Multi-omics blood atlas reveals unique features of immune and platelet responses to SARS-CoV-2 Omicron breakthrough infection.

Although host responses to the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 strain are well described, those to the new Omicron variants are less resolved. We profiled the clinical phenomes, transcriptomes, proteomes, metabolomes, and immune repertoires of >1,000 blood cell or plasma specimens from SARS-CoV-2 Omicron patients. Using in-depth integrated multi-omics, we dissected the host response dynamics during multiple disease phases to reveal the molecular and cellular landscapes in the blood. Specifically, we detected enhanced interferon-mediated antiviral signatures of platelets in Omicron-infected patients, and platelets preferentially formed widespread aggregates with leukocytes to modulate immune cell functions. In addition, patients who were re-tested positive for viral RNA showed marked reductions in B cell receptor clones, antibody generation, and neutralizing capacity against Omicron. Finally, we developed a machine learning model that accurately predicted the probability of re-positivity in Omicron patients. Our study may inspire a paradigm shift in studying systemic diseases and emerging public health concerns.

High-dimensional characterization of post-acute sequelae of COVID-19.

The acute clinical manifestations of COVID-19 have been well characterized1,2, but the post-acute sequelae of this disease have not been comprehensively described. Here we use the national healthcare databases of the US Department of Veterans Affairs to systematically and comprehensively identify 6-month incident sequelae-including diagnoses, medication use and laboratory abnormalities-in patients with COVID-19 who survived for at least 30 days after diagnosis. We show that beyond the first 30 days of illness, people with COVID-19 exhibit a higher risk of death and use of health resources. Our high-dimensional approach identifies incident sequelae in the respiratory system, as well as several other sequelae that include nervous system and neurocognitive disorders, mental health disorders, metabolic disorders, cardiovascular disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, malaise, fatigue, musculoskeletal pain and anaemia. We show increased incident use of several therapeutic agents-including pain medications (opioids and non-opioids) as well as antidepressant, anxiolytic, antihypertensive and oral hypoglycaemic agents-as well as evidence of laboratory abnormalities in several organ systems. Our analysis of an array of prespecified outcomes reveals a risk gradient that increases according to the severity of the acute COVID-19 infection (that is, whether patients were not hospitalized, hospitalized or admitted to intensive care). Our findings show that a substantial burden of health loss that spans pulmonary and several extrapulmonary organ systems is experienced by patients who survive after the acute phase of COVID-19. These results will help to inform health system planning and the development of multidisciplinary care strategies to reduce chronic health loss among individuals with COVID-19.

Whole-genome sequencing of allotetraploid bermudagrass reveals the origin of Cynodon and candidate genes for salt tolerance.

Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) is a globally distributed, extensively used warm-season turf and forage grass with high tolerance to salinity and drought stress in alkaline environments. However, the origin of the species and genetic mechanisms for salinity tolerance in the species are basically unknown. Accordingly, we set out to study evolution divergence events in the Cynodon genome and to identify genes for salinity tolerance. We developed a 604.0 Mb chromosome-level polyploid genome sequence for bermudagrass 'A12359' (n = 18). The C. dactylon genome comprises 2 complete sets of homoeologous chromosomes, each with approximately 30 000 genes, and most genes are conserved as syntenic pairs. Phylogenetic study showed that the initial Cynodon species diverged from Oropetium thomaeum approximately 19.7-25.4 million years ago (Mya), the A and B subgenomes of C. dactylon diverged approximately 6.3-9.1 Mya, and the bermudagrass polyploidization event occurred 1.5 Mya on the African continent. Moreover, we identified 82 candidate genes associated with seven agronomic traits using a genome-wide association study, and three single-nucleotide polymorphisms were strongly associated with three salt resistance genes: RAP2-2, CNG channels, and F14D7.1. These genes may be associated with enhanced bermudagrass salt tolerance. These bermudagrass genomic resources, when integrated, may provide fundamental insights into evolution of diploid and tetraploid genomes and enhance the efficacy of comparative genomics in studying salt tolerance in Cynodon.

