An adhesive, stretchable, and freeze-resistant conductive hydrogel strain sensor for handwriting recognition and depth motion monitoring.

Wearable electronics based on conductive hydrogels (CHs) offer remarkable flexibility, conductivity, and versatility. However, the flexibility, adhesiveness, and conductivity of traditional CHs deteriorate when they freeze, thereby limiting their utility in challenging environments. In this work, we introduce a PHEA-NaSS/G hydrogel that can be conveniently fabricated into a freeze-resistant conductive hydrogel by weakening the hydrogen bonds between water molecules. This is achieved through the synergistic interaction between the charged polar end group (-SO3-) and the glycerol-water binary solvent system. The conductive hydrogel is simultaneously endowed with tunable mechanical properties and conductive pathways by the modulation caused by varying material compositions. Due to the uniform interconnectivity of the network structure resulting from strong intermolecular interactions and the enhancement effect of charged polar end-groups, the resulting hydrogel exhibits 174 kPa tensile strength, 2105 % tensile strain, and excellent sensing ability (GF = 2.86, response time: 121 ms), and the sensor is well suited for repeatable and stable monitoring of human motion. Additionally, using the Full Convolutional Network (FCN) algorithm, the sensor can be used to recognize English letter handwriting with an accuracy of 96.4 %. This hydrogel strain sensor provides a simple method for creating multi-functional electronic devices, with significant potential in the fields of multifunctional electronics such as soft robotics, health monitoring, and human-computer interaction.

Discovery of novel chrysin derivatives as potential Anti-Psoriasis agents.

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease and is difficult to cure. In this work, a series of novel chrysin derivatives have been designed and prepared while evaluating anti-inflammatory activities in vitro and in vivo. In vitro, RAW264.7 cells were used to detect the inflammatory activities at first, and compounds 4h, 4k, and 4o significantly decreased the levels of NO, TNF-α, and IL-6. In particular, compound 4o showed superior anti-inflammatory activities than other compounds. Moreover, compound 4o decreased the level of IL-17A in LPS-induced HaCaT cells in vitro. The effect and mechanism of anti-inflammatory activities on psoriasis were determined by imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriasis-like mice in vivo. Compound 4o deduced the level of IL-6, IL-17A, IL-22, IL-23, and TNF-α, and showed potent anti-psoriasis activity. Further mechanism study suggested that compound 4o could improve the skin inflammation of psoriasis by inhibiting the NF-κB and STAT3 signaling pathways.

Design of carboxymethyl cellulose/alginate aerogels with anti-fouling and light-driven self-cleaning for enhanced oily wastewater remediation.

With the increase of oily wastewater discharge and the growing demand for clean water supply, high throughput green materials for oil-water separation with anti-pollution and self-cleaning ability are urgently needed. Herein, the polysaccharide-based composite aerogels of CMC/SA@TiO2-MWCNTs (CSTM) with fast photo-driven self-cleaning ability have been prepared by a simple freeze-drying and ionic cross-linking strategy. The introduction of TiO2 /MWCNTs nanocomposites effectively improves the underwater oleophobic and mechanical properties of polysaccharide aerogels and enables their photo-driven self-cleaning ability for efficient oil-water separation and purification of complex oily wastewater. For immiscible oil-water mixtures, a high separation flux of about 7650 L m-2 h-1 and a separation efficiency of up to 99.9 % was obtained. For surfactant-stabilized oil-in-water emulsion, a flux of 3952 L m-2 h-1 was achieved with a separation efficiency of up to 99.3 %. More importantly, the excellent photoluminescent self-cleaning ability and low oil adhesion contribute to the high contamination resistance, excellent reusability, and robust durability of CSTM aerogel. With the advantages of simple preparation, remarkable performance, and recyclability, this aerogel is expected to provide a green, economical, and scalable solution for the purification of oily wastewater.

Wide-humidity, anti-freezing and stretchable multifunctional conductive carboxymethyl cellulose-based hydrogels for flexible wearable strain sensors and arrays.

