Global burden of benign prostatic hyperplasia, urinary tract infections, urolithiasis, bladder cancer, kidney cancer, and prostate cancer from 1990 to 2021.

BACKGROUND: The burden of common urologic diseases, including benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), urinary tract infections (UTI), urolithiasis, bladder cancer, kidney cancer, and prostate cancer, varies both geographically and within specific regions. It is essential to conduct a comprehensive and precise assessment of the global burden of urologic diseases. METHODS: We obtained data on incidence, prevalence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) for the aforementioned urologic diseases by age, sex, location, and year from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021. We analyzed the burden associated with urologic diseases based on socio-demographic index (SDI) and attributable risk factors. The trends in burden over time were assessed using estimated annual percentage changes (EAPC) along with a 95% confidence interval (CI). RESULTS: In 2021, BPH and UTI were the leading causes of age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) and age-standardized prevalence rate (ASPR), with rates of 5531.88 and 2782.59 per 100,000 persons, respectively. Prostate cancer was the leading cause of both age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) and age-standardized DALYs rate (ASDR), with rates of 12.63 and 217.83 per 100,000 persons, respectively. From 1990 to 2021, there was an upward trend in ASIR, ASPR, ASMR, and ASDR for UTI, while urolithiasis showed a downward trend. The middle and low-middle SDI quintile levels exhibited higher incidence, prevalence, mortality, and DALYs related to UTI, urolithiasis, and BPH, while the high and high-middle SDI quintile levels showed higher rates for the three cancers. The burden of these six urologic diseases displayed diverse age and sex distribution patterns. In 2021, a high body mass index (BMI) contributed to 20.07% of kidney cancer deaths worldwide, while smoking accounted for 26.48% of bladder cancer deaths and 3.00% of prostate cancer deaths. CONCLUSIONS: The global burden of 6 urologic diseases presents a significant public health challenge. Urgent international collaboration is essential to advance the improvement of urologic disease management, encompassing the development of effective diagnostic screening tools and the implementation of high-quality prevention and treatment strategies.

The disease burden of bladder cancer and its attributable risk factors in five Eastern Asian countries, 1990-2019: a population-based comparative study.

BACKGROUNDS: The study aimed to estimate bladder cancer burden and its attributable risk factors in China, Japan, South Korea, North Korea and Mongolia from 1990 to 2019, to discuss the potential causes of the disparities. METHODS: Data were obtained from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. The annual percent change (APC) and average annual percent change (AAPC) were calculated by Joinpoint analysis, and the independent age, period and cohort effects were estimated by age-period-cohort analysis. RESULTS: In 2019, the highest incidence (7.70 per 100,000) and prevalence (51.09 per 100,000) rates of bladder cancer were in Japan, while the highest mortality (2.31 per 100,000) and DALY rates (41.88 per 100,000) were in South Korea and China, respectively. From 1990 to 2019, the age-standardized incidence and prevalence rates increased in China, Japan and South Korea (AAPC > 0) and decreased in Mongolia (AAPC < 0), while mortality and DALY rates decreased in all five countries (AAPC < 0). Age effects showed increasing trends for incidence, mortality and DALY rates, while the prevalence rates increased first and then decreased in older groups. The cohort effects showed downward trends from 1914-1918 to 2004-2008. Smoking was the greatest contributor and males had the higher burden than females. CONCLUSION: Bladder cancer was still a major public health problem in East Asia. Male and older population suffered from higher risk, and smoking played an important role. It is recommended that more efficient preventions and interventions should be operated among high-risk populations, thereby reduce bladder cancer burden in East Asia.

Impact of different water-reducing agents on the properties of limonite self-compacting conductive concrete.

