Smoking-related dysregulation of plasma circulating microRNAs: the Rotterdam study.

BACKGROUND: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression. Differential miRNA expression, which is widely shown to be associated with the pathogenesis of various diseases, can be influenced by lifestyle factors, including smoking. This study aimed to investigate the plasma miRNA signature of smoking habits, the potential effect of smoking cessation on miRNA levels, and relate the findings with lung cancer incidence. RESULTS: A targeted RNA-sequencing approach measured plasma miRNA levels in 2686 participants from the population-based Rotterdam study cohort. The association between cigarette smoking (current versus never) and 591 well-expressed miRNAs was assessed via adjusted linear regression models, identifying 41 smoking-associated miRNAs that passed the Bonferroni-corrected threshold (P < 0.05/591 = 8.46 × 10-5). Moreover, we found 42 miRNAs with a significant association (P < 8.46 × 10-5) between current (reference group) and former smokers. Then, we used adjusted linear regression models to explore the effect of smoking cessation time on miRNA expression levels. The expression levels of two miRNAs were significantly different within 5 years of cessation (P < 0.05/41 = 1.22 × 10-3) from current smokers, while for cessation time between 5 and 15 years we found 19 miRNAs to be significantly different from current smokers, and finally, 38 miRNAs were significantly different after more than 15 years of cessation time (P < 1.22 × 10-3). These results imply the reversibility of the smoking effect on plasma levels of at least 38 out of the 41 smoking-miRNAs following smoking cessation. Next, we found 8 out of the 41 smoking-related miRNAs to be nominally associated (P < 0.05) with the incidence of lung cancer. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates smoking-related dysregulation of plasma miRNAs, which might have a potential for reversibility when comparing different smoking cessation groups. The identified miRNAs are involved in several cancer-related pathways and include 8 miRNAs associated with lung cancer incidence. Our results may lay the groundwork for further investigation of miRNAs as potential mechanism linking smoking, gene expression and cancer.

Ultrasound assessment of gastric residual volume in patients over 60 years of age undergoing gastroscopy under sedation: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to assess the accuracy of ultrasonographic measurement of the antral cross-sectional area (CSA) in the preprocedural evaluation of gastric contents and volume in fasted patients > 60 yr of age scheduled for gastroscopy under sedation. METHODS: We included n = 81 patients > 60 yr of age and n = 79 younger controls scheduled to undergo elective gastroscopy in a prospective cohort study. A gastric ultrasound examination was performed to measure the antral CSA in both semisitting and right lateral decubitus (RLD) positions. Afterward, patients were graded using the Perlas qualitative grading scale. The actual gastric volume was endoscopically suctioned. Full stomach was defined as gastric volume > 1.5 mL·kg-1 and/or the presence of solid particles. We constructed receiver operating characteristic curves to determine the accuracy of ultrasonographic measurement of RLD CSA to detect a gastric volume > 1.5 mL·kg-1 and calculated the diagnostic test attributes of RLD CSA for the identification of a gastric volume > 1.5 mL·kg-1 RESULTS: The incidence of full stomach was 8/81 (9.8%) in patients > 60 yr of age and 1/79 (1.2%) in young patients (risk difference, 8.6%; 95% CI, 1.3 to 15.8; P = 0.03). The cut-off value of RLD CSA was 10.4 cm2 for the detection of gastric volume > 1.5 mL·kg-1 in patients > 60 yr of age, with a sensitivity of 75%, a specificity of 100%, a positive predictive value of 100%, and a negative predictive value of 98.6%. CONCLUSION: Patients > 60 yr of age scheduled for gastroscopy under sedation had a higher incidence of a full stomach detected with ultrasound compared with a younger cohort, which is potentially associated with a higher aspiration risk. We calculated a cut-off value of RLD CSA for detecting gastric volume in patients > 60 yr of age of approximately 10 cm2, which may help to quickly assess patients at risk of aspiration. TRIAL REGISTRATION: www.chictr.org.cn (ChiCTR2100048994); registered 19 July 2021.

