Evaluating the relative importance of different blood pressure indices in screening for NAFLD: a survey report based on a health examination population.

Objective: While hypertension is a well-recognized risk factor for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), the specific roles of various common blood pressure measurements [diastolic blood pressure (DBP), systolic blood pressure (SBP), pulse pressure (PP), mean arterial pressure (MAP)] in detecting NAFLD and evaluating the associated risk in adults remain unclear. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 14,251 adult participants undergoing health screenings in the NAfld in the Gifu Area, Longitudinal Analysis project (NAGALA). Following the Z-transformation of the independent variables, we evaluated the relationships between the four blood pressure indices and NAFLD through multivariable logistic regression models. This analysis documented the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for each standard deviation (SD) increase. Additionally, the effectiveness of these indices in identifying NAFLD was comparatively analyzed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results: After adequately adjusting for confounders, all blood pressure indices except PP showed a positive correlation with NAFLD. For each SD increment, MAP had the strongest association with NAFLD compared to SBP and DBP. This finding was confirmed in populations without exercise habits, under 60 years of age, with normal blood pressure, and in non-obese groups. Furthermore, based on ROC analysis, MAP was found to have the highest accuracy in identifying NAFLD compared to the other three blood pressure indices. Conclusion: Among the four blood pressure indices evaluated, MAP demonstrates the greatest efficacy in identifying NAFLD and assessing its associated risk. These findings underscore the potential of MAP as the most promising blood pressure index for screening NAFLD.

Lipids as potential mediators linking body mass index to diabetes: evidence from a mediation analysis based on the NAGALA cohort.

BACKGROUND: Body mass index (BMI) and lipid disorders are both known to be strongly associated with the development of diabetes, however, the indirect effect of lipid parameters in the BMI-related diabetes risk is currently unknown. This study aimed to investigate the mediating role of lipid parameters in the association of BMI with diabetes risk. METHODS: We assessed the association of diabetes risk with BMI, as well as lipid parameters including high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-CF and LDL-CS), triglycerides(TG), total cholesterol(TC), remnant cholesterol(RC), non-HDL-C, and combined indices of lipid parameters with HDL-C (RC/HDL-C ratio, TG/HDL-C ratio, TC/HDL-C ratio, non-HDL/HDL-C ratio, LDL/HDL-C ratio) using data from 15,453 subjects in the NAGALA project. Mediation models were used to explore the mediating role of lipid parameters in the association of BMI with diabetes risk, and mediation percentages were calculated for quantifying the strength of the indirect effects. Finally, receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis was used to compare the accuracy of BMI and BMI combined with lipid parameters in predicting incident diabetes. RESULTS: Multivariate regression models, adjusted for confounding factors, demonstrated robust associations of lipid parameters, BMI, with diabetes risk, with the exception of TC, LDL-CF, LDL-CS, and non-HDL-C. Mediation analysis showed that lipid parameters except TC, LDL-CF, LDL-CS, and Non-HDL-C were involved in and mediated the association of BMI with diabetes risk, with the largest mediation percentage being the RC/HDL-C ratio, which was as high as 40%; it is worth mentioning that HDL-C and HDL-C-related lipid ratio parameters also play an important mediating role in the association between BMI and diabetes, with the mediator proportion being greater than 30%. Finally, based on the ROC results, we found that the prediction performance of all lipid parameters in the current study except TC was significantly improved when combined with BMI. CONCLUSION: Our fresh findings suggested that lipid parameters partially mediated the association of BMI with diabetes risk; this result indicated that in the context of diabetes risk screening and disease management, it is important to not only monitor BMI but also pay attention to lipid parameters, particularly HDL-C and HDL-C-related lipid ratio parameters.

Proteomic change in the upper lobe of the left lung of Beagle dogs at the lung migration stage of Toxocara canis infection.

