Ganoderic acid A ameliorates depressive-like behaviors in CSDS mice: Insights from proteomic profiling and molecular mechanisms.

OBJECTIVE: Ganoderic Acid A (GAA), a primary bioactive component in Ganoderma, has demonstrated ameliorative effects on depressive-like behaviors in a Chronic Social Defeat Stress (CSDS) mouse model. This study aims to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms through proteomic analysis. METHODS: C57BL/6 J mice were allocated into control (CON), chronic social defeat stress (CSDS), GAA, and imipramine (IMI) groups. Post-depression induction via CSDS, the GAA and IMI groups received respective treatments of GAA (2.5 mg/kg) and imipramine (10 mg/kg) for five days. Behavioral assessments utilized standardized tests. Proteins from the prefrontal cortex were analyzed using LC-MS, with further examination via bioinformatics and PRM for differential expression. Western blot analysis confirmed protein expression levels. RESULTS: Chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) induced depressive-like behaviors in mice, which were significantly alleviated by GAA treatment, comparably to imipramine (IMI). Proteomic analysis identified distinct proteins in control (305), GAA-treated (949), and IMI-treated (289) groups. Enrichment in mitochondrial and synaptic proteins was evident from GO and PPI analyses. PRM analysis revealed significant expression changes in proteins crucial for mitochondrial and synaptic functions (namely, Naa30, Bnip1, Tubgcp4, Atxn3, Carmil1, Nup37, Apoh, Mrpl42, Tprkb, Acbd5, Dcx, Erbb4, Ppp1r2, Fam3c, Rnf112, and Cep41). Western blot validation in the prefrontal cortex showed increased levels of Mrpl42, Dcx, Fam3c, Ppp1r2, Rnf112, and Naa30 following GAA treatment. CONCLUSION: GAA exhibits potential antidepressant properties, with its action potentially tied to the modulation of synaptic functions and mitochondrial activities.

Global Transboundary Transmission Path and Risk of Mpox Revealed with Least Cost Path Model.

OBJECTIVES: The recent surge of Mpox outbreaks in multiple countries has garnered global attention. As of July 12, 2023, there have been 88,288 reported cases of Mpox worldwide. Although genetic variation was not found to be the cause of the epidemic outbreak, the reasons for its rapid spread remain unclear. METHODS: Using the niche method, this study identified high-risk regions for Mpox and determined that human factors are the primary contributors to global risks. To further investigate, a travel network resistance surface was created based on various modes of transportation and was combined with sea, airline, highway, and railway routes to construct the least cost path for human travel networks in different risk areas. RESULTS: The results indicated that high-risk regions for Mpox are mainly concentrated in Europe and the United States, with large risk ranges and high-risk values. The least cost path revealed three primary transmission paths rely on developed transportation networks, including internal transmission in North America, Europe-Africa, and Europe-Asia-Africa. These findings suggest that human activities, facilitated by developed travel networks, remain the main contributing factor to the spread. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, based on the Mpox epidemic report, this study conducted risk prediction and driving factor analysis on Mpox. The research results indicate that human use of transportation for long-distance activities is a key factor leading to the rapid spread of the virus. Subsequently, we focused on studying the global transmission pathways of Mpox and revealed several transmission pathways with high global population migration rates by constructing the LCPs between different high-risk areas. This study also emphasizes the importance of applying early monitoring data of Mpox to model risk prediction in controlling emerging infectious diseases, providing a new perspective for controlling Mpox and similar diseases.

A double defects-dominated flexible TiO2 matrix for in-situ SERS sensing of antibiotic residues in aquatic ecosystem (fish & fishpond water) and their on-site degradation in flowing water.

High-performance flexible semiconductor material can be used as an excellent multifunctional matrix for in-situ ultrasensitive surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) detection and synchronous photocatalytic degradation of antibiotic residues in aquatic ecosystem. Here, a calcium-doped TiO2 flexible matrix with double defects (surface oxygen vacancy defect and Ti3+ energy level defect) was developed by its "in-situ one-step" hydrothermal synthesis on cotton fabric for the above purposes. Due to the joint contribution of double defects, a multi-channel charge transfer mode and a high-efficiency carrier separation are achieved, which endows flexible cotton fabric/Ca-doped TiO2 (Cot/Ca-TiO2) substrate with the greatly boosted SERS effect for in-situ detection of antibiotic residues on fish body surface and in fishpond water by a simple wiping or dipping sampling method, even for simultaneous identification of multi-component residues. The detection limits of three antibiotic residues (enrofloxacin, ciprofloxacin and enoxacin) are as low as 10-9 M, which are far lower than the EU standard. More meaningfully, the flexible Cot/Ca-TiO2 can be used as a multifunctional filter-membrane type photocatalyst for efficient on-site degradation of antibiotic residues in flowing fishpond water by a multi-grade photocatalysis means. Moreover, the flexible matrix exhibits good recyclability in both actual detection and photocatalysis.

