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Plastics are an essential part of human life and their production is increasing every year. Plastics degrade into small particles (<5 mm, microplastics, MPs) in the environment due to various factors. MPs are widely distributed in the environment, and all living organisms are exposed to the effects of MPs. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are small membrane particles surrounded by a lipid bilayer that are released into the environment by various cell types and are highly involved in inter- and intra-cellular communication through the exchange of proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids between cells. There have been numerous reports of adverse effects associated with the accumulation of MPs in human and animal cells, with recent studies showing that plastic treatment increases the number of EVs released from cells, but the mechanisms by which MPs accumulate and move between cells remain unclear. In this study, we investigated whether polystyrene (PS)-MPs are transferred cell-to-cell via EVs. This study showed that cell-derived EVs can transport plastic particles. Furthermore, we confirmed the accumulation of PS-MPs transported by EVs within cells using a real-time imaging device. This study provides an understanding of potential EVs-mediated effects of PS-MPs on organisms and suggests directions for further research., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

For four decades, cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) has invaded salt marshes in the Yellow Sea, altering physical, biogeochemical, and biological processes. Here, we investigated the ecological effects of S. alterniflora invasion on benthic environments compared to native halophytes. S. alterniflora contributed to higher carbon accumulation rates compared with bare tidal flat in sediments (3.4 times), through greater primary production and root biomass, compared to Suaeda japonica (2.5 times) and Phragmites australis (2.4 times) over the given period. The results showed that S. alterniflora eradication treatments inhibited its growth but did not significantly affect the benthic communities. Compared to P. australis and bare tidal flats, S. alterniflora invasion resulted in lower greenhouse gas emission and higher contributions to macrobenthos nutrition, and increased sediment stability and carbon burial. Overall, these multiple lines of evidence provide new insights on S. alterniflora invasion, suggesting that the current eradication policy would be carefully reviewed., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: Inconsistent reporting of patient characteristics in clinical research hampers reproducibility and limits analysis opportunities. This paper proposes condition-specific 'Core Descriptor Sets' comprising key factors like demographics, disease severity, comorbidities, and prognosis to standardize Table 1 reporting., Methods: Development entails stakeholder involvement, systematic identification of descriptors, value rating, and consensus-building using multiple Delphi rounds. Final agreement comes at an expert meeting., Conclusion: Benefits include easier cross-study comparison, for example, through individual patient meta-analysis, facilitated by comparison of consistently reported individual data rather than group-level analysis. This may also support routine data analyses, subgroup and risk identification, and reduced research waste. Core Descriptor Sets describe cohorts thoroughly while minimizing research burden. They are intended to enable improved clinical characterization, personalization, reproducibility, data sharing, and knowledge building., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None to declare., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background and Aims: Vitamin D is known to influence the risk of cardiovascular disease, which is a recognized risk factor for sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). However, the relationship between vitamin D and SCA is not well understood. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the association between vitamin D and SCA in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients compared to healthy controls., Methods and Results: Using the Phase II Cardiac Arrest Pursuit Trial with Unique Registration and Epidemiologic Surveillance (CAPTURES II) registry, a 1:1 propensity score-matched case-control study was conducted between 2017 and 2020. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (vitamin D) levels in patients with OHCA (454 cases) and healthy controls (454 cases) were compared after matching for age, sex, cardiovascular risk factors, and lifestyle behaviors. The mean vitamin D levels were 14.5 ± 7.6 and 21.3 ± 8.3 ng/mL among SCA cases and controls, respectively. Logistic regression analysis was used adjusting for cardiovascular risk factors, lifestyle behaviors, corrected serum calcium levels, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGRF). The adjusted odds ratio (aOR) for vitamin D was 0.89 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.87-0.91). The dose-response relationship demonstrated that vitamin D deficiency was associated with SCA incidence (severe deficiency, aOR 10.87, 95% CI 4.82-24.54; moderate deficiency, aOR 2.24, 95% CI 1.20-4.20)., Conclusion: Vitamin D deficiency was independently and strongly associated with an increased risk of SCA, irrespective of cardiovascular and lifestyle factors, corrected calcium levels, and eGFR., (Copyright © 2024 The Italian Diabetes Society, the Italian Society for the Study of Atherosclerosis, the Italian Society of Human Nutrition and the Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Federico II University. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A critical bottleneck in sensor technology is the rapid and precise detection of specific analytes in complex matrices, hindering advancements in environmental monitoring, healthcare, and industrial process control. This study addresses this challenge by introducing a novel composite hydrogel sensor designed for rapid and selective detection of ethanol and barium ions (Ba 2+ ) in aqueous environments. The sensor integrates interpenetrating network (IPN) hydrogels with embedded colloidal photonic crystals (CPCs), synthesized via a solution-based polymerization approach. This innovative configuration allows CPCs to dynamically adjust their photonic bandgap in response to environmental changes, manifesting as a visible, colorimetric shift. This response stems from the synergy between the mechanical properties of the IPN hydrogel and the optical sensitivity of CPCs. Upon exposure to analytes such as ethanol and Ba 2+ , the sensor exhibits a rapid and reversible color transition that is directly proportional to their concentration. Notably, ethanol (0 vol%-80 vol%) and Ba 2+ (5-17.5 mM) induce a distinct blueshift in the photonic bandgap and trigger a color change from red-orange to green due to the alteration in the swelling behavior of the IPN hydrogel, affecting its lattice constant. The IPN hydrogel-CPC composite demonstrates exceptional operational stability and facilitates rapid detection, making it ideal for on-site applications without the need for complex equipment. These characteristics make the composite hydrogel sensor a promising candidate for environmental monitoring, industrial process control, and public health diagnostics, paving the way for the development of next-generation responsive sensor materials., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

This study presents the enzymatic synthesis of resveratrol-3,4'-O-α-diglucoside (RDG) using a hyperactive O-α-glycoligase (MalA-D416R/Q450S) and α-glucopyranosyl fluoride as the donor substrate. The transglycosylation rate for resveratrol by MalA-D416R/Q450S was maximized in 100 mM Tris-HCl (pH 9.5) containing 20 % DMSO at 45°C. Because the pK a of the 4'-OH group of resveratrol is lower than that of the 3-OH group, the 4'-OH group is more nucleophilic at the alkaline pH, leading to a preference for glycosylation at the 4'-OH site rather than the 3-OH site. This preference makes resveratrol 3-O-α-glucoside (R3G) as the more efficient acceptor than resveratrol 4'-O-α-glucoside (R4'G), resulting in negligible production of resveratrol 3-O-α-glucoside (R3G) due to its complete consumption in the second transglycosylation reaction when using a 2:1 ratio of donor to acceptor substrates. From a preparative scale reaction, R4'G and RDG were isolated with yields of 41.2 % and 43.3 %, respectively. The water solubility of RDG exceeded 1.67 M, which represents more than a 9,800-fold improvement compared to resveratrol. In a hydrolysis experiment using intestinal α-glycosidase from rat, the α-glucosides of resveratrol (R4'G and RDG) were completely deglycosylated to the aglycone., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Although microalgae typically serve as prey for jellyfish ephyrae in marine food webs, this study investigated the potential of harmful microalgae to produce detrimental effects on the moon jellyfish Aurelia aurita. Understanding the biological interactions between Aurelia and microalgal species is crucial, particularly considering their common co-occurrence in coastal waters