The efficacy of social skills training (SST) and social cognition and interaction training (SCIT) for negative symptoms: A meta-analysis

Background and objectives The efficacy of antipsychotic drugs in improving negative symptoms of schizophrenia remains controversial. Psychological interventions, such as Social Skills Training (SST) and Social Cognition and Interaction Training (SCIT), have been developed and applied in clinical practice. The current meta-analysis was therefore conducted to evaluate the efficacy of controlled clinical trials using SST and SCIT on treating negative symptoms. Methods Systematical searches were carried out on PubMed, Web of Science, and PsycINFO databases. The standardized mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) was calculated to assess the effect size of SST/SCIT on negative symptoms. Subgroup and meta-regression analyses were conducted to explore sources of heterogeneity and identify potential factors that may influence their efficacy. Results A total of 23 studies including 1441 individuals with schizophrenia were included. The SST group included 8 studies with 635 individuals, and the SCIT group included 15 studies with 806 individuals. The effect size for the efficacy of SST on negative symptoms was -0.44 (95% CI: -0.60 to -0.28; p < 0.01), while SCIT was -0.16 (95% CI: -0.30 to -0.02; p < 0.01). Conclusions Our findings suggest that while both SST and SCIT can alleviate negative symptoms, the former appears to be more effective. Our results provide evidence-based guidance for the application of these interventions in both hospitalized and community individuals and can help inform the treatment and intervention of individuals with schizophrenia. (AU)

Physical activity improves the visual-spatial working memory of individuals with mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer's disease: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Objective: Our network meta-analysis aimed to ascertain the effect of physical activity on the visual-spatial working memory of individuals with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease as well as to propose tailored exercise interventions for each group. Methods: Employing a frequentist approach, we performed a network meta-analysis to compare the effectiveness of different exercise interventions in improving the visual-spatial working memory of individuals with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease. Subsequently, we explored the moderating variables influencing the effectiveness of the exercise interventions through a subgroup analysis. Results: We included 34 articles involving 3,074 participants in the meta-analysis, comprised of 1,537 participants from studies on mild cognitive impairment and 1,537 participants from studies on Alzheimer's disease. The articles included exhibited an average quality score of 6.6 (score studies) and 6.75 (reaction time [RT] studies), all passing the inconsistency test (p > 0.05). In the mild cognitive impairment literature, mind-body exercise emerged as the most effective exercise intervention (SMD = 0.61, 95% CI: 0.07-1.14). In Alzheimer's disease research, aerobic exercise was identified as the optimal exercise intervention (SMD = 0.39, 95% CI: 0.06-0.71). Conclusion: The results of the subgroup analysis suggest that the most effective approach to enhancing the visual-spatial working memory of individuals with mild cognitive impairment entails exercising at a frequency of three or more times per week for over 60 min each time and at a moderate intensity for more than 3 months. Suitable exercise options include mind-body exercise, multicomponent exercise, resistance exercise, and aerobic exercise. For individuals with Alzheimer's disease, we recommend moderately intense exercise twice per week for over 90 min per session and for a duration of 3 months or longer, with exercise options encompassing aerobic exercise and resistance exercise.

