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BackgroundGlioma patients often experience neurocognitive deficits, particularly mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which affects their perioperative safety. The use of auditory event-related potentials (AERPs) might be a promising method for reflecting perioperative cognitive function in patients, even under unresponsive sedation. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationships between the AERP under sedation and preoperative cognitive performance in glioma patients.MethodsPatients with primary supratentorial gliomas who were scheduled for elective craniotomy under general anesthesia were included in this prospective observational study. The patients were categorized into MCI and non-MCI groups based on their preoperative Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores. AERP characteristics, including mismatch negativity (MMN), P300, and event-related spectral perturbation (ERSP) in the theta bands, were analyzed under different propofol-induced sedation conditions. Differences in these parameters between groups and their relationships with preoperative cognitive performance were subsequently investigated.ResultsTwenty-nine eligible patients were included in the analysis. Compared to that in the non-MCI group, the average amplitude of the MMN component evoked by the novel stimulus significantly decreased during the recovery period in the MCI group (−3.895 ± 1.961 μV vs. -1.617 ± 1.831 μV, p = 0.003). Theta-ERSPs also differed between the two groups under standard (0.021 ± 0.658 μV2/Hz vs. 0.515 ± 0.622 μV2/Hz, p = 0.048) and novel (0.212 ± 0.584 μV2/Hz vs. 0.823 ± 0.931 μV2/Hz, p = 0.041) stimulation conditions under light sedation. After correcting for age, education level, site of lesion, WHO pathological grade and combined symptomatic epilepsy as confounders, the frontal theta-ERSP induced by standard and novel stimuli under light sedation was inversely related to the preoperative MoCA score (standard stimuli: β = −0.491, p = 0.011; novel stimuli: β = −0.594, p = 0.007), as was the average MMN amplitude induced by novel stimuli during the recovery period (β = −0.356, p = 0.035).ConclusionThe AERP neural response characteristics of glioma patients during propofol sedation were associated with preoperative cognitive performance, which might be a potential neurophysiological indicator for monitoring perioperative cognitive function, especially theta-ERSP.

Inflammation is a normal immune response in organisms, but it often triggers chronic diseases such as colitis and arthritis. Currently, the most widely used anti-inflammatory drugs are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, albeit they are accompanied by various adverse effects such as hypertension and renal dysfunction. Bioactive peptides (BAPs) provide therapeutic benefits for inflammation and mitigate side effects. Herein, this review focuses on the therapeutic effects of various BAPs on inflammation in different body parts. Emphasis is placed on the immunomodulatory mechanisms of BAPs in treating inflammation, such as regulating the release of inflammatory mediators, modulating MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways, and reducing oxidative stress reactions for immunomodulation. This review aims to provide a reference for the function, application, and anti-inflammation mechanisms of BAPs.

ObjectiveThis meta-analysis aims to systematically evaluate the impact of blood flow restriction training (BFRT) on muscle activation and post-activation potentiation (PAP) in the upper limbs, to provide guidance for upper limb protocols aiming to enhance explosive strength and activation.MethodsPubMed, CNKI, Web of Science, and EBSCO databases were queried to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the effects of upper limb BFRT on muscle activation and PAP. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied using the Cochrane bias risk tool. Literature quality assessment and statistical analysis were conducted using Revman 5.4 and Stata 17.0 software. Sensitivity analysis and funnel plots were utilized to assess result stability and publication bias.ResultsA total of 31 articles involving 484 participants were included in the analysis. Meta-analysis results showed that upper limb BFRT significantly increased muscle iEMG values [SMD = 0.89, 95%CI (0.21, 1.58), p = 0.01]. BFRT had a significant effect on upper limb explosive force [SMD = 0.73, 95%CI (0.41, 1.04), p < 0.00001]. Subgroup analysis based on literature heterogeneity (I2 = 92%, 80%) showed that exhaustive BFRT significantly decreased upper limb iEMG [SMD = −0.67, 95%CI (−1.25, −0.09), p = 0.01], with exercise modes including maximum output power of bench press [SMD = 1.87, 95%CI (0.22, 3.53), p < 0.0001], exercise intensity of 40%–70% 1RM [SMD = 1.31, 95%CI (0.61, 2.01), p < 0.0001], and pressure intensity of ≥60% AOP [SMD = 0.83, 95%CI (0.43, 1.23), p < 0.0001] reaching maximum effects and statistical significance.ConclusionUpper limb BFRT can induce muscle activation and PAP. BFRT with 40%–70% 1RM and ≥60% AOP in the upper limbs is more likely to promote PAP.Systematic Review Registrationhttp://inplasy.com, identifier INPLASY202430008.

ObjectiveFrailty and activities of daily living (ADL) disability are common conditions among older population. Studies on the bidirectional relationship between frailty and ADL are limited. The current study examined the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between frailty and ADL in middle-aged and older Chinese individuals.MethodsThe data was collected through the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), conducted in 2011, 2013, and 2015, encompassing 17,284 individuals aged ≥45 years. We excluded individuals without follow-up data. 2,631 participants finished the baseline survey. The definition of ADL disability encompasses difficulty in engaging in either basic activities of daily living (BADL) or instrumental activities of daily living (IADL). Frailty was assessed according to the Fried criteria. Logistic regression was utilized to examine odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for assessing the cross-sectional relationships between ADL with frailty at baseline. The prediction effects were explored using Cox proportional hazards analysis, testing hazard ratios (HRs) and 95%CIs.ResultsIn cross-sectional analysis, BADL [OR = 6.660 (4.519–9.815)], IADL [OR = 5.950 (4.490–7.866)], and ADL [OR = 5.658 (4.278–7.483)] exhibited significant associations with frailty; frailty demonstrated significant associations with BADL [OR = 6.741 (4.574–9.933)], IADL [OR = 6.042 (4.555–8.016)] and ADL [OR = 5.735 (4.333–7.591)]. In longitudinal analysis, IADL and ADL were significantly associated with frailty in participants without baseline frailty in the short-term period [IADL: HR = 1.971 (1.150–3.379), ADL: HR = 1.920 (1.146–3.215)], IADL exhibited a significant association with frailty in the long-term period [HR = 2.056 (1.085–3.895)]. There was no significant link observed between frailty and an elevated risk of disability onset in BADL, IADL and ADL during the short-term period. When considering the long-term perspective, frailty exhibited a significant association with an elevated risk of disability onset in BADL [HR= 1.820 (1.126–2.939)] and IADL [HR = 1.724 (1.103–2.694)].ConclusionIn middle-aged and older adults, ADL and IADL disability predicted frailty after 2-year follow-up, IADL disability predicted frailty after 4-year follow-up. Moreover, frailty did not predict BADL, IADL and ADL disability after 2-year follow-up. However, frailty predicted BADL and IADL disability after 4-year follow-up.

