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Human height is associated with risk of multiple diseases and is profoundly determined by an individual's genetic makeup and shows a high degree of ethnic heterogeneity. Large-scale genome-wide association (GWA) analyses of adult height in Europeans have identified nearly 180 genetic loci. A recent study showed high replicability of results from Europeans-based GWA studies in Asians; however, population-specific loci may exist due to distinct linkage disequilibrium patterns. We carried out a GWA meta-analysis in 93 926 individuals from East Asia. We identified 98 loci, including 17 novel and 81 previously reported loci, associated with height at P < 5 × 10(-8), together explaining 8.89% of phenotypic variance. Among the newly identified variants, 10 are commonly distributed (minor allele frequency, MAF > 5%) in Europeans, with comparable frequencies with in Asians, and 7 single-nucleotide polymorphisms are with low frequency (MAF < 5%) in Europeans. In addition, our data suggest that novel biological pathway such as the protein tyrosine phosphatase family is involved in regulation of height. The findings from this study considerably expand our knowledge of the genetic architecture of human height in Asians.

The proportion of lung cancer in never smokers is rising, especially among Asian women, but there is no effective early detection tool. Here, we developed a polygenic risk score (PRS), which may help to identify the population with higher risk of lung cancer in never‐smoking women. We first performed a large GWAS meta‐analysis (8595 cases and 8275 controls) to systematically identify the susceptibility loci for lung cancer in never‐smoking Asian women and then generated a PRS using GWAS datasets. Furthermore, we evaluated the utility and effectiveness of PRS in an independent Chinese prospective cohort comprising 55 266 individuals. The GWAS meta‐analysis identified eight known loci and a novel locus (5q11.2) at the genome‐wide statistical significance level of P < 5 × 10−8. Based on the summary statistics of GWAS, we derived a polygenic risk score including 21 variants (PRS‐21) for lung cancer in never‐smoking women. Furthermore, PRS‐21 had a hazard ratio (HR) per SD of 1.29 (95% CI = 1.18‐1.41) in the prospective cohort. Compared with participants who had a low genetic risk, those with an intermediate (HR = 1.32, 95% CI: 1.00‐1.72) and high (HR = 2.09, 95% CI: 1.56‐2.80) genetic risk had a significantly higher risk of incident lung cancer. The addition of PRS‐21 to the conventional risk model yielded a modest significant improvement in AUC (0.697 to 0.711) and net reclassification improvement (24.2%). The GWAS‐derived PRS‐21 significantly improves the risk stratification and prediction accuracy for incident lung cancer in never‐smoking Asian women, demonstrating the potential for identification of high‐risk individuals and early screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Taihu Biobank of Tumour Biomarkers (TBTB) study is a large-scale research project conducted in Wuxi, China, with the aim of understanding the prevalence, incidence, and mortality rates of cancer in middle-aged and elderly urban populations. The study recruited over 500,000 participants aged 45 and older and collected baseline data through physical examinations, serum tumor biomarkers, and questionnaire surveys. The study has identified thousands of new cancer cases and encourages collaborations with researchers worldwide. The study provides valuable data on demographic and health-related variables, laboratory test results, and the most commonly diagnosed cancers. However, there are limitations to the study, such as the lack of information on early life exposures and limited data on lifestyle factors. Researchers interested in the study are welcome to collaborate. [Extracted from the article]

As one of the most important piezoelectric materials for piezoelectricity related devices, the performance of wurtzite-type aluminum nitride (w-AlN) is still inhibited by its low piezoelectric coefficients. Herein, we have proposed a new co-alloying w-AlN system by Li+ and Ti4+ (or Zr4+) in a ratio of 1:2 and systematically compared its piezoelectric properties with state-of-the-art Sc-alloyed w-AlN via the first-principle method. It is found that the co-alloyed w-AlN shows obvious advantages over Sc-alloyed w-AlN in nearly all aspects of piezoelectric performance. The piezoelectric strain coefficient (d33) of (LiTi2)0.375Al0.625N reaches 213.25 pC/N, about 8 times and 41 times that of Sc0.375Al0.625N and pure w-AlN, respectively. Additionally, the large enhancement of piezoelectricity of co-alloyed w-AlN was successfully related to the elastic softening, the increased Born effective charge (Z ∗) , and the decreased internal strain