OsPRMT6a-mediated arginine methylation of OsJAZ1 regulates jasmonate signaling and spikelet development in rice.

Although both protein arginine methylation (PRMT) and jasmonate (JA) signaling are crucial for regulating plant development, the relationship between these processes in spikelet development control remains unclear. Here, we utilized CRISPR/Cas9 technology to generate two OsPRMT6a loss-of-function mutants exhibiting various abnormal spikelet structures. Additionally, we found that OsPRMT6a could methylate arginine residues in the JA signal repressors OsJAZ1 and OsJAZ7. Arginine methylation of OsJAZ1 increased the affinity of OsJAZ1 for the JA receptors OsCOI1a and OsCOI1b in the presence of jasmonates (JAs), subsequently promoting the ubiquitination of OsJAZ1 by the SCFOsCOI1a/OsCOI1b complex and degradation via the 26S proteasome. This process ultimately released OsMYC2, a core transcriptional regulator in the JA signaling pathway, to activate or repress JA-responsive genes, thereby maintaining normal plant (spikelet) development. However, in the osprmt6a-1 mutant, reduced arginine methylation of OsJAZ1 impaired the interaction between OsJAZ1 and OsCOI1a/OsCOI1b in the presence of JAs. As a result, OsJAZ1 proteins became more stable, repressing JA responses, thus causing the formation of abnormal spikelet structures. Moreover, we discovered that JA signaling reduced the OsPRMT6a mRNA level in an OsMYC2-dependent manner, thereby establishing a negative feedback loop to balance JA signaling. Furthermore, we found that OsPRMT6a-mediated arginine methylation of OsJAZ1 likely serves as a switch to tune JA signaling to maintain normal spikelet development under harsh environmental conditions such as high temperatures. Thus, our study established a direct molecular link between arginine methylation and the JA signaling pathway.

Structure-activity relationships of aniline-based squaraines for distinguishable staining and bright two-photon fluorescence bioimaging in plant cells.

An organelle-selective vision provides insights into the physiological response of plants and crops to environmental stresses in sustainable agriculture ecosystems. Biological applications often require two-photon excited fluorophores with low phototoxicity, high brightness, deep penetration, and tuneable cell entry. We obtained three aniline-based squaraines (SQs) tuned from hydrophobic to hydrophilic characteristics by modifying terminal pendant groups and substituents, and investigated their steady-state absorption and far-red-emitting fluorescence properties. The SQs exhibited two-photon absorption (2PA) ranging from 750 to 870 nm within the first biological spectral window; their structure-property relationships, corresponding to the 2PA cross sections (δ2PA), and structure differences were demonstrated. The maximum δ2PA value was ∼1220 GM at 800 nm for hydrophilic SQ3. Distinct biological staining efficiency and selective SQ bioimaging were evaluated utilizing the onion epidermal cell model. Contrary to the hydrophobic SQ1 results in the onion epidermal cell wall, amphiphilic SQ2 tagged the vacuole and nucleus and SQ3 tagged the vacuole. Distinguishable staining profiles in the roots and leaves were achieved. We believe that this study is the first to demonstrate distinct visualisation efficiency induced by the structure differences of two-photon excited SQs. Our results can help establish the versatile roles of novel near-infrared-emitting SQs in biological applications.

FLOURY ENDOSPERM24, a heat shock protein 101 (HSP101), is required for starch biosynthesis and endosperm development in rice.