BackgroundMetabolic syndrome (MetS) is on the rise in developing countries and is characterized by a series of indications of metabolic disturbance. However, the prevalence of MetS varies under different definitions. The study aimed to compare five definitions of MetS in the China adult population, to explore their prevalence, characteristics and agreement.MethodsThe data for the retrospective study came from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), consisting of 9,588 participants (≥45). MetS definitions from International Diabetes Federation (IDF) (2006), National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (ATPIII) (2005), National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (ATPIII) (2001), Chinese Diabetes society (CDS) (2004) and the World Health Organization (WHO) (1999). We used binary and multivariable logistic analysis to explore factors connected with MetS.ResultsThe five definitions of MetS led to different prevalence of MetS:34.52% by IDF (2006), 38.63% by ATP (2005), 25.94% by ATP (2001), 26.31% by CDS (2004), 21.57% by WHO (1999). According to the definition of IDF (2006) (22.32% vs. 45.06%), ATPIII (2005) definition (27.99% vs. 47.82%), ATPIII (2001) definition (15.37% vs. 35.07%), CDS (2004) definition (19.96% vs. 31.80%), and WHO (1999) definition (17.44% vs. 25.14%), the prevalence of MetS in men was low but in women was high. The agreement between the five definitions for men was good except for the IDF (2006) definition and ATPIII (2001) definition (kappa = 0.51), with kappa values from 0.64 to 0.85. For women, the agreement between the five definitions was good ranging from 0.67 to 0.95, however, except for the definition of CDS (2004) and the definition of IDF (2006) (kappa = 0.44), the definition of WHO (1999) and the definition of IDF (2006) (kappa = 0.55), and the definition of WHO (1999) and the definition of ATPIII (2005) (kappa = 0.54). Binary logistic analysis indicated that although the impact and relevance varied by sex and definition, age, education, marital status, current residence, current smoking, alcohol using, taking activities and number of chronic diseases were factors connected to MetS.Conclusionthe prevalence and characteristics of the five definitions of MetS are different in the Chinese population. Therefore, it is vital to use the same definition for a country to diagnose MetS. On the other side, a lower prevalence in men than in women and the consistency of five MetS definitions are good in men but relatively poor in women.

BackgroundInsomnia in healthcare workers has become a topic of concern in the health system. The high infectivity and longevity of the COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in great pressure and a high incidence of insomnia among healthcare workers. Insomnia among healthcare workers has a negative impact on high-quality healthcare services in addition to their health. Thus, it's necessary to explore insomnia's underlying mechanisms.ObjectThe present research's aims were threefold: explored the association between social support, resilience, COVID-19 anxiety, and insomnia among healthcare workers during the pandemic, elucidated the underlying mechanism of insomnia, and offered recommendations for improving the health of these workers.Materials and methodsA cross-sectional design was adopted. From May 20 to 30, 2022, 1038 healthcare workers were selected to fill out the Oslo 3-item Social Support Scale, the eight-item Athens Insomnia Scale, the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale, and the Brief Resilience Scale. Descriptive statistics and correlations were analyzed by SPSS 25.0. Mediation analysis was conducted by Mplus 8.3 using 5000 bootstrap samples.ResultsOf the participating 1038 healthcare workers, the prevalence of insomnia was 41.62% (432/1038). Significant associations were found involving insomnia, resilience, COVID-19 anxiety, and social support. Insomnia was directly affected by social support. Moreover, three indirect pathways explain how social support affected insomnia: resilience's mediating role, COVID-19 anxiety's mediating role, and the chain-mediation role of resilience and COVID-19 anxiety.ConclusionThe results validated our hypotheses and supported the opinion of Spielman et al. ‘s three-factor model of insomnia. Social support of healthcare workers has an indirect impact on insomnia in addition to its direct one via independent and chain-mediation effects of resilience and COVID-19 anxiety.

ObjectiveType 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) remains a major and widespread public health concern throughout the world. The prevalence of T2DM in the elderly has risen to the top of the list of public health concerns. In this study, obesity- and lipid-related indices were used to predict T2DM in middle-aged and elderly Chinese adults.MethodsThe data came from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), including 7902 middle-aged and elderly participants aged 45 years or above. The study assessed the association of obesity- and lipid-related indices and T2DM by measuring 13 indicators, including body mass index (BMI), waist circumference(WC), waist-height ratio (WHtR), conicity index(CI), visceral adiposity index (VAI), Chinese visceral adiposity index (CVAI), lipid accumulation product (LAP), a body shape index (ABSI), body roundness index (BRI), triglyceride glucose index (TyG-index) and its correlation index (TyG-BMI, TyG-WC, TyG-WHtR). The association of 13 obesity- and lipid-related indices with T2DM was investigated by binary logistic regression. Additionally, the predictive anthropometric index was evaluated, and the ideal cut-off value was established using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and area under the curve (AUC).ResultsThe study included 7902 participants, of whom 3638(46.04) and 4264(53.96) were male and female. The prevalence of T2DM in mid-aged and old adults in China was 9.02% in males and 9.15% in females. All the above 13 indicators show a modest predictive power (AUC>0.5), which was significant for predicting T2DM in adults (middle-aged and elderly people) in China (P

Objective: This study aims to systematically evaluate the effects of blood flow restriction (BFR) training on lower limb muscle activation and post-activation potentiation (PAP) in athletes through a meta-analysis and discuss methods to improve instant muscle strength so as to provide a reference for training in this field.Methods: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that examined the impact of BFR training on muscle activation and PAP were gathered through database searches, such as CNKI, Wanfang, Web of Science, PubMed, and others. The Cochrane risk of bias tool was used to include and exclude literature. Quality evaluation and statistical analysis were conducted using ReviewManager 5.3 software, STATA 16.0, and other software programs. The sensitivity analysis and funnel plots were employed to assess result stability and publication bias.Results: In total, 18 literature studies were included with a total of 267 subjects. The meta-analysis showed that BFR could significantly improve the RMS value of lower limb muscles [SMD = 0.98, 95% CI (0.71, 1.24), and p < 0.00001]. BFR had a significant effect on the immediate explosive power of the lower limbs [SMD = 0.28, 95% CI (0.02, 0.53), and p = 0.03], but the heterogeneity was obvious (I2 = 51%). The subgroup analysis showed that different training methods may be influencing factors that lead to the heterogeneity between studies. The measurement indexes were the counter movement jump (CMJ) [SMD = 0.45, 95% CI (0.20, 0.69), and p = 0.0004], training mode to overcome body weight [SMD = 0.57, 95% CI (0.33, 0.82), and p < 0.00001], and compressive strength of 40%–60% arterial occlusion pressure (AOP) [SMD = 0.57, 95% CI (0.31, 0.83), and p < 0.0001], which reached the maximum effect and was statistically significant.Conclusion: BFR training can induce lower extremity muscle activation and PAP. Combining self-weight training with BFR exercises set at 40%–60% AOP appears to be particularly effective in inducing PAP, especially for enhancing CMJ. Furthermore, combining body-weight training with BFR is considered an effective warm-up method to improve CMJ.Systematic Review Registration: http://inplasy.com, identifier INPLASY2023100087

