Coupled hydraulics and carbon economy underlie age-related growth decline and revitalisation of sand-fixing shrubs after crown removal.

Crown removal revitalises sand-fixing shrubs that show declining vigour with age in drought-prone environments; however, the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, we addressed this knowledge gap by comparing the growth performance, xylem hydraulics and plant carbon economy across different plant ages (10, 21 and 33 years) and treatments (control and crown removal) using a representative sand-fixing shrub (Caragana microphylla Lam.) in northern China. We found that growth decline with plant age was accompanied by simultaneous decreases in soil moisture, plant hydraulic efficiency and photosynthetic capacity, suggesting that these interconnected changes in plant water relations and carbon economy were responsible for this decline. Following crown removal, quick resprouting, involving remobilisation of root nonstructural carbohydrate reserves, contributed to the reconstruction of an efficient hydraulic system and improved plant carbon status, but this became less effective in older shrubs. These age-dependent effects of carbon economy and hydraulics on plant growth vigour provide a mechanistic explanation for the age-related decline and revitalisation of sand-fixing shrubs. This understanding is crucial for the development of suitable management strategies for shrub plantations constructed with species having the resprouting ability and contributes to the sustainability of ecological restoration projects in water-limited sandy lands.

Psychosocial characteristics pattern correlated with suicidal ideation and non-suicidal self-injury among nurse staff: a latent profile analysis.

BACKGROUND: Nurses frequently endure elevated levels of psychosocial stress, which often correlates with an increased suicide risk. This study aimed to investigate the impact of latent psychosocial characteristic patterns on suicidal ideation and non-suicidal self-injury among nursing staff. METHOD: Participants were recruited from the Dehong districts of Yunnan province, China, between July 11th and July 26th, 2022. Subgroups were identified using variables linked to suicidal ideation and non-suicidal self-injury, including perceived cognitive deficits, anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, resilience, social support, childhood trauma, loneliness, and sleep quality. Measurement tools included the Perceived Deficit Questionnaire-5-item (PDQ-5), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 items (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale-10 items (CD-RISC10), Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form (CTQ-SF), Three-Item Loneliness Scale, and a single-item sleep quality scale. RESULTS: Latent profile analysis (LPA) revealed four distinct psychosocial characteristic patterns: "class 1," "class 2," "class 3," and "class 4." Compared to class 2, individuals in class 1 had a sixfold increased risk of suicidal ideation (OR = 6.59, 95%CI = 4.42-9.81) and a fivefold increased risk of non-suicidal self-injury (OR = 5.13, 95%CI = 3.38-7.78). Similarly, class 4 individuals had twice the risk of suicidal ideation (OR = 2.13, 95%CI = 1.25-3.62) and non-suicidal self-injury (OR = 2.13, 95%CI = 1.25-3.65) compared to class 2. Conversely, class 3 individuals had a lower risk of suicidal ideation (OR = 0.21, 95%CI = 0.11-0.42) and non-suicidal self-injury (OR = 0.15, 95%CI = 0.07-0.36) than class 2. Additionally, divorced/other marital status individuals had a higher risk of suicidal ideation (OR = 2.34, 95%CI = 1.02-5.35) and non-suicidal self-injury (OR = 2.58, 95%CI = 1.01-6.65) compared to married individuals, while unmarried individuals had a lower risk of suicidal ideation (OR = 0.58, 95%CI = 0.37-0.91). CONCLUSIONS: The study identified eight important psychosocial factors divided into four latent pattern classes. Individuals in "class 1" and "class 4" were more likely to have a higher risk of suicidal ideation and non-suicidal self-injury, while those in "class 3" were more likely to have a lower risk of both outcomes. It is suggested that further research should focus on "class 1" and "class 4" for targeted intervention.

Comparative analysis of [18F]F-FAPI PET/CT, [18F]F-FDG PET/CT and magnetization transfer MR imaging to detect intestinal fibrosis in Crohn's disease: A prospective animal model and human cohort study.

