Spatial transcriptomic landscape unveils immunoglobin-associated senescence as a hallmark of aging.

To systematically characterize the loss of tissue integrity and organ dysfunction resulting from aging, we produced an in-depth spatial transcriptomic profile of nine tissues in male mice during aging. We showed that senescence-sensitive spots (SSSs) colocalized with elevated entropy in organizational structure and that the aggregation of immunoglobulin-expressing cells is a characteristic feature of the microenvironment surrounding SSSs. Immunoglobulin G (IgG) accumulated across the aged tissues in both male and female mice, and a similar phenomenon was observed in human tissues, suggesting the potential of the abnormal elevation of immunoglobulins as an evolutionarily conserved feature in aging. Furthermore, we observed that IgG could induce a pro-senescent state in macrophages and microglia, thereby exacerbating tissue aging, and that targeted reduction of IgG mitigated aging across various tissues in male mice. This study provides a high-resolution spatial depiction of aging and indicates the pivotal role of immunoglobulin-associated senescence during the aging process.

Rhbdd3 controls autoimmunity by suppressing the production of IL-6 by dendritic cells via K27-linked ubiquitination of the regulator NEMO.

Excessive activation of dendritic cells (DCs) leads to the development of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, which has prompted a search for regulators of DC activation. Here we report that Rhbdd3, a member of the rhomboid family of proteases, suppressed the activation of DCs and production of interleukin 6 (IL-6) triggered by Toll-like receptors (TLRs). Rhbdd3-deficient mice spontaneously developed autoimmune diseases characterized by an increased abundance of the TH17 subset of helper T cells and decreased number of regulatory T cells due to the increase in IL-6 from DCs. Rhbdd3 directly bound to Lys27 (K27)-linked polyubiquitin chains on Lys302 of the modulator NEMO (IKKγ) via the ubiquitin-binding-association (UBA) domain in endosomes. Rhbdd3 further recruited the deubiquitinase A20 via K27-linked polyubiquitin chains on Lys268 to inhibit K63-linked polyubiquitination of NEMO and thus suppressed activation of the transcription factor NF-κB in DCs. Our data identify Rhbdd3 as a critical regulator of DC activation and indicate K27-linked polyubiquitination is a potent ubiquitin-linked pattern involved in the control of autoimmunity.

Programmable RNA base editing via targeted modifications.

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-based genome editors are powerful tools in biology and hold great promise for the treatment of human diseases. Advanced DNA base editing tools, such as cytosine base editor and adenine base editor, have been developed to correct permanent mistakes in genetic material. However, undesired off-target edits would also be permanent, which poses a considerable risk for therapeutics. Alternatively, base editing at the RNA level is capable of correcting disease-causing mutations but does not lead to lasting genotoxic effects. RNA base editors offer temporary and reversible therapies and have been catching on in recent years. Here, we summarize some emerging RNA editors based on A-to-inosine, C-to-U and U-to-pseudouridine changes. We review the programmable RNA-targeting systems as well as modification enzyme-based effector proteins and highlight recent technological breakthroughs. Finally, we compare editing tools, discuss limitations and opportunities, and provide insights for the future directions of RNA base editing.

Bile acid-induced IRF3 phosphorylation mediates cell death, inflammatory responses, and fibrosis in cholestasis-induced liver and kidney injury via regulation of ZBP1.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Cell death and inflammation play critical roles in chronic tissue damage caused by cholestatic liver injury leading to fibrosis and cirrhosis. Liver cirrhosis is often associated with kidney damage, which is a severe complication with poor prognosis. Interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3) is known to regulate apoptosis and inflammation, but its role in cholestasis remains obscure. In this study. APPROACH AND RESULTS: We discovered increased IRF3 phosphorylation in the liver of patients with primary biliary cholangitis and primary sclerosing cholangitis. In the bile duct ligation model of obstructive cholestasis in mice, we found that tissue damage was associated with increased phosphorylated IRF3 (p-IRF3) in the liver and kidney. IRF3 knockout ( Irf3-/- ) mice showed significantly attenuated liver and kidney damage and fibrosis compared to wide-type mice after bile duct ligation. Cell-death pathways, including apoptosis, necroptosis, and pyroptosis, inflammasome activation, and inflammatory responses were significantly attenuated in Irf3-/- mice. Mechanistically, we show that bile acids induced p-IRF3 in vitro in hepatocytes. In vivo , activated IRF3 positively correlated with increased expression of its target gene, Z-DNA-Binding Protein-1 (ZBP1), in the liver and kidney. Importantly, we also found increased ZBP1 in the liver of patients with primary biliary cholangitis and primary sclerosing cholangitis. We discovered that ZBP1 interacted with receptor interacting protein 1 (RIP1), RIP3, and NLRP3, thereby revealing its potential role in the regulation of cell-death and inflammation pathways. In conclusion. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that bile acid-induced p-IRF3 and the IRF3-ZBP1 axis play a central role in the pathogenesis of cholestatic liver and kidney injury.

