Removing Conjugated Polymers from Aligned Carbon Nanotube Arrays.

Aligned carbon nanotube (A-CNT) with high semiconducting purity and high-density have been considered as one of the most promising active channels for field-effect transistors (FETs), but conjugated polymer dispersant residues on the surface of A-CNT have become the main obstacle for its further development in electronics applications. In this work, a series of removable conjugated polymers (CPs) are designed and synthesized to achieve favorable purification and alignment for CNT arrays with a high density of ≈360 CNTs/µm. Furthermore, a removal process of CPs on the CNT array film is developed. Raman spectra show that the CNTs in array film are almost not damaged after the removal process, and the G/D ratio is as high as 35. The field-effect transistors (FETs) are fabricated with a saturation current density up to 600 µA µm-1 and a current on-off ratio of ≈105, even with a relatively long channel length of ≈3 µm.

Characterizations of gut bacteriome, mycobiome, and virome of healthy individuals living in sea-level and high-altitude areas.

BACKGROUND: The contribution of gut microbiota to human high-altitude adaptation remains inadequately understood. METHODS: Here a comparative analysis of gut microbiota was conducted between healthy individuals living at sea level and high altitude using deep whole-metagenome shotgun sequencing, to investigate the adaptive mechanisms of gut microbiota in plateau inhabitants. RESULTS: The results showed the gut bacteriomes in high-altitude individuals exhibited greater within-sample diversity and significant alterations in both bacterial compositional and functional profiles when compared to those of sea-level individuals, indicating the potential selection of unique bacteria associated with high-altitude environments. The strain-level investigation revealed enrichment of Collinsella aerofaciens and Akkermansia muciniphila in high-altitude populations. The characteristics of gut virome and gut mycobiome were also investigated. Compared to sea-level subjects, high-altitude subjects exhibited a greater diversity in their gut virome, with an increased number of viral operational taxonomic units (vOTUs) and unique annotated genes. Finally, correlation analyses revealed 819 significant correlations between 42 bacterial species and 375 vOTUs, while no significant correlations were observed between bacteria and fungi or between fungi and viruses. CONCLUSION: The findings have significantly contributed to an enhanced comprehension of the mechanisms underlying the high-altitude geographic adaptation of the human gut microbiota.

Genetic analyses identify brain structures related to cognitive impairment associated with elevated blood pressure.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Observational studies have linked elevated blood pressure (BP) to impaired cognitive function. However, the functional and structural changes in the brain that mediate the relationship between BP elevation and cognitive impairment remain unknown. Using observational and genetic data from large consortia, this study aimed to identify brain structures potentially associated with BP values and cognitive function. METHODS AND RESULTS: Data on BP were integrated with 3935 brain magnetic resonance imaging-derived phenotypes (IDPs) and cognitive function defined by fluid intelligence score. Observational analyses were performed in the UK Biobank and a prospective validation cohort. Mendelian randomisation (MR) analyses used genetic data derived from the UK Biobank, International Consortium for Blood Pressure, and COGENT consortium. Mendelian randomisation analysis identified a potentially adverse causal effect of higher systolic BP on cognitive function [-0.044 standard deviation (SD); 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.066, -0.021] with the MR estimate strengthening (-0.087 SD; 95% CI -0.132, -0.042), when further adjusted for diastolic BP. Mendelian randomisation analysis found 242, 168, and 68 IDPs showing significant (false discovery rate P < 0.05) association with systolic BP, diastolic BP, and pulse pressure, respectively. Most of these IDPs were inversely associated with cognitive function in observational analysis in the UK Biobank and showed concordant effects in the validation cohort. Mendelian randomisation analysis identified relationships between cognitive function and the nine of the systolic BP-associated IDPs, including the anterior thalamic radiation, anterior corona radiata, or external capsule. CONCLUSION: Complementary MR and observational analyses identify brain structures associated with BP, which may be responsible for the adverse effects of hypertension on cognitive performance.

An Ultrathin Flexible Programmable Spin Logic Device Based on Spin-Orbit Torque.