Endosperm is the main storage organ in cereal grain and determines grain yield and quality. The molecular mechanisms of heat shock proteins in regulating starch biosynthesis and endosperm development remain obscure. Here, we report a rice floury endosperm mutant flo24 that develops abnormal starch grains in the central starchy endosperm cells. Map-based cloning and complementation test showed that FLO24 encodes a heat shock protein HSP101, which is localized in plastids. The mutated protein FLO24T296I dramatically lost its ability to hydrolyze ATP and to rescue the thermotolerance defects of the yeast hsp104 mutant. The flo24 mutant develops more severe floury endosperm when grown under high-temperature conditions than normal conditions. And the FLO24 protein was dramatically induced at high temperature. FLO24 physically interacts with several key enzymes required for starch biosynthesis, including AGPL1, AGPL3 and PHO1. Combined biochemical and genetic evidence suggests that FLO24 acts cooperatively with HSP70cp-2 to regulate starch biosynthesis and endosperm development in rice. Our results reveal that FLO24 acts as an important regulator of endosperm development, which might function in maintaining the activities of enzymes involved in starch biosynthesis in rice.

Mechanisms and potential applications of COPS6 in pan-cancer therapy.

The COP9 signalosome subunit 6 (COPS6) is abnormally overexpressed in many malignancies, yet its precise role in carcinogenesis is unknown. To gain a better understanding of COPS6's role, the authors conducted a pan-cancer analysis using various bioinformatics techniques such as differential expression patterns, prognostic value, gene mutations, immune infiltration, correlation analysis, and functional enrichment assessment. Results showed that COPS6 was highly correlated with prognosis, immune cell infiltration level, tumor mutation burden, and microsatellite instability in patients with a range of tumor types. This suggests that COPS6 may be a potential target for cancer treatment. Overall, this research provides insight into COPS6's role in cancer development and its potential therapeutic applications.

Physiological responses and transcriptomic analysis of StCPD gene overexpression in potato under salt stresses.

Introduction: The potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), one of the most vital food crops worldwide, is sensitive to salinity. Brassinosteroids (BRs) are crucial in tolerance to various abiotic stresses. The constitutive photomorphogenesis and dwarf (CPD) gene encodes C-3 oxidase, which is a rate-limiting enzyme that controls the synthesis of BRs. Methods: In this study, we used StCPD gene overexpression (T) and un-transgenic (NT) plants obtained from our former research to illustrate adaptive resistance to salt stress at levels of phenotype; cell ultrastructure, physiology, and biochemistry; hormone; and transcription. Results: Results showed the accumulation of 2,4-epibrassionolide (EBL) in T potatoes. We found that under high salt situations, the changed Na+/K+ transporter gene expression was linked with the prevalent ionic responses in T plants, which led to lower concentrations of K+ and higher concentrations of Na+ in leaves. Furthermore, RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) data elucidated that gene expressions in NT and T plants were significantly changed with 200-mM NaCl treatment for 24 h and 48 h, compared with the 0-h treatment. Functional enrichment analysis suggested that most of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were related to the regulation of BR-related gene expression, pigment metabolism process, light and action, and plant hormone signal transduction. Discussion: These findings suggested that StCPD gene overexpression can alleviate the damage caused by salt stress and enhance the salt resistance of potato plantlets. Our study provides an essential reference for further research on BR regulation of plant molecular mechanisms in potatoes with stress tolerance.

Deciphering the photophysical properties of naphthalimide derivatives using ultrafast spectroscopy.

Naphthalimide derivatives composed of donor-acceptor type structures hold significant promise across a wide range of applications. Here, the solvent polarity and viscosity controlled excited-state dynamics of a naphthalimide derivative with a donor-acceptor structure were studied using multiple spectroscopic techniques. From the stationary spectroscopic investigations, large Stokes shift and low fluorescence quantum yield were observed with increasing the solvent polarity, suggesting a more polar excited state relative to the ground state, which is evidenced by the Lippert-Mataga relationship. We also observe an enhanced fluorescence with a prolonged lifetime in a more viscous solution due to the restriction of excited-state molecular rearrangement. These observations result from the emerged twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT) state. The ultrafast spectroscopy studies further unravel a solvent polarity dependent excited state evolution from the intramolecular charge transfer state to the TICT state, revealing that the TICT state can be populated only in strong polar solvents. Control experiments by tuning the solvent viscosity in ultrafast experiments were employed to verify the excited state molecular rearrangement subsequently. These observations collectively emphasize how fine-tuning the photophysical properties of naphthalimide derivatives can be achieved through strategic manipulation of solvent polarity and viscosity.

