The role of Interleukin-22 in severe acute pancreatitis.

Severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) begins with premature activation of enzymes, promoted by the immune system, triggering a potential systemic inflammatory response that leads to organ failure with increased mortality and a bleak prognosis. Interleukin-22 (IL-22) is a cytokine that may have a significant role in SAP. IL-22, a member of the IL-10 cytokine family, has garnered growing interest owing to its potential tissue-protective properties. Recently, emerging research has revealed its specific effects on pancreatic diseases, particularly SAP. This paper provides a review of the latest knowledge on the role of IL-22 and its viability as a therapeutic target in SAP.

Associations of Intrapancreatic Fat Deposition With Incident Diseases of the Exocrine and Endocrine Pancreas: A UK Biobank Prospective Cohort Study.

INTRODUCTION: To investigate whether increased intrapancreatic fat deposition (IPFD) heightens the risk of diseases of the exocrine and endocrine pancreas. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was conducted using data from the UK Biobank. IPFD was quantified using MRI and a deep learning-based framework called nnUNet. The prevalence of fatty change of the pancreas (FP) was determined using sex- and age-specific thresholds. Associations between IPFD and pancreatic diseases were assessed with multivariate Cox-proportional hazard model adjusted for age, sex, ethnicity, body mass index, smoking and drinking status, central obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, liver fat content, and spleen fat content. RESULTS: Of the 42,599 participants included in the analysis, the prevalence of FP was 17.86%. Elevated IPFD levels were associated with an increased risk of acute pancreatitis (hazard ratio [HR] per 1 quintile change 1.513, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.179-1.941), pancreatic cancer (HR per 1 quintile change 1.365, 95% CI 1.058-1.762) and diabetes mellitus (HR per 1 quintile change 1.221, 95% CI 1.132-1.318). FP was also associated with a higher risk of acute pancreatitis (HR 3.982, 95% CI 2.192-7.234), pancreatic cancer (HR 1.976, 95% CI 1.054-3.704), and diabetes mellitus (HR 1.337, 95% CI 1.122-1.593, P = 0.001). DISCUSSION: FP is a common pancreatic disorder. Fat in the pancreas is an independent risk factor for diseases of both the exocrine pancreas and endocrine pancreas.

Extraordinary Structural Reconstruction of Nanolaminated Ta2FeC MAX Phase for Enhanced Oxygen Evolution Performance.

Renewable energy technologies, such as water splitting, heavily depend on the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Nanolaminated ternary compounds, referred to as MAX phases, show great promise for creating efficient electrocatalysts for OER. However, their limited intrinsic oxidative resistance hinders the utilization of conductivity in Mn+1Xn layers, leading to reduced activity. In this study, a method is proposed to improve the poor inoxidizability of MAX phases by carefully adjusting the elemental composition between Mn+1Xn layers and single-atom-thick A layers. The resulting Ta2FeC catalyst demonstrates superior performance compared to conventional Fe/C-based catalysts with a remarkable record-low overpotential of 247 mV (@10 mA cm-2) and sustained activity for over 240 h. Notably, during OER processing, the single-atom-thick Fe layer undergoes self-reconstruction and enrichment from the interior of the Ta2FeC MAX phase toward its surface, forming a Ta2FeC@Ta2C@FeOOH heterostructure. Through density functional theory (DFT) calculations, this study has found that the incorporation of Ta2FeC@Ta2C not only enhances the conductivity of FeOOH but also reduces the covalency of Fe─O bonds, thus alleviating the oxidation of Fe3+ and O2-. This implies that the Ta2FeC@Ta2C@FeOOH heterostructure experiences less lattice oxygen loss during the OER process compared to pure FeOOH, leading to significantly improved stability. These results highlight promising avenues for further exploration of MAX phases by strategically engineering M- and A-site engineering through multi-metal substitution, to develop M2AX@M2X@AOOH-based catalysts for oxygen evolution.

Consistent community assembly but contingent species pool effects drive ß-diversity patterns of multiple microbial groups in desert biocrust systems.

