Biochar-derived dissolved organic matter enhanced the release of residual ciprofloxacin from the soil solid phase.

Biochar has been utilized to reduce ciprofloxacin (CIP) residues in soil. However, little is known about the effect of biochar-derived dissolved organic matter (DOM) on residual CIP transformation. Thus, we analyzed the residual soil CIP as influenced by biochar generated from rice straw (RS3 and RS6), pig manure (PM3 and PM6), and cockroach shell (CS3 and CS6) at 300 °C and 600 °C. The three-dimensional excitation-emission matrix (3D-EEM), parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) and two-dimensional correlation spectral analysis (2D-COS) were used to describe the potential variation in the DOM-CIP interaction. Compared with CK, biochar amendment increased the water-soluble CIP content by 160.7% (RS3), 55.2% (RS6), 534.1% (PM3), 277.5% (PM6), 1160.6% (CS3) and 703.9% (CS6), indicating that the biochar feedstock controlled the soil CIP release. The content of water-soluble CIP was positively correlated with the content of dissolved organic carbon (r = 0.922, p < 0.01) and dissolved organic nitrogen (r = 0.898, p < 0.01), suggesting that the major influence of the water-soluble CIP increase was DOM. The fluorescence quenching experiment showed that the interaction between DOM and CIP triggered static quenching and the creation of a DOM complex. The mean log K of protein-like material (4.977) was higher than that of terrestrial humus-like material (3.491), suggesting that the protein-like material complexed CIP was more stable than the humus-like material. Compared with pyrolysis at 300 °C, pyrolysis at 600 °C decreased the stability of the complex of protein-like material and CIP by 0.44 (RS), 1.689 (PM) and 0.548 (CS). This result suggested that the influence of temperature change was more profound on PM biochar-derived DOM than on RS and CS. These insights are essential for understanding CIP transportation in soil and controlling CIP contamination with biochar.

Elastic films of single-crystal two-dimensional covalent organic frameworks.

The properties of polycrystalline materials are often dominated by defects, and two-dimensional (2D) crystals can even be divided and disrupted by a line defect1-3. In contrast, 2D crystals are often required to be processed into films, which are inevitably polycrystalline and contain numerous grain boundaries, and therefore are brittle and fragile, hindering application in flexible electronics, optoelectronics and separation1-4. Moreover, similar to glass, wood, and plastics, they suffer from trade-off effects between mechanical strength and toughness.5, 6 Here, we report a method to produce highly strong, tough and elastic films of an emerging class of 2D crystals - 2D covalent organic frameworks (COFs) composed of single-crystal domains connected by interwoven grain boundary on water surface using an aliphatic bi-amine as a sacrificial go-between. Films of two 2DCOFs were demonstrated, which showed Young's moduli and breaking strength of 56.7 ± 7.4 GPa and 73.4 ± 11.6 GPa, and 82.2 ± 9.1 N/m and 29.5 ± 7.2 N/m, respectively. We envisage the sacrificial go-between guided synthesis method and the interwoven grain boundary will inspire grain boundary enigineering of various polycrystalline materials, endowing them with new properties, enhancing their current applications and paving the way for new applications.

Analysis of vibrational dynamics in cell-substrate interactions using nanopipette electrochemical sensors.

Cell-substrate interaction plays a critical role in determining the mechanical status of living cell membrane. Changes of substrate surface properties can significantly alter the cell mechanical microenvironment, leading to mechanical changes of cell membrane. However, it is still difficult to accurately quantify the influence of the substrate surface properties on the mechanical status of living cell membrane without damage. This study addresses the challenge by using an electrochemical sensor made from an ultrasmall quartz nanopipette. With the tip diameter less than 100 nm, the nanopipette-based sensor achieves highly sensitive, noninvasive and label-free monitoring of the mechanical status of single living cells by collecting stable cyclic membrane oscillatory signals from continuous current versus time traces. The electrochemical signals collected from PC12 cells cultured on three different substrates (bare ITO (indium tin oxides) glass, hydroxyl modified ITO glass, amino modified ITO glass) indicate that the microenvironment more favorable for cell adhesion can increase the membrane stiffness. This work provides a label-free electrochemical approach to accurately quantify the mechanical status of single living cells in real-time, which may help to better understand the relationship between the cell membrane and the extra cellular matrix.

