Gastric cancer prognosis: unveiling autophagy-related signatures and immune infiltrates.

Background: Autophagy played a crucial regulatory role in tumor initiation and progression. Therefore, we aimed to comprehensively analyze autophagy-related genes (ARGs) in gastric cancer, focusing on their expression, prognostic value, and potential functions. Methods: The gastric cancer gene chip datasets (GSE79973 and GSE54129) were collected from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Subsequently, the Limma package was employed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the normal and disease groups. The selected ARGs were further authenticated using the Human Protein Atlas (HPA) database, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, and GSE19826 database. Results: A total of 15 autophagy-related DEGs, eight of which were upregulated [FKBP1A, IL24, PEA15, HSP90AB1, cathepsin B (CTSB), ITGB1, SPHK1, HIF1A], while seven were downregulated (DAPK2, EIF2AK3, FKBP1B, PTK6, NKX2-3, NFE2L2, PRKCD). Analysis revealed that CTSB was specifically associated with the prognosis of gastric cancer patients. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) showcased a significant enrichment of CTSB-related genes within immune-related pathways. Moreover, correlation analysis demonstrated a clear association between the expression of CTSB and immune infiltration. The upregulation of CTSB in gastric cancer was linked to poor survival and increased immune infiltration. Conclusions: We conjectured that CTSB likely played a critical role in regulating immunity and autophagy in gastric cancer.

Elucidating contributions of volatile organic compounds to ozone formation using random forest during COVID-19 pandemic: A case study in China.

Ozone has been reported to increase despite nitrogen oxides reductions during the COVID-19 pandemic, and ozone formation needs to be revisited using volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are rarely measured during the pandemic. Here, a total of 98 VOCs species were monitored in an economy-active city in China from January 2021 to August 2022 to assess contributions to ozone formation during the pandemic. Total VOCs concentrations were 35.55 ± 21.47 ppb during the entire period, among which alkanes account for the largest fraction (13.78 ppb, 38.0%), followed by aromatics (6.16 ppb, 16.8%) and oxygenated VOCs (OVOCs, 5.69 ppb, 15.7%). Most VOCs groups (e.g., alkenes, OVOCs) and individual species (e.g., isoprene, methyl vinyl ketone) display obvious seasonal and diurnal variations, which are related to their sources and reactivities. No weekend effects of VOCs suggest limited influences from traffic emissions during pandemic. Aromatics and alkenes are the major contributors (39% and 33%) to ozone formation potential, largely driven by o/m/p-xylene (21%), ethylene (15%), toluene (9%). Secondary organic aerosol formation potential is dominated by toluene (>50%) despite its low proportion (5%). Further inclusion of VOCs and meteorology in the Random Forest model shows good ozone prediction performance (R2 = 0.77-0.86, RMSE = 11.95-19.91 µg/m3, MAE = 8.89-14.58 µg/m3). VOCs and NO2 contribute >50% of total importance with the largest difference in importance ratio of VOCs/NO2 in the summer and winter, implying ozone formation regime may vary. No seasonal variations in importance of meteorology are observed, while importance of other variables (e.g., PM2.5) is highest in the summer. This work identifies critical VOCs groups and species for ozone formation during the pandemic, and demonstrates the feasibility of machine learning algorithms in elucidation of ozone formation mechanisms.

Reliability and validity of a questionnaire measuring knowledge, attitude and practice regarding "oil, salt and sugar" among canteen staff.

Excessive intake of oil, salt and sugar is closely associated with the prevalence of non-communicable chronic diseases (NCDs). Canteen staff's knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) about oil, salt and sugar directly affect the content in dishes and the consumers' intake. However, no valid questionnaire is used to assess KAP among canteen staff about the "oil, salt and sugar". Therefore, the present study aimed to establish and validate a questionnaire to evaluate the KAP of canteen staff about the "oil, salt and sugar". This cross-sectional study was conducted among canteen staff randomly selected from three college canteens. Participants completed the questionnaire and retested it two weeks later. Internal and test-retest reliability were assessed using Cronbach's α and Pearson correlation coefficients, respectively. Validity was assessed using the exploratory factor analysis. 100 participants finished the questionnaire, of which 66% were females with a mean age of 40.3 ± 10.5 years. The Cronbach's α coefficients of the total questionnaire and Knowledge, Attitude and Practice dimensions were 0.822, 0.830, 0.752 and 0.700, respectively. The test-retest reliability coefficient was 0.968. In exploratory factor analysis, nine common factors were extracted, with 26 items, and the cumulative contribution rate was 70.9%. The questionnaire had a satisfactory property for measuring the KAP of the "oil, salt and sugar" among canteen staff in China.

Tracking long-term population exposure risks to PM2.5 and ozone in urban agglomerations of China 2015-2021.

China has experienced severe air pollution in the past decade, especially PM2.5 and emerging ozone pollution recently. In this study, we comprehensively analyzed long-term population exposure risks to PM2.5 and ozone in urban agglomerations of China during 2015-2021 regarding two-stage clean-air actions based on the Ministry of Ecology and the Environment (MEE) air monitoring network. Overall, the ratio of the population living in the regions exceeding the Chinese National Ambient Air Quality Standard (35 µg/m3) decreases by 29.9 % for PM2.5 from 2015 to 2021, driven by high proportions in the Middle Plain (MP, 42.3 %) and Lan-Xi (35.0 %) regions. However, this ratio almost remains unchanged for ozone and even increases by 1.5 % in the MP region. As expected, the improved air quality leads to 234.7 × 103 avoided premature mortality (ΔMort), mainly ascribed to the reduction in PM2.5 concentration. COVID-19 pandemic may influence the annual variation of PM2.5-related ΔMort as it affects the shape of the population exposure curve to become much steeper. Although all eleven urban agglomerations share stroke (43.6 %) and ischaemic heart disease (IHD, 30.1 %) as the two largest contributors to total ΔMort, cause-specific ΔMort is highly regional heterogeneous, in which ozone-related ΔMort is significantly higher (21 %) in the Tibet region than other urban agglomeration. Despite ozone-related ΔMort being one order of magnitude lower than PM2.5-related ΔMort from 2015 to 2021, ozone-related ΔMort is predicted to increase in major urban agglomerations initially along with a continuous decline for PM2.5-related ΔMort from 2020 to 2060, highlighting the importance of ozone control. Coordinated controls of PM2.5 and O3 are warranted for reducing health burdens in China during achieving carbon neutrality.

