Analysis of risk factors for lymph node metastasis in 241 patients with thyroid carcinoma and establishment of a prediction model.

This study aimed to identify risk factors for cervical lymph node metastasis (LNM) in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and develop a clinical prediction model. Retrospectively, data were collected from 348 PTC patients treated at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University between January 2019 and December 2022, with 241 patients included in the final analyses. Patients with lateral cervical LNM were categorized into a metastasis group, and those without were in a non-metastasis group. The patients were divided into a training set (n=169) and a validation set (n=72) in a 7:3 ratio. Logistic and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression models were used to identify key factors associated with lateral cervical LNM and prognosis, enabling the construction of a predictive model. The model's validity was assessed via the Hosmer-Lemeshow Test, calibration curves, ROC curves, and decision curve analysis. The metastasis group exhibited higher proportions of males, multiple lesions, bilateral involvement, tumor diameter ≥1 cm, and elevated levels of PLR, LMR, and NLR (P<0.05). Logistic regression analysis revealed that gender, multiple lesions, affected side, and tumor diameter were associated with lateral cervical LNM (P<0.05). The predictive Nomogram model, which included factors like affected side, tumor diameter, capsular invasion, central LNM, PLR, and NLR, demonstrated strong predictive accuracy and clinical utility. Thus, this study provides a practical clinical tool through an accurate Nomogram model to assess lateral cervical LNM risk in PTC patients using logistic and LASSO regression analyses.

Computed tomography-based radiomics combined with machine learning allows differentiation between primary intestinal lymphoma and Crohn's disease.

BACKGROUND: Due to similar clinical manifestations and imaging signs, differential diagnosis of primary intestinal lymphoma (PIL) and Crohn's disease (CD) is a challenge in clinical practice. AIM: To investigate the ability of radiomics combined with machine learning methods to differentiate PIL from CD. METHODS: We collected contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) and clinical data from 120 patients form center 1. A total of 944 features were extracted single-phase images of CECT scans. Using the last absolute shrinkage and selection operator model, the best predictive radiographic features and clinical indications were screened. Data from 54 patients were collected at center 2 as an external validation set to verify the robustness of the model. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, accuracy, sensitivity and specificity were used for evaluation. RESULTS: A total of five machine learning models were built to distinguish PIL from CD. Based on the results from the test group, most models performed well with a large area under the curve (AUC) (> 0.850) and high accuracy (> 0.900). The combined clinical and radiomics model (AUC = 1.000, accuracy = 1.000) was the best model among all models. CONCLUSION: Based on machine learning, a model combining clinical data with radiologic features was constructed that can effectively differentiate PIL from CD.

Ion-Exchanging Lead-Free Perovskite with Tunable Emission Wavelengths for Chemical and Fluorescent Double-Modal Anticounterfeiting Application.

Novel and covert fluorescence is quite desirable for fluorescent anticounterfeiting application. Here, Cs2InCl5·H2O/Sb and Cs2NaInCl6/Sb with high photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQYs) of 99.61 and 99.9%, respectively, were achieved. Considering the excellent optical performances together with the high similarity of the two crystal structures, we tried to realize the crystal structure transition from Cs2InCl5·H2O/Sb to Cs2NaInCl6/Sb by an ion-exchange method. It was well done by just adding the NaCl precursor with different concentrations in the Cs2InCl5·H2O/Sb product. Interestingly, a gradual color change from yellow to orange, warm white, white, cool white, and blue was achieved in the process of crystal structure transition. The energy-transfer dynamic models of Cs2InCl5·H2O/Sb, the white product, and Cs2NaInCl6/Sb were identified. The chemical reaction and UV fluorescence properties made it possible for application in chemical and fluorescent double-modal anticounterfeiting and highly decreased the possibility of being cracked and copied. Especially, when salt for daily cooking was used to replace NaCl, a similar phenomenon happened as that of the 99.9% NaCl precursor, which made it easy to be applicated. The combination of chemical and optical verifications provides two levels of security and unbreakable encryption. The results demonstrate that the transition from Cs2InCl5·H2O/Sb to Cs2NaInCl6/Sb is highly promising in fluorescent anticounterfeiting application.

Single-cell analysis of Crohn's disease: Unveiling heterogeneity and evaluating ustekinumab outcomes.

