Search

Abstract Background Our study aims to explore the relationship, shared gene signature, and the underlying mechanisms that connect rheumatoid arthritis (RA) to colorectal cancer (CRC). Methods Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was conducted to assess the causality between RA and CRC. Summary statistic data-based Mendelian randomization (SMR) leveraging eQTL data was employed to identify the CRC-related causal genes. Integrated analyses of single-cell RNA sequencing and bulk RNA sequencing were employed to comprehensively investigate the shared gene signature and potential mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of both RA and CRC. Predictive analysis of the shared hub gene in CRC immunotherapy response was performed. Pan-cancer analyses were conducted to explore the potential role of MYO9A in 33 types of human tumors. Results MR analysis suggested that RA might be associated with a slight increased risk of CRC (Odds Ratio = 1.04, 95% Confidence Interval = 1.01–1.07, P = 0.005). SMR analysis combining transcriptome analyses identified MYO9A as a causal gene in CRC and a shared gene signature in both RA and CRC. MYO9A may contribute to tumor suppression, while downregulation of MYO9A may impact CRC tumorigenesis by disrupting epithelial polarity and architecture, resulting in a worse prognosis in CRC. Additionally, MYO9A shows promise as a powerful predictive biomarker for cancer prognosis and immunotherapy response in CRC. Pan-cancer analyses demonstrated MYO9A may have a protective role in the occurrence and progression of various human cancers. Conclusion RA might be associated with a slight increased risk of CRC. MYO9A is a shared gene signature and a potential immune-related therapeutic target for both CRC and RA. Targeting the MYO9A-mediated loss of polarity and epithelial architecture could be a novel therapeutic approach for CRC.

Abstract Objective To investigate whether intrauterine chilled saline can reduce endometrial impairment during US-guided percutaneous microwave ablation (PMWA) of adenomyosis. Methods An open-label, randomized trial was conducted with sixty symptomatic adenomyosis patients who were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive PMWA treatment assisted by intrauterine saline instillation (study group) or traditional PMWA treatment alone (control group). The primary endpoint was endometrial perfusion impairment grade on post-ablation contrast-enhanced MRI. The secondary endpoints were endometrial dehydration grade, ablation rate, and intra-ablation discomfort. Results The baseline characteristics of the two groups were similar. The incidence rates of endometrial perfusion impairment on MRI in the study and control groups were 6.7% (2/30) and 46.7% (14/30), respectively (p

ABSTRACTRussula is the largest genus in the Russulales and is widespread throughout the world. Almost all Russula species are known to be ectomycorrhizal with high ecological and edible values, and some are lethal poisonous. In this study, four new species belonging to the subgenus Russula crown clade are identified based on morphological and phylogenetic evidence from the Xizang Autonomous Region and other provinces of China. Morphologically, Russula paragraveolens (sect. Polychromae, subsect. Xerampelinae) is mainly characterised by a cherry red to blood red pileus centre, a reddish orange pileus margin; R. pseudograveolens (sect. Polychromae, subsect. Xerampelinae) is characterised by a violet brown to brownish red pileus centre, a pale red to pastel red pileus margin and short basidia; R. shigatseensis (sect. Flavisiccantes, subsect. Lepidinae) is characterised by a brownish orange to madder red pileus centre, pinkish red pileus margin, and having lateral branches or branches of hyphal terminations in pileipellis; R. yadongensis (sect. Tenellae, subsect. Laricinae) is characterised by a dark purplish red pileus centre with brownish purple tints and having isolated to clustered spines of spore ornamentations. Their distinct taxonomic status is confirmed by the positions of the four new species in both the ITS and 4-locus (nucLSU, mtSSU, rpb2, tef1) phylogenetic trees.

Objectives This study aimed to analyze the safety, efficacy, and application prospects of ultrasound-guided microwave ablation (MWA) in the treatment of primary hyperthyroidism.Methods Eight patients with primary hyperthyroidism who underwent ultrasound-guided glandular volume reduction between January 2021 and December 2022 were included in this study. Pre- and postablative examinations, including grayscale ultrasound, contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), laboratory examination, antithyroid drug (ATD) dosage, and quality of life (QoL) assessment via Thyroid-Specific Patient-Reported Outcome Short-Form (ThyPRO-39), were analyzed retrospectively. The main ultrasound follow-up times were 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after ablation. Thyroid function was reviewed 1 week after ablation, and the subsequent reexamination time was determined according to the patient’s specific test results and ATD adjustment. The final efficacy was comprehensively analyzed according to the patient’s medication status, thyroid function, thyroid volume, and QoL score.Results All 8 patients successfully received MWA for primary hyperthyroidism, and none of them experienced serious complications. By the end of the follow-up, 5 of the 8 patients had stopped taking ATDs, 3 of the 8 patients had reduced ATD dosages, and all of them maintained stable thyroid function. Although descriptive analysis was performed because of the small sample size, patients’ thyroid volume reduction, and obvious improvements in goiter symptoms, hyperthyroid symptoms, anxiety, etc., were observed during our follow-up.Conclusion Ultrasound-guided MWA for reducing thyroid gland volume in primary hyperthyroidism patients is a new, safe, and effective minimally invasive treatment method that is a good choice for patients who cannot or refuse traditional treatment methods.

Summary: Greenspace is projected to decrease the burden of infectious illnesses. Here, we examine the association between greenspace (measured using normalized difference vegetation index and percentages of greenspaces) and the prevalence of three infectious illnesses: acute respiratory infection (ARI), fever, and diarrhea among children under 5 years old, obtained from Demographic and Health Surveys in 49 low- and middle-income countries. Among 699,904 children from 49 countries, greenspace is associated with decreased odds of having ARI, fever, and diarrhea among children under 5 years old. These associations are stronger among children from poorer families and those living in rural areas. The air temperature, drought levels, and particulate matter ≤ 2.5 μm mediate 0.20%–18.45% of the associations between greenspaces and infectious illnesses. Our findings indicate that children living in greener areas may have lower odds of having infectious illnesses, and the underlying pathways may include lowering air temperature, drought, and air pollutants levels. Science for society: Environment has a significant impact on children’s health. Our research demonstrates the pivotal role of greenspaces in children’s health. By analyzing data from 49 low- and middle-income countries, we find significant associations between access to greenspaces and reduced prevalence of infectious illnesses, including acute respiratory infections, fever, and diarrhea among children under 5 years old. These associations are stronger in economically disadvantaged families and those residing in rural areas. Furthermore, our study shows that greenspace influences children’s health through changing environmental factors, such as lowering air temperatures, reducing drought levels, and decreasing air pollution. This research advocates for an interdisciplinary approach, bringing together experts in urban planning, public health, and environmental science to further explore the potential of greenspaces as a powerful tool for improving childhood health in low- and middle-income countries.

