Association between hyperglycemia at ICU admission and postoperative acute kidney injury in patients undergoing cardiac surgery: Analysis of the MIMIC-IV database.

Background: This study aimed to explore the correlation between hyperglycemia at intensive care unit (ICU) admission and the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients after cardiac surgery. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study, in which clinical data were extracted from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care (MIMIC)-IV database. Adults (≥18 years) in the database who were admitted to the cardiovascular intensive care unit after cardiac surgery were enrolled. The primary outcome was the incidence of AKI within 7 days following ICU admission. Secondary outcomes included ICU mortality, hospital mortality, ICU length of stay, and the 28-day and 90-day mortality. Multivariable Cox regression analysis was used to assess the association between ICU-admission hyperglycemia and AKI incidence within 7 days of ICU admission. Different adjustment strategies were used to adjust for potential confounders. Patients were divided into three groups according to their highest blood glucose levels recorded within 24 h of ICU admission: no hyperglycemia (<140 mg/dL), mild hyperglycemia (140-200 mg/dL), and severe hyperglycemia (≥200 mg/dL). Results: Of the 6905 included patients, 2201 (31.9%) were female, and the median (IQR) age was 68.2 (60.1-75.9) years. In all, 1836 (26.6%) patients had severe hyperglycemia. The incidence of AKI within 7 days of ICU admission, ICU mortality, and hospital mortality was significantly higher in patients with severe admission hyperglycemia than those with mild hyperglycemia or no hyperglycemia (80.3% vs. 73.6% and 61.2%, respectively; 2.8% vs. 0.9% and 1.9%, respectively; and 3.4% vs. 1.2% and 2.5%, respectively; all P <0.001). Severe hyperglycemia was a risk factor for 7-day AKI (Model 1: hazard ratio [HR]=1.4809, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.3126 to 1.6707; Model 2: HR=1.1639, 95% CI: 1.0176 to 1.3313; Model 3: HR=1.2014, 95% CI: 1.0490 to 1.3760; all P <0.050). Patients with normal glucose levels (glucose levels <140 mg/dL) had a higher 28-day mortality rate than those with severe hyperglycemia (glucose levels ≥200 mg/dL) (4.0% vs. 3.8%, P <0.001). Conclusions: In post-cardiac surgery patients, severe hyperglycemia within 24 h of ICU admission increases the risk of 7-day AKI, ICU mortality, and hospital mortality. Clinicians should be extra cautious regarding AKI among patients with hyperglycemia at ICU admission after cardiac surgery.

Characterization of the Metabolic Proteome of Serum From Patients With Diabetic Distal Symmetric Polyneuropathy.

AIMS: The pathophysiological of diabetic distal symmetric polyneuropathy (DSPN) remains to be elucidated and there are no diagnostic or prognostic biomarkers for the condition. In this explorative proteomic study, metabolic proteome profiling of serum in patients with/without DSPN was analyzed. We aimed to discover proteins with different abundance ranges through proximity extension assay (PEA) technology. METHODS: Temperature quantitative sensory testing (QST) and electromyography (EMG) were used to access the small- and large-fiber function of all participants, respectively. The metabolic proteome profile of serum was analyzed using PEA technology (Olink Target 96 METABOLISM panel). RESULTS: We evaluated serum from patients without DSPN (n = 27), with small-fiber neuropathy (SFN, n = 25) and with mixed small- and large-fiber neuropathy (MSLFN, n = 24). Fifteen proteins, which were especially related to immune response, insulin resistance, and lipid metabolism, were significantly different between patients without DSPN and with MSLFN. Besides, seven proteins, especially related to extracellular structure organization, were significantly different between serum from patients with SFN and with MSLFN. What's more, serum from patients without DSPN showed that three proteins, related to immune response, altered significantly compared to serum from patients with SFN. CONCLUSIONS: This was the first study that characterized the metabolic proteomic profile of serum in DSPN patients by analyzing a panel of 92 metabolic proteins using PEA technology.

VaxBot-HPV: A GPT-based Chatbot for Answering HPV Vaccine-related Questions.

