Causal relationship between cigarette smoking behaviors and the risk of hernias: a Mendelian randomization study

PURPOSE

As the global population continues to age, there is a noticeable yearly rise in the incidence of hernias. Simultaneously, smoking, a widespread addictive behavior and a significant contributor to mortality, has evolved into a pervasive public health concern. Existing literature has already established a connection between smoking and an increased risk of postoperative recurrence and postoperative infections following hernia surgery. However, there remains a dearth of research exploring the association between smoking and hernia morbidity. In this study, our objective is to systematically evaluate the causal relationship between cigarette smoking behaviors and hernia morbidity using a Mendelian randomization (MR) approach.

METHODS

Hernia-related data were sourced from the FinnGen Biobank database, while cigarette smoking behavior data were gathered from the GWAS and Sequencing Consortium of Alcohol and Nicotine Use. To assess the causal relationship, we employed five methods: the weighted median, the weighted mode the inverse variance weighted (IVW), MR-Egger, and the simple mode. Sensitivity analysis was conducted, incorporating Cochran's Q test, the MR-Egger intercept test, leave-one-out analysis, and funnel plot. The presentation of the causal relationship is expressed as an odds ratio (OR) along with their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI).

RESULTS

Employing the IVW method as the reference standard, we found that smoking intensity is associated with an increased risk of diaphragmatic hernia (OR = 1.21, 95% CI 1.00-1.46, P = 0.047). These consistent findings were further corroborated by the weighted median and weighted mode methods (OR = 1.26, 95% CI 1.03-1.54, P = 0.026; OR = 1.25, 95% CI 1.02-1.52, P = 0.045). Conversely, when applying the IVW method, we identified no statistically significant causal relationship between smoking age, smoking initiation status, smoking cessation status, and the incidence of hernia.

CONCLUSIONS

Our MR study has uncovered genetic evidence linking smoking intensity and the occurrence of diaphragmatic hernia. The risk of developing diaphragmatic hernia rises in tandem with the intensity of smoking. This emphasizes the crucial role of regularly advising patients to cease smoking in clinical settings.

Multi-ancestry Genome-Wide Association Study of Early Childhood Caries

Early childhood caries (ECC) is the most common non-communicable childhood disease. It is an important health problem with known environmental and social/behavioral influences that lacks evidence for specific associated genetic risk loci. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a genome-wide association study of ECC in a multi-ancestry population of U.S. preschool-age children (n=6,103) participating in a community-based epidemiologic study of early childhood oral health. Calibrated examiners used ICDAS criteria to measure ECC with the primary trait using the dmfs index with decay classified as macroscopic enamel loss (ICDAS ≥3). We estimated heritability, concordance rates, and conducted genome-wide association analyses to estimate overall genetic effects; the effects stratified by sex, household water fluoride, and dietary sugar; and leveraged the combined gene/gene-environment effects using the 2-degree-of-freedom (2df) joint test. The common genetic variants explained 24% of the phenotypic variance (heritability) of the primary ECC trait and the concordance rate was higher with a higher degree of relatedness. We identified 21 novel non-overlapping genome-wide significant loci for ECC. Two loci, namely RP11-856F16 . 2 (rs74606067) and SLC41A3 (rs71327750) showed evidence of association with dental caries in external cohorts, namely the GLIDE consortium adult cohort (n=∼487,000) and the GLIDE pediatric cohort (n=19,000), respectively. The gene-based tests identified TAAR6 as a genome-wide significant gene. Implicated genes have relevant biological functions including roles in tooth development and taste. These novel associations expand the genomics knowledge base for this common childhood disease and underscore the importance of accounting for sex and pertinent environmental exposures in genetic investigations of oral health.

Transcriptomic analysis and carbohydrate metabolism-related enzyme expression across different pH values in Rhizopus delemar

Introduction

pH is one of the important factors affecting the growth and performance of microorganisms.

Methods

We studied the pH response and plant growth-promoting (PGP) ability of Rhizopus delemar using cultivation experiments and transcriptomics, and verified the expression profiles using quantitative real-time PCR.

Results

pH affected the growth and PGP properties of R. delemar. At pH 7, the growth rate of R. delemar was rapid, whereas pH 4 and 8 inhibited mycelial growth and PGP ability, respectively. In the pot experiment, the plant height was the highest at pH 7, 56 cm, and the lowest at pH 4 and pH 5, 46.6 cm and 47 cm, respectively. Enzyme activities were highest at pH 6 to pH 7. Enzyme activities were highest at pH 6 to pH 7. Among the 1,629 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), 1,033 genes were up-regulated and 596 were down-regulated. A total of 1,623 DEGs were annotated to carbohydrate-active enzyme coding genes.

Discussion

The PGP characteristics, e.g., Phosphorus solubilization ability, of R. delemar were strongest at pH 7. The results provide useful information regarding the molecular mechanism of R. delemar pH response.

Association between infarct location and haemorrhagic transformation of acute ischaemic stroke after intravenous thrombolysis

AIM

To evaluate the association between computed tomography (CT)-based imaging variables at the time of admission and haemorrhagic transformation (HT) after intravenous thrombolysis (IVT).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

One hundred and eight patients who were treated with IVT for acute ischaemic stroke (AIS) during January 2021 to July 2023 were analysed retrospectively. The infarct location was classified as cortical or subcortical in accordance with the Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (ASPECTS) system. Logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic curve analyses were performed to determine the relationship between ischaemic variables and HT.

RESULTS

Of the total, 18 (16.7%) patients had HT and seven (6.5%) had symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage (sICH). Multivariate analysis revealed that cortical ASPECTS was independently associated with HT (odds ratio [OR], 0.197; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.076-0.511; p=0.001) and cortical ASPECTS was independently associated with sICH (OR, 0.066; 95% CI, 0.009-0.510; p=0.009). To predict HT and sICH, cortical ASPECTS (HT area under the curve [AUC] = 0.881, sICH AUC = 0.971) provided a higher AUC compared with ASPECTS (HT AUC = 0.850, sICH AUC = 0.918).

CONCLUSION

Cortical ASPECTS seen on CT at the time of admission is associated with HT and sICH after IVT.

Diversity and composition of microbial communities in Jinsha earthen site under different degree of deterioration

Earthen sites are the important cultural heritage that carriers of human civilization and contains abundant history information. Microorganisms are one of important factors causing the deterioration of cultural heritage. However, little attention has been paid to the role of biological factors on the deterioration of earthen sites at present. In this study, microbial communities of Jinsha earthen site soils with different deterioration types and degrees as well as related to environmental factors were analyzed. The results showed that the concentrations of Mg2+ and SO42- were higher in the severe deterioration degree soils than in the minor deterioration degree soils. The Chao1 richness and Shannon diversity indices of bacteria in different type deterioration were higher in the summer than in the winter; the Chao1 and Shannon indices of fungi were lower in the summer. The differences in bacterial and fungal communities were associated with differences in Na+, K+, Mg2+ and Ca2+ contents. Based on both the relative abundances in amplicon sequencing and isolated strains, the bacterial phyla Actinobacteria, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria, and the Ascomycota genera Aspergillus, Cladosporium and Penicillium were common in all soils. The OTUs enriched in the severe deterioration degree soils were mostly assigned to Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria, whereas the Firmicutes OTUs differentially abundant in the severe deterioration degree were all depleted. All bacterial isolates produced alkali, implying that the deterioration on Jinsha earthen site may be accelerated through alkali production. The fungal isolates included both alkali and acid producing strains. The fungi with strong ability to produce acid were mainly from the severe deterioration degree samples and were likely to contribute to the deterioration. Taken together, the interaction between soil microbial communities and environment may affect the soil deterioration, accelerate the deterioration process and threaten the long-term preservation of Jinsha earthen site.