Single-cell profiling of response to neoadjuvant chemo-immunotherapy in surgically resectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The efficacy of neoadjuvant chemo-immunotherapy (NAT) in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is challenged by the intricate interplay within the tumor microenvironment (TME). Unveiling the immune landscape of ESCC in the context of NAT could shed light on heterogeneity and optimize therapeutic strategies for patients. METHODS: We analyzed single cells from 22 baseline and 24 post-NAT treatment samples of stage II/III ESCC patients to explore the association between the immune landscape and pathological response to neoadjuvant anti-PD-1 combination therapy, including pathological complete response (pCR), major pathological response (MPR), and incomplete pathological response (IPR). RESULTS: Single-cell profiling identified 14 major cell subsets of cancer, immune, and stromal cells. Trajectory analysis unveiled an interesting link between cancer cell differentiation and pathological response to NAT. ESCC tumors enriched with less differentiated cancer cells exhibited a potentially favorable pathological response to NAT, while tumors enriched with clusters of more differentiated cancer cells may resist treatment. Deconvolution of transcriptomes in pre-treatment tumors identified gene signatures in response to NAT contributed by specific immune cell populations. Upregulated genes associated with better pathological responses in CD8 + effector T cells primarily involved interferon-gamma (IFNγ) signaling, neutrophil degranulation, and negative regulation of the T cell apoptotic process, whereas downregulated genes were dominated by those in the immune response-activating cell surface receptor signaling pathway. Natural killer cells in pre-treatment tumors from pCR patients showed a similar upregulation of gene expression in response to IFNγ but a downregulation of genes in the neutrophil-mediated immunity pathways. A decreased cellular contexture of regulatory T cells in ESCC TME indicated a potentially favorable pathological response to NAT. Cell-cell communication analysis revealed extensive interactions between CCL5 and its receptor CCR5 in various immune cells of baseline pCR tumors. Immune checkpoint interaction pairs, including CTLA4-CD86, TIGIT-PVR, LGALS9-HAVCR2, and TNFSF4-TNFRSF4, might serve as additional therapeutic targets for ICI therapy in ESCC. CONCLUSIONS: This pioneering study unveiled an intriguing association between cancer cell differentiation and pathological response in esophageal cancer patients, revealing distinct subgroups of tumors for which neoadjuvant chemo-immunotherapy might be effective. We also delineated the immune landscape of ESCC tumors in the context of clinical response to NAT, which provides clinical insights for better understanding how patients respond to the treatment and further identifying novel therapeutic targets for ESCC patients in the future.

Intervention model under the Omaha system framework can effectively improve the sleep quality and negative emotion of patients with mid to late-stage lung cancer and is a protective factor for quality of life.

This study aims to evaluate the effects of Omaha System framework interventions on quality of life, emotional well-being, and sleep quality in 507 mid to late-stage lung cancer patients. Retrospectively, we compared data of 294 patients receiving conventional care (conventional group) with 213 patients undergoing Omaha System interventions (intervention group) from January 2019 to January 2023. Key indicators included quality of life (FACT-L), anxiety (SAS), depression (SDS), sleep quality (PSQI), hope (HHS), and dignity (PDI). Post-intervention, the intervention group showed a significant increase in FACT-L scores (P<0.001), indicating enhanced quality of life. There was a notable reduction in PSQI scores (P<0.001), suggesting improved sleep quality. Additionally, their anxiety and depression levels significantly decreased, as evidenced by lower SAS (P<0.001) and SDS scores (P<0.001). Logistic regression revealed that care nursing intervention scheme (P=0.007), age (P=0.008), marital status (P=0.002), per capita monthly household income (P=0.004), SAS after intervention (P=0.002), and PSQI after intervention (P=0.002) had a positive influence on quality of life. In conclusion, the Omaha System interventions markedly improved the quality of life, emotional state, and sleep in lung cancer patients.