BACKGROUND: Toxocara canis is considered one of the most neglected parasitic zoonoses and threatens the health of millions of people worldwide with a predilection for pediatric and adolescent populations in impoverished communities. Exploring the invasion and developmental mechanisms associated with T. canis infection in its definitive canine hosts will help to better control zoonotic toxocariasis. METHODS: Proteomic changes in samples from the upper lobe of the left lung of Beagle puppies were systematically analyzed by quantitative proteomic technology of data-independent acquisition (DIA) at 96 h post-infection (hpi) with T. canis. Proteins with P-values < 0.05 and fold change > 1.5 or < 0.67 were considered proteins with differential abundance (PDAs). RESULTS: A total of 28 downregulated PDAs and 407 upregulated PDAs were identified at 96 hpi, including RhoC, TM4SFs and LPCAT1, which could be associated with the maintenance and repair of lung homeostasis. GO annotation and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses of all identified proteins and PDAs revealed that many lung proteins have correlation to signal transduction, lipid metabolism and immune system. CONCLUSIONS: The present study revealed lung proteomic alterations in Beagle dogs at the lung migration stage of T. canis infection and identified many PDAs of Beagle dog lung, which may play important roles in the pathogenesis of toxocariasis, warranting further experimental validation.

Prognostic value of geriatric nutritional risk index in patients with stable coronary artery disease undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.

BACKGROUND: Malnutrition increases the risk of poor prognosis in patients with cardiovascular disease, and our current research was designed to assess the predictive performance of the Geriatric Nutrition Risk Index (GNRI) for the occurrence of poor prognosis after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with stable coronary artery disease (SCAD) and to explore possible thresholds for nutritional intervention. METHODS: This study retrospectively enrolled newly diagnosed SCAD patients treated with elective PCI from 2014 to 2017 at Shinonoi General Hospital, with all-cause death as the main follow-up endpoint. Cox regression analysis and restricted cubic spline (RCS) regression analysis were used to explore the association of GNRI with all-cause death risk and its shape. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis and piecewise linear regression analysis were used to evaluate the predictive performance of GNRI level at admission on all-cause death in SCAD patients after PCI and to explore possible nutritional intervention threshold points. RESULTS: The incidence of all-cause death was 40.47/1000 person-years after a mean follow-up of 2.18 years for 204 subjects. Kaplan-Meier curves revealed that subjects at risk of malnutrition had a higher all-cause death risk. In multivariate Cox regression analysis, each unit increase in GNRI reduced the all-cause death risk by 14% (HR 0.86, 95% CI 0.77, 0.95), and subjects in the GNRI > 98 group had a significantly lower risk of death compared to those in the GNRI < 98 group (HR 0.04, 95% CI 0.00, 0.89). ROC analysis showed that the baseline GNRI had a very high predictive performance for all-cause death (AUC = 0.8844), and the predictive threshold was 98.62; additionally, in the RCS regression analysis and piecewise linear regression analysis we found that the threshold point for the GNRI-related all-cause death risk was 98.28 and the risk will be significantly reduced when the subjects' baseline GNRI was greater than 98.28. CONCLUSIONS: GNRI level at admission was an independent predictor of all-cause death in SCAD patients after PCI, and GNRI equal to 98.28 may be a useful threshold for nutritional intervention in SCAD patients treated with PCI.

B‒N covalent bond-involved π-extension of multiple resonance emitters enables high-performance narrowband electroluminescence.

Multi-boron-embedded multiple resonance thermally activated delayed fluorescence (MR-TADF) emitters show promise for achieving both high color-purity emission and high exciton utilization efficiency. However, their development is often impeded by a limited synthetic scope and excessive molecular weights, which challenge material acquisition and organic light-emitting diode (OLED) fabrication by vacuum deposition. Herein, we put forward a B‒N covalent bond-involved π-extension strategy via post-functionalization of MR frameworks, leading to the generation of high-order B/N-based motifs. The structurally and electronically extended π-system not only enhances molecular rigidity to narrow emission linewidth but also promotes reverse intersystem crossing to mitigate efficiency roll-off. As illustrated examples, ultra-narrowband sky-blue emitters (full-width at half-maximum as small as 8 nm in n-hexane) have been developed with multi-dimensional improvement in photophysical properties compared to their precursor emitters, which enables narrowband OLEDs with external quantum efficiencies (EQEmax) of up to 42.6%, in company with alleviated efficiency decline at high brightness, representing the best efficiency reported for single-host OLEDs. The success of these emitters highlights the effectiveness of our molecular design strategy for advanced MR-TADF emitters and confirms their extensive potential in high-performance optoelectronic devices.