PURPOSE: Accurately and early detection of intestinal fibrosis in Crohn's disease (CD) is crucial for clinical management yet remains an unmet need. Fibroblast activation protein inhibitor (FAPI) PET/CT has emerged as a promising tool to assess fibrosis. We aimed to investigate the diagnostic capability of [18F]F-FAPI PET/CT in detecting intestinal fibrosis and compared it with[18F]F-FDG PET/CT and magnetization transfer MR imaging (MTI). METHODS: Twenty-two rats underwent TNBS treatment to simulate fibrosis development, followed by three quantitative imaging sessions within one week. Mean and maximum standardized uptake values (SUVmean and SUVmax) were calculated on[18F]F-FAPI and [18F]F-FDG PET/CT, along with normalized magnetization transfer ratio on MTI. Intestinal fibrosis was assessed pathologically, with MTI serving as imaging standard for fibrosis. The diagnostic efficacy of imaging parameters in fibrosis was compared using pathological and imaging standards. Ten patients with 34 bowel strictures were prospectively recruited to validate their diagnostic performance, using the identical imaging protocol. RESULTS: In CD patients, the accuracy of FAPI uptake (both AUCs = 0.87, both P ≤ 0.01) in distinguishing non-to-mild from moderate-to-severe fibrosis was higher than FDG uptake (both AUCs = 0.82, P ≤ 0.01) and comparable to MTI (AUCs = 0.90, P ≤ 0.001). In rats, FAPI uptake responded earlier to fibrosis development than FDG and MTI; consistently, during early phase, FAPI uptake showed a stronger correlation (SUVmean: R = 0.69) with pathological fibrosis than FDG (SUVmean: R = 0.17) and MTI (R = 0.52). CONCLUSION: The diagnostic efficacy of [18F]F-FAPI PET/CT in detecting CD fibrosis is superior to [18F]F-FDG PET/CT and comparable to MTI, exhibiting great potential for early detection of intestinal fibrosis.

CT-based radiomics signature of visceral adipose tissue and bowel lesions for identifying patients with Crohn's disease resistant to infliximab.

PURPOSE: To develop a CT-based radiomics model combining with VAT and bowel features to improve the predictive efficacy of IFX therapy on the basis of bowel model. METHODS: This retrospective study included 231 CD patients (training cohort, n = 112; internal validation cohort, n = 48; external validation cohort, n = 71) from two tertiary centers. Machine-learning VAT model and bowel model were developed separately to identify CD patients with primary nonresponse to IFX. A comprehensive model incorporating VAT and bowel radiomics features was further established to verify whether CT features extracted from VAT would improve the predictive efficacy of bowel model. Area under the curve (AUC) and decision curve analysis were used to compare the prediction performance. Clinical utility was assessed by integrated differentiation improvement (IDI). RESULTS: VAT model and bowel model exhibited comparable performance for identifying patients with primary nonresponse in both internal (AUC: VAT model vs bowel model, 0.737 (95% CI, 0.590-0.854) vs. 0.832 (95% CI, 0.750-0.896)) and external validation cohort [AUC: VAT model vs. bowel model, 0.714 (95% CI, 0.595-0.815) vs. 0.799 (95% CI, 0.687-0.885)), exhibiting a relatively good net benefit. The comprehensive model incorporating VAT into bowel model yielded a satisfactory predictive efficacy in both internal (AUC, 0.840 (95% CI, 0.706-0.930)) and external validation cohort (AUC, 0.833 (95% CI, 0.726-0.911)), significantly better than bowel alone (IDI = 4.2% and 3.7% in internal and external validation cohorts, both p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: VAT has an effect on IFX treatment response. It improves the performance for identification of CD patients at high risk of primary nonresponse to IFX therapy with selected features from RM. CRITICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: Our radiomics model (RM) for VAT-bowel analysis captured the pathophysiological changes occurring in VAT and whole bowel lesion, which could help to identify CD patients who would not response to infliximab at the beginning of therapy. KEY POINTS: • Radiomics signatures with VAT and bowel alone or in combination predicting infliximab efficacy. • VAT features contribute to the prediction of IFX treatment efficacy. • Comprehensive model improved the performance compared with the bowel model alone.

Cross-sectional imaging: current status and future potential in adult celiac disease.