[Construction and preliminary validation of a risk prediction model for the recurrence of diabetic foot ulcer in diabetic patients]

Objective: To develop a risk prediction model for the recurrence of diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) in diabetic patients and primarily validate its predictive value. Methods: Meta-analysis combined with retrospective cohort study was conducted. The Chinese and English papers on risk factors related to DFU recurrence publicly published in China Biology Medicine disc, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Database, VIP Database, and PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science, and the search time was from the establishment date of each database until March 31st, 2022. The papers were screened and evaluated, the data were extracted, a meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4.1 statistical software to screen risk factors for DFU recurrence, and Egger's linear regression was used to assess the publication bias of the study results. Risk factors for DFU recurrence mentioned in ≥3 studies and with statistically significant differences in the meta-analysis were selected as the independent variables to develop a logistic regression model for risk prediction of DFU recurrence. The medical records of 101 patients with DFU who met the inclusion criteria and were admitted to Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University from January 2019 to June 2022 were collected. There were 69 males and 32 females, aged (63±14) years. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of the predictive performance of the above constructed predictive model for DFU recurrence was drawn, and the area under the ROC curve, maximum Youden index, and sensitivity and specificity at the point were calculated. Dataset including data of 8 risk factors for DFU recurrence and the DFU recurrence rates of 10 000 cases was simulated using RStudio software and a scatter plot was drawn to determine two probabilities for risk division of DFU recurrence. Using the β coefficients corresponding to 8 DFU recurrence risk factors ×10 and taking the integer as the score of coefficient weight of each risk factor, the total score was obtained by summing up, and the cutoff scores for risk level division were calculated based on the total score × two probabilities for risk division of DFU recurrence. Results: Finally, 20 papers were included, including 3 case-control studies and 17 cohort studies, with a total of 4 238 cases and DFU recurrence rate of 22.7% to 71.2%. Meta-analysis showed that glycosylated hemoglobin >7.5% and with plantar ulcer, diabetic peripheral neuropathy, diabetic peripheral vascular disease, smoking, osteomyelitis, history of amputation/toe amputation, and multidrug-resistant bacterial infection were risk factors for the recurrence of DFU (with odds ratios of 3.27, 3.66, 4.05, 3.94, 1.98, 7.17, 11.96, 3.61, 95% confidence intervals of 2.79-3.84, 2.06-6.50, 2.50-6.58, 2.65-5.84, 1.65-2.38, 2.29-22.47, 4.60-31.14, 3.13-4.17, respectively, P<0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in publication biases of diabetic peripheral neuropathy, diabetic peripheral vascular disease, glycosylated hemoglobin >7.5%, plantar ulcer, smoking, multidrug-resistant bacterial infection, or osteomyelitis (P>0.05), but there was a statistically significant difference in the publication bias of amputation/toe amputation (t=-30.39, P<0.05). The area under the ROC curve of the predictive model was 0.81 (with 95% confidence interval of 0.71-0.91) and the maximum Youden index was 0.59, at which the sensitivity was 72% and the specificity was 86%. Ultimately, 29.0% and 44.8% were identified respectively as the cutoff for dividing the probability of low risk and medium risk, and medium risk and high risk for DFU recurrence, while the corresponding total scores of low, medium, and high risks of DFU recurrence were <37, 37-57, and 58-118, respectively. Conclusions: Eight risk factors for DFU recurrence are screened through meta-analysis and the risk prediction model for DFU recurrence is developed, which has moderate predictive accuracy and can provide guidance for healthcare workers to take interventions for patient with DFU recurrence risk.

Hydrated lime promoted the polysaccharide content and affected the transcriptomes of Lentinula edodes during brown film formation

Brown film formation, a unique developmental stage in the life cycle of Lentinula edodes, is essential for the subsequent development of fruiting bodies in L. edodes cultivation. The pH of mushroom growth substrates are usually adjusted with hydrated lime, yet the effects of hydrated lime on cultivating L. edodes and the molecular mechanisms associated with the effects have not been studied systemically. We cultivated L. edodes on substrates supplemented with 0% (CK), 1% (T1), 3% (T2), and 5% (T3) hydrated lime (Ca (OH)2), and applied transcriptomics and qRT-PCR to study gene expression on the brown film formation stage. Hydrated lime increased polysaccharide contents in L. edodes, especially in T2, where the 5.3% polysaccharide content was approximately 1.5 times higher than in the CK. The addition of hydrated lime in the substrate promoted laccase, lignin peroxidase and manganese peroxidase activities, implying that hydrated lime improved the ability of L. edodes to decompose lignin and provide nutrition for its growth and development. Among the annotated 9,913 genes, compared to the control, 47 genes were up-regulated and 52 genes down-regulated in T1; 73 genes were up-regulated and 44 were down-regulated in T2; and 125 genes were up-regulated and 65 genes were down-regulated in T3. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were enriched in the amino acid metabolism, lipid metabolism and carbohydrate metabolism related pathways. The carbohydrate-active enzyme genes up-regulated in the hydrated lime treatments were mostly glycosyl hydrolase genes. The results will facilitate future optimization of L. edodes cultivation techniques and possibly shortening the production cycle.

Biochemical and transcriptomic responses of buckwheat to polyethylene microplastics

The ubiquity of microplastic is widely recognized as pollution. Microplastic can affect the growth performances of plants. Buckwheat is a potential model crop to investigate plant responses to hazardous materials. Still, little is known about the response of buckwheat to microplastics. Thus, this study investigated the effect and uptake of polyethylene (PE) in buckwheat plant growth by monitoring the morphological and photosynthetic merits, antioxidant systems and transcriptome analysis of gene expression. Results confirmed that the impacts of PE on buckwheat growth were dose-dependent, while the highest concentration (80 mg/L) exposure elicited significantly negative responses of buckwheat. PE can invade buckwheat roots and locate in the vascular tissues. PE exposure disturbed the processes of carbon fixation and the synthesis of ATP from ADP + Pi in buckwheat leaves. The promotion of photosynthesis under PE exposure could generate extra energy for buckwheat leaves to activate antioxidant systems by increasing the antioxidant enzyme activities at an expense of morphological merits under microplastic stresses. Further in-depth study is warranted about figuring out the interactions between microplastics and biochemical responses (i.e., photosynthesis and antioxidant systems), which have great implications for deciphering the defense mechanism of buckwheat to microplastic stresses.

Connections between cross-tissue and intra-tissue biomarkers of aging biology in older adults

Background

Saliva measures are generally more accessible than blood, especially in vulnerable populations. However, connections between aging biology biomarkers in different body tissues remain unknown.

Methods

The present study included individuals (N = 2406) who consented for saliva and blood draw in the Health and Retirement Telomere length study in 2008 and the Venous blood study in 2016 who had complete data for both tissues. We assessed biological aging based on telomere length in saliva and DNA methylation and physiology measures in blood. DNA methylation clocks combine information from CpGs to produce the aging measures representative of epigenetic aging in humans. We analyzed DNA methylation clocks proposed by Horvath (353 CpG sites), Hannum (71 CpG sites), Levine or PhenoAge, (513 CpG sites), GrimAge, (epigenetic surrogate markers for select plasma proteins), Horvath skin and blood (391 CpG sites), Lin (99 CpG sites), Weidner (3 CpG sites), and VidalBralo (8 CpG sites). Physiology measures (referred to as phenotypic age) included albumin, creatinine, glucose, [log] C-reactive protein, lymphocyte percent, mean cell volume, red blood cell distribution width, alkaline phosphatase, and white blood cell count. The phenotypic age algorithm is based on parametrization of Gompertz proportional hazard models. Average telomere length was assayed using quantitative PCR (qPCR) by comparing the telomere sequence copy number in each patient's sample (T) to a single-copy gene copy number (S). The resulting T/S ratio was proportional to telomere length, mean. Within individual, relationships between aging biology measures in blood and saliva and variations according to sex were assessed.

Results

Saliva-based telomere length showed inverse associations with both physiology-based and DNA methylation-based aging biology biomarkers in blood. Longer saliva-based telomere length was associated with 1 to 4 years slower biological aging based on blood-based biomarkers with the highest magnitude being Weidner (β = - 3.97, P = 0.005), GrimAge (β = - 3.33, P < 0.001), and Lin (β = - 3.45, P = 0.008) biomarkers of DNA methylation.

Conclusions

There are strong connections between aging biology biomarkers in saliva and blood in older adults. Changes in telomere length vary with changes in DNA methylation and physiology biomarkers of aging biology. We observed variations in the relationship between each body system represented by physiology biomarkers and biological aging, particularly at the DNA methylation level. These observations provide novel opportunities for integration of both blood-based and saliva-based biomarkers in clinical care of vulnerable and clinically difficult to reach populations where either or both tissues would be accessible for clinical monitoring purposes.

