Non-invasive diagnosis of bacterial and non-bacterial inflammations using a dual-enzyme-responsive fluorescent indicator

Bacterial infections, as the second leading cause of global death, are commonly treated with antibiotics. However, the improper use of antibiotics contributes to the development of bacterial resistance. Therefore, the accurate differentiation between bacterial and non-bacterial inflammations is of utmost importance in the judicious administration of clinical antibiotics and the prevention of bacterial resistance. However, as of now, no fluorescent probes have yet been designed for the relevant assessments. To this end, the present study reports the development of a novel fluorescence probe (CyQ) that exhibits dual-enzyme responsiveness. The designed probe demonstrated excellent sensitivity in detecting NTR and NAD(P)H, which served as critical indicators for bacterial and non-bacterial inflammations. The utilization of CyQ enabled the efficient detection of NTR and NAD(P)H in distinct channels, exhibiting impressive detection limits of 0.26 μg mL-1 for NTR and 5.54 μM for NAD(P)H, respectively. Experimental trials conducted on living cells demonstrated CyQ's ability to differentiate the variations in NTR and NAD(P)H levels between A. baumannii, S. aureus, E. faecium, and P. aeruginosa-infected as well as LPS-stimulated HUVEC cells. Furthermore, in vivo zebrafish experiments demonstrated the efficacy of CyQ in accurately discerning variations in NTR and NAD(P)H levels resulting from bacterial infection or LPS stimulation, thereby facilitating non-invasive detection of both bacterial and non-bacterial inflammations. The outstanding discriminatory ability of CyQ between bacterial and non-bacterial inflammation positions it as a promising clinical diagnostic tool for acute inflammations.

Characterization of the generic mutant p53-rescue compounds in a broad range of assays

Dozens of compounds that rescue tumor-associated mutant p53 have been reported. Xiao et al. perform 10 assays to evaluate effectiveness of the mutant p53-rescue compounds side-by-side but do not detect reliable rescue in any assay for the evaluated compounds, except for ATO and its analog PAT.

Biomonitoring of glyphosate and aminomethylphosphonic acid: Current insights and future perspectives

Glyphosate is one of the most widely used herbicides globally, raising concerns about its potential impact on human health. Biomonitoring studies play a crucial role in assessing human exposure to glyphosate and providing valuable insights into its distribution and metabolism in the body. This review aims to summarize the current trends and future perspectives in biomonitoring of glyphosate and its major degradation product of aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA). A comprehensive literature search was conducted, focusing on studies published between January 2000 and December 2022. The findings demonstrated that glyphosate and AMPA have been reported in different human specimens with urine as the dominance. Sample pretreatment techniques of solid-phase and liquid-liquid extractions coupled with liquid/gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry have achieved matrix elimination and accurate analysis. We also examined and compared the exposure characteristics of these compounds among different regions and various populations, with significantly higher levels of glyphosate and AMPA observed in Asian populations and among occupational groups. The median urinary concentration of glyphosate in children was 0.54 ng/mL, which was relatively higher than those in women (0.28 ng/mL) and adults (0.12 ng/mL). It is worth noting that children may exhibit increased susceptibility to glyphosate exposure or have different exposure patterns compared to women and adults. A number of important perspectives were proposed in order to further facilitate the understanding of health effects of glyphosate and AMPA, which include, but are not limited to, method standardization, combined exposure assessment, attention for vulnerable populations, long-term exposure effects and risk communication and public awareness.

[Thinking on ideological and political education in Medical Parasitology teaching]

With the deepening reform of ideological and political education, Medical Parasitology teaching needs to update the teaching concept, change the teaching ideas, as well as keep trying to combine ideological and political education with the curriculum content closely. In addition to teaching students' basic knowledge and practical skills, teachers are needed to cultivate their moral literacy and political awareness through course teaching, so as to provide the basis for students' subsequent adaptations to social environments and jobs. Currently, the study of ideological and political education in Medical Parasitology teaching is still in the exploratory stage. Therefore, colleges and universities need to carry out effective construction of ideological and political education in Medical Parasitology teaching, in order to achieve good teaching outcomes and provide insights into ideological and political education in teaching.

[Clinical characteristics and associated factors of mild cognitive impairment in patients with common cardiovascular diseases]

Objective: To analyze the clinical characteristics of patients with common cardiovascular diseases (CVD, including hypertension, coronary heart disease, atrial fibrillation, and heart failure) combined with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and explore the potential risk factors of MCI in patients with CVD. Methods: A total of 2 294 patients with common cardiovascular diseases who met the criteria at Cardiology Medical Center in Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, from June 1, 2021, to January 5, 2022, were retrospectively included. The patients were divided into the normal cognitive function group (1 107 cases) and the MCI group (1 187 cases). Demographic information and CVD status were collected. The information of cognitive function were collected using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scales. The difference between normal cognitive function and MCI were compared and analyzed. The logistic regression analysis was used to explored risk factors of MCI in CVD patients. Results: A total of 2 294 patients aged (60.6±10.4) years were included, among whom there were 29.99% (688 cases) females. Compared with patients in the normal cognitive function group, patients in the MCI group were older [ (57.9±11.4) vs (63.1±8.9) years old, P<0.001], with a higher proportion of women [26.47% (293 cases) vs 33.28% (395 cases), P<0.001]; there was a higher proportion of patients suffering from hypertension in the MCI group [59.62% (660 cases) vs 64.62% (767 cases), P=0.014］, and more components of CVD [(1.68±0.62) vs (1.74±0.65) components, P=0.017]. The risk factors of MCI in patients with common CVD were increased age, increased depression score, combined with hypertension, and ≥3 common components of CVD, with OR (95%CI) of 1.043 (1.032-1.054), 1.021 (1.004-1.037), 1.151 (1.142-3.439), and 1.137 (1.023-1.797), respectively (all P values <0.05). Increasing education level was observed to be associated with reduced risk of MCI with OR (95%CI) of 0.319 (0.271-0.378) (P<0.05). Conclusions: The incidence of MCI was high in CVD patients. The risk factors of MCI in CVD patients included hypertension and≥3 common components of CVD.

Polygenic Risk Score Reveals Genetic Heterogeneity of Alzheimer's Disease between the Chinese and European Populations

BACKGROUND

The polygenic risk score (PRS) aggregates the effects of numerous genetic variants associated with a condition across the human genome and may help to predict late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD). Most of the current PRS studies on Alzheimer's disease (AD) have been conducted in Caucasian ancestry populations, while it is less studied in Chinese.

OBJECTIVE

To establish and examine the validity of Chinese PRS, and explore its racial heterogeneity.

DESIGN

We constructed a PRS using both discovery (N = 2012) and independent validation samples (N = 1008) from Chinese population. The associations between PRS and age at onset of LOAD or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers were assessed. We also replicated the PRS in an independent replication cohort with CSF data and constructed an alternative PRS using European weights.

SETTING

Multi-center genetics study.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 3020 subjects were included in the study.

MEASUREMENTS

PRS was calculated using genome-wide association studies data and evaluated the performance alone (PRSnoAPOE) and with other predictors (full model: LOAD ~ PRSnoAPOE + APOE+ sex + age) by measuring the area under the receiver operating curve (AUC).

RESULTS

PRS of the full model achieved the highest AUC of 84.0% (95% CI = 81.4-86.5) with pT< 0.5, compared with the model containing APOE alone (61.0%). The AUC of PRS with pT<5e-8 was 77.8% in the PRSnoAPOE model, 81.5% in the full model, and only ranged from 67.5% to 75.1% in the PRS with the European weights model. A higher PRS was significantly associated with an earlier age at onset (P <0.001). The PRS also performed well in the replication cohort of the full model (AUC=83.1%, 95% CI = 74.3-92.0). The CSF biomarkers of Aβ42 and the ratio of Aβ42/Aβ40 were significantly inversely associated with the PRS, while p-Tau181 showed a positive association.