Hydrogels play an important role in the design and fabrication of wearable sensors with outstanding flexibility, high sensitivity and versatility. Since hydrogels lose and absorb water during changes in humidity and temperature, it is critical and challenging to obtain hydrogels that function properly under different environmental conditions. Herein, a dual network hydrogel based on tannic acid (TA) reinforced polyacrylamide (PAM) and sodium carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) was constructed, while the introduction of the green solvents Solketal and LiCl endowed the hydrogel with greater possibilities for further modification to improve the water content and consistency of the mechanical properties over 30-90 % RH. This composite hydrogel (PTSL) has long-term stability, excellent mechanical strength, and freezing resistance. As strain sensors, they are linear over the entire strain range (R2 = 0.994) and have a high sensitivity (GF = 2.52 over 0-680 % strain range). Furthermore, the hydrogel's exceptional electrical conductivity and freezing resistance are a result of the synergistic effect of Solketal and LiCl, which intensifies the contact between the water molecules and the colloidal phase. This research could address the suitability of hydrogels over a wide range of humidity and temperature, suggesting great applications for smart flexible wearable electronics in harsh environmental conditions.

Association of social determinants, lifestyle, and metabolic factors with mortality in Chinese adults: A nationwide 10-year prospective cohort study.

Nationwide estimates of the impact of common modifiable risk factors on mortality remain crucial. We aim to assess the influence of social determinants, lifestyle, and metabolic factors on mortality in 174,004 adults aged ≥40 years from the China Cardiometabolic Disease and Cancer Cohort (4C) Study. We reveal that 17 modifiable factors are independently associated with mortality, accounting for 64.8% of all-cause mortality, 77.4% of cardiovascular mortality, and 44.8% of cancer mortality. Low education emerges as the leading factor for both all-cause and cancer mortality, while hypertension is predominant for cardiovascular mortality. Moreover, low gross domestic product per capita and high ambient particulate matter with a diameter of <2.5 µm (PM2.5) air pollution account for 7.8% and 4.3% for all-cause mortality, respectively, using a different method. Gender-specific analyses reveal distinct patterns, with women's mortality primarily associated with social determinants and men exhibiting stronger associations with lifestyle factors. Targeted health interventions are essential to mitigate mortality risks effectively in China.

Association between triglyceride glucose index and breast cancer in 142,184 Chinese adults: findings from the REACTION study.

Background: The triglyceride glucose (TyG) index has been associated with an increased risk in breast cancer. However, this association remains unclear among the Chinese population. This study aimed to investigate whether the TyG index is associated with the risk of prevalent breast cancer in Chinese women. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 142,184 women from the REACTION (Risk Evaluation of Cancers in Chinese Diabetic Individuals: A Longitudinal) Study, which recruited adults aged 40 years or older from 25 centers across mainland China between 2011 and 2012. The TyG index was calculated according to the formula: Ln (fasting triglycerides [mg/dL] × fasting glucose [mg/dL]/2). Multivariable-adjusted logistic regression models were used to evaluate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) regarding the associations between the TyG index and breast cancer. Results: Multivariable-adjusted logistic regression analysis showed that compared with the lowest quartile of the TyG index, the highest quartile of the TyG index was significantly associated with an increased risk of prevalent breast cancer, with an OR (95% CI) of 1.61 (1.19-2.17). In the stratified analysis, the association of each 1 SD increase in the TyG index with risk of prevalent breast cancer was more dominant in individuals with menarche at age 13-17, those who were postmenopausal, those with a history of breastfeeding, and those who had two to four children, with the ORs (95% CIs) of 1.35 (1.09-1.68), 1.27 (1.05-1.54), 1.26 (1.05-1.52), and 1.32 (1.08-1.62), respectively. Moreover, among those without discernible insulin resistance (homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance [HOMA-IR] ≥2.5), hyperglycemia and dyslipidemia, each 1 SD increase in the TyG index was associated with a 1.36-fold increase in breast cancer risk, with an OR (95% CI) of 2.36 (1.44-3.87). Conclusion: The TyG index is significantly associated with the prevalent breast cancer risk among middle-aged and elderly Chinese women.

Novel phosphatase PvPAP1 from the As-hyperaccumulator Pteris vittata promotes organic P utilization and plant growth: Extracellular exudation and phytate hydrolysis.

