Computed tomography radiomics study of invasion and instability of lung adenocarcinoma manifesting as ground glass nodule.

Background: Ground-glass nodule (GGN) is the most common manifestation of lung adenocarcinoma on computed tomography (CT). Clinically, the success rate of preoperative diagnosis of GGN by puncture biopsy and other means is still low. The aim of this study is to investigate the clinical and radiomics characteristics of lung adenocarcinoma presenting as GGN on CT images using radiomics analysis methods, establish a radiomics model, and predict the classification of pathological tissue and instability of GGN type lung adenocarcinoma. Methods: This study retrospectively collected 249 patients with 298 GGN lesions who were pathologically confirmed of having lung adenocarcinoma. The images were imported into the Siemens scientific research prototype software to outline the region of interest and extract the radiomics features. Logistic model A (a radiomics model to identify the infiltration of lung adenocarcinoma manifesting as GGNs) was established using features after the dimensionality reduction process. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of the model on training set and the verification set was drawn, and the area under the curve (AUC) was calculated. Second, a total of 112 lesions were selected from 298 lesions originating from CT images of at least two occasions, and the time between the first CT and the preoperative CT was defined as not less than 90 days. The mass doubling time (MDT) of all lesions was calculated. According to the different MDT diagnostic thresholds instability was predicted. Finally, their AUCs were calculated and compared. Results: There were statistically significant differences in age and lesion location distribution between the "noninvasive" lesion group and the invasive lesion group (P<0.05), but there were no statistically significant differences in sex (P>0.05). Model A had an AUC of 0.89, sensitivity of 0.75, and specificity of 0.86 in the training set and an AUC of 0.87, sensitivity of 0.63, and specificity of 0.90 in the validation set. There was no significant difference statistically in MDT between "noninvasive" lesions and invasive lesions (P>0.05). The AUCs of radiomics models B1, B2 and B3 were 0.89, 0.80, and 0.81, respectively; the sensitivities were 0.71, 0.54, and 0.76, respectively; the specificities were 0.83, 0.77, and 0.60, respectively; and the accuracies were 0.78, 0.65, and 0.69, respectively. Conclusions: There were statistically significant differences in age and location of lesions between the "noninvasive" lesion group and the invasive lesion group. The radiomics model can predict the invasiveness of lung adenocarcinoma manifesting as GGNs. There was no significant difference in MDT between "noninvasive" lesions and invasive lesions. The radiomics model can predict the instability of lung adenocarcinoma manifesting as GGN. When the threshold of MDT was set at 813 days, the model had higher specificity, accuracy, and diagnostic efficiency.

Phosphorus immobilization in sulfide-ferrous oxidation process driven by nitrate reduction during black-odorous sediment remediation.

During remediation of black-odorous sediment, the pathways of phosphorus immobilization require clarification alongside the oxidation of sulfide and ferrous. This study separated the oxidation stages of sulfide and ferrous through controlled sodium nitrate dosing ratios and methods, and analyzed the changes in phosphorus species and immobilization effects throughout these processes. Results showed that iron-bound phosphorus was the primary contributor to the phosphorus immobilization capacity of the sediment, with the increase ranging from 15 % to 56 % and affected the transformation between phosphorus sources or sinks across varying oxidation states. Additionally, the increase in abundance of phosphorus uptake and transport genes and of denitrifying phosphorus accumulation genes in sediment after ferrous oxidation (1 %-18 % and 87 %-164 %, respectively) indicated the potential for biological phosphorus immobilization. These results demonstrated that higher degrees of sediment oxidation correlate with stronger phosphorus immobilization capacities, providing theoretical bases for phosphorus immobilization during the restoration of black-odorous water bodies.

Transcriptomic Analysis of Green Leaf Plants and White-Green Leaf Mutants in Haworthia cooperi var. pilifera.