[A study on alveolar ridge augmentation guided by orthodontic forced eruption in patients with severe periodontitis]

Objective: To evaluate the clinical effect of alveolar bone augmentation in teeth with severe periodontitis using orthodontic forced eruption. Methods: Twelve patients (5 males and 7 females) with severe periodontitis and malocclusion who visited the Department of Orthodontics and Department of Periodontology, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology from October 2018 to May 2022 were included in this retrospective study. The age was (38.8±6.6) years (24-49 years). A total of 16 maxillary incisors that could not be retained due to severe periodontitis were included. The orthodontic fixed appliance was used to extrude the teeth. Cone-beam CT (CBCT) images of the patients before and after orthodontic forced eruption were collected. The voxel-based registration was used to superpose the images before and after orthodontic forced eruption. The height, thickness, and apical alveolar bone area were measured on the sagittal plane. The alveolar bone volume before and after orthodontic forced eruption was measured using three-dimensional reconstruction technique, and the influencing factors related to the alveolar volume change were analyzed. Results: The results of this study showed that the eruption distance of the teeth was (2.37±0.82) mm, and the alveolar bone height increased by (1.11±0.79) and (0.98±0.79) mm (t=3.73, P=0.010; t=4.85, P<0.001). The proximal and distal alveolar bone height increased by (1.10±0.78) and (0.86±1.08) mm, respectively (t=5.59, P<0.001; t=3.18, P=0.006). The alveolar bone thickness decreased (0.30±0.31) mm (t=-3.75, P=0.002) and alveolar bone area increased (6.84±5.86) mm2 (t=3.71, P<0.001). The alveolar bone volume increased (53±49) mm3 (t=4.38, P<0.001). The alveolar bone volume was moderately positively correlated with eruption distance, apical and mesial alveolar bone thickness (r=0.55, P=0.028; r=0.63, P=0.008; r=0.67, P=0.005). Conclusions: Orthodontic forced eruption results in a favorable increase of the alveolar bone in the upper incisor that cannot be retained due to severe periodontitis, which provides better periodontal hard tissue conditions for subsequent dental implant.

Discovery of new strains for furfural degradation using adaptive laboratory evolution in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

In industrial production, the excessive discharge of furfural can pose harm to soil microorganisms, aquatic animals and plants, as well as humans. Therefore, it is crucial to develop efficient and cost-effective methods for degrading furfural in the environment. Currently, the use of Saccharomyces cerevisiae for furfural degradation in water has shown effectiveness, but there is a need to explore improved efficiency and tolerance in S. cerevisiae for this purpose. In this study, we isolated and evolved highly efficient furfural degradation strains, namely YBA_08 and F60C. These strains exhibited remarkable capabilities, degrading 59% and 99% furfural in the YPD medium after 72 h of incubation, significantly higher than the 31% achieved by the model strain S288C. Through analysis of the efficient degradation mechanism in the evolutionary strain F60C, we discovered a 326% increase in the total amount of NADH and NADPH. This increase likely promotes faster furfural degradation through intracellular aldehyde reductases. Moreover, the decrease in NADPH content led to a 406% increase in glutathione content at the background level, which protects cells from damage caused by reactive oxygen species. Mutations and differential expression related to cell cycle and cell wall synthesis were observed, enabling cell survival in the presence of furfural and facilitating rapid furfural degradation and growth recovery. Based on these findings, it is speculated that strains YBA_08 and F60C have the potential to contribute to furfural degradation in water and the production of furfuryl alcohol, ethanol, and FDCA in biorefinery processes.

A photo-controlled, all-solid, and frequency-tunable ultra-wideband pulse generator

With the continuous exploration of the bioelectric effect, nanosecond and picosecond pulsed electric fields used in cancer therapy and drug introduction have attracted great attention. In this paper, an ultrashort pulsed electric field generator is proposed, which connects two photoconductive semiconductor switches in parallel to generate unipolar and bipolar pulses. We described the experimental scheme of the generator and the simulation of the radio frequency combiner. A 532 nm laser with pulse widths of 1 ns and 500 ps is used to trigger the photoconductive semiconductor switches. The experimental results show that the scheme can achieve adjustments of 357 and 720 MHz for the center frequency and the 3 dB bandwidth, respectively. The results confirm that this proposed scheme can be used for unipolar/bipolar frequency-adjustable ultra-wideband pulse generation.

A Comparative Population-Based Study of Tracheal and Lung Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Thoracic adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is very rare, and its clinicopathological characteristics, treatment and prognosis have not been fully elucidated. Previous studies did not differentiate between tracheal and lung lesions.

MATERIALS/METHODS

We identified tracheal ACC (TACC) and lung and bronchus ACC (LACC) patients from our cancer center (from 2005 to 2022) and the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database (from 2000 to 2009). Incidence was calculated and trends were quantified. Significant prognostic factors for overall survival (OS) were reviewed and analyzed by using Cox proportional hazards regression. Then, two nomograms predicting OS of TACC and LACC were constructed based on the SEER database and validated externally by using the separate cohort.

RESULTS

There was an upward trend from 2000 to 2019 for LACC while a downward trend from 2000 to 2009 was shown for TACC. Totally, 55 TACC and 25 LACC were included in our cohort, 121 TACC and 162 LACC included in the SEER cohort. There were larger tumor sizes, more lymph nodes and distant metastases for LACC patients than TACC patients. The proportion of patients receiving radiotherapy were higher for TACC than LACC. More patients with TACC received surgery and perioperative radiotherapy than those with LACC. Patients with LACC had significantly worse OS than patients with TACC (SEER cohort: 93.7 mons vs. 127.0 mons, p = 0.001, our cohort: 72.2 months vs. 130.8months, p = 0.061). Age, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis and radiation and/or surgery were identified as independent prognostic factors for OS of TACC. Laterality, distant metastasis and surgery were identified for LACC. The discrimination of the nomogram revealed good prognostic accuracy and clinical applicability as indicated by C-index values of 0.753 and 0.833 for the training cohort and the external validation cohort for TACC, and 0.739 and 0.786 for LACC.

CONCLUSION

TACC and LACC are different in incidence, clinical features, prognosis. Compared with LACC, radiotherapy combined with surgery is more important for TACC. Two nomograms were established for TACC and LACC respectively to help physicians make more individualized survival predictions and clinical decisions.

Effect of polylactic acid microplastics and lead on the growth and physiological characteristics of buckwheat

Microplastics (MPs) and heavy metals are common, often co-existing pollutants, that threaten crop growth and productivity worldwide. We analysed the adsorption of lead ions (Pb2+) to polylactic acid MPs (PLA-MPs) and their single factor and combined effects on tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum L. Gaertn.) in hydroponics by measuring changes in the growth characteristics, antioxidant enzyme activities and Pb2+ uptake of buckwheat in response to PLA-MPs and Pb2+. PLA-MPs adsorbed Pb2+, and the better fitting second-order adsorption model implied that Pb2+ was adsorbed by chemisorption. However, the similar Pb2+ contents in the plants treated with Pb2+ only and those treated with the combined PLA-MPs-Pb2+ suggested that the adsorption played no role in the uptake of Pb2+. Low concentrations of PLA-MPs promoted shoot length. At high concentrations of both PLA-MPs and Pb2+, buckwheat growth was inhibited, and leaf peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents were higher than in the control. No significant differences were observed in seedling growth between exposure to Pb2+ only and combined exposure to PLA-MPs with Pb2+, implying that PLA-MPs did not increase the toxicity of Pb2+ at macroscopic level. POD activity was higher and chlorophyll content was lower with PLA-MPs in the low Pb2+ dose treatments, suggesting that PLA-MPs may increase the toxicity of naturally occurring Pb2+. However, the conclusions must be verified in controlled experiments in natural soil conditions over the whole cultivation period of buckwheat.

Effects of Vascular Risk Factors on the Association of Blood-Based Biomarkers with Alzheimer's Disease

Background

Comorbidities may influence the levels of blood-based biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease (AD). We investigated whether differences in risk factors or comorbid conditions might explain the discordance between clinical diagnosis and biomarker classifications in a multi-ethnic cohort of elderly individuals.

Aims

To evaluate the relationship of medical conditions and other characteristics, including body mass index (BMI), vascular risk factors, and head injury, with cognitive impairment and blood-based biomarkers of AD, phosphorylated tau (P-tau 181, P-tau 217), in a multi-ethnic cohort.