Compared with SonoVue® LR-5, Sonazoid® modified LR-5 has better diagnostic sensitivity for hepatocellular carcinoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) liver imaging reporting and data system (LI-RADS) is a standardized system for reporting liver nodules in patients at risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and is only recommended for pure blood pool agents such as SonoVue®. A modified LI-RADS was proposed for Sonazoid®, a Kupffer cell-specific contrast agent. This meta-analysis was conducted to compare the diagnostic efficiency of the CEUS LI-RADS for SonoVue® and the modified LI-RADS for Sonazoid®. Methods: The PubMed, Medline, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases were systematically searched to retrieve studies on the diagnostic efficiency of the CEUS LI-RADS algorithms in diagnosing HCC using SonoVue® and/or Sonazoid® from January 2016 to June 2023. Histopathology or imaging follow-up served as the reference standards. Only articles published in English on retrospective or prospective studies with full reports were included in the meta-analysis. A bivariate random-effects model was used. Data pooling, meta-regression, and sensitivity analysis were performed for the meta-analysis. Deeks' funnel plot asymmetry test was used to evaluate publication bias, and the QUADAS-2 tool was used to assess the methodological quality of eligible studies. Results: In total, 26 studies comprising 8,495 patients with 9,244 lesions were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled data results for SonoVue® LI-RADS category 5 (LR-5) and Sonazoid® modified LR-5 were as follows: pooled sensitivity: 0.68 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.64-0.73, I2=89.20%; P<0.01] and 0.82 (95% CI: 0.74-0.87, I2=85.39%; P<0.01) (P<0.05); pooled specificity: 0.93 (95% CI: 0.90-0.96, I2=86.52%; P<0.01) and 0.86 (95% CI: 0.79-0.91, I2=59.91%; P=0.01) (P<0.05); pooled area under the curve (AUC): 0.86 (95% CI: 0.82-0.89) and 0.91 (95% CI: 0.88-0.93) (P<0.05), respectively. The meta-regression analysis revealed that the study design, subject enrollment method, and reference standard contributed to the heterogeneity of SonoVue® LR-5, and the number of lesions was a source of heterogeneity for Sonazoid® modified LR-5. The diagnostic performance of the LI-RADS category M (LR-M) algorithms of SonoVue® and Sonazoid® was comparable. Conclusions: The Sonazoid® modified LR-5 algorithm had a higher diagnostic sensitivity, lower specificity, and higher AUC than SonoVue® LR-5.

Efficacy of radiofrequency ablation combined with sorafenib for treating liver cancer complicated with portal hypertension and prognostic factors.

BACKGROUND: Patients with liver cancer complicated by portal hypertension present complex challenges in treatment. AIM: To evaluate the efficacy of radiofrequency ablation in combination with sorafenib for improving liver function and its impact on the prognosis of patients with this condition. METHODS: Data from 100 patients with liver cancer complicated with portal hypertension from May 2014 to March 2019 were analyzed and divided into a study group (n = 50) and a control group (n = 50) according to the treatment regimen. The research group received radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in combination with sorafenib, and the control group only received RFA. The short-term efficacy of both the research and control groups was observed. Liver function and portal hypertension were compared before and after treatment. Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), glypican-3 (GPC-3), and AFP-L3 levels were compared between the two groups prior to and after treatment. The occurrence of adverse reactions in both groups was observed. The 3-year survival rate was compared between the two groups. Basic data were compared between the survival and non-surviving groups. To identify the independent risk factors for poor prognosis in patients with liver cancer complicated by portal hypertension, multivariate logistic regression analysis was employed. RESULTS: When comparing the two groups, the research group's total effective rate (82.00%) was significantly greater than that of the control group (56.00%; P < 0.05). Following treatment, alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels increased, and portal vein pressure decreased in both groups. The degree of improvement for every index was substantially greater in the research group than in the control group (P < 0.05). Following treatment, the AFP, GPC-3, and AFP-L3 levels in both groups decreased, with the research group having significantly lower levels than the control group (P < 0.05). The incidence of diarrhea, rash, nausea and vomiting, and fatigue in the research group was significantly greater than that in the control group (P < 0.05). The 1-, 2-, and 3-year survival rates of the research group (94.00%, 84.00%, and 72.00%, respectively) were significantly greater than those of the control group (80.00%, 64.00%, and 40.00%, respectively; P < 0.05). Significant differences were observed between the survival group and the non-surviving group in terms of Child-Pugh grade, history of hepatitis, number of tumors, tumor size, use of sorafenib, stage of liver cancer, histological differentiation, history of splenectomy and other basic data (P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that high Child-Pugh grade, tumor size (6-10 cm), history of hepatitis, no use of sorafenib, liver cancer stage IIIC, and previous splenectomy were independent risk factors for poor prognosis in patients with liver cancer complicated with portal hypertension (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Patients suffering from liver cancer complicated by portal hypertension benefit from the combination of RFA and sorafenib therapy because it effectively restores liver function and increases survival rates. The prognosis of patients suffering from liver cancer complicated by portal hypertension is strongly associated with factors such as high Child-Pugh grade, tumor size (6-10 cm), history of hepatitis, lack of sorafenib use, liver cancer at stage IIIC, and prior splenectomy.

Platelet-Rich Plasma in Young and Elderly Humans Exhibits a Different Proteomic Profile.

