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Yu-Xian Tang,1,&ast; Zhi-Wei Fan,1,&ast; Jing Li,2,&ast; Hao-Dong Pan,3 Wen-Xin Su,1 Yusanjan Matniyaz,2 Hai-Tao Zhang,4 Yuan-Xi Luo,4 Zhi-Kang Lv,2 Wen-Zhe Wang,2 Ya-Xuan Gao,2 Tuo Pan,2,4 Wan-Zi Xu,1,2 Dong-Jin Wang1– 4 1Department of Cardiac Surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Cardiac Surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Clinical Medicine, Norman Bethune Health Science Center of Jilin University, Changchun, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Cardiac Surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Peking Union Medical College & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Peking Union Medical College, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Dong-Jin Wang; Wan-Zi Xu, Department of Cardiac surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, No. 321 Zhongshan Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210008, People’s Republic of China, Email dongjin_wang@126.com; 582321957@qq.comBackground: Sivelestat, a neutrophil elastase inhibitor, is specifically developed to mitigate the occurrence of acute lung injury (ALI) in individuals who are undergoing cardiovascular surgery. However, its impact on patients who are at a heightened risk of developing ALI after scheduled cardiac surgery has yet to be determined. In order to address this knowledge gap, we undertook a study to assess the efficacy of sivelestat in protecting the lungs of these patients.Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study involving 718 patients who were at high risk of developing postoperative acute lung injury (ALI) and underwent scheduled cardiac surgery between April 25th, 2022, and September 7th, 2023. Among them, 52 patients received sivelestat (administered at a dosage of 0.2mg/kg/h for 3 days), while 666 patients served as controls, not receiving sivelestat. The control conditions were the same for all patients, including ventilation strategy, extubating time, and fluid management. Subsequently, a propensity-score matched cohort was established, consisting of 40 patients in both the sivelestat and control groups. The primary outcome measure encompassed a composite of adverse outcomes, including 30-day mortality, ALI, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and others. Secondary outcomes assessed included pneumonia, ventricular arrhythmias, mechanical ventilation (MV) time, and more.Results: After conducting propensity matching in our study, we observed that there were no significant differences in 30-day mortality between the sivelestat and control groups (0% vs 2.5%, P=0.32). However, the use of sivelestat exhibited a significant reduction in the incidence of acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ALI/ARDS) compared to the control group (0% vs 55%, P< 0.01), pneumonia (0 vs 37.5%, P< 0.01), MV time (median:8 hours, IQR:4– 14.8 hours vs median: 15.2 hours, IQR:14– 16.3 hours, P< 0.01). Compared to the control group, the sivelestat could significantly decrease white cell count (P< 0.01), neutrophile percentage (P< 0.01) and C-reactive protein (P< 0.01) in the period of postoperative 5 days.Conclusion: The prophylactic administration of sivelestat has shown promising results in reducing the occurrence of acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ALI/ARDS) in patients with a heightened risk of developing these conditions after elective cardiac surgery. Our study findings indicate that sivelestat may provide protective effects by suppressing inflammation triggered by neutrophil activation, thereby safeguarding pulmonary function.Registration: ChiCTR2200059102, https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.html?proj=166643.Keywords: sivelestat, cardiac surgery, acute lung injury, inflammation

Several lines of evidence implicate that chronic periodontitis (CP) increases the risk of mental illnesses, such as anxiety and depression, yet, the associated molecular mechanism for this remains poorly defined. Here, it is reported that mice subjected to CP exhibited depression-like behaviors and hippocampal memory deficits, accompanied by synapse loss and neurogenesis impairment in the hippocampus. RNA microarray analysis disclosed that albumin D-site-binding protein (DBP) is identified as the most prominently upregulated target gene following CP, and in vivo and in vitro immunofluorescence methods showed that DBP is preferentially expressed in microglia but not neurons or astrocytes in the hippocampus. Interestingly, it is found that the expression of DBP is significantly increased in microglia after CP, and knockdown of microglial DBP ameliorated the behavioral abnormality, as well as reversed the synapse loss and hippocampal neurogenesis damage induced by CP. Furthermore, DBP knockdown improved the CP-induced hippocampal inflammation and microglial polarization. Collectively, these results indicate a critical role of DBP in orchestrating chronic periodontitis-related behavioral abnormality, hippocampal synapse loss and neurogenesis deficits, in which the microglial activation may be indispensably involved., (© 2024 The Author(s). Advanced Science published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Orthosiphon aristatus is a well-known folkloric medicine and herb for Guangdong soup for the treatment of rheumatism in China. Eight isopimarane-type and migrated pimarane-type diterpenoids ( 1 - 8 ), including a new one with a rarely occurring α,β-unsaturated diketone C-ring, were isolated from O. aristatus . Their structures were determined by spectroscopic methods and quantum chemical calculations. Furthermore, the most abundant compound, orthosiphol K, was structurally modified by modern synthetic techniques to give seven new derivatives ( 9-15 ). The anti-rheumatoid arthritis activity of these diterpenoids were evaluated on a TNF-α induced MH7A human rheumatoid fibroblast-like synoviocyte model. Compound 10 showed the most potent activity among these compounds. Based on their inhibitory effects on the release levels of IL-1β, the preliminary structure-activity relationships were concluded. Furthermore, western blot analysis revealed that 10 could increase the expression of IκBα and decrease the expression of NF-κB p65, and the expression levels of COX-2 and NLRP3 proteins were consequently down-regulated.