One of the key goals of ecology is to understand how communities are assembled. The species co-existence theory suggests that community ß-diversity is influenced by species pool and community assembly processes, such as environmental filtering, dispersal events, ecological drift and biotic interactions. However, it remains unclear whether there are similar ß-diversity patterns among different soil microbial groups and whether all these mechanisms play significant roles in mediating ß-diversity patterns. By conducting a broad survey across Chinese deserts, we aimed to address these questions by investing biological soil crusts (biocrusts). Through amplicon-sequencing, we acquired ß-diversity data for multiple microbial groups, that is, soil total bacteria, diazotrophs, phoD-harbouring taxa, and fungi. Our results have shown varying distance decay rates of ß-diversity across microbial groups, with soil total bacteria showing a weaker distance-decay relationship than other groups. The impact of the species pool on community ß-diversity varied across microbial groups, with soil total bacteria and diazotrophs being significantly influenced. While the contributions of specific assembly processes to community ß-diversity patterns varied among different microbial groups, significant effects of local community assembly processes on ß-diversity patterns were consistently observed across all groups. Homogenous selection and dispersal limitation emerged as crucial processes for all groups. Precipitation and soil C:P were the key factors mediating ß-diversity for all groups. This study has substantially advanced our understanding of how the communities of multiple microbial groups are structured in desert biocrust systems.

Isoliquiritigenin limits inflammasome activation of macrophage via docking into Syk to alleviate murine non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Isoliquiritigenin (ISL) is a chalcone-type flavonoid derived from the root of licorice with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumour and neuroprotective properties. ISL has been proven to downregulate the productions of IL-1ß, TNF-α and IL-6 by macrophages. However, detailed molecular mechanisms of this modulation remain elusive. Here, ISL suppressed Syk phosphorylation and CD80, CD86, IL-1ß, TNF-α and IL-6 expressions in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated macrophages ex vivo. ApoC3-transgenic (ApoC3TG) mice had more activated macrophages. ISL was also able to downregulate the inflammatory activities of macrophages from ApoC3TG mice. Administration of ISL inhibited Syk activation and inflammatory activities of macrophages in ApoC3TG mice in vivo. The treatment of ISL further alleviated MCD-induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in wild-type and ApoC3TG mice, accompanied by less recruitment and activation of liver macrophages. Due to the inhibition of Syk phosphorylation, ISL-treated macrophages displayed less production of cytoplasmic ROS, NLRP3, cleaved-GSDMD and cleaved-IL-1ß, suggesting less inflammasome activation. Finally, the molecular docking study demonstrated that ISL bound to Syk directly with the Kd of 1.273 × 10-8 M. When the Syk expression was knocked down by its shRNA, the inhibitory effects of ISL on activated macrophages disappeared, indicating that Syk was at least one of key docking-molecules of ISL. Collectively, ISL could alleviate MCD-induced NAFLD in mice involved with the inhibition of macrophage inflammatory activity by the blockade of Syk-induced inflammasome activation.

Immune Cell Infiltration Types as Biomarkers for the Recurrence Diagnosis and Prognosis of Bladder Cancer.

This study aimed to investigate the role of infiltrating immune cell types in diagnosing and predicting bladder cancer recurrence. This study mainly applied some algorithms, including Estimate the Proportion of Immune and Cancer Cells (EPIC), support vector machine-recursive feature elimination (SVM-RFE), random forest out-of-bag (RF-OOB) and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO)-Cox regression analysis. We found six immune infiltrating cell types significantly associated with recurrence prognosis and two independent clinical prognostic factors. Infiltrating immune cell types (IICTs) based on the prognostic immune risk score (pIRS) models may provide significant biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognostic prediction of bladder cancer recurrence.