Purpose This study evaluated the value of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) in the ultrasound-guided microwave ablation (MWA) treatment of symptomatic focal uterine adenomyosis. Methods This retrospective study was conducted between March 2020 and January 2023, enrolling 52 patients with symptomatic focal uterine adenomyosis who had undergone MWA. All patients were examined with CEUS before and after MWA. The non-perfused volume (NPV) was compared between CEUS and dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) following ablation. Therapeutic efficacy and safety were evaluated at 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-ups. Additionally, this study explored the correlations between pre-treatment CEUS features and a volume reduction ratio indicating sufficient ablation, defined as 50% or more at the 3-month follow-up. Results No significant differences in NPV were noted between CEUS and DCE-MRI immediately after MWA and during follow-up (all P>0.05). At the 3-month follow-up, the median VRRs for the uterus and adenomyosis were 33.2% and 63.9%, respectively. Sufficient ablation was achieved in 69.2% (36/52) of adenomyosis cases, while partial ablation was observed in the remaining 30.8% (16/52). The identification of non-enhancing areas on pre-treatment CEUS was associated with sufficient ablation (P=0.016). At the 12-month follow-up, significant decreases were observed in both the uterine and adenomyosis volumes (all P

Abstract Background Studies on sleep problems among caregivers of psychiatric patients, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, are limited. This study examined the prevalence and correlates of insomnia symptoms (insomnia hereafter) among caregivers of psychiatric inpatients during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the association with quality of life (QoL) from a network analysis perspective. Methods A multi-center cross-sectional study was conducted on caregivers of inpatients across seven tertiary psychiatric hospitals and psychiatric units of general hospitals. Network analysis explored the structure of insomnia using the R program. The centrality index of “Expected influence” was used to identify central symptoms in the network, and the “flow” function was adopted to identify specific symptoms that were directly associated with QoL. Results A total of 1,101 caregivers were included. The overall prevalence of insomnia was 18.9% (n = 208; 95% CI = 16.7–21.3%). Severe depressive (OR = 1.185; P

Abstract Objectives The aim of this study was to compare the metastatic patterns of synchronous bone metastasis (SBM) and metachronous bone metastasis (MBM) in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Methods This study included bone metastases in NPC patients from 2005 to 2016 in a Chinese hospital. Cohort 1 was collected from 2005 to 2010 for discovery, and Cohort 2 from 2011 to 2016 for validation. The chi‐squared test, Wilcoxon rank sum test, and Kaplan–Meier technique were used to compare site, time, and survival between cohorts 1 and 2. Prognostic factors were analyzed using univariate or multivariate Cox regression. Results Cohort 1 had 112 individuals with SBM and 394 with MBM, and cohort 2 had 328 with SBM and 307 with MBM. The thoracic vertebra was the most frequently affected site of metastasis. Patients with SBM more often had metastasis to the cervical vertebrae compared with patients with MBM (34.5% vs. 22.3%, p

Developing new energy, reducing fossil energy consumption, and building a green and low-carbon energy system are important strategies to achieve carbon neutrality. To realize the grid connection of new energy generation, rechargeable potassium-ion batteries (KIBs) are expected to be used in large-scale energy storage, considering sufficient potassium resources and potential high-energy density. Anode, an essential battery component, directly determines the battery safety, cycle life, and energy density. Among various anodes, alloys can provide high theoretical specific capacity based on the multi-electron reaction mechanism, which is promising in terms of improving the energy density of a full battery. Their K-storage voltages also stay away from the deposition/stripping potentials of metallic K, thereby enhancing battery safety. However, the dramatic volume variation upon alloying and dealloying leads to electrode pulverization and capacity fading in traditional carbonate-based electrolytes. An effective method for stabilizing an alloy-based anode structure is the construction of a stable electrode–electrolyte interface by electrolyte optimization, which has the advantages of a simple process and low cost. Accordingly, the utilization of interfacial engineering to achieve stable alloy anodes has been frequently reported in the past few years. This topic includes the following: (1) regulation of the components of solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layers to improve mechanical strength and ionic conductivity, buffer volume fluctuation, and reduce electrode corrosion; (2) adjustment of the solvated structure of K+ to enhance the diffusion rate and inhibit the electrolyte decomposition; and (3) utilization of solvent molecular chemisorption on the electrode to induce its microstructure change, improve the electrolyte wetting ability, and relieve volume change. The SEI is a passivation film generated on the electrode surface at the initial battery operation stage. Research on its structure, component, and formation mechanism is still basic due to its instability and complexity and limited research methods. Whether the solvated structure of cation and electrolyte adsorption affect the SEI structure and composition remains unclear. How the solvated structure and the electrolyte adsorption improve the electrode stability must also be further studied. This review covers recent research progress on the interfacial interaction between alloy anodes and electrolytes in KIBs, summarizes the electrolyte optimization strategies, analyzes the potassium storage mechanisms and electrochemical performance of alloy anodes, and highlights the interfacial interaction mechanisms. More importantly, this paper provides new insights for the future development of KIB electrolytes.

Angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is a new identified member of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) that cleaves angiotensin II (Ang II) to Ang (1–7), which exerts anti-inflammatory and antioxidative activities via binding with Mas receptor (MasR). However, the functional role of ACE2 in sepsis-related hypotension remains unknown. Our results indicated that sepsis significantly reduced blood pressure and led to disruption between ACE-Ang II and ACE2-Ang (1–7) balance. ACE2 knock-in mice exhibited improved sepsis-induced mortality, hypotension and vascular dysfunction, while ACE2 knockout mice exhibited the opposite effects. Bone marrow transplantation and in vitro experiments confirmed that myeloid ACE2 exerted a protective role by suppressing oxidative stress, NO production and macrophage polarization via the Ang (1–7)-MasR–NF–κB and STAT1 pathways. Thus, ACE2 on myeloid cells could protect against sepsis-mediated hypotension and vascular dysfunction, and upregulating ACE2 may represent a promising therapeutic option for septic patients with hypotension.

ObjectiveThe coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the public health responses were associated with a huge health burden, which could influence sleep quality. This meta-analysis and systematic review examined the prevalence of poor sleep quality in COVID-19 patients.MethodsPubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and PsycINFO were systematically searched from their respective inception to October 27, 2022. Prevalence rates of poor sleep were analyzed using a random effects model.ResultsTotally, 24 epidemiological and 12 comparative studies with 8,146 COVID-19 patients and 5,787 healthy controls were included. The pooled prevalence of poor sleep quality based on the included studies was 65.0% (95%CI: 59.56–70.44%, I2 = 97.6%). COVID-19 patients had a higher risk of poor sleep quality compared to healthy controls (OR = 1.73, 95% CI: 1.30–2.30, p

Discriminant analysis of similar food samples is an important aspect of achieving food quality control. The effective combination of Raman spectroscopy and machine learning algorithms has become an extremely attractive approach to develop intelligent discrimination techniques. Feature spectral analysis can help researchers gain a deeper understanding of the data patterns in food quality discrimination. Herein, this work takes the discrimination of three brands of dairy products as an example to investigate the Raman spectral feature based on the support vector machines (SVM), extreme learning machines (ELM) and convolutional neural network (CNN) algorithms. The results show that there are certain differences in the optimal spectral feature interval corresponding to different machine learning algorithms. Selecting the appropriate spectral feature interval can maintain high recognition accuracy and improve the computational efficiency of the algorithm. For example, the SVM algorithm has a recognition accuracy of 100% in the 890-980 cm−1, 1410-1500 cm−1 fusion spectral range, which takes about 200 s. The ELM algorithm also has a recognition accuracy of 100% in the 890-980 cm−1, 1410-1500 cm−1 fusion spectral range, which takes less than 0.3 s. The CNN algorithm has a recognition accuracy of 100% in the 890-980 cm−1, 1050-1180 cm−1, 1410-1500 cm−1 fusion spectral range, which takes about 80 s. In addition, by analyzing the distribution of spectral feature intervals based on Euclidean distance, the distribution of experimental samples based on feature spectra is visually displayed. Through the spectral feature analysis process of similar samples, a set of analysis strategies is provided to deeply reveal the data foundation of classification algorithms, which can provide reference for the analysis of relevant discriminative research patterns.

