Singular dielectric nanolaser with atomic-scale field localization.

Compressing the optical field to the atomic scale opens up possibilities for directly observing individual molecules, offering innovative imaging and research tools for both physical and life sciences. However, the diffraction limit imposes a fundamental constraint on how much the optical field can be compressed, based on the achievable photon momentum1,2. In contrast to dielectric structures, plasmonics offer superior field confinement by coupling the light field with the oscillations of free electrons in metals3-6. Nevertheless, plasmonics suffer from inherent ohmic loss, leading to heat generation, increased power consumption and limitations on the coherence time of plasmonic devices7,8. Here we propose and demonstrate singular dielectric nanolasers showing a mode volume that breaks the optical diffraction limit. Derived from Maxwell's equations, we discover that the electric-field singularity sustained in a dielectric bowtie nanoantenna originates from divergence of momentum. The singular dielectric nanolaser is constructed by integrating a dielectric bowtie nanoantenna into the centre of a twisted lattice nanocavity. The synergistic integration surpasses the diffraction limit, enabling the singular dielectric nanolaser to achieve an ultrasmall mode volume of about 0.0005 λ3 (λ, free-space wavelength), along with an exceptionally small feature size at the 1-nanometre scale. To fabricate the required dielectric bowtie nanoantenna with a single-nanometre gap, we develop a two-step process involving etching and atomic deposition. Our research showcases the ability to achieve atomic-scale field localization in laser devices, paving the way for ultra-precise measurements, super-resolution imaging, ultra-efficient computing and communication, and the exploration of light-matter interactions within the realm of extreme optical field localization.

Reconfigurable moiré nanolaser arrays with phase synchronization.

Miniaturized lasers play a central role in the infrastructure of modern information society. The breakthrough in laser miniaturization beyond the wavelength scale has opened up new opportunities for a wide range of applications1-4, as well as for investigating light-matter interactions in extreme-optical-field localization and lasing-mode engineering5-19. An ultimate objective of microscale laser research is to develop reconfigurable coherent nanolaser arrays that can simultaneously enhance information capacity and functionality. However, the absence of a suitable physical mechanism for reconfiguring nanolaser cavities hinders the demonstration of nanolasers in either a single cavity or a fixed array. Here we propose and demonstrate moiré nanolaser arrays based on optical flatbands in twisted photonic graphene lattices, in which coherent nanolasing is realized from a single nanocavity to reconfigurable arrays of nanocavities. We observe synchronized nanolaser arrays exhibiting high spatial and spectral coherence, across a range of distinct patterns, including P, K and U shapes and the Chinese characters '' and '' ('China' in Chinese). Moreover, we obtain nanolaser arrays that emit with spatially varying relative phases, allowing us to manipulate emission directions. Our work lays the foundation for the development of reconfigurable active devices that have potential applications in communication, LiDAR (light detection and ranging), optical computing and imaging.

[Treatment of chronic prostatitis with Xiongji Formula based on the concept of "brain-heart-kidney-essence chamber" axis of medication].

Chronic prostatitis is a process of kidney deficiency and blood stasis mixed with various pathological factors involving the essence chamber, which is manifested as kidney deficiency and blood stasis. Based on the concept of the "brain-heart-kidney-essence chamber" axis of medication, Xiongji Formula is applied to the treatment of chronic prostatitis, due to its "simultaneous holistic and local action" and effects of tonifying the kidney yang and assisting the systemic yang, acting on the brain, heart and kidney as a whole, and meanwhile activating blood circulation, eliminating blood stasis and restoring the function of the essence chamber. This paper discusses the etiology and pathogenesis of chronic prostatitis with kidney deficiency and blood stasis in Chinese medicine, expounds the significance of "brain-heart-kidney-essence chamber" axis of medication, and explores the specific value and clinical application of Xiongji Formula.

Understanding the Origin and Evolution of Tea (Camellia sinensis [L.]): Genomic Advances in Tea.