Methods

Three-hundred individuals, aged 65 and older, were selected from a prospective community-based cohort for equal representation among three racial/ethnic groups: non-Hispanic White, Hispanic/Latino and African American/Black. Participants were classified into four groups based on absence (Asym) or presence (Sym) of cognitive impairment and low (NEG) or high (POS) P-tau 217 or P-tau 181 levels, determined previously in the same cohort: (Asym/NEG, Asym/POS, Sym/NEG, Sym/POS). We examined differences in individual characteristics across the four groups. We performed post-hoc analysis examining the differences across biomarker and cognitive status.

Results

P-tau 217 or P-tau 181 positive individuals had lower BMI than P-tau negative participants, regardless of symptom status. Symptomatic and asymptomatic participants did not differ in terms of BMI. BMI was not a mediator of the effect of P-tau 217 or P-tau 181 on dementia. Frequencies of other risk factors did not differ between the four groups of individuals.

Conclusions

Participants with higher levels of P-tau 217 or P-tau 181 consistent with AD had lower BMI regardless of whether the individual was symptomatic. These findings suggest that weight loss may change with AD biomarker levels before onset of cognitive decline. They do not support BMI as a confounding variable. Further longitudinal studies could explore the relationship of risk factors with clinical diagnoses and biomarkers.

A comparison of reward processing during Becker-DeGroot-Marschak and Vickrey auctions: An ERP study

Vickrey auctions (VA) and Becker-DeGroot-Marschak auctions (BDM) are strategically equivalent demand-revealing mechanisms, differentiated only by a human opponent in the VA, and a random-number-generator opponent in the BDM. Game parameters are such that players are incentivized to reveal their private subjective values (SV) and behavior should be identical in both tasks. However, this has been repeatedly shown not to be the case. In this study, the neural correlates of outcome feedback processing during VA and BDM were directly compared using electroencephalography. Twenty-eight healthy participants bid for household products which were then divided into high- and low-SV categories. The VA included a human opponent deception to induce a social environment, while in reality a random-number-generator was used in both tasks. A P3 component peaking at 336 ms over midline parietal sites showed more positive amplitudes for high bid values, and for win outcomes in the VA but not the BDM. Both auctions also elicited a Reward Positivity potential, maximal at 275 ms along the central midline electrodes, that was not modulated by auction task or SV. Further, an exploratory N170 potential in the right occipitotemporal electrodes and a vertex positive potential component were stronger in the VA relative to the BDM. Results point to an enhanced cortical response to bid outcomes during VA task in a potential component associated with emotional control, and to the occurrence of face-sensitive potentials in VA but not in BDM auction. These findings suggest modulation of bid outcome processing by the social-competitive aspect of auction tasks. Directly comparing two prominent auction paradigms affords the opportunity to isolate the impact of social environment on competitive, risky decision-making. Findings suggest that feedback processing as early as 176 ms is facilitated by the presence of a human competitor, and later processing is modulated by social context and subjective value.

Directional atherectomy combined with drug-coated balloon angioplasty for superficial femoral arteriosclerosis obliterans

INTRODUCTION

This study is an analysis of the therapeutic effects of directional atherectomy combined with drug-coated balloon angioplasty (DA+DCB) in treating superficial femoral arteriosclerosis obliterans.

METHODS

Patients in our hospital with superficial femoral arteriosclerosis obliterans who received DA+DCB during the period June 2016 to February 2019 were identified retrospectively. Preoperative demographics, operative details and postoperative follow-up outcomes were analysed statistically.

RESULTS

Between June 2016 and February 2019, 48 patients were enrolled in this retrospective study. The average age of the patients was 66.85 ± 11.28 years; 83.3% of the patients were male. During the procedure, flow-limiting dissection occurred frequently (9/48 patients) and there were six bailout stent implantations owing to flow-limiting dissections. The incidence rate of target artery thrombosis was 4.2% (2/48). There was no vessel perforation, embolism or operation-related death. The technical success rate was estimated at 100%. The mean ankle-brachial index of the patients was 0.54 ± 0.28 before the operation and 0.93 ± 0.13 before discharge (p < 0.0001). The mean follow-up time was 19.6 ± 9.0 months. The primary patency rate was 89.4%, 82.4% and 76.5% at 12, 24 and 36 months. The freedom from target lesion revascularisation (TLR) was 97.9%, 93.8% and 84.4% at 12, 24 and 36 months.

CONCLUSION

The use of DA+DCB showed good clinical benefit for superficial femoral arteriosclerosis obliterans, which had good primary patency and freedom from TLR. Multicentre randomised controlled trials with long-term follow-up are needed.

[Summary of the best evidence on exercise for the prevention and treatment of diabetic foot]

Objective: To summarize the best evidence on exercise for the prevention and treatment of diabetic foot. Methods: A bibliometric approach was used. Systematic searches were carried out to retrieve all the publicly published evidences till July 2022 on exercise for the prevention and treatment of diabetic foot, including guidelines, evidence summary, recommended practices, expert consensus, systematic review, and original research, from foreign language databases including BMJ Best Practice, UpToDate, Joanna Briggs Institute Evidence-Based Practice Database, Cochrane Library, Embase, PubMed, Guideline International Network, National Guideline Clearinghouse, Chinese databases including China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Database, VIP Database, China Biology Medicine disc, China Clinical Guidelines Library, and the official websites of relevant academic organizations including National Institute for Health and Care Excellence of the United Kingdom, Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario of Canada, the International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot, International Diabetes Federation, American College of Sports Medicine, American Diabetes Association, and Chinese Diabetes Society. The literature was screened and evaluated for the quality, from which the evidences were extracted and evaluated to summarize the best evidences. Results: Nine guidelines, three expert consensuses, one evidence summary (with two systematic reviews being traced), two systematic reviews, 6 randomized controlled trials were retrieved and included, with good quality of literature. Totally 33 pieces of best evidences on exercise for the prevention and treatment of diabetic foot were summarized from the aspects of appropriate exercise prevention of diabetic foot, exercise therapy of diabetic foot, precautions for exercise, health education, and establishment of a multidisciplinary limb salvage team. Conclusions: Totally 33 pieces of best evidences on exercise for the prevention and treatment of diabetic foot were summarized from 5 aspects, providing decision-making basis for clinical guidance on exercise practice for patients with diabetic foot.

[An improved 4-vessel intermittent occlusion method for establishing rat models of global cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury]

OBJECTIVE

To improve the classical 4-vessel occlusion (4VO) model established by Pulsinelli and Brierley.

METHODS

Thirty-two male SD rats were randomized into sham operation group, I4VO-Con10 group, I4VO-Int10 group and I4VO-Int15 group. The sham surgery group underwent exposure of the bilateral vertebral arteries and carotid arteries without occlusion to block blood flow. The I4VO-Con10 group experienced continuous ischemia by occluding the bilateral vertebral arteries and carotid arteries for 10 minutes followed by reperfusion for 24 hours. The I4VO-Int10 and I4VO-Int15 groups were subjected to intermittent ischemia. The I4VO- Int10 group underwent 5 minutes of ischemia, followed by 5 minutes of reperfusion and another 5 minutes of ischemia, and then reperfusion for 24 hours. The I4VO-Int15 group experienced 5 minutes of ischemia followed by two cycles of 5 minutes of reperfusion and 5 minutes of ischemia, and then reperfusion for 24 hours. The regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was monitored with laser Doppler scanning, and survival of the rats was observed. HE staining was used to observe hippocampal pathologies to determine the optimal method for modeling. Another 48 rats were randomized into 6 groups, including a sham operation group and 5 model groups established using the optimal method. The 5 I4VO model groups were further divided based on the reperfusion time points (1, 3, 7, 14, and 28 days) into I4VO-D1, I4VO-D3, I4VO-D7, I4VO- D14, and I4VO- D28 groups. Body weight changes and survival of the rats were recorded. HE staining was used to observe morphological changes in the hippocampal, retinal and optic tract tissues. The Y-maze test and light/dark box test were used to evaluate cognitive and visual functions of the rats in I4VO-D28 group.

RESULTS

Occlusion for 5 min for 3 times at the interval of 5 min was the optimal method for 4VO modeling. In the latter 48 rats, the body weight was significantly lower than that of the sham-operated rats at 1, 3, 7, 14 and 28 days after modeling without significant difference in survival rate among the groups. The rats with intermittent vessel occlusion exhibited progressive deterioration of hippocampal neuronal injury and neuronal loss. Cognitive impairment was observed in the rats in I4VO-D28 group, but no obvious ischemic injury of the retina or the optic tract was detected.