CONCLUSIONS

This finding suggests that PRS reveal genetic heterogeneity and higher prediction accuracy of the PRS for AD can be achieved using a base dataset and validation within the same ethnicity. The effective PRS model has the clinical potential to predict individuals at risk of developing LOAD at a given age and with abnormal levels of CSF biomarkers in the Chinese population.

SNORD17-mediated KAT6B mRNA 2'-O-methylation regulates vasculogenic mimicry in glioblastoma cells

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a primary tumor in the intracranial compartment. Vasculogenic mimicry (VM) is a process in which a pipeline of tumor cells that provide blood support to carcinogenic cells is formed, and studying VM could provide a new strategy for clinical targeted treatment of GBM. In the present study, we found that SNORD17 and ZNF384 were significantly upregulated and promoted VM in GBM, whereas KAT6B was downregulated and inhibited VM in GBM. RTL-P assays were performed to verify the 2'-O-methylation of KAT6B by SNORD17; IP assays were used to detect the acetylation of ZNF384 by KAT6B. In addition, the binding of ZNF384 to the promoter regions of VEGFR2 and VE-cadherin promoted transcription, as validated by chromatin immunoprecipitation and luciferase reporter assays. And finally, knockdown of SNORD17 and ZNF384 combined with KAT6B overexpression effectively reduced the xenograft tumor size, prolonged the survival time of nude mice and reduced the number of VM channels. This study reveals a novel mechanism of the SNORD17/KAT6B/ZNF384 axis in modulating VM development in GBM that may provide a new goal for the comprehensive treatment of GBM.

[Benchmark dose estimation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons exposure base on Bayesian kernel machine regression]

Objective: To explore benchmark dose (BMD) estimations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) based on Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) . Methods: A total of 155 adult residents of a coking plant in Shanxi Province who were surveyed in summer (June to August) from 2014 to 2019 were selected as the research objects. Fasting elbow vein blood of the subjects was collected in the morning for automatic analysis and detection of blood routine. Morning urine samples were collected for automatic analysis and detection of urine routine and urine creatinine detection. BKMR model combined with BMD method was used to calculate the acceptable doses of PAHs exposure on red blood cell damage in non-occupational population. Results: The concentration of hydroxylpolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (OH-PAHs) in the red blood cells abnormal group (n=117) was significantly higher than that in the normal group (n=38) (P<0.01). In the combined effect of OH-PAHs, 2-hydrol-naphthalene contributed the most, and the posterior inclusion probability (PIP) value was 0.9354. When OH-PAHs ≥P(55) concentration, the joint effect on the risk of red blood cell abnormalities increased as the concentration of the OH-PAHs mixture increased. When OH-PAHs were at P(65) and P(75) concentrations, respectively, the risk of red blood cell abnormalities in adults were 3.09 and 4.98 times that of OH-PAHs at P(50) concentrations, respectively. Compared with high concentration, low concentration of OH-PAHs exposure was more sensitive to red blood cell darmage. The acceptable doses of 8 kinds of OH-PAHs were 1.010 μmol/mol Cr (2-hydrol-naphthalene), 0.743 μmol/mol Cr (1-hydrol-naphthalene), 0.901 μmol/mol Cr (2-hydroxy-fluorene) and 0.775 μmol/mol Cr (1-hydroxy-phenanthrene), 0.737 μmol/mol Cr (1-hydroxy-pyrene), 0.607 μmol/mol Cr (9-hydroxy-fluorene), 0.713 μmol/mol Cr (2-hydroxy-phenanthrene) and 0.628 μmol/mol Cr (3-hydroxybenzo[a] pyrene), respectively. Conclusion: OH-PAHs mixture has positive combined effect on red blood cell damage in non-occupational population, and low concentration of OH-PAHs exposure is more sensitive to red blood cell damage. It is recommended that the exposure dose of PAHs should be controlled within 1 μmol/mol Cr.

CT-Based Radiomics Combined with Genomics may Predict Survival in Esophageal Cancer Patients Receiving Definitive Chemoradiotherapy

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Definitive chemoradiotherapy (dCRT) is a standard treatment option for locally advanced stage inoperable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Evaluating clinical outcome prior to dCRT remains challenging. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the predictive power of contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT)-based radiomics in combination with genomics for the treatment efficacy of ESCC patients after dCRT.

MATERIALS/METHODS

A total of 118 ESCC patients who received dCRT were enrolled in this retrospective study. These patients were randomly divided into the training group (N = 82) or the validation group (N = 36). Radiomic features were derived from the region of primary tumor on pretreatment CT images, also known as the region of interest (ROI), and clinical features were generated from medical records. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression was conducted to select optimal radiomic features, and Rad-score was calculated to predict progression-free survival (PFS) in the training group. Genomic DNA was extracted from formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded pre-treatment biopsy tissue. The univariate and multivariate COX analyses were undertaken to determine the predictors for developing models. The area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and the C-index were used to evaluate the predicting performance and the discriminating ability of prediction models, respectively.

RESULTS

A total of 851 radiomic features were extracted from each CT image. The final Rad-score were constructed from 6 radiomic features to predict PFS. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that Rad-score and HRR pathway alterations were independent prognostic factors correlated with PFS. The C-index of integration model in combination with radiomics and genomics was better than that of radiomics or genomics model in the training group (0.616 vs 0.587 or 0.557) and the validation group (0.649 vs 0.625 or 0.586). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis also showed significant differences between different risk subgroups in the training and validation groups.

CONCLUSION

The Rad-score based on pre-treatment CT and HRR pathway alterations could predict PFS for patients with ESCC after dCRT, with better predictive efficacy of combined radiomics and genomics models.

Verification and Mechanism Exploration of CDK4 Alterations on Influencing Radiotherapy Sensitivity in Small Cell Lung Cancer

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

In this study, we aimed to explore the changes of functional phenotype before and after radiotherapy through vitro and vivo experiments. The potential pathway was preliminarily clarified.

MATERIALS/METHODS

Firstly, the relationships between the prognosis and the expression of CDK4 protein in SCLC patients treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy were explored. Then the stable overexpressed/knockdown CDK4 and negative control transfecting SCLC cell lines were established to monitor the changes of cell proliferation, migration, invasion, apoptosis and cell cycle after increasing radiation doses according to a cell counting kit assay, transwell cell migration and invasion assay, apoptosis cell cycle assay and BALB/c mouse model of subcutaneously transplanted tumor. The potential signal pathways were confirmed via KEGG pathway enrichment analysis and western blot.

RESULTS

Compared with patients with lower CDK4 protein expression, prognosis of those with high CDK4 protein expression was decreased significantly (p < 0.05). The cell activity, migration and invasion ability of overexpression/knockdown CDK4 and negative control group were all decreased with increasing radiation doses, but the activity, migration and invasion ability of cells with overexpression CDK4 was stronger after same dose X-ray irradiation (p<0.01). For group with knockdown CDK4, it showed lower cell activity, migration and invasion than negative control group. After X-ray irradiation, the apoptotic ratio of all groups increased. And cells with overexpressed CDK4 displayed significantly reduced apoptosis, less G0/G1 phase cells, and improved M phase cells than the control group. In addition, compared with negative control group, gross tumor volume of overexpression CDK4 group decreased much smaller after X-ray irradiation. H1339 cells with overexpression CDK4 and negative control group were sequenced by transcriptomic sequencing before and after radiotherapy. Taken together, differential genes were consistently enriched in MAPK pathway. Western blot showed that, compared with the negative control group, overexpression CDK4 group of H1339 and SW1271 cells after radiotherapy all showed significant changes on pERK proteins in the ERK pathway increased significantly (P<0.001).

