[Role of reactive oxygen species/silent information regulator 1 in hyperoxia-induced bronchial epithelial cell injury]. / 活性氧簇/æ²‰é»˜ä¿¡æ¯è°ƒèŠ‚å› å­1在高氧致支气管上皮细胞损伤中的作用.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effect of reactive oxygen species (ROS)/silent information regulator 1 (SIRT1) on hyperoxia-induced mitochondrial injury in BEAS-2B cells. METHODS: The experiment was divided into three parts. In the first part, cells were divided into H0, H6, H12, H24, and H48 groups. In the second part, cells were divided into control group, H48 group, H48 hyperoxia+SIRT1 inhibitor group (H48+EX 527 group), and H48 hyperoxia+SIRT1 agonist group (H48+SRT1720 group). In the third part, cells were divided into control group, 48-hour hyperoxia+N-acetylcysteine group (H48+NAC group), and H48 group. The ROS kit was used to measure the level of ROS. Western blot and immunofluorescent staining were used to measure the expression levels of SIRT1 and mitochondria-related proteins. Transmission electron microscopy was used to observe the morphology of mitochondria. RESULTS: Compared with the H0 group, the H6, H12, H24, and H48 groups had a significantly increased fluorescence intensity of ROS (P<0.05), the H48 group had significant reductions in the expression levels of SIRT1 protein and mitochondria-related proteins (P<0.05), and the H24 and H48 groups had a significant reduction in the fluorescence intensity of mitochondria-related proteins (P<0.05). Compared with the H48 group, the H48+SRT1720 group had significant increases in the expression levels of mitochondria-related proteins and the mitochondrial aspect ratio (P<0.05), and the H48+EX 527 group had a significant reduction in the mitochondrial area (P<0.05). Compared with the H48 group, the H48+NAC group had a significantly decreased fluorescence intensity of ROS (P<0.05) and significantly increased levels of SIRT1 protein, mitochondria-related proteins, mitochondrial area, and mitochondrial aspect ratio (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The ROS/SIRT1 axis is involved in hyperoxia-induced mitochondrial injury in BEAS-2B cells.

Self-injury and suicide among people living with HIV/AIDS in China: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of self-injury and suicide is higher than the general population of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). However, the results reported in existing studies are highly variable in China. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to synthesize the currently available high-quality evidence to explore the prevalence and influence factors of self-injury and suicide among PLWHA in China. METHOD: We retrieve literature written in Chinese and English through databases such as PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, SinoMed, CNKI, WanFang Database, and CQVIP from inception to 1 September 2022. Sata 16.0 software was used for analysis. RESULTS: A total of 28 studies were included with a sample size of 1,433,971 and had a satisfactory quality score of ≥ 5. The prevalence among PLWHA in China were 30% for suicidal ideation (SI), 5% for suicide attempt (SA), 8% for suicide plan (SP), 7% for attempted suicide (AS), and 3‰ for completed suicide. High stigma (OR = 2.94, 95%CI: 1.90 - 4.57), depression (OR, 3.17; 95%CI, 2.20 - 4.57), anxiety (OR, 3.06; 95%CI, 2.23 - 4.20), low self-esteem (OR, 3.82, 95%CI, 2.22 - 6.57), high HIV related stress (OR, 2.53; 95%CI, 1.36 - 4.72), and unemployment (OR, 2.50; 95%CI, 1.51 - 4.15) are risk factors for SI; high social support (OR, 0.61; 95%CI, 0.44 - 0.84) and spouse infected with HIV (OR, 0.39; 95%CI, 0.21 - 0.74) are protective factors for SI; depression (OR, 1.62; 95%CI, 1.24 - 2.13), high aggression (OR, 4.66; 95%CI, 2.59 - 8.39), and more negative life events (OR, 2.51; 95%CI, 1.47 - 4.29) are risk factors for AS; high level of education (OR, 1.31; 95%CI, 1.21 - 1.43) is risk factor for CS. CONCLUSION: Figures indicate that approximately one-third of PLWHA had suicidal ideation, and three out of 1,000 completed suicide in China. Positive events are protective factors for self-injury and suicide among PLWHA, while negative events are risk factors. This suggests that psychosocial support and risk assessment should be integrated into the care of PLWHA.