AbstractObjective To investigate the factors affecting the efficacy of ultrasound (US)-guided percutaneous microwave ablation (PMWA) for adenomyosis with abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB-A).Methods Baseline data of patients with AUB-A who underwent US-guided PMWA treatment between October 2020 and October 2021, including demography characteristics, laboratory and imaging examination results were retrospectively analyzed. 3D reconstruction of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was applied to quantitatively assess the local treatment responses, including ratio of non-perfusion volume to adenomyosis volume (NPVr), ablation rate of the endometrial-myometrial junction (EMJ), and surface area (SA) of the ablated part of the EMJ. Patients were followed up at 3, 6, and 12 months after treatment, and divided into two groups: group with complete relief (CR), and group with partial relief (PR) or no relief (NR). Data were compared between them.Results Thirty-one patients were analyzed with a mean age of 38.7 ± 6.8 years (range: 24–48): 48.4% (15/31), 63.3% (19/30), and 65.5% (19/29) achieved CR at 3, 6, and 12 months, respectively. In univariate analysis, compared with the PR/NR group, serum CA125 levels were significantly lower in CR group at 3 months, while ablation rates of EMJ and SA of the ablated part of the EMJ were significantly higher at the three time points. Other baseline characteristics and NPVr did not differ between the two groups.Conclusion Baseline CA125 and ablation rate of the EMJ and SA of the ablated part of the EMJ are associated with the outcome of AUB-A patients after US-guided PMWA treatment.

Abstract Background or Purpose A practical noninvasive method to identify sentinel lymph node (SLN) status in breast cancer patients, who had a suspicious axillary lymph node (ALN) at ultrasound (US), but a negative clinical physical examination is needed. To predict SLN metastasis using a nomogram based on US and biopsy‐based pathological features, this retrospective study investigated associations between clinicopathological features and SLN status. Methods Patients treated with SLN dissection at four centers were apportioned to training, internal, or external validation sets (n = 472, 175, and 81). Lymph node ultrasound and pathological characteristics were compared using chi‐squared and t‐tests. A nomogram predicting SLN metastasis was constructed using multivariate logistic regression models. Results In the training set, statistically significant factors associated with SLN+ were as follows: histology type (p

The species of Gymnopilus (Hymenogastraceae, Agricales) are commonly recognized as wood-decaying fungi. Certain members of this genus have been identified as psilocybin-producing mushrooms. Gymnopilus exhibits a diverse range and has a global distribution. In this study, a total of seventy-eight specimens were gathered from ten provinces in China. A comprehensive molecular phylogenetic analysis was conducted, employing gene sequences including ITS, nrLSU, nrSSU, rpb1, rpb2, and tef1-α. Additionally, morphological examinations were also carried out. The phylogenetic topology of Gymnopilus from this study generally agreed with previous studies and facilitated the identification of all those specimens. As a result, eleven species, including five newly discovered ones named Gy. gyirongensis, Gy. variisporus, Gy. tomentosiceps, Gy. tenuibasidialis, and Gy. aurantipileatus, were recognized. Significantly, four of the five newly identified species are native to the Xizang Autonomous Region, emphasizing their specialization in this distinctive habitat. This research contributes to our comprehension of Gymnopilus diversity and lays the groundwork for the conservation and sustainable utilization of Gymnopilus resources.

Due to the copper (Cu) active sites, its complexes with oxidase-like activity have superior catalytic properties, which can catalyze a series of specific substrates like 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB), producing colorimetric reactions for the detection of different reducing small-molecule compounds. Attribute to the competitive coordination effects between water molecules and central Cu ions, most of the Cu complexes can hardly be used in the pure aqueous reaction system. In this study, a Cu-based material (Cu-imidazole-2-carboxaldehyde, Cu-ICA) was prepared using copper ions and ICA through a one-step process in the water solution. After the morphology of the material being characterized, the mimetic enzyme behavior of the Cu-ICA was demonstrated through the TMB oxidation. Compared to the other reported oxidase-like mimics, Cu-ICA has better aqueous stability and oxidase-like activity, and shows a higher vmax. Furthermore, basing on the oxidase-like activity of Cu-ICA, a colorimetric method was developed for the ascorbic acid and glutathione detections with linear ranges of 0.5–5 μM and 0.5–4 μM, and limit of detection of 0.1304 μM and 0.097 μM, respectively. Owing to its excellent aqueous stability and oxidase-like activity, Cu-ICA has bright application prospects in the analysis of reducing small-molecule compounds.

Abstract Background Cerebral malaria (CM) is a manifestation of malaria caused by plasmodium infection. It has a high mortality rate and severe neurological sequelae, existing a significant research gap and requiring further study at the molecular level. Methods We downloaded the GSE117613 dataset from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database to determine the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the CM group and the control group. Weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) was applied to select the module and hub genes most relevant to CM. The common genes of the key module and DEGs were selected to perform further analysis. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) logistic regression and support vector machine recursive feature elimination (SVM-RFE) were applied to screen and verify the diagnostic markers of CM. Eventually, the hub genes were validated in the external dataset. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was applied to investigate the possible roles of the hub genes. Results The GO and KEGG results showed that DEGs were enriched in some neutrophil-mediated pathways and associated with some lumen structures. Combining LASSO and the SVM-RFE algorithms, LEF1 and IRAK3 were identified as potential hub genes in CM. Through the GSEA enrichment results, we found that LEF1 and IRAK3 participated in maintaining the integrity of the blood–brain barrier (BBB), which contributed to improving the prognosis of CM. Conclusions This study may help illustrate the pathophysiology of CM at the molecular level. LEF1 and IRAK3 can be used as diagnostic biomarkers, providing new insight into the diagnosis and prognosis prediction in pediatric CM.

Abstract Background Identifying factors associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) is critical for its prevention, but this topic is scarcely investigated in Kashgar prefecture, Xinjiang, northwestern China. We thus explored the CVD epidemiology and identified prominent factors associated with CVD in this region. Methods A total of 1,887,710 adults at baseline (in 2017) of the Kashgar Prospective Cohort Study were included in the analysis. Sixteen candidate factors, including seven demographic factors, 4 lifestyle factors, and 5 clinical factors, were collected from a questionnaire and health examination records. CVD was defined according to International Clinical Diagnosis (ICD-10) codes. We first used logistic regression models to investigate the association between each of the candidate factors and CVD. Then, we employed 3 machine learning methods—Random Forest, Random Ferns, and Extreme Gradient Boosting—to rank and identify prominent factors associated with CVD. Stratification analyses by sex, ethnicity, education level, economic status, and residential setting were also performed to test the consistency of the ranking. Results The prevalence of CVD in Kashgar prefecture was 8.1%. All the 16 candidate factors were confirmed to be significantly associated with CVD (odds ratios ranged from 1.03 to 2.99, all p values

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the main malignant tumors with high mortality and short survival time. Immunotherapy has become the standard treatment for advanced NSCLC, but it has the problems of drug resistance and low response rate. Therefore, obtaining effective biomarkers to predict and enhance immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) efficacy in NSCLC is important. Sphingolipid metabolism is recently found to be closely involved in tumor immunotherapy. CERS4, an important sphingolipid metabolizing enzyme, is positively correlated with the efficacy of anti-PD-1 therapy for NSCLC. Upregulation of CERS4 expression could improve the efficacy of anti-PD-1 therapy for NSCLC. High expression of CERS4 could downregulate the expression of Rhob in tumor. Significantly, the ratio of CD4+/CD8+ T cell increased and the ratio of Tim-3+/CD8+ T cell decreased in spleen and peripheral blood cells. When Rhob was knocked out, the efficacy of PD-1 mAb treatment increased, and the frequency of Tim-3+ CD8+ T cell decreased. This finding further confirmed the role of sphingolipid metabolites in regulating the immunotherapeutic function of NSCLC. These metabolites may improve the efficacy of PD-1 mAb in NSCLC by regulating the CERS4/Rhob/Tim-3 axis. Overall, this study provided a potential and effective target for predicting and improving the efficacy of ICIs for NSCLC. It also provided a new perspective for the study on the mechanisms of ICIs resistance for NSCLC.