Maternal Obesogenic Diet Attenuates Microbiome-Dependent Offspring Weaning Reaction with Worsening of Steatotic Liver Disease.

The mechanisms by which maternal obesity increases the susceptibility to steatotic liver disease in offspring are incompletely understood. Models using different maternal obesogenic diets (MODEs) display phenotypic variability, likely reflecting the influence of timing and diet composition. This study compared three maternal obesogenic diets using standardized exposure times to identify differences in offspring disease progression. This study found that the severity of hepatic inflammation and fibrosis in the offspring depends on the composition of the maternal obesogenic diet. Offspring cecal microbiome composition was shifted in all MODE groups relative to control. Decreased α-diversity in some MODE offspring with shifts in abundance of multiple genera were suggestive of delayed maturation of the microbiome. The weaning reaction typically characterized by a spike in intestinal expression of Tnfa and Ifng was attenuated in MODE offspring in an early microbiome-dependent manner using cross-fostering. Cross-fostering also switched the severity of disease progression in offspring dependent on the diet of the fostering dam. These results identify maternal diet composition and timing of exposure as modifiers in mediating transmissible changes in the microbiome. These changes in the early microbiome alter a critical window during weaning that drives susceptibility to progressive liver disease in the offspring.

Disease-linked mutations in Munc18-1 deplete synaptic Doc2.

Heterozygous de novo mutations in the neuronal protein Munc18-1/STXBP1 cause syndromic neurological symptoms, including severe epilepsy, intellectual disability, developmental delay, ataxia and tremor, summarized as STXBP1 encephalopathies. Although haploinsufficiency is the prevailing disease mechanism, it remains unclear how the reduction in Munc18-1 levels causes synaptic dysfunction in disease as well as how haploinsufficiency alone can account for the significant heterogeneity among patients in terms of the presence, onset and severity of different symptoms. Using biochemical and cell biological readouts on mouse brains, cultured mouse neurons and heterologous cells, we found that the synaptic Munc18-1 interactors Doc2A and Doc2B are unstable in the absence of Munc18-1 and aggregate in the presence of disease-causing Munc18-1 mutants. In haploinsufficiency-mimicking heterozygous knockout neurons, we found a reduction in Doc2A/B levels that is further aggravated by the presence of the disease-causing Munc18-1 mutation G544D as well as an impairment in Doc2A/B synaptic targeting in both genotypes. We also demonstrated that overexpression of Doc2A/B partially rescues synaptic dysfunction in heterozygous knockout neurons but not heterozygous knockout neurons expressing G544D Munc18-1. Our data demonstrate that STXBP1 encephalopathies are not only characterized by the dysfunction of Munc18-1 but also by the dysfunction of the Munc18-1 binding partners Doc2A and Doc2B, and that this dysfunction is exacerbated by the presence of a Munc18-1 missense mutant. These findings may offer a novel explanation for the significant heterogeneity in symptoms observed among STXBP1 encephalopathy patients.

ANGPTL3 deficiency impairs lipoprotein production and produces adaptive changes in hepatic lipid metabolism.