Dietary inflammatory index and its impact on severity and recurrence of Tourette syndrome in children.

BACKGROUND: Tourette syndrome (TS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by the presence of motor and vocal tics, typically beginning in childhood. Despite significant research efforts, the exact pathophysiology of TS remains incompletely understood. Recent studies suggest that inflammation may play a role in the severity and progression of TS, pointing to the potential influence of dietary and lifestyle factors on the condition. Currently, research on the specific connection between dietary inflammatory index (DII) and TS is still in its early stages, requiring additional clinical and epidemiological studies to validate the strength and specific mechanisms of this connection. AIM: To investigate the association between DII and the severity, recurrence, and inflammatory levels of TS in children. METHODS: A total of 207 children diagnosed with TS in the pediatric department of Qingdao Chengyang People's Hospital from January 2022 to January 2023 were selected. They were divided into stable and unstable groups based on follow-up conditions. Before enrollment, general information of the children [age, gender, body mass index (BMI), guardian's education level, DII score, medical history, family history, academic stress, electronic device usage, medication, and disease progression] was assessed, and serum inflammatory levels were measured during follow-up visits. DII scores and Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS) scores were calculated. Furthermore, based on YGTSS scores, the children were classified into mild, moderate, and severe groups. The DII, interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) levels in each group were compared. RESULTS: Follow-up surveys were completed by 207 children and their guardians. Among them, 117 children were in the stable group, and 90 were in the recurrent group. We found no statistically significant differences in age, gender, comorbidities, BMI, and disease duration between the two groups (P > 0.05). However, academic stress, electronic device usage, medication, guardian's education level, and DII scores showed statistically significant differences between the groups (P < 0.05). Multifactorial regression analysis revealed that guardian's anxiety level, DII score, medication, academic stress, and family history were statistically significant factors (P < 0.05) affecting the recurrence of TS in children. Therefore, anxiety level, DII score, medication status, electronic device usage, and academic stress were identified as factors influencing the recurrence of TS in children. Among them, DII score, academic stress, and family history had odds ratios (OR) greater than 1, indicating risk factors, whereas medication status and guardian's education level had OR values less than 1, indicating protective factors. According to the YGTSS scores, children were categorized into mild, moderate, and severe groups. Comparative analysis of DII and inflammatory levels in children with different degrees of tic disorders revealed that the severe group had the highest DII and inflammatory levels, followed by the moderate group, and the mild group had the lowest levels. The trend of TS progression was consistent with the DII results. Receiver operating characteristic curves were plotted to predict disease progression in patients with TS via inflammatory markers. The areas under the curve for IL-6, CRP, and TNF-α were 0.894 (95%CI: 0.817-0.969), 0.793 (95%CI: 0.694-0.893), and 0.728 (95%CI: 0.614-0.843) respectively, with statistically significant differences (P < 0.05). According to the Youden index, the optimal cutoff values were IL-6 = 3.775 ng/L (sensitivity 68.1% and specificity 68.4%), CRP = 6.650 mg/L (sensitivity 60.6% and specificity 68.4%), and TNF-α = 0.666 (sensitivity 60.6% and specificity 71.1%). CONCLUSION: We found a certain correlation between DII and the severity, recurrence, and inflammatory levels of TS in children. Reasonable reduction in the intake of pro-inflammatory foods may be beneficial in reducing the risk of disease progression in children with TS.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of ROSA vs. conventional therapy for intracerebral hemorrhage.

The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the perioperative and short-term results of the Robot of Stereotactic Assistance (ROSA) compared to traditional approaches in individuals with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). We will perform a comprehensive computerized search of PubMed, CNKI, Embase, and Google Scholar to identify relevant literature on ROSA vs. conventional therapy for intracerebral hemorrhage, covering publications from the inception of each database until July 2024. This study will include both English and Chinese language studies. Literature screening will adhere strictly to inclusion and exclusion criteria, focusing on randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and cohort studies. The ROBINS-I tool is utilized for evaluating bias risk in non-RCTs. Analysis of the data from the studies included will be conducted with Review Manager 5.4.1. The final analysis included 7 retrospective cohort studies and 1 randomized controlled study, involving a total of 844 patients. Among these, 433 patients underwent ROSA, while 411 received conventional treatment (conservative treatment, conventional craniotomy, or stereotactic frame-assisted surgery). Compared to conventional therapy, patients treated with ROSA showed improvements in operative time, postoperative rebleeding, postoperative extubation time, and intracranial infection. Nonetheless, there was no notable contrast in mortality or central hyperthermia outcomes between the two treatments. ROSA is a safe and viable option for treating patients with cerebral hemorrhage, showing significant advantages in terms of surgery duration, postoperative rebleeding, time to remove the breathing tube, and intracranial infection compared to conservative treatment, traditional craniotomy, or stereotactic surgery.

