Real-Time Recognition Method for Key Signals of Rock Fracture Acoustic Emissions Based on Deep Learning.

The characteristics of acoustic emission signals generated in the process of rock deformation and fission contain rich information on internal rock damage. The use of acoustic emissions monitoring technology can analyze and identify the precursor information of rock failure. At present, in the field of acoustic emissions monitoring and the early warning of rock fracture disasters, there is no real-time identification method for a disaster precursor characteristic signal. It is easy to lose information by analyzing the characteristic parameters of traditional acoustic emissions to find signals that serve as precursors to disasters, and analysis has mostly been based on post-analysis, which leads to poor real-time recognition of disaster precursor characteristics and low application levels in the engineering field. Based on this, this paper regards the acoustic emissions signal of rock fracture as a kind of speech signal generated by rock fracture uses this idea of speech recognition for reference alongside spectral analysis (STFT) and Mel frequency analysis to realize the feature extraction of acoustic emissions from rock fracture. In deep learning, based on the VGG16 convolutional neural network and AlexNet convolutional neural network, six intelligent real-time recognition models of rock fracture and key acoustic emission signals were constructed, and the network structure and loss function of traditional VGG16 were optimized. The experimental results show that these six deep-learning models can achieve the real-time intelligent recognition of key signals, and Mel, combined with the improved VGG16, achieved the best performance with 87.68% accuracy and 81.05% recall. Then, by comparing multiple groups of signal recognition models, Mel+VGG-FL proposed in this paper was verified as having a high recognition accuracy and certain recognition efficiency, performing the intelligent real-time recognition of key acoustic emission signals in the process of rock fracture more accurately, which can provide new ideas and methods for related research and the real-time intelligent recognition of rock fracture precursor characteristics.

Study on the correlation between homocysteine-related dietary patterns and gestational diabetes mellitus:a reduced-rank regression analysis study.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate the association between homocysteine-related dietary patterns and gestational diabetes mellitus. METHODS: A total of 488 pregnant women at 24-28 weeks of gestation between January 2019 and December 2020 were included. Demographic characteristics, dietary intake, and multivitamin supplement intake information were collected using a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ); fasting venous blood samples were collected for serum index detection. Serum homocysteine (Hcy), folic acid, and B12 were selected as response variables, and hyperhomocysteinemia (hHcy)-related dietary patterns were extracted using the reduced rank regression.. The relationship between the score of hHcy-related dietary patterns and GDM was analyzed using a multivariate logistic regression model. RESULTS: Three hHcy-related dietary patterns were extracted. Only mode 2 had a positive and significant relationship with the risk of developing GDM. After adjusting for confounding factors, the risk of GDM was significantly increased in the highest quartile array compared with the lowest quartile of the pattern (OR = 2.96, 95% Confidence Interval: 0.939-9.356, P = 0.004). There was no significant correlation between dietary pattern 1 and GDM risk (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Homocysteine-related dietary patterns were positively associated with gestational diabetes mellitus. Adjusting dietary patterns may contribute to the intervention and prevention of GDM.

Magnolol, a natural aldehyde dehydrogenase-2 agonist, inhibits the proliferation and collagen synthesis of cardiac fibroblasts.

Inhibiting myocardial fibrosis can help prevent cardiovascular diseases, including heart failure. Magnolol (Mag), a natural component of Magnoliae officinalis, has been reported to inhibit fibrosis. However, the mechanism of Mag activity and its effects on myocardial fibrosis remain unclear. Here, we investigated the involvement of ALDH2, an endogenous protective agent against myocardial fibrosis, in the Mag-mediated inhibition of cardiac fibroblast proliferation and collagen synthesis. We found that Mag significantly inhibited cardiac fibroblast proliferation and collagen synthesis, based on the results of MTT, EdU and western blot assays. Moreover, molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulation and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) assays showed that Mag could bind directly and stably to ALDH2. Further analysis of the mechanism of these effects indicated that treatment with Mag dose-dependently enhanced ALDH2 activity without altering protein expression. Mag could enhance the activity of recombinant human ALDH2 proteins with a half-maximal effective concentration of 5.79 × 10-5 M. In addition, ALDH2 activation via Alda-1 inhibited cardiac fibroblast proliferation and collagen synthesis, while ALDH2 inhibition via daidzin partially blocked the suppressive effects of Mag. In summary, Mag may act as a natural ALDH2 agonist and inhibit cardiac fibroblast proliferation and collagen synthesis.

