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Chao Li,1 Xiaofen Ma,2 Mengshi Dong,2 Yi Yin,1 Kelei Hua,1 Meng Li,2 Changhong Li,2 Wenfeng Zhan,2 Cheng Li,2,3 Guihua Jiang2 1Department of Medical Imaging, The Affiliated Guangdong No 2 Provincial People’s Hospital of Southern Medical University, The Third Clinical Medical College of Southern Medical University, 2Department of Medical Imaging, 3Department of Renal Transplantation, The Affiliated Guangdong No 2 Provincial People’s Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China Objective: Investigating functional specialization is crucial for a complete understanding of the neural mechanisms of primary insomnia (PI). Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a useful tool to explore the functional specialization of PI. However, only a few studies have focused on the functional specialization of PI using resting-state fMRI and results of these studies were far from consistent. Thus, the current study aimed to investigate functional specialization of PI using resting-state fMRI with amplitude of low frequency fluctuations (ALFFs) algorithm. Methods: In this study, 55 PI patients and 44 healthy controls were included. ALFF values were compared between the two groups using two-sample t-test. The relationship of abnormal ALFF values with clinical characteristics and duration of insomnia was investigated using Pearson’s correlation analysis. Results: PI patients showed lower ALFF values in the left orbitofrontal cortex/inferior frontal gyrus, right middle frontal gyrus, left inferior parietal lobule, and bilateral cerebellum posterior lobes, while higher ALFF values in the right middle/inferior temporal that extended to the right occipital lobe. In addition, we found that the duration of PI negatively correlated with ALFF values in the left orbitofrontal cortex/inferior frontal gyrus, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score negatively correlated with ALFF values in the left inferior parietal lobule. Conclusion: The present study added information to limited studies on functional specialization and provided evidence for hyperarousal hypothesis in PI. Keywords: primary insomnia, amplitude of low frequency fluctuations, resting-state fMRI, spontaneous brain activity

Objective: Tribbles 3 (TRB3) is associated with insulin resistance, an important trigger in the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM). We sought to determine whether TRB3 plays a major role in modulating DCM and the mechanisms involved.Research Design and Methods: The type 2 diabetic rat model was induced by high-fat diet and low-dose streptozotocin. We evaluated the characteristics of type 2 DCM by serial echocardiography and metabolite tests, Western blot analysis for TRB3 expression, and histopathologic analyses of cardiomyocyte density, lipids accumulation, cardiac inflammation, and fibrosis area. We then used gene silencing to investigate the role of TRB3 in the pathophysiologic features of DCM.Results: Rats with DCM showed severe insulin resistance, left ventricular dysfunction, aberrant lipids deposition, cardiac inflammation, fibrosis, and TRB3 overexpression. We found that the silencing of TRB3 ameliorated metabolic disturbance and insulin resistance; myocardial hypertrophy, lipids accumulation, inflammation, fibrosis, and elevated collagen I-to-III content ratio in DCM rats were significantly decreased. These anatomic findings were accompanied by significant improvements in cardiac function. Furthermore, with TRB3 gene silencing, the inhibited phosphorylation of Akt was restored and the increased phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 and Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase in DCM was significantly decreased.Conclusions: TRB3 gene silencing may exert a protective effect on DCM by improving selective insulin resistance, implicating its potential role for treatment of human DCM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cultivated strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) is a popular, economically important fruit. The ripening of the receptacle (pseudocarp), the main edible part, depends on endogenously produced abscisic acid (ABA) and is suppressed by the high level of auxin produced from achenes (true fruit) during early development. However, the mechanism whereby auxin regulates receptacle ripening through inhibiting ABA biosynthesis remains unclear. Here, we identified AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR 2 (FaARF2), which showed decreased expression with reduced auxin content in the receptacle, leading to increased ABA levels and accelerated ripening. Dual-luciferase, yeast one-hybrid, and electrophoretic mobility shift assays demonstrated that FaARF2 could bind to the AuxRE element in the promoter of 9-CIS-EPOXYCAROT-ENOID DIOXYGENASE 1 (FaNCED1), a key ABA biosynthetic gene, to suppress its transcriptional activity. Transiently overexpressing FaARF2 in the receptacles decreased FaNCED1 expression and ABA levels, resulting in inhibition of receptacle ripening and of development of quality attributes, such as pigmentation, aroma, and sweetness. This inhibition caused by overexpressing FaARF2 was partially recovered by the injection of exogenous ABA; conversely, transient silencing of FaARF2 using RNA interference produced the opposite results. The negative targeting of FaNCED1 by FaARF2 is a key link between auxin-ABA interactions and regulation of strawberry ripening., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of American Society of Plant Biologists.)

The recent interest in developing low-cost, biocompatible, and lightweight bioelectronic devices has focused on organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs), which have the potential to fulfill these requirements. In this study, three types of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT)-based block copolymers (BCPs) incorporating different insulating blocks (poly( n butyl acrylate) (PBA), polystyrene, and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)) were synthesized for application in OECTs. The morphological, crystallographic, and electrochemical properties of these BCPs are systematically investigated. Accordingly, P3HT- b -PBA demonstrates superior performance in the KCl-based aqueous electrolyte, with a higher product of mobility and capacitance (μ C *) at 170 F s -1 cm -1 V -1 than that of the P3HT homopolymer at 58 F s -1 cm -1 V -1 . P3HT- b -PBA exhibits better stability over 50 ON/OFF switching cycles than do other BCPs and P3HT homopolymers. With regard to the performance in the KPF 6 -based aqueous electrolyte, P3HT- b -PBA outperforms with a higher μ C * of 9.2 F s -1 cm -1 V -1 than that of 8.6 F s -1 cm -1 V -1 observed from P3HT. Notably, both polymers exhibited almost no decay in device performance over 110 ON/OFF switching cycles. The strongly different performance of polymers in these two electrolytes is due to the side chain's hydrophobicity and interdigitated lamellar structures, thereby retarding the doping kinetics of the highly hydrated Cl - ions compared with the slightly hydrated PF 6 - ions. Concerning the improved performance of P3HT- b -PBA, this is attributed to its soft and hydrophobic backbone. Our morphological and crystallographic analyses reveal that P3HT- b -PBA experiences minimal structural disorder when swelled by the electrolyte, maintaining its original structure better than the P3HT homopolymer and the hydrophilic BCP of P3HT- b -PEO. The hydrophobic nature of P3HT- b -PBA contributes to the stability of its backbone structure, ensuring enhanced capacitance during the operation of the OECT operation. These findings provide reassurance about the stability and performance of P3HT- b -PBA in the field of OECT applications. In summary, this study represents the first exploration of P3HT-based BCPs for OECT applications and investigates their structure-performance relationships in mixed ionic-electronic conductors.

Background: Preoperative grading gliomas is essential for therapeutic clinical decision-making. Current non-invasive imaging modality for glioma grading were primarily focused on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or positron emission tomography (PET) of the tumor region. However, these methods overlook the peritumoral region (PTR) of tumor and cannot take full advantage of the biological information derived from hybrid-imaging. Therefore, we aimed to combine multiparameter from hybrid 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose ( 18 F-FDG) PET/MRI of the solid component and PTR were combined for differentiating high-grade glioma (HGG) from low-grade glioma (LGG)., Methods: A total of 76 patients with pathologically confirmed glioma (41 HGG and 35 LGG) who underwent simultaneous 18 F-FDG PET, arterial spin labelling (ASL), and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) with hybrid PET/MRI were retrospectively enrolled. The relative maximum standardized uptake value (rSUV max ), relative cerebral blood flow (rCBF), and relative minimum apparent diffusion coefficient (rADC min ) for the solid component and PTR at different distances outside tumoral border were compared. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were applied to assess the grading performance. A nomogram for HGG prediction was constructed., Results: HGGs displayed higher rSUV max and rCBF but lower rADC min in the solid component and 5 mm-adjacent PTR, lower rADC min in 10 mm-adjacent PTR, and higher rCBF in 15- and 20-mm-adjacent PTR. rSUV max in solid component performed best [area under the curve (AUC) =0.865] as a single parameter for grading. Combination of rSUV max in the solid component and adjacent 20 mm performed better (AUC =0.881). Integration of all 3 indicators in the solid component and adjacent 20 mm performed the best (AUC =0.928). The nomogram including rSUV max , rCBF, and rADC min in the solid component and 5-mm-adjacent PTR predicted HGG with a concordance index (C-index) of 0.906., Conclusions: Multiparametric 18 F-FDG PET/MRI from the solid component and PTR performed excellently in differentiating HGGs from LGGs. It can be used as a non-invasive and effective tool for preoperative grade stratification of patients with glioma, and can be considered in clinical practice., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at https://qims.amegroups.com/article/view/10.21037/qims-24-280/coif). P.L. reports a grant from the Science and Technology Planning Project of Guangzhou (No. 2023A03J0276) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 82102004) during the conduct of the study. G.H.J. reports a grant from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 82271948) and the Key Laboratory Construction Project of the Guangzhou Science and Technology (No. 202201020373) during the conduct of the study. The other authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (2024 Quantitative Imaging in Medicine and Surgery. All rights reserved.)