Flexible electronic devices have shown increasingly promising value facilitating our daily lives. However, flexible spintronic devices remain in their infancy. Here, this research demonstrates a type of nonvolatile, low power dissipation, and programmable flexible spin logic device, which is based on the spin-orbit torque in polyimide (PI)/Ta/Pt/Co/Pt heterostructures fabricated via capillary-assisted electrochemical delamination. The magnetization switching ratio is shown to be about 50% for the flexible device and does not change after 100 cycles of bending, indicating the device has stable performance. By designing the path of pulse current, five Boolean logic gates AND, NAND, NOT, NOR, and OR can be realized in an integrated two-element device. Moreover, such peeling-off devices can be successfully transferred to almost any substrate, such as paper and human skin, and maintain high performance. The flexible PI/Ta/Pt/Co/Pt spin logic device serves as logic-in-memory architecture and can be used in wearable electronics.

The ratio but not individual of fragile to refractory DOM affects greenhouse gases release in different trophic level lakes.

Inland shallow lakes are recognized as an important source of greenhouse gases (GHGs), and their contribution is expected to increase due to global eutrophication. The generation and release of GHGs involved multiple variables, leading to many uncertain potential factors. This study examined the emission characteristics of GHGs at the water-air interface in 12 shallow lakes categorized into four eutrophic levels in the Yangtze River basin. The average emission rates of CH4, CO2 and N2O were 1.55, 3.43, 18.13 and 30.47 mg m-2 h-1, 4.12, 14.64, 25.11 and 69.84 mg m-2 h-1, and 0.2, 0.25, 0.43 and 0.79 mg m-2 day-1 in the oligotrophic, mesotrophic, eutrophic and hypereutrophic lakes, respectively. There were significant correlations between eutrophic levels and the emission rates of CH4 and CO2 (p < 0.05). Redundancy analysis and Mantel test were conducted to further examine the key factors influencing carbon emissions from eutrophic water. It was found that the presence of algae and nutrients in the overlying water played a crucial role in the release of GHGs, indicating the importance of ecosystem productivity in the carbon budget of the lake. In order to assess the bioavailability of organic matter, a new indicator called R(P/H) was proposed. This indicator represents the ratio of protein and humus-like components, which were obtained through EEMs-PARAFAC modeling. The relationship between R(P/H) and CH4 was found to be exponential (R2 = 0.90). Additionally, R(P/H) showed a linear relationship with CO2 and N2O (R2 = 0.68, R2 = 0.75). Therefore, it is crucial to consider R(P/H) as an important factor in accurately estimating global GHG emission fluxes in the future, especially with advancements in the database.

Instability in a carbon pool driven by multiple dissolved organic matter sources in a eutrophic lake basin: Potential factors for increased greenhouse gas emissions.

Lakes serve as vital reservoirs of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and play pivotal roles in biogeochemical carbon cycles. However, the sources and compositions of DOM in freshwater lakes and their potential effects on lake sediment carbon pools remain unclear. In this study, seven inflowing rivers in the Lake Taihu basin were selected to explore the potential effects of multi-source DOM inputs on the stability of the lake sediment carbon pool. The results showed the high concentrations of dissolved organic carbon in the Lake Taihu basin, accompanied by a high complexity level. Lignins constituted the majority of DOM compounds, surpassing 40% of the total, while the organic carbon content was predominantly composed of humic acids (1.02-3.01 g kg-1). The high amounts of lignin oxidative cleavage led to CHO being the main molecular structure in the DOM of the seven rivers. The carbon constituents within the sediment carbon reservoir exhibited a positive correlation with dissolved CH4 and CO2, with a notable emphasis on humic acid and dissolved CH4 (R2 = 0.86). The elevated concentration of DOM, coupled with its intricate composition, contributed to the increases in dissolved greenhouse gases (GHGs). Experiments showed that the mixing of multi-source DOM can accelerate the organic carbon mineralization processes. The unit carbon emission efficiency was highest in the mixed group, reaching reached 160.9 µmol∙Cg-1, which also exhibited a significantly different carbon pool. The mixed decomposition of DOM from different sources influenced the roles of the lake carbon pool as source and sink, indicating that the multi-source DOM of this lake basin was a potential driving factor for increased carbon emissions. These findings have improved our understanding of the sources and compositions of DOM in lake basins and revealed their impacts on carbon emissions, thereby providing a theoretical basis for improving assessments of lake carbon emissions.