Genome-wide codon usage pattern analysis reveals the correlation between codon usage bias and gene expression in Cuscuta australis.

The protein-coding genes and pseudogenes of Cuscuta australis had the diverse contribution to the formation and evolution of parasitism. The codon usage pattern analysis of these two type genes could be used to understand the gene transcription and translation. In this study, we systematically analyzed the codon usage patterns of protein-coding sequences and pseudogenes sequences in C. australis. The results showed that the high frequency codons of protein coding sequences and pseudogenes had the same A/U bias in the third position. However, these two sequences had converse bias at the third base in optimal codons: the protein coding sequences preferred G/C-ending codons while pseudogene sequences preferred A/U-ending codons. Neutrality plot and effective number of codons plot revealed that natural selection played a more important role than mutation pressure in two sequences codon usage bias. Furthermore, the gene expression level had a significant positive correlation with codon usage bias in C. australis. Highly-expressed protein coding genes exhibited a higher codon bias than lowly-expressed genes. Meanwhile, the high-expression genes tended to use G/C-ending synonymous codons. This result further verified the optimal codons usage bias and its correlation with the gene expression in C. australis.

[The Predictive Value of Perioperative Inflammatory Indicatorsin Prognosis of the Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma Patients after Hepatectomy].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of perioperative inflammatory indicators on the prognosis of the patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) after hepatectomy. METHODS: The clinical data of 231 ICC patients in the West China Hospital of Sichuan University from December 2006 to December 2016 were retrospectively collected. Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), derived neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (d-NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) of patients during the perioperative period (pre-operation, postoperative day 3 and day 5) were analyzed. The X-tile software was used to determine the optimal cut-off values of NLR, d-NLR and PLR in pre-operation, postoperative day 3 and day 5. Based on the cut-off values, all patients were divided into high level group and low level group, and Kaplan-Meier methods were used to analyze the correlations of NLR, d-NLR and PLR with the disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) of patients. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression models were applied to assess the prognostic values of NLR, d-NLR and PLR. Nomogram was established to predict the prognosis for ICC patients, and the predicting accuracy was evaluated by the Consistency index ( C-index). RESULTS: A total of 231 ICC patients including 115 males and 116 females were enrolled into this study, and the proportion of patients aged <60 years was 57.1%. Among the patients enrolled, 161 patients (69.7%) recurred and 156 patients (67.5%) died after hepatectomy. The median time of DFS and OS were 8.9 and 12.5 months respectively. The Kaplan-Meier curves showed that d-NLR and NLR levels in pre-operation, postoperative day 3 and day 5, together with the preoperative PLR level were correlated with the time of DFS ( P<0.05). Meanwhile, d-NLR and PLR levels in pre-operation, postoperative day 3 and day 5, together with the NLR level in pre-operation and postoperative day 3 were correlated with the time of OS ( P<0.05). Univariate and multivariate Cox regression model analysis suggested that high level of the preoperative NLR and d-NLR, together with the high level of NLR on postoperative day 3 were the independent influencing factors of poor DFS. High level of the preoperative NLR and d-NLR, together with the high level of NLR on postoperative day 3 were the independent influencing factors of OS. The level of PLR level was not correlated with DFS and OS. The C-index values of nomogram for predicting DFS and OS were 0.738 (95% confidence interval: 0.699-0.777) and 0.778 (95% confidence interval: 0.758-0.818), respectively. CONCLUSION: High level of the preoperative NLR, preoperative d-NLR and NLR on postoperative day 3 in ICC patients indicate poor prognosis, and PLR has no prognostic value for ICC patients after hepatectomy.

