The abnormalities of lipid metabolism in children and adolescents with major depressive disorder and relationship with suicidal ideation and attempted suicide.

Background: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a widespread health issue in many countries, which has an extremely negative impact on the health of children and adolescents in particular. In the context of depression and metabolic disorders, dyslipidemia and metabolism-related problems become more prominent comorbidities. However, they continue to be the main barrier to the successful recovery of the clinical progress. In this study we investigated the rate of dyslipidemia, additional risk factors among Chinese children and adolescents with MDD, and association of the suicidal behavior with lipid levels. Methods: The study took 756 people from the Third People's Hospital of Fuyang between January 2020 and December 2021, aged between 8 and 18, with major depressive disorders diagnosed according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5). We determined the FBG (fasting blood glucose) and lipid parameters in all subjects and also investigated the history of suicidal ideation, the cases of attempted suicide, and the scores of depressive symptoms. Sociodemographic and clinical data were gathered and analyzed using the SPSS-23.0 version. Results: The prevalence of hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, high LDL-C, and low HDL-C were 5.42 % (41/756), 10.58 % (80/756), 3.84 % (29/756) and 5.42 % (41/756) respectively. For hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia, they were positive associated with suicidal ideation and suicide attempts, and the positive correlation is shown between low HDL-C levels and suicide attempts. Nevertheless, non-ideation and inversely suicidal attempts were not discovered among high-LDL-C subjects. Logistic analysis showed that high levels of FBG (OR = 2.86, 95 % CI: 1.31-6.25, P = 0.008) and worse LDL-C (OR = 357.82, 95 % CI: 66.16-1935.10, P < 0.001) are the independent associated factors for hypercholesterolemia. More hospitalizations (OR = 1.89, 95 % CI: 1.07-3.35, P = 0.028), obesity (OR = 2.55, 95 % CI: 1.25-5.18, P = 0.010), high levels of TC (OR = 2.15, 95 % CI: 1.03-4.48, P = 0.042), and higher doses of antidepressants (OR = 1.02, 95 % CI: 1.00-1.04, P = 0.029) were independently associated factors for hypertriglyceridemia, while high levels of HDL-C (OR = 0.11, 95 % CI: 0.04-0.31, P < 0.001) were protective factors. In addition, high levels of TC (OR = 113.94, 95 % CI: 20.01-648.85) were statistically different (P < 0.001) and suggested that the factor was significantly related to high LDL-C. Meanwhile, older age (OR = 1.25, 95 % CI: 1.02-1.52, P = 0.030) and high levels of TG (OR = 3.00, 95 % CI: 1.98-4.55, P < 0.001) were independent factors contributing to low HDL-C. Conclusion: The high prevalence of dyslipidemia in childhood and adolescence among children and adolescents with depressive disorder has become a public health issue. Hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia showed a positive correlation with suicidal thoughts and suicidal attempts. Monitoring the incidence of suicidal thoughts and attempts among them would carry some predictor meaning in therapy and for jumping back to health.

MicroRNA-142-3p alleviated high salt-induced cardiac fibrosis via downregulating optineurin-mediated mitophagy.

High salt can induce cardiac damage. The aim of this present study was to explore the effect and the mechanism of microRNA (miR)-142-3p on the cardiac fibrosis induced by high salt. Rats received high salt diet to induce cardiac fibrosis in vivo, and neonatal rat cardiac fibroblasts (NRCF) treated with sodium chloride (NaCl) to induce fibrosis in vitro. The fibrosis and mitochondrial autophagy levels were increased the heart and NRCF treated with NaCl, which were alleviated by miR-142-3p upregulation. The fibrosis and mitochondrial autophagy levels were elevated in NRCF after treating with miR-142-3p antagomiR. Optineurin (OPTN) expression was increased in the mitochondria of NRCF induced by NaCl, which was attenuated by miR-142-3p agomiR. OPTN downregulation inhibited the increases of fibrosis and mitochondrial autophagy levels induced by NaCl in NRCF. These results miR-142-3p could alleviate high salt-induced cardiac fibrosis via downregulation of OPTN to reduce mitophagy.