Systemic conversion therapies for initially unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Systemic conversion therapy provides patients with initially unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) the chance to salvage radical liver resection and superior survival outcomes, but the optimal conversion strategy is unclear. METHODS: A systematic literature search was conducted on PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library between 2007 and 2024 focusing on studies reporting conversion therapy for HCC. The treatment groups were divided into Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI), TKI plus loco-regional therapy (LRT), TKI plus anti-PD-1 therapy (TKI + PD-1), TKI + PD-1 + LRT, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) plus LRT, and Atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (A + T) groups. The conversion to surgery rate (CSR), objective response rate (ORR), grade ≥ 3 treatment-related adverse events (AEs), overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were analyzed. RESULTS: 38 studies and 4,042 patients were included. The pooled CSR were 8% (95% CI, 5-12%) in TKI group, 13% (95% CI, 8-19%) in TKI + LRT group, 28% (95% CI, 19-37%) in TKI + PD-1 group, 33% (95% CI, 25-41%) in TKI + PD-1 + LRT group, 23% (95% CI, 1-46%) in ICI + LRT group, and 5% (95% CI, 3-8%) in A + T group, respectively. The pooled HR for OS (0.45, 95% CI, 0.35-0.60) and PFS (0.49, 95% CI, 0.35-0.70) favored survival benefit of conversion surgery. Subgroup analysis revealed that lenvatinib + PD-1 + LRT conferred higher CSR of 35% (95% CI, 26-44%) and increased ORR of 70% (95% CI, 56-83%). CONCLUSIONS: The current study indicates that TKI + PD-1 + LRT, especially lenvatinib + PD-1 + LRT, may be the superior conversion therapy with a manageable safety profile for patients with initially unresectable HCC. The successful conversion therapy favors the superior OS and PFS compared with systemic treatment alone. TRIAL REGISTRATION: International prospective register of systematic reviews (PROSPERO) (registration code: CRD 42024495289).

The Role of Endoscopic Ultrasound-guided Fine-needle Aspiration of Pelvic Lesions: A Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) is a potentially valuable tool for the diagnosis of pelvic lesions. The aim of this meta­analysis was to evaluate the efficacy and feasibility of EUS-FNA in the diagnosis of pelvic lesions. METHODS: We performed a computerized search of PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Science Citation Index, through March 2023. The main outcome measures examined in the meta-analysis were sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and accuracy. RESULTS: We evaluated 22 trials that used surgical pathology or imaging follow-up results as the reference standard. The studies comprised 844 patients. The cumulative sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and accuracy were 94%, 100%, 100%, 89%, and 96%, respectively. In the subgroup analysis, the prospective studies revealed the cumulative sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and accuracy were 91%, 100%, 100%, 85%, and 93%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, we provide evidence that EUS-FNA is a qualitative diagnostic technique with high sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and accuracy. However, its NPV is slightly low, which does not exclude the risk of a missed diagnosis, and more randomized controlled trials or prospective studies are still needed in the future. EUS-FNA is effective and feasible for pelvic space-occupying lesions. This technique has high clinical application value for pelvic lesions.

Improving cardiovascular risk prediction with machine learning: a focus on perivascular adipose tissue characteristics.

BACKGROUND: Timely prevention of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) is imperative for reducing cardiovascular diseases-related mortality. Perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT), the adipose tissue surrounding coronary arteries, has attracted increased amounts of attention. Developing a model for predicting the incidence of MACE utilizing machine learning (ML) integrating clinical and PVAT features may facilitate targeted preventive interventions and improve patient outcomes. METHODS: From January 2017 to December 2019, we analyzed a cohort of 1077 individuals who underwent coronary CT scanning at our facility. Clinical features were collected alongside imaging features, such as coronary artery calcium (CAC) scores and perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) characteristics. Logistic regression (LR), Framingham Risk Score, and ML algorithms were employed for MACE prediction. RESULTS: We screened seven critical features to improve the practicability of the model. MACE patients tended to be older, smokers, and hypertensive. Imaging biomarkers such as CAC scores and PVAT characteristics differed significantly between patients with and without a 3-year MACE risk in a population that did not exhibit disparities in laboratory results. The ensemble model, which leverages multiple ML algorithms, demonstrated superior predictive performance compared with the other models. Finally, the ensemble model was used for risk stratification prediction to explore its clinical application value. CONCLUSIONS: The developed ensemble model effectively predicted MACE incidence based on clinical and imaging features, highlighting the potential of ML algorithms in cardiovascular risk prediction and personalized medicine. Early identification of high-risk patients may facilitate targeted preventive interventions and improve patient outcomes.

Interleukin-22 Alleviates Caerulein-Induced Acute Pancreatitis by Activating AKT/mTOR Pathway.