Background: As an antidiabetic agent, sotagliflozin was recently approved for heart failure (HF). However, its cardiovascular benefits in type 2 diabetic mellitus (T2DM) patients with HF or cardiovascular (CV) risk factors have not been systematically evaluated. The aim of this study is to evaluate the cardiovascular benefits and safety of sotagliflozin in T2DM patients with HF or CV risk factors using Bayesian network meta-analysis.Methods: Data were retrieved from PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, ClinicalTrials.gov, and Cochrane Library from their inception to 16 August 2023. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing sotagliflozin with a placebo, dapagliflozin, and empagliflozin in adult T2DM patients with HF or CV risks for at least 12 weeks were included in the study. Data analysis was conducted using R 4.2.3 and Stata 17.0. Cardiovascular efficacy outcomes included HF events (hospitalization or urgent visits for HF), MACE (deaths from CV causes, hospitalizations for HF, nonfatal myocardial infarctions, and strokes), cardiovascular death, the decrease in SBP, and weight loss. Safety outcomes are urinary tract infection, diarrhea, and diabetic ketoacidosis.Results: Eleven studies with 30,952 patients were included. Compared to dapagliflozin and empagliflozin, 200 mg of sotagliflozin showed the best effect in reducing HF events [OR (95% CI), 0.79 (0.66, 0.94) and 0.90 (0.63, 1.27)]. Compared to dapagliflozin, 200 mg of sotagliflozin [OR (95% CI), 0.76 (0.66, 0.87)] was superior in preventing MACE. Compared to empagliflozin, 200 mg of sotagliflozin [OR (95% CI), 1.46 (1.04, 2.05)] was inferior in preventing CV death. Sotagliflozin showed a poorer SBP decreasing effect than empagliflozin and dapagliflozin [MD (95% CI), 1.30 (0.03, 2.56) and 2.25 (0.35, 4.14), respectively]. There was no significant difference between sotagliflozin and other interventions in weight loss. Sotagliflozin exhibited no increased risk for diabetic ketoacidosis or urinary tract infection among all interventions, however, it showed a mild risk for diarrhea than placebo [OR (95% CI), 1.47 (1.28, 1.69)].Conclusion: Sotagliflozin displayed moderate CV benefits and acceptable safety. Sotagliflozin can be one of the recommended options for T2DM patients with HF or CV risk factors, which will be important for evidence-based use of sotagliflozin as well as decision-making of T2DM medication.

A rare study on the quantitative relationship between the energetic impact of debris flows on the intensity and duration of growth disturbances of tree rings was carried out, partly due to a lack of feasible approaches and detailed field evidence. In this study, we first used a dendrogeomorphic technique to determine the age of a recent debris flow derived from historic landslide deposits at Qingyang Mountain (QYM) on the northeastern Tibet plateau. We acquired the quantitative data on the annual widths of tree rings in history and confirmed the influence of the debris flow rather than other factors (e.g., climatic events and inset outbreaking) in disturbing the growth of tree rings in a specific year. Using this approach, we determined that the age of the debris flow at QYM occurred in 1982, which was speculated to be triggered by the high monthly precipitation registered during July 1982. Subsequently, based on the boundaries of historic debris flow identified on remote sensing images before and after 1982 and the depth-integrated continuum model, we reconstructed the process of the 1982 debris flow and obtained the kinematic energy of the debris flow impacting the sampled trees. Based on the study, we observed that two growth disturbance patterns of tree rings influenced by the reconstructed 1982 debris flow were revealed, including growth suppression and asymmetric growth. We obtained a raw logarithm relationship between duration (i.e., lasting time for the disturbed tree rings to recover the initial width) and intensity of growth disturbances (i.e., growth suppression ratio of disturbed tree rings). We concluded that there is a negative exponential relationship between the simulated kinematic energy of debris flow impacting the disturbed trees and the time to recover the initial width of corresponding tree rings.

BackgroundAn increasing number of studies have shown the association between traumatic events occurring in childhood and adolescence and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A gap remains in the literature on the epidemiology and influencing factors of traumatic events and post-traumatic stress disorder in communities in northern China. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of traumatic events and PTSD in communities in northern China, to explore the types of stressful traumatic events and the impact of these traumatic events on children and adolescents, and to investigate the effect of sociodemographic factors on PTSD.MethodsA cross-sectional survey study was conducted among 6,027 students (7–17 years old) from 6 cities in Liaoning Province, China. The sample consisted of 2,853 males (47.34%) and 3,174 females (52.66%). The Essen Trauma-Inventory for Children and Adolescents (ETI-CA) Scale was used. The ETI-CA has 5 sections, which include type of traumatic events, worst traumatic event, post-traumatic symptoms, onset, duration, burden of PTSD, and present difficulties in different areas of life. PTSD symptoms were assessed with 23 items in Part 3 of the ETI-CA.ResultsWe found that 2,068 (34.3%) of 6,027 participants experienced trauma events and 686 (33.2%) of 2,068 reported PTSD. Among trauma-exposed youth (2,068), the sudden death of close relatives (33.9%), serious accidents (20.9%), and parental divorce (15.5%) were reported as the worst traumatic events. Studies have shown that after exposure to stressful life events, more than 30% of people feel nervous or upset (39.8%), scared (33.4%), helpless (32.6%), and about 10% have headaches (15.5%), rapid heartbeat (13.3%), and dizziness (11.8%). Multivariable logistic regression analyses showed that students in middle school [OR = 1.29 (1.016, 1.637)], not a student leader [OR = 0.738 (0.618, 0.881)], and their parents in single marital status significantly predicted higher PTSD prevalence the remarried [OR = 0.474 (0.252, 0.893)], married [OR = 0.42 (0.227, 0.778)].ConclusionThe present study suggests the government to train psychological counselors in schools and communities to provide emotional and psychological support, as well as the school leaders and parents to elevate adolescents' psychological suzhi. Particularly, counseling and professional support should be given to those students whose parents are single.

ObjectiveThe aging trend of China's population is severe and successful aging (SA) is imminent. Aging can lead to various chronic diseases, with hypertension being the most common. Due to this lifelong disease, patients suffer from many anxieties, as death anxiety (DA) can be the most prevalent. Studies have exhibited that middle-aged adults approaching the transition to an older state show more pronounced DA than the more senior. It has been suggested that psychological resilience (PR) can reduce DA. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the mediating effect of SA between PR and DA in middle-aged and older adults with hypertension.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was designed. From August to December 2021, 298 middle-aged and older adults with hypertension were selected by multistage cluster random sampling in three districts (Ling he District, Gu ta District, and Tai He District) of Jinzhou City, Liaoning Province. They were surveyed using the demographic questionnaires, the Conner-Davidson Resilience Scale, the Successful Aging Inventory, and the Chinese version of a Likert-type Templer-Death Anxiety Scale. Descriptive analyses, independent sample T-test, and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to describe demographic characteristics among hypertensive patients with different characteristics, respectively. Statistics were considered significant when P < 0.05. Pearson correlation coefficients describe the relationship between PR, SA, and DA. The research model was shaped through Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). SPSS PROCESS macro was used to verify the mediation model. A binary logistic regression model was used with DA as the dependent variable.ResultsThe scores for PR, SA, and DA in hypertensive patients are (49.52 ± 14.38) points, (51.22 ± 7.63) points, and (46.67 ± 9.03) points. PR was negatively correlated with DA (r = −0.307, P < 0.01). Moreover, incorporating SA as a mediating variable in PR and DA, SA was positively correlated with PR (r = 0.335, P < 0.01) and DA (r = 0.085, P > 0.05). The direct effect is opposite to the sign of the indirect effect. There is a suppression between PR and DA with a percentage of 20.7%. Good self-assessed health status [0.057 (0.018, 0.183)] may be a protective factor for DA.ConclusionHealthcare providers should improve the PR of middle-aged and older adults with hypertension through interventions that reduce DA and increase the likelihood of SA.

