The Combination of Lactoferrin and Creatine Ameliorates Muscle Decay in a Sarcopenia Murine Model.

BACKGROUND: Sarcopenia is an age-related condition characterized by progressive loss of muscle mass, strength, and function. The occurrence of sarcopenia has a huge impact on physical, psychological, and social health. Therefore, the prevention and treatment of sarcopenia is becoming an important public health issue. METHOD: 35 six-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into five groups, one of which served as a control group, while the rest of the groups were constructed as a model of sarcopenia by intraperitoneal injection of D-galactose. The intervention with lactoferrin, creatine, and their mixtures, respectively, was carried out through gavage for 8 weeks. Muscle function was assessed based on their endurance, hanging time, and grip strength. The muscle tissues were weighed to assess the changes in mass, and the muscle RNA was extracted for myogenic factor expression and transcriptome sequencing to speculate on the potential mechanism of action by GO and KEGG enrichment analysis. RESULT: The muscle mass (lean mass, GAS index), and muscle function (endurance, hanging time, and grip strength) decreased, and the size and structure of myofiber was smaller in the model group compared to the control group. The intervention with lactoferrin and creatine, either alone or combination, improved muscle mass and function, restored muscle tissue, and increased the expression of myogenic regulators. The combined group demonstrated the most significant improvement in these indexes. The RNA-seq results revealed enrichment in the longevity-regulated pathway, MAPK pathway, focal adhesion, and ECM-receptor interaction pathway in the intervention group. The intervention group may influence muscle function by affecting the proliferation, differentiation, senescence of skeletal muscle cell, and contraction of muscle fiber. The combined group also enriched the mTOR-S6K/4E-BPs signaling pathway, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, and energy metabolism-related pathways, including Apelin signaling, insulin resistance pathway, and adipocytokine signaling pathway, which affect energy metabolism in muscle. CONCLUSIONS: Lactoferrin and creatine, either alone or in combination, were found to inhibit the progression of sarcopenia by influencing the number and cross-sectional area of muscle fibers and muscle protein synthesis. The combined intervention appears to exert a more significant effect on energy metabolism.

Palladium/Platinum/Ruthenium Trimetallic Dendritic Nanozymes Exhibiting Enhanced Peroxidase-like Activity for Signal Amplification of Lateral Flow Immunoassays.

Developing ultrasensitive lateral flow immunoassays (LFIAs) has garnered significant attention in the field of point-of-care testing. In this study, a trimetallic dendritic nanozyme (Pd@Pt-Ru) was synthesized through Ru deposition on a Pd@Pt core and utilized to enhancing the sensitivity of LFIAs. Pd@Pt-Ru exhibited a Km value of 5.23 mM for detecting H2O2, which indicates an H2O2 affinity comparable with that of horseradish peroxidase. The Ru surface layer reduces the activation energy barrier, which increases the maximum reaction rate. As a proof of concept, the proposed Pd@Pt-Ru nanozyme was incorporated into LFIAs (A-Pd@Pt-Ru-LFIAs) for detecting human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). Compared with conventional gold nanoparticle (AuNP)-LFIAs, A-Pd@Pt-Ru-LFIAs demonstrated 250-fold increased sensitivity, thereby enabling a visible detection limit as low as 0.1 IU/L. True positive and negative rates both reached 100%, which renders the proposed Pd@Pt-Ru nanozyme suitable for detecting hCG in clinical samples.

Safety and efficacy of interventional embolization in cirrhotic patients with refractory hepatic encephalopathy associated with spontaneous portosystemic shunts.