RéSUMé: CONTEXTE: Notre objectif était d'évaluer la précision de la mesure échographique de la section transversale antrale (CSA) dans l'évaluation préprocédurale du contenu et du volume gastriques chez les patient·es à jeun > 60 ans devant bénéficier d'une gastroscopie sous sédation. MéTHODE: Nous avons inclus n = 81 patient·es > 60 ans et n = 79 patient·es témoins plus jeunes devant bénéficier d'une gastroscopie non urgente dans une étude de cohorte prospective. Une échographie gastrique a été réalisée pour mesurer la CSA antrale en position semi-assise et en décubitus latéral droit (DLD). Par la suite, la patientèle a été classée à l'aide de l'échelle de classement qualitatif de Perlas. Le volume gastrique réel était aspiré par endoscopie. Un estomac plein a été défini comme un volume gastrique > 1,5 mL·kg­1 et/ou la présence de particules solides. Nous avons construit des courbes de la fonction d'efficacité du récepteur (courbes ROC) afin de déterminer la précision de la mesure échographique de la CSA en DLD pour détecter un volume gastrique > 1,5 mL·kg­1 et calculé les attributs du test diagnostique de la CSA en DLD pour identifier un volume gastrique > 1,5 mL·kg­1. RéSULTATS: L'incidence d'estomac plein était de 8/81 (9,8 %) chez les patient·es > 60 ans et 1/79 (1,2 %) chez les patient·es jeunes (différence de risque, 8,6 %; IC 95 %, 1,3 à 15,8; P = 0,03). La valeur seuil de la CSA en DLD était de 10,4 cm2 pour la détection d'un volume gastrique > 1,5 mL·kg­1 chez la patientèle > 60 ans, avec une sensibilité de 75 %, une spécificité de 100 %, une valeur prédictive positive de 100 % et une valeur prédictive négative de 98,6 %. CONCLUSION: La patientèle > 60 ans devant bénéficier d'une gastroscopie sous sédation avait une incidence plus élevée d'estomac plein détecté par échographie par rapport à une cohorte plus jeune, ce qui est potentiellement associé à un risque d'aspiration plus élevé. Nous avons calculé une valeur seuil de la CSA en DLD pour détecter le volume gastrique chez les patient·es > 60 ans d'environ 10 cm2, ce qui peut aider à évaluer rapidement les personnes à risque d'aspiration. ENREGISTREMENT DE L'éTUDE: www.chictr.org.cn (ChiCTR2100048994); enregistrée le 19 juillet 2021.

The therapeutic efficacy and safety of intravenous immunoglobulin in dermatomyositis and polymyositis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) in the treatment of dermatomyositis (DM) and polymyositis (PM). METHODS: We searched PubMed, Embase, and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure for relevant studies from July 1919 to May 2021. RESULTS: Seventeen papers pertinent to our questions were found: In a meta-analysis, we found that IVIG significantly improved the level of CK (SMD (STD. Mean Difference) = -0.69; 95%CI -0.93, -0.46; P < 0.0001), Manual Muscle Test (SMD = 1.12; 95%CI 0.77, 1.47; P < 0.00001), Medical Research Council (SMD = 1.59; 95%CI 0.86, 2.33; P < 0.00001), Activities of Daily Living (SMD = 1.07; 95%CI 0.59, 1.56; P < 0.0001). The CK levels in DM and PM were also significantly improved after IVIG (SMD = -0.73; 95%CI -1.12, -0.34; P = 0.0002 and SMD = -3.29; 95%CI -5.82, -0.76; P < 0.0001, respectively). The meta-analysis of three RCTs showed that there was a statistically significant improvement after IVIG (SMD = 0.63; 95%CI 0.22, 1.03; P = 0.002). In a random effects model, pooled muscle power improvement rate was 77% (95% CI: 66.0-87.0%). Meta-analyses of IVIG as first-line therapy showed a significant improvement of the CK level (SMD = -0.71; 95%CI -1.12, -0.30; P = 0.0007). The polled improvement rate of oesophageal disorders was 88% (95% CI: 80.0-95.0%). There was no statistically significant difference in the rate of improvement between the number of courses <2 and ≥2 (0.80% vs. 0.80%, P = 0.9). The proportion of corticosteroid-sparing success reached 81.8%. Adverse reactions following IVIG administration are usually mild and transient. Seven patients developed serious adverse events. CONCLUSION: IVIG seems to be an effective drug for DM/PM, improving muscle strength, CK levels, and oesophageal involvement, and it is well tolerated by patients.