BACKGROUND: The present study aimed to dissect the cellular complexity of Crohn's disease (CD) using single-cell RNA sequencing, focusing on identifying key cell populations and their transcriptional profiles in inflamed tissue. METHODS: We applied scRNA-sequencing to compare the cellular composition of CD patients with healthy controls, utilizing Seurat for clustering and annotation. Differential gene expression analysis and protein-protein interaction networks were constructed to identify crucial genes and pathways. RESULTS: Our study identified eight distinct cell types in CD, highlighting crucial fibroblast and T cell interactions. The analysis revealed key cellular communications and identified significant genes and pathways involved in the disease's pathology. The role of fibroblasts was underscored by elevated expression in diseased samples, offering insights into disease mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets, including responses to ustekinumab treatment, thus enriching our understanding of CD at a molecular level. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight the complex cellular and molecular interplay in CD, suggesting new biomarkers and therapeutic targets, offering insights into disease mechanisms and treatment implications.

Synthesis of Low-Silicon X-Type Zeolite from Lithium Slag and Its Fast Exchange Performance of Calcium and Magnesium Ions.

Without the addition of silicon and aluminum sources, a pure-phase KNaLSX zeolite was successfully synthesized from the residue (lithium slag), which was produced from spodumene in the production process of lithium carbonate. The KNaLSX samples were characterized by an X-ray Diffractometer (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometer (XRF), Thermogravimetric Differential Thermal Analysis (TG-DTA), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer (FT-IR), and N2 adsorption measurement. The ion exchange capacity and the ion exchange rate of calcium and magnesium ions were measured as used for a detergent builder, and the results were compared with the standard zeolites (KNaLSX and 4A). The experimental results show that the pure-phase KNaLSX synthSynthesis and characterization of co-crystalline zeolite composite of LSX/esized from lithium slag has a SiO2/Al2O3 ratio of 2.01 with a grain size of 3~4 µm, which is close to the commercial KNaLSX sample of a SiO2/Al2O3 ratio of 2.0. The BET-specific surface area of KNaLSX is 715 m2/g, which is larger than the low-silicon X-type zeolite (LSX) synthesized from waste residue reported in the literature. The ion exchange rate constant of calcium and magnesium ions in KNaLSX is 5 times and 3 times that of 4A zeolite, respectively. KNaLSX also has a high ion exchange capacity for magnesium ion of 191 mgMgCO3/g, which is 2 times than that of 4A zeolite, and a high ion exchange capacity for calcium ion of 302 mgCaCO3/g, which meets the first-grade standard of zeolite for detergent builders in China. The work provides the basis for high-value resource utilization of lithium slag and the development of a detergent builder for rapid washing.

Children's Iodine Intake from Dairy Products and Related Factors: A Cross-Sectional Study in Two Provinces of China.

Dairy products are a significant source of iodine, and their contribution to iodine intake must be evaluated regularly. However, there is a lack of data on iodine intake from dairy products in China. Through a cross-sectional study, we determined the iodine content of dairy products in the Chinese diet and estimated iodine intake among Chinese children. Intake records for 30 consecutive days were used to investigate the consumption of dairy products by 2009 children from Yunnan and Liaoning Provinces. The iodine contents of 266 dairy products with high intake frequency were determined using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). We then calculated the iodine intake and contribution of dairy products and explored the related factors of dairy iodine intake through a generalized linear mixed model. Ultra-high-temperature (UHT) sterilized milk accounted for 78.7% of the total dairy products, with an iodine content of 23.0 µg/100 g. The dairy product intake rate of children in China was 83.6%, with an average daily intake of 143.1 g. The median iodine intake from milk and dairy was 26.8 µg/d, 41.5% of the estimated average recommendation (EAR) for younger children and 31.8% of the EAR for older children. The daily milk iodine intake of children in Yunnan Province was 9.448 µg/day lower than that of children in Liaoning Province (p < 0.001), and the daily iodine intake of children in rural areas was 17.958 µg/day lower than that of children in urban areas (p < 0.001). Chinese dairy products were rich in iodine, and the content of iodine was intermediate to that reported in Europe and the USA. However, children's daily intake of milk iodine was lower than that of children in other developed countries due to the lower daily intake of dairy products, especially those in rural areas.

