Identifying the Potential Diagnostic Gene Biomarkers and Forecasting the Potential Therapeutic Agents for Advanced Diabetic Nephropathy Based on Pyroptosis and Ferroptosis.

Background: Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a prevalent complication of diabetes, often leading to end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). Advanced DN progresses to ESKD rapidly, yet effective diagnostic indicators and treatments are lacking. Methods: Two DN-related datasets were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified using the R packages. Pyroptosis-related genes (PRGs) and ferroptosis-related genes (FRGs) were collected from their respective database. Pyroptosis- and ferroptosis-related differentially expressed genes (PFRDEGs) were identified by overlapping DEGs, PRGs, and FRGs for further analysis, including functional enrichment and immune infiltration. Hub genes were identified using a PPI network via MCODE-plugin in Cytoscape. GeneMANIA was utilized to explore intermolecular interactions among hub genes. Based on these hub genes, a diagnostic model was constructed using the receiver operating characteristic curve and potential therapeutic agents were retrieved. Correlation analysis between hub genes and estimated glomerular filtration rate was performed using Nephroseq v5 database, and expression of hub genes was validated in external GEO database, Nephroseq v5 database and DN mice in vivo. Results: Four hub genes (CYBB, LCN2, JUN and ADIPOQ) were identified, and three of the four hub genes (CYBB, LCN2 and ADIPOQ) were found to be potential biomarkers for advanced DN. On this basis, three potential therapeutic agents were screened. More importantly, a series of biological experiments confirmed that CYBB and LCN2 were significantly up-regulated in DN mice. Conclusion: This study identifies three hub genes as diagnostic biomarkers and mines three potential therapeutic agents for advanced DN, providing new insights into the role of pyroptosis and ferroptosis in advanced DN and laying the foundation for future research.

Association Between Serum Interleukin-32 Level and Disease Status in Cases with Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorders.

Background: Various cytokines are involved in the pathogenesis of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD), but whether serum interleukin-32 (IL-32) level is related to disease activity in cases with NMOSD remains poorly understood. Thus, we investigated the underlying role of IL-32 in NMOSD cases. Methods: Our observation recruited 32 cases with acute NMOSD, 36 NMOSD cases in remission, and 60 healthy individuals in this study. Serum concentrations of IL-32 were detected using ELISA. The associations among IL-32 levels and clinical characteristics were assessed by Spearman correlation coefficient and logistic regression analysis. Results: IL-32 concentrations were strongly increased in cases with acute NMOSD [(52.06 ± 16.56) pg/mL] and NMOSD in remission [(25.78 ± 8.31) pg/mL] compared with healthy controls [(10.83 ± 6.94) pg/mL] (all p <0.001). ROC analysis suggested that the AUC for IL-32 and the combined diagnosis of acute NMOSD was 0.811 (P = 0.026, 95% CI 0.673-0.949), with a sensitivity of 0.800 and a specificity of 0.806. The level of IL-32 was positively correlated with EDSS scores in patients with acute NMOSD (r = 0.620, p < 0.001). EDSS score was independently associated with increased serum levels of LI-32 (B = 1.529, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Higher level of IL-32 is related to disease severity in NMOSD. Therefore, serum IL-32 may be a novel biomarker for acute NMOSD.

Intrinsic capacity loss rates and protective factors among individuals aged 80 years and older in Chinese nursing homes: A latent class analysis.

Prior to this cross-sectional study, the intrinsic capacity (IC) loss rates and protective factors in nursing homes for individuals aged 80 and older remained unexplored. Analysing 434 participants, this study found 86.9 % of individuals experienced the loss of at least one IC domain, with detailed losses in locomotion, vision, vitality, hearing, psychological, and cognitive capacities at rates of 83.2 %, 52.8 %, 50.9 %, 46.5 %, 44.9 %, and 44.0 %, respectively. Following latent class analysis (LCA), five distinct IC impairment patterns were noted, with locomotor impairment emerging as a central component across most classes. IC protective factors for persons aged 80 years and older included financial stability, being male or younger within the cohort, junior high school or higher education, being married, no smoking history, manageable comorbidity levels, minimal medication use, good sleep, and not using assistive devices. Based on these five classes, this study provides a potential practical framework alongside recommendations for IC care strategies in the oldest-old, emphasising the importance of locomotor function in maintaining the overall IC.

Crossmodal hierarchical predictive coding for audiovisual sequences in the human brain.