worldwide. We examined the effects of 11 protist strains, comprising seven species of harmful microalgae and two non-toxic microalgae, on A. aurita ephyrae. The rhythmic pulsation behavior of A. aurita was significantly suppressed when exposed to the raphidophytes Heterosigma akashiwo and Chattonella marina var. ovata and the dinoflagellates Amphidinium carterae, Coolia canariensis, and Pfiesteria piscicida. Notably, the media filtrates of all H. akashiwo strains and C. marina var. ovata killed ephyrae, implying a possible extracellular release of chemicals. This study discovered novel interactions between microalgae and jellyfish ephyrae, implying that harmful algal blooms may suppress mass occurrences of Aurelia medusae., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Mycoplasma hominis and Ureaplasma species are urogenital mollicutes that can cause serious donor-derived infections in lung transplant recipients. Best practices for mollicute screening remain unknown. We conducted a single-center prospective study analyzing lung transplants performed from October 5, 2020, to September 25, 2021, whereby donor and recipient bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples obtained at time of transplant underwent mollicute screening via culture and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Of 115 total lung transplants performed, 99 (86%) donors underwent combined mollicute BAL culture and PCR testing. The study cohort included these 99 donors and their matched recipients. In total, 18 (18%) of 99 donors screened positive via culture or PCR. Among recipients, 92 (93%) of 99 had perioperative BAL screening performed, and only 3 (3%) had positive results. After transplant, 9 (9%) recipients developed mollicute infection. Sensitivity of donor screening in predicting recipient mollicute infection was 67% (6/9) via culture and 56% (5/9) via PCR. Positive predictive value for donor culture was 75% (6/8), compared with 33% (5/15) for PCR. Donor screening via culture predicted all serious recipient mollicute infections and had better positive predictive value than PCR; however, neither screening test predicted all mollicute infections. Independent of screening results, clinicians should remain suspicious for posttransplant mollicute infection., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interests The authors of this manuscript have no conflicts of interest to disclose as described by the American Journal of Transplantation., (Copyright © 2024 American Society of Transplantation & American Society of Transplant Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background and Aims: The estimated glucose disposal rate (eGDR) is an easily accessible clinical parameter for assessing insulin resistance in patients with diabetes mellitus. In this study, we aimed to investigate the link between eGDR and subclinical coronary atherosclerosis in an asymptomatic middle-aged Korean population., Methods and Results: This study involved 4004 subjects who underwent routine health checkups with coronary multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) at Asan Medical Center from 2007 to 2011, among whom 913 had a follow-up analysis through 2014. The eGDR was calculated using: 21.16 - (0.09 ∗ waist circumference [cm]) - (3.41 ∗ hypertension) - (0.55 ∗ glycated hemoglobin [%]). Patients were categorized into three groups according to the tertiles of eGDR. Subclinical coronary atherosclerosis was defined by significant coronary stenosis (≥50%), presence of plaques, coronary artery calcification (CAC) score, and its progression. As a result, a lower eGDR level was associated with higher prevalence of significant coronary stenosis, plaques, moderate to severe CAC, and CAC progression. Compared to other markers or risk scores, eGDR was superior to other biomarkers of insulin resistance but did not provide additional information beyond classic cardiovascular risk models like the Framingham Risk Score and Pooled Cohort Equations., Conclusion: Decreased eGDR values were significantly associated with higher subclinical coronary atherosclerosis burdens in an asymptomatic middle-aged Korean population. However, its clinical implications remain uncertain due to its weaker performance compared to established cardiovascular risk models., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 The Italian Diabetes Society, the Italian Society for the Study of Atherosclerosis, the Italian Society of Human Nutrition and the Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Federico II University. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

UBE2N, a Lys63 ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme, plays critical roles in embryogenesis and immune system development and function. However, its roles in adult epithelial tissue homeostasis and pathogenesis are unclear. We generated conditional mouse models that deleted Ube2n in skin cells in a temporally and spatially controlled manner. We found that Ube2n knockout in the adult skin keratinocytes induced a range of inflammatory skin defects characteristic of psoriatic and actinic keratosis. These included inflammation, epidermal and dermal thickening, parakeratosis, and increased immune cell infiltration as well as signs of edema and blistering. Single-cell transcriptomic analyses and RT-qPCR showed that Ube2n-knockout keratinocytes expressed elevated myeloid cell chemoattractants such as Cxcl1 and Cxcl2 and decreased the homeostatic T lymphocyte chemoattractant Ccl27a. Consistently, the infiltrating immune cells were predominantly myeloid-derived cells, including neutrophils and M1-like macrophages, which expressed high levels of inflammatory cytokines such as Il1β and Il24. Pharmacological blockade of the IL-1 receptor associated kinases (IRAK1/4) alleviated inflammation, epidermal and dermal thickening, and immune infiltration of the Ube2n-mutant skin. Together, these findings highlight a key role of keratinocyte UBE2N in maintenance of epidermal homeostasis and skin immunity and identify IRAK1/4 as potential therapeutic target for inflammatory skin disorders., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The northeastern East China Sea is a highly dynamic marine ecosystem influenced by seasonally varying water mass properties. However, despite being among the world's fastest-warming ocean, there has been limited investigation into the impacts of warming on protistan communities. We collected seawater from two stations (E42 and E46) with different natural protist communities and environmental attributes to investigate the acclimation of the two communities to artificially elevated temperatures (ambient T, +2, and +4 °C). Nutrient and Chl-a conditions reflected oceanographic differences, providing insights into protistan community dynamics. Notably, small-sized autotrophic protists prevailed in the phosphate-deficient E42 community, with mid-incubation heterotrophic conversions. Higher temperatures exacerbated the effects of the P deficiency on the E42 community. While the proportions of Bacillariophyta increased only in the nutrient-balanced E46 communities, those of mixotrophic dinoflagellates increased with elevated temperature, regardless of P deficiency, suggesting that mixotrophy likely aids adaptation in changing marine environments. In summary, the findings of this microcosm study illuminate the potential modulation of spring protistan communities in the northeastern East China Sea under anticipated future warming., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Epoxide hydrolases (EHs), which catalyze the transformation of epoxides to diols, are present in many eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms. They have recently drawn considerable attention from organic chemists owing to their application in the semisynthesis of enantiospecific diol compounds. Here, we report the crystal structures of BoEH from Bosea sp. PAMC 26642 and CaEH from Caballeronia sordidicola PAMC 26510 at 1.95 and 2.43 Å resolution, respectively. Structural analysis showed that the overall structures of BoEH and CaEH commonly possess typical α/β hydrolase fold with the same ring-opening residues (Tyr-Tyr) and conserved catalytic triad residues (Asp-Asp-His). However, the two enzymes were found to have significantly different sequence compositions in the cap domain region, which is involved in the formation of the substrate-binding site in both enzymes. Enzyme activity assay results showed that BoEH had the strongest activity toward the linear aliphatic substrates, whereas CaEH had a higher preference for aromatic- and cycloaliphatic substrates. Computational docking simulations and tunnel identification revealed important residues with different substrate-binding preferences. Collectively, structure comparison studies, together with ligand docking simulation results, suggested that the differences in substrate-binding site residues were highly correlated with substrate specificity., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Mollicute infections, caused by Mycoplasma and Ureaplasma species, are serious complications after lung transplantation; however, understanding of the epidemiology and outcomes of these infections remains limited. We conducted a single-center retrospective study of 1156 consecutive lung transplants