Predicting white-matter hyperintensity progression and cognitive decline in patients with cerebral small-vessel disease: a magnetic resonance-based habitat analysis.

Background: White-matter hyperintensity (WMH) is the key magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) marker of cerebral small-vessel disease (CSVD). This study aimed to investigate whether habitat analysis based on physiologic MRI parameters can predict the progression of WMH and cognitive decline in CSVD. Methods: Diffusion- and perfusion-weighted imaging data were obtained from 69 patients with CSVD at baseline and at 1-year of follow-up. The white-matter region was classified into constant WMH, growing WMH, shrinking WMH, and normal-appearing white matter (NAWM) according to the T2-fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) sequences images at the baseline and follow-up. We employed k-means clustering on a voxel-wise basis to delineate WMH habitats, integrating multiple diffusion metrics and cerebral blood flow (CBF) values derived from perfusion data. The WMH at the baseline and the predicted WMH from the habitat analysis were used as regions of avoidance (ROAs). The decreased rate of global efficiency for the whole brain structural connectivity was calculated after removal of the ROA. The association between the decreased rate of global efficiency and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and mini-mental state examination (MMSE) scores was evaluated using Pearson correlation coefficients. Results: We found that the physiologic MRI habitats with lower fractional anisotropy and CBF values and higher mean diffusivity, axial diffusivity, and radial diffusivity values overlapped considerably with the new WMH (growing WMH of baseline) after a 1-year follow-up; the accuracy of distinguishing growing WMH from NAWM was 88.9%±12.7% at baseline. Similar results were also found for the prediction of shrinking WMH. Moreover, after the removal of the predicted WMH, a decreased rate of global efficiency had a significantly negative correlation with the MoCA and MMSE scores at follow-up. Conclusions: This study revealed that a habitat analysis combining perfusion with diffusion parameters could predict the progression of WMH and related cognitive decline in patients with CSVD.

Introduction of the -B(OH)2 group into a graphene motif for pz orbital removal and ferromagnetic modulation.

Room-temperature ferromagnetism in graphene has attracted considerable attention due to its potential application as spintronics. Theoretically, magnetic moment of graphene can be generated by removing a single pz orbital from the π system, which introduces an unpaired electron into the graphene motif for magnetic coupling. In this work, pz orbital of graphene is experimentally removed by cleaving the π bond of graphene using H3BO3 with the assistance of supercritical CO2 (SC CO2), which simultaneously introduces -B(OH)2 groups and unpaired electrons. As a result, ferromagnetic coupling between unpaired electrons substantially enhances the magnetic properties of the 2D graphene motif, leading to room-temperature ferromagnetism. Overall, unpaired electrons were introduced into a 2D graphene motif through π bond cleavage, which provides a novel approach for magnetic manipulation of 2D materials with conjugated structures.

[Current Situation and Influencing Factors of Kindergarten Teachers' Participation in Training for Preschool Sex Education].

Objective To understand the current situation and influencing factors of kindergarten teachers' participation in training for preschool sex education in Luzhou city,and provide a basis for improving the sex education literacy of kindergarten teachers in the future. Methods A multi-stage stratified cluster sampling method was adopted,and a questionnaire survey was conducted from December 2021 to January 2022 on the knowledge,attitude,and practice of preschool sex education among all the teachers in 24 kindergartens in Luzhou city. Results Among the 461 teachers,43.0% had participated in lectures/courses/training activities related to preschool sex education;99.1% hoped to participate in lectures/courses/training activities related to preschool sex education;82.6% learned about child sexual knowledge through school education;75.5% expressed the hope to learn about child sexual knowledge through expert training.The results of multivariate Logistic regression showed that except private kindergartens as an inhibiting factor (OR=0.57,95%CI=0.37-0.87,P=0.008),high monthly income (OR=3.52,95%CI=1.13-9.30,P=0.011),more ways to know about sex education knowledge (OR=2.87,95%CI=1.76-4.70,P<0.001),and social support (OR=1.58,95%CI=1.04-2.38, P=0.030) were promoting factors for teachers to participate in the training for preschool sex education. Conclusion The kindergarten teachers presented a participation rate but a high demand for the training for preschool sex education.They mainly obtain the sex education knowledge from school education.The nature of kindergarten,monthly income of teachers,social support situation,and ways of understanding sex education knowledge are the key factors influencing the teachers' participation in the training for preschool sex education.