Fluorogenic Rhodamine Probes with Pyrrole Substitution Enables STED and Lifetime Imaging of Lysosomes in Live Cells.

Fluorogenic dyes with high brightness, large turn-on ratios, excellent photostability, favorable specificity, low cytotoxicity, and high membrane permeability are essential for high-resolution fluorescence imaging in live cells. In this study, we endowed these desirable properties to a rhodamine derivative by simply replacing the N, N-diethyl group with a pyrrole substituent. The resulting dye, Rh-NH, exhibited doubled Stokes shifts (54 nm) and a red-shift of more than 50 nm in fluorescence spectra compared to Rhodamine B. Rh-NH preferentially exists in a non-emissive but highly permeable spirolactone form. Upon binding to lysosomes, the collective effects of low pH, low polarity, and high viscosity endow Rh-NH with significant fluorescence turn-on, making it a suitable candidate for wash-free, high-contrast lysosome tracking. Consequently, Rh-NH enabled us to successfully explore stimulated emission depletion (STED) super-resolution imaging of lysosome dynamics, as well as fluorescence lifetime imaging of lysosomes in live cells.

Multi-level chemical characterization and anti-inflammatory activity evaluation of the polysaccharides from Prunella vulgaris.

Prunella vulgaris (PV) is a medicine and food homologous plant, but its quality evaluation seldom relies on the polysaccharides (PVPs). In this work, we established the multi-level fingerprinting and in vitro anti-inflammatory evaluation approaches to characterize and compare the polysaccharides of P. vulgaris collected from the major production regions in China. PVPs prepared from 22 batches of samples gave the content variation of 5.76-24.524 mg/g, but displayed high similarity in the molecular weight distribution. Hydrolyzed oligosaccharides with degrees of polymerization 2-14 were characterized with different numbers of pentose and hexose by HILIC-MS. The tested 22 batches of oligosaccharides exhibited visible differences in peak abundance, which failed to corelate to their production regions. All the PVPs contained Gal, Xyl, and Ara, as the main monosaccharides. Eleven batches among the tested PVPs showed the significant inhibitory effects on NO production on LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells at 10 µg/mL, but the exerted efficacy did not exhibit correlation with the production regions. Conclusively, we, for the first time, investigated the chemical features of PVPs at three levels, and assessed the chemical and anti-inflammatory variations among the different regions of P. vulgaris samples.

Ultrabright Acrylic Polymers with Tunable Fluorescence Enabled by Imprisoning Single TICT Probe.

Bright and colorful fluorescent polymers are ideal materials for a variety of applications. Although polymers could be made fluorescent by physical doping or chemical binding of fluorescent units, it is a great challenge to get colorful and highly emissive polymers with a single fluorophore. Here the development of a general and facile method to synthesize ultrabright and colorful polymers using a single twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT) probe is reported. By incorporating polymerizable, highly fluorescent, and environmental sensitive TICT probe, a series of colorful acrylic polymers (emission from 481 to 543 nm) with almost 100% fluorescence quantum yields are prepared. Like the solvatochromic effect, functional groups within side chains of acrylic polymers (including alkyl chain, tetrahydrofurfuryl group, and hydroxyl group) provide varied environmental polarity for the incorporated fluorophore, resulting in a series of colorful polymeric materials. Benefiting from the excellent photophysical properties, the polymers show great potential in encryption, cultural relics protection, white light-emitting diode bulb making, and fingerprint identification.

A CYP78As-small grain4-coat protein complex â ¡ pathway promotes grain size in rice.