ObjectiveTo predict the optimal cut-off values for screening and predicting metabolic syndrome(MetS) in a middle-aged and elderly Chinese population using 13 obesity and lipid-related indicators, and to identify the most suitable predictors.MethodsThe data for this cross-sectional investigation came from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), including 9457 middle-aged and elderly people aged 45-98 years old. We examined 13 indicators, including waist circumference (WC), body mass index (BMI), waist-height ratio (WHtR), visceral adiposity index (VAI), a body shape index (ABSI), body roundness index (BRI), lipid accumulation product index (LAP), conicity index (CI), Chinese visceral adiposity index (CVAI), triglyceride-glucose index (TyG-index) and their combined indices (TyG-BMI, TyG-WC, TyG-WHtR). The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was used to determine the usefulness of indicators for screening for MetS in the elderly and to determine their cut-off values, sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve (AUC). Association analysis of 13 obesity-related indicators with MetS was performed using binary logistic regression analysis.ResultsA total of 9457 middle-aged and elderly Chinese were included in this study, and the overall prevalence of the study population was 41.87% according to the diagnostic criteria of NCEP ATP III. According to age and gender, the percentage of males diagnosed with MetS was 30.67% (45-54 years old: 30.95%, 55-64 years old: 41.02%, 65-74 years old: 21.19%, ≥ 75 years old: 6.84%). The percentage of females diagnosed with MetS was 51.38% (45-54 years old: 31.95%, 55-64 years old: 39.52%, 65-74 years old: 20.43%, ≥ 75 years old: 8.10%). The predictive power of Tyg-related parameters was more prominent in both sexes. In addition, LAP and CVAI are also good at predicting MetS. ABSI had a poor prediction ability.ConclusionsAmong the middle-aged and elderly population in China, after adjusting for confounding factors, all the indicators except ABSI had good predictive power. The predictive power of Tyg-related parameters was more prominent in both sexes. In addition, LAP and CVAI are also good at predicting MetS.

ObjectiveTo explore the correlation between baseline serum uric acid (SUA) and SUA changes with the incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) among middle-aged and older individuals.MethodBinary logistic regression was used to calculate the odds ratio (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of the effects of baseline and changes in SUA on the incidence of T2DM. Stratified analysis was conducted based on sex, and the SUA levels were classified into four quartiles to assess the effect of baseline and relative changes in SUA on the incidence of T2DM. Furthermore, interaction analysis was performed between body mass index (BMI) and SUA, age and SUA, and sex and SUA.ResultsIn the cohort study, the highest quartiles of SUA were significantly correlated with an increased incidence of T2DM among females in model 1 [OR = 2.231 (1.631, 3.050)], model 2 [OR = 2.090 (1.523, 2.867)], model 3 [OR = 2.075 (1.511, 2.849)], and model 4 [OR = 1.707 (1.234, 2.362)]. The highest quartiles of SUA had a statistically significant effect on the incidence of T2DM among all participants in model 1 [OR = 1.601 (1.277, 2.008)], model 2 [OR = 1.519 (1.204, 1.915)], model 3 [OR = 1.597 (1.257, 2.027)], and model 4 [OR = 1.380 (1.083, 1.760)]. Regarding the relative change of SUA, the highest quantiles of SUA were significantly correlated with an increased incidence of T2DM among females in model 1 [OR = 1.409 (1.050, 1.890)], model 2 [OR = 1.433 (1.067, 1.926)], and model 3 [OR = 1.420 (1.056, 1.910)], and there was a statistically significant correlation with incident T2DM among all participants in model 4 [OR = 1.346 (1.079, 1.680)] after adjusting for all covariates. However, there was no significant correlation between baseline, relative, and absolute changes in SUA and the incidence of T2DM among males. The interaction analysis demonstrated that sex, BMI, and the relative changes in SUA had a combined effect on the incidence of T2DM, while age and the changes in SUA had a joint effect on the incidence of T2DM only in females.ConclusionThere was a positive association between SUA and the incidence of T2DM for all participants. However, significant sex differences in incidence were observed only in women, not men.

ObjectiveDepressive symptom is a serious mental illness often accompanied by physical and emotional problems. The prevalence of depressive symptom in older adults has become an increasingly important public health priority. Our study used cardiometabolic indicators to predict depressive symptom in middle-aged and older adults in China.MethodsThe data came from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study 2011 (CHARLS2011), which was a cross-sectional study. The analytic sample included 8,942 participants aged 45 years or above. The study evaluated the relationship between cardiometabolic indicators and depression by measuring 13 indicators, including body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, waist-height ratio (WHtR), conicity index, visceral adiposity index (VAI), Chinese visceral adiposity index (CVAI), lipid accumulation product (LAP), a body shape index (ABSI), body roundness index (BRI), triglyceride glucose index (TyG-index) and its correlation index (TyG-BMI, TyG-waist circumference, TyG-WHtR). Binary logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between thirteen cardiometabolic indicators and depressive symptom. In addition, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and area under curve (AUC) were used to evaluate the predictive anthropometric index and to determine the optimum cut-off value.ResultsThe study included 8,942 participants, of whom 4,146 (46.37%) and 4,796 (53.63%) were male and female. The prevalence of depressive symptom in mid-aged and older adults in China was 41.12% in males and 55.05% in females. The results revealed that BMI [AUC = 0.440, 95%CI: 0.422–0.457], waist circumference [AUC = 0.443, 95%CI: 0.425–0.460], WHtR [AUC = 0.459, 95%CI: 0.441–0.476], LAP [AUC = 0.455, 95%CI: 0.437–0.472], BRI [AUC = 0.459, 95%CI: 0.441–0.476], CVAI [AUC = 0.449, 95%CI: 0.432–0.467], TyG-BMI [AUC = 0.447, 95%CI: 0.429–0.465], and TyG-waist circumference [AUC =0.452, 95%CI: 0.434–0.470] were weak predictors of depressive symptom (p

Due to polluted environments, limited resources, and restricted space in coastal aquaculture, the use of a large-scale aquaculture platform in deep-sea areas has become more important in fish farming. However, the environment in the deep sea is complex and harsh, which threatens the safety of the fish farm platform due to extreme weather. In this work, we developed a new semi-submersible vessel-shaped truss fish farm platform with single-point mooring, considering different operating conditions. The dynamic performance of the platform was analyzed numerically. Firstly, a numerical model of the fish farm platform was created. A physical model test was then executed to verify the numerical model. The results from the numerical model were found to be in good agreement with the experimental results. Subsequently, the dynamic response of the platform under different wave conditions was analyzed based on the validated numerical model. The results showed that the new semi-submersible vessel-shaped fish farm platform had good adaptability to extreme sea conditions. The experimental and numerical analyses of the hydrodynamic responses of the fish farm platform facilitated the design, analysis, and application of the large deep-sea fish farm platform.