Through the energy transfer process, mild transformations can be achieved that are often difficult to realize under thermodynamic conditions. Herein, a visible-light-driven deoxygenative coupling of 1,2-dicarbonyl compounds for C-O, C-S, and C-N bonds construction is developed via triplet state 1,2-dicarbonyls, affording a wide range of α-functionalized ketones/esters under transition-metal and external photocatalyst free conditions. The usefulness of this method is demonstrated by gram-scale synthesis, late-stage functionalization of various carboxylic acid drugs, and the synthesis of natural products and drug molecules., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Sarcopenia, the age-related loss of muscle mass and function, brings multiple adverse outcomes including disability and death. Several sarcopenia consensuses have newly introduced the premorbid concept of possible sarcopenia and recommended early lifestyle interventions. Bidirectional transitions of premorbid states have been revealed in several chronic diseases yet not clarified in sarcopenia. This study aims to investigate the underlying transition patterns of sarcopenia states., Methods: The study utilized three waves of data from a nationally representative survey, the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), and included community-dwelling individuals aged 60 years and older with at least two sarcopenia states assessments based on the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia criteria 2019 (AWGS2019) between 2011 and 2015. The estimated transition intensity and probability between non-sarcopenia, possible sarcopenia, sarcopenia, and death were investigated using multi-stage Markov (MSM) models., Results: The study comprised 4395 individuals (49.2% female, median age 67 years) with a total of 10 778 records of sarcopenia state assessment, and the mean follow-up period was 3.29 years. A total of 24.5% of individuals with a current state of possible sarcopenia returned to non-sarcopenia, 60.3% remained possible sarcopenia, 6.7% progressed to sarcopenia, and 8.5% died by the next follow-up. The transition intensity of recovery to non-sarcopenia (0.252, 95% CI 0.231-0.275) was 2.8 times greater than the deterioration to sarcopenia (0.090, 95% CI 0.080-0.100) for individuals with possible sarcopenia. For individuals with possible sarcopenia, the estimated probabilities of recovering to non-sarcopenia, progressing to sarcopenia, and transitioning to death within a 1-year observation were 0.181, 0.066, and 0.035, respectively. For individuals with sarcopenia, the estimated probabilities of recovering to non-sarcopenia, recovering to possible sarcopenia, and transitioning to death within 1-year observation were 0.016, 0.125, and 0.075, respectively. In covariables analysis, age, sex, body mass index, physical function impairment, smoking, hypertension, and diabetes are important factors influencing bidirectional transitions., Conclusions: The findings highlight the bidirectional transitions of sarcopenia states among older adults and reveal a notable proportion of possible sarcopenia show potential for recovery in the natural course. Screening and intensifying interventions based on risk factors may facilitate a recovery transition., (© 2024 The Author(s). Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Strong evidence indicates that environmental stressors are the risk factors for male testosterone deficiency (TD). However, the mechanisms of environmental stress-induced TD remain unclear. Based on our all-cause male reproductive cohort, we found that serum ferrous iron (Fe 2 ⁺) levels were elevated in TD donors. Then, we explored the role and mechanism of ferroptosis in environmental stress-reduced testosterone levels through in vivo and in vitro models. Data demonstrated that ferroptosis and lipid droplet deposition were observed in environmental stress-exposed testicular Leydig cells. Pretreatment with ferrostatin-1 (Fer-1), a specific ferroptosis inhibitor, markedly mitigated environmental stress-reduced testosterone levels. Through screening of core genes involved in lipid droplets formation, it was found that environmental stress significantly increased the levels of perilipins 4 (PLIN4) protein and mRNA in testicular Leydig cells. Further experiments showed that Plin4 siRNA reversed environmental stress-induced lipid droplet deposition and ferroptosis in Leydig cells. Additionally, environmental stress increased the levels of METTL3, METTL14, and total RNA m6A in testicular Leydig cells. Mechanistically, S-adenosylhomocysteine, an inhibitor of METTL3 and METTL14 heterodimer activity, restored the abnormal levels of Plin4, Fe 2 ⁺ and testosterone in environmental stress-treated Leydig cells. Collectively, these results suggest that Plin4 exacerbates environmental stress-decreased testosterone level via inducing ferroptosis in testicular Leydig cells., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the critical need for precise diagnostic methods to distinguish between similar respiratory infections, such as COVID-19 and Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP). Identifying key biomarkers and utilizing machine learning techniques, such as random forest analysis, can significantly improve diagnostic accuracy. We conducted a retrospective analysis of clinical and laboratory data from 214 patients with acute respiratory infections, collected between October 2022 and October 2023 at the Second Hospital of Nanping. The study population was categorized into three groups: COVID-19 positive (n = 52), MP positive (n = 140), and co-infected (n = 22). Key biomarkers, including C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), interleukin- 6 (IL-6), and white blood cell (WBC) counts, were evaluated. Correlation analyses were conducted to assess relationships between biomarkers within each group. The random forest analysis was applied to evaluate the discriminative power of these biomarkers. The random forest model demonstrated high classification performance, with area under the ROC curve (AUC) scores of 0.86 (95% CI: 0.70-0.97) for COVID-19, 0.79 (95% CI: 0.64-0.92) for MP, 0.69 (95% CI: 0.50-0.87) for co-infections, and 0.90 (95% CI: 0.83-0.95) for the micro-average ROC. Additionally, the precision-recall curve for the random forest classifier showed a micro-average AUC of 0.80 (95% CI: 0.69-0.91). Confusion matrices highlighted the model's accuracy (0.77) and biomarker relationships. The SHAP feature importance analysis indicated that age (0.27), CRP (0.25), IL6 (0.14), and PCT (0.14) were the most significant predictors. The integration of