CYP78A, a cytochrome P450 subfamily that includes rice (Oryza sativa L.) BIG GRAIN2 (BG2, CYP78A13) and Arabidopsis thaliana KLUH (KLU, CYP78A5), generate an unknown mobile growth signal (referred to as a CYP78A-derived signal) that increases grain (seed) size. However, the mechanism by which the CYP78A pathway increases grain size remains elusive. Here, we characterized a rice small grain mutant, small grain4 (smg4), with smaller grains than its wild type due to restricted cell expansion and cell proliferation in spikelet hulls. SMG4 encodes a multidrug and toxic compound extrusion (MATE) transporter. Loss of function of SMG4 causes smaller grains while overexpressing SMG4 results in larger grains. SMG4 is mainly localized to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) exit sites (ERESs) and partially localized to the ER and Golgi. Biochemically, SMG4 interacts with coat protein complex Ⅱ (COPⅡ) components (Sar1, Sec23, and Sec24) and CYP78As (BG2, GRAIN LENGTH 3.2 [GL3.2], and BG2-LIKE 1 [BG2L1]). Genetically, SMG4 acts, at least in part, in a common pathway with Sar1 and CYP78As to regulate grain size. In summary, our findings reveal a CYP78As-SMG4-COPⅡ regulatory pathway for grain size in rice, thus providing new insights into the molecular and genetic regulatory mechanism of grain size.

A natural gene drive system confers reproductive isolation in rice.

Hybrid sterility restricts the utilization of superior heterosis of indica-japonica inter-subspecific hybrids. In this study, we report the identification of RHS12, a major locus controlling male gamete sterility in indica-japonica hybrid rice. We show that RHS12 consists of two genes (iORF3/DUYAO and iORF4/JIEYAO) that confer preferential transmission of the RHS12-i type male gamete into the progeny, thereby forming a natural gene drive. DUYAO encodes a mitochondrion-targeted protein that interacts with OsCOX11 to trigger cytotoxicity and cell death, whereas JIEYAO encodes a protein that reroutes DUYAO to the autophagosome for degradation via direct physical interaction, thereby detoxifying DUYAO. Evolutionary trajectory analysis reveals that this system likely formed de novo in the AA genome Oryza clade and contributed to reproductive isolation (RI) between different lineages of rice. Our combined results provide mechanistic insights into the genetic basis of RI as well as insights for strategic designs of hybrid rice breeding.

Maxillofacial Fractures: A Four-Year Retrospective Study of 1828 Cases in West China.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of maxillofacial fracture cases in a stomatological center in southwest China. METHODS: This study includes 1828 cases of maxillofacial fractures treated in our hospital from January 2018 to December 2021. We analyzed the gender, age, causes of injury, fracture sites, concomitant injuries, treatment, and postoperative infection of these cases. Our data are also compared with those from similar domestic studies. RESULTS: Among the 1828 cases, the male-to-female ratio was 2.48:1 with an average age of 34.55 ± 16.36 years. The highest incidence of fracture was 21-50 years old, and the most common cause of injury was falls (38.95%). There was a statistically significant difference in the composition of injury causes among different age groups(P<0.05). Mandible (37.56%) was the most easily fractured site, and limb injury (17.89%) was the most common concomitant body injury. In all cases, 85.23% of patients were treated with open reduction and internal fixation.  Conclusions: Maxillofacial fractures often occur in the mandible of young and middle-aged men. Falls and traffic accidents are the main causes of injury, often accompanied by limb and brain injuries. Open reduction and internal fixation is still the most commonly used treatment. There are some differences in the results reported by different domestic hospitals.