performed from 2010-2019. We used log-binomial regression to identify risk factors for infection and analyzed clinical management and outcomes. In total, 27 (2.3%) recipients developed mollicute infection. Donor characteristics independently associated with recipient infection were age ≤40 years (prevalence rate ratio [PRR] 2.6, 95% CI 1.0-6.9), White race (PRR 3.1, 95% CI 1.1-8.8), and purulent secretions on donor bronchoscopy (PRR 2.3, 95% CI 1.1-5.0). Median time to diagnosis was 16 days posttransplant (IQR: 11-26 days). Mollicute-infected recipients were significantly more likely to require prolonged ventilatory support (66.7% vs 21.4%), undergo dialysis (44.4% vs 6.3%), and remain hospitalized ≥30 days (70.4% vs 27.4%) after transplant. One-year posttransplant mortality in mollicute-infected recipients was 12/27 (44%), compared to 148/1129 (13%) in those without infection (P <.0001). Hyperammonemia syndrome occurred in 5/27 (19%) mollicute-infected recipients, of whom 3 (60%) died within 10 weeks posttransplant. This study highlights the morbidity and mortality associated with mollicute infection after lung transplantation and the need for better screening and management protocols., Competing Interests: Disclosure The authors of this manuscript have no conflicts of interest to disclose as described by the American Journal of Transplantation., (Copyright © 2023 American Society of Transplantation & American Society of Transplant Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: This study reviews the palaeopathological literature discussing maxillary sinusitis to examine current trends and issues within the study of this condition, and to make recommendations for future research in this area., Materials: Seventy-five studies were identified through a literature search of digital and physical sources., Methods: Information regarding study metadata, the populations investigated, sinusitis diagnostic criteria, and sinusitis prevalence was examined., Results: Populations from the UK and Europe were the most studied, reflecting both palaeopathology's systemic colonialism and academic legacies. Most studies used diagnostic criteria published in the mid-1990s, with some subsequent studies modifying these criteria., Conclusions: The diagnostic criteria from 1995 are widely used but do not include all possible bone changes seen within sinusitis. There is also a need for researchers to engage in issues of data reductionism when using descriptive categories for archaeological sites and populations., Significance: This paper provides considerations as to how the 1995 diagnostic criteria may be revised by future researchers and synthesises much of the published sinusitis prevalence data to assist researchers interested in the palaeopathology of respiratory disease., Limitations: More general osteological research, which includes palaeopathological information, was likely missed from this review due to the choice of key terms and languages used in the literature search., Suggestions for Further Research: Additional research into sinusitis in archaeological populations outside of Western Europe is required. Further work examining the ability to compare pathological data from macroscopic observation and medical imaging would be advantageous to palaeopathology as a whole., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no competing interests or sources of funding in the production of this work., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is an economically important disease, and the FMD virus (FMDV) can spread rapidly in susceptible animals. FMD is usually controlled through vaccination. However, commercial FMD vaccines are only effective 4-7 days after vaccination. Furthermore, FMDV comprises seven serotypes and various topotypes, and these aspects should be considered when selecting a vaccine. Antiviral agents could provide rapid and broad protection against FMDV. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a fusion protein of consensus porcine interferon-α and Fc portion of porcine antibody IgG (poIFN-α-Fc) using a baculovirus expression system to develop a novel antiviral agent against FMDV. We measured the antiviral effects of the poIFN-α-Fc protein against FMDV and the enhanced duration in vitro and in vivo. The broad-spectrum antiviral effects were tested against seven FMDV serotypes, porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), and bovine enterovirus (BEV). Furthermore, the early protective effects and neutralizing antibody levels were tested by co-injecting poIFN-α-Fc and an FMD-inactivated vaccine into mice or pigs. Sustained antiviral effects in pig sera and mice were observed, and pigs injected with a combination of the poIFN-α-Fc and an inactivated FMD vaccine were protected against FMDV in a dose-dependent manner at 2- and 4-days post-vaccination. In addition, combined with the inactivated FMD vaccine, poIFN-α-Fc increased the neutralizing antibody levels in mice. Therefore, poIFN-α-Fc is a potential broad-spectrum antiviral and adjuvant candidate that can be used with inactivated FMD vaccines to protect pigs against FMDV., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Circumcision has been reported to reduce the risk of urinary tract infections (UTIs) in boys with antenatal hydronephrosis (HN). Our aim was to compare the incidence of UTIs in circumcised vs. uncircumcised boys with antenatal HN by conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis., Study Design: A comprehensive search was performed until December 2022. Comparative studies were evaluated according to Cochrane collaboration recommendations. Assessed measures included: UTIs, continuous antibiotic prophylaxis (CAP) use, renal outcomes, and circumcision complications. Odds ratios (OR) and mean difference with 95% confidence interval (CI) were extrapolated from available data. Random-effects meta-analysis were performed., Results: Twenty-three studies describing 9093 boys with antenatal HN were identified, including 4677 uncircumcised and 4416 circumcised boys. Overall effect estimates demonstrate that circumcised boys have significantly reduced odds of developing any UTI [OR 0.26, 95%CI 0.21, 0.32; p < 0.001]]. In addition, there a significantly reduced odds of developing UTI when circumcised and on CAP [OR 0.19, 95% CI 0.13, 0.30; p < 0.001]. When stratifying by etiology, circumcision reduced the odds of UTI in boys with isolated HN [OR 0.33, 95% CI 0.16, 0.68; p = 0.003], vesicoureteral reflux [OR 0.23, 95% CI 0.13, 0.42; P < 0.00001], or with posterior urethral valves [OR 0.29, 95% CI 0.13, 0.64; p = 0.002]., Discussion: Circumcision reduces the incidence of UTIs in boys with antenatal HN. This review is limited by the varied definitions of UTIs and inconsistent reporting on HN etiology, renal outcomes, and circumcision complications., Conclusions: Circumcision should be considered in boys with antenatal HN to prevent the risk of developing UTI. Further research is warranted to individualize the prophylactic role of circumcision for patients with HN., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest in preparing this article., (Copyright © 2023 Journal of Pediatric Urology Company. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Association between cancer risk and Parkinson's disease is still debated. DJ-1, a Parkinson's disease (PD)-related gene, is encoded by PARK-7 gene and its deficiency causes early-onset PD. In our last studies, it was found that the immunosuppressive microenvironment established in DJ-1 knockout (KO) mice can enhance metastasis of melanoma cells to lungs. Therefore, we wanted to further examine whether there were some niche in other organs of DJ-1-deficiency mouse to facilitate cell growth of tumors. We used in vivo tissue-specific models of tumor growth and in vitro cellular model to verify the hypothesis. We also used protein blot assay, cell-adhesion assay and bioinformatic tools to conduct experiments. In the mouse model of subcutaneous injection, there was no difference on tumor growth between WT and DJ-1 KO mice. Moreover, the results of experimental liver metastasis by intrasplenic injection model showed that there was no difference of nodules number in both mice, but a dramatic enhancement of nodule formation and increased mucin4 levels were found in pancreas of DJ-1 KO mice. In cell cultures, we further found that B16F10 cells indeed tended to adhere well to primary DJ-1-deficiency pancreatic epithelial cells, which had higher protein levels of mucin4. Notably, a human database also showed the inverse relationship in human pancreas between DJ-1 and mucin4, and mucin4 down-regulation can reverse the enhanced cellular adhesion in DJ-1 KO pancreatic epithelial cells. These results indicated that DJ-1 KO pancreatic tissue creating an appropriate microenvironment benefited development of the cancer cells., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Chia-Hung Chien reports financial support was provided by National Science and Technology Council. Chia-Hung Chien reports a relationship with I-Shou University that includes: funding grants., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: This study aimed at demonstrating the remineralization effect of the enamel around the brackets to aid reduction in white spot lesions (WSLs) with use of zinc-doped phosphate-based glass (Zn-PBG) containing orthodontic adhesives., Methods: Zn-PBG powder was synthesized, and particle morphology, size, and density were evaluated. Orthodontic adhesives with increasing loading percentage of Zn-PBG powder were prepared: ZnPG3 (3 wt.