Haworthia cooperi var. pilifera is a succulent plant with ornamental value. The white-green leaf mutant (wl) showed a significant difference in leaf color from the wild-type plant (WT). In this study, we integrated the transcriptomes of wl and WT plants to screen differentially expressed genes related to leaf color variation. The results of transcriptome analysis showed that 84,163 unigenes were obtained after de novo assembly and the NR database annotated the largest number of unigenes, which accounted for 57.13%, followed by NT (43.02%), GO (39.84%), Swiss-Prot (39.25%), KEGG (36.06%), and COG (24.88%). Our finding showed that 2586 genes were differentially expressed in the two samples, including 1996 down-regulated genes and 590 up-regulated genes. GO analysis predicted that these differentially expressed genes (DEGs) participate in 12 cellular components, 20 biological processes, and 13 molecular function terms and KEGG analysis showed that metabolic pathways, plant-pathogen interaction, glycerophospholipid metabolism, endocytosis, plant hormone signal transduction, and ether lipid metabolism were enriched among all identified pathways. Through functional enrichment analysis of DEGs, we found that they were involved in chloroplast division and the biosynthesis of plant pigments, including chlorophyll, carotenoids, anthocyanin, and transcription factor families, which might be related to the formation mechanism of leaf color. Taken together, these results present insights into the difference in gene expression characteristics in leaves between WT and wl mutants and provide a new insight for breeding colorful leaf phenotypes in succulent plants.

CmDOF18 positively regulates salinity tolerance in Chrysanthemum morifolium by activating the oxidoreductase system.

BACKGROUND: Chrysanthemum, one of the four major cut flowers all over the world, is very sensitive to salinity during cultivation. DNA binding with one finger (DOF) transcription factors play important roles in biological processes in plants. The response mechanism of CmDOF18 from chrysanthemum to salt stress remains unclear. RESULTS: In this study, CmDOF18 was cloned from Chrysanthemum morifolium, and its expression was induced by salinity stress. The gene encodes a 291-amino acid protein with a typical DOF domain. CmDOF18 was localized to the nucleus in onion epidermal cells and showed transcriptional activation in yeast. CmDOF18 transgenic plants were generated to identify the role of this gene in resistance to salinity treatment. Chrysanthemum plants overexpressing CmDOF18 were more resistant to salinity stress than wild-type plants. Under salinity stress, the malondialdehyde content and leaf electrolyte conductivity in CmDOF18-overexpressing transgenic plants were lower than those in wild-type plants, while the proline content, chlorophyll content, superoxide dismutase activity and peroxidase activity were higher than those in wild-type plants. The opposite findings were observed in gene-silenced plants compared with wild-type plants. The gene expression levels of oxidoreductase increased in CmDOF18-overexpressing transgenic plants but decreased in CmDOF18-SRDX gene-silenced transgenic plants. CONCLUSION: In summary, we analyzed the function of CmDOF18 from chrysanthemum, which may regulate salinity stress in plants, possibly due to its role in the regulation of oxidoreductase.

Piped-slow-release calcium nitrate dosing: A new approach to in-situ sediment odor control in rural areas.

Calcium nitrate addition is economically viable and highly efficient for the in-situ treatment of contaminated sediment and enhancement of surface water quality, particularly in rural areas. However, conventional nitrate addition technologies have disadvantages such as excessive nitrate release, sharp ammonium increase, and weakened sulfide oxidation efficiency owing to rapid nitrate injection into the sediment. To resolve these defects, we propose a piped-slow-release (PSR) calcium nitrate dosing method and investigate its treatment efficiency and underlying mechanisms. The results illustrated that PSR dosing had a longer half-life (t1/2 = 5.08 days) and a lower maximum apparent nitrate escape rate of 1.28 % than conventional nitrate injection and other dosing methods. In addition, the PSR managed the inorganic nitrogen release into the overlying water, and after the treatment, the nitrate, ammonium, and nitrite concentrations of 0 mg/L, 8.60 mg/L, and 0 mg/L on day 28 were close to those of the control group (0 mg/L, 8.76 mg/L, and 0 mg/L, respectively). Moreover, the PSR method maintained a moderate nitrate concentration of approximately 3000 mg/L in sediment interstitial water by its controlled-release design, thus greatly enhancing the sulfide oxidation efficiency by relieving the inhibitory effects of high nitrate concentrations, with 83.0 % sulfide being eradicated within 5 days. Sulfide-ferrous nitrate reduction (denitrification and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium) genera (e.g., Sulfurimonas, Thiobacillus, and Thioalkalispira) were successively enhanced and dominated the microbial community, and the related functional genes displayed high relative abundances. These results imply that the PSR dosing method for calcium nitrate, characterized by flexible operation, high efficiency, low cost, and controllable processes, is appropriate for remediating black-odorous sediment in rural areas.