Angiopoietin-like protein 3 (ANGPTL3) is a hepatically secreted protein and therapeutic target for reducing plasma triglyceride-rich lipoproteins and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Although ANGPTL3 modulates the metabolism of circulating lipoproteins, its role in triglyceride-rich lipoprotein assembly and secretion remains unknown. CRISPR-associated protein 9 (CRISPR/Cas9) was used to target ANGPTL3 in HepG2 cells (ANGPTL3-/-) whereupon we observed ∼50% reduction of apolipoprotein B100 (ApoB100) secretion, accompanied by an increase in ApoB100 early presecretory degradation via a predominantly lysosomal mechanism. Despite defective particle secretion in ANGPTL3-/- cells, targeted lipidomic analysis did not reveal neutral lipid accumulation in ANGPTL3-/- cells; rather ANGPTL3-/- cells demonstrated decreased secretion of newly synthesized triglycerides and increased fatty acid oxidation. Furthermore, RNA sequencing demonstrated significantly altered expression of key lipid metabolism genes, including targets of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α, consistent with decreased lipid anabolism and increased lipid catabolism. In contrast, CRISPR/Cas9 LDL receptor (LDLR) deletion in ANGPTL3-/- cells did not result in a secretion defect at baseline, but proteasomal inhibition strongly induced compensatory late presecretory degradation of ApoB100 and impaired its secretion. Additionally, these ANGPTL3-/-;LDLR-/- cells rescued the deficient LDL clearance of LDLR-/- cells. In summary, ANGPTL3 deficiency in the presence of functional LDLR leads to the production of fewer lipoprotein particles due to early presecretory defects in particle assembly that are associated with adaptive changes in intrahepatic lipid metabolism. In contrast, when LDLR is absent, ANGPTL3 deficiency is associated with late presecretory regulation of ApoB100 degradation without impaired secretion. Our findings therefore suggest an unanticipated intrahepatic role for ANGPTL3, whose function varies with LDLR status.

Germline variants of DNA repair and immune genes in lymphoma from lymphoma-cancer families.

The genetic predisposition to lymphoma is not fully understood. We identified 13 lymphoma-cancer families (2011-2021), in which 27 individuals developed lymphomas and 26 individuals had cancers. Notably, male is the predominant gender in lymphoma patients, whereas female is the predominant gender in cancer patients (p = .019; OR = 4.72, 95% CI, 1.30-14.33). We collected samples from 18 lymphoma patients, and detected germline variants through exome sequencing. We found that germline protein truncating variants (PTVs) were enriched in DNA repair and immune genes. Totally, we identified 31 heterozygous germline mutations (including 12 PTVs) of 25 DNA repair genes and 19 heterozygous germline variants (including 7 PTVs) of 14 immune genes. PTVs of ATM and PNKP were found in two families, respectively. We performed whole genome sequencing of diffuse large B cell lymphomas (DLBCLs), translocations at IGH locus and activation of oncogenes (BCL6 and MYC) were verified, and homologous recombination deficiency was detected. In DLBCLs with germline PTVs of ATM, deletion and insertion in CD58 were further revealed. Thus, in lymphoma-cancer families, we identified germline defects of both DNA repair and immune genes in lymphoma patients.

Venetoclax and hypomethylating agents in critically ill patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukaemia.

Venetoclax (VEN) in combination with hypomethylating agents (HMAs) is considered the standard of treatment for individuals with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) who are ineligible for intensive chemotherapy. We conducted a retrospective analysis that encompassed 16 critically ill patients newly diagnosed with AML who were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) and received the VEN and HMA regimen. Among them, 13 were primary AML, and three were MDS-transformed AML. The mean Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score was 18.9, and the mean sepsis-related organ failure assessment score (SOFA) was 6.2. The average length of the ICU stay was 27.3 days. The median duration of VEN administration was 16 days. After the first course of VEN + HMA, 12 cases (75%) achieved complete remission (CR) or CR with incomplete haematological recovery (CRi). Among the five patients harbouring TP53 mutations, the overall response rate (ORR) was 90%. All patients experienced grade 3-4 haematological adverse events (AEs). With a median follow-up of 9.5 months (range: 0.5-23), the overall survival (OS) rate was 43.75%. TP53-wild patients and CR state after the first course of VEN-HMA indicated better survival. The combination of VEN and HMA has demonstrated a significantly elevated therapeutic response rate in newly diagnosed AML patients with critical illness.

Camrelizumab plus gemcitabine and oxaliplatin for relapsed or refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma: a phase II trial.