Organic phosphorus (Po) is a large component of soil P, but it is often unavailable for plant uptake. Purple acid phosphatases (PAP) can hydrolyze a wide range of Po, playing an important role in Po utilization by plants. In this study, we investigated a novel secretary PvPAP1 from the As-hyperaccumulator Pteris vittata, which can effectively utilize exogenous Po, including adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and phytate. Unlike other PAP, PvPAP1 was abundantly-expressed in P. vittata roots, which was upregulated 3.5-folds under P-deprivation than P-sufficient conditions. When expressed in tobacco, its activity in the roots of PvPAP1-Ex lines was ∼8 folds greater than that in wild-type (WT) plants. Besides, PvPAP1 exhibited its secretory ability as evidenced by the sapphire-blue color on the root surface after treating with 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl phosphate. In a long-term experiment using sand media, PvPAP1-expressing tobacco plants showed 25-30 % greater root biomass than WT plants when using ATP as the sole P source. This is because PvPAP1-expression enhanced its phosphatase activity by 6.5-9.2 folds in transgenic tobacco, thereby increasing the P contents by 39-41 % in its roots under ATP treatment and 9.4-30 % under phytate treatment. The results highlight PvPAP1 as a novel secreted phosphatase crucial for external Po utilization in P. vittata, suggesting that PvPAP1 has the potential to serve as a valuable gene resource for enhancing Po utilization by crop plants.

Allelopathic Effects of Corn Straw and Its Water Extracts on Four Weed Species and Foxtail Millet.

Straw covering is a protective tillage measure in agricultural production, but there is relatively little research on the allelopathic effects of corn straw on weeds and foxtail millet. This experiment studied the allelopathic effects of corn straw on four weeds (Chenopodium album, Setaria viridis, Echinochloa crus-galli and Amaranthus retroflexus) in foxtail millet fields, and also measured the growth indicators of foxtail millet. The study consisted of Petri dish and field experiments. Five treatments were used in the Petri dish experiment: clear water as control (0 g/L, TCK) and four types of corn straw water extracts. They were, respectively, the stock solution (100 g/L, T1), 10 X dilution (10 g/L, T2), 50 X dilution (2 g/L, T3), and 100 X dilution (1 g/L, T4) of corn straw water extracts. Additionally, seven treatments were set up in the field experiment, consisting of three corn straw covering treatments, with covering amounts of 3000 (Z1), 6000 (Z2) and 12,000 kg/ha (Z3), and four control treatments-one treatment with no corn straw cover (CK) and three treatments involving the use of a black film to create the same shading area as the corn straw covered area, with black film coverage areas of 50% (PZ1), 70% (PZ2), and 100% (PZ3), respectively. The results showed that the corn straw water extract reduced the germination rate of the seeds of the four weeds. The T1 treatment resulted in the allelopathic promotion of C. album growth but the inhibition of S. viridis, E. crus-galli, and A. retroflexus growth. Treatments T2, T3, and T4 all induced the allelopathic promotion of the growth of the four weeds. The order of the effects of the corn straw water extracts on the comprehensive allelopathy index of the four weed seeds was as follows: C. album > S. viridis > A. retroflexus > E. crus-galli. With an increase in the corn straw mulching amount, the density and total coverage of the four weeds showed a gradual downward trend, whereas the plant control effect and fresh weight control effect showed a gradual upward trend. All indices showed the best results under 12,000 kg/ha of mulching and returning to the field. Overall, corn straw coverage significantly impacted the net photosynthetic rate and transpiration rate of foxtail millet and increased the yield of foxtail millet. Under coverages of 6000 and 12,000 kg/ha, the growth of foxtail millet is better. Based on our findings, we recommend a corn straw coverage of 12,000 kg/ha for the allelopathic control of weeds in foxtail millet fields.

Serratia plymuthica HK9-3 enhances tomato resistance against Phytophthora capsici by modulating antioxidant defense systems and rhizosphere micro-ecological condition.