Exploring cognitive related microstructural alterations in normal appearing white matter and deep grey matter for small vessel disease: A quantitative susceptibility mapping study.

Brain microstructural alterations possibly occur in the normal-appearing white matter (NAWM) and grey matter of small vessel disease (SVD) patients, and may contribute to cognitive impairment. The aim of this study was to explore cognitive related microstructural alterations in white matter and deep grey matter nuclei in SVD patients using magnetic resonance (MR) quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM). 170 SVD patients, including 103 vascular mild cognitive impairment (VaMCI) and 67 no cognitive impairment (NCI), and 21 healthy control (HC) subjects were included, all underwent a whole-brain QSM scanning. Using a white matter and a deep grey matter atlas, subregion-based QSM analysis was conducted to identify and characterize microstructural alterations occurring within white matter and subcortical nuclei. Significantly different susceptibility values were revealed in NAWM and in several specific white matter tracts including anterior limb of internal capsule, corticospinal tract, medial lemniscus, middle frontal blade, superior corona radiata and tapetum among VaMCI, NCI and HC groups. However, no difference was found in white matter hyperintensities between VaMCI and NCI. A trend toward higher susceptibility in the caudate nucleus and globus pallidus of VaMCI patients compared to HC, indicating elevated iron deposition in these areas. Interestingly, some of these QSM parameters were closely correlated with both global and specific cognitive function scores, controlling age, gender and education level. Our study suggested that QSM may serve as a useful imaging tool for monitoring cognitive related microstructural alterations in brain. This is especially meaningful for white matter which previously lacks of attention.

Long-Term Survival Trend of Gynecological Cancer: A Systematic Review of Population-Based Cancer Registration Data.

Gynecological cancer significantly affect the health of women. This review aimed to describe the global patterns and trends in the survival of patients with gynecological cancers. We searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, SinoMed, and SEER for survival analyses of cancer registration data of cervical, endometrial, and ovarian cancers published between 1980 and 2022. Globally, the highest 5-year observed survival rate for cervical cancer was 76.5% in Anshan, Liaoning, China (2008-2017). The 5-year observed survival rates of endometrial and ovarian cancers were higher in Finland (1995-1999, 82.5%) and Singapore (1988-1992, 62.0%). The 5-year relative survival rate of cervical cancer patients was higher in Haining, Zhejiang, China (2011-2014, 85.8%). Korea ranked first at 89.0% and 64.5% for endometrial and ovarian cancers, respectively. Survival rates have improved for cervical, endometrial, and ovarian cancers. Patients aged ≥ 75 years and those with advanced-stage disease had the worst 5-year survival rates. Survival rates were better for squamous cell carcinoma in cervical cancer, for endometrial carcinoma and mucinous adenocarcinoma in endometrial cancer, and for germ cell and sex-cord stromal tumors in ovarian cancer. Over the past four decades, the survival rates of gynecological cancers have increased globally, with notable increases in cervical and endometrial cancers. Survival rates are higher in developed countries, with a slow-growing trend. Future studies should focus on improving survival, especially in ovarian cancer patients.

Disturbed glucose homeostasis and its increased allostatic load in response to individual, joint and fluctuating air pollutants exposure: Evidence from a longitudinal study in prediabetes.

We investigated the effect of individual, joint and fluctuating exposure to air pollution (PM2.5, BC, NO3-, NH4+, OM, SO42-, PM10, NO2, SO2, O3) on glucose metabolisms among prediabetes, and simultaneously explored the modifying effect of lifestyle. We conducted a longitudinal study among prediabetes during 2018-2022. Exposure windows within 60-days moving averages and their variabilities were calculated. FBG, insulin, HOMA-IR, HOMA-B, triglyceride glucose index (TyG), glucose insulin ratio (GI) and allostatic load of glucose homeostasis system (AL-GHS) was included. Linear mixed-effects model and BKMR were adopted to investigate the individual and overall effects, respectively. We also explored the preventive role of lifestyle. Individual air pollutant was associated with increased FBG, insulin, HOMA-IR, HOMA-B, TyG, and decreased GI. People with FBG ≥6.1 mmol/L were more susceptible. Air pollutants mixture were only associated with increased HOMA-B, and constituents have the highest group-PIP. Air pollutants variation also exert harmful effect. We observed similar diabetic effect on AL-GHS. Finally, the diabetic effect of air pollutants disappeared if participants adopt a favorable lifestyle. Our findings highlighted the importance of comprehensively assessing multiple air pollutants and their variations, focusing on metabolic health status in the early prevention of T2D, and adopting healthy lifestyle to mitigate such harmful effect.

