Simplified and modified Limberg flap plus vacuum-assisted closure for treatment of sacrococcygeal pilonidal sinus disease.

BACKGROUND: Pilonidal sinus disease (PSD), a chronic inflammatory disease, affects the sacrococcygeal soft tissue, especially in young adults. The ideal treatment for PSD remains divergence. This study evaluated the application of a simplified modified Limberg flap combined with vacuum-assisted closure for treating PSD. METHODS: This prospective study was conducted from 1 June 2017 to 31 March 2022 in Changhai Hospital, Naval Military Medical University, Shanghai, China. The study included 88 male patients (91.7%) and 8 female patients (8.3%). The 96 patients ranged in age from 15 to 34 years (mean ± SD, 23 ± 4.4). Under general anaesthesia, all patients underwent simplified modified Limberg flap reconstruction with vacuum-assisted closure. The patient's weight, surgical time, extubation time, hospital stay, time to return to normal life or work, wound infection, wound dehiscence and recurrence rate were recorded. The visual analogue scale (VAS) score and the Vancouver scar score were used to score patients' pain and scars in the surgical area. RESULTS: The volume of resected diseased tissue was 13.5-120 (mean ± SD, 34.993 ± 24.406) cm2 . The average surgical time during the treatment period was 97.68 ± 18.72 min, and the average extubation time was (6.36 ± 1.55) days, the mean hospital stay was 19.4 days; no patients were lost to follow-up. None of the patients experienced post-operative recurrence, wound infection, seroma or hematoma. Six patients (6.3%) experienced wound dehiscence at the flap tip around the natal cleft. The mean time to the resumption of daily activities was 26.3 days. The average VAS pain score was (6.00 ± 1.53) points, and the average Vancouver scar score was (5.96 ± 1.51) points, 12 patients (12.5%) were dissatisfied with their aesthetic results, and the average beauty satisfaction score is (6.64 ± 1.28) points. CONCLUSIONS: Simplified modified Limberg flap reconstruction with vacuum-assisted closure surgery is an effective and innovative method for the treatment of PSD, with a low recurrence rate and rapid recovery.

Hepatic Biotransformation of Renal Clearable Gold Nanoparticles for Noninvasive Detection of Liver Glutathione Level via Urinalysis.

Renal clearable nanoparticles have been drawing much attention as they can avoid prolonged accumulation in the body by efficiently clearing through the kidneys. While much effort has been made to understand their interactions within the kidneys, it remains unclear whether their transport could be influenced by other organs, such as the liver, which plays a crucial role in metabolizing and eliminating both endogenous and exogenous substances through various biotransformation processes. Here, by utilizing renal clearable IRDye800CW conjugated gold nanocluster (800CW4-GS18-Au25) as a model, we found that although 800CW4-GS18-Au25 strongly resisted serum-protein binding and exhibited minimal accumulation in the liver, its surface was still gradually modified by hepatic glutathione-mediated biotransformation when passing through the liver, resulting in the dissociation of IRDye800CW from Au25 and biotransformation-generated fingerprint message of 800CW4-GS18-Au25 in urine, which allowed us to facilely quantify its urinary biotransformation index (UBI) via urine chromatography analysis. Moreover, we observed the linear correlation between UBI and hepatic glutathione concentration, offering us a noninvasive method for quantitative detection of liver glutathione level through a simple urine test. Our discoveries would broaden the fundamental understanding of in vivo transport of nanoparticles and advance the development of urinary probes for noninvasive biodetection.

Abnormal cerebellum connectivity patterns related to motor subtypes of Parkinson's disease.

