Convergent representation of values from tactile and visual inputs for efficient goal-directed behavior in the primate putamen.

Animals can discriminate diverse sensory values with a limited number of neurons, raising questions about how the brain utilizes neural resources to efficiently process multi-dimensional inputs for decision-making. Here, we demonstrate that this efficiency is achieved by reducing sensory dimensions and converging towards the value dimension essential for goal-directed behavior in the putamen. Humans and monkeys performed tactile and visual value discrimination tasks while their neural responses were examined. Value information, whether originating from tactile or visual stimuli, was found to be processed within the human putamen using fMRI. Notably, at the single-neuron level in the macaque putamen, half of the individual neurons encode values independently of sensory inputs, while the other half selectively encode tactile or visual value. The responses of bimodal value neurons correlate with value-guided finger insertion behavior in both tasks, whereas modality-selective value neurons show task-specific correlations. Simulation using these neurons reveals that the presence of bimodal value neurons enables value discrimination with a significantly reduced number of neurons compared to simulations without them. Our data indicate that individual neurons in the primate putamen process different values in a convergent manner, thereby facilitating the efficient use of constrained neural resources for value-guided behavior.

Association between plausible genetic factors and weight loss from GLP1-RA and bariatric surgery: a multi-ancestry study in 10 960 individuals from 9 biobanks.

Obesity is a significant public health concern. GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP1-RA), predominantly in use as a type 2 diabetes treatment, are a promising pharmacological approach for weight loss, while bariatric surgery (BS) remains a durable, but invasive, intervention. Despite observed heterogeneity in weight loss effects, the genetic effects on weight loss from GLP1-RA and BS have not been extensively explored in large sample sizes, and most studies have focused on differences in race and ethnicity, rather than genetic ancestry. We studied whether genetic factors, previously shown to affect body weight, impact weight loss due to GLP1-RA therapy or BS in 10,960 individuals from 9 multi-ancestry biobank studies in 6 countries. The average weight change between 6 and 12 months from therapy initiation was -3.93% for GLP1-RA users, with marginal differences across genetic ancestries. For BS patients the weight change between 6 and 48 months from the operation was -21.17%. There were no significant associations between weight loss due to GLP1-RA and polygenic scores for BMI or type 2 diabetes or specific missense variants in the GLP1R, PCSK1 and APOE genes, after multiple-testing correction. However, a higher polygenic score for BMI was significantly linked to lower weight loss after BS (+0.7% for 1 standard deviation change in the polygenic score, P = 1.24×10-4). In contrast, higher weight at baseline was associated with greater weight loss. Our findings suggest that existing polygenic scores related to weight and type 2 diabetes and missense variants in the drug target gene do not have a large impact on GLP1-RA effectiveness. Our results also confirm the effectiveness of these treatments across all major continental ancestry groups considered.

Feasibility and Methodology of a Pilot Free Blood Pressure Monitoring and Follow-Up Program at Two Free Clinics.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension affects approximately 1 in 2 adults in the US. Home blood pressure (BP) monitoring programs are effective in the diagnosis and management of hypertension. Free clinics serve as an integral safety net for millions of uninsured and economically disadvantaged patients in the US. The feasibility and effects of a free home BP monitoring and follow-up program in a free clinic setting is not well characterized. METHODS: This was a prospective study of the implementation of a pilot BP monitoring and follow-up program between March 2021 and August 2023 at 2 free clinics in the San Francisco Bay Area. A total of 78 hypertensive patients were enrolled in the program and given a free BP monitor. We surveyed via telephone the change in systolic and diastolic BPs and BP monitor use and comfort at 3 weeks. Volunteers in clinic roles involved in the BP monitoring program were surveyed to assess their time spent and perceptions of the program. RESULTS: Of the 78 patients, 37 provided responses to the 3-week survey. A total of 36 of 37 (97%) patients reported using their BP monitor. A total of 35 patients reported using it at least once a week (95%), with the majority reporting at least four uses a week (68%). A total of 36 patients (97%) planned on continuing to use their BP monitor. At 3 weeks, the mean systolic and diastolic BP changed by -6.40 mmHg (95% CI, -10.8 to -2.01 mmHg; P = .00577) and -2.72 mmHg (95% CI, -5.62 to 0.188 mmHg; P = .0657), respectively. The time commitment for this program ranged from 130 ± 51 min for program leaders to 16 ± 14 min per week for patient-facing roles. All volunteer roles (patient-facing, phone follow-up, program leaders) expressed that they had a clear understanding of their responsibilities in the program (median 4 on Likert scale, IQR 3-5). CONCLUSION: Home BP monitoring and follow-up is feasible to implement in free clinics, resulting in high rates of patient engagement among respondents. Our findings suggest that home BP monitoring and follow-up programs may be beneficial in vulnerable patient populations.