Behind the wheel: exploring gray matter variations in experienced drivers.

Background: Driving is a complex skill involving various cognitive activities. Previous research has explored differences in the brain structures related to the navigational abilities of drivers compared to non-drivers. However, it remains unclear whether changes occur in the structures associated with low-level sensory and higher-order cognitive abilities in drivers. Methods: Gray matter volume, assessed via voxel-based morphometry analysis of T1-weighted images, is considered a reliable indicator of structural changes in the brain. This study employs voxel-based morphological analysis to investigate structural differences between drivers (n = 22) and non-drivers (n = 20). Results: The results indicate that, in comparison to non-drivers, drivers exhibit significantly reduced gray matter volume in the middle occipital gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, supramarginal gyrus, and cerebellum, suggesting a relationship with driving-related experience. Furthermore, the volume of the middle occipital gyrus, and middle temporal gyrus, is found to be marginally negative related to the years of driving experience, suggesting a potential impact of driving experience on gray matter volume. However, no significant correlations were observed between driving experiences and frontal gray matter volume. Conclusion: These findings suggest that driving skills and experience have a pronounced impact on the cortical areas responsible for low-level sensory and motor processing. Meanwhile, the influence on cortical areas associated with higher-order cognitive function appears to be minimal.

Construction of yield loss indicators for cold vortex, light-temperature-water combined stress during the flowering period of rice in Northeast China.

The construction of a yield loss evaluation index for the cold vortex type light-temperature-water composite adversity during rice flowering period in Northeast China is important for elucidating the impacts of cold vortex type composite disasters on rice yield loss in middle and high latitude areas. Moreover, it can provide meteorological support to ensure safe production of high-quality japonica rice in China and contribute to regional disaster reduction and efficiency improvement. By combining growth period data, meteorological data, and yield data, we delineated and constructed the composite stress occurrence index of cold vortex type light-temperature-water at the flowering stage of japonica. We analyzed the relationship between factors causing disasters and yield structure, as well as the relationship between different yield structures and yield by employing BP neural network method. We further dissected the processes involved in the causation of combined disasters. Based on the K-means clustering method and historical typical disaster years, we quantified the critical thresholds and disaster grades, and established an evaluation index and model for assessing yield loss caused by combined stress from cold vortex type light-temperature-water. Finally, we examined the spatial and temporal variations of low temperature, abundant rainfall, and reduced sunlight during the flowering period in the three provinces of Northeast China. Results showed that the critical thresholds for light, temperature, and water stress index during the flowering stage of mild, moderate, and severe cold vortex types were [0, 0.21), [0.21, 0.32), and [0.32, 0.64], respectively. The rates of yield loss were [0, 0.03), [0.03, 0.08), and [0.08, 0.096], respectively. Based on the verification results of a total of 751 samples in 11 random years from 1961 to 2020, the percentage of stations for which the production reduction grade, as calculated by the composite index developed in this study, aligning with the actual production reduction grade was 63.7%, consistently exceeding 58.0% annually. Moreover, the proportion of sites with a similarity or difference level of 1 stood at 88.3%, surpassing 85.0% in each year. The index could effectively assess the extent of rice yield loss caused by cold vortex disasters in Northeast China.

Smooth-Muscle-Cell-Specific Deletion of CD38 Protects Mice from AngII-Induced Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm through Inhibiting Vascular Remodeling.