2D NiFe2O4/Ni(OH)2 Heterostructure-Based Self-Supporting Electrode With Synergistic Surface/Interfacial Engineering for Efficient Water Electrooxidation.

To meet the industrial demand for overall water splitting, oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts with low-cost, highly effective, and durable properties are urgently required. Herein, a facile confined strategy is utilized to construct 2D NiFe2O4/Ni(OH)2 heterostructures-based self-supporting electrode with surface-interfacial coengineering, in which abundant and ultrastable interfaces are developed. Under the high molar ratio of Ni/Fe, both spinel oxide and hydroxides phases are formed simultaneously to obtain 2D NiFe2O4/Ni(OH)2 heterostructure. The in-depth analysis indicates that the NiFe2O4/Ni(OH)2 interface displays strong electronic interactions and triggers the formation of crystalline-amorphous coexisting catalytic active NiOOH. Meanwhile, the stable catalyst-collector interface favors the electron transfer and oxygen molecules transport. The resultant 2D NiFe2O4/Ni(OH)2@CP electrode exhibits superior OER performance, including a low overpotential of 389 mV and a long operating time of 12 h at 1 A cm-2. This work paves a novel method for fabricating efficient and low-cost electrocatalysts for electrochemical conversation devices.

Far-Red Aggregation-Induced Emission Hydrogel-Reinforced Tissue Clearing for 3D Vasculature Imaging of Whole Lung and Whole Tumor.

Understanding the vascular formation and distribution in metastatic lung tumors is a significant challenge due to autofluorescence, antibody/dye diffusion in dense tumor, and fluorophore stability when exposed to solvent-based clearing agents. Here, an approach is presented that redefines 3D vasculature imaging within metastatic tumor, peritumoral lung tissue, and normal lung. Specifically, a far-red aggregation-induced emission nanoparticle with surface amino groups (termed as TSCN nanoparticle, TSCNNP) is designed for in situ formation of hydrogel (TSCNNP@Gel) inside vasculatures to provide structural support and enhance the fluorescence in solvent-based tissue clearing method. Using this TSCNNP@Gel-reinforced tissue clearing imaging approach, the critical challenges are successfully overcome and comprehensive visualization of the whole pulmonary vasculature up to 2 µm resolution is enabled, including its detailed examination in metastatic tumors. Importantly, features of tumor-associated vasculature in 3D panoramic views are unveiled, providing the potential to determine tumor stages, predict tumor progression, and facilitate the histopathological diagnosis of various tumor types.

Inflammation as a pathway for heavy metal-induced liver damage-Insights from a repeated-measures study in residents exposed to metals and bioinformatics analysis.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiological studies on heavy metal exposure and liver injury are predominantly cross-sectional, lacking longitudinal data and exploration of potential mechanisms. METHOD: We conducted a repeated-measures study in Northeast China from 2016 to 2019, involving 322 participants. Linear mixed models (LMM) and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) were employed to explore the associations between individual and mixed blood metal concentrations [chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), vanadium (V), manganese (Mn), lead (Pb)] and liver function biomarkers [alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), albumin (ALB), globulin (GLB), total protein (TP)]. Mediation and enrichment analyses were used to determine whether the inflammatory response is a critical pathway for heavy metal-induced liver damage. RESULT: We obtained a total of 958 observations. The results from LMM and BKMR indicated significant associations between individual and mixed heavy metals and liver function biomarkers. Longitudinal analysis revealed associations between Cd and the annual increase rate of ALT (ß = 2.61; 95% CI: 0.97, 4.26), the annual decrease rate of ALB (ß = -0.21; 95% CI: -0.39, -0.03), Mn and the annual increase rate of GLB (ß = 0.38; 95% CI: 0.05, 0.72), and V and the annual decrease rate of ALB/GLB (ß = -1.15; 95% CI: -2.00, -0.31). Mediation analysis showed that high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) mediated the associations between Cd and AST, TP, with mediation effects of 27.7% and 13.4%, respectively. Additionally, results from Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analyses supported the role of inflammatory response pathways. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that heavy metal exposure leads to liver damage, with the inflammatory response potentially serving as a crucial pathway in this process. This study offers a novel perspective on understanding heavy metal-induced liver injury and provides insights for preventive measures against the health damage caused by heavy metals.

