in practical application were also discussed. These findings contribute to the exploration of efficient, applicable and sustainable methods for trichothecenes detoxification, ensuring the safety of food and feed to reduce the deleterious effects of trichothecenes on humans and animals.

Efficacy of rTMS combined with cognitive training in TBI with cognition disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Post-traumatic brain injury cognitive disorder(PTBICD) is one of the common symptoms of TBI survivors, severely limiting their life and rehabilitation progress. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has been shown to modulate cognition in a non-invasive manner while there are inconsistencies in previous studies. A comprehensive systematic review of rTMS treatment in patients with PTBICD is warranted. To evaluate the efficacy and safety of rTMS + cognitive training(CT) in enhancing cognitive function among PTBICD patients. A comprehensive search was conducted in PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, WOS, CNKI, Wan Fang, VIP and CBM, to identify relevant randomized controlled trials(RCTs) published before December 20, 2023. The primary outcomes measured changes in global cognitive scales, while the secondary outcomes focused on improvements in attention, memory, event-related potentials, and activities of daily living. Meta-analysis of data was carried out using Stata 14.0. Fourteen studies including 820 PTBICD patients were included. The results showed that rTMS + CT significantly improved MoCA[WMD = 3.47, 95%CI (2.56, 4.38)], MMSE[WMD = 3.79, 95%CI (2.23, 5.35)], RBMT[WMD = 1.53, 95%CI (0.19, 2.87)], LOTCA[WMD = 5.68, 95%CI (3.11, 8.24)], and promoted MBI[WMD = 7.41, 95%CI (5.90, 8.92)] as well as reduced correlated potential P300 latency[WMD = -20.77, 95%CI (-38.08, -3.45)] and amplitude[WMD = 0.81, 95%CI (0.57, 1.06)] in PTBICD compared to sham rTMS or CT, while adverse reaction ratio was higher than that of control group [RR = 1.67, 95%CI (1.00, 2.77)]. The results demonstrated that rTMS + CT can improve the cognitive function, mental state and daily activity ability of PTBICD patients. Systematic Review Registration: [PROSPERO], identifier [No. CRD42024520596].

Integrated meta-analysis and transcriptomics pinpoint genomic loci and novel candidate genes associated with submergence tolerance in rice

BACKGROUND

Due to rising costs, water shortages, and labour shortages, farmers across the globe now prefer a direct seeding approach. However, submergence stress remains a major bottleneck limiting the success of this approach in rice cultivation. The merger of accumulated rice genetic resources provides an opportunity to detect key genomic loci and candidate genes that influence the flooding tolerance of rice.

RESULTS

In the present study, a whole-genome meta-analysis was conducted on 120 quantitative trait loci (QTL) obtained from 16 independent QTL studies reported from 2004 to 2023. These QTL were confined to 18 meta-QTL (MQTL), and ten MQTL were successfully validated by independent genome-wide association studies from diverse natural populations. The mean confidence interval (CI) of the identified MQTL was 3.44 times narrower than the mean CI of the initial QTL. Moreover, four core MQTL loci with genetic distance less than 2 cM were obtained. By combining differentially expressed genes (DEG) from two transcriptome datasets with 858 candidate genes identified in the core MQTL regions, we found 38 common differentially expressed candidate genes (DECGs). In silico expression analysis of these DECGs led to the identification of 21 genes with high expression in embryo and coleoptile under submerged conditions. These DECGs encode proteins with known functions involved in submergence tolerance including WRKY, F-box, zinc fingers, glycosyltransferase, protein kinase, cytochrome P450, PP2C, hypoxia-responsive family, and DUF domain. By haplotype analysis, the 21 DECGs demonstrated distinct genetic differentiation and substantial genetic distance mainly between indica and japonica subspecies. Further, the MQTL7.1 was successfully validated using flanked marker S2329 on a set of genotypes with phenotypic variation.

CONCLUSION

This study provides a new perspective on understanding the genetic basis of submergence tolerance in rice. The identified MQTL and novel candidate genes lay the foundation for marker-assisted breeding/engineering of flooding-tolerant cultivars conducive to direct seeding.

Evaluation of brain iron deposition in different cerebral arteries of acute ischaemic stroke patients using quantitative susceptibility mapping

AIM

To investigate differences in iron deposition between infarct and normal cerebral arterial regions in acute ischaemic stroke (AIS) patients using quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Forty healthy controls and 40 AIS patients were recruited, and their QSM images were obtained. There were seven regions of interest (ROIs) in AIS patients, including the infarct regions of responsible arteries (R1), the non-infarct regions of responsible arteries (R2), the contralateral symmetrical sites of lesions (R3), and the non-responsible cerebral arterial regions (R4, R5, R6, R7). For the healthy controls, the cerebral arterial regions corresponding to the AIS patient group were selected as ROIs. The differences in corresponding ROI susceptibilities between AIS patients and healthy controls and the differences in susceptibilities between infarcted and non-infarct regions in AIS patients were compared.

RESULTS

The susceptibilities of infarct regions in AIS patients were significantly higher than those in healthy controls (p<0.0001). There was no significant difference in non-infarct regions between the two groups (p>0.05). The susceptibility of the infarct regions in AIS patients was significantly higher than those of the non-infarct region of responsible artery and non-responsible cerebral arterial regions (p<0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Abnormal iron deposition detected by QSM in the infarct regions of AIS patients may not affect iron levels in the non-infarct regions of responsible arteries and normal cerebral arteries, which may open the door for potential new diagnostic and treatment strategies.

The effect Of vascular related CeRNA genes and corresponding imaging biomarkers on survival in lower grade glioma

BACKGROUND & AIMS

To investigate the differential expression of vascular related ceRNA regulatory genes in LGG with different mutations of IDH1 and MGMT, and to verify imaging gene markers that can be closely associated with vascular related ceRNA regulatory genes.

METHOD

Five hundred fifteen patients with LGG were collected from TCGA database. CeRNA network analysis, GO analysis and Cox risk regression were used to find vascular ceRNA regulatory genes and their genetic markers related to survival. The preoperative MRI image data and postoperative tumor tissues of 14 patients with WHO grade III glioma were collected for full transcriptome analysis. The correlation between image characteristics of LGG and survival related vascular ceRNA regulatory genes was compared using nonparametric U test and Pearson correlation coefficient analysis.

RESULTS

Vascular related genes ranked first in the functional enrichment analysis of differentially expressed genes in LGG. EPHA2, ETS1, YAP1 and MEIS1 could significantly affect the survival of patients in each group of LGG. The volume of enhanced region was negatively correlated with IDH1 (r = -0.622, P = 0.009) mutation and TMEM100 (r = -0.535, P = 0.024), and positively correlated with MEIS1 (r = 0.551, P = 0.021), rCBFmax value was negatively correlated with TMEM100 (r = -0.492, P = 0.037).

CONCLUSIONS

Under different IDH1 mutations, lncRNA-dominated vascular-related ceRNA regulatory genes were the first differentially expressed subset of each group, and could be used as an effective risk factor affecting the survival of LGG. The image characteristics of LGG was an ideal image gene marker. It was a reliable imaging biological marker which can truly reflect the pathophysiological characteristics of glioma.

Peptide targeting improves the delivery and therapeutic index of glucocorticoids to treat rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a prevalent autoimmune disease characterized by excessive inflammation in the joints. Glucocorticoid drugs are used clinically to manage RA symptoms, while their dosage and duration need to be tightly controlled due to severe adverse effects. Using dexamethasone (DEX) as a model drug, we explored here whether peptide-guided delivery could increase the safety and therapeutic index of glucocorticoids for RA treatment. Using multiple murine RA models such as collagen-induced arthritis (CIA), we found that CRV, a macrophage-targeting peptide, can selectively home to the inflammatory synovium of RA joints upon intravenous injection. The expression of the CRV receptor, retinoid X receptor beta (RXRB), was also elevated in the inflammatory synovium, likely being the basis of CRV targeting. CRV-conjugated DEX increased the accumulation of DEX in the inflamed synovium but not in healthy organs of CIA mice. Therefore, CRV-DEX demonstrated a stronger efficacy to suppress synovial inflammation and alleviate cartilage/bone destruction. Meanwhile, CRV conjugation reduced immune-related adverse effects of DEX even after a long-term use. Last, we found that RXRB expression was significantly elevated in human patient samples, demonstrating the potential of clinical translation. Taken together, we provide a novel, peptide-targeted strategy to improve the therapeutic efficacy and safety of glucocorticoids for RA treatment.