Piperidine-based ionic liquid additive with electrostatic shielding and redox activity enabling advanced lithium-oxygen batteries.

Here, we propose a piperidine-based ionic liquid additive. The electrostatic shielding effect of the piperidine cation (PP13+) effectively inhibits the growth of lithium dendrites. Simultaneously, the redox activity of the bromine anion synergistically reduces the overpotential. This approach significantly improves the cycling performance of lithium-oxygen batteries.

Intercalating Architecture for the Design of Charge Density Wave in Metallic MA2Z4 Materials.

We present a novel approach to induce charge density waves (CDWs) in metallic MA2Z4 materials, resembling the behavior observed in transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs). This method leverages the intercalating architecture to maintain the same crystal field and Fermi surface topologies. Our investigation reveals that CDW instability in these materials arises from electron-phonon coupling (EPC) between the d band and longitudinal acoustic (LA) phonons, mirroring TMDC's behavior. By combining α-MA2Z4 with 1H-MX2 materials in a predictive CDW phase diagram using critical EPC constants, we demonstrate the feasibility of extending CDW across material families with comparable crystal fields and reveal the crucial role in CDW instability of the competition between ionic charge transfer and electron correlation. We further uncover a strain-induced Mott transition in ß2-NbGe2N4 monolayer featuring star-of-David patterns. This work highlights the potential of intercalating architecture to engineer CDW materials, expanding our understanding of CDW instability and correlation physics.

Polyphenol (-)-Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG) mitigated kidney injury by regulating metabolic homeostasis and mitochondrial dynamics involvement with Drp1-mediated mitochondrial fission in mice.

The study aimed to examine effects of (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) on energy metabolism and mitochondrial dynamics in mouse model of renal injury caused by doxorubicin (DOX). Here, mice were divided into Control group, EGCG-only treated group, DOX group, and three doses of EGCG plus DOX groups. Our results showed that EGCG behaved beneficial effects against kidney injury via attenuation of pathological changes in kidney tissue, which was confirmed by reducing serum creatinine (SCr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and apoptosis. Subsequently, changes in reactive oxygen species generation, malondialdehyde content, and activities of antioxidant enzymes were considerably ameliorated in EGCG + DOX groups when compared to DOX group. Furthermore, EGCG-evoked renal protection was associated with increases of mitochondrial membrane potential and decreases of mitochondrial fission protein Dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1). Moreover, changing glycolysis into mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation was observed, evidenced by controlling activities of malate dehydrogenase (MDH) and hexokinase (HK) in EGCG + DOX groups when compared to DOX group, indicating that reprogramming energy metabolism was linked to EGCG-induced renal protection in mice. Therefore, EGCG was demonstrated to have a protective effect against kidney injury by reducing oxidative damage, metabolic disorders, and mitochondrial dysfunction, suggesting that EGCG has potential as a feasible strategy to prevent kidney injury.

[Comparison of the effects of using iRoot BP plus and MTA apical barrier surgery in young permanent teeth with chronic apical periodontitis].