CONCLUSION

In this study, the overexpression/knockdown CDK4 and negative control group were successfully constructed in H1339 and SW1271 cells, revealing the radiotherapy resistance of CDK4 alterations in vitro and in vivo experiment. And CDK4 alterations was shown to promote radiotherapy resistance through phosphorylation of MAPK/ERK signaling pathway in SCLC.

Prediction of progesterone receptor expression in high-grade meningioma by using radiomics based on enhanced T1WI

AIM

To predict progesterone receptor (PR) expression of high-grade meningioma using radiomics based on enhanced T1-weighted imaging (WI).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

There were 157 cases of high-grade meningioma in the study. Seventy-eight cases had negative expression and 79 cases had positive expression. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression were used to select the valuable features. The models were developed by naive Bayes (NB), random forest (RF), and support vector machine (SVM). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and decision curve analysis (DCA) analysis were used to assess the models.

RESULTS

Nine features were selected as the valuable features using Spearman's analysis and LASSO regression. The RF and NB models achieved the same area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.75, which was higher than that of SVM (0.74). There was no significant difference among the AUCs of the three models (p>0.05). There was a larger net benefit in the RF model than the SVM and NB models across all threshold probabilities in the DCA analysis.

CONCLUSION

The RF model had good performance in predicting PR expression of high-grade meningioma. PR expression evaluation for high-grade meningioma would be helpful in clinical practice.

Development and Validation of a Radiomics-Based Model to Predict Overall Survival after Definitive Chemoradiotherapy in Patients with Esophageal Cancer

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

This study aimed to evaluate the predictive potential of contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT)-based radiomics for the treatment outcomes of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) after definitive chemoradiotherapy (dCRT).

MATERIALS/METHODS

This retrospective study included 122 locally advanced ESCC patients who received dCRT. Eligible patients were randomly divided into training cohort (n = 85) and validation cohort (n = 37). Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression was performed to select optimal radiomic features to calculate Rad-score for predicting overall survival (OS) in the training cohort. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify the predictive clinical factors and hematologic parameters for developing a nomogram model. The C-index was used to assess the performance of the predictive model and calibration curve was used to evaluate the accuracy.

RESULTS

Tenradiomic features were selected by LASSO regression analysis to calculate Rad-score for predicting OS. The patients with Rad-score>0.47 had high risk of death, and those with a Rad-score≤0.47 had low risk of death. Tumor location and neutrophil-to-monocyte ratio (NMR) were significantly associated with OS in univariate analysis. Multivariate analysis showed that NMR and Rad-score were independent predictive factors for OS. A nomogram model was built based on the result of multivariate analysis. The C-index of the nomogram was 0.619 (95% CI 0.518-0.720) in training cohort and 0.573 (95% CI 0.385-0.760) in validation cohort. The 2-year OS rate predicted by the nomogram model was highly consistent with the actual 2-year OS rate both in training and validation cohorts.

CONCLUSION

We developed and validated a prediction model based on radiomic features and hematologic parameters, which could be used to predict OS of ESCC patients after dCRT. This model is conducive to identifying the patients with ESCC benefited more from dCRT.

[The characteristics of plasma lipids in silicosis rat models were studied based on lipid metabolomics]

Objective: To screen the differential metabolites and metabolic pathways in silicosis model by analyzing plasma metabolomics of silicosis rats. Methods: In May 2021, twenty male SD rats were randomly divided into control group (C), 1-week silicosis group (S1W), 2-week silicosis group (S2W) and 4-week silicosis group (S4W), with 5 rats in each group. Rats were intratracheally instillated with 1ml crystalline SiO(2) suspension (50 mg/ml) or normal saline and were sacrificed after 1 week, 2 weeks and 4 weeks, HE staining was used to observe the lung pathology of rats. The plasma samples were analyzed by UPLC-IMS-QTOF mass spectrometer to screen out potential differential metabolites in silicosis models and analyze their lipid enrichment. Results: HE results showed that nodules formed in the silicosis model group, and with the extension of time, nodules gradually increased and alveolar structure was gradually destroyed. Metabolomics screened out 14 differential metabolites in S1W, 24 in S2W, and 28 in S4W, and found that the differential metabolites were mainly enriched in the metabolism of glycerophospholipid metabolism, fatty acid degradation, Glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) -anchor biosynthesis, fatty acid elongation and other metabolic pathways. Conclusion: There are significant changes in plasma lipid metabolites in silicosis rat models.

A precise and efficient circular RNA synthesis system based on a ribozyme derived from Tetrahymena thermophila

Classic strategies for circular RNA (circRNA) preparation always introduce large numbers of linear transcripts or extra nucleotides to the circularized product. In this study, we aimed to develop an efficient system for circRNA preparation based on a self-splicing ribozyme derived from an optimized Tetrahymena thermophila group Ⅰ intron. The target RNA sequence was inserted downstream of the ribozyme and a complementary antisense region was added upstream of the ribozyme to assist cyclization. Then, we compared the circularization efficiency of ribozyme or flanking intronic complementary sequence (ICS)-mediated methods through the DNMT1, CDR1as, FOXO3, and HIPK3 genes and found that the efficiency of our system was remarkably higher than that of flanking ICS-mediated method. Consequently, the circularized products mediated by ribozyme are not introduced with additional nucleotides. Meanwhile, the overexpressed circFOXO3 maintained its biological functions in regulating cell proliferation, migration, and apoptosis. Finally, a ribozyme-based circular mRNA expression system was demonstrated with a split green fluorescent protein (GFP) using an optimized Coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) internal ribosome entry site (IRES) sequence, and this system achieved successful translation of circularized mRNA. Therefore, this novel, convenient, and rapid engineering RNA circularization system can be applied for the functional study and large-scale preparation of circular RNA in the future.

SLC7A11 promotes the progression of gastric cancer and regulates ferroptosis through PI3K/AKT pathway

OBJECTIVE

Ferroptosis is a form of regulated cell death that occurs depending on iron and reactive oxygen species (ROS), but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. The aim of our study was to investigate the role of solute carrier family 7 member 11(SLC7A11) in the progression of gastric cancer (GC) and its molecular mechanism.

METHOD

The expression of SLC7A11 in GC was detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), immunohistochemistry (IHC) and western blot. SLC7A11 interference and overexpression vector was constructed in vitro, transfected into GC cells, and the high efficiency plasmid vector fragment was screened.CCK-8 assay was used to detect the effect of cell proliferation. The migration ability of cells was detected by transwell assay. The mitochondrial structure was observed by transmission electron microscopy.CCK-8 assay was also used to detect the effect of SLC7A11 on the growth inhibition rate of ferroptosis in GC cells. The level of malondialdehyde (MDA), the ultimate product of lipid peroxidation, was detected by micro-method. The effect of SLC7A11 on PI3K/AKT signaling pathway was detected by Western blot.

RESULTS

SLC7A11 was significantly overexpressed in GC tissues than that in adjacent tissues. Knockdown of SLC7A11 inhibits cell proliferation, cell migration and invasion of GC, and increases the sensitivity of ferroptosis via moderating ROS and lipid peroxidation. Besides, overexpression of the SLC7A11 in GC cells reverses erastin-induced ferroptosis partially. Mechanistically, we reveal that suppression of SCL7A11 leads to inactivity of PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and further enhancing ferroptosis related lipid peroxidation, and thereby inhibiting GC progression.

CONCLUSION

SLC7A11 plays an oncogene role in malignant progression of GC. SLC7A11 reversely regulates ferroptosis of GC cells by activating PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Silencing SLC7A11 expression can inhibit the progression of GC.

