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This study investigated the impact of 24-h urinary calcium excretion (UCaE) on renal function decline in hospitalized patients with and without chronic kidney disease (CKD). This study enrolled 3815 CKD patients in stages 1–4 and 1133 non-CKD patients admitted to the First Center of the Chinese PLA General Hospital between January 2014 and July 2022. The primary outcome for CKD patients was a composite of CKD progression, defined as a 40% decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) or end-stage kidney disease. Annual eGFR change was the secondary outcome. For non-CKD patients, the primary outcome was an eGFR decline of ≥20% or CKD incidence, while annual eGFR change was the secondary outcome. The association between UCaE and kidney function decline was assessed using Cox proportional hazards and generalized linear models. Primary outcomes were observed in 813 CKD patients and 109 non-CKD patients over a median follow-up of 3.0 and 4.1 years, respectively. For CKD patients, every 1-mmol/d increase in UCaE was associated with a 15% decreased risk of CKD progression. The hazard ratio (HR) was 0.85, with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 0.77–0.93. For non-CKD patients, the risk of renal function decline decreased by 11%. The multivariate models indicated that there was an annual decrease in eGFR in both CKD and non-CKD patients, with a reduction of 0.122 mL/min/1.73 m2/year (p < 0.001) and 0.046 mL/min/1.73 m2/year (p = 0.004), respectively, for every 1-mmol/d increase in UCaE. CKD experiences a decrease in 24-h UCaE as early as stage 1, with a significant decline in stage 4. CKD and non-CKD patients with lower UCaE levels are at an increased risk of renal decline, regardless of other variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate a non-contact trapping of a yeast cell by an optical fiber probe with a micron-size concave cavity both theoretically and experimentally. We fabricate the optical fiber tip with a micron-size concave cavity by the improved tube etching method. The size of the concave cavity can be controlled by the etching parameters, such as the etching time, the etching solution, and so on. The output fields from the fiber tips with concave cavities of two geometrical sizes (microns and tens of microns) are computed and analyzed. Then the optical forces on a yeast cell by these concave fiber tips (CFTs) are calculated and discussed. The theoretical results predicate that a micron-size CFT can be used for non-contact trapping of a yeast cell. We observe the non-contact trapping of a yeast cell by a micron-size CFT in the experiments and measure the trapping forces. The optical trapping and manipulation based on these micron-size CFTs may provide versatile applications in bio-science and medical research. • A non-contact trapping of a yeast cell has been observed by a micron-size CFT. • A micron-size CFT can be fabricated by the improved tube etching method. • The impacts of the cavity size on the optical trapping have been investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The ammonia content in aquaculture waterbodies can easily achieve a relatively high level, largely due to the excretion of intensively farmed aquatic animals and the decomposition of residual food particles. Excess ammonia may exert prominent toxicities to all aquatic species. Many freshwater turtles have become economically important aquaculture species in some countries. The evaluation of the toxic effects of ammonia on these cultured turtle species is rarely considered, despite having been extensively conducted in many invertebrates and fish. Various omics techniques can be applied to comprehensively analyze diverse biological responses at different levels in pollutant-exposed individuals. In order to increase our understanding of the physiological changes under ammonia stress in cultured turtle species, we exposed juveniles of the red-eared slider turtle (Trachemys scripta elegans) to different concentrations (0, 0.3, 3.0, and 20.0 mg/L) of ammonium chloride solution for 30 days, and then measured their swimming performance, growth rate, gut microbial composition, and liver metabolic profiling. No significant change in swimming ability was found in ammonia-exposed turtles, but a relatively low growth rate was exhibited in the 20.0 mg/L ammonia-exposed turtles. Although no significant differences in the alpha and beta diversity measures of the gut microbial community were observed, the microbial composition seemed to be different among different treatment groups. Some pathogenic bacteria were found to increase in ammonia-exposed turtles. Liver metabolic profiling based on liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry showed that a series of metabolites (such as leucine, valine, arginine, glutamine, adenosine diphosphate, glyceric acid, myo-inositol, gamma-aminobutyric acid, etc.) were significantly altered in ammonia-exposed