BACKGROUND: Classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) is a highly curable disease, while novel therapy is needed for refractory or relapsed (R/R) patients. This phase II trial aimed to evaluate the role of camrelizumab plus gemcitabine and oxaliplatin (GEMOX) in R/R cHL patients. METHODS: Transplant-eligible patients with R/R cHL were enrolled and received two 14-day cycles of camrelizumab 200 mg intravenously (IV) and two 28-day cycles of camrelizumab 200 mg IV, gemcitabine 1000 mg/m2 IV, and oxaliplatin 100 mg/m2 IV on days 1 and 15. Patients with partial response (PR) or stable disease received an additional cycle of combination therapy. Those who achieved complete response (CR) or PR proceeded to autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). The primary endpoint was the CR rate at the end of protocol therapy before ASCT. RESULTS: Forty-two patients were enrolled. At the end of protocol therapy, the objective response rate and CR rate were 94.9% (37/39) and 69.2% (27/39) in the evaluable set, and 88.1% (37/42) and 64.3% (27/42) in the full analysis set, respectively. Twenty-nine patients (69.0%) proceeded to ASCT, and 4 of 5 patients with PR achieved CR after ASCT. After a median follow-up of 20.7 months, the 12-month progression-free survival rate was 96.6% and the 12-month overall survival rate was 100%. Grade 3 or higher treatment emergent adverse events occurred in 28.6% of patients (12/42), mainly hematological toxicity. CONCLUSIONS: Camrelizumab combined with GEMOX constitutes an effective salvage therapy for R/R cHL, proving to be relatively well-tolerated and facilitating ASCT in most patients, thus promoting sustained remission. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04239170. Registered on January 1, 2020.

Effect of gender and age on bDMARD efficacy for axial spondyloathritis patients: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

OBJECTIVE: To study the therapeutic variations of biological and targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs(b/tsDMARDs) between genders and across age stages in axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) patients through meta-analysis. METHODS: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs), published by Pubmed, Scopus, and Embase before August 10, 2023, testing the efficiency of b/tsDMARDs in axSpA, were searched and systematically reviewed. The Assessment of Spondyloarthritis International Society ≥40% improvement (ASAS40) response was used as the primary outcome of treatment response. RESULTS: : Only one study meet the inclusion criteria was related to tsDMARD, which was excluded from further data combination. Nine studies of bDMARDs, with the involvement of 4127 patients, were included for final analysis. When compared with placebo, both males (OR = 3.14; 95%CI, 2.66-3.70) and females (2.32; 1.82-2.82), younger (4.00; 2.50-6.40) and older (2.21; 1.15-4.22) patients, presented significantly better responses to bDMARDs. Besides, the efficacies were more evident in males (1.89; 1.56-2.30) and younger patients (2.07; 1.42-3.02). Subgroup analysis revealed that gender difference in efficacy was more obvious in non-radiographic-axSpA (nr-axSpA) patients (Pheterogeneity=0.03, I2=78.1%). Moreover, males with radiographic-axSpA (r-axSpA) and nr-axSpA shared similar responses to bDMARDs (Pheterogeneity=0.87, I2=0%), while females with r-axSpA showed greater response than those with nr-axSpA (Pheterogeneity=0.005, I2=87.4%). CONCLUSIONS: BioDMARDs were efficient in all axSpA patients regardless of gender or age stage. However, the treatment responses were more evident in male and younger patients. Besides, females with r-axSpA had greater responses than those with nr-axSpA, whereas no relevant difference was observed in males, indicating that the gender difference on efficacy was larger in nr-axSpA patients.

Phase calculation of smooth surface with multi-reflectivity based on phase measurement deflectometry.