CONCLUSION

The improved 4VO model can successfully mimic the main pathological processes of global cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury without causing visual impairment in rats.

Measurement of Direct-Photon Cross Section and Double-Helicity Asymmetry at sqrt[s]=510 GeV in p[over →]+p[over →] Collisions

We present measurements of the cross section and double-helicity asymmetry A_{LL} of direct-photon production in p[over →]+p[over →] collisions at sqrt[s]=510  GeV. The measurements have been performed at midrapidity (|η|<0.25) with the PHENIX detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. At relativistic energies, direct photons are dominantly produced from the initial quark-gluon hard scattering and do not interact via the strong force at leading order. Therefore, at sqrt[s]=510  GeV, where leading-order-effects dominate, these measurements provide clean and direct access to the gluon helicity in the polarized proton in the gluon-momentum-fraction range 0.02<x<0.08, with direct sensitivity to the sign of the gluon contribution.

Study on diversity, nitrogen-fixing capacity, and heavy metal tolerance of culturable Pongamia pinnata rhizobia in the vanadium-titanium magnetite tailings

Introduction

The diversity, nitrogen-fixing capacity and heavy metal tolerance of culturable rhizobia in symbiotic relationship with Pongamia pinnata surviving in vanadium (V) - titanium (Ti) magnetite (VTM) tailings is still unknown, and the rhizobia isolates from the extreme barren VTM tailings contaminated with a variety of metals would provide available rhizobia resources for bioremediation.

Methods

P. pinnata plants were cultivated in pots containing the VTM tailings until root nodules formed, and then culturable rhizobia were isolated from root nodules. The diversity, nitrogen-fixing capacity and heavy metal tolerance of rhizobia were performed.

Results

Among 57 rhizobia isolated from these nodules, only twenty strains showed different levels of tolerance to copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), manganese (Mn) and zinc (Zn), especially strains PP1 and PP76 showing high tolerance against these four heavy metals. Based on the phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA and four house-keeping genes (atpD, recA, rpoB, glnII), twelve isolates were identified as Bradyrhizobium pachyrhizi, four as Ochrobactrum anthropic, three as Rhizobium selenitireducens and one as Rhizobium pisi. Some rhizobia isolates showed a high nitrogen-fixing capacity and promoted P. pinnata growth by increasing nitrogen content by 10%-145% in aboveground plant part and 13%-79% in the root. R. pachyrhizi PP1 showed the strongest capacity of nitrogen fixation, plant growth promotion and resistance to heavy metals, which provided effective rhizobia strains for bioremediation of VTM tailings or other contaminated soils. This study demonstrated that there are at least three genera of culturable rhizobia in symbiosis with P. pinnata in VTM tailings.

Discussion

Abundant culturable rhizobia with the capacity of nitrogen fixation, plant growth promotion and resistance to heavy metals survived in VTM tailings, indicating more valuable functional microbes could be isolated from extreme soil environments such as VTM tailings.

MHC class II antigen presentation by intestinal epithelial cells fine-tunes bacteria-reactive CD4 T cell responses

Although intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) can express major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC II), especially during intestinal inflammation, it remains unclear if antigen presentation by IECs favours pro- or anti-inflammatory CD4⁺ T cell responses. Using selective gene ablation of MHC II in IECs and IEC organoid cultures, we assessed the impact of MHC II expression by IECs on CD4⁺ T cell responses and disease outcomes in response to enteric bacterial pathogens. We found that intestinal bacterial infections elicit inflammatory cues that greatly increase expression of MHC II processing and presentation molecules in colonic IECs. Whilst IEC MHC II expression had little impact on disease severity following Citrobacter rodentium or Helicobacter hepaticus infection, using a colonic IEC organoid-CD4⁺ T cell co-culture system, we demonstrate that IECs can activate antigen-specific CD4⁺ T cells in an MHC II-dependent manner, modulating both regulatory and effector Th cell subsets. Furthermore, we assessed adoptively transferred H. hepaticus-specific CD4⁺ T cells during intestinal inflammation in vivo and report that IEC MHC II expression dampens pro-inflammatory effector Th cells. Our findings indicate that IECs can function as non-conventional antigen presenting cells and that IEC MHC II expression fine-tunes local effector CD4⁺ T cell responses during intestinal inflammation.

[Immune function and research progress of pentraxin 3 in pulmonary infectious diseases]

Pentraxins3 (PTX3) is an acute-phase protein of the pentraxin family that is synthetized and stored in a variety of cells. As an important mediator of innate immunity, PTX3 is rapidly released during microbial invasion and inflammatory response. It promotes the recognition of pathogens by myeloid cells through regulating complement activation. Recent studies have indicated that PTX3 concentrations in peripheral blood or tissues increase rapidly after infection, and the increased level is associated with the severity of the disease. Thus, PTX3 appears to be a vital clinical biomarker in the diagnosis and prognosis of pulmonary infectious diseases.

Transcriptomic profiling revealed important roles of amino acid metabolism in fruiting body formation at different ripening times in Hypsizygus marmoreus

Introduction

Hypsizygus marmoreus is an industrial mushroom that is widely cultivated in East Asia. Its long postripening stage before fruiting severely limits its industrialized production.

Methods

Five different mycelial ripening times (30, 50, 70, 90, and 100 d) were chosen and primordia (30P, 50P, 70P, 90P, and 110P) were collected for comparative transcriptomic analyses. The corresponding substrates (30F, 50F, 70F, 90F, and 110F) were used for nutrient content and enzyme activity determination.

Results

In pairwise comparisons between 110P and other primordia, a total of 1,194, 977, 773, and 697 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in 30P_110P, 50P_110P, 70P_110P, and 90P_110P, respectively. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes Genomes (KEGG) functional enrichment analyses revealed that the DEGs were mainly associated with amino acid metabolism, and lipid and carbohydrate metabolism pathways. Tyrosine, tryptophan, phenylalanine and histidine metabolism were enriched in all groups. Among the main carbon nutrients, the contents of cellulose and hemicellulose were high, and the lignin content decreased with the extension of the ripening time. Laccase had the highest activity, and acid protease activity decreased with the extension of the ripening time.

Discussion

The highly enrichment for amino acid metabolic pathways in primordia reveals that these pathways are essential for fruiting body formation in H. marmoreus, and these results will provide a basis for the optimization of its cultivation.

[Opportunities and challenges for the high-quality development of hernia and abdominal wall surgery in China]

Hernia and abdominal wall surgery is a relatively new subspecialty in surgery. Although it started late in China, after 25 years of rapid development, it has made remarkable achievements and has become an important part of surgery, laying a solid foundation for the further development of the discipline. At the same time, one should also be soberly aware of the present deficiencies in this field. The development of the field should be more detailed and in-depth from the following aspects: correct understanding of new concepts of hernia and abdominal wall surgery, establishment of hernia patient registration and quality control system, technological innovation and development of technical equipment, especially the expansion of robot surgical systems, materials science progression to hernia and abdominal wall surgery. Faced with this challenge, China is expected to achieve high-quality development in the field of hernia and abdominal surgery.

A 2-Stage Root Analog Implant with Compact Structure, Uniform Roughness, and High Accuracy

Immediate implant placement has the advantages of shortening the operation time, reducing the treatment cycle and cost. At present, this technology has been used widely, but the indications of immediate implantation are still limited. Here, a novel type of root analog implant (RAI) was manufactured by selective laser melting technology to address the limitation. Under optimized condition, RAIs were printed with the internal density of 99.73% and the uniform surface roughness of 11 μm (Sa). Besides, the deviation between RAI specimen and design models is controlled within 0.15 mm after optimizing scanning parameters. The substrate printed could promote human bone marrow stromal cell proliferation, spreading, and osteogenic differentiation. The bone-implant contact (BIC, 75% ± 7%) and bone volume/total volume (BV/TV, 74% ± 7%) of RAIs were significantly higher than that of conventional implants (BIC, 66% ± 5%; BV/TV, 62% ± 5%) in in vivo experiments. Further, customized abutments were designed for the RAIs, improving the masticatory ability of the beagle dogs after crown restoration. This study aims to design a personalized 2-stage RAI with compact structure and uniform roughness, in order to achieve better fracture resistance, initial osseointegration efficiency, and dispersed stress in immediate implantation. It provides a certain guiding value for standardizing the manufacture and clinical application of RAI in immediate implantation.