This study aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of interventional embolization in cirrhotic patients with refractory hepatic encephalopathy (HE) associated with large spontaneous portosystemic shunts (SPSS). Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) was employed to minimize potential bias. A total of 123 patients were included in this study (34 in the embolization group and 89 in the control group). In the unadjusted cohort, the embolization group demonstrated significantly better liver function, a larger total area of SPSS, and a higher percentage of patients with serum ammonia levels > 60 µmol/L and the presence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (all P < 0.05). In the IPTW cohort, baseline characteristics were comparable between the two groups (all P > 0.05). Patients in the embolization group exhibited significantly longer HE-free survival compared to the control group in both the unadjusted and IPTW cohorts (both P < 0.05). Subsequent subgroup analyses indicated that patients with serum ammonia level > 60 µmol/L, hepatopetal flow within the portal trunk, the presence of solitary SPSS, a baseline HE grade of II, and the absence of HCC at baseline showed statistically significant benefit from embolization treatment (all P < 0.05). No early procedural complications were observed in the embolization group. The incidence of long-term postoperative complications was comparable to that in the control group (all P > 0.05). Hence, interventional embolization appears to be a safe and effective treatment modality for cirrhotic patients with refractory HE associated with large SPSS. However, the benefits of embolization were discernible only in a specific subset of patients.

Nocardioides imazamoxiresistens sp. nov. Isolated from the Activated Sludge.

A Gram-staining-positive actinomycete named YZH12T was isolated from the sediment of the Yangtze River in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, China. Cells were aerobic, non-spore forming, non-motile, short rod (0.4-0.6 × 0.5-1.0 µm) or coccus (0.4-0.6 µm in diameter). Colonies were circular, smooth, and beige to yellowish. Growth occurred at 15-42 °C (optimal 28 °C), pH 5.0-9.0 (optimal 7.0), and 0-10% (w/v) NaCl (optimal 2%). The strain could tolerate 1500 mg/L of imazamox. Strain YZH12T showed 98.7% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity Nocardioides zeae JM-1068T and less than 97% similarities with other type strains in the genus Nocardioides. Phylogenetic analysis based on genome and 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain YZH12T was phylogenetically affiliated to the genus Nocardioides and formed a subclade with N. zeae JM-1068T and N. alkalitolerans DSM 16699T. The average nucleotide identity (ANI) and digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) values between YZH12T and closely related type strain N. zeae JM-1068T were 79.9% and 35.2%, respectively. The major fatty acids (> 5%) were C18: 1ω9c, iso-C16: 0, C16: 0, C17: 1ω8cand C18: 0; the major respiratory quinone was MK-8(H4); and the polar lipids profiles were diphosphatidylglycerol (DPG), phosphatidylglycerol (PG), glycolipid (GL), two aminophospholipids (APL1, APL2), and an unknown polar lipid (L). The genomic DNA G + C content is 73.5%. Based on the phenotypic, chemotaxonomic, phylogenetic analyses, and genomic data, strain YZH12T represents a novel species of the genus Nocardioides, for which the name Nocardioides imazamoxiresistens YZH12T is proposed, with strain YZH12T (= KCTC 49964T = MCCC 1K0892T) as the type strain.

Silk Gland Factor 1 Plays a Pivotal Role in Larval Settlement of the Fouling Mussel Mytilopsis sallei.

Most fouling organisms have planktonic larval and benthic adult stages. Larval settlement, the planktonic-benthic transition, is the critical point when biofouling begins. However, our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of larval settlement is limited. In our previous studies, we identified that the AMP-activated protein kinase-silk gland factor 1 (AMPK-SGF1) pathway was involved in triggering the larval settlement in the fouling mussel M. sallei. In this study, to further confirm the pivotal role of SGF1, multiple targeted binding compounds of SGF1 were obtained using high-throughput virtual screening. It was found that the targeted binding compounds, such as NAD+ and atorvastatin, could significantly induce and inhibit the larval settlement, respectively. Furthermore, the qRT-PCR showed that the expression of the foot proteins' genes was significantly increased after the exposure to 10 µM NAD+, while the gene expression was significantly suppressed after the exposure to 10 µM atorvastatin. Additionally, the production of the byssus threads of the adults was significantly increased after the exposure to 10-20 µM of NAD+, while the production of the byssus threads was significantly decreased after the exposure to 10-50 µM of atorvastatin. This work will deepen our understanding of SGF1 in triggering the larval settlement in mussels and will provide insights into the potential targets for developing novel antifouling agents.