ObjectiveMetabolic syndrome is a common condition among middle-aged and elderly people. Recent studies have reported the association between obesity- and lipid-related indices and metabolic syndrome, but whether those conditions could predict metabolic syndrome is still inconsistent in a few longitudinal studies. In our study, we aimed to predict metabolic syndrome by obesity- and lipid-related indices in middle-aged and elderly Chinese adults.MethodA national cohort study that consisted of 3,640 adults (≥45 years) was conducted. A total of 13 obesity- and lipid-related indices, including body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), conicity index (CI), visceral adiposity index (VAI), Chinese visceral adiposity index (CVAI), lipid accumulation product (LAP), a body shape index (ABSI), body roundness index (BRI), and triglyceride glucose index (TyG-index) and its correlation index (TyG-BMI, TyG-WC, and TyG-WHtR), were recorded. Metabolic syndrome (MetS) was defined based on the criteria of the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (2005). Participants were categorized into two groups according to the different sex. Binary logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate the associations between the 13 obesity- and lipid-related indices and MetS. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve studies were used to identify the best predictor of MetS.ResultsA total of 13 obesity- and lipid-related indices were independently associated with MetS risk, even after adjustment for age, sex, educational status, marital status, current residence, history of drinking, history of smoking, taking activities, having regular exercises, and chronic diseases. The ROC analysis revealed that the 12 obesity- and lipid-related indices included in the study were able to discriminate MetS [area under the ROC curves (AUC > 0.6, P < 0.05)] and ABSI was not able to discriminate MetS [area under the ROC curves (AUC < 0.6, P > 0.05)]. The AUC of TyG-BMI was the highest in men, and that of CVAI was the highest in women. The cutoff values for men and women were 187.919 and 86.785, respectively. The AUCs of TyG-BMI, CVAI, TyG-WC, LAP, TyG-WHtR, BMI, WC, WHtR, BRI, VAI, TyG index, CI, and ABSI were 0.755, 0.752, 0.749, 0.745, 0.735, 0.732, 0.730, 0.710, 0.710, 0.674, 0.646, 0.622, and 0.537 for men, respectively. The AUCs of CVAI, LAP, TyG-WC, TyG-WHtR, TyG-BMI, WC, WHtR, BRI, BMI, VAI, TyG-index, CI, and ABSI were 0.687, 0.674, 0.674, 0.663, 0.656, 0.654, 0.645, 0.645, 0.638, 0.632, 0.607, 0.596, and 0.543 for women, respectively. The AUC value for WHtR was equal to that for BRI in predicting MetS. The AUC value for LAP was equal to that for TyG-WC in predicting MetS for women.ConclusionAmong middle-aged and older adults, all obesity- and lipid-related indices, except ABSI, were able to predict MetS. In addition, in men, TyG-BMI is the best indicator to indicate MetS, and in women, CVAI is considered the best hand to indicate MetS. At the same time, TyG-BMI, TyG-WC, and TyG-WHtR performed better than BMI, WC, and WHtR in predicting MetS in both men and women. Therefore, the lipid-related index outperforms the obesity-related index in predicting MetS. In addition to CVAI, LAP showed a good predictive correlation, even more closely than lipid-related factors in predicting MetS in women. It is worth noting that ABSI performed poorly, was not statistically significant in either men or women, and was not predictive of MetS.

Colistin and tigecycline are usually regarded as the last resort for multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae infection treatment. Emergence of colistin and tigecycline resistance poses a global healthcare challenge and is associated with high mortality due to limited therapeutic options. Here, we report the ST656 extensively drug-resistant K. pneumoniae strain KP15-652, which was isolated from a patient’s urine in China. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing showed it to be resistant to tigecycline, amikacin, levofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, and high-level colistin resistance (> 2048 mg/L). Whole-genome sequencing revealed that it harbors one chromosome and seven plasmids, including four plasmids carrying multiple acquired resistance genes. Transformation/conjugation tests and plasmid curing assays confirmed that mcr-1.1, mcr-8.2 and crrB mutations are responsible for the high-level colistin resistance and that a series of efflux pump genes, such as tmexCD1-toprJ1, tet(A) and tet(M), contribute to tigecycline resistance. mcr-1.1 and tet(M) are located on an IncX1 plasmid, which has conjugation transfer potential. mcr-8.2 and tet(A) are located on a multireplicon IncR/IncN plasmid but unable to be transferred via conjugation. Moreover, another conjugable and fusion plasmid carries the tmexCD1-toprJ1 gene cluster, which may have arisen due to IS26-mediated replicative transposition based on 8-bp target-site duplications. Importantly, a complex class 1 integron carrying various resistance genes was detected on this fusion plasmid. In conclusion, it is possible that the high-level of colistin resistance is caused by the accumulated effect of several factors on the chromosome and mcr-carrying plasmids, combined with many other resistances, including tigecycline. Effective surveillance should be performed to prevent further dissemination.

Verticillium nonalfalfae and V. albo-atrum are notorious pathogenic fungi that cause a destructive vascular disease called Verticillium wilt worldwide. Thus, timely and quantitative monitoring of fungal progression is highly desirable for early diagnosis and risk assessment. In this study, we developed a droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) assay to detect and quantify V. nonalfalfae and V. albo-atrum. The performance of this assay was validated in comparison with that of a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay. The standard curve analysis of the ddPCR assay showed good linearity. The ddPCR assay indicated similar detection sensitivity to that of qPCR on pure genomic DNA, while it enhanced the positive rate for low-abundance fungi, especially in alfalfa stems. Receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed that ddPCR provided superior diagnostic performance on field tissues compared to qPCR, and the area under curve values were 0.94 and 0.90 for alfalfa roots and stems, respectively. Additionally, the quantitative results of the two methods were highly concordant (roots: R2 = 0.91; stems: R2 = 0.76); however, the concentrations determined by ddPCR were generally higher than those determined by qPCR. This discrepancy was potentially caused by differing amplification efficiencies for qPCR between cultured and field samples. Furthermore, the ddPCR assays appreciably improved quantitative precision, as reflected by lower coefficients of variation. Overall, the ddPCR method enables sensitive detection and accurate quantification of V. nonalfalfae and V. albo-atrum, providing a valuable tool for evaluating disease progression and enacting effective disease control.

The relationship between narcissism and creativity has inspired interesting debates for decades. Drawing on a new perspective, the current study tried to explain how narcissism influences others’ creativity evaluation in the organizational context. Based on the theory of impression management, we suggested that narcissism and creativity may have a more complex relationship rather than a simple linear link. To test this relationship, we conducted a survey of 596 subordinates and 60 leaders in three high-technology companies. The result showed that there was an inverted U-shaped relationship between narcissism and creativity evaluation. Moreover, personal reputation mediated this curvilinear relationship and this relationship was significant only when narcissists were low in political skill. Theoretical and practical implications, limitations and future directions have also been discussed.