The feasibility of a novel computer-aided classification system for the characterisation and diagnosis of breast masses on ultrasound: a single-centre preliminary test study

AIM

To introduce a novel computer-aided classification (CAC) system and investigate the feasibility of characterising and diagnosing breast masses on ultrasound (US).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 246 breast masses were included. US features and the final assessment categories of the breast masses were analysed by a radiologist and the CAC system according to the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) lexicon. The CAC system evaluated the BI-RADS assessment from the fusion of multi-view and colour Doppler US images without (SmartBreast) or with combining clinical variables (m-CAC system). The diagnostic performance and agreement of US characteristics between the radiologist and the CAC system were compared.

RESULTS

The agreement between the radiologist and the CAC system was substantial for mass shape (κ = 0.673), orientation (κ = 0.682), margin (κ = 0.622), posterior features (κ = 0.629), calcifications in a mass (κ = 0.709) and vascularity (κ = 0.745), fair for echo pattern (κ = 0.379), and moderate for BI-RADS assessment (κ = 0.575). With BI-RADS 4a as the cut-off value, the specificity (52.5% versus 25%, p<0.0001) and accuracy (73.98% versus 62.6%, p=0.0002) of the m-CAC system were improved without significant loss of sensitivity (94.44% versus 98.41%, p=0.1250) compared with the SmartBreast. The m-CAC system showed similar specificity (52.5% versus 45.83%, p=0.2430) and accuracy (73.98% versus 73.58%, p=1.0000) as the radiologist, but a lower sensitivity (94.44% versus 100%, p=0.0156).

CONCLUSION

The CAC system showed an acceptable agreement with the radiologist for characterisation of breast lesions. It has the potential to mimic the decision-making behaviour of radiologists for the classification of breast lesions.

Chelativorans petroleitrophicus sp. nov., a paraffin oil-degrading bacterium isolated from a mixture of oil-based drill cuttings and paddy soil

We isolated a paraffin oil-degrading bacterial strain from a mixture of oil-based drill cutting and paddy soil, and characterized the strain using a polyphasic approach. The Gram-positive, aerobic, rod-shaped and non-spore-forming strain (SCAU 2101^T) grew optimally at 50 °C, pH 7.0 and 0.5 % (w/v) NaCl. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence indicated that the strain represented a distinct clade in the genus Chelativorans, neighbouring Chelativorans intermedius LMG 28482^T (97.1 %). The genome size and DNA G+C content of the strain were 3 969 430 bp and 63.1 mol%, respectively. Whole genome based phylogenomic analyses showed that the average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values between strain SCAU 2101^T and C. intermedius LMG 28482^T were 77.5 and 21.2 %, respectively. The major respiratory quinone was Q-10. The dominant fatty acids were C_19 : 0 cyclo ω8c (50.6 %), summed feature 8 (C_18 : 1  ω7c and/or C_18 : 1  ω6c; 22.5 %) and C_18 : 0 (13.8 %). The polar lipids of the strain included phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylmonomethylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine and diphosphatidylglycerol. Based on the results, strain SCAU 2101^T was considered to represent a novel species in the genus Chelativorans, for which the name Chelativorans petroleitrophicus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is SCAU 2101^T (= CCTCC AB 2021125^T=KCTC 92067^T).

Polygenic indices for cognition in healthy aging; the role of brain measures

Background

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified large numbers of genetic variants associated with cognition. However, little is known about how these genetic discoveries impact cognitive aging.

Methods

We conducted polygenic-index (PGI) analysis of cognitive performance in n = 168 European-ancestry adults aged 20-80. We computed PGIs based on GWAS of cognitive performance in young/middle-aged and older adults. We tested associations of the PGI with cognitive performance, as measured through neuropsychological evaluation. We explored whether these associations were accounted for by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures of brain-aging phenotypes: total gray matter volume (GM), cortical thickness (CT), and white matter hyperintensities burden (WMH).

Results

Participants with higher PGI values performed better on cognitive tests (B = 0.627, SE = 0.196, p = 0.002) (age, sex, and principal components as covariates). Associations remained significant with inclusion of covariates for MRI measures of brain aging; B = 0.439, SE: 0.198, p = 0.028). PGI associations were stronger in young and middle-aged (age<65) as compared to older adults. For further validation, linear regression for Cog PGI and cognition in the fully adjusted model and adding the interaction between age group and Cog PGI, showed significant results (B = 0.892, SE: 0.325, p = 0.007) driven by young and middle-aged adults (B = -0.403, SE: 0.193, p = 0.039). In ancillary analysis, the Cognitive PGI was not associated with any of the brain measures.

Conclusions

Genetics discovered in GWAS of cognition are associated with cognitive performance in healthy adults across age, but most strongly in young and middle-aged adults. Associations were not explained by brain-structural markers of brain aging. Genetics uncovered in GWAS of cognitive performance may contribute to individual differences established relatively early in life and may not reflect genetic mechanisms of cognitive aging.

[Endoscopic transoral approach nasopharyngectomy for petroclival and jugular foramen nasopharyngeal carcinoma]

Objective: To describe a technique of endoscopic transoral approach nasopharyngectomy for petroclival and jugular foramen nasopharyngeal carcinoma, based on anatomic studies and surgeries. Methods: Three dry human skulls and five fresh human cadaver heads were used for anatomic study of a endoscopic transoral approach to expose petroclival and jugular foramen. The anatomical landmarks and the extent of exposure were recorded. Six clinical cases who were treated in Eye & ENT Hospital, Fudan University from June 2020 to April 2022 were used to illustrate the technique and feasibility of this approach and to assess its indications and advantages, including 3 males and 3 females, aged 42 to 69 years old. Descriptive analysis was used in this research. Results: On the basis of the preservation of the internal pterygoid muscle and the external pterygoid muscle, this approach could fully expose the parapharyngeal, petrosal and paraclival segment internal carotid arteries, and safely deal with the lesions of jugular foramen and petroclival region. The 6 patients in our study tolerated the procedure well. Postoperative enhanced MRI showed complete resection of the tumor and no postoperative masticatory dysfunction. Conclusion: Endoscopic transoral approach is a safe, minimally invasive and effective surgical treatment for petroclival and jugular foramen recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

UCHL1 Impairs Periodontal Ligament Stem Cell Osteogenesis in Periodontitis

Periodontitis comprises a series of inflammatory responses resulting in alveolar bone loss. The suppression of osteogenesis of periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) by inflammation is responsible for impaired alveolar bone regeneration, which remains an ongoing challenge for periodontitis therapy. Ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCHL1) belongs to the family of deubiquitinating enzymes, which was found to play roles in inflammation previously. In this study, the upregulation of UCHL1 was identified in inflamed PDLSCs isolated from periodontitis patients and in healthy PDLSCs treated with tumor necrosis factor-α or interleukin-1β, and the higher expression level of UCHL1 was accompanied with the impaired osteogenesis of PDLSCs. Then UCHL1 was inhibited in PDLSCs using the lentivirus or inhibitor, and the osteogenesis of PDLSCs suppressed by inflammation was rescued by UCHL1 inhibition. Mechanistically, the negative effect of UCHL1 on the osteogenesis of PDLSCs was attributable to its negative regulation of mitophagy-dependent bone morphogenetic protein 2/Smad signaling pathway in periodontitis-associated inflammation. Furthermore, a ligature-induced murine periodontitis model was established, and the specific inhibitor of UCHL1 was administrated to periodontitis mice. The histological results showed increased active osteoblasts on alveolar bone surface and enhanced alveolar bone regeneration when UCHL1 was inhibited in periodontitis mice. Besides, the therapeutic effects of UCHL1 inhibition on ameliorating periodontitis were verified, as indicated by less bone loss and reduced inflammation. Altogether, our study proved UCHL1 to be a key negative regulator of the osteogenesis of PDLSCs in periodontitis and suggested that UCHL1 inhibition holds promise for alveolar bone regeneration in periodontitis treatment.