Spatial risk of Haemaphysalis longicornis borne Dabieshan tick virus (DBTV) in China.

The uncertainty and unknowability of emerging infectious diseases have caused many major public health and security incidents in recent years. As a new tick-borne disease, Dabieshan tick virus (DBTV) necessitate systematic epidemiological and spatial distribution analysis. In this study, tick samples from Liaoning Province were collected and used to evaluate distribution of DBTV in ticks. Outbreak points of DBTV and the records of the vector Haemaphysalis longicornis in China were collected and used to establish a prediction model using niche model combined with environmental factors. We found that H. longicornis and DBTV were widely distributed in Liaoning Province. The risk analysis results showed that the DBTV in the eastern provinces of China has a high risk, and the risk is greatly influenced by elevation, land cover, and meteorological factors. The risk geographical area predicted by the model is significantly larger than the detected positive areas, indicating that the etiological survey is seriously insufficient. This study provided molecular and important epidemiological evidence for etiological ecology of DBTV. The predicted high-risk areas indicated the insufficient monitoring and risk evaluation and the necessity of future monitoring and control work.

The mortality of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 and non-cirrhotic chronic liver disease: a retrospective multi-center study.

Background: Patients with chronic liver disease (CLD) have a higher risk of mortality when infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Although the fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) index, aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI), and albumin-bilirubin grade (ALBI) score can predict mortality in CLD, their correlation with the clinical outcomes of CLD patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is unclear. This study aimed to investigate the association between the liver severity and the mortality in hospitalized patients with non-cirrhotic CLD and COVID-19. Methods: This retrospective study analyzed 231 patients with non-cirrhotic CLD and COVID-19. Clinical characteristics, laboratory data, including liver status indices, and clinical outcomes were assessed to determine the correlation between liver status indices and the mortality among patients with non-cirrhotic CLD and COVID-19. Results: Non-survivors had higher levels of prothrombin time-international normalized ratio (PT-INR), alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and lower albumin levels. Multivariable analysis showed that ALBI grade 3 (odds ratio (OR): 22.80, 95% confidence interval (CI) [1.70-305.38], p = 0.018), FIB-4 index ≥ 3.25 (OR: 10.62, 95% CI [1.12-100.31], p = 0.039), PT-INR (OR: 19.81, 95% CI [1.31-299.49], p = 0.031), hs-CRP (OR: 1.02, 95% CI [1.01-1.02], p = 0.001), albumin level (OR: 0.08, 95% CI [0.02-0.39], p = 0.002), and use of vasopressors (OR: 4.98, 95% CI [1.27-19.46], p = 0.021) were associated with the mortality. Conclusion: The ALBI grade 3 and FIB-4 index ≥ 3.25, higher PT-INR, hsCRP levels and lower albumin levels could be associated with mortality in non-cirrhotic CLD patients with COVID-19. Clinicians could assess the ALBI grade, FIB-4 index, PT-INR, hs-CRP, and albumin levels of patients with non-cirrhotic CLD upon admission.

Driving effect of multiplex factors on Mpox in global high-risk region, implication for Mpox based on one health concept.

Mpox is an ongoing viral zoonotic disease epidemic worldwide. Being different from conventional animal-to-human transmission, the present outbreak is mainly caused by human-to-human transmission of Mpox virus, putting forward the risk of worldwide epidemic. The current spatial distribution characteristics and risk area prediction are urgently needed for preparedness for prevention and control of the disease based on the One Health strategy. In the present study, the global outbreak point of Mpox virus were collected and used to predict potential global risk of Mpox virus with ecological niche model constructed with a combination of eco-geographical, anthropoid, meteorological, and host variables. The results showed that human factors are the key to the risk and prevalence of Mpox. The risk map indicated that Mpox may affect extensive areas worldwide. Europe and North America have the highest risk of Mpox. Although most areas have never recorded Mpox before, there are some high-risk areas in Asia. Our findings highlight population density is the most important contributing factor for high-risk area. Many large cities with dense populations, developed transportation, and high migration rate in the world, are in high risks. At present, the spread of Mpox is highly valued in the world and strict prevention and control measures have been taken. However, under the influence of human factors, Mpox has the potential of a global pandemic. The risk area prediction and main risk factors provide key information for targeted preparedness for prevention and control of Mpox outbreak and avoiding potential global epidemic through the One Health approach.

