Increasing HbA1c is associated with reduced CD8+ T cell functionality in response to influenza virus in a TCR-dependent manner in individuals with diabetes mellitus.

Diabetes mellitus is on the rise globally and is a known susceptibility factor for severe influenza virus infections. However, the mechanisms by which diabetes increases the severity of an influenza virus infection are yet to be fully defined. Diabetes mellitus is hallmarked by high glucose concentrations in the blood. We hypothesized that these high glucose concentrations affect the functionality of CD8+ T cells, which play a key role eliminating virus-infected cells and have been shown to decrease influenza disease severity. To study the effect of hyperglycemia on CD8+ T cell function, we stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from donors with and without diabetes with influenza A virus, anti-CD3/anti-CD28-coated beads, PMA and ionomycin (PMA/I), or an influenza viral peptide pool. After stimulation, cells were assessed for functionality [as defined by expression of IFN-γ, TNF-α, macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1ß, and lysosomal-associated membrane protein-1 (CD107a)] using flow cytometry. Our results showed that increasing HbA1c correlated with a reduction in TNF-α production by CD8+ T cells in response to influenza stimulation in a TCR-specific manner. This was not associated with any changes to CD8+ T cell subsets. We conclude that hyperglycemia impairs CD8+ T cell function to influenza virus infection, which may be linked with the increased risk of severe influenza in patients with diabetes.

Rapid diagnosis of herpes simplex virus 1 and 2 bloodstream infections utilizing a sample-to-answer platform.

Bloodstream HSV-1 and HSV-2 infections can cause devastating outcomes with high morbidity and mortality, especially in neonates or immunocompromised individuals. Proper patient management for herpes simplex virus (HSV) bloodstream infections is time-sensitive and requires a rapid, accurate, and definitive diagnosis. The absence of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved molecular assays for HSV detection in blood, coupled with a lack of consensus on the optimal sample type, underscores the unmet need for improved diagnostics. We prospectively compared the cycle threshold values in paired samples including whole blood (WB), plasma, serum, and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from patients with bloodstream HSV infections. This analysis employed a modified use of the FDA-cleared Simplexa HSV-1 & 2 Direct assay. The clinical performance in serum was assessed by comparing the results of 247 remnant specimens on this sample-to-answer platform to established laboratory-developed tests in a blinded fashion. Serum samples exhibited significantly lower cycle thresholds than whole blood samples [2.6 cycle threshold (Ct) bias, P < 0.001]. The modified Simplexa assay demonstrated 100% positive percent agreement for the detection of HSV-1 and HSV-2 DNA in serum samples and yielded an overall agreement of 95% (95% CI, 0.92 to 0.97), with a κ statistic of 0.75 (95% CI, 0.62 to 0.86) compared to the composite reference method. Discordance rates were 5.20% for HSV-1 and 0.81% for HSV-2. This investigation demonstrates that serum is an optimal specimen type for HSV detection when compared to several blood compartments. Serum offers a promising sample type for rapid and accurate diagnosis of HSV bloodstream infections using the modified Simplexa assay. IMPORTANCE: Rapid, accurate, and definitive diagnosis of herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections is crucial in clinical settings for patient management. The absence of FDA-authorized molecular assays for HSV-1/2 detection in blood, coupled with a lack of consensus on the optimal sample type, underscores the need for improved diagnostic methods. Furthermore, rapid diagnosis of HSV bloodstream infections enables timely administration of antiviral treatment, influences patient management decisions for those at high risk, and can contribute to shorter hospital stays, thereby reducing healthcare costs.

Epidemiological behaviour and interventions of malaria in Niger, 2010-2019: a time-series analysis of national surveillance data.