[Effect of sugammadex on postoperative nausea and vomiting after surgery for intracranial aneurysm]

Objective: To investigate the effect of sugammadex on postoperative nausea and vomiting(PONV) after intracranial aneurysm surgery. Methods: Data from intracranial aneurysms patients who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria and underwent interventional surgery in the Department of Neurosurgery, Peking University International Hospital from January 2020 to March 2021 were prospectively included. According to the random number table method, the patients were divided by 1∶1 into the neostigmine+atropine group (group N) and the sugammadex group (group S). Use an acceleration muscle relaxation monitor for muscle relaxation monitoring, and administer neostigmine+atropine and sugammadex to block residual muscle relaxation drugs after surgery. The incidence rates of PONV and severity, the appearance of anesthesia, and the correlation between PONV and postoperative complications were recorded in both groups during five periods after surgery: 0-0.5 hours (T1),>0.5-2.0 hours(T2),>2.0-6.0 hours (T3),>6.0-12.0 hours (T4) and >12.0-24.0 hours (T5). Group comparisons of quantitative data were performed by the independent sample t-test, and categorical data was performed by the χ2 or rank sum test. Results: A total of 66 patients were included in the study, including 37 males and 29 female, aged (59.3±15.4) years (range: 18 to 77 years). The incidence rates of PONV of 33 patients in group S at different time periods of T1, T2, T3, T4, and T5 after surgery were respectively 27.3%(9/33),30.3%(10/33),12.1%(4/33),3.0%(1/33),0(0/33),and the incidence rates of PONV of 33 patients in the group N at different time periods of T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5 after surgery were respectively 36.4%(12/33),36.4%(12/33),33.3%(11/33),6.1%(2/33) and 0(0/33).The incidence of PONV was lower in the group S only in the T3 period after reversal than in the group N (χ2=4.227, P=0.040).However, there was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of PONV between the two groups of patients in other periods (all P>0.05). The recovery time for spontaneous breathing in patients in group S was (7.7±1.4) minutes, the extubation time was (12.4±5.3) minutes, and the safe exit time for anesthesia recovery was (12.3±3.4) minutes; the N groups were (13.9±2.0) minutes, (18.2±6.0) minutes, and (18.6±5.2) minutes, respectively; three time periods in group S were shorter than those in group N, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). The results regarding the occurrence of complications in patients with different levels of PONV at different time intervals after surgery in the two groups were as follows: in the T3 time period of group N, a significant difference was observed only in the occurrence of postoperative complications among patients with different levels of PONV (χ2=24.786, P<0.01). However, in the T4 time period, significant differences were found in the occurrence of postoperative complications among both the same level and different level PONV patients (χ2=15.435, 15.435, both P<0.01). Significant differences were also observed in the occurrence of postoperative complications among the same level and different level PONV patients in both the T3 and T4 time periods of group S (all P<0.01). Conclusion: Sugammadex can be used to reverse muscle relaxation in patients undergoing intracranial aneurysm intervention surgery,and it does not have a significant impact on the incidence of PONV, it can also optimize the quality of anesthesia recovery and reduce the incidence of complications after intracranial aneurysm embolization surgery.

High-power, sub-100-fs, 1600-1700-nm all-fiber laser for deep multiphoton microscopy

The 1600-1700-nm ultrafast fiber lasers attract great interests in the deep multiphoton microscopy, due to the reduced levels of the tissue scattering and absorption. Here, we report on the 86.7-MHz, 717-mW, 91.2-fs, all-fiber laser located in the spectral range from 1600 nm to 1700nm. The soliton self-frequency shift (SSFS) was introduced into the Er:Yb co-doped fiber amplifier (EYDFA) to generate the high-power, 1600-1700-nm Raman soliton. Detailed investigations of the nonlinear fiber amplification process were implemented in optimizing the generated Raman soliton pulses. The miniature multiphoton microscopy was further realized with this home-built laser source. The clearly imaging results can be achieved by collecting the generated harmonic signals from the mouse tail skin tissue with a penetration depth of ∼500 µm. The experimental results indicate the great potential in utilizing this 1600-1700-nm fiber laser in the deep multiphoton microscopy.

[Analysis of dyslipidemia management status in atrial fibrillation patients with very high and high risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease]

Objective: To analyze the status of statins use and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) management in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and very high/high risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) from Chinese Atrial Fibrillation Registry (CAFR). Methods: A total of 9 119 patients with AF were recruited in CAFR between January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2018, patients at very high and high risk of ASCVD were included in this study. Demographics, medical history, cardiovascular risk factors, and laboratory test results were collected. In patients with very high-risk, a threshold of 1.8 mmol/L was used as LDL-C management target and in patients with high risk, a threshold of 2.6 mmol/L was used as LDL-C management target. Statins use and LDL-C compliance rate were analyzed, multiple regression analysis was performed to explore the influencing factors of statins use. Results: 3 833 patients were selected (1 912 (21.0%) in very high risk of ASCVD group and 1 921 (21.1%) in high risk of ASCVD group). The proportion of patients with very high and high risk of ASCVD taking statins was 60.2% (1 151/1 912) and 38.6% (741/1 921), respectively. Attainment rate of LDL-C management target in patients with very high and high risk were 26.7% (511/1 912) and 36.4% (700/1 921), respectively. Conclusion: The proportion of statins use and attainment rate of LDL-C management target are low in AF patients with very high and high risk of ASCVD in this cohort. The comprehensive management in AF patients should be further strengthened, especially the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in AF patients with very high and high risk of ASCVD.

[Analysis of prognosis and related factors in oldest-old patients with left-side or right-side colon cancer after hemicolectomy]

Objective: This study aimed to explore the difference of prognosis in oldest-old colon cancer patients between the left-side and right-side hemicolectomy. Methods: A total of 238 oldest-old (≥75 years old) colon cancer patients who received surgical treatment in Gastrointestinal Surgery Department of Beijing Hospital from December 2010 to December 2020 were retrospectively collected. They were divided into right-side hemicolectomy (RCC) group (130 cases) and left-side hemicolectomy (LCC) group (108 cases) by surgical methods. The difference in postoperative short-term complications and long-term prognosis was compared between the two groups, and the related factors of postoperative death was analyzed using multivariate Cox regression model. Results: The age of 238 oldest-old patients with colon cancer ranged from 75 to 93 years old (80.5±3.7). There were 128 males and 110 females. The ages of patients in the LCC group and RCC group were (80.4±3.7) and (80.6±3.7) years old (P=0.699), respectively. There was no significant difference in gender, body mass index (BMI) and co-existing chronic diseases between two groups (P>0.05). The proportion of the duration of surgery exceeding 170 min in the LCC group was significantly higher than that in the RCC group (56.5% vs 43.1%, P=0.039). The incidence of postoperative short-term complications in RCC group was slightly higher than LCC group (P>0.05), and there was no significant difference in overall survival (OS), tumor-specific survival (CSS) and disease-free survival (DFS) between two groups. However, the two groups had different prognostic risk factors, pathological Ⅳ stage (HR=28.970,95%CI:1.768-474.813,P=0.018), intraoperative bleeding (HR=2.297,95%CI:1.351-3.907,P=0.002) and cancer nodules (HR=2.044,95%CI:1.047-3.989,P=0.036) were independent prognostic risk factors in LCC group. Underweight (HR=0.428,95%CI:0.192-0.955,P=0.038), overweight(HR=0.316,95%CI:0.125-0.800,P=0.015),obesity (HR=0.211,95%CI:0.067-0.658,P=0.007), lymph node metastasis (HR=2.682,95%CI:1.497-4.807,P=0.001), tumor nodule (HR=2.507,95%CI:1.301-4.831,P=0.027) and postoperative length of stay of 9 days (HR=1.829,95%CI:1.070-3.128,P=0.006) were independent risk factors for poor prognosis in RCC group. Conclusions: The duration of surgery of oldest-old colon cancer patients in the LCC group was longer than that in the RCC group. However, there was no significant difference in the incidence of postoperative complications between the two groups. High pathological stage, more intraoperative bleeding and cancer nodules were independent prognostic risk factors in the LCC group. Abnormal BMI, lymph node metastasis, cancer nodules and postoperative length of stay were independent risk factors for poor prognosis in the RCC group.