Cerebellar dysfunction may substantially contribute to the clinical symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD). The role of cerebellar subregions in tremors and gait disturbances in PD remains unknown. To investigate alterations in cerebellar subregion volumes and functional connectivity (FC), as well as FC between the dentate nucleus (DN) and ventral lateral posterior nucleus (VLp) of the thalamus, which are potentially involved in different PD motor subtypes. We conducted morphometric and resting-state functional connectivity analyses in various cerebellar subregions in 22 tremor-dominant (TD)-PD and 35 postural instability gait difficulty dominant (PIGD)-PD patients and 38 sex- and age-matched healthy controls (HCs). The volume and FC alterations in various cerebellar subregions and the neural correlates of these changes with the clinical severity scores were investigated. The PIGD-PD group showed greater FC between the right motor cerebellum (CBMm) and left postcentral gyrus than the HC group, and a higher FC was associated with less severe PIGD symptoms. In contrast, the TD-PD group had decreased FC between the right DN and left VLp compared with the PIGD-PD and HC groups, and lower FC was associated with worse TD symptoms. Furthermore, the PIGD-PD group had higher FC between the left DN and left inferior temporal gyrus than the TD-PD group. Morphometric analysis revealed that the TD-PD group showed a significantly higher volume of left CBMm than the HC group. Our findings point to differential alteration patterns in cerebellar subregions and offer a new perspective on the pathophysiology of motor subtypes of PD.

Pollution-free interface of 2D-MoS2/1D-CuO vdWs heterojunction for high-performance photodetector.

Van der Waals heterostructures provide a new opportunity for constructing new structures and improving the performance of electronic and optoelectronic devices. However, the existing methods of constructing heterojunctions are still faced with problems such as impurity introduction, or complex preparation process and limited scope of application. Herein, a physisorption method is proposed to composite CuO nanorods on the surface of MoS2nanosheets. CuO nanorods and MoS2form type-Ⅱ heterojunctions, which promotes the separation and transport of photo-generated charge carriers. More importantly, compared with the transfer and coating methods, the physical adsorption method avoids the introduction of auxiliary materials during the whole process of constructing the heterojunction, and therefore effectively reduces the damage and pollution at the interface. The optimized MoS2/CuO heterojunction photodetector achieves a high photoresponsivity of ∼680.1 A W-1and a fast response speed of ∼29µs. The results demonstrate that the physisorption method provides a feasible approach to realize high performance photodetectors with pollution-free interfaces, and it can also be extended to the development of other low-dimensional hybrid heterojunction electronic and optoelectronic devices.

Lightweight RepVGG-Based Cross-Modality Data Prediction Method for Solid Rocket Motors.

Solid rocket motors (SRMs) have been popularly used in the current aerospace industry. Performance indicators, such as pressure and thrust, are of great importance for rocket monitoring and design. However, the measurement of such signals requires high economic and time costs. In many practical situations, the thrust measurement error is large and requires manual correction. In order to address this challenging problem, a lightweight RepVGG-based cross-modality data prediction method is proposed for SRMs. An end-to-end data prediction framework is established by transforming data across different modalities. A novel RepVGG deep neural network architecture is built, which is able to automatically learn features from raw data and predict new time-series data of different modalities. The effectiveness of the proposed method is extensively validated with the field SRM data. The accurate prediction of the thrust data can be achieved by exploring the pressure data. After calculation, the percentage error between the predicted data and the actual data is less than 5%. The proposed method offers a promising tool for cross-modality data prediction in real aerospace industries for SRMs.

The effect of incisional negative pressure wound therapy on the improvement of postoperative cosmetic suture wounds and scar hyperplasia.

This study aimed to explore the effects of early incisional negative pressure wound therapy (INPWT) on cosmetic suture wounds and postoperative scar hyperplasia. We retrospectively evaluated 120 patients who underwent abdominoperineal resection at the Changhai Hospital between February 2018 and October 2021 and divided them into two groups according to their treatment: the INPWT group (n = 60) and the control group (n = 60). The quality of post-surgical wound healing in the two groups was evaluated. The Patient Scar Assessment Scale (PSAS), the Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS), and the visual analogue scale (VAS) were used to evaluate the surgical incision scar at 1-year follow-up. At this follow-up visit, 115 patients underwent reexamination; five patients were lost to follow-up, including two patients in the INPWT group and three patients in the control group. The INPWT group showed better wound healing than the control group (P < .05). The proportion of patients who received INPWT was significantly higher in the non-surgical site infection (SSI) group than in the SSI group (P < .05). The PSAS, VSS and VAS scores were significantly improved in the INPWT group compared with those in the control group (P < .05). Our results show that INPWT improved the quality of cosmetic suture wounds and reduced the degree of postoperative scar hyperplasia.