Evasion of wheat resistance gene Lr15 recognition by the leaf rust fungus is attributed to the coincidence of natural mutations and deletion in AvrLr15 gene.

Employing race-specific resistance genes remains an effective strategy to protect wheat from leaf rust caused by Puccinia triticina (Pt) worldwide, while the newly emerged Pt races, owing to rapid genetic evolution, frequently overcome the immune response delivered by race-specific resistance genes. The molecular mechanisms underlying the newly evolved virulence Pt pathogen remain unknown. Here, we identified an avirulence protein AvrLr15 from Pt that induced Lr15-dependent immune responses. Heterologously produced AvrLr15 triggered pronounced cell death in Lr15-isogenic wheat leaves. AvrLr15 contains a functional signal peptide, localized to the plant nucleus and cytosol and can suppress BAX-induced cell death. Evasion of Lr15-mediated resistance in wheat was associated with a deletion and point mutations of amino acids in AvrLr15 rather than AvrLr15 gene loss in the Lr15-breaking Pt races, implying that AvrLr15 is required for the virulence function of Pt. Our findings identified the first molecular determinant of wheat race-specific immunity and facilitated the identification of the first AVR/R gene pair in the Pt-wheat pathosystem, which will provide a molecular marker to monitor natural Pt populations and guide the deployment of Lr15-resistant wheat cultivars in the field.

68Ga-PSMA-11 PET and mpMRI in the diagnosis of initial lymph node staging of prostate cancer: a head-to-head comparative meta-analysis.

Purpose: This meta-analysis evaluates the comparative diagnostic efficacy of 68Ga-prostate-specific membrane antigen-11 PET (68Ga-PSMA-11 PET) and multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) for the initial lymph node staging of prostate cancer. Methods: We searched PubMed and Embase databases through October 2023 for studies that provide a head-to-head comparison of 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET and mpMRI, using pelvic lymph node dissection as the gold standard. We assessed sensitivity and specificity using the DerSimonian and Laird method, with variance stabilization via the Freeman-Tukey double inverse sine transformation. The quality of included studies was evaluated using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Performance Studies (QUADAS-2) tool. Results: The meta-analysis incorporated 13 articles, involving a total of 1,527 patients. 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET demonstrated an overall sensitivity of 0.73 (95% CI: 0.51-0.91) and a specificity of 0.94 (95% CI: 0.88-0.99). In comparison, mpMRI showed a sensitivity of 0.49 (95% CI: 0.30-0.68) and a specificity of 0.94 (95% CI: 0.88-0.99). Although 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET appeared to be more sensitive than mpMRI, the differences in sensitivity (p = 0.11) and specificity (p = 0.47) were not statistically significant. Conclusion: Our findings indicated that 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET and mpMRI exhibit similar sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of initial lymph node staging of prostate cancer. However, given that most included studies were retrospective, further prospective studies with larger sample sizes are essential to validate these results. Systematic Review Registration: PROSPERO code is CRD42023495266.

Lithiation induced hetero-superlattice Zn/ZnLi as stable anode for aqueous zinc-ion batteries.

Three dimensional (3D) framework structure is one of the most effective ways to achieve uniform zinc deposition and thus inhibit the Zn dendrites growth in working Zn metallic anode. A major challenge facing for the most commonly used 3D zincophilic hosts is that the zincophilic layer tends to peel off during repeatedly cycling, making it less stable. Herein, for the first time, a hetero-superlattice Zn/ZnLi (HS-Zn/ZnLi) anode containing periodic arrangements of metallic Zn phase and zincophilic ZnLi phase at the nanoscale, is well designed and fabricated via electrochemical lithiation method. Based on binding energy and stripping energy calculation, and the operando optical observation of plating/stripping behaviors, the zincophilic ZnLi sites with a strong Zn adsorption ability in the interior of the 3D ZnLi framework structure can effectively guide uniform Zn nucleation and dendrite-free zinc deposition, which significantly improves the cycling stability of the HS-Zn/ZnLi alloy (over 2800 h without a short-circuit at 2 mA cm-2). More importantly, this strategy can be extended to HS-Zn/ZnNa and HS-Zn/ZnK anodes that are similar to the HS-Zn/ZnLi microstructure, also displaying significantly enhanced cycling performances in AZIBs. This study can provide a novel strategy to develop the dendrite-free metal anodes with stable cycling performance.