[Distribution characteristics of body mass index among Chinese oldest-old aged 80 years and above]

Objective: To investigate body mass index (BMI) level, identify the main type of nutritional problem, and describe the population distribution characteristics of BMI among Chinese people aged 80 years or above. Methods: The data of 9 481 oldest-old individuals were obtained from the 2017-2018 Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey. The Lambda-Mu-Sigma method, weighted estimates of BMI, and comparisons by BMI quintiles were used to describe the BMI level and distribution characteristics among the oldest-old. Results: The average age of the participants was (91.9±7.7) years, with P₅₀ of the weighted BMI at 21.9 (95%CI: 21.8-22.0) kg/m². The result of BMI level showed a decreasing trend with age, with a rapid decline before age 100, and then the trend became slower. There are about 30% of the oldest-old classified as undernutrition, but the prevalence of overnutrition is only about 10%. The population distribution characteristics by BMI quintiles showed the oldest-old with lower BMI levels were likely to have the following characteristics: sociodemographically, to be older, female, ethnic minority, unmarried/divorced/widowed, rural residents, illiterate, with inadequate living expenses, located in Central, South, or Southwest China; regarding lifestyles, lower BMI levels were observed for participants who were smoking, not exercising, lack of leisure activities, or with poor dietary diversity; considering functional status, participants with lower BMI levels were those who have poor chewing ability, disability in activities of daily living, cognitive impairment, hearing loss, visual impairment, or poor self-rated health status. The oldest-old with higher BMI levels were likely to have heart disease, hypertension, cerebrovascular disease, and diabetes. Conclusions: The overall BMI level was low among the Chinese oldest-old and it showed a downward trend with age. Currently, the main nutritional problem among the Chinese oldest-old was undernutrition rather than overweight or obesity. Management of healthy lifestyles, functional status, and diseases would be helpful to reduce the risk of undernutrition among the oldest-old.

Independent and combined associations of upper and lower limb strength with all-cause mortality in community-based older adults: findings from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey

OBJECTIVE

With the acceleration of aging progress, China is projected to have the largest older population globally. This study aimed to examine the association of upper limb strength (ULS) and lower limb strength (LLS) with all-cause mortality based on the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (2012-2018).

STUDY DESIGN

This is a prospective cohort study.

METHODS

Participants were 2442 older adults (aged 84.98 ± 11.94 years) recruited from eight longevity areas in China. Limb muscle strength was evaluated using handgrip strength and objective physical examinations. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to analyze the association of limb muscle strength with all-cause mortality. Demographic characteristics, health status, and biological markers were included as confounders.

RESULTS

Over a median follow-up period of 42.2 months, 993 older people died. After adjusting for all covariates, low ULS was associated with higher mortality risk (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.51, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.25-1.84), and the association of low LLS with all-cause mortality was only significant in women (HR = 1.36, 95% CI = 1.04-1.79). Participants with combined low ULS and low LLS had the highest risk of mortality than those with normal limb muscle strength (hazard ratio = 2.06, 95% confidence interval = 1.61-2.63). The combined association of ULS and LLS with mortality was robust in subgroup and sensitivity analyses.

CONCLUSION

Low ULS and low LLS were independently and synergistically associated with higher all-cause mortality risk. Considering the high prevalence of limb muscle weakness among Chinese older adults, especially the oldest-old, limb strength could be considered as a potential doable mortality predictor for community health care.

[Effect of health management service for hypertension patients under framework of Basic Public Health Service Project: a regression discontinuity design]

Objective: To evaluate the effect of health management service on hypertension patients (HMSFHP) under the framework of the Basic Public Health Service Project by using regression discontinuity design. Methods: The participants were enrolled from an observational cohort survey in 2015 and followed up was conducted in 2019. The participants with SBP 130-150 mmHg and/or DBP 80-100 mmHg in the baseline survey of the cohort in 2015 were included in the present study. Additionally, we obtained the dates of participants receiving HMSFHP and their blood pressure data from follow-up records, physical examination records and telephone interview. The participants were divided into intervention group and control group based on the cutoff points, i.e. SBP ≥140 mmHg and/or DBP ≥90 mmHg. The local linear regression model were used to estimate the effect of HMSFHP on reducing blood pressure of the participants. Results: After adjusting for age, sex and time length of receiving HMSFHP, the results of the model including participants with 80-100 mmHg for DBP in 2015 indicated that, for the participants who received HMSFHP, the DBP decreased by 6.66 mmHg from 2015 to 2019. For the participants with SBP 130-150 mmHg in 2015, the reduction estimate of the model was -6.17 mmHg, the difference was not significant (P=0.178), suggesting that receiving HMSFHP did not cause change in SBP for the participants who received HMSFHP. Conclusion: Receiving HMSFHP had effect to reduce DBP, and HMSFHP had a positive effect on the control of blood pressure in patients with hypertension.

[Prevalence, patterns and prognosis of multimorbidity among middle-aged and elderly inpatients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease]

Objective: To explore the characteristics, patterns of multimorbidity and the impact on quality of life and the prognosis of middle-aged and elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. From January 2012 to December 2021, 939 middle-aged and elderly COPD patients hospitalized in Beijing Hospital were selected by the convenient sampling method. The basic data of patients and the date of 16 common chronic diseases were collected. Patterns of multimorbidity were depicted by cluster analysis. Generalized linear regression model and logistic regression were used to evaluate the multimorbidity patterns and their prognosis. Results: At least one multimorbidity existed among 93.40% of COPD patients, and the median number of multimorbidity was 3. The top five multimorbidity among the patients were hypertension (57.93%, 544/939), coronary heart disease (33.76%,317/939), heart failure (31.95%,300/939), hyperlipidemia (31.63%,297/939) and arrhythmia (27.37%,257/939). Four multimorbidity patterns were identified, cardiometabolic and metabolic multimorbidity, kidney disease multimorbidity, respiratory-digestive-tumor multimorbidity and other multimorbidity. Cardiometabolic and metabolic multimorbidity was most common (590/939, 62.83%). Compared with non-cardiometabolic and metabolic multimorbidity, the incharge ADL score of patients with this multimorbidity decreased by 7 points (95%CI:-11.22- -3.34), Correspondingly, patients with kidney disease multimorbidity decreased by 14 points (95%CI:-24.12- -3.30) on the incharge score. The presence or absence of kidney disease multimorbidity had the greatest impact on discharge score, which was reduced by 12 points in comparison with patients without this multimorbidity (95%CI:-22.43- -2.40). ICU admission is mostly affected by the presence of cardiometabolic and metabolic multimorbidity (OR=2.44, 95%CI: 1.51-3.92) and kidney disease multimorbidity (OR=2.58, 95%CI: 1.01-6.60). The risk of death is the highest for cardiometabolic and metabolic multimorbidity (OR=2.24, 95%CI: 1.19-4.21). Conclusion: Multimorbidity is common in COPD patients. The most common pattern is cardiometabolic and metabolic multimorbidity. Cardiometabolic and metabolic multimorbidity and kidney disease multimorbidity significantly affect the quality of life and often associate with a poor prognosis.