%), ZnPG6 (6 wt.%), and ZnPG9 (9 wt.%). Brackets were bonded on the etched enamel surface and stored in distilled water (DW) for 1 h. Following, Shear bond strength (SBS) along with adhesive remnant index were analyzed. The release of calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), and zinc (Zn) from adhesive specimens in DW was evaluated after 7, 15 and 30 days of immersion. The remineralization effect was confirmed by microhardness and surface morphology analysis with scanning electron microscopy., Results: The SBS value was observed between 20 and 22 MPa on enamel surface. The concentration of Ca, P and Zn released in DW increased with loading percentage of Zn-PBG. The microhardness increased in the experimental groups after immersion in artificial saliva for 7 days. Apatite-like crystal formation was observed after 30 days in the ZnPG 9 group., Conclusions: The orthodontic adhesive containing Zn-PBG with an optimal SBS performance has an enamel remineralization effect, and therefore can aid in prevention of WSLs., Clinical Significance: The orthodontic adhesive containing Zn-PBG is clinically advantageous as it can promote remineralization and resist the formation of WSLs that may occur during orthodontic therapy., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Although high-affinity immunoglobulin (Ig)E receptor (FcεRI) expression is upregulated in type 2 (T2)-high asthmatic airway epithelium, its functional role in airway epithelial dysfunction has not been elucidated. Here we report the upregulated expression of FcεRI and p-EGFR (Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor), associated with decreased expression of E-cadherin and claudin-18 in bronchial biopsies of severe T2-high asthmatics compared to mild allergic asthmatics and non-T2 asthmatics. Monomeric IgE (mIgE) decreased the expression of junction proteins, E-cadherin, claudin-18, and ZO-1, and increased alarmin messenger RNA and protein expression in cultured primary bronchial epithelial cells from T2-high asthmatics. Epithelial FcεRI ligation with mIgE decreased transepithelial electric resistance in air-liquid interface cultured epithelial cells. FcεRI ligation with mIgE or IgE- Dinitrophenyl or serum of high-level allergen-specific IgE activated EGFR and Akt via activation of Src family kinases, mediating alarmin expression, junctional protein loss, and increased epithelial permeability. Furthermore, tracheal instillation of mIgE in house dust mite-sensitized mice induced airway hyper-responsiveness, junction protein loss, epithelial cell shedding, and increased epithelial permeability. Thus, our results suggest that IgE-FcεRI cross-linking in the airway epithelium is a potential and unnoticed mechanism for impaired barrier function, increased mucosal permeability, and EGFR-mediated alarmin production in T2-high asthma., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Solitary fibrous tumor (SFT) is a rare mesenchymal tumor that is diagnosed through the detection of the NAB2-STAT6 fusion gene. SFT rarely progresses to malignant tumors; however, metastasis is exhibited in approximately 20% of patients with SFT. In this study, we found that chitinase 3-like 1 (CHI3L1), which induces cancer cell migration, was upregulated in NIH-3T3 cells that were transfected with the NAB2-STAT6 fusion gene. Moreover, the expression levels of the migration markers MMP2 and MMP9 were increased and the p-Akt level was also upregulated. In addition, it was observed that when CHI3L1 siRNA was transfected into NAB2-STAT6-transfected cells, cell migration and proliferation were reduced. Therefore, this study demonstrated that CHI3L1 activates Akt signaling to induce cell migration., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The spatiotemporal sequestration of misfolded proteins is a mechanism by which cells counterbalance proteome homeostasis upon exposure to various stress stimuli. Chronic inhibition of proteasomes results in a large, juxtanuclear, membrane-less inclusion, known as the aggresome. Although the molecular mechanisms driving its formation, clearance, and pathophysiological implications are continuously being uncovered, the biophysical aspects of aggresomes remain largely uncharacterized. Using fluorescence recovery after photobleaching and liquid droplet disruption assays, we found that the aggresomes are a homogeneously blended condensates with liquid-like properties similar to droplets formed via liquid-liquid phase separation. However, unlike fluidic liquid droplets, aggresomes have more viscosity and hydrogel-like characteristics. We also observed that the inhibition of aggresome formation using microtubule-disrupting agents resulted in less soluble and smaller cytoplasmic speckles, which was associated with marked cytotoxicity. Therefore, the aggresome appears to be cytoprotective and serves as a temporal reservoir for dysfunctional proteasomes and substrates that need to be degraded. Our results suggest that the aggresome assembles through distinct and potentially sequential processes of energy-dependent retrograde transportation and spontaneous condensation into a hydrogel., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Purpose: Myosteatosis, which is associated with a variety of cardiometabolic illnesses, represents muscle quality, an important aspect of sarcopenia. A new laboratory marker for myosteatosis has been required to more readily identify it. We investigated whether serum gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) levels are associated with myosteatosis measured by computed tomography (CT)., Methods: The total abdominal muscle area (TAMA) of 13,452 subjects was measured at the L3 level with abdominal CT. TAMA was segmented into intramuscular adipose tissue and skeletal muscle area (SMA), which was further classified into normal attenuation muscle area (NAMA) and low attenuation muscle area (LAMA). The following variables were adopted as indicators of myosteatosis: SMA/body mass index (BMI), NAMA/BMI, LAMA/BMI, and NAMA/TAMA. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the odds ratio (OR) of each GGT quartile for the highest quartile of myosteatosis indices in each sex., Results: The mean age and serum GGT levels were 53.7 years and 32.8 IU/L (standard deviation [SD], 37.6), respectively, in men, and 53.2 years and 18.4 IU/L (SD, 19.8) in women. In both sexes, the ORs of all myosteatosis indices differed significantly between GGT quartiles. Indices of good- and poor-quality muscle were negatively and positively correlated with GGT levels, respectively., Conclusion: Higher GGT levels were significantly associated with advanced myosteatosis defined by reliable CT indices. This result opens the possibility for using GGT as a cost-effective indicator of myosteatosis. Further prospective research on changes to GGT levels with myosteatosis alleviation will validate GGT as a monitoring marker., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

S-Formylglutathione hydrolase was originally known to catalyze the hydrolysis of S-formylglutathione to formate and glutathione. However, this enzyme has a broader esterase activity toward substrates containing thioester and ester bonds. In a previous study, we identified a new S-formylglutathione hydrolase (VaSFGH) gene in the Antarctic bacterium Variovorax sp. PAMC 28711, and recombinant VaSFGH protein was purified and characterized. Previous enzyme activity assays showed that VaSFGH has high activity, especially toward short-chain p-nitrophenyl esters (C2-C4). In this study, we determined the crystal structure of substrate-free VaSFGH at a resolution of 2.38 Å. In addition, p-nitrophenyl ester-bound VaSFGH structure models were generated by molecular docking simulations to obtain structural evidence of its substrate specificity. Comparative structural analysis of the apo-form and p-nitrophenyl ester-bound VaSFGH model structures revealed that large substrates could not bind inside the hydrophobic substrate-binding pocket because of the intrinsically static and relatively small substrate-binding pocket size of VaSFGH. This study provides useful information for further protein engineering of SFGHs for industrial use., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Older adults' prior health status can influence their recovery after a major illness. We investigated the association between older adults' independence in self-care tasks prior to a skilled nursing facility (SNF) stay and their self-care function at SNF admission, discharge, and the change in self-care function during an SNF stay., Design: Retrospective study of 100% national CMS data files from October 1, 2018, to December 31, 2019., Settings and Participants: The sample included 616,073 Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries who were discharged from an SNF between October 1, 2018, and December 31, 2019., Methods: The admission Minimum Data Set (MDS) was used to determine residents' prior ability (independent, some help, dependent) to complete self-care