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a serious vascular disease which is associated with vascular remodeling. CD38 is a main NAD+-consuming enzyme in mammals, and our previous results showed that CD38 plays the important roles in many cardiovascular diseases. However, the role of CD38 in AAA has not been explored. Here, we report that smooth-muscle-cell-specific deletion of CD38 (CD38SKO) significantly reduced the morbidity of AngII-induced AAA in CD38SKOApoe-/- mice, which was accompanied with a increases in the aortic diameter, medial thickness, collagen deposition, and elastin degradation of aortas. In addition, CD38SKO significantly suppressed the AngII-induced decreases in α-SMA, SM22α, and MYH11 expression; the increase in Vimentin expression in VSMCs; and the increase in VCAM-1 expression in smooth muscle cells and macrophage infiltration. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the role of CD38SKO in attenuating AAA was associated with the activation of sirtuin signaling pathways. Therefore, we concluded that CD38 plays a pivotal role in AngII-induced AAA through promoting vascular remodeling, suggesting that CD38 may serve as a potential therapeutic target for the prevention of AAA.

Causal association and mediating effect of blood biochemical metabolic traits and brain image-derived endophenotypes on Alzheimer's disease.

Background: Recent genetic evidence supports that circulating biochemical and metabolic traits (BMTs) play a causal role in Alzheimer's disease (AD), which might be mediated by changes in brain structure. Here, we leveraged publicly available genome-wide association study data to investigate the intrinsic causal relationship between blood BMTs, brain image-derived phenotypes (IDPs) and AD. Methods: Utilizing the genetic variants associated with 760 blood BMTs and 172 brain IDPs as the exposure and the latest AD summary statistics as the outcome, we analyzed the causal relationship between blood BMTs and brain IDPs and AD by using a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) method. Additionally, we used two-step/mediation MR to study the mediating effect of brain IDPs between blood BMTs and AD. Results: Twenty-five traits for genetic evidence supporting a causal association with AD were identified, including 12 blood BMTs and 13 brain IDPs. For BMTs, glutamine consistently reduced the risk of AD in 3 datasets. For IDPs, specific alterations of cortical thickness (atrophy in frontal pole and insular lobe, and incrassation in superior parietal lobe) and subcortical volume (atrophy in hippocampus and its subgroups, left accumbens and left choroid plexus, and expansion in cerebral white matter) are vulnerable to AD. In the two-step/mediation MR analysis, superior parietal lobe, right hippocampal fissure and left accumbens were identified to play a potential mediating role among three blood BMTs and AD. Conclusions: The results obtained in our study suggest that 12 circulating BMTs and 13 brain IDPs play a causal role in AD. Importantly, a subset of BMTs exhibit shared genetic architecture and potentially causal relationships with brain structure, which may contribute to the alteration of brain IDPs in AD.

QTL mapping and candidate gene analysis reveal two major loci regulating green leaf color in non-heading Chinese cabbage.

KEY MESSAGE: Two major-effect QTL GlcA07.1 and GlcA09.1 for green leaf color were fine mapped into 170.25 kb and 191.41 kb intervals on chromosomes A07 and A09, respectively, and were validated by transcriptome analysis. Non-heading Chinese cabbage (NHCC) is a leafy vegetable with a wide range of green colors. Understanding the genetic mechanism behind broad spectrum of green may facilitate the breeding of high-quality NHCC. Here, we used F2 and F7:8 recombination inbred line (RIL) population from a cross between Wutacai (dark-green) and Erqing (lime-green) to undertake the genetic analysis and quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping in NHCC. The genetic investigation of the F2 population revealed that the variation of green leaf color was controlled by two recessive genes. Six pigments associated with green leaf color, including total chlorophyll, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total carotenoids, lutein, and carotene were quantified and applied for QTL mapping in the RIL population. A total of 7 QTL were detected across the whole genome. Among them, two major-effect QTL were mapped on chromosomes A07 (GlcA07.1) and A09 (GlcA09.1) corresponding to two QTL identified in the F2 population. The QTL GlcA07.1 and GlcA09.1 were further fine mapped into 170.25 kb and 191.41 kb genomic regions, respectively. By comparing gene expression level and gene annotation, BraC07g023810 and BraC07g023970 were proposed as the best candidates for GlcA07.1, while BraC09g052220 and BraC09g052270 were suggested for GlcA09.1. Two InDel molecular markers (GlcA07.1-BcGUN4 and GlcA09.1-BcSG1) associated with BraC07gA023810 and BraC09g052220 were developed and could effectively identify leaf color in natural NHCC accessions, suggesting their potential for marker-assisted leaf color selection in NHCC breeding.

