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Evidence on the association between oral health and mortality is inconclusive, and few studies have accounted for non-random selection bias in estimating their relationship. The present study aims to investigate the link between oral health and mortality in community-dwelling older adults by adjusting confounding factors with a doubly robust survival estimation. Data came from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III, 1988-1994) and linked the National Death Index (NDI) mortality data through December 2015. The analytic sample consisted of 4,880 adults aged 50 years and above. Oral health measures included subjective oral health evaluation (self-rated oral health) and objective clinical indicators (edentulism, periodontitis, and untreated dental caries). Cox proportional hazards regression models and inverse probability weighting with regression adjustment (IPWRA) were utilized to assess the relationship between oral health and mortality. Good self-rated oral health was significantly associated with lower mortality risk (hazard ratio: 0.83, 95% CI: 0.74-0.93). Moderate periodontitis (hazard ratio: 1.18, 95% CI: 1.05-1.33), severe periodontitis (hazard ratio: 1.50, 95% CI: 1.21-1.87), and edentulism (hazard ratio: 1.13, 95% CI: 1.01-1.26) were significantly associated with higher risks of all-cause mortality, adjusting for socio-demographic characteristics, medical conditions, and health behaviors. Untreated dental caries was related to mortality in Cox models, but became non-significant when IPWRA estimators were applied. Both subjective and objective oral health are risk factors for mortality among older adults. Maintaining good oral health plays a crucial role in longevity.

Successful outpatient anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction hinges on effective analgesia. Routinely, oral narcotic agents have been the preferred analgesic postoperatively in orthopaedic surgery. However, these agents have several known adverse effects and are associated with a potential for abuse. This study evaluates the efficacy of ketorolac, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug with analgesic properties, as an adjuvant agent for postoperative pain control after ACL reconstruction.Adult patients undergoing primary ACL reconstruction were prospectively enrolled. Exclusion criteria involved patients with a history of bleeding diathesis, renal dysfunction, chronic analgesia use, or alcohol abuse. Eligible patients were randomized into one of two groups. The control group received a standard-of-care pain protocol involving oxycodone-acetaminophen 5 to 325 on discharge. The ketorolac group additionally received intravenous ketorolac postoperatively and 3 days of oral ketorolac on discharge. Pain levels and total narcotic utilization were recorded three times per day for the first 5 days after surgery. Pain and functional outcomes were obtained at 2 and 6 weeks postoperatively.The final analysis included 48 patients; the mean age of the cohort was 32 ± 11.6 years, and 60.4% of patients were female. No differences were observed in preoperative demographics, comorbidities, and preoperative functional scores between the two groups. Over the first 5 days after surgery, patients in the ketorolac group consumed a mean of 45.4% fewer narcotic pills than the control group (P0.001). In addition, mean postoperative pain scores were 22.36 points lower for patients in the ketorolac group (P0.001). There was no difference in functional outcome scores at up to 6 weeks postoperatively or adverse events between the two groups with no reported cases of gastrointestinal bleeding.The use of adjunctive intravenous and short-term oral ketorolac substantially reduces narcotic utilization and pain levels after ACL reconstruction.NCT04246554.

The ligand 2,7-bis(6-methyl-2-pyridyl)-1,8-naphthyridine (

This article discusses the clinical value of Pegylated Interferon (PEG-IFN) α-2a combined with entecavir or tenofovir in the treatment of Chronic Hepatitis B (CHB) genotype C patients. 78 patients with CHB genotype C were divided into three groups: control group, entecavir group, and tenofovir group according to different treatment methods. The efficacy and adverse reaction (AR) of the three groups are observed during 12 months of treatment and after drug withdrawal, and the clinical efficacy and safety of the three treatment methods are evaluated. The experimental results show that the sustained response rate (RR) in the tenofovir and entecavir groups is higher than that in the controls. The incidence of total AR in the tenofovir group is significantly higher than that in the control and entecavir groups. PEG-IFN α-2a and entecavir or tenofovir are more effective, and tenofovir has an antiviral effect.

The most important consideration in determining treatment strategies for undifferentiated early gastric cancer (UEGC) is the risk of lymph node metastasis (LNM). Therefore, identifying a potential biomarker that predicts LNM is quite useful in determining treatment.To develop a machine learning (ML)-based integral procedure to construct the LNM gray-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) prediction model.We retrospectively selected 526 cases of UEGC confirmed through pathological examination after radical gastrectomy without endoscopic treatment in four tertiary hospitals between January 2015 to December 2021. We extracted GLCM-based features from grayscale images and applied ML to the classification of candidate predictive variables. The robustness and clinical utility of each model were evaluated based on the following factors: Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC), decision curve analysis, and clinical impact curve.GLCM-based feature extraction significantly correlated with LNM. The top 7 GLCM-based factors included inertia value 0° (IV_0), inertia value 45° (IV_45), inverse gap 0° (IG_0), inverse gap 45° (IG_45), inverse gap full angle (IG_all), Haralick 30° (Haralick_30), Haralick full angle (Haralick_all), and Entropy. The areas under the ROC curve (AUCs) of the random forest classifier (RFC) model, support vector machine, eXtreme gradient boosting, artificial neural network, and decision tree ranged from 0.805 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.258-1.352] to 0.925 (95%CI: 0.378-1.472) in the training set and from 0.794 (95%CI: 0.237-1.351) to 0.912 (95%CI: 0.355-1.469) in the testing set, respectively. The RFC (training set: AUC: 0.925, 95%CI: 0.378-1.472; testing set: AUC: 0.912, 95%CI: 0.355-1.469) model that incorporates Entropy, Haralick_all, Haralick_30, IG_all, IG_45, IG_0, and IV_45 had the highest predictive accuracy.The evaluation results indicate that the method of selecting radiological and textural features becomes more effective in the LNM discrimination against UEGC patients. Additionally, the ML-based prediction model developed using the RFC can be used to derive treatment options and identify LNM, which can hence improve clinical outcomes.