Integrative Metabolomics Differentiate Coronary Artery Disease, Peripheral Artery Disease, and Venous Thromboembolism Risks.

BACKGROUND: Arterial and venous cardiovascular conditions, such as coronary artery disease (CAD), peripheral artery disease (PAD), and venous thromboembolism (VTE), are genetically correlated. Interrogating underlying mechanisms may shed light on disease mechanisms. In this study, we aimed to identify (1) epidemiological and (2) causal, genetic relationships between metabolites and CAD, PAD, and VTE. METHODS: We used metabolomic data from 95 402 individuals in the UK Biobank, excluding individuals with prevalent cardiovascular disease. Cox proportional-hazards models estimated the associations of 249 metabolites with incident disease. Bidirectional 2-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) estimated the causal effects between metabolites and outcomes using genome-wide association summary statistics for metabolites (n=118 466 from the UK Biobank), CAD (n=184 305 from CARDIoGRAMplusC4D 2015), PAD (n=243 060 from the Million Veterans Project), and VTE (n=650 119 from the Million Veterans Project). Multivariable MR was performed in subsequent analyses. RESULTS: We found that 196, 115, and 74 metabolites were associated (P<0.001) with CAD, PAD, and VTE, respectively. Further interrogation of these metabolites with MR revealed 94, 34, and 9 metabolites with potentially causal effects on CAD, PAD, and VTE, respectively. There were 21 metabolites common to CAD and PAD and 4 common to PAD and VTE. Many putatively causal metabolites included lipoprotein traits with heterogeneity across different sizes and lipid subfractions. Small VLDL (very-low-density lipoprotein) particles increased the risk for CAD while large VLDL particles decreased the risk for VTE. We identified opposing directions of CAD and PAD effects for cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations within HDLs (high-density lipoproteins). Subsequent sensitivity analyses including multivariable MR revealed several metabolites with robust, potentially causal effects of VLDL particles on CAD. CONCLUSIONS: While common vascular conditions are associated with overlapping metabolomic profiles, MR prioritized the role of specific lipoprotein species for potential pharmacological targets to maximize benefits in both arterial and venous beds.

G Protein-Coupled Estrogen Receptor-Mediated Anti-Inflammatory and Mucosal Healing Activity of a Trimethylpyridinol Analogue in Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is characterized by abnormal immune responses, including elevated proinflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. This study presents the synthesis and anti-inflammatory evaluation of 2,4,5-trimethylpyridin-3-ol analogues, which exhibit dual inhibition of TNFα- and IL-6-induced inflammation. Analysis using in silico methods, including 3D shape-based target identification, modeling, and docking, identified G protein-coupled estrogen receptor 1 (GPER) as the molecular target for the most effective analogue, 6-26, which exhibits remarkable efficacy in ameliorating inflammation and restoring colonic mucosal integrity. This was further validated by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) assay results, which showed direct binding to GPER, and by the results showing that GPER knockdown abolished the inhibitory effects of 6-26 on TNFα and IL-6 actions. Notably, 6-26 displayed no cytotoxicity, unlike G1 and G15, a well-known GPER agonist and an antagonist, respectively, which induced necroptosis independently of GPER. These findings suggest that the GPER-selective compound 6-26 holds promise as a therapeutic candidate for IBD.