Electronic Spin Alignment within Homologous NiS2/NiSe2 Heterostructures to Promote Sulfur Redox Kinetics in Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

The catalytic activation of the Li-S reaction is fundamental to maximize the capacity and stability of Li-S batteries (LSBs). Current research on Li-S catalysts mainly focuses on optimizing the energy levels to promote adsorption and catalytic conversion, while frequently overlooking the electronic spin state influence on charge transfer and orbital interactions. Here, hollow NiS2/NiSe2 heterostructures encapsulated in a nitrogen-doped carbon matrix (NiS2/NiSe2@NC) are synthesized and used as a catalytic additive in sulfur cathodes. The NiS2/NiSe2 heterostructure promotes the spin splitting of the 3d orbital, driving the Ni3+ transformation from low to high spin. This high spin configuration raises the electronic energy level and activates the electronic state. This accelerates the charge transfer and optimizes the adsorption energy, lowering the reaction energy barrier of the polysulfides conversion. Benefiting from these characteristics, LSBs based on NiS2/NiSe2@NC/S cathodes exhibit high initial capacity (1458 mAh·g⁻1 at 0.1C), excellent rate capability (572 mAh·g⁻1 at 5C), and stable cycling with an average capacity decay rate of only 0.025% per cycle at 1C during 500 cycles. Even at high sulfur loadings (6.2 mg·cm⁻2), high initial capacities of 1173 mAh·g⁻1 (7.27 mAh·cm⁻2) are measured at 0.1C, and 1058 mAh·g⁻1 is retained after 300 cycles.

Atg5 deficiency in macrophages protects against kidney fibrosis via the CCR6-CCL20 axis.

BACKGROUND: Autophagy is a lysosome-dependent degradation pathway that regulates macrophage activation, differentiation, and polarization. Autophagy related 5 (Atg5) is a key protein involved in phagocytic membrane elongation in autophagic vesicles that forms a complex with Atg12 and Atg16L1. Alterations in Atg5 are related to both acute and chronic kidney diseases in experimental models. However, the role of macrophage-expressed Atg5 in acute kidney injury remains unclear. METHODS: Using a myeloid cell-specific Atg5 knockout (MΦ atg5-/-) mouse, we established renal ischemia/reperfusion and unilateral ureteral obstruction models to evaluate the role of macrophage Atg5 in renal macrophage migration and fibrosis. RESULTS: Based on changes in the serum urea nitrogen and creatinine levels, Atg5 deletion had a minimal effect on renal function in the early stages after mild injury; however, MΦ atg5-/- mice had reduced renal fibrosis and reduced macrophage recruitment after 4 weeks of ischemia/reperfusion injury and 2 weeks of unilateral ureteral obstruction injury. Atg5 deficiency impaired the CCL20-CCR6 axis after severe ischemic kidneys. Chemotactic responses of bone marrow-derived monocytes (BMDMs) from MΦ atg5-/- mice to CCL20 were significantly attenuated compared with those of wild-type BMDMs, and this might be caused by the inhibition of PI3K, AKT, and ERK1/2 activation. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that Atg5 deficiency decreased macrophage migration by impairing the CCL20-CCR6 axis and inhibited M2 polarization, thereby improving kidney fibrosis.

A complete oral regimen for induction therapy of patients with high-risk APL: An oral etoposide instead of intravenous infusion for cytoreductive chemotherapy.