Background : HPV vaccine is an effective measure to prevent and control the diseases caused by Human Papillomavirus (HPV). This study addresses the development of VaxBot-HPV, a chatbot aimed at improving health literacy and promoting vaccination uptake by providing information and answering questions about the HPV vaccine; Methods : We constructed the knowledge base (KB) for VaxBot-HPV, which consists of 451 documents from biomedical literature and web sources on the HPV vaccine. We extracted 202 question-answer pairs from the KB and 39 questions generated by GPT-4 for training and testing purposes. To comprehensively understand the capabilities and potential of GPT-based chatbots, three models were involved in this study : GPT-3.5, VaxBot-HPV, and GPT-4. The evaluation criteria included answer relevancy and faithfulness; Results : VaxBot-HPV demonstrated superior performance in answer relevancy and faithfulness compared to baselines (Answer relevancy: 0.85; Faithfulness: 0.97) for the test questions in KB, (Answer relevancy: 0.85; Faithfulness: 0.96) for GPT generated questions; Conclusions : This study underscores the importance of leveraging advanced language models and fine-tuning techniques in the development of chatbots for healthcare applications, with implications for improving medical education and public health communication.

Exploring the role and therapeutic potential of lipid metabolism in acute kidney injury.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a prevalent condition, yet no specific treatment is available. Extensive research has revealed the pivotal role of lipid-related alterations in AKI. Lipid metabolism plays an essential role in the sustenance of the kidneys. In addition to their energy-supplying function, lipids contribute to the formation of renal biomembranes and the establishment of the renal microenvironment. Moreover, lipids or their metabolites actively participate in signal transduction, which governs various vital biological processes, such as proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, autophagy, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. While previous studies have focused predominantly on abnormalities in lipid metabolism in chronic kidney disease, this review focuses on lipid metabolism anomalies in AKI. We explore the significance of lipid metabolism products as potential biomarkers for the early diagnosis and classification of AKI. Additionally, this review assesses current preclinical investigations on the modulation of lipid metabolism in the progression of AKI. Finally, on the basis of existing research, this review proposes future directions, highlights challenges, and presents novel targets and innovative ideas for the treatment of and intervention in AKI.

Luteolin protects against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury by reducing oxidative stress and apoptosis through the p53 pathway.

OBJECTIVE: Myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury (MIRI) is an obstacle to the success of cardiac reperfusion therapy. This study explores whether luteolin can mitigate MIRI by regulating the p53 signaling pathway. METHODS: Model mice were subjected to a temporary surgical ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery, and administered luteolin. The myocardial infarct size, myocardial enzyme levels, and cardiac function were measured. Latent targets and signaling pathways were screened using network pharmacology and molecular docking. Then, proteins related to the p53 signaling pathway, apoptosis and oxidative stress were measured. Hypoxia/reoxygenation (HR)-incubated HL1 cells were used to validate the effects of luteolin in vitro. In addition, a p53 agonist and an inhibitor were used to investigate the mechanism. RESULTS: Luteolin reduced the myocardial infarcted size and myocardial enzymes, and restored cardiac function in MIRI mice. Network pharmacology identified p53 as a hub target. The bioinformatic analyses showed that luteolin had anti-apoptotic and anti-oxidative properties. Additionally, luteolin halted the activation of p53, and prevented both apoptosis and oxidative stress in myocardial tissue in vivo. Furthermore, luteolin inhibited cell apoptosis, JC-1 monomer formation, and reactive oxygen species elevation in HR-incubated HL1 cells in vitro. Finally, the p53 agonist NSC319726 downregulated the protective attributes of luteolin in the MIRI mouse model, and both luteolin and the p53 inhibitor pifithrin-α demonstrated a similar therapeutic effect in the MIRI mice. CONCLUSION: Luteolin effectively treats MIRI and may ameliorate myocardial damage by regulating apoptosis and oxidative stress through its targeting of the p53 signaling pathway. Please cite this article as: Zhai P, Ouyang XH, Yang ML, Lin L, Li JY, Li YM, Cheng X, Zhu R, Hu DS. Luteolin protects against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury by reducing oxidative stress and apoptosis through the p53 pathway. J Integr Med. 2024; Epub ahead of print.Please cite this article as: Zhai P, Ouyang XH, Yang ML, Lin L, Li JY, Li YM, Cheng X, Zhu R, Hu DS. Luteolin protects against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury by reducing oxidative stress and apoptosis through the p53 pathway. J Integr Med. 2024; Epub ahead of print.

Guest-Induced "Breathing-Helical" Dynamic System of a Porphyrinic Metallo-Organic Cage for Advanced Conformational Manipulation.