tasks before the current illness, exacerbation, or injury. Seven self-care tasks from MDS Section GG were used to calculate total scores (range 7-42 points) for self-care at admission, discharge, and the change in self-care between admission and discharge., Results: Most residents (62.0%) were independent, 35.3% needed some help, and 2.64% were dependent in self-care prior to SNF admission. Nearly 25% of residents with urinary incontinence, 28.8% with bowel incontinence, and 31.7% with moderate-severe cognitive impairment were independent in self-care prior to SNF admission compared with approximately 70% of residents without these conditions. Compared with residents who were dependent in self-care prior to SNF admission, those who were independent or needed some help had significantly higher self-care total scores at admission (5.67 vs 4.21 points, respectively) and discharge (6.44 vs 3.82 points, respectively) and exhibited greater improvement in self-care (3.48 vs 1.62 points, respectively)., Conclusions and Implications: Our findings are evidence that the new MDS item for a resident's independence in self-care tasks before SNF admission is a valid measure of their prior self-care function. This is clinically useful information and should be considered when developing rehabilitation goals., (Copyright © 2022 AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Graphene and its composites with semiconductor materials have been received highly attention in many research areas because of their unique properties. Efficient application of graphene is hindered by the lack of cost-effective synthesis methods. In this work, an economic and facile route for mass production of graphene-titanate nanocomposite has been discussed. Graphene was prepared by exfoliation of graphite powder in 40% ethanol aqueous solution. Titanate nanotubes were grown on graphene sheets by hydrothermal method, where the dispersed graphene sheets were mixed with titanate solution and then placed in autoclave and placed in oven for 16 h at 160 °C. The prepared composite was characterized by transmission electron microscope (TEM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). All the obtained results confirmed the synthesis of graphene and its composite with titanate in highly uniform and pure form. The adsorption efficiency of the prepared composite was tested using methylene blue (MB) as a model dye. The adsorption isotherm was investigated using Freundlich and Langmuir models. The adsorption capacity of MB was 270.27 mg/g. The obtained correlation coefficients (R 2 ) by Freundlich and Langmuir model were 0.996 and 0.973, respectively. The adsorption kinetics was investigated and discussed using different models. The thermal stability of the developed composite is improved after MB adsorption., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is an acute contagious disease of cloven-hoofed animals such as cows, pigs, sheep, and deer. The current emergency FMD vaccines, to induce early protection, have limited use, as their protective effect in pigs does not begin until 7 days after vaccination. Therefore, the use of antiviral agents would be required for reducing the spread of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) during outbreaks. Vesatolimod (GS-9620), a toll-like receptor 7 agonist, is an antiviral agent against various human disease-causing viruses. However, its antiviral effect against FMDV has not been reported yet. The aim of this study was to investigate the antiviral effects of GS-9620 against FMDV both in vitro and in vivo. The inhibitory effect of GS-9620 on FMDV in swine cells involved the induction of porcine interferon (IFN)-α and upregulation of interferon-simulated genes. Protective effect in mice injected with GS-9620 against FMDV was maintained for 5 days after injection, and cytokines such as IFN-γ, interleukin (IL)-12, IL-6, and IFN-γ inducible protein-10 could be detected following the treatment with GS-9620. Furthermore, the combination of GS-9620 with an FMD-inactivated vaccine was found to be highly effective for early protection in mice. Overall, we suggest GS-9620 as a novel and effective antiviral agent for controlling FMDV infection., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The skin serves as the interface between the body and the environment and plays a fundamental role in innate antimicrobial host immunity. Antiviral proteins (AVPs) are part of the innate host defense system and provide protection against viral pathogens. How breach of the skin barrier influences innate AVP production remains largely unknown. In this study, we characterized the induction and regulation of AVPs after skin injury and identified a key role of TRPV1 in this process. Transcriptional and phenotypic profiling of cutaneous wounds revealed that skin injury induces high levels of AVPs in both mice and humans. Remarkably, pharmacologic and genetic ablation of TRPV1-mediated nociception abrogated the induction of AVPs, including Oas2, Oasl2, and Isg15 after skin injury in mice. Conversely, stimulation of TRPV1 nociceptors was sufficient to induce AVP production involving the CD301b + cells‒IL-27‒mediated signaling pathway. Using IL-27 receptor‒knockout mice, we show that IL-27 signaling is required in the induction of AVPs after skin injury. Finally, loss of TRPV1 signaling leads to increased viral infectivity of herpes simplex virus. Together, our data indicate that TRPV1 signaling ensures skin antiviral competence on wounding., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background/objective: This study aims to understand perspectives on routine pathological examination of hernia sacs following pediatric inguinal hernia and hydrocele repair among Canadian pediatric urologists, surgeons, and pathologists., Study Design: All active members of Pediatric Urologists of Canada (PUC), Canadian Association of Pediatric Surgeons (CAPS), and the divisional heads of anatomical pathology at the Canadian children's hospitals (AP) were invited to participate between June 2019 and January 2021 in an anonymous multiple-choice-based questionnaire., Results: The response rates were 71% from PUC (24/34), 20% from CAPS (25/130), and 64% from AP (7/11). The majority of the surgeons (PUC:54%, CAPS:68%) did not routinely send hernia sacs for pathological examination after inguinal hernia repair. Most felt there was a little value in such examination (PUC:96%, CAPS:72%). Among those who submit hernia sacs, the majority did not receive reports that were clinically significant impacting patient management (PUC:82%, CAPS:50%). On the other hand, the pathologists had mixed opinion on the value of examining hernia sacs. Most of them only did gross examination (86%), unless requested by surgeons or concerning features were noted on gross examination. The majority have found clinically meaningful abnormal findings (71%), including vas deferens and portions of the spermatic cord., Discussion: Currently, there are no evidence-based clinical guidelines on pathological assessment of hernia sacs after pediatric inguinal hernia and hydrocele repair. Instead of making it mandatory, future guidelines should highlight specimens that should be submitted for further investigations (e.g., challenging cases where inadvertent surgical injuries might have occurred). Future studies should also address whether patients who may be at higher risk of having clinically significant pathology can be identified pre- or perioperatively to more efficiently triage specimens that would benefit from pathological examination. Limitation of the study includes low response rate from the CAPS members during the COVID-19 pandemic., Conclusions: While most of the pediatric urologists and surgeons felt there is a little value of pathological examination of hernia sacs following inguinal hernia and hydrocele repair, half of the anatomical pathologists felt there is value. Future studies should aim to establish evidence-based clinical guidelines taking stakeholders perspectives into consideration., (Copyright © 2022 Journal of Pediatric Urology Company. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Osteoclasts are bone resorbing cells that are responsible for physiological and pathological bone resorption. Macrophage colony stimulating factor (M-CSF) binds to the M-CSF receptor (c-FMS) and plays a key role in the differentiation and survival of macrophages and osteoclasts. THOC5, a member of the THO complex, has been shown to regulate hematopoiesis and M-CSF-induced macrophage differentiation. However, the role of THOC5 in osteoclasts remains unclear. Here, our study reveals a new role of THOC5 in osteoclast formation. We found that THOC5 shuttles between nucleus and cytoplasm in an M-CSF signaling dependent manner. THOC5 bound to FICD, a proteolytic cleavage product of c-FMS, and THOC5 facilitates the nuclear translocations of FICD. Decreased expression of THOC5 by siRNA-mediated knock down suppressed osteoclast differentiation, in part, by regulating RANK, a key receptor of osteoclasts. Mechanistically, knock down of THOC5 inhibited the expression of RANKL-induced FOS and NFATc1. Our findings highlight THOC5's function as a positive regulator of osteoclasts., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier GmbH.. All rights reserved.)