As people age, their ability to resist injury and repair damage decreases significantly. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has demonstrated diverse therapeutic effects on tissue repair. However, the inconsistency of patient outcomes poses a challenge to the practical application of PRP in clinical practice. Furthermore, a comprehensive understanding of the specific impact of aging on PRP requires a systematic investigation. We derived PRP from 6 young volunteers and 6 elderly volunteers, respectively. Subsequently, 95% of high-abundance proteins were removed, followed by mass spectrometry analysis. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with the identifier PXD050061. We detected a total of 739 proteins and selected 311 proteins that showed significant differences, including 76 upregulated proteins in the young group and 235 upregulated proteins in the elderly group. Functional annotation and enrichment analysis unveiled upregulation of proteins associated with cell apoptosis, angiogenesis, and complement and coagulation cascades in the elderly. Conversely, IGF1 was found to be upregulated in the young group, potentially serving as the central source of enhanced cell proliferation ability. Our investigation not only provides insights into standardizing PRP preparation but also offers novel strategies for augmenting the functionality of aging cells or tissues.

The gonadal niche safeguards human fetal germline cell development following maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection.

During pregnancy, germline development is vital for maintaining the continuation of species. Recent studies have shown increased pregnancy risks in COVID-19 patients at the perinatal stage. However, the potential consequence of infection for reproductive quality in developing fetuses remains unclear. Here, we analyze the transcriptome and DNA methylome of the fetal germline following maternal severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. We find that infection at early gestational age, a critical period of human primordial germ cell specification and epigenetic reprogramming, trivially affects fetal germ cell (FGC) development. Additionally, FGC-niche communications are not compromised by maternal infection. Strikingly, both general and SARS-CoV-2-specific immune pathways are greatly activated in gonadal niche cells to protect FGCs from maternal infection. Notably, there occurs an "in advance" development tendency in FGCs after maternal infection. Our study provides insights into the impacts of maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection on fetal germline development and serves as potential clinical guidance for future pandemics.

Effect of systemic lupus erythematosus on the ovarian reserve: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease that occurs at higher rates in young women. Evidence suggests that SLE may be associated with ovarian dysfunction. Therefore, it is crucial to investigate the possible effects of SLE on ovarian reserve function. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov databases were searched from inception to July 2023 to identify studies that compared ovarian reserve in patients with SLE to that of healthy individuals. The study examined anti-müllerian hormone (AMH), antral follicle count (AFC), and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) as outcomes. RESULTS: Thirteen studies (n=1017) were eligible for meta-analysis. Females with SLE had significantly lower levels of AMH (weighted mean difference [WMD]: -1.07, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -1.37 to -0.76, P<0.001) and AFC (WMD: -3.46, 95% CI: -4.57 to -2.34, P<0.001). There was no significant difference in FSH levels. Subgroup analyses by age of onset revealed that SLE patients with adult-onset had significantly lower AMH levels (WMD: -1.44, 95% CI: -1.71 to -1.18, P<0.001), lower AFCs (WMD: -3.11, 95% CI: -3.60 to -2.61, P<0.001) and higher FSH levels (WMD: 0.60, 95% CI: 0.15 to 1.05, P<0.01). However, SLE patients with juvenile-onset did not exhibit significant differences in their AMH and FSH levels, except for AFCs (WMD: -7.27, 95% CI: -12.39 to -2.14, P<0.01). CONCLUSION: The impact of SLE on ovarian reserve is significant, and the effect may be particularly severe in cases of adult-onset SLE.

[Formation Potential of Secondary Organic Aerosols and Sources of Volatile Organic Compounds During an Air Pollution Episode in Autumn, Langfang].