Heat shock factors (HSFs) play a crucial role in the environmental stress responses of numerous plant species, including defense responses to pathogens; however, their role in cotton resistance to Verticillium dahliae remains unclear. We have previously identified several differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in Arabidopsis thaliana after inoculation with V. dahliae. Here, we discovered that GhHSFA4a in Gossypium hirsutum (cotton) after inoculation with V. dahliae shares a high identity with a DEG in A. thaliana in response to V. dahliae infection. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis indicated that GhHSFA4a expression was rapidly induced by V. dahliae and ubiquitous in cotton roots, stems, and leaves. In a localization analysis using transient expression, GhHSFA4a was shown to be localized to the nucleus. Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) revealed that downregulation of GhHSFA4a significantly increased cotton susceptibility to V. dahliae. To investigate GhHSFA4a-mediated defense, 814 DEGs were identified between GhHSFA4a-silenced plants and controls using comparative RNA-seq analysis. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis showed that DEGs were enriched in “flavonoid biosynthesis”, “sesquiterpenoid and triterpenoid biosynthesis”, “linoleic acid metabolism” and “alpha-linolenic acid metabolism”. The expression levels of marker genes for these four pathways were triggered after inoculation with V. dahliae. Moreover, GhHSFA4a-overexpressing lines of A. thaliana displayed enhanced resistance against V. dahliae compared to that of the wild type. These results indicate that GhHSFA4a is involved in the synthesis of secondary metabolites and signal transduction, which are indispensable for innate immunity against V. dahliae in cotton.

The plant microbiome plays a fundamental role in plant growth and health. However, detailed information regarding the plant endophytic microbiome during the infection period of a pathogen is largely unknown. Here, we investigated the microbial community of healthy and diseased cotton plants and the root exudate profiles of susceptible and resistant cultivars utilizing high-throughput sequencing and metabolomics. The results showed that the pathogen infection reduced bacterial diversity and significantly affected the bacterial community composition. The microbiome assembly is shaped predominantly by cultivars. The endophytic microbiome of the infected plants showed greater complexity than the healthy plants in network analysis. The results displayed that a total of 76 compounds were significantly different in the two groups, with 18 compounds showing a higher relative abundance in the resistant cultivars and 58 compounds in the susceptible cultivars. Pathway enrichment analysis showed that pathways related to plant hormone signal transduction, biosynthesis of various secondary metabolites, and biosynthesis and metabolism of amino acids were prominently altered. We also demonstrate that plants inoculated with Pseudomonas sp. strains showed increased resistance to the cotton Verticillium wilt compared with the control plants in pot experiments. Overall, it showed that the pathogen infection affected the community composition, and healthy plants displayed an enriched beneficial microbiome to combat the plant disease. These findings significantly advance our understanding of the endophytic microbiome assembly under the pathogen infection and develop microbiome-based solutions for sustainable crop production systems.

BackgroundIgA nephropathy (IgAN) is the most common primary glomerular disease and the leading cause of the end-stage renal disease in the world. The pathogenesis of IgAN has not been well elucidated, and yet treatment is limited. High-throughput microarray has been applied for elucidating molecular biomarkers and potential mechanisms involved in IgAN. This study aimed to identify the potential key genes and therapeutics associated with IgAN using integrative bioinformatics and transcriptome-based computational drug repurposing approach.MethodsThree datasets of mRNA expression profile were obtained from the gene expression omnibus database and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between IgAN glomeruli and normal tissue were identified by integrated analysis. Gene ontology and pathway enrichment analyses of the DEGs were performed by R software, and protein-protein interaction networks were constructed using the STRING online search tool. External dataset and immunohistochemical assessment of kidney biopsy specimens were used for hub gene validation. Potential compounds for IgAN therapy were obtained by Connectivity Map (CMap) analysis and preliminarily verified in vitro. Stimulated human mesangial cells were collected for cell proliferation and cell cycle analysis using cell counting kit 8 and flow cytometry, respectively.Results134 DEGs genes were differentially expressed across kidney transcriptomic data from IgAN patients and healthy living donors. Enrichment analysis showed that the glomerular compartments underwent a wide range of interesting pathological changes during kidney injury, focused on anion transmembrane transporter activity and protein digestion and absorption mostly. Hub genes (ITGB2, FCER1G, CSF1R) were identified and verified to be significantly upregulated in IgAN patients, and associated with severity of renal lesions. Computational drug repurposing with the CMap identified tetrandrine as a candidate treatment to reverse IgAN hub gene expression. Tetrandrine administration significantly reversed mesangial cell proliferation and cell cycle transition.ConclusionThe identification of DEGs and related therapeutic strategies of IgAN through this integrated bioinformatics analysis provides a valuable resource of therapeutic targets and agents of IgAN. Especially, our findings suggest that tetrandrine might be beneficial for IgAN, which deserves future research.

The aerosol−cloud impacts of the Tongan volcanic eruptions on the nearby tropical cyclone (TC) Cody on January 14∼15, 2022 are investigated by the MODIS satellite and ERA5 reanalysis data. Both the precipitation and intensity of Cody were obviously enhanced after the main blast of the Tongan volcanic eruption on January 15, although the sea surface temperature and vertical wind shear of the environmental wind did not change much according to ERA5 data. The vision that a large amount of volcanic aerosol flowed from the Tongan eruption into the inflow of Cody was captured by the MODIS observations on January 15. The cloud top temperature dropped, and the cloud particle effective radius decreased in Cody from then on, which indicated the occurrence of deep convection. The analyzed results of ERA5 show that convection was strengthened in the periphery of Cody at the beginning of the volcanic eruption at 03:00 UTC on January 15 and later in Cody’s inner core after the main blast at 06:00 UTC on January 15. This could be because of the microphysical process of aerosol−cloud interactions, which inhibited stratiform precipitation, increased vertical velocity and enhanced convective precipitation further. Since the deep convection in the inner core was conducive to the development of Cody, both the total precipitation and intensity of Cody increased after the main blast of the volcanic eruption. The result also suggests that major volcanic eruptions could increase the convective intensity and induce heavy precipitation in a nearby organized convective system (e.g., TC or mesoscale convective systems).

Osimertinib, a third-generation epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) first-line therapy, has shown good clinical outcomes in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but some serious adverse events such as cardiotoxicity have also been reported. Here, we present the first NSCLC case with osimertinib-induced cardiac failure. The case is successfully being treated by switching to another third-generation TKI, aumolertinib. A 62-year-old non-smoking woman was initially diagnosed with stage cT2aN2M1c IVB NSCLC with synchronous brain and bone metastasis in April 2020. Further genetic screening of the patient identified Leu858Arg (L858R) mutation in EGFR; thus, the patient was administered third-generation TKI osimertinib (80 mg/day) for 6 months. This treatment with osimertinib led to serious cardiac failure but no significant reduction in NSCLC tumor size. To cope with these conditions, another third-generation TKI, aumolertinib (110 mg/day), along with a supplement treatment plan was prescribed to the patient. Interestingly, this new treatment plan of aumolertinib significantly inhibited tumor growth in 8 months. Therefore, we conclude that the administration of second-line aumolertinib 110 mg/day has fewer adverse reactions and high efficacy against NSCLC as compared to osimertinib therapy.