Three new cytotoxic oleanane triterpenoid saponins from Cylindrokelupha dalatensis.

Three new minor oleanane triterpenoid saponins, cylindrosides B (1), C (2), and D (3), were isolated from the seed of Cylindrokelupha dalatensis using chromatographic method. Their structures were established on the basis of the chemical and spectroscopic evidences. They displayed significant antitumor activity in vitro against HL60 cancer cell lines and IC50 values were 7.15 ± 0.63, 10.07 ± 0.97, and 4.74 ± 0.57 µM, respectively, by MTT method.

Can the descending aortic stroke volume be estimated by transesophageal descending aortic photoplethysmography?

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the ability of transesophageal photoplethysmography detected from the descending aorta (dPPG) for predicting low descending aortic stroke volume (dSV) level in cardiac surgical patients. METHODS: Fifteen patients scheduled for elective cardiac surgery were enrolled in our study. A transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) probe with an attached oximetry sensor was placed into the esophagus for paired dPPG signal and descending aortic Doppler blood flow signal acquisition. Metrics, including alternating current (AC), direct current (DC), area under the curve (AUC) and width (W), were extracted from the dPPG signals. The TEE-measured dSV, which was defined as the blood flow through the descending aorta during a cardiac cycle, was chosen as the standard reference. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was built to evaluate the performance of dPPG metrics in predicting low dSV level, and dSV measuring agreement between TEE and dPPG was analyzed by the Bland-Altman method. RESULTS: A total of 644 paired dPPG and Doppler signals of the descending aorta were acquired. Significant correlations were found between the dPPG metrics and TEE-measured dSV, and the correlation coefficients between TEE-measured dSV and AUC or AC were 0.64 and 0.66, respectively. AUC and AC values obviously decreased with the reduction of dSV level among the three groups (<20 mL, from 20-40 mL, and >40 mL). The areas under the ROC curve for AUC and AC in predicting low dSV level (<20 mL) were 0.85 and 0.88, respectively. Bland-Altman plot showed a small bias (0.02 mL) but a wide limit of agreement (-18.62 to 18.66 mL) in dSV measurement between dPPG and Doppler technology. CONCLUSIONS: The AC and AUC extracted from the dPPG signal provided a sensitive and qualitative prediction for dSV level. The dSV value could not be accurately measured by dPPG metrics. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese Clinical Trials Register Identifier: ChiCTR-OCS-12002789.

[Effect of Aralia echinocaulis containing serum on Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway of primary osteoblast].

This paper was aimed to investigate the effect of Aralia echinocaulis containing serum on expression of ß-catenin, Wnt-1, Frizzed-2, TCF and Axin in Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway of primary osteoblasts. SD healthy female rats (n=80) were used to make A. echinocaulis containing serum by gastric perfusion for seven days with distilled water, A. echinocaulis decoction high dosage, middle dosage, and low dosage. In vitro, primary osteoblasts were cultured and identified. The third generation primary osteoblasts were taken and cultured for 48 h, then cells were treated with the different drug serums for 10 days and calcified nodules were counted by alizarin red staining. The cells were collected after treatment for 48 h and the expression levels of ß-catenin, Wnt-1, Frizzled-2, TCF and Axin were detected by Real-time PCR and Western blot. The results suggested that the in vitro cells were primary osteoblasts; and after treatment, various doses groups could promote the mineralization ability of primary osteoblasts, up-regulate the mRNA and protein expression levels of ß-catenin, Wnt-1, Frizzled-2, and TCF, and down-regulate the mRNA and protein expression levels of Axin. These findings indicated that A. echinocaulis containing serum can enhance the differentiation and proliferation of osteoblasts by regulating the expression levels of ß-catenin, Wnt-1, Frizzled-2, TCF and Axin in Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway of primary osteoblasts.

Critical role of Emx2 in the pluripotency - differentiation transition in male gonocytes via regulation of FGF9/NODAL pathway.