computational methods, particularly random forest analysis, in evaluating clinical and biomarker data presents a promising approach for enhancing diagnostic processes for infectious diseases. Our findings support the use of specific biomarkers in differentiating between COVID-19 and MP, potentially leading to more targeted and effective diagnostic strategies. This study underscores the potential of machine learning techniques in improving disease classification in the era of precision medicine., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Broccoli sprouts are promising functional food sources and their taste and flavor play a pivotal role in the acceptance of consumers. In this study, the flavor profiles of three varieties of broccoli sprouts, namely Bi Lv, You Xiu, and Lv Hua, were comprehensively characterized using HS-SPME-GC/MS analysis. A total of 364 volatile and flavor components across 15 chemical classes were successfully identified. The results revealed a majority of volatile metabolites exhibiting upregulation during the germination process, leading to an enhancement in taste intensity after germination, particularly for umami and sweet tastes, which was associated with an increase in associated amino acids and sugar content. Although the total glucosinolate content in broccoli sprouts has decreased compared to seeds, it remains the primary contributor to the bitterness of broccoli sprouts. The present study elaborated on the flavor contribution of broccoli sprouts, supporting the cultivation and consumption of them as a nutritious food., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Advances in materials science are increasingly dependent on the development of multifunctional materials capable of improving system efficiency and reducing the environmental impact. In this study, two zero-dimensional (0D) cadmium-based organic-inorganic hybrid materials (BEMPD) 2 CdBr 4 (BEMPD-Br, 1 ) and (BEMPD) 2 CdBr 2 Cl 2 (BEMPD-ClBr, 2 ) (BEMPD = 1-(2-bromoethyl)-1-methylpiperidine) were prepared by halogen doping. Compound 2 is a mixed halide in which there are two halogen sites, Cl and Br, and in a disordered state, which has a regulatory effect on the structural distortion and properties of the compound. The Curie temperatures of compounds 1 and 2 are 348 and 390 K, respectively, and the UV-vis absorption spectra showed that the direct band gaps of compounds 1 and 2 were 4.68 and 4.8 eV, respectively. In addition, room-temperature photoluminescence experiments show broadband emission peaks at 717 and 683 nm for compounds 1 and 2 , respectively, with fluorescence lifetimes of 2.414 and 3.915 μs. These 0D hybrids provide an avenue for the development of smart materials and optoelectronic devices, and also provide positive clues for manipulating the properties of organic-inorganic hybrid compounds.

The practice of Chinese herbal medicines for the treatment of COVID-19 in China played an essential role for the control of mortality rate and reduction of recovery time. The iridoids is one of the main constituents of many heat-clearing and detoxifying Chinese medicines that were largely planted and frequently used in clinical practice. Twenty-three representative high content iridoids from several staple Chinese medicines were obtained and tested by a SARS-CoV-2 pseudo-virus entry-inhibition assay on HEK-293 T/ACE2 cells, a live HCoV-OC43 virus infection assay on HRT-18 cells, and a SARS-CoV-2 3CL protease inhibitory FRET assay followed by molecular docking simulation. The anti-pulmonary inflammation activities were further evaluated on a TNF-α induced inflammation model in A549 cells and preliminary SARs were concluded. The results showed that specnuezhenide (7), cornuside (12), neonuezhenide (15), and picroside III (21) exhibited promising antiviral activities, and neonuezhenide (15) could inhibit 3CL protease with an IC 50 of 14.3 μM. Docking computation showed that compound 15 could bind to 3CL protease through a variety of hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions. In the anti-pulmonary inflammation test, cornuside (12), aucubin (16), monotropein (17), and shanzhiside methyl ester (18) could strongly decrease the content of IL-1β and IL-8 at 10 μM. Compound 17 could also upregulate the expression of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 significantly. The iridoids exhibited both anti-coronavirus and anti-pulmonary inflammation activities for their significance of existence in Chinese herbal medicines, which also provided a theoretical basis for their potential utilization in the pharmaceutical and food industries., (© 2024. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to The Japanese Society of Pharmacognosy.)

Dissolved organic matter （DOM） plays an important role in indicating the pollution of the water environment, and sediment is the main source of endogenous pollution of the water environment. Research on the spectral characteristics of DOM in sediments was important for the interpretation of water environment pollution. In this study, UV-visible absorption spectroscopy and three-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy combined with the parallel factor analysis （PARAFAC） were used to analyze the fluorescent components, sources, and influencing factors of DOM in sediments from the Yuanhe River Basin. The results showed that the average of ω （TN）, ω （TP）, and ω （OM） in sediments from the Yuanhe River Basin were 0.52, 0.66, and 21.22 g·kg -1 , respectively. The concentrations of total nitrogen and total phosphorus increased along the flow direction. In addition, the sediment DOM from the Yuanhe River Basin mainly originated from terrestrial sources. The chromophoric DOM concentration and aromaticity of DOM from the downstream reaches were significantly higher than those from the upstream and midstream reaches. Based on PARAFAC, four fluorescent components of DOM in sediments from the Yuanhe River Basin were identified, including three humus-like components （C1, C3, and C4） and one protein-like component （C2）. The sediment DOM was dominated by humus-like materials. Moreover, the fluorescent intensity of the fluorescent components was higher in the downstream reaches. Redundancy analysis revealed that the physicochemical properties of sediments in the mainstream and downstream reaches played a more significant role in the spectral properties of DOM. Phosphorus pollution and the terrestrial humus-like substance of sediment DOM were homologous. These results indicated that the spectral properties of DOM were the indicator of water environmental pollution in the region with strong anthropogenic influence.