sensitivity ( d u d δ ). This work provides a new way to enhance the performance of incumbent piezoelectric materials by accessible elements instead of Sc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThis article aims to explore the potential benefits of a virtual reality platform in cooperative learning. The study involved 48 freshman students in the table tennis class of Xinxiang Medical University. They were divided into control groups (M = 19.48, SD = 0.37) and experimental groups (M = 19.68, SD = 0.51). The Holofit platform and the model of cooperative learning principles served as an influence. The research utilized the Chinese Sport Motivation Scale-II (CSMS-II) and five physical fitness assessment tests as primary instruments. Following the intervention, a discernible reduction of 2.08 in mean scores within the amotivation subscale was observed in contrast to the pre-test. Conversely, positive shifts were noted in external regulation (1.88), introjected regulation (2.20), identified regulation (1.28), integrated regulation (1.48), and intrinsic motivation (1.96) subscales. Intragroup analyses, comparing pre-and post-test results, unveiled significant improvements in physical fitness indicators over six months for both the intervention and control groups. However, upon intergroup comparisons, it was discerned that the intervention failed to yield a statistically significant enhancement in physical performance in comparison to the traditional approach. Statistically significant distinctions were evident between the intervention and control groups across all CSMS-II subscales, signifying a demonstrable positive influence of cooperative learning and virtual reality on motivation for sports participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction:The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has created lots of difficulties for individuals to seek medical help offline. Telehealth is considered as a potential approach to solve this issue. During the COVID-19 pandemic, although the use of telehealth has increased in the short term, it still remains unknown whether the use of telehealth can maintain a high level of development in the long term. The purpose of this article is to investigate the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on telehealth use across time and regional medical resources. Materials and Methods:Our research used the Internet search index from Baidu Index Platform in 31 provinces of China as the proxy of telehealth use. A total of 2,119,486 times of searching behaviors from January 2018 to December 2021 are included in our dataset. Changing plots, the method of analysis of variance and empirical models are applied to reveal the relationship between COVID-19 pandemic and telehealth use. Results:Baidu Index counts increased (p < 0.01) at the beginning of COVID-19 pandemic (2020) but started to decline (p < 0.01) during the period of regular epidemic prevention and control (2021). Moreover, the counts of Baidu Index in regions with rich medical resources are higher than those in other regions in 2020. Comparing Baidu Index counts in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has higher positive effects on telehealth use during the period of 2021 in regions with average and poor medical resources. Conclusions:COVID-19 pandemic has a positive effect on telehealth use in 2020 but has a negative effect in 2021. During the epidemic, telehealth use differs in regions with rich, average, and poor medical resources. Our findings indicate that the use of telehealth should be promoted with different measures in regions with different medical resources, thereby contributing its healthy development in the long term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Jiangsu Birth Cohort (JBC) is a research study in China that examines the health outcomes of families who underwent assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment compared to families with spontaneous pregnancies. The cohort consists of over 7,600 ART-treated families and nearly 15,000 families with spontaneous pregnancies. Data on health were collected through questionnaires, medical records, and biospecimens from both parents and children. The study aims to assess the health and well-being of children conceived through ART and determine any factors that may contribute to elevated risks. The data from the study are available for research purposes. [Extracted from the article]