Tomatoes are frequently challenged by various pathogens, among which Phytophthora capsici (P. capsici) is a destructive soil-borne pathogen that seriously threatens the safe production of tomatoes. Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) positively induced plant resistance against multiple pathogens. However, little is known about the role and regulatory mechanism of PGPR in tomato resistance to P. capsici. Here, we identified a new strain Serratia plymuthica (S. plymuthica), HK9-3, which has a significant antibacterial effect on P. capsici infection. Meanwhile, stable colonization in roots by HK9-3, even under P. capsici infection, improved tomato growth parameters, root system architecture, photosynthetic capacity, and boosted biomass. Importantly, HK9-3 colonization significantly alleviated the damage caused by P. capsici infection through enhancing ROS scavenger ability and inducing antioxidant defense system and pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins in leaves, as evidenced by elevating the activities of peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), polyphenol oxidase (PPO), and chitinase, ß-1,3-glucanase, and increasing the transcripts of POD, SOD, CAT, APX1, PAL1, PAL2, PAL5, PPO2, CHI17 and ß-1,3-glucanase genes. Notably, HK9-3 colonization not only effectively improved soil microecology and soil fertility, but also significantly enhanced fruit yield by 44.6% and improved quality. Our study presents HK9-3 as a promising and effective solution for controlling P. capsici infection in tomato cultivation while simultaneously promoting plant growth and increasing yield, which may have implications for P. capsici control in vegetable production.

Association of circulating long-chain free fatty acids and incident diabetes risk among normoglycemic Chinese adults: a prospective nested case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Long-chain free fatty acids (FFAs) are associated with risk of incident diabetes. However, a comprehensive assessment of the associations in normoglycemic populations is lacking. OBJECTIVES: Our study aimed to comprehensively investigate the prospective associations and patterns of FFA profiles with diabetes risk among normoglycemic Chinese adults. METHODS: This is a prospective nested case-control study from the China Cardiometabolic Disease and Cancer Cohort (4C) study. We quantitatively measured 53 serum FFAs using a targeted metabolomics approach in 1707 incident diabetes subjects and 1707 propensity score-matched normoglycemic controls. Conditional logistic regression models were employed to estimate odds ratios (ORs) for associations. Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) penalty regression and quantile g-computation (qg-comp) analyses were implemented to estimate the association between multi-FFA exposures and incident diabetes. RESULTS: The majority of odd-chain FFAs exhibited an inverse association with incident diabetes, wherein the ORs per SD increment of all 7 saturated fatty acids (SFAs), monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) 15:1, and polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) 25:2 were ranging from 0.79 to 0.88 (95% CIs ranging between 0.71 and 0.97). Even-chain FFAs comprised 99.3% of total FFAs and displayed heterogeneity with incident diabetes. SFAs with 18-26 carbon atoms are inversely linked to incident diabetes, with ORs ranging from 0.81 to 0.86 (95% CIs ranging between 0.73 and 0.94). MUFAs 26:1 (OR: 0.85; 95% CI: 0.76, 0.94), PUFAs 20:4 (OR: 0.84; 95% CI: 0.75, 0.94), and 24:2 (OR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.78, 0.97) demonstrated significant associations. In multi-FFA exposure model, 24 FFAs were significantly associated with incident diabetes, most of which were consistent with univariate results. The mixture OR was 0.78 (95% CI: 0.61, 0.99; P = 0.04159). Differential correlation network analysis revealed pre-existing perturbations in intraclass and interclass FFA coregulation before diabetes onset. CONCLUSIONS: These findings underscore the variations in diabetes risk associated with FFAs across chain length and unsaturation degree, highlighting the importance of recognizing FFA subtypes in the pathogenesis of diabetes.

CDK5-mediated rearrangement of vimentin during Duck Tembusu virus infection inhibits viral replication.