The synergistic effect and compatibility structure of active anti-inflammatory ingredients(iridoid glycosides: shanzhiside methylester and 8-O-acetylshanzhiside methyl ester, flavonoid glycoside: luteoloside, and phenylethanoid glycoside: forsythoside B) from Lamiophlomis rotata were explored based on network pharmacology and component structure theory. In network pharmacology, CTD, SwisseTargetPrediction, and PharmMapper databases were used to collect and screen the targets of all active ingredients. The inflammation-related targets were obtained from CTD and GeneCards databases. The core targets were obtained by Venny 2.1.0, STRING, and Cytoscape 3.9.1. Core targets were annotated by the GO function and enriched by the KEGG pathway based on the DAVID database. In terms of component structure, based on a uniform design method and xylene-induced ear swelling model in mice, tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6 were taken as the dependent variables, and the compatibility relationship among anti-inflammatory ingredients from L. rotata was explored through the quadratic polynomial stepwise regression. In addition, in vivo pharmacological experiments were conducted to verify the results. A network pharmacology study showed that compared with a single ingredient, the combined action of the three ingredients can synergistically exert anti-inflammatory effects through more biological processes, pathways, and targets. Component structure study showed that the optimal structural ratio of shanzhiside methylester and 8-O-acetylshanzhiside methyl ester in the iridoid glycoside ingredient was 1.21∶1. The optimal structural ratio among the three types of ingredients(iridoid glycosides∶phenylethanol glycoside∶flavonoid glycoside) was 4.8∶1.6∶1. In conclusion, each anti-inflammatory ingredient from L. rotata can work synergistically, and there is an optimal compatibility ratio relationship among these ingredients. This work provides a new experimental basis for the intrinsic quality control of L. rotata.

Objectives: To investigate the brain functional alterations in dysthyroid optic neuropathy (DON) by evaluating spontaneous neural activity, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) with regional homogeneity (ReHo), and its relationship with ophthalmologic performance., Methods: Forty-seven patients with thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO; 20 with DON, 27 with non-DON) and 33 age-, sex-, and education-matched healthy controls (HCs) underwent fMRI. ReHo values were compared using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with post hoc pairwise comparisons (voxel-level p < 0.01, Gaussian random field correction, cluster-level p < 0.05). Correlations between ReHo values and ophthalmological metrics were assessed for DONs, with Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons (p < 0.004). ROC curves were applied to evaluate the diagnostic performance of ReHo metrics., Results: ReHo values were significantly lower in the left insula and right superior temporal gyrus, and higher in the left posterior cingulate cortex (LPCC), of DON than of non-DON patients. ReHo values were also significantly lower in the right middle temporal, left insula, and left precentral gyrus in DON than in HCs. Meanwhile, ReHo values were higher in LPCC in non-DON than in HCs. ReHo values correlated with ophthalmic examinations to varying degrees in DON. For distinguishing DON, the ReHo values in LPCC showed optimal individually (AUC = 0.843), the combination of the ReHo in both the left insula and LPCC performed better (AUC = 0.915)., Conclusion: Spontaneous brain activity differed between TAO with and without DON, which may reflect the underlying pathological mechanism of DON. The ReHo index can be considered a diagnostic biomarker., Clinical Relevance Statement: Spontaneous brain activity in DON differed from that in TAO without DON, which may reflect the underlying pathological mechanism of DON. The ReHo index can be considered a diagnostic biomarker for early detection of DON., Key Points: • Dysthyroid optic neuropathy (DON) affects brain activity, which contributes in the understanding of its visual dysfunction. • Regional homogeneity values differ between thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy with and without DON in various brain regions. • Regional homogeneity values can be used as a biomarker in the differential diagnosis of DON., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to European Society of Radiology.)

Hyperproteinemia is a metabolic disorder characterized by abnormally elevated plasma protein concentrations (PPC) in humans and animals. Here, a genetic silkworm model with high PPC was employed to investigate the effect of elevated PPC on female reproduction. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that high PPC induces downregulation of the ovarian development-related genes and disrupts ovarian sugar metabolism. Biochemical and endocrinal analyses revealed that high PPC increases trehalose and glucose levels in hemolymph and glycogen content in the fat body through activation of the gluconeogenic pathway and inhibition of the Insulin/Insulin-like growth factor signaling pathway-the serine/threonine kinase (IIS-AKT) pathway, thus disrupting characteristic metabolic homeostasis of sugar in the ovary. These resulted in ovarian developmental delay as well as reduced number and poor quality of eggs. Insulin supplementation effectively increased egg numbers by lowering blood sugar. These collective results provide new insights into the mechanisms by which high PPC negatively affects female reproduction and support the potential therapeutic effects of insulin., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2023 The Author(s).)

Uncovering the ecological effectiveness of nature reserve policies will help protect and manage nature reserves in the future. Taking Sanjiangyuan region as an example, we examined the impacts of the spatial layout characteristics of natural reserves on the ecological environment quality by constructing the dynamic degree of land use and land cover change index, and depicted the spatial differences of the ecological effectiveness of natural reserve policies both inside and outside the natural reserves. Combined with ordinary least squares and field survey results, we explored the influencing mechanism of nature reserve policies on ecological environment quality. The results showed that the ecological quality of the whole region of Sanjiangyuan had been improved significantly since the implementation of the nature reserve policies, and that the transformation of unused land into ecological land was the most important type of land use change for the ecological environment quality improvement. The ecological effectiveness of large-scale nature reserves with concentrated and contiguous distribution was obvious, while the ecological effectiveness of small-scale nature reserves with scattered distribution and close to the administrative boundaries was relatively small. Although the ecological effectiveness of nature reserves was better than that of non-reserved areas, the ecological improvement of nature reserves and the surrounding areas was synchronous. The nature reserve policy had significantly improved ecological environment quality by implementing ecological protection and restoration projects in nature reserves. Meanwhile, it had alleviated the pressure of farmers and herdsmen's activities on the ecological environment by taking measures such as grazing restriction and guiding conversion of industry and production. In the future, we should promote the construction of ecosystem integrity protection network system with National Park as the core, strengthen the integrated protection and linkage management of National Park and surrounding areas, and help farmers and herdsmen further broaden their livelihoods.

Objective: This study aimed to analyze the effect of urate deposition (UD) on bone erosion and examine the association between the volume of monosodium urate (MSU) crystals and an improved bone erosion score method, as measured in the metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joints of patients with gout., Materials and Methods: Fifty-six patients diagnosed with gout using the 2015 European League Against Rheumatism and American College of Rheumatology criteria were enrolled. MSU crystals volume at each MTP joint was measured using dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) images. The degree of bone erosion was evaluated with the modified Sharp/van der Heijde (SvdH) erosion scoring system based on CT images. Differences in clinical features between patients with (UD group) and without (non-UD group) UD were assessed, and the correlation between erosion scores and urate crystal volume was analyzed., Results: The UD and non-UD groups comprised 30 and 26 patients, respectively. Among the 560 MTP joints assessed, 80 showed MSU crystal deposition, and 108 showed bone erosion. Bone erosion occurred in both groups but was significantly less severe in the non-UD group ( p < 0.001). Both groups had equivalent levels of serum uric acid ( p =0.200). Symptom duration was significantly longer in the UD group ( p =0.009). The UD group also had a higher rate of kidney stones ( p =0.023). The volume of MSU crystals was strongly and positively associated with the degree of bone erosion (r=0.714, p < 0.001)., Conclusion: This study found that patients with UD show significant increased bone erosion than those without UD. The volume of MSU crystals is associated with the improved SvdH erosion score based on CT images, regardless of serum uric acid level, demonstrating the potential of combining DECT and serum uric acid measurements in helping optimize the management of patients with gout., Competing Interests: Author J-YW is employed by United Imaging Healthcare. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Zheng, Zhan, Wang, Deng, Hung, Wang and Jiang.)