The enhanced affinity of moderately hydrolyzed whey protein to EGCG promotes the isoelectric separation and unlocks the protective effects on polyphenols.

The instability and discoloration of (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) constrain its application in functional dairy products. Concurrently, challenges persist in the separation and utilization of whey in the dairy industry. By harnessing the interactions between polyphenols and whey proteins or their hydrolysates, this study proposed a method that involved limited enzymatic hydrolysis followed by the addition of EGCG and pH adjustment around the isoelectric point to obtain whey protein hydrolysates (WPH)-EGCG. Over 92 % of protein-EGCG complexes recovered from whey while ensuring the preservation of α-lactalbumin. The combination between EGCG and WPH depended on hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions, significantly enhanced the thermal stability and storage stability of EGCG. Besides, the intestinal phase retention rate of EGCG in WPH-EGCG complex was significantly increased by 23.67 % compared to free EGCG. This work represents an exploratory endeavor in the improvement of EGCG stability and expanding the utilization approaches of whey.

Landscapes of gut bacterial and fecal metabolic signatures and their relationship in severe preeclampsia.

BACKGROUND: Preeclampsia is a pregnancy-specific disease leading to maternal and perinatal morbidity. Hypertension and inflammation are the main characteristics of preeclampsia. Many factors can lead to hypertension and inflammation, including gut microbiota which plays an important role in hypertension and inflammation in humans. However, alterations to the gut microbiome and fecal metabolome, and their relationships in severe preeclampsia are not well known. This study aims to identify biomarkers significantly associated with severe preeclampsia and provide a knowledge base for treatments regulating the gut microbiome. METHODS: In this study, fecal samples were collected from individuals with severe preeclampsia and healthy controls for shotgun metagenomic sequencing to evaluate changes in gut microbiota composition. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis was used to validate the reliability of our shotgun metagenomic sequencing results. Additionally, untargeted metabolomics analysis was performed to measure fecal metabolome concentrations. RESULTS: We identified several Lactobacillaceae that were significantly enriched in the gut of healthy controls, including Limosilactobacillus fermentum, the key biomarker distinguishing severe preeclampsia from healthy controls. Limosilactobacillus fermentum was significantly associated with shifts in KEGG Orthology (KO) genes and KEGG pathways of the gut microbiome in severe preeclampsia, such as flagellar assembly. Untargeted fecal metabolome analysis found that severe preeclampsia had higher concentrations of Phenylpropanoate and Agmatine. Increased concentrations of Phenylpropanoate and Agmatine were associated with the abundance of Limosilactobacillus fermentum. Furthermore, all metabolites with higher abundances in healthy controls were enriched in the arginine and proline metabolism pathway. CONCLUSION: Our research indicates that changes in metabolites, possibly due to the gut microbe Limosilactobacillus fermentum, can contribute to the development of severe preeclampsia. This study provides insights into the interaction between gut microbiome and fecal metabolites and offers a basis for improving severe preeclampsia by modulating the gut microbiome.

Optimizing the Structure and Optical Properties of Lanthanum Aluminate Perovskite through Nb5+ Doping.

This work involves the introduction of niobium oxide into lanthanum aluminate (LaAlO3) via a conventional solid-state reaction technique to yield LaAlO3:Nb (LaNbxAl1-xO3+δ) samples with Nb5+ doping levels ranging from 0.00 to 0.25 mol%. This study presents a comprehensive investigation of the effects of niobium doping on the phase evolution, defect control, and reflectance of LaNbxAl1-xO3+δ powder. Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirms the perovskite structure in all powders, and XRD and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) reveal successful doping of Nb5+ into LaNbxAl1-xO3+δ. The surface morphology was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the results show that increasing the doping concentration of niobium leads to fewer microstructural defects. Oxygen vacancy defects in different compositions are analyzed at 300 K, and as the doping level increases, a clear trend of defect reduction is observed. Notably, LaNbxAl1-xO3+δ with 0.15 mol% Nb5+ exhibits excellent reflectance properties, with a maximum infrared reflectance of 99.7%. This study shows that LaNbxAl1-xO3+δ powder materials have wide application potential in the field of high reflectivity coating materials due to their extremely low microstructural defects and oxygen vacancy defects.