Host-guest dynamic systems in coordination-driven metallo-organic cages have gained significant attentions since their promising applications in chiral separation, drug delivery, and catalytical fields. To maximize guest-binding affinity, hosts adopting multiple conformations are widely investigated on their structural flexibility for guest accommodation. In this study, a novel metallo-organic cage S with breathing inner cavity and freely twisted side chains was proposed. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses depicted a characteristic "breathing-helical" dynamic system on the semiflexible framework, which led to an unprecedent co-crystallisation of racemic and symmetric conformations via the encapsulation locking of C70 guests. By taking advantages of the high binding affinity, selective extraction of C70 was realized. This research provides new ideas for the modification on the helicities of metallo-organic cages, which could pave a new way for advanced conformational manipulation of supramolecular host systems.

Preparation and Characterization of Graphene Oxide/Carbon Nanotube/Polyaniline Composite and Conductive and Anticorrosive Properties of Its Waterborne Epoxy Composite Coatings.

The organic coating on the surface is common and the most effective method to prevent metal materials from corrosion. However, the corrosive medium can penetrate the metal surface via micropores, and electrons cannot transfer in the pure resin coatings. In this paper, a new type of anticorrosive and electrically conductive composite coating filled with graphene oxide/carbon nanotube/polyaniline (GO/CNT/PANI) nanocomposites was successfully prepared by in situ polymerization of aniline (AN) on the surface of GO and CNT and using waterborne epoxy resin (WEP) as film-forming material. The structure and morphology of the composite were characterized using a series of characterization methods. The composite coatings were comparatively examined through resistivity, potentiodynamic polarization curves, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and salt spray tests. The results show that the GO/CNT/PANI/WEP composite coating exhibits excellent corrosion resistance for metal substrates and good conductivity when the mass fraction of GO/CNT/PANI is 3.5%. It exhibits a lower corrosion current density of 4.53 × 10-8 A·cm-2 and a higher electrochemical impedance of 3.84 × 106 Ω·cm2, while only slight corrosion occurred after 480 h in the salt spray test. The resistivity of composite coating is as low as 2.3 × 104 Ω·cm. The composite coating possesses anticorrosive and electrically conductive properties based on the synergistic effect of nanofillers and expands the application scope in grounding grids and oil storage tank protection fields.

Terpyridine-Based Metal-Organic Cage with Enhanced Emission via Coordination-Induced Rigidity.

Realizing the regulation of photophysical properties by precisely controlling the molecular composition and configuration, thereby obtaining high-performance optical materials, remains of great significance. Due to the directionality and reversibility of the coordination bond, coordination-driven self-assembly endows the molecule with customized thermodynamically stable structures and desired properties. In this paper, a luminous metal-organic cage [Zn12L6] (S) was elaborately designed and quantitatively synthesized by self-assembly of tetrapodal TQPP chromophore-containing terpyridine ligand L with Zn2+. Complex S possessed a rigid cage-like structure, which endows a higher fluorescence quantum efficiency both in solution (∼88%) and neat solid (16%) than the corresponding ligand L. Further, using complex S as the photoactive component, two light-emitting diodes (LEDs) were successfully fabricated and the emission of pure white light (CIE coordinates: 0.3341, 0.3300) was achieved. These results afford a method to obtain enhanced luminescence performance via the formation of rigid coordination-driven supramolecular architectures.

PEDOT-based stretchable optoelectronic materials and devices for bioelectronic interfaces.

The rapid development of wearable and implantable electronics has enabled the real-time transmission of electrophysiological signals in situ, thus allowing the precise monitoring and regulation of biological functions. Devices based on organic materials tend to have low moduli and intrinsic stretchability, making them ideal choices for the construction of seamless bioelectronic interfaces. In this case, as an organic ionic-electronic conductor, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) has low impedance to offer a high signal-to-noise ratio for monitoring bioelectrical signals, which has become one of the most promising conductive polymers. However, the initial conductivity and stretchability of pristine PEDOT:PSS are insufficient to meet the application requirements, and there is a trade-off between their improvement. In addition, PEDOT:PSS has poor stability in aqueous environments due to the hygroscopicity of the PSS chains, which severely limits its long-term applications in water-rich bioelectronic interfaces. Considering the growing demands of multi-function integration, the high-resolution fabrication of electronic devices is urgent. It is a great challenge to maintain both electrical and mechanical performance after miniaturization, particularly at feature sizes below 100 µm. In this review, we focus on the combined improvement in the conductivity and stretchability of PEDOT:PSS, as well as the corresponding mechanisms in detail. Also, we summarize the effective strategies to improve the stability of PEDOT:PSS in aqueous environments, which plays a vital role in long-term applications. Finally, we introduce the reliable micropatterning technologies and PEDOT:PSS-based stretchable optoelectronic devices applied at bio-interfaces.