CDCA8 as an independent predictor for a poor prognosis in liver cancer.

BACKGROUND: Human cell division cycle associated 8 (CDCA8) a key regulator of mitosis, has been described as a potential prognostic biomarker for a variety of cancers, such as breast, colon and lung cancers. We aimed to evaluate the potential role of CDCA8 expression in the prognosis of liver cancer by analysing data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). METHODS: The Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used to compare the difference in CDCA8 expression between liver cancer tissues and matched normal tissues. Then, we applied logistic regression and the Wilcoxon rank-sum test to identify the association between CDCA8 expression and clinicopathologic characteristics. Cox regression and the Kaplan-Meier method were used to examine the clinicopathologic features correlated with overall survival (OS) in patients from the TCGA. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed to explore possible mechanisms of CDCA8 according to the TCGA dataset. RESULTS: CDCA8 expression was higher in liver cancer tissues than in matched normal tissues. Logistic regression and the Wilcoxon rank-sum test revealed that the increased level of CDCA8 expression in liver cancer tissues was notably related to T stage (OR = 1.64 for T1/2 vs. T3/4), clinical stage (OR = 1.66 for I/II vs. III/IV), histologic grade (OR = 6.71 for G1 vs. G4) and histological type (OR = 0.24 for cholangiocarcinoma [CHOL] vs. hepatocellular carcinoma [LIHC]) (all P-values < 0.05). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis indicated that high CDCA8 expression was related to a poor prognosis in liver cancer (P = 2.456 × 10-6). Univariate analysis showed that high CDCA8 expression was associated with poor OS in liver cancer patients, with a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.85 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.47-2.32; P = 1.16 × 10-7). Multivariate analysis showed that CDCA8 expression was independently correlated with OS (HR = 1.74; CI: 1.25-12.64; P = 1.27 × 10-5). GSEA revealed that the apoptosis, cell cycle, ErbB, MAPK, mTOR, Notch, p53 and TGF-ß signaling pathways were differentially enriched in the CDCA8 high expression phenotype. CONCLUSIONS: High CDCA8 expression is a potential molecular predictor of a poor prognosis in liver cancer.

Dexmedetomidine-soaked nasal packing can reduce pain and improve sleep quality after nasal endoscopic surgery: a double-blind, randomized, controlled clinical trial.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Bilateral endoscopic nasal surgery is usually associated with pain and sleep disturbance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of dexmedetomidine-soaked nasal packing on analgesia and improvement of sleep quality in patients undergoing this surgery. METHOD: Eighty patients were enrolled and randomly allocated into 4 groups. At the end of surgery, dexmedetomidine-soaked nasal packings were applied to three groups with a dosage of 1 µg kg-1 (D1), 2µg kg-1 (D2), 4 µg kg-1 (D4) and normal saline-soaked nasal packing (NS) was applied to a fourth group. The primary outcome was postoperative pain scores using a visual analog scale (VAS) recorded at six time points: before the surgery (T1); 2 h (T2), 8 h (T3), 24 h (T4), 48 h (T5) after surgery; and at the moment of nasal packing removal (T6). Secondary outcomes were postoperative sleep status evaluated by the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) and subjective sleep quality value (SSQV). Factors affecting sleep, hemodynamic changes, and adverse events were also recorded. RESULTS: Compared with the NS group, dexmedetomidine-soaked nasal packing significantly relieved postoperative pain and improved sleep quality. The effect was similar between D2 and D4, which was greater than in D1. However, D2 was associated with fewer adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: Dexmedetomidine-soaked nasal packing not only offers effective analgesia but also improves postoperative sleep quality in patients undergoing bilateral endoscopic nasal surgery. Taking effect and adverse events into consideration, a dosage of 2µg kg-1 may be optimal. TRIAL REGISTRATION: www.chictr.org.cn/index.aspx (ChiCTR1900025692) Retrospectively registered 5 September 2019.