C. elegans Germline as Three Distinct Tumor Models.

Tumor cells display abnormal growth and division, avoiding the natural process of cell death. These cells can be benign (non-cancerous growth) or malignant (cancerous growth). Over the past few decades, numerous in vitro or in vivo tumor models have been employed to understand the molecular mechanisms associated with tumorigenesis in diverse regards. However, our comprehension of how non-tumor cells transform into tumor cells at molecular and cellular levels remains incomplete. The nematode C. elegans has emerged as an excellent model organism for exploring various phenomena, including tumorigenesis. Although C. elegans does not naturally develop cancer, it serves as a valuable platform for identifying oncogenes and the underlying mechanisms within a live organism. In this review, we describe three distinct germline tumor models in C. elegans, highlighting their associated mechanisms and related regulators: (1) ectopic proliferation due to aberrant activation of GLP-1/Notch signaling, (2) meiotic entry failure resulting from the loss of GLD-1/STAR RNA-binding protein, (3) spermatogenic dedifferentiation caused by the loss of PUF-8/PUF RNA-binding protein. Each model requires the mutations of specific genes (glp-1, gld-1, and puf-8) and operates through distinct molecular mechanisms. Despite these differences in the origins of tumorigenesis, the internal regulatory networks within each tumor model display shared features. Given the conservation of many of the regulators implicated in C. elegans tumorigenesis, it is proposed that these unique models hold significant potential for enhancing our comprehension of the broader control mechanisms governing tumorigenesis.

Narrative review of the utility of magnetic resonance imaging in radiotherapy for cervical cancer.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: In radiotherapy (RT) for locally advanced cervical cancer, high soft tissue contrast on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can ensure accurate delineation of target volumes (TVs) and optimal dose distribution to the RT target and organs at risk (OAR). MRI-guided adaptive RT (MRIgART) is a novel technology that revises RT plans according to anatomical changes occurring throughout the treatment to improve target coverage and minimise OAR toxicity. This review aims to assess the evidence and gaps of MRI use in RT planning and MRIgART in the treatment of cervical cancer, as well as challenges in its clinical implementation. METHODS: Ovid Medline and PubMed were searched using keywords for MRI in RT for cervical cancer. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, the initial search was deduced to 32 studies. A total of 37 final studies were reviewed, including eight additional articles from references. KEY CONTENT AND FINDINGS: In the primary studies, TVs and organ motion were assessed before, during, and after treatment. MRI was used to investigate dose distribution and therapeutic response to the treatment in association with its outcome. Lastly, rationales for MRIgART were evaluated. CONCLUSIONS: It was concluded that MRI enables accurate target delineation, assessment of organ motion and interfraction changes, and monitoring of treatment response through dynamic parameters. Enhanced target coverage and reduced OAR irradiation through MRIgART can improve local control and the overall outcome, although its rationales against the logistical challenges need to be evaluated on further research.

Food Insecurity and Changes in Diet Quality and Body Mass Index z-Scores Among Elementary School Students.

Background: Previous research has identified food insecurity as a risk factor for obesity but those studies employed cross-sectional designs and were largely focused on adults and young children. In addition, there is a paucity of studies examining the association between food insecurity and changes in children's overall diet quality. This study aimed to assess whether food insecurity is associated with subsequent changes in diet quality and BMI z-scores over 2 years among 7- to 12-year-old children. Methods: We used 2011-2019 secondary data (n = 404) from three randomized controlled trials in Minnesota. Food insecurity was identified using the U.S. Household Food Security Survey Module at baseline (Time 0). Diet quality was determined using the Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2015 from 24-hour recalls, and BMI z-scores were calculated using measured height and weight. These two outcomes were measured at Time 0, Time 1 (10-12 months from Time 0), and Time 2 (15-24 months from Time 0). Results: Compared with children from food-secure households, those from food-insecure households experienced a 0.13 greater increase in BMI z-scores from Time 0 to Time 2 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.04 to 0.21] and a 4.5 point increase in HEI-2015 from Time 0 to Time 1 (95% CI: 0.99 to 8.01). Conclusion: Household food insecurity may widen weight disparities among elementary school-aged children. Further studies are needed to identify the role of diet quality in weight changes among children with food insecurity. Clinical Trial Registration Number: NCT01538615, NCT02029976, NCT02973815.