Practice guideline on ovarian tissue cryopreservation and transplantation in the prevention and treatment of iatrogenic premature ovarian insufficiency.

Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) refers to the decline of ovarian function before the age of 40. POI causes a reduction in or loss of female fertility, accompanied by different degrees of menopausal symptoms, which increases the risk of chronic diseases related to early menopause and seriously affects patients' quality of life and health. It is conservatively estimated that at least one million prepubertal girls and women of reproductive age in China are at risk of iatrogenic POI caused by radiotherapy and chemotherapy every year. With the development of medical technology and the breakthrough of scientific and technological advances, preventing and treating iatrogenic POI have become possible. International and national guidelines consider cryopreserved ovarian tissue transplantation to be the most promising method of preserving the ovarian function and fertility of prepubertal girls and women of reproductive age who cannot delay radiotherapy and chemotherapy. In order to guide the clinical application of ovarian tissue cryopreservation and transplantation technology in China, the Guideline Working Group finally included 14 scientific questions and 18 recommendations through a questionnaire survey, field investigation, and consultation of a large number of Chinese and English literature databases in order to provide a reference for colleagues in clinical practice.

Observation of Emergent Superconductivity in the Topological Insulator Ta2Pd3Te5 via Pressure Manipulation.

Topological insulators offer significant potential to revolutionize diverse fields driven by nontrivial manifestations of their topological electronic band structures. However, the realization of superior integration between exotic topological states and superconductivity for practical applications remains a challenge, necessitating a profound understanding of intricate mechanisms. Here, we report experimental observations for a novel superconducting phase in the pressurized second-order topological insulator candidate Ta2Pd3Te5, and the high-pressure phase maintains its original ambient pressure lattice symmetry up to 45 GPa. Our in situ high-pressure synchrotron X-ray diffraction, electrical transport, infrared reflectance, and Raman spectroscopy measurements, in combination with rigorous theoretical calculations, provide compelling evidence for the association between the superconducting behavior and the densified phase. The electronic state change around 20 GPa was found to modify the topology of the Fermi surface directly, which synergistically fosters the emergence of robust superconductivity. In-depth comprehension of the fascinating properties exhibited by the compressed Ta2Pd3Te5 phase is achieved, highlighting the extraordinary potential of topological insulators for exploring and investigating high-performance electronic advanced devices under extreme conditions.