Circulating autoantibody profiling identifies LIMS1 as a potential target for pathogenic autoimmunity in pathologic myopia.

High myopia is a leading cause of blindness worldwide, among which pathologic myopia, characterized by typical myopic macular degeneration, is the most detrimental. However, its pathogenesis remains largely unknown. Here, using an HuProt array, we first initiated a serological autoantibody profiling of high myopia and identified 18 potential autoantibodies, of which anti-LIMS1 autoantibody was validated by a customized focused microarray. Further subgroup analysis revealed its actual relevance to pathologic myopia, rather than simple high myopia without myopic macular degeneration. Mechanistically, anti-LIMS1 autoantibody predominantly belonged to IgG1/IgG2/IgG3 subclasses. Serum IgG obtained from patients with pathologic myopia could disrupt the barrier function of retinal pigment epithelial cells via cytoskeleton disorganization and tight junction component reduction, and also trigger a pro-inflammatory mediator cascade in retinal pigment epithelial cells, which were all attenuated by depletion of anti-LIMS1 autoantibody. Together, these data uncover a previously unrecognized autoimmune etiology of myopic macular degeneration in pathologic myopia.

Comprehensive quantifications of tumour microenvironment to predict the responsiveness to immunotherapy and prognosis for paediatric neuroblastomas.

Treatment strategies for paediatric neuroblastoma as well as many other cancers are limited by the unfavourable tumour microenvironment (TME). In this study, the TMEs of neuroblastoma were grouped by their genetic signatures into four distinct subtypes: immune enriched, immune desert, non-proliferative and fibrotic. An Immune Score and a Proliferation Score were constructed based on the molecular features of the subtypes to quantify the immune microenvironment or malignancy degree of cancer cells in neuroblastoma, respectively. The Immune Score correlated with a patient's response to immunotherapy; the Proliferation Score was an independent prognostic biomarker for neuroblastoma and proved to be more accurate than the existing clinical predictors. This double scoring system was further validated and the conserved molecular pattern associated with immune landscape and malignancy degree was confirmed. Axitinib and BI-2536 were confirmed as candidate drugs for neuroblastoma by the double scoring system. Both in vivo and in vitro experiments demonstrated that axitinib-induced pyroptosis of neuroblastoma cells activated anti-tumour immunity and inhibited tumour growth; BI-2536 induced cell cycle arrest at the S phase in neuroblastoma cells. The comprehensive double scoring system of neuroblastoma may predict prognosis and screen for therapeutic strategies which could provide personalized treatments.

The non-linear associations between blood manganese level and sarcopenia in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis: A multicenter cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Manganese (Mn), a vital element in energy metabolism, is predominantly stored in skeletal muscles and plays a crucial role in muscle function and strength. Patients on maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) often experience muscle wasting due to metabolic disruption and inflammation. This study aimed to explore the relationship between blood Mn levels and sarcopenia in a patient population. METHODS: In this multicenter cross-sectional study, conducted from March 2021 to March 2022, 386 patients on MHD from three medical centers were included. Blood Mn levels were measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and body composition was assessed post-dialysis using bioelectrical impedance analysis. Grip strength was measured using a digital dynamometer. The patients were categorized into groups with and without sarcopenia. Using a generalized additive model to fit a smooth curve, we employed a generalized linear model to identify the optimal inflection point and explore the threshold effect after discovering a segmented relationship. Subsequently, a binary logistic regression analysis was conducted to investigate the relationship between blood manganese levels and the risk of sarcopenia, with adjustments made for potential confounding factors. RESULTS: A negative correlation was observed between blood Mn levels and sarcopenia-related parameters (Appendicular Skeletal Muscle Mass Index and grip strength) in Spearman's correlation analysis (both P < 0.05). After adjusting for confounding factors, a nonlinear association was identified. When blood Mn was ≤ 10.6 µg/L, the increase in sarcopenia was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Conversely, when blood Mn exceeded 10.6 µg/L, each 1 µg/L increase raised the risk of sarcopenia by 0.1 times. Considering confounders, multivariate binary logistic regression confirmed an independent association between elevated blood Mn levels and sarcopenia. CONCLUSION: This study revealed an independent association between elevated blood Mn levels (> 10.6 µg/L) and sarcopenia in patients undergoing MHD. These findings emphasize the importance of understanding the Mn metabolism in the context of muscle health in this patient population. Further research is warranted to explore the underlying mechanisms and potential interventions for mitigating sarcopenia in patients with elevated blood Mn levels undergoing MHD.