Predictive coding theory suggests the brain anticipates sensory information using prior knowledge. While this theory has been extensively researched within individual sensory modalities, evidence for predictive processing across sensory modalities is limited. Here, we examine how crossmodal knowledge is represented and learned in the brain, by identifying the hierarchical networks underlying crossmodal predictions when information of one sensory modality leads to a prediction in another modality. We record electroencephalogram (EEG) during a crossmodal audiovisual local-global oddball paradigm, in which the predictability of transitions between tones and images are manipulated at both the stimulus and sequence levels. To dissect the complex predictive signals in our EEG data, we employed a model-fitting approach to untangle neural interactions across modalities and hierarchies. The model-fitting result demonstrates that audiovisual integration occurs at both the levels of individual stimulus interactions and multi-stimulus sequences. Furthermore, we identify the spatio-spectro-temporal signatures of prediction-error signals across hierarchies and modalities, and reveal that auditory and visual prediction errors are rapidly redirected to the central-parietal electrodes during learning through alpha-band interactions. Our study suggests a crossmodal predictive coding mechanism where unimodal predictions are processed by distributed brain networks to form crossmodal knowledge.

Fc receptor-like A promotes malignant behavior in renal cell carcinoma and correlates with tumor immune infiltration.

BACKGROUND: Our study aims to investigate the mechanisms through which Fc receptor-like A (FCRLA) promotes renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and to examine its significance in relation to tumor immune infiltration. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The correlation between FCRLA and data clinically related to RCC was explored using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), then validated using Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) gene chip data. Enrichment and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analyses were performed for FCRLA and its co-expressed genes. FCRLA was knocked down in RCC cell lines to evaluate its impact on biological behavior. Then the potential downstream regulators of FCRLA were determined by western blotting, and rescue experiments were performed for verification. The relevance between FCRLA and various immune cells was analyzed through GSEA, TIMER, and GEPIA tools. TIDE and ESTIMATE algorithms were used to predict the effect of FCRLA in immunotherapy. RESULTS: Fc receptor-like A was associated with clinical and T stages and could predict the M stage (AUC = 0.692) and 1-3- and 5-year survival rates (AUC = 0.823, 0.834, and 0.862) of RCC patients. Higher expression of FCLRA predicted an unfavorable overall survival (OS) in TCGA-RCC and GSE167573 datasets (p = 0.03, p = 0.04). FCRLA promoted the malignant biological behavior of RCC cells through the pERK1/2/-MMP2 pathway and was associated with tumor immune microenvironment in RCC. CONCLUSION: Fc receptor-like A is positively correlated with poor outcomes in RCC patients and plays an oncogenic role in RCC through the pERK1/2-MMP2 pathway. Patients with RCC might benefit from immunotherapy targeting FCRLA.

Haemonchus contortus alters distribution and utilization of protein and amino acids in different tissues of host sheep.

The objective was to determine host animal protein/amino acid redistribution and use among the abomasum, duodenum and muscle of sheep infected with Haemonchus contortus. Sixteen male Ujumqin sheep (32.4 ± 3.9 kg) were dewormed and randomly assigned to two groups, infected or not infected with H. contortus (GIN and CON). The GIN group had lower (P < 0.05) dry matter intake, average daily gain, and live body weight than CON, with extensive focal infiltration of lymphocytes in the lamina propria and bottom of the abomasal epithelium. In the abomasum and duodenum, there were 100 and 220 genes, respectively, that were up-regulated, whereas 56 and 149 were down-regulated. In the abomasum, the most enriched KEGG pathways were related to immunity and inflammation reaction, including: viral protein interaction with cytokine and cytokine receptor (P = 0.017), influenza A (P = 0.030), IL-17 signaling pathway (P = 0.030). In the duodenum, KEGG pathways were more enriched in nutrient metabolism, including pancreatic secretion (P < 0.001), protein digestion and absorption (P < 0.001), graft-versus-host disease (P = 0.004). Furthermore, most genes related with the above KEGG pathways were increased in the abomasum but decreased in the duodenum. Amino acid profiles in abomasum and duodenum of CON and GIN groups were clustered in a partial least-squares discriminant analysis model, with significant changes in 36 and 19 metabolites in abomasal and duodenal chyme, respectively. Further confirmed by transcriptome-targeted metabolome association analysis, GIN mainly enhanced metabolism of arginine and sulphur amino acids in abomasum and those metabolic pathways were associated. Meanwhile, GIN mainly decreased pyruvate related amino acid metabolism in duodenum. Moreover, concentrations of Arg (P = 0.036), His (P = 0.027), and Cys (P = 0.046) in longissimus thoracis et lumborum were decreased in GIN, whereas concentrations of Gly (P = 0.012) and Ala (P = 0.046) were increased. In conclusion, H. contortus enhanced metabolism of arginine and sulphur amino acids in the abomasum; decreased pyruvate metabolism in the duodenum; and drove more protein/amino acids for abomasal tissues to resist physical and immune damage, reducing protein and amino acids in duodenum and muscle for support host growth. Specific nutrients (such like arginine, histidine, and cysteine) may play important role in control gastrointestinal nematode infection for ruminant.