Quantitative profiling of pseudouridylation landscape in the human transcriptome.

Pseudouridine (Ψ) is an abundant post-transcriptional RNA modification in ncRNA and mRNA. However, stoichiometric measurement of individual Ψ sites in human transcriptome remains unaddressed. Here we develop 'PRAISE', via selective chemical labeling of Ψ by bisulfite to induce nucleotide deletion signature during reverse transcription, to realize quantitative assessment of the Ψ landscape in the human transcriptome. Unlike traditional bisulfite treatment, our approach is based on quaternary base mapping and revealed an ~10% median modification level for 2,209 confident Ψ sites in HEK293T cells. By perturbing pseudouridine synthases, we obtained differential mRNA targets of PUS1, PUS7, TRUB1 and DKC1, with TRUB1 targets showing the highest modification stoichiometry. In addition, we quantified known and new Ψ sites in mitochondrial mRNA catalyzed by PUS1. Collectively, we provide a sensitive and convenient method to measure transcriptome-wide Ψ; we envision this quantitative approach would facilitate emerging efforts to elucidate the function and mechanism of mRNA pseudouridylation.

Neutrophil extracellular traps activate hepatic stellate cells and monocytes via NLRP3 sensing in alcohol-induced acceleration of MASH fibrosis.

OBJECTIVE: Alcohol use in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) is associated with an increased risk of fibrosis and liver-related death. Here, we aimed to identify a mechanism through which repeated alcohol binges exacerbate liver injury in a high fat-cholesterol-sugar diet (MASH diet)-induced model of MASH. DESIGN: C57BL/6 mice received either chow or the MASH diet for 3 months with or without weekly alcohol binges. Neutrophil infiltration, neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) and fibrosis were evaluated. RESULTS: We found that alcohol binges in MASH increase liver injury and fibrosis. Liver transcriptomic profiling revealed differential expression of genes involved in extracellular matrix reorganisation, neutrophil activation and inflammation compared with alcohol or the MASH diet alone. Alcohol binges specifically increased NET formation in MASH livers in mice, and NETs were also increased in human livers with MASH plus alcohol use. We discovered that cell-free NETs are sensed via Nod-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3). Furthermore, we show that cell-free NETs in vitro induce a profibrotic phenotype in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and proinflammatory monocytes. In vivo, neutrophil depletion using anti-Ly6G antibody or NET disruption with deoxyribonuclease treatment abrogated monocyte and HSC activation and ameliorated liver damage and fibrosis. In vivo, inhibition of NLRP3 using MCC950 or NLRP3 deficiency attenuated NET formation, liver injury and fibrosis in MASH plus alcohol diet-fed mice (graphical abstract). CONCLUSION: Alcohol binges promote liver fibrosis via NET-induced activation of HSCs and monocytes in MASH. Our study highlights the potential of inhibition of NETs and/or NLRP3, as novel therapeutic strategies to combat the profibrotic effects of alcohol in MASH.

IRF3 regulates neuroinflammatory responses and the expression of genes associated with Alzheimer's disease.

