Associations of insulin sensitivity and immune inflammatory responses with child blood lead (Pb) and PM2.5 exposure at an e-waste recycling area during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Fine particular matter (PM2.5) and lead (Pb) exposure can induce insulin resistance, elevating the likelihood of diabetes onset. Nonetheless, the underlying mechanism remains ambiguous. Consequently, we assessed the association of PM2.5 and Pb exposure with insulin resistance and inflammation biomarkers in children. A total of 235 children aged 3-7 years in a kindergarten in e-waste recycling areas were enrolled before and during the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown. Daily PM2.5 data was collected and used to calculate the individual PM2.5 daily exposure dose (DED-PM2.5). Concentrations of whole blood Pb, fasting blood glucose, serum insulin, and high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) in serum were measured. Compared with that before COVID-19, the COVID-19 lockdown group had lower DED-PM2.5 and blood Pb, higher serum HMGB1, and lower blood glucose and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index. Decreased DED-PM2.5 and blood Pb levels were linked to decreased levels of fasting blood glucose and increased serum HMGB1 in all children. Increased serum HMGB1 levels were linked to reduced levels of blood glucose and HOMA-IR. Due to the implementation of COVID-19 prevention and control measures, e-waste dismantling activities and exposure levels of PM2.5 and Pb declined, which probably reduced the association of PM2.5 and Pb on insulin sensitivity and diabetes risk, but a high level of risk of chronic low-grade inflammation remained. Our findings add new evidence for the associations among PM2.5 and Pb exposure, systemic inflammation and insulin resistance, which could be a possible explanation for diabetes related to environmental exposure.

Associations of co-exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and lead (Pb) with IGF1 methylation in peripheral blood of preschool children from an e-waste recycling area.

BACKGROUND: Childhood exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) or lead (Pb) is associated with epigenetic modifications. However, the effects of their co-exposures on IGF1 (Insulin-like growth factor 1) methylation and the potential role in child physical growth are unclear. METHODS: From our previous children study (N = 238, ages of 3-6), 75 children with higher total concentrations of urinary ten hydroxyl PAH metabolites (∑10OH-PAHs) from an e-waste recycling area, Guiyu, and 75 with lower ∑10OH-PAHs from Haojiang (reference area) were included. Pb and IGF1 P2 promoter methylation in peripheral blood were also measured. Multivariable linear regression analyses were performed to estimate individual associations, overall effects and interactions of co-exposure to OH-PAHs and Pb on IGF1 methylation were further explored using Bayesian kernel machine regression. RESULTS: Methylation of IGF1 (CG-232) was lower (38.00 vs. 39.74 %, P < 0.001), but of CG-207 and CG-137 were higher (59.94 vs. 58.41 %; 57.60 vs. 56.28 %, both P < 0.05) in exposed children than the reference. The elevated urinary 2-OHPhe was associated with reduced methylation of CG-232 (B = -0.051, 95 % CI: -0.096, -0.005, P < 0.05), whereas blood Pb was positively associated with methylation of CG-108 (B = 0.106, 95 %CI: 0.013, 0.199, P < 0.05), even after full adjustment. Methylations of CG-224 and 218 significantly decreased when all OH-PAHs and Pb mixtures were set at 35th - 40th and 45th - 55th percentile compared to when all fixed at 50th percentile. There were bivariate interactions of co-exposure to the mixtures on methylations of CG-232, 224, 218, and 108. Methylations correlated with height, weight, were observed in the exposed children. CONCLUSIONS: Childhood co-exposure to high PAHs and Pb from the e-waste may be associated with IGF1 promoter methylation alterations in peripheral blood. This, in turn, may interrupt the physical growth of preschool children.

StMAPKK5 responds to heat stress by regulating potato growth, photosynthesis, and antioxidant defenses.

