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Background: While gender differences in ball skills are widely recognized, the differences in locomotor skills remain unclear. This study aims to explore these gender differences among preschool children in Jinhua City, China, and to examine the influence of evolutionary factors and local cultural activities on these skills. Methods: A cluster random sampling method was employed to select 777 preschool children aged 5.1–6.7 years from seven kindergartens in Jinhua, Zhejiang Province, Eastern China. The Test of Gross Motor Development-Third Edition (TGMD-3) was used to assess GMS, including locomotor and ball skills. Results: Boys outperformed girls in ball skills, such as underhand throwing, catching, two-handed striking, and kicking. However, no significant overall gender differences were found in locomotor skills. A deeper analysis revealed that boys excelled in running-related tasks, whereas girls performed better in skipping-related tasks. These findings suggest that TGMD-3 locomotor skills should be divided into running-related and jumping-related categories. The results also show that not all ball skills are dominated by boys, indicating the impact of environmental factors. The findings highlight the role of both evolutionary factors and local cultural activities in shaping these specific gender differences. Conclusion: The study's cross-sectional design provides a snapshot of existing gender differences in motor skills among preschool children. The results suggest the need for gender-sensitive physical education programs to address these disparities early on. Future research should utilize longitudinal methods and objective measures to further understand the development of these skills over time and the underlying factors contributing to these differences.

Previous studies have shown that the risk of malignant transformation of endometriosis in premenopausal women is approximately 1%, significantly impacting the overall well-being and quality of life of affected women. Presently, the diagnostic gold standard for endometriosis-associated ovarian cancer (EAOC) continues to be invasive laparoscopy followed by histological examination. However, the application of this technique is limited due to its high cost, highlighting the importance of identifying a non-invasive diagnostic approach. Therefore, there is a critical need to explore non-invasive diagnostic methods to improve diagnostic precision and optimize clinical outcomes for patients. This review presents a comprehensive survey of the current progress in comprehending the pathogenesis of malignant transformation in endometriosis. Furthermore, it examines the most recent research discoveries concerning the diagnosis of EAOC and emphasizes potential targets for therapeutic intervention. The ultimate objective is to improve prevention, early detection, precise diagnosis, and treatment approaches, thereby optimizing the clinical outcomes for patients.

Ovarian cancer affects the female reproductive system and is the primary cause of cancer related mortality globally. The imprecise and non-specific nature of ovarian cancer symptoms often results in patients being diagnosed at an advanced stage, with metastatic lesions extending beyond the ovary. This presents a significant clinical challenge and imposes a substantial economic burden on both patients and society. Despite advancements in surgery, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy, the prognosis for most patients with ovarian cancer remains unsatisfactory. Therefore, the development of novel treatment strategies is imperative. Ferroptosis, a distinct form of regulated cell death, characterized by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation, differs from autophagy, apoptosis, and necrosis, and may hold promise as a novel cell death. Numerous studies have demonstrated the involvement of ferroptosis in various conventional signaling pathways and biological processes. Recent investigations have revealed the significant contribution of ferroptosis in the initiation, progression, and metastasis of diverse malignant tumors, including ovarian cancer. Moreover, ferroptosis exhibits a synergistic effect with chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy in restraining the proliferation of ovarian cancer cells. The aforementioned implies that ferroptosis holds considerable importance in the management of ovarian cancer and has the potential to serve as a novel therapeutic target. The present review provides a comprehensive overview of the salient features of ferroptosis, encompassing its underlying mechanisms and functional role in ovarian cancer, along with the associated signaling pathways and genes. Furthermore, the review highlights the prospective utility of ferroptosis in the treatment of ovarian cancer.

