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Abstract Background Living liver donors are frequently used for liver transplantation, but they experience many physical changes and psychological challenges. A better understanding of the experiences of liver donors can provide them with comprehensive and individualized patient-centred support and health care. Thus, this study sought to identify and synthesize existing qualitative studies to develop an in-depth understanding of the lived experiences of living liver donors. Method A meta-synthesis was conducted and reported in accordance with the Enhancing Transparency in Reporting the Synthesis of Qualitative Research statement. Seven databases were systematically searched from inception to March, 2024, using a combination of Medical Subject Headings with keywords. The results were integrated using the three-step thematic synthesis method suggested by Thomas and Harden. Results Nine studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in this meta-synthesis. Four themes emerged from the meta-synthesis: (1) facing a life-changing situation, (2) experiencing changes in interpersonal relationships, (3) coping with changes, and (4) achieving personal growth. Conclusions Living liver donors experienced physical, psychological, and social changes after surgery, striving to manage these challenges, highlighting the importance of coping strategies and ultimately achieving personal growth. Future nursing research should focus on psychological interventions, supportive measures, and the positive aspects of living liver donors to help them achieve the optimal quality of life. Trial registration PROSPERO CRD42022328947.

Abstract Hepatic fibrosis is a common disease with high morbidity and mortality rates. The complex and poorly understood mechanisms underlying hepatic fibrosis represent a significant challenge for the development of more effective therapeutic strategies. MKP5 is a potential regulator of multiple fibrotic diseases. However, its precise role and mechanism of action in hepatic fibrosis remains unclear. This study identified a reduction in MKP5 expression in fibrotic liver tissues of mice treated with CCl4 and observed that MKP5 knockout mice exhibited a more pronounced development of hepatic fibrosis. In addition, RNA-seq data indicated activation of protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum signalling pathway in fibrotic liver tissues of mice lacking MKP5. Mechanistically, MKP5 inhibits the activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and hepatocyte apoptosis through the regulation of the IRE/XBP1 pathway. Based on these findings, we developed PLGA-MKP5 nanoparticles coated with a mesenchymal stem cell membrane (MSCM). Our results demonstrated that MSCM-PLGA-MKP5 was most effective in attenuating hepatic inflammation and fibrosis in murine models by modulating the IRE/XBP1 axis. This study contributes to the current understanding of the pathogenesis of hepatic fibrosis, suggesting that the targeted delivery of MKP5 via a nano-delivery system may represent a promising therapeutic approach to treat hepatic fibrosis. Graphical abstract

Abstract Background Infertility is a reproductive health problem that attracts worldwide attention. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a major cause of female infertility and patients with obesity and PCOS are particularly common in clinical practice. Long non-coding RNA (lncRNAs) are a functional core in cells that regulate gene expression, transcription, and chromatin modification processes, and participate in epigenetics, cell cycle, and cell differentiation. LncRNAs are assumed to play a role in the occurrence and development of PCOS; however, their specific mechanism of action remains to be elucidated. Methods High-throughput sequencing technology has been used to sequence and analyze lncRNAs in exosomes from the follicular fluid of patients with obesity and PCOS and those who underwent assisted reproductive therapy owing to male factors. Specific expression profiles of patients with obesity and PCOS were obtained and functional information analysis combined with a literature review were performed to screen for differentially expressed lncRNAs, which were validated using real-time reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Results High-throughput sequencing analysis revealed that compared to normal patients with male infertility, patients with obesity and PCOS had a total of 20 lncRNAs with significant expression differences in follicular fluid exosomes. Among them, 17 lncRNAs were upregulated and three were downregulated. Functional analysis showed that differentially expressed genes were mainly enriched in “cell metabolism,” “cell adhesion,” and other aspects: related gene pathways mainly involved Huntington’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, spliceosomes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and ribosomes. Verification of differentially expressed lncRNAs revealed that the expression of lncRNAs TPT1-AS1, PTOV1-AS1, PTPRG-AS1, and SNHG14 in follicular fluid exosomes was consistent with the sequencing results. Conclusion A preliminary differential expression profile of lncRNAs in exosomes of patients with obesity and PCOS was established by transcriptomic analysis of these individuals. Our bioinformatics analysis results may be applicable to further study of the impact mechanism involving obesity and PCOS. These differentially expressed lncRNAs maybe served as potential biomarkers for in-depth studies of the occurrence, development on Follicle quality and function for patients with PCOS in the future.

Metasurfaces have recently gained significant attention due to the strong capacity in light field manipulation. However, most traditional metasurfaces are fabricated on rigid substrates, which fix their functionality after fabrication and limit their applications in dynamic measurement fields. In this work, we designed and fabricated a silver metasurface embedded in a stretchable substrate for sensing applications. This metasurface can generate different point cloud patterns under varying stretch ratios when illuminated by a laser beam. By collecting and analyzing the patterns, we can precisely reconstruct the deformation of the metasurface. Furthermore, the sample exhibits excellent performance under incident light of various wavelengths. These results pave the way for developing microdevices with novel capabilities based on flexible metamaterials.

AIM: To explore the diagnostic value of visualized corneal biomechanical analysis combined with Pentacam related-index in the diagnosis of subclinical keratoconus and forme fruste keratoconus, and to provide evidence for early screening and diagnosis of keratoconus.METHODS: A total of 65 patients(128 eyes)with keratoconus in Ningxia Eye Hospital from November 2018 to November 2019 were enrolled in a diagnostic trial design. According to the course of disease, these eyes were divided into clinical, subclinical and forme fruste groups. A total of 89 subjects(89 eyes)who received preoperative refractive examination at the same period were selected as the normal control group. Pentacam combined with Corvis ST was used for detection. Corneal dilatation indexes, including belin/ambrosio enhanced ectasia display(BAD-D), the thinnest point thickness(TP), max keratometry(Kmax), deviation of normality of the front elevation(Df), deviation of normality of the back elevation(Db), deviation of normality of pachymetric progression(Dp), deviation of normality of corneal thinnest point(Dt), deviation of normality of relational thickness(Da), and Ambrósio relational thickness horizontal(ARTh), corneal biomechanical indexes, including Corvis biomechanical index(CBI), deformation amplitude ratio(DA Ratio), stiffness parameters at applanation 1(SP-A1)and Integrated radius, biomechanical intraocular pressure(bIOP)and tomographic and biomechanical index(TBI)were recorded. The keratoconus at different stages was statistically analyzed, the diagnostic valve of TBI, CBI and BAD-D was explored by receiver operating curve, and the diagnostic value of each parameters was evaluated.RESULTS:The TBI, BAD-D, TP, Kmax, Df, Db, Dp, Dt, Da, ARTh, CBI and SP-A1 of the clinical keratoconus group had strong diagnostic ability, the BAD-D, Da, Dp, TP, TBI, CBI, ARTh and Integrated radius of the subclinical keratoconus group had strong diagnostic ability, and the BAD-D, Dp and TBI of the forme fruste keratoconus group had certain diagnostic and predictive ability.CONCLUSION:TBI, BAD-D, Dp and other index have a certain sensitivity and specificity for early keratoconus diagnosis, and can be used for screening and early diagnosis of keratoconus.