The relationship between social frailty and loneliness in community-dwelling older adults: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Social frailty (SF) is associated with multiple adverse health outcomes, yet there has been an inadequate focus on social frailty. The convoy model portrays the social networks through the perspective of the life course, thus providing a framework to explain the occurrence of social frailty. This study aimd to figure out the prevalence of social frailty and loneliness among community-dwelling older adults and to explore their correlations based on convoy model. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study, and 295 older adults from 10 communities of Zhengzhou in Henan Province participated in the study. Social frailty and loneliness were assessed separately with the Social Frailty Scale and University of California at Los Angeles-Loneliness Scale. The scores of social frailty of the older adults in different characteristic communities were compared by independent sample t-test and single factor analysis of variance. The influencing factors of social frailty were analysed by multiple stepwise linear regression and the structural equation model. The correlation between social frailty and loneliness was analysed by Pearson correlation analysis. RESULTS: The total scores of social frailty and loneliness of the older adults in the community were (2.09 ± 1.53) and (43.19 ± 8.91), respectively. There was a moderate positive correlation between social frailty and loneliness (r = 0.621, P < 0.01). The results of multiple stepwise linear regression analysis showed that age, living styles, balance of payments, and loneliness were the main influencing factors of the social frailty of older adults in the community (F = 27.180, P < 0.001). The structural equation model of social frailty fitted well (χ2 = 47.292, df = 26, χ2/df = 1.819, P = 0.007; RMSEA = 0.053, 95%CI (0.028, 0.076), P = 0.359; GFI = 0.971; AGFI = 0.939; NFI = 0.904; IFI = 0.955; TLI = 0.918; CFI = 0.953; SRMR = 0.0466). CONCLUSIONS: The convoy model had certain applicability in explanation of the relationship between loneliness and social frailty among older adults in community. The incidence of social frailty among the older adults in the community was high, and loneliness was at a medium level. It is necessary to strengthen the intervention of social frailty and loneliness of the older adults in the community, improve the quality of life of the older adults, and promote the development of healthy aging.

The influence of Chinese culture and customs on the beliefs and health-related behaviours of Chinese women with gestational diabetes mellitus: A qualitative study.

OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to explore the influence of Chinese culture and customs on the beliefs and health-related behaviours of Chinese women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). METHODS: This descriptive qualitative study conducted semi-structured interviews with 15 Chinese women between November 2022 and January 2023. The interview data were analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Three major themes are found: (1) beliefs in health, (2) beliefs in illness and GDM and (3) beliefs in health-related behaviours. They worried about the negative effects of GDM on the infant and family, so they actively sought medical advice to maintain health. However, it is challenging for them to balance adhering to healthcare professionals' advice and avoiding practical difficulties in the impact of the Chinese sociocultural context. CONCLUSION: This study emphasizes the influence of Chinese culture and customs on the beliefs and health-related behaviours of women with GDM. Healthcare providers should recognize the influence of Chinese culture, customs and beliefs on women with GDM and their families, in order to provide individualized education to help them maintain health-related behaviours.

Relationships between the coronary fat attenuation index for patients with heart-related disease measured automatically on coronary computed tomography angiography and coronary adverse events and degree of coronary stenosis.

Background: Pericoronary artery coronary tissue (PACT) is a type of epicardial fat that can reflect the state of the coronary artery (inflammation, etc.). However, it cannot be reasonably and efficiently utilized in routine computed tomography (CT) examination. The aim of this study was to use artificial intelligence (AI) software to analyze coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) and measure the coronary perivascular fat attenuation index (FAI) of patients. The relationship between FAI and the occurrence of coronary adverse events and the degree of coronary stenosis were further analyzed. Methods: This study involved patients who experienced CCTA in West China Hospital, Sichuan University, from January 2012 to December 2012. These patients were followed up to 2020 and classified according to the occurrence of coronary adverse events and the degree of stenosis of the lumen. For all patients, AI software was used to analyze the CCTA images of patients, and the FAI of 3 coronary arteries, the left anterior descending artery (LAD), the left circumflex artery (LCX), and the right coronary artery (RCA), was measured. Moreover, the relationship between FAI and patients with different degrees of coronary stenosis and adverse coronary events was determined. Results: Comparisons between any 2 groups showed that the differences in the FAI among the 4 groups for the LAD were significant (all P values <0.05). There were no significant differences between the group with less-than-moderate stenosis (Mb) without adverse events and the group with moderate-or-above stenosis (M) with no adverse events for the LCX (P>0.05). For the remaining groups, FAI values exhibited statistically significant differences (P<0.05). According to the degree of lumen stenosis, the patients were divided into groups according to LAD, LCX, and RCA and the sum of the 3 vessels. There were significant differences in coronary FAI among the groups with different degrees of lumen stenosis for the sum of the 3 vessels, the LAD, and the LCX (P<0.05). Conclusions: FAI can reflect the state of the coronary artery, which is related to inflammation of the coronary lumen. Moreover, there is a relationship between FAI and the degree of stenosis in the coronary lumen: the narrower the coronary lumen is, the higher the FAI around the lumen.