Objective: To describe the distribution characteristics of hyperlipidemia in adult twins in the Chinese National Twin Registry (CNTR) and explore the effect of genetic and environmental factors on hyperlipidemia. Methods: Twins recruited from the CNTR in 11 project areas across China were included in the study. A total of 69 130 (34 565 pairs) of adult twins with complete information on hyperlipidemia were selected for analysis. The random effect model was used to characterize the population and regional distribution of hyperlipidemia among twins. The concordance rates of hyperlipidemia were calculated in monozygotic twins (MZ) and dizygotic twins (DZ), respectively, to estimate the heritability. Results: The age of all participants was (34.2±12.4) years. This study's prevalence of hyperlipidemia was 1.3% (895/69 130). Twin pairs who were men, older, living in urban areas, married,had junior college degree or above, overweight, obese, insufficient physical activity, current smokers, ex-smokers, current drinkers, and ex-drinkers had a higher prevalence of hyperlipidemia ( P <0.05). In within-pair analysis, the concordance rate of hyperlipidemia was 29.1% (118/405) in MZ and 18.1% (57/315) in DZ, and the difference was statistically significant ( P< 0.05). Stratified by gender, age, and region, the concordance rate of hyperlipidemia in MZ was still higher than that in DZ. Further, in within-same-sex twin pair analyses, the heritability of hyperlipidemia was 13.04% (95% CI : 2.61%-23.47%) in the northern group and 18.59% (95% CI : 4.43%-32.74%) in the female group, respectively. Conclusions: Adult twins were included in this study and were found to have a lower prevalence of hyperlipidemia than in the general population study, with population and regional differences. Genetic factors influence hyperlipidemia, but the genetic effect may vary with gender and area.

Objective: To describe the distribution characteristics of hypertension among adult twins in the Chinese National Twin Registry (CNTR) and to provide clues for exploring the role of genetic and environmental factors on hypertension. Methods: A total of 69 220 (34 610 pairs) of twins aged 18 and above with hypertension information were selected from CNTR registered from 2010 to 2018. Random effect models were used to describe the population and regional distribution of hypertension in twins. To estimate the heritability, the concordance rates of hypertension were calculated and compared between monozygotic twins (MZ) and dizygotic twins (DZ). Results: The age of all participants was (34.1±12.4) years. The overall self-reported prevalence of hypertension was 3.8%(2 610/69 220). Twin pairs who were older, living in urban areas, married, overweight or obese, current smokers or ex-smokers, and current drinkers or abstainers had a higher self-reported prevalence of hypertension ( P <0.05). Analysis within the same-sex twin pairs found that the concordance rate of hypertension was 43.2% in MZ and 27.0% in DZ, and the difference was statistically significant ( P <0.001). The heritability of hypertension was 22.1% (95% CI : 16.3%- 28.0%). Stratified by gender, age, and region, the concordance rate of hypertension in MZ was still higher than that in DZ. The heritability of hypertension was higher in female participants. Conclusions: There were differences in the distribution of hypertension among twins with different demographic and regional characteristics. It is indicated that genetic factors play a crucial role in hypertension in different genders, ages, and regions, while the magnitude of genetic effects may vary.

Background: The mechanism driving dysthyroid optic neuropathy (DON) is unclear. Diffusion-tensor imaging (DTI) allows for noninvasively assessing the microstructure of the entire visual pathway and may facilitate a better understanding of the mechanism of DON., Purpose: To assess microstructural changes of the whole visual pathway and to investigate the potential mechanism of trans-synaptic damage（TSD） pathogenesis in DON with DTI., Study Type: Cross-sectional., Population: Sixty-four patients with bilateral thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO), 30 with and 34 without DON, and 30 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HCs)., Field Strength/sequence: 3 T/DTI (A single-shot diffusion-weighted echo-planar imaging sequence)., Assessment: Differences in DTI parameters including fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), axial diffusivity (AD), and radial diffusivity (RD) in each segment (optic nerve, tract, and radiation) of the entire visual pathway among the groups were compared. The parameters of visual evoked potentials (VEPs), visual field tests, and mean retinal nerve fiber layer (mRNFL) thickness on optical coherence tomography were also compared across patients., Statistical Tests: Student's t-test, chi-square test; ANOVA with post-hoc testing, interclass correlation coefficient, and correlation analysis. Significance level: P < 0.05., Results: TAO patients with DON showed significantly reduced mRNFL thickness and abnormal VEPs. There was a tendency for gradually reduced FA and AD, and increased RD and MD from HCs, with non-DON to with DON in optic nerve and tract, statistically. For radiation, the RD and MD showed statistical increase, the AD and FA just showed numerical decrease (P = 0.119 and 0.059, respectively). For DON, the FA and MD of visual pathway segments showed correlations with abnormal VEPs., Data Conclusion: DTI may be a useful tool for detecting microstructural changes in the entire visual pathway in DON. The changes in RNFL thickness and DTI parameters suggested TSD as a potential pathogenic mechanism of DON., Evidence Level: 4 Technical Efficacy: Stage 5., (© 2022 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.)

As a canonical non-climacteric fruit, strawberry ( Fragaria spp.) ripening is mainly mediated by abscisic acid (ABA), which involves multiple other phytohormone signalings. Many details of these complex associations are not well understood. We present an coexpression network, involving ABA and other phytohormone signalings, based on weighted gene coexpression network analysis of spatiotemporally resolved transcriptome data and phenotypic changes of strawberry receptacles during development and following various treatments. This coexpression network consists of 18,998 transcripts and includes transcripts related to phytohormone signaling pathways, MADS and NAC family transcription factors and biosynthetic pathways associated with fruit quality. Members of eight phytohormone signaling pathways are predicted to participate in ripening and fruit quality attributes mediated by ABA, of which 43 transcripts were screened to consist of the hub phytohormone signalings. In addition to using several genes reported from previous studies to verify the reliability and accuracy of this network, we explored the role of two hub signalings, small auxin up-regulated RNA 1 and 2 in receptacle ripening mediated by ABA, which are also predicted to contribute to fruit quality. These results and publicly accessible datasets provide a valuable resource to elucidate ripening and quality formation mediated by ABA and involves multiple other phytohormone signalings in strawberry receptacle and serve as a model for other non-climacteric fruits., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Li, Shi, Jia, Yang, Sun, Lu, Giovannoni, Jiang, Rose and Chen.)