Optimal Pathological Prediction of Vocal Fold Leukoplakia Based on IPCLs and Morphology.

OBJECTIVES: To establish a combined classification based on intrapapillary capillary loops (IPCLs) and morphological characteristics to improve the accuracy of pathological prediction of vocal fold leukoplakia (VFL). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A prospective research was conducted of VFL patients diagnosed by IPCLs and morphology. The VFL cases were classified as Type I-III based on IPCLs and morphological characteristics. Type I referred to VFL with dendritic vessels but not IPCLs. Type II defined VFL without any IPCLs or vessels and classified by morphology into two subtypes as non-rough Type IIa and rough Type IIb. Type III referred to VFL with IPCLs and classified into two subtypes as Type IIIa with small IPCLs and Type IIIb with large IPCLs or vascular distortion in or around lesions. Predicting pathology accuracy was analyzed. RESULTS: 182 eligible patients were recruited. The prediction accuracy rates of VFL pathology were 81.5% according to the 2019 Ni classification. The combined classification includes 4 cases of Type I, 28 Type IIa, 35 Type IIb, 56 Type IIIa, and 59 Type IIIb VFLs. The prediction accuracy rate of combined classification ranged from 95.1% to 97.3% in three observers. The average sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value was 97.8%, 86.2%, 97.4%, 88.2%, respectively. The inter-observer agreement varied from 84.1% to 94.0%, and mean area under curve of receiver-operating curve analysis was 0.954. CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE: The new combined classification based on IPCLs and morphological characteristics could predict pathology of VFL accurately. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4 Laryngoscope, 2024.

Acidic preconditioning induced intracellular acid adaptation to protect renal injury via dynamic phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase-dependent activation of sodium hydrogen exchanger 1.

BACKGROUND: Disruptions in intracellular pH (pHi) homeostasis, causing deviations from the physiological range, can damage renal epithelial cells. However, the existence of an adaptive mechanism to restore pHi to normalcy remains unclear. Early research identified H+ as a critical mediator of ischemic preconditioning (IPC), leading to the concept of acidic preconditioning (AP). This concept proposes that short-term, repetitive acidic stimulation can enhance a cell's capacity to withstand subsequent adverse stress. While AP has demonstrated protective effects in various ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury models, its application in kidney injury remains largely unexplored. METHODS: An AP model was established in human kidney (HK2) cells by treating them with an acidic medium for 12 h, followed by a recovery period with a normal medium for 6 h. To induce hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) injury, HK2 cells were subjected to hypoxia for 24 h and reoxygenation for 1 h. In vivo, a mouse model of IPC was established by clamping the bilateral renal pedicles for 15 min, followed by reperfusion for 4 days. Conversely, the I/R model involved clamping the bilateral renal pedicles for 35 min and reperfusion for 24 h. Western blotting was employed to evaluate the expression levels of cleaved caspase 3, cleaved caspase 9, NHE1, KIM1, FAK, and NOX4. A pH-sensitive fluorescent probe was used to measure pHi, while a Hemin/CNF microelectrode monitored kidney tissue pH. Immunofluorescence staining was performed to visualize the localization of NHE1, NOX4, and FAK, along with the actin cytoskeleton structure in HK2 cells. Cell adhesion and scratch assays were conducted to assess cell motility. RESULTS: Our findings demonstrated that AP could effectively mitigate H/R injury in HK2 cells. This protective effect and the maintenance of pHi homeostasis by AP involved the upregulation of Na+/H+ exchanger 1 (NHE1) expression and activity. The activity of NHE1 was regulated by dynamic changes in pHi-dependent phosphorylation of Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK) at Y397. This process was associated with NOX4-mediated reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Furthermore, AP induced the co-localization of FAK, NOX4, and NHE1 in focal adhesions, promoting cytoskeletal remodeling and enhancing cell adhesion and migration capabilities. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides compelling evidence that AP maintains pHi homeostasis and promotes cytoskeletal remodeling through FAK/NOX4/NHE1 signaling. This signaling pathway ultimately contributes to alleviated H/R injury in HK2 cells.