An optimized EEGNet decoder for decoding motor image of four class fingers flexion.

As a cutting-edge technology of connecting biological brain and external devices, brain-computer interface (BCI) exhibits promising applications on extensive fields such as medical and military. As for the disable individuals with four limbs losing the motor functions, it is a potential treatment way to drive mechanical equipments by the means of non-invasive BCI, which is badly depended on the accuracy of the decoded electroencephalogram (EEG) singles. In this study, an explanatory convolutional neural network namely EEGNet based on SimAM attention module was proposed to enhance the accuracy of decoding the EEG singles of index and thumb fingers for both left and right hand using sensory motor rhythm (SMR). An average classification accuracy of 72.91% the data of eight healthy subjects was obtained, which were captured from the one second before finger movement to two seconds after action. Furthermore, the character of event-related desynchronization (ERD) and event related synchronization (ERS) of index and thumb fingers was also studied in this study. These findings have significant importance for controlling external devices or other rehabilitation equipment using BCI in a fine way.

Perinatal deaths attributable to congenital heart defects in Hunan Province, China, 2016-2020.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the association between demographic characteristics and perinatal deaths attributable to congenital heart defects (CHDs). METHODS: Data were obtained from the Birth Defects Surveillance System of Hunan Province, China, 2016-2020. The surveillance population included fetuses and infants from 28 weeks of gestation to 7 days after birth whose mothers delivered in the surveillance hospitals. Surveillance data included demographic characteristics such as sex, residence, maternal age, and other key information, and were used to calculate the prevalence of CHDs and perinatal mortality rates (PMR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Multivariable logistic regression analysis (method: Forward, Wald, α = 0.05) and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) were used to identify factors associated with perinatal deaths attributable to CHDs. RESULTS: This study included 847755 fetuses, and 4161 CHDs were identified, with a prevalence of 0.49% (95%CI: 0.48-0.51). A total of 976 perinatal deaths attributable to CHDs were identified, including 16 (1.64%) early neonatal deaths and 960 (98.36%) stillbirths, with a PMR of 23.46% (95%CI: 21.98-24.93). In stepwise logistic regression analysis, perinatal deaths attributable to CHDs were more common in rural areas than urban areas (OR = 2.21, 95%CI: 1.76-2.78), more common in maternal age <20 years (OR = 2.40, 95%CI: 1.05-5.47), 20-24 years (OR = 2.13, 95%CI: 1.46-3.11) than maternal age of 25-29 years, more common in 2 (OR = 1.60, 95%CI: 1.18-2.18) or 3 (OR = 1.43, 95%CI: 1.01-2.02) or 4 (OR = 1.84, 95%CI: 1.21-2.78) or > = 5 (OR = 2.02, 95%CI: 1.28-3.18) previous pregnancies than the first pregnancy, and more common in CHDs diagnosed in > = 37 gestional weeks (OR = 77.37, 95%CI: 41.37-144.67) or 33-36 gestional weeks (OR = 305.63, 95%CI: 172.61-541.15) or < = 32 gestional weeks (OR = 395.69, 95%CI: 233.23-671.33) than diagnosed in postnatal period (within 7 days), and less common in multiple births than singletons (OR = 0.48, 95%CI: 0.28-0.80). CONCLUSIONS: Perinatal deaths were common in CHDs in Hunan in 2016-2020. Several demographic characteristics were associated with perinatal deaths attributable to CHDs, which may be summarized mainly as economic and medical conditions, severity of CHDs, and parental attitudes toward CHDs.

Characterization of cotinine degradation in a newly isolated Gram-negative strain Pseudomonas sp. JH-2.