Output Performance Enhanced Triboelectric Nanogenerators Induced by Magnetic Ink Trapping Property Act as Wearable Sensors.

The demand for clean-energy collection has gradually increased in recent years, making triboelectric nanogenerators a promising research field, because of their advantages in convenient manufacturing, diversified materials, and diverse synthesis and modification possibilities. However, recent studies indicate that charge decay, a major limiting factor in the triboelectric output, prevents the induced charge from combining with the bottom electrode, leading to charge loss. The use of charge-trapping sites to retain the induced charge generated during the friction process is an important solution in the field of triboelectric nanogenerator research. This study proposes the use of an elastic ink with macroscopic magnetism as trapping sites by coating the ink as dots between the polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) dielectric layer and the electrode layer. Nickel particles in the magnetic ink are doped into the system as microcapacitors, which prevent the combination of the friction layer and induced charges on the back electrode. Because the nickel itself can be used as a charge-potential trap to capture the charge introduced by the charge-injection process, the charge can be maintained for a long time and achieve a long-term high-output state. The output voltage was more than 6 times that of the reference group without the magnetic-ink coating after 3 h. The results provide a reference direction for research on preventing charge decay and trapping charges in triboelectric nanogenerators.

Utility of FDG-PET in predicting the histology of relapsed or refractory lymphoma.

ABSTRACT: 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) is a valuable prognostic tool in modern lymphoma care. In this study, we explored the use of quantitative FDG-PET parameters in predicting the histology of suspected relapsed or refractory (R/R) lymphoma. We retrospectively analyzed 290 FDG-PET scans performed for suspected R/R lymphoma. FDG-PET parameters measured were maximum and mean standardized uptake value (SUVMax and SUVMean), total metabolic tumor volume, and total lesion glycolysis (TLG). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to obtain the optimal thresholds that best discriminate (1) benign vs R/R lymphoma, (2) indolent vs aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), and (3) aggressive transformation of indolent NHL. We found that although all 4 FDG-PET parameters discriminated R/R lymphoma from benign histology, TLG was the best performing parameter (optimal cut-off ≥245, sensitivity 63%, specificity 86%, positive predictive value [PPV] 97%, negative predictive value [NPV] 30%, area under the curve [AUC] 0.798, and P < .001). SUVMax discriminated aggressive from indolent NHL with modest accuracy (optimal threshold ≥15, sensitivity 46%, specificity 79%, PPV 82%, NPV 38%, AUC 0.638, and P < .001). In patients with a prior diagnosis of indolent NHL, SUVMax was a modest predictor of transformation (optimal cut-off ≥12, sensitivity 71%, specificity 61%, PPV 50%, NPV 78%, AUC 0.676, and P .006). Additionally, SUVMax ≥25 and an increase in SUVMax (ΔSUVMax) from baseline ≥150% were highly specific (96% and 94%, respectively). These FDG-PET thresholds can aid in identification of suspected R/R lymphoma cases with higher likelihood of R/R disease and aggressive transformation of indolent NHL, guiding the necessity and urgency of biopsy.

Analysis of the influence of host lifestyle (coffee consumption, drinking, and smoking) on Korean oral microbiome.

If a DNA sample collected in the field is old or degraded, short tandem repeat analysis is difficult to perform, a representative analysis method currently used for individual identification. Given that microorganisms exist everywhere and within the human body, in similar amounts to human cells, microbial analysis could be used to identify individuals even in cases in which human DNA-based identification is difficult. Research has demonstrated that the types of microorganisms within the human body differ depending on various internal or external factors, such as body part or bodily fluid type, lifestyle, geographical area of residence, sex, and age. In this study, we aimed to examine the relationship between lifestyle factors and the composition and diversity of the oral microbiome in individuals living in Korea. We collected 43 saliva samples from Korean individuals and analyzed the oral microbiome and its variations due to external factors, such as coffee consumption, drinking, and smoking. Linear discriminant analysis effect size revealed that Oribacterium, Campylobacter, and Megasphaera were abundant in coffee consumers, whereas Saccharimonadales, Clostridia, and Catonella were abundant in alcohol non-drinkers. We found increased levels of Stomatobaculum in the saliva of smokers, compared with that of non-smokers. Thus, our analysis revealed characteristic microorganisms for each parameter that was evaluated (coffee consumption, smoking, drinking). Consequently, our study provides insight into the oral microbiome in the Korean population and lays the foundation for developing the Korean Forensic Microbiome Database.