SAMD1 attenuates antiphospholipid syndrome-induced pregnancy complications.

OBJECTIVE: This study was intended to investigate the effect of SAMD1 on antiphospholipid syndrome (APS)-induced pregnancy complications in mice. METHODS: The mRNA and protein expression of SAMD1 in APS patients and healthy controls was detected by qRT-PCR and western blot. Anti-B2 GPI and ACA levels were tested by ELISA, MMP-9, iNOS, ICAM-1 and MCP-1 mRNA and protein levels determined by qRT-PCR and western blot, cellular senescence detected by ß-galactosidase staining, cell proliferation ability detected by CCK-8 assay, cell viability detected by trypan blue staining, cell mobility detected by Transwell, and cell angiogenesis ability detected by matrigel tube formation assay. An APS pregnant mouse model was constructed, and the embryo absorption rate was calculated. RESULTS: SAMD1 expression was low in serum of APS patients, which was correlated with the history of thrombosis and the number of adverse pregnancies. Anti-B2 GPI and ACA levels were increased in APS. The expressions of MMP-9, iNOS, ICAM-1, and MCP-1 were also significantly upregulated in HUVECs treated with APS serum. APS promoted HUVEC senescence and inhibited cell proliferation, migration and angiogenesis. Overexpression of SAMD1 reversed the above results. Experiments on the APS pregnant mouse model confirmed that overexpression of SAMD1 reduced the rate of fetal loss. CONCLUSION: SAMD1 may reduce APS-induced embryo loss by regulating cellular senescence, proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis.

Hypoxia-induced m6A demethylase ALKBH5 promotes ovarian cancer tumorigenicity by decreasing methylation of the lncRNA RMRP.

Ovarian cancer is one of the most lethal and drug-resistant gynecological diseases. Among the various post-transcriptional RNA modifications, N6-methyladenosine (m6A) has been implicated in several malignancies, including breast cancer. Recently, the biological significance of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) methylation has garnered significant attention. The N6-methyladenosine (m6A) demethylase ALKBH5 (Alkylation Repair Homolog Protein 5) has been shown to promote ovarian cancer development by reducing the methylation of the lncRNA RMRP. In this study, we found that a hypoxic microenvironment induces an increase in ALKBH5 expression in ovarian cancer. Both in vitro and in vivo investigations demonstrated that ALKBH5, which is overexpressed in human ovarian cancer, promotes carcinogenesis. Furthermore, using bioinformatics analysis, we predicted interactions between ALKBH5 and lncRNAs, confirming RMRP as a potential binding lncRNA for ALKBH5. ALKBH5 was found to upregulate RMRP expression via demethylation. Knockdown of RMRP in ovarian cancer cell lines led to a decrease in cell growth and migration. Additionally, we demonstrated that the inhibition of ovarian cancer by ALKBH5 knockdown is partially mediated by RMRP suppression. In conclusion, our findings reveal a novel mechanism in which ALKBH5 promotes ovarian cancer by demethylating the lncRNA RMRP, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic target for the disease.

Comparative Transcriptomic and Metabolomic Analyses of Differences in Trunk Spiral Grain in Pinus yunnanensis.