Superparamagnetic MoS2@Fe3O4 nanoflowers for rapid resonance-Raman scattering biodetection.

Sensors for rapid and reliable detection of biomolecules are crucial for clinical medical diagnoses. Here, a rapid, ultra-sensitive, magnetic-assisted biosensor based on resonance Raman scattering at MoS2@Fe3O4 composite nanoflowers is presented. Raman shifts and X-ray photoelectron spectra indicated that the composite was formed via Fe-S covalent bonds. Convenient magnetic separations could be performed because of the superparamagnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles. MoS2 E12g and A1g Raman peaks were used as probe signals for anti-interference immunoassays. The probe unit of the immunoassay also included goat anti-human IgG molecules that were used as the target analyte. Au substrates coupled with the goat anti-human IgG were used as capture units to form sandwich biosensors. Because of the magnetic enrichment, the detection limit was improved by three orders-of-magnitude and the detection time was reduced from 1.5 h to 1 min. Sandwich biosensors using MoS2@Fe3O4 nanoflowers as Raman probes could be very promising sensors for proteins, antigens, and other immunogenic biopolymers, as well as for corpuscular viruses and cells.

Brain structural alterations in obese children with and without Prader-Willi Syndrome.

Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a genetic imprinting disorder that is mainly characterized by hyperphagia and childhood obesity. Previous neuroimaging studies revealed that there is a significant difference in brain activation patterns between obese children with and without PWS. However, whether there are differences in the brain structure of obese children with and without PWS remains elusive. In the current study, we used T1-weighted and diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging to investigate alterations in the brain structure, such as the cortical volume and white matter integrity, in relation to this eating disorder in 12 children with PWS, 18 obese children without PWS (OB) and 18 healthy controls. Compared with the controls, both the PWS and OB groups exhibited alterations in cortical volume, with similar deficit patterns in 10 co-varying brain regions in the bilateral dorsolateral and medial prefrontal cortices, right anterior cingulate cortex, and bilateral temporal lobe. The white matter integrities of the above regions were then examined with an analysis method based on probabilistic tractography. The PWS group exhibited distinct changes in the reduced fractional anisotropy of white matter fibers connected to the co-varying regions, whereas the OB group did not. Our findings indicated that PWS and OB share similar gray matter alterations that are responsible for the development of eating disorders. Additionally, the distinct white matter alterations might explain the symptoms associated with food intake in PWS, including excessive hyperphagia and constant hunger. Hum Brain Mapp 38:4228-4238, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Synergetic recognition and separation of kelthane and pyridaben base on magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer nanospheres.

We present novel magnetic composite nanospheres for the preparation of a nanoiron oxide/carbon dots/ß-cyclodextrin/molecularly imprinted polymer for the selective solid-phase extraction kelthane and pyridaben from vegetables. The molecularly imprinted polymer was synthesized on the surface of nano-iron oxide/carbon dots via a chemical polymerization procedure, where kelthane-ß-cyclodextrin and pyridaben-ß-cyclodextrin inclusion complexes were used as template molecules, and their adsorption behavior was investigated in detail. Characterization analysis and binding experiments revealed that magnetic composite nanospheres had outstanding magnetic properties, a large adsorption capacity, and high competitive selectivity for kelthane and pyridaben. The magnetic composite nanospheres were employed as an adsorbent in solid-phase extraction for the determination of kelthane and pyridaben in vegetable samples. The recoveries of kelthane and pyridaben were 92.8-105.2 and 94.4-104.6%, respectively.

g-C3N4 modified with non-precious metal Al with LSPR as an efficient visible light catalyst.