Five genes as a novel signature for predicting the prognosis of patients with laryngeal cancer.

In this study, we purpose to investigate a novel five-gene signature for predicting the prognosis of patients with laryngeal cancer. The laryngeal cancer datasets were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Both univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis was applied to screening for prognostic differential expressed genes (DEGs), and a novel gene signature was obtained. The performance of this Cox regression model was tested by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and area under the curve (AUC). Further survival analysis for each of the five genes was carried out through the Kaplan-Meier curve and Log-rank test. Totally, 622 DEGs were screened from the TCGA datasets in this study. We construct a five-gene signature through Cox survival analysis. Patients were divided into low- and high-risk groups depending on the median risk score, and a significant difference of the 5-year overall survival was found between these two groups (P < .05). ROC curves verified that this five-gene signature had good performance to predict the prognosis of laryngeal cancer (AUC = 0.862, P < .05). In conclusion, the five-gene signature consist of EMP1, HOXB9, DPY19L2P1, MMP1, and KLHDC7B might be applied as an independent prognosis predictor of laryngeal cancer.

Identification and potential mechanisms of a 4-lncRNA signature that predicts prognosis in patients with laryngeal cancer.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to describe the use of a novel 4-lncRNA signature to predict prognosis in patients with laryngeal cancer and to explore its possible mechanisms. METHODS: We identified lncRNAs that were differentially expressed between 111 tumor tissue samples and 12 matched normal tissue samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas Database (TCGA). We used Cox regression analysis to identify lncRNAs that were correlated with prognosis. A 4-lncRNA signature was developed to predict the prognosis of patients with laryngeal cancer. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and area under the curve (AUC) were used to verify the validity of this Cox regression model, and an independent prognosis analysis was used to confirm that the 4-lncRNA signature was an independent prognostic factor. Furthermore, the function of these lncRNAs was inferred using related gene prediction and Gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis in order to clarify the possible mechanisms underlying their predictive ability. RESULTS: In total, 214 differentially expressed lncRNAs were identified, and a 4-lncRNA signature was constructed using Cox survival analysis. The risk coefficients in the multivariate Cox analysis revealed that LINC02154 and MNX1-AS1 are risk factors for laryngeal cancer, whereas MYHAS and LINC01281 appear to be protective factors. The results of a functional annotation analysis suggested that the mechanisms by which these lncRNAs influence prognosis in laryngeal cancer may involve the extracellular exosome, the Notch signaling pathway, voltage-gated calcium channels, and the Wnt signaling pathway. CONCLUSION: We identified a novel 4-lncRNA signature that can predict the prognosis of patients with laryngeal cancer and that may influence the prognosis of laryngeal cancer by regulating immunity, tumor apoptosis, metastasis, invasion, and other characteristics through the Notch signaling pathway, voltage-gated calcium channels, and the Wnt signaling pathway.

Correction to: ATF5 involved in radioresistance in nasopharyngeal carcinoma by promoting epithelial-to-mesenchymal phenotype transition.

The article ATF5 involved in radioresistance in nasopharyngeal carcinoma by promoting epithelial-to-mesenchymal phenotype transition, written by Yu Shuai, Erxi Fan, Qiuyue Zhong, Guangyong Feng, Qiying Chen, Xiaoxia Gou, Guihai Zhang, was originally published.