There is clear evidence that high sodium intake is associated with many health issues including hypertension and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Several national and worldwide studies have estimated deaths from CVDs attributable to high sodium. But how to evaluate the impact of high sodium intake on diseases using regional routine monitoring and investigation data is necessary and important. Our study aimed to quantitatively evaluate the high sodium intake attributed to CVDs deaths based on the routine monitoring data from China National Nutrition and Health Survey (CNNHS) in Tianjin, China. The population attributable fractions (PAF) were calculated by comparing the observed systolic blood pressure (SBP) distribution with the theoretical minimum or counterfactual distribution by sex and age groups. The results showed that CVDs deaths due to elevated SBP were 22728 (95% uncertainty intervals: 22679-23050), accounting for 62.8% of total CVDs deaths. According to sodium intake recommended by World Health Organization (WHO), PAF of CVDs deaths attributable to high sodium diet in our study was 14.6% of total CVDs deaths, accounting for 5228 (95% UI: 5005-5998) cases. The dietary sodium intake of residents is nearly three times than sodium intake recommended by WHO. If sodium intake was reduced to reference level, the potential avoidable CVD deaths attributable to the SBP-raising effect were more than 5200 among adults 25 aged and over in Tianjin. This evaluation method can be extended to other cities., (© 2022 The Authors. The Journal of Clinical Hypertension published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Objectives: There is little evidence in the literature about the relationship between frailty and falls in older adults. Our objective was to explore the relationship between frailty and falls, and to analyze the effect factors (e.g., gender, different frailty assessment tools, areas, level of national economic development, and year of publication) of the association between frailty and falls among older adults., Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis., Setting and Participants: Cohort studies that evaluated the association between frailty and falls in the older adults were included. We excluded any literature outside of cohort studies., Methods: We did a systematic literature search of English databases PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, EBSCOhost, and SciElO, as well as the Chinese databases CNKI, WANFANG, and VIP from 2001 until October 2022. The eligible studies were evaluated for potential bias using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). Study selection, data extraction and assessment of study quality were each conducted by two investigators. In Stata/MP 17.0 software, we calculated pooled estimates of the prevalence of falls by using a random-effects model, Subgroup analysis was conducted based on gender, different frailty assessment tools, areas, level of economic development, and year of publication. The results are presented using a forest plot., Results: Twenty-nine studies were included in this meta-analysis and a total of 1,093,270 participants aged 65 years and above were enrolled. Among the older adults, frailty was significantly associated with a higher risk for falls, compared with those without frailty (combined RR-relative risk = 1.48, 95% CI-confidence interval: 1.27-1.73, I2=98.9%). In addition, the results of subgroup analysis indicated that men had a higher risk for falls than women among the older adults with frailty (RR 1.94, 95% CI: 1.18-3.2 versus RR 1.44, 95% CI: 1.24-1.67). Subgroup analysis by different frailty assessment tools revealed an increased risk of falls in older adults with frailty when assessed using the Frailty Phenotype (combined RR 1.32, 95%CI: 1.17-1.48), FRAIL score (combined RR 1.82, 95%CI: 1.36-2.43), and Study of Osteoporotic Fractures index (combined RR 1.54, 95%CI: 1.10-2.16). Furthermore, subgroup analysis by areas and level of national economic development found the highest fall risk in Oceania (combined RR 2.35, 95%CI: 2.28-2.43) and the lowest in Europe (combined RR 1.20, 95%CI: 1.05-1.38). Developed countries exhibited a lower fall risk compared to developing countries (combined RR 1.44, 95%CI: 1.21-1.71). Analysis by year of publication showed the highest fall risk between 2013-2019 (combined RR 1.79, 95%CI: 1.45-2.20) and the lowest between 2001-2013 (combined RR 1.21, 95%CI: 1.13-1.29)., Conclusion: Frailty represents a significant risk factor for falls in older adults, with the degree of risk varying according to the different frailty assessment tools employed, and notably highest when using the FRAIL scale. Additionally, factors such as gender, areas, level of national economic development, and healthcare managers' understanding of frailty may all impact the correlation between frailty and falls. Thus, it's imperative to select suitable frailty diagnostic tools tailored to the specific characteristics of the population in question. This, in turn, facilitates the accurate identification of frailty in older adults and informs the development of appropriate preventive and therapeutic strategies to mitigate fall risk., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Purpose: Michael receptor molecules derived from plants are biologically active due to electrophilic groups in their structure. They can target nucleophilic residues on disease-related proteins, with significant therapeutic effects and low toxicity for many diseases. They provide a good option for relevant disease treatment. The aim of this study is to summarize the existing MAMs and their applications, and lay a foundation for the application of Michael receptor molecules in life science in the future. Methods: This review summarizes the published studies on Michael receptor molecules isolated from plants in literature databases such as CNKI, Wanfang Data, PubMed, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and Wiley. Latin names of plants were verified through https://www.iplant.cn/. All relevant compound structures were verified through PubChem and literature, and illustrated with ChemDraw 20.0. Result: A total of 50 Michael receptor molecules derived from various plants were discussed. It was found that these compounds have similar pharmacological potential, most of them play a role through the Keap1-Nrf2-ARE pathway and the NF-κB pathway, and have biological activities such as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. They can be used to treat inflammatory diseases and tumors. Conclusion: The Michael receptor molecule has electrophilicity due to its unsaturated aldehyde ketone structure, which can combine with nucleophilic residues on the protein to form complexes and activate or inhibit the protein pathway to play a physiological role. Michael receptor molecules can regulate the Keap1-Nrf2-ARE pathway and the NF-κB pathway. Michael receptor molecules can be used to treat diseases such as inflammation, cancer, oxidative stress, etc., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Liang, Chen, Chen, Li, Chen, Jiang and Du.)

Objective: To examine the heritability of body mass index (BMI) and coronary heart disease (CHD), and to explore whether genetic factors can explain their correlation. Methods: Participants were from 11 provinces/municipalities reqistered in the Chinese National Twin Registry (CNTR) from 2010 to 2018. Participants data were collected from face-to-face questionnaire survey. Bivariate structure equation model was used to estimate the heritability and the genetic correlation of BMI and CHD. Results: A total of 20 340 pairs of same-sex twins aged ≥25 years were included in this study. After adjusting for age and gender, the heritability of BMI and CHD was 0.52 (95% CI : 0.49-0.55) and 0.76 (95% CI : 0.69-0.81), respectively. Further, a genetic correlation was identified between BMI and CHD ( r A =0.10, 95% CI :0.02-0.17). Conclusion: In Chinese adult twin population, BMI and CHD are affected by genetic factors, and their correlation can be attributed to the common genetic basis.

Hyperproteinemia is a metabolic disorder associated with increased plasma protein concentration (PPC) and is often clinically complicated by malignant diseases or severe infections. At present, however, research on the molecular mechanism underlying high PPC (HPPC) is scant. Here, an animal model of primary hyperproteinemia was constructed in an invertebrate ( Bombyx mori ) to investigate the effects of HPPC on circulating blood cells. Results showed that HPPC affected blood cell homeostasis, leading to increased reactive oxygen species levels, and induced programmed cell death dependent on the endoplasmic reticulum-calcium ion signaling pathway. HPPC induced the proliferation of blood cells, mainly granulocytes, by activating the Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK/STAT) signaling pathway. Supplementation with the endocrine hormone active substance 20E significantly reduced the impact of HPPC on blood cell homeostasis. Thus, we identified a novel signaling pathway by which HPPC affects blood cell homeostasis, which differs from hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, and hypercholesterolemia. In addition, we showed that down-regulation of gene expression of the hematopoietic factor Gcm could be used as a potential early detection indicator for hyperproteinemia.

Purpose: To investigate the correlation and prognostic significance of low triiodothyronine (T3) syndrome and norepinephrine dosage in patients with sepsis and septic shock., Methods: This single-center, retrospective, cohort study enrolled 169 patients with sepsis and septic shock that were admitted to the intensive care unit of First Hospital of Nanchang, Nanchang, China from June 2017 to July 2019. All included patients were followed up for 28 days or died, whichever was earlier. Patients with free T3 (FT3) of <3.1 pmol/L were considered with low T3 syndrome. The correlation and prognostic significance of the FT3 and maximum dosage of norepinephrine (MDN) within 72 h, as well as other clinical indicators, were analyzed by using correlation analysis, principal component analysis, receiver operating characteristic curve, Youden index, and logistic regression., Results: A total of 138 patients were allocated to the low T3 group. FT3 inversely correlated with the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score within 24 h, fluid resuscitation volume within 24 h, and lactic acid levels, and positively correlated with the mean arterial pressure. The critical values of age, SOFA, and MDN for predicting the 28-day mortality were 79.5 years, 8.5 points, and 0.61 µg/kg/min, respectively. The mortality of the low T3 and normal T3 groups was similar. Considering the MDN of 0.61 µg/kg/min as the cutoff value, the mortality between the two groups was significantly different., Conclusion: Among patients with sepsis and septic shock, FT3 was inversely correlated with the disease severity. An MDN ≥ 0.61 µg/kg/min within 72 h may be an important prognostic indicator., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest in this work., (© 2022 Zhang et al.)

Objective: To explore the gene-lifestyle interaction on coronary heart disease (CHD) in adult twins of China. Methods: Participants were selected from twin pairs registered in the Chinese National Twin Registry (CNTR). Univariate interaction model was used to estimate the interaction, via exploring the moderation effect of lifestyle on the genetic variance of CHD. Results: A total of 20 477 same-sex twin pairs aged ≥25 years were recruited, including 395 CHD cases, and 66 twin pairs both had CHD. After adjustment for age and sex, no moderation effects of lifestyles, including current smoking, current drinking, physical activity, intake of vegetable and fruit, on the genetic variance of CHD were found ( P >0.05), suggesting no significant interactions. Conclusion: There was no evidence suggesting statistically significant gene-lifestyle interaction on CHD in adult twins of China.

Objective: To evaluate the microstructural changes of the orbital optic nerve in thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) patients with or without dysthyroid optic neuropathy (DON) using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and investigate whether DTI can be used to detect DON., Materials and Methods: 59 bilateral TAO patients with (n= 23) and without DON (non-DON, n= 36) who underwent pretreatment DTI were included and 118 orbits were analyzed. The clinical features of all patients were collected. DTI parameters, including mean, axial, and radial diffusivity (MD, AD, and RD, respectively) and fractional anisotropy (FA) of the intra-orbital optic nerve for each orbit were calculated and compared between the DON and non-DON groups. ROC curves were generated to evaluate the diagnostic performance of single or combined DTI parameters. Correlations between DTI parameters and ophthalmological characteristics were analyzed using correlation analysis., Results: Compared with non-DON, the DON group showed decreased FA and increased MD, RD, and AD (P < 0.01). In the differentiation of DON from non-DON, the MD was optimal individually, and the combination of the four parameters had the best diagnostic performance. There were significant correlations between the optic nerve's four DTI metrics and the visual acuity and clinical active score (P < 0.05). In addition, optic nerve FA was significantly associated with the amplitude of visual evoked potentials (P = 0.022)., Conclusions: DTI is a promising technique in assessing microstructural changes of optic nerve in patients with DON, and it facilitates differentiation of DON from non-DON eyes in patients with TAO., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Liu, Luo, Zhai, Wu, Wang, Yuan, Jiang, Chen and Zhang.)