Influence of Sphericity on Surface Termination of Icosahedral Colloidal Clusters.

Colloids self-organize into icosahedral clusters composed of a Mackay core and an anti-Mackay shell under spherical confinement to minimize the free energy. This study explores the variation of surface arrangements of colloids in icosahedral clusters, focusing on the determining factors behind the surface arrangement. To efficiently assemble particles in emulsion droplets, droplet-to-droplet osmotic extraction from particle-laden droplets to salt-containing droplets is used, where the droplets are microfluidically prepared to guarantee a high size uniformity. The icosahedral clusters are optimally produced during a 24-h consolidation period at a 0.04 m salt concentration. The findings reveal an increase in the number of particle layers from 10 to 15 in the icosahedral clusters as the average number of particles increases from 3300 to 11 000. Intriguingly, the number of layers in the anti-Mackay shells, or surface termination, appears to more strongly depend on the sphericity of the clusters than on the deviation in the particle count from an ideal icosahedral cluster. This result suggests that the sphericity of the outermost layer, formed by the late-stage rearrangement of particles to form an anti-Mackay shell near the droplet interface, may play a pivotal role in determining the surface morphology to accommodate a spherical interface.

Impact of anthropometric parameters on outcomes in Asians with metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease.

BACKGROUND: We examined the incidence and predictors of clinical outcomes in metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), focusing on anthropometric parameters. METHODS: Adult patients with MAFLD were identified in nationwide databases and a hospital cohort. Primary endpoints were atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and advanced fibrosis. Logistic and Cox regression analyses were used to analyse the association between anthropometric parameters and endpoints. RESULTS: In total, 4407 of 15 256 (28.9%) and 6274 of 25 784 subjects (24.3%) had MAFLD in the nationwide database; of these, 403 (9.2%) and 437 (7.0%) subjects were of lean/normal weight, respectively. Compared to the overweight/obese group, the lean/normal weight group had a significantly lower muscle mass (15.0 vs. 18.9 kg) and handgrip strength (31.9 vs. 35.1 kg) and had a higher ASCVD risk (9.0% vs. 6.3% and 15.9% vs. 8.5%; Ps < 0.001). Sarcopenia (odds ratio [OR], 6.66; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.79-24.80) and handgrip strength (OR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.86-0.97; Ps = 0.005) were associated with the ASCVD risk in the lean/normal weight group. In a hospital cohort (n = 1363), the ASCVD risk was significantly higher in the lean/normal weight group than in the overweight/obese group (median follow-up, 39.1 months). Muscle mass was inversely correlated with the ASCVD risk (hazard ratio [HR], 0.72; 95% CI, 0.56-0.94), while visceral adiposity was associated with advanced fibrosis (HR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.10-1.69; Ps < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Muscle mass/strength was significantly associated with the ASCVD risk in patients with MAFLD. Visceral adiposity was an independent predictor of advanced fibrosis.

Parent meal self-efficacy and practices in households with healthy home food environments in the face of economic hardship.