Comparison of the Application of Vibrating Mesh Nebulizer and Jet Nebulizer in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Objective

To comparison of the application of Vibrating Mesh Nebulizer and Jet Nebulizer in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Research Methods

This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) statements. The primary outcome measures analyzed included: The amount of inhaler in the urine sample at 30 minutes after inhalation therapy (USAL0.5), The total amount of inhaler in urine sample within 24 hours (USAL24), Aerosol emitted, Forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), Forced vital capacity (FVC).

Results

Ten studies were included with a total of 314 study participants, including 157 subjects in the VMN group and 157 subjects in the JN group. The data analysis results of USAL0.5, MD (1.88 [95% CI, 0.95 to 2.81], P = 0.000), showed a statistically significant difference. USAL24, MD (1.61 [95% CI, 1.14 to 2.09], P = 0.000), showed a statistically significant difference. The results of aerosol emitted showed a statistically significant difference in MD (3.44 [95% CI, 2.84 to 4.04], P = 0.000). The results of FEV1 showed MD (0.05 [95% CI, -0.24 to 0.35], P=0.716), the results were not statistically significant. The results of FVC showed MD (0.11 [95% CI, -0.18 to 0.41], P=0.459), the results were not statistically significant. It suggests that VMN is better than JN and provides higher aerosols, but there is no difference in improving lung function between them.

Conclusion

VMN is significantly better than JN in terms of drug delivery and utilization in the treatment of patients with COPD. However, in the future use of nebulizers, it is important to select a matching nebulizer based on a combination of factors such as mechanism of action of the nebulizer, disease type and comorbidities, ventilation strategies and modes, drug formulations, as well as cost-effectiveness, in order to achieve the ideal treatment of COPD.

High-entropy engineering with regulated defect structure and electron interaction tuning active sites for trifunctional electrocatalysis

High-entropy alloy nanoparticles (HEANs) possessing regulated defect structure and electron interaction exhibit a guideline for constructing multifunctional catalysts. However, the microstructure-activity relationship between active sites of HEANs for multifunctional electrocatalysts is rarely reported. In this work, HEANs distributed on multi-walled carbon nanotubes (HEAN/CNT) are prepared by Joule heating as an example to explain the mechanism of trifunctional electrocatalysis for oxygen reduction, oxygen evolution, and hydrogen evolution reaction. HEAN/CNT excels with unmatched stability, maintaining a 0.8V voltage window for 220 h in zinc-air batteries. Even after 20 h of water electrolysis, its performance remains undiminished, highlighting exceptional endurance and reliability. Moreover, the intrinsic characteristics of the defect structure and electron interaction for HEAN/CNT are investigated in detail. The electrocatalytic mechanism of trifunctional electrocatalysis of HEAN/CNT under different conditions is identified by in situ monitoring and theoretical calculation. Meanwhile, the electron interaction and adaptive regulation of active sites in the trifunctional electrocatalysis of HEANs were further verified by density functional theory. These findings could provide unique ideas for designing inexpensive multifunctional high-entropy electrocatalysts.

Temporal Trends of Asthma Among Children in the Western Pacific Region From 1990 to 2045: Longitudinal Observational Study

BACKGROUND

Asthma has become one of the most common chronic conditions worldwide, especially among children. Recent findings show that the prevalence of childhood asthma has increased by 12.6% over the past 30 years, with >262 million people currently affected globally. The reasons for the growing asthma epidemic remain complex and multifactorial.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to provide an up-to-date analysis of the changing global and regional asthma prevalence, mortality, disability, and risk factors among children aged <20 years by leveraging the latest data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. Findings from this study can help inform priority areas for intervention to alleviate the rising burden of childhood asthma globally.

METHODS

The study used data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019, concentrating on children aged 0 to 14 years with asthma. We conducted an in-depth analysis of asthma, including its age-standardized prevalence, incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), across diverse demographics, such as region, age, sex, and sociodemographic index, spanning 1990 to 2019. We also projected the future burden of the disease.

RESULTS

Overall, in the Western Pacific Region, the age-standardized prevalence rate of asthma among children increased slightly, from 3898.4 cases per 100,000 people in 1990 to 3924 per 100,000 in 2019. The age-standardized incidence rate of asthma also increased slightly, from 979.2 to 994.9 per 100,000. In contrast, the age-standardized death rate of asthma decreased from 0.9 to 0.4 per 100,000 and the age-standardized DALY rate decreased from 234.9 to 189.7 per 100,000. At the country level, Japan experienced a considerable decrease in the age-standardized prevalence rate of asthma among children, from 6669.1 per 100,000 in 1990 to 5071.5 per 100,000 in 2019. Regarding DALYs, Japan exhibited a notable reduction, from 300.6 to 207.6 per 100,000. Malaysia also experienced a DALY rate reduction, from 188.4 to 163.3 per 100,000 between 1990 and 2019. We project that the burden of disease in countries other than Japan and the Philippines will remain relatively stable up to 2045.

CONCLUSIONS

The study indicates an increase in the prevalence and incidence of pediatric asthma, coupled with a decrease in mortality and DALYs in the Western Pacific Region between 1990 and 2019. These intricate phenomena appear to result from a combination of lifestyle shifts, environmental influences, and barriers to health care access. The findings highlight that nations such as Japan have achieved notable success in managing asthma. Overall, the study identified areas of improvement in view of persistent disease burden, underscoring the need for comprehensive collaborative efforts to mitigate the impact of pediatric asthma throughout the region.

Follistatin-like 1 protects against doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity by preventing mitochondrial dysfunction through the SIRT6/Nrf2 signaling pathway

Mitochondrial dysfunction and myocardial remodeling have been reported to be the main underlying molecular mechanisms of doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity. SIRT6 is a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-dependent enzyme that plays a vital role in cardiac protection against various stresses. Moreover, previous studies have demonstrated that FSTL1 could alleviate doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity by inhibiting autophagy. The present study investigated the probable mechanisms of FSTL1 on doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity in vivo and in vitro. We confirmed that FSTL1 exerted a pivotal protective role on cardiac tissue in vivo and on doxorubicin-induced cell injury in vitro. Furthermore, FSTL1 can alleviate doxorubicin-induced mitochondrial dysfunction by inhibiting autophagy and apoptosis. Further studies demonstrated that FSTL1 can activate SIRT6 signaling by restoring the SIRT6 protein expression in doxorubicin-induced myocardial injury. SIRT6 activation elevated the protein expression of Nrf2 in doxorubicin-induced H9C2 injury. Treatment with the Nrf2 inhibitor ML385 partially antagonized the cardioprotective role of SIRT6 on doxorubicin-induced autophagy or apoptosis. These results suggested that the protective mechanism of FSTL1 on doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity may be related with the inhibition of autophagy and apoptosis, partly through the activation of SIRT6/Nrf2.

Inactivation activity and mechanism of pulsed light against Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris vegetative cells and spores in concentrated apple juice

Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris has received much attention due to its unique thermo-acidophilic property and implication in the spoilage of pasteurized juices. The objective of this study was to evaluate the sterilization characteristics and mechanisms of pulsed light (PL) against A. acidoterrestris vegetative cells and spores in apple juice. The results indicated that bacteria cells in apple juice (8-20°Brix) can be completely inactivated within the fluence range of 20.25-47.25 J/cm2, which mainly depended on the soluble solids content (SSC) of juice, and the spores in apple juice (12°Brix) can be completely inactivated by PL with the fluence of 54.00 J/cm2. The PL treatment can significantly increase the leakage of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and proteins from cells and spores. Fluorescence studies of bacterial adenosine triphosphate (ATP) indicated that the loss of ATP was evident. Scanning electron microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscope presented that PL-treated cells or spores had serious morphological damage, which reduced the integrity of cell membrane and led to intracellular electrolyte leakage. In addition, there were no significant negative effects on total sugars, total acids, total phenols, pH value, SSC and soluble sugars, and organic acid content decreased slightly during the PL treatment. The contents of esters and acids in aroma components had a certain loss, while that of alcohols, aldehydes and ketones were increased. These results demonstrated that PL treatment can effectively inactivate the bacteria cells and spores in apple juice with little effect on its quality. This study provides an efficient method for the inactivation of A. acidoterrestris in fruit juice.