Over-expression of programmed death-ligand 1 and programmed death-1 on antigen-presenting cells as a predictor of organ dysfunction and mortality during early sepsis: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to explore the changes of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) and programmed death-1 (PD-1) expression on antigen-presenting cells (APCs) and evaluate their association with organ failure and mortality during early sepsis. METHODS: In total, 40 healthy controls and 198 patients with sepsis were included in this study. Peripheral blood was collected within the first 24 h after the diagnosis of sepsis. The expression of PD-L1 and PD-1 was determined on APCs, such as B cells, monocytes, and dendritic cells (DCs), by flow cytometry. Cytokines in plasma, such as interferon-γ (IFN-γ), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-6, IL-10, and IL-17A were determined by Luminex assay. RESULTS: PD-1 expression decreased significantly on B cells, monocytes, myeloid DCs (mDCs), and plasmacytoid DCs (pDCs) as the severity of sepsis increased. PD-1 expression was also markedly decreased in non-survivors compared with survivors. In contrast, PD-L1 expression was markedly higher on mDCs, pDCs, and monocytes in patients with sepsis than in healthy controls and in non-survivors than in survivors. The PD-L1 expression on APCs (monocytes and DCs) was weakly related to organ dysfunction and inflammation. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of the PD-1 percentage of monocytes (monocyte PD-1%)+APACHE II model (0.823) and monocyte PD-1%+SOFA model (0.816) had higher prognostic value than other parameters alone. Monocyte PD-1% was an independent risk factor for 28-day mortality. CONCLUSION: The severity of sepsis was correlated with PD-L1 or PD-1 over-expression on APCs. PD-L1 in monocytes and DCs was weakly correlated with inflammation and organ dysfunction during early sepsis. The combination of SOFA or APACHE II scores with monocyte PD-1% could improve the prediction ability for mortality.

Predictive value of presepsin and acylcarnitines for severity and biliary drainage in acute cholangitis.

BACKGROUND: Bacteremia, which is a major cause of mortality in patients with acute cholangitis, induces hyperactive immune response and mitochondrial dysfunction. Presepsin is responsible for pathogen recognition by innate immunity. Acylcarnitines are established mitochondrial biomarkers. AIM: To clarify the early predictive value of presepsin and acylcarnitines as biomarkers of severity of acute cholangitis and the need for biliary drainage. METHODS: Of 280 patients with acute cholangitis were included and the severity was stratified according to the Tokyo Guidelines 2018. Blood presepsin and plasma acylcarnitines were tested at enrollment by chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, respectively. RESULTS: The concentrations of presepsin, procalcitonin, short- and medium-chain acylcarnitines increased, while long-chain acylcarnitines decreased with the severity of acute cholangitis. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC) of presepsin for diagnosing moderate/severe and severe cholangitis (0.823 and 0.801, respectively) were greater than those of conventional markers. The combination of presepsin, direct bilirubin, alanine aminotransferase, temperature, and butyryl-L-carnitine showed good predictive ability for biliary drainage (AUC: 0.723). Presepsin, procalcitonin, acetyl-L-carnitine, hydroxydodecenoyl-L-carnitine, and temperature were independent predictors of bloodstream infection. After adjusting for severity classification, acetyl-L-carnitine was the only acylcarnitine independently associated with 28-d mortality (hazard ratio 14.396; P < 0.001) (AUC: 0.880). Presepsin concentration showed positive correlation with direct bilirubin or acetyl-L-carnitine. CONCLUSION: Presepsin could serve as a specific biomarker to predict the severity of acute cholangitis and need for biliary drainage. Acetyl-L-carnitine is a potential prognostic factor for patients with acute cholangitis. Innate immune response was associated with mitochondrial metabolic dysfunction in acute cholangitis.

Young Leaf White Stripe encodes a P-type PPR protein required for chloroplast development.

Pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) proteins function in post-transcriptional regulation of organellar gene expression. Although several PPR proteins are known to function in chloroplast development in rice (Oryza sativa), the detailed molecular functions of many PPR proteins remain unclear. Here, we characterized a rice young leaf white stripe (ylws) mutant, which has defective chloroplast development during early seedling growth. Map-based cloning revealed that YLWS encodes a novel P-type chloroplast-targeted PPR protein with 11 PPR motifs. Further expression analyses showed that many nuclear- and plastid-encoded genes in the ylws mutant were significantly changed at the RNA and protein levels. The ylws mutant was impaired in chloroplast ribosome biogenesis and chloroplast development under low-temperature conditions. The ylws mutation causes defects in the splicing of atpF, ndhA, rpl2, and rps12, and editing of ndhA, ndhB, and rps14 transcripts. YLWS directly binds to specific sites in the atpF, ndhA, and rpl2 pre-mRNAs. Our results suggest that YLWS participates in chloroplast RNA group II intron splicing and plays an important role in chloroplast development during early leaf development.

Global Status of Vegetable Soybean.

Vegetable soybean, popularly known as edamame in Japan and mao dou in China is a specialty soybean. Green pods with physiologically mature beans are harvested, and whole pods or shelled beans are used as a fresh or frozen vegetable. Vegetable soybeans are prepared in diverse ways, and they are highly nutritious, with excellent taste properties. Unlike grain soybeans, it is perishable. In this review, the chronological progression of area, production, export, import, and expansion of vegetable soybeans and potential for further expansion is discussed. Available information on current ongoing research and development activities in various countries around the world are presented, and their relevance is discussed. At present, the production and consumption of vegetable soybeans are mainly in East and Southeast Asia, with Japan as the largest importing country that dictates the global market. However, interest and trend in cultivation of this crop in other regions has increased significantly. Lack of germplasm or suitable varieties is a major constraint in vegetable soybean production and expansion in countries outside East and Southeast Asia. Most of the vegetable soybean varieties are genetically related and are susceptible to biotic and abiotic stresses. Extensive research and breeding of vegetable soybeans are still restricted in a few countries such as China, Japan, Taiwan and the USA. The need for focused research and development activities with concern for the environment, farmers' and processors' profit, consumers' preference, quality, and nutrition are emphasized.

Oral and maxillofacial emergencies: A retrospective study of 5220 cases in West China.

BACKGROUND/AIM: There are no epidemiological reports focused on the oral and maxillofacial surgery emergency department in the West China Hospital of Stomatology. The aim of this study was to analyse the epidemiological characteristics of emergency patients admitted for Trauma and Plastic Surgery Department of the West China Hospital of Stomatology from 2016-2019. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this retrospective study, 5220 patients with complete medical records were evaluated. The following data were collected: gender, age, etiology, disease type distribution, anatomic injury site and treatment modality. RESULTS: There were 3046 males and 2174 females (ratio 1.40:1), with an average age of 16.2 years. The largest group was children aged between 3 and 6 years old (28.3%). Maxillofacial injuries were the most common condition (87.3%), which mostly occurred on the forehead (29.7%), followed by the lips (27.8%). A fall was the leading cause of injury (59.9%), especially in patients younger than 6 years old. There were 327 cases of maxillofacial space infections (MSI), and the mandibular third molars were the most common tooth associated with odontogenic infections (36.2%). Univariable analysis identified that multiple-space infection, visit time and systemic conditions were the risk factors for being admitted to the hospital for treatment. There were 116 patients (2.2%) with bleeding as the main complaint, and most of the maxillofacial bleeding patients could be stopped by compression (52.6%). CONCLUSION: Males and children aged younger than 6 years were the highest risk populations. Trauma accounted for the majority of emergency patients in maxillofacial surgery. Most maxillofacial injuries involved the forehead and were mainly caused by accidental falls. The proportion of MSI was not high, but serious cases may be life-threatening. The causes of bleeding were diverse, and the bleeding was easy to control.