Tea, which is processed by the tender shoots or leaves of tea plant (Camellia sinensis), is one of the most popular nonalcoholic beverages in the world and has numerous health benefits for humans. Along with new progress in biotechnologies, the refined chromosome-scale reference tea genomes have been achieved, which facilitates great promise for the understanding of fundamental genomic architecture and evolution of the tea plants. Here, we summarize recent achievements in genome sequencing in tea plants and review the new progress in origin and evolution of tea plants by population sequencing analysis. Understanding the genomic characterization of tea plants is import to improve tea quality and accelerate breeding in tea plants.

[Discussion on the biological basis of chronic prostatitis based on the "brain-centre-kidney-vessel" axis].

Chronic prostatitis is a common disease in male clinics. The theory of "brain-centre-kidney-vessel" axisis based on the basic theories of traditional Chinese medicine, the pathogenesis of modern men's diseases, and the theory of traditional Chinese medicine in men's medicine proposed by clinical practice. It takes the "brain-heart-kidney-vessel" axis as the entry point, the use of the vessel as the core pathogenesis, the meridians as the link, and the dysfunction of the brain, heart, and kidneys as the important conditions, and proposes that the biological basis between chronic prostatitis and the "brain-heart-kidney-vessel" axis is related to neurological, endocrine, and immunological disorders, as well as the biological basis of the "brain-heart-kidney-vessel" axis. It is also suggested that the biological basis between chronic prostatitis and the "brain-heart-kidney-sperm chamber" axis is related to the nerves, endocrine, immune and microenvironment. Through in-depth study of the biological basis of the "brain-cardiac-kidney-peritoneum" axis, we can better understand the pathogenesis of chronic prostatitis and provide reference for future clinical treatment.

[Characteristics of sympathetic skin response in children with Guillain-Barré syndrome]. / å„¿ç«¥å‰å °-巴雷综合征交感皮肤反应的特点分析.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the value of sympathetic skin response (SSR) in the early diagnosis and prognostic evaluation of Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) in children. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 25 children with GBS who were diagnosed from October 2018 to November 2022, and 30 children who were diagnosed with Tourette's syndrome during the same period were selected as the control group. The characteristics of SSR were compared between the two groups, and the association of SSR with autonomic dysfunction (AD), disease severity, and prognosis was analyzed. RESULTS: The GBS group had a significantly higher abnormal rate of SSR than the control group during the acute phase (P<0.001). SSR combined with early nerve conduction (within 2 weeks after onset) had a sensitivity of 84%, a specificity of 100%, and an accuracy of 93% in the diagnosis of GBS. There were no significant differences in the proportion of AD cases, as well as the Hughes scores during the disease peak, between the abnormal and normal SSR groups (P>0.05). All 7 children with poor short-term prognosis (at 1 month after onset) had abnormal SSR. CONCLUSIONS: SSR can be used for the early diagnosis of GBS and the monitoring of treatment response in children.

Comparison of various insulin resistance surrogates on prognostic prediction and stratification following percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus.

BACKGROUND: Insulin resistance (IR), evaluation of which is difficult and complex, is closely associated with cardiovascular disease. Recently, various IR surrogates have been proposed and proved to be highly correlated with IR assessed by the gold standard. It remains indistinct whether different IR surrogates perform equivalently on prognostic prediction and stratification following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) patients with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). METHODS: The present study recruited patients who were diagnosed with NSTE-ACS and successfully underwent PCI. IR surrogates evaluated in the current study included triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index, visceral adiposity index, Chinese visceral adiposity index, lipid accumulation product, and triglyceride-to-high density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio, calculations of which were conformed to previous studies. The observational endpoint was defined as the major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE), including cardiac death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, and non-fatal ischemic stroke. RESULTS: 2107 patients (60.02 ± 9.03 years, 28.0% female) were ultimately enrolled in the present study. A total of 187 (8.9%) MACCEs were documented during the 24-month follow-up. Despite regarding the lower median as reference [hazard ratio (HR) 3.805, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.581-5.608, P < 0.001] or evaluating 1 normalized unit increase (HR 1.847, 95% CI 1.564-2.181, P < 0.001), the TyG index remained the strongest risk predictor for MACCE, independent of confounding factors. The TyG index showed the most powerful diagnostic value for MACCE with the highest area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.715. The addition of the TyG index, compared with other IR surrogates, exhibited the maximum enhancement on risk stratification for MACCE on the basis of a baseline model (Harrell's C-index: 0.708 for baseline model vs. 0.758 for baseline model + TyG index, P < 0.001; continuous net reclassification improvement: 0.255, P < 0.001; integrated discrimination improvement: 0.033, P < 0.001). The results were consistent in subgroup analysis where similar analyses were performed in patients with and without T2DM, respectively. CONCLUSION: The TyG index, which is most strongly associated with the risk of MACCE, can be served as the most valuable IR surrogate for risk prediction and stratification in NSTE-ACS patients receiving PCI, with and without T2DM.