The application environment for concrete is becoming increasingly complex, accompanied by an intensification of its functional requirements. This paper presents a method for developing self-compacting concrete with conductive properties using limonite and graphite as the concrete conductive phases. In the process of concrete preparation, the limonite is initially treated by a pre-wetting method to prevent the surface depression caused by the addition of limonite during the concrete curing process. The second stage of the process involved optimising different proportions of limonite and graphite and different dosages of water-reducing agent, defoamer and dispersant to prepare concrete. The influence of different dosages of limonite and graphite and different dosages of water-reducing agent on the mechanics and electrical conductivity of concrete was studied in order to obtain self-compacting conductive concrete with performance indicators meeting the requirements of self-compacting and electrical conductivity. The results demonstrate that the mechanical and electrical properties of self-compacting conductive concrete prepared with polycarboxylic acid superplasticizer and retarding superplasticizer combined with superplasticizer are satisfactory, and the composite superplasticizer can function in conjunction with dispersant. The self-compaction index, slump expansion, expansion time T50 and J-ring expansion of fluid concrete meet the requisite standards. Once the concrete has reached the designated curing age, its compressive strength and flexural strength align with the anticipated design expectations, while its resistivity meets the stipulated conductivity index requirements.

Clinical biomarker-based biological aging and risk of benign prostatic hyperplasia: A large prospective cohort study.

Objective: Chronological age (CAge), biological age (BAge), and accelerated age (AAge) are all important for aging-related diseases. CAge is a known risk factor for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH); However, the evidence of association of BAge and AAge with BPH is limited. This study aimed to evaluate the association of CAge, Bage, and AAge with BPH in a large prospective cohort. Method: A total of 135,933 males without BPH at enrolment were extracted from the UK biobank. We calculated three BAge measures (Klemera-Doubal method, KDM; PhenoAge; homeostatic dysregulation, HD) based on 16 biomarkers. Additionally, we calculated KDM-BAge and PhenoAge-BAge measures based on the Levine method. The KDM-AAge and PhenoAge-AAge were assessed by the difference between CAge and BAge and were standardized (mean = 0 and standard deviation [SD] = 1). Cox proportional hazard models were applied to assess the associations of CAge, Bage, and AAge with incident BPH risk. Results: During a median follow-up of 13.150 years, 11,811 (8.690%) incident BPH were identified. Advanced CAge and BAge measures were associated with an increased risk of BPH, showing threshold effects at a later age (all P for nonlinearity <0.001). Nonlinear relationships between AAge measures and risk of BPH were also found for KDM-AAge (P = 0.041) and PhenoAge-AAge (P = 0.020). Compared to the balance comparison group (-1 SD < AAge < 1 SD), the accelerated aging group (AAge > 2 SD) had a significantly elevated BPH risk with hazard ratio (HR) of 1.115 (95% CI, 1.000-1.223) for KDM-AAge and 1.180 (95% CI, 1.068-1.303) for PhenoAge-AAge, respectively. For PhenoAge-AAge, subgroup analysis of the accelerated aging group showed an increased HR of 1.904 (95% CI, 1.374-2.639) in males with CAge <50 years and 1.233 (95% CI, 1.088-1.397) in those having testosterone levels <12 nmol/L. Moreover, AAge-associated risk of BPH was independent of and additive to genetic risk. Conclusions: Biological aging is an independent and modifiable risk factor for BPH. We suggest performing active health interventions to slow biological aging, which will help mitigate the progression of prostate aging and further reduce the burden of BPH.