There is an urgent need for an oral, efficient and safe regimen for high-risk APL under the pandemic of COVID-19. We retrospectively analysed 60 high-risk APL patients. For induction therapy (IT), in addition to all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and oral arsenic (RIF), 22 patients received oral etoposide (VP16) as cytotoxic chemotherapy (CC), and 38 patients received intravenous CC as historical control group. The median dose of oral VP16 was 1000 mg [interquartile rage (IQR), 650-1250]. One patient died during IT in the control group, 59 evaluable patients (100%) achieved complete haematological remission (CHR) after IT and complete molecular remission (CMR) after consolidation therapy. The median time to CHR and CMR was 36 days (33.8-44) versus 35 days (32-42; p = 0.75) and 3 months (0.8-3.5) versus 3.3 months (2.4-3.7; p = 0.58) in the oral VP16 group and in the control group. Two (9.1%) and 3 (7.9%) patients experienced molecular relapse in different group respectively. The 2-year estimated overall survival and event-free survival were 100% versus 94.7% (p = 0.37) and 90.9% versus 89.5% (p = 0.97) respectively. A completely oral, efficient and safe induction regimen including oral VP16 as cytoreductive chemotherapy combined with ATRA and RIF is more convenient to administer for patients with high-risk APL.

Inducing cavitation within hollow cylindrical radially polarized transducers for intravascular applications.

Thrombotic occlusions of large blood vessels are increasingly treated with catheter based mechanical approaches, one of the most prominent being to employ aspiration to extract clots through a hollow catheter lumen. A central technical challenge for aspiration catheters is to achieve sufficient suction force to overcome the resistance of clot material entering into the distal tip. In this study, we examine the feasibility of inducing cavitation within hollow cylindrical transducers with a view to ultimately using them to degrade the mechanical integrity of thrombus within the tip of an aspiration catheter. Hollow cylindrical radially polarized PZT transducers with 3.3/2.5 mm outer/inner diameters were assessed. Finite element simulations and hydrophone experiments were used to investigate the pressure field distribution as a function of element length and resonant mode (thickness, length). Operating in thickness mode (∼5 MHz) was found to be associated with the highest internal pressures, estimated to exceed 23 MPa. Cavitation was demonstrated to be achievable within the transducer under degassed water (10 %) conditions using hydrophone detection and high-frequency ultrasound imaging (40 MHz). Cavitation clouds occupied a substantial portion of the transducer lumen, in a manner that was dependent on the pulsing scheme employed (10 and 100 µs pulse lengths; 1.1, 11, and 110 ms pulse intervals). Collectively the results support the feasibility of achieving cavitation within a transducer compatible with mounting in the tip of an aspiration format catheter.

Active Components of Pueraria lobata through the MAPK/ERK Signaling Pathway Alleviate Iron Overload in Alcoholic Liver Disease.

OBJECTIVE: To delve into the primary active ingredients and mechanism of Pueraria lobata for alleviating iron overload in alcoholic liver disease. METHODS: Pueraria lobata's potential targets and signaling pathways in treating alcohol-induced iron overloads were predicted using network pharmacology analysis. Then, animal experiments were used to validate the predictions of network pharmacology. The impact of puerarin or genistein on alcohol-induced iron accumulation, liver injury, oxidative stress, and apoptosis was assessed using morphological examination, biochemical index test, and immunofluorescence. Key proteins implicated in linked pathways were identified using RT-qPCR, western blot analysis, and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Network pharmacological predictions combined with animal experiments suggest that the model group compared to the control group, exhibited activation of the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway, suppression of hepcidin expression, and aggravated iron overload, liver damage, oxidative stress, and hepatocyte death. Puerarin and genistein, the active compounds in Pueraria lobata, effectively mitigated the aforementioned alcohol-induced effects. No statistically significant disparities were seen in the effects above between the two groups receiving drug therapy. CONCLUSION: This study preliminarily demonstrated that puerarin and genistein in Pueraria lobata may increase hepcidin production to alleviate alcohol-induced iron overload by inhibiting the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway.

New perspectives on the genetic structure of dotted gizzard shad (Konosirus punctatus) based on RAD-seq.