Celiac disease (CD), triggered by exposure to gluten in genetically susceptible individuals, is an immune-mediated small bowel disease affecting about 1% of the population worldwide. But the prevalence of CD varies with age, sex, and location. A strict gluten-free diet remains the primary treatment for CD, currently. Most of patients with CD respond well to gluten-free diet with good prognosis, while some patients fail to get symptomatic relief or histological remission (e.g., nonresponsive or refractory CD). Because of heterogeneous clinical appearance, the diagnosis of CD is difficult. Moreover, malignant complications and poor outcomes accompanied with refractory CD present great challenges in disease management. Over the past three decades, cross-sectional imaging techniques (computed tomography [CT] and magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]) play an important role in small bowel inflammatory and neoplastic diseases. Compared with endoscopic techniques, cross-sectional imaging permits clearly presentation of both intraluminal and extraluminal abnormalities. It provides vascular and functional information, thus improving the possibility as diagnostic and follow-up tool. The value of cross-sectional imaging for patients with suspected or confirmed CD has been gradually demonstrated. Studies revealed that certain features suggested by cross-sectional imaging could help to establish the early diagnosis of CD. Besides, the potential contributions of cross-sectional imaging may lie in the evaluation of disease activity and severity, which helps guiding management strategies. The purpose of this review is to provide current overviews and future directions of cross-sectional imaging in adult CD, thus facilitating the understanding and application in clinical practice. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: In this review, we systematically summarized the existing knowledge of cross-sectional imaging in adult CD and analyzed their possible roles in clinical practice, including disease diagnosis, complication identification, treatment evaluation, and prognostic prediction. KEY POINTS: • Regarding a condition described as "celiac iceberg", celiac disease remains underdiagnosed and undertreated. • Cross-sectional imaging is helpful in clinical management of celiac disease, including disease diagnosis, complication identification, treatment evaluation, and prognostic prediction. • Cross-sectional imaging should be considered as the valuable examination in patients suspected from celiac disease.

Validation of disease severity index for predicting complicated disease in Crohn's disease: A comparison study with Lémann index.

BACKGROUND: Disease Severity Index (DSI) provides comprehensive assessment of bowel damage (BD). AIMS: To evaluate DSI in patients with Crohn's disease (CD) at high risk of disease progression, compared to Lémann Index (LI). METHODS: Patients with CD in our center were reviewed consecutively between 2017 and 2019. DSI, LI, and complicated CD course were analyzed. RESULTS: The median LI and DSI of included 300 patients were 1.63 (IQR 1.25-3.13) and 42 (IQR 32-51), respectively. 152 patients (50.7%) experienced a complicated disease course (median 5.1 months; IQR 1.1-20.2). DSI (AUC 0.66; 95% CI 0.60-0.72) better predicted a complicated course of CD over LI (AUC 0.56; 95% CI 0.50-0.63; P = 0.007). The cumulative probability of complicated CD course in severe patients was higher than those with 'mild CD' (P < 0.001). The Cox analysis identified DSI>43 (HR 2.18; 95% CI 1.54-3.09; P < 0.001), B2/3 vs. B1 (HR 2.80; 95% CI 1.99-3.94; P < 0.001), and a higher level of CRP (HR 1.01; 95% CI 1.00-1.02; P = 0.005) as independent prognostic factors for complicated CD. However, LI was not associated with complicated CD (P = 0.164). CONCLUSIONS: Higher DSI was associated with complicated disease outcomes. DSI might play a better role than LI in identifying patients at high risks of disease progression.

Occurrence and Health Risks of Organic Micropollutants in Tap Water in Dalian.

Organic micropollutants (OMPs) in tap water may pose risks to human health. Previous studies on the potential health risks of OMPs in tap water may have underestimated the potential health risks of OMPs due to their limited coverage in target pollutants and incomplete toxicity data. In this study, tap water samples were collected in 37 sampling sites in Dalian, China. More than 1,200 target pollutants were screened by combining screening analysis and target analysis. A total of 93 OMPs were detected, with concentration summation ranging from 157 to 1.7 × 104 ng/L among different sampling sites. A total of 17 OMPs (12 agrochemicals, 3 pharmaceuticals and personal care products, and 2 other compounds) were detected in over 80% of the sampling sites. Especially, imidacloprid, tebuconazole, and atrazine-desethyl were found in all the sampling sites. Computational toxicology models were adopted to predict the missing toxicity threshold values of the identified chemicals. Noncarcinogenic risks were estimated to be negligible among all the sampling sites, while carcinogenic risks at six sites were above 10-6 but below 10-4, indicating non-negligible risks. Griseofulvin contributed the most to the carcinogenic risk. This study offers valuable insights that can guide future initiatives to safeguard tap water safety.

Genome-Wide Association Study Identifies the Crucial Candidate Genes for Teat Number in Crossbred Commercial Pigs.