Acute kidney injury in patients with COVID-19 compared to those with influenza: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: COVID-19 and influenza can both lead to acute kidney injury (AKI) as a common complication. However, no meta-analysis has been conducted to directly compare the incidence of AKI between hospitalized patients with COVID-19 and influenza. The objective of our study aims to investigate the incidence and outcomes of AKI among hospitalized patients between these two groups. Materials and methods: A systematic search of PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases was conducted from December 2019 to August 2023 to identify studies examining AKI and clinical outcomes among hospitalized patients with COVID-19 and influenza. The primary outcome of interest was the incidence of AKI, while secondary outcomes included in-hospital mortality, recovery from AKI, hospital and ICU stay duration. The quality of evidence was evaluated using Cochrane and GRADE methods. Results: Twelve retrospective cohort studies, involving 17,618 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 and influenza, were analyzed. COVID-19 patients showed higher AKI incidence (29.37% vs. 20.98%, OR: 1.67, 95% CI 1.56-1.80, p < 0.01, I2 = 92.42%), and in-hospital mortality (30.95% vs. 5.51%, OR: 8.16, 95% CI 6.17-10.80, p < 0.01, I2 = 84.92%) compared to influenza patients with AKI. Recovery from AKI was lower in COVID-19 patients (57.02% vs., 80.23%, OR: 0.33, 95% CI 0.27-0.40, p < 0.01, I2 = 85.17%). COVID-19 patients also had a longer hospital stay (SMD: 0.69, 95% CI 0.65-0.72, p < 0.01, I2 = 98.94%) and longer ICU stay (SMD: 0.61, 95% CI 0.50-0.73, p < 0.01, I2 = 94.80%) than influenza patients. In our study, evidence quality was high (NOS score 7-9), with low certainty for AKI incidence and moderate certainty for recovery form AKI by GRADE assessment. Conclusion: COVID-19 patients had higher risk of developing AKI, experiencing in-hospital mortality, and enduring prolonged hospital/ICU stays in comparison to influenza patients. Additionally, the likelihood of AKI recovery was lower among COVID-19 patients.

Dapagliflozin protects against doxorubicin-induced nephrotoxicity associated with nitric oxide pathway-A translational study.

Doxorubicin (Dox) is a potent anticancer agent, but its associated organ toxicity, including nephrotoxicity, restricts clinical applications. Dapagliflozin (DAPA), a sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor, has been shown to slow the progression of kidney disease in patients with and without diabetes. However, the effect of DAPA to counteract Dox-induced nephrotoxicity remains uncertain. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to elucidate the effects of DAPA in mitigating Dox-induced nephrotoxicity. We analyzed the Taiwan National Health Insurance Database to evaluate the incidence of renal failure among breast cancer patients receiving Dox treatment compared to those without. After adjusting for age and comorbidities, we found that the risk of renal failure was significantly higher in Dox-treated patients (incidence rate ratio, 2.45; confidence interval, 1.41-4.26; p = 0.0014). In a parallel study, we orally administered DAPA to Sprague-Dawley rats for 6 weeks, followed by Dox for 4 weeks. DAPA ameliorated Dox-induced glomerular atrophy, renal fibrosis, and dysfunction. Furthermore, DAPA effectively suppressed Dox-induced apoptosis and reactive oxygen species production. On a cellular level, DAPA in HK-2 cells mitigated Dox-mediated suppression of the endothelial NOS pathway and reduced Dox-induced activities of reactive oxygen species and apoptosis-associated proteins. DAPA improved Dox-induced apoptosis and renal dysfunction, suggesting its potential utility in preventing nephrotoxicity in patients with cancer undergoing Dox treatment.

Chloroquine enhances the efficacy of chemotherapy drugs against acute myeloid leukemia by inactivating the autophagy pathway.