Background: This study intended to investigate the mechanisms underlying the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations in nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Materials and Methods: Lung cancer tissue samples were collected from 20 patients with NSCLC (6 EGFR mutation types assigned into 2 categories and 14 EGFR wild types assigned to 4 categories). The samples were subjected to transcriptome sequencing, followed by identification of the differentially expressed mRNAs (DEMs), differentially expressed lncRNAs (DELs), and differentially expressed circRNAs (DECs) between the mutation and nonmutation groups. Function analysis and microRNA (miRNA) prediction for DEMs were performed. The correlations between long noncoding RNA (lncRNA)/circular RNA (circRNA) and messenger RNA (mRNA) were analyzed. In addition, the targeting lncRNA and circRNA of miRNA were predicted. Finally, competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network was constructed, and survival analysis for the mRNAs involved in the network was performed. Results: In total, 323 DEMs, 284 DELs, and 224 DECs were identified between EGFR mutation and nonmutation groups. The DEMs were significantly involved in gene ontology functions related to cilium morphogenesis and assembly. ceRNA networks were constructed based on the DEMs, DELs, DECs, and predicted miRNAs. Survival analysis showed that four genes in the ceRNA network, including ABCA3, ATL2, VAMP1, and APLN, were significantly associated with prognosis. The four genes were involved in several ceRNA pathways, including RP1-191J18/circ_000373/miR-520a-5p/ABCA3, RP5-1014D13/let-7i-5p/ATL2, circ_000373/miR-1293/VAMP1, and RP1-191J18/circ_000373/miR-378a-5p/APLN. Conclusion: EGFR mutations in NSCLC may be associated with cilium dysfunction and complex ceRNA regulatory mechanisms. The key RNAs in the ceRNA network may be used as promising biomarkers for predicting EGFR mutations in NSCLC.

The clinical management and prognosis differ between benign and malignant solid focal liver lesions (FLLs), as well as among different pathological types of malignant FLLs. Accurate diagnosis of the possible types of solid FLLs is important. Our previous study confirmed the value of shear wave elastography (SWE) using maximal elasticity (Emax) as the parameter in the differential diagnosis between benign and malignant FLLs. However, the value of SWE in the differential diagnosis among different pathological types of malignant FLLs has not been proved.To explore the value of two-dimensional SWE (2D-SWE) using Emax in the differential diagnosis of FLLs, especially among different pathological types of malignant FLLs.All the patients enrolled in this study were diagnosed as benign, malignant or undetermined FLLs by conventional ultrasound. Emax of FLLs and the periphery of FLLs was measured using 2D-SWE and compared between benign and malignant FLLs or among different pathological types of malignant FLLs.The study included 32 benign FLLs in 31 patients and 100 malignant FLLs in 96 patients, including 16 cholangiocellular carcinomas (CCCs), 72 hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) and 12 liver metastases. Thirty-five FLLs were diagnosed as undetermined by conventional ultrasound. There were significant differences between Emax of malignant (2.21 ± 0.57 m/s) and benign (1.59 ± 0.37 m/s) FLLs (Malignant FLLs were stiffer than benign ones and liver metastases were stiffer than primary liver carcinomas. 2D-SWE with Emax was a useful complement to conventional ultrasound for the differential diagnosis of FLLs.

Preeclampsia (PE) is a multisystemic and placental inflammatory disease that causes maternal and infant health issues. As one of the active components in peony root extract, paeonol (Pae) exerts anti-apoptosis and anti-inflammatory effects. Nonetheless, the protective role of Pae in PE has not yet been characterized. A mouse model of PE was constructed through tail vein injection of 1 mg/d phosphatidylserine/dioleoyl-phosphatidycholine suspension. The levels of inflammatory cytokines in the placenta were examined via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The mRNA levels of inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, IFN-γ, and IL-4) and apoptosis markers (Bax, Bcl-2, and caspase-3) were tested using quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Western blot analysis was performed to detect the protein levels of apoptosis markers and Janus kinase 2/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (JAK2/STAT3) signaling pathway-related molecules. Here, Pae repressed the inflammatory response in the placenta of PE-like mouse models, as demonstrated by the decreased concentrations and mRNA levels of TNF-α, IL-6, and IFN-γ and the increased concentrations and mRNA levels of IL-4. Apoptosis in the placentas of PE-like mouse models was attenuated by Pae, as manifested by the downregulated mRNA and protein levels of Bax and cleaved-caspase-3 and the upregulated Bcl-2. Administration of Pae inhibited the phosphorylation of JAK2 and STAT3 in the placental tissues of PE mice. The JAK2/STAT3 pathway agonist (SC-39100) reversed Pae treatment-mediated suppression of placental inflammation and apoptosis in PE mice. Overall, Pae inhibits the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway to attenuate placental inflammation and apoptosis in PE mice.