Subtypes of Blastocystis in Tibetan Antelope (Pantholops hodgsonii).

Blastocystis is a protist that is distributed in the gut tract of humans and animals. However, the reports about Blastocystis infection in Tibetan antelope are scarce. We collected 173 Tibetan antelope feces samples from Xinjiang, Qinghai and Xizang, and amplified the SSU rRNA gene of 600 bp region of Blastocystis in our research. Fifty-one samples in total were positive for Blastocystis, with all subtypes being ST31. The lowest prevalence of Blastocystis was observed in Xizang (2/20, 9.1%), followed by Qinghai (18/92, 16.4%), Xinjiang (31/61, 33.7%). The highest prevalence of Blastocystis in Tibetan antelope was detected during the summer was (19/30, 38.8%). This is the first research work regarding the Blastocystis subtypes ST31 in Tibetan antelope. Our research provides information for future researches on the distribution of this Blastocystis subtype and the control of Blastocystis infection.

Relative importance of triglyceride glucose index combined with body mass index in predicting recovery from prediabetic state to normal fasting glucose: a cohort analysis based on a Chinese physical examination population.

BACKGROUND: Prediabetes is a high-risk state for diabetes, and numerous studies have shown that the body mass index (BMI) and triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index play significant roles in risk prediction for blood glucose metabolism. This study aims to evaluate the relative importance of BMI combination with TyG index (TyG-BMI) in predicting the recovery from prediabetic status to normal blood glucose levels. METHODS: A total of 25,397 prediabetic subjects recruited from 32 regions across China. Normal fasting glucose (NFG), prediabetes, and diabetes were defined referring to the American Diabetes Association (ADA) criteria. After normalizing the independent variables, the impact of TyG-BMI on the recovery or progression of prediabetes was analyzed through the Cox regression models. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was utilized to visualize and compare the predictive value of TyG-BMI and its constituent components in prediabetes recovery/progression. RESULTS: During the average observation period of 2.96 years, 10,305 individuals (40.58%) remained in the prediabetic state, 11,278 individuals (44.41%) recovered to NFG, and 3,814 individuals (15.02%) progressed to diabetes. The results of multivariate Cox regression analysis demonstrated that TyG-BMI was negatively associated with recovery from prediabetes to NFG and positively associated with progression from prediabetes to diabetes. Further ROC analysis revealed that TyG-BMI had higher impact and predictive value in predicting prediabetes recovering to NFG or progressing to diabetes in comparison to the TyG index and BMI. Specifically, the TyG-BMI threshold for predicting prediabetes recovery was 214.68, while the threshold for predicting prediabetes progression was 220.27. Additionally, there were significant differences in the relationship of TyG-BMI with prediabetes recovering to NFG or progressing to diabetes within age subgroups. In summary, TyG-BMI is more suitable for assessing prediabetes recovery or progression in younger populations (< 45 years old). CONCLUSIONS: This study, for the first time, has revealed the significant impact and predictive value of the TyG index in combination with BMI on the recovery from prediabetic status to normal blood glucose levels. From the perspective of prediabetes intervention, maintaining TyG-BMI within the threshold of 214.68 holds crucial significance.

Prevalence, outcomes and associated factors of SARS-CoV-2 infection in psoriasis patients of Southwest China: a cross-sectional survey.