Emx2 deletion impairs the growth and maintenance of the genital ridge. However, its role in subsequent germ cell differentiation during embryonic stages is unknown. Using a tamoxifen-inducible Cre-loxP mouse model (Emx2(flox/flox), Cre-ER(TM), hereafter called as Emx2 knockdown), we showed that germ cell differentiation was impaired in Emx2-knockdown testes. Representative characteristics of male germ cell differentiation, including a reduced ability to form embryonic germ (EG) cell colonies in vitro, down-regulation of pluripotency markers and G1/G0 arrest, did not occur in Emx2-knockdown testes. Furthermore, FGF9 and NODAL signalling occurred at abnormally high levels in Emx2-knockdown testes. Both blocking FGF9 signalling with SU5402 and inhibiting NODAL signalling with SB431542 allowed germ cells from Emx2-knockdown testes to differentiate in vitro Therefore, EMX2 in somatic cells is required to trigger germ cell differentiation in XY foetuses, posterior to its previously reported role in the growth and maintenance of the genital ridge.

Palladium-Catalyzed Arylation of Unactivated γ-Methylene C(sp(3) )-H and δ-C-H Bonds with an Oxazoline-Carboxylate Auxiliary.

A palladium-catalyzed arylation of unactivated γ-methylene C(sp(3) )H and remote δ-CH bonds by using an oxazoline-carboxylate directing group has been developed. Arylation occurs with a broad substrate scope and high tolerance of functional groups (i.e., halogen, nitro, cyano, ether, trifluoromethyl, amine, and ester). The oxazoline-type auxiliary can be removed under acidic conditions.

Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials reveals an improved clinical outcome of using genotype plus clinical algorithm for warfarin dosing.

Previous studies have raised interest in using the genotyping of CYP2C9 and VKORC1 to guide warfarin dosing. However, there is lack of solid evidence to prove that genotype plus clinical algorithm provides improved clinical outcomes than the single clinical algorithm. The results of recent reported clinical trials are paradoxical and needs to be systematically evaluated. In this study, we aim to assess whether genotype plus clinical algorithm of warfarin is superior to the single clinical algorithm through a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). All relevant studies from PubMed and reference lists from Jan 1, 1995 to Jan 13, 2014 were extracted and screened. Eligible studies included randomized trials that compared clinical plus pharmacogenetic algorithms group to single clinical algorithm group using adult (≥ 18 years) patients with disease conditions that require warfarin use. We further used fix-effect models to calculate the mean difference or the risk ratios (RRs) and 95% CIs to analyze the extracted data. The statistical heterogeneity was calculated using I(2). The percentage of time within the therapeutic INR range was considered to be the primary clinical outcome. The initial search strategy identified 50 citations and 7 trials were eligible. These seven trials included 1,910 participants, including 960 patients who received genotype plus clinical algorithm of warfarin dosing and 950 patients who received clinical algorithm only. We discovered that the percentage of time within the therapeutic INR range of the genotype-guided group was improved compared with the standard group in the RCTs when the initial standard dose was fixed (95% CI 0.09-0.40; I(2) = 47.8%). However, for the studies using non-fixed initial doses, the genotype-guided group failed to exhibit statistically significant outcome compared to the standard group. No significant difference was observed in the incidences of adverse events (RR 0.94, 95% CI 0.84-1.04; I(2) = 0%, p = 0.647) and death rates (RR 1.36, 95% CI 0.46-4.05; I(2) = 10.4%, p = 0.328) between the two groups. Allocation to genotype plus clinical algorithm may be associated with a significant improvement of the percentage of time within the therapeutic INR range for patients adopting fixed dose of warfarin. The incidence of total adverse events and death rates did not differ between these two groups. Further experiments need to be conducted to confirm these findings.

Assessment of postoperative pain intensity by using photoplethysmography.