P. gingivalis in oral-prostate axis exacerbates benign prostatic hyperplasia via IL-6/IL-6R pathway.

BACKGROUND: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is the most common disease in elderly men. There is increasing evidence that periodontitis increases the risk of BPH, but the specific mechanism remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the role and mechanism of the key periodontal pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) in the development of BPH. METHODS: The subgingival plaque (Sp) and prostatic fluid (Pf) of patients with BPH concurrent periodontitis were extracted and cultured for 16S rDNA sequencing. Ligature-induced periodontitis, testosterone-induced BPH and the composite models in rats were established. The P. gingivalis and its toxic factor P. gingivalis lipopolysaccharide (P.g-LPS) were injected into the ventral lobe of prostate in rats to simulate its colonization of prostate. P.g-LPS was used to construct the prostate cell infection model for mechanism exploration. RESULTS: P. gingivalis, Streptococcus oralis, Capnocytophaga ochracea and other oral pathogens were simultaneously detected in the Pf and Sp of patients with BPH concurrent periodontitis, and the average relative abundance of P. gingivalis was found to be the highest. P. gingivalis was detected in both Pf and Sp in 62.5% of patients. Simultaneous periodontitis and BPH synergistically aggravated prostate histological changes. P. gingivalis and P.g-LPS infection could induce obvious hyperplasia of the prostate epithelium and stroma (epithelial thickness was 2.97- and 3.08-fold that of control group, respectively), and increase of collagen fibrosis (3.81- and 5.02-fold that of control group, respectively). P. gingivalis infection promoted prostate cell proliferation, inhibited apoptosis, and upregulated the expression of inflammatory cytokines interleukin-6 (IL-6; 4.47-fold), interleukin-6 receptor-α (IL-6Rα; 5.74-fold) and glycoprotein 130 (gp130; 4.47-fold) in prostatic tissue. P.g-LPS could significantly inhibit cell apoptosis, promote mitosis and proliferation of cells. P.g-LPS activates the Akt pathway through IL-6/IL-6Rα/gp130 complex, which destroys the imbalance between proliferation and apoptosis of prostate cells, induces BPH. CONCLUSION: P. gingivalis was abundant in the Pf of patients with BPH concurrent periodontitis. P. gingivalis infection can promote BPH, which may affect the progression of BPH via inflammation and the Akt signaling pathway.

Effectiveness of simulation-based clinical research curriculum for undergraduate medical students - a pre-post intervention study with external control.

BACKGROUND: Simulation is widely utilized in medical education. Exploring the effectiveness of high-fidelity simulation of clinical research within medical education may inform its integration into clinical research training curricula, finally cultivating physician-scientist development. METHODS: Standard teaching scripts for both clinical trial and cross-sectional study simulation were designed. We recruited undergraduates majoring in clinical medicine at 3th grade into a pre-post intervention study. Additionally, a cross-sectional survey randomly selected medical undergraduates at 4th or 5th grade, medical students in master and doctor degree as external controls. Self-assessment scores of knowledge and practice were collected using a 5-point Likert scale. Changes in scores were tested by Wilcoxon signed-rank test and group comparisons were conducted by Dunn's tests with multiple corrections. Multivariable quantile regressions were used to explore factors influencing the changes from baseline. RESULTS: Seventy-eight undergraduates involved the clinical trial simulation and reported improvement of 1.60 (95% CI, 1.48, 1.80, P < 0.001) in knowledge and 1.82 (95% CI, 1.64, 2.00, P < 0.001) in practice score. 83 undergraduates involved in the observational study simulation and reported improvement of 0.96 (95% CI, 0.79, 1.18, P < 0.001) in knowledge and 1.00 (95% CI, 0.79, 1.21, P < 0.001) in practice. All post-intervention scores were significantly higher than those of the three external control groups, P < 0.001. Higher agreement on the importance of clinical research were correlated with greater improvements in scores. Undergraduates in pre-post study showed high confidence in doing a future clinical research. CONCLUSION: Our study provides evidence supporting the integration of simulation into clinical research curriculum for medical students. The importance of clinical research can be emphasized during training to enhance learning effect.

Initial investigation on ultrasound-guided percutaneous biopsy of lesions in the first hepatic hilum with fusion of ultrasound and multimodal imaging cognitive guidance.

Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ultrasound-guided percutaneous biopsy of the first hepatic hilum lesion, and examine its clinical value of diagnosis and treatment. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study on patients diagnosed with the first hepatic hilum lesions at Fujian Provincial Hospital between February 2015 and October 2022. We selected patients who had lesions in the first hepatic hilum(including a 2cm surrounding area of the left/right hepatic ducts and upper-middle segment of the common bile duct) and the liver periphery(in the peripheral area of the liver, outside of the above-mentioned first hepatic porta region). These patients underwent percutaneous ultrasound-guided core needle biopsy (PUS-CNB) with cognitive fusion guidance using CT, MRI, or PET-CT. We compared the safety and efficacy of PUS-CNB in the first hepatic hilum and the liver periphery to explore the value of PUS-CNB in optimizing the clinical treatment of the first hepatic hilum lesions. Results: The studied includes 38 cases of the first hepatic hilum cases (18 females; 20 males), 23 presented with mass-forming tumors while the remaining 15 exhibited diffuse infiltrative tumors, with an average diameter of 4.65± 2.51 cm. The percutaneous biopsy procedure, conducted under ultrasound guidance, had an average operation time of 14.55 ± 2.73 minutes, and resulted in a postoperative bleeding volume of approximately 10.79 ± 2.79 ml. The diagnostic success rate was noted to be as high as 92.11% among the participants who underwent percutaneous biopsy of the first hepatic hilum. Procedural complications, such as bleeding, bile leakage, intestinal perforation, infection or needle tract seeding, did not occur during or after the biopsy procedure. Affected by biopsy results, 5 altered their clinical treatment plans accordingly, 24patients received non-surgical treatment, 9 underwent surgical treatment, 5 underwent radiofrequency ablation for the lesions. The study comprised a total of 112 cases for percutaneous biopsy of the liver periphery. The safety and effectiveness of the two biopsy techniques were comparable, with diagnostic success rates of 92.11% VS. 94.34%, respectively (p = 0.61). Conclusion: Cognitive fusion of ultrasound and multi-modal imaging for the first hepatic hilum lesion puncture biopsy is a safe and effective diagnostic procedure, with better diagnostic rate, may improve clinical value of diagnosis and treatment of various diseases.

Irradiated microparticles suppress prostate cancer by tumor microenvironment reprogramming and ferroptosis.

Immunogenic cell death (ICD) plays a crucial role in triggering the antitumor immune response in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Recently, considerable attention has been dedicated to ferroptosis, a type of ICD that is induced by intracellular iron and has been demonstrated to change the immune desert status of the TME. However, among cancers that are characterized by an immune desert, such as prostate cancer, strategies for inducing high levels of ferroptosis remain limited. Radiated tumor cell-derived microparticles (RMPs) are radiotherapy mimetics that have been shown to activate the cGAS-STING pathway, induce tumor cell ferroptosis, and inhibit M2 macrophage polarization. RMPs can also act as carriers of agents with biocompatibility. In the present study, we designed a therapeutic system wherein the ferroptosis inducer RSL-3 was loaded into RMPs, which were tested in in vitro and in vivo prostate carcinoma models established using RM-1 cells. The apoptosis inducer CT20 peptide (CT20p) was also added to the RMPs to aggravate ferroptosis. Our results showed that RSL-3- and CT20p-loaded RMPs (RC@RMPs) led to ferroptosis and apoptosis of RM-1 cells. Moreover, CT20p had a synergistic effect on ferroptosis by promoting reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, lipid hydroperoxide production, and mitochondrial instability. RC@RMPs elevated dendritic cell (DC) expression of MHCII, CD80, and CD86 and facilitated M1 macrophage polarization. In a subcutaneously transplanted RM-1 tumor model in mice, RC@RMPs inhibited tumor growth and prolonged survival time via DC activation, macrophage reprogramming, enhancement of CD8+ T cell infiltration, and proinflammatory cytokine production in the tumor. Moreover, combination treatment with anti-PD-1 improved RM-1 tumor inhibition. This study provides a strategy for the synergistic enhancement of ferroptosis for prostate cancer immunotherapies.

Changes in disease burden and global inequalities in bladder, kidney and prostate cancers from 1990 to 2019: a comparative analysis based on the global burden of disease study 2019.