BACKGROUND: Malaria remains a significant public health concern in Niger, with the number of cases increasing from 592,334 in 2000 to 3,138,696 in 2010. In response, a concerted campaign against the disease has been initiated. However, the implementation of these malaria interventions and their association with epidemiological behaviour remains unclear. METHODS: A time-series study was conducted in Niger from 2010 to 2019. Multiple data sources concerning malaria were integrated, encompassing national surveillance data, Statistic Yearbook, targeted malaria control interventions, and meteorological data. Incidence rate, mortality rate, and case fatality ratio (CFR) by different regions and age groups were analysed. Joinpoint regression models were used to estimate annual changes in malaria. The changes in coverage of malaria interventions were evaluated. RESULTS: Between 2010 to 2019, the incidence rate of malaria decreased from 249.43 to 187.00 cases per 1,000 population in Niger. Niamey had a high annual mean incidence rate and the lowest CFR, while Agadez was on the contrary. Joinpoint regression analysis revealed a declining trend in malaria incidence for all age groups except the 10-24 years group, and the mortality rate and the CFR initially decreased followed by an increase in all age groups. Niger has implemented a series of malaria interventions, with the major ones being scaled up to larger populations during the study period. CONCLUSIONS: The scale-up of multi-interventions in Niger has significantly reduced malaria incidence, but the rise in mortality rate and CFR addresses the challenges in malaria control and elimination. Malaria endemic countries should enhance surveillance of malaria cases and drug resistance in Plasmodium, improve diagnosis and treatment, expand the population coverage of insecticide-treated bed nets and seasonal malaria chemoprevention, and strengthen the management of severe malaria cases.

Safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic and immunogenicity profiles of Exendin-4-IgG4-Fc in healthy subjects: A phase 1, single-centre, randomized, double-blind, dose escalation study.

AIM: Novel long-acting drugs for type 2 diabetes mellitus may optimize patient compliance and glycaemic control. Exendin-4-IgG4-Fc (E4F4) is a long-acting glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist. This first-in-human study investigated the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic and immunogenicity profiles of a single subcutaneous injection of E4F4 in healthy subjects. METHODS: This single-centre, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 1 clinical trial included 96 subjects in 10 sequential cohorts that were provided successively higher doses of E4F4 (0.45, 0.9, 1.8, 3.15, 4.5, 6.3, 8.1, 10.35, 12.6 and 14.85 mg) or placebo (ChinaDrugTrials.org.cn: ChiCTR2100049732). The primary endpoint was safety and tolerability of E4F4. Secondary endpoints were pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic and immunogenicity profiles of E4F4. Safety data to day 15 after the final subject in a cohort had been dosed were reviewed before commencing the next dose level. RESULTS: E4F4 was safe and well tolerated among healthy Chinese participants in this study. There was no obvious dose-dependent relationship between frequency, severity or causality of treatment-emergent adverse events. Cmax and area under the curve of E4F4 were dose proportional over the 0.45-14.85 mg dose range. Median Tmax and t1/2 ranged from 146 to 210 h and 199 to 252 h, respectively, across E4F4 doses, with no dose-dependent trends. For the intravenous glucose tolerance test, area under the curve of glucose in plasma from time 0 to 180 min showed a dose-response relationship in the 1.8-10.35 mg dose range, with an increased response at the higher doses. CONCLUSION: E4F4 exhibited an acceptable safety profile and linear pharmacokinetics in healthy subjects. The recommended phase 2 dose is 4.5-10.35 mg once every 2 weeks.

Construction of Coordination Spaces with Narrow Pore Windows in Co-Based Metal-Organic Frameworks toward CO2/N2 Separation.

Carbon emission reduction is an important measure to mitigate the greenhouse effect, which has become a hotspot in global climate change research. To contribute to this, here, we fabricated two Co-based metal-organic frameworks (Co-MOFs), namely, {[Co3(NTB)2(bib)]·(DMA)2·(H2O)4}n (DZU-211) and {[Co3(NTB)2(bmip)]·(DMA)2}n (DZU-212) (H3NTB = 4,4',4″-nitrilotribenzoic acid, bib = 1,4-bis(imidazol-1-yl)-butane, bmip = 1,3-bis(2-methyl-1H-imidazol-1-yl)propane) to realize efficient CO2/N2 separation by dividing coordination spaces into suitable pores with narrow windows. DZU-211 reveals a 3D open porous framework, while DZU-212 exhibits a 3D double-fold interpenetrated structure. The two MOFs both possess large coordination spaces and small open pore sizes, via the bib ligand insertion and framework interpenetration, respectively. Comparatively, DZU-211 reveals superior selective CO2 uptake properties due to its more suitable pore characteristics. Gas sorption experiments show that DZU-211 has a CO2 uptake of 52.6 cm3 g-1 with a high simulated CO2/N2 selectivity of 101.7 (298 K, 1 atm) and a moderate initial adsorption heat of 38.1 kJ mol-1. Moreover, dynamic breakthrough experiments confirm the potential application of DZU-211 as a CO2 separation material from postcombustion flue gases.

Acetylcytidine modification of Amotl1 by N-acetyltransferase 10 contributes to cardiac fibrotic expansion in mice after myocardial infarction.