Integrative analysis of microbiome and metabolome revealed the effect of microbial inoculant on microbial community diversity and function in rhizospheric soil under tobacco monoculture.

Over-application of chemical fertilizers and continuous cropping obstacles seriously restrict the sustainable development of tobacco production. Localized fertilization of beneficial microbes has potential advantages in achieving higher productivity, but the underlying biological mechanisms of interactions between rhizospheric microorganisms and the related metabolic cycle remain poorly characterized. Here, an integrative analysis of microbiomes with non-targeted metabolomics was performed on 30 soil samples of rhizosphere, root surrounding, and bulk soils from flue-cured tobacco under continuous and non-continuous monocropping systems. The analysis was conducted using UPLC-MS/MS platforms and high-throughput amplicon sequencing targeting the bacterial 16S rRNA gene and fungal ITS gene. The microbial inoculant consisted of Bacillus subtilis, B. velezensis, and B. licheniformis at the ratio of 1:1:1 in effective microbial counts, improved the cured leaf yield and disease resistance of tobacco, and enhanced nicotine and nitrogen contents of tobacco leaves. The bacterial taxa Rhizobium, Pseudomonas, Sphingomonadaceae, and Burkholderiaceae of the phylum Proteobacteria accumulated in high relative abundance and were identified as biomarkers following the application of the microbial inoculant. Under continuous monocropping, metabolomics demonstrated that the application of the microbial inoculant significantly affected the soil metabolite spectrum, and the differential metabolites were significantly enriched to the synthesis and degradation of nicotine (nicotinate and nicotinamide metabolism and biosynthesis of alkaloids derived from nicotinic acid). In addition, microbes were closely related to the accumulation of metabolites through correlation analysis. The interactions between plant roots and rhizospheric microorganisms provide valuable information for understanding how these beneficial microbes affect complex biological processes and the adaption capacity of plants to environments.IMPORTANCEThis study elaborated on how the microbial fertilizer significantly changed overall community structures and metabolite spectrum of rhizospheric microbes, which provide insights into the process of rhizosphere microbial remolding in response to continuous monocropping. we verified the hypothesis that the application of the microbial inoculant in continuous cropping would lead to the selection of distinct microbiota communities by establishing models to correlate biomarkers. Through correlation analysis of the microbiome and metabolome, we proved that rhizospheric microbes were closely related to the accumulation of metabolites, including the synthesis and degradation of nicotine. The interactions between plant roots and rhizospheric microorganisms provide valuable information for understanding how these beneficial microbes affect complex biological processes and the adaption capacity of plants to environments.

Controllable Synthesis of Titanium Silicon Molecular Zeolite Nanosheet with Short b-Axis Thickness and Application in Oxidative Desulfurization.

Titanium silicon molecular zeolite (TS-1) plays an important role in catalytic reactions due to its unique nanostructure. The straight channel on TS-1 was parallel to the orientation of the short b-axis and directly exposed to the aperture of the 10-member ring with a diameter of 0.54 nm × 0.56 nm. This structure could effectively reduce the diffuse restriction of bulk organic compounds during the oxidative desulfurization process. As a kind of cationic polymer electrolyte, polydimethyldiallyl ammonium chloride (PDDA) contains continuous [C8H16N+Cl-] chain segments, in which the Cl- could function as an effective structure-directing agent in the synthesis of nanomaterials. The chain of PDDA could adequately interact with the [0 1 0] plane in the preparation process of zeolite, and then the TS-1 nanosheet with short b-axis thickness (6 nm) could be obtained. The pore structure of the TS-1 nanosheet is controlled by regulating the content of PDDA. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), N2 physical adsorption analysis, infrared absorption spectrum and ultraviolet-visible spectrum were used to determine the TS-1. The thinner nanosheets exhibit excellent catalytic performance in oxidative desulfurization of dibenzothiophene (DBT), in which the removal rate could remain at 100% after three recycles. Here, the TS-1 nanosheet with short b-axis thickness has a promising future in catalytic reactions.