Background: A stent with characteristics of a hybrid design may have advantages in improving the patency of symptomatic iliofemoral vein obstruction. This study assessed the safety and effectiveness of the V-Mixtent Venous Stent in treating symptomatic iliofemoral outflow obstruction., Methods: Eligible patients had a Clinical-Etiologic-Anatomic-Physiologic (CEAP) C classification of ≥ 3 or a Venous Clinical Severity Score (VCSS) pain score of ≥ 2. The primary safety endpoint was the rate of major adverse events within 30 days. The primary effectiveness endpoint was the 12-month primary patency rate. Secondary endpoints included changes in VCSS from baseline to 6 and 12 months, alterations in CEAP C classification, Chronic Venous Disease Quality of Life Questionnaire (CIVIQ-14) scores at 12 months, and stent durability measures., Results: Between December 2020 and November 2021, 171 patients were enrolled across 15 institutions. A total of 185 endovenous stents were placed, with 91.81% of subjects receiving one stent and 8.19% receiving 2 stents. Within 30 days, only two major adverse events occurred (1.17%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.14-4.16%), below the literature-defined performance goal of 11% (P < .001). The 12-month primary patency rate (91.36%; 95% CI, 85.93-95.19%; P < .001) exceeded the literature-defined performance goal. VCSS changes from baseline demonstrated clinical improvement at 6 months (- 4.30 ± 3.66) and 12 months (- 4.98 ± 3.67) (P < .001). Significant reduction in symptoms, as measured by CEAP C classification and CIVIQ-14, was observed from pre-procedure to 12 months (P < .001)., Conclusions: The 12-month outcomes confirm the safety and effectiveness of the V-Mixtent Venous Stent in managing symptomatic iliofemoral venous outflow obstruction, including clinical symptom improvement compared to before treatment., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Acute lower extremity deep venous thrombosis (LEDVT) is a common vascular emergency with significant morbidity risks, including post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS) and pulmonary embolism. Traditional treatments like catheter-directed thrombolysis (CDT) often result in variable success rates and complications., Aim: To investigate the therapeutic efficacy of percutaneous mechanical thrombus removal in acute LEDVT., Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed to examine 58 hospitalised patients with acute LEDVT between August 2019 and August 2022. The patients were categorised into the percutaneous mechanical thrombectomy (PMT) group ( n = 24) and CDT group ( n = 32). The follow-up, safety and treatment outcomes were compared between the two groups. The main observational indexes were venous patency score, thrombus removal effect, complications, hospitalisation duration and PTS., Results: The venous patency score was 9.04 ± 1.40 in the PMT group and 8.81 ± 1.60 in the CDT group, and the thrombus clearance rate was 100% in both groups. The complication rate was 8.33% in the PMT group and 34.84% in the CDT group, and the difference was statistically significant ( P < 0.05). The average hospitalisation duration was 6.54 ± 2.48 days in the PMT group and 8.14 ± 3.56 days in the CDT group. The incidence of PTS was lower in the PMT group than in the CDT group; however, the difference was not statistically significant ( P < 0.05)., Conclusion: Compared with CDT, treatment of LEDVT via PMT was associated with a better thrombus clearance rate, clinical therapeutic effect and PTS prevention function, but the difference was not statistically significant. Moreover, PMT was associated with a reduced urokinase dosage, shortened hospitalisation duration and reduced incidence of complications, such as infections and small haemorrhages. These results indicate that PMT has substantial beneficial effects in the treatment of LEDVT., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article., (©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

The incorporation of oxygen atoms from air under aerobic conditions plays an important role in organic synthesis. Herein, Brønsted acids are found to be a two-in-one strategic catalyst to transform enamines from β-oxoamides and amines to pyrrolin-4-ones without an external photocatalyst under visible-light conditions. The Brønsted acid can inhibit the C-C bond fragmentation of the [2 + 2] adduct from enamine and 1 O 2 , but most importantly, it can form photosensitizers with enamine and pyrrolin-4-one product by acidochromism to promote the 1 O 2 generation.

Cadmium (Cd) is a widely distributed typical environmental pollutant and one of the most toxic heavy metals. It is well-known that environmental Cd causes testicular damage by inducing classic types of cell death such as cell apoptosis and necrosis. However, as a new type of cell death, the role and mechanism of pyroptosis in Cd-induced testicular injury remain unclear. In the current study, we used environmental Cd to generate a murine model with testicular injury and AIM2-dependent pyroptosis. Based on the model, we found that increased cytoplasmic mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), activated mitochondrial proteostasis stress occurred in Cd-exposed testes. We used ethidium bromide to generate mtDNA-deficient testicular germ cells and further confirmed that increased cytoplasmic mtDNA promoted AIM2-dependent pyroptosis in Cd-exposed cells. Uracil-DNA glycosylase UNG1 overexpression indicated that environmental Cd blocked UNG-dependent repairment of damaged mtDNA to drive the process in which mtDNA releases to cytoplasm in the cells. Interestingly, we found that environmental Cd activated mitochondrial proteostasis stress by up-regulating protein expression of LONP1 in testes. Testicular specific LONP1-knockdown significantly reversed Cd-induced UNG1 protein degradation and AIM2-dependent pyroptosis in mouse testes. In addition, environmental Cd significantly enhanced the m6A modification of Lonp1 mRNA and its stability in testicular germ cells. Knockdown of IGF2BP1, a reader of m6A modification, reversed Cd-induced upregulation of LONP1 protein expression and pyroptosis activation in testicular germ cells. Collectively, environmental Cd induces m6A modification of Lonp1 mRNA to activate mitochondrial proteostasis stress, increase cytoplasmic mtDNA content, and trigger AIM2-dependent pyroptosis in mouse testes. These findings suggest that mitochondrial proteostasis stress is a potential target for the prevention of testicular injury., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Context: The addition of central metal atoms to hydrogen clathrate structures is thought to provide a certain amount of "internal chemical pressure" to offset some of the external physical pressure required