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Abstract Background Considering the increasing prevalence of obesity/overweight, its treatment or prevention with new interventions can greatly help health and reduce its adverse effects in people. One of these new interventions is investigating the effect of Survodutide as a dual agonist of glucagon and GLP-1 receptors, which seems to be able to influence weight loss processes in different ways. In this study, we investigated the effect of injectable Survodutide on weight loss. Methods In order to identify all randomized controlled trials that investigated the effects of Survodutide on factores related to obesity, a systematic search was conducted in the original databases using predefined keywords until August 2024. The pooled weighted mean difference and 95% confidence intervals were computed using the random-effects model. Results The Findings from 18 treatment arms with 1029 participants indicated significant reductions in weight (WMD: -8.33 kg; 95% CI: -10.80, -5.86; I2 = 99.6%), body mass index (BMI) (WMD:-4.03 kg/m2; 95% CI: -4.86, -3.20; I2 = 72.7%), and waist circumferences (WC) (WMD: -6.33 cm; 95% CI: -8.85 to -3.81; I2 = 99.5%) following the Survodutide injection compared to the control group. Subgroup analysis reveals that longer interventions (more than 16 weeks) and higher doses (more than 2 mg/week) of Survodutide are associated with more significant reductions in weight and WC. These results were also observed in the meta-regression analysis. Conclusions The results of this meta-analysis show that Survodutide is effective in reducing weight, BMI and waist circumference, especially with longer interventions and higher doses.

Abstract Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) exhibit significant functional and metabolic alterations within the lung cancer microenvironment, contributing to tumor progression and immune evasion by increasing differentiation into myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). Our aim is to analyze the metabolic transition of HSCs from glycolysis to oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) in lung cancer and determine its effects on HSC functionality. Using a murine Lewis Lung Carcinoma lung cancer model, we conducted metabolic profiling of long-term and short-term HSCs, as well as multipotent progenitors, comparing their metabolic states in normal and cancer conditions. We measured glucose uptake using 2-[N-(7-Nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazol-4-yl)Amino]-2-Deoxyglucose (2-NBDG) and assessed levels of lactate, acetyl-coenzyme A, and ATP. Mitochondrial functionality was evaluated through flow cytometry, alongside the impact of the glucose metabolism inhibitor 2-DG on HSC differentiation and mitochondrial activity. HSCs under lung cancer conditions showed increased glucose uptake and lactate production, with an associated rise in OXPHOS activity, marking a metabolic shift. Treatment with 2-DG led to decreased T-HSCs and MDSCs and an increased red blood cell count, highlighting its potential to influence metabolic and differentiation pathways in HSCs. This study provides novel insights into the metabolic reprogramming of HSCs in lung cancer, emphasizing the critical shift from glycolysis to OXPHOS and its implications for the therapeutic targeting of cancer-related metabolic pathways.

Abstract Background Preventive treatment of tuberculosis infection (TBI) is considered a crucial strategy to prevent and control tuberculosis (TB). However, the acceptance and completion rates of preventive therapy for TBI are still far from optimistic. Evidence is mounting that TB knowledge and stigma may have a substantial effect on acceptance of TBI treatment. This study aimed to explore the effect of stigma on the relationship between the level of TB knowledge and acceptance of TBI treatment. Methods 7017 general population were included in the study. We adjusted for the covariates at the individual. Stepwise logistic regression was used to examine the moderating role of TB stigma and also explore the association between TB knowledge and acceptance of TBI treatment. Results The acceptance rate of TBI treatment among the respondents was 84.38% (n = 5921). Among respondents, a significant positive correlation between acceptance of TBI treatment and TB knowledge (OR = 1.096,95%CI = 1.073,1.118). Additionally, the association between TB knowledge and acceptance of TBI treatment was found to be moderated by TB stigma. In other words, TB stigma was found to weaken the impact of TB knowledge on acceptance of TBI treatment (OR = 0.994,95%CI = 0.991,0.996). Conclusion The findings of the study indicated that having a high level of awareness about TB can enhance the general population’s acceptability of TBI treatment. TB stigma moderated this association; it weakened the relationship between TB knowledge and individuals’ willingness to accept TBI treatment. To mitigate TB stigma and enhance the intention of individuals with TBI to accept preventive therapy, it is imperative to enhance TB-related health education.

In order to determine the best recipe for Huangcai instant meatballs to research the characteristics of their preservation, the Plackett-Burman test was used to eliminate the three variables that significantly impacted the sensory score of Huangcai instant meatballs. The steepest climb test and Box-Behnken test were then used to optimize the Huangcai instant meatball recipe. The changes in color, texture, total colony count, coliforms, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella, peroxide value, and thiobarbituric acid value were compared with those of regular meatballs and two different packages (glass bottle, deoxidizer+PET can package) stored at 37 ℃. The meat-Huangcai ratio of 1:1 with the inclusion of 9% egg and 0.9% salt was the best combination for the primary influencing factors in the formulation of Huangcai instant meatballs, according to the results. The meatballs made using this recipe had an organoleptic score of 23.58 points and were aromatic, soft, elastic, full in shape, and visually appealing in color. In comparison to regular meatballs, the Huangcai instant meatballs in the storage process had a considerably lower pH (P

Abstract Our study aims to delineate the phenotypes of chronic neuropsychiatric symptoms among adult subjects recovering from their first COVID that occurred more than one year ago. We also aim to explore the clinical and socioeconomic risk factors of having a high loading of chronic neuropsychiatric symptoms. We recruited a post-COVID group who suffered from their first pre-Omicron COVID more than a year ago, and a control group who had never had COVID. The subjects completed app-based questionnaires on demographic, socioeconomic and health status, a COVID symptoms checklist, mental and sleep health measures, and neurocognitive tests. The post-COVID group has a statistically significantly higher level of fatigue compared to the control group (p

Abstract Background Chronic enteropathy associated with SLCO2A1 gene (CEAS) results from loss-of-function variants in SLCO2A1, which encodes the prostaglandin transporter (PGT). CEAS follows an autosomal recessive inheritance pattern. To date, approximate 30 pathogenic variants have been reported in CEAS. Methods We performed whole exome sequencing (WES) to screen for potential pathogenic variants in a patient suspected of having CEAS, and confirmed a variant in SLCO2A1 using Sanger sequencing. We established an in vitro minigene model to compare splicing between wild type (WT) and mutant transcripts. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used to evaluate SLCO2A1 transcription in the stomach and colon tissues from the patient and a healthy control (HC). The transcripts were further cloned and sequenced. Results The patient had a novel, homozygous, recessive c.929A > G variant in exon 7 of SLCO2A1, which has not been previously reported in CEAS or PHO. This variant altered splicing, resulting in an exon 7‐truncated transcript lacking 16 bases. No normal transcript was detected in the patient’s stomach or colon tissue. qPCR also showed significantly decreased SLCO2A1 transcription compared to HC. Conclusion A previously unreported variant caused defective SLCO2A1 splicing and reduced mRNA levels in a patient with CEAS and PHO. This research enhances understanding of CEAS and PHO pathophysiology and aids genetic counseling and diagnosis.