A comparative study of urinary levels of multiple metals and neurotransmitter correlations between GDM and T2DM populations.

OBJECTIVE: The pathogenesis of GDM and T2DM are closely related to various metals in vivo, and changes in the concentration of these metal exposures can lead to neuropathy through the DNA damage pathway caused by the accumulation of ROS. METHOD: Urine samples were analyzed for heavy metals and trace elements by ICP-MS, neurotransmitter metabolites by HPLC, 8-OH-dG by HPLC-MS and metabolomics by UPLC-MS. RESULT: Cd and Hg were risk factors for T2DM. There was a positive correlation between 8-OH-dG and neurotransmitter metabolites in both two populations. For GDM, the metabolite with the largest down-regulation effect was desloratadine and the largest up-regulation effect was D-glycine. That tyrosine and carbon metabolites were upregulated in the GDM population and downregulated in the T2DM population. CONCLUSION: The BMI, urinary Cd and Hg endo-exposure levels correlated with elevated blood glucose, and the latter may cause changes in the DNA damage marker 8-OH-dG in both study populations and trigger common responses to neurological alterations changes in the neurotransmitter. Tyrosine, carbonin metabolites, alanine, aspartate, and glutamate were signature metabolites that were altered in both study populations. These indicators and markers have clinical implications for monitoring and prevention of neurological injury in patients with GDM and T2DM.

Articulated Motion-Aware NeRF for 3D Dynamic Appearance and Geometry Reconstruction by Implicit Motion States.

We propose a self-supervised approach for 3D dynamic reconstruction of articulated motions based on Generative Adversarial Networks and Neural Radiance Fields. Our method reconstructs articulated objects and recover their continuous motions and attributes from an unordered, discontinuous image set. Notably, we treat motion states as time-independent, recognizing that articulated objects can exhibit identical motions at different times. The key insight of our approach utilizes generative adversarial networks to create a continuous implicit motion state space. Initially, we employ a motion network extracts discrete motion states from images as anchors. These anchors are then expanded across the latent space using generative adversarial networks. Subsequently, motion state latent codes are input into motion-aware neural radiance fields for dynamic appearance and geometry reconstruction. To deduce motion attributes from the continuously generated motions, we adopt a cluster-based strategy. We thoroughly evaluate and validate our method on both synthesized and real data, demonstrating superior fidelity in appearances, geometries, and motion attributes of articulated objects compared to state-of-the-art methods.

A ratiometric fluorescent probe with dual-targeting capability for heat shock imaging.

HSO3- is an important reactive sulfur species that maintains the normal physiological activities of living organisms and participates in a variety of redox homeostatic processes. It has been found that changes in HSO3- levels is closely related to the heat stroke phenomenon of the organism. Heat stroke causes damage to normal cells, which in turn causes damage to the body and even death. It is crucial to accurately monitor and track the physiological behavior of HSO3- during heat stroke. Herein, a ratiometric multifunctional fluorescent probe DRM-SO2 with dual-targeting ability to rapidly and precisely recognize HSO3- being constructed based on the FRET mechanism. DRM-SO2 has extra Large Stokes shift (216 nm), very high sensitivity (DL = 12.2 nM), fast response time and good specificity. When DRM-SO2 undergoes Michael addition with HSO3-, the fluorescence emission peak was blue-shifted from 616 nm to 472 nm, and a clear ratiometric signal appeared. The interaction between lysosomes and mitochondria in maintaining cellular homeostasis was investigated by the dual-targeting ability of the probe using HSO3- as a mediator. DRM-SO2 achieved successful targeting and real-time monitoring of exogenous and endogenous HSO3- in the cells. More importantly, imaging experiments in heat stroke mice revealed high HSO3- expression in intestinal tissues. This provides new ideas and research tools for early prevention of heat stroke-induced diseases such as intestinal injuries. In addition, the semi-quantitative monitoring experiments for paper-based visualization of HSO3- make the probe promising for the design of portable detectors.

Multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging-based assessment of the effect of adenomyosis on determining the depth of myometrial invasion in endometrial cancer.

Background: Accurate preoperative diagnosis of endometrial cancer (EC) with deep myometrial invasion (DMI) is critical to deciding whether to perform lymphadenectomy. However, the presence of adenomyosis makes distinguishing DMI from superficial myometrial invasion (SMI) on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) challenging. We aimed to evaluate the accuracy of multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) in diagnosing DMI in EC coexisting with adenomyosis (EC-A) compared with EC without coexisting adenomyosis and to evaluate the effect of different adenomyosis subtypes on myometrial invasion (MI) depth in EC. Methods: Patients with histologically confirmed International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage I EC who underwent preoperative MRI were consecutively included in this 2-center retrospective study. Institution 1 was searched from January 2017 to November 2022 and institution 2 was searched from June 2017 to March 2021. Patients were divided into 2 groups: group A, patients with EC-A; group B, EC patients without coexisting adenomyosis, matched 1:2 according to age ±5 years and tumor grade. A senior radiologist assessed the MRI adenomyosis classification in group A. Then, 2 radiologists (R1/R2) independently interpreted T2-weighted imaging (T2WI), diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), T1-weighted contrast-enhanced (T1CE), and a combination of all images (mpMRI) respectively, and then assessed MI depth. Accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and the areas under the receiver operating curve (AUC) were calculated. The chi-square test was used to compare the accuracy of diagnosing DMI. Interobserver agreement was evaluated using the Kappa test. Results: A total of 70 cases in group A and 140 cases in group B were included. The accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of consensus were 94.3% [95% confidence interval (CI): 88.9-99.7%] vs. 92.1% (95% CI: 87.7-96.6%), 60.0% (95% CI: 17-92.7%) vs. 86.7% (95% CI: 68.4-95.6%), and 96.9% (95% CI: 88.4-95.5%) vs. 93.6% (95% CI: 86.8-97.2%) (group A vs. group B, respectively). There was no significant difference in the diagnostic accuracy of DMI on each sequence between the groups (Reviewer 1/Reviewer 2): PT2WI=0.14/0.17, PDWI=0.50/0.33, PT1CE=0.90/0.18, PmpMRI=0.50/0.37. The AUC for T2WI, DWI, T1CE, and mpMRI (Reviewer 1/Reviewer 2), respectively, were 0.54 (95% CI: 0.42-0.66)/0.78 (95% CI: 0.67-0.87), 0.63 (95% CI: 0.50-0.74)/0.77 (95% CI: 0.65-0.86), 0.69 (95% CI: 0.57-0.80)/0.79 (95% CI: 0.68-0.88), and 0.91 (95% CI: 0.82-0.97)/0.89 (95% CI: 0.79-0.95) (group A) and 0.83 (95% CI: 0.76-0.89)/0.85 (95% CI: 0.78-0.90), 0.83 (95% CI: 0.76-0.89)/0.86 (95% CI: 0.79-0.91), 0.88 (95% CI: 0.82-0.93)/0.86 (95% CI: 0.80-0.92), and 0.91 (95% CI: 0.85-0.95)/0.87 (95% CI: 0.80-0.92) (group B). Interobserver agreement was highest with mpMRI [κ=0.387/0.695 (case/control)]. The consensus results of MRI categorization of adenomyosis revealed no significant difference in the accuracy of diagnosing DMI by adenomyosis subtype (Pspatial relationship>0.99, Paffected area=0.52, Paffected pattern=0.58, Paffected size>0.99). Conclusions: The presence of adenomyosis or adenomyosis subtype had no significant effect on the interpretation of the depth of MI. T1CE can increase the contrast between adenomyosis and cancer foci; therefore, the information provided by T1CE should be valued.