The issue of water pollution has emerged as a formidable challenge, prompting a pressing need for solutions. The utilization of metal nanoparticles with surface plasmon resonance and semiconductor composite photocatalysts is regarded as a highly effective approach to solve this problem. g-C3N4 is an effective catalyst for the degradation of organic pollutants. Its photocatalytic performance is usually enhanced by the use of the noble metal Au Ag. However, the high cost of these materials limits their application. In this study, we present the synthesis of Al NPs/g-C3N4 nanocomposites using the bridging effect of ligands. The characterized of transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis) proved that Al NPs/g-C3N4 with a wider light absorption range were successfully synthesized. The effects of ligands, (glutathione (GSH), glutamic acid (GAG), and cysteine (CYS)), Al diameter (40 to 200 nm) and the ratio of Al to g-C3N4 (1:1 to 5:1) on the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) by Al NPs/g-C3N4 were also evaluated. The results showed that the optimum degradation efficiency of Al NPs/g-C3N4 for MB at 5 mg/L reached 100% within 60 min, which was 11 times higher than that of pure g-C3N4. The principal analysis of Al enhancing the photocatalytic performance of g-C3N4 was studied through transient photocurrent spectroscopy (TPC), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and steady-state transient fluorescence spectroscopy (PL). The results confirmed that hot carriers generated by localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of Al nanoparticles increase the carrier concentration. In addition, the Schottky barrier generated by Al and g-C3N4 could also improve the carrier separation rate and increase the carrier lifetime. This work is expected to solve the problem of organic wastewater treatment and lay the foundation for subsequent research on photocatalysis.

Detail-preserving image warping by enforcing smooth image sampling.

Multi-phase dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging image registration makes a substantial contribution to medical image analysis. However, existing methods (e.g., VoxelMorph, CycleMorph) often encounter the problem of image information misalignment in deformable registration tasks, posing challenges to the practical application. To address this issue, we propose a novel smooth image sampling method to align full organic information to realize detail-preserving image warping. In this paper, we clarify that the phenomenon about image information mismatch is attributed to imbalanced sampling. Then, a sampling frequency map constructed by sampling frequency estimators is utilized to instruct smooth sampling by reducing the spatial gradient and discrepancy between all-ones matrix and sampling frequency map. In addition, our estimator determines the sampling frequency of a grid voxel in the moving image by aggregating the sum of interpolation weights from warped non-grid sampling points in its vicinity and vectorially constructs sampling frequency map through projection and scatteration. We evaluate the effectiveness of our approach through experiments on two in-house datasets. The results showcase that our method preserves nearly complete details with ideal registration accuracy compared with several state-of-the-art registration methods. Additionally, our method exhibits a statistically significant difference in the regularity of the registration field compared to other methods, at a significance level of p < 0.05. Our code will be released at https://github.com/QingRui-Sha/SFM.

Treatment outcomes in tinnitus patients are associated with brain functional network: evidence from connectome gradient and gene expression analysis.

The neuroimaging mechanisms underlying differences in the outcomes of sound therapy for tinnitus patients remain unclear. We hypothesize that abnormal hierarchical architecture is the neuro-biomarker for treatment outcome explanation. We conducted functional connectome gradient analyses on resting-state functional MRI images that acquired before intervention to investigate differences among the patients with effective treatment (ET, n = 27), ineffective treatment (IT, n = 41), and healthy controls (HC, n = 59). General linear models were used to analyze the associations between intergroup differential regions and clinical characteristics. Partial least squares regression was employed to reveal correlations with gene expression. Compared to HC, both ET and IT groups displayed significant differences in the default mode network. Moreover, the ET group exhibited wider gradient range and greater gradient variance. Also, the gradient scores of the differential regions between the ET and HC groups were significantly correlated with Self-rating Anxiety Scale and Self-rating Depression Scale scores, and exhibited positive correlations with the transcriptional profiles of genes related to depression and anxiety. Our results indicated that the abnormalities of ET group, may be more relevant to psychiatric disorders, bringing a higher possible therapeutic potential due to the plasticity of the nervous system. Connectome gradient dysfunction with genetic evidence may serve as an indicator for identifying diverse treatment outcomes of the sound therapy for tinnitus patients before treatment.