Some families who experience economic hardship demonstrate remarkable strength and resourcefulness to sustain a healthy home food environment. This ability to navigate economic barriers could be associated with parent meal practices that promote children's healthful dietary intake. Therefore, this study aimed to examine 1) whether parent meal self-efficacy and practices were associated with economic assistance status and home fruit and vegetable (FV) availability and 2) how parent meal self-efficacy and practices differed by home FV availability and economic assistance status. Analyses utilized baseline data from 274 parent/child dyads from two childhood obesity prevention trials: HOME Plus (urban) and NU-HOME (rural). Parents in households with high FV availability (regardless of economic assistance) had significantly higher self-efficacy in preparing healthy foods, family dinner routines, frequency of child's plate being half filled with FV, frequency of family dinner and breakfast, and lower frequency of purchasing dinner from fast food restaurants. Economic assistance was not associated with parent meal self-efficacy and practices. Four family groups were created and defined by economic assistance (yes/no) and home FV availability (high/low). About 31% of families that received economic assistance and had high home FV availability were food insecure. Families (n = 39) receiving economic assistance and having high home FV availability had greater frequency of family dinners compared to those in households with economic assistance and low home FV availability (n = 47) (p = 0.001); no other parent meal self-efficacy or practices differed between groups. Our findings suggest some families can maintain healthy home food environments despite economic hardship and frequent family dinners may be an important strength for these families. More research is needed to investigate asset-based models to understand the family strengths that enable them to thrive during difficult times.

Long-Term Changes in the Mortality Rates of Thyroid Cancer in Korea: Analysis of Korean National Data from 1985 to 2020.

BACKGRUOUND: Thyroid cancer mortality has been largely overlooked as relatively stable given the large gap between thyroid cancer incidence and mortality. This study evaluated long-term trends in age-standardized mortality rates (ASMRs) throughout Korea and compared them with mortality data reported by the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER). METHODS: Cancer-specific mortality data from 1985 to 2020 were obtained from Statistics Korea. ASMRs from thyroid cancer were calculated based on the Korean mid-year resident registration population of 2005. We assessed SEER*Explorer and downloaded the mortality data. RESULTS: The ASMR increased from 0.19 to 0.77/100,000 between 1985 and 2002 but decreased continuously to 0.36/100,000 in 2020. The annual percent change (APC) in the ASMR between 1985 and 2003 and between 2003 and 2020 was 6.204 and -4.218, respectively, with similar patterns observed in both men and women. The ASMR of the SEER showed a modest increase from 1988 to 2016 and then stabilized. In subgroup analysis, the ASMR of the old age group (≥55 years) increased significantly from 0.82 in 1985 to 3.92/100,000 in 2002 (APC 6.917) but then decreased again to 1.86/100,000 in 2020 (APC -4.136). ASMRs according to the age group in the SEER showed a relatively stable trend even in the elderly group. CONCLUSION: The ASMR of thyroid cancer in Korea had increased from 1985 to 2002 but has since been steadily decreasing. This trend was mainly attributed to elderly people aged 55 or over. The absolute APC value of Korea was much higher than that of the SEER.

Quantifying the causal impact of biological risk factors on healthcare costs.

Understanding the causal impact that clinical risk factors have on healthcare-related costs is critical to evaluate healthcare interventions. Here, we used a genetically-informed design, Mendelian Randomization (MR), to infer the causal impact of 15 risk factors on annual total healthcare costs. We calculated healthcare costs for 373,160 participants from the FinnGen Study and replicated our results in 323,774 individuals from the United Kingdom and Netherlands. Robust causal effects were observed for waist circumference (WC), adult body mass index, and systolic blood pressure, in which a standard deviation increase corresponded to 22.78% [95% CI: 18.75-26.95], 13.64% [10.26-17.12], and 13.08% [8.84-17.48] increased healthcare costs, respectively. A lack of causal effects was observed for certain clinically relevant biomarkers, such as albumin, C-reactive protein, and vitamin D. Our results indicated that increased WC is a major contributor to annual total healthcare costs and more attention may be given to WC screening, surveillance, and mitigation.

Integrative metabolomics differentiate coronary artery disease, peripheral artery disease, and venous thromboembolism risks.