Cardiac fibrosis is a pathological scarring process that impairs cardiac function. N-acetyltransferase 10 (Nat10) is recently identified as the key enzyme for the N4-acetylcytidine (ac4C) modification of mRNAs. In this study, we investigated the role of Nat10 in cardiac fibrosis following myocardial infarction (MI) and the related mechanisms. MI was induced in mice by ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery; cardiac function was assessed with echocardiography. We showed that both the mRNA and protein expression levels of Nat10 were significantly increased in the infarct zone and border zone 4 weeks post-MI, and the expression of Nat10 in cardiac fibroblasts was significantly higher compared with that in cardiomyocytes after MI. Fibroblast-specific overexpression of Nat10 promoted collagen deposition and induced cardiac systolic dysfunction post-MI in mice. Conversely, fibroblast-specific knockout of Nat10 markedly relieved cardiac function impairment and extracellular matrix remodeling following MI. We then conducted ac4C-RNA binding protein immunoprecipitation-sequencing (RIP-seq) in cardiac fibroblasts transfected with Nat10 siRNA, and revealed that angiomotin-like 1 (Amotl1), an upstream regulator of the Hippo signaling pathway, was the target gene of Nat10. We demonstrated that Nat10-mediated ac4C modification of Amotl1 increased its mRNA stability and translation in neonatal cardiac fibroblasts, thereby increasing the interaction of Amotl1 with yes-associated protein 1 (Yap) and facilitating Yap translocation into the nucleus. Intriguingly, silencing of Amotl1 or Yap, as well as treatment with verteporfin, a selective and potent Yap inhibitor, attenuated the Nat10 overexpression-induced proliferation of cardiac fibroblasts and prevented their differentiation into myofibroblasts in vitro. In conclusion, this study highlights Nat10 as a crucial regulator of myocardial fibrosis following MI injury through ac4C modification of upstream activators within the Hippo/Yap signaling pathway.

CircRNA: a rising therapeutic strategy for lung injury induced by pulmonary toxicants.

Lung injury has been a serious medical problem that requires new therapeutic approaches and biomarkers. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) that exist widely in eukaryotes. CircRNAs are single-stranded RNAs that form covalently closed loops. CircRNAs are significant gene regulators that have a role in the development, progression, and therapy of lung injury by controlling transcription, translating into protein, and sponging microRNAs (miRNAs) and proteins. Although the study of circRNAs in lung injury caused by pulmonary toxicants is just beginning, several studies have revealed their expression patterns. The function that circRNAs perform in relation to pulmonary toxicants (severe acute respiratory distress syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), drug abuse, PM2.5, and cigarette smoke) is the main topic of this review. A variety of circRNAs can serve as potential biomarkers of lung injury. In this review, the biogenesis, properties, and biological functions of circRNAs were concluded, and the relationship between circRNAs and pulmonary toxicants was discussed. It is expected that the new ideas and potential treatment targets that circRNAs provide would be beneficial to research into the molecular mechanisms behind lung injury.

Broad/narrowband switchable terahertz absorber based on Dirac semimetal and strontium titanate for temperature sensing.

A broadband and narrowband switchable terahertz (THz) absorber based on a bulk Dirac semimetal (BDS) and strontium titanate (STO) is proposed. Narrowband and broadband absorption can be switched by adjusting the Fermi level of the BDS. When the Fermi level of the BDS is 100 meV, the device is an absorber with three narrowband absorption peaks. The frequencies are 0.44, 0.86, and 1.96 THz, respectively, when the temperature of STO is 250 K. By adjusting the temperature of STO from 250 to 500 K, the blue shifts of the frequencies are approximately 0.14, 0.32, and 0.60 THz, respectively. The sensitivities of the three absorption peaks are 0.56, 1.27, and 2.38 GHz/K, respectively. When the Fermi level of the BDS is adjusted from 100 to 30 meV, the device can be switched to a broadband absorber with a bandwidth of 0.70 THz. By adjusting the temperature of STO from 250 to 500 K, the central frequency shifts from 1.40 to 1.79 THz, and the bandwidth broadens from 0.70 to 0.96 THz. The sensitivity of the central frequency is 1.57 GHz/K. The absorber also has a wide range of potential applications in multifunctional tunable devices, such as temperature sensors, stealth equipment, and filters.

Comorbidity increases the risk of pulmonary tuberculosis: a nested case-control study using multi-source big data.