Aging-induced down-regulation of Pka/Bkca pathway in rat cerebral arteries

The incidence of cerebrovascular diseases increases significantly with aging. This study aimed to test the hypothesis that aging may influence the protein kinase A (PKA)-dependent vasodilation via RyR/BKCa pathway in the middle cerebral arteries (MCA). Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into control (4-6 month-old) and aged (24-month-old) groups. The functions of MCA and ion channel activities in smooth muscle cells were examined using myograph system and patch-clamp. Aging decreased the isoproterenol/forskolin-induced relaxation in the MCA. Large-conductance Ca2+-activated-K+ (BKCa) channel inhibitor, iberiotoxin, significantly attenuated the forskolin-induced vasodilatation and hyperpolarization in the young group, but not in the aged group. The amplitude and frequency of spontaneous transient outward currents (STOCs) were significantly decreased in the aged group. Single channel recording revealed that the mean open time of BKCa channels were decreased, while an increased mean closed time of BKCa channels were found in the aged group. The Ca2+/voltage sensitivity of the channels was decreased accompanied by reduced BKCa α and β1-subunit, the expression of RyR2, PKA-Cα and PKA-Cβ subunits were also declined in the aged group. Aging induced down-regulation of PKA/BKCa pathway in cerebral artery in rats. The results provides new information on further understanding in cerebrovascular diseases resulted from age-related cerebral vascular dysfunction.

Investigating the mechanism of interactive regulation of B-cell lymphoma-2/Beclin 1 through electroacupuncture intervention during reperfusion in myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury in a rat model

To observe the regulation of B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2)/Beclin 1 interaction through electroacupuncture (EA) intervention during reperfusion and to investigate the EA mechanism of apoptosis-autophagy interactive regulation against myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI). A total of 48 adult Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into the sham-operated group (group Sham), the model group (group Model), the EA group (group EA), and the JNK inhibitor (SP600125) group (group JNK), with 12 rats in each group. Biospecimens were collected randomly from six rats in each group four hours after reperfusion. Evans Blue and triphenyl tetrazolium chloride double-staining were applied to observe each group's myocardial damage area and risk area. We collected 4 ml of blood by abdominal aortic method to detect serum troponin cTnI level by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). For the remaining six in each group, a part of myocardial tissue below the ligation line was stored in 4% paraformaldehyde for immunohistochemistry and TUNEL staining; the other amount of myocardial tissue was detected by Western blotting to determine the expression levels of Bcl-2, Beclin1, and the phosphorylation levels of Thr69, Ser70, and Ser87 in Bcl-2. In results: electroacupuncture (EA) intervention during reperfusion significantly reduced the myocardial infarction area, cTnI level, and myocardial apoptosis, upregulated Bcl-2 expression, downregulated Beclin 1 expression and inhibited phosphorylation levels of Thr69, Ser70, and Ser87 in Bcl-2. We concluded that EA effectively inhibited apoptosis by upregulating Bcl-2 expression and inhibiting the phosphorylation of Thr69, Ser70, and Ser87 in Bcl-2. This reduced the separation of Bcl-2 and Beclin 1, restrains excessive autophagy, alleviates MIRI, and has a protective effect on myocardial tissue.

[Clinical efficacy and safety of endobronchial one-way valves for the treatment of bronchopleural fistula]

Objective: To investigate the efficacy and safety of interventional endobronchial one-way valves (EBV) for the treatment of peripheral bronchopleural fistula (BPF). Methods: A total of 33 patients with peripheral BPF who underwent EBV implantation in Endoscopy Center of Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital from August 2017 to December 2021 were selected as the research objects. All the patients were diagnosed with peripheral BPF before the implantation surgery. The detailed medical records of the patients were collected, and the etiology, lesion location, treatment method and operation process, treatment efficacy and postoperative complications were analyzed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of EBV implantation. Results: Of the 33 patients in our study, 26 were male and 7 were female. The median age was 54.7 (28-86) years. There were 18 cases of BPF after thoracic surgery (54.5%), 6 cases of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease complicated with spontaneous pneumothorax (18.2%), and 12 cases of pulmonary tuberculosis and non-tuberculous mycobacterial infection with spontaneous pneumothorax (36.4%). A total of 63 valves were inserted in the 33 cases, and a maximum of valves and at least one were inserted in a single case. The lesions were located in the right lower lobe in 16 cases (48.5%) and the left upper lobe in 12 cases (36.4%). Of the 33 patients undergoing EBV placement, 22 (66.7%) were successful, with chest drainage tube indwelling duration of (88.5±36.6) days and (29.6±11.4) days, respectively, before and after EBV treatment. The time from EBV placement to successful withdrawal of EBV was (102.2±31.3) days. During a postoperative follow-up of 6 months after EBV treatment, the main complications were 29 cases with attachment of secretions to the EBV (90.6%) and 13 cases (40.6%) with mild granulation proliferation. In addition, there were five patients with moderate to severe granulation proliferation (15.6%), one with valve displacement or shedding (3.1%), and one with bleeding (3.1%). Conclusions: In this study, the success rate of EBV placement and occlusion was 66.7%. Transbronchoscopic EBV placement in the treatment of peripheral BPF is a effective treatment with relatively minor complications.

[The application of temporalis muscle flap in the salvage nasopharyngectomy for advanced recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma]

Objective: To summarize the application of temporalis muscle flap in the salvage nasopharyngectomy for advanced recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma (rNPC), and to provide guidance for the repair of extensive skull base defects in salvage rNPC. Methods: A total of 54 patients with the application of temporalis muscle flap in the salvage nasopharyngectomy for advanced rNPC were retrospectively analyzed, including 42 males and 12 females, aging from 29 to 71 years. There were 36 patients with rT3 and 18 patients with rT4. The surgical methods of temporalis muscle flap repair were summarized. The general situation, survival time and postoperative complications of patients were recorded, and the advantages and disadvantages of temporalis muscle flap were discussed. Results: The temporal muscle flap could completely cover the defect area of nasopharynx and skull base, without the need for other autologous repair materials. The follow-up period was 2 to 28 months. The survival rate of temporalis flap was 98.1% (53/54). The 1-year overall survival rate was 84.5% while 1-year progression-free survival rate was 49.0%. None of the patients had facial nerve injury. Three patients (5.6%) had necrosis of the cranial membrane required surgical intervention and four patients (7.4%) required a chonoplasty due to severe chonostril stenosis or chonostril atresia. Eleven cases (20.4%) had mouth opening restriction, chewing weakness, dysphagia and other eating difficulties. Conclusions: Temporalis muscle flap is an alternative flap for the salvage nasopharyngectomy for advanced rNPC. Temporal muscle flap shows high survival rate and wide coverage, but the surgeon should apprehend the possible complications and reduce the occurrence of them.

[Management and short-term outcomes of neonates born to mothers infected with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant]

Objective: To summarize the management and short-term outcomes of neonates delivered by mothers infected with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. Methods: A retrospective study was performed on 158 neonates born to mothers infected with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant admitted to the isolation ward of Children's Hospital of Fudan University from March 15^th, 2022 to May 30^th, 2022. The postnatal infection control measures for these neonates, and their clinical characteristics and short-term outcomes were analyzed. They were divided into maternal symptomatic group and maternal asymptomatic group according to whether their mothers had SARS-CoV-2 symptoms. The clinical outcomes were compared between the 2 groups using Rank sum test and Chi-square test. Results: All neonates were under strict infection control measures at birth and after birth. Of the 158 neonates, 75 (47.5%) were male. The gestational age was (38⁺³±1⁺³) weeks and the birth weight was (3 201±463)g. Of the neonates included, ten were preterm (6.3%) and the minimum gestational age was 30⁺¹ weeks. Six neonates (3.8%) had respiratory difficulty and 4 of them were premature and required mechanical ventilation. All 158 neonates were tested negative for SARS-COV-2 nucleic acid by daily nasal swabs for the first 7 days. A total of 156 mothers (2 cases of twin pregnancy) infected with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, the time from confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection to delivery was 7 (3, 12) days. Among them, 88 cases (56.4%) showed clinical symptoms, but none needed intensive care treatment. The peripheral white blood cell count of the neonates in maternal symptomatic group was significantly higher than that in maternal symptomatic group (23.0 (18.7, 28.0) × 10⁹ vs. 19.6 (15.4, 36.6) × 10⁹/L, Z=2.44, P<0.05). Conclusions: Neonates of mothers infected with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant during third trimester have benign short-term outcomes, without intrauterine infection through vertical transmission. Strict infection control measures at birth and after birth can effectively protect these neonates from SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Excimer laser atherectomy combined with drug-coated balloon angioplasty for the treatment of femoropopliteal arteriosclerosis obliterans

INTRODUCTION

It has been reported that excimer laser atherectomy combined with a drug-coated balloon (ELA+DCB) can achieve better results than simple balloon angioplasty, especially for the treatment of femoropopliteal in-stent restenosis. However, reports on the application of ELA+DCB in China for femoropopliteal arteriosclerosis obliterans are lacking. This study focuses on analysing the effectiveness and safety of ELA+DCB.

