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Background: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in Cushingžs syndrome (CS). Primary bilateral macro-nodular adrenal hyperplasia (PBMAH), is a rare cause of CS that is clinically distinct from the other common types of CS, but cardiac characteristics have been poorly studied. Methods: The clinical data, steroid hormones and echocardiographic variables of 17 patients with PBMAH were collected. Twenty-one CS patients with cortisol-producing adenoma (CPA) were collected as controls. The similarities and differences of clinical and cardiac features between the two groups were compared. Results: In the PBMAH group, the proportion of female was lower (35.30 vs 100.00%), the age was older (55.76 ± 2.42 years vs 39.57 ± 2.72 years), and the course of disease was longer 13.00 (5.00, 21.50) years vs 1.58 (1.00, 5.00) years. The proportion of PBMAH patients with hypertension was higher than that of CPA patients (100.00% vs 61.90%). Plasma cortisol and 24h urinary free cortisol (24h UFC) were lower in PBMAH patients than that in CPA patients morning cortisol 19.50 (15.35, 24.48) mg/dL vs 28.30 (22.88, 29.89) mg/dL, 24h UFC 106.20 (65.35, 156.58) vs 506.23 (292.53, 712.18) mg. The PBMAH group had longer right ventricular diameter (24.06 ± 1.23 mm vs 20.48 ± 0.83 mm), left atrial diameter (39.41 ± 1.15 mm vs 32.86 ± 0.76 mm), and a higher rate of diastolic dysfunction (76.50% vs 38.10%) than the CPA group. Univariate regression analysis showed that combination of hypertension and duration of hypertension had significant effects on left atrial diameter (b=6.383, P=0.001; b = 0.276, P

The newly identified XBB.1.16‐containing sublineages, including XBB.1.5, have become the prevailing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) variant in circulation. Unlike previous Omicron XBB variants (e.g., XBB.1.5 and XBB.1.9) harboring the F486P substitution, XBB.1.16 also carries a T478R substitution in the receptor‐binding domain (RBD). Numerous researchers have delved into the high transmissibility and immune evasion of XBB.1.16 subvariant. Therefore, developing a new vaccine targeting XBB.1.16, including variants of concern (VOCs), is paramount. In our study, we engineered a recombinant protein by directly linking the S‐RBD sequence of the XBB.1.16 strain of SARS‐CoV‐2 to the sequences of two heptad repeat sequences (HR1 and HR2) from the SARS‐CoV‐2 S2 subunit. Named the recombinant RBDXBB.1.16‐HR/trimeric protein, this fusion protein autonomously assembles into a trimer. Combined with an MF59‐like adjuvant, the RBDXBB.1.16‐HR vaccine induces a robust humoral immune response characterized by high titers of neutralizing antibodies against variant pseudovirus and authentic VOCs and cellular immune responses. Additionally, a fourth heterologous RBDXBB.1.16‐HR vaccine enhances both humoral and cellular immune response elicited by three‐dose mRNA vaccines. These findings demonstrate that the recombinant RBDXBB.1.16‐HR protein, featuring the new T478R mutation, effectively induces solid neutralizing antibodies to combat newly emerged XBB variants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid, in situ, and real‐time molecule mapping on rough surfaces with high accuracy has long been one of the paramount challenges in many fields. Here, an effortless Ag NPs doped glycerol liquid film SERS substrate (g‐LFS) is developed to investigate the distribution of contaminants on different types of rough surfaces. After substrate optimization, the g‐LFS is characterized in terms of uniformity, reproducibility, and stability with time. The substrate showed an excellent signal stability, even after 96.5 h of usage or 19 days of storage, together with great uniformity (7.4% RSD) and reproducibility (7.1% RSD). As a proof of concept, the distribution of Rhodamine 6G(R6G) dye on rough fabric and the R6G migration in different plant types and tissues have been explored. The g‐LFS substrate demonstrated great accuracy, detecting R6G even in deep fabric grooves, recovering 82.4% of the initial concentration. Moreover, the g‐LFS SERS substrate detected significantly different concentrations in root, stem and leave tissues of bean sprouts, as well as between xylem and phloem in vascular plant branches. Overall, the g‐LFS substrate is proven to be well‐suited for in situ detection on rough surfaces with great versatility and robustness, aggregating new opportunities for contaminant investigation on food and plants using SERS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a common chronic disease affecting humans globally. It is characterized by abnormally elevated blood glucose levels due to the failure of insulin production or reduction of insulin sensitivity and functionality. Insulin and glucagon‐like peptide (GLP)‐1 replenishment or improvement of insulin resistance are the two major strategies to treat diabetes. Recently, optogenetics that uses genetically encoded light‐sensitive proteins to precisely control cell functions has been regarded as a novel therapeutic strategy for diabetes. Here, we summarize the latest development of optogenetics and its integration with synthetic biology approaches to produce light‐responsive cells for insulin/GLP‐1 production, amelioration of insulin resistance and neuromodulation of insulin secretion. In addition, we introduce the development of cell encapsulation and delivery methods and smart bioelectronic devices for the in vivo application of optogenetics‐based cell therapy in diabetes. The remaining challenges for optogenetics‐based cell therapy in the clinical translational study are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]