In this study we aimed to investigate the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in psoriasis patients, and outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 infection and associated risk factors. A cross-sectional survey was conducted from February 2023 to March 2023. Information was obtained with online questionnaire about psoriasis patients on demographic characteristics, clinical characteristics, SARS-CoV-2 infection and outcomes, vaccination, and routine protection against COVID-19. Logistic regression analysis was used to explore risk factors with SARS-CoV-2 infection and exacerbation of psoriasis. A total of 613 participants were recruited. 516 (84.2%) were infected, and associated factors were sex, working status, routine protection against COVID-19, COVID-19 vaccination, impaired nail, infection exacerbate psoriasis, and severity of psoriasis. Among the patients infected with SARS-CoV-2, 30 (5.8%) required hospitalization, 122 (23.6%) had psoriasis exacerbation due to SARS-CoV-2 infection, and associated factors were subtype of psoriasis, discontinuation of psoriasis treatment during SARS-CoV-2 infection, response following COVID-19 vaccination, and severity of psoriasis. Booster dose vaccination contributed a low probability of COVID-19 sequelae. COVID-19 vaccine's effectiveness was unsatisfactory, while booster dose vaccination reduced the occurrence of COVID-19 sequelae in psoriasis patients of Southwest China. Patients treated with psoriasis shown to be safe, without a higher incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection or COVID-19hospitalization compared to untreated patients. Stopping treatment during SARS-CoV-2 infection led to psoriasis exacerbation, so psoriasis treatment could be continued except severe adverse reaction.

Predictive value of insulin resistance surrogates for the development of diabetes in individuals with baseline normoglycemia: findings from two independent cohort studies in China and Japan.

BACKGROUND: Insulin resistance (IR) plays a crucial role in the occurrence and progression of diabetes. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the predictive value of four IR surrogates, including the triglycerides glucose (TyG) index, TyG and body mass index (TyG-BMI), triglycerides/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (TG/HDL-C) ratio, and the metabolic score for IR (MetS-IR) for diabetes in two large cohorts. METHODS: A total of 116,661 adult participants from the China Rich Healthcare Group and 15,464 adult participants from the Japanese NAGALA cohort were included in the study. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the standardized hazard ratio (HR) of the TyG index, TyG-BMI, TG/HDL-C ratio, and MetS-IR directly associated with diabetes. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and time-dependent ROC curve analysis were performed to evaluate and compare the predictive value of the four IR surrogates for diabetes. RESULTS: In the two independent cohorts, the average follow-up time was 3.1 years in the China cohort, with 2681(2.30%) incident cases of diabetes recorded, and 6.13 years in the Japan cohort, with 373 incident cases (2.41%) of diabetes recorded. After adjusting for potential confounding factors, we found that among the four IR surrogates, TyG-BMI and MetS-IR showed stronger associations with diabetes. The stronger associations persisted even after further stratification by age, sex, hypertension, and obese subgroups. In terms of diabetes prediction, based on ROC analysis, TyG-BMI demonstrated the highest predictive accuracy for diabetes in the Chinese population, while both TyG-BMI and MetS-IR showed the highest predictive accuracy in the Japanese population. The results of further subgroup ROC analysis confirmed the robustness of these findings. Furthermore, the time-dependent ROC results indicated that among the four IR surrogates, MetS-IR exhibited the highest accuracy in predicting future diabetes at various time intervals in the Japanese population. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that evaluating TyG-BMI and MetS-IR as IR surrogates may be the most useful for predicting diabetes events and assessing the risk of developing diabetes in East Asian populations.

Clinical and laboratory characterization of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Chinese migrant workers returned from Iraq.

BACKGROUND: Imported cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a growing problem with increasing global travel to endemic areas. Returned travelers with CL are easy to be misdiagnosed and mistreated due to the lack of awareness for the disease to the physicians in non-endemic region that may lead to unfavorable outcome. Our study intends to summarize the characteristics of Leishmania infection imported from Iraq, so as to help Chinese physicians diagnose and treat the disease. All CL patients were treated with intralesional injection of antimony. METHODS: The definitive diagnosis of CL is based on the parasite identification by microscopic examination directly on lesion smear or parasite culture, PCR amplification of Leishmania-specific internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS-1). The phylogenetic analysis, the immunopathological examination and the cytokine detection were proceeded after the diagnosis. RESULTS: We have identified 25 CL cases in migrant Chinese workers returned from Iraq for the first time with L. major as the major species of infected Leishmania parasite. Clinical features of the Iraq-imported CL include the history of skin exposure to sandflies bite and the lesions mostly on the exposed limbs. More ulcerative wet lesion was observed than nodular dry lesion. PCR is not only used to detect Leishmania parasite with high sensitivity, but also to identify the species of infected parasite through sequencing the amplified Leishmania-specific ITS-1 gene. The phylogenetic analysis based on the amplified ITS-1 sequences revealed that the infected Leishmania was closed related to the species and strains endemic in Iraq. The immunopathological examination revealed the T-cell filtrated cellular immune response with less B cells and NK cells involved. The cytokine profile measured in the skin lesion also confirmed the Th1 cellular response with higher expression levels of IFN-γ, IL-6 and IL-8. The skin lesions in CL patients were healed after being treated locally with antimony. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical and parasitological features of these Chinese CL cases imported from Iraq provide useful information for the diagnosis and treatment of CL that is not commonly seen in Chinese local population.