BACKGROUND: Acute pancreatitis (AP) is one of the most common acute abdominal disorders; due to the lack of specific treatment, the treatment of acute pancreatitis, especially serious acute pancreatitis (SAP), is difficult and challenging. We will observe the changes of Interleukin -22 levels in acute pancreatitis animal models, and explore the mechanism of Interleukin -22 in acute pancreatitis. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to assess the potential protective effect of Interleukin -22 on caerulein-induced acute pancreatitis and to explore its mechanism. METHODS: Blood levels of amylase and lipase and Interleukin -22 were assessed in mice with acute pancreatitis. In animal model and cell model of caerulein-induced acute pancreatitis, the mRNA levels of P62 and Beclin-1 were determined using PCR, and the protein expression of P62, LC3-II, mTOR, AKT, p-mTOR, and p-AKT were evaluated through Western blot analysis. RESULTS: Interleukin -22 administration reduced blood amylase and lipase levels and mitigated tissue damage in acute pancreatitis mice model. Interleukin -22 inhibited the relative mRNA levels of P62 and Beclin-1, and the Interleukin -22 group showed a decreased protein expression of LC3-II and P62 and the phosphorylation of the AKT/mTOR pathway. Furthermore, we obtained similar results in the cell model of acute pancreatitis. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that Interleukin -22 administration could alleviate pancreatic damage in caerulein-induced acute pancreatitis. This effect may result from the activation of the AKT/mTOR pathway, leading to the inhibition of autophagy. Consequently, Interleukin -22 shows potential as a treatment.

Laparoscopic liver resection or enucleation for giant hepatic hemangioma: how to choose?

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic treatment has been increasingly adopted for giant hepatic hemangioma (HH), but the role of liver resection or enucleation remains uncertain. The aim of this study is to compare the laparoscopic resection (LR) with laparoscopic enucleation (LE) for HH, and to provide evidence on how to choose the most suitable approach for HH. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of HH patients underwent laparoscopic treatment between March 2015 and August 2022 was performed. Perioperative outcomes were compared based on the surgical approaches, and risk factors for increased blood loss was calculated by logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: A total of 127 patients in LR group and 287 patients in LE group were enrolled in this study. The median blood loss (300 vs. 200 mL, P < 0.001) was higher in LE group than that in LR group. Independent risk factors for blood loss higher than 400 mL were tumor size ≥ 10 cm, tumor adjacent to major vessels, tumor occupying right liver or caudate lobe, and the portal phase enhancement ratio (PER) ≥ 38.9%, respectively. Subgroup analysis showed that LR was associated with less blood loss (155 vs. 400 mL, P < 0.001) than LE procedure in patients with high PER value. Both LR and LE approaches exhibited similar perioperative outcomes in patients with low PER value. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic treatment for HH could be feasibly and safely performed by both LE and LR. For patients with PER higher than 38.9%, the LR approach is recommended.

Multiparameter MRI-based radiomics nomogram for preoperative prediction of brain invasion in atypical meningioma:a multicentre study.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a nomogram based on tumor and peritumoral edema (PE) radiomics features extracted from preoperative multiparameter MRI for predicting brain invasion (BI) in atypical meningioma (AM). METHODS: In this retrospective study, according to the 2021 WHO classification criteria, a total of 469 patients with pathologically confirmed AM from three medical centres were enrolled and divided into training (n = 273), internal validation (n = 117) and external validation (n = 79) cohorts. BI was diagnosed based on the histopathological examination. Preoperative contrast-enhanced T1-weighted MR images (T1C) and T2-weighted MR images (T2) for extracting meningioma features and T2-fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) sequences for extracting meningioma and PE features were obtained. The multiple logistic regression was applied to develop separate multiparameter radiomics models for comparison. A nomogram was developed by combining radiomics features and clinical risk factors, and the clinical usefulness of the nomogram was verified using decision curve analysis. RESULTS: Among the clinical factors, PE volume and PE/tumor volume ratio are the risk of BI in AM. The combined nomogram based on multiparameter MRI radiomics features of meningioma and PE and clinical indicators achieved the best performance in predicting BI in AM, with area under the curve values of 0.862 (95% CI, 0.819-0.905) in the training cohort, 0.834 (95% CI, 0.780-0.908) in the internal validation cohort and 0.867 (95% CI, 0.785-0.950) in the external validation cohort, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The nomogram based on tumor and PE radiomics features extracted from preoperative multiparameter MRI and clinical factors can predict the risk of BI in patients with AM.

