Neutron Instruments for Research in Coordination Chemistry.

Neutron diffraction and spectroscopy offer unique insight into structures and properties of solids and molecular materials. All neutron instruments located at the various neutron sources are distinct, even if their designs are based on similar principles, and thus, they are usually less familiar to the community than commercial X-ray diffractometers and optical spectrometers. Major neutron instruments in the USA, which are open to scientists around the world, and examples of their use in coordination chemistry research are presented here, along with a list of similar instruments at main neutron facilities in other countries. The reader may easily and quickly find from this minireview an appropriate neutron instrument for research. The instruments include single-crystal and powder diffractometers to determine structures, inelastic neutron scattering (INS) spectrometers to probe magnetic and vibrational excitations, and quasielastic neutron scattering (QENS) spectrometers to study molecular dynamics such as methyl rotation on ligands. Key and unique features of the diffraction and neutron spectroscopy that are relevant to inorganic chemistry are reviewed.

Trends in violent offending among people with schizophrenia: A 10-year ecological study.

Violent offending committed by people with schizophrenia has been a public concern. The present study aims to examine the incidence of violent offending among people with schizophrenia and its correlations with mental health resources and economic factors. In this study, an examination of violent offending by people with schizophrenia and those identified as not criminally responsible on account of mental disorder (NCRMD) between 2010 and 2019 in China's Hunan province was undertaken. Principal component analysis (PCA) and regression analyses were used to explore the association of violent offending in people with schizophrenia and those identified as NCRMD with violent offending in the general population, mental health medical resources, and provincial GDP. Between 2010 and 2019, a total of 2,093 people with schizophrenia committed violent offending in Hunan province, including 1,374 (65.6%) cases identified as NCRMD. Over the period, the incidence of violent offending in people with schizophrenia and those identified as NCRMD has been decreasing. The incidences were positively correlated with the incidence of violent offending in the general population and negatively associated with mental health resources and provincial GDP. These findings may be valuable in helping to develop strategies for violence prevention and risk management for people with schizophrenia.

Association between pretreatment emotional distress and immune checkpoint inhibitor response in non-small-cell lung cancer.

Emotional distress (ED), commonly characterized by symptoms of depression and/or anxiety, is prevalent in patients with cancer. Preclinical studies suggest that ED can impair antitumor immune responses, but few clinical studies have explored its relationship with response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Here we report results from cohort 1 of the prospective observational STRESS-LUNG study, which investigated the association between ED and clinical efficacy of first-line treatment of ICIs in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer. ED was assessed by Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale. The study included 227 patients with 111 (48.9%) exhibiting ED who presented depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9 score ≥5) and/or anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item score ≥5) symptoms at baseline. On the primary endpoint analysis, patients with baseline ED exhibited a significantly shorter median progression-free survival compared with those without ED (7.9 months versus 15.5 months, hazard ratio 1.73, 95% confidence interval 1.23 to 2.43, P = 0.002). On the secondary endpoint analysis, ED was associated with lower objective response rate (46.8% versus 62.1%, odds ratio 0.54, P = 0.022), reduced 2-year overall survival rate of 46.5% versus 64.9% (hazard ratio for death 1.82, 95% confidence interval 1.12 to 2.97, P = 0.016) and detriments in quality of life. The exploratory analysis indicated that the ED group showed elevated blood cortisol levels, which was associated with adverse survival outcomes. This study suggests that there is an association between ED and worse clinical outcomes in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer treated with ICIs, highlighting the potential significance of addressing ED in cancer management. ClinicalTrials.gov registration: NCT05477979 .

Brain structural alterations associated with impulsiveness in male violent patients with schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND: Violence in schizophrenia (SCZ) is a phenomenon associated with neurobiological factors. However, the neural mechanisms of violence in patients with SCZ are not yet sufficiently understood. Thus, this study aimed to explore the structural changes associated with the high risk of violence and its association with impulsiveness in patients with SCZ to reveal the possible neurobiological basis. METHOD: The voxel-based morphometry approach and whole-brain analyses were used to measure the alteration of gray matter volume (GMV) for 45 schizophrenia patients with violence (VSC), 45 schizophrenia patients without violence (NSC), and 53 healthy controls (HC). Correlation analyses were used to examine the association of impulsiveness and brain regions associated with violence. RESULTS: The results demonstrated reduced GMV in the right insula within the VSC group compared with the NSC group, and decreased GMV in the right temporal pole and left orbital part of superior frontal gyrus only in the VSC group compared to the HC group. Spearman correlation analyses further revealed a positive correlation between impulsiveness and GMV of the left superior temporal gyrus, bilateral insula and left medial orbital part of the superior frontal gyrus in the VSC group. CONCLUSION: Our findings have provided further evidence for structural alterations in patients with SCZ who had engaged in severe violence, as well as the relationship between the specific brain alterations and impulsiveness. This work provides neural biomarkers and improves our insight into the neural underpinnings of violence in patients with SCZ.