ATF5 involved in radioresistance in nasopharyngeal carcinoma by promoting epithelial-to-mesenchymal phenotype transition.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the effects of activating transcription factor-5 (ATF5) on nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cell radioresistance. METHODS: HONE-1 nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells were irradiated by conventional fractionation to generate HONE-1R radiotherapy-resistant cells. Short hairpin RNA (shRNA) expression plasmids targeting the ATF5 gene were constructed and transfected into the HONE-1R cell line. The proliferation assay, colony formation analysis, Transwell Boyden chamber assay and other experimental methods were performed to verify changes in the radiosensitivity and other biological of NPC cells. RESULTS: X-ray irradiation significantly promoted the upregulation of ATF5 protein levels in HONE-1 cells, and the protein expression of ATF5 increased with the dose of X-ray irradiation (p < 0.05). The colony formation rate, cell survival rate and migration ability of HONE-1R cells were significantly higher than those of HONE-1 cells (p < 0.05). Simultaneously, X-ray could also promote the morphology of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in HONE-1 cells, inducing a lower expression level of E-cadherin and a higher expression level of N-cadherin in a dose-dependent manner (p < 0.05). Inhibiting ATF5 significantly reduced the colony formation rate, cell survival rate, migration and invasiveness of HONE-1R cells (p < 0.05). Moreover, sensitizing HONE-1R cells to X-ray irradiation significantly upregulated the expression of E-cadherin and downregulated the expression of N-cadherin in these cells (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: ATF5 may be a potential therapeutic target to improve radiosensitivity in NPC.

Discovery of Novel Bromophenol Hybrids as Potential Anticancer Agents through the Ros-Mediated Apoptotic Pathway: Design, Synthesis and Biological Evaluation.

A series of bromophenol hybrids with N-containing heterocyclic moieties were designed, and their anticancer activities against a panel of five human cancer cell lines (A549, Bel7402, HepG2, HCT116 and Caco2) using MTT assay in vitro were explored. Among them, thirteen compounds (17a, 17b, 18a, 19a, 19b, 20a, 20b, 21a, 21b, 22a, 22b, 23a, and 23b) exhibited significant inhibitory activity against the tested cancer cell lines. The structure-activity relationships (SARs) of bromophenol derivatives were discussed. The promising candidate compound 17a could induce cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase and induce apoptosis in A549 cells, as well as caused DNA fragmentations, morphological changes and ROS generation by the mechanism studies. Furthermore, compound 17a suppression of Bcl-2 levels (decrease in the expression of the anti-apoptotic proteins Bcl-2 and down-regulation in the expression levels of Bcl-2) in A549 cells were observed, along with activation caspase-3 and PARP, which indicated that compound 17a induced A549 cells apoptosis in vitro through the ROS-mediated apoptotic pathway. These results might be useful for bromophenol derivatives to be explored and developed as novel anticancer drugs.

Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of novel bromophenol derivatives incorporating indolin-2-one moiety as potential anticancer agents.

A series of bromophenol derivatives containing indolin-2-one moiety were designed and evaluated that for their anticancer activities against A549, Bel7402, HepG2, HeLa and HCT116 cancer cell lines using MTT assay in vitro. Among them, seven compounds (4g-4i, 5h, 6d, 7a, 7b) showed potent activity against the tested five human cancer cell lines. Wound-healing assay demonstrated that compound 4g can be used as a potent compound for inactivating invasion and metastasis by inhibiting the migration of cancer cells. The structure-activity relationships (SARs) of bromophenol derivatives had been discussed, which were useful for exploring and developing bromophenol derivatives as novel anticancer drugs.