With the continuous advancement of precision machining technology and the growing demand for products, increasingly complex objects with high reflectivity are becoming more prevalent in production and daily life. phase measurement deflectometry (PMD) is a technique that utilizes a surface light source to project structured light for comprehensive detection of highly reflective surfaces. It offers advantages such as high accuracy, fast speed, low cost, and non-contact operation. However, when the surface of the object being measured has varying levels of reflectivity, this method may produce errors due to significant differences in fringe contrast between different reflective areas. In order to enable the fringe deflection system to simultaneously detect multiple reflective objects without sacrificing accuracy, this paper proposes an adaptive method for fringe generation detection. This method can adaptively adjust the intensity based on the reflectivity of the measured surface and compensate for the light at the reflectivity boundary, ultimately achieving phase calculation for multiple reflective surfaces.

Transition from Flat-Band Localization to Anderson Localization in a One-Dimensional Tasaki Lattice.

We report an extensive experimental investigation on the transition from flat-band localization (FBL) to Anderson localization (AL) in a one-dimensional synthetic lattice in the momentum dimension. By driving multiple Bragg processes between designated momentum states, an effective one-dimensional Tasaki lattice is implemented with highly tunable parameters, including nearest-neighbor and next-nearest-neighbor coupling coefficients and onsite energy potentials. With that, a flat-band localization phase is realized and demonstrated via the evolution dynamics of the particle population over different momentum states. The localization effect is undermined when a moderate disorder is introduced to the onsite potential and restored under a strong disorder. We find clear signatures of the FBL-AL transition in the density profile evolution, the inverse participation ratio, and the von Neumann entropy, where good agreement is obtained with theoretical predictions.

MRI Radiomics Features of Adenohypophysis Determine the Activation of Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Gonadal Axis in Peri-Puberty Children.

BACKGROUND: The status of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis is important for assessing the onset of physiological or pathological puberty. The reference standard gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) stimulation test requires hospital admission and repeated blood samples. A simple noninvasive method would be beneficial. OBJECTIVES: To explore a noninvasive method for evaluating HPG axis activation in children using an MRI radiomics model. STUDY TYPE: Retrospective. POPULATION: Two hundred thirty-nine children (83 male; 3.6-14.6 years) with hypophysial MRI and GnRH stimulation tests, randomly divided a training set (168 children) and a test set (71 children). FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: 3.0 T, 3D isotropic fast spin echo (CUBE) T1-weighted imaging (T1WI) sequences. ASSESSMENT: Radiomics features were extracted from sagittal 3D CUBE T1WI, and imaging signatures were generated using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) with 10-fold cross-validation. Diagnostic performance for differential diagnosis of HPG status was compared between a radiomics model and MRI features (adenohypophyseal height [aPH] and volume [aPV]). STATISTICAL TESTS: Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and decision curve analysis (DCA). A P value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Eight hundred fifty-one radiomics features were extracted and reduced to 10 by the LASSO method in the training cohort. The radiomics model based on CUBE T1WI showed good performance in assessment of HPG axis activation with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.81 (95% CI: 0.71, 0.91) in the test set. The AUC of the radiomics model was significantly higher than that of aPH (0.81 vs. 0.65) but there was no significant difference compared to aPV (0.81 vs. 0.78, P = 0.58). In DCA analysis, the radiomics signature showed higher net benefit over the aPV and aPH models. DATA CONCLUSIONS: The MRI radiomics model has potential to assess HPG axis activation status noninvasively, potentially providing valuable information in the diagnosis of patients with pathological puberty onset. EVIDENCE LEVEL: 4 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 2.

Immunotyping of peripheral blood lymphocytes by flow cytometry reveals Th cell as a potential prognostic biomarker for extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma.