Backgrounds: As a conserved signaling pathway, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade regulates cellular signaling in response to abiotic stress. High temperature may contribute to a significant decrease in economic yield. However, research into the expression patterns of StMAPKK family genes under high temperature is limited and lacks experimental validation regarding their role in supporting potato plant growth. Methods: To trigger heat stress responses, potato plants were grown at 35°C. qRT-PCR was conducted to analyze the expression pattern of StMAPKK family genes in potato plants. Plant with StMAPKK5 loss-of-function and gain-of-function were developed. Potato growth and morphological features were assessed through measures of plant height, dry weight, and fresh weight. The antioxidant ability of StMAPKK5 was indicated by antioxidant enzyme activity and H2O2 content. Cell membrane integrity and permeability were suggested by relative electrical conductivity (REC), and contents of MDA and proline. Photosynthetic capacity was next determined. Further, mRNA expression of heat stress-responsive genes and antioxidant enzyme genes was examined. Results: In reaction to heat stress, the expression profiles of StMAPKK family genes were changed. The StMAPKK5 protein is located to the nucleus, cytoplasm and cytomembrane, playing a role in controlling the height and weight of potato plants under heat stress conditions. StMAPKK5 over-expression promoted photosynthesis and maintained cell membrane integrity, while inhibited transpiration and stomatal conductance under heat stress. Overexpression of StMAPKK5 triggered biochemical defenses in potato plant against heat stress, modulating the levels of H2O2, MDA and proline, as well as the antioxidant activities of CAT, SOD and POD. Overexpression of StMAPKK5 elicited genetic responses in potato plants to heat stress, affecting heat stress-responsive genes and genes encoding antioxidant enzymes. Conclusion: StMAPKK5 can improve the resilience of potato plants to heat stress-induced damage, offering a promising approach for engineering potatoes with enhanced adaptability to challenging heat stress conditions.

Strengthening-Durable Trade-Off and Self-Healing, Recyclable Shape Memory Polyurethanes Enabled by Dynamic Boron-Urethane Bonds.

Addressing the demand for integrating strength and durability reinforcement in shape memory polyurethane (SMPU) for diverse applications remains a significant challenge. Here a series of SMPUs with ultra-high strength, self-healing and recyclability, and excellent shape memory properties through introducing dynamic boron-urethane bonds are synthesized. The introducing of boric acid (BA) to polyurethane leading to the formation of dynamic covalent bonds (DCB) boron-urethane, that confer a robust cross-linking structure on the SMPUs led to the formation of ordered stable hydrogen-bonding network within the SMPUs. The flexible crosslinking with DCB represents a novel strategy for balancing the trade-off between strength and durability, with their strengths reaching up to 82.2 MPa while also addressing the issue of durability in prolonged usage through the provision of self-healing and recyclability. The self-healing and recyclability of SMPU are demonstrated through rapid dynamic exchange reaction of boron-urethane bonds, systematically investigated by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). This study sheds light on the essential role of such PU with self-healing and recyclability, contributing to the extension of the PU's service life. The findings of this work provide a general strategy for overcoming traditional trade-offs in preparing SMPUs with both high strength and good durability.

Tribological and Mechanochemical Properties of Nanoparticle-Filled Polytetrafluoroethylene Composites under Different Loads.

For the tribological properties of nanoparticle-modified PTFE, a more comprehensive study has been conducted, but there is still some room for research on tribology behavior, tribofilm formation and structure evolution of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) filled with α-Al2O3 and SiO2 nanoparticles during sliding against steel counterparts under different loads. At the same time, it establishes the linkage and mechanism between the maintenance of mechanical strength and the tribological application of polymers in service and provides corresponding scientific data and theoretical guidance for the long-lasting application of polymer lubrication materials. It is found that both composites exhibit good wear resistance across the pressure of 1 MPa to 10 MPa, with the α-Al2O3/PTFE composite demonstrating better performance stability compared to the SiO2/PTFE composite. The high wear resistance is attributed to the formation of tribofilms at the friction interface. For the α-Al2O3/PTFE, an island-like tribofilm is formed with a thickness ranging from 100 to 200 nm, while the tribofilm of the SiO2/PTFE composite is thinner, measuring approximately 50 to 100 nm, and manifests a striped pattern. The chemical composition, both at the surface and subsurface levels, as well as the morphology of the tribofilms, were studied using FTIR spectrometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and FIB-TEM. It is found that the difference in thickness and microstructure of the tribofilms for the two composites is mainly due to the tribochemistry of the nanoparticles. The α-Al2O3 nanoparticle plays a "cohesion" role during the formation of the tribofilm, which facilitates the formation of a thicker, more uniform, and stronger adhered tribofilm on the metallic counterpart, making it more robust against higher shear stress.