Objective: In recent years, many researchers have taken serum ubiquitin c-terminal hydrolase (Uch-L1) as an indicator of post-traumatic brain injury and associated it with cognitive impairment. Alzheimer's disease is characterized by cognitive impairment and energy metabolism disorders. The purpose of this study was to detect whether serum Uch-L1 is related to cognition and brain energy metabolism in healthy people, and to explore whether it can be used as an early blood marker of Alzheimer's disease., Patients and Methods: In this prospective cohort study, adult outpatients from a Grade 3A hospital were recruited. They completed the 18F-FDG-PET/CT examination in the nuclear medicine department and were screened by the Mini Mental State scale (MMSE) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment scale (MoCA). Blood samples were collected from all outpatients to detect the concentration of serum Uch-L1, and the mean standard uptake value (SUVmean) of energy metabolism in the hippocampus during PET/CT examination was collected., Results: A total of 37 participants, 14 participants with cognitive impairment (MMSE score < 27) and 23 controls (MMSE score 27-30) were included. There was a significant difference in the SUVmean of the hippocampus between the cognitive impairment group and the normal control group (p < 0.05). There was a significant correlation between the SUVmean of the hippocampus and the total score of MMSE in all participants [r = 0.439, 95% CI: (0.139-0.668), p = 0.007]. There were also significant correlations between serum Uch-L1 and MMSE. Based on the significant differences of demographic variables between groups, we conducted a multivariate linear regression analysis of MMSE cognitive scores based on age (X1), length of education (X2) and SUVmean of hippocampus (X3). The regression equation is as follows: Y = 25.709-0.072 X1 + 0.422 X2 + 0.232 X3., Conclusions: Brain cognitive ability is closely related to energy metabolism and serum Uch-L1 concentration, so serum Uch-L1 may become a blood marker for extensive screening of dementia in the future. We look forward to the introduction of a more accurate and low-cost method for detecting serum Uch-L1 concentration.

Through literature research and standard retrieval, Corydalis-derived medicinal materials, the origins, and related standards were summarized. Finally, 27 medicinal materials were screened out, involving 71 species(varieties). Among them, only 11 are recorded in Chinese Pharmacopoeia(2020), National Standard for Chinese Patent Drugs·Tibetan Medicine, Tibetan Medicine Standards, and other local standards, including Corydalis Bungeanae Herba and Corydalis Herba. The names and original plants of the medicinal materials are different in different standards, and the phenomena of &quot;same medicinal material with different names&quot; and &quot;same name for different medicinal materials&quot; are prominent. Most standards only include the traits, microscopic identification, and physico-chemical property identification, with unsound quality criteria. Thus, efforts should be made to strengthen the sorting of Corydalis medicinal plants, herbal textual research, and investigation of the resources and utilization. Moreover, via modern techniques, the chemical components and medicinal material basis of different original plants should be explored and sound quality standards should be established to improve the safety and quality of Corydalis-derived medicinal materials. Summarizing Corydalis medicinal plants, Corydalis-derived medicinal materials, and related standards, this study is expected to provide a reference for the standard formulation, quality evaluation, expansion of drug sources, and rational development and utilization of Corydalis resources.

Purpose: We aim to identify the risk factors of PPOI in patients with CD and create a nomogram for prediction of PPOI for CD., Methods: Data on 462 patients who underwent partial intestinal resection for CD in Jin-ling Hospital between January 2019 and June 2021 were retrospectively collected. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine the risk factors for PPOI and we used the risk factors to create a nomogram. Then we used the Bootstrap-Concordance index and calibration diagrams to evaluate the performance of the Nomogram. Decision curve analysis was performed to evaluate clinical practicability of the model., Results: The incidence of PPOI was 27.7% (n of N). Course of CD ≥ 10 years, operation time ≥ 154 min, the lowest mean arterial pressure ≤ 76.2 mmHg, in-out balance per body weight ≥ 22.90 ml/kg, post-op day 1 infusion ≥ 2847 ml, post-op lowest K +  ≤ 3.75 mmol/L, and post-op day 1 procalcitonin ≥ 2.445 ng/ml were identified as the independent risk factors of PPOI in patients with CD. The nomogram we created by these risk factors presented with good discriminative ability (concordance index 0.723) and was moderately calibrated (bootstrapped concordance index 0.704). The results of decision curve analysis showed that the nomogram was clinically effective within probability thresholds in the 8 to 66% range., Conclusion: The nomogram we developed is helpful to evaluate the risk of developing PPOI after partial intestinal resection for CD. Clinicians can take more necessary measures to prevent PPOI in CD's patients or at least minimize the incidence., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Acute myocardial infarction is still a burden on Chinese patients. Whether different medical insurance system have any influence on the hospitalization cost and therapeutic effect of acute myocardial infarction patient needs further investigation., Method: In this study, 600 patients were stratified by health insurance status to investigate the cost effectiveness., Result: Compared with free medical care, patients with other health insurance status have a significantly lower age (P ˂ 0.05-0.001), the youngest of which is new rural cooperative medical system. The hospital expense, nursing fee, length of stay, daily hospitalization cost, daily drug cost, daily nursing cost and percent of nursing cost of different health insurance status were statistically significant. ANCOVA analyses controlling for age showed that the differences of hospital expenses, nursing fee, length of stay and daily hospitalization cost were still statistically significant. Further studies found that health insurance status was the leading factors influencing length of stay (β = - 0.305, P = 0.0000001), nursing costs (β = - 0.319, P = 0.004), daily hospitalization costs (β = 0.296, P = 0.0001) and occurrence of clinical events (β = - 0.186, OR = 0.830, 95% CI 0.694-0.993, P = 0.041)., Conclusions: The hospitalization cost, length of stay, nursing work and therapeutic effect of acute myocardial infarction patients are affected by different health insurance status and age., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

In Alzheimer's disease and ischemic stroke, intranasal insulin can act as a neuroprotective agent. However, whether intranasal insulin has a neuroprotective effect in intracerebral hemorrhage and its potential mechanisms remain poorly understood. In this study, a mouse model of autologous blood-induced intracerebral hemorrhage was treated with 0.5, 1, or 2 IU insulin via intranasal delivery, twice per day, until 24 or 72 hours after surgery. Compared with saline treatment, 1 IU intranasal insulin treatment significantly reduced hematoma volume and brain edema after cerebral hemorrhage, decreased blood-brain barrier permeability and neuronal degeneration damage, reduced neurobehavioral deficits, and improved the survival rate of mice. Expression levels of p-AKT and p-GSK3β were significantly increased in the perihematoma tissues after intranasal insulin therapy. Our findings suggest that intranasal insulin therapy can protect the neurological function of mice after intracerebral hemorrhage through the AKT/GSK3β signaling pathway. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the North Sichuan Medical College of China (approval No. NSMC(A)2019(01)) on January 7, 2019., Competing Interests: None

Objective: To investigate the mortality trends of road traffic injury in Tianjin from 2000 to 2019, understand the mortality of road traffic injury in different populations and provide evidence for the prevention and control of road traffic injury. Methods: Mortality data of road traffic injury in Tianjin during 2000-2019 were collected from the Population Based Mortality Surveillance System in Tianjin. Population data of permanent residents were collected from Tianjin Municipal Public Security Bureau. The crude mortality rate, the Chinese age-standardized rates, and premature mortality probability and gender and area specific constituent ratio were calculated. The trends in different populations were analyzed by using Joinpoint regression analysis. The average annual percent change (AAPC) and annual percent change (APC) were calculated. Results: From 2000 to 2019, a total of 26 919 deaths due to road traffic injury occurred in Tianjin. The death constituent ratio decreased from 21.28% to 18.38% in urban males and the death constituent ratio in urban women declined from 7.01% to 6.28%. The death constituent ratio declined from 59.16% to 55.59% in rural males, whereas the death constituent ratio in rural women increased from 12.55% to 19.75%. From 2000 to 2019, the crude mortality rate of road traffic injury declined from 14.08/100 000 to 7.89/100 000, and the age-standardized mortality declined from 13.28/100 000 to 5.51/100 000. The probability of premature mortality was 0.70% in 2000 and 0.38% in 2019. The mortality rate and premature mortality probability of road traffic injury increased first, then decreased slightly and then decreased rapidly. The mortality of road traffic injury increased with age. From 2000 to 2019, the mortality of road traffic injury in males was higher than in females, but showed a rapid decline. The age-standardized mortality rate was 20.97/100 000-8.01/100 000 in males, and 5.10/100 000-2.85/100 000 in females. Compared with the urban area, the mortality rate in rural area was higher, but declined more rapidly in recent years. The age-standardized mortality rate decreased from 6.99/100 000 to 2.46/100 000 in urban area, and from 19.85/100 000 to 8.75/100 000 in rural area. As the population with the highest mortality of road traffic injury, the morality rate in males in rural area had decreased rapidly since 2016, the APC of age-standardized mortality rate from 2016 to 2019 was -18.55%. Conclusions: The effect of the road safety promotion in Tianjin was significant. The mortality of road traffic injury showed a downward trend, especially in recent years. It is necessary to strengthen the prevention and control of rode traffic injury in males, rural residents and elderly people.