This study aimed to explore the distribution, characteristics and prognostic value of baseline peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets in patients with extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma (NKTCL). We conducted this cross-sectional study of 205 newly-diagnosed NKTCL patients receiving first-line chemotherapy and radiation at our institute between 2010 and 2020. Baseline peripheral blood lymphocytes were detected using flow cytometry, and the clinical value was analyzed. Compared with healthy controls, patients with NKTCL presented with a distinct peripheral immunity with higher levels of cytotoxic CD8+ T cells (33.230 ± 12.090% vs. 27.060 ± 4.010%, p < 0.001) and NKT cells (7.697 ± 7.219% vs. 3.550 ± 2.088%, p < 0.001) but lower proportions of suppressive regulatory T cells (Treg, 2.999 ± 1.949% vs. 3.420 ± 1.051%, p = 0.003) and CD4+ helper T cells (Th, 33.084 ± 11.361% vs. 37.650 ± 3.153%, p < 0.001). Peripheral lymphocytes were differentially distributed according to age, stage, and primary site in patients with NKTCL. The proportion of Th cells/lymphocytes was associated with tumor burden reflected by stage (p = 0.037), serum lactate dehydrogenase (p = 0.0420), primary tumor invasion (p = 0.025), and prognostic index for NK/T-cell lymphoma (PINK) score (p = 0.041). Furthermore, elevated proportions of T cells (58.9% vs. 76.4%, p = 0.005), Th cells (56.3% vs. 68.8%, p = 0.047), or Treg cells (49.5% vs. 68.9%, p = 0.040) were associated with inferior 5-year progression-free survivals (PFS) via univariable survival analysis. Multivariate cox regression revealed elevated Th cells as an independent predictor for unfavorable PFS (HR = 2.333, 95% CI, 1.030-5.288, p = 0.042) in NKTCL. These results suggested the proportion of Th cells positively correlated with tumor burden and was a potential non-invasive biomarker for inferior survival for patients with NKTCL.

Clinical features, prognostic stratification, and treatment of advanced-stage non-nasal type extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma: a multi-institutional real-world study.

The present study aimed to investigate the clinical features, prognosis, and treatment of advanced-stage non-nasal type extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (ENKTCL). This real-world study retrospectively reviewed 56 newly diagnosed advanced-stage non-nasal type ENKTCL patients from two large-scale Chinese cancer centers in the last 10-15 years and screened 139 newly diagnosed advanced-stage nasal type ENKTCLs admitted during the same period for comparison. The non-nasal type ENKTCLs exhibited significantly higher Ki-67 expression levels compared to nasal type disease (P = 0.011). With a median follow-up duration of 75.03 months, the non-nasal group showed slightly inferior survival outcomes without statistically significant differences compared to the nasal group (median overall survival (OS): 14.57 vs. 21.53 months, 5-year OS: 28.0% vs. 38.5%, P = 0.120). Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) score ≥ 2 (hazard ratio (HR) = 2.18, P = 0.039) and lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) elevation (HR = 2.44, P = 0.012) were significantly correlated with worse OS in the non-nasal group. First-line gemcitabine-based chemotherapy regimens showed a trend toward slightly improved efficacy and survival outcomes compared to non-gemcitabine-based ones in the present cohort of non-nasal ENKTCLs (objective response rate: 91.7% vs. 63.6%, P = 0.144; complete response rate: 50.0% vs. 33.3%, P = 0.502; median progression-free survival: 10.43 vs. 3.40 months, P = 0.106; median OS: 25.13 vs. 9.30 months, P = 0.125), which requires further validation in larger sample size studies. Advanced-stage non-nasal type patients could achieve comparable prognosis with nasal cases after rational therapy. The modified nomogram-revised index (including age, ECOG score, and LDH) and modified international prognostic index (including age, ECOG score, LDH, and number of extranodal involvement) functioned effectively for prognostic stratification in non-nasal type ENKTCLs.