Identifying specific TLS-associated genes as potential biomarkers for predicting prognosis and evaluating the efficacy of immunotherapy in soft tissue sarcoma.

Background: The tertiary lymphatic structure (TLS) is an important component of the tumor immune microenvironment and has important significance in patient prognosis and response to immune therapy. However, the underlying mechanism of TLS in soft tissue sarcoma remains unclear. Methods: A total of 256 RNAseq and 7 single-cell sequencing samples were collected from TCGA-SARC and GSE212527 cohorts. Based on published TLS-related gene sets, four TLS scores were established by GSVA algorithm. The immune cell infiltration was calculated via TIMER2.0 and "MCPcounter" algorithms. In addition, the univariate, LASSO, and multivariate-Cox analyses were used to select TLS-related and prognosis-significant hub genes. Single-cell sequencing dataset, clinical immunohistochemical, and cell experiments were utilized to validate the hub genes. Results: In this study, four TLS-related scores were identified, and the total-gene TLS score more accurately reflected the infiltration level of TLS in STS. We further established two hub genes (DUSP9 and TNFSF14) prognosis markers and risk scores associated with soft tissue sarcoma prognosis and immune therapy response. Flow cytometry analysis showed that the amount of CD3, CD8, CD19, and CD11c positive immune cell infiltration in the tumor tissue dedifferentiated liposarcoma patients was significantly higher than that of liposarcoma patients. Cytological experiments showed that soft tissue sarcoma cell lines overexpressing TNFSF14 could inhibit the proliferation and migration of sarcoma cells. Conclusion: This study systematically explored the TLS and related genes from the perspectives of bioinformatics, clinical features and cytology experiments. The total-gene TLS score, risk score and TNFSF14 hub gene may be useful biomarkers for predicting the prognosis and immunotherapy efficacy of soft tissue sarcoma.

Trim14-IκBα Signaling Regulates Chronic Inflammatory Pain in Rats and Osteoarthritis Patients.

Chronic inflammatory pain is the highest priority for people with osteoarthritis when seeking medical attention. Despite the availability of NSAIDs and glucocorticoids, central sensitization and peripheral sensitization make pain increasingly difficult to control. Previous studies have identified the ubiquitination system as an important role in the chronic inflammatory pain. Our study displayed that the E3 ubiquitin ligase tripartite motif-containing 14 (Trim14) was abnormally elevated in the serum of patients with osteoarthritis and pain, and the degree of pain was positively correlated with the degree of Trim14 elevation. Furthermore, CFA-induced inflammatory pain rat model showed that Trim14 was significantly increased in the L3-5 spinal dorsal horn (SDH) and dorsal root ganglion (DRG), and in turn the inhibitor of nuclear factor Kappa-B isoform α (IκBα) was decreased after Trim14 elevation. After intrathecal injection of Trim14 siRNA to inhibit Trim14 expression, IκBα expression was reversed and increased, and the pain behaviors and anxiety behaviors of rats were significantly relieved. Overall, these findings suggested that Trim14 may contribute to chronic inflammatory pain by degrading IκBα, and that Trim14 may become a novel therapeutic target for chronic inflammatory pain.

Metabolic reprogramming and interventions in angiogenesis.

BACKGROUND: Endothelial cell (EC) metabolism plays a crucial role in the process of angiogenesis. Intrinsic metabolic events such as glycolysis, fatty acid oxidation, and glutamine metabolism, support secure vascular migration and proliferation, energy and biomass production, as well as redox homeostasis maintenance during vessel formation. Nevertheless, perturbation of EC metabolism instigates vascular dysregulation-associated diseases, especially cancer. AIM OF REVIEW: In this review, we aim to discuss the metabolic regulation of angiogenesis by EC metabolites and metabolic enzymes, as well as prospect the possible therapeutic opportunities and strategies targeting EC metabolism. KEY SCIENTIFIC CONCEPTS OF REVIEW: In this work, we discuss various aspects of EC metabolism considering normal and diseased vasculature. Of relevance, we highlight that the implications of EC metabolism-targeted intervention (chiefly by metabolic enzymes or metabolites) could be harnessed in orchestrating a spectrum of pathological angiogenesis-associated diseases.