Hyperglycemia is a key risk factor for death and disability worldwide. To better inform prevention strategies, we aimed to delineate and predict the temporal, spatial, and demographic patterns in mean fasting plasma glucose (FPG) levels and their related disease burden globally. Based on the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019, we estimated the distributions of mean FPG levels and high FPG-related disease burden by age, sex, year, socioeconomic status (SES), and geographical region from 1990 to 2050. We also investigated the possible associations of demographic, behavioral, dietary, metabolic, and environmental factors with FPG levels and high FPG-related disease burden. In 2019, the global mean FPG level was 5.40 mmol/L (95% uncertainty interval [UI]: 4.86–6.00), and high FPG contributed to 83.0 deaths (95% UI, 64.5–107.1) and 2,104.3 DALYs (95% UI: 1,740.7–2,520.7) per 100,000 people. For both historical (1990–2019) and future (2020–2050) periods, the mean FPG levels and the high FPG-related disease burden increased globally, with greater increases among the middle-aged and elderly, and people in low-to-middle SES countries, relative to their counterparts. Aging, unhealthy lifestyles, elevated body mass index, and lower air temperatures were potential risk factors for high FPG levels and the high FPG-related disease burden. This study demonstrates that high FPG continues to contribute to the global disease burden and is expected to do so for at least the next 30 years. Older people and those living in low-to-middle SES countries should receive more attention in glycemic management health interventions. In addition, effective interventions that target identified risk factors should be adopted to handle the increasingly large disease burden of high FPG.

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected treatment-seeking behaviors of psychiatric patients and their guardians. Barriers to access of mental health services may contribute to adverse mental health consequences, not only for psychiatric patients, but also for their guardians. This study explored the prevalence of depression and its association with quality of life among guardians of hospitalized psychiatric patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsThis multi-center, cross-sectional study was conducted in China. Symptoms of depression and anxiety, fatigue level and quality of life (QOL) of guardians were measured with validated Chinese versions of the Patient Health Questionnaire – 9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale – 7 (GAD-7), fatigue numeric rating scale (FNRS), and the first two items of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire - brief version (WHOQOL-BREF), respectively. Independent correlates of depression were evaluated using multiple logistic regression analysis. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to compare global QOL of depressed versus non-depressed guardians. The network structure of depressive symptoms among guardians was constructed using an extended Bayesian Information Criterion (EBIC) model.ResultsThe prevalence of depression among guardians of hospitalized psychiatric patients was 32.4% (95% CI: 29.7–35.2%). GAD-7 total scores (OR = 1.9, 95% CI: 1.8–2.1) and fatigue (OR = 1.2, 95% CI: 1.1–1.4) were positively correlated with depression among guardians. After controlling for significant correlates of depression, depressed guardians had lower QOL than non-depressed peers did [F(1, 1,101) = 29.24, p

BackgroundMedical students suffer more pressure due to various reasons and their mental health problems get more attention. Resilience is a positive psychological perspective to explore the medical students’ mental health and coping style problems. This study focuses on the medical students in school and uses the method of latent category analysis (LCA) to analyze the classification characteristics of their resilience. Therefore, the study aims to help psychological educators in medical colleges to develop positive mental health education strategies for medical students.ObjectiveTo explore the potential categories of resilience of medical students and the relationship between these categories and mental health and coping style.MethodsA total of 1,457 medical students from four medical colleges in Anhui Province were selected as the research subjects by a convenience sampling method. A general information questionnaire, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), Kessler 10 and the Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire (SCSQ) were used to investigate; SPSS 25.0 and Mplus 7 software were used for basic analysis and latent category exploration.Expected resultsThe medical students were divided into three potential categories of mental resilience: the low resilience group, moderate resilience self-improvement group and high resilience tough group. The optimism dimension level of the three categories was low. There were statistically significant differences in the distribution of resilience among medical students, such as gender, source of students, and paternal and maternal education level. There were significant differences in the mental health, positive coping style and negative coping style scores among the three categories. Female medical students with low parental education levels have a lower level of resilience. Logistic regression analysis showed that a lower maternal education level was a risk factor for resilience level, and a high positive coping style score and gender were protective factors for resilience level.DiscussionThere are group differences in the resilience of medical students, which suggests that school health workers should formulate targeted intervention programs for different types of students to improve their resilience and mental health, and further more, this study reminds mental health workers in colleges and universities to pay more attention to the mental health status of female medical students whose parents are less educated.

Objective: ‘Homotherapy for heteropathy’ is a theory by which different diseases with similar pathogenesis can be treated with one Chinese formula. We aimed to explore the key components and core targets of Weijing decoction (WJD) in treating various lung diseases, namely, pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), acute lung injury (ALI), pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary tuberculosis and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), via network pharmacology, molecular docking and some experiments. Significance: This is the first study on the mechanism of WJD in treating various lung diseases by ‘homotherapy for heteropathy’. This study is helpful for the transformation of TCM formula and development of new drugs. Methods: Active components and therapeutic targets of WJD were obtained via TCMSP and UniProt databases. Targets of the six pulmonary diseases were harvested from the GeneCards TTD, DisGeNet, UniProt and OMIM databases. Drug-disease intersection targets, corresponding Venn diagrams, herb-component-target networks and protein–protein interaction networks were established. Furthermore, GO biological function and KEGG enrichment analysis were completed. Moreover, the binding activity between main compounds and core targets was measured through molecular docking. Finally, the xenograft NSCLC mouse model was established. Immune responses were evaluated by flow cytometry and mRNA expression levels of critical targets were measured by real-time PCR. Results: JUN, CASP3 and PTGS2 were the most critical targets in six pulmonary diseases. The active compounds beta-sitosterol, tricin and stigmasterol stably bound to many active sites on target proteins. WJD had extensive pharmacological regulation, involving pathways related to cancer, inflammation, infection, hypoxia, immunity and so on. Conclusions: Effects of WJD against various lung diseases involve lots of compounds, targets and pathways. These findings will facilitate further research as well as clinical application of WJD.

BackgroundThere is a vast amount of evidence-based medicine research on the major depressive disorder (MDD) available in the literature, however, no studies on the overall performance, productivity and impact of such research have been published to date. This study explored and mapped the research outputs of MDD-related systematic reviews and meta-analyses (SR/MA) from a bibliometric perspective.MethodsRelevant data were retrieved with search terms on MDD, systematic review and meta-analysis.ResultsA total of 4,870 papers with 365,402 citations published from 1983 to 2022 were included in the analysis. The publication output has grown steadily over time with the most publications originating from the USA (1,020; 20.94%), the UK (516; 10.60%) and China (448; 9.20%). The research collaborations between countries were most frequent between the USA and UK (266; 5.46%). Journal of Affective Disorders (379; 7.78%) was the most productive journal, while Cuijpers P was the most productive author (121; 2.48%), and University of Toronto (569; 11.78%) was the most productive institution. The top 10 most cited articles on MDD-related SR/MA had citations ranging from 1,806 to 3,448. The high-frequency keywords were mainly clustered into four themes, including psychiatric comorbidities, clinical trials, treatment, and brain stimulation in MDD.ConclusionThe rapid increase in the number of SR/MA of MDD in recent years highlights the importance of this research field. Psychiatric comorbidities, clinical interventions, and treatment of MDD have been identified as hot topics, while biological mechanisms in MDD are likely to be an emerging research priority.