Accumulating evidence has shown that microRNAs (miRNAs) are promising biomarkers of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) response in breast cancer (BC). However, their predictive roles remain controversial. Thus, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to describe the role of miRNA expression in NAC response and prognosis in BC to increase statistical power and improve translation.A systematic review of electronic databases for relevant studies was conducted following PRISMA guidelines. Data were extracted, collated, and combined by odds ratio (OR) and hazard ratio (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to estimate the strength of the associations.Of the 560 articles screened, 59 studies were included in our systematic review, and 5 studies were included in the subsequent meta-analysis. Sixty of 123 miRNAs were found to be related with NAC response and an elevated baseline miR-7 level in tissues was associated with a higher pathological complete response rate (OR 5.63; 95% CI 2.15-14.79; P = 0.0004). The prognostic value of 39 miRNAs was also studied. Of them, 26 miRNAs were found to be associated with survival. Pooled HRs indicated that patients with increased levels of serum miR-21 from baseline to the end of the second NAC cycle and from baseline to the end of NAC had a worse disease-free survival than those with decreased levels.Our results highlight that a large number of miRNAs have possible associations with NAC response and prognosis in BC patients. Further well-designed studies are needed to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying these associations.

Understanding the diffusion behavior of solutions containing aggressive ions in saturated C-S-H nanopores is of significant importance. This simulation provides unprecedented microscopic images that reproduce the transport of solutions in saturated C-S-H channels based on molecular dynamics. Specifically, we show that the diffusion behavior of aggressive ions is hindered in saturated pore channels compared to unsaturated transport processes, leading to their reduced permeability. Due to the electrical double layers effect, The NaCl solution invasion in C-S-H nanopores is faster compared to the overflow of aqueous solutions. The hydration shells of anions and cations undergo different changes during the intrusion of ions into the C-S-H nanopores. For chloride ions with larger hydration shell radius, the adsorption capacity of the anion is significantly weakened with increasing pore size. While the hydration shell of sodium ions is more derived from the water molecules in the NaCl and is more easily hindered by the overflow of the aqueous solution in the saturated nanopore.

This study created room-temperature fermented stinky sea bass (RFSB) and reported the first analysis of the dynamic changes in physicochemical properties, volatile compounds, and bacterial communities during the fermentation process. The texture of RFSB improved after fermentation, and proton freedom and mobility were reduced. The pH of sea bass increased, while the brightness and whiteness decreased with fermentation. The total concentrations of umami amino acids, pleasant-tasting amino acids, free amino acids, and guanosine-5′-monophosphate (GMP) significantly increased following fermentation, contributing to the freshness of RFSB. Twenty-eight flavor substances were detected during RFSB processing, including trimethylamine and indole, which may account for the stinky nature of RFSB. Tetragenococcus was positively correlated with texture, pH, GMP, and free amino acids of RFSB. Achromobacter, Staphylococcus, Corynebacterium, Tetragenococcus, and Kurthia were significantly correlated with RFSB flavoring substances. This study can be used to guide future research on starter screening.

This study investigated the effects of yellow mealworm meal (TM) on growth performance, hepatic health and digestibility in juvenile largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides). The fish were fed with the basic feed and the test feed (70% basic feed and 30% raw materials) containing Cr2O3, and feces were collected for digestibility determination. The fish were fed with five isonitrogenous (47% crude protein) and isolipidic (13% crude lipid) diets, in which fishmeal (FM) was replaced with 0% (TM0), 12% (TM12), 24% (TM24), 36% (TM36) and 48% (TM48) TM. The fish were reared in cylindrical plastic tanks in a recirculating aquaculture system for 11 weeks. The apparent digestibility coefficients (ADC), of dry matter, crude protein and crude lipid, in largemouth bass of TM were 74.66%, 91.03% and 90.91%, respectively. The ADC of total amino acid (TAA) of TM in largemouth bass was 92.89%, and the ADC of essential amino acid (EAA) in TM in largemouth bass was 93.86%. The final body weight (FBW), weight gain rate (WGR) and specific growth rate (SGR) in the TM24 group were significantly higher than those in other groups. Similarly, the highest mRNA expression levels of hepatic protein metabolism genes (pi3k, mtor, 4ebp2 and got) and antioxidant enzyme (glutathione peroxidase, Gpx; catalase, Cat) activities were observed in the TM24 group. Moreover, the expression levels of anti-inflammatory factors (il-10 and tgf) in liver were up-regulated and the expression levels of pro-inflammatory factors (il-8 and il-1β) in liver were down-regulated. Quadratic regression model analysis, based on weight gain rate (WGR) against dietary TM level, indicated that the optimum level of dietary TM replacing FM in largemouth bass diet was 19.52%. Appropriate replacement levels (less than 36%) of FM by TM in the diets can enhance the antioxidant capacity and immunity of largemouth bass. However, high levels of FM substitution with TM (more than 48%) in the feeds can damage the liver health and inhibit the growth of largemouth bass. Notably, largemouth bass has high ADC and high utilization of TM, which indicates that it is feasible to use TM as feed protein source for largemouth bass.