Amorphous GeSnSe nanoparticles as a Li-Ion battery anode with High-Capacity and long cycle performance.

A new ternary amorphous GeSnSe (GSS) nanopowder was effectively synthesized by using ball milling under inert atmosphere. Its topographical, microstructural and elemental characterizations revealed the formation of nanoparticles with undefined shape, short-range order and the tailored stoichiometry. Remarkably, this novel amorphous material demonstrates its competences as a promising Li-ion host anode, exhibiting a high cycle performance with a specific charge capacity of 963 mAh g-1 at an applied C-rate of 0.2C with a coulombic efficiency > 99.4 % after 300 cycles. Its high specific capacity, large rate capability, acceptable capacity retention and long cycle life could be attributed to a dual Li-ion storage mechanism that consists mostly of multiple reversible electrochemical processes as conversion and alloying reactions and capacitive processes. Moreover, its stable volume expansion (34 %), moderate electrode polarization (248.9 mV), reasonable charge transfer resistance (83 Ω) and apparent Li-ion diffusion coefficients between 10-9 - 10-14 cm2 s-1 could be promoted by a synergistic effect between Ge (capacity), Sn (conductivity) and Se (stability), which plays an important role on the stability and high cycle performance of the promising GSS-based anode.

Machine learning-assisted MALDI-TOF MS toward rapid classification of milk products.

This study established a method for rapid classification of milk products by combining matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) analysis with machine learning techniques. The analysis of 2 different types of milk products was used as an example. To select key variables as potential markers, integrated machine learning strategies based on 6 feature selection techniques combined with support vector machine (SVM) classifier were implemented to screen the informative features and classify the milk samples. The models were evaluated and compared by accuracy, Akaike information criterion (AIC), and Bayesian information criterion (BIC). The results showed the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) combined with SVM performs best, with prediction accuracy of 100 ± 0%, AIC of -360 ± 22, and BIC of -345 ± 22. Six features were selected by LASSO and identified based on the available protein molecular mass data. These results indicate that MALDI-TOF MS coupled with machine learning technique could be used to search for potential key targets for authentication and quality control of food products.

Temperature-Dependent Photoluminescence from Well-Resolved Excited State Structures in Rare-Earth-Based Double Perovskites.

Lead-free halide double perovskites (DPs) have become a research hotspot in the field of photoelectrons due to their unique optical properties and flexible compositional tuning. However, the reports on the optical properties of DPs primarily concentrate on the room temperature state and only exhibit single emission band. Here, we synthesized Cs2NaYCl6:Sb3+, Dy3+ DPs by a solvothermal method to realize white light emission with photoluminescence (PL) quantum yield as high as 70.7%. The energy-transfer process from self-trapped excitons (STEs) to Dy3+ ions was revealed by optical characterization and theoretical simulation calculations. Interestingly, we observed the double-emission from low-energy STE emission of Sb3+ ions and Dy3+ emission at low temperatures, and the double-emission is consistent with the asymmetric doublet feature of the 3P1 → 1S0 transition split into two minima. The PL spectra further showed that the fluorescence intensity ratios of Dy3+ ions at 580 and 680 nm were strongly temperature-dependent, and the relative sensitivity is up to 1.79% K-1 at 360 K. Moreover, the near-infrared and radiation luminescence properties indicated that the Cs2NaYCl6:Sb3+, Dy3+ DPs also have good prospects for night vision and radiation detection, as well as the great potential for applications in solid-state illumination and optical temperature measurement.

Nomogram for predicting pathology upstaging in patients with EIN: is sentinel lymph node assessment useful in these patients?