Developing a prognostic model for skin melanoma based on the persistent tumor mutation burden and determining IL17REL as a therapeutic target.

BACKGROUND: One popular and well-established marker for the immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) response is tumor mutation burden (TMB). Persistent TMB (pTMB), a subset of TMB, provides a better indicator to predict patient ICB therapy outcomes, as shown by some studies. Immune checkpoint drugs have significantly changed how melanoma is treated in recent years. METHODS: In this study, we integrated the TCGA-SKCM database and data of pTMB of TCGA from the paper that first mentioned pTMB and analyzed mutational and Immune characteristics associated with pTMB level in SKCM. Next, the predictive DEGs were identified the subgroups of pTMB by Cox regression and LASSO analyses to construct a pTMB-related signature. Finally, the expression and Biological functions of signature genes was detected, and further validated in vitro assay. RESULTS: In the current research, we explored the mutational and immunological features related to the level of TMB in cutaneous melanoma (CM). The high-pTMB subgroup exhibited an increasing incidence of gene changes and higher levels of immune cell infiltration. Subsequently, we established a pTMB-related signature based on the predictive DEGs and found the biological features and immune-associated variables between two distinct risk groups. Lastly, the results of the clinical sample validation demonstrated that the expression of IL17REL was down-regulated in the collected samples of individuals with CM. The in vitro assay results indicated that IL17REL effectively suppressed the proliferation, clonality, and migration of CM cells. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, we have developed a prediction model associated with TMB and subsequently validated the potential influence of IL17REL on Overall Survival (OS) in patients diagnosed with melanoma.

Photovoltaic-driven Ni(ii)/Ni(iii) redox mediator for the valorization of PET plastic waste with hydrogen production.

Electrocatalytic valorization of PET plastic waste provides an appealing route by converting intermittent renewable energy into valuable chemicals and high-energy fuels. Normally, anodic PET hydrolysate oxidation and cathodic water reduction reactions occur simultaneously in the same time and space, which increases the challenges for product separation and operational conditions. Although these problems can be addressed by utilizing membranes or diaphragms, the parasitic cell resistance and high overall cost severely restrict their future application. Herein, we introduce a Ni(ii)/Ni(iii) redox mediator to decouple these reactions into two independent processes: an electrochemical process for water reduction to produce hydrogen fuel assisted by the oxidation of the Ni(OH)2 electrode into the NiOOH counterpart, followed subsequently by a spontaneous chemical process for the valorization of PET hydrolysate to produce formic acid with a high faradaic efficiency of ∼96% by the oxidized NiOOH electrode. This decoupling strategy enables the electrochemical valorization of PET plastic waste in a membrane-free system to produce high-value formic acid and high-purity hydrogen production. This study provides an appealing route to facilitate the transformation process of PET plastic waste into high-value products with high efficiency, low cost and high purity.

Synergetic sludge conditioning by US enhanced Fe2+ activated sodium persulfate: Physicochemical properties and mechanisms.

Efficient dewatering of sewage sludge is an energy- and carbon-saving procedure for sludge treatment in wastewater treatment facilities. The ultrasound-coupled divalent iron ion activated persulfate process can effectively promote sludge dewatering and improve organic substance content. Under the action of ultrasound (US 50 w/L), divalent iron ions (Fe2+) 200 mg/g (TS), and persulfate (PDS) 200 mg/g (TS) for 60 min, the capillary suction time (CST) was reduced by 79.74%, and the moisture content of the dewatered sludge cake reached 56.51 wt%. The organic carbon content of treated sludge was also four times higher than the original sludge and types were richer in short-chain volatile species in US/Fe2+/PDS. Moreover, the correlation analysis found that the relationship of between CST and SV30, Zeta and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were positive correlation, and the relationship of SCOD and TC were positively correlated with the PN (SB-EPS). Mechanistic studies showed that the US/Fe2+/PDS system could produce oxygen activators by US coupling Fe2+ to strengthen the effect of activated PDS strongly, while the sulfate radicals (SO4·-) radical was a dominant role. The cracking mechanism is divided into two pathways effectively degraded the macromolecule EPS into a small-molecule acid and further reduced the water-holding interfacial affinity as follow: (1) the radical path dominated by hydroxyl radicals (·OH), SO4·-, and superoxide radical (O2·-); (2) the non-radicals dominated by monoclinic oxygen (1O2). Afterwards, the electrostatic force and interfacial free energy were reduced, resulting in enhanced self-flocculation and mobility to enhanced dewaterability. These findings demonstrated the US/Fe2+/PDS system had significant advantages in sludge cracking and provided theoretical support for its practical application.

SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variants Show Attenuated Neurovirulence Compared with the Wild-Type Strain in Elderly Human Brain Spheroids.

Infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 Omicron variants still causes neurological complications in elderly individuals. However, whether and how aging brains are affected by Omicron variants in terms of neuroinvasiveness and neurovirulence are unknown. Here, we utilize resected paracarcinoma brain tissue from elderly individuals to generate primary brain spheroids (BSs) for investigating the replication capability of live wild-type (WT) strain and Omicron (BA.1/BA.2), as well as the mechanisms underlying their neurobiological effects. We find that both WT and Omicron BA.1/BA.2 are able to enter BSs but weakly replicate. There is no difference between Omicron BA.1/BA.2 and WT strains in neurotropism in aging BSs. However, Omicron BA.1/BA.2 exhibits ameliorating neurological damage. Transcriptional profiling indicates that Omicron BA.1/BA.2 induces a lower neuroinflammatory response than WT strain in elderly BSs, suggesting a mechanistic explanation for their attenuated neuropathogenicity. Moreover, we find that both Omicron BA.1/BA.2 and WT strain infections disrupt neural network activity associated with neurodegenerative disorders by causing neuron degeneration and amyloid-ß deposition in elderly BSs. These results uncover Omicron-specific mechanisms and cellular immune responses associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2-induced neurological complications.

Association between Body Mass Index and Brain Health in Adults: A 16-Year Population-Based Cohort and Mendelian Randomization Study.

Background: The cumulative effect of body mass index (BMI) on brain health remains ill-defined. The effects of overweight on brain health across different age groups need clarification. We analyzed the effect of cumulative BMI on neuroimaging features of brain health in adults of different ages. Methods: This study was based on a multicenter, community-based cohort study. We modeled the trajectories of BMI over 16 years to evaluate cumulative exposure. Multimodality neuroimaging data were collected once for volumetric measurements of the brain macrostructure, white matter hyperintensity (WMH), and brain microstructure. We used a generalized linear model to evaluate the association between cumulative BMI and neuroimaging features. Two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis was performed using summary level of BMI genetic data from 681,275 individuals and neuroimaging genetic data from 33,224 individuals to analyze the causal relationships. Results: Clinical and neuroimaging data were obtained from 1,074 adults (25 to 83 years). For adults aged under 45 years, brain volume differences in participants with a cumulative BMI of >26.2 kg/m2 corresponded to 12.0 years [95% confidence interval (CI), 3.0 to 20.0] of brain aging. Differences in WMH were statistically substantial for participants aged over 60 years, with a 6.0-ml (95% CI, 1.5 to 10.5) larger volume. Genetic analysis indicated causal relationships between high BMI and smaller gray matter and higher fractional anisotropy in projection fibers. Conclusion: High cumulative BMI is associated with smaller brain volume, larger volume of white matter lesions, and abnormal microstructural integrity. Adults younger than 45 years are suggested to maintain their BMI below 26.2 kg/m2 for better brain health. Trial Registration: This study was registered on clinicaltrials.gov (Clinical Indicators and Brain Image Data: A Cohort Study Based on Kailuan Cohort; No. NCT05453877; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05453877).

Serum uric acid is associated with midbrain enlarged perivascular spaces: Results from Multi-modality Medical imaging sTudy bAsed on KaiLuan Study (META-KLS).