Leaf chlorophyll content is the crucial factor for the temporal and spatial variation of global plants leaf maximum carboxylation rate.

Photosynthesis plays an important role in the terrestrial carbon and water cycles which are often studied using terrestrial biosphere models (TBMs). The maximum carboxylation rate at 25 °C (Vcmax25) is a key parameter in the photosynthesis module of TBMs, yet the spatiotemporal distribution of Vcmax25 and the driving mechanism are not fully understood. In this study, Enzyme Kinetics response model, leaf chlorophyll content response model and partial correlation analysis were used to analyze the temporal and spatial changes patterns of atmospheric environment, enzyme dynamic and soil nutrition on Vcmax25 and the driving mechanism, and has made a few useful conclusions: (1) Vcmax25 varies significantly with latitude and between- and within-plant function types (PFTs), which mainly dependent on leaf chlorophyll content (LCC). Under the influence of temperature, the contribution of LCC to the seasonal variation of Vcmax25 is very different among the eight main biomes, with an average contribution of 21 %. (2) The relationship between meteorological variables and Vcmax25 was significant, due to the fact that meteorological variables drive the Rubisco enzyme content that have a significant relationship with Vcmax25, rather than directly acting on Vcmax25. (3) Soil nutrient elements had significant influence on the spatiotemporal variation of Vcmax25 and LCC. The results showed that soil total carbon, soil nitrogen and organic carbon not only affect the temporal and spatial pattern of Vcmax25, but also are the key factors of LCC temporal-spatial variation. These findings provide useful information for better parameterization of Vcmax25 in TBMs.

Maintenance pembrolizumab therapy in patients with metastatic HER2-negative breast cancer with prior response to chemotherapy.

PURPOSE: Accumulating toxicities hinder indefinite chemotherapy for many patients with metastatic/recurrent HER2-negative breast cancer. We conducted a phase II trial of pembrolizumab monotherapy following induction chemotherapy to determine the efficacy of maintenance immunotherapy in patients with metastatic HER2-negative inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) and non-IBC triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and a biomarker study. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with a complete response (CR), partial response (PR), or stable disease (SD) after at least 3 cycles of chemotherapy for HER2-negative breast cancer received pembrolizumab, regardless of programmed death-ligand 1 expression. Pembrolizumab (200 mg) was administered every 3 weeks until disease progression, intolerable toxicity, or 2 years of pembrolizumab exposure. The endpoints included the 4-month disease control rate (DCR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and response biomarkers in the blood. RESULTS: Of 43 treated patients, 11 had metastatic IBC and 32 non-IBC TNBC. The 4-month DCR was 58.1% (95% CI, 43.4%-72.9%). For all patients, the median PFS was 4.8 months (95% CI, 3.0-7.1 months). The toxicity profile was similar to the previous pembrolizumab monotherapy study. Patients with high T-cell clonality at baseline had a longer PFS with pembrolizumab treatment than did those with low T-cell clonality (10.4 vs. 3.6 months, p = 0.04). Patients who achieved SD also demonstrated a significant increase in T-cell clonality during therapy compared to those who didn't achieve SD (20% vs. 5.9% mean increase, respectively; p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Pembrolizumab monotherapy achieved durable treatment responses. Patients with a high baseline T-cell clonality had prolonged disease control with pembrolizumab.