Ice-binding proteins (IBPs) are well-characterized proteins responsible for the cold-adaptation mechanisms. Despite extensive structural and biological investigation of IBPs and antifreeze proteins, only a few studies have considered the relationship between protein stabilization and thermal hysteresis (TH) activity as well as the implication of hyperactivity. Here, we investigated the important role of the head capping region in stabilization and the hyper-TH activity of FfIBP using molecular dynamics simulation. Data comparison revealed that residues on the ice-binding site of the hyperactive FfIBP are immobilized, which could be correlated with TH activity. Further comparison analysis indicated the disulfide bond in the head region is mainly involved in protein stabilization and is crucial for hyper-TH activity. This finding could also be generalized to known hyperactive IBPs. Furthermore, in mimicking the physiological conditions, bacteria with membrane-anchored FfIBP formed brine pockets in a TH activity-dependent manner. Cells with a higher number of TH-active IBPs showed an increased number of brine pockets, which may be beneficial for short- and long-term survival in cold environments by reducing the salt concentration. The newly identified conditions for hyper-TH activity and their implications on bacterial survival provide insights into novel mechanistic aspects of cold adaptation in polar microorganisms., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Introduction: This study aimed to describe the clinical and imaging findings, including ultrasonography (US) findings, and long-term follow-up results in pediatric patients with localized cystic disease of the kidney (LCDK)., Material and Methods: Retrospective review of pediatric patients diagnosed with LCDK based on imaging findings showing multiple localized renal cysts with intervening normal renal parenchyma from January 2002 to August 2020. Clinical presentations and US features of the affected and contralateral kidneys were reviewed and compared with computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging findings, if available., Results: A total of 18 patients (male:female = 11:7; median age, 8 years) were included. Initial clinical presentations were incidental findings (n = 5), abdominal pain (n = 5), or hematuria (n = 5). Of the seven patients (7/18, 39%) who showed multiple hyperechoic foci with ring-down artifacts within the cystic lesions on US, six patients showed focal calcification of the cysts on CT. Two patients (2/18, 11%) had milimetric cysts in the contralateral kidney. During follow-up (range, 2-122 months), there was an increase in lesion size, with ipsilateral renal growth in four patients (4/18, 22%). There was no renal function impairment at the initial presentation or during follow-up in all patients., Conclusions: LCDK can present with milimetric calcifications (39%), contralateral milimetric renal cysts (11%), and mild size increase during renal growth (22%) in children without renal function impairment. Follow-up US is recommended without surgical intervention in these typical cases., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest All authors have seen and agreed to the submitted version and we have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Journal of Pediatric Urology Company. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Sugar isomerases (SIs) catalyze the reversible conversion of aldoses to ketoses. A novel putative SI gene has been identified from the genome sequence information on the psychrophilic bacterium Paenibacillus sp. R4. Here, we report the crystal structure of the putative SI from Paenibacillus sp. R4 (PbSI) at 2.98 Å resolution. It was found that the overall structure of PbSI adopts the triose-phosphate isomerase (TIM) barrel fold. PbSI was also identified to have two heterogeneous metal ions as its cofactors at the active site in the TIM barrel, one of which was confirmed as a Zn ion through X-ray anomalous scattering and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry analysis. Structural comparison with homologous SI proteins from mesophiles, hyperthermophiles, and a psychrophile revealed that key residues in the active site are well conserved and that dimeric PbSI is devoid of the extended C-terminal region, which tetrameric SIs commonly have. Our results provide novel structural information on the cold-adaptable SI, including information on the metal composition in the active site., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In situ moorings were conducted at salt marsh and bare flat to reveal the environmental disturbance of sedimentary processes in the intertidal flat. Spartina alterniflora (Spartina), an invasive species, grew up to 156 cm in the Ganghwa tidal flat from June to November 2019. This rapid growth has resulted in the dense salt marsh, which complicated hydrodynamics and associated sediment processes. Stems and leaves could effectively trap fine-grained sediments (17.24-20.42 μm) at the bed, increasing the differences in bed elevation between the two sites to up to 5.11 cm. The cohesive sediments accumulated in Spartina communities were resuspended differently by stem-scale turbulence generated from the disturbance of stems and leaves, depending on wind forcing and vegetation conditions. The vegetated sediments, under low wind speeds (<4 m s -1 ), were hardly resuspended in the water column, compared to those in the bare flat, resulting in sedimentation. Under high wind speeds (>6 m s -1 ), stem-scale turbulence was sufficiently strengthened to surpass the sedimentation of suspended sediments; thus, it resuspended additional bed sediments without a loss of the trapped sediment, unlike in the bare flat. The flocculation of suspended sediments in Spartina communities was mainly controlled by stem-scale turbulence. The flocs were confined to a size of 40 μm (settling velocity: 0.17 mm s -1 ) and developed an approaching spherical shape. After the cut-off of Spartina, a favorable condition for the flocs to grow by 57 μm (settling velocity: 0.23 mm s -1 ) was established with decrease in stem-scale turbulence. These larger flocs were able to develop into a ramified spherical structure. Despite diminishment of stem-scale turbulence, the disturbed sediments were outflowed, resulting in an abrupt decrease in bed elevation (0.12 cm day -1 ). The results suggest that the sediment accumulated in Spartina communities remained erodible due to frequent disturbances without sufficient consolidation., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To evaluate the diagnostic performance of LI-RADS treatment response algorithm (LR-TRA) and modified RECIST (mRECIST) for the detection of viable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) on MRI after trans-arterial chemoembolization (TACE)., Materials and Methods: This retrospective study includes cirrhotic patients that underwent trans-arterial chemoembolization prior to liver transplantation from 2013 to 2017 with a pre- and post-treatment MRI available. Three blinded readers assigned a LR-TRA and mRECIST category to each lesion. Lesions on MRI and explant pathology were matched and characterized as complete (100% necrosis) or incomplete necrosis (≤99% necrosis). Diagnostic performance of LR-TRA and mRECIST were calculated with a generalized estimating equation., Results: A total of 52 patients with 71 lesions were included, 47 with incomplete and 24 with complete necrosis. In consensus, 45 lesions were categorized as LR-TR Nonviable, of which 62.2% (28/45) had incomplete and 37.8% (17/45) had complete necrosis. Six lesions were categorized as LR-TR Equivocal, of which 33.3% (2/6) had incomplete and 66.7% (4/6) had complete necrosis. Twenty lesions were categorized as LR-TR Viable of which 85.0% (17/20) had incomplete and 15.0% (3/20) had complete necrosis. The sensitivity of LR-TR Viable for detecting incompletely necrotic tumor when LR-TR Equivocal was considered as viable, in consensus was 40.4%; specificity 70.8%; accuracy 50.7%. The sensitivity of mRECIST for detecting incompletely necrotic tumor was 37.0%; specificity 79.2%; accuracy 51.4%. There was no significant difference in diagnostic performance between mRECIST and LR-TRA (p = 0.14-0.33). Agreement for LR-TRA category was moderate (k = 0.53 [95% CI: 0.45, 0.67])., Conclusion: LI-RADS treatment response algorithm demonstrates high specificity and low to moderate sensitivity for the detection of viable HCC after TACE in a North American cirrhotic cohort, without significant difference in diagnostic performance between LR-TRA and mRECIST., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Fenitrothion (FT) is a toxic phosphorothioate insecticide that can easily contaminate aquatic environments, leading to a detrimental effect on the aquatic species and harmful endocrine disrupter effects on human health. Therefore, it is vital to develop a reliable methodology for the