The number of teats is a crucial reproductive trait with significant economic implications on maternal capacity and litter size. Consequently, improving this trait is essential to facilitate genetic selection for increased litter size. In this study, we performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of the number of teats in a three-way crossbred commercial Duroc × (Landrace × Yorkshire) (DLY) pig population comprising 1518 animals genotyped with the 50K BeadChip. Our analysis identified crucial quantitative trait loci (QTL) for the number of teats, containing the ABCD4 and VRTN genes on porcine chromosome 7. Our results establish SNP variants of ABCD4 and VRTN as new molecular markers for improving the number of teats in DLY pigs. Furthermore, the most significant noteworthy single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) (7_97568284) was identified within the ABCD4 gene, exhibiting a significant association with the total teat number traits. This SNP accounted for a substantial proportion of the genetic variance, explaining 6.64% of the observed variation. These findings reveal a novel gene on SSC7 for the number of teats and provide a deeper understanding of the genetic mechanisms underlying reproductive traits.

Low-dose LPS alleviates early brain injury after SAH by modulating microglial M1/M2 polarization via USP19/FOXO1/IL-10/IL-10R1 signaling.

BACKGROUND: Low-dose lipopolysaccharide (LPS) protects against early brain injury (EBI) after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). However, the mechanism underlying the neuroprotective roles of low-dose LPS remain largely undefined. METHODS: A SAH mice model was established and the pathological changes of brain were evaluated by wet-dry weight method, HE and Nissl staining, and blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability assay. Cell apoptosis and inflammation were monitored by TUNEL, flow cytometry and ELISA assays. qRT-PCR, immunofluorescence and Western blot were used to detect the expression of microglial polarization-related or oxidative stress-associated markers. Bioinformatics analysis, luciferase and ChIP assays were employed to detect the direct association between FOXO1 and IL-10 promoter. The ubiquitination of FOXO1 in the in vitro SAH model was detected by co-IP. RESULTS: Low-dose LPS alleviated SAH-induced neurological dysfunction, brain edema, BBB disruption, damage in the hippocampus, neuronal apoptosis and inflammation via modulating microglial M1/M2 polarization by IL-10/IL-10R1 signaling. Mechanistic studies showed that FOXO1 acted as a transcriptional activator of IL-10. USP19 mediated the deubiquitination of FOXO1 to activate IL-10/IL-10R1 signaling, thereby regulating microglial M1/M2 polarization. Functional experiments revealed that low-dose LPS upregulated USP19 to modulate microglial M1/M2 polarization via FOXO1/IL-10/IL-10R1 signaling in SAH mice. CONCLUSION: Low-dose LPS protected against EBI after SAH by modulating microglial M1/M2 polarization via USP19/FOXO1/IL-10/IL-10R1 signaling.

Early-season and refined mapping of winter wheat based on phenology algorithms - a case of Shandong, China.

Winter wheat is one of the major food crops in China, and timely and effective early-season identification of winter wheat is crucial for crop yield estimation and food security. However, traditional winter wheat mapping is based on post-season identification, which has a lag and relies heavily on sample data. Early-season identification of winter wheat faces the main difficulties of weak remote sensing response of the vegetation signal at the early growth stage, difficulty of acquiring sample data on winter wheat in the current season in real time, interference of crops in the same period, and limited image resolution. In this study, an early-season refined mapping method with winter wheat phenology information as priori knowledge is developed based on the Google Earth Engine cloud platform by using Sentinel-2 time series data as the main data source; these data are automated and highly interpretable. The normalized differential phenology index (NDPI) is adopted to enhance the weak vegetation signal at the early growth stage of winter wheat, and two winter wheat phenology feature enhancement indices based on NDPI, namely, wheat phenology differential index (WPDI) and normalized differential wheat phenology index (NDWPI) are developed. To address the issue of " different objects with the same spectra characteristics" between winter wheat and garlic, a plastic mulched index (PMI) is established through quantitative spectral analysis based on the differences in early planting patterns between winter wheat and garlic. The identification accuracy of the method is 82.64% and 88.76% in the early overwintering and regreening periods, respectively, These results were consistent with official statistics (R2 = 0.96 and 0.98, respectively). Generalization analysis demonstrated the spatiotemporal transferability of the method across different years and regions. In conclusion, the proposed methodology can obtain highly precise spatial distribution and planting area information of winter wheat 4_6 months before harvest. It provides theoretical and methodological guidance for early crop identification and has good scientific research and application value.