Duck Tembusu virus (DTMUV) is a newly emerging pathogen that causes massive economic losses to the poultry industry in China and neighbouring countries. Vimentin, an intermediate filament protein, has been demonstrated to be involved in viral replication during infection. However, the specific role of vimentin in DTMUV replication has not been determined. In this study, we found that overexpression of vimentin in BHK-21 cells can inhibit DTMUV replication. Moreover, DTMUV replication was enhanced after vimentin expression was reduced in BHK-21 cells via small interfering RNA (siRNA). Further research indicated that DTMUV infection had no effect on the transcription or expression of vimentin. However, we found that DTMUV infection induced vimentin rearrangement, and the rearrangement of vimentin was subsequently confirmed to negatively modulate viral replication through the use of a vimentin network disrupting agent. Vimentin rearrangement is closely associated with its phosphorylation. Our experiments revealed that the phosphorylation of vimentin at Ser56 was promoted in the early stage of DTMUV infection. In addition, by inhibiting the phosphorylation of vimentin at Ser56 with a CDK5 inhibitor, vimentin rearrangement was suppressed, and DTMUV replication was significantly enhanced. These results indicated that DTMUV infection induced vimentin phosphorylation and rearrangement through CDK5, resulting in the inhibition of DTMUV replication. In summary, our study reveals a role for vimentin as a negative factor in the process of DTMUV replication, which helps to elucidate the function of cellular proteins in regulating DTMUV replication.

Relationship between syncopal symptoms and head-up tilt test modes.

OBJECTIVE: Head-up tilt test (HUTT) is an important tool in the diagnosis of pediatric vasovagal syncope. This research will explore the relationship between syncopal symptoms and HUTT modes in pediatric vasovagal syncope. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 2513 children aged 3-18 years, who were diagnosed with vasovagal syncope, from Jan. 2001 to Dec. 2021 due to unexplained syncope or pre-syncope. The average age was 11.76 ± 2.83 years, including 1124 males and 1389 females. The patients were divided into the basic head-up tilt test (BHUT) group (596 patients) and the sublingual nitroglycerine head-up tilt test (SNHUT) group (1917 patients) according to the mode of positive HUTT at the time of confirmed pediatric vasovagal syncope. RESULTS: (1) Baseline characteristics: Age, height, weight, heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and composition ratio of syncope at baseline status were higher in the BHUT group than in the SNHUT group (all P < 0.05). (2) Univariate analysis: Age, height, weight, HR, SBP, DBP, and syncope were potential risk factors for BHUT positive (all P < 0.05). (3) Multivariate analysis: syncope was an independent risk factor for BHUT positive, with a probability increase of 121% compared to pre-syncope (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: The probability of BHUT positivity was significantly higher than SNHUT in pediatric vasovagal syncope with previous syncopal episodes.

Circ_0020460 drives tumorigenesis in cervical cancer through miR-485-3p sponging.

Deregulation of circular RNAs (circRNAs) is widely recognized in cancer progression. Our study aims to investigate the role of circ_0020460 in the development of cervical cancer (CC) and its potential mechanism of action. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blot assays were used to detect the expression levels of circ_0020460, miR-485-3p and C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 1 (CXCL1). The roles of circ_0020460 on cell proliferation, cell migration, cell invasion, cell apoptosis, and angiogenesis were investigated using cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and Ethynyl deoxyuridine (Edu) assay, wound healing assay, transwell assay, flow cytometry assay, and tube formation assay, respectively. The putative relationship predicted by bioinformatics analysis was verified by dual-luciferase reporter assay and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay. Xenograft models were constructed to explore the role of circ_0020460 in vivo. The expression of circ_0020460 and CXCL1 expression were increased, while miR-485-3p expression was declined in CC tissues and cells. Circ_0020460 knockdown suppressed CC cell proliferation, cell migration, cell invasion, angiogenesis, and promoted cell apoptosis. Circ_0020460 functioned as a miR-485-3p sponge to inhibit miR-485-3p level, and the anti-cancer effects mediated by circ_0020460 knockdown were reversed by miR-485-3p inhibitor. MiR-485-3p bound to CXCL1 3' untranslated region (3'UTR) to degrade CXCL1 expression, and the anti-cancer effects of miR-485-3p restoration were impaired by CXCL1 overexpression. Circ_0020460 downregulation inhibited CC xenograft tumor growth. These results suggest that circ_0020460 promoted the malignant behavior of CC cells by modulating the miR-485-3p/CXCL1 axis.