Copy Number Variation Analysis of Aggressive Behaviour in Schizophrenia.

INTRODUCTION: An increased proclivity towards violence is often associated with those diagnosed with schizophrenia (SCZ), despite contradictory findings from prior studies exploring the association between violence and SCZ. Evidence has shown that certain comorbidities, specifically the presence of a substance use disorders, can result in increased aggression in those with SCZ. Copy number variation (CNV) load has also previously been implicated in the genetic vulnerability of individuals with SCZ. For this study, we aimed to determine whether CNV load correlates with increased violence in SCZ. METHODS: Community-dwelling patients diagnosed with SCZ spectrum disorders (n = 203) were recruited from a non-forensic population. The assessment for aggression was completed using a cross-sectional and retrospective design, and CNV analysis was conducted analysing genomic DNA using the Illumina Omni 2.5 array. RESULTS: No correlation between the number of CNV events (either deletion or duplication) and the severity of the physical violence episode index was found. However, there was a significant association between larger deletion events across the violent behaviours under investigation. DISCUSSION: These results need to be confirmed in more extensive studies using standardized tools developed for non-forensic populations, such as the Brown-Goodwin Scale of Aggression.

Manipulating the metal-to-insulator transitions of VO2 by combining compositing and doping strategies.

Vanadium dioxide (VO2) exhibits the most abrupt metal-to-insulator transition (MIT) property near room temperature among the representative 3d-orbital correlated oxides, and its structural variation during the MIT usually results in poor mechanical properties as bulk pellets. Moreover, compositing with highly resistive oxides has been reported to improve the mechanical strength of bulk VO2 since the generation and propagation of microcracks is suppressed upon thermocycling across the MIT; further, their respective impacts on electrical transportation are yet unclear. Herein, we demonstrate the role of these highly resistive oxide composites (e.g., HfO2, CoO and Al2O3) in reducing charge leakage along the microcracks within the insulating phase of VO2, leading to more abrupt MIT properties from the perspective of electrical transportation. This enables the possibility of simultaneously regulating the critical temperature and abrupt MIT transition, as well as the mechanical properties of the VO2 bulk pellets via compositing with oxides with different melting points using spark plasma-assisted reactive sintering (SPARS).

Space-for-time substitution leads to carbon emission overestimation in eutrophic lakes.

Lacustrine eutrophication is generally considered as an important contributor of carbon emissions to the atmosphere; however, there is still a huge challenge in accuracy estimating carbon emissions from lakes. To test the effect of widely used space-for-time substitution on lake carbon emissions, this study monitored different processes of carbon emissions, including the carbon production potential, dissolved carbon concentrations, and carbon release fluxes in eight lakes along the trophic gradients on a spatial scale and the typical eutrophic Lake Taihu for one year on a temporal scale. Eutrophication promoted carbon production potential, dissolved carbon concentrations, and carbon release fluxes, especially for CH4. Trophic lake index (TLI) showed positive correlations with the CH4 production potential, dissolved CH4 concentrations, and CH4 release fluxes, and also positive correlations with the CO2 production potential, dissolved CO2 concentrations, and CO2 release fluxes. The space-for-time substitution led to an overestimation for the influence of eutrophication on carbon emissions, especially the further intensification of lake eutrophication. On the spatial scale, the average CH4 production potential, dissolved CH4 concentrations and CH4 release fluxes in eutrophic lakes were 268.6, 0.96 µmol/L, and 587.6 µmol m-2·h-1, respectively, while they were 215.8, 0.79 µmol/L, and 548.6 µmol m-2·h-1 on the temporal scale. Obviously, CH4 and CO2 emissions on the spatial scale were significantly higher than those on the temporal scale in eutrophic lakes. The primary influencing factors were the seasonal changes in the physicochemical environments of lake water, including dissolved oxygen (DO) and temperature. The CH4 and CO2 release fluxes showed negative correlations with DO, while temperature displayed positive correlations, respectively. These results suggest that the effects of DO and temperature on lake carbon emissions should be considered, which may be ignored during the accurate assessment of lake carbon budget via space-for-time substitution in eutrophic lakes.