PURPOSE: To explore the effect of using iRoot BP plus and MTA apical barrier surgery in young permanent teeth with chronic apical periodontitis. METHODS: A total of 122 patients with chronic periapical periodontitis with open root tips of permanent teeth were randomly divided into experimental group (n=61, 61 teeth) and a control group (n=61, 61 teeth). Patients in the experimental group received iRoot BP plus plus apical barrier surgery, while those in the control group received MTA apical barrier surgery. The old periapical index (O-PAI), apical transmission area, efficacy, treatment times, and inflammatory factor levels of the two groups of patients were compared at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after surgery. SPSS 19.0 software package was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: At 12 months after surgery, the O-PAI ratings of the experimental group and the control group were (1.48±0.36) and (1.71±0.42), respectively, and the apical transmission area was (0.51±0.14) and (1.09±0.31). There was a significant difference in the O-PAI ratings and apical transmission area between the two groups(P＜0.05). At 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months after surgery, the O-PAI scores of patients in both groups gradually decreased (P＜0.05). After 12 months of treatment, the success rates of the experimental group and the control group were 98.36% and 88.52%, respectively, with significant difference between the two groups (P＜0.05). The treatment frequency of patients in the experimental group and the control group was (3.64±0.58) times and (4.72±0.61) times, respectively, with a significant difference between the two groups(P＜0.05). After 3 months of treatment, the serum hs-CRP levels in the experimental group and the control group were (6.89±1.13) mg/L and (7.25±1.40) mg/L, respectively, with a significant difference compared to pre-treatment(P＜0.05). After 3 months of treatment, the serum IL-6 levels in the experimental group and the control group were (82.04±19.62) mg/L and (87.52±20.85) mg/L, respectively, with significant differences compared to pre-treatment (P＜0.05). There was no significant difference in serum IL-6 and hs-CRP levels between the two groups before and after treatment(P＞0.05). CONCLUSIONS: iRoot BP plus apical barrier surgery for the treatment of chronic apical periodontitis with open permanent teeth can reduce the O-PAI index, decrease the number of postoperative visits, and have a higher postoperative success rate.

Microglial heterogeneity in the ischemic stroke mouse brain of both sexes.

BACKGROUND: Ischemic stroke elicits a complex and sustained immune response in the brain. Immunomodulatory treatments have long held promise for improving stroke outcomes, yet none have succeeded in the clinical setting. This lack of success is largely due to our incomplete understanding of how immune cells respond to stroke. The objective of the current study was to dissect the effect of permanent stroke on microglia, the resident immune cells within the brain parenchyma. METHODS: A permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (pMCAO) model was used to induce ischemic stroke in young male and female mice. Microglia were sorted from fluorescence reporter mice after pMCAO or sham surgery and then subjected to single-cell RNA sequencing analysis. Various methods, including flow cytometry, RNA in situ hybridization, immunohistochemistry, whole-brain imaging, and bone marrow transplantation, were also employed to dissect the microglial response to stroke. Stroke outcomes were evaluated by infarct size and behavioral tests. RESULTS: First, we showed the morphologic and spatial changes in microglia after stroke. We then performed single-cell RNA sequencing analysis on microglia isolated from sham and stroke mice of both sexes. The data indicate no major sexual dimorphism in the microglial response to permanent stroke. Notably, we identified seven potential stroke-associated microglial clusters, including four major clusters characterized by a disease-associated microglia-like signature, a highly proliferative state, a macrophage-like profile, and an interferon (IFN) response signature, respectively. Importantly, we provided evidence that the macrophage-like cluster may represent the long-sought stroke-induced microglia subpopulation with increased CD45 expression. Lastly, given that the IFN-responsive subset constitutes the most prominent microglial population in the stroke brain, we used fludarabine to pharmacologically target STAT1 signaling and found that fludarabine treatment improved long-term stroke outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings shed new light on microglia heterogeneity in stroke pathology and underscore the potential of targeting specific microglial populations for effective stroke therapies.

Transcriptomic decoding of regional cortical vulnerability to major depressive disorder.

Previous studies in small samples have identified inconsistent cortical abnormalities in major depressive disorder (MDD). Despite genetic influences on MDD and the brain, it is unclear how genetic risk for MDD is translated into spatially patterned cortical vulnerability. Here, we initially examined voxel-wise differences in cortical function and structure using the largest multi-modal MRI data from 1660 MDD patients and 1341 controls. Combined with the Allen Human Brain Atlas, we then adopted transcription-neuroimaging spatial correlation and the newly developed ensemble-based gene category enrichment analysis to identify gene categories with expression related to cortical changes in MDD. Results showed that patients had relatively circumscribed impairments in local functional properties and broadly distributed disruptions in global functional connectivity, consistently characterized by hyper-function in associative areas and hypo-function in primary regions. Moreover, the local functional alterations were correlated with genes enriched for biological functions related to MDD in general (e.g., endoplasmic reticulum stress, mitogen-activated protein kinase, histone acetylation, and DNA methylation); and the global functional connectivity changes were associated with not only MDD-general, but also brain-relevant genes (e.g., neuron, synapse, axon, glial cell, and neurotransmitters). Our findings may provide important insights into the transcriptomic signatures of regional cortical vulnerability to MDD.