To maintain, develop and rationally utilize marine organisms, understanding their genetic structure and habitat adaptation pattern is necessary. Konosirus punctatus, which is a commercial fish species inhabiting the Indo-west Pacific Ocean, has shown an obvious annual global capture and aquaculture production decline due to climate changes and human activities. In the present study, restriction-site associated DNA sequencing (RAD-seq) was used to describe its genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms panel (SNPs). Among 146 individuals collected at nine locations scattered in China, Korea and Japan, a set of 632,090 SNPs were identified. Population genetic analysis showed that K. punctatus individuals were divided into two significant genetic clusters. Meanwhile, potential genetic differentiation between northern and southern population of K. punctatus was found. Treemix results indicated that gene flow existed among sampling locations of K. punctatus, especially from southern Japan to others. Moreover, candidate genes associated with habitat adaptations of K. punctatus were identified, which are involved in diverse physiological processes of K. punctatus including growth and development (e.g., KIDINS220, PAN3), substance metabolism (e.g., PGM5) and immune response (e.g., VAV3, CCT7, HSPA12B). Our findings may aid in understanding the possible mechanisms for the population genetic structure and local adaptation of K. punctatus, which is beneficial to establish the management and conservation units of K. punctatus, guiding the rational use of resources, with reference significance for a profound understanding of the adaptative mechanisms of other marine organisms to the environment. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42995-024-00216-2.

Parental cardiometabolic multimorbidity and subsequent cardiovascular incidence in middle-aged adults: A prospective cohort study.

Background: The prevalence of cardiometabolic multimorbidity, defined as the coexistence of two or three cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs), including coronary heart disease (CHD), diabetes, and stroke, has increased rapidly in recent years, but the additive association between parental cardiometabolic multimorbidity and cardiovascular incidence in middle-aged adults remains unclear. Methods: All the data analysed in this study were derived from the UK Biobank, and a total of 71,923 participants aged 40-55 years old without CVD were included in the main analyses. A weighted score was developed and grouped participants into four parental CMDs patterns: non-CMD, low burden, middle burden, and high burden. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate the associations between parental CMDs pattern and CVD incidence before 65 years old. Improvement in CVD risk prediction by adding parental CMDs pattern to a basic model was evaluated. Results: Among the 71,923 participants, 3070 CVD events were observed during a median 12.04 years of follow-up. Compared to non-CMD groups, adults in high burden group had a 94% (73-117%) increased risk of CVD. The restricted cubic spline analysis revealed an exposure-response association between parental CMDs burden and risk of CVD (Pnonlinear = 0.24). Additionally, models involving parental CMDs pattern showed slightly improvements in CVD risk prediction, especially for CHD. Conclusion: An increased burden of parental CMDs was associated with an increased risk of CVD incidence in middle-aged adults. Parental CMDs pattern may provide valuable information in primary prevention of CVD in middle-aged adults.

A Case Report of Meigs' Syndrome Caused by Ovarian Fibrothecoma with High Levels of CA125.

Purpose: Meigs' syndrome is a rare gynecological disease characterized by the triad of benign ovarian tumor, ascites, and pleural effusion. Ovarian malignancies should be highly suspected in a postmenopausal woman with a pelvic mass, ascites, hydrothorax, and an elevated carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125) level. It can be challenging to make a preoperative diagnosis of Meigs' syndrome. In this report, we present a case of Meigs' syndrome caused by an ovarian fibrothecoma and review the relevant literature to raise awareness and avoid misdiagnosis. Case Presentation: An 82-year-old woman with a 2-week history of abdominal distension was admitted to the Department of Gynecology. Ultrasound and thoracoabdominal computed tomography scans showed a left-sided hypoechoic mass in the pelvic cavity with bilateral pleural effusion and massive ascites. The CA125 concentration was 1040 U/mL (normal, 0-35 U/mL). With a working diagnosis of ovarian malignancy, the patient underwent ultrasound-guided fine-needle puncture of the pelvic mass and paracentesis to drain the ascites. The fine-needle puncture and paracentesis fluid analysis results revealed that the ascites did not contain any tumor cells, and the pelvic mass was identified as a spindle cell tumor. Immunohistochemistry confirmed that it was a sex-cord stromal tumor. Total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral adnexectomy were performed under general anesthesia. The pathology results confirmed the mass to have been an ovarian fibrothecoma. At the 2-month postoperative follow-up, the ascites and hydrothorax had resolved and not recurred, and the CA125 level was normal. Conclusion: Despite the high suspicion of ovarian carcinoma in postmenopausal women presenting with pelvic mass, ascites, pleural effusion, and elevated CA125, Meigs' syndrome should be considered.