Diterpene glycosides from Fructus Rubi ameliorates benign prostatic hyperplasia in rats through the androgen and TGF-ß/Smad signaling pathway.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Fructus Rubi (FR), a food material with medicinal value, is used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for treatment of various kidney-related problems, such as impotence, spermatorrhea, and frequent urination. It is also frequently used to produce diverse functional foods in China. AIM OF STUDY: The purpose of this research was to assess the therapeutic effects of FR diterpene glycosides on RWPE-1 epithelial cell (RWPE-1), a human normal prostatic epithelial cell, and benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) rats, both of which had been exposed to dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and testosterone propionate (TP), respectively, and to investigate the mechanism of action. METHODS: Target proteins that could stably bind to certain diterpene glycosides were screened through drug affinity responsive target stability combined with mass spectrometry (DARTS/MS). DHT-induced RWPE-1 cells were used to detect drug activity. TP was subcutaneously injected to induce BPH in rats. The extract of diterpene glycosides from FR (FDS) was orally administered for 28 days. The DHT levels in the serum and prostate tissue of the rats were measured through enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and to analyze cell proliferation and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), the protein expression of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), androgen receptor (AR), steroid 5α-reductase type 2 (SRD5A2), proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), S100 calcium-binding protein A2 (S100A2), transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1), E-cadherin, vimentin, and Smad4 was determined through western blotting (WB), immunohistochemistry (IHC), or immunofluorescence (IF). RESULTS: FDS reduced the proliferation of DHT-induced RWPE-1 cells. It also significantly inhibited rat prostate enlargement; decreased DHT levels in the serum and prostate tissue; inhibited the protein expression of AR, PSA, PCNA, S100A2, TGF-ß1, E-cadherin, and Smad4; and increased the protein expression of E-cadherin. CONCLUSION: The present study is the first to report that diterpene glycosides isolated from FR inhibited BPH at the cellular level, regulated the proliferation of prostate cells through the androgen signaling pathway, and prevented EMT in the prostate through the S100A2-mediated TGF-ß/Smad signaling pathway. These results indicate that FDS is a promising multitarget therapy for BPH.

Effect of Clinical Experience on Accuracy of Implant Placement Using Dynamic Navigation and Static Guidance: an in vitro Study.

This study aimed to investigate the accuracy of implants placed by clinicians with varying dental implant experience using dynamic navigation (DN) and static guidance (SG). Sixty identical custom-made drillable maxillary models were fabricated, missing the right central incisor (#8) and left first molar (#14) with simulated gingival tissue. Models planned with a dynamic navigation system and guided surgery software were randomly allocated to an experienced clinician, an inexperienced clinician, and a nonexperienced clinician. The accuracy of implant placement was evaluated by overlaying the preoperative virtual surgical plan with the postoperative Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) scan. Deviations between the placed and planned implants were quantified using a mathematical algorithm. Independent-sample t-tests revealed significant differences (p < 0.001) in angular deviation but not in coronal and apical deviations when comparing dynamic navigation with static guidance for all three clinicians. One-way ANOVA and Tukey post-hoc test found no significant differences between clinicians of varying dental implant experience in dynamic navigation and static guidance groups. The study concluded that the level of dental implant experience and surgical site do not significantly impact the accuracy of implant placement when either dynamic navigation or static guidance is used. Dynamic navigation produced less angular deviation in comparison with static guidance. This finding suggests dynamic navigation could benefit clinical settings, particularly for less experienced clinicians.

Personnel Monitoring in Shipboard Surveillance Using Improved Multi-Object Detection and Tracking Algorithm.