Green fabrication of modified lignin/zeolite/chitosan-based composite membranes for preservation of perishable foods.

Chitosan, as a kind of naturally occurring green and degradable material for the preservation of perishable foods, was investigated in this study with the objective of enhancing its preservation performances. Herein, lignin was modified using the solvent fractionation method (modified lignin, ML, including ML1-ML3), while natural clinoptilolite zeolite was modified using the alkali modification method (modified clinoptilolite zeolite, MCZ, including MCZ1-MCZ5). After optimizing the conditions, it was discovered that incorporating both ML3 and MCZ3 into pure chitosan-based membranes might be conducive to fabricate chitosan-based composite membranes for the preservation of perishable foods. As-prepared composite membranes possessed better visible light transmittance, antioxidant activity, and carbon dioxide/oxygen selectivity, resulting in improved preservation effects on the model perishable foods such as bananas, cherry tomatoes, and cheeses. These findings might indicate promising applications for chitosan-based composite membranes with modified lignin and zeolite in the field of eco-friendly degradable materials for the preservation of perishable foods.

MTCH2 promotes the malignant progression of ovarian cancer through the upregulation of AIMP2 expression levels, mitochondrial dysfunction and by mediating energy metabolism.

Ovarian cancer (OC) is a gynecological malignancy that ranks among the most common female cancers worldwide and notably reduces a patient's quality of life. Mitochondrial carrier homology 2 (MTCH2) is a mitochondrial outer membrane protein that serves a regulatory role in mitochondrial metabolism and cell death. The precise contribution and underlying molecular pathways of MTCH2 in the context of OC development is currently unclear. The present study aimed to investigate the roles of MTCH2 in the energy metabolism, cell proliferation and metastatic potential of OC cells and evaluate the regulatory relationship between MTCH2, aminoacyl transfer RNA synthetase-interacting multifunctional protein 2 (AIMP2) and claudin-3. An analysis of 67 patients with high-grade serous OC demonstrated increased expression levels of MTCH2, AIMP2 and claudin-3 in OC tumor tissue samples compared with in corresponding normal tissues adjacent to OC tissue samples. MTCH2 overexpression was significantly associated with the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage and tumor differentiation of the OC tumor samples. In vitro experiments using the SK-OV-3 OC cell line demonstrated that MTCH2 exerts a regulatory effect on the cell proliferation, invasion and migratory capabilities of these cells. Knockdown of MTCH2 reduced ATP production, induced mitochondrial dysfunction and promoted cytoskeleton remodeling and apoptosis in SK-OV-3 OC cells. In addition, MTCH2 knockdown downregulated the expression levels of both claudin-3 and AIMP2 proteins. Knockdown of AIMP2 inhibited the regulatory effect of MTCH2. Co-immunoprecipitation experiments demonstrated that MTCH2 interacts with AIMP2 and claudin-3. The present study provides novel insights into the treatment of OC metastasis, as MTCH2 was demonstrated to serve roles in the progression of OC cells through the regulation of claudin-3 via AIMP2, which could provide novel insights into the treatment of ovarian cancer metastasis.

Two-dimensional ferromagnetic semiconductor Cr2XP: first-principles calculations and Monte Carlo simulations.