Current therapy for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is largely hindered by the development of drug resistance of commonly used chemotherapy drugs, including cytarabine, daunorubicin, and idarubicin. In this study, we investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying the chemotherapy drug resistance and potential strategy to improve the efficacy of these drugs against AML. By analyzing data from ex vivo drug-response and multi-omics profiling public data for AML, we identified autophagy activation as a potential target in chemotherapy-resistant patients. In THP-1 and MV-4-11 cell lines, knockdown of autophagy-regulated genes ATG5 or MAP1LC3B significantly enhanced AML cell sensitivity to the chemotherapy drugs cytarabine, daunorubicin, and idarubicin. In silico screening, we found that chloroquine phosphate mimicked autophagy inactivation. We showed that chloroquine phosphate dose-dependently down-regulated the autophagy pathway in MV-4-11 cells. Furthermore, chloroquine phosphate exerted a synergistic antitumor effect with the chemotherapy drugs in vitro and in vivo. These results highlight autophagy activation as a drug resistance mechanism and the combination therapy of chloroquine phosphate and chemotherapy drugs can enhance anti-AML efficacy.

Using Rasch KIDMAP to identify whether China dominates the research area of computer science (CS) based on the specialization index of article citations: Bibliometric analysis.

BACKGROUND: Scientific comparative advantage is measured by using a specialization index (SI) of article citations. The profile data have been published in the literature. However, no such research has been conducted to determine which countries dominate the field of computer science (CS) (subject category [SC]) using the SI. A KIDMAP in the Rasch model has been applied to the display of individual student performance in school. Based on the SI of article citations, we used KIDMAP to determine whether China dominates the field of CS. METHODS: The data were derived from published research in the Web of Science, which included 199 countries and 254 subject categories (SC, between 2010 and 2019). A total of 96 SC related to biomedicine were extracted. We examined 7 factors associated with CS using exploratory factor analysis. Based on the SI in CS under the Rasch model, 1-dimensional SCs on CS were displayed on Wright Maps and KIDMAPs. An analysis of the dominance of CS in China was presented on the basis of a scatter plot. RESULTS: Our findings indicate that (1) CS domains are divided into 2 groups (traditional and advanced domains); (2) no evidence has been found that China dominates CS; based on SI indicators, China was ranked third with --2.62 and 0.79 logits after Taiwan and Slovenia (-(-2.62 and 9.24 logits in Factors 1 and 2) in the period from 2010 to 2019. CONCLUSIONS: There is insufficient evidence to demonstrate that China has a dominant role over other countries/regions despite ranking third in CS. In future studies, it is recommended to include a KIDMAP visual to assess dominant roles in other areas of research, rather than to confine ourselves to CS as we did in this study.

The 95% control lines on both confirmed cases and days of infection with COVID-19 were applied to compare the impact on public health between 2020 and 2021 using the hT-index.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, is now a worldwide pandemic. The number of infected people has continually increased, and currently, this pandemic continues to present challenges to public health. Scatter plots are frequently used to interpret the impact in relation to confirmed cases. However, the 95% confidence intervals are rarely given to the scatter plot. The objective of this study was to; Develop 95% control lines on daily confirmed cases and infected days for countries/regions in COVID-19 (DCCIDC) and; Examine their impacts on public health (IPH) using the hT-index. METHODS: All relevant COVID-19 data were downloaded from GitHub. The hT-index, taking all DCCIDCs into account, was applied to measure the IPHs for counties/regions. The 95% control lines were proposed to highlight the outliers of entities in COVID-19. The hT-based IPHs were compared among counties/regions between 2020 and 2021 using the choropleth map and the forest plot. The features of the hT-index were explained using the line chart and the box plot. RESULTS: The top 2 countries measured by hT-based IPHs were India and Brazil in 2020 and 2021. The outliers beyond the 95% confidence intervals were Hubei (China), with a lower hT-index favoring 2021 ( = 6.4 in 2021 vs 15.55 in 2020) and higher hT indices favoring 2021 in Thailand (28.34 vs 14,77) and Vietnam (27.05 vs 10.88). Only 3 continents of Africa, Asia, and Europe had statistically and significantly fewer DCCIDCs (denoted by the hT-index) in 2021. The hT-index generalizes the h-index and overcomes the disadvantage without taking all elements (e.g., DCCIDCs) into account in features. CONCLUSIONS: The scatter plot combined with the 95% control lines was applied to compare the IPHs hit by COVID-19 and suggested for use with the hT-index in future studies, not limited to the field of public health as we did in this research.