Effect of butorphanol-soaked nasal packing after endoscopic nasal surgery: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to investigate the effect of butorphanol-soaked nasal packing on analgesia and sleep quality in patients undergoing bilateral endoscopic nasal surgery. METHODS: Sixty-six patients were enrolled and randomly allocated into three groups: group B1 (butorphanol 0.03mg/kg), group B2 (butorphanol 0.04mg/kg) and group N (control group). The primary outcome was postoperative pain scores evaluated by a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) at 2h (T1), 8h (T2), 24h (T3) and 48h (T4) after surgery. Secondary outcome was postoperative sleep quality measured using Subjective Sleep Quality Value (SSQV). RESULTS: Postoperative VAS scores of butorphanol groups were significantly lower than the control group at T2, T3 and T4. VAS scores at each time point did not differ between groups B1 and B2. On the first and second nights after surgery, SSQV was higher in butorphanol groups than in the control group. There were no significant differences in SSQV1 and SSQV2 between group B1 and group B2. The incidence of respiratory depression, dizziness, agitation and rescue analgesic use did not show difference among three groups. CONCLUSIONS: Butorphanol-soaked nasal packing can reduce pain and improve sleep quality after bilateral endoscopic nasal surgery without increasing adverse effects. A concentration of 0.03mg/kg may be appropriate for clinical application. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 1B.

Preoperative oral hygiene treatment reduces bacterial transport and colonization during intubation for orthopedic surgery.

PURPOSE: The process of infection by bacteria and viruses involves invasion, establishment, growth, and parasitization. Poor oral hygiene and dysbiosis are significant risk factors for pneumonia. The aim of this study was to evaluate bacterial transport into the trachea during intubation for orthopedic surgery and the impact of oral hygiene treatment. METHODS: The study cohort included 53 patients with fracture who underwent surgical procedures under general anesthesia and were divided into two groups: an oral hygiene treatment (OHT) group (n = 27) and a control group (n = 26). Before intubation, the OHT group underwent preoperative oral hygiene treatment. Microbiological culture was used for detection and counting of bacteria from the oropharynx, trachea, and tip of the endotracheal tube (ETT). RESULTS: Patients in the OHT group had a lower pathogen detection rate and lower degree of bacterial colonization in the oropharynx, trachea, and ETT tip. CONCLUSION: Preoperative oral hygiene treatment is able to reduce bacterial transport and colonization during orthopedic surgery, thus providing an important adjunct to pre-anesthesia care.

Association of blood cell-based inflammatory markers with gut microbiota and cancer incidence in the Rotterdam study.

The immune response-gut microbiota interaction is implicated in various human diseases, including cancer. Identifying the link between the gut microbiota and systemic inflammatory markers and their association with cancer will be important for our understanding of cancer etiology. The current study was performed on 8090 participants from the population-based Rotterdam study. We found a significant association (false discovery rate [FDR] ≤0.05) between lymphocytes and three gut microbial taxa, namely the family Streptococcaceae, genus Streptococcus, and order Lactobacillales. In addition, we identified 95 gut microbial taxa that were associated with inflammatory markers (p < 0.05). Analyzing the cancer data, we observed a significant association between higher systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) levels at baseline (hazard ratio (HR): 1.65 [95% confidence interval (CI); 1.10-2.46, p ≤ 0.05]) and a higher count of lymphocytes (HR: 1.38 [95% CI: 1.15-1.65, p ≤ 0.05]) and granulocytes (HR: 1.69 [95% CI: 1.40-2.03, p ≤ 0.05]) with increased risk of lung cancer after adjusting for age, sex, body mass index (BMI), and study cohort. This association was lost for SII and lymphocytes after additional adjustment for smoking (SII = HR:1.46 [95% CI: 0.96-2.22, p = 0.07] and lymphocytes = HR: 1.19 [95% CI: 0.97-1.46, p = 0.08]). In the stratified analysis, higher count of lymphocyte and granulocytes at baseline were associated with an increased risk of lung cancer in smokers after adjusting for age, sex, BMI, and study cohort (HR: 1.33 [95% CI: 1.09-1.62, p ≤0.05] and HR: 1.57 [95% CI: 1.28-1.92, p ≤0.05], respectively). Our study revealed a positive association between gut microbiota, higher SII levels, and higher lymphocyte and granulocyte counts, with an increased risk of developing lung cancer.