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to identify the risk factors for postoperative pathological escalation of endometrial cancer in patients with a pathologic diagnosis of endometrial intraepithelial neoplasia (EIN) before surgery. Some of the clues from the preoperative assessment were used to build a nomogram to predict the likely pathological escalation after surgery, and to explore the feasibility of sentinel lymph node biopsy in these patients with possible pathological escalation. METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis of patients who underwent surgical treatment for EIN diagnosed before surgery between 2018 and 2023 in The Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University. parameters including clinical, radiological and histopathological factors were analyzed by univariate and multivariate logistic regression to determine the correlation with pathology upstaging. A nomogram based on the multivariate results was developed to predict the probability of pathology upstaging. A total of 729 patients were included, divided into training set and validation set. 484 patients were used to build the model. This nomogram was subsequently validated using 245 patients. RESULTS: Upstaging to endometrial carcinoma occurred in 115 (23.8 percent) of 484 women treated between 2018 and 2023 in training set. A lager endometrial thickness (at least 15 mm), menopause, hypertension, HE4, and endometrial blood were significantly associated with upstaging. A nomogram developed using these factors demonstrated good predictive performance (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC)=0.6808; 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.6246-0.7369). The nomogram showed similar predictive performance in the validation data set, based on another 245 women (AUC=0.7821; 95% CI=0.7076-0.8567). CONCLUSION: This study developed a novel nomogram based on the 5 most important factors, which can accurately predict invasive cancer. It is common for women with preoperative diagnosis of EIN to experience pathological progression to endometrial cancer. For some patients with postoperative pathological escalation, we found lymph node metastasis. This nomogram may be useful to help doctor decide whether to perform sentinel lymph node biopsy for surgical staging in these EIN patients. According to the nomogram, simultaneous sentinel lymph node biopsy in patients with high probability of postoperative pathological upgrading can provide better guidance for postoperative adjuvant treatment of endometrial cancer and avoid the occurrence of secondary surgery.

First-line bevacizumab plus chemotherapy in Chinese patients with stage III/IV epithelial ovarian cancer, fallopian tube cancer or primary peritoneal cancer: a phase III randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: First-line bevacizumab plus carboplatin and paclitaxel (CP) is approved for stage III/IV ovarian cancer treatment following initial surgical resection, based on global phase III GOG-0218 and ICON7 trials. This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of bevacizumab + CP as first-line ovarian cancer therapy in Chinese patients. METHODS: Patients with newly diagnosed, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage III/IV epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer post-primary surgery were randomized 1:1 to receive 6 cycles of CP with bevacizumab/placebo, followed by bevacizumab/placebo maintenance until unacceptable toxicity or disease progression. Primary endpoint was investigator-assessed progression-free survival (PFS). Stratification factors were FIGO stage and debulking status (stage III optimally debulked vs stage III suboptimally debulked vs stage IV) and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (0 vs 1 or 2). RESULTS: Of randomized patients, 51 received bevacizumab + CP and 49 received placebo + CP. Median PFS was 22.6 months with bevacizumab + CP (95% confidence interval [CI]=18.6, not estimable) and 12.3 months (95% CI=9.5, 15.0) with placebo + CP (stratified hazard ratio=0.30; 95% CI=0.17, 0.53). Treatment-related grade 3/4 adverse events occurred in 46 of 49 (94%) patients receiving bevacizumab + CP, and 34 of 50 (68%) receiving placebo + CP. CONCLUSION: Bevacizumab + CP showed clinically meaningful improvement in PFS vs placebo + CP, consistent with GOG-0218 results. Safety data were aligned with the known bevacizumab safety profile. These results support first-line bevacizumab + CP therapy in Chinese patients with ovarian cancer. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03635489.

Therapeutic drug monitoring of linezolid and exploring optimal regimens and a toxicity-related nomogram in elderly patients: a multicentre, prospective, non-interventional study.

BACKGROUND: The concentrations of linezolid, its optimal regimen and the associated side effects in elderly patients remain unclear. METHODS: In this multicentre, prospective study, elderly patients receiving linezolid at four tertiary hospitals in Beijing between May 2021 and December 2022 were included. Linezolid concentrations and haematological toxicity were monitored dynamically. Risk factors for linezolid overexposure and moderate-to-severe linezolid-induced thrombocytopenia (M/S LIT) were analysed, and a predictive model of M/S LIT was developed. RESULTS: A total of 860 linezolid concentrations were measured in 313 patients. The median trough concentrations of linezolid were 24.4 (15.3, 35.8) mg/L at 36-72 h and 26.1 (17.0, 38.1) mg/L at 5-10 days (P = 0.132). Severe linezolid exposure was independently associated with age, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and the worst SOFA score (SOFA1), and we further recommended dose regimens for elderly patients based on these findings. The incidences of linezolid-induced thrombocytopenia(LIT) and M/S LIT were 73.5% and 47.6%, respectively. M/S LIT was independently correlated with treatment duration, average trough concentration (TDMa), baseline platelet count, eGFR and baseline SOFA score (SOFA0). The developed nomogram predicted M/S LIT with an area under the curve of 0.767 (95% CI 0.715-0.820), a sensitivity of 71.1% and a specificity of 73.2%. CONCLUSIONS: Linezolid trough concentrations increased dramatically in the elderly, by about 10 mg/L in patients aged 65-80 years, followed by a further increase of 10 mg/L for every 10 years of age. Therapeutic drug monitoring is recommended in elderly patients receiving linezolid. The developed nomogram may predict M/S LIT and guide dosage adjustments of linezolid. Clinical trial registration number: ChiCTR2100045707.