Cotinine, the primary metabolite of nicotine in the human body, is an emerging pollutant in aquatic environments. It causes environmental problems and is harmful to the health of humans and other mammals; however, the mechanisms of its biodegradation have been elucidated incompletely. In this study, a novel Gram-negative strain that could degrade and utilize cotinine as a sole carbon source was isolated from municipal wastewater samples, and its cotinine degradation characteristics and kinetics were determined. Pseudomonas sp. JH-2 was able to degrade 100 mg/L (0.56 mM) of cotinine with high efficiency within 5 days at 30 ℃, pH 7.0, and 1% NaCl. Two intermediates, 6-hydroxycotinine and 6-hydroxy-3-succinoylpyridine (HSP), were identified by high-performance liquid chromatography and liquid chromatograph mass spectrometer. The draft whole genome sequence of strain JH-2 was obtained and analyzed to determine genomic structure and function. No homologs of proteins predicted in Nocardioides sp. JQ2195 and reported in nicotine degradation Pyrrolidine pathway were found in strain JH-2, suggesting new enzymes that responsible for cotinine catabolism. These findings provide meaningful insights into the biodegradation of cotinine by Gram-negative bacteria.

A single-center, retrospective study of hospitalized patients with lower respiratory tract infections: clinical assessment of metagenomic next-generation sequencing and identification of risk factors in patients.

INTRODUCTION: Lower respiratory tract infections(LRTIs) in adults are complicated by diverse pathogens that challenge traditional detection methods, which are often slow and insensitive. Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) offers a comprehensive, high-throughput, and unbiased approach to pathogen identification. This retrospective study evaluates the diagnostic efficacy of mNGS compared to conventional microbiological testing (CMT) in LRTIs, aiming to enhance detection accuracy and enable early clinical prediction. METHODS: In our retrospective single-center analysis, 451 patients with suspected LRTIs underwent mNGS testing from July 2020 to July 2023. We assessed the pathogen spectrum and compared the diagnostic efficacy of mNGS to CMT, with clinical comprehensive diagnosis serving as the reference standard. The study analyzed mNGS performance in lung tissue biopsies and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) from cases suspected of lung infection. Patients were stratified into two groups based on clinical outcomes (improvement or mortality), and we compared clinical data and conventional laboratory indices between groups. A predictive model and nomogram for the prognosis of LRTIs were constructed using univariate followed by multivariate logistic regression, with model predictive accuracy evaluated by the area under the ROC curve (AUC). RESULTS: (1) Comparative Analysis of mNGS versus CMT: In a comprehensive analysis of 510 specimens, where 59 cases were concurrently collected from lung tissue biopsies and BALF, the study highlights the diagnostic superiority of mNGS over CMT. Specifically, mNGS demonstrated significantly higher sensitivity and specificity in BALF samples (82.86% vs. 44.42% and 52.00% vs. 21.05%, respectively, p < 0.001) alongside greater positive and negative predictive values (96.71% vs. 79.55% and 15.12% vs. 5.19%, respectively, p < 0.01). Additionally, when comparing simultaneous testing of lung tissue biopsies and BALF, mNGS showed enhanced sensitivity in BALF (84.21% vs. 57.41%), whereas lung tissues offered higher specificity (80.00% vs. 50.00%). (2) Analysis of Infectious Species in Patients from This Study: The study also notes a concerning incidence of lung abscesses and identifies Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), Fusobacterium nucleatum, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Chlamydia psittaci, and Haemophilus influenzae as the most common pathogens, with Klebsiella pneumoniae emerging as the predominant bacterial culprit. Among herpes viruses, EBV and herpes virus 7 (HHV-7) were most frequently detected, with HHV-7 more prevalent in immunocompromised individuals. (3) Risk Factors for Adverse Prognosis and a Mortality Risk Prediction Model in Patients with LRTIs: We identified key risk factors for poor prognosis in lower respiratory tract infection patients, with significant findings including delayed time to mNGS testing, low lymphocyte percentage, presence of chronic lung disease, multiple comorbidities, false-negative CMT results, and positive herpesvirus affecting patient outcomes. We also developed a nomogram model with good consistency and high accuracy (AUC of 0.825) for predicting mortality risk in these patients, offering a valuable clinical tool for assessing prognosis. CONCLUSION: The study underscores mNGS as a superior tool for lower respiratory tract infection diagnosis, exhibiting higher sensitivity and specificity than traditional methods.