Detecting and tracking personnel onboard is an important measure to prevent ships from being invaded by outsiders and ensure ship security. Ships are characterized by more cabins, numerous equipment, and dense personnel, so there are problems such as unpredictable personnel trajectories, frequent occlusions, and many small targets, which lead to the poor performance of existing multi-target-tracking algorithms on shipboard surveillance videos. This study conducts research in the context of onboard surveillance and proposes a multi-object detection and tracking algorithm for anti-intrusion on ships. First, this study designs the BR-YOLO network to provide high-quality object-detection results for the tracking algorithm. The shallow layers of its backbone network use the BiFormer module to capture dependencies between distant objects and reduce information loss. Second, the improved C2f module is used in the deep layer of BR-YOLO to introduce the RepGhost structure to achieve model lightweighting through reparameterization. Then, the Part OSNet network is proposed, which uses different pooling branches to focus on multi-scale features, including part-level features, thereby obtaining strong Re-ID feature representations and providing richer appearance information for personnel tracking. Finally, by integrating the appearance information for association matching, the tracking trajectory is generated in Tracking-By-Detection mode and validated on the self-constructed shipboard surveillance dataset. The experimental results show that the algorithm in this paper is effective in shipboard surveillance. Compared with the present mainstream algorithms, the MOTA, HOTP, and IDF1 are enhanced by about 10 percentage points, the MOTP is enhanced by about 7 percentage points, and IDs are also significantly reduced, which is of great practical significance for the prevention of intrusion by ship personnel.

Physiologically based pharmacokinetic model of brivaracetam to predict the exposure and dose exploration in hepatic impairment and elderly populations.

Brivaracetam (BRV) is a new third-generation antiseizure medication for the treatment of focal epileptic seizures. Its use has been increasing among epileptic populations in recent years, but pharmacokinetic (PK) behavior may change in hepatic impairment and the elderly populations. Due to ethical constraints, clinical trials are difficult to conduct and data are limited. This study used PK-Sim® to develop a physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model for adults and extrapolate it to hepatic impairment and the elderly populations. The model was evaluated with clinical PK data, and dosage explorations were conducted. For the adult population with mild hepatic impairment, the dose is recommended to be adjusted to 70 % of the recommended dose, and to 60 % for moderate and severe hepatic impairment. For the elderly population with mild hepatic impairment under 80 years old, it is recommended that the dose be adjusted to 60 % of the recommended dose and to 50 % for moderate and severe conditions. The elderly population with hepatic impairment over 80 years old is adjusted to 50 % of the recommended dose for all stages. Healthy elderly do not need to adjust. The BRV PBPK model was successfully developed, studying exposure in hepatic impairment and elderly populations and optimizing dosing regimens.

Long-term PS micro/nano-plastic exposure: Particle size effects on hepatopancreas injury in Parasesarma pictum.

With the widespread use of plastic products, microplastics and nanoplastics have emerged as prevalent pollutants in coastal aquatic ecosystems. Parasesarma pictum, a common estuarine crab species, was selected as a model organism. P. pictum was exposed to polystyrene (PS) particles of sizes 80 nm (80PS), 500 nm (500PS), and 1000 nm (1000PS), as well as to clean seawater (CK) for 21 days. Histological and fluorescent staining results showed that PS particles of all three sizes induced hepatopancreatic nuclear pyknosis, cell junction damage, and necrosis. The degree of damage was observed as 1000PS > 80PS > 500PS. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that major differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were associated with cellular processes, membrane components, and catalytic activity. The respiratory chain disruptions and immune exhaustion induced by 1000PS were notably stronger than those by 80PS and 500PS. Additionally, necrosis caused hepatopancreas injury in P. pictum rather than apoptosis or autophagy after long-term PS particle exposure. Furthermore, PS particles of all three sizes inhibited innate immunity, while the complement pathway was not significantly affected in the 80PS group. This study elucidated potential distinctions in how plastic particles of varying sizes (nanoplastics, microplastics, and micro/nanoplastics) impact P. pictum, providing a reference for toxicological mechanism research on microplastics and nanoplastics in aquatic organisms. Future research should focus on exploring long-term effects and potential mitigation strategies for microplastics and nanoplastics of more types and a wider range of particle size pollution in aquatic environments.

A case of necrotic pneumonia caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae was diagnosed using a pneumonia antigen test in BALF: A case report.