Having a spiral grain is considered to be one of the most important wood properties influencing wood quality. Here, transcriptome profiles and metabolome data were analyzed in the straight grain and twist grain of Pinus yunnanensis. A total of 6644 differential expression genes were found between the straight type and the twist type. A total of 126 differentially accumulated metabolites were detected. There were 24 common differential pathways identified from the transcriptome and metabolome, and these pathways were mainly annotated in ABC transporters, arginine and proline metabolism, flavonoid biosynthesis, isoquinoline alkaloid biosynthesis, linoleic acid metabolism, phenylpropanoid, tryptophan metabolism, etc. A weighted gene coexpression network analysis showed that the lightblue4 module was significantly correlated with 2'-deoxyuridine and that transcription factors (basic leucine zipper (bZIP), homeodomain leucine zipper (HD-ZIP), basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH), p-coumarate 3-hydroxylase (C3H), and N-acetylcysteine (NAC)) play important roles in regulating 2'-deoxyuridine, which may be involved in the formation of spiral grains. Meanwhile, the signal transduction of hormones may be related to spiral grain, as previously reported. ARF7 and MKK4_5, as indoleacetic acid (IAA)- and ethylene (ET)-related receptors, may explain the contribution of plant hormones in spiral grain. This study provided useful information on spiral grain in P. yunnanensis by transcriptome and metabolome analyses and could lay the foundation for future molecular breeding.

Immune-Ageing Evaluation of Peripheral T and NK Lymphocyte Subsets in Chinese Healthy Adults.

Ageing is often accompanied with a decline in immune system function, resulting in immune ageing. Numerous studies have focussed on the changes in different lymphocyte subsets in diseases and immunosenescence. The change in immune phenotype is a key indication of the diseased or healthy status. However, the changes in lymphocyte number and phenotype brought about by ageing have not been comprehensively analysed. Here, we analysed T and natural killer (NK) cell subsets, the phenotype and cell differentiation states in 43,096 healthy individuals, aged 20-88 years, without known diseases. Thirty-six immune parameters were analysed and the reference ranges of these subsets were established in different age groups divided into 5-year intervals. The data were subjected to random forest machine learning for immune-ageing modelling and confirmed using the neural network analysis. Our initial analysis and machine modelling prediction showed that naïve T cells decreased with ageing, whereas central memory T cells (Tcm) and effector memory T cells (Tem) increased cluster of differentiation (CD) 28-associated T cells. This is the largest study to investigate the correlation between age and immune cell function in a Chinese population, and provides insightful differences, suggesting that healthy adults might be considerably influenced by age and sex. The age of a person's immune system might be different from their chronological age. Our immune-ageing modelling study is one of the largest studies to provide insights into 'immune-age' rather than 'biological-age'. Through machine learning, we identified immune factors influencing the most through ageing and built a model for immune-ageing prediction. Our research not only reveals the impact of age on immune parameter differences within the Chinese population, but also provides new insights for monitoring and preventing some diseases in clinical practice. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s43657-023-00106-0.

The Association of Coronary Fat Attenuation Index Quantified by Automated Software on Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography with Adverse Events in Patients with Less than Moderate Coronary Artery Stenosis.

OBJECTIVE: This study analyzed the relationship between the coronary FAI on CCTA and coronary adverse events in patients with moderate coronary artery disease based on machine learning. METHODS: A total of 172 patients with coronary artery disease with moderate or lower coronary artery stenosis were included. According to whether the patients had coronary adverse events, the patients were divided into an adverse group and a non-adverse group. The coronary FAI of patients was quantified via machine learning, and significant differences between the two groups were analyzed via t-test. RESULTS: The age difference between the two groups was statistically significant (p < 0.001). The group that had adverse reactions was older, and there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of sex and smoking status. There was no statistical significance in the blood biochemical indexes between the two groups (p > 0.05). There was a significant difference in the FAIs between the two groups (p < 0.05), with the FAI of the defective group being greater than that of the nonperforming group. Taking the age of patients as a covariate, an analysis of covariance showed that after excluding the influence of age, the FAIs between the two groups were still significantly different (p < 0.001).

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of a warm season ornamental grass, Cenchrus alopecuroides Thunb. 1794 (Poaceae).