Tribological Properties of Polyimide Composites Modified with Diamondoid Metal-Organic Frameworks.

In this work, diamondoid metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) were efficiently prepared by sonochemical synthesis and grown on polyimide (PI), aiming to improve the anti-wear performance of the PI matrix. By introducing MOFs into the PI matrix, the free movement of PI molecular chains were restricted, and its hardness and elastic modulus were improved. It was found that the wear rate of the 3 wt.% MOFs/PI composites was reduced by 72.6% compared to pure PI at a load of 4 N after tribological testing by using a ball-on-disk tribometer. This can be attributed to the excellent load-bearing and shear resistance of the fourfold-interpenetrated diamondoid networks, in which the transition metal elements can favor the formation of transfer films. It is worth noting that the 3 wt.% MOFs/PI composites still exhibited great tribological properties under high loads or high speeds. The findings of the present study indicate that diamondoid metal-organic frameworks can be used as efficient modifiers to enhance the tribological properties of PI.

Controllable fabrication of CoNi bimetallic alloy for high-performance electromagnetic wave absorption.

With the coming era of artificial intelligence (AI) dominated by high-tech electronics, developing high-performance microwave absorption materials (MAMs) is imperative to solve the problem of increasing electromagnetic inference and pollution. Herein, a metal-organic framework (MOF)-derived CoNi bimetallic alloy (CoNi/C) with an irregular rod-like structure is prepared by a thermal reduction method. Introducing the CoNi alloy facilitates the balance between conduction loss and polarization loss and forms good impedance matching, leading to excellent microwave absorption performance. Interestingly, the optimization of absorption performance can be further achieved by controllably modulating the molar ratio of Co and Ni (Co2+/Ni2+). As expected, the obtained CoNi/C delivers excellent microwave absorption performance with a minimum reflection loss (RLmin) of -50.80 dB at 10.40 GHz and an effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 3.28 GHz (8.91-12.19 GHz) with a filler loading of 50 wt% at 2.0 mm. In addition, the CoNi/C can reach a maximum EAB of 4.77 GHz (12.99-17.76 GHz) at a low thickness of 1.5 mm, spanning nearly the entire Ku band. The CoNi3/C also exhibits an impressive RLmin of -44.84 dB at 3.28 GHz in the S band. This work offers a novel strategy to modulate the magnetic/electric properties of MOF-derived MAMs.

An updated systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of testosterone replacement therapy on erectile function and prostate.

Introduction: Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) is a generally accepted method treating for aging-related late-onset hypogonadism (LOH). However, the efficacy and safety of TRT remain controversial. An updated systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to determine the effectiveness and security of TRT treating for LOH. Methods: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of TRT for LOH were searched in the databases of Pubmed, Embase, Clinicaltrials.gov and Cochrane from 1990 to 2023 and an updated meta-analysis was conducted. Results: The results of 28 RCTs involving 3461 patients were included and scrutinized in this analysis. Among these, 11 RCTs were of long-term duration (≥12 months), while 18 RCTs were short-term studies (<12 months) comparing TRT with a placebo. TRT modalities comprised injection, oral administration, and transdermal administration. International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) (Weighted Mean difference (WMD) 3.26; 95%; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.65-4.88; P<0.0001) was obviously improved in the TRT group. International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) (WMD 0.00; 95% CI -0.45-0.45; P=1.0), Prostate Volume (PV) (WMD 0.38; 95% CI -0.64-1.41; P=0.46), Maximum Flow Rate (Qmax) (WMD 1.86; 95% CI -0.98-4.69; P=0.20), Postvoid Residual Urine Volume (PVR) (WMD 3.20; 95% CI -5.87-12.28; P=0.49) and Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) (WMD 0.08; 95% CI -0.00-0.17; P=0.06) were not significantly statistical between two groups. Conclusion: This meta-analysis reveals that TRT could improve the IIEF score of hypogonadal men without detriment to the IPSS score, PV, Qmax, PVR and PSA regardless of the administration method or duration of treatment.The meta-analysis was registered at PROSPERO (CRD42023413434).