BACKGROUND: Some medical conditions may increase the risk of developing pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB); however, no systematic study on PTB-associated comorbidities and comorbidity clusters has been undertaken. METHODS: A nested case-control study was conducted from 2013 to 2017 using multi-source big data. We defined cases as patients with incident PTB, and we matched each case with four event-free controls using propensity score matching (PSM). Comorbidities diagnosed prior to PTB were defined with the International Classification of Diseases-10 (ICD-10). The longitudinal relationships between multimorbidity burden and PTB were analyzed using a generalized estimating equation. The associations between PTB and 30 comorbidities were examined using conditional logistic regression, and the comorbidity clusters were identified using network analysis. RESULTS: A total of 4265 cases and 17,060 controls were enrolled during the study period. A total of 849 (19.91%) cases and 1141 (6.69%) controls were multimorbid before the index date. Having 1, 2, and ≥ 3 comorbidities was associated with an increased risk of PTB (aOR 2.85-5.16). Fourteen out of thirty comorbidities were significantly associated with PTB (aOR 1.28-7.27), and the associations differed by sex and age. Network analysis identified three major clusters, mainly in the respiratory, circulatory, and endocrine/metabolic systems, in PTB cases. CONCLUSIONS: Certain comorbidities involving multiple systems may significantly increase the risk of PTB. Enhanced awareness and surveillance of comorbidity are warranted to ensure early prevention and timely control of PTB.

Pitfalls in Developing Machine Learning Models for Predicting Cardiovascular Diseases: Challenge and Solutions.

In recent years, there has been explosive development in artificial intelligence (AI), which has been widely applied in the health care field. As a typical AI technology, machine learning models have emerged with great potential in predicting cardiovascular diseases by leveraging large amounts of medical data for training and optimization, which are expected to play a crucial role in reducing the incidence and mortality rates of cardiovascular diseases. Although the field has become a research hot spot, there are still many pitfalls that researchers need to pay close attention to. These pitfalls may affect the predictive performance, credibility, reliability, and reproducibility of the studied models, ultimately reducing the value of the research and affecting the prospects for clinical application. Therefore, identifying and avoiding these pitfalls is a crucial task before implementing the research. However, there is currently a lack of a comprehensive summary on this topic. This viewpoint aims to analyze the existing problems in terms of data quality, data set characteristics, model design, and statistical methods, as well as clinical implications, and provide possible solutions to these problems, such as gathering objective data, improving training, repeating measurements, increasing sample size, preventing overfitting using statistical methods, using specific AI algorithms to address targeted issues, standardizing outcomes and evaluation criteria, and enhancing fairness and replicability, with the goal of offering reference and assistance to researchers, algorithm developers, policy makers, and clinical practitioners.

The effects of different doses of lanthanum-modified bentonite in combination with a submerged macrophyte (Vallisneria denseserrulata) on phosphorus inactivation and macrophyte growth: A mesocosm study.

The combination of chemical phosphorus (P) inactivation and submerged macrophyte transplantation has been widely used in lake restoration as it yields stronger effects than when applying either method alone. However, the dose effect of chemical materials on P inactivation when used in combination with submerged macrophytes and the influences of the chemicals used on the submerged macrophytes growth remain largely unknown. In this study, we investigated P inactivation in both the water column and the sediment, and the responses of submerged macrophytes to Lanthanum modified bentonite (LMB) in an outdoor mesocosm experiment where Vallisneria denseserrulata were transplanted into all mesocosms and LMB was added at four dosage levels, respectively: control (LMB-free), low dosage (570 g m-2), middle dosage (1140 g m-2), and high dosage (2280 g m-2). The results showed that the combination of LMB dosage and V. denseserrulata reduced TP in the water column by 32%-38% compared to V. denseserrulata alone, while no significant difference was observed among the three LMB treatments. Porewater soluble reactive P, two-dimensional diffusive gradient in thin films (DGT)-labile P concentrations, and P transformation in the 0-1 cm sediment layer exhibited similar trends along the LMB dosage gradient. Besides, LMB inhibited plant growth and reduced the uptake of mineral elements (i.e., calcium, manganese, iron, and magnesium) in a dosage-dependent manner with LMB. LMB may reduce plant growth by creating a P deficiency risk for new ramets and by interfering with the uptake of mineral elements. Considering both the dose effect of LMB on P inactivation and negative effect on macrophyte growth, we suggest a "small dosage, frequent application" method for LMB application to be used in lake restoration aiming to recover submerged macrophytes and clear water conditions.