turtles. Accordingly, ammonia exposure might alter the health status of guts due to increased pathogenic bacteria, and disturb multiple metabolic pathways (such as amino acid, nucleotide, lipid metabolism, energy metabolism, etc.) in juveniles of T. scripta elegans. As the most common pollutant in aquaculture systems, the toxic effects of ammonia have been extensively explored in cultured fish, molluscs, and crustaceans, but have rarely been considered in turtle species. In this study, juveniles of the invasive turtle, Trachemys scripta elegans, were exposed to different ammonia levels (0, 0.3, 3.0, and 20.0 mg/L) for 30 days to evaluate the physiological, gut microbiomic, and liver metabolomic responses to ammonia in this turtle species. Except for a relatively low growth rate of turtles exposed to the highest concentration, ammonia exposure had no significant impact on the locomotor ability and gut microbial diversity of turtles. However, the composition of the microbial community could be altered, with some pathogenic bacteria being increased in ammonia-exposed turtles, which might indicate the change in their health status. Furthermore, hepatic metabolite profiles via liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry revealed extensive metabolic perturbations, despite being primarily involved in amino acid biosynthesis and metabolism. Overall, our results show that ammonia exposure causes gut dysbacteriosis and disturbs various metabolic pathways in aquatic turtle species. Considering discrepant defense mechanisms, the toxic impacts of ammonia at environmentally relevant concentrations on physiological performance might be less pronounced in turtles compared with fish and other invertebrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite evidence that high-flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy (HFNC) promotes oxygenation, its application in sedated gastroscopy in elderly patients has received little attention. This study investigated the effect of different inhaled oxygen concentrations (FiO2) of HFNC during sedated gastroscopy in elderly patients. Methods: In a prospective randomized single-blinded study, 369 outpatients undergoing regular gastroscopy with propofol sedation delivered by an anesthesiologist were randomly divided into three groups (n = 123): nasal cannula oxygen group (Group C), 100% FiO2 of HFNC group (Group H100), and 50% FiO2 of HFNC (Group H50). The primary endpoint in this study was the incidence of hypoxia events with pulse oxygen saturation (SpO2) ≤ 92%. The secondary endpoints included the incidence of other varying degrees of hypoxia and adverse events associated with ventilation and hypoxia. Results: The incidence of hypoxia, paradoxical response, choking, jaw lift, and mask ventilation was lower in both Group H100 and Group H50 than in Group C (P < 0.05). Compared with Group H100, Group H50 showed no significant differences in the incidence of hypoxia, jaw lift and mask ventilation, paradoxical response, or choking (P > 0.05). No patients were mechanically ventilated with endotracheal intubation or found to have complications from HFNC. Conclusion: HFNC prevented hypoxia during gastroscopy with propofol in elderly patients, and there was no significant difference in the incidence of hypoxia when FiO2 was 50% or 100%. Trial registration: This single-blind, prospective, randomized controlled trial was approved by the Ethics Committee of Nanjing First Hospital (KY20201102-04) and registered in the China Clinical Trial Center (20/10/2021, ChiCTR2100052144) before patients enrollment. All patients signed an informed consent form. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research examines the association between the platelet-derived growth factor/platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGF/PDGFR) system and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) susceptibility through a comprehensive search of the PubMed database to study the expression of the PDGF/PDGFR system in RA. Review Manager software version 5.3 was used for statistical analysis. Six eligible studies published in the English language were included, including 108 rheumatoid arthritis cases and 85 controls with the corresponding 126 and 97 tests, respectively, relating the expression of the PDGF/PDGFR system to the risk of RA. The overall results indicated a significant association between the PDGF/PDGFR system expression and RA (OR = 5.25 , 95% CI: 3.00-9.18, p < 00001), RA patients in Asian countries (OR = 4.13 , 95% CI = 2.04 -8.39, p < 0.0001) and in Western countries (OR = 9.18 , 95% CI = 2.04 -8.39, p = 0.03), and only PDGF expression in RA patients (OR = 5.28 , 95% CI = 2.73 -10.21, p < 0.00001). Thus, only the PDGFR expression was insignificantly associated with RA susceptibility (OR = 9.25 , 95% CI = 0.63 -136.30, p = 0.11). Hence, the PDGF/PDGFR system most likely contributes to susceptibility to RA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]