Abstract Background It remains unknown how the patterns of change of social isolation and loneliness are associated with the onset of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality. We aimed to investigate the longitudinal association of changes in social isolation and loneliness with incident CVD, all-cause mortality, CVD mortality and subsequent cardiac function. Methods This prospective cohort study included 18,258 participants aged 38–73 years who participated in visit 0 (2006–2010) and visit 1 (2012–2013) using UK Biobank (mean age 57.1, standard deviation [SD] 7.4; 48.7% males). Social isolation or loneliness was categorized into four patterns: never, transient, incident, and persistent. Incident CVD, all-cause and CVD mortality were ascertained through linkage data. Cardiac function was assessed by cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging in a subsample (N = 5188; visit 2, since 2014). Results Over a median follow-up of 8.3 (interquartile range [IQR] 8.1–8.6) years, compared with never social isolation, persistent social isolation was associated with the higher risk of incident CVD (hazard ratio [HR] 1.17, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03–1.33), all-cause (1.42, 1.12–1.81) and CVD (1.53, 1.05–2.23) mortality. Likewise, persistent loneliness was strongly associated with the greater risk of incident CVD (1.13, 1.00–1.27), all-cause (1.28, 1.02–1.61) and CVD mortality (1.52, 1.06–2.18). Conclusions Persistent social isolation and loneliness posed a substantially higher risk for incident CVD, all-cause and CVD mortality, and cardiac dysfunction than other patterns. Persistent social isolation and loneliness, along with an increasing cumulative score, are associated with lower cardiac function. Graphical Abstract

Abstract Mapping dynamically distributed livestock in the vast steppe area based on statistical data collected by administrative units is very difficult as it is limited by the quality of statistical data and local geographical environment factors. While, spatial mapping of livestock gridded data is critical and necessary for animal husbandry management, which can be easily integrated and analyzed with other natural environment data. Facing this challenge, this study introduces a spatialization method using random forest (RF) in the Selenge River Basin, which is the main animal husbandry region in Mongolia. A spatialized model was constructed based on the RF to obtain high-resolution gridded distribution data of total livestock, sheep & goats, cattle, and horses. The contribution of factors influencing the spatial distribution of livestock was quantitatively analyzed. The predicted results showed that (1) it has high livestock densities in the southwestern regions and low in the northern regions of the Selenge River Basin; (2) the sheep & goats density was mainly concentrated in 0–125 sheep/km2, and the high-density area was mainly distributed in Khuvsgul, Arkhangai, Bulgan and part soums of Orkhon; (3) horses and cattle density were concentrated in 0–25 head/km2, mainly distributed in the southwest and central parts of the basin, with few high-density areas. This indicates that the RF simulation results effectively depict the characteristics of Selenge River Basin. Further study supported by Geodetector showed human activity was the main driver of livestock distribution in the basin. This study is expected to provide fundamental support for the precise regulation of animal husbandry in the Mongolian Plateau or other large steppe regions worldwide.

Abstract Background Recent studies have found that total immunoglobulin E (IgE) and allergen-specific IgE were associated with some metabolic diseases. However, the role of IgE in metabolism among adolescents is still unclear. Herein, this study aims to investigate the associations of serum total IgE and allergen-specific IgE with insulin resistance (IR) in adolescents, in order to provide some reference for the prevention and treatment of metabolic diseases in a young age. Methods Data of 870 adolescents were extracted from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database in 2005–2006 in this cross-sectional study. Weighted univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were utilized to screen covariates and explore the relationships of serum total IgE and allergen-specific IgE with IR. The evaluation indexes were odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). In addition, these relationships were also assessed in subgroups of allergy history, asthma history, and number of allergens. Results Among eligible adolescents, 168 had IR. No significant association between serum total IgE level and IR was found. However, adolescents with higher level of allergen-specific IgE to rye grass [OR = 0.47, 95%CI: (0.25–0.91)], white oak [OR = 0.57, 95%CI: (0.37–0.88)], or peanut [OR = 0.38, 95%CI: (0.15–0.97)] seemed to have lower odds of IR, whereas those had higher level of shrimp-specific IgE [OR = 2.65, 95%CI: (1.21–5.84)] have increased odds of IR. In addition, these associations between allergen-specific IgE and IR were also discovered in adolescents who had allergy history or asthma history, or had different numbers of allergens. Conclusion Paying attention to different allergens in adolescents may be important in the early identification of IR among this high-risk population. The study results relatively provided some reference for further exploration on IR prevention.

Abstract Background and aims Chronic enteropathy associated with SLCO2A1 gene is a rare intestinal disease caused by loss-of-function SLCO2A1 mutations, with clinical and genetic characteristics remaining largely unknown, especially in Chinese patients. This study aims to reveal clinical and genetic features of Chinese CEAS patients, highlighting the previously unreported or unemphasized characteristics. Methods We enrolled 12 Chinese patients with chronic enteropathy associated with SLCO2A1 gene admitted to Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 2018 to December 2022. Clinical and genetic data of these patients were collected and analyzed. Results 58.3% of patients were male, who also had primary hypertrophic osteoarthropathy, whereas female patients did not have primary hypertrophic osteoarthropathy. Apart from common symptoms associated with anemia and hypoalbuminemia, abdominal pain, ileus, diarrhea, and hematochezia were present. 4 of the 5 female patients had early-onset amenorrhea, though the causal relationship remained to be clarified. Endoscopy and computed tomography enterography revealed that lesions can occur in any part of the digestive tract, most commonly in the ileum. Pathology showed multiple superficial ulcers with adjacent vascular dilatation, and loss of SLCO2A1 expression, particularly in gastrointestinal vascular endothelial cells. Genetic analysis confirmed SLCO2A1 mutations in all patients and identified 11 new SLCO2A1 variants for CEAS. Conclusions This study reports new clinical, pathological, and genetic findings in 12 Chinese patients with chronic enteropathy associated with SLCO2A1 gene. This study provides insights into the pathogenesis of this disease. However, studies with larger sample sizes and more in-depth mechanism research are still required.

In the post-pandemic era, the resumption of visa-free group travel services between China and Russia has led to frequent population movements, posing a substantial risk of infectious disease transmission in the border regions of the two countries. Tuberculosis (TB) is currently the second leading cause of death from infectious diseases worldwide, and both China and Russia are high-TB-burden countries. This creates specific challenges for TB prevention and control in the border areas. There is an urgent need to deeply explore weaknesses in the TB epidemic prevention and control efforts along the China-Russia border. Strategies such as the development of intelligent border ports, enhancement of international exchange and cooperation, improvement of the public health collaborative governance capacity of both countries, optimization of health resource allocation in port areas, and strengthening the awareness of customs quarantine personnel and border residents regarding TB prevention and control, must be constructed. These strategies aim to comprehensively promote the joint construction of a human health and wellness community by China and neighboring countries.

Abstract Calendula officinalis L.is a versatile medicinal plant with numerous applications in various fields. However, its chloroplast genome structure, features, phylogeny, and patterns of evolution and mutation remain largely unexplored. This study examines the chloroplast genome, phylogeny, codon usage bias, and divergence time of C. officinalis, enhancing our understanding of its evolution and adaptation. The chloroplast genome of C. officinalis is a 150,465 bp circular molecule with a G + C content of 37.75% and comprises 131 genes. Phylogenetic analysis revealed a close relationship between C. officinalis, C. arvensis, and Osteospermum ecklonis. A key finding is the similarity in codon usage bias among these species, which, coupled with the divergence time analysis, supports their close phylogenetic proximity. This similarity in codon preference and divergence times underscores a parallel evolutionary adaptation journey for these species, highlighting the intricate interplay between genetic evolution and environmental adaptation in the Asteraceae family. Moreover unique evolutionary features in C. officinalis, possibly associated with certain genes were identified, laying a foundation for future research into the genetic diversity and medicinal value of C. officinalis.