Exercise-induced increases of corticosterone contribute to exercise-enhanced adult hippocampal neurogenesis in mice.

Adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN) is suppressed by chronic stress. The negative effect of stress is mainly attributed to increased levels of stress hormones (e.g. glucocorticoids, GCs). Exercise enhances AHN, yet it also stimulates GC secretion. To delineate the paradoxical role of GCs, we took the advantage of a unique mouse strain (L/L) which exhibits an inert response to stress-induced secretion of GCs to study the role of GCs in exercise-induced AHN. Our results showed that basal corticosterone (CORT), the main GCs in rodents, levels were similar between the L/L mice and wild-type (WT) mice. However, levels of CORT in the L/L mice were barely altered and significantly lower than those of the WT mice during treadmill running (TR). AHN was enhanced by 4 weeks of TR in the WT mice, but not L/L mice. WT mice that received daily injection of CORT to evoke serum CORT levels similar to those during exercise for 4 weeks did not affect AHN, whereas injection with large amount of CORT inhibited AHN. Taken together, our results indicated that exercise-related elevation of CORT participates in exercise-enhanced AHN. CORT alone is not sufficient to elicit AHN and may inhibit AHN if the levels are high.

Antioxidant Effects and Phytochemical Properties of Seven Taiwanese Cirsium Species Extracts.

In the present investigation, we compared the radical-scavenging activities and phenolic contents of seven Taiwanese Cirsium species with a spectrophotometric method. We further analyzed their phytochemical profiles with high-performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array detection (HPLC-DAD). We found that the flower part of Cirsium japonicum var. australe (CJF) showed the best radical-scavenging activities against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), and the hypochlorite ion, for which the equivalents were 6.44 ± 0.17 mg catechin/g, 54.85 ± 0.66 mmol Trolox/g and 418.69 ± 10.52 mmol Trolox/g respectively. CJF also had the highest contents of total phenolics (5.23 ± 0.20 mg catechin/g) and phenylpropanoids (29.73 ± 0.72 mg verbascoside/g). According to the Pearson's correlation coefficient, there was a positive correlation between the total phenylpropanoid content and ABTS radical-scavenging activities (r = 0.979). The radical-scavenging activities of the phenylpropanoids are closely related to their reducing power (r = 0.986). HPLC chromatograms obtained in validated HPLC conditions confirm that they have different phytochemical profiles by which they can be distinguished. Only CJF contained silicristin (0.66 ± 0.03 mg/g) and silydianin (9.13 ± 0.30 mg/g). CJF contained the highest contents of apigenin (5.56 ± 0.09 mg/g) and diosmetin (2.82 ± 0.10 mg/g). Among the major constituents, silicristin had the best radical-scavenging activities against DPPH (71.68 ± 0.66 mg catechin/g) and ABTS (3.01 ± 0.01 mmol Trolox/g). However, diosmetin had the best reducing power and radical-scavenging activity against the hypochlorite anion (41.57 ± 1.14 mg mmol Trolox/g). Finally, we found that flavonolignans (especial silicristin and silydianin) and diosmetin acted synergistically in scavenging radicals.

Comparison of the Hepatoprotective Effects of Four Endemic Cirsium Species Extracts from Taiwan on CCl4-Induced Acute Liver Damage in C57BL/6 Mice.