Gait impairment leads to reduced social activities and low quality of life in people with Parkinson’s disease (PD). PD is associated with unique gait signs and distributions of gait features. The assessment of gait characteristics is crucial in the diagnosis and treatment of PD. At present, the number and distribution of gait features associated with different PD stages are not clear. Here, we used whole-body multinode wearable devices combined with machine learning to build a classification model of early PD (EPD) and mild PD (MPD). Our model exhibited significantly improved accuracy for the EPD and MPD groups compared with the healthy control (HC) group (EPD vs HC accuracy = 0.88, kappa = 0.75, AUC = 0.88; MPD vs HC accuracy = 0.94, kappa = 0.84, AUC = 0.90). Furthermore, the distribution of gait features was distinguishable among the HC, EPD, and MPD groups (EPD based on variability features [40%]; MPD based on amplitude features [30%]). Here, we showed promising gait models for PD classification and provided reliable gait features for distinguishing different PD stages. Further multicenter clinical studies are needed to generalize the findings.

Aberrant mitophagy has been identified as a driver for energy metabolism disorder in most cardiac pathological processes. However, finding effective targeted agents and uncovering their precise modulatory mechanisms remain unconquered. Fuzi, the lateral roots of Aconitum carmichaelii, shows unique efficacy in reviving Yang for resuscitation, which has been widely used in clinics. As a main cardiotonic component of Fuzi, mesaconine has been proven effective in various cardiomyopathy models. Here, we aimed to define a previously unrevealed cardioprotective mechanism of mesaconine-mediated restoration of obstructive mitophagy. The functional implications of mesaconine were evaluated in doxorubicin (DOX)-induced heart failure models. DOX-treated mice showed characteristic cardiac dysfunction, ectopic myocardial energy disorder, and impaired mitophagy in cardiomyocytes, which could be remarkably reversed by mesaconine. The cardioprotective effect of mesaconine was primarily attributed to its ability to promote the restoration of mitophagy in cardiomyocytes, as evidenced by elevated expression of PINK1, a key mediator of mitophagy induction. Silencing PINK1 or deactivating mitophagy could completely abolish the protective effects of mesaconine. Together, our findings suggest that the cardioprotective effects of mesaconine appear to be dependent on the activation of PINK1-induced mitophagy and that mesaconine may constitute a promising therapeutic agent for the treatment of heart failure.

The exploitation and utilization of Traditional Chinese medicine has produced large numbers of waste residue including Radix Angelica Dahurica residue (RAR) and raised environmental concerns. Meantime, the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug of ibuprofen (IBP) is an emerging contaminant in the aquatic environment. RAR was utilized to prepare activated carbons (AC) to remove IBP from water firstly. Two kinds AC modified without (RAR-AC) and withphosphoric acid (M-RAR-AC) were characterized by FT-IR, TG, BET and SEM. The phosphoric acid activation contributes to the high BET surface area, large total pore volume, and efficient IBP removal of M-RAR-AC. M-RAR-AC shows considerable advantages in contaminant cleanup and time efficiency than RAR-AC and commercial AC. The enhancement of IBP removal with M-RAR-AC was investigated further by varying initial pollutant concentration, absorbent dosage, temperature, pH and rotating speed. Especially, temperature nearly has no effect on IBP removal by M-RAR-AC. IBP removal of 93.3 ± 0.1% and 64.2 ± 2.8% was achieved for first and fifth cycle, respectively. Kinetic studies suggested that the pseudo-second-order model can fit well and chemisorption plays the dominant role on IBP removal. These findings provide new insights into the utilization of RAR for preparing AC and highlight the potential applications for treating industrial wastewater.

Objective. To clarify the application value of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) in evaluating the progression of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) based on difference analysis. Methods. A total of 180 patients were enrolled. Among them, 84 patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection while no progression to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were included in the control group (CG), and 96 patients with HCC developed from HBV infection were included in the research group (RG). Two-thirds of the samples were used in the training set and 1/3 samples in the validation set to detect the level of 5hmC in both groups based on the modified nano-hmC-Seal technique. The expression levels of 5hmC-related genes TET2 and TET3 were quantified by qPCR, and the correlation between TET3 and 5hmC was analyzed by Pearson’s correlation coefficients. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were drawn to evaluate the application value of the TET3-based 5hmC prediction model in the early diagnosis of HCC. Results. (i) The expression of 5hmC in RG was lower than that in CG, no matter in the training set or the validation set. (ii) 5hmC was significantly enriched in the region between the transcription initiation site and the transcription end site but was depleted in the flanking region. (iii) 5hmC-related genes TET2 and TET3 were significantly downregulated in HCC patients, whether in the training set or the validation set. (iv) In both the training and validation sets, TET3 showed a positive association with 5hmC. (v) ROC analysis results showed that the 5hmC prediction model could be used to predict the progression of CHB to HCC (training set: AUC = 0.81 , 0.729-0.893; validation set: AUC = 0.84 , 0.739-0.936). Conclusions. TET3 expression based on 5hmC sequencing is a landmark molecule for evaluating the progression of HCC in CHB patients, which is worthy of further study and promotion.