BACKGROUND: Serum uric acid (SUA) is a major cause of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Whether and to what extent the excess risk of enlarged perivascular spaces (EPVS) conferred by SUA is unknown. The study was conducted to investigate the association between SUA and EPVS in different brain regions. METHODS: Data are from Multi-modality medical imaging study based on Kailuan study (META-KLS) in this cross-sectional study. Participants were divided into five groups based on SUA levels, and EPVS in basal ganglia (BG), centrum semiovale (CSO) and midbrain (MB) was systematically assessed and divided into Low and High group. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for high EPVS outcomes were estimated using multivariable logistic regression analysis. Restricted cubic spline (RCS) was used to further investigate dose-response relationship. RESULTS: A total of 1014 participants aged 25-83 years from 11 centers were enrolled in the study. In the multivariable-adjusted model, SUA, as an independent risk factor, correlated positively with high degree of MB-EPVS (OR, 1.002; 95% CI, 1.000 to 1.004; p = 0.023) in general population. In addition, RCS further demonstrated the linear association between SUA and MB-EPVS (p = 0.072). No association was found between SUA and BG-EPVS or CSO-EPVS. CONCLUSION: SUA was an independent risk factor of MB-EPVS. High SUA levels were more predictive of increased risk occurrence of high degree of MB-EPVS, supporting a linear association between SUA and MB-EPVS and further indicating that SUA may play an important role in cerebral small vessel disease. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The KaiLuan Study and META-KLS were registered online (ChiCTR2000029767 on chictr.org.cn and NCT05453877 on Clinicaltrials.gov, respectively).

Immunoregulation of synovial macrophages for the treatment of osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint disease affecting approximately 10% of men and 18% of women older than 60. Its pathogenesis is still not fully understood; however, emerging evidence has suggested that chronic low-grade inflammation is associated with OA progression. The pathological features of OA are articular cartilage degeneration in the focal area, including new bone formation at the edge of the joint, subchondral bone changes, and synovitis. Conventional drug therapy aims to prevent further cartilage loss and joint dysfunction. However, the ideal treatment for the pathogenesis of OA remains to be defined. Macrophages are the most common immune cells in inflamed synovial tissues. In OA, synovial macrophages undergo proliferation and activation, thereby releasing pro-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-1 and tumor necrosis factor-α, among others. The review article discusses (1) the role of synovial macrophages in the pathogenesis of OA; (2) the progress of immunoregulation of synovial macrophages in the treatment of OA; (3) novel therapeutic targets for preventing the progress of OA or promoting cartilage repair and regeneration.

Self-supporting, hierarchically hollow structured NiFe-PBA electrocatalyst for efficient alkaline seawater oxidation.

Seawater electrolysis, taking advantage of the huge seawater resource, holds great promise for sustainable hydrogen generation. Compared to conventional water electrolysis, seawater electrolysis is more challenging because of the more complex and corrosive electrolyte and competitive side reactions, which necessitates the development of highly efficient and stable electrocatalysts. In this study, a self-supporting, highly porous NiFe-PBA (Prussian-blue-analogue) electrocatalyst with a hierarchically hollow nanostructure is introduced, which exhibits impressive catalytic performance towards the oxygen evolution in alkaline seawater electrolytes. In NiFe-PBA, the synergistic interaction between Ni and Fe improves intrinsic conductivity for efficient electron transfer, enhances chemical stability in seawater, and boosts overall electrocatalytic activity. The direct use of self-supporting NiFe-PBA as an electrocatalyst avoids the energy-intensive and tedious pyrolysis procedure during the preparation process while making use of the tailored morphological, structural, and compositional benefits of PBA-based materials. By combining the NiFe-PBA catalyst with the NiMoN cathode, the constructed two-electrode electrolyzer achieved a high current density of 500 mA cm-2 at a low cell voltage of 1.782 V for overall electrolysis of alkaline seawater, demonstrating excellent durability for 100 hours. Our findings have important implications for the hydrogen economy and sustainable development through the development of robust and efficient PBA-based electrocatalysts for seawater electrolysis.