for compound stability. The size and valence of the central atoms significantly affect the minimum pressure required for the stabilization of hydrogen-rich compounds and their superconducting transition temperature. In recent years, many studies have calculated the minimum stable pressure and superconducting transition temperature of compounds with H 24 , H 29 , and H 32 hydrogen clathrates, with centrally occupied metal atoms. In order to investigate the stability and physical properties of compounds with H cages in which the central atoms change in the same third group B, herein, based on first-principles calculations, we systematically investigated the lattice parameters, crystal volume, band structures, density of states, Mulliken analysis, charge density, charge density difference, and electronic localization function in I m 3 ¯ m -MH 6 and P6 3 /mmc-MH 9 systems with different centered rare earth atoms M (M = Sc, Y, La) under a series of pressures. We find that for MH 9 , the pressure mainly changes the crystal lattice parameters along the c-axis, and the contributions of the different H atoms in MH 9 to the Fermi level are H3 > H1 > H2. The density of states at the Fermi level of MH 6 is mainly provided by H 1 s. Moreover, the size of the central atom M is particularly important for the stability of the crystal. By observing a series of properties of the structures with H 24 and H 29 cages wrapping the same family of central atoms under a series of pressures, our theoretical study is helpful for further understanding the formation mechanism of high-temperature superconductors and provides a reference for future research and design of high-temperature superconductors., Methods: The first principles based on the density functional theory and density functional perturbation theory were employed to execute all calculations by using the CASTEP code in this work., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: The use of chronic disease information systems in hospitals and communities plays a significant role in disease prevention, control, and monitoring. However, there are several limitations to these systems, including that the platforms are generally isolated, the patient health information and medical resources are not effectively integrated, and the "Internet Plus Healthcare" technology model is not implemented throughout the patient consultation process., Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of the application of a hospital case management information system in a general hospital in the context of chronic respiratory diseases as a model case., Methods: A chronic disease management information system was developed for use in general hospitals based on internet technology, a chronic disease case management model, and an overall quality management model. Using this system, the case managers provided sophisticated inpatient, outpatient, and home medical services for patients with chronic respiratory diseases. Chronic respiratory disease case management quality indicators (number of managed cases, number of patients accepting routine follow-up services, follow-up visit rate, pulmonary function test rate, admission rate for acute exacerbations, chronic respiratory diseases knowledge awareness rate, and patient satisfaction) were evaluated before (2019-2020) and after (2021-2022) implementation of the chronic disease management information system., Results: Before implementation of the chronic disease management information system, 1808 cases were managed in the general hospital, and an average of 603 (SD 137) people were provided with routine follow-up services. After use of the information system, 5868 cases were managed and 2056 (SD 211) patients were routinely followed-up, representing a significant increase of 3.2 and 3.4 times the respective values before use (U=342.779; P<.001). With respect to the quality of case management, compared to the indicators measured before use, the achievement rate of follow-up examination increased by 50.2%, the achievement rate of the pulmonary function test increased by 26.2%, the awareness rate of chronic respiratory disease knowledge increased by 20.1%, the retention rate increased by 16.3%, and the patient satisfaction rate increased by 9.6% (all P<.001), while the admission rate of acute exacerbation decreased by 42.4% (P<.001) after use of the chronic disease management information system., Conclusions: Use of a chronic disease management information system improves the quality of chronic respiratory disease case management and reduces the admission rate of patients owing to acute exacerbations of their diseases., (© Yi-Zhen Xiao, Xiao-Jia Chen, Xiao-Ling Sun, Huan Chen, Yu-Xia Luo, Yuan Chen, Ye-Mei Liang. Originally published in JMIR Medical Informatics (https://medinform.jmir.org).)

Objective: Intestinal fibrosis is a refractory complication of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Tumor necrosis factor ligand-related molecule-1A (TL1A) is important for IBD-related intestinal fibrosis in a dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced experimental colitis model. This study aimed to explore the effects of TL1A on human colonic fibroblasts., Methods: A trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced experimental colitis model of LCK-CD2-TL1A-GFP transgenic (Tg) or wild-type (WT) mice was established to determine the effect and mechanism of TL1A on intestinal fibrosis. The human colonic fibroblast CCD-18Co cell line was treated concurrently with TL1A and human peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) supernatant. The proliferation and activation of CCD-18Co cells were detected by BrdU assays, flow cytometry, immunocytochemistry and Western blotting. Collagen metabolism was tested by Western blotting and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR)., Results: The level of collagen metabolism in the TNBS+ethyl alcohol (EtOH)/Tg group was greater than that in the TNBS+EtOH/WT group. Transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and p-Smad3 in the TNBS+EtOH/Tg group were upregulated as compared with those in the TNBS+EtOH/WT group. The proliferation of CCD-18Co cells was promoted by the addition of human PBMC supernatant supplemented with 20 ng/mL TL1A, and the addition of human PBMC supernatant and TL1A increased CCD-18Co proliferation by 24.4% at 24 h. TL1A promoted cell activation and increased the levels of COL1A2, COL3A1, and TIMP-1 in CCD-18Co cells. Treatment of CCD-18Co cells with TL1A increased the expression of TGF-β1 and p-Smad3., Conclusion: TL1A promotes TGF-β1-mediated intestinal fibroblast activation, proliferation, and collagen deposition and is likely related to an increase in the TGF-β1/Smad3 signaling pathway., (© 2024. Huazhong University of Science and Technology.)