Prevalence of intestinal trichomonads in captive non-human primates in China.

Trichomonads are protozoan symbionts with the capacity to infect vertebrates including humans and non-human primates (NHPs), sometimes with pathogenic effects. However, their diversity and prevalence in NHPs in China are poorly understood. A total of 533 fecal samples were collected from captive NHPs in Yunnan Province, China, of which 461 samples from Macaca fascicularis and 72 from Macaca mulatta. Trichomonadidae species were identified using PCR amplification of the ITS-1/5.8S/ITS-2 sequences. The overall prevalence of trichomonads in NHPs was determined to be 11.4% (61/533), with gender, diarrhea, and region identified as potential risk factors for the infections. Sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis identified three species of trichomonads, i.e., Trichomitopsis minor (n = 45), Pentatrichomonas hominis (n = 11), and Tetratrichomonas sp. (n = 5). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report Trichomitopsis minor infection in NHPs in China. Of note, Pentatrichomonas hominis is generally recognized as a parasitic organism affecting humans. Collectively, our results suggest that NHPs are potential sources of zoonotic trichomonad infections, highlighting the importance of surveillance and control measures to protect human and animal populations.

Title: Prévalence des Trichomonadidae intestinaux chez les primates non humains captifs en Chine. Abstract: Les Trichomonadidae sont des symbiotes protozoaires capables d'infecter les vertébrés, notamment les humains et les primates non humains (PNH), parfois avec des effets pathogènes. Cependant, leur diversité et leur prévalence chez les PNH en Chine sont mal comprises. Au total, 533 échantillons fécaux ont été collectés sur des PNH captifs dans la province du Yunnan, en Chine, dont 461 échantillons de Macaca fascicularis et 72 de Macaca mulatta. Les espèces de Trichomonadidae ont été identifiées par amplification PCR des séquences ITS-1/5.8S/ITS-2. La prévalence globale des Trichomonadidae dans les PNH a été déterminée à 11,4 % (61 / 533) et le sexe, la diarrhée et la région ont été identifiés comme facteurs de risque potentiels d'infection. L'alignement des séquences et l'analyse phylogénétique ont identifié trois espèces de Trichomonadidae, à savoir Trichomitopsis minor (n = 45), Pentatrichomonas hominis (n = 11) et Tetratrichomonas sp. (n = 5). À notre connaissance, il s'agit de la première étude à signaler une infection par Trichomitopsis minor chez les PNH en Chine. Il convient de noter que Pentatrichomonas hominis est généralement reconnu comme un organisme parasitaire affectant les humains. Collectivement, nos résultats suggèrent que les PNH sont des sources potentielles d'infections zoonotiques à Trichomonadidae, soulignant l'importance des mesures de surveillance et de contrôle pour protéger les populations humaines et animales.

Wearable strain sensor integrating mechanoluminescent fiber with a flexible printed circuit.

This paper reports an optical strain sensor that integrates a self-powered mechanoluminescent (ML) elastic fiber with a flexible circuit. The inclusion of an alumina nanoparticle as the additive results in seven-fold enhancement of ML intensity while maintaining flexibility of 120% strain. The sensor facilitates the detection of strain and stretching speed. It attains a sensitivity of 0.0022 lx/(1% strain) and a resolution of 0.2% strain, respectively. We have successfully applied it to detect bending motions of the finger, wrist, and elbow. This wearable strain sensor holds promise for diverse applications in wearable technology.