WITHDRAWN: Identification and Validation of Autophagy-related Genes in Sepsis-related Acute Kidney Injury (S-AKI) via Bioinformatics Analysis

Since the authors are not responding to the editor's requests to fulfill the editorial requirement, therefore, the article has been withdrawn from the journal "Combinatorial Chemistry & High Throughput Screening".Bentham Science apologizes to the readers of the journal for any inconvenience this may have caused.The Bentham Editorial Policy on Article Withdrawal can be found at https://benthamscience.com/editorial-policies-main.php. BENTHAM SCIENCE DISCLAIMER: It is a condition of publication that manuscripts submitted to this journal have not been published and will not be simultaneously submitted or published elsewhere. Furthermore, any data, illustration, structure or table that has been published elsewhere must be reported, and copyright permission for reproduction must be obtained. Plagiarism is strictly forbidden, and by submitting the article for publication the authors agree that the publishers have the legal right to take appropriate action against the authors, if plagiarism or fabricated information is discovered. By submitting a manuscript the authors agree that the copyright of their article is transferred to the publishers if and when the article is accepted for publication.

Preparation of Ir-Cu/C nanosheets for the oxygen evolution reaction by room temperature plasma carbonization.

Ir-Cu/C nanosheets with a thickness of about 2 nm were prepared using Ar plasma carbonization and reduction at room temperature. The obtained Ir-Cu/C catalyst, composed of single atom Ir-doped Cu nanoparticles embedded in a carbon framework, exhibits efficient oxygen evolution reaction activity with a low overpotential.

Association between napping and cognitive impairment: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Increasing evidence suggests that napping is associated with cognitive impairment and dementia, but the conclusions are inconsistent. Moreover, the extent of the risk is uncertain. We therefore conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to quantify the connection between napping and cognitive impairment. METHODS: We performed a systematic search of PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library for studies that were published up to June 2023, and assessed associations between napping and cognitive impairment. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated as the effect sizes for all studies. Heterogeneity and potential publication biases were assessed. RESULTS: A total of 4535 papers were retrieved, with 20 reports assessing the relationships between napping and cognitive impairment. Pooled analysis indicated that napping was associated with dementia (OR = 1.14; 95% CI: 1.07-1.21). Importantly, we found that those napping longer than 30, 45, and 60 min/day were 35%, 41%, and 40%, respectively, more likely to have an increased risk of cognitive impairment (30 min: OR = 1.35; 95% CI: 1.24-1.48; 45 min: OR = 1.41; 95% CI: 1.27-1.58; 60 min: OR = 1.40; 95% CI: 1.26-1.56). North America and Europe showed that associations existed between napping and cognitive impairment (North America: OR = 1.15; 95% CI: 1.04-1.27; Europe: OR = 1.13; 95% CI: 1.08-1.18). CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis indicated associations between long napping durations and cognitive impairment or dementia, suggesting that longer napping might be a potential risk factor of adverse cognitive outcomes.

Germplasm resources and genetic improvement of Akebia: A new fruit crop in China.

Akebia species, belonging to Lardizabalaceae, are widespread from subtropical to temperate environments of China, Japan, and Korea. All known Akebia species have medicinal and dietary value and have been widely cultivated as a new fruit crop in many areas of China. However, compared with other crop species, the breeding improvement and commercial cultivation of Akebia remain in their infancy. This review systematically introduces the present germplasm resources, geographical distribution, biological characteristics, interspecific and intraspecific cross compatibility, molecular biology, and breeding progress in Akebia species. Akebia plants are widely distributed in Shanxi, Henan, Sichuan, Chongqing, Hunan, Hubei, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, and Fujian provinces of China, and wild Akebia plants exhibit abundant phenotypic and genetic diversity due to their wide range of geographical distribution and high adaptability in different habitats. Interspecific artificial hybridization experiments have been conducted in our Akebia germplasm resources nursery. The results showed that there was no reproductive isolation between Akebia species, and fertile progeny could be produced. The synthesis of knowledge on these species provides insights for the rational development and utilization of these germplasm resources, and can facilitate the development of new breeding lines or varieties for commercial cultivation or production. Finally, perspectives on Akebia breeding research are discussed and conclusions are provided. This review provided breeders with new insights into Akebia domestication and breeding, and we also proposed five basic steps in the domestication of new fruit crops.