Associations between pinch strength, cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) experience increased mortality and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risks; however, the potential connection between pinch strength (PS) and the prognosis of these patients remains unknown. Consequently, this study aimed to comprehensively assess the influence of PS and handgrip strength (HGS) on both survival and cardiovascular events (CVE) in patients undergoing MHD. METHODS: Data were gathered from patients undergoing MHD at the Hemodialysis Center of Guangzhou Red Cross Hospital in March 2021. We performed a retrospective follow-up spanning 24 months, with death serving as the primary endpoint for observation and CVE as the secondary endpoint. Multifactorial Cox regression analysis, Kaplan-Meier survival curves, trend tests, and restricted cubic spline were applied to explore the association. RESULTS: During a 24-month follow-up, data were collected from 140 patients undergoing MHD with an average age of 66.71 ± 12.61 years. Among them, 52 (37.14%) experienced mortality, whereas 36 (40.00%) had CVE without baseline CVD. Kaplan-Meier survival curves demonstrated better survival rates and reduced CVE risk for patients in the second, third, and fourth quartiles compared with those in the first quartile for PS. Adjusted analyses in different models revealed higher PS levels were independently associated with all-cause mortality (major model, model 4, HR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.64-0.95) but not with CVE risk (unadjusted HR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.77-1.05). Compared with lower quartile PS levels, higher PS levels significantly reduced all-cause mortality (HR, 0.31; 95% CI, 0.10-1.02), and this trend remained consistent (P for trend = 0.021). Finally, the restricted cubic spline method using different models showed a linear relationship between PS and all-cause mortality (P > 0.05), when PS exceeded 4.99 kg, the all-cause mortality of MHD patients significantly decreased. CONCLUSIONS: PS was independently associated with all-cause mortality but not with CVE in patients undergoing MHD.

Evaluation of volatile components from the tuber, fibrous roots, bud, stem and leaf tissues of Bletilla striata for its anti-colon cancer activity.

Bletilla striata (Thunb.) Rchb.f., a medicinal plant in the Orchidaceae family, is mainly found in East Asia and has extensive pharmacological activities. Plant's volatile components are important active ingredients with a wide range of physiological activities, and B. striata has a special odor and unique volatile components. Yet it has received little attention, hindering a full understanding of its phytochemical components. Employing the ultrasonic-assisted extraction method, the volatile components of B. striata's fibrous root, bud, aerial part and tuber were extracted, resulting in yields of 0.06%, 0.64%, 3.38% and 4.47%, respectively. A total of 78 compounds were identified from their chemical profiles using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), including 45 components with the main compounds of linoleic acid (content accounting for 31.23%), n-hexadecanoic acid (13.53%), and octadecanoic acid (9.5%) from the tuber, 34 components with the main compounds of eicosane, 2-methyl- (28.42%), linoelaidic acid (10.43%), linoleic acid (4.53%), and n-hexadecanoic acid (6.91%) from the fibrous root, 38 components with the main compounds of pentadeca-6,9-dien-1-ol (9.29%), n-hexadecanoic acid (11%), eicosane,2-methyl- (23.43%), and linoleic acid (23.53%) from the bud, and 27 components with the main compounds of linoelaidic acid (5.97%), n-hexadecanoic acid (15.99%), and linolenic acid ethyl ester (18.9%) from the aerial part. Additionally, the growth inhibition activity against colon cancer HCT116 cells was evaluated using sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay and the thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, and the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was determined using dichloro-dihydro-fluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) staining and fluorescence intensity analysis. The volatile extracts exhibited significant growth inhibitory efficacy against HCT116 cells, with half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of 3.65, 2.32, 2.42 and 3.89 mg/mL in the SRB assay, and 3.55, 2.58, 3.12 and 4.80 mg/mL in the MTT assay for the root, bud, aerial part, and tuber, respectively. Notably, treatment with the aerial part extract caused morphological changes in the cells and significantly raised the intracellular ROS level. In summary, the chemical profiles of the volatile components of B. striata were revealed for the first time, demonstrating a certain tissue specificity. Additionally, it demonstrated for the first time that these volatile extracts possess potent anti-colon cancer activity, highlighting the importance of these volatile components in B. striata's medicinal properties.