accurate and precise real-time sensing of carcinogenic FT in water samples at trace concentration to ensure environmental safety. We aim to fabricate the low-cost VS 2 -attached reduced graphene oxide (RGO) sheets via a simple hydrothermal approach. It was further applied for the rapid and accurate sensing of toxic FT. The VS 2 /RGO-composite delivers a more favorable microenvironment for the rapid electrocatalytic sensing performance towards toxic FT reduction than the VS 2 and RGO modified electrodes. The electron transfer rate constant (k s ) and the saturating absorption capacity (Γ) value of FT was evaluated to be 1.52 s -1 and 2.18 × 10 -10 mol cm -2 , respectively. The constructed sensor exhibits a wide linear relationship after amperometry between the cathodic current densities and the concentrations of FT in the range of 5-90 nM and high sensitivity (5.569 μA nM -1 cm -2 ); moreover, the detection limit was 0.07 nM (S/N = 3). The fabricated sensor has excellent anti-interference ability and reproducibility for the direct sensing of FT in river water, seawater, and lake water samples with acceptable recoveries. It is a promising sensing device for in-situ quantification of FT in agricultural products and ecological systems., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The Yellow and Bohai seas have long been contaminated by persistent toxic substances (PTSs) from numerous (un)known anthropogenic sources. In this study, we used Vibrio fischeri bioassay to evaluate ecotoxicological profiles associated with sedimentary PTSs contamination at a large marine ecosystem (LME) scale. A total of 125 surface sediments collected from the coastal areas of the Yellow and Bohai seas were analyzed both for aqueous and organic extracts. Not surprisingly, the results indicated site-dependent toxicities, but most sites were identified as non-toxic to V. fischeri. For aqueous extracts and organic extracts, 13% and 8% of samples, respectively exhibited marginal toxicity, while 0% and 2% of samples exhibited moderate toxicity. However, it should be noted that organic extracts (mean TU = 56) induced stronger toxicities than aqueous samples (mean TU = 0.4). This result generally back-supported the high toxicity potentials associated with sedimentary sink of organic pollutants. Several PTSs measured in the samples indicated a significant contribution to the observed V. fischeri toxicities. Of note, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs; r = 0.28, p < 0.05), styrene oligomers (r = 0.41, p < 0.01), and alkylphenols (r = 0.38, p < 0.05) showed significant associations to the observed bacterial inhibition. Among PAHs, benzo[a]anthracene and phenanthrene exhibited a significant contribution to the observed V. fischeri toxicities. Meantime, salinity which reflects the distance from the point sources of land-driven pollutants along the rivers and estuaries in the Yellow and Bohai seas was a key environmental variable representing the sample toxicities. Overall, the present study provides baseline information for evaluating the potential sediment toxicity to implement responsible coastal management at an LME scale, and elsewhere., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

With aging, the skin becomes thin and drastically loses collagen. Extracellular superoxide dismutase (EC-SOD), also known as superoxide dismutase (SOD) 3, is the major SOD in the extracellular matrix of the tissues and is well-known to maintain the reduction‒oxidation homeostasis and matrix components of such tissues. However, the role of EC-SOD in aging-associated reductions of skin thickness and collagen production is not well-studied. In this study, we compared the histological differences in the dorsal skin of EC-SOD‒overexpressing transgenic mice (Sod3 +/+ ) of different age groups with that in wild-type mice and also determined the underlying signaling mechanism. Our data showed that the skin thickness in Sod3 +/+ mice significantly increased with aging compared with that in wild-type male mice. Furthermore, Sod3 +/+ mice had promoted collagen production through the activation of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase and Nrf2/HO-1 pathways in aged mice. Interestingly, subcutaneous injection of adeno-associated virus‒overexpressing EC-SOD exhibited increased skin thickness and collagen expression. Furthermore, combined recombinant EC-SOD and dihydrotestosterone treatment synergistically elevated collagen production through the activation of TGFβ in human dermal fibroblasts. Altogether, these results showed that EC-SOD prevents skin aging by promoting collagen production in vivo and in vitro. Therefore, we propose that EC-SOD may be a potential therapeutic target for antiaging in the skin., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Despite the growing interest in energy-efficient homes (EEHs), there is still a lack of evidence regarding whether the mechanical ventilation system of an EEH positively or negatively impacts indoor air quality (IAQ) and the health and wellbeing of occupants. This study aimed to evaluate the IAQ level and daily health symptoms of adults and children living in EEHs compared to conventional buildings over the course of one year. A two-way mixed analysis of variance was conducted to compare the level of IAQ between the two housing types. A binomial generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) and generalized additive mixed model was developed to investigate the association between IAQ and daily risks of symptoms. Differences in the daily prevalence of symptoms between the two housing types were assessed using a Poisson GLMM model. Overall, the indoor concentrations of particulate matter (PM 10 and PM 2.5 ), carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were lower in EEH after controlling for seasonality. The indoor temperature and relative humidity level were relatively constant in the EEH. We also found that an increased level of indoor air quality parameters, particularly CO 2, which is closely related to the indoor ventilation rate, was associated with the daily risk of eye fatigue, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis symptoms. Considering that EEH effectively reduced indoor air pollutants and IAQ improvement was associated with a reduction in the risk of individual symptoms, the IAQ improvement of EEH may have positively impacted occupants' health. Symptoms such as eye fatigue and skin dryness, which have been reported in previous studies as potential side effects of mechanical ventilation, were reported in this study; however, they were not found to be statistically significantly different from those reported in the conventional building., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

Background & Aims: We have sought to develop proper and useful indices for muscle quality measurements other than muscle attenuation (Hounsfield unit; HU) and to determine the diagnostic cutoff points for myosteatosis by using those indices measured at the L3 lumbar vertebrae level by CT scan., Methods: This cross-sectional analysis included 20,664 healthy adult subjects (12,697 men and 7967 women) who underwent abdominal CT scans. Total abdominal muscle area (TAMA), on the L3 vertebra was demarcated using predetermined thresholds. Intermuscular adipose tissue area (IMAT) and skeletal muscle area (SMA) were measured. SMA was divided into normal attenuation muscle area (NAMA) and low attenuation muscle area (LAMA). Their various indices were calculated. We identified the sex-specific mean values of NAMA, LAMA, IMAT, and their indices and the cutoff points equivalent to the T-scores in the young reference group., Results: The mean values of the NAMA and NAMA indices decreased with age in both sexes, LAMA, IMAT, and their indices showed an increasing tendency with age in both sexes. When using T-score < -2.0 as the cutoff for myosteatosis, the sex-specific cutoff points of NAMA, NAMA/BMI, NAMA/TAMA index, and SMA and TAMA attenuation in men and women were 103.0 and 64.5 cm 2 , 4.0 and 2.8, 66.4 and 65.1, 40.2 and 39.9 HU, and 34.1 and 33.5 HU, respectively. Using these cutoff points, the prevalence of myosteatosis by NAMA, NAMA/BMI, NAMA/TAMA index, or SMA or TAMA attenuation ranged from 5.9 to 8.8% in men and from 10.2 to 20.5% in women., Conclusions: The NAMA/TAMA index developed in this study was useful for assessing myosteatosis. This is the first study to report the sex-specific diagnostic cutoff points for myosteatosis of trunk muscles based on T-scores measured by CT scans in healthy population. These diagnostic cutoff points may be particularly useful in the treatment and prevention of sarcopenia and myosteatosis., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest Kim KW, Park T, and Shin Y are inventors on a patent issued by Republic of Korea (KR patent application No. 10-2018-0035284). All other authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. All rights reserved.)