Efficacy of a 1% malic acid spray for xerostomia treatment: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the efficacy of topical sialogogue spray containing malic acid 1% for treating xerostomia. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, ClinicalTrials.gov and Web of Science databases. Literature search, screening, study selection, data collection, data extraction and assessment of bias risk were independently conducted by two reviewers. The study appraisal was performed by Cochrane Collaboration's tool for assessing bias risk. The systematic review registration number was PROSPERO-CRD42021241322. All statistical analyses were performed using Review Manager version 5.4. RESULTS: Five original articles involving 244 patients with xerostomia who received topical sialogogue spray (malic acid 1%) or placebo for two weeks were included in this review. Based on the questionnaire survey, the topical sialogogue spray (malic acid 1%) improved the symptoms of dry mouth significantly better than the placebo, which was reflected in the Dry Mouth Questionnaire (DMQ), Xerostomia Inventory (XI) and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scores. Regarding the increase in unstimulated and stimulated saliva flow rates, the intervention group was also better than the placebo group after a two-week course of treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Although the included studies are limited, our results show that topical sialogogue spray (malic acid 1%) is an effective method for the treatment of xerostomia. Additional randomised controlled trials in the future are needed to provide high-quality evidence of this therapy and to improve clinical practice guidelines.

Age patterns of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease incidence: heterogeneous associations with metabolic changes.

BACKGROUND: As the nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) epidemic matures, understanding how metabolic changes in NAFLD development vary over the age distribution is important to guide precise prevention. We aimed to clarify metabolic trends in age-specific NAFLD incidence. METHODS: We conducted a 4-year longitudinal retrospective cohort study enrolling 10,240 consecutive healthy individuals who received annual physical examination during 2012-2019. Baseline and dynamic changes in metabolism and hepatic steatosis determined with ultrasound were collected and analyzed stratified by age into the following groups: 20-34, 35-49, 50-64, and over 65 years. RESULTS: Overall, 1701 incident NAFLD participants (16.6%) were identified. Adjusted Cox regression analysis showed that the baseline and increased body mass index were the main risk factors for NAFLD in people ≤ 65 years old. Baseline high-density lipoprotein (HR = 0.56; 95% CI 0.39-0.78) was a protective factor for newly onset NAFLD in the 50-to-64-year-old group, while baseline SBP (HR = 1.03; 95% CI 1.01-1.05), baseline uric acid (HR = 1.04; 95% CI 1.01-1.07), triglyceride increase (HR = 4.76; 95% CI 3.69-6.14), fasting blood glucose increase (HR = 1.32; 95% CI 1.06-1.65) were independently associated with incident NAFLD in over-65-year-old group. CONCLUSIONS: NAFLD incidence attributable to potentially metabolic risk factors varied substantially across age groups in a cohort of Chinese people. The adoption of age targeted metabolic prevention strategies might reduce the burden of NAFLD.

Dynamic blood presepsin levels are associated with severity and outcome of acute pancreatitis: A prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Acute pancreatitis (AP) is an inflammatory disorder of the pancreas with an unpredictable course of illness. A major challenge of AP is the early identification of patients at high-risk for organ failure and death. However, scoring systems are complicated and time consuming, and the predictive values for the clinical course are vague. AIM: To determine whether the dynamic changes in presepsin levels can be used to evaluate the severity of disease and outcome of AP. METHODS: In this multicentric cohort study, 133 patients with AP were included. Clinical severity was dynamically evaluated using the 2012 revised Atlanta Classification. Blood presepsin levels were measured at days 1, 3, 5 and 7 after admission by chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay. RESULTS: The median concentration of presepsin increased and the clearance rate of presepsin decreased with disease severity and organ failure in AP patients. The presepsin levels on days 3, 5 and 7 were independent predictors of moderately severe and severe AP with time-specific area under the curve (AUC) values of 0.827, 0.848 and 0.867, respectively. The presepsin levels positively correlated with bedside index of severity in AP, Ranson, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II, computed tomography severity index and Marshall scores. Presepsin levels on days 3, 5 and 7 were independent predictors of 28-d mortality of AP patients with AUC values of 0.781, 0.846 and 0.843, respectively. CONCLUSION: Blood presepsin levels within 7 d of admission were associated with and may be useful to dynamically predict the severity of disease course and 28-d mortality in AP patients.