PURPOSE: Timely assessment of acute postoperative pain is very important for pain management. No objective and reliable method to assess postoperative pain intensity exists till now. The aim of the study was to investigate the feasibility of photoplethysmography (PPG) signals in postoperative pain assessment. METHODS: Thirty patients scheduled for elective abdominal surgery under general anesthesia were examined. Finger PPG signals and visual analogue scale (VAS) score were acquired before and 5, 10, 20, and 30 min after sufentanil administration when the patients were awake and transferred to the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU). During each pain rating, the patient's blood pressure, heart rate, and pulse oxygen saturation were recorded. The amplitude of alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC) extracted from finger PPG signals were analyzed, and the ratio of AC and DC (AC/DC) was calculated. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were built to assess the performance of AC and AC/DC to detect patients with VAS >4 in the PACU. RESULTS: After administration of sufentanil, VAS scores decreased significantly (p < 0.05), as did blood pressure and heart rate. Simultaneously, both values of AC and AC/DC increased significantly. The VAS score had significant correlations with AC (r = -0.477; p < 0.01), AC/DC (r = -0.738; p < 0.01) and heart rate (r = 0.280; p < 0.01). In contrast, no statistical correlations between VAS score and blood pressure were found. Further analysis found significant differences in both AC and AC/DC among different pain levels, but no obvious differences in blood pressures and heart rate. The area under the ROC curves were 0.754 for AC and 0.795 for AC/DC, respectively. CONCLUSION: The finger PPG signal can be used in acute postoperative pain assessment. Both AC/DC and AC had significant correlations with the pain rating levels, while blood pressure and heart rate were unreliable in pain assessment.

Insights into the defensive roles of lncRNAs during Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection.

Mycoplasma pneumoniae causes respiratory tract infections, affecting both children and adults, with varying degrees of severity ranging from mild to life-threatening. In recent years, a new class of regulatory RNAs called long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) has been discovered to play crucial roles in regulating gene expression in the host. Research on lncRNAs has greatly expanded our understanding of cellular functions involving RNAs, and it has significantly increased the range of functions of lncRNAs. In lung cancer, transcripts associated with lncRNAs have been identified as regulators of airway and lung inflammation in a process involving protein complexes. An excessive immune response and antibacterial immunity are closely linked to the pathogenesis of M. pneumoniae. The relationship between lncRNAs and M. pneumoniae infection largely involves lncRNAs that participate in antibacterial immunity. This comprehensive review aimed to examine the dysregulation of lncRNAs during M. pneumoniae infection, highlighting the latest advancements in our understanding of the biological functions and molecular mechanisms of lncRNAs in the context of M. pneumoniae infection and indicating avenues for investigating lncRNAs-related therapeutic targets.

Association of gestational metabolic syndrome with the Chinese Healthy Eating Index in mid-pregnancy: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to investigate the relationship between gestational metabolic syndrome (GMS) and the Chinese Healthy Eating Index (CHEI) in mid-pregnancy, and to identify potentially beneficial or high-risk dietary habits. We have developed a mid-pregnancy version of CHEI-2022, adapting the Chinese Healthy Eating Index to align with the food quantity recommendations outlined in the 2022 Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents for mid-pregnancy. METHODS: Using the inclusion and exclusion criteria, data from 2411 mid-pregnant individuals were collected through interviews. The Total CHEI score and its component scores were determined through analysis of responses from the food frequency questionnaire. GMS diagnosis involved conducting physical examinations and performing blood biochemical tests. A logistic regression model was employed to analyze the relationship between GMS or related indices and both the total CHEI score and its component scores. RESULTS: The study identified an overall GMS prevalence of 21.65% (522 out of 2411 participants). During mid-pregnancy, participants diagnosed with GMS exhibited higher BMI, FBG, 1hPBG, 2hPBG, TC, TG, HDL, SBP, as well as higher educational levels and daily activity, compared to those without GMS (P < 0.001). After adjusting for potential confounders, participants with higher total CHEI scores (≥ 80) were found to have lower odds of GMS or related indices (P < 0.05). Increasing dietary intake of potatoes, whole grains, beans, dark green vegetables, and fruits, as per the CHEI recommendations, was associated with reduced odds of GMS or related indices (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: A high-quality diet, as indicated by a total CHEI score of 80 or higher, and increased consumption of specific dietary components, namely potatoes, beans, dark green vegetables, and fruits, were found to effectively reduce the odds of GMS or related indices during mid-pregnancy.