Upregulation of CCNB2 and a novel lncRNAs-related risk model predict prognosis in clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the main type of renal cell carcinoma. Cyclin B2 (CCNB2) is a subtype of B-type cyclin that is associated with the prognosis of several cancers. This study aimed to identify the relationship between CCNB2 and progression of ccRCC and construct a novel lncRNAs-related model to predict prognosis of ccRCC patients. METHODS: The data were obtained from public databases. We identified CCNB2 in ccRCC using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, univariate and multivariate Cox regression, and Gene Ontology analysis. External validation was then performed. The risk model was constructed based on prognostic lncRNAs by the LASSO algorithm and multivariate Cox regression. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves were used to evaluate the model. Consensus clustering analysis was performed to re-stratify the patients. Finally, we analyzed the tumor-immune microenvironment and performed screening of potential drugs. RESULTS: CCNB2 associated with late clinicopathological parameters and poor prognosis in ccRCC and was an independent predictor for disease-free survival. In addition, CCNB2 shared the same expression pattern with known suppressive immune checkpoints. A risk model dependent on the expression of three prognostic CCNB2-related lncRNAs (SNHG17, VPS9D1-AS1, and ZMIZ1-AS1) was constructed. The risk signature was an independent predictor of ccRCC. The area under the ROC (AUC) curve for overall survival at 1-, 3-, 5-, and 8-year was 0.704, 0.702, 0.741, and 0.763. The high-risk group and cluster 2 had stronger immunogenicity and were more sensitive to immunotherapy. CONCLUSION: CCNB2 could be an important biomarker for predicting prognosis in ccRCC patients. Furthermore, we developed a novel lncRNAs-related risk model and identified two CCNB2-related molecular clusters. The risk model performed well in predicting overall survival and immunological microenvironment of ccRCC.

Identification and molecular characterization of a novel totivirus from Mangifera indica.

In this study, we determined the complete genome sequence of a novel totivirus, tentatively named "Mangifera indica totivirus 1" (MiTV1), identified in 'Apple' mango in China. The double-stranded RNA genome of MiTV1 is 4800 base pairs (bp) in length and contains two open reading frames (ORFs) encoding a putative coat protein (CP) and an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp). Phylogenetic analysis based on RdRp and CP amino acid sequences showed that MiTV1 is closely related to members of the genus Totivirus in the family Totiviridae. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a totivirus found in Mangifera indica.

Association between 6PPD-quinone exposure and BMI, influenza, and diarrhea in children.

N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N'-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine-quinone (6PPD-quinone) has received extensive attention due to its ubiquitous distribution and potential toxicity. However, the distribution characteristics of 6PPD-quinone in dust from e-waste recycling areas and the consequential health risks to children are unclear. A total of 183 dust samples were collected from roads (n = 40), homes (n = 91), and kindergartens (n = 52) in Guiyu (the e-waste-exposed group) and Haojiang (the reference group) from 2019 to 2021. The results show that the concentrations of 6PPD-quinone in kindergarten and house dust from the exposed group were significantly higher than those from the reference group (P < 0.001). These findings show that e-waste may be another potential source of 6PPD-quinone, in addition to rubber tires. The exposure risk of 6PPD-quinone in children was assessed using their daily intake. The daily intake of 925 kindergarten children was calculated using the concentration of 6PPD-quinone in kindergarten dust. The daily intake of 6PPD-quinone via ingestion was approximately five orders of magnitude higher than via inhalation. Children in the exposed group had a higher exposure risk to 6PPD-quinone than the reference group. A higher daily intake of 6PPD-quinone from kindergarten dust was associated with a lower BMI and a higher frequency of influenza and diarrhea in children. This study reports the distribution of 6PPD-quinone in an e-waste recycling town and explores the associated health risks to children.