Objectives: This study aimed to survey the geriatric nursing competencies of clinical nursing staff in Chongqing City, China, and provide suggestions to enhance these competencies. Methods: This study was conducted in 204 hospitals in Southwest China from December 24, 2022 to January 7, 2023. The “Geriatric Nursing Competence of Clinical Nurse Investigation Tool” was used to explore factors that influence geriatric nurses’ competencies via stratified sampling. The survey was conducted by distributing and collecting questionnaires through the online platform Wenjuanxing. Results: A total of 10,692 nurses answered the questionnaires. Of these questionnaires, 9,442 were valid. The total geriatric nursing competence score of the clinical nursing staff was 2.29 ± 0.81, the secondary hospital score was 2.23 ± 0.78, and the tertiary hospital’s overall mean score was 2.33 ± 0.83. The factors that influenced secondary hospitals included the department of medicine, age of nurses and total length of career (P

Abstract Background To examine if pregnancy affects the prognosis of uveal melanoma (UM) patients undergoing plaque brachytherapy (PBT) and to assess if PBT has any subsequent impact on pregnancy outcomes. Methods A retrospective, single-center study was carried out at Beijing Tongren Hospital, focusing on women of childbearing age diagnosed with UM and treated with iodine-125 plaque brachytherapy. Both the outcomes of pregnancies and the health status of the fetuses were monitored. Survival analyses were conducted using the Kaplan-Meier method, with endpoints being metastasis and death. Results A total of 13 patients who had full-term pregnancies and 96 non-pregnant women matched by age and tumor size were included. The mean follow-up time was 67.0 ± 27.7 months (median:66.0 months, range:21.0 to 116.0 months). In the pregnant group, two patients developed metastases, one of whom died shortly after delivery; local recurrence of UM occurred in 2 patients after or during delivery, and 2 other patients developed secondary glaucoma due to radiation retinopathy. None of the other pregnant patients reported any signs of disease progression. In the control group, 18 metastasis cases including 12 deaths were documented. Pregnant patients and matched control subjects showed no statistical difference in both Metastasis-free survival (hazard ratio (HR): 0.66, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.15–2.86; P = 0.576) and overall survival (HR: 0.48, 95% CI: 0.06–3.66; P = 0.464). All pregnant patients carried the pregnancy to term and delivered healthy children with no report of placental or infant metastases to date. Conclusion Pregnancy does not appear to negatively impact the prognosis of UM patients undergoing PBT. PBT showed no observable detriment to maternal fertility and exhibited no teratogenic effects on the fetus. However, the long-term implications of PBT on pregnancy remain uncertain, necessitating additional, prolonged follow-up studies.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) represents the commonly occurring cardiac arrhythmia and the main factor leading to stroke and heart failure. Hydrogen (H2) is a gaseous signaling molecule that has the effects of anti-inflammation and antioxidation. Our study provides evidence that hydrogen decreases susceptibility to AngII-mediated AF together with atrial fibrosis. Following continuous AngII administration for a 28-day period, AngII+H2 treated rats showed decreased susceptibility to AF, a decrease in atrial fibrosis, a decrease in ROS in atrial myocytes, an inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome activation, an improvement in electrical remodeling, and an inhibition of proliferation and migration of cardiac fibroblasts. We further found that hydrogen regulates the activation of inflammasome and thus improves Ca2+ handling and IKAch and IKur by inhibiting the activity of NOX4 in vivo. In addition, hydrogen was involved in AngII-mediated atrial fibrosis through inhibiting TGF-β1/Smad2/3 pathway through suppressing TGF-β1 activation and secretion in vivo. Our findings suggest that hydrogen is important for preventing and treating AngII-mediated AF and atrial fibrosis, suggesting that hydrogen could be used as the candidate way to prevent and treat AF.

Exosomes carry large cargo of proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids, serving as versatile biomarkers for disease diagnosis and vehicles for drug delivery. However, up to date, no well recognized standard procedures for exosome storage were available for clinical application. This study aimed to determine the optimal storage conditions and the anticoagulants for plasma-derived exosome isolation. Fresh whole blood samples were collected from healthy participants and preserved in four different anticoagulants including sodium citrate (SC1/4), sodium citrate (SC1/9), lithium heparin (LH), or Ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA), respectively. Exosomes were extracted from the plasma by differential ultracentrifugation and stored at three different temperatures, 4°C, −20°C or − 80°C for a duration ranging from one week to six months. All plasma samples for storage conditions comparison were pretreated with LH anticoagulant. Exosome features including morphological characteristics, pariticles size diameter, and surface protein profiles (TSG101, CD63, CD81, CD9, CALNEXIN) were assessed by transmission electron microscopy, Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis, and Western Blotting, respectively. Exosomes preserved in LH and SC1/4 group tended to remain intact microstructure with highly abundant protein biomarkers. Exosomes stored at 4°C for short time were prone to be more stable compared to thos at −80°C. Exosomes stored in plasma were superior in terms of ultrastructure, size diameter and surface protein expression to those stored in PBS. In conclusion, plasma-dervied exosome characteristics strictly depend on the anticoagulants and storage temperature and duration.

Increasing evidence has shown that physical activity is related to a lower risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD), thus indicating a potential target for prevention. However, the causality is not clear; specifically, physical activity may protect against CKD, and CKD may lead to a reduction in physical activity. Our study examined the potential bidirectional relationship between physical activity and CKD by using a genetically informed method. Genome-wide association studies from the UK Biobank baseline data were used for physical activity phenotypes and included 460,376 participants. For kidney function (estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR) and CKD, with eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2), CKDGen Consortium data were used, which included 480,698 CKD participants of European ancestry. Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was used to determine the causal relationship between physical activities and kidney function. Two-sample MR genetically predicted that heavy DIY (do it yourself) (e.g., weeding, lawn mowing, carpentry, and digging) decreased the risk of CKD (odds ratio [OR] = 0.287, 95% CI = 0.117–0.705, p = 0.0065) and improved the level of eGFR (β = 0.036, 95% CI = 0.005–0.067, p = 0.021). The bidirectional MR showed no reverse causality. It is worth noting that other physical activities, such as walking for pleasure, strenuous sports, light DIY (e.g., pruning and watering the lawn), and other exercises (e.g., swimming, cycling, keeping fit, and bowling), were not significantly correlated with CKD and eGFR. This study used genetic data to provide reliable and robust causal evidence that heavy physical activity (e.g., weeding, lawn mowing, carpentry, and digging) can protect kidney function and further lower the risk of CKD.

Abstract. Background:. Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a severe and acute cardiovascular syndrome with high mortality among patients with autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases (AIIRDs). Accurate prediction and timely intervention play a pivotal role in enhancing survival rates. However, there is a notable scarcity of practical early prediction and risk assessment systems of PE in patients with AIIRD. Methods:. In the training cohort, 60 AIIRD with PE cases and 180 age-, gender-, and disease-matched AIIRD non-PE cases were identified from 7254 AIIRD cases in Tongji Hospital from 2014 to 2022. Univariable logistic regression (LR) and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) were used to select the clinical features for further training with machine learning (ML) methods, including random forest (RF), support vector machines (SVM), neural network (NN), logistic regression (LR), gradient boosted decision tree (GBDT), classification and regression trees (CART), and C5.0 models. The performances of these models were subsequently validated using a multicenter validation cohort. Results:. In the training cohort, 24 and 13 clinical features were selected by univariable LR and LASSO strategies, respectively. The five ML models (RF, SVM, NN, LR, and GBDT) showed promising performances, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) of 0.962–1.000 in the training cohort and 0.969–0.999 in the validation cohort. CART and C5.0 models achieved AUCs of 0.850 and 0.932, respectively, in the training cohort. Using D-dimer as a pre-screening index, the refined C5.0 model achieved an AUC exceeding 0.948 in the training cohort and an AUC above 0.925 in the validation cohort. These results markedly outperformed the use of D-dimer levels alone. Conclusion:. ML-based models are proven to be precise for predicting the onset of PE in patients with AIIRD exhibiting clinical suspicion of PE. Trial Registration:. Chictr.org.cn: ChiCTR2200059599.

Abstract Background Although the usefulness of pulmonary function tests has been established for lung resection and coronary artery bypass surgeries, the association between preoperative pulmonary function test and postoperative respiratory complications in nonpulmonary and noncardiac surgery is inconclusive. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between preoperative forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) on pulmonary function test and the development of postoperative respiratory failure and/or death in patients undergoing major nonpulmonary and noncardiac surgery. Methods Adult patients aged ≥ 18 years and who underwent nonpulmonary and noncardiac surgery with expected moderate to high risk of perioperative complications from June 2012 to March 2019 were included. The primary exposure was preoperative FEV1 measured by pulmonary function test within six months before surgery. The primary outcome was respiratory failure (i.e., invasive positive pressure ventilation for at least 24 h after surgery or reintubation) and/or death within 30 days after surgery. A logistic regression model was used to adjust for the respiratory failure risk index, which is a scoring system that predicts the probability of postoperative respiratory failure based on patient and surgical factors, and to examine the association between preoperative FEV1 and the development of postoperative respiratory failure and/or death. Results Respiratory failure and/or death occurred within 30 days after surgery in 52 (0.9%) of 5562 participants. The incidence of respiratory failure and/or death in patients with FEV1 ≥ 80%, 70%–

Abstract With the increasing urban environmental problems, spontaneous vegetation has been gradually emphasized for high ecological value, whose distribution has been reported as strongly influenced by fine-scale environmental factors. As one of the major zones for urban spontaneous vegetation distribution, urban riparian corridors are well suited for research on the response of spontaneous plants to microhabitats. Taking the Wenyu River-North Canal in Beijing as the study site, we measured six microhabitat factors, including the level of maintenance and visitor activity, canopy density, litter thickness, and distance to water and road, to investigate their effects on spontaneous plant assemblages. The results showed that spontaneous plants respond significantly to fine-scale habitat variation, and were more responsive to human disturbance than other factors. Compared with diversity indicators, the functional trait compositions were more significantly correlated with microhabitat factors. Under lower maintenance of plants, the spontaneous communities had a higher invasion risk for plants. Thick litter can impede the occurrence of invasive species while favoring the growth of native ones. Our findings are important for furthering understanding of the spontaneous plant community establishment, and can serve as a good reference for the maintenance and management of spontaneous plants in urban riparian corridors.