In-Wheel Motor Control System for Four-Wheel Drive Electric Vehicle Based on CR-GWO-PID Control.

In order to improve the driving performance of four-wheel drive electric vehicles and realize precise control of their speed, a Chaotic Random Grey Wolf Optimization-based PID in-wheel motor control algorithm is proposed in this paper. Based on an analysis of the structural principles of electric vehicles, mathematical and simulation models for the whole vehicle are established. In order to improve the control performance of the hub motor, the traditional Grey Wolf Optimization algorithm is improved. In particular, an enhanced population initialization strategy integrating sine and cosine random distribution factors into a Kent chaotic map is proposed, the weight factor of the algorithm is improved using a sine-based non-linear decreasing strategy, and the population position is improved using the random proportional movement strategy. These strategies effectively enhance the global optimization ability, convergence speed, and optimization accuracy of the traditional Grey Wolf Optimization algorithm. On this basis, the CR-GWO-PID control algorithm is established. Then, the software and hardware of an in-wheel motor controller are designed and an in-wheel motor bench test system is built. The simulation and bench test results demonstrate the significantly improved response speed and control accuracy of the proposed in-wheel motor control system.

Response of aquatic plant decomposition to invasive algal organic matter mediated by the co-metabolism effect in eutrophic lakes.

The decomposition of aquatic plant residues changes by the invasive algal organic matter in eutrophic lakes, however, the driving mechanisms of these biogeochemistry processes are still far from clear. In this study, a series of microcosms was constructed to simulate the mixed decomposition processes of aquatic plant residues with invasive algae as long as 205 days. Three aquatic plants (Potamogeton malaianus, Nymphoides peltatum, and Phragmites australis) and algae were collected from a typical eutrophic lake. The addition of algae promoted the decomposition of three plant residues based on the mass loss, and the positive co-metabolism effect was produced. The co-metabolism intensity was 8%-25% on the water surface and 19%-45% on the water-sediment interface, respectively. In addition, the response of three aquatic plant residues to the algal organic matter was different with their co-metabolism intensities in the order of P. australis > P. malaianus > N. peltatum on both the water surface and water-sediment interface. The phylum number of bacteria attached to the surface of plant residues increased from 27 to 52. The abundance of Bacteroidetes, which had the function of decomposing refractory organic matter, increased most significantly at the final incubation. At present, shallow lakes are under the double pressure of eutrophication and global warming, and the intensity and duration of algal blooms are increasing. Therefore, the co-metabolism effect of the residue decomposition process described here may change the carbon cycle strength and increase the greenhouse gas emissions of lakes and need to be taken into account in future lake management.

Emission dynamics of greenhouse gases regulated by fluctuation of water level in river-connected wetland.

The application of reservoirs in the upper reaches of rivers will change the hydrological rhythm of river-connected wetlands in the lower reaches, causing changes in the distribution of wetland vegetation. The differences of carbon and nitrogen sequestration and emission potential in different vegetations may lead to the dynamics of greenhouse gas emissions from wetlands during hydrological periods. For a wetland connected to the Yangzi River, China, the dynamic changes of vegetation and water areas were identified by remote sensing, and the water level, the emission fluxes of greenhouse gases and the functional bacteria of carbon and nitrogen in soil were measured in-situ. Compared with drought period, the area of phragmites zone in flooding period increased by 28.2%, while the areas of carex and phalaris zones decreased by 42.9%. The carbon and nitrogen accumulation in the soil of phragmites zone is the highest, while the cumulative amount of phalaris is the lowest. The emission fluxes of CH4 and N2O in mud/water and various vegetations were positively correlated with water level and reached the maximum during flooding period. Although the global warming potential of mud/water was highest than that of vegetations, carex zone had the highest warming potential among vegetation zones. CH4 contributes 8-37 times as much as N2O to global warming potential in the wetland. The increase of flooding time promoted the emissions of CH4 and N2O in the wetland. The anaerobic condition caused by flooding stimulated the activities of denitrifying and methanogenic bacteria, thus increasing the emission of greenhouse gases. The sequestrations and emissions of carbon and nitrogen regulated by a reservoir in the upstream suggest that the operation of water conservancies should be considered to alleviate the greenhouse gas emission from river-connected wetland.