Species of Cirsium (Asteraceae family) have been used in folk hepatoprotective medicine in Taiwan. We collected four Cirsium species—including the aerial part of Cirsium arisanense (CAH), the aerial part of Cirsium kawakamii (CKH), the flower part of Cirsium japonicum DC. var. australe (CJF), and Cirsii Herba (CH)—and then made extractions from them with 70% methanol. We compared the antioxidant contents and activities of these four Cirsium species extracts by a spectrophotometric method and high-performance liquid chromatography⁻photodiode array detector (HPLC-DAD). We further evaluated the hepatoprotective effects of these extracts on CCl4-induced acute liver damage in C57BL/6 mice. The present study found CAH possesses the highest antioxidant activity among the four Cirsium species, and these antioxidant activities are closely related to phenylpropanoid glycoside (PPG) contents. The extracts decreased serum ALT and AST levels elevated by injection with 0.2% CCl4. However, only CJF and CH decreased hepatic necrosis. Silibinin decreased serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels and hepatic necrosis caused by CCl4. CJF and CH restored the activities of hepatic antioxidant enzymes and decreased hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. CJF further restored the expression of hepatic antioxidant enzymes including Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn-SOD), Mn-superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD), and glutathione S-transferase (GST) proteins. HPLC chromatogram indicated that CKH, CJF, and CH contained silibinin diastereomers (α and β). Only CJF contained diosmetin. Hence, the hepatoprotective mechanism of CJF against CCl4-induced acute liver damage might be involved in restoring the activities and protein expression of the hepatic antioxidant defense system and inhibiting hepatic inflammation, and these hepatoprotective effects are related to the contents of silibinin diastereomers and diosmetin.

Surface-confined edge phonon polaritons in hexagonal boron nitride thin films and nanoribbons.

In this paper, we point out that the phonon polaritons in hexagonal boron nitride may not have to be volume-confined. Surface-confined phonon polaritons can occur at the edges of ultra-thin boron nitride films. Based on numerical calculations, we have investigated the effective indexes of such phonon polariton modes, and found that these modes normally have much lower losses than the volume-confined ones. Surface-confined phonon polaritons in boron nitride nanoribbons are also investigated that can be seen as the coupling of the phonon polariton modes at two edges of the nanoribbon, and the corresponding losses can be further reduced. Then, we give a deep discussion on the volume-confined and surface-confined phonon polaritons. In the end, the effects of defects and substrates on such modes are presented. The proposed low-loss surface-confined phonon polaritons may be useful in phonon polariton based photonic devices.

Dipole Moment Influences the Reversibility and Corrosion of Lithium Metal Anodes.

Lithium metal batteries (LMBs) must have both long cycle life and calendar life to be commercially viable. However, "trial and error" methodologies remain prevalent in contemporary research endeavors to identify favorable electrolytes. Here, a guiding principle for the selection of solvents for LMBs is proposed, which aims to achieve high Coulombic efficiency while minimizing the corrosion. For the first time, this study reveals that the dipole moment and orientation of solvent molecules have significant impacts on lithium metal reversibility and corrosion. Solvents with high dipole moments are more likely to adsorb onto lithium metal surfaces, which also influence the solid electrolyte interphase. Using this principle, the use of LiNO3 is demonstrated as the sole salt in LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2/Li cells can achieve excellent cycling stability. Overall, this work bridges the molecular structure of solvents to the reversibility and corrosion of lithium metal, and these concepts can be extended to other metal-based batteries.

Interventional Effect of Donkey Bone Collagen Peptide Iron Chelate on Cyclophosphamide Induced Immunosuppressive Mice.

Immunodeficiency can disrupt normal physiological activity and function. In this study, donkey bone collagen peptide (DP) and its iron chelate (DPI) were evaluated their potential as immunomodulators in cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan®, CTX)-induced Balb/c mice. The femoral tissue, lymphocytes, and serum from groups of mice were subjected to hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, methylthiazolyldiphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) cell proliferation assays, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), respectively. Furthermore, a non-targeted metabolomics analysis based on UPLC-MS/MS and a reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) technology were used to explore the specific metabolic pathways of DPI regulating immunocompromise. The results showed that CTX was able to significantly reduce the proliferative activity of mouse splenic lymphocytes and led to abnormal cytokine expression. After DP and DPI interventions, bone marrow tissue damage was significantly improved. In particular, DPI showed the ability to regulate the levels of immune factors more effectively than Fe2+ and DP. Furthermore, metabolomic analysis in both positive and negative ion modes showed that DPI and DP jointly regulated the levels of 20 plasma differential metabolites, while DPI and Fe2+ jointly regulated 14, and all 3 jointly regulated 10. Fe2+ and DP regulated energy metabolism and pyrimidine metabolism pathways, respectively. In contrast, DPI mainly modulated the purine salvage pathway and the JAK/STAT signaling pathway, which are the key to immune function. Therefore, DPI shows more effective immune regulation than Fe2+ and DP alone, and has good application potential in improving immunosuppression.