Predicting ultimate lower extremity length is important in the treatment of lower limb length discrepancy (LLD), congenital limb deficiency, and other etiologies. Utilizing skeletal age over chronological age improves the prediction of ultimate lower extremity length. The recently described modified Fels knee skeletal maturity system allows for skeletal age estimation via imaging always available in LLD patients. We sought to compare the accuracy of the modified Fels knee skeletal maturity system versus chronological age in ultimate limb length prediction of a modern adolescent clinical population.The medical records of all patients treated at our institution over a 20-year period with unilateral lower extremity pathology and available lower extremity imaging before and after reaching skeletal maturity were reviewed. Skeletal maturity was defined radiographically by closed distal femoral, proximal tibial, and proximal fibular physes. The femoral, tibial, and lower extremity length was measured in all radiographs. The modified Fels knee skeletal maturity system was applied to all radiographs obtained before maturity to estimate skeletal age. The accuracy of 3 widely utilized lower extremity length prediction systems was compared when utilizing estimated Fels skeletal age versus chronological age inputs.A total of 245 radiographs (109 before maturity) from 43 patients were eligible for inclusion. On cross-sectional analysis, linear modeling using Fels skeletal ages was uniformly associated with higher (improved) R2 values than chronological age-based models. On longitudinal analysis, skeletal age mixed-effects models had significantly lower (improved) Akaike information criterion and Bayesian information criterion values than chronological age models in all cases. Cohen d values were also significantly different (P0.05) for the skeletal age models compared with chronological age models in all cases.In the treatment of LLD, the modified Fels knee skeletal maturity system can be readily applied to available imaging to improve the prediction of ultimate femoral, tibial, and lower extremity length. This skeletal maturity system may have significant utility in the estimation of ultimate LLD and determination of appropriate timing of epiphysiodesis.Level III.

The enantioconvergent radical C(sp

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aim to investigate the relationship between particulate matter, a common proxy indicator for air pollution, and markers of inflammation, monocyte activation, and subclinical vascular disease. DESIGN: A cross sectional study. METHODS: Adolescents with perinatally acquired HIV (PHIV) and HIV-uninfected adolescents between 10 and 18 years living near Kampala, Uganda were included. Daily ambient concentrations of particulate matter (PM(2.5)) were measured from the Eastern Arica GEOHealth Hub. Outcome variables measured were carotid intima media thickness (IMT), as well as plasma markers of systemic inflammation, oxidized lipids, and gut integrity. Multivariable quantile regression models were used to explore the relationship between PM(2.5) and IMT. RESULTS: 119 participants (69 PHIV, 50 HIV-uninfected) were included. The median (Q1,Q3) age was 12.7 (11.4, 14.2) years, 55% were female. Median daily PM(2.5) exposure was 29.08 μg/m(3) (23.40, 41.70). There was no significant difference in exposure of PM(2.5) between groups (p=0.073). PM(2.5) significantly correlated with intestinal permeability (zonulin; r=0·43, p

Jiao Wang,1– 3,* Wei Cai,4,* Jiao Yu,1 Honghong Liu,1 Shasha He,1 Lingyan Zhu,1– 3 Jixiong Xu1– 3 1Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, People’s Republic of China; 2Jiangxi Clinical Research Center for Endocrine and Metabolic Disease, Nanchang, 330006, People’s Republic of China; 3Jiangxi Branch of National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Disease, Nanchang, 330006, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Medical Genetics and Cell biology, Medical College of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Jixiong Xu, Email Jixiong.Xu@ncu.edu.cnObjective: This study aimed to explore the associations between gut microbiota characteristics and glycometabolic profiles in mice fed diets high in advanced glycation end products (AGEs).Methods: C57BL/6 mice were exposed to a heat-treated diet or exogenous AGEs for 24 weeks, and glucose metabolism was assessed via the intraperitoneal glucose-tolerance test (IPGTT). Serum AGE and lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP) levels were quantified using ELISA kits. 16S rDNA sequencing was performed to analyze the changes in gut microbiota according to α- and β-diversity. Key operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were evaluated, and co-abundance groups (CAGs) were delineated using weighted correlation network analysis. Associations between CAGs and clinical parameters were analyzed using Spearman correlation; predictive functional analysis of gut microbiota was performed using Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes data.Results: We identified significant increases in fasting blood glucose (FBG) and fasting insulin levels, as well as homeostatic model assessment insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and glucose area under the receiver operating characteristic curve from IPGTT, in the high-AGE diet groups relative to controls at week 24. Serum AGE and LBP levels were elevated, and the α- and β-diversity of gut microbiota reduced in high-AGE diet groups. We identified 92 key OTUs that clustered into six CAGs, revealing positive correlations between CAG2/3/5 and insulin levels and mice weight and negative correlations between CAG1/3/4/5 and AGE, FBG, and LBP levels and HOMA-IR in mice fed high-AGE diets. We observed a reduced abundance of butyrate-producing bacteria, including Bacteroidales_S24-7, Ruminococcaceae, and Lachnospiraceae, in mice fed high-AGE diets, with pathway analysis of gut microbiota revealing significantly enriched fructose and mannose metabolism.Conclusion: High-AGE diets altered the gut microbiota composition and structure, and induced insulin resistance in mice. In the pathogenesis of insulin resistance, the loss of butyrate-producing bacteria might impair the colonic epithelial barrier, thereby triggering chronic low-grade inflammation.Keywords: diet, advanced glycation end products, gut microbiota, insulin resistance

Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal chalcogenide (TMD) field-effect transistors (FETs) are constructed via in-plane heterojunction contacts between the semiconducting 2H phase (as the channel) and the metallic 1T′ phase (as the electrode).