The toxic metalloid arsenic is prevalent in the environment and poses a threat to nearly all organisms. However, the mechanism by which phytohormones modulate arsenic resistance is not well-understood. Therefore, we analyzed multiple phytohormones based on the results of transcriptome sequencing, content changes, and related mutant growth under arsenic stress. We found that ethylene was the key phytohormone in Arabidopsis thaliana response to arsenic. Further investigation showed the ethylene-overproducing mutant eto1–1 generated less malondialdehyde (MDA), H2O2, and O2•- under arsenic stress compared to wild-type, while the ethylene-insensitive mutant ein2–5 displayed opposite patterns. Compared to wild-type, eto1–1 accumulated a smaller amount of arsenic and a larger amount of non-protein thiols. Additionally, the immediate ethylene precursor, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC), enhanced resistance to arsenic in wide-type, but not in mutants with impaired detoxification capability (i.e., cad1–3, pad2–1, abcc1abcc2), which confirmed that ethylene regulated arsenic detoxification by enhancing arsenic chelation. ACC also upregulated the expression of gene(s) involved in arsenic detoxification, among which ABCC2 was directly transcriptionally activated by the ethylene master transcription factor ethylene-insensitive 3 (EIN3). Overall, our study shows that ethylene is the key phytohormone to enhance arsenic resistance by reducing arsenic accumulation and promoting arsenic detoxification at both physiological and molecular levels.

Objective: This study explores the inhibition of papillary thyroid carcinoma proliferation by Decorin via the EGFR/SHP2/FER pathway. Method: ology: Thirty-two pairs of papillary thyroid carcinoma tissues and adjacent normal tissues were collected for immunohistochemical analysis. Thyroid cancer cell lines with overexpressed or silenced Decorin were employed in subcutaneous tumor formation experiments in nude mice. Cell membrane proteins were extracted for Western blot and immunofluorescence analyses. Results: Reduced Decorin expression in human papillary thyroid carcinoma was associated with inhibited formation of the EGFR/SHP2/FER complex. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed lower Decorin levels in carcinoma tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues, corroborated by decreased Decorin and PTEN levels in carcinoma as shown by Western Blot. Overexpression of Decorin in mouse models diminished tumor growth, an effect reversed by Decorin silencing and mitigated by FER inhibition. Decorin modulated Rab5-GTP and Rab7-GTP levels, impacting endosome transition and subsequent signaling pathways. Conclusion: Decorin inhibits papillary thyroid carcinoma proliferation by disrupting the EGFR/SHP2/FER pathway and modulating endosomal transport.

Abstract Analysis of DNA methylation in cell-free DNA reveals clinically relevant biomarkers but requires specialized protocols such as whole-genome bisulfite sequencing. Meanwhile, millions of cell-free DNA samples are being profiled by whole-genome sequencing. Here, we develop FinaleMe, a non-homogeneous Hidden Markov Model, to predict DNA methylation of cell-free DNA and, therefore, tissues-of-origin, directly from plasma whole-genome sequencing. We validate the performance with 80 pairs of deep and shallow-coverage whole-genome sequencing and whole-genome bisulfite sequencing data.

Abstract There is an emerging potential for digital assessment of depression. In this study, Chinese patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and controls underwent a week of multimodal measurement including actigraphy and app-based measures (D-MOMO) to record rest-activity, facial expression, voice, and mood states. Seven machine-learning models (Random Forest [RF], Logistic regression [LR], Support vector machine [SVM], K-Nearest Neighbors [KNN], Decision tree [DT], Naive Bayes [NB], and Artificial Neural Networks [ANN]) with leave-one-out cross-validation were applied to detect lifetime diagnosis of MDD and non-remission status. Eighty MDD subjects and 76 age- and sex-matched controls completed the actigraphy, while 61 MDD subjects and 47 controls completed the app-based assessment. MDD subjects had lower mobile time (P = 0.006), later sleep midpoint (P = 0.047) and Acrophase (P = 0.024) than controls. For app measurement, MDD subjects had more frequent brow lowering (P = 0.023), less lip corner pulling (P = 0.007), higher pause variability (P = 0.046), more frequent self-reference (P = 0.024) and negative emotion words (P = 0.002), lower articulation rate (P

Purpose: The aim of the current study was to investigate the association of accelerometer-measured sleep duration and different intensities of physical activity (PA) with the risk of incident type 2 diabetes in a population-based prospective cohort study. Methods: Altogether, 88,000 participants (mean age = 62.2 ± 7.9 years, mean ± SD) were included from the UK Biobank. Sleep duration (short: 8 h/day) and PA of different intensities were measured using a wrist-worn accelerometer over a 7-day period between 2013 and 2015. PA was classified according to the median or World Health Organization-recommendation: total volume of PA (high, low), moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) (recommended, not recommended), and light-intensity PA (high, low). Incidence of type 2 diabetes was ascertained using hospital records or death registries. Results: During a median follow-up of 7.0 years, 1615 incident type 2 diabetes cases were documented. Compared with normal sleep duration, short (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.21, 95% confidence interval (95%CI): 1.03–1.41) but not long sleep duration (HR = 1.01, 95%CI: 0.89–1.15) was associated with excessive type 2 diabetes risk. This increased risk among short sleepers seems to be protected against by PA. Compared with normal sleepers with high or recommended PA, short sleepers with low volume of PA (HR = 1.81, 95%CI: 1.46–2.25), not recommended (below the World Health Organization-recommended level of) MVPA (HR = 1.92, 95%CI: 1.55–2.36), or low light-intensity PA (HR = 1.49, 95%CI: 1.13–1.90) had a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, while short sleepers with a high volume of PA (HR = 1.14, 95%CI: 0.88–1.49), recommended MVPA (HR = 1.02, 95%CI: 0.71–1.48), or high light-intensity PA (HR = 1.14, 95%CI: 0.92–1.41) did not. Conclusion: Accelerometer-measured short but not long sleep duration was associated with a higher risk of incident type 2 diabetes. A higher level of PA, regardless of intensity, potentially ameliorates this excessive risk.

This paper proposed an innovative precast steel-reinforced concrete (PPSRC) squat wall to simplify on-site construction. In PPSRC squat shear walls, the hollowly precast RC wall panel can be assembled on-site through the pre-erected steel shapes, and the boundary cores will be filled using fresh concrete together with the slab system. The seismic performance of PPSRC squat walls, influenced by different construction techniques (cast-in-place vs. precast) and steel ratios, was examined through pseudo-static experiments on three specimens. Some key performance indicators, including hysteretic behavior, skeleton curves, stiffness degradation, energy dissipation, and load-carrying capacity, were analyzed in detail. The test results indicated that all the PPSRC squat walls failed in typical shear failure, and no significant slippage between the precast and fresh concrete sections was observed during the loading process, indicating that the composite action could be fully achieved via the novel throat connectors. In addition, the PPSRC squat walls could achieve comparable seismic performance compared with that of cast-in-place SRC shear walls (the peak load of the PPSRC squat wall only increased by 0.26% compared with the control specimen), and the load-carrying capacity and deformability could be enhanced by increasing the steel ratio in the boundary elements. Finally, an elaborate finite element model was developed and validated using ABAQUS software. The parametric analysis of the concrete strengths of precast and cast-in-place parts and the axial load was conducted further to investigate the seismic performance of PPSRC squat walls.