Cenchrus alopecuroides Thunb. 1794 is a warm-season ornamental grass with glossy foliage and showy inflorescence, which is widely distributed from eastern Asia to Australia. Although this species is of great economic importance, little genomic sequence data are available. Here, we report the complete chloroplast genome sequence of C. alopecuroides, which provides valuable plastid genomic resources for further studies on this ornamental grass. The chloroplast genome of C. alopecuroides was 138,053 bp in length and exhibited a typical quadripartite structure, which comprised a pair of inverted repeat regions (22,331 bp) separated by a large (81,177 bp) and a small single copy (12,214 bp) region. In total, 110 unique genes were annotated in the chloroplast genome, containing 76 protein-coding genes, 30 transfer RNAs and four ribosomal RNAs. The overall GC content of the chloroplast genome was 38.6%. Phylogenetic analysis based on 11 whole-chloroplast genome sequences of Cenchrus species suggested that C. alopecuroides and C. compressus were sisters to each other and joint sisters to C. clandestinus.

The effect of cerebral blood perfusion on the correlation between cerebral stroke onset time and synthetic T2 mapping: a pilot study.

Background: In patients with acute stroke with an unknown onset time, the T2 relaxation time (qT2) in the region of diffusion restriction is associated with the time from symptom onset. We hypothesized that cerebral blood flow (CBF) status assessed using arterial spin labeling magnetic resonance (MR) imaging would influence the association between qT2 and stroke onset time. The purpose of this study was to preliminarily investigate the effects of diffusion-weighted imaging-T2-weighted fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (DWI-T2-FLAIR) mismatch and T2 mapping value changes on the accuracy of stroke onset time in patients with different CBF perfusion statuses. Methods: A total of 94 patients with acute ischemic stroke (symptom onset time ≤24 h) admitted to the Liaoning Thrombus Treatment Center of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Liaoning, China, were enrolled in this cross-sectional retrospective study. MR image compilation (MAGiC), DWI, 3-dimensional (3D) pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling perfusion (pcASL), and T2-FLAIR images were acquired. The T2 map was directly generated from MAGiC. The CBF map was assessed using 3D pcASL. Patients were divided into the good CBF group (CBF >25 mL/100 g/min) and the poor CBF group (CBF ≤25 mL/100 g/min). The T2 relaxation time (qT2), T2 relaxation time ratio (qT2 ratio), and T2-FLAIR signal intensity ratio (T2-FLAIR ratio) between the ischemic and nonischemic region of the contralateral side were calculated. The correlations between the qT2, qT2 ratio, T2-FLAIR ratio, and stroke onset time were statistically analyzed in the different CBF groups. Results: In DWI-restricted areas, the time from symptom onset correlated with the qT2 and T2-FLAIR ratio. We identified an interaction between this association and CBF status. In the poor CBF group, stroke onset time most significantly correlated with the qT2 ratio (r=0.493; P<0.001), followed by the qT2 (r=0.409; P=0.001) and the T2-FLAIR ratio (r=0.385; P=0.003). In the total patient group, the stroke onset time moderately correlated with the qT2 ratio (r=0.438; P<0.001) but weakly correlated with the qT2 (r=0.314; P=0.002) and the T2-FLAIR ratio (r=0.352; P=0.001). In the good CBF group, no obvious correlations were found between stroke onset time and all MR quantitative indicators. Conclusions: In patients with reduced cerebral perfusion, the stroke onset time correlated with changes in the T2-FLAIR signal and qT2. The stratified analysis showed that the qT2 ratio had a higher correlation with stroke onset time than with the qT2 and T2-FLAIR ratio.

Comparison of the diversity and structure of the rhizosphere microbial community between the straight and twisted trunk types of Pinus yunnanensis.