Spatiotemporally continuous PM2.5 dataset in the Mekong River Basin from 2015 to 2022 using a stacking model

With the potential to cause millions of deaths, PM2.5 pollution has become a global concern. In Southeast Asia, the Mekong River Basin (MRB) is experiencing heavy PM2.5 pollution and the existing PM2.5 studies in the MRB are limited in terms of accuracy and spatiotemporal coverage. To achieve high-accuracy and long-term PM2.5 monitoring of the MRB, fused aerosol optical depth (AOD) data and multi-source auxiliary data are fed into a stacking model to estimate PM2.5 concentrations. The proposed stacking model takes advantage of convolutional neural network (CNN) and Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LightGBM) models and can well represent the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of the PM2.5-AOD relationship. In the cross-validation (CV), comparison with CNN and LightGBM models shows that the stacking model can better suppress overfitting, with a higher coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.92, a lower root mean square error (RMSE) of 5.58 μg/m3, and a lower mean absolute error (MAE) of 3.44 μg/m3. For the first time, the high-accuracy PM2.5 dataset reveals spatially and temporally continuous PM2.5 pollution and variations in the MRB from 2015 to 2022. Moreover, the spatiotemporal variations of annual and monthly PM2.5 pollution are also investigated at the regional and national scales. The dataset will contribute to the analysis of the causes of PM2.5 pollution and the development of mitigation policies in the MRB.

Microstructure and Property Evolution of Diamond/GaInSn Composites under Thermal Load and High Humidity

As a thermal interface material, diamond/GaInSn composites have wide-ranging application prospects in the thermal management of chips. However, studies on systematic reliability that can guide the practical application of diamond/GaInSn in the high-temperature, high-temperature impact, or high-humidity service environments that are faced by chips remain lacking. In this study, the performance evolution of diamond/GaInSn was studied under high-temperature storage (150 °C), high- and low-temperature cycling (-50 °C to 125 °C), and high temperature and high humidity (85 °C and 85% humidity). The experimental results reveal the failure mechanism of semi-solid composites during high temperature oxidation. It is revealed that core oxidation is the key to the degradation of liquid metal composites' properties under high-temperature storage and high- and low-temperature cycling conditions. Under the conditions of high temperature and high humidity, the failure of Ga-based liquid metal and its composite materials is significant. Therefore, the material should avoid high-temperature and high-humidity environments.

[Impact of hyperoxia on the phenotype of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells]

Objective: To investigate the influence of varied oxygen (O2) concentration environments on the phenotypic transformation of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMC) and the mechanism of pulmonary hypertension. Methods: Primary rat PASMC were isolated and cultured through the process of enzymatic digestion. Following identification, the stable passaged PASMC were subjected to a 6-hour incubation in sealed containers with normal O2 content (group C) and relative O2 content comprising 55% (group H55), 75% (group H75), and 95% (group H95). mRNA and protein expression of α-Actin (α-SMA), smooth muscle 22α (SM22α), osteopontin (OPN), and matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) were measured using real-time quantitative PCR and western blot analysis. Results: The H55 group displayed no significant difference from the C group in terms of mRNA and relative protein expression levels for α-SMA, SM22α, OPN, and MMP-2 (all P>0.05). On the other hand, groups H75 and H95 exhibited a reduction in mRNA and relative protein expression of α-SMA and SM22α, along with an increase in mRNA and relative protein expression of OPN and MMP-2 when compared with both the C and H55 groups (all P<0.05). The H95 group showed a higher relative mRNA expression of MMP-2 as compared to the H75 group (P<0.05). Conclusions: Oxygen concentration environments of 75% or higher can serve as the foundation for the pathogenesis of pulmonary hypertension, essentially by inducing a phenotypic transformation in PASMC towards adopting a robust secretory function. This induction is contingent upon the concentration of oxygen present.

The perception of Mandarin speech conveying communicative functions in Chinese heroin addicts

Drug addiction can cause severe damage to the human brain, leading to significant problems in cognitive processing, such as irritability, speech distortions, and exaggeration of negative stimuli. Speech plays a fundamental role in social interaction, including both the production and perception. The ability to perceive communicative functions conveyed through speech is crucial for successful interpersonal communication and the maintaining good social relationships. However, due to the limited number of previous studies, it remains unclear whether the cognitive disorder caused by drug addiction affects the perception of communicative function conveyed in Mandarin speech. To address this question, we conducted a perception experiment involving sixty male participants, including 25 heroin addicts and 35 healthy controls. The experiment aimed to examine the perception of three communicative functions (i.e., statement, interrogative, and imperative) under three background noise conditions (i.e., no noise, SNR [Signal to Noise Ratio] = 10, and SNR = 0). Eight target sentences were first recorded by two native Mandarin speakers for each of the three communicative functions. Each half was then combined with Gaussian White Noise under two background noise conditions (i.e., SNR = 10 and SNR = 0). Finally, 48 speech stimuli were included in the experiment with four options provided for perceptual judgment. The results showed that, under the three noise conditions, the average perceptual accuracies of the three communicative functions were 80.66% and 38% for the control group and the heroin addicts, respectively. Significant differences were found in the perception of the three communicative functions between the control group and the heroin addicts under the three noise conditions, except for the recognition of imperative under strong noise condition (i.e., SNR = 0). Moreover, heroin addicts showed good accuracy (around 50%) in recognizing imperative and poor accuracy (i.e., lower than the chance level) in recognizing interrogative. This paper not only fills the research gap in the perception of communicative functions in Mandarin speech among drug addicts but also enhances the understanding of the effects of drugs on speech perception and provides a foundation for the speech rehabilitation of drug addicts.

Levistilide A Exerts a Neuroprotective Effect by Suppressing Glucose Metabolism Reprogramming and Preventing Microglia Polarization Shift: Implications for Parkinson's Disease

The microglia, displaying diverse phenotypes, play a significant regulatory role in the development, progression, and prognosis of Parkinson's disease. Research has established that glycolytic reprogramming serves as a critical regulator of inflammation initiation in pro-inflammatory macrophages. Furthermore, the modulation of glycolytic reprogramming has the potential to reverse the polarized state of these macrophages. Previous studies have shown that Levistilide A (LA), a phthalide component derived from Angelica sinensis, possesses a range of pharmacological effects, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective properties. In our study, we have examined the impact of LA on inflammatory cytokines and glucose metabolism in microglia induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Furthermore, we explored the effects of LA on the AMPK/mTOR pathway and assessed its neuroprotective potential both in vitro and in vivo. The findings revealed that LA notably diminished the expression of M1 pro-inflammatory factors induced by LPS in microglia, while leaving M2 anti-inflammatory factor expression unaltered. Additionally, it reduced ROS production and suppressed IκB-α phosphorylation levels as well as NF-κB p65 nuclear translocation. Notably, LA exhibited the ability to reverse microglial glucose metabolism reprogramming and modulate the phosphorylation levels of AMPK/mTOR. In vivo experiments further corroborated these findings, demonstrating that LA mitigated the death of TH-positive dopaminergic neurons and reduced microglia activation in the ventral SNpc brain region of the midbrain and the striatum. In summary, LA exhibited neuroprotective benefits by modulating the polarization state of microglia and altering glucose metabolism, highlighting its therapeutic potential.

Association Between Number of Missing Teeth and Hyperlipidemia: The TCLSIH Cohort Study

Background

To explore the association between the number of missing teeth and the prevalence of hyperlipidemia in a Chinese adult population.

Methods

13,932 adults were investigated in the TCLSIH cohort study. The number of missing teeth was determined at baseline through a self-reported questionnaire, and then classified into three categories: 0, 1-2, and ≥3. We defined hyperlipidemia as total cholesterol (TC) ≥ 5.17 mmol/L or triglycerides (TG) ≥ 1.7 mmol/L or low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol ≥ 3.37 mmol/L or a self-report of physician-diagnosed hyperlipidemia during follow-up visits. Cox proportional-hazards regression models were employed to assess the relationship between the number of missing teeth and incident hyperlipidemia.

Results

A total of 6756 first-incident cases of hyperlipidemia occurred during 42,048 person-years of follow-up (median follow-up, 4.2 years). After adjusted confounders, multivariable HRs and 95% CI for incident of hyperlipidemia across the categories of missing teeth were as follows: in male participants, 1.00 (reference), 1.10 (0.98, 1.22), and 1.03 (0.91, 1.16) (P for trend = 0.30); in female participants, 1.00 (reference), 1.09 (0.99, 1.19), and 1.18 (1.04, 1.33) (P for trend < 0.01).

Conclusion

The number of missing teeth is associated with an increased risk of hyperlipidemia in female participants but not in male participants. Systemic chronic inflammation may potentially mediate this association.