High levels of blood glycemic indicators are associated with chronic kidney disease prevalence in non-diabetic adults: Cross-sectional data from the national health and nutrition examination survey 2005-2016.

Objective: Hyperglycemia in individuals with diabetes is associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD); however, little is known about its association with those without diabetes. Our goal was to investigate the association between glycemic indicators and CKD in individuals without diabetes. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 9610 participants without diabetes who participated in the Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 2005 and 2016. Exposures included postprandial glucose dip (PGD), fasting blood glucose (FBG), oral glucose tolerance test two-hour blood glucose (OGTT-2HBG), and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1C) levels. Moreover, CKD was defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate below 60 mL/min per 1.73 m2 or a urinary albumin-creatinine ratio of ≥ 30 mg/g. Two multivariate models were constructed. Interaction effects were also explored. Results: The mean age of the participants was 46.0 years, with 50.3 % being females. The prevalence of CKD was 12.6 %. In the final multivariable models, the odds ratios (ORs) for CKD were 1.51 (95 % confidence interval [CI]: 1.22,1.88, p < 0.001) for participants in the highest quartile of PGD,1.46 (95 %CI: 1.13,1.87, p = 0.004) for OGTT-2HBG, and 1.33 (95 %CI: 1.04,1.70, p = 0.020) for HbA1C, when compared with the quartile 1. No significant association was observed between FBG levels and CKD in the final model. Additionally, interactions were observed between PGD and body mass index, as well as between PGD and alcohol consumption in relation to CKD. Conclusion: The study identified that high levels of PGD, OGTT-2HBG, and HBA1C were significantly associated with a high prevalence of CKD in individuals without diabetes.

Biomaterials science and surface engineering strategies for dental peri-implantitis management.

Peri-implantitis is a bacterial infection that causes soft tissue inflammatory lesions and alveolar bone resorption, ultimately resulting in implant failure. Dental implants for clinical use barely have antibacterial properties, and bacterial colonization and biofilm formation on the dental implants are major causes of peri-implantitis. Treatment strategies such as mechanical debridement and antibiotic therapy have been used to remove dental plaque. However, it is particularly important to prevent the occurrence of peri-implantitis rather than treatment. Therefore, the current research spot has focused on improving the antibacterial properties of dental implants, such as the construction of specific micro-nano surface texture, the introduction of diverse functional coatings, or the application of materials with intrinsic antibacterial properties. The aforementioned antibacterial surfaces can be incorporated with bioactive molecules, metallic nanoparticles, or other functional components to further enhance the osteogenic properties and accelerate the healing process. In this review, we summarize the recent developments in biomaterial science and the modification strategies applied to dental implants to inhibit biofilm formation and facilitate bone-implant integration. Furthermore, we summarized the obstacles existing in the process of laboratory research to reach the clinic products, and propose corresponding directions for future developments and research perspectives, so that to provide insights into the rational design and construction of dental implants with the aim to balance antibacterial efficacy, biological safety, and osteogenic property.

Screening and Characterization of Antioxidant Film Applicable to Walnut Kernels from Juglans sigillata.

Walnuts play a positive role in human health due to their large amounts of unsaturated fatty acids, whereas lipid oxidation can easily occur during storage. Herein, three natural antioxidants (epicatechin, sesamol, and myricetin) were added to the composite film cross-linked with chitosan and soy protein peptide, and the antioxidant film appropriate for the preservation of walnut kernels from Juglans sigillata was screened to improve the storage quality of walnuts. The results showed that three antioxidant films could all enhance the storage performance of walnut kernels, with sesamol being the best. The characterization of antioxidant film cross-linked with chitosan and soy protein peptide containing sesamol (C/S-ses film) revealed that the composite film improved the slow release and stability of sesamol; in addition, the presence of sesamol could effectively reduce the light transmittance and water vapor permeability of the composite film, together with significantly enhancing the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, resulting in an effective prolongation of the storage period of walnut kernels. These findings indicated that C/S-ses possess excellent potential for retarding the oxidative rancidity of unsaturated fatty acids and will provide an effective strategy for the preservation of walnut kernels.