Rationale: Arterial and venous cardiovascular conditions, such as coronary artery disease (CAD), peripheral artery disease (PAD), and venous thromboembolism (VTE), are genetically correlated. Interrogating distinct and overlapping mechanisms may shed new light on disease mechanisms. Objective: In this study, we aimed to: identify and compare (1) epidemiologic and (2) causal, genetic relationships between metabolites and CAD, PAD, and VTE. Methods: We used metabolomic data from 95,402 individuals in the UK Biobank, excluding individuals with prevalent cardiovascular disease. Logistic regression models adjusted for age, sex, genotyping array, first five principal components of ancestry, and statin use estimated the epidemiologic associations of 249 metabolites with incident CAD, PAD, or VTE. Bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) estimated the causal effects between metabolites and cardiovascular phenotypes using genome-wide association summary statistics for metabolites (N = 118,466 from UK Biobank), CAD (N = 184,305 from CARDIoGRAMplusC4D 2015), PAD (N = 243,060 from Million Veterans Project) and VTE (N = 650,119 from Million Veterans Project). Multivariable MR (MVMR) was performed in subsequent analyses. Results: We found that 194, 111, and 69 metabolites were epidemiologically associated (P < 0.001) with CAD, PAD, and VTE, respectively. Metabolomic profiles exhibited variable similarity between disease pairs: CAD and PAD (N = 100 shared associations, R2 = 0.499), CAD and VTE (N = 68, R2 = 0.455), and PAD and VTE (N = 54, R2 = 0.752). MR revealed 28 metabolites that increased risk for both CAD and PAD and 2 metabolites that increased risk for CAD but decreased risk for VTE. Despite strong epidemiologic overlap, no metabolites had a shared genetic relationship between PAD and VTE. MVMR revealed several metabolites with shared causal effects on CAD and PAD related to cholesterol content within very-low-density lipoprotein particles. Conclusions: While common arterial and venous conditions are associated with overlapping metabolomic profiles, MR prioritized the role of remnant cholesterol in arterial diseases but not venous thrombosis.

Amplified Performance of Charge Accumulation and Trapping Induced by Enhancing the Dielectric Constant via the Cyano Group of 3D-Structured Textile for a Triboelectric Multi-Modal Sensor.

To further improve the output performance of triboelectric devices, reducing charge attenuation and loss has become a hot research topic. Particularly, textiles have emerged as one of the promising research directions for triboelectric devices owing to their special internal structure and large specific surface area. In the present work, polyacrylonitrile fibers are fabricated with two distinct structures to provide a higher dielectric constant due to the strong polar properties brought about by higher dipole moment of the CN group. In addition, the complex and closely connected structure of the textile increases specific internal surface area. As a friction layer, the output voltage is shown to increase to 625% of the initial value (from 8 to 60 V) after the application of friction for a short time due to accumulation property. When acting as a trapping layer, the charge loss after injection is effectively prevented due to excellent charge trapping effect. After 24 h, the triboelectric output performance remains at ≈70% of the initial value (decreasing from 320 to 220 V), which is more than 20 times that of the polytetrafluoroethylene film, which decreases from 125 to 19 V. The device is realized for the advanced application of multi-modal sensors.

Beyond coping: The role of supportive relationships and meaning making in youth well-being.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to identify coping strategies, resources, and strengths that predict well-being in a community-based sample of youth with varying levels of adversity. DESIGN: Grounded in the resilience portfolio model, we used a mixed methods approach with data from a cross-sectional sample of 231 youth ages 8-17. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data were collected using a survey, participant-generated timeline activity, and brief interview. Measures included assessments of coping and appraisal, resilience resources and assets, and subjective well-being and depression. RESULTS: Active and passive coping strategies predicted subjective well-being and depression. Controlling for demographics and coping, meaning making strengths and supportive relationships were significant predictors of subjective well-being and lower depression, and decreased the impact of adversity on these outcomes. DISCUSSION: The results of this study provide support for the resilience portfolio model in a community-based sample of youth, with relationships as predicted for subjective well-being and symptoms of depression. For both outcomes, family relationships held the strongest associations with positive well-being and lower symptoms of depression. Supportive relationships with peers, meaning making strengths, interpersonal strengths, less passive coping, and fewer adverse life events were also associated with better outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: These findings underscore the need to assess youth resources and strengths and to design interventions that target these protective factors for all youth, regardless of exposure to adversity. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: A theory-informed understanding of resources and strengths that predict youth well-being is essential to inform strengths-based interventions for pediatric research and practice. The resilience portfolio model is a useful framework for understanding predictors of youth well-being.