Background Understanding the evolution of circadian rhythm dysfunction and psychopathology in the high-risk population has important implications for the prevention of bipolar disorder. Nevertheless, some of the previous studies on the emergence of psychopathologies and circadian dysfunction among high-risk populations were inconsistent and limited.Aims To examine the prevalence rates of sleep and circadian dysfunctions, mental disorders and their symptoms in the offspring of parents with (O-BD) and without bipolar disorder (O-control).Methods The study included 191 O-BD and 202 O-control subjects aged 6–21 years from the Greater Bay Area, China. The diagnoses and symptoms of sleep/circadian rhythm and mental disorders were assessed by the Diagnostic Interview for Sleep Patterns and Disorders, and the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children-Present and Lifetime Version, respectively. Generalised estimating equations and shared frailty proportional hazards models of survival analysis were applied to compare the outcomes in the offspring.Results Adjusting for age, sex and region of recruitment, there was a significantly higher risk of delayed sleep phase symptoms (9.55% vs 2.58%, adjusted OR: 4.04) in O-BD than in O-control. O-BD had a nearly fivefold higher risk of mood disorders (11.70% vs 3.47%, adjusted OR: 4.68) and social anxiety (6.28% vs 1.49%, adjusted OR: 4.70), a fourfold higher risk of depressive disorders (11.17% vs 3.47%, adjusted OR: 3.99) and a threefold higher risk of mood symptoms (20.74% vs 10.40%, adjusted OR: 2.59) than O-control. Subgroup analysis revealed that O-BD children (aged under 12 years) had a nearly 2-fold higher risk of any mental and behavioural symptoms than O-control, while there was a nearly 4-fold higher risk of delayed sleep phase symptoms, a 7.5-fold higher risk of social anxiety and a 3-fold higher risk of mood symptoms in O-BD adolescents (aged 12 years and over).Conclusions There was an increase in delayed sleep phase symptoms in O-BD adolescents compared with their control counterparts, confirming the central role of circadian rhythm dysfunction in bipolar disorder. The findings of the specific age-related and stage-related developmental patterns of psychopathologies and circadian dysfunction in children and adolescent offspring of parents with bipolar disorder paved the way to develop specific and early clinical intervention and prevention strategies.Trial registration number NCT03656302.

The phenomenon that CuO resistors encounter gas changes opens the prelude to metal oxide semiconductors (MOSs) as gas sensing. From 1953 to 1968, the research and production of MOS gas sensors were unified, but the gas-sensitive materials used at that time were mostly bulk. Owing to the continuous exploration of material science and technology, nanomaterials began to flourish at the end of the 20th century. The emergence of nanomaterials promoted the development of gas sensors to a certain extent because the properties of MOSs are material dependent. Over the past few decades, nanomaterial applications in the field of gas sensing have led to the preparation of MOS-based gas sensors that can identify harmful gases in different environments with excellent characteristics, such as high sensitivity, selectivity, and stability, along with fast response/recovery. However, with the improving precision of gas detection, single-metal MOS materials have faced difficulty in meeting gas-sensing requirements. Therefore, preparing MOS materials into various nanostructures is desirable to improve the detection limit and sensitivity of gas sensors. When compared to nanomaterials with multiple-dimensional structures, one-dimensional counterparts exhibit improved gas-sensitive performance for H2S due to their larger specific surface area, good crystallinity, unique electron transport characteristics, and controllable grain size. Therefore, in this study, H2S gas is mainly focused, and the characteristics of nanomaterials with different one-dimensional structures based on MOSs are reviewed along with the research progress of H2S gas sensors based on nanomaterials with one-dimensional structures. Herein, regarding gas sensing, various properties of common one-dimensional nanostructures, such as nanowires, nanorods, nanofibers, and nanotubes, are thoroughly analyzed and summarized. The importance of H2S gas detection in military, medical, industrial, and everyday applications is briefly discussed, along with the common preparation methods for nanomaterials with one-dimensional structures. In addition, the working mechanism of p-type and n-type MOS as gas sensors is discussed. Furthermore, the influence of MOS-based nanomaterials with one-dimensional structures on H2S gas–sensitivity properties and mechanisms was investigated. Simultaneously, based on the gas-sensitive properties of nanomaterials with one-dimensional structures, the practical application characteristics of various nanomaterials with one-dimensional structures are highlighted. Finally, the performance improvement and future application prospects of MOS-based nanomaterials with one-dimensional structures for H2S gas sensors are discussed.

Abstract Mangiferin (MAN) was a natural bioactive xanthone with remarkable antioxidative, anti‐inflammatory, and antiapoptotic effects. The purpose of this study to determine the protective influence of MAN on D‐galactose (D‐gal)‐induced aging and cognitive impairment, together with its underlying molecular mechanism. The network pharmacology molecular docking analysis revealed that MAN has a potential binding with aging‐related oxidative stress and apoptosis proteins. In D‐gal‐induced aging mice, MAN could significantly reduce D‐gal‐induced histopathological changes of liver and brain tissues. Moreover, MAN administration obviously increased activities of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, T‐AOC, GSH‐Px, and CAT) and decreased levels of AChE and MDA in the serum, liver, or brain tissues. Additionally, MAN alleviated learning and memory disorders and improved the exploration ability. Western blotting and immunohistochemical analysis results revealed that MAN could regulate the expressions of PI3K/Akt/Nrf2 signaling pathway‐related proteins and apoptotic‐related proteins (Bax, Bcl‐2, and Caspase‐9) in the liver tissues. Therefore, these findings suggested that MAN can be used as a potent dietary supplement in functional foods for the protection against aging‐related impairments.

ABSTRACT: Bifidobacterium animalis, one of the predominant bacteria in the intestines of humans and other mammals, is widely added to dairy products. We employed RNA sequencing to analyze gene expression variance on a genome-wide scale and found stable reference genes (RG) in B. animalis. A total of 1,665 genes were identified by analyzing the data from the transcriptome under 4 different conditions, and 13 probable candidate RG with variation coefficient values

In order to avoid the congestion in front of the entrance gate units, it is necessary to analyse and optimise the queuing situation at the planning and design stage. The security inspection area and the ticket-checking area were jointly considered, and a queuing congestion analysis method was proposed. Firstly, the research problem was stated. Then, the problem of calculating the number of passengers in each subarea at any time was transformed into the problem of calculating the transit time of each passenger in each subarea. The transit time was divided into basic transit time and additional transit time. Based on the velocity-density relationship, a quantisation method for basic transit time was proposed related to passenger arrival time. The additional transit time was determined by the moment when the passengers left the subarea according to the sequence of arrival of passengers, the number of queuing passengers in the subarea and the congestion of the subarea to be entered. Finally, the queuing situation of passengers in each subarea at any moment was obtained through passenger flow recursion. Examples showed that the proposed method can deal with multiple working conditions and avoid the tedious and time-consuming scene construction process of the microsimulation software.