Comprehensive analysis of transcriptomics and metabolomics provides insights into the mechanism by plant growth regulators affect the quality of jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.) fruit.

A comprehensively analysis of the transcriptomics and metabolomics was conducted to investigate the mechanism of plant growth regulators on the quality of jujube fruit. After the application of plant growth regulators, a total of 3097 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, which were mainly annotated in 123 pathways such as flavonoid biosynthesis, metabolism of alanine, aspartate, and glutamate. In addition, 1091 differential expressed metabolites (DEMs), including 519 up-regulated and 572 down-regulated metabolites, were significantly altered after application of plant growth regulators. DEGs and DEMs simultaneously annotated 69 metabolic pathways, including biosynthesis of phenylpropane, flavonoid, starch and sucrose. The key genes in flavonoid biosynthesis pathway were revealed, which may play an important role in plant growth regulator regulation quality of jujube fruit. Besides, the application of plant growth regulator during the jujube flowering period increased the contents of gibberellin and indole-3-acetic acid in leaves, and decreased the contents of abscisic acid. The results may help to reveal the metabolic network and molecular mechanism of plant growth regulators in jujube fruit.

Green transformation and performance synergy efficiency of china's thermal power enterprises on the basis of the environmental tax burden.

Global climate change and the collection of environmental protection taxes are accelerating the green transformation of thermal power enterprises. This study selected Chinese thermal power listed companies as samples and used a dynamic three-stage (operational, green transformation, and market performance) network DEA model to evaluate their transformation efficiency and corporate performance. This paper incorporates targeted indicators such as ESG (environment, society, governance) and stock prices into the model and conducts a comparative study on the basis of macro policies and the geographical location of the enterprise. A comparative analysis was conducted on the efficiency of enterprises before and after the adjustment of the environmental tax burden, using the environmental tax burden as an exogenous variable. Thus, the following conclusions can be drawn: there is a certain positive correlation between the collaborative efficiency of the two links of thermal power enterprises and the economic development of their respective regions. Moreover, the green transformation efficiency of most thermal power enterprises is superior to the market performance efficiency. The environmental tax burden mainly improves the overall efficiency of thermal power enterprises by improving their operational efficiency and efficiency in the green transformation stage without affecting market performance. To further improve efficiency, thermal power enterprises should actively communicate with stakeholders to strive for more financial relief.

Risk factors for recurrent laryngeal nerve injury in microwave ablation of thyroid nodules: A multicenter study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the risk factors for recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) injury after microwave ablation (MWA) of thyroid nodules and to identify factors influencing the recovery time of post-procedure hoarseness. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed data from patients who underwent MWA for thyroid nodules at five hospitals between November 2018 and July 2022. Patients were divided into malignant and benign nodule groups. Variables analyzed included nodule size and location, the shortest distance from nodules to the thyroid capsule and tracheoesophageal groove (TEG-D), and ablation parameters. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify risk factors. Kaplan-Meier and Cox analyses were used to evaluate the recovery time of hoarseness after MWA. RESULTS: The study included 1,216 patients (mean age 44 ± 12 [SD] years; 901 women) with 602 malignant nodules and 614 benign nodules. The posterior capsule distance (PCD) and TEG-D were identified as independent influencing factors for hoarseness in all patients (P = 0.014, OR = 0.068; P < 0.001, OR = 0.005; AUC = 0.869). TEG-D was a significant risk factor for hoarseness, with safe thresholds identified at 4.9 mm for malignant nodules and 2.2 mm for benign nodules. Among patients who developed hoarseness, those in the close-distance group (TEG-D≤2 mm) had a longer recovery time compared to the distant-distance group. TEG-D was an independent factor influencing recovery time (P = 0.008, HR = 11.204). CONCLUSION: Clinicians should consider several factors, particularly TEG-D and PCD, when assessing the risk of RLN injury before MWA. TEG-D was a vital independent factor influencing recovery time. SUMMARY: Clinicians should pay attention to several influencing factors for RLN injury before MWA and TEG-D was an independent influencing factor for recovery time of hoarseness after MWA.