An Acid-triggered Reactive and Enhanced Fluorescent Probe for Selective Detection of Al3+/H+ and its Application in Real Water Samples and Living Cells.

A reactive fluorescent "turn-on" probe (di-PIP) with imine-linked dual phenanthro[9,10-d]imidazole luminophore have been conveniently prepared as an Al3+ and H+ dual functional receptor. di-PIP displayed high selectivity and sensitivity towards Al3+ ion in DMF/HEPES accompanied by fluorescence blue-shift and a good linear relationship as well as a low detection limit of 30.5 nmol·L-1, which can root from the synergetic functions of the decomposition reaction of di-PIP promoted by acidic Al3+ and the coordination effect between decomposition product and Al3+. Intriguingly, it was found that hydrogen ion H+ can be sufficient for simulating the fluorescence enhancing of di-PIP. 1H NMR titration and MS analyses for elucidation of the intermediate structure further revealed that the acid-triggered decomposition reaction resulted in the rapid, and sensitive sensing to Al3+ and H+. In addition, the probe di-PIP could be successfully applied to the detection of Al3+ in real water samples, and also utilized to visualize Al3+ and H+ in the living cells.

Authors who contributed most to the fields of hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis since 2011 using the hT-index: Bibliometric analysis.

BACKGROUND: The h-index does not take into account the full citation list of a researcher to evaluate individual research achievements (IRAs). As a generalization of the h-index, the hT-index takes all citations into account to evaluate IRAs. Compared to other bibliometric indices, it is unclear whether the hT-index is more closely associated with the h-index. We utilized articles published on hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis (HD/PD) to validate the hT-index as a measure of the most significant contributions to HD/PD. METHODS: Using keywords involving HD/PD in titles, subject areas, and abstracts since 2011, we obtained 7702 abstracts and their associated metadata (e.g., citations, authors, research institutes, countries of origin). In total, 4752 first or corresponding authors with hT-indices >0 were evaluated. To present the author's IRA, the following 4 visualizations were used: radar, Sankey, impact beam plot, and choropleth map to investigate whether the hT-index was more closely associated with the h-index than other indices (e.g., g-/x-indices and author impact factors), whether the United States still dominates the majority of publications concerning PD/HD, and whether there was any difference in research features between 2 prolific authors. RESULTS: In HD/PD articles, we observed that (a) the hT-index was closer to and associated with the h-index; (b1) the United States (37.15), China (34.63), and Japan (28.09) had the highest hT-index; (b2) Sun Yat Sen University (Chian) earned the highest hT-index (=20.02) among research institutes; (c1) the authors with the highest hT-indices (=15.64 and 14.39, respectively) were David W Johnson (Australia) and Andrew Davenport (UK); and (c2) their research focuses on PD and HD, respectively. CONCLUSION: The hT-index was demonstrated to be appropriate for assessing IRAs along with visualizations. The hT-index is recommended in future bibliometric analyses of IRAs as a complement to the h-index.

Recent Progress in Phage Therapy to Modulate Multidrug-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii, including in Human and Poultry.

Acinetobacter baumannii is a multidrug-resistant and invasive pathogen associated with the etiopathology of both an increasing number of nosocomial infections and is of relevance to poultry production systems. Multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii has been reported in connection to severe challenges to clinical treatment, mostly due to an increased rate of resistance to carbapenems. Amid the possible strategies aiming to reduce the insurgence of antimicrobial resistance, phage therapy has gained particular importance for the treatment of bacterial infections. This review summarizes the different phage-therapy approaches currently in use for multiple-drug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii, including single phage therapy, phage cocktails, phage-antibiotic combination therapy, phage-derived enzymes active on Acinetobacter baumannii and some novel technologies based on phage interventions. Although phage therapy represents a potential treatment solution for multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii, further research is needed to unravel some unanswered questions, especially in regard to its in vivo applications, before possible routine clinical use.

Research features between Urology and Nephrology authors in articles regarding UTI related to CKD, HD, PD, and renal transplantation.