The pathological role of interferon signaling is emerging in neuroinflammatory disorders, yet, the specific role of Interferon Regulatory Factor 3 (IRF3) in neuroinflammation remains poorly understood. Here, we show that global IRF3 deficiency delays TLR4-mediated signaling in microglia and attenuates the hallmark features of LPS-induced inflammation such as cytokine release, microglial reactivity, astrocyte activation, myeloid cell infiltration, and inflammasome activation. Moreover, expression of a constitutively active IRF3 (S388D/S390D: IRF3-2D) in microglia induces a transcriptional program reminiscent of the Activated Response Microglia and the expression of genes associated with Alzheimer's disease, notably apolipoprotein-e. Using bulk-RNAseq of IRF3-2D brain myeloid cells, we identified Z-DNA binding protein-1 (ZBP1) as a target of IRF3 that is relevant across various neuroinflammatory disorders. Lastly, we show IRF3 phosphorylation and IRF3-dependent ZBP1 induction in response to Aß in primary microglia cultures. Together, our results identify IRF3 as an important regulator of LPS and Aß -mediated neuroinflammatory responses and highlight IRF3 as a central regulator of disease-specific gene activation in different neuroinflammatory diseases.

Detect-seq reveals out-of-protospacer editing and target-strand editing by cytosine base editors.

Cytosine base editors (CBEs) have the potential to correct human pathogenic point mutations. However, their genome-wide specificity remains poorly understood. Here we report Detect-seq for the evaluation of CBE specificity. It enables sensitive detection of CBE-induced off-target sites at the genome-wide level. Detect-seq leverages chemical labeling and biotin pulldown to trace the editing intermediate deoxyuridine, thereby revealing the editome of CBE. In addition to Cas9-independent and typical Cas9-dependent off-target sites, we discovered edits outside the protospacer sequence (that is, out-of-protospacer) and on the target strand (which pairs with the single-guide RNA). Such unexpected off-target edits are prevalent and can exhibit a high editing ratio, while their occurrences exhibit cell-type dependency and cannot be predicted based on the sgRNA sequence. Moreover, we found out-of-protospacer and target-strand edits nearby the on-target sites tested, challenging the general knowledge that CBEs do not induce proximal off-target mutations. Collectively, our approaches allow unbiased analysis of the CBE editome and provide a widely applicable tool for specificity evaluation of various emerging genome editing tools.

A hypervirulent Acinetobacter baumannii strain has robust anti-phagocytosis ability.

BACKGROUND: Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) is associated with both hospital-acquired infections (HAP) and community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). In this study, we present a novel CAP-associated A. baumannii (CAP-AB) strain causing severe pneumonia in an afore healthy male patient without underlying conditions. Subsequently, we investigated the pathogenicity and immunogenicity of this CAP-AB strain using a mice pneumonia model. RESULTS: A 58-year-old male patient with no underlying conditions experienced worsening symptoms of a productive cough, sputum, and fever that developed acutely, in just 24 h. The diagnosis was severe community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and type-1 respiratory failure. An A. baumannii strain was isolated from his sputum and blood cultures. To gain a deeper understanding of the rapid progression of its pathology, we utilized the CAP-associated A. baumannii strain YC128, a previously obtained hospital-acquired pneumonia A. baumannii (HAP-AB) strain YC156, and a highly virulent A. baumannii control strain LAC-4 to construct a mouse pneumonia model, and subsequently compared the mortality rate of the three groups. Following inoculation with 107 CFU of A. baumannii, the mortality rate for the YC128, LAC-4, and YC156 groups was 60% (6/10), 30% (3/10), and 0%, respectively. The bacterial burden within the pulmonary, liver, and spleen tissues of mice in the YC128 group was significantly higher than that of the YC156 group, and slightly higher than that of the LAC-4 group. Pathological analysis of lung tissue using HE-staining revealed that the inflammatory pathological changes in mice from the YC128 group were significantly more severe than those in the YC156 group. Additionally, CT scan images displayed more pronounced inflammation in the lungs of mice from the YC128 group compared to the YC156 group. Local levels of cytokines/chemokines such as IL-1ß, IL-6, TNF-α, and CXCL1 were assessed via RT-qPCR in lung tissues. In comparison with the YC156 strain, the highly virulent YC128 strain induced the expression of proinflammatory cytokines more rapidly and severely. Furthermore, we examined the in vitro anti-phagocytosis ability of YC128 and YC156 strains against mice peritoneal macrophages, revealing that the highly virulent YC128 isolate displayed greater resistance to macrophage uptake in contrast to YC156. Results from Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) indicated that YC128 harbored a complete type VI secretion system (T6SS) gene cluster, while YC156 lacked the majority of genes within the T6SS gene cluster. The other virulence-related genes exhibited minimal differences between YC128 and YC156. Drawing from previous studies, we postulated that the T6SS is linked to the hypervirulence and robust anti-phagocytic ability of YC128. CONCLUSIONS: This article reports on the isolation of a novel hypervirulent CAP-AB strain, YC128, from a severe CAP patient. The results demonstrate that this CAP-AB strain, YC128, is capable of inducing fatal pneumonia and extrapulmonary dissemination in a mouse pneumonia model. Moreover, this highly virulent CAP-AB strain exhibits significantly stronger anti-phagocytic abilities compared to the HAP-AB YC156 strain. Genome sequencing comparisons reveal that the heightened hypervirulence and enhanced anti-phagocytosis abilities observed in YC128 may be attributed to the presence of the T6SS.