Two-dimensional room-temperature intrinsic ferromagnetic semiconductors have attracted widespread attention due to their applications in spintronic devices. However, it is difficult for the material to have a Curie temperature above room temperature according to the Mermin-Wagner theorem. By using the method of band engineering, we design a new promising two-dimensional room-temperature intrinsic ferromagnetic semiconductor Cr2XP (X = P, As, Sb) with large magnetization. The formation of a semiconducting gap for Cr2XP is discussed in terms of hybridization, occupation and distribution of electronic states and charge transfer. Large magnetic moments of about 6.16-6.37µB originate from the occupation of Cr-d electrons in the crystal field. Competition between Cr-d-Cr-d and Cr-d-X-p-Cr-d exchange interactions leads to the emergence of a ferromagnetic order phase. Furthermore, Curie temperatures, approaching 278 K, 464 K and 1590 K for Cr2P2, Cr2AsP and Cr2SbP, are estimated by employing Monte Carlo simulations based on the Heisenberg model. The magnetic anisotropy energy of Cr2XP is discussed using magnetic second-order perturbation theory. In addition, Cr2XP possesses excellent thermodynamic, dynamical, thermal and mechanical stabilities and can overcome its own gravity to retain its planar structure without the support of the substrate. These above-mentioned advantages will offer some valuable insights into two-dimensional intrinsic ferromagnetic semiconductor Cr2XP in spintronic devices.

Metagenomic analysis unveiled the response of microbial community and antimicrobial resistome in natural water body to duck farm sewage.

Sewages from duck farms are often recognized as a major source of antimicrobial resistance and pathogenic bacteria discharged to natural water bodies, but few studies depicted the dynamic changes in resistome and microbial communities in the rivers under immense exposure of sewage discharge. In this study, we investigated the ecological and environmental risks of duck sewages to the rivers that geographically near to the duck farms with short-distance (< 1km) using 16S rRNA amplicon and metagenomic sequencing. The results showed that a total of 20 ARG types were identified with abundances ranged from 0.61 to 1.33 cpc. Of note, the genes modulate resistances against aminoglycoside, bacitracin and beta-lactam were the most abundant ARGs. Limnohabitans, Fluviibacter and Cyanobium were the top 3 predominant genera in the microbial community. The alpha diversity of overall microbial community decrease while the abundance of pathogen increase during the input of sewage within 200 meters. Sul1 and bacA were the dominant ARGs brought from duck farm sewage. The community variations of ARGs and microbiome were primarily driven by pH and temperature. Total phosphorus was significantly correlated to alpha diversity and top 30 ARGs subtype. Stochastic processes was the dominated microbial assembly pattern and did not be altered by sewage. We also highlighted the ecological risk caused by blaGES which possibly could be mitigated by Cyanobacteria, and the natural water body can purify partial ARGs as well as microbiome from duck farms sewage. These findings expanded our knowledge regarding the ecological risks by wastes from the livestock farm, and underscoring the necessity to monitor ARGs in farm-surrounding water bodies.

Targeting Neuraminidase 4 Attenuates Kidney Fibrosis in Mice.

Despite significant progress in therapy, there remains a lack of substantial evidence regarding the molecular factors that lead to renal fibrosis. Neuraminidase 4 (NEU4), an enzyme that removes sialic acids from glycoconjugates, has an unclear role in chronic progressive fibrosis. Here, this study finds that NEU4 expression is markedly upregulated in mouse fibrotic kidneys induced by folic acid or unilateral ureter obstruction, and this elevation is observed in patients with renal fibrosis. NEU4 knockdown specifically in the kidney attenuates the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, reduces the production of pro-fibrotic cytokines, and decreases cellular senescence in male mice. Conversely, NEU4 overexpression exacerbates the progression of renal fibrosis. Mechanistically, NEU4254-388aa interacts with Yes-associated protein (YAP) at WW2 domain (231-263aa), promoting its nucleus translocation and activation of target genes, thereby contributing to renal fibrosis. 3,5,6,7,8,3',4'-Heptamethoxyflavone, a natural compound, is identified as a novel NEU4 inhibitor, effectively protecting mice from renal fibrosis in a NEU4-dependent manner. Collectively, the findings suggest that NEU4 may represent a promising therapeutic target for kidney fibrosis.

[Characteristics of Water Environment and Its Influencing Factors in Zhari Namco Basin, Xizang].