SLS4D: Sparse Latent Space for 4D Novel View Synthesis.

Neural radiance fields (NeRF) have achieved great success in novel view synthesis and 3D representation for static scenarios. Existing dynamic NeRFs usually exploit a locally dense grid to fit the deformation fields; however, they fail to capture the global dynamics and concomitantly yield models of heavy parameters. We observe that the 4D space is inherently sparse. Firstly, the deformation fields are sparse in spatial but dense in temporal due to the continuity of motion. Secondly, the radiance fields are only valid on the surface of the underlying scene, usually occupying a small fraction of the whole space. We thus represent the 4D scene using a learnable sparse latent space, a.k.a. SLS4D. Specifically, SLS4D first uses dense learnable time slot features to depict the temporal space, from which the deformation fields are fitted with linear multi-layer perceptions (MLP) to predict the displacement of a 3D position at any time. It then learns the spatial features of a 3D position using another sparse latent space. This is achieved by learning the adaptive weights of each latent feature with the attention mechanism. Extensive experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of our SLS4D: It achieves the best 4D novel view synthesis using only about 6% parameters of the most recent work.

Quantifying neuroinflammation within deep gray matter in small vessel disease using diffusion tensor based free-water imaging: a longitudinal study.

Purpose: Employing free water (FW) imaging, a cutting-edge diffusion MRI technique, we assessed neuroinflammation within deep gray matter (DGM) in small vessel disease (SVD) over 1-2 years. Method: One hundred and seventy SVD patients and 21 healthy controls (HCs) underwent MRI scans and neuropsychological evaluations at baseline. These patients were then categorized into two groups: 67 displayed no cognitive impairment (NCI), while 103 exhibited vascular mild cognitive impairment (VaMCI). A follow-up study 1-2 years later included 23 from the NCI group and 28 from the VaMCI group. Calculation of FW values within DGM facilitated both cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis, revealing partial correlations between FW value changes and cognitive function alternations. Results: Baseline examinations disclosed significant differences in DGM FW values among the three participant groups. We found increased mean FW values in the left pulvinar (Pul), bilateral lateral nuclei (LN) and bilateral internal medullary lamina of the thalamus in VaMCI participants compared with their NCI counterparts in longitudinal analysis. Notably, negative associations emerged between the FW value changes in the left Pul and the right LN of the thalamus and MoCA score changes in the VaMCI group over 1-2 years. Conclusions: These findings support the hypothesis that increased FW value is present at the preclinical stage of SVD and remains persistent during the early course of the disease, potentially acting as the biomarker for the mechanism of underlying cognitive decline in SVD.

Copper Intercalation Induces Amorphization of 2D Cu/WO3 for Room-Temperature Ferromagnetism.

Ferromagnetism in the two-dimensional limit has become an intriguing topic for exploring new physical phenomena and potential applications. To induce ferromagnetism in 2D materials, intercalation has been proposed to be an effective strategy, which could introduce lattice distortion and unpaired spin into the material to modulate the magnetocrystalline anisotropy and magnetic exchange interactions. To strengthen the understanding of the magnetic origin of 2D material, Cu was introduced into a 2D WO3 through chemical intercalation in this work (2D Cu/WO3). In contrast to the diamagnetic nature of the Cu and the WO3, room-temperature ferromagnetism was characterized for 2D Cu/WO3. Experimental and theoretical results attribute the ferromagnetism to the bound magnetic polaron in 2D Cu/WO3, which is consist of unpaired spins from W5+/W4+ with localized carriers from oxygen vacancies. Overall, this work provides a novel approach to introduce ferromagnetism into diamagnetic WO3, which could be applied for a wider scope of 2D materials.