Alcohol-induced extracellular ASC specks perpetuate liver inflammation and damage in alcohol-associated hepatitis even after alcohol cessation.

BACKGROUND AIMS: Prolonged systemic inflammation contributes to poor clinical outcomes in severe alcohol-associated hepatitis (AH) even after the cessation of alcohol use. However, mechanisms leading to this persistent inflammation remain to be understood. APPROACH RESULTS: We show that while chronic alcohol induces nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor family, pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation in the liver, alcohol binge results not only in NLRP3 inflammasome activation but also in increased circulating extracellular apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase recruitment domain (ex-ASC) specks and hepatic ASC aggregates both in patients with AH and in mouse models of AH. These ex-ASC specks persist in circulation even after the cessation of alcohol use. Administration of alcohol-induced-ex-ASC specks in vivo in alcohol-naive mice results in sustained inflammation in the liver and circulation and causes liver damage. Consistent with the key role of ex-ASC specks in mediating liver injury and inflammation, alcohol binge failed to induce liver damage or IL-1ß release in ASC-deficient mice. Our data show that alcohol induces ex-ASC specks in liver macrophages and hepatocytes, and these ex-ASC specks can trigger IL-1ß release in alcohol-naive monocytes, a process that can be prevented by the NLRP3 inhibitor, MCC950. In vivo administration of MCC950 reduced hepatic and ex-ASC specks, caspase-1 activation, IL-1ß production, and steatohepatitis in a murine model of AH. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates the central role of NLRP3 and ASC in alcohol-induced liver inflammation and unravels the critical role of ex-ASC specks in the propagation of systemic and liver inflammation in AH. Our data also identify NLRP3 as a potential therapeutic target in AH.

Visible light positioning system using a smartphone's built-in ambient light sensor and inertial measurement unit.

In recent years, the visible light positioning field has experienced remarkable advancements. However, smartphones find it difficult to identify light-emitting diode (LED) and extract each LED's light signal intensity due to the low-frequency and uneven sampling of built-in ambient light sensors (ALS, which is a photodiode that measures ambient light in lux units). Thus, traditional visible light positioning systems cannot be directly applied to smartphones. In this Letter, we propose a single-light visible light positioning system using a non-modulated LED as an emitter, the built-in ALS as the receiver, and the inertial measurement unit of the smartphone to assist in measuring the smartphone's attitude. It only requires the user to turn the smartphone by a few angles in a stationary position to estimate its current three-dimensional (3D) spatial position. This method does not require modification of the existing lighting system and consumes less power than the camera-based visible light positioning (VLP) systems. We have built an experimental site measuring 5 m × 5 m × 2.2 m to evaluate the performance of the positioning system, and the preliminary results show that the proposed system achieves sub-meter-level positioning accuracy.

Increasing the efficiency and precision of prime editing with guide RNA pairs.

The recently reported prime editor (PE) can produce all types of base substitution, insertion and deletion, greatly expanding the scope of genome editing. However, improving the editing efficiency and precision of PE represents a major challenge. Here, we report an approach termed the homologous 3' extension mediated prime editor (HOPE). HOPE uses paired prime editing guide RNAs (pegRNAs) encoding the same edits in both sense and antisense DNA strands to achieve high editing efficiency in human embryonic kidney 293T cells as well as mismatch repair-deficient human colorectal carcinoma 116 cells. In addition, we found that HOPE shows greatly improved product purity compared to the original PE3 system. We envision that this enhanced tool could broaden both fundamental research and therapeutic applications of prime editing.