Due to the higher lateral stiffness, load-carrying, and energy dissipation capacities compared with traditional reinforced concrete (R.C.) shear walls, steel shape-reinforced concrete (SRC) shear walls, in which steel profiles are encased in the boundary elements, have been widely applied in high-rise buildings. In order to simplify the on-site construction procedure, this paper proposes a novel partially prefabricated steel shape-reinforced concrete (PPSRC) shear wall using throat connectors. Based on the pseudo-static tests of two large-scale specimens, the effect of construction methods (prefabricated or cast in place) on the cyclic behavior of PPSRC shear walls was investigated by the hysteretic loops, skeleton curves, stiffness degradation, energy dissipation, and deformation decomposition. The test results indicated that PPSRC shear walls could exhibit a comparative cyclic response with the cast-in-place SRC shear walls, and the proposed throat connectors could effectively transfer the stress of the longitudinal reinforcements. Finally, a macro-modeling of PPSRC shear walls based on the multi-layer shell elements in OpenSees 3.3.0 was established and validated by the test results, and the parametric analysis of the axial compression, steel ratio, and concrete strength of prefabricated and cast-in-place parts was then conducted.

Phyllanthus emblica L. fruits (PEFs) were processed by ultra-pressure (UHP) treatment and then extracted by the ultrasonic-assisted extraction method. The influence of UHP on the phenolic composition, enzyme inhibitory activity and antioxidant activity of the free, esterified, and bound phenolic fractions from PEFs were compared. UHP pretreatment of PEFs significantly increased the total phenolic and flavonoid contents (p < 0.05). A total of 24 chemical compositions were characterized in normal and UHP-treated PEFs by UHPLC-ESI-HRMS/MS. Compared with normal PEFs, these three different phenolic fractions had stronger antioxidant activities and inhibitory effects on the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in H2O2-induced HepG2 cells (p < 0.05). The ROS inhibition might be due to an up-regulation of the expressions of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione (GSH) activities. In addition, these three different phenolic fractions also significantly inhibited the activities of metabolic enzymes, including α-glucosidase, α-amylase and pancreatic lipase. This work may provide some insights into the potential economics and applications of PEFs in food and nutraceutical industries.

Abstract Introduction It remains unclear whether systemic factors are associated with an increased risk of vitreous hemorrhage (VH) secondary to polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV), and there is no method to predict the possibility of VH occurrence in patients with PCV. This study aimed to investigate and visualize systemic risk factors for VH in patients with PCV. Methods Data on the sex, age, history of systematic diseases, best-corrected visual acuity, intraocular pressure, and laboratory data of patients with PCV were collected from the medical record system. Univariate and multivariate binary logistic regression analyses were applied to investigate independent risk factors for VH in patients with PCV. Receiver operating characteristic analysis and nomograms were used to visualize the independent risk factors. Results The patient population comprised 115 patients with VH secondary to PCV and 181 patients with PCV without VH. Binary logistic regression analyses showed that higher white blood cell count [WBC; odds ratios (OR) 1.247], higher aspartate aminotransferase/alanine aminotransferase ratio (AST/ALT; OR 2.339), and longer activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT; OR 1.196) were independent risk factors of VH in patients with PCV. Integrated application of APTT, AST/ALT, and WBC as markers showed the best performance for distinguishing patients with VH, with an area under the curve of 0.723. The nomogram was created for doctors to calculate the possibility of VH in a patient with PCV. Conclusions Higher WBC, higher AST/ALT, and longer APTT are independent serum risk factors of VH secondary to PCV, which may shed light on VH prevention in patients with PCV.

Abstract Background This retrospective study aimed to investigate the most suitable endometrial thickness (EMT) on the day of embryo transfer that could reduce ectopic pregnancy rate (EPR) and improve clinical pregnancy rate (CPR) in fresh embryo transfer patients with early follicular phase long-acting regimen. Methods A total of 11,738 IVF/ICSI cycles, comprising 4,489 non-clinical pregnancies, 7,121 intrauterine pregnancies, and 128 ectopic pregnancy cycles after fresh embryo transfer, recorded between September 2017 and December 2020. Clinical pregnancy (CP) and ectopic pregnancy (EP) were the primary outcomes. Multivariate logistic regression was used to calculate the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for EP and CP. Patients were divided into three groups based on the EMT (6–10 mm, 11–15 mm, and 16–20 mm). CPR and EPR per millimeter of EMT were drawn into a line chart, and three groups were analyzed by Chi-square test. Results After controlling for potential confounders, EMT had a significant effect on CP (aOR = 1.07; 95% CI, 1.05–1.08; P = 0.00) and EP (aOR = 0.88; 95% CI, 0.82–0.94; P = 0.00). With the increase of EMT, CPR increased and EPR decreased. Pearson correlation coefficients were r = 0.708 (P = 0.00) and r =-0.558 (P = 0.03), respectively. Significant differenceswere detected in the CPRs and EPRs (all P = 0.00). The CPR in the 6–10 mm group (54.88%) was significantly lower than that in the 11–15 mm group (64.23%) and the 16–20 mm group (64.40%) (P = 0.00). The EPR in the 6–10 mm group (2.72%) was significantly higher than that in the other two groups (1.60% and 0.97%, P = 0.00). The difference in CPR and EPR between the 11–15 mm group and the 16–20 mm group was not statistically significant, which indicated that EMT ≥ 11 mm simultaneously reduced the EPR and increased the CPR. Conclusions EMT was inversely proportional to EPR and directly proportional to CPR in fresh embryo transfer cycles. The EMT ≥ 11 mm on the day of embryo transfer could simultaneously achieve lower EPR and higher CPR. Accordingly, more attention should be given to the EMT of women who underwent ART treatment.

It has been reported that fucoidan plays a beneficial role in type 2 diabetic mellitus (T2DM). However, it remains obscure if fucoidan has the protective effects on diabetes induced skeletal muscle atrophy. Here, we investigated the effect and mechanism of fucoidan on diabetic muscle atrophy. The results revealed that fucoidan ameliorated the general symptoms of diabetes, alleviated insulin resistance, as well as improved glucose metabolism disorders in vivo and vitro. Moreover, fucoidan also improved the atrophy of skeletal muscle by resisting the reduction of muscle fiber diameter and balance the protein anabolism and catabolism. It is worth noting that these beneficial effects of fucoidan on skeletal muscle atrophy and insulin resistance were abolished by inhibiting PI3K/Akt pathway. Taken together, fucoidan ameliorates diabetic skeletal muscle atrophy at least partially by the PI3K/Akt pathway.

Background: Assessment and validation of endothelial-mesenchymal transition (EndoMT) in the retinal endothelium of patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) at the level of retinal and vitreous specimens, and preliminary discussion of its regulatory mechanisms. Methods: Transcriptome sequencing profiles of CD31+ cells from 9 retinal fibrovascular mem-branes (FVMs) and 4 postmortem retinas were downloaded from GEO databases to analyze EndoMT-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Then, 42 PDR patients and 34 idiopathic macular holes (IMH) patients were enrolled as the PDR and control groups, respectively. Vitreous humor (VH) samples were collected, and the expression of EndoMT-related proteins was quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: A total of 5845 DEGs were identified, and we subsequently focused on the analysis of 24 EndoMT-related marker genes, including the trigger of EndoMT, endothelial genes, mesenchymal genes, transcription factors, inflammatory factors, and autophagy markers. Six of these genes were selected for protein assay validation in VH, showing increased mesenchymal marker (type I collagen α 2 chain, COL1A2) and decreased endothelial marker (VE-cadherin, CDH5) accompanied by increased TGFβ, IL-1β, LC3B and P62 in PDR patients. In addition, anti-VEGF therapy could enhance EndoMT-related phenotypes. Conclusions: EndoMT may underlie the pathogenesis of PDR, and the induction and regulation correlate with autophagy defects and the inflammatory response.