NIR-II emissive anionic copper nanoclusters with intrinsic photoredox activity in single-electron transfer.

Ultrasmall copper nanoclusters have recently emerged as promising photocatalysts for organic synthesis, owing to their exceptional light absorption ability and large surface areas for efficient interactions with substrates. Despite significant advances in cluster-based visible-light photocatalysis, the types of organic transformations that copper nanoclusters can catalyze remain limited to date. Herein, we report a structurally well-defined anionic Cu40 nanocluster that emits in the second near-infrared region (NIR-II, 1000-1700 nm) after photoexcitation and can conduct single-electron transfer with fluoroalkyl iodides without the need for external ligand activation. This photoredox-active copper nanocluster efficiently catalyzes the three-component radical couplings of alkenes, fluoroalkyl iodides, and trimethylsilyl cyanide under blue-LED irradiation at room temperature. A variety of fluorine-containing electrophiles and a cyanide nucleophile can be added onto an array of alkenes, including styrenes and aliphatic olefins. Our current work demonstrates the viability of using readily accessible metal nanoclusters to establish photocatalytic systems with a high degree of practicality and reaction complexity.

Knowledge and attitudes toward mild traumatic brain injury among patients and family members.

Introduction: Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is a prevalent health issue with significant effects on patients' lives. Understanding and attitudes toward mTBI among patients and their families can influence management and outcomes. This study aimed to assess knowledge and attitudes toward mTBI in these groups. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Zhejiang Hospital from July 1, 2023, to September 30, 2023. Patients with mTBI and their family members participated. Data were collected via an online questionnaire covering demographic information and mTBI knowledge and attitudes. Knowledge scores ranged from 0 to 20 and attitude scores from 8 to 40. Multivariate logistic regression identified factors influencing these scores. Results: A total of 573 valid questionnaires were analyzed (289 males, 50.44%; 284 females, 49.56%). Among respondents, 258 (45.03%) had experienced a concussion. Mean knowledge and attitude scores were 11.00 ± 2.75 and 27.78 ± 4.07, respectively. Monthly per capita income of 5,000-10,000 RMB was negatively associated with knowledge and attitude scores (ß = 0.160, 95% CI: [3.245 to 0.210], P = 0.026). Middle school education decreased the likelihood of positive attitudes toward mTBI (OR = 0.378, 95% CI: [0.1630.874], P = 0.023). mTBI due to falls was associated with increased likelihood of positive attitudes (OR = 3.588, 95% CI: [1.274-10.111], P = 0.016). Discussion: Significant gaps in knowledge and attitudes toward mTBI exist among patients and their families, influenced by income and education levels. Personal experience with mTBI from falls correlates with more positive attitudes. These findings highlight the need for targeted educational interventions to improve understanding and attitudes, ultimately enhancing patient care and management. Comprehensive, accessible mTBI education is crucial for fostering positive attitudes and better knowledge among patients and their families.

Realization of double uniform line self-focusing of elliptical Airyprime beams.

Double line self-focusing characteristics of elliptical Airyprime beams (EAPBs) with different elliptical vertical-axis factor ß are investigated by varying the main ring radius r0. Overly large or small r0 results in the inhomogeneous distribution of light intensity at one linear focus of the double line self-focusing. Only when r0 is appropriate and ß is within a certain range, can double uniform line self-focusing happen to the EAPB. Moreover, the self-focusing ability of the second line self-focusing is weaken than that of the first line self-focusing. Under the premise of our selected values of beam parameters, the EAPB can achieve double uniform line self-focusing when r0 = 0.3 mm and ß = 0.58∼0.71. The focal length of the first line self-focusing, the lengths of double linear focus, and the self-focusing abilities of the double uniform line self-focusing can be regulated by varying ß within the range of 0.58∼0.71. If ß is smaller than 0.58 or larger than 0.71, it will lead to nonuniform line self-focusing. An explanation of the physical mechanism behind the double uniform line self-focusing of the EAPB is proposed. Finally, the experimental measurements of the line self-focusing of the EAPB confirm the validity of the above conclusions. This research provides a new solution on how to generate double uniform line self-focusing and new insights into the practical application of elliptical self-focusing beams.