Acetylation proteomics and metabolomics analyses reveal the involvement of starch synthase undergoing acetylation modification during UV-B stress resistance in Rhododendron Chrysanthum Pall.

BACKGROUND: Rhododendron chrysanthum Pall. (R. chrysanthum) is a plant that lives in high mountain with strong UV-B radiation, so R. chrysanthum possess resistance to UV-B radiation. The process of stress resistance in plants is closely related to metabolism. Lysine acetylation is an important post-translational modification, and this modification process is involved in a variety of biological processes, and affected the expression of enzymes in metabolic processes. However, little is known about acetylation proteomics during UV-B stress resistance in R. chrysanthum. RESULTS: In this study, R. chrysanthum OJIP curves indicated that UV-B stress damaged the receptor side of the PSII reaction center, with a decrease in photosynthesis, a decrease in sucrose content and an increase in starch content. A total of 807 differentially expressed proteins, 685 differentially acetylated proteins and 945 acetylation sites were identified by quantitative proteomic and acetylation modification histological analysis. According to COG and subcellular location analyses, DEPs with post-translational modification of proteins and carbohydrate metabolism had important roles in resistance to UV-B stress and DEPs were concentrated in chloroplasts. KEGG analyses showed that DEPs were enriched in starch and sucrose metabolic pathways. Analysis of acetylation modification histology showed that the enzymes in the starch and sucrose metabolic pathways underwent acetylation modification and the modification levels were up-regulated. Further analysis showed that only GBSS and SSGBSS changed to DEPs after undergoing acetylation modification. Metabolomics analyses showed that the metabolite content of starch and sucrose metabolism in R. chrysanthum under UV-B stress. CONCLUSIONS: Decreased photosynthesis in R. chrysanthum under UV-B stress, which in turn affects starch and sucrose metabolism. In starch synthesis, GBSS undergoes acetylation modification and the level is upregulated, promotes starch synthesis, making R. chrysanthum resistant to UV-B stress.

Molecular Mechanism of Exogenous ABA to Enhance UV-B Resistance in Rhododendron chrysanthum Pall. by Modulating Flavonoid Accumulation.

With the depletion of the ozone layer, the intensity of ultraviolet B (UV-B) radiation reaching the Earth's surface increases, which in turn causes significant stress to plants and affects all aspects of plant growth and development. The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanism of response to UV-B radiation in the endemic species of Rhododendron chrysanthum Pall. (R. chrysanthum) in the Changbai Mountains and to study how exogenous ABA regulates the response of R. chrysanthum to UV-B stress. The results of chlorophyll fluorescence images and OJIP kinetic curves showed that UV-B radiation damaged the PSII photosystem of R. chrysanthum, and exogenous ABA could alleviate this damage to some extent. A total of 2148 metabolites were detected by metabolomics, of which flavonoids accounted for the highest number (487, or 22.67%). KEGG enrichment analysis of flavonoids that showed differential accumulation by UV-B radiation and exogenous ABA revealed that flavonoid biosynthesis and flavone and flavonol biosynthesis were significantly altered. GO analysis showed that most of the DEGs produced after UV-B radiation and exogenous ABA were distributed in the cellular process, cellular anatomical entity, and catalytic activity. Network analysis of key DFs and DEGs associated with flavonoid synthesis identified key flavonoids (isorhamnetin-3-O-gallate and dihydromyricetin) and genes (TRINITY_DN2213_c0_g1_i4-A1) that promote the resistance of R. chrysanthum to UV-B stress. In addition, multiple transcription factor families were found to be involved in the regulation of the flavonoid synthesis pathway under UV-B stress. Overall, R. chrysanthum actively responded to UV-B stress by regulating changes in flavonoids, especially flavones and flavonols, while exogenous ABA further enhanced its resistance to UV-B stress. The experimental results not only provide a new perspective for understanding the molecular mechanism of the response to UV-B stress in the R. chrysanthum, but also provide a valuable theoretical basis for future research and application in improving plant adversity tolerance.

Abscisic Acid Affects Phenolic Acid Content to Increase Tolerance to UV-B Stress in Rhododendron chrysanthum Pall.