ObjectivePrefrailty and frailty are two common conditions among older individuals. Recent studies have reported the association between frailty and depressive symptoms, but whether those conditions could predict depressive symptoms is still inconsistent in a few longitudinal studies. In our study, we aimed to estimate the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between frailty and incident depressive symptoms in a nationally representative sample of community-dwelling middle-aged and older Chinese adults.MethodData were obtained from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), which included 17,284 adults aged ≥ 45 years. Participants were followed every two years using a face-to-face, computer-aided personal interview (CAPI) and structured questionnaire. We excluded participants with no follow-up data. The numbers of individuals who completed the baseline surveys were 2,579 and follow-up surveys were 839 for the short-term (2 years from 2011 to 2013) and 788 for the long-term (4 years from 2011 to 2015). In addition, Frailty was measured by the Fried criteria and depressive symptoms were estimated by the Chinese version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scale (CES-D). Logistic regression was used to analyze the odds ratio (OR), and 95% confidence interval (CI) for the cross-sectional associations of frailty and its components with depressive symptoms in the participants at baseline. Cox proportional hazards analysis was conducted using the hazard ratio (HR), and 95% confidence interval (CI) for the prospective associations of baseline frailty and pre-frailty and its component in the participants without depressive symptoms at baseline.ResultsAt baseline, 57.93% of participants had depressive symptoms and 55.84% had pre-frail and 11.63% had frailty. In the cross-sectional analysis, both pre-frailty (OR = 5.293, 95%CI 4.363–6.422) and frailty (OR = 16.025, 95%CI 10.948–23.457) were associated with depressive symptoms. In the longitudinal analysis, frailty [HR = 1.395 (0.966–2.013)] and pre-frailty [HR = 2.458 (0.933, 6.479)] were not significantly associated with incident depressive symptoms in a full-adjusted model among participants free of baseline depressive symptoms during the short-term. However, frailty [HR = 1.397 (1.017, 1.920)] and pre-frailty [HR = 2.992 (1.210, 7.397)] were significantly associated with incident depressive symptoms during the short term. In the components of frailty, slowness [HR = 1.597 (1.078, 2.366)] was associated with an increased risk of depressive symptoms onset during the short-term. Weakness [HR = 2.08 (1.055, 4.104)] and exhaustion [HR = 1.928 (1.297, 2.867)] were associated with increased risk of depressive symptoms onset during the short-term.ConclusionAmong the middle-aged and older adults, frailty, pre-frailty did not predict depressive symptoms during 2 years of follow-up, when accounting for the potential confounders, slowness considered alone predicted depressive symptoms. Additionally, frailty, pre-frailty predicted depressive symptoms during 4 years of follow-up, when accounting for the potential confounders, weakness and exhaustion considered alone predicted depressive symptoms.

Paris L. section Axiparis H. Li (Melanthiaceae) is a taxonomically perplexing taxon with considerable confusion regarding species delimitation. Based on the analyses of morphology and geographic distribution of each species currently recognized in the taxon, we propose a revision scheme that reduces the number of species in P. sect. Axiparis from nine to two. To verify this taxonomic proposal, we employed a genome skimming approach to recover the plastid genomes (plastomes) and nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA) regions of 51 individual plants across the nine described species of P. sect. Axiparis by sampling multiple accessions per species. The species boundaries within P. sect. Axiparis were explored using phylogenetic inference and three different sequence-based species delimitation methods (ABGD, mPTP, and SDP). The mutually reinforcing results indicate that there are two species-level taxonomic units in P. sect. Axiparis (Paris forrestii s.l. and P. vaniotii s.l.) that exhibit morphological uniqueness, non-overlapping distribution, genetic distinctiveness, and potential reproductive isolation, providing strong support to the proposed species delimitation scheme. This study confirms that previous morphology-based taxonomy overemphasized intraspecific and minor morphological differences to delineate species boundaries, therefore resulting in an overestimation of the true species diversity of P. sect. Axiparis. The findings clarify species limits and will facilitate robust taxonomic revision in P. sect. Axiparis.

IntroductionBrucellosis is a systemic disease that exists prevalently in clinical manifestations. The symptoms present in organs such as the eyes (in ocular brucellosis) can lead to misdiagnosis or even failure to diagnose. Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing (mNGS), a high-throughput sequencing approach, could be applied for the detection of microorganisms.Case PresentationA 57-year-old female with acute right-eye vision loss, treated with clindamycin and dexamethasone sodium phosphate for 1.5 months, was difficult to diagnose using regular methods. mNGS was utilized for the aqueous fluid from the patient, and Brucella melitensis was identified. The inflammation was treated with 3 months of antibiotherapy. However, even with specific medicine and surgery, the vision remained poor because severe ocular conditions last for a long time.ConclusionIt suggests that brucella should still be a probable pathogen in endophthalmitis despite its low incidence in non-epidemic areas. Moreover, mNGS can achieve early diagnosis and timely treatment for difficult-to-diagnose ocular infections.

We report a vitreous amyloidosis patient with white vitreous opacities (footplates) adhering to the posterior lens capsule. A positive Congo-red stain and transthyretin (TTR) Lys55Asn mutation confirmed the diagnosis of vitreous amyloidosis. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) revealed fern-like material adhering to the the posterior pole retinal surface in both eyes. Visual acuity significantly improved after the first vitrectomy, but vitreous opacities recurred 4 years later. The patient appeared to have aggravated sensorimotor neuropathy and severe autonomic dysfunction at the same time. He developed intraoperative suprachoroidal hemorrhage during the second vitrectomy.

Background: Immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) is the most common primary glomerular disease and poses a global major public health burden. The preparation of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F (TwHF) is widely applied for treating patients with Immunoglobulin A nephropathy in China, while the molecular mechanisms remain unclear. This study aimed to verify the therapeutic mechanism of TwHF on IgAN by undertaking a holistic network pharmacology strategy in combination with in vitro and in vivo experiments.Methods: TwHF active ingredients and their targets were obtained via the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database. The collection of IgAN-related target genes was collected from GeneCards and OMIM. TwHF-IgAN common targets were integrated and visualized by Cytoscape. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses were performed to determine the predominant molecular mechanisms and pathways of TwHF on the treatment of IgAN. The protein-protein interaction network was constructed by the STRING online search tool, and hub genes were identified using R software. The expression of hub gene and related signaling were evaluated in TwHF-treated mice through immunohistochemistry and western blot and further validated in human mesangial cells (HMCs). In addition, Cell counting kit 8 (CCK8) and flow cytometry were used to detect the effects of TwHF on cell proliferation and cell cycle of mesangial cells.Results: A total of 51 active ingredients were screened from TwHF and 61 overlapping targets related to IgAN were considered potential therapeutic targets, GO functions and KEGG analyses demonstrated that these genes were primarily associated with DNA-binding transcription factor binding, lipid and atherosclerosis pathway. Genes with higher degrees including AKT1, CXCL8, MMP9, PTGS2, CASP3, JUN are hub genes of TwHF against IgAN. Verification of hub gene JUN both in vitro and in vivo showed that TwHF significantly attenuated JUN phosphorylation in the kidneys of IgAN mice and aIgA1-activated HMCs, meanwhile suppressing HMCs proliferation and arresting G1-S cell cycle progression.Conclusion: Our research strengthened the mechanisms of TwHF in treating IgAN, inhibition of JUN activation may play a pivotal role in TwHF in alleviating IgAN renal injury.