[Association of greenness, nitrogen dioxide with the prevalence of hypertension among the elderly over 65 years old in China]

Objective: To investigate the association of mixed exposure to greenness and nitrogen dioxide(NO₂) and hypertension among the older adults aged 65 years and over in China. Methods: The study subjects were from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey from 2017 to 2018. A total of 15 423 older adults aged 65 years and over meeting the criteria were finally included in the study. A questionnaire survey was used to collect information on demographic characteristics, lifestyle habits and self-reported prevalence of hypertension. Blood pressure values were obtained through physical examination. The level of normalized difference vegetation index(NDVI) was measured by the Medium-resolution Imaging Spectral Radiator(MODIS) of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA). The concentration of NO₂ was from China's surface air pollutant data set. Meteorological data was from NASA MERRA-2. The exposure to NDVI and NO₂ for each study subject was calculated based on the area within a 1 km radius around their residence. The association between mixed exposure of NDVI and NO₂ as well as their interaction and hypertension in older adults was analyzed by using the multivariate logistic regression model. The restrictive cubic spline(RCS) function was used to explore the exposure-response relationship between greenness and NO₂ and the risk of hypertension in study subjects. Results: The mean age of 15 423 older adults were (85.6±11.6). Women accounted for 56.3%(8 685/15 423) and 55.6%(8 578/15 423) lived in urban areas. The mean time of residence was (60.9±28.5) years. 59.8% of participants were with hypertension. The mean NDVI level was 0.41±0.13, and the mean NO₂ concentration was (32.18±10.36) μg/cm³. The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that NDVI was inversely and linearly associated with the hypertension in older adults, with the OR(95%CI) value of 0.959(0.928-0.992). Compared with the T₁ group of NDVI, the risk of hypertension was lower in the T₃ group, with the OR(95%CI) value of 0.852(0.769-0.944), and the trend test was statistically significant(P<0.05). Compared with the T₁ group of NO₂, the risk of hypertension was higher in the T₂ and T₃ groups, with OR(95%CI) values of 1.160(1.055-1.275) and 1.244(1.111-1.393), and the trend test was statistically significant (P<0.05). The result of the RCS showed that NDVI was inversely and linearly associated with hypertension in older adults. NO₂ was nonlinearly associated with hypertension in older adults. The interaction analysis showed that NDVI and NO₂ had a negative multiplicative interaction on the risk of hypertension, with OR(95%CI) value of 0.995(0.992-0.997). Conclusion: Exposure to greenness and NO₂ are associated with hypertension in older adults.

Synthesis and Antineoplastic Activity of a Dimer, Spiroindolinone Pyrrolidinecarboxamide

The mutation or function loss of tumour suppressor p53 plays an important role in abnormal cell proliferation and cancer generation. Murine Double Minute 2 (MDM2) is one of the key negative regulators of p53. p53 reactivation by inhibiting MDM2-p53 interaction represents a promising therapeutic option in cancer treatment. Here, to develop more effective MDM2 inhibitors with lower off-target toxicities, we synthesized a dimer, spiroindolinone pyrrolidinecarboxamide XR-4, with potent MDM2-p53 inhibition activity. Western blotting and qRT-PCR were performed to detect the impact of XR-4 on MDM2 and p53 protein levels and p53 downstream target gene levels in different cancers. Cancer cell proliferation inhibition and clonogenic activity were also investigated via the CCK8 assay and colony formation assay. A subcutaneous 22Rv1-derived xenografts mice model was used to investigate the in vivo anti-tumour activity of XR-4. The results reveal that XR-4 can induce wild-type p53 accumulation in cancer cells, upregulate the levels of the p53 target genes p21 and PUMA levels, and then inhibit cancer cell proliferation and induce cell apoptosis. XR-4 can also act as a homo-PROTAC that induces MDM2 protein degradation. Meanwhile, the in vivo study results show that XR-4 possesses potent antitumour efficacy and a favourable safety property. In summary, XR-4 is an interesting spiroindolinone pyrrolidinecarboxamide-derivative dimer with effective p53 activation activity and a cancer inhibition ability.

[Cardiac magnetic resonance-feature tracking technique can assess cardiac function and prognosis in patients with myocardial amyloidosis]

OBJECTIVE

To quantitatively assess cardiac functions in patients with cardiac amyloidosis (CA) and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) using cardiac magnetic resonance-feature tracking (CMR-FT) technique and evaluate the prognostic value of CMR-FT in patients with CA.

METHODS

We retrospectively collected the data from 31 CA patients with systemic amyloidosis confirmed by Congo red staining and serum immunohistochemistry after extracardiac tissue biopsy undergoing CMR at our hospital from March, 2013 to June, 2021.Thirty-one age and gender matched patients with asymmetric left ventricular wall hypertrophy and 31 healthy individuals without organic or functional heart disease served as the controls.Radial, circumferential and longitudinal strains and strain rates of the left ventricle at the global level and in each myocardial segment (basal, middle and apical) were obtained with CMR-FT technique and compared among the 3 groups.The predictive value of myocardial strains and strain rates for all-cause mortality in CA patients was analyzed using a stepwise COX regression model.

RESULTS

The left ventricular volume, myocardial mass, ejection fraction and cardiac output differed significantly among the groups (P < 0.05).Except for apical longitudinal strain, the global and segmental strains were all significantly lower in CA group than in HCM group (P < 0.05).The global and segmental strains were all significantly lower in CA group than in the healthy individuals (P < 0.05).The basal strain rates in the 3 directions were significantly lower in CA group than in the healthy individuals (P < 0.05), but the difference in apical strain rates was not statistically significant between the two groups.Multivariate stepwise COX analysis showed that troponin T (HR=1.05, 95%CI: 1.01-1.10, P=0.017) and middle peak diastolic circumferential strain rate (HR=6.87, 95%CI: 1.52-31.06, P=0.012) were strong predictors of death in CA patients.

CONCLUSION

Strain and strain rate parameters derived from CMR-FT based on cine sequences are new noninvasive imaging markers for assessing cardiac impairment in CA and cardiac function changes in HCM, and provide independent predictive information for all-cause mortality in CA patients.

[Fibroma of tendon sheath: a clinicopathological and genetic analysis of 134 cases]

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological features, immunophenotypes and molecular genetics of fibroma of tendon sheath (FTS). Methods: One hundred and thirty-four cases of FTS or tenosynovial fibroma diagnosed in the Department of Pathology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China from January 2008 to April 2019 were selected. The clinical and histologic features of these cases were retrospectively reviewed. Immunohistochemistry, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were performed on the above cases. Results: There were a total of 134 cases of FTS, including 67 males and 67 females. The patients' median age was 38 years (ranged from 2 to 85 years). The median tumor size was 1.8 cm (ranged from 0.1 to 6.8 cm). The most common site was the upper extremity (76/134, 57%). Follow-up data was available in 28 cases and there was no detectable recurrence. Classic FTS (114 cases) were well-defined and hypocellular. A few spindle-shaped fibroblasts were scattered in the dense collagenous sclerotic stroma. Characteristically elongated slit-like spaces or thin-walled vessels were observed. Most of cellular FTSs (20 cases) were well-defined and the area with increased cellularity of the spindle cells coexisted with classic FTS. There were occasional mitotic figures, but no atypical mitotic figures. Immunohistochemistry was performed in 8 cases of classic FTS and most cases were positive for SMA (5/8). Immunohistochemistry was also performed in 13 cases of cellular FTS and showed 100% positive rate for SMA. FISH was conducted on 20 cases of cellular FTS and 32 cases of classical FTS. USP6 gene rearrangement was found in 11/20 of cellular FTS. Among 12 cases of CFTS with nodular fasciitis (NF)-like morphological feature, 7 cases showed USP6 gene rearrangement. The rearrangement proportion of USP6 gene in cellular FTS without NF-like morphological features was 4/8. By contrast, 3% (1/32) of the classic FTS showed USP6 gene rearrangement. RT-PCR was performed in those cases with detected USP6 gene rearrangement and sufficient tissue samples for RT-PCR. The MYH9-USP6 fusion gene was detected in 1 case (1/8) of the cellular FTSs, while no target fusion partner was detected in the classic FTS. Conclusions: FTS is a relatively rare benign fibroblastic or myofibroblastic tumor. Our study and recent literature find that some of the classic FTS also show USP6 gene rearrangements, suggesting that classical FTS and cellular FTS are likely to be at different stages of the same disease (spectrum). FISH for USP6 gene rearrangement may be used as an important auxiliary diagnostic tool in distinguishing FTS from other tumors.