To produce cultured pearls, a mantle graft with a nucleus is transplanted into a host pearl oyster, this process is called “transplantation”. The immune response of pearl oyster after transplantation is a major factor that leads to nucleus rejection and death. Butyrate is a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor which can inhibit the deacetylation process of histones and effectively reduce the inflammatory response. To clarify the function of histone acetylation in immune response after transplantation, butyrate (10 mmol/L) was used for the treatment of pearl oysters before transplantation. Results showed that the proportion of histone H3 acetylation of the hemocytes was significantly increased after butyrate treatment before transplantation (BH group) compared with the control group at 6–24 h. Transcriptome analysis showed that butyrate treatment activated the “lysosome”, inhibited cell migration and cell proliferation at 6 and 12 h, respectively, and activated the intracellular immune recognition response of pearl oyster at 24 h after transplantation. The apoptosis detection revealed no significant difference in the proportion of apoptotic cells between the control and BH group. Moreover, butyrate treatment increased the activity of some immune-related enzymes in the serum of pearl oyster after transplantation.

IntroductionMyalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a group of chronic conscious fatigue that is not easily relieved by rest and is accompanied by corresponding physiological dysfunction and psychological symptoms. However, due to the insufficient understanding of the pathogenesis of ME/CFS, there is currently a lack of effective treatment methods. In addition, there are few surveys on the current status of ME/CFS in the central region of China, and the data on ME/CFS among university students in the central region are lacking. This group conducted a survey on university students in Wuhan, Hubei Province in 2022 to collect and analyze the current status of ME/CFS among university students in central China for the first time, aiming to understand the current development of ME/CFS among university students, investigate the influencing factors of its prevalence, fill the data gaps, and provide a reliable basis for developing interventions for chronic fatigue syndrome among university students.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among university students in a university in Hubei province. Data were collected via online questionnaire surveys. The contents included demographic characteristics, lifestyles, disease history, depression, anxiety, sleep, ME/CFS and other associated factors. SAS 9.4 statistical software was used to analyze and estimate the effect of associated factors on ME/CFS.ResultsA total of 1826 subjects were included in the final analysis. The results showed that the prevalence of ME/CFS in university students was 6.25%. Univariate analysis showed that exercise, alcohol consumption, study, overnights, diet, anxiety, depression, and sleep quality were associated with ME/CFS (P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that overnights, overeating, anxiety, and sleep quality were independent risk factors, while learning was a protective factor.ConclusionCollege students should pay enough attention to ME/CFS, improve their understanding of ME/CFS, and improve people’s ability to understand ME/CFS.

Background. Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the most common histological subtype of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with a low 5-year survival rate, which may be associated with the presence of metastatic tumors at the time of diagnosis, especially lymph node metastasis (LNM). This study aimed to construct a LNM-related gene signature for predicting the prognosis of patients with LUAD. Methods. RNA sequencing data and clinical information of LUAD patients were extracted from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases. Samples were divided into metastasis (M) and nonmetastasis (NM) groups based on LNM status. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between M and NM groups were screened, and then WGCNA was applied to identify key genes. Furthermore, univariate Cox and LASSO regression analyses were conducted to construct a risk score model, and the predictive performance of model was validated by GSE68465, GSE42127, and GSE50081. The protein and mRNA expression level of LNM-associated genes were detected by human protein atlas (HPA) and GSE68465. Results. A prognostic model based on eight LNM-related genes (ANGPTL4, BARX2, GPR98, KRT6A, PTPRH, RGS20, TCN1, and TNS4) was developed. Patients in the high-risk group had poorer overall survival than those in the low-risk group, and validation analysis showed that this model had potential predictive value for patients with LUAD. HPA analysis supported the upregulation of ANGPTL4, KRT6A, BARX2, RGS20 and the downregulation of GPR98 in LUAD compared with normal tissues. Conclusion. Our results indicated that the eight LNM-related genes signature had potential value in the prognosis of patients with LUAD, which may have important practical implications.

We present an efficient, fully conservative numerical scheme valid in the entire range of highly to weakly compressible flows using a single-fluid four equation approach together with multi-component thermodynamic models. The approach can easily be included into existing finite volume methods on compact stencils and enables handling of compressibility of all involved phases including surface tension, cavitation and viscous effects. The mass fraction (indicator function) is sharpened in the two-phase interface region using the algebraic interface sharpening technique Tangent of Hyperbola for INterface Capturing (THINC). The cell face reconstruction procedure for mass fractions switches between an upwind-biased and a THINC-based scheme, along with proper slope limiters and a suitable compression coefficient, respectively. For additional sub-grid turbulence modeling, a fourth order central scheme is included into the switching process, along with a modified discontinuity sensor. The proposed All-Mach Riemann solver consistently merges the thermodynamic relationship of the components into the reconstructed thermodynamic variables (like density, internal energy), wherefore we call them All Mach THINC-based Thermodynamic-Dependent Update (All-Mach THINC-TDU) method. Both, liquid-gas and liquid-vapor interfaces can be sharpened. Surface tension effects are taken into account by using a Continuum Surface Force (CSF) model. An explicit, four stage low storage Runge Kutta method is used for time integration. The proposed methodology is validated against a series of reference cases, such as bubble oscillation,advection,deformation, shock-bubble interaction, a vapor bubble collapse and a multi-component shear flow. Finally, the approach is applied to simulate the three-dimensional primary break-up of a turbulent diesel jet.