BackgroundIn the summer of 2022, Macau experienced a surge of COVID-19 infections (the 618 COVID-19 wave), which had serious effects on mental health and quality of life (QoL). However, there is scant research on mental health problems and QoL among Macau residents during the 618 COVID-19 wave. This study examined the network structure of depressive symptoms (hereafter depression), and the interconnection between different depressive symptoms and QoL among Macau residents during this period.MethodA cross-sectional study was conducted between 26th July and 9th September 2022. Depressive symptoms were measured with the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), while the global QoL was measured with the two items of the World Health Organization Quality of Life-brief version (WHOQOL-BREF). Correlates of depression were explored using univariate and multivariate analyses. The association between depression and QoL was investigated using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Network analysis was used to evaluate the structure of depression. The centrality index “Expected Influence” (EI) was used to identify the most central symptoms and the flow function was used to identify depressive symptoms that had a direct bearing on QoL.ResultsA total 1,008 participants were included in this study. The overall prevalence of depression was 62.5% (n = 630; 95% CI = 60.00–65.00%). Having depression was significantly associated with younger age (OR = 0.970; p

Based on renewed interest in the shortcut-to-adiabaticity techniques in quantum control, we propose a reverse-engineering approach to modulate the longitudinal coupling between a pair of two-level systems with a quantized single-mode resonator. This allows us to suppress the unwanted transitions in the time-evolution operator such that the system dynamics resemble a controlled-phase gate acting in the qubit subspace at the nanosecond scale. The reduced gating time mitigates the detrimental effect produced by the loss mechanisms in all aspects. Moreover, we present a possible experimental implementation based on superconducting quantum circuits. Our work further demonstrates the versatility of the reverse-engineering method to enhance quantum protocols based on circuit quantum electrodynamic architecture.

Great efforts have been devoted to the study of photo-responsive adsorption, but its current methodology largely depends on the well-defined photochromic units and their photo-driven molecular deformation. Here, a methodology to fabricate nondeforming photo-responsive sorbents is successfully exploited. With C60-fullerene doping in metalloporphyrin metal-organic frameworks (PCN-M, M = Fe, Co, or Ni) and intensively interacting with the metalloporphyrin sites, effective charge-transfer can be achieved over the metalloporphyrin-C60 architectures once excited by the light at 350 to 780 nm. The electron density distribution and the resultant adsorption activity are thus changed by excited states, which are also stable enough to meet the timescale of microscopic adsorption equilibrium. The charge-transfer over Co(II)-porphyrin-C60 is proved to be more efficient than the Fe(II)- and Ni(II)-porphyrin-C60 sites, as well as than all the metalloporphyrin sites, so the CO2 adsorption capacity (CAC; at 0 °C and 1 bar) over the C60-doped PCN-Co can be largely improved from 2.05 mmol g−1 in the darkness to 2.69 mmol g−1 with light, increased by 31%, in contrast to photo-irresponsive CAC over all C60-undoped PCN-M sorbents and only the photo-loss CAC over C60.

Abstract Introduction Staphylococcus aureus is a gram-positive bacterium that causes serious infection. With the increasing resistance of bacteria to current antibiotics, it is necessary to learn more about the molecular mechanism and cellular pathways involved in the Staphylococcus aureus infection. Methods We downloaded the GSE33341 dataset from the GEO database and applied the weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), from which we obtained some critical modules. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Gene Ontology (GO) were applied to illustrate the biological functions of genes in these modules. We constructed the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network by Cytoscape and selected five candidate hub genes. Five potential hub genes were validated in GSE30119 by GraphPad Prism 8.0. The diagnostic values of these genes were calculated and present in the ROC curve based on the GSE13670 dataset. Their gene functions were analyzed by Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA). Results A co-expression network was built with 5000 genes divided into 11 modules. The genes in green and turquoise modules demonstrated a high correlation. According to the KEGG and GO analyses, genes in the green module were closely related to ubiquitination and autophagy. Subsequently, we picked out the top five hub genes in the green module. And UBB was determined as the hub gene in the GSE30119 dataset. The expression level of UBB, ASB, and MKRN1 could significantly differentiate between Staphylococcus aureus infection and healthy controls based on the ROC curve. The GSEA analysis indicated that lower expression levels of UBB were associated with the P53 signal pathway. Conclusions We identified some hub genes and significant signal enrichment pathways in Staphylococcus aureus infection via bioinformatics analysis, which may facilitate the development of potential clinical therapeutic strategies.

Lung carcinoma is the primary reason for cancer-associated mortality, and it exhibits the highest mortality and incidence in developed and developing countries. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and SCLC are the 2 main types of lung cancer, with NSCLC contributing to 85% of all lung carcinoma cases. Conventional treatment mainly involves surgery, chemoradiotherapy, and immunotherapy, but has a dismal prognosis for many patients. Therefore, identifying an effective adjuvant therapy is urgent. Historically, traditional herbal medicine has been an essential part of complementary and alternative medicine, due to its numerous targets, few side effects and substantial therapeutic benefits. In China and other East Asian countries, traditional herbal medicine is increasingly popular, and is highly accepted by patients as a clinical adjuvant therapy. Numerous studies have reported that herbal extracts and prescription medications are effective at combating tumors. It emphasizes that, by mainly regulating the P13K/AKT signaling pathway, the Wnt signaling pathway, and the NF-κB signaling pathway, herbal medicine induces apoptosis and inhibits the proliferation and migration of tumor cells. The present review discusses the anti-NSCLC mechanisms of herbal medicines and provides options for future adjuvant therapy in patients with NSCLC.

Abstract Background Brood pollination mutualism is a special type of plant-pollinator interaction in which adult insects pollinate plants, and the plants provide breeding sites for the insects as a reward. To manifest such a mutualism between Stellera chamaejasme and flower thrips of Frankliniella intonsa, the study tested the mutualistic association of the thrips life cycle with the plant flowering phenology and determined the pollination effectiveness of adult thrips and their relative contribution to the host’s fitness by experimental pollinator manipulation. Results The adult thrips of F. intonsa, along with some long-tongue Lepidoptera, could serve as efficient pollinators of the host S. chamaejasme. The thrips preferentially foraged half-flowering inflorescences of the plants and oviposited in floral tubes. The floral longevity was 11.8 ± 0.55 (mean ± se) days, which might precisely accommodate the thrips life cycle from spawning to prepupation. The exclusion of adult thrips from foraging flowers led to a significant decrease in the fitness (i.e., seed set) of host plants, with a corresponding reduction in thrips fecundity (i.e., larva no.) in the flowers. Conclusions The thrips of F. intonsa and the host S. chamaejasme mutualistically interact to contribute to each other’s fitness such that the thrips pollinate host plants and, as a reward, the plants provide the insects with brooding sites and food, indicating the coevolution of the thrips life cycle and the reproductive traits (e.g., floral longevity and morphology) of S. chamaejasme.