In Situ Study of the Microstructural Evolution of Nickel-Based Alloy with High Proportional Twin Boundaries Obtained by High-Temperature Annealing

In this paper, we report an in situ study regarding the microstructural evolution of a nickel-based alloy with high proportional twin boundaries by using electron backscatter diffraction techniques combined with the uniaxial tensile test. The study mainly focuses on the evolution of substructure, geometrically necessary dislocation, multiple types of grain boundaries (especially twin boundaries), and grain orientation. The results show that the Cr20Ni80 alloy can be obtained with up to 73% twin boundaries by annealing at 1100 °C for 30 min. During this deformation, dislocations preferentially accumulate near the twin boundary, and the strain also localizes at the twin boundary. With the increasing strain, dislocation interaction with grain boundaries leads to a decreasing trend of twin boundaries. However, when the strain is 0.024, the twin boundary is found to increase slightly. Meanwhile, the grain orientation gradually rotates to a stable direction and forms a Copper, S texture, and α-fiber <110>. Above all, during this deformation process, the alloy is deformed mainly by two deformation mechanisms: mechanical twinning and dislocation slip.

[Association of greenness exposure with waist circumference and central obesity in Chinese adults aged 65 years and over]

Objective: To examine the association of greenness exposure with waist circumference (WC) and central obesity in older adults in China. Methods: Based on the cross-sectional data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey in 2017-2018, 14 056 participants aged 65 years and over were included. Demographic characteristics, lifestyle, WC, and other information were collected through a questionnaire and physical examination. Based on the satellite monitoring data of moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) provided by NASA, the annual mean of normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) within a radius of 1 000 meters was obtained as the measurement value of greenness exposure. Multivariate linear regression model, multivariate logistic regression model, and restricted cubic splines (RCS) model were used to analyze the association and dose-response relationship between greenness exposure and WC and central obesity in older adults in China. Results: A total of 14 056 participants were enrolled with a median age of 84.0 years [IQR: 75.0-94.0 years]. About 45.0% (6 330) of them were male and 48.6% (5 853) were illiterate. There were 10 964 (78.0%) participants from rural. The mean of WC was (84.4±10.8) cm. Central obesity accounted for 60.2% (8 465), and the NDVI range was (-0.06, 0.78). After adjusting for confounding factors, the multivariate linear regression model showed that the change value of WC in the urban group [β (95%CI):-0.49 (-0.93, -0.06)] was smaller than that in the rural [-0.78 (-0.98, -0.58)] for every 0.1 unit increase in NDVI (Pinteraction=0.022). Compared with the Q1 group in NDVI, WC of Q2 and Q3 groups in rural decreased, and the β (95%CI) values were-1.74 (-2.5, -0.98) and-2.78 (-3.55, -2.00), respectively. The multivariate logistic regression model showed that after adjusting for confounding factors, the risk of central obesity decreased for urban and rural older adults with an increase of 0.1 unit in NDVI, and the OR (95%CI) values were 0.87 (0.80, 0.95) and 0.86 (0.82, 0.89), respectively (Pinteraction=0.284). Compared with the Q1 group in NDVI, the risk of central obesity in the Q2 and Q3 groups in rural was lower, and the OR (95%CI) values were 0.68 (0.58, 0.80) and 0.57 (0.49, 0.68), respectively. The results of the multivariate regression model with RCS showed that there was a non-linear association of NDVI with WC (Pnonlinear=0.006) and central obesity (Pnonlinear=0.025). Conclusion: Greenness exposure is negatively associated with WC and central obesity in older adults in China.

[Construction and analysis of functional network of hemi-brain in patients with brain tumors before and after anesthesia based on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging]

Objective: To construct and analyze the functional network changes of hemi-brain in patients with brain tumor before and after anesthesia by using resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). Methods: A total of 18 right-handed patients were prospectively included (6 males and 12 females). The patients underwent glioma resection in Peking University International Hospital from December 2018 to December 2021, and age ranged from 20 to 65 (45.1±13.6) years, with American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) grade of Ⅰ-Ⅱ. MRI scans were performed while the patient was awake and at the depth of surgical anesthesia. The functional network of healthy lateral brain was constructed and analyzed by means of graph theory, and its global and local topological properties were calculated. Global topology attributes included global efficiency (Eg), local efficiency (Eloc), clustering parameters (Cp), length parameter of shortest path (Lp), and small world (SW). Topology attributes of nodes included node degree (ND), node efficiency (NE) and between centrality (BC). The global and nodal topological properties of the hemi-brain network were compared between patients with different hemispherical space occupying under wakefulness and anesthesia. Results: At the awake state, Eloc and Cp in the global topological attributes of hemi-brain network were 0.259±0.007 and 0.197±0.010, respectively, and decreased to 0.242±0.013 and 0.177±0.021, respectively after anesthesia, with statistically significant differences (all P<0.01). The topological attributes of the nodes in hemi-side brain showed that ND, NE and BC were increased in the default mode network-related brain regions, while NE and BC were decreased in the limbic system and subcortical structures. Eloc and Cp were 0.258±0.008 and 0.198±0.008 respectively in the patients with left hemisphere space occupying, and decreased to 0.241±0.011 and 0.177±0.015 respectively after anesthesia, with statistically significant differences (all P<0.01). However, only Eloc decreased in patients with right hemisphere space occupying after anesthesia, and Eloc was 0.260±0.006 and 0.243±0.016 respectively when awake and after anesthesia, with statistically significant differences (P<0.05). The topological attributes of nodes in patients with space occupying in different cerebral hemispheres showed bidirectional changes after anesthesia, and patients with space occupying in the left cerebral hemisphere were more likely to be widely affected after anesthesia. The effects of anesthetic drugs may show hemispheric laterality. If the tumor was in the dominant hemisphere, the compensatory function of the dominant side was more likely to be damaged. Conclusions: During anesthesia-induced loss of consciousness in patients with brain tumors, both the ability to integrate information and the functional connections between local regions are weakened, and some brain regions have functional connection reorganization. The changes of brain network after anesthesia are bidirectional regulation.

High-Performance Plant Pest and Disease Detection Based on Model Ensemble with Inception Module and Cluster Algorithm

Protecting crop yields is the most important aspect of agricultural production, and one of the important measures in preserving yields is the control of crop pests and diseases; therefore, the identification of crop pests and diseases is of irreplaceable importance. In recent years, with the maturity of computer vision technology, more possibilities have been provided for implementing plant disease detection. However, although deep learning methods are widely used in various computer vision tasks, there are still limitations and obstacles in practical applications. Traditional deep learning-based algorithms have some drawbacks in this research area: (1) Recognition accuracy and computational speed cannot be combined. (2) Different pest and disease features interfere with each other and reduce the accuracy of pest and disease diagnosis. (3) Most of the existing researches focus on the recognition efficiency and ignore the inference efficiency, which limits the practical production application. In this study, an integrated model integrating single-stage and two-stage target detection networks is proposed. The single-stage network is based on the YOLO network, and its internal structure is optimized; the two-stage network is based on the Faster-RCNN, and the target frame size is first clustered using a clustering algorithm in the candidate frame generation stage to improve the detection of small targets. Afterwards, the two models are integrated to perform the inference task. For training, we use transfer learning to improve the model training speed. Finally, among the 37 pests and 8 diseases detected, this model achieves 85.2% mAP, which is much higher than other comparative models. After that, we optimize the model for the poor detection categories and verify the generalization performance on open source datasets. In addition, in order to quickly apply this method to real-world scenarios, we developed an application embedded in this model for the mobile platform and put the model into practical agricultural use.