A typical particulate matter pollution process occurred from October 9 to 17,2018,in Langfang,and 99 types of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were monitored by using ZF-KU-1007. The characteristics of VOCs,formation potential of secondary organic aerosol (SOA),and source of VOCs were systematically analyzed. The results showed that the maximum concentration of PM2.5 was 198 µg·m-3 during the pollution process and was 2.64 times the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (GB 3095-2012). The average concentration of VOCs was 56.8×10-9,127.8×10-9,and 72.5×10-9 in the early,middle,and late stages of the pollution process,respectively,and the concentration of VOCs increased significantly in the middle stage. The formation potential of SOA was significantly positively correlated with PM2.5,and the contribution of aromatic hydrocarbon for SOA was larger and significantly correlated with the concentration of PM2.5. In the middle pollution stage,SOA increased,and the contribution ratio of aromatic hydrocarbon increased significantly. Conversely,the contribution of alkanes and olefin decreased significantly,which showed that aromatic hydrocarbons,namely benzene series,were the dominant species of SOA generation and had a great influence on the pollution process. Benzene,toluene,m-/p-xylene,o-xylene,and ethylbenzene and nonane,n-undecane,and methylcyclohexane were the priority control species in this pollution process. Solvent use source and motor vehicle emission source (gasoline and diesel vehicles) were the main sources affecting the concentration of VOCs during the autumn pollution process of Langfang,among which the contribution of gasoline vehicle emissions increased significantly in the middle pollution contribution and was the key control source.

The role of peer social relationships in psychological distress and quality of life among adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus: a longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND: Adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus suffer from diabetes distress and poor health-related quality of life (HRQOL) since living with the condition that differentiates them from their peers. The present study investigated the effects of peer support and stress on diabetes distress and HRQOL and whether positive coping mediated the effects. METHODS: We used a prospective study design. A total of 201 adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus from 20 cities in 4 provinces were recruited.Participants complete two separate surveys at approximately 18-month intervals. The scales employed at both Time 1 and Time 2 included the Diabetes-Specific Peer Support Measure, Diabetes Stress Questionnaire for Youths, Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire, 5-item Problem Areas in Diabetes Scale, and the Diabetes Quality of Life for Youth scale. RESULTS: Baseline peer stress directly predicted diabetes distress and HRQOL at 18 months, even controlling for age, gender, and peer support. However, the direct effect of baseline peer support on 18-month diabetes distress and HRQOL was insignificant. Baseline peer support indirectly affected diabetes distress and HRQOL at 18 months through positive coping, indicating that positive coping plays a mediating role. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that peer social relationships, especially peer stress, and positive coping are promising intervention targets for adolescents facing challenges in psychosocial adaptation.

[Synthesis and tissue distribution of bufadienolides in Bufo bufo gargarizans].

This study explored the biosynthesis of bufadienolides(BDs) in Bufo bufo gargarizans to solve the dilemma of the decreasing resources of B. bufo gargarizans and provide a theoretical basis for the sustainable utilization of the resources. Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-Orbitrap-mass spectrometry(UHPLC-Orbitrap-MS) was employed to detect the synthesis sites of BDs in B. bufo gargarizans, and the results were verified by desorption electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry imaging(DESI-MSI) and homogenate incubation experiments. BDs in B. bufo gargarizans had the highest content in the liver and the highest concentration in the gallbladder, in addition to the parotid gland and skin, which suggested that the liver could synthesize BDs. The results of DESI-MSI also showed that BDs were mainly enriched in the liver rather than the immature parotid gland. The incubation experiment of liver homogenates demonstrated the liver of B. bufo gargarizans had the ability to synthesize BDs. This study showed that the liver was a major organ for the synthesis of BDs in B. bufo gargarizans during metamorphosis, development, and growth, which provided strong theoretical support for the biosynthesis of BDs and the sustainable utilization of B. bufo gargarizans resources.

[Mechanism and application prospects of microbial fertilizers in regulating quality formation of medicinal plants].

With the promotion of chemical fertilizer and pesticide reduction and green production of traditional Chinese medicines, microbial fertilizers have become a hot way to achieve the zero-growth of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, improve the yield and qua-lity of medicinal plants, maintain soil health, and promote the sustainable development of the planting industry of Chinese herbal medicines. Soil conditions and microenvironments are crucial to the growth, development, and quality formation of medicinal plants. Microbial fertilizers, as environmentally friendly fertilizers acting on the soil, can improve soil quality by replenishing organic matter and promoting the metabolism of beneficial microorganisms to improve the yield and quality of medicinal plants. In this regard, understanding the mechanism of microbial fertilizer in regulating the quality formation of medicinal plants is crucial for the development of herbal eco-agriculture. This study introduces the processes of microbial fertilizers in improving soil properties, participating in soil nutrient cycling, enhancing the resistance of medicinal plants, and promoting the accumulation of medicinal components to summarize the mechanisms and roles of bacterial fertilizers in regulating the quality formation of medicinal plants. Furthermore, this paper introduces the application of bacterial fertilizers in medicinal plants and makes an outlook on their development, with a view to providing a scientific basis for using microbial fertilizers to improve the quality of Chinese herbal medicines, improve the soil environment, promote the sustainable development of eco-agriculture of traditional Chinese medicine, and popularize the application of microbial fertilizers.