Salvia miltiorrhiza suppresses cardiomyocyte ferroptosis after myocardial infarction by activating Nrf2 signaling.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Ferroptosis, a recently identified non-apoptotic form of cell death reliant on iron, is distinguished by an escalation in lipid reactive oxygen species (ROS) that are iron-dependent. This phenomenon has a strong correlation with irregularities in iron metabolism and lipid peroxidation. Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (DS), a medicinal herb frequently utilized in China, is highly esteemed for its therapeutic effectiveness in enhancing blood circulation and ameliorating blood stasis, particularly during the treatment of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Numerous pharmacological studies have identified that DS manifests antioxidative stress effects as well as inhibits lipid peroxidation. However, ambiguity persists regarding the potential of DS to impede ferroptosis in cardiomyocytes and subsequently improve myocardial damage post-myocardial infarction (MI). AIM OF THE STUDY: The present work focused on investigating whether DS could be used to prevent the ferroptosis of cardiomyocytes and improve post-MI myocardial damage. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In vivo experiments: Through ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery, we constructed both a wild-type (WT) and NF-E2 p45-related factor 2 knockout (Nrf2-/-) mouse model of MI. Effects of DS and ferrostatin-1 (Fer-1) on post-MI cardiomyocyte ferroptosis were examined through detecting ferroptosis and myocardial damage-related indicators as well as Nrf2 signaling-associated protein levels. In vitro experiments: Erastin was used for stimulating H9C2 cardiomyocytes to construct an in vitro ferroptosis cardiomyocyte model. Effects of DS and Fer-1 on cardiomyocyte ferroptosis were determined based on ferroptosis-related indicators and Nrf2 signaling-associated protein levels. Additionally, inhibitor and activator of Nrf2 were used for confirming the impact of Nrf2 signaling on DS's effect on cardiomyocyte ferroptosis. RESULTS: In vivo: In comparison to the model group, DS suppressed ferroptosis in cardiomyocytes post-MI and ameliorated myocardial damage by inducing Nrf2 signaling-related proteins (Nrf2, xCT, GPX4), diminishing tissue ferrous iron and malondialdehyde (MDA) content. Additionally, it enhanced glutathione (GSH) levels and total superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, effects that are aligned with those of Fer-1. Moreover, the effect of DS on alleviating cardiomyocyte ferroptosis after MI could be partly inhibited through Nrf2 knockdown. In vitro: Compared with the erastin group, DS inhibited cardiomyocyte ferroptosis by promoting the expression of Nrf2 signaling-related proteins, reducing ferrous iron, ROS, and MDA levels, but increasing GSH content and SOD activity, consistent with the effect of Fer-1. Additionally, Nrf2 inhibition increased erastin-mediated ferroptosis of cardiomyocytes through decreasing Nrf2 signaling-related protein expressions. Co-treatment with DS and Nrf2 activator failed to further enhance the anti-ferroptosis effect of DS. CONCLUSION: MI is accompanied by cardiomyocyte ferroptosis, whose underlying mechanism is probably associated with Nrf2 signaling inhibition. DS possibly suppresses ferroptosis of cardiomyocytes and improves myocardial damage after MI through activating Nrf2 signaling.

Value of Hcy combined with Framingham score for predicting macrovascular disease in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes.