Comparison of microbiota structure in reproductive tract of Yanbian cattle and Yanhuang cattle.

Microbiota in the reproductive tract of cattle play a vital role in maintaining normal reproduction. However, the information on microbiota in different parts of reproductive tracts with different genetic background is few. The aim of the present study was to describe and compare the microbiota in vagina, cervix and uterus of Yanbian cattle and Yanhuang cattle. The results showed that microbial diversity increases from the vagina to the uterus. The top three bacterial phyla in bovine reproductive tract were Proteobacteria, Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes, accounting for more than 85%. From the vagina to the uterus, the relative abundance of Proteobacteria gradually decreased, while that of Firmicutes gradually increased. Phylum-level Firmicutes and genus-level UCG_010 were significantly enriched in the uterus of Yanbian cattle and Yanhuang cattle. Comparing the same parts of the two breeds, it was found that there was no significant difference in alpha diversity, but significant differences in beta diversity. In addition, microbiota with significant differences in the relative abundance of the reproductive tract were found. These findings lay a foundation for a comprehensive understanding of the structure of the genital tract microbiota of cows and its regulatory mechanisms.

Co-abatement of greenhouse gas and air pollutants in Shanghai, China: Spatial hotspots identification, effects assessment and policy implication.

Driving co-abatement of Greenhouse Gas (GHGs) and Air Pollutants (APs) in the city level is crucial for fostering societal green and low-carbon transitions, yet comprehensive and refined researches at this level remain limited. To facilitate urban fine management of GHGs control and APs reduction, this study targeted nine categories of anthropogenic emission sources in Shanghai, a typical megacity of China, analyzing the co-benefits of three types of GHGs (CO2, CH4, N2O) and seven types of APs (SO2, NOx, CO, VOCs, NH3, PM2.5, PM10) via emissions flow, spatial distribution, hotspot regions identification, and scenario prediction. Results highlighted the source heterogeneity of different types and significant contributions of energy consumption. CO2 emissions showed a strong spatial correlation with SO2, NOx, and CO, followed by VOCs and PM. Hotspot regions for CO2-VOCs, CO2-NOx and CO2-SO2 co-abatement included power plants, petrochemical enterprises and chemical industrial parks in the southern coastal areas, iron and steel enterprises and power plants in the northern coastal areas, and airport areas in the central and eastern coastal areas, presenting great potential maximum reduction benefits. Achieving positive co-benefits in industrial sector would depend on the steady decline of CO2 emissions in power generation and steel industries. Introducing carbon capture devices and improving energy efficiency would be more beneficial to CO2 emission reduction, while increasing the share of clean energy and phasing out outdated vehicles, machinery, or production capacities are more effective in reducing APs. These mitigation measures could achieve 68.8 % and 47.6 % reduction for CO2 and APs by 2050, respectively, and the co-effect of CO2 and APs emission reduction would gradually increase with the continuous implementation of these measures.

Controllable synthesis of porous boron nitride fibers modified by cobalt and nickel oxides for efficient ceftriaxone sodium adsorption from aqueous solution.

Antibiotics can easily enter the water environment through direct or indirect approach, causing environmental pollution and endangering the health of organisms. Therefore, development of highly efficient adsorbent materials to adsorb and remove antibiotics is necessary. Here, cobalt oxide and nickel oxide are uniformly and tightly bonded on the surface of porous boron nitride fibers (PBNFs-NiCo), significantly increasing the number of functional groups (B-O and N-H) and hydrogen bond receptors within PBNFs. The total pore volume and specific surface area of resulting PBNFs-NiCo can reach up to 0.48 cm3/g and 720.3 m2/g, respectively. Encouraged by the unique micromorphology and chemical composition mentioned above, PBNFs-NiCo exhibits excellent ceftriaxone sodium (CS) adsorption ability, showing the adsorption capacity and removal efficiency up to 410.9 mg/g and 96.5%, respectively. Chemical adsorption plays an important role in their adsorption behavior, abiding by Langmuir adsorption theory and pseudo-second-order kinetic equation. Importantly, PBNFs-NiCo exhibits fascinating adsorption effects in surroundings with pH ranging from 4 to 6, 25 °C and varying salt concentrations. This work would establish a practical and feasible foundation for the practical application of PBNFs-NiCo for CS adsorption in aqueous solution.

Deep Edge-Based Fault Detection for Solar Panels.