Single-cell profiling of response to neoadjuvant chemo-immunotherapy in surgically resectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The efficacy of neoadjuvant chemo-immunotherapy (NAT) in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is challenged by the intricate interplay within the tumor microenvironment (TME). Unveiling the immune landscape of ESCC in the context of NAT could shed light on heterogeneity and optimize therapeutic strategies for patients. METHODS: We analyzed single cells from 22 baseline and 24 post-NAT treatment samples of stage II/III ESCC patients to explore the association between the immune landscape and pathological response to neoadjuvant anti-PD-1 combination therapy, including pathological complete response (pCR), major pathological response (MPR), and incomplete pathological response (IPR). RESULTS: Single-cell profiling identified 14 major cell subsets of cancer, immune, and stromal cells. Trajectory analysis unveiled an interesting link between cancer cell differentiation and pathological response to NAT. ESCC tumors enriched with less differentiated cancer cells exhibited a potentially favorable pathological response to NAT, while tumors enriched with clusters of more differentiated cancer cells may resist treatment. Deconvolution of transcriptomes in pre-treatment tumors identified gene signatures in response to NAT contributed by specific immune cell populations. Upregulated genes associated with better pathological responses in CD8 + effector T cells primarily involved interferon-gamma (IFNγ) signaling, neutrophil degranulation, and negative regulation of the T cell apoptotic process, whereas downregulated genes were dominated by those in the immune response-activating cell surface receptor signaling pathway. Natural killer cells in pre-treatment tumors from pCR patients showed a similar upregulation of gene expression in response to IFNγ but a downregulation of genes in the neutrophil-mediated immunity pathways. A decreased cellular contexture of regulatory T cells in ESCC TME indicated a potentially favorable pathological response to NAT. Cell-cell communication analysis revealed extensive interactions between CCL5 and its receptor CCR5 in various immune cells of baseline pCR tumors. Immune checkpoint interaction pairs, including CTLA4-CD86, TIGIT-PVR, LGALS9-HAVCR2, and TNFSF4-TNFRSF4, might serve as additional therapeutic targets for ICI therapy in ESCC. CONCLUSIONS: This pioneering study unveiled an intriguing association between cancer cell differentiation and pathological response in esophageal cancer patients, revealing distinct subgroups of tumors for which neoadjuvant chemo-immunotherapy might be effective. We also delineated the immune landscape of ESCC tumors in the context of clinical response to NAT, which provides clinical insights for better understanding how patients respond to the treatment and further identifying novel therapeutic targets for ESCC patients in the future.

Oroxyloside protects against dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis by inhibiting ER stress via PPARγ activation.

Ulcerative colitis (UC), a prevalent form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), may result from immune system dysfunction, leading to the sustained overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and subsequent cellular oxidative stress damage. Recent studies have identified both peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ) and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress as critical targets for the treatment of IBD. Oroxyloside (C22H20O11), derived from the root of Scutellariabaicalensis Georgi, has traditionally been used in treating inflammatory diseases. In this study, we investigated the molecular mechanisms by which oroxyloside mitigates dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis. We examined the effects of oroxyloside on ROS-mediated ER stress in colitis, including the protein expressions of GRP78, p-PERK, p-eIF2α, ATF4, and CHOP, which are associated with ER stress. The beneficial impact of oroxyloside was reversed by the PPARγ antagonist GW9662 (1 mg·kg-1, i.v.) in vivo. Furthermore, oroxyloside decreased pro-inflammatory cytokines and ROS production in both bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDM) and the mouse macrophage cell line RAW 264.7. However, PPARγ siRNA transfection blocked the anti-inflammatory effect of oroxyloside and even abolished ROS generation and ER stress activation inhibited by oroxyloside in vitro. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that oroxyloside ameliorates DSS-induced colitis by inhibiting ER stress via PPARγ activation, suggesting that oroxyloside might be a promising effective agent for IBD.

A comparative study of the use of digital technology in the anterior smile experience.