Defining a TFAP2C-centered transcription factor network during murine peri-implantation.

Transcription factors (TFs) play important roles in early embryonic development, but factors regulating TF action, relationships in signaling cascade, genome-wide localizations, and impacts on cell fate transitions during this process have not been clearly elucidated. In this study, we used uliCUT&RUN-seq to delineate a TFAP2C-centered regulatory network, showing that it involves promoter-enhancer interactions and regulates TEAD4 and KLF5 function to mediate cell polarization. Notably, we found that maternal retinoic acid metabolism regulates TFAP2C expression and function by inducing the active demethylation of SINEs, indicating that the RARG-TFAP2C-TEAD4/KLF5 axis connects the maternal-to-zygotic transition to polarization. Moreover, we found that both genomic imprinting and SNP-transferred genetic information can influence TF positioning to regulate parental gene expressions in a sophisticated manner. In summary, we propose a ternary model of TF regulation in murine embryonic development with TFAP2C as the core element and metabolic, epigenetic, and genetic information as nodes connecting the pathways.

The Emerging Roles of Nanocarrier Drug Delivery System in Treatment of Intervertebral Disc Degeneration-Current Knowledge, Hot Spots, Challenges and Future Perspectives.

Low back pain (LBP) is a common condition that has substantial consequences on individuals and society, both socially and economically. The primary contributor to LBP is often identified as intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD), which worsens and leads to significant spinal problems. The conventional treatment approach for IVDD involves physiotherapy, drug therapy for pain management, and, in severe cases, surgery. However, none of these treatments address the underlying cause of the condition, meaning that they cannot fundamentally reverse IVDD or restore the mechanical function of the spine. Nanotechnology and regenerative medicine have made significant advancements in the field of healthcare, particularly in the area of nanodrug delivery systems (NDDSs). These approaches have demonstrated significant potential in enhancing the efficacy of IVDD treatments by providing benefits such as high biocompatibility, biodegradability, precise drug delivery to targeted areas, prolonged drug release, and improved therapeutic results. The advancements in different NDDSs designed for delivering various genes, cells, proteins and therapeutic drugs have opened up new opportunities for effectively addressing IVDD. This comprehensive review provides a consolidated overview of the recent advancements in the use of NDDSs for the treatment of IVDD. It emphasizes the potential of these systems in overcoming the challenges associated with this condition. Meanwhile, the insights and ideas presented in this review aim to contribute to the advancement of precise IVDD treatment using NDDSs.

Ruegeria marisflavi sp. nov. and Ruegeria aquimaris sp. nov., isolated from seawater of the Yellow Sea.

Two novel Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, non-motile and rod-shaped bacteria, designated as WL0004T and XHP0148T, were isolated from seawater samples collected from the coastal areas of Nantong and Lianyungang, PR China, respectively. Both strains were found to grow at 10-42 °C (optimum, 37 °C) and with 2.0-5.0 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 3.0 %). Strain WL0004T grew at pH 6.0-9.0 (optimum, pH 7.0-8.0), while XHP0148T grew at pH 6.0-10.0 (optimum, pH 7.0-8.0). The major cellular fatty acids (>10 %) of both strains included summed feature 8 (C18 : 1 ω6c and/or C18 : 1 ω7c). In addition, strain WL0004T contained 11-methyl C18 : 1 ω7c and strain XHP0148T contained C12 : 0 3-OH. The respiratory quinone of both strains was ubiquinone-10. The G+C content of genomic DNA of strains WL0004T and XHP0148T were 62.5 and 63.0 mol%, respectively. Strains WL0004T and XHP0148T showed the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to Ruegeria pomeroyi DSS-3T (99.4 and 99.0 %, respectively), and the 16S rRNA gene-based phylogenetic analysis indicated that the two strains were closely related to members of the genus Ruegeria. The average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values among the two strains and type strains of the genus Ruegeria were all below 95 and 70 %, respectively, and the phylogenetic tree reconstructed from the bac120 gene set indicated that the two strains are distinct from each other and the members of the genus Ruegeria. Based on this phenotypic and genotypic characterization, strains WL0004T (=MCCC 1K07523T=JCM 35565T=GDMCC 1.3083T) and XHP0148T (=MCCC 1K07543T=JCM 35569T=GDMCC 1.3089T) should be recognized as representing two novel species of the genus Ruegeria and the names Ruegeria marisflavi sp. nov. and Ruegeria aquimaris sp. nov. are proposed, respectively.