Abstract Objective The aim of our study is to find a better way to identify a group of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) with more aggressive behaviors and to provide a prediction model for lymph node metastasis to assist in clinic practice. Methods Targeted sequencing of DNA/RNA was used to detect genetic alterations. Gene expression level was measured by quantitative real-time PCR, western blotting or immunohistochemistry. CCK8, transwell assay and flow cytometry were used to investigate the effects of concomitant gene alterations in PTC. LASSO-logistics regression algorithm was used to construct a nomogram model integrating radiomic features, mutated genes and clinical characteristics. Results 172 high-risk variants and 7 fusion types were detected. The mutation frequencies in BRAF, TERT, RET, ATM and GGT1 were significantly higher in cancer tissues than benign nodules. Gene fusions were detected in 16 samples (2 at the DNA level and 14 at the RNA level). ATM mutation (ATM MUT) was frequently accompanied by BRAF MUT, TERT MUT or gene fusions. ATM MUT alone or ATM co-mutations were significantly positively correlated with lymph node metastasis. Accordingly, ATM knock-down PTC cells bearing BRAF V600E, KRAS G12R or CCDC6-RET had higher proliferative ability and more aggressive potency than cells without ATM knock-down in vitro. Furthermore, combining gene alterations and clinical features significantly improved the predictive efficacy for lymph node metastasis of radiomic features, from 71.5 to 87.0%. Conclusions Targeted sequencing of comprehensive genetic alterations in PTC has high prognostic value. These alterations, in combination with clinical and radiomic features, may aid in predicting invasive PTC with higher accuracy.

Background: Pulmonary infections resulting from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) continue to pose a significant threat to the well-being of infants and the elderly, but there is no safe, effective and specific treatment except symptomatic treatment. Forsythia Suspensa Leaf (FSL) is cold in nature and bitter in taste, and has the efficacy of clearing away heat and toxic materials. Previous research by our research group showed that the active components in FSL have the pharmacological effect of anti-RSV. Based on that, this study aims further to clarify the anti-RSV active components and mechanism of FSL. Methods: Firstly, we established the BALB/c mouse model of RSV infection, assessed the in vivo anti-RSV efficacy, and determined the optimal dosage of FSL and its active components. Evaluation parameters included body weight changes, organ indices, lung tissue pathological sections, lung tissue viral load, and inflammatory factors. Additionally, we used RT-PCR, Western Blot and other molecular biology techniques to determine the expression changes of key factors such as Nrf2 and NLRP3 in PI3K/Akt-NLRP3 pathway, and revealed the anti-RSV mechanism of FSL and its active components. Results: Pharmacodynamic experiments in animals showed that the FSL Low (0.4 g/kg·d), RosA Low (100 mg/kg·d) and Phillyrin Medium (100 mg/kg·d) groups could effectively improve the pathological conditions of mice with RSV pneumonia, such as weight loss, the level of pulmonary inflammatory factors and the increase of viral load. In addition, oral administration of Phillyrin at a dose of 100 mg/kg d to RSV-infected mice can effectively control the trend that the expression of Nrf2 protein decreases and the expression of NLRP3 protein increases in RSV pneumonia mice. Conclusion: Phillyrin, the active component in FSL, can not only directly inhibit the replication of RSV, but also effectively control the inflammatory reaction caused by RSV infection and improve lung injury, which is expected to become a potential drug against RSV pneumonia.

Objective: The diversity of electrode placement systems brought the problem of channel location harmonization in large-scale electroencephalography (EEG) applications to the forefront. Therefore, our goal was to resolve this problem by introducing and assessing the reference electrode standardization technique (REST) to transform EEGs into a common electrode distribution with computational zero reference at infinity offline. Methods: Simulation and eye-closed resting-state EEG datasets were used to investigate the performance of REST for EEG signals and power configurations. Results: REST produced small errors (the root mean square error (RMSE): 0.2936–0.4583; absolute errors: 0.2343–0.3657) and high correlations (>0.9) between the estimated signals and true ones. The comparison of configuration similarities in power among various electrode distributions revealed that REST induced infinity reference could maintain a perfect performance similar (>0.9) to that of true one. Conclusion: These results demonstrated that REST transformation could be adopted to resolve the channel location harmonization problem in large-scale EEG applications.

IntroductionSubjective cognitive decline (SCD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are stages 2 and 3, respectively, of the Alzheimer’s continuum. The Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale (ADAS-cog’s) ten-words recall test is a validated method for the early detection of cognitive impairment in Alzheimer’s disease. However, limited studies have investigated its ability to differentiate between SCD and MCI.Methods203 participants with SCD and 62 participants with MCI underwent multiple neuropsychological assessments. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment-Basic (MOCA-B) served as brief global cognition tests. A binary logistic regression model was used to analyze the potential factors affecting MCI. The accuracy of the ten-words recall test was assessed using the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and the area under the curve (AUC).ResultsThe neuropsychological assessment revealed significant differences in the ten-words recall test scores between the SCD (median age 61 years; 70.44% female) and MCI (median age 64 years; 61.29% female) groups (p < 0.001), with the MCI group scoring the highest. Using a cut-off value of 3.15 for the ten-words recall test, sensitivity for distinguishing MCI from SCD reached 87%, while specificity stood at 61% (AUC 0.777, p < 0.001). DeLong’s test indicated no statistically significant difference in the ten-words recall test’s ability to distinguish between SCD and MCI compared to the total score of ADAS-Cog (AUC 0.833, p) and MMSE (AUC 0.784, p > 0.05). However, a significant difference was observed when compared to MoCA-B (AUC 0.973, p < 0.001). In the population with an education level of ≤ 9 years, the optimal cut-off value for the ten-words recall test was 3.15, yielding a sensitivity of 91% and a specificity of 45% (AUC = 0.674, p = 0.030). In the population with an education level > 9 years, the optimal cut-off value was 3.63, resulting in a sensitivity of 79% and a specificity of 71% (AUC = 0.785, p < 0.001).DiscussionThe ten-words recall test from the ADAS-cog may detect MCI early owing to its simplicity and quick administration. It is an effective and convenient tool for rapidly identifying mild cognitive impairment.

Abstract Postbiotics is a novel category of biotics that encompasses dead cells, metabolites, and derivatives from gut microbiota. These substances can exhibit their effects without containing cells, such as in cell‐free supernatants and spent media. Examples of widely studied postbiotics include short‐chain fatty acids, exopolysaccharides, cell wall fragments, and bacterial lysates. Evidence suggests that postbiotics have numerous benefits for human health, including antiaging, and anti‐inflammatory properties, and participation in immune and lipid metabolism regulation. Specifically, postbiotics can improve intestinal health by strengthening the intestinal barrier, reducing inflammation, and promoting antibacterial activity. These findings may pave the way for the development of postbiotic functional foods in the future. This review provides an overview of the components, health effects, and industrial applications of postbiotics, aiming to consolidate existing research conclusions and serve as a reference for future studies.