Interaction between parental myopia and children lifestyle on the incidence of myopia among children aged 6-18 years: a cross-sectional study in Tianjin, China.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to explore the influence of the interaction between parental myopia and lifestyle on myopia among school-age children. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: This study used data from the Tianjin Child and Adolescent Research of Eye between August and October 2022. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 49 035 participants between 6 and 18 years of age were eligible for this study. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was the interaction between eye-healthy lifestyle and parental myopia on myopia. Parental myopia and eye-healthy lifestyle were ascertained by a Child and Adolescent Behavior Questionnaire. The lifestyle risk score (LRS) of eye health was calculated based on beta-coefficient in the backward regression model. The interaction between LRS and parental myopia was analysed by multivariate logistic regression. The predictive value of different predicted models was estimated using receiver operating characteristic curves. Multiple linear regression was used to evaluate the associations of lifestyle risk factors and parental myopia with spherical equivalent refraction, which were defined as the secondary outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 31 839 participants aged 6-18 years were included, and the myopia prevalence was 55.46%. Eye-healthy lifestyle and parental myopia were significantly associated with myopia, as was interaction. The predictive value for LRS & parental myopia was 0.714 (95% CI: 0.709 to 0.720), which was higher than LRS (0.693, 95% CI: 0.687 to 0.699) and parental myopia (0.710, 95% CI: 0.704 to 0.716) separately. CONCLUSIONS: High-risk lifestyles of myopia and parental myopia were significantly associated with a higher risk of myopia, and the combination had the strongest effect. For children, lifestyle adjustment should be prioritised in preventing myopia, especially for those with parental myopia.

Flexible Cages Enable Robust Supramolecular Elastomers.

Advances in modern industrial technology continue to place stricter demands on engineering polymeric materials, but simultaneously possessing superior strength and toughness remains a daunting challenge. Herein, a pioneering flexible cage-reinforced supramolecular elastomer (CSE) is reported that exhibits superb robustness, tear resistance, anti-fatigue, and shape memory properties, achieved by innovatively introducing organic imide cages (OICs) into supramolecular networks. Intriguingly, extremely small amounts of OICs make the elastomer stronger, significantly improving mechanical strength (85.0 MPa; ≈10-fold increase) and toughness (418.4 MJ m-3; ≈7-fold increase). Significantly, the cooperative effect of gradient hydrogen bonds and OICs is experimentally and theoretically demonstrated as flexible nodes, enabling more robust supramolecular networks. In short, the proposed strengthening strategy of adding flexible cages effectively balances the inherent conflict between material strength and toughness, and the prepared CSEs are anticipated to be served in large-scale devices such as TBMs in the future.

Characteristics of Gut Microbiota in Patients with Erectile Dysfunction: A Chinese Pilot Study.

PURPOSE: Little is known about the role of gut microbiota in the pathogenesis of erectile dysfunction (ED). We performed a study to compare taxonomic profiles of gut microbiota of ED and healthy males. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 43 ED patients and 16 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. The 5-item version of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) with a cutoff value of 21 was used to evaluate erectile function. All participants underwent nocturnal penile tumescence and rigidity test. Samples of stool were sequenced to determine the gut microbiota. RESULTS: We identified a distinct beta diversity of gut microbiome in ED patients by unweighted UniFrac analysis (R²=0.026, p=0.036). Linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfse) analysis showed Actinomyces was significantly enriched, whereas Coprococcus_1, Lachnospiraceae_FCS020_group, Lactococcus, Ruminiclostridium_5, and Ruminococcaceae_UCG_002 were depleted in ED patients. Actinomyces showed a significant negative correlation with the duration of qualified erection, average maximum rigidity of tip, average maximum rigidity of base, tip tumescence activated unit (TAU), and base TAU. Coprococcus_1, Lachnospiraceae_FCS020_group, Ruminiclostridium_5, and Ruminococcaceae_UCG_002 were significantly correlated with the IIEF-5 score. Ruminiclostridium_5 and Ruminococcaceae_UCG_002 were positively related with average maximum rigidity of tip, average maximum rigidity of base, ΔTumescence of tip, and Tip TAU. Further, a random forest classifier based on the relative abundance of taxa showed good diagnostic efficacy with an area under curve of 0.72. CONCLUSIONS: This pilot study identified evident alterations in the gut microbiome composition of ED patients and found Actinomyces was negatively correlated with erectile function, which may be a key pathogenic bacteria.