RATIONALE: Streptococcus pneumoniae is a common cause of community-acquired pneumonia. Currently, it is believed that many cases of pulmonary infection with negative results on pathogenic testing are caused by S. pneumoniae. There have been no reports of the detection of S. pneumoniae antigen in lung lavage fluid. PATIENT CONCERNS: An elderly male patient with suboptimal fasting blood glucose control and a history of liver abscess. DIAGNOSIS: Chest computed tomography (CT) revealed inflammatory lesions in both lungs with consolidation in the middle lobe of the right lung. INTERVENTIONS: After admission, we collected alveolar lavage fluid in a timely manner and performed pneumococcal antigen detection and etiological testing. OUTCOMES: Prompt testing for pneumococcal antigen in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid yielded a positive clinical outcome. Subsequent analysis via bacterial culture of sputum and next-generation sequencing (mNGS) of BALF definitively identified S. pneumoniae as the etiological agent. Following the analysis of drug sensitivity test results from the identified pathogens, adjustments were made to the antibiotic regimen, and appropriate pus puncture drainage was performed. Subsequently, the patient's condition improved, leading to discharge. CONCLUSION: The identification of S. pneumoniae antigen in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid may facilitate earlier and more precise diagnosis of pneumonia attributed to S. pneumoniae.

Efficacy and safety of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors in patients with acute heart failure: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The effectiveness and safety of a novel class of hypoglycemic medications known as sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors have not been completely established in relation to acute heart failure (AHF). Consequently, we sought to compare the prognostic and safety outcomes of patients administered SGLT2 inhibitors for the treatment of AHF. Methods: An extensive search of the Web of Science, PubMed, and EMBASE was conducted for randomized controlled trials and observational studies that have evaluated the use of SGLT2 inhibitors in AHF from the inception of these drugs to the present. We compiled data related to cardiovascular safety and prognosis. Aggregated risk ratios (RR), mean differences (MD), or standardized mean differences (SMD) were generated for all outcomes, with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), to evaluate the predictive significance of SGLT2 inhibitors in patients with AHF. Results: We identified 4,053 patients from 13 studies. Patients experienced a substantial reduction in all-cause mortality (RR = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.70-0.96, P = 0.01), readmission rates (RR = 0.85, 95% CI: 0.74-0.98, P = 0.02), the number of heart failure exacerbation events (RR = 0.69, 95% CI: 0.50-0.95, P = 0.02), and the number of rehospitalization events due to heart failure (RR = 0.71, 95% CI: 0.58-0.86, P < 0.05) in the SGLT2 inhibitors-treatment group compared to a placebo or standard care (control group). SGLT2 inhibitors improved patient quality of life (SMD = -0.24, 95% CI: -0.40 to -0.09, P = 0.002). SGLT2 inhibitors were associated with enhanced diuresis in patients with AHF (MD = 2.83, 95% CI: 1.36-4.29, P < 0.05). Overall, treatment with SGLT2 inhibitors significantly reduced the level of serum NT-proBNP (MD = -497.62, 95% CI: -762.02 to -233.21, P < 0.05) and did not increase the incidence of adverse events (RR = 0.91, 95% CI: 0.82-1.01, P = 0.06). Conclusions: This meta-analysis suggests that treatment with SGLT2 inhibitors is associated with a better prognosis in patients with AHF than in patients not treated with SGLT2 inhibitors. It is safe and effective to initiate SGLT2 inhibitors in patients with AHF. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.doi.org/10.37766/inplasy2024.9.0015, identifier (INPLASY202490015).

3-Methylthiophene: A Sustainable Solvent for High-Performance Organic Solar Cells.

The use of harmful halogenated or aromatic solvents such as chloroform (CF), chlorobenzene (CB), and o-xylene (o-XY) is one of the greatest barriers to the industrial-scale manufacturing of high-performance organic solar cells (OSCs). Therefore, it is necessary to eliminate the effects of these solvents to ensure practical feasibility of OSCs. We found that the anthracene-terminated polymer donor and small-molecule acceptor BO-4Cl had good solubility in 3-methylthiophene (3-MeT). There were no toxicity labels in the SDS and exposure control limits for 3-MeT. An overall power conversion efficiency of 16.87% was achieved by using 3-MeT as the solvent for solar cell fabrication, which was higher than that of the cells made from CF (16.18%) and o-XY (15.69%). The best OSC based on PM6:D18:L8-BO and fabricated with 3-MeT exhibited a high PCE of 18.13%, which is one of the highest values for cells fabricated from halogen-free solvents. These results indicate that 3-MeT is an eco-friendly and low-toxicity solvent for the sustainable fabrication of the OSC active layer.