[Chemical Characteristics of Shallow Groundwater in the Yellow River Diversion Area of Henan Province and Identification of Main Control Pollution Sources]

The northern plain of Henan in the lower reaches of the Yellow River is an area where the Yellow River is frequently diverted. The shallow groundwater quality in this area is poor， and many types of components have been found to be exceeding the limit value； however， the contribution of various environmental factors to water quality needs to be further quantified. In order to clarify the genesis of water quality of shallow groundwater in the study area， 330 groups of shallow groundwater samples were collected via a regional water quality survey. The evolution of shallow groundwater quality in the Yellow River diversion area of northern Henan was revealed using the principal component-absolute principal component score-multiple linear regression （PCA-APCS-MLR） model. The results showed that the components with a shallow groundwater excess rate greater than 10% in descending order were manganese， iron， total hardness， total dissolved solids， sodium， fluoride， arsenic， chloride ions， sulfate， and ammonium. In particular， the excess rate of manganese reached 76%. The four factors of dissolution enrichment， native origin of soil， redox conditions， and agricultural activities were identified as the main reasons for poor groundwater quality， which accounted for 71.24% of the cumulative interpretation rate of variance. In addition， the recharge from the surface water also influenced the groundwater quality. The effects of dissolution between the water and aquifer matrix and redox condition in the aquifer of the Yellow River dried-riverway like Xinxiang were significantly enhanced， resulting in the increasing concentration of iron， arsenic， total hardness， TDS， and other components in groundwater. Fluoride enrichment was caused by dissolution enrichment， the origin of the soil， and lateral replenishment of the Yellow River. Groundwater with high manganese concentration was widely affected by the soil matrix. Nitrate pollution of the groundwater was caused by the extensive use of chemical fertilizers in agricultural activities in individual areas.

Identification of C-PLAN index as a novel prognostic predictor for advanced lung cancer patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors

Objective

Increasing studies have highlighted the potential utility of non-invasive prognostic biomarkers in advanced lung cancer patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) based anti-cancer therapies. Here, a novel prognostic predictor named as C-PLAN integrating C-reactive protein (CRP), Performance status (PS), Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), Albumin (ALB), and derived Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (dNLR) was identified and validated in a single-center retrospective cohort.

Methods

The clinical data of 192 ICI-treated lung cancer patients was retrospectively analyzed. The pretreatment levels of CRP, PS, LDH, ALB and dNLR were scored respectively and then their scores were added up to form C-PLAN index. The correlation of C-PLAN index with the progression-free survival (PFS) or overall survival (OS) was analyzed by a Kaplan-Meier model. The multivariate analysis was used to identify whether C-PLAN index was an independent prognostic predictor.

Results

A total of 88 and 104 patients were included in the low and high C-PLAN index group respectively. High C-PLAN index was significantly correlated with worse PFS and OS in ICI-treated lung cancer patients (both p<0.001). The multivariate analysis revealed high C-PLAN index was an independent unfavorable factor affecting PFS (hazard ratio (HR)=1.821; 95%confidence interval (CI)=1.291-2.568) and OS (HR=2.058, 95%CI=1.431-2.959). The high C-PLAN index group had a significantly lower disease control rate than the low C-PLAN index group (p=0.024), while no significant difference was found for objective response rate (p=0.172). The subgroup analysis based on clinical features (pathological type, therapy strategy, TNM stage and age) confirmed the prognostic value of C-PLAN index, except for patients receiving ICI monotherapy or with age ranging from 18 to 65 years old. Finally, a nomogram was constructed based on C-PLAN index, age, gender, TNM stage and smoking status, which could predict well the 1-, 2- and 3-year survival of ICI-treated lung cancer patients.

Conclusion

The C-PLAN index has great potential to be utilized as a non-invasive, inexpensive and reliable prognostic predictor for advanced lung cancer patients receiving ICI-based anti-cancer therapies.

The causal effects of age at menarche and age at menopause on sepsis: A two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis

OBJECTIVES

To determine whether the age at menarche (AAM) and the age at menopause (ANM) are causally related to the development of sepsis.

METHODS

We performed a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis by utilizing summary statistics from genome-wide association study (GWAS) datasets for both the exposure and outcome variables. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that exhibited significant associations with AAM and ANM were chosen as instrumental variables to estimate the causal effects on sepsis. Our study employed a variety of methods, including MR-Egger regression, weighted median estimation, inverse variance weighting, a simple model, and a weighted model. Odds ratios (ORs) along with their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used as the primary indicators for assessing causality. Furthermore, we conducted sensitivity analyses to explore the presence of genetic heterogeneity and validate the robustness of the tools employed.

RESULT

Our analysis revealed a significant negative causal relationship between AAM and the risk of sepsis (IVW: OR = 0.870, 95% CI = 0.793-0.955, P = 0.003). However, our Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis did not yield sufficient evidence to support a causal link between ANM and sepsis (IVW: OR = 0.987, 95% CI = 0.971-1.004, P = 0.129).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that an earlier AAM may be associated with an increased risk of sepsis. However, we did not find sufficient evidence to support a causal relationship between ANM and sepsis.

LMNA-related muscular dystrophy involving myoblast proliferation and apoptosis through the FOXO1/GADD45A pathway

LMNA-related muscular dystrophy is a major disease phenotype causing mortality and morbidity in laminopathies, but its pathogenesis is still unclear. To explore the molecular pathogenesis, a knock-in mouse harbouring the Lmna-W520R mutation was modelled. Morphological and motor functional analyses showed that homozygous mutant mice revealed severe muscular atrophy, profound motor dysfunction, and shortened lifespan, while heterozygotes showed a variant arrangement of muscle bundles and mildly reduced motor capacity. Mechanistically, the FOXO1/GADD45A pathway involving muscle atrophy processes was found to be altered in vitro and in vivo assays. The expression levels of FOXO1 and its downstream regulatory molecule GADD45A significantly increased in atrophic muscle tissue. The elevated expression of FOXO1 was associated with decreased H3K27me3 in its gene promotor region. Overexpression of GADD45A induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest of myoblasts in vitro, and it could be partially restored by the FOXO1 inhibitor AS1842856, which also slowed the muscle atrophy process with improved motor function and prolonged survival time of homozygous mutant mice in vivo. Notably, the inhibitor also partly rescued the apoptosis and cell cycle arrest of hiPSC-derived myoblasts harbouring the LMNA-W520R mutation. Together, these data suggest that the activation of the FOXO1/GADD45A pathway contributes to the pathogenesis of LMNA-related muscle atrophy, and it might serve as a potential therapeutic target for laminopathies.

Revealing the Orbital Interactions between Dissimilar Metal Sites during Oxygen Reduction Process

A FeCo/DA@NC catalyst with the well-defined FeCoN6 moiety is customized through a novel and ultrafast Joule heating technique. This catalyst demonstrates superior oxygen reduction reaction activity and stability in an alkaline environment. The power density and charge-discharge cycling of znic-air batteries driven by FeCo/DA@NC also surpass those of Pt/C catalyst. The source of the excellent oxygen reduction reaction activity of FeCo/DA@NC originates from the significantly changed charge environment and 3d orbital spin state. These not only improve the bonding strength between active sites and oxygen-containing intermediates, but also provide spare reaction sites for oxygen-containing intermediates. Moreover, various in situ detection techniques reveal that the rate-determining step in the four-electron oxygen reduction reaction is *O2 protonation. This work provides strong support for the precise design and rapid preparation of bimetallic catalysts and opens up new ideas for understanding orbital interactions during oxygen reduction reactions.

Precursor-oriented design of nano-alumina for efficient removal of antibiotics

Rapid and efficient removal of environmental antibiotics is vital to curb bacterial resistance. Through rational precursors-oriented design, we attain the best Al2O3 absorbent by 500 °C calcination of ammonium aluminium carbonate hydroxide (AACH) precursor from NH4HCO3 route (AACH-NH4HCO3-500) for fast and efficient removal of tetracycline (TC) and other antibiotics from environmental waters including high-salinity wastewater. AACH-NH4HCO3-500 (0.25 g·L-1) can remove (69.92 ± 1.78)% of aqueous TC (0.025 g·L-1) within 5 min and (97.62 ± 2.75)% within 2 h, and the adsorption capacity is 444.4 mg·g-1, which is the highest qmax of TC for the 2 h-adsorptions among numerous adsorbents. AACH-NH4HCO3-500 has fine tolerance to the coexisting substances, and can be easily regenerated and reused, and has no harm even discarded. The relations among the synthetic methods, the structural features, and the adsorption functions of Al2O3 are disclosed through a systematic comparison of the commercial Al2O3 and different Al2O3 nanomaterials attained from three precursors produced by five different routes. The reasons behind the exceptional adsorption performance are discussed throughout. Our findings would facilitate the development of excellent adsorbents for removal of other pollutants.