Abstract Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a common ischaemic heart disease whose pathological mechanism has not been fully elucidated. Single target drugs, such as antiplatelet aggregation, coronary artery dilation and lipid-lowering medicines, can relieve some symptoms clinically but cannot effectively prevent and treat CHD. Accumulating evidence has revealed that alterations in GM composition, diversity, and richness are associated with the risk of CHD. The metabolites of the gut microbiota (GM), including trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and bile acids (BAs), affect human physiology by activating numerous signalling pathways. Due to the advantage of multiple components and multiple targets, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) can intervene in CHD by regulating the composition of the GM, reducing TMAO, increasing SCFAs and other CHD interventions. We have searched PubMed, Web of science, Google Scholar Science Direct, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), with the use of the keywords “gut microbiota, gut flora, traditional Chinese medicine, herbal medicine, coronary heart disease”. This review investigated the relationship between GM and CHD, as well as the intervention of TCM in CHD and GM, and aims to provide valuable insights for the treatments of CHD by TCM.

BackgroundBreast cancer patients and their families are under various pressures in the process of disease diagnosis and treatment, which seriously threaten their physical and mental health. Findings from existing research suggest that good family resilience can help breast cancer families better adapt and cope with adversity and challenges. However, there are only a few intervention studies on family resilience and no intervention studies on resilience among the families of breast cancer patients. Therefore, this study aims to explore appropriate measures to improve the resilience level of breast cancer families and help them better cope with the disease.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study protocol is to demonstrate a coping-focused family resilience intervention to increase the level of resilience in the families of breast cancer patients and help them better cope with adversity.MethodsThe trial will recruit 80 breast cancer families and randomly assign them to experimental and control groups in a 1:1 ratio. The control group will receive routine care, and the intervention group will receive a 6-week one-on-one online family resilience intervention based on the control group. Two groups of subjects will be assessed at baseline and at 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months after the intervention. The primary outcome is family resilience, and the secondary outcomes are coping style, social support, family disease burden, and levels of anxiety and depression.Expected resultsWe hypothesized that after the intervention, the intervention group would have significantly higher levels of family resilience than the preintervention and control groups. In the intervention group, other aspects related to family resilience, such as family disease burden and anxiety and depression levels of patients and their families, were significantly alleviated, and disease coping and social support levels were improved accordingly.DiscussionIf the program works, it can help breast cancer families identify family strengths and resources to proactively address challenges so that families can successfully navigate the crisis and patient and family recovery can be facilitated. It can also provide a practical path for clinical workers to help breast cancer families adjust rationally.Clinical Trial RegistrationThis study has been registered in the Chinese Clinical Trials Registry (Registration Number: http://www.chictr.org.cn/ChiCTR2100052108).

Francisella tularensis is a dangerous pathogen that causes an extremely contagious zoonosis in humans named tularemia. Given its low-dose morbidity, the potential to be fatal, and aerosol spread, it is regarded as a severe threat to public health. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has classified it as a category A potential agent for bioterrorism and a Tier 1 Select Agent. Herein, we combined recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) with CRISPR/Cas12a system to select the F. tularensis target gene (TUL4), creating a two-pronged rapid and ultrasensitive diagnostic method for detecting F. tularensis. The real-time RPA (RT-RPA) assay detected F. tularensis within 10 min at a sensitivity of 5 copies/reaction, F. tularensis genomic DNA of 5 fg, and F. tularensis of 2 × 102 CFU/ml; the RPA-CRISPR/Cas12a assay detects F. tularensis within 40 min at a sensitivity of 0.5 copies/reaction, F. tularensis genomic DNA of 1 fg, and F. tularensis of 2 CFU/ml. Furthermore, the evaluation of specificity showed that both assays were highly specific to F. tularensis. More importantly, in a test of prepared simulated blood and sewage samples, the RT-RPA assay results were consistent with RT-PCR assay results, and the RPA-CRISPR/Cas12a assay could detect a minute amount of F. tularensis genomic DNA (2.5 fg). There was no nonspecific detection with blood samples and sewage samples, giving the tests a high practical application value. For example, in on-site and epidemic areas, the RT-RPA was used for rapid screening and the RPA-CRISPR/Cas12a assay was used for more accurate diagnosis.

Biologically active sphingolipids are closely related to the growth, differentiation, aging, and apoptosis of cancer cells. Some sphingolipids, such as ceramides, are favorable metabolites in the sphingolipid metabolic pathway, usually mediating antiproliferative responses, through inhibiting cancer cell growth and migration, as well as inducing autophagy and apoptosis. However, other sphingolipids, such as S1P, play the opposite role, which induces cancer cell transformation, migration and growth and promotes drug resistance. There are also other sphingolipids, as well as enzymes, played potentially critical roles in cancer physiology and therapeutics. This review aimed to explore the important roles of sphingolipid metabolism in cancer. In this article, we summarized the role and value of sphingolipid metabolism in cancer, including the distribution of sphingolipids, the functions, and their relevance to cancer diagnosis and prognosis. We also summarized the known and potential antitumor targets present in sphingolipid metabolism, analyzed the correlation between sphingolipid metabolism and tumor immunity, and summarize the antitumor effects of natural compounds based on sphingolipids. Through the analysis and summary of sphingolipid antitumor therapeutic targets and immune correlation, we aim to provide ideas for the development of new antitumor drugs, exploration of new therapeutic means for tumors, and study of immunotherapy resistance mechanisms.

Abstract Background Currently, Chlamydia trachomatis–specific host defense mechanisms in humans remain poorly defined. To study the characteristics of host cells infected early with Chlamydia trachomatis, we used bioinformatics methods to analyze the RNA transcription profiles of the conjunctiva, fallopian tubes, and endometrium in humans infected with Chlamydia trachomatis. Method The gene expression profiles of GSE20430, GSE20436, GSE26692, and GSE41075 were downloaded from the Gene Expression Synthesis (GEO) database. Then, we obtained the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) through the R 4.0.1 software. STRING was used to construct protein–protein interaction (PPI) networks; then, the Cytoscape 3.7.2 software was used to visualize the PPI and screen hub genes. GraphPad Prism 8.0 software was used to verify the expression of the hub gene. In addition, the gene–miRNA interaction was constructed on the NetworkAnalyst 3.0 platform using the miRTarBase v8.0 database. Results A total of 600 and 135 DEGs were screened out in the conjunctival infection group and the reproductive tract infection group, respectively. After constructing a PPI network and verifying the hub genes, CSF2, CD40, and CSF3 in the reproductive tract infection group proved to have considerable statistical significance. Conclusion In our research, the key genes in the biological process of reproductive tract infection with Chlamydia trachomatis were clarified through bioinformatics analysis. These hub genes may be further used in clinical treatment and clinical diagnosis.