Multi-pool chemical exchange saturation transfer MRI in glioma grading, molecular subtyping and evaluating tumor proliferation.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the performance of multi-pool Chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) MRI in prediction of glioma grade, isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutation, alpha-thalassemia/mental retardation syndrome X-linked (ATRX) loss and Ki-67 labeling index (LI), based on the fifth edition of the World Health Organization classification of central nervous system tumors (WHO CNS5). METHODS: 95 patients with adult-type diffuse gliomas were analyzed. The amide, direct water saturation (DS), nuclear Overhauser enhancement (NOE), semi-solid magnetization transfer (MT) and amine signals were derived using Lorentzian fitting, and asymmetry-based amide proton transfer-weighted (APTwasym) signal was calculated. The mean value of tumor region was measured and intergroup differences were estimated using student-t test. The receiver operating curve (ROC) and area under the curve (AUC) analysis were used to evaluate the diagnostic performance of signals and their combinations. Spearman correlation analysis was performed to evaluate tumor proliferation. RESULTS: The amide and DS signals were significantly higher in high-grade gliomas compared to low-grade gliomas, as well as in IDH-wildtype gliomas compared to IDH-mutant gliomas (all p < 0.001). The DS, MT and amine signals showed significantly differences between ATRX loss and retention in grade 2/3 IDH-mutant gliomas (all p < 0.05). The combination of signals showed the highest AUC in prediction of grade (0.857), IDH mutation (0.814) and ATRX loss (0.769). Additionally, the amide and DS signals were positively correlated with Ki-67 LI (both p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Multi-pool CEST MRI demonstrated good potential to predict glioma grade, IDH mutation, ATRX loss and Ki-67 LI.

The relationship between sarcopenia and metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease among the young and middle-aged populations.

BACKGROUND: Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) has been proposed as a new term for diagnosing fatty liver disease, which is considered to be a multi-systemic disease with multiple extrahepatic manifestations, including sarcopenia. The link between sarcopenia and MAFLD remains uncertain, especially among young and middle-aged adults. Thus, we examined the relationship between MAFLD and sarcopenia in young and middle-aged individuals in this study. METHODS: A total of 2214 individuals with laboratory tests, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and ultrasound transient elastography from NHANES 2017-2018 were selected for this study. MAFLD was diagnosed as fatty liver disease with any one of the situations: overweight/obesity, diabetes mellitus, presence of metabolic dysregulation. Sarcopenia was defined by appendicular lean mass adjusted for body mass index (BMI). Multivariable logistic regression and restricted cubic spline (RCS) model were applied to explore the relationship between MAFLD and sarcopenia, and the mediation analyses were also conducted. Moreover, subgroup analyses stratified by BMI and lifestyles were done. RESULTS: The prevalence of MAFLD was 47.85%, and nearly 8.05% of participants had sarcopenia. The prevalence of sarcopenia was higher in participants with MAFLD (12.75%; 95% CI 10.18-15.31%) than in the non-MAFLD (3.73%; 95% CI 2.16-5.31%). MAFLD was significantly positively associated with sarcopenia after adjustments [OR = 2.87 (95% CI: 1.62-5.09)]. Moreover, significant positive associations were observed between liver fibrosis and sarcopenia prevalence in MAFLD patients (OR = 2.16; 95% CI 1.13-4.15). The RCS curve revealed that MAFLD was linearly associated with sarcopenia. The relationship between the MAFLD and sarcopenia were mediated by C-reactive protein (mediation proportion: 15.9%) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (mediation proportion: 18.9%). Subgroup analyses confirmed the association between MAFLD and sarcopenia differed in different lifestyle groups. CONCLUSIONS: Both MAFLD prevalence and severity was significantly associated with sarcopenia. Thus, clinicians should advise comorbidity screening and lifestyle changes to young and middle-aged patients.

High throughput screening of pure silica zeolites for CF4 capture from electronics industry gas.

The capture and separation of CF4 from CF4/N2 mixture gas is a crucial issue in the electronics industry, as CF4 is a commonly used etching gas and the ratio of CF4 to N2 directly affects process efficiency. Utilizing high-throughput computational screening techniques and grand canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) simulations, we comprehensively screened and assessed 247 types of pure silicon zeolite materials to determine their adsorption and separation performance for CF4/N2 mixtures. Based on screening, the relationships between the structural parameters and adsorption and separation properties were meticulously investigated. Four indicators including adsorption selectivity, working capacity, adsorbent performance score (APS), and regenerability (R%) were used to evaluate the performance of adsorbents. Based on the evaluation, we selected the top three best-performing zeolite structures for vacuum swing adsorption (LEV, AWW and ESV) and pressure swing adsorption (AVL, ZON, and ERI) processes respectively. Also, we studied the preferable adsorption sites of CF4 and N2 in the selected zeolite structures through centroid density distributions at the molecule level. We expect the study may provide some valuable guidance for subsequent experimental investigations on adsorption and separation of CF4/N2.