OBJECTIVES: this study aims to compare the clinical outcomes of traditional and digital crown extension guides in the aesthetic restoration of anterior teeth. Additionally, the study will analyze the differences in the results of various digital crown extension guides in anterior aesthetic restorations. METHODS: Sixty-two patients who required aesthetic restoration of their anterior teeth were selected for this study. The patients had a total of 230 anterior teeth and were randomly divided into three groups: a control group of 22 cases who received diagnostic wax-up with pressure film, an experimental group 1 of 20 cases who received 3D printed digital models with pressure film, and an experimental group 2 of 20 patients who received digital dual-positioning guides. The control group had a total of 84 anterior teeth, experimental group 1 had 72 anterior teeth, and experimental group 2 had 74 anterior teeth. The study compared three methods for fabricating crown extension guides: the control group used the diagnostic wax-up plus compression film method, while experimental group 1 used compression film on 3D printed models and experimental group 2 used 3D printed digital dual-positioning crown extension guides. After the crown lengthening surgery, the control group patients wore DMG resin temporary crown material for gingival contouring, while the experimental group patients wore 3D printed resin temporary crowns for the same purpose. The patients were followed up in the outpatient clinic after wearing temporary crowns for 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months, respectively. The clinical results were evaluated in terms of marginal fit, red aesthetic index, and white aesthetic index. RESULTS: Based on the statistical analysis, the experimental group required significantly fewer follow-up visits and less time for guide design and fabrication compared to the control group. Additionally, the surgical time for the experimental group was significantly shorter than that of the control group. During the postoperative period between the 1st and 3rd month, the PES index scores for the marginal gingival level, proximal, and distal mesiodistal gingival papillae of the experimental group showed a trend of superiority over those of the control group. By the 6th month, the marginal gingival level exhibited a significant difference between the experimental and control groups. The experimental group demonstrated superior results to the control group in terms of shape, contour, and volume of the teeth, color, surface texture, and transparency of the restorations, and features during the 1st and 3rd postoperative months. In the 6th month, the comparative results indicated that the experimental group continued to exhibit superior outcomes to the control group in terms of the shape, color, surface texture, and transparency of the restorations, as well as the characteristics of the teeth. Additionally, the experimental group demonstrated significantly fewer gingival alterations than the control group at 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months post-procedure, with this difference being statistically significant. Furthermore, the combination of 3D printing technology and restorative techniques was utilized, resulting in consistent patient satisfaction. CONCLUSION: Digitalisation plays an important role in anterior aesthetic restorations. The use of digital technology to manage the entire process of anterior cosmetic restorations can improve restorative results, reduce the number of follow-up appointments, shorten consultation time, and achieve better patient satisfaction.

YAP upregulates AMPKα1 to induce cancer cell senescence.

Yes-associated protein (YAP)-a major effector protein of the Hippo pathway- regulates cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, and senescence. Amp-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a key sensor that monitors cellular nutrient supply and energy status. Although YAP and AMPK are considered to regulate cellular senescence, it is still unclear whether AMPK is involved in YAP-regulated cellular senescence. Here, we found that YAP promoted AMPKα1 aggregation and localization around mitochondria by co-transfecting CFP-YAP and YFP-AMPKα1 plasmids. Subsequent live cell fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) assay did not exhibit direct interaction between YAP and AMPKα1. FRET, Co-immunoprecipitation, and western blot experiments revealed that YAP directly bound to TEAD, enhancing the expression of AMPKα1 and p-AMPKα. Treatment with verteporfin inhibited YAP's binding to TEAD and reversed the elevated expression of AMPKα1 in the cells overexpressing CFP-YAP. Verteporfin also reduced the proportion of AMPKα1 puncta in the cells co-expressing CFP-YAP and YFP-AMPKα1. In addition, the AMPKα1 puncta were demonstrated to inhibit cell viability, autophagy, and proliferation, and ultimately promote cell senescence. In conclusion, YAP binds to TEAD to upregulate AMPKα1 and promotes the formation of AMPKα1 puncta around mitochondria under the condition of co-expression of CFP-YAP and YFP-AMPKα1, in which AMPKα1 puncta lead to cellular senescence.

Salidroside inhibited the proliferation of gastric cancer cells through up-regulating tumor suppressor miR-1343-3p and down-regulating MAP3K6/MMP24 signal molecules.