The presence of the ozone hole increases the amount of UV radiation reaching a plant's surface, and UV-B radiation is an abiotic stress capable of affecting plant growth. Rhododendron chrysanthum Pall. (R. chrysanthum) grows in alpine regions, where strong UV-B radiation is present, and has been able to adapt to strong UV-B radiation over a long period of evolution. We investigated the response of R. chrysanthum leaves to UV-B radiation using widely targeted metabolomics and transcriptomics. Although phytohormones have been studied for many years in plant growth and development and adaptation to environmental stresses, this paper is innovative in terms of the species studied and the methods used. Using unique species and the latest research methods, this paper was able to add information to this topic for the species R. chrysanthum. We treated R. chrysanthum grown in a simulated alpine environment, with group M receiving no UV-B radiation and groups N and Q (externally applied abscisic acid treatment) receiving UV-B radiation for 2 days (8 h per day). The results of the MN group showed significant changes in phenolic acid accumulation and differential expression of genes related to phenolic acid synthesis in leaves of R. chrysanthum after UV-B radiation. We combined transcriptomics and metabolomics data to map the metabolic regulatory network of phenolic acids under UV-B stress in order to investigate the response of such secondary metabolites to stress. L-phenylalanine, L-tyrosine and phenylpyruvic acid contents in R. chrysanthum were significantly increased after UV-B radiation. Simultaneously, the levels of 3-hydroxyphenylacetic acid, 2-phenylethanol, anthranilate, 2-hydroxycinnamic acid, 3-hydroxycinnamic acid, α-hydroxycinnamic acid and 2-hydroxy-3-phenylpropanoic acid in this pathway were elevated in response to UV-B stress. In contrast, the study in the NQ group found that externally applied abscisic acid (ABA) in R. chrysanthum had greater tolerance to UV-B radiation, and phenolic acid accumulation under the influence of ABA also showed greater differences. The contents of 2-phenylethanol, 1-o-p-coumaroyl-ß-d-glucose, 2-hydroxy-3-phenylpropanoic acid, 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-propionic acid and 3-o-feruloylquinic ac-id-o-glucoside were significantly elevated in R. chrysanthum after external application of ABA to protect against UV-B stress. Taken together, these studies of the three groups indicated that ABA can influence phenolic acid production to promote the response of R. chrysanthum to UV-B stress, which provided a theoretical reference for the study of its complex molecular regulatory mechanism.

The differences between patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and those without NAFLD, as well as predictors of functional coronary artery ischemia in patients with NAFLD.

BACKGROUND: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a chronic liver disease associated with metabolic syndrome. It is the most common cause of cryptogenic cirrhosis. The disease is also involved in the occurrence and development of type 2 diabetes and atherosclerosis and can directly affect the outcome of patients with coronary heart disease. Therefore, the focus of treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease has also begun to focus on the treatment of risk factors for atherosclerotic heart disease. In this study, we investigated the difference between patients with coronary artery stenosis combined with NAFLD and those without NAFLD and evaluated the predictive factors and value of functional coronary artery ischemia in patients with NAFLD. HYPOTHESIS: Many clinical factors (such as age, BMI, hyperglycemia) and imaging parameters (such as CACS grade) in the NAFLD group were different from those in the non-NAFLD group. The predictive model combined with multiple influencing factors has a good value in predicting coronary artery ischemia in patients with NAFLD. METHODS: We collected the clinical and imaging data of patients who underwent coronary computed tomography angiography and coronary artery calcification score (CACS) scans between January and June 2023. A total of 392 patients were included and divided into the NAFLD group and the non-NAFLD group. Based on CT fractional flow reserve (CT-FFR), patients with NAFLD were divided into CT-FFR ≤ 0.08 group and CT-FFR > 0.08 group. RESULTS: Significant differences were observed between the non-NAFLD and NAFLD groups in terms of age, body mass index, hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein, coronary artery disease-reporting and data system (CAD-RADS) classification, CACS classification, number of diseased coronary arteries, and CT-FFR ≤ 0.80 ratio (p < .05). The CAD-RADS and CACS classifications can independently predict functional coronary artery ischemia in NAFLD patients. The combined use of CAD-RADS and CACS classifications resulted in an area under the curve of 0.819 (95% confidence interval: 0.761-0.876) for predicting coronary artery ischemia in NAFLD patients, which was higher than the individual classification methods (CAD-RADS: 0.762, CACS: 0.742) (p = .000). CONCLUSIONS: There are differences between patients with coronary artery stenosis and NAFLD and those without NAFLD. The CAD-RADS classification and CACS classification can economically and efficiently predict functional coronary artery ischemia in patients with NAFLD, which has crucial value in clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Critical radius prediction for small radius curved section of two-lane secondary highways based on speed characteristics.