Heavy metals and elderly kidney health: A multidimensional study through Enviro-target Mendelian Randomization.

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), closely linked to environmental factors, poses a significant public health challenge. This study, based on 529 triple-repeated measures from key national environmental pollution area and multiple gene-related public databases, employs various epidemiological and bioinformatics models to assess the impact of combined heavy metal exposure (Chromium [Cr], Cadmium [Cd], and Lead [Pb]) on early renal injury and CKD in the elderly. Introducing the novel Enviro-Target Mendelian Randomization method, our research explores the causal relationship between metals and CKD. The findings indicate a positive correlation between increased levels of metal and renal injury, with combined exposure caused renal damage more significantly than individual exposure. The study reveals that metals primarily influence CKD development through oxidative stress and metal ion resistance pathways, focusing on three related genes (SOD2, MPO, NQO1) and a transcription factor (NFE2L2). Metals were found to regulate oxidative stress levels in the body by increasing the expression of SOD2, MPO, NQO1, and decreasing NFE2L2, leading to CKD onset. Our research establishes a new causal inference framework linking environmental pollutants-pathways-genes-CKD, assessing the impact and mechanisms of metal exposure on CKD. Future studies with more extensive in vitro evidence and larger population are needed to validate.

The health and economic burden of ozone pollution on Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment in China.

Ozone pollution is increasingly recognized as a serious environmental threat that exacerbates dementia risks, including Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). Amid rapid industrialization, China faces significant air quality challenges. However, there has been a scarcity of detailed studies assessing the health and economic impacts of ozone pollution on these conditions. This study aims to address this gap by utilizing the BenMap-CE tool and incorporating parameters obtained from systematic reviews of epidemiological studies, official statistics, and weighted averages, to accurately quantify the effects of ozone exposure in China. This research evaluated the health and economic burdens at both national and provincial levels, focusing on the additional impacts attributed to increased ozone levels. The results reveal that in 2023, compared to 2015, ozone pollution contributed to approximately 110,000 new cases (5.6 per 10,000) of AD and 1.6 million new cases (81.7 per 10,000) of MCI, imposing significant economic costs of about US $1200 million for AD and US $18,000 million for MCI, based on 2015 dollar values. Additionally, our projections indicate that reducing the 2023 ozone concentrations to 70 µg/m3 could significantly curb these conditions, potentially preventing over 210,000 new AD cases (10.7 per 10,000) and 2.9 million (148.1 per 10,000) MCI cases. Such reductions are projected to yield substantial economic benefits, estimated at US $2200 million for AD and US $34,000 million for MCI (2015 dollar values). These findings underscore the profound implications of ozone pollution on public health and the economy in China, highlighting the urgent need for effective ozone management strategies to mitigate these impacts.

A KNOX â ¡ transcription factor suppresses the NLR immune receptor BRG8-mediated immunity in rice.

Nucleotide-binding site and leucine-rich repeat (NLR) proteins are activated by detecting pathogen effectors, which in turn trigger host defenses and cell death. Although many NLRs have been identified, the mechanisms responsible for NLR-triggered defense responses are still poorly understood. In this study, through a genome-wide association study approach, we identified a novel NLR gene, Blast Resistance Gene 8 (BRG8), which confers resistance to rice blast and bacterial blight diseases. BRG8 overexpression and complementation lines exhibit enhanced resistance to both pathogens. Subcellular localization assays showed that BRG8 is localized in both the cytoplasm and the nucleus. Additional evidence revealed that nuclear-localized BRG8 can enhance rice immunity without a hypersensitive response (HR)-like phenotype. We also demonstrated that the coiled-coil domain of BRG8 not only physically interacts with itself but also interacts with the KNOX Ⅱ protein HOMEOBOX ORYZA SATIVA59 (HOS59). Knockout mutants of HOS59 in the BRG8 background show enhanced resistance to Magnaporthe oryzae strain CH171 and Xoo strain CR4, similar to that of the BRG8 background. By contrast, overexpression of HOS59 in the BRG8 background will compromise the HR-like phenotype and resistance response. Further analysis revealed that HOS59 promotes the degradation of BRG8 via the 26S proteasome pathway. Collectively, our study highlights HOS59 as an NLR immune regulator that fine-tunes BRG8-mediated immune responses against pathogens, providing new insights into NLR associations and functions in plant immunity.