A Mixture of T-Cell Epitope Peptides Derived from Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus F Protein Conferred Protection in DR1-TCR Tg Mice

Human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) poses a significant disease burden on global health. To date, two vaccines that primarily induce humoral immunity to prevent HRSV infection have been approved, whereas vaccines that primarily induce T-cell immunity have not yet been well-represented. To address this gap, 25 predicted T-cell epitope peptides derived from the HRSV fusion protein with high human leukocyte antigen (HLA) binding potential were synthesized, and their ability to be recognized by PBMC from previously infected HRSV cases was assessed using an ELISpot assay. Finally, nine T-cell epitope peptides were selected, each of which was recognized by at least 20% of different donors' PBMC as potential vaccine candidates to prevent HRSV infection. The protective efficacy of F-9PV, a combination of nine peptides along with CpG-ODN and aluminum phosphate (Al) adjuvants, was validated in both HLA-humanized mice (DR1-TCR transgenic mice, Tg mice) and wild-type (WT) mice. The results show that F-9PV significantly enhanced protection against viral challenge as evidenced by reductions in viral load and pathological lesions in mice lungs. In addition, F-9PV elicits robust Th1-biased response, thereby mitigating the potential safety risk of Th2-induced respiratory disease during HRSV infection. Compared to WT mice, the F-9PV mice exhibited superior protection and immunogenicity in Tg mice, underscoring the specificity for human HLA. Overall, our results demonstrate that T-cell epitope peptides provide protection against HRSV infection in animal models even in the absence of neutralizing antibodies, indicating the feasibility of developing an HRSV T-cell epitope peptide-based vaccine.

Multimodel habitats constructed by perfusion and/or diffusion MRI predict isocitrate dehydrogenase mutation status and prognosis in high-grade gliomas

AIM

To determine whether tumour vascular and cellular heterogeneity of high-grade glioma (HGG) is predictive of isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutation status and overall survival (OS) by using tumour habitat-based analysis constructed by perfusion and/or diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Seventy-eight HGG patients that met the 2021 World Health Organization WHO Classification of Tumors of the Central Nervous System, 5th edition (WHO CNS5), were enrolled to predict IDH mutation status, of which 32 grade 4 patients with unmethylated O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) promoter were enrolled for prognostic analysis. The deep-learning-based model nnU-Net and K-means clustering algorithm were applied to construct the Traditional Habitat, Vascular Habitat (VH), Cellular Density Habitat (DH), and their Combined Habitat (CH). Quantitative parameters were extracted and compared between IDH-mutant and IDH-wild-type patients, respectively, and the prediction potential was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. OS was analysed using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and the log-rank test.

RESULTS

Compared with IDH-mutants, median relative cerebral blood volume (rCBVmedian) values in the whole enhancing tumour (WET), VH1, VH3, CH1-4 habitats were significantly increased in IDH-wild-type HGGs (all p<0.05). Additionally, the accuracy of rCBVmedian values in CH1 outperformed other habitats in identifying IDH mutation status (p<0.001) at a cut-off value of 4.83 with AUC of 0.815. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis highlighted significant differences in OS between the populations dichotomised by the median of rCBVmedian in WET, VH1, CH1-3 habitats (all p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The habitat imaging technique may improve the accuracy of predicting IDH mutation status and prognosis, and even provide a new direction for subsequent personalised precision treatment.

Constructing Cooperative Interface via Bi-Functional COF for Facilitating the Sulfur Conversion and Li+ Dynamics

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries stand out for their high theoretical specific capacity and cost-effectiveness. However, the practical implementation of Li-S batteries is hindered by issues such as the shuttle effect, tardy redox kinetics, and dendrite growth. Herein, an appealingly designed covalent organic framework (COF) with bi-functional active sites of cyanide groups and polysulfide chains (COF-CN-S) is developed as cooperative functional promoters to simultaneously address dendrites and shuttle effect issues. Combining in situ techniques and theoretical calculations, it can be demonstrated that the unique chemical architecture of COF-CN-S is capable of performing the following functions: 1) The COF-CN-S delivers significantly enhanced Li+ transport capability due to abundant ion-hopping sites (cyano-groups); 2) it functions as a selective ion sieve by regulating the dynamic behavior of polysulfide anions and Li+ , thus inhibiting shuttle effect and dendrite growth; 3) by acting as a redox mediator, the COF-CN-S can effectively control the electrochemical behavior of polysulfides and enhance their conversion kinetics. Based on the above advantages, the COF-CN-S endows Li-S batteries with excellent performance. This study highlights the significance of interface modification and offers novel insights into the rational design of organic materials in the Li-S realm.

Clinical and genetic characterization of a Chinese family with pontocerebellar hypoplasia type 7

We report compound heterozygous variants in TOE1 in siblings of Chinese origin who presented with dyskinesia and intellectual disabilities. Our report provides further information regarding the etiology and pathogenesis of pontocerebellar hypoplasia type 7 syndrome (PCH7). Clinical manifestations were obtained, and genomic DNA was collected from family members. Whole-exome and Sanger sequencing were performed to identify associated genetic variants. Bioinformatics analysis was conducted to identify and characterize the pathogenicity of the heterozygous variants. Following long-term rehabilitation, both siblings showed minimal improvement, and their condition tended to progress. Whole-exome sequencing revealed two unreported heterozygous variants, NM_025077: c.C553T (p.R185W) and NM_025077: c.G562T (p.V188L), in the TOE1 gene mapped to 1p34.1. Sanger sequencing confirmed that the two variants in the proband and her brother were inherited from their parents. The NM_025077: c.C553T (p.R185W) variant was inherited from the father, and the NM_025077: c.G562T (p.V188L) variant was inherited from the mother. Although the two variants in the TOE1 gene have not been reported previously, they were associated with PCH7 based on integrated analysis. Thus, our report contributes to our knowledge regarding the etiology and phenotype of PCH 7.

Tanshinone IIA normalized hepatocellular carcinoma vessels and enhanced PD-1 inhibitor efficacy by inhibiting ELTD1

BACKGROUND

Hepatocellular carcinoma responds poorly to immune checkpoint inhibitors, such as PD-1 inhibitors, primarily due to the low infiltration capacity of TILs in the TME. Abnormal vasculature is an important factor which limiting the infiltration of TILs. According to recent research, targeting ELTD1 expression may improve TILs delivery to reverse immunosuppression and boost tumor responses to immunotherapy. Research has demonstrated that Tanshinone IIA (TSA) improves blood vessel normalization, but the precise mechanism is yet unknown.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study is to investigate the molecular processes for TSA's pro-vascular normalization of HCC in vitro and in vivo.

METHODS

We established a mouse H22-luc in situ liver tumor model to evaluate the role of TSA vascular normalization and the immunosuppressive microenvironment. The role of ELTD1 in vascular and immune crosstalk was evaluated by bioinformatic analysis of the TCGA database. By creating a transwell co-culture cell model, the effects of TSA on enhancing tumor endothelial cell activities and ELTD1 intervention were evaluated.

RESULTS

We investigated the effect of Tanshinone IIA (TSA), a major component of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge., on the normalization of vasculature in situ HCC models. Our results demonstrated that TSA elicited vascular normalization in a hepatocellular carcinoma model in situ. In addition, the combination of TSA with anti-PD-1 significantly inhibited tumor development due to increased infiltration of immune cells in the tumor. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that TSA improved the immunosuppressive microenvironment by inhibiting tumor growth by suppressing ELTD1 expression, inhibiting downstream JAK1 and JAK2, promoting the expression of ZO-1, occlaudin, Claudin 5, and Col IV, and promoting vascular integrity and perfusion in situ.

CONCLUSIONS

This study reveals a new mechanism between TSA and ELTD1 for vascular normalization, suggesting that therapeutic or pharmacological intervention with ELTD1 may enhance the efficacy of PD-1 inhibitors in HCC.

Efficacy and Safety of Bisoprolol in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Purpose

To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of bisoprolol in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Research Methods

This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) statements. The primary outcome measures analyzed included: Pulmonary function(FEV1, FEV1%, FVC), 6-minute walking distance (6MWD), adverse events and inflammatory cytokines(IL-6, IL-8, CRP).

Results

Thirty-five studies were included with a total of 3269 study participants, including 1650 in the bisoprolol group and 1619 in the control group. The effect of bisoprolol on lung function in patients with COPD, FEV1, MD (0.46 [95% CI, 0.27 to 0.65], P=0.000), FEV1%, MD (-0.64 [95% CI, 0.42 to 0.86], P=0.000), FVC, MD (0.20 [95% CI, 0.05 to 0.34], P=0.008), the results all showed a statistically significant result. The effect of bisoprolol on 6MWD in COPD patients, MD (1.37 [95% CI, 1.08 to 1.66], P=0.000), which showed a statistically significant result. The occurrence of adverse events in COPD patients treated with bisoprolol, RR (0.83 [95% CI, 0.54 to 1.26], P=0.382), resulted in no statistical significance. The effect of bisoprolol on inflammatory cytokines in COPD patients, IL-6, MD (-1.16 [95% CI, -1.67 to -0.65], P=0.000), IL-8, MD (-0.94 [95% CI, -1.32 to -0.56], P=0.000), CRP, MD (-1.74 [95% CI, -2.40 to -1.09], P=0.000), the results were statistically significant. We performed a subgroup analysis of each outcome indicator according to whether the patients had heart failure or not, and the results showed that the therapeutic effect of bisoprolol on COPD did not change with the presence or absence of heart failure.