BackgroundTian-ma (Gastrodia elata) is a traditional medicinal herb found in China. It is used in healthy food and to treat various diseases, therefore cultivated extensively in southwest China. However, continuous cropping of this species has led to various obstacles, such as microbial disease and pest infestation, significantly affecting the production and development of valuable medicinal and food resources. As per the growth habit, soil is presumed to be the primary factor contributing to these obstacles, despite the known issues of continuous cropping obstacles in Gastrodia elata, such as microbial disease, there is a lack of comprehensive understanding of the specific soil bacterial communities and metabolites involved in these processes.MethodsWe analyzed soil samples collected during the year of Tian-ma cultivation (0 Year), after the Tian-ma harvest (1 Year), after two years (2 Year), and three years (3 Year) of fallowing post-cultivation using soil 16S rRNA metabarcoding sequencing by illumina platform and metabolomics (GC–MS/MS). Soil sample collected from the uncultivated field was used as the control (CK).ResultsMetabarcoding sequencing showed high bacterial alpha diversity during the cultivation of Tian-ma (0 Year) and the period of deterioration of soil bacterial community. (1 Year), with decreased anaerobic bacterial abundance and increased copiotrophic bacterial abundance. Bacteria associated with sulfur metabolism also showed increased abundance during the year of cropping obstacles. Further metabolomics approach identified 4-hydroxy-benzenemethanol as an indicator of Tian-ma continuous cropping obstacles. Besides, metabolites of the carbohydrate class were found to be the most abundant during the occurrence of continuous cropping obstacles of Gastrodia elata, suggesting that regulation of soil microbial diversity may be a critical factor in addressing these obstacles. Finally, the correlation analysis indicated a positive association between the abundance of some metabolite, e.g., carbamic acid, N-(2-butyl)-N-octadecyl-, ethyl ester detected after Tian-ma cultivation and the abundance of bacteria capable of degrading toxic metabolites, such as Massilia, Burkholderia-Caballeronia-Paraburkholderia, and Dyella.ConclusionThis study has revealed the specific soil bacteria and metabolic factors related to the continuous cropping obstacles of Gastrodia elata. These findings not only deepen our understanding of the continuous cropping issues but also pave the way for developing effective strategies to overcome them.

Purpose: Primary surgery failure of macular holes causes poor visual acuity outcomes. Several studies indicate that small-medium idiopathic full-thickness macular holes (iFTMH) have consistent and high anatomical closure rates after vitrectomy and internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling, regardless of iFTMH diameters. However, there is no systematic analysis examining the relationship between iFTMH diameters and anatomical closure rates. Methods: In this systematic review and meta-regression, we searched PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases on October 24th, 2022. We included studies regarding iFTMH, with ILM peeling/inverted flap technique, long-lasting gas tamponade, and face-down position after surgery. Univariable meta-regression with a restricted cubic spline model and component-plus-residual plot after covariables adjustment were used to explore non-linear association. Results: A total of 7257 participants from 19 randomized controlled trials and 49 observational studies were included in this meta-analysis. In ILM peeling group, every 100-μm increment in diameter was associated with a 3.8 % (95 % confidence interval [CI], 1.8%–5.7 %, P 0.9). The restricted cubic spline model and component-plus-residual plot controlling for age, sex, and symptom duration prior to surgery showed no evident non-linearity in both surgical techniques. Conclusions: The iFTMH diameter is linear and inversely associated with the anatomical closure rate after the ILM peeling technique, but not with the inverted flap technique. The present study supports the use of advanced techniques, e.g., inverted flap technique, in small-medium iFTMH to improve anatomical closure rates.

C20H18ClNO3, monoclinic, P21 (no. 4), a = 11.6954(2) Å, b = 5.7274(10) Å, c = 26.5974(5) Å, β = 102.177(10)°, V = 1741.52(5) Å3, Z = 4, Rgt (F) = 0.0282, wRref (F 2) = 0.0728, T = 170(2) K.

Abstract Molecular hydrogen is an emerging broad-spectrum antioxidant molecule that can be used to treat myocardial infarction (MI). However, with hydrogen inhalation, the concentration that can be reached within target organs is low and the duration of action is short, which makes it difficult to achieve high dose targeted delivery of hydrogen to the heart, seriously limiting the therapeutic potential of hydrogen for MI. As a result of reactions with the internal environment of the body, subcutaneous implantation of magnesium slices leads to continuous endogenous hydrogen production, leading to a higher hydrogen concentration and a longer duration of action in target organs. In this study, we propose magnesium implant-based hydrogen therapy for MI. After subcutaneous implantation of magnesium slices in the dorsum of rats, we measured hydrogen production and efficiency, and evaluated the safety of this approach. Compared with hydrogen inhalation, it significantly improved cardiac function in rats with MI. Magnesium implantation also cleared free radicals that were released as a result of mitochondrial dysfunction, as well as suppressing cardiomyocyte apoptosis.

Abstract Background and purpose The relationship between heart rate and the prognosis of patients with large vessel occlusion strokes treated with mechanical thrombectomy (MT) is not well established. This study aimed to evaluate the association of mean heart rate and heart rate variability (HRV) with the clinical outcomes after MT therapy. Methods Acute ischemic stroke patients undergoing MT therapy were prospectively recruited from March 2020 to November 2022. Their heart rate was collected every hour for the initial 72 h after MT procedure, and the variability of heart rate was measured by standard deviation (SD) and coefficient of variation (CV). All-cause mortality and worsening of functional outcome (change in modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score) at 3-month were captured. Binary logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between heart rate indicators and all-cause mortality. Ordinal logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between heart rate indicators and worsening of functional outcome. Results Among 191 MT-treated patients, 51(26.7%) patients died at 3-month after stroke. Increased mean heart rate per 10-bpm, heart rate SD and CV per 5-unit were all associated with the increased risk of mortality (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] with 95% CI: 1.29 [1.09–1.51], 1.19 [1.07–1.32], 1.14 [1.03–1.27]; respectively). Patients in the highest tertile of heart rate SD had an increased risk of mortality (4.62, 1.70-12.52). After using mRS as a continuous variable, we found increased mean heart rate per 10-bpm, heart rate SD and CV per 5-unit were associated with the worsening of functional outcome (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] with 95% CI: 1.35 [1.11–1.64], 1.27 [1.05–1.53], 1.19 [1.02–1.40]; respectively). A linear relationship was observed between mean heart rate or heart rate SD and mortality; while all of the heart rate measures in this study showed a linear relationship with the worsening of functional outcome. Conclusions Higher mean heart rate and HRV were associated with the increased risk of 3-month all-cause mortality and worse functional outcome after MT therapy for AIS patients.

Abstract Background Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is one of the most lethal types of cancer, and KRAS oncogene occurs in over 90% of cases. P21-activated kinases (PAK), containing six members (PAK1 to 6), function downstream of KRAS. PAK1 and PAK4 play important roles in carcinogenesis, but their combinational effect remains unknown. In this study, we have determined the effect of dual inhibition of PAK1 and PAK4 in PDA progression using knockout (KO) cancer cell lines. Methods Murine wild-type (WT) and PAK1KO pancreatic cancer cell lines were isolated from PAK1+/+ and PAK1−/− KPC (LSL-Kras G12D/+ ; LSL-Trp53 R172H/+ ; Pdx-1-Cre) mice. KPC PAK4KO and KPC PAK1&4 KO cell lines were generated from KPC WT and KPC PAK1KO cell lines respectively using the CRISPR-CAS9 gene knockout technique. PAK WT and KO cell lines were used in mouse models of pancreatic tumours. Cells and tumour tissue were also used in flow cytometry and proteomic studies. A human PDA tissue microarray was stained by immunohistochemistry. Results Double knock out of PAK1 and PAK4 caused complete regression of tumour in a syngeneic mouse model. PAK4KO inhibited tumour growth by stimulating a rapid increase of cytotoxic CD8+ T cell infiltration. PAK1KO synergistically with PAK4KO increased cytotoxic CD8+ T cell infiltration and stimulated a sustained infiltration of CD8+ T cells at a later phase to overcome the immune evasion in the PAK4KO tumour. The human PDA tissue microarray study showed the important role of PAK1 and PAK4 in intra-tumoral T-cell function. Conclusion Our results demonstrated that dual inhibition of PAK1 and PAK4 synergistically suppressed PDA progression by stimulating cytotoxic CD8 + T cell response.