Diagnostic value of six plasma biomarkers in progressive supranuclear palsy, multiple system atrophy, and Parkinson's disease.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic ability of six plasma biomarkers in progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), multiple system atrophy (MSA), and different subtypes of Parkinson's disease (PD). METHODS: Neurofilament light chain (NfL), phosphorylated tau-181, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), amyloid-ß 42 (Aß42), and amyloid-ß 40 (Aß40) levels were measured using the single-molecule array (Simoa) technique in a cohort of patients with PSP, MSA, different subtypes of PD, and healthy controls (HCs). RESULTS: Plasma NfL and GFAP levels were beneficial in discriminating between the disease groups and HCs. Plasma NfL, Aß42, and Aß40 could distinguish atypical Parkinsonian syndrome (APS) from PD and its subtypes. GFAP could discriminate APS from tremor dominant PD but could not discriminate APS from postural instability and gait disorder dominant PD. The efficacy of differentiation improved when a combination of multiple plasma biomarkers was applied. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, the plasma biomarkers NfL, GFAP, Aß42, and Aß40 exhibited high discriminatory diagnostic value in PD and APS, and could be used as clinically potential diagnostic biomarkers. Plasma biomarker combinations could improve the differential diagnostic efficacy in the comparisons of PD and APS.

Electrochemical production of HO2- and O2 for sulfide removal from sewage.

In this study, a comparative analysis of two electrochemical methods for sulfide control in sewer networks was performed for the first time. In addition, the mechanism of sulfide control by HO2- was elucidated, and an analysis of the device operation and electrolyte selection was performed. The two-electron oxygen reduction reaction (2e--ORR) using untreated gas diffusion electrode (GDE) was superior to the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) using stainless-steel mesh in terms of cell voltage, product formation, and sulfide suppression. The GDE maintained a stable HO2⁻ production capacity, achieving a concentration of 4566.6 ± 173.3 mg L⁻¹ with a current efficiency (CE) of 84.13 ± 3.5 %. During the electrolysis period, a stable dissolved oxygen (DO) level in sewage was consistently observed due to continuous in-situ oxygen production in anode. HO2- exhibited a notable increase in sewage pH (10.20 ± 0.01), effectively inhibiting the release of 99.93 % of sulfides. Moreover, the combined treatment of HO2- and DO significantly surpassed that of individual treatments. Seawater treated with cation exchange resin (CER) emerged as the most promising alternative to freshwater as the electrolyte. Overall, this study demonstrates that in-situ generation of HO2⁻ and oxygen is a more effective strategy for sulfide control in sewer systems.

Effects of Dietary 5-Aminolevulinic Acid on Growth, Nutrient Composition, and Intestinal Microflora in Juvenile Shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei.

5-Aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) is an endogenous non-protein amino acid and has been used as a new type of growth promoter in aquaculture feed. This study explored the effects of 5-ALA on growth and intestinal health in juvenile shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei. Shrimps were fed diets containing five different 5-ALA levels (0, 15, 30, 45, and 60 g/t) for 90 days. A concentration of 45 g/t 5-ALA significantly improved growth metrics, including the specific growth rate, protein efficiency, and feed conversion (P < 0.05). The optimal concentration of 5-ALA was 38.3 g/t, as indicated by broken-line regression. Dietary supplementation with 5-ALA increased the crude protein content of whole shrimp, but had no significant effect on the moisture, ash, or crude lipid content (P > 0.05). Suitable supplementation of 5-ALA (45 g/t, 60 g/t) improved the activities of the digestive enzymes alpha-amylase, pepsin, trypsin, and lipase, thus promoting digestion and absorption. Shrimp fed with 45 g/t 5-ALA had increased levels of essential amino acids in the muscles and a higher proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the hepatopancreas. Supplementation with 45 or 60 g/t 5-ALA upregulated the expression of genes related to growth and molting, including chitinase, ecdysone receptor, retinoic X receptor, calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase I, heat shock protein 60, and heat shock protein 70. Moreover, dietary supplementation with 5-ALA affected the abundance of intestinal flora, increased the number of beneficial bacteria, and improved intestinal health. These results indicated that 5-ALA may significantly benefit shrimp health and aquaculture productivity, providing a novel theoretical basis for further research into 5-ALA as a dietary supplement.