Background: The vaccination status of post-stroke patients, who are at high risk of severe outcomes from Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is a significant concern, yet it remains unclear. We aimed to explore the vaccination status, factors associated with vaccine hesitancy, and adverse effects after vaccination among post-stroke patients., Methods: This multi-center observational study enrolled hospitalized post-stroke patients from six Chinese hospitals (Oct 1, 2020 - Mar 31, 2021), examining vaccine uptake and self-reported reasons for vaccine hesitancy, utilizing logistic regression to investigate risk factors for vaccine hesitancy, and recording any adverse reactions post-vaccination., Results: Of the total 710 post-stroke patients included in the study, 430 (60.6%) had completed the recommended full-3 dose SARS-CoV-2 vaccination, with 176 (24.8%) remaining unvaccinated. The most common reasons for vaccine hesitancy were concerns about vaccine side effects (41.5%) and impaired mobility (33.9%). Logistic regression identified advanced age (aOR = 1.97, 95%CI: 1.36-2.85, P = 0.001), lower Barthel Index score (aOR = 0.88, 95%CI: 0.82-0.93, P = 0.018), higher Modified Rankin Scale score (aOR = 1.85, 95%CI: 1.32-2.56, P = 0.004), and poorer usual activity level of EuroQol 5-Dimension (aOR = 2.82, 95%CI: 1.51-5.28, P = 0.001) as independent risk factors for vaccine hesitancy. Approximately 14.8% reported minor adverse reactions, mainly pain at the injection site., Conclusion: We found that post-stroke patients have insufficient SARS-CoV-2 vaccination rates, with key risk factors for vaccine hesitancy including concerns about side effects, advanced age, and functional impairments. No severe adverse reactions were observed among the vaccinated population., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objective: To identify factors influencing recurrence after percutaneous transhepatic choledochoscopic lithotripsy (PTCSL) and to develop a predictive model., Methods: We retrospectively analyzed clinical data from 354 patients with intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile duct stones treated with PTCSL at Qinzhou First People's Hospital between February 2018 and January 2020. Patients were followed for three years and categorized into non-recurrence and recurrence groups based on postoperative outcome. Univariate analysis identified possible predictors of stone recurrence. Data were split using the gradient boosting machine (GBM) algorithm, assigning 70% as the training set and 30% as the test set. The predictive performance of the GBM model was assessed using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and calibration curve, and compared with a logistic regression model., Results: Six factors were identified as significant predictors of recurrence: age, diabetes, total bilirubin, biliary stricture, number of stones, and stone diameter. The GBM model, developed based on these factors, showed high predictive accuracy. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.763 (95% CI: 0.695-0.830) for the training set and 0.709 (95% CI: 0.596-0.822) for the test set. Optimal cutoff values were 0.286 and 0.264, with sensitivities of 62.30% and 66.70%, and specificities of 77.20% and 68.50%, respectively. Calibration curves indicated good agreement between predicted probabilities and observed recurrence rates in both sets. DeLong's test revealed no significant differences between the GBM and logistic regression models in predictive performance (training set: D = 0.003, P = 0.997 > 0.05; test set: D = 0.075, P = 0.940 > 0.05)., Conclusion: Biliary stricture, stone diameter, diabetes, stone number, age, and total bilirubin significantly influence stone recurrence after PTCSL. The GBM model, based on these factors, demonstrates robust accuracy and discrimination. Both GBM and logistic regression models effectively predicted stone recurrence post-PTCSL., Competing Interests: None., (AJTR Copyright © 2024.)

Low testosterone (T) levels are associated with many common diseases, such as obesity, male infertility, depression, and cardiovascular disease. It is well known that environmental cadmium (Cd) exposure can induce T decline, but the exact mechanism remains unclear. We established a murine model in which Cd exposure induced testicular T decline. Based on the model, we found Cd caused mitochondrial fusion disorder and Parkin mitochondrial translocation in mouse testes. MFN1 overexpression confirmed that MFN1-dependent mitochondrial fusion disorder mediated the Cd-induced T synthesis suppression in Leydig cells. Further data confirmed Cd induced the decrease of MFN1 protein by increasing ubiquitin degradation. Testicular specific Parkin knockdown confirmed Cd induced the ubiquitin-dependent degradation of MFN1 protein through promoting Parkin mitochondrial translocation in mouse testes. Expectedly, testicular specific Parkin knockdown also mitigated testicular T decline. Mito-TEMPO, a targeted inhibitor for mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS), alleviated Cd-caused Parkin mitochondrial translocation and mitochondrial fusion disorder. As above, Parkin mitochondrial translocation induced mitochondrial fusion disorder and the following T synthesis repression in Cd-exposed Leydig cells. Collectively, our study elucidates a novel mechanism through which Cd induces T decline and provides a new treatment strategy for patients with androgen disorders., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: The purpose of this research was to stratify the level of frailty to examine the risk factors associated with reversible cognitive frailty (RCF) and potentially reversible cognitive frailty (PRCF) in nursing homes to provide a basis for hierarchical management in different stages of frailty., Methods: The study was a cross-sectional study conducted from September to November 2022; 504 people were selected by stratified random sampling after convenience selection from the Home for the Aged Guangzhou. The structured questionnaire survey was conducted through face-to-face interviews using the general data questionnaire, Fried Frailty Phenotype, Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale., Results: In total, 452 individuals were included for analysis. A total of 229 cases (50.7%) were PRCF, 70 (15.5%) were RCF. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that in pre-frailty, the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) score (odds ratio (OR) 1.802; 95% CI 1.308-2.483), Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale (IADL) score (0.352; 0.135-0.918) and energy (0.288; 0.110-0.755) were influencing factors of RCF. GDS-15 score (1.805; 1.320-2.468), IADL score (0.268; 0.105-0.682), energy (0.377; 0.150-0.947), lack of intellectual activity (6.118; 1.067-35.070), admission time(>3 years) (9.969; 1.893-52.495) and low education (3.465; 1.211-9.912) were influencing factors of PRCF. However, RCF with frailty was associated with the Short-Form Mini-Nutritional Assessment (MNA-SF) score (0.301; 0.123-0.739) and low education time (0 ~ 12 years) (0.021; 0.001-0.826). PRCF with frailty was associated with age (1.327; 1.081-1.629) and weekly exercise time (0.987; 0.979-0.995)., Conclusions: The prevalence of RCF and PRCF was high among pre-frail and frail older adults in nursing homes. Different levels of frailty had different influencing factors for RCF and PRCF. Depression, daily living ability, energy, intellectual activity, admission time, education level, nutrition status, age and exercise time were associated with RCF and PRCF. Hierarchical management and intervention should be implemented for different stages of frailty to prevent or delay the progression of cognitive frailty., (© 2024 Japanese Psychogeriatric Society.)