BACKGROUND: Bladder, kidney and prostate cancers make significant contributors to cancer burdens. Exploring their cross-country inequalities may inform equitable strategies to meet the 17 sustainable development goals before 2030. METHODS: We analyzed age-standardized disability-adjusted life-years (ASDALY) rates for the three cancers based on Global Burden of Diseases Study 2019. We quantified the inequalities using slope index of inequality (SII, absolute measure) and concentration index (relative measure) associated with national sociodemographic index. RESULTS: Varied ASDALY rates were observed in the three cancers across 204 regions. The SII decreased from 35.15 (95% confidence interval, CI: 29.34 to 39.17) in 1990 to 15.81 (95% CI: 7.99 to 21.79) in 2019 for bladder cancers, from 78.94 (95% CI: 75.97 to 81.31) in 1990 to 59.79 (95% CI: 55.32 to 63.83) in 2019 for kidney cancer, and from 192.27 (95% CI: 137.00 to 241.05) in 1990 to - 103.99 (95% CI: - 183.82 to 51.75) in 2019 for prostate cancer. Moreover, the concentration index changed from 12.44 (95% CI, 11.86 to 12.74) in 1990 to 15.72 (95% CI, 15.14 to 16.01) in 2019 for bladder cancer, from 33.88 (95% CI: 33.35 to 34.17) in 1990 to 31.13 (95% CI: 30.36 to 31.43) in 2019 for kidney cancer, and from 14.61 (95% CI: 13.89 to 14.84) in 1990 to 5.89 (95% CI: 5.16 to 6.26) in 2019 for prostate cancer. Notably, the males presented higher inequality than females in both bladder and kidney cancer from 1990 to 2019. CONCLUSIONS: Different patterns of inequality were observed in the three cancers, necessitating tailored national cancer control strategies to mitigate disparities. Priority interventions for bladder and kidney cancer should target higher socioeconomic regions, whereas interventions for prostate cancer should prioritize the lowest socioeconomic regions. Additionally, addressing higher inequality in males requires more intensive interventions among males from higher socioeconomic regions.

Construction of S-scheme CuInS2/ZnIn2S4 heterostructures for enhanced photocatalytic activity towards Cr(VI) removal and antibiotics degradation.

The efficient and ecofriendly removal of pharmaceutical antibiotics and heavy metal Cr(VI) from water sources is a crucial challenge in current environmental management. Photocatalysis presents a viable environmentally friendly solution for eliminating organic contaminants and heavy-metal ions. In this study, a novel S-scheme CuInS2/ZnIn2S4 (CIS/ZIS) heterojunction was developed using a one-pot solvothermal method. The optimized CIS/ZIS heterojunction exhibited considerably improved photocatalytic activity for the removal of antibiotics and Cr(VI), achieving over 90% removal for both tetracycline hydrochloride (TC) (20 mg/L) and Cr(VI) (20 mg/L) under visible light irradiation. The study also delved into the effect of coexisting inorganic anions and assessed the cyclic stability of the composite photocatalysts. This enhancement mechanism can be delineated into three key elements. First, the incorporation of the narrow-gap semiconductor CuInS2 effectively augmented the photoabsorption capacity. Second, the inclusion of ZnIn2S4 caused an increase in surface active sites. Most importantly, the internal electric field at the interface between CuInS2 and ZnIn2S4 expedited the separation of photogenerated carriers. Furthermore, the results revealed that superoxide radical and photogenerated holes are the primary active substance responsible for TC removal, while photogenerated electrons play a central role in the photoreduction of Cr(VI). To gain insights into the transport pathways of photogenerated carriers, we conducted experiments with nitrotetrazolium blue chloride (NBT) and photodeposited gold. This study offers an innovative approach to enhancing the photocatalytic performance of ternary In-based materials by constructing S-scheme heterojunctions.

Estimating disparities of prostate cancer burden and its attributable risk factors for males across the BRICS-plus, 1990-2019: A comparable study of key nations with emerging economies.