ObjectiveThe Lactate-to-Albumin Ratio (LAR) has been applied as a new predictor in sepsis, heart failure, and acute respiratory failure. However, the role of LAR in predicting all-cause mortality in patients with acute pancreatitis has not been evaluated. Therefore, this study aimed to elucidate the correlation between LAR and 28-d all-cause mortality in patients with Acute Pancreatitis (AP).MethodsThis study is a retrospective cohort study with the data from the MIMIC-IV (v1.0) database. We included adult patients with acute pancreatitis who were admitted to the intensive care unit in the study. The primary outcome was to evaluate the ability of LAR to predict death at 28-d of hospital admission in patients with AP.ResultsA total of 539 patients with acute pancreatitis were included in this study. They were divided into a survival group (486 patients) and a death group (53 patients) according to whether they survived within 28-d of admission, and the mortality rate of patients within 28-d of admission was 9.8%. LAR was shown to be an independent predictor of all-cause mortality within 28-d of admission in patients with AP by multivariate COX regression analysis (HR, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.23 - 2.05; P < 0.001). the Area Under the Curve (AUC) value for LAR was 74.26% (95% CI: 67.02% - 81.50%), which was higher than that for arterial blood lactate (AUC = 71.25%) and serum albumin (AUC = 65.92%) alone. It was not inferior even when compared to SOFA (AUC = 75.15%). The optimal cutoff value for separating the survival and death groups according to Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) was found to be 1.1124. plotting Kaplan-Meier analysis with this cutoff value showed that patients with LAR ≥ 1.1124 had significantly higher all-cause mortality within 28-d of admission than those with LAR < 1.1124 (P < 0.001). The final subgroup analysis showed no significant interaction of LAR with each subgroup (P for interaction: 0.06 - 0.974).ConclusionLAR can be used as an independent predictor of all-cause mortality in AP patients within 28-d of admission, with superior prognostic performance than arterial blood lactate or serum albumin alone.

Background A premature luteinizing hormone (LH) surge refers to an endogenous LH peak that occurs before follicle maturation or human chorionic gonadotropin injection in the process of controlled ovarian hyperstimulation. The effect of premature LH surge on pregnancy outcomes in fresh embryo transfer cycles is still controversial. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of a premature LH surge without elevated progesterone levels on the cumulative pregnancy rate (CPR) and cumulative live birth rate (CLBR) of patients during a flexible GnRH antagonist protocol. Methods A total of 428 infertile women undergoing IVF/ICSI were recruited for this retrospective study. Only women who either delivered a live infant or had no remaining frozen embryos after a single stimulation cycle were included in the analysis. During the study period, each patient underwent a flexible GnRH antagonist protocol. Women were divided into two groups according to the presence or absence of a premature LH surge. The primary outcome measures were the CPR and CLBR per ovarian stimulation cycle. The secondary outcome measures were the number of oocytes retrieved, fertilization rate, good-quality embryo rate, and clinical pregnancy rate. Results Fifty-one women (11.92%) experienced a premature LH surge, and the other 377 (88.08%) women were assigned to the control group. The numbers of oocytes retrieved was significantly greater in the premature LH surge group than in the control group. There was no significant difference between groups in the fertilization rate, good-quality embryo rate, clinical pregnancy rate or live birth rate in the fresh embryo transfer cycle. The primary outcome measures, the CPR and CLBR per ovarian stimulation cycle, were not significantly different between the premature LH surge group and the control group. According to the analysis stratified by ovarian response (normal or high), there were no significant differences in pregnancy outcomes between the groups with and without a premature LH surge. Conclusions Our study demonstrated that a transient premature LH surge without progesterone elevation had no adverse effect on the CLBR of patients on a flexible GnRH antagonist protocol. Therefore, a transient LH surge should not be an indicator for cycle cancellation.

There is no specific treatment for pyrrolizidine alkaloid-induced hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (PA-HSOS). It is not clear when transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) should be implemented in PA-HSOS patients. This study aimed to evaluate the timing of TIPS using total bilirubin (TBIL) as a measure, and to investigate efficacy of TIPS. We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 10 PA-HSOS patients, among whom 4 patients had received TIPS (TIPS group), and the remaining patients were assigned to the internal medicine group. In the TIPS group, the TBIL level before TIPS was 84.4 ± 45.2 µmol/L (> 3 mg/dL), and TBIL levels were increased to different degrees after TIPS. With the extension of time, serum TBIL levels gradually decreased, and no liver failure occurred. With regards to the short-term outcomes, 3 patients recovered, 1 developed chronic illness and 0 died in the TIPS group. Moreover, 0 patients recovered, 5 developed chronic illness and 1 died in the internal medicine group. The rank sum test of group design revealed significant differences in clinical outcomes (P = 0.02). It was suggested that when the internal medicine effect of PA-HSOS patients is poor, TIPS should be considered, which is no trestricted to the limit of 3 mg/dL TBIL. It was also found TIPS effectively promote the recovery of liver function and reduce the occurrence of chronicity.