Background: Connective tissue diseases (CTD), including systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), have long been treated with hydroxychloroquine (HCQ). However, prolonged HCQ use poses a risk of adverse effects, particularly retinopathy. Objective: To detect early retinal changes assessed by optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) in CTD patients with long-term HCQ treatment and to explore the relationship between OCTA parameters and the concentrations of HCQ and its metabolites. Design: A cross-sectional study conducted from March 2020 to October 2021 at the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University. Methods: The area and perimeter of the foveal avascular zone (FAZ), the thickness of the fovea and parafovea, and the vascular density of the superficial capillary plexus (SCP) and deep capillary plexus (DCP) in each area of the macula were measured by OCTA in 43 CTD patients treated with HCQ for over 6 months. Meantime, blood concentrations of HCQ and its metabolites were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, and the clinical documents of all 43 involved patients were collected. Results: There is no significant correlation between OCTA outcomes and the patient’s age, disease duration, and weight-dependent dose. HCQ cumulative duration positively correlated with FAZ area and perimeter ( r = 0.419, p = 0.005 and r = 0.407, p = 0.007, respectively) and negatively correlated with the foveal vessel density in DCP ( r = −0.378, p = 0.012). HCQ cumulative dose had a positive correlation with FAZ area and perimeter ( r = 0.445, p = 0.003 and r = 0.434, p = 0.004, respectively) and had a negative correlation with foveal vessel density in SCP and DCP ( r = −0.383, p = 0.011 and r = −0.424, p = 0.005, respectively). OCTA outcomes did not correlate with HCQ and its metabolite concentrations. Conclusion: OCTA could be used to detect microvascular changes in the macula of CTD patients with long-term HCQ therapy. It was not found the concentrations of HCQ and its metabolites were associated with retinal vascular changes.

As an excellent light transmission material, K0.5Na0.5NbO3 (KNN) shows considerable potential in ferroelectric photovoltaics. However, poor leakage and non-intrinsic polarization limit their photoelectric conversion since they play important roles in the generation, separation and transport of photogenerated carriers. This work realizes the simultaneous improvement of bandgap, ferroelectric and leakage by the introduction of charged group BiFeO3 (BFO), which neutralizes the defects and reduces the leakage current of the films by about two orders of magnitude and increases the remanent polarization to 15.4 μC/cm2 due to the phase transition. Meanwhile, the addition of Fe also introduces impurity energy levels into the KNN films and reduces the bandgap. The open-circuit voltage of the 0.98KNN-0.02BFO film is increased by about 2.5 times. This work provides a feasible way to enhance the ferroelectric photovoltaic performance of KNN films and accelerate their application.

Abstract The microbiota-gut-brain axis has been suggested to play an important role in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Here we performed a cross-sectional study to profile gut microbiota across early PD, REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD), first-degree relatives of RBD (RBD-FDR), and healthy controls, which could reflect the gut-brain staging model of PD. We show gut microbiota compositions are significantly altered in early PD and RBD compared with control and RBD-FDR. Depletion of butyrate-producing bacteria and enrichment of pro-inflammatory Collinsella have already emerged in RBD and RBD-FDR after controlling potential confounders including antidepressants, osmotic laxatives, and bowel movement frequency. Random forest modelling identifies 12 microbial markers that are effective to distinguish RBD from control. These findings suggest that PD-like gut dysbiosis occurs at the prodromal stages of PD when RBD develops and starts to emerge in the younger RBD-FDR subjects. The study will have etiological and diagnostic implications.

This study aimed to investigate the impact of selenium (Se) treatment on the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the expressions of related genes in broccoli. To achieve this, one group of broccoli heads was treated with a selenite solution of 2 mg L−1, while another group was soaked in distilled water, serving as the control. The effects of these treatments were evaluated by analyzing the browning, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents, enzyme activity, and gene expression levels of WARK and RBOH. Our results show that the Se treatment effectively inhibited H2O2 accumulation in the broccoli and reduced harmful MDA levels. The inhibition of ROS accumulation following the Se treatment was associated with enhanced activity of the CAT and SOD enzymes, increased expression levels of BoCAT and BoSOD, and decreased expression levels of the WRKY and RBOH transcription factors. Our study provides insights into the mechanism of action of selenium and its potential application in vegetable storage.

Abstract BackgroundAssessing patients’ suicide risk is challenging, especially among those who deny suicidal ideation. Primary care providers have poor agreement in screening suicide risk. Patients’ speech may provide more objective, language-based clues about their underlying suicidal ideation. Text analysis to detect suicide risk in depression is lacking in the literature. ObjectiveThis study aimed to determine whether suicidal ideation can be detected via language features in clinical interviews for depression using natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning (ML). MethodsThis cross-sectional study recruited 305 participants between October 2020 and May 2022 (mean age 53.0, SD 11.77 years; female: n=176, 57%), of which 197 had lifetime depression and 108 were healthy. This study was part of ongoing research on characterizing depression with a case-control design. In this study, 236 participants were nonsuicidal, while 56 and 13 had low and high suicide risks, respectively. The structured interview guide for the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) was adopted to assess suicide risk and depression severity. Suicide risk was clinician rated based on a suicide-related question (H11). The interviews were transcribed and the words in participants’ verbal responses were translated into psychologically meaningful categories using Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC). ResultsOrdinal logistic regression revealed significant suicide-related language features in participants’ responses to the HAMD questions. Increased use of anger words when talking about work and activities posed the highest suicide risk (odds ratio [OR] 2.91, 95% CI 1.22-8.55; PPPP ConclusionsThis study examined the perspective of using NLP and ML to analyze the texts from clinical interviews for suicidality detection, which has the potential to provide more accurate and specific markers for suicidal ideation detection. The findings may pave the way for developing high-performance assessment of suicide risk for automated detection, including online chatbot-based interviews for universal screening.

Abstract Cis-regulatory elements are coordinated to regulate the expression of their targeted genes. However, the joint measurement of cis-regulatory elements’ activities and their interactions in spatial proximity is limited by the current sequencing approaches. We describe a method, NOMe-HiC, which simultaneously captures single-nucleotide polymorphisms, DNA methylation, chromatin accessibility (GpC methyltransferase footprints), and chromosome conformation changes from the same DNA molecule, together with the transcriptome, in a single assay. NOMe-HiC shows high concordance with state-of-the-art mono-omic assays across different molecular measurements and reveals coordinated chromatin accessibility at distal genomic segments in spatial proximity and novel types of long-range allele-specific chromatin accessibility.

There is a growing interest in the role of timing of physical activity (PA) in improving health. Here, using a large-scale cohort study, the authors show that moderate-to-vigorous PA at the optimal time of day robustly predicts lower mortality risk and may maximize the beneficial effect of PA.

In the process of the rapid development of big data and the Internet of Things in recent years, in order to create a "strong transportation" construction goals, intelligent transportation projects have become the key carrier of the development of China's transportation industry, the national and local transportation level, economic development and the improvement of people's living standards have an important role. However, although the construction of intelligent transportation projects around the world is in full swing, but the actual operation effect is not ideal. The comprehensive evaluation of urban smart traffic management systems (USTMS) is a classical MADM issues. In this paper, the MADM issues are studied with defined 2-tuple linguistic neutrosophic sets (2TLNSs). Then, connected traditional GRA with 2TLNSs, the 2TLNN-GRA method is elaborated for MADM. Finally, an example for comprehensive evaluation of USTMS was given and some comparisons was elaborated the 2TLNN-GRA method.