An interpretable model predicts visual outcomes of no light perception eyes after open globe injury.

BACKGROUND: The visual outcome of open globe injury (OGI)-no light perception (NLP) eyes is unpredictable traditionally. This study aimed to develop a model to predict the visual outcomes of vitrectomy surgery in OGI-NLP eyes using a machine learning algorithm and to provide an interpretable system for the prediction results. METHODS: Clinical data of 459 OGI-NLP eyes were retrospectively collected from 19 medical centres across China to establish a training data set for developing a model, called 'VisionGo', which can predict the visual outcome of the patients involved and compare with the Ocular Trauma Score (OTS). Another 72 cases were retrospectively collected and used for human-machine comparison, and an additional 27 cases were prospectively collected for real-world validation of the model. The SHapley Additive exPlanations method was applied to analyse feature contribution to the model. An online platform was built for real-world application. RESULTS: The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of VisionGo was 0.75 and 0.90 in previtrectomy and intravitrectomy application scenarios, which was much higher than the OTS (AUC=0.49). VisionGo showed better performance than ophthalmologists in both previtrectomy and intravitrectomy application scenarios (AUC=0.73 vs 0.57 and 0.87 vs 0.64). In real-world validation, VisionGo achieved an AUC of 0.60 and 0.91 in previtrectomy and intravitrectomy application scenarios. Feature contribution analysis indicated that wound length-related indicators, vitreous status and retina-related indicators contributed highly to visual outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: VisionGo has achieved an accurate and reliable prediction in visual outcome after vitrectomy for OGI-NLP eyes.

Solvent Content Controlling Strategy for Cocrystallizable Polyesters Enables a Stress-Free Two-Way Shape Memory Effect with Wider Service Temperatures.

It is challenging to enhance the stress-free two-way shape memory (stress-free TWSM) effect to obtain a wide range of response temperatures. Herein, a polycaprolactone (PCL)/poly(ω-pentadecalactone) (PPDL) is photocured under UV light irradiation in the solvent of 1,1,2-trichloroethane (TCA), to obtain a series of cross-linked polyesters (CPES). Controlling solvent content (SC) which is removed after the polymerization allows the yielded CPES to perform a regulatable thermodynamic and stress-free TWSM properties. High SC is beneficial to reduce the degree of chain overlap (C/C* ) of PPDL chain segments in the PCL-based CPES network, then causes the cocrystallization of PCL and PPDL and yielding an additional melting-transitions (Tm ). An enhanced stress-free TWSM is obtained in high SC samples (CPES-15-90), reflected in the attainment of a wide range of response temperature, which means a wider service temperature. The enhancement is reflected in higher reversible strain of high SC samples compared with the samples prepared with low SC when varying high trigger temperature (Thigh ). Even at high Thigh , the high SC sample still has reversible strain. Therefore, controlling SC strategy for photocuring copolyester not only provides a new preparation approach for high-performance shape memory (SM) polymers, but also offers new condensed polymer structure to explore.

Podocyte Infolding Glomerulopathy: A Special Morphology of Podocyte Injury Caused by Heterogeneous Diseases.