Background The human miR-17-92 polycistron is the first reported and most well-studied onco-miRNA with a cluster of seven miRNAs. miR-17-5p, a member of the miR-17-92 family, plays an important role in tumor cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion. However, few studies have shown the role of miR-17-5p in the cell cycle of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Methods RT-qPCR was used to detect miR-17-5p expression levels in 64 HNSCC tissues and 5 cell lines. The relationship between the expression of miR-17-5p in the tissues and the clinical characteristics of the patients was analyzed. HNSCC cells were transfected with an miR-17-5p mimic or inhibitor to evaluate cell cycle distribution by flow cytometry. Cell cycle distribution of cells transfected with target gene was evaluated using flow cytometry. Dual-luciferase reporter assay was used to detect the regulatory effect of miR-17-5p on target gene expression. Results In the present study, we found that miR-17-5p expression in HNSCC tissues and cell lines was remarkably increased, and miR-17-5p is related to recurrence in HNSCC patients. Silencing miR-17-5p blocked HNSCC cells in G2/M phase, whereas its overexpression propelled cell cycle progression. More importantly, we verified that miR-17-5p negatively regulated CCNG2 mRNA and protein expression by directly targeting its 3’UTR. Conclusion These findings suggest that miR-17-5p might act as a tumor promoter and prognostic factor for recurrence in HNSCC patients.

Precise temperature control is crucial for the development of sensitive instruments, as temperature fluctuations will introduce many negative effects. In temperature control systems, $1/{f}$ noise is dominant in the low-frequency range, which limits the temperature control precision. To suppress the $1/{f}$ noise, AC bridges based on the modulation-demodulation method are commonly used. While the $1/{f}$ noise is suppressed, other types of noise rise to domination, further limiting the precision of the temperature control system. The response of the AC-bridge readout circuit to temperature fluctuation is the most serious. This paper proposes a method for suppressing the response of the AC-bridge readout circuit to temperature fluctuations. Using this method, the temperature coefficient of the readout circuit is reduced by matching the temperature coefficients of the used electro-components according to their weights of impact. This method has been verified in the test of a precise temperature control system designed for a superconducting gravimeter. The temperature coefficient of the AC-bridge circuit was reduced by approximately 57.4 times compared with the unmatched AC-bridge circuit, and the temperature fluctuation in the vacuum chamber of the superconducting gravimeter was controlled within $\pm 5~\mu \text{K}$ .

This paper examines the small-signal oscillation stability of a grid-connected wind farm affected collectively by multiple doubly fed induction generators (DFIGs) with similar dynamics. An analysis of this issue, which is referred to as the collective impact of similar DFIGs, revealed that the interconnection of a standalone DFIG with the rest of the wind farm determines whether the collective impact of similar DFIGs is beneficial or detrimental to the oscillation stability of the wind farm. The network topology and parameters of the wind farm affect the scale of the collective impact in several respects. First, increasing the length of the transmission line connecting the wind farm to the AC grid leads to an increase of the collective impact. Second, when the transmission line is much longer than the cables within the farm, the collective impact is approximately proportional to the number of DFIGs. Accordingly, increasing the transmission line length and/or number of DFIGs may magnify the detrimental collective impact, resulting in growing oscillations in the wind farm in the worst case. The analysis of the collective impact of similar DFIGs in this study revealed a new mechanism through which grid-connected DFIG wind farms can lose oscillation stability.

Problems currently plaguing the production of fresh and frozen shrimp food items include high cost and textural issues. In this study, fresh Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) and Alaska pollock surimi were combined in various ratios to create a combined fish-and-shrimp product that is economical to produce and possesses desirable qualities from both ingredients. The mixture was evaluated for brittleness, elasticity, color, degree of cross-linking, water holding capacity, and rheology. A 4:6 (mass) mixture ratio of pollock-to-shrimp exhibited the best gel properties, the highest degree of whiteness, significant protein denaturation, and the greatest structural stability. This study demonstrates a method for reducing the production cost of shrimp surimi products and reports an optimal ingredient ratio for new products.

Novobiocin (NOV) has been used in clinical practice as an ATPase inhibitor for decades. However, because it has been withdrawn from the market, pharmaceutical companies are searching for other ATPase inhibitors.

With the rapid and vigorous growth of forest tourism, the irresponsible environmental behavior of tourists has caused enormous strain on forests’ ecological systems. Carrying out environmental education in forest parks is conducive to promoting the sustainable development of forest tourism. To explore the impact of human–place emotion on environmental education effects, this study took Fuzhou National Forest Park as an example to construct a structural equation model composed of landscape perception, environment interpretation, place attachment, and the effects of environmental education (EEE). The relationship between the four elements and the mechanism of action was clarified. A questionnaire was used with 480 visitors. Statistical analysis showed that: (1) The value of scientific research and education (0.774) influences landscape perception. Reliability (0.770) and tangibility (0.718) contribute to environmental interpretation. Place identification and dependence are represented by environmental identity (0.771) and are activity-dependent (0.792), respectively. Knowledge (0.860) and behavior (0.869) are essential factors in driving the EEE. (2) Place attachment and environment interpretation had a significant positive impact on the environmental education effect (p < 0.001), and there was no direct effect between landscape perception and EEE. (3) Landscape perception and environmental interpretation indirectly influence EEE with place attachment as full and partial mediators, respectively. This paper aims to provide theoretical support for better synergistic growth of forest park ecology, economy, and environment.