Background/Purpose: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) constitutes a spectrum of liver diseases associated with various metabolic disorders. Exercise interventions reportedly manage the clinical outcomes of NAFLD, but their efficacy depends on exercise as well as characteristics of patient. We hypothesized that exercise could alleviate the elevated transaminases level, which may be associated with the characteristics of patients (age/bodyweight/sex) or exercise variables (frequency/intensity/duration). Therefore, we examined the effect of exercise on serum transaminases, and identified the variables influencing transaminases in NAFLD patients.Methods: Article search was conducted using electronic databases (PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar) until December 2021. Studies that involved examination and comparison of the effect of an exercise intervention on alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels in NAFLD/nonalcoholic steatohepatitis patients were included. We calculated pooled effect upon a meta-analysis, determined correlations (between transaminases and characteristics of patients/exercise) by meta-regression, and assessed the influencing variable through subgroup analysis.Results: A total of 18 studies (22 trials) with 1098 NAFLD patients (exercise = 568; control = 530) were included. The pooled outcomes revealed that exercise intervention significantly decreased both ALT (p = 0.004) and AST (p = 0.001) levels in NAFLD patients. Meta-regression analysis showed decreased ALT (coef. = 1.138, p < 0.01) and AST (coef. = 0.459, p = 0.041) after intervention was correlated with the age of patients. Particularly, patients aged 30–39 years (MD: −25.89 U/L, 95% CI: −36.40 to −15.37, p < 0.00001) and 40–49 years (MD: −12.17 U/L, 95% CI: −20.38 to −3.96, p = 0.004) represented a substantial decrease in ALT levels. Additionally, the 50–59 years age group tended to have decreased ALT levels (MD: −3.94 U/L, 95% CI: −8.19 to 0.31, p = 0.07); however, patients above 60 years did not respond (p = 0.92) to exercise intervention. In contrast, exercise-induced AST reduction was found in only the 30–39 years age group (MD: −11.92 U/L, 95% CI: −16.78 to −7.06, p < 0.00001) and not in patients under the 40–49 (p = 0.19), and 50–59 groups (p = 0.12) and above 60 years (p = 0.15).Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the age of NAFLD patients may be an important variable in improving the levels of serum transaminases, and clinically young patients may have greater benefits from exercise than older patients.

Introduction: The neuropeptide-Y (NPY) is involved in the development of alcoholism through NPY receptors. A T>C mutation causes substitution of leucine to proline at codon 7 (L7P; rs16139) in the signal peptide of neuropeptide Y is known to cause a 42% increase in plasma NPY levels. Studies that analyzed the association between NPY rs16139 and alcoholism risk did not demonstrate conclusive evidence for this relationship. The present study aims to evaluate the association between NPY gene rs16139 variant and alcohol dependence.Method: An electronic search of databases including PubMed and Google Scholar was performed to retrieve studies investigating the association between NPY rs16139 and alcoholism. The pooled odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated in allelic and dominant genetic models. Sensitivity analyses and publication bias were assessed in our meta-analysis. The meta-analysis was conducted using the MetaGenyo web tool.Result: Significant heterogeneity was observed across studies (p < 0.001). Our results have shown that there is no significant association between NPY rs16139 variant and the risk of alcoholism in allelic (OR = 0.98, 95% CI 0.70–1.38, p = 0.921) and dominant models (OR = 0.98, 95% CI 0.69–1.40, p = 0.919). Begg's funnel plot and Egger's test have not shown publication bias (p = 0.332).Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first meta-analysis that evaluates the relationship between the NPY rs16139 polymorphism and the risk of alcoholism. Our large-scale meta-analysis suggests that NPY rs16139 polymorphism is not associated with alcoholism. However, further studies are needed to increase our understanding of the relationship between NPY variants in alcoholism.

Patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) have a high prevalence of mental disorders, such as depression and anxiety. Gut microbiota imbalance and disturbed metabolism have been suggested to play an important role in either UC or mental disorders. However, little is known about their detailed multi-omics characteristics in patients with UC and depression/anxiety. In this prospective observational study, 240 Chinese patients were enrolled, including 129 patients with active UC (69 in Phase 1 and 60 in Phase 2; divided into depression/non-depression or anxiety/non-anxiety groups), 49 patients with depression and anxiety (non-UC), and 62 healthy people. The gut microbiota of all subjects was analyzed using 16S rRNA sequencing. The serum metabolome and proteome of patients with UC in Phase 2 were analyzed using liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. Associations between multi-omics were evaluated by correlation analysis. The prophylactic effect of candidate metabolites on the depressive-like behavior of mice with colitis was investigated. In total, 58% of patients with active UC had depression, while 50% had anxiety. Compared to patients with UC without depression/anxiety, patients with UC and depression/anxiety had lower fecal microbial community richness and diversity, with more Lactobacillales, Sellimonas, Streptococcus, and Enterococcus but less Prevotella_9 and Lachnospira. Most metabolites (e.g., glycochenodeoxycholate) were increased in the serum, while few metabolites, including 2ʹ-deoxy-D-ribose and L-pipecolic acid, were decreased, accompanied by a general reduction in immunoglobulin proteins. These related bacteria, metabolites, and proteins were highly connected. A prophylactic administration of 2ʹ-deoxy-D-ribose and L-pipecolic acid significantly reduced the depressive-like behaviors in mice with colitis and alleviated the inflammatory cytokine levels in their colon, blood and brain. This study has identified a comprehensive multi-omics network related to depression and anxiety in active UC. It is composed of a certain set of gut microbiota, metabolites, and proteins, which are potential targets for clinical intervention for patients with UC and depression/anxiety.