Distribution pattern of dissolved organic matter in pore water of sediments from three typical areas of western Lake Taihu and its environmental implications.

The migration, transformation, and accumulation of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in pore water of sediment cores play a pivotal role in lacustrine carbon cycling. In order to understand the dynamics of DOM in the sediments of large shallow eutrophic lakes, we examined the vertical profiles of DOM and the benthic fluxes of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in sediment cores located in algae accumulated, dredged, and central areas of eutrophic Lake Taihu, China. Optical properties showed the significant influence of terrestrial inputs on the DOM components of pore water in the algae accumulated area but an abundant accumulation of autochthonous DOM in the central area. The benthic fluxes of DOC ranging from -458.2 to -139.4 mg·m-2·d-1 in the algae accumulated area displayed an opposite diffusion direction to the other two areas. The flux ranges of 9.5-31.2 mg·m-2·d-1 in the dredged area and 14.6-48.0 mg·m-2·d-1 in the central area were relatively smaller than those in the previously reported lake ecosystems with low trophic levels. Dredging engineering disturbed the pre-dredging distribution patterns of DOM in sediment cores. The deposition, accumulation, and transformation of massive algae scums in eutrophic lakes probably promoted the humification degree of sediments.

Kidney omics in hypertension: from statistical associations to biological mechanisms and clinical applications.

Hypertension is a major cardiovascular disease risk factor and contributor to premature death globally. Family-based investigations confirmed a significant heritable component of blood pressure (BP), whereas genome-wide association studies revealed >1000 common and rare genetic variants associated with BP and/or hypertension. The kidney is not only an organ of key relevance to BP regulation and the development of hypertension, but it also acts as the tissue mediator of genetic predisposition to hypertension. The identity of kidney genes, pathways, and related mechanisms underlying the genetic associations with BP has started to emerge through integration of genomics with kidney transcriptomics, epigenomics, and other omics as well as through applications of causal inference, such as Mendelian randomization. Single-cell methods further enabled mapping of BP-associated kidney genes to cell types, and in conjunction with other omics, started to illuminate the biological mechanisms underpinning associations of BP-associated genetic variants and kidney genes. Polygenic risk scores derived from genome-wide association studies and refined on kidney omics hold the promise of enhanced diagnostic prediction, whereas kidney omics-informed drug discovery is likely to contribute new therapeutic opportunities for hypertension and hypertension-mediated kidney damage.

Recent advances in simultaneous detection strategies for multi-mycotoxins in foods.

Mycotoxin contamination has become a challenge in the field of food safety testing, given the increasing emphasis on food safety in recent years. Mycotoxins are widely distributed, in heavily polluted areas. Food contamination with these toxins is difficult to prevent and control. Mycotoxins, as are small-molecule toxic metabolites produced by several species belonging to the genera Aspergillus, Fusarium, and Penicillium growing in food. They are considered teratogenic, carcinogenic, and mutagenic to humans and animals. Food systems are often simultaneously contaminated with multiple mycotoxins. Due to the additive or synergistic toxicological effects caused by the co-existence of multiple mycotoxins, their individual detection requires reliable, accurate, and high-throughput techniques. Currently available, methods for the detection of multiple mycotoxins are mainly based on chromatography, spectroscopy (colorimetry, fluorescence, and surface-enhanced Raman scattering), and electrochemistry. This review provides a comprehensive overview of advances in the multiple detection methods of mycotoxins during the recent 5 years. The principles and features of these techniques are described. The practical applications and challenges associated with assays for multiple detection methods of mycotoxins are summarized. The potential for future development and application is discussed in an effort, to provide standards of references for further research.

The capability of Bacillus pseudomycoides from soil to remove Cu(II) in water and prevent it from entering plants.