Abstract Background Drought is the main stress factor for the cultivation of Pterocarya stenoptera in urban areas, and this factor will cause its dehydration and affect its growth. Identifying drought-related genes will be useful for understanding the drought adaptation mechanism of P. stenoptera. Results We used physiological indicator detection, comparative transcriptome sequencing, and reanalysis on the results of previous landscape genomics studies to investigate the drought adaptation mechanism in P. stenoptera. The changes in malondialdehyde content showed that P. stenoptera was remarkably affected by drought stress, and the increase in soluble sugar content suggested its important role in response to drought stress. Results of comparative transcriptome sequencing showed that P. stenoptera initiated a series of programs, such as increasing the gene expression of unsaturated fatty acids, tyrosine, and plant pathogen resistance, to deal with the transient drought stress. According to the annotated results in a previous study, P. stenoptera adapts to the long-term differential drought stress by regulating the thickness of cell walls and expressing upper or lower limits of the downstream genes in the hormone signaling pathway. Through the comparative analysis of drought-responsive and -adaptive genes in P. stenoptera, this study supports the hypothesis that the environment-responsive genes (ERGs) introduced by the transient environmental stresses will be substantially more than the environment-adaptive genes (EAGs) in response to long-term differential environmental stresses, and the EAGs are not necessarily ERGs. Conclusions Our study identified drought-responsive and -adaptive genes in P. stenoptera and revealed that P. stenoptera increased the gene expression of unsaturated fatty acids, tyrosine, and plant pathogen resistance in response to transient drought stress. This study reveals the different adaptation mechanism of P. stenoptera under the transient and long-term differential drought stresses.

In the past few decades, several gene mutations, including the anaplastic lymphoma kinase, epidermal growth factor receptor, ROS proto-oncogene 1 and rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (RAS), have been discovered in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRAS) is the isoform most frequently altered in RAS-mutated NSCLC cases. Due to the structural and biochemical characteristics of the KRAS protein, effective approaches to treating KRAS-mutant NSCLC still remain elusive. Extensive recent research on KRAS-mutant inhibitors has made a breakthrough in identifying the covalent KRASG12C inhibitor as an effective agent for the treatment of NSCLC. This review mainly concentrated on introducing new covalent KRASG12C inhibitors like sotorasib (AMG 510) and adagrasib (MRTX 849); summarizing inhibitors targeting the KRAS-related upstream and downstream effectors in RAF/MEK/ERK pathway and PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway; exploring the efficacy of immunotherapy and certain emerging immune-related therapeutics such as adoptive cell therapy and cancer vaccines. These inhibitors are being investigated in clinical trials and have exhibited promising effects. On the other hand, naturally extracted compounds, which have exhibited safe and effective properties in treating KRAS-mutant NSCLC through suppressing the MAPK and PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathways, as well as through decreasing PD-L1 expression in preclinical studies, could be expected to enter into clinical studies. Finally, in order to confront the matter of drug resistance, the ongoing clinical trials in combination treatment strategies were summarized herein.

Elevated heart rate (HR) can be hypothesized to be involved in the pathways by which ambient air pollution, especially fine particulate matter (PM2.5), causes cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. However, evidence concerning long-term PM2.5 exposure and HR is still limited. Therefore, in this study, we assessed the associations of PM2.5 with HR levels and tachycardia prevalence and explored potential modifiers of the associations. We used baseline data of 1,802,207 adults from the Kashgar Prospective Cohort Study (KPCS). PM2.5 exposure was assessed based on satellite sensing data, meteorological factors, multi-resolution emission inventory, and measurements from ground-based surface monitors measurements. HR was measured using a calibrated electronic sphygmomanometer, and tachycardia was defined as resting heart rate (RHR) equal to or greater than 80 beats per minute. Linear regression and logistic regression models were employed to evaluate the associations of PM2.5 levels with RHR levels and tachycardia prevalence, respectively. Stratified analyses by sex, age, ethnicity, smoking status, alcohol use, and physical activity were also performed. The mean (standard deviation) age of the study participants was 39.4 (15.5) years old. In the adjusted models, an interquartile range (8.8 µg/m3) increase in PM2.5 levels was associated with 0.515 (95% confidence interval: 0.503–0.526) bpm increase in RHR levels and with 1.062-fold (95% confidence interval: 1.059–1.064) increase in the odds of tachycardia. The results were robust against several sensitivity analyses. In addition, we observed the above associations were stronger in participants that were men, of Uyghur ethnicity, smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol, and having physical inactivity, compared to their counterparts. In summary, our findings indicate that long-term exposure to ambient PM2.5 may be hazardously associated with HR, and women, Uyghur people, and those with unhealthy lifestyles may be more vulnerable to the hazardous effects.

Abstract Background Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic, pruritic, immune‐mediated inflammatory disease. Developments in basic science and clinical research have increased our understanding of AD. Although pain as a symptom of AD is underemphasized in previous studies, multiple researchers address pain as a frequent burden of AD. However, the exact role of pain in AD is not fully understood. Aims Our review aimed to summarize the current evidence focusing on characteristics, mechanism, and management of pain in AD. Materials & Methods We conducted a thorough literature review in the PubMed database to figure out different aspects discussing pain in AD, including pain symptoms, burden, the relationship between pain and itch, mechanism, and pain management in AD. Results and Conclusion AD patients affected by skin pain vary from 42.7%‐92.2% with remarkable intensity and heavy burden. Skin pain and itch interacted both in symptoms and mechanisms. Atopic skin with the impaired barrier, neurogenic inflammation mediators, peripheral and central sensitization of pain may possibly explain pain mechanism in AD. Future research is needed to clarify the commonality and disparity of pain and itch in AD in order to seek efficacious medications and treatment.

Cadmium is one of the most toxic heavy metal contaminants in soils and water bodies and poses a serious threat to ecosystems and humans. However, cadmium is also an important resource widely used in many industries. The recovery of cadmium in the form of high-value products is considered as an ideal disposal strategy for Cd-contaminated environments. In this work, Pistia stratiotes was used to recycle cadmium from wastewaters through phytoaccumulation and then transformed into carbon-supported cadmium sulfide photocatalyst (CdS@C) through carbonization and hydrothermal reaction. The CdS@C photocatalyst contained a mixture of cubic and hexagonal CdS with lower band gap energy (2.14 eV) and high electron-hole separation efficiency, suggesting an excellent photoresponse ability and photocatalytic efficiency. The impressive stability and photocatalytic performance of CdS@C were demonstrated in efficient photodegradation of organic pollutants. •OH and O2•- were confirmed as the major active species for organic pollutants degradation during CdS@C photocatalysis. This work provides new insights into addressing Cd contaminated water bodies and upcycling in the form of photocatalyst.

Background: In breast cancer, research concerning programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) on circulating tumor cells (CTCs) is limited. Besides, the best cell type for determining the prognostic and predictive values of PD-L1 has not been established. This study investigated associations between PD-L1 on tumor cells (TCs), CTCs, and tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TIICs), respectively, and prognosis and clinicopathological features in breast cancer. Methods: Twenty patients with breast cancer were recruited; one was excluded for confirmed lymphoma. The PD-L1 on TCs and TIICs was determined via immunohistochemistry; PD-L1 mRNA expression on CTCs was analyzed. The chi-squared test and Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards model analyses were applied. Results: The median follow-up time was 60 months. Of the 19 patients, 14 had >1 CTC/10 mL peripheral blood. Among these, each had ≥1 CTC showing PD-L1. At baseline, there was no difference between groups with or without metastasis regarding CTCs and PD-L1 expression. Patients with high PD-L1 levels on CTCs had poor overall survival (p = 0.034). In the multivariate analysis, PD-L1 levels on CTCs and T stage were independent prognostic factors (p = 0.029, 0.010, respectively). Conclusions: High levels of PD-L1 on CTCs may prognose shorter overall survival in breast cancer.