Exposure levels and determinants of placental polybrominated diphenyl ethers in Chinese pregnant women.

BACKGROUND: Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are a group of widely used chemicals and humans are exposed to them in their daily life. PBDEs exposure during pregnancy may have adverse effects on pregnant women and their fetuses. Nevertheless, limited information is available on the levels and determinants of PBDEs exposure in Chinese pregnant women. METHODS: The internal exposure levels of eight PBDEs (BDE-28, 47, 99, 100, 153, 154, 183, and 209) in placental samples of 1280 pregnant women from Zunyi birth cohort were analyzed using gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. All PBDEs concentrations were lipid adjusted (ng/g lw). Determinants of exposure were assessed by multivariable logistic regression model. RESULTS: Eight PBDE homologues were quantifiable in more than 70% of the samples. The highest median concentrations were found for BDE-209 (2.78 ng/g lw), followed by BDE-153 (1.00 ng/g lw) and BDE-183 (0.93 ng/g lw). The level of ΣPBDEs ranged from 0.90 to 308.78 ng/g lw, with a median concentration of 10.02 ng/g lw. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that maternal age older than 30 years old (OR: 1.59; 95% CI: 1.14, 2.23), pre-pregnancy obesity (1.51; 1.08, 2.10), home renovation within 2 years (1.43; 1.08, 1.91), spending more time outdoors during pregnancy (0.70; 0.55, 0.89), high consumption of fish/seafood (1.46; 1.13, 1.90) and eggs (1.44; 1.04, 2.00), male infant sex (1.69; 1.18, 2.42) were associated with PBDEs exposure. CONCLUSION: The study population is generally exposed to PBDEs, of which BDE-209 is the dominant congener, indicating extensive application of products containing deca-BDE mixtures. Maternal age, pre-pregnancy BMI, home decoration, average outdoor time during pregnancy, fish, seafood, eggs consumption, and fetal sex were exposure-determinning factors. This study contributes to the knowledge on region-specific PBDEs contamination in pregnant women and related risk factors.

Renal Metabolomics Study and Critical Pathway Validation of Shenkang Injection in the Treatment of Chronic Renal Failure.

To reveal the mechanism of Shenkang injection (SKI) in the treatment of chronic renal failure, and verify the key pathway. In this work, an untargeted metabolomics approach was performed by LC-MS coupled with multivariate statistical analysis to provide new insights into therapeutic mechanism of SKI. Hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) Staining and Immunohistochemistry were used to evaluate the effects of drug treatment, Western blot was used to verify the critical pathway. Then, a total of 44 potential biomarkers of chronic renal failure (CRF) were identified and reversed regulation, including 2,8-dihydroxypurine, 5-methoxytryptophan, uric acid, acetylcarnitine, taurine, etc. Mainly concerned with arginine and proline metabolism, purine metabolism, histidine metabolism, etc. Pathological examination showed that the renal interstitium of SKI group was significantly improved, with fewer inflammatory cells and thinner vascular walls compared with the model group. Immunohistochemical results showed that the expression of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) was decreased, and the expression of E-cadherin was increased in CRF model group, and the two indicators were reversed regulation in SKI injection, indicating that the degree of fibrosis was relieved. Critical signaling pathway phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) and nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) protein expressions were significantly inhibited. This study was the first to employ metabolomics to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of SKI in chronic renal failure. The results would provide some support for clinical application of traditional Chinese medicines in clinic.