AIMS: Copper ion is widespread in wastewater and threatens the condition and human health. Micro-organisms have unique advantages to remove heavy-metal ions from water, but are rarely reported in the removal of copper ion. This aims to develop micro-organisms that can remove copper ion in water, characterize their properties and analyse their potential application in practice. METHODS AND RESULTS: Sewage sludge was used as the source to isolate wild bacteria that can remove copper ion in water. The most efficient strain was screened out from 23 obtained isolates, identified as Bacillus pseudomycoides and coded as C6. The properties of C6 in the removal of copper ion in water were investigated in the aspects of reaction conditions, reaction groups, reaction dynamic and the application in oat planting. The reaction at pH 7 within 10 min yielded the highest removal rate of copper ion, 83%. The presence of lead ion in the reaction system could promote the removal rate of copper ion. Carboxyl groups and amidogen of C6 biomass were mainly involved in the removal of copper ion. The removal of copper ion was in accord with single-layer adsorption and Langmuir adsorption isotherm model. In application, C6 biomass reduced the copper content in the oat seedlings grown in copper ion containing water by more than seven times. CONCLUSIONS: B. pseudomycoides C6 can efficiently remove copper ion in water and inhibit it from entering plants. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF STUDY: This is the first time to report the capability of B. pseudomycoides to remove copper ion in water, which is also more efficient than the currently reported chemical and biological methods.

UCHL1 acts as a potential oncogene and affects sensitivity of common anti-tumor drugs in lung adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Lung adenocarcinoma is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Recently, ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCHL1) has been demonstrated to be highly expressed in many tumors and plays the role of an oncogene. However, the functional mechanism of UCHL1 is unclear in lung adenocarcinoma progression. METHODS: We analyzed the differential expression of the UCHL1 gene in lung adenocarcinoma and normal lung tissues, and the correlation between the UCHL1 gene and prognosis was also analyzed by the bioinformatics database TCGA. Meanwhile, we detected and analyzed the expression of UCHL1 and Ki-67 protein in a tissue microarray (TMA) containing 150 patients with lung adenocarcinoma by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and clinicopathological characteristics by TCGA database. In vitro experiments, we knocked down the UCHL1 gene of A549 cells and detected the changes in cell migration, invasion, and apoptosis. At the same time, we analyzed the effect of UCHL1 on anti-tumor drug sensitivity of lung adenocarcinoma by a bioinformatics database. In terms of the detection rate of lung adenocarcinoma indicators, we analyzed the impact of UCHL1 combined with common clinical indicators on the detection rate of lung adenocarcinoma through a bioinformatics database. RESULTS: In this study, the analysis of UCHL1 protein expression in lung adenocarcinoma proved that obviously higher UCHL1 protein level was discovered in lung adenocarcinoma tissues. The expression of UCHL1 was closely related to poor clinical outcomes. Interestingly, a significantly positive correlation between the expression of UCHL1 and Ki-67-indicated UCHL1 was associated with tumor migration and invasion. Through executing loss of function tests, we affirmed that silencing of UCHL1 expression significantly inhibited migration and invasion of lung adenocarcinoma cells in vitro. Furthermore, lung adenocarcinoma cells with silenced UCHL1 showed a higher probability of apoptosis. In terms of the detection rate of lung adenocarcinoma indicators, we discovered UCHL1 could improve the detection rate of clinical lung adenocarcinoma and affect drug sensitivity. CONCLUSION: In lung adenocarcinoma, UCHL1 promotes tumor migration, invasion, and metastasis by inhibiting apoptosis and has an important impact on the clinical drug treatment of lung adenocarcinoma. In addition, UCHL1 can improve the detection rate of clinical lung adenocarcinoma. Above all, UCHL1 may be a new marker for the diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma and provide a new target for the treatment of clinical diseases.

Plasma Proteomics of Renal Function: A Transethnic Meta-Analysis and Mendelian Randomization Study.