Zhari Namco is situated in the alpine grassland belt of northwestern Xizang with a fragile ecological environment. As the third-largest lake in Xizang, there has been a long-term lack of research data concerning its basin water environment. In an effort to elucidate the surface water environment characteristics of the basin and the factors influencing them, an extensive investigation was conducted from August 2021 to June 2022, encompassing periods of high flow, low flow, and base flow. Further, the study also involved comprehensive assessments of the water chemistry characteristics and spatial-temporal variation in lake sampling sites of the basin that were not significant by using mathematical statistics, hydrochemical analysis, correlation analysis, and principal component analysis. The findings revealed the following： ① The water in the Zhari Namco Basin exhibited an alkaline nature, with dominant ionic compositions in the lake comprising Na+, SO42-, and Cl-, whereas the rivers were primarily characterized by Ca2+, HCO3-, and SO42-. ② The main pollutants exceeding established standards included sulfates, arsenic, chlorides, and total phosphorus. The study identified significant spatiotemporal variations in water quality. Temporally, the exceedance of sulfates, arsenic, and total phosphorus was most pronounced during high-flow periods, followed by that during low-flow and base flow periods, with chloride levels showing less temporal variation. Spatially, river water quality surpassed that of the lakes, with arsenic, total phosphorus, TDS, sulfate, chloride, K+, and Na+ concentrations in lakes 1 to 2 orders of magnitude higher than those in rivers. Water qualities exceeding the established standard were primarily found in the lake, with less spatial variations within the lake itself. ③ Hydrochemical processes within the basin were found to be primarily influenced by natural phenomena, including evaporation-concentration and rock weathering. Various elements entered the lakes via surface runoff, where they continuously accumulated under the influence of evaporation-concentration processes, ultimately leading to exceedances. ④ Temporal variations in water quality were primarily attributed to increased elemental loss and intensified evaporation during high-flow periods. The spatial discrepancies in water quality were predominantly a consequence of the differing hydrodynamic conditions between flowing water bodies and enclosed water bodies.

The Potential Role of Non-coding RNAs in Regulating Ferroptosis in Cancer: Mechanisms and Application Prospects.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally. Despite some successes, conventional cancer treatments are insufficient to address the growing problem of drug resistance in tumors and to achieve efficient treatment outcomes. Therefore, there is an urgent need to explore new therapeutic options. Ferroptosis, a type of iron- and reactive oxygen species-dependent regulated cell death, has been closely associated with cancer development and progression. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are a class of RNAs that do not code for proteins, and studies have demonstrated their involvement in the regulation of ferroptosis in cancer. This review aims to explore the molecular regulatory mechanisms of ncRNAs involved in ferroptosis in cancer and to emphasize the feasibility of ferroptosis and ncRNAs as novel therapeutic strategies for cancer. We conducted a systematic and extensive literature review using PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and various other sources to identify relevant studies on ferroptosis, ncRNAs, and cancer. A deeper understanding of ferroptosis and ncRNAs could facilitate the development of new cancer treatment strategies.

Prediction of glypican-3 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma using multisequence magnetic resonance imaging-based histology nomograms.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is often associated with the overexpression of multiple proteins and genes. For instance, patients with HCC and a high expression of the glypican-3 (GPC3) gene have a poor prognosis, and noninvasive assessment of GPC3 expression before surgery is helpful for clinical decision-making. Therefore, our primary aim in this study was to develop and validate multisequence magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) radiomics nomograms for predicting the expression of GPC3 in individuals diagnosed with HCC. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 143 patients with HCC, including 123 cases from our hospital and 20 cases from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) or The Cancer Imaging Archive (TCIA) public databases. We used preoperative multisequence MRI images of the patients for the radiomics analysis. We extracted and screened the imaging histologic features using fivefold cross-validation, Pearson correlation coefficient, and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) analysis method. We used logistic regression (LR) to construct a radiomics model, developed nomograms based on the radiomics scores and clinical parameters, and evaluated the predictive performance of the nomograms using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, calibration curves, and decision curves. Results: Our multivariate analysis results revealed that tumor morphology (P=0.015) and microvascular (P=0.007) infiltration could serve as independent predictors of GPC3 expression in patients with HCC. The nomograms integrating multisequence radiomics radiomics score, tumor morphology, and microvascular invasion had an area under the curve (AUC) value of 0.989. This approach was superior to both the radiomics model (AUC 0.979) and the clinical model (AUC 0.793). The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 0.944, 0.800, and 0.913 for the test set, respectively, and the model's calibration curve demonstrated good consistency (Brier score =0.029). The decision curve analysis (DCA) indicated that the nomogram had a higher net clinical benefit for predicting the expression of GPC3. External validation of the model's prediction yielded an AUC value of 0.826. Conclusions: Our study findings highlight the close association of multisequence MRI imaging and radiomic features with GPC3 expression. Incorporating clinical parameters into nomograms can offer valuable preoperative insights into tailoring personalized treatment plans for patients diagnosed with HCC.