Objective: To explore the gene-body mass index (BMI) interaction on coronary heart disease (CHD) in the Chinese adult twins. Methods: A total of 20 340 same-sex twin pairs registered in the Chinese National Twin Registry (CNTR) were enrolled in this study. Classical twin structure equation model was used to estimate the gene-BMI interaction on CHD. Results: After adjusting for age, we found that genetic variance of CHD differed as the function of BMI in male twins, which indicated the presence of a gene-BMI interaction on CHD ( P =0.008).The genetic moderating effect ( β a ) was -0.14 (95% CI : -0.22--0.04), indicating that for each logarithmic transformation value of BMI increase, genetic path parameters would decrease by 0.14, which would result in the decrease of genetic variance of CHD. And the heritability of CHD was 0.77 (95% CI : 0.65-0.86) among the male twins with lower BMI (<24.0 kg/m 2 ), but 0.56 (95% CI : 0.33-0.74) among the male twins with high BMI (≥24.0 kg/m 2 ). However, there was no evidence suggesting that BMI could moderate genetic variants of CHD in female. Conclusion: We found a significant gene-BMI interaction on CHD in the Chinese male adult twins in China, and the heritability of CHD was higher among the twins whose BMI was <24.0 kg/m 2 .

Objective: To explore the incidence characteristics of hemorrhagic stroke among residents in Tianjin from 1999 to 2018, to provide data for formulating accurate prevention and control strategies. Methods: The incidence rate of hemorrhagic stroke and its distribution in different ages, gender, urban and rural areas were analyzed by monitoring new hemorrhagic stroke cases in Tianjin from 1999 to 2018. The standardized incidence rate was calculated based on the six th national population census in 2010. χ 2 test was used to compare the incidence rate. The trend of age and trend of age were analyzed by trend χ 2 test. Joinpoint software was used to analyze the change in the annual incidence rate. Results: During the study period, hemorrhagic stroke accounted for 13.08% of all stroke cases. The incidence rate of a hemorrhagic stroke in Tianjin residents was 75.38/100 000-46.70/100 000, showing a downward trend ( Z =-28.63, P <0.01, APC=-1.45%). After adjustment of age and gender, the standardized rate was 57.93/100 000-27.55/100 000, still showing a downward trend ( Z =-54.72, P <0.01, APC=-3.38%). The incidence rate of male and female hemorrhagic stroke decreased, and the incidence rate of males in all ages and age groups was higher than that in females ( P <0.01). The age of onset is younger, and the standardized incidence rate of an urban hemorrhagic stroke in the city decreases ( P <0.01), and the city descends faster. Conclusions: The characteristics of hemorrhagic stroke in Tianjin are similar to those in developed countries. The lower age group and rural population are the key groups of intervention. The study of incidence characteristics and trends is of great significance for accurate prevention and control of stroke, reducing disease and medical costs.

Objective: To describe the differences in body mass index (BMI) distribution in adult twins registered in Chinese National Twin Registry (CNTR), and provide evidence for the risk factor analysis and prevention and control of overweight or obesity. Methods: A total of 32 725 twin pairs aged 18 years and above who completed the questionnaire survey during 2010-2018 and had complete registered information in CNTR and normal body weight and length were included in the analysis on the population and region specific distributions of BMI of twin pairs and the difference in BMI in twin pairs. Results: The twin pairs included in the analysis were aged (34.6±12.4) years, the twin pairs of same gender accounted for 79.7%. The average BMI was 22.5 kg/m 2 . The overall prevalence of obesity and overweight was 4.9% and 23.7%, respectively. Participants who were men, 50-59 years old, married, had lower education level, and lived in northern China had higher overweight rate and obesity rate ( P <0.001). The difference in overweight or obesity prevalence between monozygotic (MZ) twin pars and dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs was not significant, but firstborn twin pairs had slightly higher rates of overweight and obesity than later-born twin pairs ( P <0.05). The analysis in same gender-twin pairs indicated that the difference in BMI was associated with age (trend test: P <0.001), and the difference was more obvious in DZ twin pair in MZ pair and this difference increased with age. The concordant rate of BMI was higher in MZ twin pairs than DZ twin pairs ( P <0.05). Conclusion: The distribution of BMI of twin pairs varied with population and region and BMI varied with age due to its genetic nature.

Objective: To understand the influence of birth weight on the risk of chronic diseases, such as hypertension and diabetes, and the relationship between birth weight and serum uric acid in adulthood. Methods: According to the Chinese Adult Chronic Disease and Nutrition Surveillance Program, a total of 1 131 residents aged 18 years and above were enrolled from Hexi, Nankai, Hongqiao, Wuqing, Jinnan, Baodi and Jizhou districts of Tianjin. The data of birth weight and blood pressure of the residents were collected, and fasting venous blood samples were collected from them to detect uric acid, blood glucose and blood lipids levels. The distribution of birth weight of the surveyed population was described, and the relationship between birth weight and chronic diseases, such as hypertension and diabetes, and the blood uric acid level in adulthood were analyzed. Results: The average birth weight of the surveyed population in Tianjin was 3.37 kg, which was higher in males than in females. No matter overweight/obesity, hypertension or diabetes, the prevalence rate of normal birth weight was the lowest in adulthood. After univariate logistic regression analysis and adjusting for age, sex, smoking and drinking status, it was found that compared with normal birth weight, low birth weight had a stronger correlation with diabetes ( OR =2.91,95% CI :1.46-5.76) and dyslipidemia ( OR =1.79,95% CI :1.01-3.19) in adulthood. Macrosomia was strongly associated with overweight/obesity in adulthood ( OR =1.47, 95% CI :1.08-2.01). There was no significant difference in serum uric acid level among the residents with different birth weights. Conclusions: The low birth weight of the surveyed population in Tianjin was closely related to the risk of diabetes and dyslipidemia in adulthood, and the macrosomia was closely related to the risk of overweight/obesity in adulthood.

Objective: To explore the modification effect of physical activity on the genetic effects of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: The univariate moderation model was fitted to calculate the modifying effect of physical activity on the genetic effects of T2DM based on the data of 12 107 pairs of same gender twins aged 30 years and older enrolled by the Chinese National Twin Registry in 11 provinces/cities in China. Results: After adjusting for age and gender, the heritability of T2DM was 0.56 (0.31-0.84). Qualified physical activity could attenuate the genetic effects of T2DM. The heritability of T2DM in twin pairs with qualified physical activity was 0.46 (0.06-0.88), which was lower than that in twin pairs without qualified physical activity during the same model [0.68(0.36-0.94)]. Conclusion: T2DM is a moderate genetic disease, physical activity can modify the genetic effects of T2DM.

Objective: Diet balance index (DBI&#95;16) was used to evaluate the dietary status of smoking adults in Tianjin, and the relationship between DBI&#95;16 and serum uric acid was analyzed. Methods: A total of 1 478 inhabitants aged 18 and above were enrolled. The dietary status was obtained with a 3-day dietary recall and condiment weighing method. And their fasting venous blood was collected to detect uric acid. Food intake and DBI&#95;16 scores of smokers and non-smokers were described, and the relationship among smoking, diet quality distance (DQD-DBI), and serum uric acid was analyzed. Results: The intake of vegetables, fruits, and milk of smokers in Tianjin was lower than while the salt, oil, cereals, and aquatic products were higher than that of non-smokers. The DBI&#95;16 scores of vegetables and fruits, food types, milk, and beans of smokers were lower than those of non-smokers in Tianjin, and the scores of pure energy foods and condiments were higher than those of the non-smokers. The DQD-DBI, high bound score and low bound score of smokers in Tianjin were 42.0, 14.0, and 29.0 respectively, which were all higher than those of non-smokers. The main problems appeared as moderately inadequate intake (accounting for 67.0%), low, excessive intake (accounting for 70.9%), and moderate imbalance of intake (accounting for 67.2%). The serum uric acid of smokers was higher than in the non-smokers, and there the same result appeared under the conditions of "not suitable" in DQD-DBI. Conclusions: In Tianjin, the dietary imbalance was more evident in smokers than the non-smokers, and the serum uric acid was significantly higher than the non-smokers. Strategies as strengthening the nutrition education and intervention targeted for smokers were in urgent need.