Abstract Acrylamide (AA) is a neurotoxic and potentially carcinogenic contaminant, usually generated during food processing. MicroRNAs are a class of noncoding small RNAs, which serve essential pathogenic roles in linking exposure to toxic contaminants with their pathological outcomes. Our previous research identified miR‐27a‐5p as a key regulator in AA toxicity, as it induces mitochondria‐dependent apoptosis by targeting Btf3 in rats. However, the mechanisms by which miR‐27a‐5p is regulated to exert its toxic effects remain unclear. Here, the transcription factors that bind to the promoter of miR‐27a‐5p and their potential regulatory functions are investigated in cell lines and rats. The results showed that nuclear factor kappa‐B 1 (NF‐κB1) is a promising transcription factor from bioinformatic analysis. The luciferase reporter assay demonstrated that NF‐κB1 enhances the transcriptional activity of the miR‐27a‐5p promoter, whereas the cleavage under targets and tagmentation assay successfully verified the specific binding sites at −305/−298 bp. Furthermore, the inhibition of NF‐κB1 resulted in the suppression of miR‐27a‐5p expression and its associated target pathways, with additional validation provided by in vivo experimentation. Consequently, the upregulation of miR‐27a‐5p induced by AA and its subsequent intrinsic apoptosis can be attributed to the binding of NF‐κB1 to the miR‐27a‐5p promoter. This binding event may serve as the initial step in the molecular network regulated by miR‐27a‐5p that underlies AA toxicity.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of a video version of a mind mapping health education strategy for patients undergoing radical prostatectomy. We included patients from two surgical wards (referred to as wards 1 and 2). Routine perioperative health education was conducted in surgical ward 1. In surgical ward 2, routine perioperative health education was conducted in 2019, and a new health education strategy was implemented in 2020. A pre-post difference-in-differences design was employed to compare changes in readiness for hospital discharge and the quality of discharge teaching between the target and control groups. A total of 253 subjects were included in this study. Following implementation of the new strategy, the total score of readiness for hospital discharge increased from 155.02 to 167.37 (p = 0.007). The total score of the quality of discharge teaching increased from 145.97 to 156.03 (p < 0.001). In addition, favorable changes were observed for all metrics of readiness for hospital discharge in the target group. The implementation of the new strategy was also associated with an increased total score (18.25; 95% confidence interval (CI): 9.56–26.94; p < 0.001) and delivery (14.85; 95% CI: 8.94–20.76; p < 0.001) of the quality of discharge teaching. Thus, the implementation of our strategy can significantly improve readiness for hospital discharge and the quality of discharge teaching for patients undergoing radical prostatectomy.

Background: Fruit and vegetable waste (FVW) is a global waste issue with environmental impacts. It contains valuable compounds such as polysaccharides, polyphenols, proteins, vitamins, pigments, and fatty acids, which can be extracted for food applications. This study aims to review sustainable extraction methods for FVW and its potential in the food industry. Methods: This paper provides an overview of the sources and sustainable methods of high value-added compounds extracted from FVW. Sustainable techniques, including supercritical fluid extraction and ultrasound-assisted extraction, are compared with traditional methods, for their efficiency in extracting high-value compounds from FVW while minimizing environmental impact. Discussions: Sustainable extraction of FVW compounds is sustainable and beneficial for novel food ingredients. However, challenges in scalability and cost need to be addressed for wider adoption in the food sector. Conclusions: Sustainable extraction techniques effectively extract phytochemicals from FVW, preserving bioactivity and reducing environmental load. These methods show promise for sustainable food ingredient development.

In 2005, the Fifth Plenary Session of the 16th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China introduced a strategic plan to advance the construction of a new socialist countryside, thereby providing a policy foundation for the robust development of rural tourism. Against this policy backdrop, the present study investigates the impact of rural tourism policies on the spatial evolution of ethnic minority villages in Yanbian Prefecture, utilizing data from the period 2004–2023. As a representative region in China where ethnic minorities coexist, Yanbian Prefecture exhibits distinctive cultural and spatial features in its Korean villages, making it a key pilot area for rural tourism development. This study utilizes the PMC index model, the coupled coordination degree model, and the vector autoregressive model to analyze the implementation effects of rural tourism policies and to establish an index system for rural spatial construction. By examining the spatial evolution of representative ethnic minority villages in Yanbian Prefecture, the research explores the dynamic interactions between tourism policies and rural construction, as well as the underlying causal mechanisms. The findings indicate that: (1) in ethnic minority villages, geographic characteristics and various constraints contribute to delayed initial policy effects, with negative fluctuations observed, highlighting a distinct lag effect in the policy implementation process; and (2) a significant Granger causality exists between tourism policies and rural spatial construction, with varying effects observed across different dimensions. The study centers on ethnic minority settlements, systematically analyzing the dynamic effects of tourism policies in the context of their spatial evolution characteristics. It offers sustainable development policy recommendations tailored to the unique attributes of ethnic minority villages. lt is suggested that the actual needs of village construction and long-term development goals should be fully considered when formulating and implementing policies to promote the sustainable development of ethnic minority areas.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of terpinen-4-ol (TER) supplementation on the intestinal barrier function of pigs. Five groups of fifty 28-day-old piglets with comparable body weights were randomly assigned to the following groups: the control group (CON), the lipopolysaccharide group (LPS), the low TER group (PLT), the middle TER group (PMT), and the high TER group (PHT). The basal diet was given to the CON and LPS groups, and 30, 60, or 90 mg/kg TER was added to the basal diet for the TER groups. After the 21-day trial period, piglets in the LPS and TER groups received an intraperitoneal injection of 100 μg/kg body weight of LPS, whereas the piglets in the CON group received an injection of 0.9% normal saline solution. The results showed that LPS stimulation resulted in a decrease (p < 0.05) in the depth of colonic crypts in piglets, which was greater (p < 0.05) in the TER group. Compared with those in the CON group, the number of goblet cells and MUC2 expression were decreased in the colon of piglets in the LPS group, while these parameters were increased in the PMT group (p < 0.05). The malondialdehyde (MDA) content was greater in the colon of the LPS group than in that of the CON group, while the activities of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) were lower in the colon of the LPS group; conversely, the MDA content was lower in the colons of the PLT and PMT groups than in those of the LPS group (p < 0.05). TER also reduced (p < 0.05) LPS-induced upregulation of IL-1β and TNF-α expression, along with the relative gene expression of NLRP3, ASC, and caspase-1 in the colon of piglets (p < 0.05). Compared with those in the CON group, the abundances of Firmicutes and UCG-005 in the LPS group were lower (p < 0.05), and those in the TER group were significantly greater than those in the LPS group. Compared with those in the CON group, the abundance of Proteobacteria in the LPS group increased (p < 0.05), while the abundance of Actinobacteria and Phascolarctobacterium increased (p < 0.05) in the colon of the PHT group compared with that in the LPS group. In conclusion, TER effectively improved the intestinal barrier function of the colon in weaning piglets. Based on the results of this study, the appropriate dose of TER in the diets of weaning piglets was 60 mg/kg.

Objectives: Effective exclusion of low-risk symptomatic outpatient cases for colorectal cancer (CRC) remains diagnostic challenges. We aimed to develop a self-reported symptom-based decision-making model for application in outpatient scenarios. Methods: In total, 8233 symptomatic cases at risk for CRC, as judged by outpatient physicians, were involved in this study at seven medical centers. A decision-making model was constructed using 60 self-reported symptom parameters collected from the questionnaire. Further internal and external validation cohorts were built to evaluate the discriminatory power of the CRC model. The discriminatory power of the CRC model was assessed by the C-index and calibration plot. After that, the clinical utility and user experience of the CRC model were evaluated. Results: Nine symptom parameters were identified as valuable predictors used for modeling. Internal and external validation cohorts verified the adequate discriminatory power of the CRC model. In the clinical application step, all 17 physicians found the model easy to grasp, 99.9 % of the patients were satisfied with the survey form. Application of this model detected all CRC cases. The total consistency ratio of outpatient cases undergoing colonoscopy was 81.4 %. None of the low-risk patients defined by the CRC model had been diagnosed with CRC. Conclusion: This multicenter study developed and validated a simple and user-friendly decision-making model covering self-reported information. The CRC model has been demonstrated to perform well in terms of rapid outpatient decision-making scenarios and clinical utility, particularly because it can better rule out low-risk outpatient cases.