Experimental Study on the Diffusion Law of Coal-Based Solid Waste Slurry with Grouting Filling in the Gangue Voids of the Caving Zone.

Due to the concealment of the caving zone, it is difficult to detect and grasp the diffusion law of the slurry in the voids of the gangue pile. On the preparation of reasonable grouting filling materials, a large-scale three-dimensional gangue grouting filling test system has been established to detect the slurry pressure and resistivity inside the gangue pile and analyze the flow pattern of the slurry in the voids of the gangue pile. The research results show that the slump and bleeding rate of the filling slurry are significantly reduced with the increase of the fly ash content. The optimal ratio of fly ash, coal gangue, and gasification slag is 7:2:1, with a mass fraction of 72%. In the process of grouting, the internal pressure of the gangue pile can be divided into the initial stable stage, the step growth stage, and the pressure stability stage, and the change curve of the pressure sensor at the lower level is similar. The resistance value of the original broken gangue in the experiment is approximately 1600 Ω. Grouting filling forms a slurry-rock mixture, and its resistance continuously decreases with the stable injection of the slurry (minimum value 150 Ω). It is determined that the slurry near the grouting hole mainly diffuses longitudinally with a good void filling effect. The void channels of slurry diffusion are randomly distributed and have different shapes, which hinder slurry flow and diffusion. Slurry particles accumulate and settle at local small voids. Meanwhile, the surface of the gangue blocks is dry, and the slurry absorbs part of the water during diffusion, resulting in the increase of the slurry concentration and the weakening of the lateral diffusion ability. Secondary or multiple grouting can effectively fill the void of the broken gangue and further improve the filling effect.

Progressive Facial Ulcer: A Case Report of Pyoderma gangrenosum.

Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is a rare neutrophilic dermatosis characterized by rapidly developing and painful skin ulcers with distinctive features. As far as we are concerned, there is no previous case report on facial PG in East-Asia. In this case, we describe a case of a 79-year-old man with a 3-month history of progressive painful ulcers on his cheek and upper lip. Initial suspicion of atypical mycobacterium infection led to an ineffective treatment regimen. Comprehensive infectious testing yielded negative results, and a positive pathergy test indicated a potential diagnosis of PG. A skin biopsy confirmed the diagnosis, and the patient showed significant improvement with intravenous methylprednisolone and oral cyclosporine treatment. After three months, complete resolution of the lesions was achieved without recurrence. The case highlights the diagnostic challenges associated with PG, which is often misdiagnosed due to its resemblance to other conditions. Thorough evaluation is crucial to exclude alternative diagnoses, particularly cutaneous infections. Clinical morphology, tissue biopsy, and culture are essential for accurate diagnosis. The presence of pathergy, the development of new lesions following minor trauma, can also be a diagnostic clue.

Room-temperature endogenous lubricant-infused slippery surfaces by evaporation induced phase separation.

We present a novel approach to fabricate endogenous slippery lubricant-infused porous surfaces (eSLIPS) at room temperature using an evaporation-induced phase separation process. The ternary coating system, comprising ethylene-propylene copolymer, caprylyl methicone, and n-hexane, forms a porous structure in situ infiltrated with lubricant, resulting in surfaces with remarkable anti-fouling and anti-icing properties.

Association Between Atopic Dermatitis and Aging: Clinical Observations and Underlying Mechanisms.

As one of the most prevalent chronic inflammatory skin diseases, atopic dermatitis (AD) increasingly affects the aging population. Amid the ongoing global aging trend, it's essential to recognize the intricate relationship between AD and aging. This paper reviews existing knowledge, summarizing clinical observations of associations between AD and aging-related diseases in various systems, including endocrine, cardiovascular, and neurological. Additionally, it discusses major theories explaining the correlation, encompassing skin-mucosal barriers, systemic inflammation and stress, genes, signal transduction, and environmental and behavioral factors. The association between AD and aging holds significant importance, both in population and basic perspectives. While further research is warranted, this paper aims to inspire deeper exploration of inflammation/allergy-aging dynamics and the timely management of elderly patients with AD.

Crossed renal ectopia with rectal cancer: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Crossed renal ectopia (CRE) occurs when one kidney crosses the midline from the primary side to the contralateral side while the ureter remains on the primary side. Rectal cancer, one of the most common malignant tumors of the digestive tract, refers to cancer from the dentate line to the rectosigmoid junction. The concurrent presentation of CRE alongside rectal cancer is an uncommon clinical observation. CASE SUMMARY: Herein, we report a 69-year-old male patient with rectal cancer who was diagnosed with CRE via computed tomography during hospitalization. Following thorough preoperative evaluations, the patient underwent Dixon surgery. CONCLUSION: We performed laparoscopic radical resection of rectal cancer and adequate lymph node removal in a patient with CRE with no postoperative discomfort.