BACKGROUND: A urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the most common types of infections affecting the urinary tract. When bacteria enter the bladder or kidney and multiply in the urine, a URI can occur. The urethra is shorter in women than in men, which makes it easier for bacteria to reach the bladder or kidneys and cause infection. A comparison of the research differences between Urology and Nephrology (UN) authors regarding UTI pertaining to the 4 areas (i.e., Chronic Kidney Disease, Hemodialysis, Peritoneal Dialysis, and Renal Transplantation [CHPR]) is thus necessary. We propose and verify 2 hypotheses: CHPR-related articles on UTI have equal journal impact factors (JIFs) in research achievements (RAs) and UN authors have similar research features (RFs). METHODS: Based on keywords associated with UTI and CHPR in titles, subject areas, and abstracts since 2013, we obtained 1284 abstracts and their associated metadata (e.g., citations, authors, research institutes, departments, countries of origin) from the Web of Science core collection. There were 1030 corresponding and first (co-first) authors with hT-JIF-indices (i.e., JIF was computed using hT-index rather than citations as usual). The following 5 visualizations were used to present the author's RA: radar, Sankey, time-to-event, impact beam plot, and choropleth map. The forest plot was used to distinguish RFs by observing the proportional counts of keyword plus in Web of Science core collection between UN authors. RESULTS: It was observed that CHPR-related articles had unequal JIFs (χ2 = 13.08, P = .004, df = 3, n = 1030) and UN departments had different RFs (Q = 53.24, df = 29, P = .004). In terms of countries, institutes, departments, and authors, the United States (hT-JIF = 38.30), Mayo Clinic (12.9), Nephrology (19.14), and Diana Karpman (10.34) from Sweden had the highest hT-JIF index. CONCLUSION: With the aid of visualizations, the hT-JIF-index and keyword plus were demonstrated to assess RAs and distinguish RFs between UN authors. A replication of this study under other topics and in other disciplines is recommended in the future, rather than limiting it to UN authors only, as we did in this study.

Comparison of the risk of gastrointestinal perforation between patients with and without rheumatoid arthritis: A nationwide cohort study in Asia.

Objectives: Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) may have an increased risk for gastrointestinal perforation (GIP) caused by medications or chronic inflammation. However, the risk of GIP between patients with and without RA remains unclear. Therefore, we conducted this study to clarify it. Methods: Using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database, we identified patients with and without RA matched at 1:1 ratio by age, sex, and index date between 2000 and 2013 for this study. Comparison of the risk of GIP between the two cohorts was performed by following up until 2014 using Cox proportional hazard regression analyses. Results: In total, 11,666 patients with RA and an identical number of patients without RA were identified for this study. The mean age (±standard deviation) and female ratio were 55.3 (±15.2) years and 67.6% in both cohorts. Patients with RA had a trend of increased risk for GIP than patients without RA after adjusting for underlying comorbidities, medications, and monthly income [adjusted hazard ratio (AHR) 1.42; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.99-2.04, p = 0.055]. Stratified analyses showed that the increased risk was significant in the female population (AHR 2.06; 95% CI 1.24-3.42, p = 0.005). Older age, malignancy, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and alcohol abuse were independent predictors of GIP; however, NSAIDs, systemic steroids, and DMARDs were not. Conclusion: RA may increase the risk of GIP, particularly in female patients. More attention should be paid in female population and those with independent predictors above for prevention of GIP.

Regular use of aspirin is associated with a lower cardiovascular risk in prostate cancer patients receiving gonadotropin-releasing hormone therapy.

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) therapy has been known to increase risks of major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs). Herein, we aim to estimate whether regular use of aspirin attenuates risks of MACCEs in prostate cancer patients receiving GnRHs. Using Taiwanese National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD), we identified 7719 patients diagnosed with prostate cancer who were either aspirin-naïve, received irregular or regular aspirin from 2008 to 2015. Through a multivariable logistic regression model, we investigated the impact of aspirin on MACCEs. Compared with nonusers and irregular users, most patients receiving regular aspirin were older and had more comorbidities. The crude incidence of one-year MACCEs was lowest in aspirin nonusers but highest in irregular users of aspirin compared with regular users of aspirin (2.65% vs. 4.41% vs. 2.85%, p=0.0099). After adjusting for age, cancer stage and comorbidities, irregular aspirin users had a higher risk of one-year MACCEs (adjusted OR: 1.33; 95% CI: 0.93-1.90, p=0.1139) than aspirin nonusers, but conversely, there was a trend of reducing the risk of MACCEs among those who received regular aspirin (adjusted OR: 0.79; 95% CI: 0.44-1.42, p=0.4256). In the subgroup analysis, there were age- and cancer stage-independent higher risks of MACCEs in patients who took aspirin irregularly compared to those in patients who did not take aspirin. The risks were attenuated in patients receiving regular aspirin. Collectively, regular use of aspirin presented a trend of reducing risks of MACCEs in prostate cancer patients receiving GnRHs. However, irregular use of aspirin diminished the benefits.