Linkage-Mediated Electronic Structure Modulation in Multicomponent Covalent Organic Frameworks for Dramatically Promoted Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution.

Linkage chemistry is an essential aspect to covalent organic framework (COF) applications; it is highly desirable to precisely modulate electronic structure mediated directly by linkage for efficient COF-based photocatalytic hydrogen evolution, which however, remains substantially challenging. Herein, as a proof of concept, a collection of robust multicomponent pyrene-based COFs with abundant donor-acceptor (D-A) interactions has been judiciously designed and synthesized through molecularly engineering linkage for photogeneration of hydrogen. Controlled locking and conversion of linkage critically contribute to continuously regulating COFs' electronic structures further to optimize photocatalytic activities. Remarkably, the well-modulated optoelectronic properties turn on the average hydrogen evolution rate from zero to 15.67 mmol g-1 h-1 by the protonated quinoline-linked COF decorated with the trifluoromethyl group (TT-PQCOF-CF3). Using diversified spectroscopy and theoretical calculations, we show that multiple modifications toward linkage synergistically lead to the redistribution of charge on COFs with extended π-conjugation and reinforced D-A effect, making TT-PQCOF-CF3 a promising material with significantly boosted carrier separation and migration. This study provides important guidance for the design of high-performance COF photocatalysts based on the strategy of linkage-mediated electronic structure modulation in COFs.

Complex interplay of heavy metals and renal injury: New perspectives from longitudinal epidemiological evidence.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiological studies have reported associations between heavy metals and renal function. However, longitudinal studies are required to further validate these associations and explore the interactive effects of heavy metals on renal function and their directional influence. METHOD: This study, conducted in Northeast China from 2016 to 2021, included a four-time repeated measures design involving 384 participants (1536 observations). Urinary concentrations of chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), manganese (Mn), and lead (Pb) were measured, along with renal biomarkers including urinary microalbumin (umAlb), urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR), N-acetyl-ß-D-glucosaminidase (NAG), and ß2-microglobulin (ß2-MG) levels. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated. A Linear Mixed Effects Model (LME) examined the association between individual metal exposure and renal biomarkers. Subsequently, Quantile g-computation and Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression (BKMR) models assessed the overall effects of heavy metal mixtures. Marginal Effect models examined the directional impact of metal interactions in the BKMR on renal function. RESULT: Results indicate significant impacts of individual and combined exposures of Cr, Cd, Pb, and Mn on renal biomarkers. Metal interactions in the BKMR model were observed, with synergistic effects of Cd-Cr on NAG, umAlb, UACR; Cd-Pb on NAG, UACR; Pb-Cr on umAlb, UACR, eGFR-MDRD, eGFR-EPI; and an antagonistic effect of Mn-Pb-Cr on UACR. CONCLUSION: Both individual and combined exposures to heavy metals are associated with renal biomarkers, with significant synergistic interactions leading to renal damage. Our findings elucidate potential interactions among these metals, offering valuable insights into the mechanisms linking multiple metal exposures to renal injury.

Association between PM2.5 constituents and cardiometabolic risk factors: Exploring individual and combined effects, and mediating inflammation.