BACKGROUNDS: The study aimed to analyze epidemiology burden of male prostate cancer across the BRICS-plus, and identify potential risk factors by assessing the associations with age, period, birth cohorts and sociodemographic index (SDI). METHODS: Data were extracted from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. The average annual percent change (AAPC) was calculated to assess long-term trends, and age-period-cohort analysis was used to analyze these three effects on prostate cancer burden. Quantile regression was used to investigate the association between SDI and health outcomes. RESULTS: The higher incidence and mortality were observed in Mercosur and SACU regions, increasing trends were observed in prostate cancer incidence in almost all BRICS-plus countries (AAPC > 0), and EEU's grew by 24.31% (%AAPC range: -0.13-3.03). Mortality had increased in more than half of countries (AAPC > 0), and SACU grew by 1.82% (%AAPC range: 0.62-1.75). Incidence and mortality risk sharply increased with age across all BRICS-plus countries and globally, and the peak was reached in the age group 80-84 years. Rate ratio (RR) of incidence increased with birth cohorts in all BRICS-plus countries except for Kazakhstan where slightly decrease, while mortality RR decreased with birth cohort in most of BRICS-plus countries. SDI presented significantly positive associations with incidence in 50 percentiles. The deaths attributable to smoking declined in most of BRICS-plus nations, and many countries in China-ASEAN-FTA and EEU had higher values. CONCLUSION: Prostate cancer posed a serious public health challenge with an increasing burden among most of BRICS-plus countries. Age had significant effects on prostate cancer burden, and recent birth cohorts suffered from higher incidence risk. SDI presented a positive relationship with incidence, and the smoking-attributable burden was tremendous in China-ASEAN-FTA and EEU region. Secondary prevention should be prioritized in BRICS-plus nations, and health policies targeting important populations should be strengthened based on their characteristics and adaptability.

Seawater Corrosion Resistance of Duplex Stainless Steel and the Axial Compressive Stiffness of Its Reinforced Concrete Columns.

In order to explore the corrosion resistance of duplex stainless steel under seawater corrosion and the compressive stiffness of its reinforced concrete columns, this study first performed seawater corrosion resistance tests on HRB400 ordinary steel rebar and S32205 duplex stainless steel rebar. The effect of the corrosion product film on the corrosion behavior was investigated through polarization curve tests and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy tests. The results showed that the corrosion rate of S32205 duplex stainless steel in a seawater environment was approximately 1/15 that of the HRB400 ordinary steel rebar. The anodic polarization curve of duplex stainless steel rebars exhibited a greater slope than that of carbon steel rebars. In the simulated seawater environment, the corrosion rate of these two kinds of steel bars showed different trends. The corrosion rate of ordinary steel bar HRB400 first decreased and then increased, while that of duplex stainless steel S2205 increased steadily. Furthermore, 18 short concrete columns reinforced with ordinary and duplex stainless steel rebars were subjected to the axial compression test and stiffness analysis; the stiffness of the short columns was calculated from the test data. The theoretical values agreed with the test values, with a stiffness calculation error of less than 5%.

Stemness maintenance of stem cells derived from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED) in 3D spheroid formation through the TGF-ß/Smad signaling pathway.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have shown great potential as important therapeutic tools for dental pulp tissue engineering, with the maintenance and enhancement of their stemness being crucial for successful therapeutic application in vivo and three-dimensional (3D) spheroid formation considered a reliable technique for enhancing their pluripotency. Human exfoliated deciduous tooth stem cells (SHED) were cultured in a low attachment plate to form aggregates for five days. Then, the resulting spheroids were analyzed for pluripotent marker expression, paracrine secretory function, proliferation, signaling pathways involved, and distribution of key proteins within the spheroids. The results indicated that 3D spheroid formation significantly increased the activation of the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-ß)/Smad signaling pathway and upregulated the secretion and mRNA expression levels of TGF-ß, which in turn enhanced the expression of pluripotency markers in SHED spheroids. The activation of the TGF-ß/Smad signaling pathway through 3D spheroid formation was found to preserve the stemness properties of SHED. Thus, understanding the mechanisms behind pluripotency maintenance of SHED culture through 3D spheroid formation could have implications for the therapeutic application of MSCs in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering.

Effects of three orthodontic retainers on periodontal pathogens and periodontal parameters.