Re-evaluating a historic cohort of sinonasal and skull base mucoepidermoid carcinoma: an institutional experience.

AIMS: Primary mucoepidermoid carcinomas (MECs) of the sinonasal tract and nasopharynx are rare entities that represent a diagnostic challenge, especially in biopsy samples. Herein, we present a case series of MECs of the sinonasal and skull base and its mimics to evaluate the clinicopathological and molecular characteristics in order to avoid misdiagnosis. METHODS: We reviewed the pathology records of patients diagnosed from 2014 to 2022. Thirty MECs were consecutively diagnosed during that period. RESULTS: Based on morphological and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analyses, 30 tumors originally diagnosed as MECs were separated into MAML2 fusion-positive (7 cases) and MAML2 fusion-negative groups (23 cases), in which 14 tumors were positive for the EWSR1::ATF1 fusion; these tumors were reclassified to have hyalinizing clear cell carcinoma (HCCC). The remaining nine MAML2 FISH negative cases were reconfirmed as squamous cell carcinoma (SCC, 3 cases) which showed keratinization and high Ki-67 expression; DEK::AFF2 carcinomas (2 cases), in which DEK gene rearrangement was detected by FISH; and MECs as previously described (4 cases) with typical morphological features. Including 7 MAML2 rearrangements tumors, 11 MEC cases had a male-to-female ratio of 4.5:1, and 6 tumors arose from the nasopharyngeal region, while 5 tumors arose from the sinonasal region. The prognosis of this series of salivary gland-type MECs was favorable. CONCLUSIONS: Our study confirmed that HCCC runs the risk of being misdiagnosed as MEC in the sinonasal tract and nasopharynx, particularly with biopsy specimens. Careful histological evaluation with supporting molecular testing can facilitate pathological diagnoses.

The Association between Educational Attainment and the Risk of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease among Chinese Adults: Findings from the REACTION Study.

Background/Aims: : Low educational attainment is a well-established risk factor for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in developed areas. However, the association between educational attainment and the risk of NAFLD is less clear in China. Methods: : A cross-sectional study including over 200,000 Chinese adults across mainland China was conducted. Information on education level and lifestyle factors were obtained through standard questionnaires, while NAFLD and advanced fibrosis were diagnosed using validated formulas. Outcomes included the risk of NAFLD in the general population and high probability of fibrosis among patients with NAFLD. Logistic regression analysis was employed to estimate the risk of NAFLD and fibrosis across education levels. A causal mediation model was used to explore the potential mediators. Results: : Comparing with those receiving primary school education, the multi-adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for NAFLD were 1.28 (1.16 to 1.41) for men and 0.94 (0.89 to 0.99) for women with college education after accounting for body mass index. When considering waist circumference, the odds ratios (95% CIs) were 0.94 (0.86 to 1.04) for men and 0.88 (0.80 to 0.97) for women, respectively. The proportions mediated by general and central obesity were 51.00% and 68.04% for men, while for women the proportions were 48.58% and 32.58%, respectively. Furthermore, NAFLD patients with lower educational attainment showed an incremental increased risk of advanced fibrosis in both genders. Conclusions: : In China, a low education level was associated with a higher risk of prevalent NAFLD in women, as well as high probability of fibrosis in both genders.

Body size, insulin sensitivity, metabolic health and risk of cardiovascular disease in Chinese adults: Insights from the China Cardiometabolic Disease and Cancer Cohort (4C) study.

AIMS: To assess the excess risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) associated with different criteria for metabolic health, and the interplay of body size, insulin sensitivity and metabolic health with CVD risk. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a prospective study involving 115 638 participants from the China Cardiometabolic Disease and Cancer Cohort (4C) Study. Metabolic health was defined using three different definitions: (1) insulin sensitivity defined by homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance index; (2) absence of metabolic syndrome according to the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III criteria; and (3) simultaneous absence of metabolic abnormalities (diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidaemia). The primary endpoint was a composite of incident CVD events comprising the first occurrence of myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure, or cardiovascular death. RESULTS: During a mean 3.61-year follow-up period, obese individuals with insulin sensitivity (multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 1.69, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.37-2.08), or without metabolic syndrome (HR 1.46, 95% CI 1.13-1.89) still exhibited increased CVD risks, when compared to their normal-weight counterparts. Otherwise, those with obesity but simultaneous absence of metabolic abnormalities demonstrated similar CVD risk compared to normal-weight individuals (HR 0.91, 95% CI 0.53-1.59). CVD risk increased with the number of abnormalities across body mass index categories, regardless of insulin sensitivity. CONCLUSIONS: This study emphasizes the need for refined definitions of metabolic health and advocates for meticulous screening for metabolic abnormalities to reduce cardiovascular risks, even in individuals with normal weight and insulin sensitivity.