Objective: To assess the trend and the factors responsible for the increase of life expectancy of residents in Tianjin over the past two decades. Methods: Abridged Life Table and Arriaga's decomposition method was applied to quantify the influence of the age structure and the leading causes of death on the increase of life expectancy of residents in Tianjin from 1999 to 2018. Results: In the past 20 years, the life expectancy of residents in Tianjin increased by 4.97 years, the life expectancy of men and women increased by 4.11 years and 5.86 years, respectively. The decrease of mortality rate in 0-year-old group contributed 19.17% to the increase of the life expectancy, while the decrease of mortality rate in residents aged ≥55 years contributed more to the increase of life expectancy, with the cumulative contribution rate of 67.38%. The major contribution to the increase of life expectancy was the mortality reduction of cerebrovascular disease, respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, perinatal diseases, congenital malformations and injury, with the contribution percentage of 27.27%, 21.37%, 15.76%, 12.22%, 6.44% and 4.86%, respectively. The increase of mortality of malignant tumor, injury and poisoning, diabetes and nervous system diseases and others had a negative effect on the increase of life expectancy of people aged ≥75 years. From 1999 to 2018, the life expectancy increased from 76.72 years to 81.46 years ( t =9.11, P <0.001), the annual percent change (APC) was 0.58%. From 2011 to 2018, it was stable, ranging from 81.46 years to 81.69 years ( t =0.89, P =0.387, APC=0.13%). Conclusion: From 1999 to 2018, the increase of life expectancy was attributed to the decrease of mortalities in infants and the elderly and the decrease of mortalities of cerebro-cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, perinatal disease, congenital malformations and injury. However, these positive contributions were partly offset by the negative contribution of malignant tumor, injury, diabetes and nervous system disease in those aged ≥75 years. Comprehensive prevention and control of key diseases should be strengthened in key population in order to further improve the life expectancy of the population.

Objective: Prediction of therapy response to intravenous methylprednisolone pulses (ivMP) is crucial for thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO). Image histograms may offer sensitive imaging biomarkers for therapy effect prediction. This study aimed to investigate whether pretherapeutic, multiparametric T2 relaxation time(T2RT) histogram features of extraocular muscles (EOMs) can be used to predict therapy response., Materials and Methods: Forty-five active and moderate-severe TAO patients, who were treated with standard ivMP and underwent orbital MRI before therapy, were retrospectively included in this study. The patients were divided into responsive (n = 24, 48 eyes) and unresponsive group(n = 21, 42 eyes) according to clinical evaluation. Baseline clinical features of patients and histogram-derived T2RT parameters of the EOMs were analyzed and compared. Logistic regression model was conducted to determine independent predictors, and a histogram features nomogram was formulated for personalized prediction., Results: Responsive group displayed lower values for 5 th , 10 th percentiles (P < 0.050, respectively), and higher values for 75 th , 90 th , and 95 th percentiles, skewness, entropy, and inhomogeneity (P < 0.050, respectively) than unresponsive group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that 95 th percentile of >88.1 [odds ratio (OR) = 12.078; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 3.98-36.655, p < 0.001], skewness of >0.31 (OR = 3.935; 95% CI = 2.28-6.788, p < 0.001) and entropy of >3.41 (OR = 4.375; 95% CI = 2.604-7.351, p < 0.001) were independent predictors for favorable response. The nomogram integration of three independent predictors demonstrated optimal predictive efficiency, with a C-index of 0.792., Conclusions: Pre-treatment volumetric T2RT histogram features of EOMs could function to predict the response to ivMP in patients with TAO. The nomogram based on histogram features facilitates the selection of patients who will derive maximal benefit from ivMP., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Liu, Luo, Chen, Wang, Yuan, Jiang and Zhang.)

Using histogram analysis of T2 values to detect early involvement of extraocular muscles (EOMs) in patients with thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO). Five EOMs of each orbit were analyzed for 45 TAO patients and 22 healthy controls (HCs). Patients' EOMs were grouped into involved or normal-appearing EOMs (NAEOMs). Histogram parameters and signal intensity ratios (SIRs) of EOMs were compared; receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to differentiate NAEOMs from EOMs of HCs. 24 patients were reassessed following immunosuppressive treatment. For SIRs, involved muscles showed higher values than those of NAEOMs and HCs (p < 0.05); there were no differences between NAEOMs and HCs (p = 0.26). Parameters of involved muscles showed no different from those of NAEOMs excluding 25th, 50th percentiles, and standard deviation (SD) (p < 0.05). NAEOMs displayed higher values of 90th, 95th percentiles, SD, skewness, inhomogeneity, and entropy than HCs (p < 0.05). ROC curve analysis of entropy yielded the best area under the ROC curve (AUC; 0.816) for differentiating NAEOMs and HCs. After treatment, histogram parameters including 5th, 75th, 90th, and 95th percentiles, SD, kurtosis, inhomogeneity, and entropy were reduced in NAEOMs (p < 0.05). T2 histogram analysis could detect early involvement of EOMs in TAO prior to detection on conventional orbital MRI.

Objective: To analyze the characteristics of newly reported HIV/AIDS cases in medical institutions in Tianjin from 2005 to 2017 and provide evidence for the improvement of AIDS prevention and treatment in medical institutions. Methods: The data of the newly reported cases of HIV/AIDS in medical institutions in Tianjin from 2005 to 2017 were analyzed. Meanwhile a retrospective survey was conducted on the source department of medical institutions and the main disease for treatment of HIV/AIDS cases. Results: A total of 3 035 HIV/AIDS cases were reported in medical institutions in Tianjin from 2005 to 2017 with an annual increase of 24.8 % , among these cases, 49.2 % (1 343/2 728) were reported from inpatients and 50.8 % (1 385/2 728) were reported from outpatients. There was an increasing trend in the HIV positive detection rate in STD outpatients from 2011 to 2017 ( χ (2)=18.469, P =0.005). The counts of the first CD(4)(+) T cell counts (CD(4)) ( χ (2)=17.189, P =0.000) among the cases from inpatients and outpatients and the proportions of deaths in the year when the cases were found differed ( χ (2)=61.198, P =0.000), the differences were significant. And the statistically significant differences in the counts of the first CD(4) ( χ (2)=16.751, P =0.000) and the proportions of deaths in the year when the cases were found ( χ (2)=18.926, P =0.000) existed among the cases in grade Ⅲ hospitals and in grade Ⅱ hospitals; meanwhile the differences in the counts of the first CD(4) ( χ (2)=37.620, P =0.000) and the proportions of deaths in the year when the cases was found ( χ (2)=95.489, P =0.000) among the cases from different departments were significant. Conclusion: The timeliness of HIV/AIDS case reporting by outpatient departments was better in medical institutions in Tianjin, and the case reporting in grade Ⅱ hospitals were more timely than in grade Ⅲ hospitals; so it is suggested to provide active HIV test in key departments of medical institutions for the better HIV/AIDS prevention and control in Tianjin.

Objective: To analyze the trends of mortality and years of life lost (YLL) of breast cancer in women in Tianjin and provide references for the development of intervention strategies. Methods: The crude mortality rate, standard mortality rate, cumulative rate (0-74 years old) and truncated rate (35-64 years old) of breast cancer in women in Tianjin from 1999 to 2017 were calculated. The annual percentage change of the mortality rate and YLL rate were analyzed by Joinpoint regression. Results: From 1999 to 2017, a total of 8 356 deaths of breast cancer were reported in Tianjin, resulting in a YLL of 262 835.53 person-years. The average crude mortality rate was 9.15/100 000. The average age standardized rate(ASR) (World) was 6.14/100 000. The ratio of ASR (World) between urban and rural areas was 1.73∶1. The peak mortality ratio of age groups between urban area and rural area was 3.13∶1. From 1999 to 2017, both the crude mortality rate and ASR of breast cancer in Tianjin had rising trends. In 2017, the crude mortality rate and the ASR of breast cancer increased by 113.7% and 44.4% respectively compared with 1999. The increase of urban mortality mainly came from elderly group aged ≥75 years, and the mortality of young age groups in rural area showed an fast increases, which was most obvious in age group 45-59 years (average annual percentage change=3.6%, P <0.01). Conclusions: The mortality rate of breast cancer and disease burden in women in Tianjin are still in rapid increase. We should continue to implement the prevention and control strategies such as lifestyle intervention and screening of key groups. More attention need to be paid to the increase of breast cancer incidence in rural area.