METHODS

This was a single-centre retrospective study that enrolled patients from November 2016 to January 2019 who had femoropopliteal arteriosclerosis obliterans treated by ELA+DCB. Preoperative demographics, operative details and postoperative follow-up outcomes were analysed statistically.

RESULTS

There were 43 patients with an average patient age of 68.0±8.6 years; 79.1% were male. In 30 cases, the lesions were de novo and the others were in-stent restenosis (ISR). During the procedure, flow-limiting dissection (48.8%) was the main adverse event and there were 17 bailout stent implantations due to dissection. Mean (±sd) ankle-brachial index (ABI) in the patients was 0.42±0.31 before the operation and 0.83±0.13 before discharge. The mean (±sd) follow-up time was 29.35±9.71 months. The primary patency rate was 66.8%, 64.3% and 60.9% at 12, 24 and 36 months. Freedom from target lesion revascularisation (TLR) was 85.7%, 80.7% and 75.3% at 12, 24 and 36 months. Rutherford categories also greatly improved during follow-up. Overall mortality was 6.9% (3/48), and no deaths were related to the intervention.

CONCLUSION

The use of ELA+DCB had good clinical benefit for femoropopliteal arteriosclerosis obliterans, which had good primary patency and freedom from TLR, although intraoperative complications still required attention. Multicentre randomised controlled trials with long-term follow-up are needed.

Short-term responses of soil nutrients, heavy metals and microbial community to partial substitution of chemical fertilizer with spent mushroom substrates (SMS)

Currently, many spent mushroom substrates (SMS) are produced each year, which have the great potential to replace partial chemical fertilizer in agricultural production due to the high content of organic matter in SMS. However, how the replacement of chemical fertilizer by different SMS affected soil nutrients and contamination was less reported. Therefore, this study applied Enoki mushroom substrates (EMR), Agaricus bisporus substrates (ABR), or Auricularia auricula substrates (AAR) to replace 25 % chemical fertilizers (based on N fertilizer) with understanding the role of SMS replacement in affecting soil nutrients, heavy metals, and microbial community via the short-term field study, respectively. Compared to chemical fertilizer (CF), the contents of organic matter (OM), total P (TP), and K (TK) in SMS replaced soils were significantly increased by 1.96-4.22, 0.08-0.12, and 0.03-0.53 g kg^-1, respectively. Among three SMS replacements, AAR demonstrated the highest increment of soil nutrients. On the other hand, EMR and ABR replacements reduced the contents of total and acid-soluble Cd, Pb, and As by 7.94-30.32 % and 0-31.61 % in soils relative to CF, respectively. Unlike EMR and ABR, AAR reduced 11.08-16.04 % of total Cd, Pb, and As but increased 62.58 % acid-soluble As in soils. Furthermore, it was found that all SMS replacements increased the relative abundance of Proteobacteria, while ABR also increased the relative abundance of Actinobacteria in soils compared to CF. Besides, EMR and ABR replacements increased the relative abundance of Mortierellomycota relative to CF. Finally, it can be known that partial replacement of chemical fertilizer by SMS could elevate soil nutrients (especially AAR) and reduce heavy metals (especially EMR), which further improved microbial diversity and community composition. This study provides information on applying SMS to replace partial chemical fertilizer to elevate nutrients and reduce heavy metals contamination.

Enhanced Effects of Iron on Mycelial Growth, Metabolism and In Vitro Antioxidant Activity of Polysaccharides from Lentinula edodes

The polysaccharides found in Lentinula edodes have a variety of medicinal properties, such as anti-tumor and anti-viral effects, but their content in L. edodes sporophores is very low. In this study, Fe2+ was added to the liquid fermentation medium of L. edodes to analyze its effects on mycelial growth, polysaccharide and enzyme production, gene expression, and the activities of enzymes involved in polysaccharide biosynthesis, and in vitro antioxidation of polysaccharides. The results showed that when 200 mg/L of Fe2+ was added, with 7 days of shaking at 150 rpm and 3 days of static culture, the biomass reached its highest value (0.28 mg/50 mL) 50 days after the addition of Fe2+. Besides, Fe2+ addition also enhanced intracellular polysaccharide (IPS) and exopolysaccharide (EPS) productions, the levels of which were 2.98- and 1.79-fold higher than the control. The activities of the enzymes involved in polysaccharides biosynthesis, including phosphoglucomutase (PGM), phosphoglucose isomerase (PGI), and UDPG-pyrophosphorylase (UGP) were also increased under Fe2+ addition. Maximum PGI activity reached 1525.20 U/mg 30 days after Fe2+ addition, whereas PGM and UGP activities reached 3607.05 U/mg and 3823.27 U/mg 60 days after Fe2+ addition, respectively. The Pearson correlation coefficient showed a strong correlation (p < 0.01) between IPS production and PGM and UGP activities. The corresponding coding genes of the three enzymes were also upregulated. When evaluating the in vitro antioxidant activities of polysaccharides, EPS from all Fe2+-treated cultures exhibited significantly better capacity (p < 0.05) for scavenging -OH radicals. The results of the two-way ANOVA indicated that the abilities of polysaccharides to scavenge O2− radicals were significantly (p < 0.01) affected by Fe2+ concentration and incubation time. These results indicated that the addition of iron provided a good way to achieve desirable biomass, polysaccharide production, and the in vitro antioxidation of polysaccharides from L. edodes.

Culture dependent and independent characterization of endophytic bacteria in the seeds of highland barley

Endophytes in the seeds of plants have shown plant growth promoting (PGP) properties. Highland barley is an economically important crop and a major part of the local diet in the Tibetan Plateau, China, with potential health benefits. We applied culture-dependent and culture-independent methods to study endophytic bacteria in the seeds of eight Highland barley varieties. Based on the seed properties, the variety Ali was clearly separated from the other varieties except the variety CM. Most of the 86 isolates were assigned into genus Bacillus. Approximately half of the isolates showed PGP properties in vitro. Compared to the not-inoculated plants, inoculation with the isolate Bacillus tequilensis LZ-9 resulted in greater length and number of roots, and in bigger aboveground and root weights. Based on the 16S rRNA gene sequencing, the seed microbiome was majorly affiliated with the phylum Proteobacteria and the family Enterobacteriaceae. Overall, the bacterial community compositions in the different varieties were different from each other, yet the between variety differences in community composition seemed relatively small. The differences in community compositions were associated with differences in the total and reducing sugar contents and viscosity of the seeds, thus possibly connected to differences in the osmotic pressure tolerance of the endophytes. The results suggested that the seed endophytes are likely to promote the growth of Highland barley since germination.

Microplastics in plant-soil ecosystems: A meta-analysis

Microplastic pollution is a recognized hazard in aquatic systems, but in the past decade has emerged as a pollutant of interest in terrestrial ecosystems. This paper is the first formal meta-analysis to examine the phytotoxic effects of microplastics and their impact on soil functions in the plant-soil system. Our specific aims were to: 1) determine how the type and size of microplastics affect plant and soil health, 2) identify which agricultural plants are more sensitive to microplastics, and 3) investigate how the frequency and amount of microplastic pollution affect soil functions. Plant morphology, antioxidant production and photosynthesis capacity were impacted by the composition of polymers in microplastics, and the responses could be negative, positive or neutral depending on the polymer type. Phytotoxicity testing revealed that maize (Zea mays) was more sensitive than rice (Oryza sativa) and wheat (Triticum aestivum) within the Poaceae family, while wheat and lettuce (Lactuca sativa) were less sensitive to microplastics exposure. Microplastics-impacted soils tend to be more porous and retain more water, but this did not improve soil stability or increase soil microbial diversity, suggesting that microplastics occupied physical space but were not integrated into the soil biophysical matrix. The meta-data revealed that microplastics enhanced soil evapotranspiration, organic carbon, soil porosity, CO2 flux, water saturation, nitrogen content and soil microbial biomass, but decreased soil N2O flux, water stable aggregates, water use efficiency, soil bulk density and soil microbial diversity.