Cyprinidae is one of the largest family in freshwater fishes, and it is most intensively cultured fish taxon of the world. However, studies about sex determination in this large family is still rear, and one of the reasons is lack of high quality and complete genome. Here, we used nanopore to sequence the genome of a male bighead carp, obtaining contig N50 = 24.25 Mb, which is one of the best assemblies in Cyprinidae. Five males and five females were re-sequenced, and a male-specific region on LG19 was confirmed. We find this region holds many male-specific markers in other Cyprinidae fishes, such as grass carp and silver carp. Transcriptome analyses of hypothalamus and pituitary tissues showed that several sex-specific differentially expressed genes were associated with steroid biosynthesis. The UCH64E gene, located in the male-specific region on LG19, showed higher expression levels in male than female tissues of bighead carp. The methyl-RAD of hypothalamus tissues between males and females indicated that the sexual methylation differences are significant in bighead carp. We also compared the methylation sites recognized using methyl-RAD and nanopore raw reads and found that approximately 73% of the methylation sites identified using methyl-RAD were within nanopore CpG sites.

Overweight employees are viewed as lazy, slow, inactive, and even incapable. Even if such attributes are false, this perspective can seriously undermine others' evaluation of their work performance. The current study explores a broader phenomenon of weight bias that has an effect on weight change. In a longitudinal study with a time lag of 6 months, we surveyed 226 supervisor-employee dyads. We found supervisor perceptions of employee weight change notably altered their evaluation of the employee performance from Time 1, especially following low vs. high Time-1 performance evaluation. Meanwhile, the moderating effects among different levels of supervisor anti-fat bias functioned as boundary conditions for such performance evaluation alteration. In particular, the interaction between the Time-1 performance evaluation and the impact of supervisor perception of employee weight change on the Time-2 performance evaluation was significant only if supervisors held a stronger anti-fat bias.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the current state of post-traumatic growth (PTG) and identify its influencing factors in discharged COVID-19 patients. PTG refers to individual experiences of significant positive change arising from the struggle with a major life crisis. This descriptive cross-sectional study used the convenient sampling method to recruit 140 discharged COVID-19 patients in Hunan, China. The results show that the PTG of the discharged COVID-19 patients was positively correlated with self-esteem, post-traumatic stress disorder, coping style tendency, and social support, but negatively correlated with the time from onset to diagnosis. Our findings could provide guidance on improving the psychological state and well-being of discharged COVID-19 patients.

A rapid, highly sensitive, and robust diagnostic technique for point-of-care (PoC) testing can be developed using the combination of the nanoparticle-based lateral flow biosensors (LFB) and isothermal nucleic acid amplification technology. Here, we developed a polymerase spiral reaction (PSR) containing FITC-labeled DNA probes coupled with the nanoparticle-based LFB assay (PSR-LFB) to detect the amplified products to detect HBV visually. Under the optimized conditions, the PSR assay involved incubation of the reaction mixture for 20 min at 63°C, followed by visual detection of positive amplicons using LFB, which would generate a red test line based on the biotin/streptavidin interaction and immunoreactions, within 5 min. A cross-reactivity test revealed that the developed PSR-LFB assay showed good specificity for HBV and could distinguish HBV from other pathogenic microorganisms. For the analytical sensitivity, the limit of detection (LoD) of PSR-LFB assay was recorded as 5.4 copies/mL of HBV genomic DNA, which was ten-times more sensitive than qPCR and loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP). Additionally, all the HBV-positive (29/82) samples, identified using ELISA, were also successfully detected by the PSR-LFB assay. We found that the true positive rate of the PSR-LFB assay was higher than that of qPCR (100 vs. 89.66%, respectively), as well as the LAMP assay (100 vs. 96.55%, respectively). Furthermore, the integrated procedure could be completed in 60 min, including the processing of the blood samples (30 min), an isothermal reaction (20 min), and result visualization (5 min). Thus, this PSR-LFB assay could be a potentially useful technique for PoC diagnosis of HBV in resource-limited countries.

Carbapenem-resistant, hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (CR-hvKP) has recently emerged as a significant threat to public health. In this study, 29 K. pneumoniae isolates were isolated from eight patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of a comprehensive teaching hospital located in China from March 2017 to January 2018. Clinical information of patients was the basis for the further analyses of the isolates including antimicrobial susceptibility tests, identification of antibiotic resistance and virulence gene determinants, multilocus sequence typing (MLST), XbaI-macrorestriction by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Selected isolates representing distinct resistance profiles and virulence phenotypes were screened for hypervirulence in a Galleria mellonella larvae infection model. In the course of the outbreak, the overall mortality rate of patients was 100% (n = 8) attributed to complications arising from CR-hvKP infections. All isolates except one (28/29, 96.6%) were resistant to multiple antimicrobial agents, and harbored diverse resistance determinants that included the globally prevalent carbapenemase blaKPC−2. Most isolates had hypervirulent genotypes being positive for 19 virulence-associated genes, including iutA (25/29, 86.2%), rmpA (27/29, 93.1%), ybtA (27/29, 93.1%), entB (29/29, 100%), fimH (29/29, 100%), and mrkD (29/29, 100%). MLST revealed ST11 for the majority of isolates (26/29, 89,7%). Infection assays demonstrated high mortality in the Galleria mellonella model with the highest LD50 values for three isolates (

The rise in diversity of antimicrobial resistance phenotypes seen in Klebsiella pneumoniae is becoming a serious antibiotic management problem. We sought to investigate the molecular characteristics and clinical implications of extensively drug-resistant (XDR) K. pneumoniae isolated from different nosocomial bloodstream infections (BSIs) patients from July 2013 to November 2015. Even in combination treatment, meropenem did not protect against mortality of BSIs patients (P = 0.015). In contrast, tigecycline in combination with other antimicrobial agents significantly protected against mortality (P = 0.016). Antimicrobial susceptibility tests, molecular detection of antibiotic resistance determinants, conjugation experiments, multilocus sequence typing (MLST), S1-PFGE, Southern blot, SDS-PAGE, immunoblot analysis, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) were used to characterize these isolates. These XDR K. pneumoniae strains were resistant to conventional antimicrobials except tigecycline and polymyxin B and co-harbored diverse resistance determinants. rmtB, blaKPC−2 as well as blaCTX−M−9 were located on a transferable plasmid of ~54.2 kb and the most predominant replicon type was IncF. 23 of the 35 isolates belonging the predominant clone were found to incorporate the globally-disseminated sequence type ST11, but others including a unique, previously undiscovered lineage ST2281 (allelic profile: 4-1-1-22-7-4-35) were also found and characterized. The porins OmpK35 and OmpK36 were deficient in two carbapenemase-negative carbapenem-resistant strains, suggesting decreased drug uptake as a mechanism for carbapenem resistance. This study highlights the importance of tracking hospital acquired infections, monitoring modes of antibiotic resistance to improve health outcomes of BSIs patients and to highlight the problems of XDR K. pneumoniae dissemination in healthcare settings.