Solar panels may suffer from faults, which could yield high temperature and significantly degrade their power generation. To detect faults of solar panels in large photovoltaic plants, drones with infrared cameras have been implemented. Drones may capture a huge number of infrared images. It is not realistic to manually analyze such a huge number of infrared images. To solve this problem, we develop a Deep Edge-Based Fault Detection (DEBFD) method, which applies convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for edge detection and object detection according to the captured infrared images. Particularly, a machine learning-based contour filter is designed to eliminate incorrect background contours. Then faults of solar panels are detected. Based on these fault detection results, solar panels can be classified into two classes, i.e., normal and faulty ones (i.e., macro ones). We collected 2060 images in multiple scenes and achieved a high macro F1 score. Our method achieved a frame rate of 28 fps over infrared images of solar panels on an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti GPU.

Evaluation of damage discrimination in dopaminergic neurons using dopamine transporter PET tracer [18F]FECNT-d4.

BACKGROUND: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a prevalent neurodegenerative disorder worldwide, diagnosed based on classic symptoms like motor dysfunction and cognitive impairments. With the development of various radioactive ligands, positron emission tomography (PET) imaging combined with specific radiolabelling probes has proven to be effective in aiding clinical PD diagnosis. Among these probes, 2ß-Carbomethoxy-3ß-(4-chlorophenyl)-8-(2-[18F]-fluoroethyl) nortropane ([18F]FECNT) has been utilized as a PET tracer to image dopamine transporter (DAT) integrity in striatal presynaptic dopaminergic terminals. However, the presence of brain-penetrant radioactive metabolites produced by [18F]FECNT may impact the accuracy of PET imaging. In previous research, we developed 2ß-Carbomethoxy-3ß-(4-chlorophenyl)-8-(2-[18F]-fluoroethyl-1,1,2,2-d4) nortropane ([18F]FECNT-d4), a deuterated derivative with enhanced stability in plasma and the striatum, along with a slower washout rate. In this study, we further investigated the potential of [18F]FECNT-d4 to detect dopaminergic neuron degeneration in Parkinson's disease. This involved PET imaging in unilaterally-lesioned PD model rats and in vitro autoradiography conducted on postmortem brain sections. RESULTS: PET images revealed reduced specific uptake in the ipsilateral striatum of rats stereotactically injected with 6-hydroxydopamine hydrochloride (6-OHDA). Compared to the sham group, the ratio of standardized uptake value (SUV) in the ipsilateral to contralateral striatum decreased by 13%, 23%, and 63% in the mild, moderate, and severe lesioned groups, respectively. Dopaminergic denervation observed in PET imaging was further supported by behavioral assessments, immunostaining, and monoamine concentration tests. Moreover, the microPET results exhibited positive correlations with these measurements, except for the apomorphine-induced rotational behavior test, which showed a negative correlation. Additionally, [18F]FECNT-d4 uptake was approximately 40% lower in the postmortem striatal sections of a PD patient compared to a healthy subject. Furthermore, estimated human dosimetry (effective dose equivalent: 5.06 E-03 mSv/MBq), extrapolated from rat biodistribution data, remained below the current Food and Drug Administration limit for radiation exposure. CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrate that [18F]FECNT-d4 accurately estimates levels of dopaminergic neuron degeneration in the 6-OHDA-induced PD rat model and effectively distinguishes between PD patients and healthy individuals. This highly sensitive and safe PET probe holds promising potential for clinical application in the diagnosis and monitoring of Parkinson's disease.

Effects of Social Support Provided by Disabled Older Adults to Others on Their Own Depressive Symptoms: A Moderated Mediation Model.