Abstract The fine-scale cell-free DNA fragmentation patterns in early-stage cancers are poorly understood. We developed a de novo approach to characterize the cell-free DNA fragmentation hotspots from plasma whole-genome sequencing. Hotspots are enriched in open chromatin regions, and, interestingly, 3′end of transposons. Hotspots showed global hypo-fragmentation in early-stage liver cancers and are associated with genes involved in the initiation of hepatocellular carcinoma and associated with cancer stem cells. The hotspots varied across multiple early-stage cancers and demonstrated high performance for the diagnosis and identification of tissue-of-origin in early-stage cancers. We further validated the performance with a small number of independent case–control-matched early-stage cancer samples.

Lung fibroblasts are the major components in the connective tissue of the pulmonary interstitium and play essential roles in the developing of postnatal lung, synthesizing the extracellular matrix and maintaining the integrity of the lung architecture. Fibroblasts are activated in various disease conditions and exhibit functional heterogeneities according to their origin, spatial location, activated state and microenvironment. In recent years, advances in technology have enabled researchers to identify fibroblast subpopulations in both mouse and human. Here, we discuss pulmonary fibroblast heterogeneity, focusing on the developing, healthy and pathological lung conditions. We firstly review the expression profiles of fibroblasts during lung development, and then consider fibroblast diversity according to different anatomical sites of lung architecture. Subsequently, we discuss fibroblast heterogeneity in genetic lineage. Finally, we focus on how fibroblast heterogeneity may shed light on different pathological lung conditions such as fibrotic diseases, infectious diseases including COVID-19, and lung cancers. We emphasize the importance of comparative studies to illuminate the overlapping characteristics, expression profiles and signaling pathways of the fibroblast subpopulations across disease conditions, a better characterization of the functional complexity rather than the expression of a particular gene may have important therapeutic applications.

Que Zui tea (QT) is an important herbal tea in the diet of the ‘Yi’ people, an ethnic group in China, and it has shown significant antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and hepatoprotective effects in vitro. This study aims to explore the protective effects of the aqueous-ethanol extract (QE) taken from QT against ᴅ-galactose (ᴅ-gal)-induced oxidative stress damage in mice and its potential mechanisms. QE was identified as UHPLC-HRMS/MS for its chemical composition and possible bioactive substances. Thus, QE is rich in phenolic and flavonoid compounds. Twelve compounds were identified, the main components of which were chlorogenic acid, quinic acid, and 6′-O-caffeoylarbutin. Histopathological and biochemical analysis revealed that QE significantly alleviated brain, liver, and kidney damage in ᴅ-gal-treated mice. Moreover, QE remarkably attenuated oxidative stress by activating the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway to increase the expression of antioxidant indexes, including GSH, GSH-Px, CAT, SOD, and T-AOC. In addition, QE administration could inhibit the IL-1β and IL-6 levels, which suppress the inflammatory response. QE could noticeably alleviate apoptosis by inhibiting the expressions of Caspase-3 and Bax proteins in the brains, livers, and kidneys of mice. The anti-apoptosis mechanism may be related to the upregulation of the SIRT1 protein and the downregulation of the p53 protein induced by QE in the brain, liver, and kidney tissues of mice. Molecular docking analysis demonstrated that the main components of QE, 6′-O-caffeoylarbutin, chlorogenic acid, quinic acid, and robustaside A, had good binding ability with Nrf2 and SIRT1 proteins. The present study indicated that QE could alleviate ᴅ-gal-induced brain, liver and kidney damage in mice by inhibiting the oxidative stress and cell apoptosis; additionally, the potential mechanism may be associated with the SIRT1/Nrf2 signaling pathway.

Maintaining the vibrant color of fruit is a longstanding challenge in fruit and vegetable preservation. Chitosan and selenium, known for their protective and antioxidant properties, have been applied to preserve these produce. This study aimed to investigate the influence of selenium–chitosan treatment (comprising 25 mg L−1 selenium and 1.0% chitosan) on the color of “Red Globe” grapes and to analyze the relative expression of genes associated with anthocyanin synthesis enzymes (VvCHS, VvCHI, VvF3H, VvF3′H, VvF3′5′H, VvDFR, VvLDOX, VvUFGT, VvOMT, Vv5GT, and VvGST) using RT-qPCR. Our goal was to uncover the regulatory mechanisms governing grape color. Comparing various treatments, we observed that selenium–chitosan treatment had a significant effect in reducing decay, maintaining the soluble solids content of grape flesh, and preserving the vivid color of grape. This research indicated that selenium–chitosan treatment slowed down browning and prevented the reduction in total phenolic, flavonoids, and anthocyanin in the grape. Moreover, gene expression analysis revealed that selenium–chitosan treatment increased the expression of VvCHS, VvF3H, VvF’3′H, VvLDOX, and Vv5GT, while also stabilized the expression of VvCHI, VvF3′H, and VvDFR in grape skins. These findings shed light on the potential mechanism by which selenium–chitosan impacts grape color. This study established a theoretical foundation for investigating the molecular mechanisms behind selenium–chitosan’s ability to slow down grape browning and provides a novel approach to enhancing fruit and vegetable preservation techniques.

Abstract Background Sporadic lymphangioleiomyomatosis (S-LAM) is a rare neoplasm with heterogeneous clinical features that is conventionally considered to be related to TSC2. This study serves to elucidate the mutation landscape and potential correlation between S-LAM genomic profiles and clinical phenotypes. Methods Genomic profiles of 22 S-LAM patients were obtained by sequencing genomic DNA and cell-free DNA from various specimens using an NGS (next-generation sequencing)-based tumor-driver gene panel. Detected mutations were summarized. Symptoms, serum vascular endothelial growth factor D (VEGF-D) values, pulmonary function, and six-minute walk distance (6MWD) were compared among groups with different TSC2 status and genotypes to analyze genotype–phenotype correlations. Results 67 Variants in 43 genes were detected, with a TSC2 mutation detection rate of 68.2%. The TSC2 detection rate was similar in specimens obtained either through transbronchial lung biopsy (TBLB) or surgical lung biopsy (70.0% vs. 69.2%, p > 0.05). A novel mutation in VEZF1 (c.A659G) was detected in four participants and may represent a mild disease state. TSC2 mutation was significantly related to a shorter 6MWD (p

Abstract Silicosis is a pulmonary fibrosis-associated disease caused by the inhalation of large amounts of free silicon dioxide (SiO2) that mainly manifests as early inflammation and late pulmonary fibrosis. As macrophage precursors, monocytes accumulate in the lung during early inflammation, but their role in the development of silicosis is unclear. Single-cell sequencing (cell numbers = 25,002), Western blotting, quantitative real-time PCR, ELISA and cell functional experiments were used to explore the specific effects of monocytes on fibroblasts. The CRISPR/Cas9 system was used to specifically knock down ZC3H4, a novel member of the CCCH zinc finger protein family, and was combined with pharmacological methods to explore the mechanism by which ZC3H4 affects chemokine and cytokine secretion. The results indicated that (1) SiO2 induced an infiltrating phenotype in monocytes; (2) infiltrating monocytes inhibited the activation, viability and migration of fibroblasts by regulating IL-10 but not IL-8; and (3) SiO2 downregulated IL-10 via ZC3H4-induced autophagy. This study revealed that ZC3H4 regulated the secretion function of monocytes, which, in turn, inhibited fibroblast function in early inflammation through autophagy signaling, thereby reducing pulmonary fibrosis. These findings provide a new idea for the clinical treatment of silicosis.

