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Etiological research is necessary for understanding the occurrence and epidemiological patterns of diseases, and is also a prerequisite for the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of clinical diseases. Mendelian randomization(MR), a method of research that combines genetics and epidemiology, has the advantage of exploring the causal relationship between exposure and disease genetically as well as avoiding confounding factors and reverse causation. Thus, it has been extensively utilized in the etiological study of diseases. This paper reviews the implementation of MR in the research of ocular diseases and provides ideas and approaches for the investigation of related mechanisms as well as the development of intervention strategies.

Typical fMRI studies have focused on either the mean trend in the blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) time course or functional connectivity (FC). However, other statistics of the neuroimaging data may contain important information. Despite studies showing links between the variance in the BOLD time series (BV) and age and cognitive performance, a formal framework for testing these effects has not yet been developed. We introduce the variance design general linear model (VDGLM), a novel framework that facilitates the detection of variance effects. We designed the framework for general use in any fMRI study by modeling both mean and variance in BOLD activation as a function of experimental design. The flexibility of this approach allows the VDGLM to (a) simultaneously make inferences about a mean or variance effect while controlling for the other and (b) test for variance effects that could be associated with multiple conditions and/or noise regressors. We demonstrate the use of the VDGLM in a working memory application and show that engagement in a working memory task is associated with whole-brain decreases in BOLD variance.

Previous research has found that functional connectivity (FC) can accurately predict the identity of a subject performing a task and the type of task being performed. These results are replicated using a large data set collected at the Ohio State University Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Brain Imaging. This work introduces a novel perspective on task and subject identity prediction: blood-oxygen-level-dependent variability (BV). Conceptually, BV is a region-specific measure based on the variance within each brain region. BV is simple to compute, interpret, and visualize. This work shows that both FC and BV are predictive of task and subject, even across scanning sessions separated by multiple years. Subject differences rather than task differences account for the majority of changes in BV and FC. Similar to results in FC, BV is reduced during cognitive tasks relative to rest.