Pathogenic Somatic Mutation of DICER1 and Clinicopathological Features in Nasal Chondromesenchymal Hamartomas: A Series of Nine Cases.

Nasal chondromesenchymal hamartoma (NCMH) is a rare benign polypoid mesenchymal tumor arising in the nasal cavity and/or paranasal sinuses. Recognizing these sporadic, rare lesions is crucial, as surgical complete removal of the mass is the common treatment approach. This retrospective study analyzed the demographics, symptoms, and imaging data of 9 patients diagnosed with NCMH between January 2017 and June 2023, possibly representing the largest single-center adult case cohort to date. Diagnostic techniques included nasal endoscopy, CT/MRI scan, immunohistological studies, and morphologic comparisons. Pathologic specimens were subjected to Sanger sequencing of exons 24 and 25 of DICER1. The average age of 9 cases was 24.4 years, and the oldest was 55 years. Four of the patients were children, ranging from 1 year old to 11 years old, with an average of 4.5 years. Nasal congestion is the most common registered symptom. Endoscopic findings showed that most patients had smooth pink neoplasms or polypoid masses in the nasal meatus. Radiologic scanning revealed soft-tissue density masses that occupied the nasal cavity. Histologically, the characteristic structure of NCMHs is immature cellular cartilage nodules and mature cartilage nodules distributed in a loose mucoid matrix. Five of the 9 patients had somatic DICER1 missense mutations. Four of the patients with DICER1-mutated NCMH exhibited a p.E1813 missense hotspot mutation. We also report a case of a rare p.P1836H missense mutation. The detected DICER1 somatic mutations provide compelling evidence of an association with the DICER1 tumor family. We emphasize the importance of pathologic consultation and the need for pathologists to accumulate experience in NCMH diagnosis to avoid misdiagnosis.

Insoluble-Phytate Improves Plant Growth and Arsenic Accumulation in As-Hyperaccumulator Pteris vittata: Phytase Activity, Nutrient Uptake, and As-Metabolism.

Phytate, the principal P storage in plant seeds, is also an important organic P in soils, but it is unavailable for plant uptake. However, the As-hyperaccumulator Pteris vittata can effectively utilize soluble Na-phytate, while its ability to utilize insoluble Ca/Fe-phytate is unclear. Here, we investigated phytate uptake and the underlying mechanisms based on the phytase activity, nutrient uptake, and expression of genes involved in As metabolisms. P. vittata plants were cultivated hydroponically in 0.2-strength Hoagland nutrient solution containing 50 µM As and 0.2 mM Na/Ca/Fe-phytate, with 0.2 mM soluble-P as the control. As the sole P source, all three phytates supported P. vittata growth, with its biomass being 3.2-4.1 g plant-1 and Ca/Fe-phytate being 19-29% more effective than Na-phytate. Phytate supplied soluble P to P. vittata probably via phytase hydrolysis, which was supported by 0.4-0.7 nmol P min-1 g-1 root fresh weight day-1 phytase activity in its root exudates, with 29-545 µM phytate-P being released into the growth media. Besides, compared to Na-phytate, Ca/Fe-phytate enhanced the As contents by 102-140% to 657-781 mg kg-1 in P. vittata roots and by 43-86% to 1109-1447 mg kg-1 in the fronds, which was accompanied by 21-108% increase in Ca and Fe uptake. The increased plant As is probably attributed to 1.3-2.6 fold upregulation of P transporters PvPht1;3/4 for root As uptake, and 1.8-4.3 fold upregulation of arsenite antiporters PvACR3/3;1/3;3 for As translocation to and As sequestration into the fronds. This is the first report to show that, besides soluble Na-phytate, P. vittata can also effectively utilize insoluble Ca/Fe-phytate as the sole P source, which sheds light onto improving its application in phytoremediation of As-contaminated sites.

