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Background: Observational studies have reported an inverse association of type 2 diabetes (T2D) with thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA). However, the causality of the association has not been established yet. The present study aims to clarify the causal relationship between T2D and TAA via a Mendelian randomization (MR) approach. Methods: Causality of associations were assessed using a two-sample MR framework. Genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary statistics were obtained for T2D, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting glucose (FG) and fasting insulin (FI) as exposures, and TAA, ascending aortic diameter (AAoD) and descending aortic diameter (DAoD) as outcomes. Four different methods (inverse variance weighted [IVW], weight median, MR-Egger and MR-PRESSO) were used to calculate causal estimates. Heterogeneity and horizontal pleiotropy were assessed using Cochran Q test and MR-Egger regression intercept, respectively. Results: Genetically predicted T2D was inversely associated with the risk of TAA (OR: 0.931, 95% CI 0.870 to 0.997, p = 0.040, IVW method) and AAoD (Beta: -0.065, 95%CI −0.099 to − 0.031, p = 1.7e−04, IVW method), but not with DAoD (p > 0.05). Genetically predicted FG level was inversely associated with AAoD (Beta: −0.273, 95% CI −0.396 to –0.150, p = 1.41e−05, IVW method) and DAoD (Beta: −0.166, 95% CI −0.281 to −0.051, p = 0.005, IVW method), but not with TAA (p > 0.05). The effect of genetically predicted HbA1c and FI on TAA, AAoD and DAoD did not reach statistical significance (p > 0.05). Conclusions: Genetic predisposition to T2D decreases the risk of TAA. Genetically predicted T2D is inversely associated with AAoD, but not with DAoD. Genetically predicted FG level was inversely associated with AAoD and DAoD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Stroke is one of the leading causes of substantial disability worldwide. Previous studies have shown brain functional and structural alterations in adults with stroke. However, few studies have examined the longitudinal reorganization in whole-brain structural networks in stroke.Methods: Here, we applied graph theoretical analysis to investigate the longitudinal topological organization of white matter networks in 20 ischemic stroke patients with a one-month interval between two timepoints. Two sets of clinical scores, Fugl-Meyer motor assessment (FMA) and neurological deficit scores (NDS), were assessed for all patients on the day the image data were collected.Results: The stroke patients exhibited significant increases in FMA scores and significant reductions in DNS between the two timepoints. All groups exhibited small-world organization (σ  >  1) in the brain structural network, including a high clustering coefficient (γ  >  1) and a low normalized characteristic path length (λ ≈ 1). However, compared to healthy controls, stroke patients showed significant decrease in nodal characteristics at the first timepoint, primarily in the right supplementary motor area, right middle temporal gyrus, right inferior parietal lobe, right postcentral gyrus and left posterior cingulate gyrus. Longitudinal results demonstrated that altered nodal characteristics were partially restored one month later. Additionally, significant correlations between the nodal characteristics of the right supplementary motor area and the clinical scale scores (FMA and NDS) were observed in stroke patients. Similar behavioral-neuroimaging correlations were found in the right inferior parietal lobe.Conclusion: Altered topological properties may be an effect of stroke, which can be modulated during recovery. The longitudinal results and the neuroimaging-behavioral relationship may provide information for understanding brain recovery from stroke. Future studies should detect whether observed changes in structural topological properties can predict the recovery of daily cognitive function in stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a combination of cardiovascular risk-factors, including obesity, hypertension, hyperglycemia, and insulin resistance. MetS may induce senescence in mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSC) and impact their micro-RNA (miRNA) content. We hypothesized that MetS also alters senescence-associated (SA) miRNAs in MSC-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs), and interferes with their function. Methods: EVs were collected from abdominal adipose tissue-derived MSCs from pigs with diet-induced MetS or Lean controls (n = 6 each), and from patients with MetS (n = 4) or age-matched Lean controls (n = 5). MiRNA sequencing was performed to identify dysregulated miRNAs in these EVs, and gene ontology to analyze their SA-genes targeted by dysregulated miRNAs. To test for EV function, MetS and Lean pig-EVs were co-incubated with renal tubular cells in-vitro or injected into pigs with renovascular disease (RVD, n = 6 each) in-vivo. SA-b-Galactosidase and trichrome staining evaluated cellular senescence and fibrosis, respectively. Results: Both humans and pigs with MetS showed obesity, hypertension, and hyperglycemia/insulin resistance. In MetS pigs, several upregulated and downregulated miRNAs targeted 5768 genes in MSC-EVs, 68 of which were SA. In MetS patients, downregulated and upregulated miRNAs targeted 131 SA-genes, 57 of which overlapped with pig-EVs miRNA targets. In-vitro, MetS-MSC-EVs induced greater senescence in renal tubular cells than Lean-MSC-EVs. In-vivo, Lean-MSC-EVs attenuated renal senescence, fibrosis, and dysfunction more effectively than MetS-MSC-EVs. Conclusions: MetS upregulates SA-miRNAs in swine MSC-EVs, which is conserved in human subjects, and attenuates their ability to blunt cellular senescence and repair injured target organs. These alterations need to be considered when designing therapeutic regenerative approaches. Video abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The intricate etiology of autoimmune liver disease (AILD) involves genetic, environmental, and other factors that yet to be completely elucidated. This study comprehensively assessed the causal association between genetically predicted modifiable risk factors and AILD by employing Mendelian randomization. Methods: Genetic variants associated with 29 exposure factors were obtained from genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Genetic association data with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) were also obtained from publicly available GWAS. Univariate and multivariate Mendelian randomization analyses were performed to identify potential risk factors for AILD. Results: Genetically predicted rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (OR = 1.620, 95%CI 1.423–1.843, P = 2.506 × 10− 13) was significantly associated with an increased risk of AIH. Genetically predicted smoking initiation (OR = 1.637, 95%CI 1.055–2.540, P = 0.028), lower coffee intake (OR = 0.359, 95%CI 0.131–0.985, P = 0.047), cholelithiasis (OR = 1.134, 95%CI 1.023–1.257, P = 0.017) and higher C-reactive protein (CRP) (OR = 1.397, 95%CI 1.094–1.784, P = 0.007) were suggestively associated with an increased risk of AIH. Genetically predicted inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) (OR = 1.212, 95%CI 1.127–1.303, P = 2.015 × 10− 7) and RA (OR = 1.417, 95%CI 1.193–1.683, P = 7.193 × 10− 5) were significantly associated with increased risk of PBC. Genetically predicted smoking initiation (OR = 1.167, 95%CI 1.005–1.355, P = 0.043), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) (OR = 1.086, 95%CI 1.017–1.160, P = 0.014) and higher CRP (OR = 1.199, 95%CI 1.019–1.410, P = 0.028) were suggestively associated with an increased risk of PBC. Higher vitamin D3 (OR = 0.741, 95%CI 0.560–0.980, P = 0.036) and calcium (OR = 0.834, 95%CI 0.699–0.995, P = 0.044) levels were suggestive protective factors for PBC. Genetically predicted smoking initiation (OR = 0.630, 95%CI 0.462–0.860, P = 0.004) was suggestively associated with a decreased risk of PSC. Genetically predicted IBD (OR = 1.252, 95%CI 1.164–1.346, P = 1.394 × 10− 9), RA (OR = 1.543, 95%CI 1.279–1.861, P = 5.728 × 10− 6) and lower glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) (OR = 0.268, 95%CI 0.141–0.510, P = 6.172 × 10− 5) were positively associated with an increased risk of PSC. Conclusions: Evidence on the causal relationship between 29 genetically predicted modifiable risk factors and the risk of AIH, PBC, and PSC is provided by this study. These findings provide fresh perspectives on the management and prevention strategies for AILD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas L.) is one of the seven major food crops grown worldwide. Cold stress often can cause protein expression pattern and substance contents variations for tuberous roots of sweetpotato during low-temperature storage. Recently, we developed proteometabolic profiles of the fresh sweetpotatoes (cv. Xinxiang) in an attempt to discern the cold stress-responsive mechanism of tuberous root crops during post-harvest storage. Results: For roots stored under 4 °C condition, the CI index, REC and MDA content in roots were significantly higher than them at control temperature (13 °C). The activities of SOD, CAT, APX, O2.- producing rate, proline and especially soluble sugar contents were also significantly increased. Most of the differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were implicated in pathways related to metabolic pathway, especially phenylpropanoids and followed by starch and sucrose metabolism. L-ascorbate peroxidase 3 and catalase were down-regulated during low temperature storage. α-amylase, sucrose synthase and fructokinase were significantly up-regulated in starch and sucrose metabolism, while β-glucosidase, glucose-1-phosphate adenylyl-transferase and starch synthase were opposite. Furthermore, metabolome profiling revealed that glucosinolate biosynthesis, tropane, piperidine and pyridine alkaloid biosynthesis as well as protein digestion and absorption played a leading role in metabolic pathways of roots. Leucine, tryptophan, tyrosine, isoleucine and valine were all significantly up-regulated in glucosinolate biosynthesis. Conclusions: Our proteomic and metabolic profile analysis of sweetpotatoes stored at low temperature reveal that the antioxidant enzymes activities, proline and especially soluble sugar content were significantly increased. Most of the DEPs were implicated in phenylpropanoids and followed by starch and sucrose metabolism. The discrepancy between proteomic (L-ascorbate peroxidase 3 and catalase) and biochemical (CAT/APX activity) data may be explained by higher H2O2 levels and increased ascorbate redox states, which enhanced the CAT/APX activity indirectly. Glucosinolate biosynthesis played a leading role in metabolic pathways. Leucine, tryptophan, tyrosine, isoleucine and valine were all significantly up-regulated in glucosinolate biosynthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ischemic strokes are primarily caused by intracranial and extracranial atherosclerotic stenosis. Nontraditional lipid parameters broaden traditional lipid profiles, better reflect the metabolism and interaction between different lipid components, and optimize the predictive ability of lipid profiles for atherosclerotic diseases. This research was carried out to investigate the predictive value of nontraditional lipid parameters for intracranial or extracranial atherosclerotic stenosis. Methods: The investigation collected data from inpatients who underwent cervical vascular ultrasonography, carotid CTA, cerebral artery CTA or MRA, and brain MRI or CT from December 2014 to December 2021. The nontraditional lipid parameters were calculated by collecting traditional lipid parameters. To evaluate the predictive power of nontraditional lipid