Sertoli cells are highly polarized testicular cells that provide a nurturing environment for germ cell development and maturation during spermatogenesis. The class III phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PtdIns3K) plays core roles in macroautophagy in various cell types; however, its role in Sertoli cells remains unclear. Here, we generated a mouse line in which the gene encoding the catalytic subunit, Pik3c3, was specifically deleted in Sertoli cells (cKO) and found that after one round of normal spermatogenesis, the cKO mice quickly became infertile and showed disruption of Sertoli cell polarity and impaired spermiogenesis. Subsequent proteomics and phosphoproteomics analyses enriched the F-actin cytoskeleton network involved in the disorganized Sertoli-cell structure in cKO testis which we identified a significant increase of the F-actin negative regulator SCIN (scinderin) and the reduced phosphorylation of HDAC6, an α-tubulin deacetylase. Our results further demonstrated that the accumulation of SCIN in cKO Sertoli cells caused the disorder and disassembly of the F-actin cytoskeleton, which was related to the failure of SCIN degradation through the autophagy-lysosome pathway. Additionally, we found that the phosphorylation of HDAC6 at site S59 by PIK3C3 was essential for its degradation through the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. As a result, the HDAC6 that accumulated in cKO Sertoli cells deacetylated SCIN at site K189 and led to a disorganized F-actin cytoskeleton. Taken together, our findings elucidate a new mechanism for PIK3C3 in maintaining the polarity of Sertoli cells, in which both its autophagy regulation or protein kinase activities are required for the stabilization of the actin cytoskeleton. Abbreviations: ACTB: actin, beta; AR: androgen receptor; ATG14: autophagy related 14; BafA1: bafilomycin A1; BECN1: beclin 1, autophagy related; BTB: blood-testis barrier; CASP3: caspase 3; CDC42: cell division cycle 42; CDH2: cadherin 2; CHX: cycloheximide; CTNNA1: catenin (cadherin associated protein), alpha 1; CYP11A1: cytochrome P450, family 11, subfamily A, polypeptide 1; EBSS: Earle's balanced salt solution; ES: ectoplasmic specialization; FITC: fluorescein isothiocyanate; GAPDH: glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase; GCNA: germ cell nuclear acidic protein; GJA1: gap junction protein, alpha 1; H2AX: H2A.X variant histone; HDAC6: histone deacetylase 6; KIT: KIT proto-oncogene, receptor tyrosine kinase; LAMP1: lysosomal associated membrane protein 1; MAP3K5: mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase 5; MAP1LC3B: microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3 beta; OCLN: occludin; PIK3C3: phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase catalytic subunit type 3; PIK3R4: phosphoinositide-3-kinase regulatory subunit 4; PNA: arachis hypogaea lectin; RAC1: Rac family small GTPase 1; SCIN: scinderin; SQSTM1/p62: sequestosome 1; SSC: spermatogonia stem cell; STK11: serine/threonine kinase 11; TJP1: tight junction protein 1; TubA: tubastatin A; TUBB3: tubulin beta 3 class III; TUNEL: TdT-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling; UB: ubiquitin; UVRAG: UV radiation resistance associated gene; VIM: vimentin; WT1: WT1 transcription factor; ZBTB16: zinc finger and BTB domain containing 16. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Household air pollution (HAP) is associated with the development of lung cancer, yet few studies investigated the exposure patterns and joint associations with tobacco smoking. In our study, we included 224 189 urban participants from China Kadoorie Biobank (CKB), 3288 of which diagnosed with lung cancer during the follow‐up. Exposure to four HAP sources (solid fuels for cooking/heating/stove and environmental tobacco smoke exposure) was assessed at baseline. Distinct HAP patterns and their associations with lung cancer were examined through latent class analysis (LCA) and multivariable Cox regression. A total of 76.1% of the participants reported regular cooking and 52.2% reported winter heating, of which 9% and 24.7% used solid fuels, respectively. Solid fuel heating increased lung cancer risk (Hazards ratio [HR]: 1.25, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.08‐1.46). LCA identified three HAP patterns; the "clean fuel cooking and solid fuel heating" pattern significantly increased lung cancer risk (HR: 1.25, 95% CI: 1.10‐1.41), compared to low HAP pattern. An additive interaction was observed between heavy smoking and "clean fuel cooking and solid fuel heating" (relative excess risk [RERI]: 1.32, 95% CI: 0.29‐2.47, attributable proportion [AP]: 0.23, 95% CI: 0.06‐0.36). Cases resulting from solid fuel account for ~4% of total cases (population attribute fraction [PAF]overall: 4.31%, 95% CI: 2.16%‐6.47%, PAFever smokers: 4.38%, 95% CI: 1.54%‐7.23%). Our results suggest that in urban China, solid fuel heating increased the risk of lung cancer, particularly among heavy smokers. The whole population could benefit from cleaner indoor air quality by reducing using solid fuels, especially smokers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]