Assessing the Global Impact on the Mouse Kidney After Traumatic Brain Injury: A Transcriptomic Study.

Purpose: In this study, we use animal models combined with bioinformatics strategies to investigate the potential changes in overall renal transcriptional expression after traumatic brain injury. Methods: Microarray analysis was performed after kidney acquisition using unilateral controlled cortical impact as the primary mouse TBI model. Multi-oriented gene set enrichment analysis was performed for differentially expressed genes. Results: The results showed that TBI affected the gene set associated with mitochondria function in kidney cells, and a negative enrichment of gene sets associated with immune cell migration and epidermal development was also observed. Analysis of the disease phenotype gene set revealed that differential expression of mitochondria-related genes was associated with lactate metabolism. Alternatively, activation and adhesion of immune cells associated with the complement system may promote autoinflammation in kidney tissue. The simulated immune cell infiltration analysis showed an increase in the proportion of activated memory CD4 T cells and a decrease in the proportion of resting memory CD4 T cells, suggesting that activated memory CD4 T cell infiltration may be involved in the inflammation of renal tissue and cause damage to renal cells, such as principal cells, mesangial cells and loops of Henle cells. Conclusion: This study is the first to reveal the effects of brain trauma on the kidney. TBI may affect the expression of mitochondria function-related gene sets in renal cells by increasing lactate. It may also affect renal mesangial cells by inducing increased infiltration of immune cells through mechanisms related to complement system activation or autoimmune antibodies.

Sepsis and Acute Kidney Injury: A Review Focusing on the Bidirectional Interplay.

Although sepsis and acute kidney injury (AKI) have a bidirectional interplay, the pathophysiological mechanisms between AKI and sepsis are not clarified and worthy of a comprehensive and updated review. The primary pathophysiology of sepsis-associated AKI (SA-AKI) includes inflammatory cascade, macrovascular and microvascular dysfunction, cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis. The pathophysiology of sepsis following AKI contains fluid overload, hyperinflammatory state, immunosuppression, and infection associated with kidney replacement therapy and catheter cannulation. The preventive strategies for SA-AKI are non-specific, mainly focusing on infection control and preventing further kidney insults. On the other hand, the preventive strategies for sepsis following AKI might focus on decreasing some metabolites, cytokines, or molecules harmful to our immunity, supplementing vitamin D3 for its immunomodulation effect, and avoiding fluid overload and unnecessary catheter cannulation. To date, several limitations persistently prohibit the understanding of the bidirectional pathophysiologies. Conducting studies, such as the Kidney Precision Medicine Project, to investigate human kidney tissue and establishing parameters or scores better to determine the occurrence timing of sepsis and AKI and the definition of SA-AKI might be the prospects to unveil the mystery and improve the prognoses of AKI patients.

Using the forest plot to compare citation achievements in bibliographic and meta-analysis studies since 2011 using data on PubMed Central: A retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: We saw a steady increase in the number of bibliographic studies published over the years. The reason for this rise is attributed to the better accessibility of bibliographic data and software packages that specialize in bibliographic analyses. Any difference in citation achievements between bibliographic and meta-analysis studies observed so far need to be verified. In this study, we aimed to identify the frequently observed MeSH terms in these 2 types of study and investigate whether the highlighted MeSH terms are strongly associated with one of the study types. METHODS: By searching the PubMed Central database, 5121 articles relevant to bibliometric and meta-analysis studies were downloaded since 2011. Social network analysis was applied to highlight the major MeSH terms of quantitative and statistical methods in these 2 types of studies. MeSH terms were then individually tested for any differences in event counts over the years between study types using odds of 95% confidence intervals for comparison. RESULTS: In these 2 studies, we found that the most productive countries were the United States (19.9%), followed by the United Kingdom (8.8%) and China (8.7%); the most number of articles were published in PLoS One (2.9%), Stat Med (2.5%), and Res Synth (2.4%); and the most frequently observed MeSH terms were statistics and numerical data in bibliographic studies and methods in meta-analysis. Differences were found when compared to the event counts and the citation achievements in these 2 study types. CONCLUSION: The breakthrough was made by developing a dashboard using forest plots to display the difference in event counts. The visualization of the observed MeSH terms could be replicated for future academic pursuits and applications in other disciplines using the odds of 95% confidence intervals.