Depression is a serious disease that has considerable impact on lipid metabolism and inflammatory responses. Recent studies have shown that leptin, which is well known as a mediator of energy homeostasis and is a cytokine in inflammatory response, plays an important role in depression. Acupuncture is widely used to treat depression; however, the underlying mechanisms and the effect of acupuncture on depression remain poorly understood. In this study, we utilized the chronic restraint stress (CRS) induced depression model and acupuncture treatment was performed at KI10, LR8, LU8, LR4 (AP) or non-acupoint (NP). Then, lipidomics was applied to investigate the effects of acupuncture on lipid metabolism and analyze leptin signals in the brain and changes of immune markers. Acupuncture treatment at AP improved depression-like behavior in an open-field test, forced swimming test, and marble burying test. Concurrently, CRS mice treated with AP acupuncture (CRS + AP) had significantly lower levels of aspartate aminotransaminase (AST, liver injury markers) and exhibited different lipid patterns in liver lipidomic profiles. In particular, triglycerides (TGs) contributed the change of lipid patterns. Compared to the CRS mice, TGs with relatively high degrees of unsaturated fatty acids increased in the CRS + AP mice, but did not change in CRS mice treated with NP acupuncture (CRS + NP). The levels of leptin in plasma and leptin receptor positive cells in the brain (hypothalamus and hippocampus) decreased and increased, respectively, in the CRS + AP mice, while opposite patterns were exhibited in the CRS and CRS + NP mice. These results indicated that acupuncture treatment at AP attenuated leptin insensitivity in CRS mice. Additionally, expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-1 beta and tumor necrosis factor-alpha were decreased in the spleen, plasma, and liver of CRS + AP mice, which was one of results of alleviation of leptin resistance. In conclusion, these results show that AP acupuncture treatment effectively alleviated the depression-like behavior, affected immune responses, and altered hepatic lipid metabolism through the attenuation of leptin insensitivity., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Migraine is a highly disabling neurological disorder that directly affects more than 1 billion individuals worldwide. Available treatment options differ between countries and include acute, preventive, and non-pharmacological therapies. Because of major progress in the understanding of migraine pathogenesis, novel mechanism-based medications have emerged and expanded the armamentarium of treatments. We provide a comprehensive overview of the current standard of care that will enable informed clinical management. First, we discuss the efficacy, tolerability, and safety profile of various pharmacological therapies for acute and preventive treatment of migraine. Second, we review the current knowledge on non-pharmacological therapies, such as neuromodulation and biobehavioural approaches, which can be used for a multidisciplinary approach to clinical management. Third, we emphasise that any effective treatment strategy starts with building a therapeutic plan tailored to individual clinical characteristics, preferences, and needs. Finally, we explore the outlook of emerging mechanism-based treatments that could address unmet challenges in clinical management of migraine., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Migraine is a disabling neurological disorder, diagnosis of which is based on clinical criteria. A shortcoming of these criteria is that they do not fully capture the heterogeneity of migraine, including the underlying genetic and neurobiological factors. This complexity has generated momentum for biomarker research to improve disease characterisation and identify novel drug targets. In this Series paper, we present the progress that has been made in the search for biomarkers of migraine within genetics, provocation modelling, biochemistry, and neuroimaging research. Additionally, we outline challenges and future directions for each biomarker modality. We also discuss the advances made in combining and integrating data from multiple biomarker modalities. These efforts contribute to developing precision medicine that can be applied to future patients with migraine., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests MA is a consultant, speaker or scientific advisor for AbbVie, Allergan, Amgen, Alder, Biohaven, Eli Lilly, Lundbeck, Novartis, and Teva, and primary investigator for Alder, Amgen, Allergan, Eli Lilly, Lundbeck, Novartis and Teva trials. MA has no ownership interest and does not own stocks of any pharmaceutical company. MA serves as associate editor of Cephalalgia, and associate editor of the Journal of Headache and Pain. MA is president of the International Headache Society. GMT reports grants or consultancy support from Novartis, Lilly, Teva, and Allergan, and independent support from the Dutch Research Council, National Institutes of Health, European Community, Dutch Heart Foundation, and Dutch Brain Foundation. MA-MA-K has acted as an invited speaker for Novartis and received a travel grant from ElectroCore. MJL reports grants from the National Research Foundation of Korea, Korean Society of Neurosonology, and Yuhan Company. MJL is also a consultant, speaker or scientific advisor for Eli Lilly and has received speaker honoraria from Sanofi-Aventis and YuYu Pharma, outside the submitted work. MJL serves as junior editor of Cephalalgia. DLH reports grants from the Royal Society of New Zealand (Marsden Fund), Living Cell Technologies, and the Maurice Wilkins Centre, during the conduct of the study. DLH is a consultant, speaker or scientific advisor for Eli Lilly, Intarcia Therapeutics, Merck Sharp & Dohme, and Amgen–Novartis, outside the submitted work. DLH serves as an editor of the British Journal of Pharmacology. LHS has received speaker honoraria from Allergan, outside the submitted work. AJS reports grants from Sir Jules Thorn Award for Biomedical Research, during the conduct of the study. AJS reports personal and speaker fees for a single lecture in 2019 from Novartis, and received funding for a 12-month clinical headache fellowship at the Department of Neurology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital (Birmingham, UK). AJS is also funded by Allergan and reports personal fees from participation on advisory boards for Novartis and Allergan, outside the submitted work. TJS reports personal fees from Alder, Allergan, Abbvie, Amgen, Biohaven, Cipla, Click Therapeutics, Dr Reddys, Eli Lilly, Equinox, Ipsen, Lundbeck, Novartis, Teva, Weber and Weber, and XoC, research grants from the American Migraine Foundation, Amgen, Henry Jackson Foundation, National Institutes of Health, Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute, and US Department of Defense. TLS also reports stock options from Aural Analytics and Nocira, and royalties from UpToDate, outside the submitted work. PJG reports, over the last 36 months, grants and personal fees from Amgen and Eli-Lilly, grants from Celgene, and personal fees from Alder Biopharmaceuticals, Aeon Biopharma, Allergan, Biohaven Pharmaceuticals, Clexio, Electrocore, eNeura, Epalex, GlaxoSmithKline, Impel Neuropharma, Lundbeck, MundiPharma, Novartis, Pfizer, Praxis, Sanofi, Santara Therapeutics, Satsuma, Teva Pharmaceuticals, Trigemina, and WL Gore, and personal fees for advice through the Gerson Lehrman Group, LEK and Guidepoint, fees for educational materials from the Massachusetts Medical Society, Medery, Medlink, PrimeEd, UptoDate, and WebMD, and publishing royalties from Oxford University Press and Wolters Kluwer, and for medicolegal advice in headache, and a patent on magnetic stimulation for headache (number WO2016090333 A1) assigned to eNeura without fee. All other authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Evidence-based program registers (EBPRs) are important tools for facilitating the use of evidence-based practices or programs (EBPs) by state statutory agencies responsible for behavioral healthcare, broadly defined as substance misuse, mental health, HIV/AIDS prevention, child welfare, and offender rehabilitation. There are currently no data on the purposes for which such state agencies reference EBPRs on their official websites., Method: A webscraping method was used to identify and classify relevant "hits", defined as a state behavioral health webpage with single or multiple references to a study EBPR. A total of 778 hits (unique combinations of webpage and register) were coded. Up to three codes were applied to each hit for the "reasons for the EBPR reference" (EBPR use) dimension, one code was applied to each hit for the "purpose of the EBPR reference" and "intended audience of the webpage containing the hit" dimensions, and up to two codes were applied to each hit for the "funding mentions" dimension., Results: Three EBPRs out of 28 accounted for 73.6% of the hits. The most frequent reason for referencing EBPRs were as a resource for selecting EBPs or validating existing programs and practices. The references tended to appear in reports from the state, in training materials, or guidelines. The references tended to address broad groups of behavioral healthcare professionals. EBPRs were frequently referenced in the context of federal block grants or other federal funding., Conclusions: Increasing state agencies' awareness and use of the entire range of existing EBPRs may improve implementation of EBPs nationally., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)