ARID1A Inactivation Increases Expression of circ0008399 and Promotes Cisplatin Resistance in Bladder Cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Cisplatin (CDDP)-based chemotherapy is a first-line, drug regimen for muscle-invasive bladder cancer (BC) and metastatic bladder cancer. Clinically, resistance to CDDP restricts the clinical benefit of some bladder cancer patients. AT-rich interaction domain 1A (ARID1A) gene mutation occurs frequently in bladder cancer; however, the role of CDDP sensitivity in BC has not been studied. METHODS: We established ARID1A knockout BC cell lines using CRISPR/Cas9 technology. IC50 determination, flow cytometry analysis of apoptosis, and tumor xenograft assays were performed to verify changes in the CDDP sensitivity of BC cells losing ARID1A. qRT-PCR, Western blotting, RNA interference, bioinformatic analysis, and ChIP-qPCR analysis were performed to further explore the potential mechanism of ARID1A inactivation in CDDP sensitivity in BC. RESULTS: It was found that ARID1A inactivation was associated with CDDP resistance in BC cells. Mechanically, loss of ARID1A promoted the expression of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4A3 (EIF4A3) through epigenetic regulation. Increased expression of EIF4A3 promoted the expression of hsa_circ_0008399 (circ0008399), a novel circular RNA (circRNA) identified in our previous study, which, to some extent, showed that ARID1A deletion caused CDDP resistance through the inhibitory effect of circ0008399 on the apoptosis of BC cells. Importantly, EIF4A3-IN-2 specifically inhibited the activity of EIF4A3 to reduce circ0008399 production and restored the sensitivity of ARID1A inactivated BC cells to CDDP. CONCLUSION: Our research deepens the understanding of the mechanisms of CDDP resistance in BC and elucidates a potential strategy to improve the efficacy of CDDP in BC patients with ARID1A deletion through combination therapy targeting EIF4A3.

AVE 0991 Suppresses Astrocyte-Mediated Neuroinflammation of Alzheimer's Disease by Enhancing Autophagy.

Purpose: Our previous study has shown that AVE 0991, a nonpeptide analogue of Ang-(1-7), ameliorates cognitive decline and inhibits NLRP3 inflammasome of astrocytes in Alzheimer's disease model mice. Additionally, several studies have suggested that activation of autophagy appears to effectively inhibit the progression of neuroinflammation. However, it is unclear whether AVE 0991 can modulate astrocyte autophagy to suppress neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's disease. Materials and Methods: APP/PS1 mice and Aß-treated primary astrocytes were used as the research objects in vivo and in vitro, respectively. Water maze test was used to evaluate cognitive function of mice, Nissl staining and immunofluorescence staining was used to assess neuronal damage. ELISA kits were used to detect the levels of Ang-(1-7) and Aß in the cortex, and qRT-PCR was used to detect the expression of cortical inflammation-related mediators. The expression of autophagy-related proteins in cortex were detected by Western blot. The upstream molecular responses involved in inflammation inhibition by AVE 0991 were validated by means of using the Mas1 antagonist and autophagy inhibitor. Results: We found that 30 days of intraperitoneal administration of AVE 0991 improved. Aß deposition, neuronal death, and cognitive deficits in APP/PS1 Alzheimer's disease model mice. Moreover, AVE 0991 treatment greatly suppressed astrocyte-mediated inflammation and up-regulated the expression of autophagy. Furthermore, the inhibitory effect of AVE 0991 on the expression of inflammatory factors was reversed by 3-MA, an autophagy inhibitor. Conclusion: These findings suggest that regulation of autophagy is critical for inhibiting astrocyte neuroinflammatory responses and demonstrate a potential neuroprotective mechanism by which AVE 0991 could suppress neuroinflammatory responses by enhancing autophagy.