CD39hi identifies an exhausted tumor-reactive CD8+ T cell population associated with tumor progression in human gastric cancer.

The ectonucleotidase CD39 has been regarded as a promising immune checkpoint in solid tumors. However, the expression of CD39 by tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells as well as their potential roles and clinical implications in human gastric cancer (GC) remain largely unknown. Here, we found that GC-infiltrating CD8+ T cells contained a fraction of CD39hi cells that constituted about 6.6% of total CD8+ T cells in tumors. These CD39hi cells enriched for GC-infiltrating CD8+ T cells with features of exhaustion in transcriptional, phenotypic, metabolic and functional profiles. Additionally, GC-infiltrating CD39hiCD8+ T cells were also identified for tumor-reactive T cells, as these cells expanded in vitro were able to recognize autologous tumor organoids and induced more tumor cell apoptosis than those of expanded their CD39int and CD39-CD8+ counterparts. Furthermore, CD39 enzymatic activity controlled GC-infiltrating CD39hiCD8+ T cell effector function, and blockade of CD39 efficiently enhanced their production of cytokines IFN-γ and TNF-α. Finally, high percentages of GC-infiltrating CD39hiCD8+ T cells correlated with tumor progression and independently predicted patients' poor overall survival. These findings provide novel insights into the association of CD39 expression level on CD8+ T cells with their features and potential clinical implications in GC, and empowering those exhausted tumor-reactive CD39hiCD8+ T cells through CD39 inhibition to circumvent the suppressor program may be an attractive therapeutic strategy against GC.

Organophosphate Esters in Building Materials from China: Levels, Sources, Emissions, and Preliminary Assessment of Human Exposure.

Source characteristics and health risks of indoor organophosphate esters (OPEs) are limited by the lack of knowledge on emission processes. This study attempted to integrate the contents and emissions of OPEs from indoor building materials to assess human health effects. Thirteen OPEs were investigated in 80 pieces of six categories of building materials. OPEs are ubiquitous in the building materials and ∑13OPE contents varied significantly (p < 0.05) from 72.8 ng/g (seam agent) to 109,900 ng/g (wallpaper). Emission characteristics of OPEs from the building materials were examined based on a microchamber method. Depending on the sample category, the observed initial area-specific emission rates of ∑13OPEs varied from 154 ng/m2/h (carpet) to 2760 ng/m2/h (wooden floorboard). Moreover, the emission rate model was developed to predict the release levels of individual OPEs, quantify source contributions, and assess associated exposure risks. Source apportionments of indoor OPEs exhibited heterogeneities in multiple environmental media. The joint OPE contribution of wallpaper and wooden floorboard to indoor dust was up to 94.8%, while latex paint and wooden floorboard were the main OPE contributors to indoor air (54.2%) and surface (76.1%), respectively. Risk assessment showed that the carcinogenic risks of tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (3.35 × 10-7) were close to the acceptable level (1 × 10-6) and deserved special attention.

Quantitative anatomical analysis of lumbar interspaces based on 3D CT imaging: optimized segment selection for lumbar puncture in different age groups.

BACKGROUND: Optimal lumbar puncture segment selection remains controversial. This study aims to analyze anatomical differences among L3-4, L4-5, and L5-S1 segments across age groups and provide quantitative evidence for optimized selection. METHODS: 80 cases of CT images were collected with patients aged 10-80 years old. Threedimensional models containing L3-S1 vertebrae, dural sac, and nerve roots were reconstructed. Computer simulation determined the optimal puncture angles for the L3-4, L4-5, and L5-S1 segments. The effective dural sac area (ALDS), traversing nerve root area (ATNR), and area of the lumbar inter-laminar space (ALILS) were measured. Puncture efficacy ratio (ALDS/ALILS) and nerve injury risk ratio (ATNR/ALILS) were calculated. Cases were divided into four groups: A (10-20 years), B (21-40 years), C (41-60 years), and D (61-80 years). Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS. RESULTS: 1) ALDS was similar among segments; 2) ATNR was greatest at L5-S1; 3) ALILS was greatest at L5-S1; 4) Puncture efficacy ratio was highest at L3-4 and lowest at L5-S1; 5) Nerve injury risk was highest at L5-S1. In group D, L5-S1 ALDS was larger than L3-4 and L4-5. ALDS decreased after age 40. Age variations were minimal across parameters. CONCLUSION: The comprehensive analysis demonstrated L3-4 as the optimal first-choice segment for ages 10-60 years, conferring maximal efficacy and safety. L5-S1 can serve as an alternative option for ages 61-80 years when upper interspaces narrow. This study provides quantitative imaging evidence supporting age-specific, optimized lumbar puncture segment selection.