This paper presents a proposed static test and numerical study on the mechanical properties of steel-shell–concrete-structure-immersed tunnel nodes, which is used to investigate the seismic performance and damage mechanism of steel-shell–concrete-structure-immersed tunnel nodes. The test is based on the immersed tube tunnel project in the deep China channel, and the nodes representing the outermost and innermost vertical walls of the immersed tube tunnel, i.e., L-shaped and T-shaped node specimens, were designed and fabricated at a scale of 1:5, and the specimens were mainly subjected to the combined effect of vertical axial compression and lateral displacement loads. The test results show that the L-shaped node will exhibit brittle damage characteristics with high lateral load carrying capacity and energy dissipation capacity during the ultimate load phase, while the T-shaped node exhibits bending damage with better ductility, so the outermost vertical wall should be locally reinforced to ensure the necessary ductility of the structure in the actual project. In addition, by comparing the numerical calculation and experimental results, it is found that there is good agreement in terms of load–displacement curves and crack distribution, which shows that the modeling method proposed in this paper can accurately simulate the mechanical properties of immersed tunnel nodes and can guide the section design of immersed tunnels with steel shell–concrete structures.

Patients with liver disease are susceptible to infection with Vibrio vulnificus (V. vulnificus), but the specific reasons remain elusive. Through RNA-seq, we found that when mice with alcoholic liver disease (ALD) were infected with V. vulnificus by gavage, compared with the Pair group, the small intestinal genes affecting intestinal permeability were upregulated; and the number of differentially expressed genes related to immune functions (e.g., such as cell chemotaxis, leukocyte differentiation, and neutrophil degranulation) decreased in the liver, spleen, and blood. Further analysis showed that the number of white blood cells decreased in the Pair group, whereas those in the ALD mice did not change significantly. Interestingly, the blood bacterial load in the ALD mice was about 100 times higher than that of the Pair group. After the ALD mice were infected with V. vulnificus, the concentrations of T cell proliferation-promoting cytokines (IL-2, IL-23) decreased. Therefore, unlike the Pair group, ALD mice had weaker immune responses, lower T cell proliferation-promoting cytokines, and higher bacterial loads post-infection, possibly increasing their susceptibility to V. vulnificus infection. These new findings we presented here may help to advance the current understanding of the reasons why patients with liver disease are susceptible to V. vulnificus infection and provides potential targets for further investigation in the context of treatment options for V. vulnificus sepsis in liver disease patient.

Abstract Background Understanding the genetic basis of local adaptation has long been the concern of biologists. Identifying these adaptive genetic variabilities is crucial not only to improve our knowledge of the genetic mechanism of local adaptation but also to explore the adaptation potential of species. Results Using 10 natural populations and 12 start codon targeted (SCoT) markers, a total of 430 unambiguous loci were yielded. The Bayesian analysis of population structure clearly demonstrated that the 10 populations of P. bungeana could be subdivided into three groups. Redundancy analysis showed that this genetic divergence was caused by divergence selection from environmental variables related to the ecological habitats of “avoidance of flooding” and “avoidance of high temperature and humidity.” LFMM results indicated that Bio1, Bio5, Bio8, Bio12, Bio14, and Bio16, which are related to the ecological habitat of P. bungeana, were correlated with the highest numbers of environment-associated loci (EAL). Conclusions The results of EAL characterization in P. bungeana clearly supported the hypothesis that environmental variations related to the ecological habitat of species are the key drivers of species adaptive divergence. Moreover, a method to calculate the species landscape adaptation index and quantify the adaptation potential of species was proposed and verified using ecological niche modeling. This model could estimate climatically suitable areas of species spatial distribution. Taking the results together, this study improves the current understanding on the genetic basis of local adaptation.

Objective: To investigate the effects of exogenous α-linolenic acid (ALA) on in vitro maturation (IVM) and developmental competence of human oocytes. Methods: Experiment 1 examined the effects of ALA at different concentrations (0 [control], 10, 50, 100, and 200 μmol/L) in the IVM medium on oocyte maturation. Treatment with 50 μmol/L ALA significantly accelerated oocyte maturation (P < 0.05) and resulted in significantly higher mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number compared to the control. Hence, 50 μmol/L ALA was selected for combination with follicular fluid (FF) to investigate oocyte developmental potential. mtDNA of the matured oocyte was analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Experiment 2 investigated the effects of FF with optimal ALA concentration (Group A: ALA + FF + IVM medium) or without ALA (Group B: FF + IVM medium) on oocyte maturation, fertilization, 2 pronuclear cleavage, and embryo and blastocyst development. Malondialdehyde (MDA) content and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were measured for maturation medium from Group A, Group B, and Group C (control group, IVM medium only). Results: Treatment with 50 μmol/L ALA obviously accelerated oocyte maturation (P < 0.05) and resulted in significantly higher mtDNA copy number (P < 0.05) in the matured oocytes compared to the control (0 μmol/L ALA). Supplementation of 50 μmol/L ALA and FF (Group A) obviously increased the total maturation rate than FF-treated group (Group B) which has higher (P < 0.05) total maturation rate than that of Group C. However, no significant differences were observed in fertilization, embryo availability, and blastocyst production among Group A, B, and C. Treatment with 50 μmol/L ALA decreased the level of MDA (P < 0.05), but had no effect on the activity of SOD in the IVM medium. Conclusions: Our results suggested that the treatment with 50 μmol/L ALA during IVM improves maturation in human oocytes. It is also likely to improve embryo availability and blastocyst formation. This might be associated with the alteration of mtDNA replication (increased mtDNA copy number) and the reduction of oxidative stress (reduced MDA level).

Cephalanthus tetrandrus (Roxb.) Ridsd. et Badh. F. (CT) belongs to the Rubiaceae family. Its dried leaves are widely used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat enteritis, dysentery, toothache, furuncles, swelling, traumatic injury, fracture, bleeding, and scalding. In order to further clarify the unknown chemical composition of CT, a rapid strategy based on UHPLC-Q-exactive orbitrap was established for this analysis using a Thermo Scientific Hypersil GOLDTM aQ (100 mm × 2.1 mm, 1.9 µm) chromatographic column. The mobile phase was 0.1% formic acid water–acetonitrile, with a flow rate of 0.3 mL/min and injection volume of 2 µL; for mass spectrometry, an ESI ion source in positive and negative ion monitoring modes was adopted. A total of 135 chemicals comprising 67 chlorogenic acid derivatives, 48 flavonoids, and 20 anthocyanin derivatives were identified by comparing the mass spectrum information with standard substances, public databases, and the literature, which were all discovered for the first time in this plant. This result broadly expands the chemical composition of CT, which will contribute to understanding of its effectiveness and enable quality control.

Biochar is widely used for the adsorptive removal of Cd from water and soil, but the Cd-enriched biochar produced carries a risk of secondary pollution. In this work, biochar derived from rice straw was used to adsorb Cd from plating wastewater. The Cd-enriched biochar showed a saturated adsorption capacity of about 63.5 mg/g and could be recycled and used in a mesoporous carbon-supported CdS (CdS@C) photocatalyst after pyrolysis carbonization and a hydrothermal reaction. The results demonstrated that the as-prepared CdS@C photocatalyst contained mixed cubic and hexagonal CdS phases, with a considerably lower band gap (2.1 eV) than pure CdS (2.6 eV). CdS@C exhibited an enhanced photocatalytic performance for the degradation of organic dyes under visible light irradiation compared with pure CdS due to its excellent light-harvesting capacity and efficient electron-hole separation. Moreover, the continuous formation of active species (h+, •OH, and O2•−) was responsible for the photodegradation of organic dyes using CdS@C. This work provides new insights for the safe disposal of Cd-enriched wastewater and for improving the economic viability of Cd-contaminated resources by recovering a value-added photocatalyst.