The objective of this study was to compare and evaluate the changes in periodontal pathogens and periodontal status within 6 months of wearing three orthodontic retainers, namely, vacuum-formed retainer (VFR), Hawley retainer (HR), and lingual fixed retainer (LR). In total, 48 patients who underwent orthodontic treatment with ordinary metal brackets were divided into VFR, HR, and LR groups (n = 16 per group). Saliva samples were collected at the time of debonding (T0) and after 1 month (T1), 3 months (T2), and 6 months (T3). Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (Aa) were quantitatively analyzed using real-time PCR. Gingival index (GI), plaque index (PLI), and probing depth (PD) were measured at the four time points to evaluate changes in periodontal state. SPSS20.0 software was used to analyze the data, and P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The trial was registered at the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2300073704), the registration was retrospective. Compared to baseline (T0) values, Pg, Aa, GI, PLI, and PD were significantly decreased in all three groups 1 month after wearing the retainer (p < 0.05). Significant differences were observed in Aa at T3 among the three groups, whereby the HR group exhibited significantly better results compared to the VFR and LR groups (p < 0.05). Differences were found among the three groups' Porphyromonas gingivalis at T3, and the HR group was significantly better than the VFR and LR groups (P < 0.05). From T1 to T2, GI, PLI, and PD of the three groups tended to be stable, however differences were observed at T3, with the PLI and PD of the HR group being the lowest among the three groups (p < 0.05). Regardless of the type of retainer used, the periodontal condition of patients was significantly improved after removal of the metal brackets. After 6 months of retainer use, the Hawley retainer was superior to vacuum-formed retainer and lingual fixed retainer with regard to Pg, Aa, and periodontal clinical parameters.

YTHDC1 as a tumor progression suppressor through modulating FSP1-dependent ferroptosis suppression in lung cancer.

Ferroptosis is a regulated cell death process initiated by iron-dependent phospholipid peroxidation and is mainly suppressed by GPX4-dependent and FSP1-dependent surveillance mechanisms. However, how the ferroptosis surveillance system is regulated during cancer development remains largely unknown. Here, we report that the YTHDC1-mediated m6A epigenetic regulation of FSP1 alleviates the FSP1-dependent ferroptosis suppression that partially contributes to the tumor suppressive role of YTHDC1 in lung cancer progression. YTHDC1 knockdown promoted the lung tumor progression and upregulated FSP1 protein level that resulted in ferroptosis resistance of lung cancer cells. Silencing FSP1 abrogated YTHDC1 knockdown-induced proliferation increase and ferroptosis resistance. Mechanistically, YTHDC1 binding to the m6A sites in the FSP1 3'-UTR recruited the alternative polyadenylation regulator CSTF3 to generate a less stable shorter 3'-UTR contained FSP1 mRNA, whereas YTHDC1 downregulation generated the longer 3'-UTR contained FSP1 mRNA that is stabilized by RNA binding protein HuR and thus led to the enhanced FSP1 protein level. Therefore, our findings identify YTHDC1 as a tumor progression suppressor in lung cancer and a ferroptosis regulator through modulating the FSP1 mRNA stability and thus suggest a ferroptosis-related therapeutic option for YTHDC1high lung cancer.

Research on the development methodology for clinical practice guidelines for organic integration of traditional Chinese and Western medicine.

Integrated traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Western medicine (WM) is a new medical science grounded in the knowledge bases of both TCM and WM, which then forms a unique modern medical system in China. Integrated TCM and WM has a long history in China, and has made important achievements in the process of clinical diagnosis and treatment. However, the methodological defects in currently published clinical practice guidelines limit its development. The organic integration of TCM and WM is a deeper integration of TCM and WM. To realize the progression of "integration" to "organic integration", a targeted and standardized guideline development methodology is needed. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to establish a standardized development procedure for clinical practice guidelines for the organic integration of TCM and WM to promote the systematic integration of TCM and WM research results into clinical practice guidelines in order to achieve optimal results as the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

The burden of chronic kidney disease associated with dietary exposure to cadmium in China, 2020.