Salidroside inhibited the proliferation of cancer cell. Nevertheless, the mechanism has not been completely clarified. The purpose of the study is to explore the mechanisms of salidroside against gastric cancer. To analyze the changes of microRNA (miRNA) in gastric cancer cells under the treatment of salidroside, the miRNA expression was analyzed by using RNA-seq in cancer cells for 24 h after salidroside treatment. The differentially expressed miRNAs were clustered and their target genes were analyzed. Selected miRNA and target mRNA genes were further verified by q-PCR. The expressions of target genes in cancer cells were detected by immunohistochemistry. Cancer cell apoptotic index was significantly increased after salidroside treatment. The proliferation of gastric cancer cells were blocked at S-phase cell cycle. The expression of 44 miRNAs changed differentially after salidroside treatment in cancer cells. Bioinformatic analysis showed that there were 1384 target mRNAs corresponding to the differentially expressed miRNAs. Surprisingly, salidroside significantly up-regulated the expression of tumor suppressor miR-1343-3p, and down-regulated the expression of MAP3K6, STAT3 and MMP24-related genes. Salidroside suppressed the growth of gastric cancer by inducing the cancer cell apoptosis, arresting the cancer cell cycle and down-regulating the related signal transduction pathways. miRNAs are expressed differentially in gastric cancer cells after salidroside treatment, playing important roles in regulating proliferation and metastasis. Salidroside may suppress the growth of gastric cancer by up-regulating the expression of the tumor suppressor miR-1343-3p and down-regulating the expression of MAP3K6 and MMP24 signal molecules.

Biomechanical Stability of Femoral Neck System for Pauwels Type III Femoral Neck Fractures Based on Different Reduction Quality.

To further investigate the biomechanics of a femoral neck system (FNS) for Pauwels type III femoral fractures based on three different reductions.We constructed three different reduction (anatomical reduction, negative buttress reduction, and positive buttress reduction) models of Pauwels type III femoral neck fractures. Then, three cannulated screws (3CS), dynamic hip screws (DHS), dynamic hip screws combined with an anti-rotation screw (DHS + ARS), one-hole femoral neck system (1HFNS), and two-hole femoral neck system (2HFNS) were assembled with the reduction models, respectively, to simulate the internal fixation surgical procedure. All models had a load of 2100 N in line with the femoral mechanical axis applied. The implant stress, the head and implant displacements, and the rotational angles of all models were recorded and analyzed.Compared to 3CS and 2HFNS, 1HFNS had higher implant stress (higher than 92.5 MPa and 46.3 MPa, respectively) and displacement (higher than 0.9 mm and 0.8 mm, respectively) in the anatomical reduction. 2HFNS exhibited the highest stress values (225.5 MPa) in the anatomical reduction but the lowest values (159.8 MPa) in the positive buttress reduction when compared to the other implants. 2HFNS showed the best rotational stability in the negative and positive buttress reduction (rotational angels of 0.8° and 0.6°, respectively).Based on the outcome of this computational study, it might be concluded that 2HFNS was an alternative fixation for the treatment of Pauwels type III femoral neck fracture, especially when anatomical reduction cannot be perfectly attained. More relevant clinical and biomechanical studies are needed in the future.

Abnormal energy metabolism, oxidative stress, and polyunsaturated fatty acid metabolism in depressed adolescents associated with childhood maltreatment: A targeted metabolite analysis.

The purpose of this study was to explore the metabolomic differences between Major depressive disorder (MDD) and healthy individuals among adolescents and the association between childhood maltreatment (CM) and differentially abundant metabolites. The exploratory study included 40 first-episode drug-naïve adolescents with MDD and 20 healthy volunteers. We used the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-13) to assess the severity of depression and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) to assess the presence of childhood maltreatment. The plasma samples from all participants were collected for targeted metabolomics analysis using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC‒MS/MS) methods. Spearman correlation was applied to analyse the correlations between clinical variables and metabolites. We found 11 increased metabolites and 37 decreased metabolites that differed between adolescents with MDD and healthy individuals. Pathway enrichment analysis of differentially abundant metabolites showed abnormalities in energy metabolism and oxidative stress in MDD. Importantly, we found that creatine, valine, isoleucine, glutamic acid and pyroglutamic acid were negatively correlated with the BDI-13, while isocitric acid, fatty acid and acylcarnitine were negatively associated with CTQ, and 4-hydroxyproline was positively related to CTQ in adolescents with MDD. These studies provide new ideas for the pathogenesis and potential treatment of adolescents with MDD.

Key roles of insulin receptor InR1 in initiating reproductive diapause in males of the cabbage beetle Colaphellus bowringi (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae).