Abstract Patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) were described less extraverted and more neurotic. It remained unclear whether similar personality traits could be found in idiopathic rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (iRBD), a prodromal stage of PD, and could predict phenoconversion to neurodegenerative disorders. We aimed to investigate the personality profile and its association with future neurodegenerative phenoconversion in iRBD patients. One hundred and eighty-five video-polysomnography confirmed iRBD patients and 91 age- and sex-matched controls underwent personality assessment using the NEO five-factor inventory, and 171 iRBD patients were followed up. Our results showed that iRBD was marginally negatively associated with extraverted personality trait (B = −0.28, 95% confidence interval (CI) = −0.55, −0.001). During a median follow-up of 5.9 years, 47 iRBD patients (27.5%) had phenoconversion. More neurotic (adjusted hazard ratio (HR) = 2.0, 95% CI = 1.3, 3.1) and less extraverted personality traits (adjusted HR = 0.53, 95% CI = 0.36, 0.77) were associated with an increased risk of phenoconversion in iRBD patients. Our findings suggest that personality profile may be a potential prodromal marker of iRBD.

Abstract The purpose of this study is to evaluate the relationship between preoperative physical performance (grip strength, gait speed, timed up and go) and postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) in patients who have undergone coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). From September 2019 to August 2021, a total of 497 CABG patients who met the inclusion criteria of this study were examined for grip strength, 4-m gait speed, and timed up and go (TUG) before CABG surgery. Among them, 438 were included in the final analysis. PPCs were classified according to the operational definition of Kroenke et al. and patients with clinically significant PPCs were included in the data analysis. Logistic regression was utilised to analyse the relationship between physical performance and clinically significant PPCs. Besides, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was applied to analyse the predictive effect of grip strength, gait speed, and TUG on clinically significant PPCs after the CABG procedure. In total, 103 (23.5%) patients developed clinically significant PPCs after CABG. After making adjustments for the European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation (EuroSCORE) and confounding factors, we established that low grip/weight (OR 0.510; 95% CI 0.363–0.715), slow gait speed (OR 0.619; 95% CI 0.517–0.741), and prolonged TUG (OR 1.617; 95% CI 1.379–1.895) were all independently correlated with clinically significant PPCs after CABG. The ROC curve analysis indicated that the area under the ROC curve of the integrated model of the three indicators (AUC 0.792 vs. 0.682, 0.754, 0.765) was larger than that of the model with a single indicator. Besides the predictive effect of the integrated model was superior to the models using grip/weight, gait speed, or TUG alone. Physical performance, including grip/weight, gait speed, and TUG, is a predictive factor for PPCs in CABG patients, and can be used in preoperative evaluations to and help improve the management of high-risk patients.

Baseflow recession is an essential part of the hydrological cycle, as it transfers unconfined aquifer storage to runoff. This study derived the parameterization of the baseflow recession from recession curves extracted from 382 catchments in China. The recession parameters of recession curves in power-law form, which control the shape of the curves and reflect the net effects of hillslope on the runoff decline process, are estimated by the baseflow recession analysis. The results show that the ranges of recession coefficient α and recession exponent β across China are 0–0.70 and 0.57–3, respectively. Most of the α values range between 0 and 0.20, and most of the β values range between 1 and 2. Generally, the α values of relatively dry catchments are higher than that of the wet catchments, and the distribution pattern of β values is opposite to that of α values. Statistical analysis is used to construct parametric equations for the recession parameters, indicating that catchment area, field capacity, etc., are essential for predicting α and β. In addition, the transplantation results of parametric equations show that equations can be applied to the estimation of α and β in other catchments. The results provide data support for storage estimation of data-scarce catchments. HIGHLIGHTS Storage-discharge parameters are characterized by observed streamflow recession curves.; Underlying surface features are important for a priori estimation of storage–discharge parameters.; The prediction effects of parameterization in catchments with scarce data are satisfactory.;

Abstract Background Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) therapy is a novel treatment strategy for cancer and a wide range of diseases with an excessive immune response such as ulcerative colitis (UC), due to its powerful immunomodulatory properties and its capacity for tissue regeneration and repair. One of the promising therapeutic options can focus on MSC-secreted exosomes (MSC-Exo), which have been identified as a type of paracrine interaction. In light of a wide variety of recent experimental studies, the present review aims to seek the recent research advances of therapies based on the MSC-Exo for treating UC and colorectal cancer (CRC). Methods A systematic literature search in MEDLINE, Scopus, and Google Scholar was performed from inception to December 2021 using the terms [(“colorectal cancer” OR “bowel cancer” OR “colon cancer” OR “rectal cancer”) AND (exosome) AND (stem cell) AND (“inflammatory bowel disease” OR “Crohn's disease” OR “colitis”)] in titles and abstracts. Findings Exosomes derived from various sources of MSCs, including human umbilical cord-derived MSCs (hUC-MSCs), human adipose-derived MSCs (hAD-MSCs), human bone marrow-derived MSCs (hBM-MSCs), and olfactory ecto-MSCs (OE-MSCs), have shown the protective role against UC and CRC. Exosomes from hUC-MSCs, hBM-MSCs, AD-MSCs, and OE-MSCs have been found to ameliorate the experimental UC through suppressing inflammatory cells including macrophages, Th1/Th17 cells, reducing the expression of proinflammatory cytokines, as well as inducing the anti-inflammatory function of Treg and Th2 cells and enhancing the expression of anti-inflammatory cytokines. In addition, hBM-MSC-Exo and hUC-MSC-Exo containing tumor-suppressive miRs (miR-3940-5p/miR-22-3p/miR‐16‐5p) have been shown to suppress proliferation, migration, and invasion of CRC cells via regulation of RAP2B/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and ITGA2/ITGA6. Key messages The MSC-Exo can exert beneficial effects on UC and CRC through two different mechanisms including modulating immune responses and inducing anti-tumor responses, respectively.

This study aimed to synthesize antibacterial carbon quantum dots (SP-CDs) from polyethyleneimine and spermidine via hydrothermal reaction. It was revealed that SP-CDs, with small size (7.18 nm) and high positive charge (+31.15 mV), had good fluorescence properties and lots of amino groups on their surfaces. The inhibition effect of SP-CDs on Staphylococcus aureus was better than that towards Escherichia coli, and the SP-CDs also had an inhibitory effect on multi-drug-resistant E. coli. The mechanism of SP-CDs shows that the SP-CDs were adsorbed on the surface of the negatively charged cell membrane through electrostatic interaction. SP-CDs can cause changes in membrane permeability, resulting in a shift of the cell membrane from order to disorder and the decomposition of chemical components, followed by the leakage of cell contents, resulting in bacterial death. SP-CDs can also significantly inhibit biofilm formation, destroy mature biofilms and reduce the number of living cells. Moreover, SP-CDs had negligible antimicrobial resistance even after 18 generations of treatment. This study proves that SP-CDs effectively inhibit the proliferation of foodborne pathogens, providing new feasibility for the application of carbon-based nanomaterials in the food industry.