BackgroundTraditional clinical studies have indicated a link between certain food intakes and type 2 diabetes (T2D), but the causal relationships between different dietary habits and T2D remain unknown. Using Mendelian randomization (MR) approaches, we investigated the potential causal association between dietary habits and T2D risk.MethodsWe collected publicly available genome-wide association studies’ summary statistics for 18 dietary habits from the UK Biobank and T2D data from the DIAbetes Genetics Replication And Meta-analysis (DIAGRAM) consortium. We applied the inverse variance weighted (IVW) method, supplemented with the MR-Egger method, weighted median method (WMM), simple method, weighted mode, MR-Egger regression, and the MR pleiotropy residual sum and outlier test to determine whether a particular diet was causal for T2D.ResultsReliable and robust MR estimates demonstrated that poultry intake has a causal effect on a higher risk of T2D (IVW: OR 6.30, 95% CI 3.573–11.11, p = 2.02e − 10; WMM: OR 5.479, 95% CI 0.2758–10.88, p = 1.19e − 06). Conversely, dried fruit intake (IVW: OR 0.380, 95% CI 0.237–0.608, p = 5.57e − 05; WMM: OR 0.450, 95% CI 0.321–0.630, p = 3.33e − 06) and cereal intake (IVW: OR 0.455, 95% CI 0.317–0.653, p = 1.924e − 05; WMM: OR 0.513, 95% CI 0.379–0.694, p = 1.514e − 05) were causally associated with T2D as protective factors. Sensitivity analyses confirmed the reliability and robustness of these findings.DiscussionOur study established the causal effects of poultry intake, dried fruit intake, and cereal intake on T2D, identifying poultry intake as a risk factor and the other two as protective factors. Further research into potential mechanisms is required to validate these novel findings.

As conventional kiwifruit production began to face sustainability challenges, the adoption of the green food certification (GFC) has emerged as an eco-innovative solution to promote sustainable production practices beneficial to the environment and farming communities. However, the implementation of this sustainable alternative has stagnated. Therefore, this research investigated the factors influencing the adoption and intergenerational gaps in the adoption of the GFC based on a primary survey with 404 farmers in the major kiwifruit production belt of China. To ensure disaggregated analyses through bivariate Probit, kiwifruit farmers' adoption was divided into two stages: adoption willingness and adoption behavior. The results revealed that the common factors influencing both the willingness and adoption of GFC were farmers' participation in training, education, farm labor, perceived benefits, perceived risk, and farmers' access to information through organizational, farmer, and network channels. The factor specifically affecting the willingness was perceived cost, while age of kiwi trees affected the farmers’ adoption behavior. Furthermore, the research findings demonstrated significant intergenerational gaps in the factors affecting the willingness and behavior to adopt the GFC. Therefore, it is crucial to promote the GFC through institutional support that can organize training programs, increase awareness of the benefits of GFC, and broaden information channels across generations.

Abstract Background Coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) is a frequent complication of diabetes mellitus (DM) characterized by challenges in both diagnosis and intervention. Circulating levels of microRNAs are increasingly recognized as potential biomarkers for cardiovascular diseases. Methods Serum exosomes from patients with DM, DM with coronary microvascular dysfunction (DM-CMD) or DM with coronary artery disease (DM-CAD) were extracted for miRNA sequencing. The expression of miR-16-2-3p was assessed in high glucose-treated human aortic endothelial cells and human cardiac microvascular endothelial cells. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) was used to detect miR-16-2-3p within the myocardium of db/db mice. Intramyocardial injection of lentivirus overexpressing miR-16-2-3p was used to explore the function of the resulting gene in vivo. Bioinformatic analysis and in vitro assays were carried out to explore the downstream function and mechanism of miR-16-2-3p. Wound healing and tube formation assays were used to explore the effect of miR-16-2-3p on endothelial cell function. Results miR-16-2-3p was upregulated in circulating exosomes from DM-CMD, high glucose-treated human cardiac microvascular endothelial cells and the hearts of db/db mice. Cardiac miR-16-2-3p overexpression improved cardiac systolic and diastolic function and coronary microvascular reperfusion. In vitro experiments revealed that miR-16-2-3p could regulate fatty acid degradation in endothelial cells, and ACADM was identified as a potential downstream target. MiR-16-2-3p increased cell migration and tube formation in microvascular endothelial cells. Conclusions Our findings suggest that circulating miR-16-2-3p may serve as a biomarker for individuals with DM-CMD. Additionally, miR-16-2-3p appears to alleviate coronary microvascular dysfunction in diabetes by modulating ACADM-mediated fatty acid degradation in endothelial cells.

Abstract Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive brain tumor and is characterized by a poor prognosis and high recurrence and mortality rates. Biochanin A (BCA) exhibits promising clinical anti-tumor effects. In this study, we aimed to explore the pharmacological mechanisms by which BCA acts against GBM. Network pharmacology was employed to identify overlapping target genes between BCA and GBM. Differentially expressed genes from the Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis 2 (GEPIA2) database were visualized using VolcaNose. Interactions among these overlapping genes were analyzed using the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins database. Protein–protein interaction networks were constructed using Cytoscape 3.8.1. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway and Gene Ontology enrichment analyses were conducted using the Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery. Survival analyses for these genes were performed using the GEPIA2 database. The Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas database was used to study the correlations between key prognostic genes. Molecular docking was confirmed using the DockThor database and visualized with PyMol software. Cell viability was assessed via the CCK-8 assay, apoptosis and the cell cycle stages were examined using flow cytometry, and protein expression was detected using western blotting. In all, 63 genes were initially identified as potential targets for BCA in treating GBM. Enrichment analysis suggested that the pharmacological mechanisms of BCA primarily involved cell cycle inhibition, induction of cell apoptosis, and immune regulation. Based on these findings, AKT1, EGFR, CASP3, and MMP9 were preliminarily predicted as key prognostic target genes for BCA in GBM treatment. Furthermore, molecular docking analysis suggested stable binding of BCA to the target protein. In vitro experiments revealed the efficacy of BCA in inhibiting GBM, with an IC50 value of 98.37 ± 2.21 μM. BCA inhibited cell proliferation, induced cell apoptosis, and arrested the cell cycle of GBM cells. Furthermore, the anti-tumor effects of BCA on U251 cells were linked to the regulation of the target protein. We utilized integrated bioinformatics analyses to predict targets and confirmed through experiments that BCA possesses remarkable anti-tumor activities. We present a novel approach for multi-target treatment of GBM using BCA.

Abstract Background Current studies have shown that longer observation time can improve neoplastic detection rate. This study aimed to clarify whether endoscopists with longer observation times can detect more focal lesions. Methods Based on the mean examination time for Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) without biopsy, endoscopists were divided into fast and slow groups, and the detection rate of focal lesions was compared between the two groups. Univariate analysis, multivariate analysis and restricted cubic spline were used to explore the factors of focal lesion detection rate. Results Mean examination time of EGD without biopsy was 4.5 min. The cut-off times used were 5 min. 17 endoscopists were classified into the fast (4.7 ± 3.6 min), and 16 into the slow (7.11 ± 4.6 min) groups. Compared with fast endoscopists, slow endoscopists had a higher detection rate of focal lesions (47.2% vs. 51.4%, P

Abstract Background To investigate the relationship between body weight and Axial length in guinea pigs. Methods Forty pigmented guinea pigs were randomly divided into two groups, namely control group and negative lens-induced myopization (LIM) group. After measuring the baseline axial length and body weight (BW), guinea pigs of LIM group received bilateral negative lens-induced myopization using − 10.0 diopters lenses. One week later, the lenses were removed and biometric and ophthalmoscopic examinations were repeated. Results Two groups of guinea pigs showed no statistical difference in initial body weight and eye axis length. Compared to the control group, the lens-induced group had a lower weight (P = 0.02) and a longer axial length (P 0.05). Conclusion In guinea pigs of the same age, axial length was not correlated with body weight. Also, baseline body weight had no impact on natural axial length growth or lens-induced myopia. Lens-induction caused a significant reduction in body weight gain.