Biomechanical Evaluation of 2 Endoscopic Spine Surgery Methods for Treating Lumbar Disc Herniation: A Finite Element Study.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of 2 endoscopic spine surgeries on the biomechanical properties of normal and osteoporotic spines. METHODS: Based on computed tomography images of a healthy adult volunteer, 6 finite element models were created. After validating the normal intact model, a concentrated force of 400 N and a moment of 7.5 Nm were exerted on the upper surface of L3 to simulate 6 physiological activities of the spine. Five types of indices were used to assess the biomechanical properties of the 6 models, range of motion (ROM), maximum displacement value, intervertebral disc stress, maximum stress value, and articular protrusion stress, and by combining them with finite element stress cloud. RESULTS: In normal and osteoporotic spines, there was no meaningful change in ROM or disc stress in the 2 surgical models for the 6 motion states. Model N1 (osteoporotic percutaneous transforaminal endoscopic discectomy model) showed a decrease in maximum displacement value of 20.28% in right lateral bending. Model M2 (unilateral biportal endoscopic model) increased maximum displacement values of 16.88% and 17.82% during left and right lateral bending, respectively. The maximum stress value of L4-5 increased by 11.72% for model M2 during left rotation. In addition, using the same surgical approach, ROM, maximum displacement values, disc stress, and maximum stress values were more significant in the osteoporotic model than in the normal model. CONCLUSION: In both normal and osteoporotic spines, both surgical approaches were less disruptive to the physiologic structure of the spine. Furthermore, using the same endoscopic spine surgery, normal spine biomechanical properties are superior to osteoporotic spines.

Impact of non-Gaussian noise on GMI and LDPC performance in neural network equalized systems.

In this Letter, the impact of non-Gaussian noise caused by a nonlinear equalizer on low-density parity-check code (LDPC) performance is investigated in a 25-km 50-Gb/s pulse amplitude modulation4 (PAM4) direct detection system. The lookup table (LUT)-based log-likelihood ratio (LLR) calculation method is proposed to enhance the LDPC performance for the non-Gaussian noise case. Compared to the conventional LLR calculation method based on Gaussian distribution, the proposed method can improve 0.6-dB sensitivity in artificial neural network (ANN) equalizer systems. In addition, the conventional generalized mutual information (GMI) is proven to be an imperfect predictor of LDPC performance after nonlinear equalizers, such as decision feedback equalization (DFE) and ANN equalizer.

A PROTAC Augmenter for Photo-Driven Pyroptosis in Breast Cancer.

Proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) has recently emerged as a promising strategy for inducing post-translational knockdown of target proteins in disease treatment. The degradation of bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4), an essential nuclear protein for gene transcription, induced by PROTAC is proposed as an epigenetic approach to treat breast cancer. However, the poor membrane permeability and indiscriminate distribution of PROTAC in vivo results in low bioavailability, limiting its development and application. Herein, a nano "targeting chimera" (abbreviated as L@NBMZ) consisting of BRD4-PROTAC combined with a photosensitizer, to serve as the first augmenter for photo-driven pyroptosis in breast cancer, is developed. With excellent BRD4 degradation ability, high biosafety, and biocompatibility, L@NBMZ blocks gene transcription by degrading BRD4 through proteasomes in vivo, and surprisingly, induces the cleavage of caspase-3. This type of caspase-3 cleavage is synergistically amplified by light irradiation in the presence of photosensitizers, leading to efficient photo-driven pyroptosis. Both in vitro and in vivo outcomes demonstrate the remarkable anti-cancer efficacy of this augmenter, which significantly inhibits the lung metastasis of breast cancer in vivo. Thus, the photo-PROTAC "targeting chimera" augmenter construction strategy may pave a new way for expanding PROTAC applications within anti-cancer paradigms.