Background: Pinus yunnanensis is a major silvicultural species in Southwest China. Currently, large areas of twisted-trunk Pinus yunnanensis stands severely restrict its productivity. Different categories of rhizosphere microbes evolve alongside plants and environments and play an important role in the growth and ecological fitness of their host plant. However, the diversity and structure of the rhizosphere microbial communities between P. yunnanensis with two different trunk types-straight and twisted-remain unclear. Methods: We collected the rhizosphere soil of 5 trees with the straight and 5 trees with the twisted trunk type in each of three sites in Yunnan province. We assessed and compared the diversity and structure of the rhizosphere microbial communities between P. yunnanensis with two different trunk types by Illumina sequencing of 16S rRNA genes and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions. Results: The available phosphorus in soil differed significantly between P. yunnanensis with straight and twisted trunks. Available potassium had a significant effect on fungi. Chloroflexi dominated the rhizosphere soils of the straight trunk type, while Proteobacteria was predominant in the rhizosphere soils of the twisted trunk type. Trunk types significantly explained 6.79% of the variance in bacterial communities. Conclusion: This study revealed the composition and diversity of bacterial and fungal groups in the rhizosphere soil of P. yunnanensis with straight and twisted trunk types, providing proper microbial information for different plant phenotypes.

Inhibition of TLR4 Alleviates Heat Stroke-Induced Cardiomyocyte Injury by Down-Regulating Inflammation and Ferroptosis.

Inflammatory response and cell death play key roles in the mechanism of myocardial cell injury induced by heat stroke (HS) in rats. Ferroptosis is a newly discovered regulatory type of cell death, which is involved in the occurrence and development of various cardiovascular diseases. However, the role of ferroptosis in the mechanism of cardiomyocyte injury caused by HS remains to be clarified. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role and potential mechanism of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) in cardiomyocyte inflammation and ferroptosis under HS conditions at the cellular level. The HS cell model was established by exposing H9C2 cells at 43 °C for 2 h and then recovering at 37 °C for 3 h. The association between HS and ferroptosis was investigated by adding the ferroptosis inhibitor, liproxstatin-1, and the ferroptosis inducer, erastin. The results show that the expressions of ferroptosis-related proteins recombinant solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11) and glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) were decreased, the contents of glutathione (GSH) were decreased, and the contents of malondialdehyde (MDA), reactive oxygen species (ROS), and Fe2+ were increased in H9C2 cells in the HS group. Moreover, the mitochondria of the HS group became smaller and the membrane density increased. These changes were consistent with the effects of erastin on H9C2 cells and were reversed with liproxstatin-1. The addition of TLR4 inhibitor TAK-242 or NF-κB inhibitor PDTC reduced the expressions of NF-κB and p53, increased the expressions of SLC7A11 and GPX4, reduced the contents of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1ß, increased the content of GSH and reduced MDA, ROS, and Fe2+ levels in H9C2 cells under the HS condition. TAK-242 may improve the mitochondrial shrinkage and membrane density of H9C2 cells induced by HS. In conclusion, this study illustrated that inhibition of the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway can regulate the inflammatory response and ferroptosis induced by HS, which provides new information and a theoretical basis for the basic research and clinical treatment of cardiovascular injuries caused by HS.

Sarcopenia as a risk factor of progression-free survival in patients with metastases: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Metastasis of cancer causes more than 90% of cancer deaths and is severely damaging to human health. In recent years, several studies have linked sarcopenia to shorter survival in patients with metastatic cancer. Several predictive models exist to predict mortality in patients with metastatic cancer, but have reported limited accuracy. METHODS: We systematically searched Medline, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library for articles published on or before October 14, 2022. Pooled Hazard Ratio (HR) estimates with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using a random effects model. The primary outcome was an increased risk of death or tumor progression in patients with metastatic cancer, which is expressed as progression-free survival (PFS). In addition, we performed subgroup analyses and leave-one-out sensitivity analyses to explore the main sources of heterogeneity and the stability of the results. RESULTS: Sixteen retrospective cohort studies with 1,675 patients were included in the 888 papers screened. The results showed that sarcopenia was associated with lower progression-free survival (HR = 1.56, 95% CI = 1.19-2.03, I2 = 76.3%, P < 0.001). This result was further confirmed by trim-and-fill procedures and leave-one-out sensitivity analysis. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that sarcopenia may be a risk factor for reduced progression-free survival in patients with metastatic cancer. Further studies are still needed to explain the reason for this high heterogeneity in outcome. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CRD42022325910.