Small radius curved sections of two-lane secondary highways have low technical indicators, complex alignments, and frequent accidents. In order to improve the safety of traffic operation, the article investigates the curved sections of two-lane secondary highways with different radii and obtains the travelling speeds of different vehicle types at different section locations. By studying the trajectory characteristics and speed characteristics of vehicles travelling in curves, the velocity difference ratio, which responds to the continuity of driving speed, was defined. Then, based on this, this paper investigates the vehicle motion law of small radius curved road sections. The results show that the speed change of large cars in small radius curves is similar to a "U" shape, while the speed change of small cars is similar to a "V" shape. The speed adjustments of the larger cars occur mainly within the range of gentle curves, whereas the speed changes of the smaller cars are large throughout the range of curves. There is a significant exponential function relationship between curve radius and 85 % percentile speed, from which the curve radius threshold can be predicted. This provides a basis for engineering construction of curved road sections and optimization of curve design indicators, which greatly improves the traffic safety level of curved road sections.

Effect of probiotics on cognitive function in adults with mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer's disease: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Recent clinical studies have yielded controversial results regarding the effect of probiotics on cognitive function in Alzheimer's disease (AD) or mild cognitive impairment (MCI) subjects. To clarify the efficacy of probiotics on cognition, we conducted a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). METHODS: Instructions of the PRISMA 2020 statement were followed. Literature from the PubMed, Embase and Cochrane databases were systematically searched and manually screened for relevant published RCTs. We performed statistical analysis using RevMan, and assessed the risk of bias using the R software. RESULTS: A total of 12 studies comprising 852 patients with MCI or AD were identified. The results of meta-analysis showed that probiotics improved global cognitive function (SMD=0.67; 95% CI, 0.32, 1.02), recall/delayed memory (SMD=0.67; 95% CI: 0.32, 1.02), attention (SMD=0.31; 95% CI: 0.04, 0.58) and visuospatial/constructional (SMD=0.24; 95% CI: 0.06, 0.42) cognitive domain. CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis found that probiotic supplementation is associated with an improvement in cognitive performance among patients with AD and MCI. However, current evidence is limited, and more reliable large-scale RCTs with higher methodological quality are needed.

Comparative Metabolomics and Transcriptome Studies of Two Forms of Rhododendron chrysanthum Pall. under UV-B Stress.

Rhododendron chrysanthum Pall. (R. chrysanthum), a plant with UV-B resistance mechanisms that can adapt to alpine environments, has gained attention as an important plant resource with the ability to cope with UV-B stress. In this experiment, R. chrysanthums derived from the same origin were migrated to different culture environments (artificial climate chamber and intelligent artificial incubator) to obtain two forms of R. chrysanthum. After UV-B irradiation, 404 metabolites and 93,034 unigenes were detected. Twenty-six of these different metabolites were classified as UV-B-responsive metabolites. Glyceric acid is used as a potential UV-B stress biomarker. The domesticated Rhododendron chrysanthum Pall. had high amino acid and SOD contents. The study shows that the domesticated Rhododendron chrysanthum Pall. has significant UV-B resistance. The transcriptomics results show that the trends of DEGs after UV-B radiation were similar for both forms of R. chrysanthum: cellular process and metabolic process accounted for a higher proportion in biological processes, cellular anatomical entity accounted for the highest proportion in the cellular component, and catalytic activity and binding accounted for the highest proportion in the molecular function category. Through comparative study, the forms of metabolites resistant to UV-B stress in plants can be reflected, and UV-B radiation absorption complexes can be screened for application in future specific practices. Moreover, by comparing the differences in response to UV-B stress between the two forms of R. chrysanthum, references can be provided for cultivating domesticated plants with UV-B stress resistance characteristics. Research on the complex mechanism of plant adaptation to UV-B will be aided by these results.