Cadmium (Cd) exposure increases the risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD). But the contribution of dietary Cd intake, the primary exposure route of Cd in humans, to the CKD burden remains to be evaluated in China. Concentrations of Cd in foods and population glomerular filtration rate (GFR) were retrieved from studies published between January 2000 and February 2023 in China. Daily food consumption in adults aged ≥35 years old was obtained from two nationwide Chinese surveys. Dietary Cd intake and its contribution rate among total Cd exposure from diet, inhalation, smoking and water were evaluated. Urinary Cd (UCd) was estimated using the toxicokinetic (TK) model based on dietary Cd intake. The effect of Cd on kidney function has been quantified with the previously published dose-response relationship between UCd and GFR. The incidence and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) of CKD attributable to dietary Cd intake were derived considering the contribution rate of dietary Cd intake at the national and provincial levels. The national average dietary Cd intake was 0.6891 µg/kg bw/day, contributing 63.69% of total Cd exposure. The Cd exposure through foods resulted in 2.34 (95% uncertainty interval, UI: 1.54-3.40) stage 4 CKD and 0.37 (95% UI: 0.20-0.59) stage 5 CKD cases per 100,000 persons/year in mainland China, 2020. The corresponding DALYs loss associated with stage 4 and stage 5 CKD due to dietary Cd intake were 5.14 (95% UI: 3.24-7.67) and 4.78 (95% UI: 2.32-8.30) per 100,000 persons/year, together accounting for 2% of total DALYs of CKD. Greater dietary Cd intake and corresponding burden of late-stage CKD were observed in Southern areas than in Northern areas. Diet remains the primary exposure to Cd in Chinese adults. Efforts to reduce dietary Cd exposure would positively impact public health, especially in Southern provinces with high Cd exposure.

Ten interleukins and risk of prostate cancer.

Background: Interleukins (ILs) have been reported to be related to prostate cancer. The aims of this study were to estimate the levels for several key interleukins in prostate cancer and the causal effects between them. Methods: We conducted a bi-directional two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study to assess the causal associations between ILs and prostate cancer. Genetic instruments and summary-level data for 10 ILs were obtained from three genome-wide association meta-analyses. Prostate cancer related data were obtained from the PRACTICAL (79,148 cases and 61,106 controls), UK Biobank (7,691 cases and 169,762 controls) and FinnGen consortium (10,414 cases and 124,994 controls), respectively. Results: The odds ratio of prostate cancer was 0.92 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.89, 0.96; P=1.58×10-05) and 1.12 (95% CI, 1.07, 1.17; P=6.61×10-07) for one standard deviation increase in genetically predicted IL-1ra and IL-6 levels, respectively. Genetically predicted levels of IL-1ß, IL-2a, IL-6ra, IL-8, IL-16, IL-17, IL-18, and IL-27 were not associated with the risk of prostate cancer. Reverse MR analysis did not find the associations between genetic liability to prostate cancer and higher levels of IL-1ra (ß, -0.005; 95% CI, -0.010, 0.001; P=0.111) and IL-6 (ß, 0.002; 95% CI, -0.011, 0.014; P=0.755). Conclusion: This MR study suggests that long-term IL-6 may increase the risk of prostate cancer and IL-1ra may reduce it.

A potassium-chloride co-transporter promotes tumor progression and castration resistance of prostate cancer through m6A reader YTHDC1.

SLC12A5, a neuron-specific potassium-chloride co-transporter, has been reported to promote tumor progression, however, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Here we report that SLC12A5 functions as an oncogene to promote tumor progression and castration resistance of prostate cancer through the N6-methyladenosine (m6A) reader YTHDC1 and the transcription factor HOXB13. We have shown that the level of SLC12A5 was increased in prostate cancer, in comparison to its normal counterparts, and further elevated in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). The enhanced expression of SLC12A5 mRNA was associated with neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC) progression and poor survival in prostate cancer. Furthermore, we demonstrated that SLC12A5 promoted the castration resistance development of prostate cancer in addition to the cell proliferation and migration. Interestingly, SLC12A5 was detected in the cell nucleus and formed a complex with nuclear m6A reader YTHDC1, which in turn upregulated HOXB13 to promote the prostate cancer progression. Therefore, our findings reveal a mechanism that how the potassium-chloride cotransporter SLC12A5 promotes the tumor progression and provide a therapeutic opportunity for prostate cancer to apply the neurological disorder drug SLC12A5 inhibitors.