To analyze the predictive value of homocysteine (Hcy) combined with the Framingham risk score for cardio- and cerebrovascular disease in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) to provide a reference for clinical treatment. We retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of 1036 elderly patients with T2DM admitted to our hospital between July 2017 and July 2022. The patients were divided into occurrence (n = 438) and control (n = 598) groups based on the incidence of cardio- or cerebrovascular disease. Univariate and multivariate logistic analyses were used to analyze the factors associated with cardio-cerebral small-vessel disease in the elderly patients with T2DM. The predictive value of Hcy combined with the Framingham score for cardio- and cerebrovascular diseases in elderly patients with T2DM was determined using receiver operating characteristic curves. Univariate analysis showed that the occurrence group had significantly higher Framingham score, systolic blood pressure (SBP), total cholesterol (TC), fasting blood glucose (FBG), 2-hour postprandial plasma glucose, Hcy, glycated hemoglobin, smoking history, and disease duration than the control group (all P < .05). Food preferences, sleep duration, physical exercise, high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were significantly lower in the occurrence group than in the control group (all P < .05). Multivariate logistic analysis showed that smoking history, duration of diabetes, Framingham score, SBP, TC, FBG, HDL-C, 2h postprandial plasma glucose, and Hcy levels were risk factors for cardio- and cerebrovascular disease in elderly patients with T2DM. The area under the curve for Hcy and Framingham scores was 0.741 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.635-1.871) and 0.717 (95% CI: 0.601-0.856), respectively. Hcy combined with the Framingham score demonstrated a significantly higher predictive value (0.852, 95% CI: 0.741-0.979). Long smoking history, long diabetes duration, high Framingham score, high SBP, high TC, high FBG, low HDL-C, and high Hcy levels are risk factors for cardio-cerebrovascular disease in elderly patients with T2DM. In addition, Hcy level combined with the Framingham score demonstrated superior predictive power for cardio- and cerebrovascular disease in elderly patients with T2DM.

Transcriptome analysis of flower colour reveals the correlation between SNP and differential expression genes in Phalaenopsis.

BACKGROUND: Phalaenopsis is an important ornamental plant that has great economic value in the world flower market as one of the most popular flower resources. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the flower colour formation of Phalaenopsis at the transcription level, the genes involved in flower color formation were identified from RNA-seq in this study. METHODS: In this study, white and purple petals of Phalaenopsis were collected and analyzed to obtained (1) differential expression genes (DEGs) between white and purple flower color and (2) the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) mutations and DEGs at the transcriptome level. RESULTS: The results indicated that a total of 1,175 DEGs were identified, and 718 and 457 of them were up- and down-regulated genes, respectively. Gene Ontology and pathway enrichment showed that the biosynthesis of the secondary metabolites pathway was key to color formation, and the expression of 12 crucial genes (C4H, CCoAOMT, F3'H, UA3'5'GT, PAL, 4CL, CCR, CAD, CALDH, bglx, SGTase, and E1.11.17) that are involved in the regulation of flower color in Phalaenopsis. CONCLUSION: This study reported the association between the SNP mutations and DEGs for color formation at RNA level, and provides a new insight to further investigate the gene expression and its relationship with genetic variants from RNA-seq data in other species.

Novel INHAT repressor drives glioblastoma growth by promoting ribosomal DNA transcription in glioma stem cells.

BACKGROUND: Cancer cells including cancer stem cells exhibit a higher rate of ribosome biogenesis than normal cells to support rapid cell proliferation in tumors. However, the molecular mechanisms governing the preferential ribosome biogenesis in glioma stem cells (GSCs) remain unclear. In this work, we show that the novel INHAT repressor (NIR) promotes ribosomal DNA (rDNA) transcription to support GSC proliferation and glioblastoma (GBM) growth, suggesting that NIR is a potential therapeutic target for GBM. METHODS: Immunoblotting, immunohistochemical and immunofluorescent analysis were used to determine NIR expression in GSCs and human GBMs. Using shRNA-mediated knockdown, we assessed the role and functional significance of NIR in GSCs and GSC-derived orthotopic GBM xenografts. We further performed mass spectrometry analysis, chromatin immunoprecipitation, and other biochemical assays to define the molecular mechanisms by which NIR promotes GBM progression. RESULTS: Our results show that high expression of NIR predicts poor survival in GBM patients. NIR is enriched in the nucleoli of GSCs in human GBMs. Disrupting NIR markedly suppresses GSC proliferation and tumor growth by inhibiting rDNA transcription and pre-ribosomal RNA synthesis. In mechanistic studies, we find that NIR activates rDNA transcription to promote GSC proliferation by cooperating with Nucleolin (NCL) and Nucleophosmin 1 (NPM1), 2 important nucleolar transcription factors. CONCLUSIONS: Our study uncovers a critical role of NIR-mediated rDNA transcription in the malignant progression of GBM, indicating that targeting this axis may provide a novel therapeutic strategy for GBM.