Clinical Characteristics of Adipsic Diabetes Insipidus.

OBJECTIVE: Adipsic diabetes insipidus (ADI) is a life-threatening disease. It is characterized by arginine vasopressin deficiency and thirst absence. Data about clinical characteristics of ADI were scarce. This study investigated the clinical features of hospitalized ADI patients. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted of hospitalized ADI patients admitted to the Endocrinology Department of Huashan Hospital between January 2014 and December 2021, and compared with central diabetes insipidus (CDI) patients with normal thirst. RESULTS: During the study period, there were a total of 507 hospitalized CDI patients, among which 50 cases were ADI, accounting for 9.9%. Forty percent of ADI patients were admitted due to hypernatremia, but there were no admissions due to hypernatremia in the control group. The lesions of ADI patients were more likely to be located in the suprasellar area (100% vs 66%, P < .05). Higher prevalence of hypothalamic dysfunction (76% vs 8%, P < .001), central hypothyroidism (100% vs 90%, P = .031), hyperglycemia (66% vs 32%, P < .001), dyslipidemia (92% vs 71%, P = .006), and hyperuricemia (64% vs 37%, P = .003) was found in the ADI group than in the control group. The proportions of hypernatremia were higher in the ADI group both at admission and at discharge (90% vs 8%, 68% vs 8%, respectively, both with P < .001), contributing to higher prevalence of complications, such as renal insufficiency, venous thrombosis, and infection. CONCLUSION: ADI patients were found with higher prevalence of hypernatremia, hypopituitarism, hypothalamic dysfunction, metabolic disorders, and complications, posing a great challenge for comprehensive management.

The association between vitamin intake and endometriosis: a cross-sectional study of the NHANES 1999-2006.

BACKGROUND: Endometriosis is a common cause of female reproductive problems, and vitamin intake may affect its incidence. Therefore, we further explored the association between multivitamin intake and endometriosis in a large population-based study. METHODS: This study included 3351 participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999-2006. The dietary intake of eight vitamins was calculated as the average of two 24-h recall interviews, and information on endometriosis was obtained through questionnaires that included gynecological history. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to explore the relationship between multivitamin intake and endometriosis. Smoothed curve fitting analysis was employed to assess the dose-response relationship between vitamins and endometriosis. Finally, subgroup analysis and interaction tests were conducted to determine the association of covariates between vitamins and endometriosis. RESULTS: In this large-scale cross-sectional study, multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the intake of vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, C and folate was negatively associated with the occurrence of endometriosis. The odds ratios associated with a per-SD increase were 0.836 (95%CI: 0.702, 0.997), 0.817 (95%CI: 0.702, 0.951), 0.860 (95%CI: 0.746, 0.991), 0.784 (95%CI: 0.669, 0.919), 0.845 (95%CI: 0.718, 0.994), and 0.772 (95%CI: 0.660, 0.903), respectively. Smoothed curve fitting analysis revealed that the intake of vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, C, and folate was negatively associated with the risk of endometriosis (P < 0.05). Vitamin E showed a saturating effect, with an optimal cutoff point at 13.18. Below this cutoff, the intake of vitamin E was negatively correlated with the risk of endometriosis (OR = 0.947, 95% CI: 0.906, 0.989), whereas above the cutoff, there was no significant correlation between vitamin E intake and the risk of endometriosis (OR = 1.001, 95% CI: 0.997, 1.005). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicate a significant linear negative correlation between the intake of vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, C, and folate, and the risk of endometriosis, and reveal a threshold effect for vitamin E intake on the risk of endometriosis. These findings could inform clinical dietary interventions and may support the development of preventive strategies for endometriosis, potentially aiding in its reduction.

A Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR)- and Mass Spectrometry (MS)-Based Saturation Kinetics Model of a Bryophyllum pinnatum Decoction as a Treatment for Kidney Stones.

Bryophyllum pinnatum (BP) is a medicinal plant used to treat many conditions when taken as a leaf juice, leaves in capsules, as an ethanolic extract, and as herbal tea. These preparations have been chemically analyzed except for decoctions derived from boiled green leaves. In preparation for a clinical trial to validate BP tea as a treatment for kidney stones, we used NMR and MS analyses to characterize the saturation kinetics of the release of metabolites. During boiling of the leaves, (a) the pH decreased to 4.8 within 14 min and then stabilized; (b) regarding organic acids, citric and malic acid were released with maximum release time (tmax) = 35 min; (c) for glycoflavonoids, quercetin 3-O-α-L-arabinopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-α-L-rhamnopyranoside (Q-3O-ArRh), myricetin 3-O-α-L-arabinopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-α-L-rhamnopyranoside (M-3O-ArRh), kappinatoside, myricitrin, and quercitrin were released with tmax = 5-10 min; and (d) the total phenolic content (TPC) and the total antioxidant capacity (TAC) reached a tmax at 55 min and 61 min, respectively. In summary, 24 g of leaves boiled in 250 mL of water for 61 min ensures a maximal release of key water-soluble metabolites, including organic acids and flavonoids. These metabolites are beneficial for treating kidney stones because they target oxidative stress and inflammation and inhibit stone formation.

Measurement of Zinc Ions in Seawater Samples Using a Microfluidic System Based on the GR/CeO2/Nafion Material.

Considering that heavy-metal contamination of seawater is getting worse, building a quick, accurate and portable device for detecting trace zinc in seawater in real time would be very beneficial. In this work, a microfluidic system was developed that includes a planar disc electrode, a micro-cavity for detection, an electrochemical workstation, a computer, a container for waste liquid reprocessing, an external pipeline and other components as well as a graphene/cerium oxide/nano-cerium oxide/Nafion composite membrane was used to modify the planar disc electrode (GR/CeO2/Nafion/Au) to investigate the electrochemical behaviour of Zn(II) using cyclic voltammetry, square-wave voltammetry and orthogonal test methods. Under optimal experimental conditions, the peak reaction current of Zn(II) showed a good linear relationship with the concentration of Zn(II) in the range of 1-900 µg/L with a correlation coefficient of 0.998, and the detection limit of the method was 0.87 µg/L. In addition, the microfluidic system had good stability, reproducibility and anti-interference. The system was used for determining zinc ions in real seawater samples, and the results were very similar to those of inductively coupled plasma-emission spectrometry, demonstrating the practicality of the system for the detection of trace zinc.

Effects of Sjogren's syndrome and high sugar diet on oral microbiome in patients with rampant caries: a clinical study.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess the composition of the oral microbial flora of adults with rampant caries in China to provide guidance for treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Sixty human salivary and supragingival plaque samples were collected. They were characterized into four groups: patients with rampant caries with Sjogren's syndrome (RC-SS) or high-sugar diet (RC-HD), common dental caries (DC), and healthy individuals (HP). The 16S rRNA V3-V4 region of the bacterial DNA was detected by Illumina sequencing. PCoA based on OTU with Bray-Curtis algorithm, the abundance of each level, LEfSe analysis, network analysis, and PICRUSt analysis were carried out between the four groups and two sample types. Clinical and demographic data were compared using analysis of variance (ANOVA) or the nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis rank-sum test, depending on the normality of the data, using GraphPad Prism 8 (P < 0.05). RESULTS: OTU principal component analysis revealed a significant difference between healthy individuals and those with RC-SS. In the saliva of patients with rampant caries, the relative abundance of Firmicutes increased significantly at the phylum level. Further, Streptocpccus, Veillonella, Prevotella, and Dialister increased, while Neisseria and Haemophilus decreased at the genus level. Veillonella increased in the plaque samples of patients with rampant caries. CONCLUSION: Both salivary and dental plaque composition were significantly different between healthy individuals and patients with rampant caries. This study provides a microbiological basis for exploring the etiology of rampant caries. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This study provides basic information on the flora of the oral cavity in adults with rampant caries in China. These findings could serve as a reference for the treatment of this disease.