parameters, logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analyses were performed. Results: Based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 545 patients were included. According to the imaging results, inpatients were divided into two groups, including no intracranial or extracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (n = 250) and intracranial or extracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (AS, n = 295). Among them, AS was further divided into three subgroups: intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (ICAS), extracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (ECAS) and combined intracranial and extracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (IECAS). Logistic regression analysis showed that nontraditional lipid parameters, including the atherogenic index of plasma (AIP), TG/HDL-C, remnant cholesterol (RC), nonhigh-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C), lipoprotein combine index (LCI), atherogenic coefficient (AC), Castelli’s index-I (CRI-I) and Castelli’s index-II (CRI-II), were significantly correlated with intracranial or extracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (P < 0.05). Compared with other nontraditional lipid parameters, regardless of adjusting for potential confounding factors, AIP had a greater OR value in ICAS (OR = 4.226, 95% CI: 1.681–10.625), ECAS (OR = 2.993, 95% CI: 1.119–8.003) and IECAS (OR = 4.502, 95% CI: 1.613–12.561). ROC curve analysis revealed that nontraditional lipid parameters had good predictive power for intracranial or extracranial atherosclerotic stenosis. Conclusions: This Chinese hospital-based study demonstrates that nontraditional lipid parameters (AIP, LCI, RC, CRI-II, AC, CRI-I and non-HDL-C) are effective predictors of intracranial and extracranial atherosclerotic stenosis, of which AIP may be a significant risk factor for predicting atherosclerotic arterial stenosis in the intracranial or extracranial regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nurses’ health in the workplace is crucial for ensuring the quality of healthcare. However, presenteeism, the behavior of working in a state of ill health, is widespread in the nursing industry. Considering that the origin of authoritarian leadership and the prevalence of presenteeism are inseparable from Chinese workplace culture, this study aimed to explore the impact and mechanism of authoritarian leadership on presenteeism. Methods: A total of 528 nurses were recruited from four grade III level A hospitals in the present survey, which was distributed across 98 nursing teams. Participants were required to complete self-report measures on authoritarian leadership, presenteeism, workload, and leader identification. Description, correlation, and multilevel linear regressions were applied for data analysis. Results: The present study found that presenteeism was significantly related to participants’ demographic characteristics, such as marital status, educational level, technological title, and general health. There was a positive relationship between authoritarian leadership and presenteeism, and workload acted as a mediator in authoritarian leadership and presenteeism. Furthermore, leader identification moderated the relationship between authoritarian leadership and workload. When nurses were under high leader identification, the positive impact of authoritarian leadership on workload was reinforced. Conclusions: This study revealed the potential antecedents and mechanisms of nurse presenteeism from the perspective of workplace culture. Results indicated that the excessive authoritarianism of leaders and the heavy workload faced by nurses may be the significant triggers for nurses’ presenteeism. The role of leader identification is not always protective, which may heighten the relationship between dark leadership and its outcomes. These observations contribute to enriching research on presenteeism and authoritarian leadership, and provide valuable insights for cultivating healthy working behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine the validity of the ultrasound features as well as patient characteristics assigned to B3 (uncertain malignant potential) breast lesions before vacuum-assisted excision biopsy (VAEB).Methods: This study population consisted of 2245 women with breast-nodular abnormalities, which were conducted ultrasound-guided VAEB (US-VAEB). Patient's clinical and anamnestic data and lesion-related ultrasonic feature variables of B3 captured before US-VAEB were compared with those of benign or malignant cases, using histopathological results as a benchmark.Results: The proportions of benign, B3 and malignant breast lesions diagnosed post-US-VAEB were 88.5, 8.2 and 3.4% respectively. B3 high frequent occurred in BI-RADS-US grade 3 (7.7%), grade 4a (11.0%) and grade 4b (9.1%). The overall malignancy underestimation rate of B3 was 4.4% (8/183). Malignant lesions were found mostly in the range of BI-RADS grade 4b (27.3%), grade 4c (33.3%) and grade 5 (100%). Multivariate binary logistic regression analyses (B3 vs benign) showed that non-menopausal patients (95% CI 1.628-8.616, P = 0.002), single (95% CI 1.370-2.650, P = 0.000) or vascularity (95% CI 1.745-4.150, P = 0.000) nodules in ultrasonic features were significant risk factors for B3 occurrences. In addition, patients elder than 50 years (95% CI 3.178-19.816, P = 0.000), unclear margin (95% CI 3.571-14.119, P = 0.000) or suspicious calcification (95% CI 4.010-30.733, P = 0.000) lesions were significantly associated with higher risks of malignant potentials for B3 cases (malignant vs B3).Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that ultrasound findings and patients' characteristics might provide valuable information for distinguishing B3 lesions from benign breast abnormalities before VAEB, and help to reduce malignancy underestimation of B3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]