Comparison of the predictive value of anthropometric indicators for the risk of benign prostatic hyperplasia in southern China.

This study aimed to compare the predictive value of six selected anthropometric indicators for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Males over 50 years of age who underwent health examinations at the Health Management Center of the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University (Changsha, China) from June to December 2020 were enrolled in this study. The characteristic data were collected, including basic anthropometric indices, lipid parameters, six anthropometric indicators, prostate-specific antigen, and total prostate volume. The odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for all anthropometric parameters and BPH were calculated using binary logistic regression. To assess the diagnostic capability of each indicator for BPH and identify the appropriate cutoff values, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and the related areas under the curves (AUCs) were utilized. All six indicators had diagnostic value for BPH (all P ≤ 0.001). The visceral adiposity index (VAI; AUC: 0.797, 95% CI: 0.759-0.834) had the highest AUC and therefore the highest diagnostic value. This was followed by the cardiometabolic index (CMI; AUC: 0.792, 95% CI: 0.753-0.831), lipid accumulation product (LAP; AUC: 0.766, 95% CI: 0.723-0.809), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR; AUC: 0.660, 95% CI: 0.609-0.712), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR; AUC: 0.639, 95% CI: 0.587-0.691), and body mass index (BMI; AUC: 0.592, 95% CI: 0.540-0.643). The sensitivity of CMI was the highest (92.1%), and WHtR had the highest specificity of 94.1%. CMI consistently showed the highest OR in the binary logistic regression analysis. BMI, WHtR, WHR, VAI, CMI, and LAP all influence the occurrence of BPH in middle-aged and older men (all P ≤ 0.001), and CMI is the best predictor of BPH.

Arginine-Glycine-Aspartic Acid-anchored Curcumin-based Nanotherapeutics Inhibit Pyroptosis-induced Cytokine Release Syndrome for In Vivo and In Vitro Sepsis Applications.

AIM: We aimed to design RGD-anchored liposomes encapsulating an antipyroptosis drug that could efficiently target macrophages and relieve the rate of cytokine release syndrome, providing a new strategy for sepsis treatment, especially sepsis-induced acute renal injury. BACKGROUND: Sepsis is a clinical syndrome of life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by host response disorders due to infection. Sepsis has a high incidence and remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide. OBJECTIVE: Macrophage-mediated pyroptosis plays an important role in the occurrence and development of cytokine release syndrome and organ injury caused by sepsis. Curcumin can inhibit inflammasome assembly and slow the progression of pyroptosis by scavenging intracellular reactive oxygen species, but it has poor water solubility and low bioavailability. The emergence of drug-delivery nanosystems has overcome this problem, but there is still a lack of research on how to accurately deliver antipyroptotic drugs to innate immune cells and subsequently hinder pyroptosis. METHODS: We constructed a curcumin-loaded RGD-modified liposome (RGD-lipo/Cur) and demonstrated that RGD-lipo/Cur could effectively target macrophages. RESULTS: In vitro, RGD-lipo/Cur reduced the upregulation of caspase-1, caspase-3, NLRP3, IL-1ß and GSDMD, inhibiting pyroptosis, reducing oxidative stress, and attenuating the proinflammatory cytokine cascade. CONCLUSION: RGD-lipo/Cur was considered to have great potential for sepsis treatment.