[The purchase behavior of prepackaged food and its determinants among primary and middle school students in 6 provinces of China]

Objective: To examine the purchase behaviors of prepackaged food and its determinants among primary and middle school students in 6 provinces of China. Methods: A multi-stage sampling strategy was adopted to select 2 499 primary and middle school students and their parents from the eastern region of China(Beijing, Jiangsu Province, Guangdong Province), the northeast region(Heilongjiang Province), the central region(Henan Province) and the western region(Sichuan Province) from July 2020 to March 2021. Socio-demographic characteristics of students and their parents, eating-related behaviors and the purchase behaviors of prepackaged food of students, and parents' attitudes towards students' eating behavior were collected through questionnaire towards students and their parents. The χ² test was conducted to compare the purchase behaviors in different groups of students, and multivariate logistic stepwise regression analysis was used to analyze the determinants among primary and middle school students. Results: The age of 2 499 participants was(12.7±2.5) years. There were 1 272(50.9%) females and 1 279(51.2%) middle school students. About 1 404(56.2%) students bought prepackaged food. The top 6 prepackaged foods bought at least once a week were milk and dairy products(74.6%), baked food(58.7%), beverages(42.8%), puffed food(40.8%), chocolate and candy(39.8%), and nuts and dried fruits(37.5%). The multivariate logistic regression model analysis results showed that compared with primary school students, rural students, non-boarding students, students who did not like snacks and students whose parents paid attention to their children eating snacks, middle school students(OR=3.36, 95%CI:2.73-4.12), urban students(OR=1.33, 95%CI:1.11-1.61), boarding students(OR=2.15, 95%CI:1.66-2.79), students who liked snacks(OR=2.01, 95%CI:1.66-2.43), students whose parents did not pay attention to their children eating snacks(OR=1.27, 95%CI:1.05-1.54) were more likely to buy prepackaged food by themselves. Compared with students whose parents had education level of junior high school and below, students whose parents had education level of undergraduate and above(OR=0.70, 95%CI:0.53-0.92) were less likely to buy prepackaged food by themselves. Compared with students whose family monthly income was less than 5 000 yuan, students whose family monthly income was over 10 000 yuan(OR=0.67, 95%CI:0.52-0.87) were less likely to buy prepackaged food by themselves. Conclusion: Many primary and middle school students buy prepackaged food by themselves in 6 provinces of China. Individual characteristics such as grade, place of residence, boarding status, as well as family environment such as parents' education level, monthly income and concern about children eating snacks are the influencing factors of purchasing prepackaged food.

[Application of lateral upper arm free flap in the repair of postoperative defects of oral cancer]

Objective: To explore the clinical application and efficacy of lateral upper arm free flap (LUAFF) for one-stage repairing of soft tissue defect after oral cancer surgery. Methods: This article was a retrospective analysis of clinical data of 46 patients receiving treatment of one-stage repairing of soft tissue defect with LUAFF after oral cancer surgery in Hunan Cancer Hospital, from June 2019 to June 2021. Among these cases, 40 were males, and 6 were females. The patients' ages were from 23 to 64 years old. The clinical data of patients were reviewed and outcomes were evaluated. SPSS 23.0 software was used for statistical analysis. Results: In the LUAFF of 46 patients, flap area ranged from 5.0 cm×3.5 cm to 15.0 cm×7.0 cm; the mean pedicle length was 8.15±1.42 cm; the mean artery diameter was 1.20±0.41 mm (range, 1.5 to 2.5 mm); the mean diameter of the largest veins was 2.15±0.52 mm; and the median number of perforators was 2.6 (range, 1 to 4). All donor sites were closed primarily. Two cases had arterial anastomosis thrombosis, but their flaps were successfully saved with urgent re-anastomosis of the vessels. The overall flap survival rate was 93.5%(43/46), with flap necroses after operation in three cases. No patient received tracheotomy. The average hospital stay time of patients after operation was 9.4 days. The follow-up time was 6-24 months, elbow and wrist movements on the operative side were normal, and the upper limb muscle strength was not affected. Conclusions: LUAFF is a suitable choice for the repairs of small-moderate tissue defects in oral cancer surgery, with consistent perforators in the flap, simple harvest method, concealed donor-site scar, and high survival rate.

[Association between the awareness of Nutrition Facts Panel and prepackaged food purchase behavior among residents]

Objective: To explore the association between the cognition of Nutrition Facts Panel and prepackaged food purchase behavior among residents in six provinces in China. Methods: Using a multi-stage sampling method, 3 002 adults aged 18-70 were selected from the western region (Sichuan), eastern region (Guangdong, Jiangsu, Beijing), central region (Henan), and northeastern region (Heilongjiang) of China from July 2020 to March 2021. Socio-demographic characteristics of participants and their cognition of Nutrition Facts Panel and prepackaged food purchase behavior were collected through questionnaire. A multivariate binary logistic regression model was used to analyze the association between cognition of Nutrition Facts Panel and prepackaged food purchase behavior. Results: The age of 3 002 subjects was (42.3±13.4) years, among which 63.8% (1 914) were female, 66.7% knew the Nutrition Facts Panel, 49.8% would read it when purchasing, 30.7% could understand it, and 56.6% (1 699) bought prepackaged food more than once a week. The results of multivariate analysis showed that after adjusting for relevant confounding factors, compared with the participants knowing but not reading the Nutrition Facts Panel, the group knowing and reading was more likely to buy 11 types of prepackaged food at least once a week (all P<0.05). Compared with the participants reading but not understanding the Nutrition Facts Panel, the group reading and understanding was less likely to buy 11 types of prepackaged food at least once a week (all P<0.05). Conclusion: There was a correlation between cognition of Nutrition Facts Panel and prepackaged food purchase behavior among residents.

Circular RNAs: Biomarkers of cancer

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a class of single-stranded closed RNAs that are produced by the back splicing of precursor mRNAs. The formation of circRNAs mainly involves intron-pairing-driven circularization, RNA-binding protein (RBP)-driven circularization, and lariat-driven circularization. The vast majority of circRNAs are found in the cytoplasm, and some intron-containing circRNAs are localized in the nucleus. CircRNAs have been found to function as microRNA (miRNA) sponges, interact with RBPs and translate proteins, and play an important regulatory role in the development and progression of cancer. CircRNAs exhibit tissue- and developmental stage-specific expression and are stable, with longer half-lives than linear RNAs. CircRNAs have great potential as biomarkers for cancer diagnosis and prognosis, which is highlighted by their detectability in tissues, especially in fluid biopsy samples such as plasma, saliva, and urine. Here, we review the current studies on the properties and functions of circRNAs and their clinical application value.

Characterization of soil microbial community activity and structure for reducing available Cd by rice straw biochar and Bacillus cereus RC-1

The combination of biochar and specific bacteria has been widely applied to remediate Cadmium-contaminated soil. But little is known about how such composites affect the dynamic distribution of metal fractions. This process is accompanied by the alternations of soil properties and microbial community structures. Composite of rice straw biochar and Bacillus cereus RC-1 were applied to investigate its impacts on Cd alleviation and soil microbial diversity and structure. The bacterial/biochar composite treatment decreased the fraction of HOAc-extractable Cd by 38.82%, and increased residual Cd by 23.95% compared to the untreated control. Moreover, compared with the untreated control, the composite treatment significantly increased the soil pH by about 1.5 units, and the activities of catalase, urease and invertase enzymes were increased by 42.39%, 30.50% and 31.20%, respectively. Composite treatment increased soil bacterial and fungal alpha diversity, the relative abundance of Bacillus, Streptomyces, Arthrobacter, and Aspergillus species were also increased. Mantel test and correlation analysis indicated that the effects associated with fungal communities in influencing soil properties were lower than that those of bacterial communities by different treatment. Aggregated boosted tree (ABT) models analysis showed that soil chemical proprieties (as determined by SOM, CEC, AN, etc.,) contributed over 50% of the changes in bacterial and fungal communities by the composite treatment. The co-occurrence network results showed that all treatments enhanced the correlation between OUT groups and improved the possible relationships in the bacterial and fungal communities, especially the interrelationships between bacteria and fungi after the Cd fractions stabilized. These findings provide a new insight to optimal strategies for the remediation of Cd-contaminated soil.