Amaranth is an excellent source of various bioactive compounds that could be beneficial in the prevention of some human diseases. This study investigated the extraction and characterization of bioactive compounds from amaranth using ultra-sonication and agitation at 30, 50 and 70 °C. Color L* values showed significant ( p < 0.05) differences at 70 °C between ultra-sonication and agitation. Ultra-sonication temperature had significant effect on L* and a* values whereas agitation temperature did not have a significant effect on L*, a* and b* values. No significant ( p < 0.05) differences were found in terms of total phenol, total flavonoid, DPPH •+ , ABTS + scavenging activity, betacyanins, betaxanthin and betanicaicd between ultra-sonication and agitation. However, temperature had a significant ( p < 0.05) effect on total phenol (8.64-10.598 mg/g), DPPH + scavenging activity (84.36-94.44%), betacyanins (4585.95-5325.32 mg/100 g), betaxanthin (1312.56-1524.06 mg/100 g) and betalamic acid (1408.15-1790.22 mg/100 g) in ultra-sonication. Higher temperature (70 °C) showed greater amount of arbutin and hydroxybenzoic acid than those of lower temperature (30 °C) for both extraction methods. Meanwhile, temperature did not affect vanillic acid, p -coumaric acid and ferulic acid for both samples. Fourier-transformed infrared (FTIR) spectrometry showed that ultra-sonication and agitation resulted in similar effect on the structure of amaranth extracts. Higher temperature was correlated with bioactive compounds, which were observed by principal component analysis (PCA). Therefore, agitation at 70 °C could be used as an alternative for ultra-sonication to improve the bioactive compounds and antioxidant activities of amaranth. In addition, agitation and ultra-sonication techniques might be served as an alternative of conventional technique.

Objective: To explore the genetic and environmental effects on alcohol intake. Methods: Data on 9 231 pairs of adult twins of the same sex was collected from the Chinese National Twin Registry (CNTR), between 2015 and 2018 and used in this study. Structural equation model was used to estimate the effects of genetic and environmental factors on alcohol intake. Results: A total of 9 231 pairs of twins were included in the analysis, of which 6 085 pairs were monozygotic (MZ). The average age of MZ was (36.91±13.07) years old, and males accounted for 56.80 % . The average age of dizygotic twins (DZ) was (35.22±12.48) years old, and males accounted for 55.91 % . There were 350 pairs of alcohol-drinking twins were with high-risk, accounting for 1.90 % and another 367 pairs (1.99 % ) were with medium-risk. Alcohol-drinkers with medium-risk were affected by additive genetics, common and unique environmental factors, seen among the twins. The overall heritability appeared as 24.3 % (95 %CI : 0 to 56.8 % ). Furthermore, 50.7 % of the variation (95 %CI : 20.4 % -79.0 % ) could be explained by the common environmental factors and 24.9 % (95 %CI : 18.3 % -36.5 % ) by unique environmental factors. High-risk related drinking behavior was affected by both common and unique environmental factors. The common environmental component appeared as 75.6 % (95 %CI : 69.6 % -80.8 % ) and unique environmental component as 24.4 % (95 %CI : 19.2 % -30.4 % ), respectively. Gender difference was seen in the heritability of those with medium or high-risk drinking behaviors. The heritability of men was 30.8 % (95 %CI : 9.8 % -53.5 % ), while in women it was mainly affected by the environment. Conclusion: Both alcohol drinkers with medium and high-risk drinking behaviors were mainly affected by the environment factors and gender. With the increase of drinking volume, the effect of environment on drinking behaviors became more obvious.

Objective: To analyze the heritability of coronary heart disease (CHD) among the Chinese twin adults. Methods: A total of 20 477 same-sex twin pairs aged 25 years and older from the Chinese National Twin Registry were interviewed. Structure equation model was used to estimate the heritability of CHD. Results: After adjusting for age and gender, the overall heritability of CHD was 0.75(0.68-0.81). Stratified analyses showed that genetic factors play a more important role in CHD incidence in ≥40 years or female twins. While the development of CHD was mainly influenced by environmental factors in 25-39 years or male twins. Conclusion: CHD is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors and the heritability is high.

Objective: To quantitate the association between birth weight and phenotypes of physical indicators in adulthood, i.e. BMI and waist circumference (WC) and to what degree genetic or environmental factors affect birth weight-obesity association. Methods: A total of 6 623 gender matched twin pairs aged 25 to 79 years were recruited through the Chinese National Twin Registry. The twins reported their own birth weight, current height and weight, and WC using a self-administered questionnaire. BMI was calculated according to the self-reports of body height and weight. Within twin-pair design was used to quantitate the association between birth weight and phenotypes related to obesity while bivariate structural equation models were used to decompose the phenotype correlation. Results: After adjusted for multiple factors, twin-pair analyses within monozygotic (MZ) showed that, on average, a 1.0 kg increase in birth weight corresponded to an increase of 0.33 kg/m(2) in BMI and 0.95 cm in WC in adulthood ( P <0.001). Bivariate structural equation models showed significant positive unique environmental correlation between birth weight and the two obesity-related phenotypes. Conclusion: The study supported the role of twin-specific supply line factors on relationship between birth weight and physical indicators in adulthood.

RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) have been shown to be involved in posttranscriptional regulation, which plays an important role in the pathophysiology of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Peroxiredoxin 1 (Prdx1), an RBP, plays an important role in regulating inflammation and apoptosis. On the basis that inflammation and apoptosis may contribute to ICH-induced brain injury, in this study, we used ICH models coupled with in vitro experiments, to investigate the role and mechanism of Prdx1 in regulating inflammation and apoptosis by acting as an RBP after ICH. We first found that Prdx1 was significantly up-regulated in response to ICH-induced brain injury and was mainly expressed in astrocytes and microglia in ICH rat brains. After overexpressing Prdx1 by injecting adeno-associated virus (AAV) into the striatum of rats at 3 weeks, we constructed ICH models and found that Prdx1 overexpression markedly reduced inflammation and apoptosis after ICH. Furthermore, RNA immunoprecipitation combined with high-throughput sequencing (RIP-seq) in vitro revealed that Prdx1 affects the stability of inflammation- and apoptosis-related mRNA, resulting in the inhibition of inflammation and apoptosis. Finally, overexpression of Prdx1 significantly alleviated the symptoms and mortality of rats subjected to ICH. Our results show that Prdx1 reduces ICH-induced brain injury by targeting inflammation- and apoptosis-related mRNA stability. Prdx1 may be an improved therapeutic target for alleviating the brain injury caused by ICH., (Copyright © 2020 Yang, Huang, Yuan, Zhang, Gong, Chen, Xie, Xie, Chen, Qiu, Zhou, Xu, Jiang, Xiong and Yang.)

Objective: To analyze the long-term trend of mortality and years of life lost (YLL) of gastric cancer in Tianjin from 1999 to 2015. Methods: From January 1, 1999 to December 31, 2015, the data of gastric cancer deaths was collected from the Tianjin death surveillance system. The inclusion criteria of death due to gastric cancer were coded by using 151 in the 9(th) edition of the international classification of diseases (ICD) (1999-2002) and C16 in the 10(th) edition of ICD (2003-2015). The crude and age-standardized mortality rate (ASR) of gastric cancer was calculated according to Segi's world standard population. YLL was calculated according to the standard method of the disease burden of WHO. The Joinpoint regression was used to calculate the average annual percentage change (AAPC) to indicate the trend of mortality and YLL of gastric cancer. Results: From 1999 to 2015, there were 20 000 deaths of gastric cancer in Tianjin. The proportion of gastric cancer death in the population aged 0-44 years old, 45-64 years old, and 65 years old and above was 4.9%, 30.4%, and 64.8%, respectively. The proportion of males and urban was 67.1% and 67.5%, respectively. From 1999 to 2015, the crude mortality rate was from 12.10/100 000 to 12.58/100 000. The ASR was from 11.04/100 000 to 7.24/100 000. The average annual YLL number was 29 625.83 person-years and the rate was 3.09 person-years per thousand people. From 1999 to 2015, the crude mortality rate and the PYLL of gastric cancer in Tianjin were stable (the AAPC was 0.34% and -0.24%, all P values >0.05). The ASR showed a downward trend (AAPC=-2.58%, P< 0.001). Conclusion: From 1999 to 2015, the ASR of gastric cancer in Tianjin showed a downward trend, and the YLL of gastric cancer was stable.