Effects of high-quality protein supplementation on cardiovascular risk factors in individuals with metabolic diseases: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Uncertainties still existed about the effect of high-quality protein supplementation on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, although high-quality proteins such as soy and milk proteins have proposed to be beneficial for cardiometabolic health. METHODS: A systematic search in PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and Embase was conducted to quantify the impact of high-quality protein on CVD risk factors. RESULTS: 63 RCTs on 4 types of high-quality protein including soy protein, milk protein, whey, and casein were evaluated. Soy protein supplementation decreased systolic blood pressure (SBP, -1.42 [-2.68, -0.17] mmHg), total cholesterol (TC, -0.18 [-0.30, -0.07] mmol/L), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C, -0.16 [-0.27, -0.05] mmol/L). Milk protein supplementation decreased SBP (-2.30 [-3.45, -1.15] mmHg) and total cholesterol (-0.27 [-0.51, -0.03] mmol/L). Whey supplementation decreased SBP (-2.20 [-3.89, -0.51] mmHg), diastolic blood pressure (DBP, -1.07 [-1.98, -0.16] mmHg), triglycerides (-0.10 [-0.17, -0.03] mmol/L), TC (-0.18 [-0.35, -0.01] mmol/L), LDL-C (-0.09 [-0.16, -0.01] mmol/L) and fasting blood insulin (FBI, -2.02 [-3.75, -0.29] pmol/L). Casein supplementation decreased SBP (-4.10 [-8.05, -0.14] mmHg). In the pooled analysis of four high-quality proteins, differential effects were seen in individuals with different health status. In hypertensive individuals, high-quality proteins decreased both SBP (-2.69 [-3.50, -1.87] mmHg) and DBP (-1.34 [-2.09, -0.60] mmHg). In overweight/obese individuals, high-quality proteins improved SBP (-1.40 [-2.22, -0.59] mmHg), DBP (-2.59 [-3.20, -1.98] mmHg), triglycerides (-0.09 [-0.15, -0.02] mmol/L), TC (-0.14 [-0.22, -0.05] mmol/L), LDL-C (-0.12 [-0.16, -0.07] mmol/L), and HDL-C levels (0.02 [0.01, 0.04] mmol/L). According to the benefits on CVD risks factors, whey ranked top for improving cardiometabolic health in hypertensive or overweight/obese individuals. CONCLUSION: Our study supports a beneficial role of high-quality protein supplementation to reduce CVD risk factors. Further studies are still warranted to investigate the effects of different high-quality proteins on CVD risks in individuals with cardiometabolic disorders.

Wake biofilm up to enhance suicidal uptake of gallium for chronic lung infection treatment.

The hypometabolic and nutrient-limiting condition of dormant bacteria inside biofilms reduces their susceptibility to antibacterial agents, making the treatment of biofilm-dominating chronic infections difficult. Herein, we demonstrate an intratracheal aerosolized maltohexaose-modified catalase-gallium integrated nanosystem that can 'wake up' dormant Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm to increase the metabolism and nutritional iron demand by reconciling the oxygen gradient. The activated bacteria then enhance suicidal gallium uptake since gallium acts as a 'Trojan horse' to mimic iron. The internalized gallium ions disrupt biofilms by interfering with the physiological processes of iron ion acquisition and utilization, biofilm formation, and quorum sensing. Furthermore, aerosol microsprayer administration and bacteria-specific maltohexaose modification enable accumulation at biofilm-infected lung and targeted release of gallium into bacteria to improve the therapeutic effect. This work provides a potential strategy for treating infection by reversing the dormant biofilm's resistance condition.

Lifestyle-based subtypes of childhood obesity and their association with cardiometabolic factors: A cluster analysis.