Hydrodynamic cavitation degradation of hydroquinone using swirl-type micro-nano bubble reactor.

This study reports the degradation of hydroquinone using lab-scale hydrodynamic cavitation approach (aswirl-type micro-nano bubble reactor), which is considered a green and effective method. The effects of inlet pressure, gas flow rate, pH and initial hydroquinone concentration on hydroquinone degradation were analysed based on experimental research. After experiments investigation, it was concluded that with pH 7.38, hydroquinone concentration of 50 mg/L, and int pressure of 0.2 MPa, the degradation efficiency of hydroquinone reached 91.25% in wastewater. Furthermore, this study also investigated the degradation effect of hydroquinone wastewater by hydrodynamic cavitation combined with persulfate oxidation (HC + PS). The kinetics of hydroquinone degradation by HC or PS oxidation alone and HC + PS oxidation were also examined. Compared with the degradation method alone, the degradation of hydroquinone by HC + PS was more pronounced, and the enhancement factor was 4.55, which indicates that HC greatly enhances the oxidation capacity of PS. In additon, from viewpoint of energy consumption and operating cost, the synergy of HC + PS (1.05 mM) is also the most promising combination. Based on the detection results of the Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) the possible degradation pathways of hydroquinone were analysed: under the action of ·OH and the high temperature and pressure by cavitation process, the hydroquinone molecule undergoes dehydrogenation and ring-opening reaction, demethylation and decarboxylation reaction to produce intermediate products, which are finally converted into CO2 and H2O in micro-nano bubble cavitation process.

Genome-Wide Association Study of Body Conformation Traits in a Three-Way Crossbred Commercial Pig Population.

Body conformation is the most direct production index, which can fully reflect pig growth status and is closely related to critical economic traits. In this study, we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) on body conformation traits in a population of 1518 Duroc × (Landrace × Yorkshire) commercial pigs. These traits included body length (BL), body height (BH), chest circumference (CC), abdominal circumference (AC), and waist circumference (WC). Both the mixed linear model (MLM) and fixed and random model circulating probability unification (FarmCPU) approaches were employed for the analysis. Our findings revealed 60 significant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with these body conformation traits in the crossbred pig population. Specifically, sixteen SNPs were significantly associated with BL, three SNPs with BH, thirteen SNPs with CC, twelve SNPs with AC, and sixteen SNPs with WC. Moreover, we identified several promising candidate genes located within the genomic regions associated with body conformation traits. These candidate genes include INTS10, KIRREL3, SOX21, BMP2, MAP4K3, SOD3, FAM160B1, ATL2, SPRED2, SEC16B, and RASAL2. Furthermore, our analysis revealed a novel significant quantitative trait locus (QTL) on SSC7 specifically associated with waist circumference, spanning an 84 kb interval. Overall, the identification of these significant SNPs and potential candidate genes in crossbred commercial pigs enhances our understanding of the genetic basis underlying body conformation traits. Additionally, these findings provide valuable genetic resources for pig breeding programs.

d-Band Center of Rare Earth Oxides Determines Biotransformation-Induced Cell Membrane Damage.

Biotransformation of rare earth oxide (REO) nanoparticles on biological membranes may trigger a series of adverse health effects in biosystems. However, the physicochemical mechanism of the complicated biotransformation behavior remains elusive. By investigating the distinctly different biotransformation behavior of two typical REOs (Gd2O3 and CeO2) on erythrocyte membranes, we demonstrate that dephosphorylation by stripping phosphate from phospholipids correlates highly with the membrane destructive effects of REOs. Density functional theory calculations decode the decisive role of the d-band center in dephosphorylation. Furthermore, using the d-band center as an electronic descriptor, we unravel a universal structure-activity relationship of the membrane-damaging capability of 13 REOs (R2 = 0.82). The effect of ion release on dephosphorylation and physical damage to cell membranes by Gd2O3 are largely excluded. Our findings depict a clear physicochemical microscopic picture of the biotransformation of REOs on the nano-bio interface, providing a theoretical basis for safe application of REOs.

Impact of workplace violence against psychological health among nurse staff from Yunnan-Myanmar Chinese border region: propensity score matching analysis.