Abstract Unpredictable rainfall frequently results in excess moisture, which is detrimental to the landscape because it interferes with the genetic, morphological, and physiological processes of plants, even though the majority of urban landscapes frequently experience moisture shortages. A study was conducted to analyze the effects of a 36-day waterlogging phase and a subsequent 12-day recovery period on the morpho-physiological responses of 17 Crassulaceae species with the goal of identifying those which were more tolerant of the conditions. Results revealed that waterlogging stress has an impact on all morpho-physiological parameters. Sensitive materials (S7, Hylotelephium telephium ‘Purple Emperor’ and S15, S. sexangulare) showed severe ornamental quality damage, mortality, decreases in total dry biomass, root-shoot ratio, and chlorophyll content, as well as higher MDA concentrations. Lower reductions in these parameters, along with improved antioxidant enzyme activities and greater recovery capabilities after drainage, were observed in the most tolerant materials S2 (H. spectabile ‘Brilliant’), S3 (H. spectabile ‘Carl’), and S5 (H. telephium ‘Autumn Joy’). Furthermore, with the exception of early death materials (S7 and S15), all materials showed varying intensities of adventitious root formation in response to waterlogging. The 17 species were divided into 4 clusters based on the comprehensive evaluation value. The first group included S1-S3, S5-S6, S8-S12, which were waterlogged tolerant with the highest values (0.63–0.82). S14 belongs to the intermediate waterlogging tolerant. S4, S13, S16, and S17 were clustered into the low waterlogging-tolerant group. S7 and S15 were the most susceptible to waterlogging. The survival and success of Crassulaceae species (especially, the first and second cluster), throughout this prolonged period of waterlogging (36 days) and recovery were attributed to a combination of physiological and morphological responses, indicating that they are an appealing species for the creation of rain gardens or obstructed drainage locations.

Abstract Background Previous studies have indicated a possible link between obesity and myopia, although the results have varied. The objective of this study was to investigate the correlation between a new measure of obesity, the weight-adjusted waist index (WWI), and myopia. Method This cross-sectional study included individuals between the ages of 12 and 25 who participated in a noncycloplegic vision examination as part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted from 1999 to 2008. WWI was calculated as waist circumference divided by the square root of body weight. Myopia was characterized by a spherical equivalent (SE) of ≤ − 0.5 diopters (D) and further categorized into mild (-3.00D

This study aims to minimize the energy consumption of user equipments (UE) and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in UAV-assisted mobile edge computing (MEC) systems through the optimization of UAV flight trajectories, user associations, and resource allocations. The problem is formally articulated as a mixed integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) problem. However, employing deep reinforcement learning (DRL) to address this challenge introduces computational complexity and convergence obstacles. In response to these challenges, we propose an efficient and robust approach known as spiking reinforcement trajectory planning (SRTP), which uniquely integrates spiking neural networks (SNN) with DRL. SRTP utilizes a Poisson encoding mechanism to seamlessly convert between spike and continuous signals, enabling collaborative learning between spike actor networks and deep critic networks. Additionally, a pseudo-spacetime backpropagation method is employed for accelerated training of the spike actor network. Experimental findings distinctly highlight SRTP’s advantages, demonstrating a more streamlined network structure and faster convergence compared to conventional methodologies. This innovative methodology holds promise in addressing the computational complexities and convergence challenges associated with implementing DRL in UAV-assisted MEC systems.

In order to improve the stability of direct current (DC) bus voltage when it is disturbed, the virtual DC motor (VDCM) control is applied to the DC converters. However, the constant control parameters in traditional VDCM control cannot provide sufficient inertial and damping support for the system while achieving good dynamic performance. Aiming at this issue, the four-parameter adaptive VDCM control is introduced in this paper. Firstly, the small signal model of dual active full bridge (DAB) with VDCM control is built, then the influence of four different VDCM control parameters on the stability of DC system is studied by drawing the bode diagram and the step response curve. On this basis, the four-parameter adaptive VDCM control is proposed. Finally, the superiority of four-parameter adaptive VDCM control in suppressing DC bus voltage fluctuation and improving the system dynamic response speed is verified by simulation and experiment, the experimental results show that, compared with three-parameter adaptive VDCM control, the fluctuation peak value of DC bus voltage can be reduced about 33% under the four-parameter adaptive VDCM control, and the recovery time after receiving a disturbance of DC bus voltage can be reduced about 25% under the four-parameter adaptive VDCM control. The results show that the four-parameter adaptive VDCM control strategy studied in this paper can further suppress the fluctuation peak of DC bus voltage and improve the dynamic response speed of DC system, which is of great significance to improve the stable operation of DC microgrids.

The use of menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) has declined due to concerns about its potential side effects. However, its pivotal role in managing postmenopausal osteoporosis is gaining increased recognition. In this article, we explore how MHT assists postmenopausal women in maintaining bone health and preventing fractures. Recent research indicates that MHT significantly reduces the risk of fractures in women. This benefit is evident regardless of a woman’s bone mineral density or their use of progestogens. However, there is limited evidence suggesting that the skeletal benefits continue once the treatment is discontinued. Possible complications of MHT include heart attacks, clots, strokes, dementia, and breast cancer. The most suitable candidates for MHT are women who have recently entered menopause, are experiencing menopausal symptoms, and are below 60 years of age with a minimal baseline risk of adverse events. The treatment is available to those who meet these criteria. For women undergoing premature menopause, MHT can be considered as a means to protect bone health, especially if initiated before menopause or if accelerated bone loss is documented soon after menopause. Such decisions should be made after evaluating individual risk factors and benefits.

The airtightness of heated tobacco product (HTP) packs is a very important indicator for the product quality and is also of great importance during the conditioning process. A method for evaluation of the airtightness was developed based on the air pressure difference in a constant pumping configuration. The essential feature of this method is that the pressure difference between the inside and the outside of the HTP packs during the deflation process is used to characterize the sealing quality of HTP packs. The detailed setup, the principle as well as the determination procedure are described. The accuracy and the repeatability of the method were assessed, and the effect of airtightness on the conditioning process was also investigated. The developed method is proven to be reliable with a standard deviation less than 0.09 kPa and repeatability less than 0.30 kPa. In addition, it was found that, although the transmission of moisture between HTPs and atmosphere could not be entirely prevented by the packs, airtightness still plays a significant role during the conditioning process, especially if the airtightness was at a relatively low level (e.g., lower than 1.5 kPa under a pumping flow rate of 200 mL/min). The method provides a promising way to assess and monitor the sealing quality of HTP packs, and it is suggested that the airtightness of the pack should not be lower than 2 kPa under a pumping flow rate of 200 mL/min. [Contrib. Tob. Nicotine Res. 32 (2023) 140–145]

Objective： To establish a detecting method for mandipropamid residues in cucumber by UPLC-MS coupled with the positive ions mods of MRM. Methods： The cucumber samples were was extracted by ultrasonic acetonitrile and then were purified by dispersed solid phase extraction (QuEChERS). Cucumber solution diluted with ultrapure water, and filtered by 0.22 μm water phase. Then 0.1% formic acid water (A) and acetonitrile (B) were used as mobile phase for isocratic elution. Results： The results showed that a good linearity was obtained for the standard curve of the method, its correlation was high, R2=0.999 8. Its detection limit was 0.003 mg/kg, and its limit of quantification was 0.009 mg/kg. Meanwhile, its recovery rate was between 89.6%~96.0% at the three levels of 10, 50 and 100 mg/mL. Conclusion： The method is simple, sensitive and reproducible. This method is suitable for qualitative and quantitative analysis of mandipropamid in cucumber, and it is a suitable method for rapid determination of mandipropamid in cucumber.

Tea tree oil (TTO) improves the intestinal mucosal immunity of weaning piglets, but its underlying mechanism is not clear. We hypothesized that TTO may alleviate inflammatory injury by regulating the function of intestinal epithelial cells. Ileum epithelial cells (IPI-2I) were chosen and an inflammatory injury cell model was generated. The cell viability, cytokine secretion, and gene expression of TLR4 and NF-κB were measured to further evaluate the effects of TTO on the inflammatory injury in immune-stressed cells. The results showed that lipopolysaccharide (LPS; content: ≥30 μg/mL; time: 3 h, 6 h, or 9 h) decreased cell viability (p < 0.01), and 50 μg/mL LPS stimulated for 6 h resulted in an increased secretion of proinflammatory cytokines and a dramatically decreased secretion of anti-inflammatory cytokines (p < 0.05) in IPI-2I cells. Concentrations of 0–0.05% of TTO improved cell viability, while the 0.03% TTO treatment resulted in the highest cell viability and alleviated LPS-induced cell death (p < 0.01). In addition, 0.03% TTO alleviated the LPS-induced increase in the gene expression of IL-1β, TNFα, and IFNγ, as well as the decrease in the expression of IL-10 in IPI-2I cells (p < 0.05). LPS also upregulated the gene expression of TLR4 and NF-κB (p < 0.05); while TTO supplementation alleviated this effect (p < 0.05), 0.03% and 0.05% TTO supplementation had greater effects (p < 0.05). In conclusion, 50 μg/mL LPS stimulated for 6 h can be used to establish an immune-stressed cell model in IPI-2I cell lines, and 0.03% TTO treatment for 6 h alleviated inflammatory injury in the intestinal epithelial cells of pigs.