BACKGROUND: Lifestyle factors play an important role in the development and management of childhood obesity and its related cardiometabolic complications. OBJECTIVE/METHODS: We aimed to explore childhood obesity subtypes based on lifestyle factors and examine their association with cardiometabolic health. We included 1550 children with obesity from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Cluster analysis identified obesity subtypes based on four lifestyle factors (physical activity, diet quality, sedentary time and smoking). Multiple linear regression assessed their association with cardiometabolic factors. RESULTS: Five subtypes of childhood obesity were identified: unhealthy subtype (n = 571; 36.8%), physically active subtype (n = 185; 21.1%), healthy diet subtype (n = 404; 26.1%), smoking subtype (n = 125; 8.1%) and non-sedentary subtype (n = 265; 17.1%). Compared with the unhealthy subtype, the physically active subtype had lower insulin and HOMA-IR levels, and smoking subtype was associated with lower HDL levels. When compared with children with normal weight, all obesity subtypes had worse cardiometabolic profile, except the physically active subtype who had similar DBP, HbA1c and TC levels; smoking subtype who had similar TC levels; and healthy diet and non-sedentary subtypes who had similar DBP levels. CONCLUSION: Children of different lifestyle-based obesity subtypes might have different cardiometabolic risks. Our new classification system might help personalize assessment of childhood obesity.

Heart Failure with Normal Natriuretic Peptide Levels and Preserved Ejection Fraction: A Prospective Clinical and Cardiac MRI Study.

Purpose To describe the clinical presentation, comprehensive cardiac MRI characteristics, and prognosis of individuals with predisposed heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Materials and Methods This prospective cohort study (part of MISSION-HFpEF [Multimodality Imaging in the Screening, Diagnosis, and Risk Stratification of HFpEF]; NCT04603404) was conducted from January 1, 2019, to September 30, 2021, and included individuals with suspected HFpEF who underwent cardiac MRI. Participants who had primary cardiomyopathy and primary valvular heart disease were excluded. Participants were split into a predisposed HFpEF group, defined as HFpEF with normal natriuretic peptide levels based on an HFA-PEFF (Heart Failure Association Pretest Assessment, Echocardiography and Natriuretic Peptide, Functional Testing, and Final Etiology) score of 4 from the latest European Society of Cardiology guidelines, and an HFpEF group (HFA-PEFF score of ≥ 5). An asymptomatic control group without heart failure was also included. Clinical and cardiac MRI-based characteristics and outcomes were compared between groups. The primary end points were death, heart failure hospitalization, or stroke. Results A total of 213 participants with HFpEF, 151 participants with predisposed HFpEF, and 100 participants in the control group were analyzed. Compared with the control group, participants with predisposed HFpEF had worse left ventricular remodeling and function and higher systemic inflammation. Compared with participants with HFpEF, those with predisposed HFpEF, whether obese or not, were younger and had higher plasma volume, lower prevalence of atrial fibrillation, lower left atrial volume index, and less impaired left ventricular global longitudinal strain (-12.2% ± 2.8 vs -13.9% ± 3.1; P < .001) and early-diastolic global longitudinal strain rate (eGLSR, 0.52/sec ± 0.20 vs 0.57/sec ± 0.15; P = .03) but similar prognosis. Atrial fibrillation occurrence (hazard ratio [HR] = 3.90; P = .009), hemoglobin level (HR = 0.94; P = .001), and eGLSR (per 0.2-per-second increase, HR = 0.28; P = .002) were independently associated with occurrence of primary end points in participants with predisposed HFpEF. Conclusion Participants with predisposed HFpEF showed relatively unique clinical and cardiac MRI features, warranting greater clinical attention. eGLSR should be considered as a prognostic factor in participants with predisposed HFpEF. Keywords: Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction, Normal Natriuretic Peptide Levels, Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance, Myocardial Strain, Prognosis Clinical trial registration no. NCT04603404 Supplemental material is available for this article. © RSNA, 2024.

10× single-cell sequencing revealed cellular composition heterogeneity in cardiac myxoma with malignant glandular properties.