BACKGROUND: Studies on the relationship between renal function and the human plasma proteome have identified several potential biomarkers. However, investigations have been conducted largely in European populations, and causality of the associations between plasma proteins and kidney function has never been addressed. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of 993 plasma proteins among 2882 participants in four studies of European and admixed ancestries (KORA, INTERVAL, HUNT, QMDiab) identified transethnic associations between eGFR/CKD and proteomic biomarkers. For the replicated associations, two-sample bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) was used to investigate potential causal relationships. Publicly available datasets and transcriptomic data from independent studies were used to examine the association between gene expression in kidney tissue and eGFR. RESULTS: In total, 57 plasma proteins were associated with eGFR, including one novel protein. Of these, 23 were additionally associated with CKD. The strongest inferred causal effect was the positive effect of eGFR on testican-2, in line with the known biological role of this protein and the expression of its protein-coding gene (SPOCK2) in renal tissue. We also observed suggestive evidence of an effect of melanoma inhibitory activity (MIA), carbonic anhydrase III, and cystatin-M on eGFR. CONCLUSIONS: In a discovery-replication setting, we identified 57 proteins transethnically associated with eGFR. The revealed causal relationships are an important stepping stone in establishing testican-2 as a clinically relevant physiological marker of kidney disease progression, and point to additional proteins warranting further investigation.

Combined application of moist exposed burn ointment and maggot therapy in wound healing.

OBJECTIVE: Hard-to-heal wounds are a global health challenge, and effective treatments are still lacking. Moist exposed burn ointment (MEBO) and maggots are traditional treatments for promoting wound healing. This study was a preliminary exploration of combined maggot therapy and MEBO in the treatment of hard-to-heal wounds. METHOD: A coexistence experiment was conducted to determine the survival rates of maggots in MEBO. The maggots were placed in two different existence conditions: one set in MEBO (MEBO group), and another set as the control group (no MEBO) to compare survival rates. Case reports describe the use of the combined application of MEBO and maggots in the treatment of patients with hard-to-heal wounds. RESULTS: The coexistence experiment indicated that maggots in the MEBO group had a higher survival rate. From the therapeutic effect of the clinical cases (n=7), the combined application was safe and effective, with all the reported wounds eventually healing. CONCLUSION: Based on the findings of this study, we believe the combined application of MEBO and maggots is a promising way of promoting wound healing. Further studies and clinical trials are needed to elucidate the mechanism of the combined application in promoting wound healing and to more persuasively clarify the therapeutic effect.

White Blood Cells and Blood Pressure: A Mendelian Randomization Study.

BACKGROUND: High blood pressure (BP) is a risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. While BP is regulated by the function of kidney, vasculature, and sympathetic nervous system, recent experimental data suggest that immune cells may play a role in hypertension. METHODS: We studied the relationship between major white blood cell types and blood pressure in the UK Biobank population and used Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses using the ≈750 000 UK-Biobank/International Consortium of Blood Pressure-Genome-Wide Association Studies to examine which leukocyte populations may be causally linked to BP. RESULTS: A positive association between quintiles of lymphocyte, monocyte, and neutrophil counts, and increased systolic BP, diastolic BP, and pulse pressure was observed (eg, adjusted systolic BP mean±SE for 1st versus 5th quintile respectively: 140.13±0.08 versus 141.62±0.07 mm Hg for lymphocyte, 139.51±0.08 versus 141.84±0.07 mm Hg for monocyte, and 137.96±0.08 versus 142.71±0.07 mm Hg for neutrophil counts; all P<10-50). Using 121 single nucleotide polymorphisms in MR, implemented through the inverse-variance weighted approach, we identified a potential causal relationship of lymphocyte count with systolic BP and diastolic BP (causal estimates: 0.69 [95% CI, 0.19-1.20] and 0.56 [95% CI, 0.23-0.90] of mm Hg per 1 SD genetically elevated lymphocyte count, respectively), which was directionally concordant to the observational findings. These inverse-variance weighted estimates were consistent with other robust MR methods. The exclusion of rs3184504 SNP in the SH2B3 locus attenuated the magnitude of the signal in some of the MR analyses. MR in the reverse direction found evidence of positive effects of BP indices on counts of monocytes, neutrophils, and eosinophils but not lymphocytes or basophils. Subsequent MR testing of lymphocyte count in the context of genetic correlation with renal function or resting and postexercise heart rate demonstrated a positive association of lymphocyte count with urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio. CONCLUSIONS: Observational and genetic analyses demonstrate a concordant, positive and potentially causal relationship of lymphocyte count with systolic BP and diastolic BP.