Trillions of intestinal bacteria in the human body undergo dynamic transformations in response to physiological and pathological changes. Alterations in their composition and metabolites collectively contribute to the progression of Alzheimer's disease. The role of gut microbiota in Alzheimer's disease is diverse and complex, evidence suggests lipid metabolism may be one of the potential pathways. However, the mechanisms that gut microbiota mediate lipid metabolism in Alzheimer's disease pathology remain unclear, necessitating further investigation for clarification. This review highlights the current understanding of how gut microbiota disrupts lipid metabolism and discusses the implications of these discoveries in guiding strategies for the prevention or treatment of Alzheimer's disease based on existing data., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Oncolytic viral therapy (OVT) is a novel anti-tumor immunotherapy approach, specifically replicating within tumor cells. Currently, oncolytic viruses are mainly administered by intratumoral injection. However, achieving good results for distant metastatic tumors is challenging. In this study, a multifunctional oncolytic adenovirus, OA@CuMnCs, was developed using bimetallic ions copper and manganese. These metal cations form a biomineralized coating on the virus's surface, reducing immune clearance. It is known that viruses upregulate the expression of PD-L1. Copper ions in OA@CuMnCs can decrease the PD-L1 expression of tumor cells, thereby promoting immune cell-related factor release. This process involves antigen presentation and the combination of immature dendritic cells, transforming them into mature dendritic cells. It changes "cold" tumors into "hot" tumors, further inducing immunogenic cell death. While oncolytic virus replication requires oxygen, manganese ions in OA@CuMnCs can react with endogenous hydrogen peroxide. This reaction produces oxygen, enhancing the virus's replication ability and the tumor lysis effect. Thus, this multifunctionally coated OA@CuMnCs demonstrates potent amplification in immunotherapy efficacy, and shows great potential for further clinical OVT. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Oncolytic virus therapy (OVs) is a new anti-tumor immunotherapy method that can specifically replicate in tumor cells. Although the oncolytic virus can achieve a therapeutic effect on some non-metastatic tumors through direct intratumoral injection, there are still three major defects in the treatment of metastatic tumors: immune response, hypoxia effect, and administration route. Various studies have shown that the immune response in vivo can be overcome by modifying or wrapping the surface protein of the oncolytic virus. In this paper, a multifunctional coating of copper and manganese was prepared by combining the advantages of copper and manganese ions. The coating has a simple preparation method and mild conditions, and can effectively enhance tumor immunotherapy., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Acute Type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) is a life-threatening cardiovascular disease associated with high mortality rates, where surgical intervention remains the primary life-saving treatment. However, the mortality rate for ATAAD operations continues to be alarmingly high. To address this critical issue, our study aimed to assess the correlation between preoperative laboratory examination, clinical imaging data, and postoperative mortality in ATAAD patients. Additionally, we sought to establish a reliable prediction model for evaluating the risk of postoperative death., Methods: In this study, a total of 384 patients with acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) who were admitted to the emergency department for surgical treatment were included. Based on preoperative laboratory examination and clinical imaging data of ATAAD patients, logistic analysis was used to obtain independent risk factors for postoperative in-hospital death. The survival prediction model was based on cox regression analysis and displayed as a nomogram., Results: Logistic analysis identified several independent risk factors for postoperative in-hospital death, including Marfan syndrome, previous cardiac surgery history, previous renal dialysis history, direct bilirubin, serum phosphorus, D-dimer, white blood cell, multiple aortic ruptures and age. A survival prediction model based on cox regression analysis was established and presented as a nomogram. The model exhibited good discrimination and significantly improved the prediction of death risk in ATAAD patients., Conclusions: In this study, we developed a novel survival prediction model for acute type A aortic dissection based on preoperative clinical features. The model demonstrated good discriminatory power and improved accuracy in predicting the risk of death in ATAAD patients undergoing open surgery., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Postoperative hyper-inflammation is a frequent event in patients with acute Stanford type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) after surgical repair. This study's objective was to determine which inflammatory biomarkers could be used to make a better formula for identifying postoperative hyper-inflammation, and which risk factors were associated with hyper-inflammation., Methods: A total of 405 patients were enrolled in this study from October 1, 2020 to April 1, 2023. Of these patients, 124 exhibited poor outcomes. In order to investigate the optimal cut-off values for poor outcomes, logistic and receiver operating characteristic analyses were performed on the following parameters on the first postoperative day: procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and systemic immune-inflammation index (SII). These cut-off points were used to separate the patients into hyper-inflammatory (n = 52) and control (n = 353) groups. Finally, the logistic were used to find the risk factors of hyper-inflammatory., Results: PCT, CRP, IL-6, and SII were independent risk factors of poor outcomes in the multivariate logistic model. Cut-off points of these biomarkers were 2.18 ng/ml, 49.76 mg/L, 301.88 pg/ml, 2509.96 × 10 9 /L respectively. These points were used to define postoperative hyper-inflammation (OR 2.97, 95% CI 1.35-6.53, P < 0.01). Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) > 180 min, and deep hypothermia circulatory arrest (DHCA) > 40 min were the independent risk factors for hyper-inflammation., Conclusions: PCT > 2.18, CRP > 49.76, IL-6 > 301.88, and SII < 2509.96 could be used to define postoperative hyper-inflammation which increased mortality and morbidity in patients after ATAAD surgery. Based on these findings, we found that CPB > 180 min and DHCA > 40 min were separate risk factors for postoperative hyper-inflammation., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The intestinal bacteria of longhorn beetles would be ideal targets for pest control and lignocellulosic resources by destroying or exploiting their cellulose-degrading function. This article aims to investigate the diversity and community structure of intestinal bacteria the oligophagous longhorn beetle Glenea cantor . Additionally, it seeks to identify the presence of lignocellulose-degrading bacteria in the gut, and explore their role in consuming host kapok trees Bombax malabaricum . In this study, the bacterial community from G. cantor was examined by Illumina sequencing of 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) targeting the V3 and V4 regions. A total of 563,201 valid sequences and 814 OTUs were obtained. The dominant phyla were Proteobacteria, and the dominant genera were Acinetobacter and Lactococcus. The analysis of microbial diversity revealed a high bacterial diversity in the samples, with the gut bacteria playing a crucial role in the physiological activities of the host, particularly, 9 genera of intestinal bacteria with cellulose degradation function were found, highlighting their vital role in cellulose degradation. Five strains of cellulose-degrading bacteria, belonging to the genus Pseudomonas, were obtained from the intestinal tract of G. cantor larvae using traditional isolation and culture techniques as well as 16S rDNA sequencing. Among these strains, A4 exhibited a cellulase activity of 94.42 ± 0.42 U/mL, while A5 displayed the highest filter paper enzyme activity of 127.46 ± 3.54 U/mL. These results offered valuable insights into potential targets for pest control through internal attack digestion and cellulose-degrading bacteria in longhorn beetles., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Su, Pan, Luo, Zheng, Lu and Wang.)

Exercise elicits a wide range of physiological responses in mammalian tissues that enhance a broad range of functions, particularly in improving cognitive performance. However, the field lacks a comprehensive bibliometric analysis that clarifies its knowledge structure and research hotspots. This study aims to address this gap and map the research landscape regarding the role of exercise in cognitive function enhancement. Firstly, the frequencies and co-occurrence of keywords were analysed to identify six main clusters: aging, cognitive impairment, rehabilitation, obesity, fatigue, and hippocampus. Secondly, reference timeline co-citation analysis revealed that hippocampus and aging were the major bursts with high intensity and long attention span while children had recently emerged as a topical subject. Finally, the evolution of themes from 2012 to 2022 was analysed, and found that older adults had been the leading research theme for exercise affecting cognition. Childhood obesity was an emerging theme that attracted increasing research attention in recent years while the hippocampus research theme expanded rapidly during the decade but remained a niche topic with less relevance to others. This research identified and summarised research priorities and evolutionary trends in exercise to improve cognition by constructing knowledge networks through visual analysis. It provides researchers with a comprehensive insight into the current state of the field to facilitate further research., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Stem cell-derived embryos in vitro allow the exploration of the very early stages of human embryogenesis in vitro and are thus promising for widespread applications in developmental biology, related developmental disease modeling, and drug discovery. Several cell resources have been utilized, with different efficiencies and methods for generating human blastoids, a structure similar to natural blastocysts. Human EPS cells were reported to contribute to the embryonic and extraembryonic lineages and therefore can be a practical and efficient cell resource for constructing human blastoids. Here, we developed a three-dimensional, two-step induction system for generating human blastoids using human EPS cells. According to morphological and transcriptomic analysis, EPS-blastoids recapitulate the key developmental processes and cell lineages of human blastocysts. Moreover, in vitro extended culture for 8 and 10 days of EPS-blastoids can result in postimplantation embryonic structures. In this chapter, we describe a protocol that covers the generation, maintenance, and developmental phenocopying of human EPS blastoids., (© 2023. Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.)

Ten lignans, including six previously undescribed phenolic ester glycosyl lignans (1-6), were isolated from a well-known traditional Chinese medicine, Qin-Jiao, which is the dry root of Gentiana macrophylla Pall. (Gentianaceae). Their structures were determined by spectroscopic and chemical methods, especially 2D NMR techniques. Quantum chemical calculations of theoretical ECD spectra allowed the determination of their absolute configurations. Refer to its traditional applications for the treatment of rheumatic arthralgia and hepatopathy, these compounds were evaluated on a TNF-α induced MH7A human synoviocyte inflammation model and a D-GalN induced AML12 hepatocyte injury model. Compounds 1, 2, 5, and 6 significantly reduced the release of proinflammatory cytokine IL-1β in MH7A cells at 15 μM and they also could strongly protect AML12 cells against D-GalN injury at 30 μM. Flow cytometry and Western blot analysis showed that compound 5 ameliorated D-GalN induced AML12 cell apoptosis by upregulating the expression of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein and down-regulating the expression of pro-apoptotic Bax protein., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Li-She Gan reports financial support was provided by National Natural Science Foundation of China. Li-She Gan reports financial support was provided by Department of Education of Guangdong Province., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)