Purpose: While previous studies have extensively examined the impact of receiving positive social support during social support interactions on depressive symptoms among older adults, adverse effects experienced, such as being rejected or ignored, are often overlooked. Moreover, there has been limited discussion on the effects of giving social support to others. Thus, this study investigates the impacts of social support given by disabled older adults to others on their own depressive symptoms, as well as the mediating role of receiving social support (both positive and negative aspects) and the moderating effect of the activity of daily living (ADL). Patients and Methods: This cross-sectional, community-based study was conducted in Wenzhou and Jiaxing City, China, from September 2021 to September 2022, with a total of 255 disabled older adults meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The data were collected face-to-face using a structured questionnaire. The participants were asked to complete the Barthel Index Scale, the Chinese version of the Positive and Negative Social Exchange Scale, the Giving Social Support questionnaire, and the Short Form Chinese Geriatric Depression Scale to measure disability, receiving positive and negative social support, giving social support, and depressive symptoms, respectively. Descriptive statistical analysis, correlation analysis, mediation effect tests, and moderation effect tests were used to analyse the questionnaire data. Results: The social support provided by disabled older adults to others primarily involved companionship and care. The positive aspect of social support received was largely emotional support, while the negative aspect was mainly characterised by failure to obtain help and unsympathetic behaviour. Providing social support was found to be associated with a potential beneficial effect on depressive symptoms, linked to lower severity, with this effect fully mediated by receiving social support. Specifically, receiving emotional support accounted for 56.63% of the effect size, while failure to obtain help and unsympathetic behaviour contributed 21.55%, and rejection and neglect collectively accounted for 21.83%. Additionally, the effect was partially moderated by ADL, with older adults exhibiting lower ADL scores showing a greater benefit from both giving and receiving social support compared to those with higher ADL scores. Conclusion: It is imperative to recognise and encourage disabled older adults to provide social support to others, especially emotional support, while reducing negative feedback, such as neglect and unnecessary blame. This could alleviate their depressive symptoms and promote psycho-social well-being.

Development and preliminary validation of a questionnaire on the care needs of family carers of older individuals with disabilities in China: a mixed methods study.

BACKGROUND: Ensuring the wellness of older individuals with disabilities requires prioritising the care needs of their carers. However, current practice lacks validated tools to measure the needs of carers in home environments. Thus, this study aimed to create and test a questionnaire on the care needs of family carers of older people with disabilities in China. METHODS: We used a standard development process to generate the questionnaire. The pilot testing included cognitive interviews to ensure interpretation as intended. Furthermore, we used a cross-sectional study method to conveniently select 640 Chinese family carers of older people with disabilities from August 1, 2022, to June 11, 2023, for face-to-face investigation. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) aided in project reduction and factor estimation, with 30 participants undergoing retest evaluations every two weeks. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) assessed the model's structural validity, while internal consistency and retest reliability validated its accuracy. RESULTS: These tests established the model: content validity, item analysis and EFA. Six factors extracted from the initial analysis explained 62.891% of the observation variance. CFA showed good model fit, and the questionnaire had good reliability and validity. The final questionnaire included 21 items focusing on six dimensions: care assistance (three items), care environment (three items), care information (three items), formal support (four items), care ability (six items) and self-development (two items). CONCLUSION: The care needs questionnaire effectively evaluates the needs of family carers in their caring activities.

Assessing the predictive value of elevated postoperative syndecan-1 levels for progressive acute kidney injury and kidney replacement therapy necessity in adult cardiac surgery patients.

BACKGROUND: The development of acute kidney injury (AKI) post-cardiac surgery significantly increases patient morbidity and healthcare costs. Prior researches have established Syndecan-1 (SDC-1) as a potential biomarker for endothelial injury and subsequent acute kidney injury development. This study assessed whether postoperative SDC-1 levels could further predict AKI requiring kidney replacement therapy (AKI-KRT) and AKI progression. METHODS: In this prospective study, 122 adult cardiac surgery patients, who underwent valve or coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) or a combination thereof and developed AKI within 48 h post-operation from May to September 2021, were monitored for the progression to stage 2-3 AKI or the need for KRT. We analyzed the predictive value of postoperative serum SDC-1 levels in relation to multiple endpoints. RESULTS: In the study population, 110 patients (90.2%) underwent cardiopulmonary bypass, of which thirty received CABG or combined surgery. Fifteen patients (12.3%) required KRT, and thirty-eight (31.1%) developed progressive AKI, underscoring the severe AKI incidence. Multivariate logistic regression indicated that elevated SDC-1 levels were independent risk factors for progressive AKI (OR = 1.006) and AKI-KRT (OR = 1.011). The AUROC for SDC-1 levels in predicting AKI-KRT and AKI progression was 0.892 and 0.73, respectively, outperforming the inflammatory cytokines. Linear regression revealed a positive correlation between SDC-1 levels and both hospital (ß = 0.014, p = 0.022) and ICU stays (ß = 0.013, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Elevated postoperative SDC-1 levels significantly predict AKI progression and AKI-KRT in patients following cardiac surgery. The study's findings support incorporating SDC-1 level monitoring into post-surgical care to improve early detection and intervention for severe AKI.