Cardiac myxoma is the most common primary cardiac tumor in adults. The histogenesis and cellular composition of myxoma are still unclear. This study aims to reveal the role of myxoma cell components and their gene expression in tumor development. We obtained single living cells by enzymatic digestion of tissues from 4 cases of surgically resected cardiac myxoma. Of course, there was 1 case of glandular myxoma and 3 cases of nonglandular myxoma. Then, 10× single-cell sequencing was performed. We identified 12 types and 11 types of cell populations in glandular myxoma and nonglandular myxoma, respectively. Heterogeneous epithelial cells are the main components of glandular myxoma. The similarities and differences in T cells in both glandular and nonglandular myxoma were analyzed by KEGG and GO. The most important finding was that there was active communication between T cells and epithelial cells. These results clarify the possible tissue occurrence and heterogeneity of cardiac myxoma and provide a theoretical basis and guidance for clinical diagnosis and treatment.

The structure of the archaeal nuclease RecJ2 implicates its catalytic mechanism and inability to interact with GINS.

Bacterial RecJ exhibits 5'→3' exonuclease activity that is specific to ssDNA; however, archaeal RecJs show 5' or 3' exonuclease activity. The hyperthermophilic archaea Methanocaldococcus jannaschii encodes the 5'-exonuclease MjRecJ1 and the 3'-exonuclease MjRecJ2. In addition to nuclease activity, archaeal RecJ interacts with GINS, a structural subcomplex of the replicative DNA helicase complex. However, MjRecJ1 and MjRecJ2 do not interact with MjGINS. Here, we report the structural basis for the inability of the MjRecJ2 homologous dimer to interact with MjGINS and its efficient 3' hydrolysis polarity for short dinucleotides. Based on the crystal structure of MjRecJ2, we propose that the interaction surface of the MjRecJ2 dimer overlaps the potential interaction surface for MjGINS and blocks the formation of the MjRecJ2-GINS complex. Exposing the interaction surface of the MjRecJ2 dimer restores its interaction with MjGINS. The cocrystal structures of MjRecJ2 with substrate dideoxynucleotides or product dCMP/CMP show that MjRecJ2 has a short substrate binding patch, which is perpendicular to the longer patch of bacterial RecJ. Our results provide new insights into the function and diversification of archaeal RecJ/Cdc45 proteins.

FetchEEG: a hybrid approach combining feature extraction and temporal-channel joint attention for EEG-based emotion classification.

Objective. Electroencephalogram (EEG) analysis has always been an important tool in neural engineering, and the recognition and classification of human emotions are one of the important tasks in neural engineering. EEG data, obtained from electrodes placed on the scalp, represent a valuable resource of information for brain activity analysis and emotion recognition. Feature extraction methods have shown promising results, but recent trends have shifted toward end-to-end methods based on deep learning. However, these approaches often overlook channel representations, and their complex structures pose certain challenges to model fitting.Approach. To address these challenges, this paper proposes a hybrid approach named FetchEEG that combines feature extraction and temporal-channel joint attention. Leveraging the advantages of both traditional feature extraction and deep learning, the FetchEEG adopts a multi-head self-attention mechanism to extract representations between different time moments and channels simultaneously. The joint representations are then concatenated and classified using fully-connected layers for emotion recognition. The performance of the FetchEEG is verified by comparison experiments on a self-developed dataset and two public datasets.Main results. In both subject-dependent and subject-independent experiments, the FetchEEG demonstrates better performance and stronger generalization ability than the state-of-the-art methods on all datasets. Moreover, the performance of the FetchEEG is analyzed for different sliding window sizes and overlap rates in the feature extraction module. The sensitivity of emotion recognition is investigated for three- and five-frequency-band scenarios.Significance. FetchEEG is a novel hybrid method based on EEG for emotion classification, which combines EEG feature extraction with Transformer neural networks. It has achieved state-of-the-art performance on both self-developed datasets and multiple public datasets, with significantly higher training efficiency compared to end-to-end methods, demonstrating its effectiveness and feasibility.