Abstract Background Although there has been much neurobiological research on major depressive disorder, research on the neurological function of depressive symptoms (DS) or subclinical depression is still scarce, especially in older women with DS. Objectives Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) was used to compare functional connectivity (FC) between the cerebellum and cerebral in older women with DS and normal controls (NC), to explore unique changes in cerebellar FC in older women with DS. Methods In all, 16 older women with DS and 17 NC were recruited. All subjects completed rs-fMRI. The 26 sub-regions of the cerebellum divided by the AAL3 map were used as regions of interest (ROI) to analyze the difference in FC strength of cerebellar seeds from other cerebral regions between the two groups. Finally, partial correlation analysis between abnormal FC strength and Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) score and Reminiscence Functions Scale (RFS) score in the DS group. Results Compared with NC group, the DS group showed significantly reduced FC between Crus I, II and the left frontoparietal region, and reduced FC between Crus I and the left temporal gyrus. Reduced FC between right insula (INS), right rolandic operculum (ROL), right precentral gyrus (PreCG) and the Lobule IX, X. Moreover, the negative FC between Crus I, II, Lobule IX and visual regions was reduced in the DS group. The DS group correlation analysis showed a positive correlation between the left Crus I and the right cuneus (CUN) FC and GDS. In addition, the abnormal FC strength correlated with the scores in different dimensions of the RFS, such as the negative FC between the Crus I and the left middle temporal gyrus (MTG) was positively associated with intimacy maintenance, and so on. Conclusion Older women with DS have anomalous FC between the cerebellum and several regions of the cerebrum, which may be related to the neuropathophysiological mechanism of DS in the DS group.

Objective: To promote the intensive processing of Antarctic Krill and enrich the types of minced shrimp products. Methods: Using Krill meat and prawn meat as main raw materials, waxy corn acetylated distarch adipate, egg white powder, soy protein isolate, glutamine transaminase and other adjuvants were added, and the optimal preparation ratio of shrimp balls was obtained through single factor test and response surface test. Results: The optimal preparation ratio of shrimp balls was 6.00% waxy corn acetylated distarch adipate, 5.00% egg white powder, 5.00% soy protein isolate, 0.50% glutamine transaminase and 0.20% konjac gum. Conclusion: The two-stage heating method is used to prepare compound shrimp gel. By adding exogenous additives, the texture properties of compound shrimp gel can be improved and the nutritional value can be guaranteed.

Transforming growth factor β (TGF-β)/Smad3 plays a vital role in hypertensive cardiac fibrosis. The long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) Erbb4-IR is a novel Smad3-dependent lncRNA that mediates kidney fibrosis. However, the role of Erbb4-IR in hypertensive heart disease remains unexplored and was investigated in the present study by ultrasound-microbubble-mediated silencing of cardiac Erbb4-IR in hypertensive mice induced by angiotensin II. We found that chronic angiotensin II infusion induced hypertension and upregulated cardiac Erbb4-IR, which was associated with cardiac dysfunction, including a decrease in left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF) and LV fractional shortening (LVFS) and an increase in LV mass. Knockdown of cardiac Erbb4-IR by Erbb4-IR short hairpin RNA (shRNA) gene transfer effectively improved the angiotensin II-induced deterioration of cardiac function, although blood pressure was not altered. Furthermore, silencing cardiac Erbb4-IR also inhibited angiotensin II-induced progressive cardiac fibrosis, as evidenced by reduced collagen I and III, alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), and fibronectin accumulation. Mechanistically, improved hypertensive cardiac injury by specifically silencing cardiac Erbb4-IR was associated with increased myocardial Smad7 and miR-29b, revealing that Erbb4-IR may target Smad7 and miR-29b to mediate angiotensin II-induced hypertensive cardiac fibrosis. In conclusion, Erbb4-IR is pathogenic in angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced cardiac remodeling, and targeting Erbb4-IR may be a novel therapy for hypertensive cardiovascular diseases.

Introduction: Gastric cancer (GC)is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in China and immunotherapy emerging as a revolutionary treatment for GC recently. Tumor mutational burden (TMB) is a predictive biomarker of immunotherapy in multiple cancers. However, the prognostic significance and subtype of TMB in GC is not fully understood. Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the prognostic value of TMB in Chinese GC and further classify TMB-high GC (GCTMB-H) patients combing with mutational signatures. Methods: Genomic profiling of 435 cancer-gene panel was performed using 206 GC samples from Chinese people. Actionable genetic alterations were compared across all the samples to generate actionable subtyping. The prognostic value of TMB in Chinese GC was evaluated. Mutational signatures were analyzed on TMB-H subtype to stratify the prognosis of TMB. Transcriptomic analysis was applied to compare the distributed immunocytes among different subtypes. Results: 88.3% (182/206) of GC samples had at least one mutation, while 45.1% (93/206) had at least one somatic copy number alteration (SCNA). 29.6% (61/206) of GC samples were TMB-H, including 13 MSI-H and 48 MSS tumors. According to distinct genetic alteration profiles of 69 actionable genes, we classified GC samples into eight molecular subtypes, including TMB-H, ERBB2 amplified, ATM mutated, BRCA2 mutated, CDKN2A/B deleted, PI3KCA mutated, KRAS mutated, and less-mutated subtype. TMB-H subtype presented a remarkable immune-activated phenotype as determined by transcriptomic analysis that was further validated in the TCGA GC cohort. GCTMB-H patients exhibited significantly better survival (P = 0.047). But Signature 1-high GCTMB-H patients had relatively worse prognosis (P = 0.0209, HR = 2.571) than Signature 1-low GCTMB-H patients from Chinese GC cohort, also validated in TCGA GC cohort, presenting highly activated carbohydrate, fatty acid or lipid metabolism. Conclusion: The Signature 1-high GCTMB-H could be a marker of poor prognosis and is associated with metabolism disorder.

Abstract Autophagy‐lysosomal pathway (ALP), a lysosome‐mediated self‐renewal process, is crucial for cell survival and death. Acrylamide (AA) is a neurotoxic compound produced during food thermal processing, and the mechanism underlying AA‐induced neurotoxicity remains elusive. In this study, we explored whether dysregulated ALP was involved in AA‐induced neurotoxicity and the underlying mechanism. We first evaluated the toxic effects of AA on the activation of apoptosis and NLRP3 pathway in human glioma U251 cells. We found that AA‐induced autophagy activation with the accumulation of an autophagy substrate P62, which implies the occurrence of autophagy‐lysosomal disorders. By using autophagy agonist PP242 and siRNA interfering ATG5, we demonstrated that ALP dysregulation contributed to AA‐induced apoptosis and NLRP3 inflammasome pathway activation. In addition, AA triggered ALP dysfunction by decreasing the expression of transcription factor EB (TFEB), and TFEB overexpression restored the lysosomal‐associated proteins and protected against AA‐induced apoptosis and inflammasome activation. Moreover, the autophagy agonist rapamycin restored AA‐induced ALP dysfunction by upregulating TFEB and prevented neurotoxicity. Overall, our study provides novel insights into the role of disrupted ALP in AA‐induced neurotoxicity and highlights that TFEB can be developed as a promising intervention target against AA‐induced neurotoxicity.

Summary: Acidic and basic sites of catalysts are essential for CO2 capture and activation. In this work, Zr, N-ZnO/ZnAl-LDH-IL composites in ionic liquid and methanol systems were fabricated, and applied to catalyze the synthesis of ethylene carbonate (EC) from ethylene glycol (EG) and CO2 with about 4.76 mmolEC gCat.−1 h−1. The composites showed more strong basic sites due to the effective induction of reactive groups on the catalyst surface by Zr doping, resulting in an increase of pyridinic-N groups from 5.48% to 22.25%. More C atoms adjacent to pyridinic-N as strong basic sites was conducive to the activation of CO2 and EG. In addition, the possible catalytic pathway and mechanism of the composites for synthesizing EC as well as the doping of La, Fe, Ce, and Cu were also investigated, which provides an effective strategy for regulating the acid-base centers on the catalyst surface through ionic liquids and methanol solvents.