Formation of lipid-derived volatile products through lipoxygenase (LOX)- and hydroperoxide lyase (HPL)- mediated pathway in oat, barley and soy bean.

The aim of this study was to explore the formation of volatile lipid oxidation products by the lipoxygenase (LOX)-hydroperoxide lyase (HPL)-mediated pathway in oat, barley and soy bean. LOX activity was found only in barley and soy bean samples, but the lipase and HPL activity was detected in all samples. HPL showed particularly high activity with 13-hydroperoxides, while the activity was quite low when using 9-hydroperoxides, especially in the oat and barley. The optimum pH for HPL in different samples was similar, i.e., pH 6-7. In this condition, the volatile compounds formed dramatically with aldehydes and furans as the dominant products. Furthermore, a remarkable enzymatic degradation of lipids occurred during the preparation of food models with highly refined rapeseed oil (RO) and rapeseed oil fatty acid (ROFA) emulsions, where the ROFAs were more prone to oxidation than RO. This study shows the significance of lipid-degrading enzymes in plant-food flavour formation.

Plasma-Free Blood as a Potential Alternative to Whole Blood for Transcriptomic Analysis.

RNA sequencing (RNAseq) technology has become increasingly important in precision medicine and clinical diagnostics, and emerged as a powerful tool for identifying protein-coding genes, performing differential gene analysis, and inferring immune cell composition. Human peripheral blood samples are widely used for RNAseq, providing valuable insights into individual biomolecular information. Blood samples can be classified as whole blood (WB), plasma, serum, and remaining sediment samples, including plasma-free blood (PFB) and serum-free blood (SFB) samples that are generally considered less useful byproducts during the processes of plasma and serum separation, respectively. However, the feasibility of using PFB and SFB samples for transcriptome analysis remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to assess the suitability of employing PFB or SFB samples as an alternative RNA source in transcriptomic analysis. We performed a comparative analysis of WB, PFB, and SFB samples for different applications. Our results revealed that PFB samples exhibit greater similarity to WB samples than SFB samples in terms of protein-coding gene expression patterns, detection of differentially expressed genes, and immunological characterizations, suggesting that PFB can serve as a viable alternative to WB for transcriptomic analysis. Our study contributes to the optimization of blood sample utilization and the advancement of precision medicine research. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s43657-023-00121-1.

Mediation effect of sleep time on the association between outdoor activity and myopia in Chinese children and adolescents: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to assess the association between outdoor activity and myopia among children and adolescents and investigate whether sleep time could mediate this relationship. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was performed on students aged 4-16 years in China, from August 2021 to January 2022. Outdoor activity was assessed by the Assessment Questionnaire of Exposure to Sunlight Activities for Students (AQESAS). Binary logistic regression combined with the mediation analysis was used to analyze the association of AQESAS with myopia and the mediating effect of sleep time on this relationship. RESULTS: The prevalence of myopia was 53.51% (N = 1609). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that more sleep time (OR = 0.794, 95%CI: 0.707-0.893) and a higher score of AQESAS (OR = 0.989, 95%CI: 0.981-0.996) were significantly associated with a decreased risk of myopia. Mediation analysis revealed that sleep time plays a mediating role in the association between outdoor activity and myopia (ACME = -0.0006, P < 0.001), and the mediation proportion was 19.7%. CONCLUSION: Outdoor activity affects myopia directly and indirectly through sleep time. The result suggested that children may be able to reduce the risk of myopia by promoting sleep through increased awareness of outdoor activity and exposure to sunlight.