[Simultaneous determination of seven quaternary ammonium compounds in frozen food by ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry combined with modified QuEChERS method].

Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) are a class of cationic surfactants that can be used as the main active ingredient of disinfectants. The increased use of QACs is concerning as exposure from inhalation or ingestion to these compounds that has been associated with adverse effects on the reproductive and respiratory systems. Humans are exposed to QACs primarily by food consumption and inhalation of air. QAC residues pose significant threats to public health. Given the importance of assessing potential residue levels for QACs in food, therefore, a method was developed for the simultaneous detection of six common QACs and one emerging QAC (Ephemora) in frozen food by ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) coupled with the modified QuEChERS method. The main factors governing the response, recovery, and sensitivity of the method, including extraction solvents, types and dosages of adsorbents, apparatus conditions, and mobile phases, were optimized in the course of sample pretreatment and instrument analysis. QAC residues in frozen food were extracted using 20 mL methanol-water (90∶10, containing 0.5% formic acid) for 20 min by the vortex shock method. The mixture was ultrasonicated for 10 min and centrifuged at 10000 r/min for 10 min. A 1-mL aliquot of the supernatant was transferred to a new tube and purified using 100 mg of PSA adsorbents. After mixing and centrifugation at 10000 r/min for 5 min, the purified solution was analyzed. Target analytes were separated on an ACQUITY UPLC BEH C8 chromatographic column (50 mm×2.1 mm, 1.7 µm) at a column temperature of 40 ℃ and a flow rate of 0.3 mL/min. The injection volume was 1 µL. Gradient elution was performed using methanol and 5 mmol/L ammonium acetate solution as the mobile phases. Multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) was conducted in the positive electrospray ionization (ESI+) mode. The matrix-matched external standard method was used to quantify seven QACs. The optimized chromatography-based method completely separated the seven analytes. Good linear relationships were obtained for the seven QACs in the range of 0.1-100.0 ng/mL. The correlation coefficient (r2) ranged from 0.9971 to 0.9983. The limits of detection and limits of quantification ranged from 0.5 to 1.0 µg/kg and 1.5 to 3.0 µg/kg, respectively. Accuracy and precision were determined by spiking salmon and chicken samples with 3.0, 10.0, and 100.0 µg/kg of analytes, in compliance with the current legislation, with six replicates per determination. The average recoveries of the seven QACs ranged from 65.4% to 101%. The relative standard deviations (RSDs) were between 0.64% and 16.8%. Matrix effects of the analytes were between -27.5% and 33.4% in salmon and chicken samples after purifying using PSA. The developed method was applied to the determination of seven QACs in rural samples. QACs were detected in only one sample; the level did not exceed European Food Safety Authority specified residue limit standards. The detection method has high sensitivity, good selectivity and stability, and the results are accurate and reliable. It is suitable for the simultaneous rapid determination of seven QAC residues in frozen food. The results provide valuable information for future risk assessment studies targeting this class of compounds.

Identification and immuno-infiltration analysis of cuproptosis regulators in human spermatogenic dysfunction.