BACKGROUND: The individual and combined effects of PM2.5 constituents on cardiometabolic risk factors are sparsely investigated. Besides, the key cardiometabolic risk factor that PM2.5 constituents targeted and the biological mechanisms remain unclear. METHOD: A multistage, stratified cluster sampling survey was conducted in two typically air-polluted Chinese cities. The PM2.5 and its constituents including sulfate, nitrate, ammonium, organic matter, and black carbon were predicted using a machine learning model. Twenty biomarkers in three category were simultaneously adopted as cardiometabolic risk factors. We explored the individual and mixture association of long-term PM2.5 constituents with these markers using generalized additive model and quantile-based g-computation, respectively. To minimize potential confounding effects, we accounted for covariates including demographic, lifestyle, meteorological, temporal trends, and disease-related information. We further used ROC curve and mediation analysis to identify the key subclinical indicators and explore whether inflammatory mediators mediate such association, respectively. RESULT: PM2.5 constituents was positively correlated with HOMA-B, TC, TG, LDL-C and LCI, and negatively correlated with PP and RC. Further, PM2.5 constituent mixture was positive associated with DBP, MAP, HbA1c, HOMA-B, AC, CRI-1 and CRI-2, and negative associated with PP and HDL-C. The ROC analysis further reveals that multiple cardiometabolic risk factors can collectively discriminate exposure to PM2.5 constituents (AUC>0.9), among which PP and CRI-2 as individual indicators exhibit better identifiable performance for nitrate and ammonium (AUC>0.75). We also found that multiple blood lipid indicators may be affected by PM2.5 and its constituents, possibly mediated through complement C3 or hsCRP. CONCLUSION: Our study suggested associations of individual and combined PM2.5 constituents exposure with cardiometabolic risk factors. PP and CRI-2 were the targeted markers of long-term exposure to nitrate and ammonium. Inflammation may serve as a mediating factor between PM2.5 constituents and dyslipidemia, which enhance current understanding of potential pathways for PM2.5-induced preclinical cardiovascular responses.

Associations of metals and metal mixtures with glucose homeostasis: A combined bibliometric and epidemiological study.

This study employs a combination of bibliometric and epidemiological methodologies to investigate the relationship between metal exposure and glucose homeostasis. The bibliometric analysis quantitatively assessed this field, focusing on study design, predominant metals, analytical techniques, and citation trends. Furthermore, we analyzed cross-sectional data from Beijing, examining the associations between 14 blood metals and 6 glucose homeostasis markers using generalized linear models (GLM). Key metals were identified using LASSO-PIPs criteria, and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) was applied to assess metal mixtures, introducing an "Overall Positive/Negative Effect" concept for deeper analysis. Our findings reveal an increasing research interest, particularly in selenium, zinc, cadmium, lead, and manganese. Urine (27.6%), serum (19.0%), and whole blood (19.0%) were the primary sample types, with cross-sectional studies (49.5%) as the dominant design. Epidemiologically, significant associations were found between 9 metals-cobalt, copper, lithium, manganese, nickel, lead, selenium, vanadium, zinc-and glucose homeostasis. Notably, positive-metal mixtures exhibited a significant overall positive effect on insulin levels, and notable interactions involving nickel were identified. These finding not only map the knowledge landscape of research in this domain but also introduces a novel perspective on the analysis strategies for metal mixtures.

Heterogeneous CNF/MoO3 nanofluidic membranes with tunable surface plasmon resonances for solar-osmotic energy conversion.

Two-dimensional (2D) nanofluidic membranes are competitive candidates for osmotic energy harvesting and have been greatly developed. However, the use of diverse inherent characteristics of 2D nanosheets, such as electronic or optoelectronic properties, to achieve intelligent ion transport, still lacks sufficient exploration. Here, a cellulose nanofiber/molybdenum oxide (CNF/MoO3) heterogeneous nanofluidic membrane with high performance solar-osmotic energy conversion is reported, and how surface plasmon resonances (SPR) regulate selective cation transport is revealed. The SPR of amorphous MoO3 endows the heterogeneous nanofluidic membranes with tunable surface charge and good photothermal conversion. Through DFT calculations and finite element modeling, the regulation of electronic and optoelectronic properties on the surface of materials by SPR and the influence of surface charge density and temperature gradient on ion transport in nanofluidic membranes are demonstrated. By mixing 0.01/0.5 M NaCl solutions using SPR and photothermal effects, the power density can achieve a remarkable value of ≈13.24 W m-2, outperforming state-of-the-art 2D-based nanofluidic membranes. This work first reveals the regulation and mechanism of SPR on ion transport in nanofluidic membranes and systematically studies photon-electron-ion interactions in nanofluidic membranes, which could also provide a new viewpoint for promoting osmotic energy conversion.