Introduction: Podocyte infolding glomerulopathy (PIG) is a newly recognized rare glomerular injury. The clinical significance and mechanism of this injury pattern remains unclear. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of renal biopsies from January 2018 to December 2020 in Kingmed Diagnostics. The renal biopsy features and clinical data were reviewed. Laser scanning microdissection and mass spectrometry (LMD/MS) was conducted to analyze the potential mechanism. Results: A total of 116 (0.092%) out of 126,086 biopsies were diagnosed as PIG during the period. Of these, 89 (76.7%) cases were found to have PIG coexisting with immune-complex associated glomerulonephritis (IC-PIG) whereas 27 (23.3%) were identified as isolated PIG without immunoglobulin or complement deposition. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), especially with membranous lupus nephritis (LN), was diagnosed in most (70.8%) IC-PIG cases. Of the isolated PIG cases, 51.9% had no known underlying conditions; however, a relatively high positive rate (42.1%) of antinuclear antibody (ANA) was detected. Nearly half (47.5%) of the patients presented with nephrotic syndrome (NS). PIG grade was associated with proteinuria in isolated PIG (P = 0.035). LMD/MS revealed dysregulated cytoskeletal protein α-actinin4 (ACTN4) and tubulin beta-4 chain in PIG compared with normal donor kidney and minimal change disease (MCD). The displacement of ACTN4 into the glomerular basement membrane (GBM) was confirmed by the confocal microscope. Conclusion: PIG is a rare podocyte injury that can exist alone without underlying disease or be concurrent with various diseases, especially SLE. Podocyte cytoskeletal protein ACTN4 and tubulin beta-4 chain were dysregulated, which may be involved in the mechanism of PIG.

Tribological Behavior of Cotton Fabric/Phenolic Resin Laminated Composites Reinforced with Two-Dimensional Materials.

In this study, cotton fabric-reinforced phenolic resin (CPF) composites were modified by adding four two-dimensional fillers: graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4), graphite (Gr), molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), and hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN). The tribological properties of these modified materials were investigated under dry friction and water lubrication conditions. The CPF/Gr composite exhibits significantly better tribological performance than the other three filler-modified CPF composites under dry friction, with a 24% reduction in friction coefficient and a 78% reduction in wear rate compared to the unmodified CPF composite. Under water lubrication conditions, all four fillers did not significantly alter the friction coefficient of the CPF composites. However, except for an excessive amount of Gr, the other three fillers can reduce the wear rate. Particularly in the case of 10% MoS2 content, the wear rate decreased by 56%. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were employed for the analysis of the morphology and composition of the transfer films. Additionally, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were conducted to investigate the adsorption effects of CPF/Gr and CPF/MoS2 composites on the counterpart surface under both dry friction and water lubrication conditions. The difference in the adsorption capacity of CPF/Gr and CPF/MoS2 composites on the counterpart, as well as the resulting formation of transfer films, accounts for the variation in tribological behavior between CPF/Gr and CPF/MoS2 composites. By combining the lubrication properties of MoS2 and Gr under dry friction and water lubrication conditions and using them as co-fillers, we can achieve a synergistic lubrication effect.

Comparative efficacy of olaparib in combination with or without novel antiandrogens for treating metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Background: Studies using novel antiandrogens (NAA) in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) have shown overall survival benefit. As patients develop resistance to NAA therapy, the poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor (PARPi) olaparib in combination with NAA may become a promising therapy. However the overall benefit of olaparib monotherapy or combination therapy still needs to be evaluated. Therefore, we performed a network meta-analysis to assess the efficacy and toxicity between olaparib, olaparib combined with abiraterone and NAA. Methods: We searched PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library and American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) University Meeting abstracts for randomized controlled trials reporting olaparib and NAA from 2010 up to March, 2023. Network meta-analysis using Stata 16.0 and R 4.4.2, hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to assess the results. Results: Four trials reported olaparib, olaparib plus abiraterone and apalutamide plus abiraterone. radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS) was significantly lower in patients on apalutamide plus abiraterone compared to olaparib (HR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.06-1.93). rPFS was similar for olaparib plus abiraterone and olaparib (HR, 1.35; 95% CI, 0.99-1.84); likewise, olaparib plus abiraterone and apalutamide plus abiraterone were similar (HR, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.83-1.35). In addition, there was no significant difference between the three interventions for OS. But olaparib has the highest probability of being a preferred treatment for improving rPFS and OS. Conclusion: rPFS was in favor of olaparib compared with apalutamide plus abiraterone. But there were no difference between olaparib plus abiraterone and either olaparib or apalutamide plus abiraterone. Apalutamide plus abiraterone might be the most preferred intervention in cases where AEs are involved. Systematic review registration: https://inplasy.com, identifier INPLASY2023100072.