Introduction: Cuproptosis seems to promote the progression of diverse diseases. Hence, we explored the cuproptosis regulators in human spermatogenic dysfunction (SD), analyzed the condition of immune cell infiltration, and constructed a predictive model. Methods: Two microarray datasets (GSE4797 and GSE45885) related to male infertility (MI) patients with SD were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. We utilized the GSE4797 dataset to obtain differentially expressed cuproptosis-related genes (deCRGs) between SD and normal controls. The correlation between deCRGs and immune cell infiltration status was analyzed. We also explored the molecular clusters of CRGs and the status of immune cell infiltration. Notably, weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was used to identify the cluster-specific differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Moreso, gene set variation analysis (GSVA) was performed to annotate the enriched genes. Subsequently, we selected an optimal machine-learning model from four models. Finally, nomograms, calibration curves, decision curve analysis (DCA), and the GSE45885 dataset were utilized to verify the predictions' accuracy. Results: Among SD and normal controls, we confirmed that there are deCRGs and activated immune responses. Through the GSE4797 dataset, we obtained 11 deCRGs. ATP7A, ATP7B, SLC31A1, FDX1, PDHA1, PDHB, GLS, CDKN2A, DBT, and GCSH were highly expressed in testicular tissues with SD, whereas LIAS was lowly expressed. Additionally, two clusters were identified in SD. Immune-infiltration analysis showed the existing heterogeneity of immunity at these two clusters. Cuproptosis-related molecular Cluster2 was marked by enhanced expressions of ATP7A, SLC31A1, PDHA1, PDHB, CDKN2A, DBT, and higher proportions of resting memory CD4+ T cells. Furthermore, an eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGB) model based on 5-gene was built, which showed superior performance on the external validation dataset GSE45885 (AUC = 0.812). Therefore, the combined nomogram, calibration curve, and DCA results demonstrated the accuracy of predicting SD. Conclusion: Our study preliminarily illustrates the relationship between SD and cuproptosis. Moreover, a bright predictive model was developed.

Twisted lattice nanocavity with theoretical quality factor exceeding 200 billion.

Simultaneous localization of light to extreme spatial and spectral scales is of high importance for testing fundamental physics and various applications. However, there is a longstanding trade-off between localizing a light field in space and in frequency. Here we discover a new class of twisted lattice nanocavities based on mode locking in momentum space. The twisted lattice nanocavity hosts a strongly localized light field in a 0.048 λ3 mode volume with a quality factor exceeding 2.9 × 1011 (∼250 µs photon lifetime), which presents a record high figure of merit of light localization among all reported optical cavities. Based on the discovery, we have demonstrated silicon-based twisted lattice nanocavities with quality factor over 1 million. Our result provides a powerful platform to study light-matter interaction in extreme conditions for tests of fundamental physics and applications in nanolasing, ultrasensing, nonlinear optics, optomechanics and quantum-optical devices.

Relationship between pyroptosis-mediated inflammation and the pathogenesis of prostate disease.

The largest solid organ of the male genitalia, the prostate gland, is comprised of a variety of cells such as prostate epithelial cells, smooth muscle cells, fibroblasts, and endothelial cells. Prostate diseases, especially prostate cancer and prostatitis, are often accompanied by acute/chronic inflammatory responses or even cell death. Pyroptosis, a cell death distinct from necrosis and apoptosis, which mediate inflammation may be closely associated with the development of prostate disease. Pyroptosis is characterized by inflammasome activation via pattern recognition receptors (PRR) upon recognition of external stimuli, which is manifested downstream by translocation of gasdermin (GSDM) protein to the membrane to form pores and release of inflammatory factors interleukin (IL)-1ß and IL-18, a process that is Caspase-dependent. Over the past number of years, many studies have investigated the role of inflammation in prostate disease and have suggested that pyroptosis may be an important driver. Understanding the precise mechanism is of major consequence for the development of targeted therapeutic strategies. This review summarizes the molecular mechanisms, regulation, and cellular effects of pyroptosis briefly and then discuss the current pyroptosis studies in prostate disease research and the inspiration for us.