The application of artificial intelligence for Rapid On-Site Evaluation during flexible bronchoscopy.

Background: Rapid On-Site Evaluation (ROSE) during flexible bronchoscopy (FB) can improve the adequacy of biopsy specimens and diagnostic yield of lung cancer. However, the lack of cytopathologists has restricted the wide use of ROSE. Objective: To develop a ROSE artificial intelligence (AI) system using deep learning techniques to differentiate malignant from benign lesions based on ROSE cytological images, and evaluate the clinical performance of the ROSE AI system. Method: 6357 ROSE cytological images from 721 patients who underwent transbronchial biopsy were collected from January to July 2023 at the Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University. A ROSE AI system, composed of a deep convolutional neural network (DCNN), was developed to identify whether there were malignant cells in the ROSE cytological images. Internal testing, external testing, and human-machine competition were used to evaluate the performance of the system. Results: The ROSE AI system identified images containing lung malignant cells with the accuracy of 92.97% and 90.26% on the internal testing dataset and external testing dataset respectively, and its performance was comparable to that of the experienced cytopathologist. The ROSE AI system also showed promising performance in diagnosing lung cancer based on ROSE cytological images, with accuracy of 89.61% and 87.59%, and sensitivity of 90.57% and 94.90% on the internal testing dataset and external testing dataset respectively. More specifically, the agreement between the ROSE AI system and the experienced cytopathologist in diagnosing common types of lung cancer, including squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, and small cell lung cancer, demonstrated almost perfect consistency in both the internal testing dataset (κ = 0.930) and the external testing dataset (κ = 0.932). Conclusions: The ROSE AI system demonstrated feasibility and robustness in identifying specimen adequacy, showing potential enhancement in the diagnostic yield of FB. Nevertheless, additional enhancements, incorporating a more diverse range of training data and leveraging advanced AI models with increased capabilities, along with rigorous validation through extensive multi-center randomized control assays, are crucial to guarantee the seamless and effective integration of this technology into clinical practice.

Viscoelasticity-Controlled Relaxation in Wrinkling Surface for Multistage Time-Resolved Optical Information Encryption.

As counterfeit techniques continue to evolve, ensuring the security of conventional "static" encryption methods becomes increasingly challenging. Here, the viscoelasticity-controlled relaxation is introduced for the first time in a bilayer wrinkling system by regulating the density of hydrogen bond networks in polymer to construct a "dynamic" encryption material. The wrinkling surface can manipulate light during the dynamic relaxation process, exhibiting three stages with frosted glass, structural color, and mirror reflection. By regulating the viscoelasticity of skin layer through UV irradiation, the wavelength and the relaxation rate of the wrinkles can be controlled. As a result, dynamic wrinkling anti-counterfeiting patterns and time-resolved multistage information encryption are achieved. Crucially, the encryption material is developed as an anti-counterfeiting label for packing boxes in daily applications, allowing the encrypted information to be activated manually and identified by naked eyes, surpassing the existing time-resolved encryption materials in utilization potential. Besides, the dynamic hydrogen bond networks are extended to various dynamic interaction networks, demonstrating the versatility of the dynamic encryption strategy. This work not only provides an additional dimension for dynamic information encryption in daily practical use, but also offers theoretical guidance for the development of advanced optical anti-counterfeiting and smart display materials in the future.