Conclusion

Bisoprolol is safe and effective in the treatment of COPD, improving lung function and exercise performance in patients with COPD, and also reducing inflammatory markers in patients with COPD, and this effect is independent of the presence or absence of heart failure.

Magnetic Metal-Organic Framework-Based Nanoplatform with Platelet Membrane Coating as a Synergistic Programmed Cell Death Protein 1 Inhibitor against Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) inhibitors are the most common immune-checkpoint inhibitors and considered promising drugs for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, in clinical settings, they have a low objective response rate (15%-20%) for patients with HCC; this is because of the insufficient level and activity of tumor-infiltrating T lymphocytes (TILs). The combined administration of oxymatrine (Om) and astragaloside IV (As) can increase the levels of TILs by inhibiting the activation of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and improve the activity of TILs by enhancing their mitochondrial function. In the present study, we constructed a magnetic metal-organic framework (MOF)-based nanoplatform with platelet membrane (Pm) coating (PmMN@Om&As) to simultaneously deliver Om and As into the HCC microenvironment. We observed that PmMN@Om&As exhibited a high total drug-loading capacity (33.77 wt %) and good immune escape. Furthermore, it can target HCC tissues in a magnetic field and exert long-lasting effects. The HCC microenvironment accelerated the disintegration of PmMN@Om&As and the release of Om&As, thereby increasing the level and activity of TILs by regulating CAFs and the mitochondrial function of TILs. In addition, the carrier could synergize with Om&As by enhancing the oxygen consumption rate and proton efflux rate of TILs, thereby upregulating the mitochondrial function of TILs. Combination therapy with PmMN@Om&As and α-PD-1 resulted in a tumor suppression rate of 84.15% and prolonged the survival time of mice. Our study provides a promising approach to improving the antitumor effect of immunotherapy in HCC.

[Prospective cohort study of the association of cardiovascular disease with triglyceride glucose index and triglyceride glucose-related indicators]

Objective: To investigate the association of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) with triglyceride glucose index (TyG) and TyG-related indicators in Uyghur populations of The Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. Methods: Based on the cohort of the Uygur population of The Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, 11 833 study subjects were included. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate the cumulative incidence of CVD in each quartile of TyG and TyG-related indicators. Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to evaluate the relationship between TyG and CVD, TyG-related indicators and CVD. Framingham CVD risk score model (Framingham model) was used to evaluate whether the addition of TyG and TyG-related indicators could improve the predictive ability of the model. The potential mediating role of the TyG in the association between obesity and CVD was examined through mediation effect analysis. Results: The average age of the subjects was (37.00±13.67) years-old, and 51.0% were male. The median follow-up time was 5.67 years, with 1 288 CVD events. The cumulative incidence of CVD increased with the increase of TyG and TyG-related indicators quartiles, and compared with the Q1 group, the risk of CVD in the Q4 group of TyG, TyG-BMI, and TyG-WHtR increased by 20% (HR=1.20, 95%CI: 1.01-1.42), 77% (HR=1.77, 95%CI: 1.46-2.16) and 68% (HR=1.68, 95%CI: 1.36-2.09), respectively. After adding TyG, TyG-BMI, and TyG-WHtR to the Framingham model, respectively, the model's area under the curve, net reclassification improvement, and integrated discrimination improvement were improved. In the association between BMI, WHtR, and CVD, the proportion of mediating effects mediated by the TyG index was 10.55% and 11.50%. Conclusions: Elevated levels of TyG and TyG-related indicators were strongly associated with the risk of CVD in the Uyghur population of The Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, with TyG-BMI being the most closely correlated with CVD. Early monitoring of TyG-BMI helps identify high-risk groups of CVD.

Influence of ferroptosis indicators on the stability of atherosclerotic plaque

Ferroptosis is a new form of cell death that is unique and closely related to iron concentration, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. We investigated the indicators of ferroptosis between vulnerable plaque and stable plaque in atherosclerotic. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting were used to detect the expression of the ferroptosis-related genes and proteins and extracellular matrix stability-related genes and proteins (FN, CoL-1). Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities, glutathione peroxidase (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were detected by ELISA. The commercially available kit was used to detect Fe2+ concentration in tissue. DCFH-DA fluorescent probe was used to detect the ROS levels. H&E stain, Masson trichrome stain, and Oil Red O stain were used to detect pathological states in vulnerable plaque and stable plaque. Tissue localization and positive rate of GPX4, SLC7A11, COX-2, FN, and COL-1 were evaluated by immunohistochemistry. The results showed a significant increase in the expression of COX2 and a significant decrease in the expression of GPX4 and SLC7A11 in genes related to ferroptosis in vulnerable plaque compared with stable plaque. Pathologic results showed vulnerable plaque with higher levels of inflammatory cell infiltration, more diffuse collagen fibers, and larger particles of lipid droplets. Concentrations of the antioxidant metabolites SOD and GSH were significantly reduced and concentrations of the oxidative metabolites MDA and Fe2+ were significantly increased in vulnerable plaque compared with stable plaque. The expression of FN and CoL-1 was significantly reduced in genes related to extracellular matrix stability in vulnerable plaque. Taken together, these findings indicate that the degree of ferroptosis in vulnerable plaque is higher than that in stable plaque, suggesting that changes in indicators of ferroptosis may affect carotid atherosclerotic plaque stability, target spot in the ferroptosis signaling pathway may provide further theoretical basis for the clinical treatment of carotid atherosclerosis.

Efficacy of acupuncture combined with active exercise training in improving pain and function of knee osteoarthritis individuals: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the clinical efficacy of acupuncture combined with active exercise training in improving pain and function of knee osteoarthritis (KOA) individuals.

DATA SOURCES

PubMed, EMBASE, The Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wan Fang Data, Technology Periodical Database and China Biology Medicine were searched from their inceptions to April 5, 2023.

REVIEW METHODS

We analyzed trials of acupuncture combined with active exercise training for KOA. The included studies were of high quality (Jadad ≥ 4) and RCTs. Study selection, data extraction, risk of bias and quality assessment were independently performed by two reviewers. We performed systematic analyses based on different outcome measures, including total efficiency rate, visual analogue scale (VAS), the Western Ontario and Mcmaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), the Lysholm Knee Scale (LKS) and range of motion (ROM). We used Review Manager 5.3 and Stata/MP 14.0 to analyze the data. And it was verified by trial sequence analysis (TSA). If I2 > 50% and p < 0.05, we performed sensitivity analysis and subgroup analysis to find the source of heterogeneity. Publication bias was studied by funnel plot and Egger's test was used to verify it.

RESULTS

Full 11 high-quality studies (Jadad ≥ 4) including 774 KOA individuals were included in this review for meta-analysis. The results showed that acupuncture combined with active exercise training (combined group) was superior to the acupuncture group in improving the total effective rate [RR = 1.13, 95%CI (1.05, 1.22), I2 = 0%, P = 0.70], reducing the pain level (VAS) [MD = - 0.74, 95%CI (- 1.04,  - 0.43), I2 = 68%, P < 0.05], improving knee joint function (WOMAC) [MD =  - 6.97, 95%CI (- 10.74, - 3.19), I2 = 76%, P < 0.05] and improving joint range of motion (ROM) [MD = 6.25, 95%CI (2.37, 10.04), I2 = 0%, P = 0.71]. Similarly, the combined group showed significant improvements in the total effective rate [RR = 1.31, 95% CI (1.18, 1.47), I2 = 48%, P = 0.10], pain (VAS) [MD = 1.42, 95% CI (- 1.85, - 1.00), I2 = 65%, P = 0.02] and knee function (WOMAC) [MD = 7.05, 95% CI (- 11.43, - 2.66), I2 = 86%, P < 0.05] compared with the non-acupuncture group.

CONCLUSION

The combined effect of all studies showed significant benefits of acupuncture combined with active exercise training in improving the total effective rate, reducing pain, promoting recovery of knee function and expanding range of motion. However, some evaluation indicators are highly subjective and need to be further confirmed by more objective and evidence-based high-quality RCTs in future.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION

[PROSPERO], identifier [No. CRD42023425823].