Objectives This study aims to investigate the relationship between daily weather and transmission rate of SARS-CoV-2, and to develop a generalised model for future prediction of the COVID-19 spreading rate for a certain area with meteorological factors.Design A retrospective, qualitative study.Methods and analysis We collected 382 596 records of weather data with four meteorological factors, namely, average temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, and air visibility, and 15 192 records of epidemic data with daily new confirmed case counts (1 587 209 confirmed cases in total) in nearly 500 areas worldwide from 20 January 2020 to 9 April 2020. Epidemic data were modelled against weather data to find a model that could best predict the future outbreak.Results Significant correlation of the daily new confirmed case count with the weather 3 to 7 days ago were found. SARS-CoV-2 is easy to spread under weather conditions of average temperature at 5 to 15°C, relative humidity at 70% to 80%, wind speed at 1.5 to 4.5 m/s and air visibility less than 10 statute miles. A short-term model with these four meteorological variables was derived to predict the daily increase in COVID-19 cases; and a long-term model using temperature to predict the pandemic in the next week to month was derived. Taken China as a discovery dataset, it was well validated with worldwide data. According to this model, there are five viral transmission patterns, ‘restricted’, ‘controlled’, ‘natural’, ‘tropical’ and ‘southern’. This model’s prediction performance correlates with actual observations best (over 0.9 correlation coefficient) under natural spread mode of SARS-CoV-2 when there is not much human interference such as epidemic control.Conclusions This model can be used for prediction of the future outbreak, and illustrating the effect of epidemic control for a certain area.

A novel manganese complex, C16H26MnN4O12, was synthesized by the reaction of nicotinoyl-glycine and NaOH in an ethanol/water solution and structurally characterized by elemental analysis, UV-vis spectrum, IR spectrum and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The crystal of the complex belongs to the triclinic space group P1 with a = 7.8192(16) Å, b = 8.8800(18) Å, c = 9.0142(18) Å, α = 83.14(3)°, β = 65.27(3)°, γ = 81.67(3)°, V = 516.3(2) Å3, Z = 1, Dx = 1.542 mg·m−3, μ = 0.66 mm−1, F(000) = 271, and final R1 = 0.0381, ωR2 = 0.0964. The nicotinoyl-glycine ligand acts as a bridging ligand to connect the manganese ions by the hydrogen interactions; thus, the complex expands into a 3D supramolecular net structure.

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Visual cognition in humans has traditionally been studied with cognitive behavioral methods and brain imaging, but much less with genetic methods. Perceptual rivalry, an important phenomenon in visual cognition, is the spontaneous perceptual alternation that occurs between two distinct interpretations of a physically constant visual stimulus (e.g., binocular rivalry stimuli) or a perceptually ambiguous stimulus (e.g., the Necker cube). The switching rate varies dramatically across individuals and can be voluntarily modulated by observers. Here, we adopted a genomic approach to systematically investigate the genetics underlying binocular rivalry, Necker cube rivalry and voluntary modulation of Necker cube rivalry in young Chinese adults (Homo sapiens, 81% female, 20 ± 1 years old) at multiple levels, including common single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based heritability estimation, SNP-based genome-wide association study (GWAS), gene-based analysis, and pathway analysis. We performed a pilot GW AS in 2441 individuals and replicated it in an independent cohort of 943 individuals. Common SNP-based heritability was estimated to be 25% for spontaneous perceptual rivalry. SNPs rs 184765639 and rs75595941 were associated with voluntary modulation, and imaging data suggested genotypic difference of rs 184765639 in the surface area of the left caudal-middle frontal cortex. Additionally, converging evidence from multilevel analyses associated genes such as RRMT1 with perceptual switching rate, and MIR117R with voluntary modulation strength. In summary, this study discovered specific genetic contributions to perceptual rivalry and its voluntary modulation in human beings. These findings may promote our understanding of psychiatric disorders, as perceptual rivalry is a potential psychiatric biomarker. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel manganese complex, C16H26MnN4O12, was synthesized by the reaction of nicotinoyl-glycine and NaOH in an ethanol/water solution and structurally characterized by elemental analysis, UV-vis spectrum, IR spectrum and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The crystal of the complex belongs to the triclinic space group P1 with a = 7.8192(16) Å, b = 8.8800(18) Å, c = 9.0142(18) Å, α = 83.14(3)°, β = 65.27(3)°, γ = 81.67(3)°, V = 516.3(2) Å3, Z = 1, Dx = 1.542 mg•m-3, μ = 0.66 mm-1, F(000) = 271, and final R1 = 0.0381, ωR2 = 0.0964. The nicotinoyl-glycine ligand acts as a bridging ligand to connect the manganese ions by the hydrogen interactions; thus, the complex expands into a 3D supramolecular net structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]