Cang-ai volatile oil ameliorates imiquimod-induced psoriatic skin lesions by suppressing the ILC3s.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Cang-ai volatile oil (CAVO) is an aromatic Chinese medicine with potent antibacterial and immune regulatory properties. While CAVO has been used to treat upper respiratory tract infections, depression, otomycosis, and bacterial infections in the skin, its effect on psoriasis is unknown. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study explores the effect and mechanism of CAVO in psoriasis intervention. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The effect of CAVO on the expression of IL-6 and IL-1ß was assessed in TNF-α-induced HaCaT cells using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Mice were given imiquimod (IMQ) and administered orally with different CAVO doses (0.03 and 0.06 g/kg) for 5 days. The levels of inflammatory cytokines related to group-3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3s) in the skin were assessed using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, ELISA, and western blotting (WB). The frequency of ILC3s in mice splenocytes and skin cells was evaluated using flow cytometry. RESULTS: The results demonstrated that CAVO decreased the expression of IL-6 and IL-1ß in TNF-α- induced HaCaT cells. CAVO significantly reduced the severity of psoriatic symptoms in IMQ-induced mice. The expression of inflammatory cytokines in the skin, such as IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-8, IL-22, IL-23, and IL-17 A were decreased, whereas IL-10 levels were increased. The mRNA expressions of TNF-α, IL-23 A, IL-23 R, IL-22, IL-17 A, and RORγt were down-regulated in skin tissues. CAVO also decreased the levels of NF-κB, STAT3, and JAK2 proteins. CONCLUSIONS: CAVO potentially inhibits ILC3s activation to relieve IMQ-induced psoriasis in mice. These effects might be attributed to inhibiting the activation of NF-κB, STAT3, and JAK2 signaling pathways.

Brain tissue- and cell type-specific eQTL Mendelian randomization reveals efficacy of FADS1 and FADS2 on cognitive function.

Epidemiological studies suggested an association between omega-3 fatty acids and cognitive function. However, the causal role of the fatty acid desaturase (FADS) gene, which play a key role in regulating omega-3 fatty acids biosynthesis, on cognitive function is unclear. Hence, we used two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) to estimate the gene-specific causal effect of omega-3 fatty acids (N = 114,999) on cognitive function (N = 300,486). Tissue- and cell type-specific effects of FADS1/FADS2 expression on cognitive function were estimated using brain tissue cis-expression quantitative trait loci (cis-eQTL) datasets (GTEx, N ≤ 209; MetaBrain, N ≤ 8,613) and single cell cis-eQTL data (N = 373), respectively. These causal effects were further evaluated in whole blood cis-eQTL data (N ≤ 31,684). A series of sensitivity analyses were conducted to validate MR assumptions. Leave-one-out MR showed a FADS gene-specific effect of omega-3 fatty acids on cognitive function [ß = -1.3 × 10-2, 95% confidence interval (CI) (-2.2 × 10-2, -5 × 10-3), P = 2 × 10-3]. Tissue-specific MR showed an effect of increased FADS1 expression in cerebellar hemisphere and FADS2 expression in nucleus accumbens basal ganglia on maintaining cognitive function, while decreased FADS1 expression in nine brain tissues on maintaining cognitive function [colocalization probability (PP.H4) ranged from 71.7% to 100.0%]. Cell type-specific MR showed decreased FADS1/FADS2 expression in oligodendrocyte was associated with maintaining cognitive function (PP.H4 = 82.3%, respectively). Increased FADS1/FADS2 expression in whole blood showed an effect on cognitive function maintenance (PP.H4 = 86.6% and 88.4%, respectively). This study revealed putative causal effect of FADS1/FADS2 expression in brain tissues and blood on cognitive function. These findings provided evidence to prioritize FADS gene as potential target gene for maintenance of cognitive function.