Gestational diabetes mellitus in the era of COVID-19: Challenges and opportunities.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on pregnant women, especially those with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), has yet to be fully understood. This review aims to examine the interaction between GDM and COVID-19 and to elucidate the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the comorbidity of these two conditions. METHODS: We performed a systematic literature search using the databases of PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science with appropriate keywords and MeSH terms. Our analysis included studies published up to January 26, 2023. RESULTS: Despite distinct clinical manifestations, GDM and COVID-19 share common pathophysiological characteristics, which involve complex interactions across multiple organs and systems. On the one hand, infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 may target the pancreas and placenta, resulting in ß-cell dysfunction and insulin resistance in pregnant women. On the other hand, the hormonal and inflammatory changes that occur during pregnancy could also increase the risk of severe COVID-19 in mothers with GDM. Personalized management and close monitoring are crucial for treating pregnant women with both GDM and COVID-19. CONCLUSIONS: A comprehensive understanding of the interactive mechanisms of GDM and COVID-19 would facilitate the initiation of more targeted preventive and therapeutic strategies. There is an urgent need to develop novel biomarkers and functional indicators for early identification and intervention of these conditions.

Annexin A2 antibodies in post-treatment Lyme disease.

Background: Anti-annexin A2 (AA2) antibodies have been described in Lyme arthritis and erythema migrans, although they have not been described in post-treatment Lyme disease (PTLD). Objectives: Determine whether anti-AA2 antibodies are present among patients with PTLD and determine the clinical relevance of these antibodies. Design and methods: Anti-AA2 levels were tested serially in a longitudinal cohort of 44 patients with acute Lyme disease, 22 with a return to health (EM RTH), and 22 with PTLD. Anti-AA2 antibodies were also assessed in a cross-sectional group of 281 patients with PTLD. Results: Anti-AA2 antibodies were highest after antimicrobial therapy in both the EM RTH and PTLD cohorts. By 6 months, there was no difference between EM RTH and healthy controls. Anti-AA2 antibodies were higher in the cross-sectional PTLD group (79.69 versus 48.22 units, p < 0.0001), though with no difference in total symptom burden. Conclusion: Anti-AA2 persists in PTLD, though did not identify a clinical phenotype.

Development and validation of the patient-reported outcome for older people living with HIV/AIDS in China (PROHIV-OLD).

BACKGROUND: The involvement of quality of life as the UNAIDS fourth 90 target to monitor the global HIV response highlighted the development of patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures to help address the holistic needs of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) beyond viral suppression. This study developed and tested preliminary measurement properties of a new patient-reported outcome (PROHIV-OLD) measure designed specifically to capture influences of HIV on patients aged 50 and older in China. METHODS: Ninety-three older people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) were interviewed to solicit items and two rounds of patient cognitive interviews were conducted to modify the content and wording of the initial items. A validation study was then conducted to refine the initial instrument and evaluate measurement properties. Patients were recruited between February 2021 and November 2021, and followed six months later after the first investigation. Classical test theory (CTT) and item response theory (IRT) were used to select items using the baseline data. The follow-up data were used to evaluate the measurement properties of the final instrument. RESULTS: A total of 600 patients were recruited at the baseline. Of the 485 patients who completed the follow-up investigation, 483 were included in the validation sample. The final scale of PROHIV-OLD contained 25 items describing five dimensions (physical symptoms, mental status, illness perception, family relationship, and treatment). All the PROHIV-OLD dimensions had satisfactory reliability with Cronbach's alpha coefficient, McDonald's ω, and composite reliability of each dimension being all higher than 0.85. Most dimensions met the test-retest reliability standard except for the physical symptoms dimension (ICC = 0.64). Confirmatory factor analysis supported the structural validity of the final scale, and the model fit index satisfied the criterion. The correlations between dimensions of PROHIV-OLD and MOS-HIV met hypotheses in general. Significant differences on scores of the PROHIV-OLD were found between demographic and clinical subgroups, supporting known-groups validity. CONCLUSIONS: The PROHIV-OLD was found to have good feasibility, reliability and validity for evaluating health outcome of Chinese older PLWHA. Other measurement properties such as responsiveness and interpretability will be further examined.