Inflammatory bowel disease and Clostridium difficile infection: clinical presentation, diagnosis, and management

As a frequent complication of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) was confirmed to not only aggravate the symptoms of IBD but also result in unexpected outcomes, including death. With the increasing prevalence rate of IBD and the updating of CDI diagnosis, the incidence of CDI in IBD patients is also seen rising. Although a detection method consisting of glutamate dehydrogenase immunoassay or nucleic acid amplification test and then toxin A/B enzyme immunoassay was recommended and widely adopted, the diagnosis of CDI in IBD is still a challenge because of the overlap between the symptoms of CDI in IBD and CDI itself. Vancomycin and fidaxomicin are the first-line therapy for CDI in IBD; however, the treatment has different effects due to the complexity of IBD patients' conditions and the choice of different treatment schemes. Although the use of fecal microbial transplantation is now in the ascendant for IBD management, the prospects are still uncertain and the prevention and treatment of the recurrence of CDI in IBD remain a clinical challenge. In this paper, the epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical manifestation, prevention, and therapy of CDI in IBD were summarized and presented.

Node-downloadable frequency transfer system based on a mode-locked laser with over 100 km of fiber

To meet the requirements of time-frequency networks and enable frequency downloadability for nodes along the link, we demonstrated the extraction of stable frequency signals at nodes using a mode-locked laser under the condition of 100 km laboratory fiber. The node consists of a simple structure that utilizes widely used optoelectronic devices and enables plug-and-play applications. In addition, the node can recover frequency signals with multiple frequencies, which are useful for scenarios that require different frequencies. Here, we experimentally demonstrated a short-term frequency instability of 2.83 × 10-13@1 s and a long-term frequency instability of 1.18 × 10-15@10,000 s at the node, which is similar to that at the remote site of the frequency transfer system. At the same time, frequency signals with different frequencies also achieved stable extraction with the same performance at the node. Our results can support the distributed application under large-scale time-frequency networks.

[Tumor Mechanomedicine]

Malignant tumors represent a significant health challenge, critically impacting human well-being. Historically, the focus has been on leveraging the biochemical cues of tumors for both diagnosis and treatment. While valuable, this strategy does not capture the full complexity of tumor diagnosis and management. Recently, the integration of biomechanics and mechanobiology with oncology has highlighted the importance of mechanical cues, which have emerged as new hallmarks of tumors, opening potential novel routes for cancer diagnosis and therapeutic interventions. Despite the advances, a thorough literature review suggests a pronounced gap in our understanding of the mechanical properties of tumors. The clinical community has not yet completely recognized the diagnostic and therapeutic relevance of the mechanical cues of tumors. To bridge this knowledge gap, we propose and introduce the paradigm of "Tumor Mechanomedicine". We provide a comprehensive overview of the multi-scale mechanical characteristics of tumors, exploring their influence on tumor biology, from the aspects of tumor biomechanics, tumor mechanobiology, tumor mechanodiagnostics, and tumor mechanotherapeutics. By elucidating the diagnostic and therapeutic potential of these mechanical cues, we aim to furnish the oncology community with fresh insights, paving the way for innovative solutions to persistent clinical conundrums.

Updates on Pathophysiology of Discogenic Back Pain

Discogenic back pain, a subset of chronic back pain, is caused by intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration, and imparts a notable socioeconomic health burden on the population. However, degeneration by itself does not necessarily imply discogenic pain. In this review, we highlight the existing literature on the pathophysiology of discogenic back pain, focusing on the biomechanical and biochemical steps that lead to pain in the setting of IVD degeneration. Though the pathophysiology is incompletely characterized, the current evidence favors a framework where degeneration leads to IVD inflammation, and subsequent immune milieu recruitment. Chronic inflammation serves as a basis of penetrating neovascularization and neoinnervation into the IVD. Hence, nociceptive sensitization emerges, which manifests as discogenic back pain. Recent studies also highlight the complimentary roles of low virulence infections and central nervous system (CNS) metabolic state alteration. Targeted therapies that seek to disrupt inflammation, angiogenesis, and neurogenic pathways are being investigated. Regenerative therapy in the form of gene therapy and cell-based therapy are also being explored.

Palladium nanoparticles on gallium nitride as a Mott-Schottky catalyst for efficient and durable photoactivation of unactivated alkanes

The direct functionalization of inert C-H bonds has long been a "holy grail" for the chemistry world. In this report, the direct C(sp3)-N bond formation of unactivated alkanes is reported with a GaN based Mott-Schottky catalyst under photocatalytic reaction conditions. Long term stability and reaction efficiency (up to 92%) were achieved with this photocatalyst. The deposition of a Pd co-catalyst on the surface of GaN significantly enhanced the reaction efficiency. Microscopic investigation suggested a remarkable interaction in the Pd/GaN Schottky junction, giving a significant Pd/GaN depletion layer. In addition, density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed to show the distinct performance of Pd nanoparticles at the atomic level.

Enhanced NIR-II Fluorescent Lateral Flow Biosensing Platform Based on Supramolecular Host-Guest Self-Assembly for Point-of-Care Testing of Tumor Biomarkers

Point-of-care detection of tumor biomarkers with high sensitivity remains an enormous challenge in the early diagnosis and mass screening of cancer. Fluorescent lateral flow immunoassay (LFA) is an attractive platform for point-of-care testing due to its inherent advantages. Particularly, a fluorescent probe is crucial to improving the analytical performance of the LFA platform. Herein, we developed an enhanced second near-infrared (NIR-II) LFA (ENIR-II LFA) platform based on supramolecular host-guest self-assembly for detection of the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) as a model analyte. In this platform, depending on the effective supramolecular surface modification strategy, cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7])-covered rare-earth nanoparticles (RENPs) emitting in the NIR-II (1000-1700 nm) window were prepared and employed as an efficient fluorescent probe (RENPs-CB[7]). Benefiting from its superior optical properties, such as low autofluorescence, excellent photostability, enhanced fluorescence intensity, and increased antibody-conjugation efficiency, the ENIR-II LFA platform displayed a wide linear detection range from 0.65 to 120 ng mL-1, and the limit of detection was down to 0.22 ng mL-1 for PSA, which was 18.2 times lower than the clinical cutoff value. Moreover, the testing time was also shortened to 6 min. Compared with the commercial visible fluorescence LFA kit (VIS LFA) and the previously reported NIR-II LFA based on a RENPs-PAA probe, this ENIR-II LFA demonstrated more competitive advantages in analytical sensitivity, detection range, testing time, and production cost. Overall, the ENIR-II LFA platform offers great potential for the highly sensitive, rapid, and convenient detection of tumor biomarkers and is expected to serve as a useful technique in the general population screening of the high-incidence cancer region.

Lipocalin 2 regulates mitochondrial phospholipidome remodeling, dynamics, and function in brown adipose tissue in male mice

Mitochondrial function is vital for energy metabolism in thermogenic adipocytes. Impaired mitochondrial bioenergetics in brown adipocytes are linked to disrupted thermogenesis and energy balance in obesity and aging. Phospholipid cardiolipin (CL) and phosphatidic acid (PA) jointly regulate mitochondrial membrane architecture and dynamics, with mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum membranes (MAMs) serving as the platform for phospholipid biosynthesis and metabolism. However, little is known about the regulators of MAM phospholipid metabolism and their connection to mitochondrial function. We discover that LCN2 is a PA binding protein recruited to the MAM during inflammation and metabolic stimulation. Lcn2 deficiency disrupts mitochondrial fusion-fission balance and alters the acyl-chain composition of mitochondrial phospholipids in brown adipose tissue (BAT) of male mice. Lcn2 KO male mice exhibit an increase in the levels of CLs containing long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA), a decrease in CLs containing monounsaturated fatty acids, resulting in mitochondrial dysfunction. This dysfunction triggers compensatory activation of peroxisomal function and the biosynthesis of LC-PUFA-containing plasmalogens in BAT. Additionally, Lcn2 deficiency alters PA production, correlating with changes in PA-regulated phospholipid-metabolizing enzymes and the mTOR signaling pathway. In conclusion, LCN2 plays a critical role in the acyl-chain remodeling of phospholipids and mitochondrial bioenergetics by regulating PA production and its function in activating signaling pathways.

Multicomponent cyclization with azides to synthesize N-heterocycles

Heterocyclic compounds, both naturally derived and synthetically produced, constitute a wide variety of biologically active and industrially important compounds. The synthesis and application of heterocyclic compounds have garnered significant attention and experienced rapid growth in recent decades. Organic azides, due to their unique properties and distinctive reactivity, have become a convenient chemical tool for achieving a wide range of heterocycles such as triazoles and tetrazoles. Importantly, the field of multicomponent reaction (MCR) chemistry provides a convergent approach to access various N-heterocyclic scaffolds, offering novelty, diversity, and complexity. However, the exploration of MCR pathways to N-heterocyclic compounds remains incomplete. Here, we review the use of multicomponent reactions for the preparation of N-heterocycles. A wide range of reactions based on azides for the synthesis of various types of N-heterocyclic systems have been developed.