BACKGROUND: Owing to different social background factor in Yunnan-Myanmar Chinese border region, stressful working environment may lead to extra psychological burden among nurse staff in China. However, the prevalence of workplace violence and its effect on psychological characteristics among nurse staff are still unclear. This study aims to explore the effect of workplace violence against psychological health among nurse staff from Yunnan-Myanmar Chinese border region. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 18 local governmental hospitals in Dehong districts. Participants were 1,774 nurses. Psychosocial characteristics were screened by sleep quality, the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire for depressive symptoms, the generalized anxiety disorder-7 for anxiety symptoms, the Connor Davidson Resilience Scale - 10 item for resilience, the multidimensional scale of perceived social support for social support, the Chinese version of Work place Violence Scale for workplace violence. Propensity score matching and multivariate linear regression were applied to analyze the data. RESULTS: The nurse staff with workplace violence have a higher risk of bad sleep quality (b = -0.883, 95%CI = [-1.171, -0.595]), anxiety symptoms (b = 2.531, 95%CI = [2.031, 3.031]) and depressive symptoms (b = 3.227, 95%CI = [2.635, 3.819]), loneliness (b = 0.683, 95%CI = [0.503, 0.863]), perceived cognitive deficits (b = 1.629, 95%CI = [1.131, 2.127]), poor resilience (b = -2.012, 95%CI = [-2.963, -1.061]), and poor social support (b = -5.659, 95%CI = [-7.307, -4.011]). CONCLUSIONS: Preventing workplace violence can improve mental health outcomes significantly among nurse staff, including loneliness, perceived cognitive deficits, anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, sleep quality, resilience and social support.

Analysis of Risk Factors for Epilepsy after Combined Re-Vascularization in Adult Patients with Moyamoya Disease.

Background and Objective: Re-vascularization is an effective treatment for moyamoya disease (MMD) patients, including direct re-vascularization, indirect re-vascularization and combined re-vascularization, in which combined re-vascularization is particularly widely used. At present, there are few reports on the analysis of epilepsy after combined re-vascularization surgery. To analysis the risk factors of epilepsy in adult MMD patients after combined re-vascularization. Material and Methods: Patients with MMD who underwent combined re-vascularization in the Department of Neurosurgery of the First People's Hospital of Yunnan Province from January 2015 to June 2020 were included. Their pre-operative and post-operative complication-related indicators were collected. Finally, logistic regression was used to analyze the clinical risk factors of epilepsy in MMD patients after operation. Results: The incidence of epilepsy after combined re-vascularization was 15.5%. Univariate analysis showed that pre-operative ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke, pre-operative epilepsy, pre-operative history of diabetes, the location of the bypass recipient artery (frontal or temporal lobe), post-operative new cerebral infarction, hyper-perfusion syndrome, and post-operative intra-cranial hemorrhage were the clinical risk factors of epilepsy in MMD patients (all P < 0.05). Multi-variate logistic regression analysis showed that pre-operative epilepsy, the location of the bypass recipient artery, new cerebral infarction, hyper-perfusion syndrome, and post-operative intra-cranial hemorrhage (all P < 0.05) were independent risk factors for post-operative epilepsy in MMD patients. Conclusions: Pre-operative epilepsy, the location of the bypass recipient artery, new cerebral infarction, hyper-perfusion syndrome, and intra-cranial hemorrhage may have a causal relationship with epilepsy in adult MMD patients. It is suggested that some risk factors could be intervened to reduce the incidence of post-operative epilepsy in MMD patients.

Clinical value of the systemic immune-inflammation index in moyamoya disease.