Rapid detection of trace nitrobenzene in water via SERS using a portable Raman spectrometer.

Nitrobenzene is currently the most widely used explosive substance, and is known for its high toxicity and mutagenicity. It can cause severe environmental and water pollution, posing a risk to public health. Among various explosives analysis methods, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has the advantages of fast analysis speed, low detection cost, and easy operation, and has become one of the most promising analytical detection methods. Here, we present a portable and reliable sol-based SERS method for the detection of trace amounts of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) in different water bodies. The Meisenheimer complex formed by nitrobenzene and hydrazine hydrate can assemble on unmodified Au nanoparticles in a sol via Au-N bonds, enabling rapid detection of TNT in seawater, lake water, and tap water using a portable Raman spectrometer. Experimental results show that this SERS method can complete the detection within a few minutes and the detection sensitivity can reach 0.01 mg L-1, which is far lower than China's national standard of no more than 0.5 mg L-1. Furthermore, this method was also successfully applied to detect trace 2,4-dinitrotoluene (2,4-DNT) and picric acid (2,4,6-trinitrophenol) in water, demonstrating its strong applicability for on-site detection of nitrobenzene explosives.

Natural products as the therapeutic strategies for addiction.

World Drug Report 2023 concluded that 296 million people abused drugs, 39.5 million became addiction and 494,000 died as a direct or indirect result of addiction. Addiction has become a growing problem that affects individuals, their families, societies, countries and even the world. However, treatment for addiction is only limited to some developed countries because of the high cost, difficult implementation, and time consuming. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a low-cost, effective drug for the development of addiction treatment in more countries, which is essential for the stability and sustainable development of the world. In this review, it provided an overview of the abuse of common addictive drugs, related disorders, and current therapeutic regimen worldwide, and summarized the mechanisms of drug addiction as reward circuits, neuroadaptation and plasticity, cognitive decision-making, genetics, and environment. According to their chemical structure, 43 natural products and 5 herbal combinations with potential to treat addiction were classified, and their sources, pharmacological effects and clinical trials were introduced. It was also found that mitragine, ibogine, L-tetrahydropalmatine and crocin had greater potential for anti-addiction.

Potential of neuroimaging as a biomarker in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: from structure to metabolism.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by motor neuron degeneration. The development of ALS involves metabolite alterations leading to tissue lesions in the nervous system. Recent advances in neuroimaging have significantly improved our understanding of the underlying pathophysiology of ALS, with findings supporting the corticoefferent axonal disease progression theory. Current studies on neuroimaging in ALS have demonstrated inconsistencies, which may be due to small sample sizes, insufficient statistical power, overinterpretation of findings, and the inherent heterogeneity of ALS. Deriving meaningful conclusions solely from individual imaging metrics in ALS studies remains challenging, and integrating multimodal imaging techniques shows promise for detecting valuable ALS biomarkers. In addition to giving an overview of the principles and techniques of different neuroimaging modalities, this review describes the potential of neuroimaging biomarkers in the diagnosis and prognostication of ALS. We provide an insight into the underlying pathology, highlighting the need for standardized protocols and multicenter collaborations to advance ALS research.

Rhodamine and related substances in food: Recent updates on pretreatment and analysis methods.

Rhodamine, a colorant prohibited in various consumer products due to its demonstrated carcinogenic, mutagenic, and toxic properties, necessitates the development of a straightforward, efficient, sensitive, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective analytical method. This review provides an overview of recent advancements in the pretreatment and determination techniques for rhodamine across diverse sample matrices since 2017. Sample preparation methods encompass both commonly used pretreatment techniques such as filtration, centrifugation, solvent extraction, and cloud point extraction, as well as innovative approaches including solid phase extraction, dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction, hollow fiber liquid phase microextraction, magnetic solid phase extraction, and matrix solid phase dispersion. The analytical techniques encompass high performance liquid chromatography, surface-enhanced Raman scattering, and sensor-based methods. Furthermore, a comprehensive examination is conducted to offer insights for future research on rhodamine regarding the advantages, disadvantages, and advancements in various pretreatment and determination methodologies.