Structural properties and adsorption performance relationship towards three categories of lignin and their derived biochar.

The growing interest in utilizing lignin for dye removal has gained momentum, but there is limited information on the intricate relationship between lignin structural characteristics and adsorption efficacy, especially for its biochar derivatives. This study focused on three types of lignin and their corresponding biochar derivatives. Among them, ZnCl2-activated acidic/alkali densified lignin preparation of lignin-derived active carbon exhibited superior adsorption performance, achieving 526.32 mg/g for methylene blue and 2156.77 mg/g for congo red. Its exceptional adsorption capacity was attributed to its unique structural properties, including low alkyl and O-alkyl group content and high aromatic carbon levels. Furthermore, the adsorption mechanisms adhered to pseudo-second-order kinetics and the Langmuir model, signifying a spontaneous process. Intriguingly, lignin-derived active carbon also demonstrated remarkable recovery capabilities. These findings provide valuable insights into the impact of structural attributes on lignin and its biochar's adsorption performance.

Transapical intramyocardial septal microwave ablation in treatment of hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy: 12-month outcomes of a swine model.

BACKGROUND: To date, the extended Morrow procedure is considered the gold standard treatment for patients with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy who experience severe symptoms and are unresponsive to medication treatment. We therefore aimed to perform transapical intramyocardial septal microwave ablation to reduce the thickness of the interventricular septum myocardium in a minimally invasive method. METHODS: Fourteen swine were divided to form either a microwave ablation group (n = 7) or a sham group (n = 7). In the microwave ablation group, a transapical microwave antenna was inserted into the septum to ablate each myocardial segment at 40 W for 1 min, while in the sham group, the same operation was performed but without power output. We used echocardiography, electrocardiogram, during the operation. And added computerized tomography, cardiac nuclear magnetic resonance during follow-up. RESULTS: Segment hypokinesis was observed in all swine immediately following ablation. Compared with the sham group, the thickness of ablated segments in the ablation group decreased significantly 1 month post-operation (ablation group, 5.53 ± 1.00 mm vs. 8.03 ± 1.15 mm, respectively, P < 0.01; sham group, 8.40 ± 0.94 mm vs. 8.21 ± 1.09 mm, respectively, P = 0.081), and the outcome was still observed 1 year post-operation (ablation group, 3.36 ± 0.85 mm vs. 8.03 ± 1.15 mm, respectively, P < 0.01). No perforation of the septum was observed during the procedure or follow-up, and no heart failure or sudden cardiac death occurred during postoperative feeding. CONCLUSIONS: Transapical intramyocardial septal microwave ablation can effectively and safely produce a large region of necrosis. This technique can potentially mimic surgical myectomy while avoiding cardiopulmonary bypass and median sternotomy in high-risk hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy patients.

Analysis of blood methylation quantitative trait loci in East Asians reveals ancestry-specific impacts on complex traits.

Methylation quantitative trait loci (mQTLs) are essential for understanding the role of DNA methylation changes in genetic predisposition, yet they have not been fully characterized in East Asians (EAs). Here we identified mQTLs in whole blood from 3,523 Chinese individuals and replicated them in additional 1,858 Chinese individuals from two cohorts. Over 9% of mQTLs displayed specificity to EAs, facilitating the fine-mapping of EA-specific genetic associations, as shown for variants associated with height. Trans-mQTL hotspots revealed biological pathways contributing to EA-specific genetic associations, including an ERG-mediated 233 trans-mCpG network, implicated in hematopoietic cell differentiation, which likely reflects binding efficiency modulation of the ERG protein complex. More than 90% of mQTLs were shared between different blood cell lineages, with a smaller fraction of lineage-specific mQTLs displaying preferential hypomethylation in the respective lineages. Our study provides new insights into the mQTL landscape across genetic ancestries and their downstream effects on cellular processes and diseases/traits.