Prevalence and molecular characteristics of intestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli isolated from diarrheal pigs in Southern China.

Intestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (InPEC) is one of the most common causes of bacterial diarrhea in farm animals, including profuse neonatal diarrhea and post weaning diarrhea (PWD) in piglets. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of InPEC and associated primary virulence factors among 543 non-duplicate E. coli isolates from diarrheal pigs from 15 swine farms in southern China. Six major virulence genes associated with InPEC were identified among 69 (12.71 %) E. coli isolates and included est (6.62 %), K88 (4.79 %), elt (3.68 %), eae (1.47 %), stx2 (0.92 %) and F18 (0.55 %). Three pathotypes of InPEC were identified including ETEC (8.10 %), EPEC (1.29 %) and STEC/ETEC (0.92 %). In particular, K88 was only found in ETEC from breeding farms, whereas F18 was only present in STEC/ETEC hybrid from finishing farms. Whole genome sequence analysis of 37 E. coli isolates revealed that InPEC strains frequently co-carried multiple antibiotic resistance gene (ARG). est, elt and F18 were also found to co-locate with ARGs on a single IncFIB/IncFII plasmid. InPEC isolates from different pathotypes also possessed different profiles of virulence genes and antimicrobial resistance genes. Population structure analysis demonstrated that InPEC isolates from different pathotypes were highly heterogeneous whereas those of the same pathotype were extremely similar. Plasmid analysis revealed that K88 and/or est/elt were found on pGX18-2-like/pGX203-2-like and pGX203-1-like IncFII plasmids, while F18 and elt/est, as well as diverse ARGs were found to co-locate on IncFII/IncFIB plasmids with a non-typical backbone. Moreover, these key virulence genes were flanked by or adjacent to IS elements. Our findings indicated that both clonal expansion and horizontal spread of epidemic IncFII plasmids contributed to the prevalence of InPEC and the specific virulence genes (F4, F18, elt and est) in the tested swine farms.

Effects of feeding patterns during the first 6 months on weight development of infants ages 0-12 months: a longitudinal study.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of feeding patterns during the first 6 months on weight development of infants ages 0-12 months. Using monitoring data from the Maternal and Child Health Project conducted by the National Center for Women and Children's Health of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention from September 2015 to June 2019, we categorized feeding patterns during the first 6 months as exclusive breastfeeding, formula feeding, or mixed feeding. We calculated weight-for-age Z scores (WAZ) according to the World Health Organization's (WHO) 2006 Child Growth Standard using WHO Anthro version 3.2.2. A multilevel model was used to analyze the effect of feeding patterns during the first 6 months on the WAZ of infants ages 0-12 months in monitoring regions. Length of follow-up (age of infants) was assigned to level 1, and infants was assigned to level 2. Characteristics of infants, mothers, and families and region of the country were adjusted for in the model. The average weight of infants ages 0-12 months in our study (except the birth weights of boys who were formula fed or mixed fed) was greater than the WHO growth standard. After we adjusted for confounding factors, the multilevel model showed that the WAZ of exclusively breastfed and mixed-fed infants were statistically significantly higher than those of formula-fed infants (coefficients = 0.329 and 0.159, respectively; P < 0.05), and there was a negative interaction between feeding patterns and age (both coefficients = - 0.020; P < 0.05). Infants who were exclusively breastfed were heavier than formula-fed infants from birth until 12 months of age. Mixed-fed infants were heavier than formula-fed infants before 8 months, after which the latter overtook the former. Infants' weight development may be influenced by feeding patterns during the first 6 months. Exclusive breastfeeding during the first 6 months may be beneficial for weight development of infants in infancy.