Curcuma wenyujin rhizomes extract ameliorates lipid accumulation.

Curcuma wenyujin (C. wenyujin) is a medicinal plant that is traditionally used to treat blood stagnation, liver fibrosis, pain, and jaundice. In this study, we examined the effect of C. wenyujin rhizome extract on hepatic lipid accumulation both in vivo and in vitro. We found that the petroleum ether fraction of C. wenyujin rhizome extract (CWP) considerably reduced the accumulation of lipids in HepG2 cells treated with oleic and palmitic acid. Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with LTQ-Orbitrap mass spectrometry was used to analyze the main chemical constituents of CWP, and 21 sesquiterpenes were identified. In vivo experiments revealed that the administration of CWP significantly reduced the body weight and serum total cholesterol (TC) level of low-density-lipoprotein receptor knockout mice treated with a high-fat diet without affecting their food intake. CWP also significantly reduced the levels of liver TC, liver triglycerides, aspartate transaminase, and alanine transaminase. Histological examination revealed that CWP dose-dependently reduced steatosis in liver tissue, significantly downregulated the expression of lipogenesis genes, and increased the ß-oxidation of fatty acids. CWP also significantly increased autophagy-related proteins. In conclusion, CWP rich in sesquiterpenes reduces the accumulation of lipids in vivo and in vitro by improving lipid metabolism and activating autophagy.

Exploring Robust Features for Improving Adversarial Robustness.

While deep neural networks (DNNs) have revolutionized many fields, their fragility to carefully designed adversarial attacks impedes the usage of DNNs in safety-critical applications. In this article, we strive to explore the robust features that are not affected by the adversarial perturbations, that is, invariant to the clean image and its adversarial examples (AEs), to improve the model's adversarial robustness. Specifically, we propose a feature disentanglement model to segregate the robust features from nonrobust features and domain-specific features. The extensive experiments on five widely used datasets with different attacks demonstrate that robust features obtained from our model improve the model's adversarial robustness compared to the state-of-the-art approaches. Moreover, the trained domain discriminator is able to identify the domain-specific features from the clean images and AEs almost perfectly. This enables AE detection without incurring additional computational costs. With that, we can also specify different classifiers for clean images and AEs, thereby avoiding any drop in clean image accuracy.

Small molecule-inducible and photoactivatable cellular RNA N1-methyladenosine editing.

N1-methyladenosine (m1A) modification is one of the most prevalent epigenetic modifications on RNA. Given the vital role of m1A modification in RNA processing such as splicing, stability and translation, developing a precise and controllable m1A editing tool is pivotal for in-depth investigating the biological functions of m1A. In this study, we developed an abscisic acid (ABA)-inducible and reversible m1A demethylation tool (termed AI-dm1A), which targets specific transcripts by combining the chemical proximity-induction techniques with the CRISPR/dCas13b system and ALKBH3. We successfully employed AI-dm1A to selectively demethylate the m1A modifications at MALAT1 A8422, and this demethylation process could be reversed by removing ABA. Furthermore, we validated its demethylating function on various types of cellular RNAs including mRNA, rRNA and lncRNA. Additionally, we used AI-dm1A to specifically demethylate m1A on ATP5D mRNA, which promoted ATP5D expression and enhanced the glycolysis activity of tumor cells. Conversely, by replacing the demethylase ALKBH3 with methyltransferase TRMT61A, we also developed a controllable m1A methylation tool, namely AI-m1A. Finally, we caged ABA by 4,5-dimethoxy-2-nitrobenzyl (DMNB) to achieve light-inducible m1A methylation or demethylation on specific transcripts. Collectively, our m1A editing tool enables us to flexibly study how m1A modifications on specific transcript influence biological functions and phenotypes.