BACKGROUND: Reproductive diapause serves as a valuable strategy enabling insects to survive unfavorable seasonal conditions. However, forcing insects into diapause when the environment is conducive to their well-being can cause them to miss out on seasonal opportunities for reproduction. This outcome not only reduces insect populations but also minimizes crop losses caused by insect feeding. Therefore, altering the timing of diapause initiation presents a potential strategy for managing pests. In this study, we examined the possible role of the Insulin Receptor 1 (InR1) in controlling reproductive diapause entry in the male cabbage beetle, Colaphellus bowringi. RESULTS: Compared to short-day (SD) conditions, long-day (LD) conditions led to reproductive diapause of C. bowringi males, characterized by arrested gonad development, increased Triglyceride (TG) accumulation, and upregulated expression of diapause protein 1 and genes associated with lipogenesis and stress tolerance. Upon employing RNA interference to knock down InR1 under SD conditions, males destined for reproduction were compelled into diapause, evidenced by arrested gonadal development, accumulation of TG, and elevated expression of diapause-related genes. Intriguingly, despite the common association of the absence of juvenile hormone (JH) with reproductive diapause in females, the knockdown of InR1 in males did not significant affect the expression of JH biosynthesis and JH response gene. CONCLUSION: The study highlight InR1 is a key factor involved in regulating male reproductive diapause in C. bowringi. Consequently, targeting insulin signaling could be a viable approach to perturb diapause timing, offering a promising strategy for managing pests with reproductive diapause capabilities. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Lever sign test for anterior cruciate ligament injuries: a diagnostic meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Sports-related ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injuries are frequent. Successful management requires early diagnosis and treatment. One of the clinical tests used to identify ACL damage is the lever sign test. This meta-analysis aimed to assess the lever sign test's diagnostic efficacy for ACL injuries. METHODS: An extensive investigation of the Cochrane Library, Embase, and PubMed databases was conducted until April 2023. Studies assessing the lever sign test's diagnostic efficacy for ACL injuries were also included. A bivariate random-effects model was employed to acquire the pooled estimates of diagnostic odds ratios, specificity, positive and negative likelihood ratios, sensitivity, and curves of the summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC). RESULTS: The meta-analysis comprised twelve investigations with a total of 1365 individuals. The lever sign test's combined sensitivity and specificity for the purpose of diagnosing injuries to the ACL were 0.810 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.686-0.893) and 0.784 (95% CI 0.583-0.904), respectively. The positive and negative likelihood ratios were 3.148 (95% CI 1.784-5.553) and 0.210 (95% CI 0.084-0.528), respectively. The study revealed a diagnostic odds ratio of 17.656, with a 95% CI ranging from 4.800 to 64.951. The SROC curve's area was determined to be 0.912 (95% CI 0.857-0.967). CONCLUSION: With high specificity and sensitivity, the lever sign test is a reliable diagnostic modality for ACL injuries. However, the test should be used in combination with other diagnostic tests to increase the accuracy of the diagnosis. Further investigations are warranted to assess the clinical practicability of the lever sign test in various populations and settings.

Vitamin E: An assistant for black soldier fly to reduce cadmium accumulation and toxicity.

Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic heavy metal associated with osteoporosis, liver, and kidney disease. The black soldier fly (BSF) Hermetia illucens may be exposed to Cd during the transformation of livestock manure. The BSF has a high tolerance to Cd. In the previous work of the laboratory, we found that vitamin E (VE) may play a role in the tolerance of BSF to Cd exposure. The main findings are as follows: The BSF larvae pretreated with exogenous VE had heavier body weight, lower content and toxicity of Cd under similar Cd exposure. Even in high Cd exposure at the concentrations of 300 and 700 mg/kg, the BSF larvae pretreated with exogenous VE at a concentration of 100 mg/kg still reduced the Cd toxicity to 85.33 % and 84.43 %, respectively. The best-fitting models showed that metallothionein (MT) content, oxidative damage (8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine content, malondialdehyde content), antioxidant power (total antioxidant power, peroxidase activity) had a great influence on content and toxicity of Cd bioaccumulated in the larvae. The degree of oxidative damage was reduced in the larvae with exogenous VE pretreatments. This variation can be explained by their changed MT content and increased antioxidant power because of exogenous VE. These results reveal the roles of VE in insects defense against Cd exposure and provide a new option for the prevention and therapy of damage caused by Cd exposure.

XGBoost in the Prediction of 28-Day Mortality in Critical Elderly Patients with Hip Fracture: A MIMIC-IV Cohort Study.