Association between weight-adjusted waist index and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a population-based study.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is the most important driver of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD); nevertheless, the relationship of weight-adjusted waist index (WWI), a new obesity index, with NAFLD is unclear. METHODS: This retrospective study used data from the NAGALA project from 1994 to 2016. WWI values were calculated using waist circumference (WC) and weight measurements of the participants. Three stepwise adjusted logistic regression models were developed to assess the relationship of WWI with NAFLD in the whole population and in both sexes. Additionally, we also conducted a series of exploratory analysis to test the potential impact of body mass index (BMI), age, smoking status and exercise habits on the association of WWI with NAFLD. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to estimate cut-off points for identifying NAFLD in the entire population and in both sexes. RESULTS: The current study included a population of 11,805 individuals who participated in health screenings, including 6,451 men and 5,354 women. After adjusting for all non-collinear variables in the multivariable logistic regression model, we found a significant positive correlation of WWI with NAFLD. For each unit increase in WWI, the risk of NAFLD increased by 72% in the entire population, by 84% in men, and by 63% in women. Furthermore, subgroup analyses revealed no significant discrepancies in the correlation of WWI with NAFLD across individuals with varying ages, exercise habits, and smoking status (all P-interaction > 0.05), except for different BMI groups (P-interaction < 0.05). Specifically, compared to the overweight/obese group, the relationship of WWI with NAFLD was significantly stronger in the non-obese group, especially in non-obese men. Finally, based on the results of ROC analysis, we determined that the WWI cut-off point used to identify NAFLD was 9.7675 in men and 9.9987 in women. CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first to establish a positive correlation between WWI and NAFLD. Moreover, assessing the influence of WWI on NAFLD in individuals without obesity may yield more valuable insights compared to those who are overweight or obese.

[Immune Reconstitution after BTKi Treatment in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the immune reconstitution after BTKi treatment in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). METHODS: The clinical and laboratorial data of 59 CLL patients admitted from January 2017 to March 2022 in Fujian Medical University Union Hospital were collected and analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: The median age of 59 CLL patients was 60.5(36-78). After one year of BTKi treatment, the CLL clones (CD5 +/CD19 +) of 51 cases (86.4%) were significantly reduced, in which the number of cloned-B cells decreased significantly from (46±6.1)×109/L to (2.3±0.4)×109/L (P =0.0013). But there was no significant change in the number of non-cloned B cells (CD19 + minus CD5 +/CD19 +). After BTKi treatment, IgA increased significantly from (0.75±0.09)g/L to (1.31±0.1)g/L (P <0.001), while IgG and IgM decreased from (8.1±0.2)g/L and (0.52±0.6)g/L to (7.1±0.1)g/L and (0.47±0.1)g/L, respectively (P <0.001, P =0.002). BTKi treatment resulted in a significant change in T cell subpopulation of CLL patients, which manifested as both a decrease in total number of T cells from (2.1±0.1)×109/L to (1.6±0.4)×109/L and NK/T cells from (0.11±0.1)×109/L to (0.07±0.01)×109/L (P =0.042, P =0.038), both an increase in number of CD4 + cells from (0.15±6.1)×109/L to (0.19±0.4)×109/L and CD8 + cells from (0.27±0.01)×109/L to (0.41±0.08)×109/L (both P <0.001). BTKi treatment also up-regulated the expression of interleukin (IL)-2 while down-regulated IL-4 and interferon (IFN)-γ. However, the expression of IL-6, IL-10, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α did not change significantly. BTKi treatment could also restored the diversity of TCR and BCR in CLL patients, especially obviously in those patients with complete remission (CR) than those with partial remission (PR). Before and after BTKi treatment, Shannon index of TCR in patients with CR was 0.02±0.008 and 0.14±0.001 (P <0.001), while in patients with PR was 0.01±0.03 and 0.05±0.02 (P >0.05), respectively. Shannon index of BCR in patients with CR was 0.19±0.003 and 0.33±0.15 (P <0.001), while in patients with PR was 0.15±0.009 and 0.23±0.18 (P <0.05), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: BTKi treatment can shrink the clone size in CLL patients, promote the expression of IgA, increase the number of functional T cells, and regulate the secretion of cytokines such as IL-2, IL-4, and IFN-γ. BTKi also promote the recovery of diversity of TCR and BCR. BTKi treatment contributes to the reconstitution of immune function in CLL patients.