Background: Moyamoya disease (MMD) is a rare cerebrovascular disorder with unknown etiology. The underlying pathophysiological mechanism of moyamoya disease remains to be elucidated, but recent studies have increasingly highlighted that abnormal immune response may be a potential trigger for MMD. Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) are inflammatory markers that can reflect the immune-inflammation state of the disease. Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate SII, NLR, and PLR in patients with moyamoya disease. Methods: A total of 154 patients with moyamoya disease (MMD group) and 321 age- and sex-matched healthy subjects (control group) were included in this retrospective case-control study. Complete blood count parameters were assayed to calculate the SII, NLR, and PLR values. Results: The SII, NLR, and PLR values in the moyamoya disease group were significantly higher than those in the control group [754 ± 499 vs. 411 ± 205 (P < 0.001), 2.83 ± 1.98 vs. 1.81 ± 0.72 (P < 0.001), and 152 ± 64 vs. 120 ± 42 (P < 0.001), respectively]. The SII in the medium-moyamoya vessels of moyamoya disease was higher than that in the high-moyamoya vessels and low-moyamoya vessels (P = 0.005). Using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis to predict MMD, the highest area under the curve (AUC) was determined for SII (0.76 for SII, 0.69 for NLR, and 0.66 for PLR). Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, patients with moyamoya disease admitted for inpatient care due to acute or chronic stroke have significantly higher SII, NLR, and PLR when compared to blood samples drawn from completely healthy controls in a non-emergent outpatient setting. While the findings may suggest that inflammation plays a role in moyamoya disease, further studies are warranted to corroborate such an association. In the middle stage of moyamoya disease, there may be a more intense imbalance of immune inflammation. Further studies are needed to determine whether the SII index contributes to the diagnosis or serves as a potential marker of an inflammatory response in patients with moyamoya disease.

Piezo1 opposes age-associated cortical bone loss.

As we age, our bones undergo a process of loss, often accompanied by muscle weakness and reduced physical activity. This is exacerbated by decreased responsiveness to mechanical stimulation in aged skeleton, leading to the hypothesis that decreased mechanical stimulation plays an important role in age-related bone loss. Piezo1, a mechanosensitive ion channel, is critical for bone homeostasis and mechanotransduction. Here, we observed a decrease in Piezo1 expression with age in both murine and human cortical bone. Furthermore, loss of Piezo1 in osteoblasts and osteocytes resulted in an increase in age-associated cortical bone loss compared to control mice. The loss of cortical bone was due to an expansion of the endosteal perimeter resulting from increased endocortical resorption. In addition, expression of Tnfrsf11b, encoding anti-osteoclastogenic protein OPG, decreases with Piezo1 in vitro and in vivo in bone cells, suggesting that Piezo1 suppresses osteoclast formation by promoting Tnfrsf11b expression. Our results highlight the importance of Piezo1-mediated mechanical signaling in protecting against age-associated cortical bone loss by inhibiting bone resorption in mice.

Early transmural healing and its predictors assessed by magnetic resonance enterography in patients with Crohn's disease receiving ustekinumab.

Background: Transmural healing (TH) is a potential therapeutic goal of Crohn's disease (CD) and is associated with better clinical outcomes. However, few studies have described early TH and its predictors. Objectives: We aimed to evaluate early TH and its predictors using magnetic resonance enterography (MRE) in patients with CD receiving ustekinumab (UST). Design: This was a retrospective observational study. Methods: Patients with active CD treated with UST and their intestinal segments with bowel wall thickness (BWT) ⩽ 3 mm at baseline were included. Clinical characteristics, laboratory indicators, endoscopic manifestations, and MRE indices were evaluated at baseline and week 26 (W26) of the therapy. The following MRE parameters were assessed: BWT, edema, apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), Clermont score, Magnetic Resonance Index of Activity score, fat stranding, comb sign, and stricture. TH was defined as BWT ⩽ 3 mm without any signs of inflammation (i.e., ulceration, edema, diffusion-weighted hyperintensity, and increased contrast enhancement) at W26. Results: The study included 37 patients with 106 intestinal segments (including 15 proximal small intestines, 33 terminal ilea, and 58 colons). Clinical features, laboratory indicators, endoscopic results, and MRE parameters at W26 were significantly improved after UST treatment in both patient-based and intestinal segment-based analysis. Seven (18.9%) patients and 26 (24.5%) intestinal segments achieved TH at W26. Baseline BWT [odds ratio (OR) = 0.287, 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.090-0.918, p = 0.035] and ADC (OR = 2.997, 95% CI, 1.009-8.908, p = 0.048) predict TH of patients at W26. Baseline ADC (OR = 2.857, 95% CI, 1.285-6.349, p = 0.010) and presence of stenosis (OR = 0.196, 95% CI, 0.052-0.735, p = 0.016) were associated with TH of segments at W26. Conclusion: Early TH assessed by MRE was observed in nearly one-fifth of patients with CD and intestinal segments after UST treatment for 26 weeks. Baseline MRE indices such as BWT and presence of stenosis might negatively predict TH, while ADC might positively predict early TH.