Background: The impact of hip fracture on older adults is significant, including increased mortality, reduced activity levels and abilities and reduced quality of life。 Hip fractures often occur in the elderly and increase the risk of death. The purpose of this study is to analyze the risk factors associated with 28-day mortality in elderly patients with severe hip fractures using two models, XG Boost and multivariate logistic regression, and to compare the predictive value of the two models. Methods: MIMIC database is a powerful tool to provide clinical data to clinical researchers. The database was established in 2003 with funding from the National Institutes of Health by the Computational Physiology Laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) at Harvard Medical School, and Philips Medical. Patients with severe hip fractures in the elderly were included based on the MIMIC-IV database and were divided into a death group and a survival group based on the death 28 days after admission to the ICU. Baseline data differences between the two groups of patients were compared, and risk factors associated with 28-day mortality in severe elderly patients with hip fractures were analyzed using XG Boost and multivariate logistic regression models, respectively. The predictive power of the two models was compared using receiver operation characteristics curves. Results: 287 elderly patients with severe hip fractures were included, including 43 cases (15.0%) in the death group and 244 cases (85.0%) in the survival group. Logistic regression analysis showed that advanced age, male, congestive heart failure (CHF), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), high sepsis-related organ failure (SOFA) score, high heart rate, high white blood cell count, high creatinine, high mean arterial pressure, and high hemoglobin levels were associated with 28-day mortality after admission to the ICU, while the higher the mean arterial pressure and the hemoglobin level, the lower the risk of death. Although the rate of using mechanical ventilation and receiving blood transfusion in the death group was higher than that in the survival group, neither of them reached statistical significance. The XG Boost model shows that the top 5 factors associated with 28-day mortality are Sequential organ failure score (SOFA) score (31 points), chronic heart failure (20 points), chronic structural pulmonary disease (18 points), age (17 points), and male (15 points). The higher the mean arterial pressure and the hemoglobin level, the lower the risk of death. The area under the ROC curve predicted by the multivariate logistic regression model for mortality risk was 0.729 (95% CI: 0.701-0.783), and the Jordan index was 0.412. The area under the ROC curve predicted by the XG Boost model for mortality risk was 0.804 (95% CI: 0.720-0.837), and the Jordan index was 0.492. Conclusion: The ability of the XG Boost model to predict the 28-day mortality risk in elderly patients with severe hip fractures is better than the multivariate logistic regression model, which will help healthcare professionals provide more support for elderly patients with hip fracture.

Microcapsules of mesoporous silica and cyclodextrin modified loaded with nonanal and decanal for effective control of Sitotroga cerealella in grain storage environments.

BACKGROUND: The Angoumois grain moth, Sitotroga cerealella, is a destructive pest of maize, wheat, and rice, causing economic losses and threatening food security. This study aimed to develop and characterize microcapsules of mesoporous silica nanospheres (MSN) and cyclodextrin-modified mesoporous silica nanospheres (CDMSN) containing two aldehydes, nonanal and decanal, found in plant essential oils, to assess their attractiveness to S. cerealella populations. RESULTS: Microcapsules with 2:1 ratio of nonanal and decanal exhibited an average encapsulation efficiency of 39.82% for MSN loaded with nonanal and decanal (MSN-ND) and 46.10% for CDMSN loaded with nonanal and decanal (CDMSN-ND). They have an elliptical shape with particle sizes of 115 nm for MSN and 175 nm for CDMSN. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis revealed in vitro release of nonanal in MSN at 96.24% and decanal at 96.42% by the 36th day. CDMSN showed releases of 93.83% for nonanal and 93.74% for decanal by the 50th day. CDMSN-ND attracted adult S. cerealella for 43 days, while MSN-ND remained effective for 29 days. In mass trapping assays in simulated grain warehouse, both MSN-ND and CDMSN-ND trapped over 50% of the adult population within 7 days, significantly reducing grain infestation rates below 10% by inhibiting F1 adult emergence. At temperatures ranging from 20 °C to 35 °C, both microcapsules exhibited significant and effective attraction rates for S. cerealella. Stored wheat seeds treated with CDMSN and CDMSN-ND over 1 year showed no significant differences in key germination parameters. CONCLUSION: Microencapsulated nonanal and decanal offer a promising, sustainable approach for controlling S. cerealella infestation in stored grains, contributing to global food security. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.