[Efficacy and prognosis of infant kidney transplantation]

Objective: To analyze the effect and prognosis of infant kidney transplantation. Methods: Clinical data of 37 cases of infant kidney transplantation under 3 years old in Tongji Hospital Affiliated to Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology from June 1, 2017 to July 31, 2022 were retrospectively collected. These 37 cases included 31 primary kidney transplantation and 6 secondary kidney transplantation. Kaplan-Meier method was used to draw the survival curve of the transplanted kidney and the recipient, and the prognosis and complications were analyzed. Median follow-up was 18 months (range: 6-66 months). Results: The recipients were 20 males and 17 females, with a median age of 16 months (range: 2 months, 26 days to 36 months) and a median weight of 8 kg (range: 3.2 to 14.0 kg). The youngest child was only 2 months, 26 days old, and weighed only 3.2 kg. The most common primary disease of recipients was congenital nephrotic syndrome (13 cases, 41.9%). Intra-abdominal transplantation occurred in 19 cases (51.3%) and intra-iliac fossa transplantation occurred in the remaining 18 cases (48.6%). Postoperative renal function recovery was delayed in 7 cases (18.9%), and thrombosis caused renal function loss in 5 cases (13.5%), of which 4 cases received second renal transplantation and were successful. During the follow-up period, there were 11 cases of acute rejection (29.7%) and 6 cases of CMV pneumonia (16.2%). The estimated glomerular filtration rate 1 year after transplantation was higher than that 1 month after surgery [(101.9±22.1) vs (71.1±25.6) ml/(min·1.73m2), P<0.001], and remained constant 2 years after transplantation. Both the 1-year and 2-year survival rates of the transplanted kidney were 85.3%, and both the 1-year and 2-year survival rates of the recipients were 96.8%. Conclusion: Although the implementation of infant kidney transplantation is difficult, it can still achieve relatively satisfactory efficacy and prognosis.

Analysis of clinical characteristics in proximal and distal reflux monitoring among patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease

The purpose of this study was to examine the characteristics of proximal and distal gastroesophageal reflux in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disorder and analyze their clinical symptoms. A total of 67 patients with typical esophageal symptoms were selected for this study. All participants completed the reflux disease questionnaire and a questionnaire survey of extraesophageal symptoms. Diagnosis was made using a 24-h impedance-pH detection and proton pump inhibitor. The results showed that the proximal reflux group had a higher number of acid reflux episodes compared to the distal reflux group (P < 0.05). Similarly, the proximal reflux group also had a higher number of gas reflux episodes compared to the distal reflux group (P < 0.05). On the other hand, the distal reflux group had a higher number of mixed reflux episodes compared to the proximal reflux group (P < 0.05). These differences were statistically significant. This study revealed that acid reflux and gas reflux were more predominant in the proximal reflux group, while mixed reflux was more predominant in the distal reflux group.

Acoustic Characteristics of Mandarin Speech in Male Drug Users

AIM

Drug use/addiction has a profound impact on the physical and mental health of individuals. Previous studies have indicated that drug users may experience speech perception disorders, including speech illusion and challenges in recognizing emotional speech. However, the influence of drugs on speech production, as another crucial aspect of speech communication, has not been thoroughly examined. Therefore, the current study aimed to investigate how drugs affect the acoustic characteristics of speech in Chinese male drug users.

METHOD

Speech recordings were collected from a total of 160 male drug users (including 106 heroin users, 23 ketamine users, and 31 methamphetamine users) and 55 male healthy controls with no history of drug use. Acoustic analysis was conducted on the collected speech data from these groups, and classification analysis was performed using five supervised learning algorithms.

RESULTS

The results demonstrated that drug users exhibited smaller F0 standard deviation, reduced loudness, cepstral peak prominence, and formant relative energies, as well as higher H1-A3, longer unvoiced segments, and fewer voiced segments per second compared to the control group. The classification analyses yielded good performance in classifying drug users and non-drug users, with an accuracy above 86%. Moreover, the identification of the three groups of drug users achieved an accuracy of approximately 70%. Additionally, the study revealed different effects on speech production among the three types of drugs.

CONCLUSION

The above findings indicate the presence of speech disorders, such as vocal hoarseness, in drug users, thus confirming the assumption that the acoustic characteristics of speech in drug users deviates from the norm. This study not only fills the knowledge gap regarding the effects of drugs on the speech production of Chinese male drug users but also provides a more comprehensive understanding of how drugs impact human behaviors. Furthermore, this research provides theoretical foundations of detoxification and speech rehabilitation for drug users.

Correlation between Treatment Outcomes and Serum Vitamin D Levels As Well As Infliximab Trough Concentration among Chinese Patients with Crohn's Disease

Background

The relationship between vitamin D (vit-D) levels and the effectiveness of infliximab (IFX) in patients with Crohn's disease (CD) remains controversial.

Objective

To evaluate the interaction between vit-D levels and the response to IFX therapy in patients with CD.

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort study. Serum vit-D and IFX trough concentrations (TC) were measured in 84 patients, and statistical analyses were performed.

Results

The total vit-D deficiency rate at enrollment, at week 14 and week 38, was 64.3%, 41.67%, and 37.5%, respectively (P < 0.001). CD activity index (CDAI) (120, range, 93-142.75) and simplified endoscopic activity score for CD (SES-CD) (2, range, 0-4) at week 14 were lower than that of enrollment (CDAI, 136.5, range, 101.25-196; SES-CD 13, range, 5-23) (P < 0.001). The biochemical remission (BR), clinical remission (CR), endoscopic remission (ER), and response (ERe) rates of week 38 were 76.1%, 88.5%, 22.4%, and 67.2%, respectively. vit-D levels at enrollment were positively correlated with CDAI at week 38 (P = 0.024). IFX serum TC was related to BR (P = 0.036), CR (P = 0.032) at week 14, and ERe (P = 0.009) at week 38.

Conclusion

Among Chinese patients with CD, vit-D levels prior to IFX therapy are related to CDAI scores, and IFX serum TC is associated with BR, CR, and ERe.

Regulating the Lithium Ions' Local Coordination Environment through Designing a COF with Single Atomic Co Site to Achieve Dendrite-Free Lithium-Metal Batteries

The detrimental growth of lithium dendrites and unstable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) inhibit the practical application of lithium-metal batteries. Herein, atomically dispersed cobalt coordinate conjugated bipyridine-rich covalent organic framework (sp2 c-COF) is explored as an artificial SEI on the surface of the Li-metal anode to resolve these issues. The single Co atoms confined in the structure of COF enhance the number of active sites and promote electron transfer to the COF. The synergistic effects of the Co─N coordination and strong electron-withdrawing cyano-group can adsorb the electron from the donor (Co) at a maximum and create an electron-rich environment, hence further regulating the Li+ local coordination environment and achieving uniform Li-nucleation behavior. Furthermore, in situ technology and density functional theory calculations reveal the mechanism of the sp2 c-COF-Co inducing Li uniform deposition and promoting Li+ rapid migration. Based on these advantages, the sp2 c-COF-Co modified Li anode exhibits a low Li-nucleation barrier of 8 mV, and excellent cycling stability of 6000 h.

The regulation of chromatin configuration at AGAMOUS locus by LFR-SYD-containing complex is critical for reproductive organ development in Arabidopsis

Switch defective/sucrose non-fermentable (SWI/SNF) chromatin remodeling complexes are evolutionarily conserved, multi-subunit machinery that play vital roles in the regulation of gene expression by controlling nucleosome positioning and occupancy. However, little is known about the subunit composition of SPLAYED (SYD)-containing SWI/SNF complexes in plants. Here, we show that the Arabidopsis thaliana Leaf and Flower Related (LFR) is a subunit of SYD-containing SWI/SNF complexes. LFR interacts directly with multiple SWI/SNF subunits, including the catalytic ATPase subunit SYD, in vitro and in vivo. Phenotypic analyses of lfr-2 mutant flowers revealed that LFR is important for proper filament and pistil development, resembling the function of SYD. Transcriptome profiling revealed that LFR and SYD shared a subset of co-regulated genes. We further demonstrate that the LFR and SYD interdependently activate the transcription of AGAMOUS (AG), a C-class floral organ identity gene, by regulating the occupation of nucleosome, chromatin loop, histone modification, and Pol II enrichment on the AG locus. Furthermore, the chromosome conformation capture (3C) assay revealed that the gene loop at AG locus is negatively correlated with the AG expression level, and LFR-SYD was functional to demolish the AG chromatin loop to promote its transcription. Collectively, these results provide insight into the molecular mechanism of the Arabidopsis SYD-SWI/SNF complex in the control of higher chromatin conformation of the floral identity gene essential to plant reproductive organ development.