Background: Sarcopenic obesity (SO) in patients with gastrointestinal cancer is associated with a poor prognosis. We aimed to investigate the prognostic impact of SO in patients with gastrointestinal cancer, as well as the diagnostic cut‐off value of SO in patients with gastrointestinal cancer among Chinese population. Methods: We conducted a consecutive cohort study. Between January 2017 and January 2019, 289 patients diagnosed with gastrointestinal cancer were included in our study. Skeletal muscle area, total fat area, and subcutaneous fat area were measured by CT scan. All patients were followed up for 5 years. Receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC) were adopted to determine the cut‐off values of visceral fat obesity for the prediction of sarcopenia. Based on the cut‐off values, patients with sarcopenia combined with visceral fat obesity were divided into the SO group, and the others were divided into the non‐sarcopenic obesity (NSO) group. Kaplan–Meier curves and univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard models were employed to explore the associations of body composition profiles with 5‐year overall survival and disease‐specific survival. Results: Obtained from Youden's Index for ROC for the prediction of 5‐year survival, skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) ≤40.02 cm2/m2 with VFA ≥ 126.30 cm2 in men and SMI ≤32.05 cm2/m2 with VFA ≥72.42 cm2 in women indicate a risk of poor prognosis in patients diagnosed with gastrointestinal cancer. Patients with SO had poorer 5‐year overall survival (OS) than patients with NSO (6.74% vs. 82.84%, p < 0.001), and poorer 5‐year DFS (6.74% vs. 81.82%, p < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, we found that the long‐term mortality risk was approximately 13‐fold higher among patients in the SO group compared to those with no conditions. Conclusions: Preoperative assessment of SO is useful not only for monitoring nutritional status but also for predicting 5‐year OS in gastrointestinal cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fundamental regulatory framework to elucidate the role of electrical stimulation (ES) in reducing long production cycles, enhancing protein utilization, and boosting product quality of dry-cured ham is essential. However, how mitochondria and enzymes in meat fibers are altered by ES during post-processing, curing, and fermentation procedures remains elusive. This study sought to explore the impact of ES on the regulation of heat shock proteins (HSP27, HSP70), apoptotic pathways, and subsequent influences on dry-cured pork loin quality. The gathered data validated the hypothesis that ES notably escalates mitochondrial oxidative stress and accelerates mitochondrial degradation along the ripening process. The proapoptotic response in ES-treated samples was increased by 120.7%, with a cellular apoptosis rate 5-fold higher than that in control samples. This mitochondrial degradation is marked by increased ratios of Bax/Bcl-2 protein along the time course, indicating that apoptosis could contribute to the dry-cured ham processing. ES was shown to further down-regulate HSP27 and HSP70, establishing a direct correlation with the activation of mitochondrial apoptosis pathways, accompanied by dry-cured ham quality improvements. The findings show that ES plays a crucial role in facilitating the ripening of dry-cured ham by inducing mitochondrial apoptosis to reduce HSP expression. This knowledge not only explains the fundamental mechanisms behind myofibril degradation in dry-cured ham production but also offers a promising approach to enhance quality and consistency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MicroRNAs (miRNA) play a vital role in insects' growth and development and have significant potential value in pest control. Previously, we identified miR-306 from small RNA libraries within the English grain aphid, Sitobion avenae, a devasting insect pest for wheat. miR-306 not only involves in wing morphogenesis, but also is critically important for aphid survival. Its specific impacts on the life history traits, however, remain unclear. Here, we evaluate the impact of miR-306 perturbation on S. avenae populations using a two-sex life table approach. This comprehensive analysis revealed that miR-306 perturbation significantly prolongs the developmental stages (9.64% and 8.20%) and adult longevity of S. avenae, while decreasing pre-adult survival rate (41.45% and 38.74%) and slightly reducing average fecundity (5.80% and 13.05%). Overall, miR-306 perturbation negatively affects the life table parameters of the aphid population. The population prediction models show a significant decline in the aphid population 60 days post interference, compared to the control groups (98.14% and 97.76%). Our findings highlight the detrimental effects of miR-306 perturbation on S. avenae population growth and suggest potential candidate genes for the development of RNAi-based biopesticides targeted specifically at this pest species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: For decades, studies have demonstrated the anti‐inflammatory potential of proteins secreted by helminths in allergies and asthma. Previous studies have demonstrated the immunomodulatory capabilities of Succinate Coenzyme A ligase beta‐like protein (SUCLA‐β) derived from Trichinella spiralis, a crucial excretory product of this parasite. Objective: To explore the therapeutic potential of SUCLA‐β in alleviating and controlling ovalbumin (OVA)‐induced allergic asthma, as well as its influence on host immune modulation. Methods: In this research, we utilized the rTs‐SUCLA‐β protein derived from T. spiralis to investigate its potential in mitigating airway inflammation in a murine model of asthma induced by OVA sensitization/stimulation, both pre‐ and post‐challenge. The treatment's efficacy was assessed by quantifying the extent of inflammation in the lungs. Results: Treatment with rTs‐SUCLA‐β demonstrated efficacy in ameliorating OVA‐induced airway inflammation, as evidenced by a reduction in eosinophil infiltration, levels of OVA‐specific Immunoglobulin E, interferon‐γ, interleukin (IL)‐9, and IL‐17A, along with an elevation in IL‐10. The equilibrium between Th17 and Treg cells plays a pivotal role in modulating the abundance of inflammatory cells within the organism, thereby ameliorating inflammation and alleviating symptoms associated with allergic asthma. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance: Our data revealed that T. spiralis‐derived Ts‐SUCLA‐β protein may inhibit the allergic airway inflammation by regulating host immune responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This study investigates the effectiveness of a novel genetics-based biopesticide, miR-184 agomir, against the English grain aphid, Sitobion avenae, a major wheat pest. miR-184 agomir interference significantly reduced aphid survival rates, particularly during their early developmental stages. Life table analysis demonstrated that the application of miR-184 agomir resulted in adverse effects on multiple vital parameters essential for the expansion of the aphid population. Population projection models predicted a substantial decline in the aphid population size at 60 days post-treatment. These findings underscore the potential of genetics-based biopesticides in the effective management of grain aphid populations, thereby contributing to wheat crop protection and environmental sustainability. The investigation of genetics-based biopesticides has become a central focus in pesticide studies due to their inherent advantages, including species specificity, environmental safety, and a wide range of target genes. In this study, a mixture of miR-184 agomir and nanomaterial star polycation (SPc) was used to treat the nymphs of the English grain aphid, Sitobion avenae (F.). The life parameters of the aphids at various developmental stages were analyzed using an age–stage two-sex life table to assess the effect of miR-184 agomir on the experimental population. The results indicated that miR-184 agomir had a significant negative effect on four key life parameters, including the intrinsic rate of increase, the finite rate of increase, the net rate of increase, and the mean generation time. The population prediction revealed a substantial reduction (91.81% and 95.88%) in the population size of S. avenae at 60 d after treatment with miR-184 agomir, compared to the control groups. Our findings suggest that the miR-184 agomir has the potential to reduce the survival rate and mean longevity of S. avenae, highlighting its potential as a promising candidate for the development of an effective genetics-based biopesticide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques has defined modern neuroimaging. Since its inception, tens of thousands of studies using techniques such as functional MRI and diffusion weighted imaging have allowed for the non-invasive study of the brain. Despite the fact that MRI is routinely used to obtain data for neuroscience research, there has been no widely adopted standard for organizing and describing the data collected in an imaging experiment. This renders sharing and reusing data (within or between labs) difficult if not impossible and unnecessarily complicates the application of automatic pipelines and quality assurance protocols. To solve this problem, we have developed the Brain Imaging Data Structure (BIDS), a standard for organizing and describing MRI datasets. The BIDS standard uses file formats compatible with existing software, unifies the majority of practices already common in the field, and captures the metadata necessary for most common data processing operations.