Triglyceride-glucose index and non-culprit coronary plaque characteristics assessed by optical coherence tomography in patients following acute coronary syndrome: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index, a novel surrogate marker of insulin resistance, has been demonstrated to be significantly associated with cardiovascular disease. It remains indistinct regarding the association between TyG index and non-culprit coronary plaque characteristics in patients following acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Methods: The present study retrospectively recruited patients who were diagnosed with ACS and underwent non-culprit optical coherence tomography (OCT) examination. The study population was divided into 2 groups based on the median of TyG index, which was calculated as Ln [fasting triglyceride (TG) (mg/dL) × fasting blood glucose (FBG) (mg/dL)/2]. The non-culprit plaque characteristics were determined by interpreting OCT images in accordance with the standard of previous consensus. Results: 110 patients (54.8 ± 12.1 years, 24.5% female) with 284 non-culprit plaques were included in the current analysis. TyG index was closely associated with high-risk plaque characteristics. Elevated TyG index was consistent to be an independent indicator for thin-cap fibroatheroma (TCFA) [odds ratio (OR) for per 1-unit increase 4.940, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.652-14.767, P = 0.004; OR for taking lower median as reference 2.747, 95% CI 1.234-7.994, P = 0.011] and ruptured plaque (OR for per 1-unit increase 7.065, 95% CI 1.910-26.133, P = 0.003; OR for taking lower median as reference 4.407, 95% CI 1.208-16.047, P = 0.025) in fully adjusted model. The predictive value of TyG index for TCFA and ruptured plaque was moderate-to-high, with the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.754 and 0.699 respectively. The addition of TyG index into a baseline model exhibited an incremental effect on the predictive value for TCFA, manifested as an increased AUC (0.681, 95% CI 0.570-0.793 vs. 0.782, 95% CI 0.688-0.877, P = 0.042), and significant continuous net reclassification improvement (0.346, 95% CI 0.235-0.458, P < 0.001) and integrated discrimination improvement (0.221, 95% CI 0.017-0.425, P = 0.034). TyG index failed to play an incremental effect on predicting ruptured plaque. Conclusion: TyG index, which is simply calculated from fasting TG and FBG, can be served as an important and independent risk predictor for high-risk non-culprit coronary plaques in patients following ACS.

Pancreas-Brain Crosstalk.

The neural regulation of glucose homeostasis in normal and challenged conditions involves the modulation of pancreatic islet-cell function. Compromising the pancreas innervation causes islet autoimmunity in type 1 diabetes and islet cell dysfunction in type 2 diabetes. However, despite the richly innervated nature of the pancreas, islet innervation remains ill-defined. Here, we review the neuroanatomical and humoral basis of the cross-talk between the endocrine pancreas and autonomic and sensory neurons. Identifying the neurocircuitry and neurochemistry of the neuro-insular network would provide clues to neuromodulation-based approaches for the prevention and treatment of diabetes and obesity.

Visceral Adiposity Index Plays an Important Role in Prognostic Prediction in Patients With Non-ST-Segment Elevation Acute Coronary Syndrome and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

Background: Visceral adiposity index (VAI), a surrogate marker of adiposity and insulin resistance, has been demonstrated to be significantly related to cardiovascular disease. It remains indistinct whether VAI predicts adverse prognosis after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: A total of 798 participants who met the enrollment criteria were finally brought into this study. VAI was determined by waist circumference, body mass index, fasting triglyceride, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol as previously reported. Adverse prognosis included all-cause death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, non-fatal ischemic stroke, and ischemia-driven revascularization, the composite of which was defined as the primary endpoint. Results: Higher VAI maintained as a significant and independent risk predictor for the primary endpoint, regardless of the adjustment for the various multivariate models [hazard ratio (95% CI) for fully adjusted model: 2.72 (2.02-3.68), p < 0.001]. The predictive value of VAI was further confirmed in sensitivity analysis where VAI was taken as a continuous variate. There was a dose-response relationship of VAI with the risk of the primary endpoint (p for overall association < 0.001). Moreover, the ability of VAI on the prediction of the primary endpoint was consistent between subgroups stratified by potential confounding factors (all p for interaction > 0.05). VAI exhibited a significant incremental effect on risk stratification for the primary endpoint beyond existing risk scores, expressed as increased Harrell's C-index, significant continuous net reclassification improvement, and significant integrated discrimination improvement. Conclusion: VAI is a significant indicator for predicting worse prognosis and plays an important role in risk stratification among patients with NSTE-ACS and T2DM undergoing elective PCI. The present findings require further large-scale, prospective studies to confirm.