A Regulatory Network Analysis of the Importance of USP15 in Breast Cancer Metastasis and Prognosis.

Background: Ubiquitin-specific protease15(USP15), is the 16th identified protease in the USP family and is a key protein in tumorigenesis. However, the predictive value and regulatory mechanism of USP15 in breast cancer are unclear. Methods: The GEPIA, UALCAN, GeneMANIA, and STRING databases were applied to explore the expression of USP15 in breast cancer and associated proteins. In addition, the TIMER database was evaluated for immune infiltration patterns. Moreover, protein immunoblotting assay, cell scratching assay, small compartment invasion assay, 3D stromal gel assay, immunoprecipitation assay, and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were used to USP15 regulatory mechanisms in breast cancer. Results: In BRCA, several databases, including GEPIA and UALCAN, describe the upregulation of total protein levels and USP15 phosphorylation. In addition, the expression of USP15 was significantly correlated with gender and clinical stage. Overall survival (OS) was lower in patients with high USP15 expression. Functional network analysis showed that USP15 is involved in tumor-associated pathways, DNA replication, and cell cycle signaling through TGFßRI. In addition, USP15 expression was positively correlated with immune infiltration, including immune score, mesenchymal score, and several tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL). In addition, IHC results further confirmed the high expression of USP15 in breast cancer and its prognostic potential. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that high USP15 expression indicates poor prognosis in BRCA and reveal potential regulatory networks and the positive relationship with immune infiltration. Thus, USP15 may be an attractive predictor for BRCA.

Krill oil prevents lipopolysaccharide-evoked acute liver injury in mice through inhibition of oxidative stress and inflammation.

Acute liver injury is a life-threatening syndrome that often results from the actions of viruses, drugs and toxins. Herein, the protective effect and potential mechanism of krill oil (KO), a novel natural product rich in long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids bound to phospholipids and astaxanthin, on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-evoked acute liver injury in mice were investigated. Male C57BL/6J mice were administered intragastrically with 400 mg kg-1 KO or fish oil (FO) once per day for 28 consecutive days prior to LPS exposure (10 mg kg-1, intraperitoneally injected). The results revealed that KO pretreatment significantly ameliorated LPS-evoked hepatic dysfunction indicated by reduced serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activities and attenuated hepatic histopathological damage. KO pretreatment also mitigated LPS-induced hepatic oxidative stress, as evidenced by decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) contents, elevated glutathione (GSH) levels, and elevated catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities. Additionally, LPS-evoked overproduction of pro-inflammatory mediators in serum and the liver was inhibited by KO pretreatment. Furthermore, KO pretreatment suppressed LPS-induced activation of the hepatic toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB)/NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) signaling pathway. Interestingly, the hepatoprotective effect of KO was superior to that of FO. Collectively, the current findings suggest that KO protects against LPS-evoked acute liver injury via inhibition of oxidative stress and inflammation.

DHA-Enriched Phospholipids and EPA-Enriched Phospholipids Alleviate Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Intestinal Barrier Injury in Mice via a Sirtuin 1-Dependent Mechanism.

Intestinal barrier dysfunction has emerged as a potential contributor to the development of several severe diseases. Herein, the effect and underlying mechanism of DHA-enriched phospholipids (DHA-PL) and EPA-enriched phospholipids (EPA-PL) on protecting against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced intestinal barrier injury were elucidated. C57BL/6J male mice were fed an AIN-93G diet containing 1% DHA-PL or EPA-PL for 4 weeks and then were intraperitoneally injected with LPS (10 mg/kg) to cause intestinal barrier injury. The results manifested that DHA-PL and EPA-PL pretreatment balanced apoptosis and autophagy in intestinal epithelial cells and maintained intestinal tight junction integrity. Our findings also demonstrated that cotreatment with EX-527, a sirtuin 1 specific inhibitor, hindered the role of DHA-PL and EPA-PL against LPS-evoked intestinal barrier injury through reversing the inhibitory action of them on NF-κB and MAPKs activation as well as their potentiating actions on Nrf2 nuclear translocation. Overall, DHA-PL and EPA-PL alleviated LPS-mediated intestinal barrier injury via inactivation of the NF-κB and MAPKs pathways as well as activating the Nrf2 antioxidant pathway via up-regulating sirtuin 1.

Mechanistic basis and preliminary practice of butyric acid and butyrate sodium to mitigate gut inflammatory diseases: a comprehensive review.

A key event featured in the early stage of chronic gut inflammatory diseases is the disordered recruitment and excess accumulation of immune cells in the gut lamina propria. This process is followed by the over-secretion of pro-inflammatory factors and the prolonged overactive inflammatory responses. Growing evidence has suggested that gut inflammatory diseases may be mitigated by butyric acid (BA) or butyrate sodium (NaB). Laboratory studies show that BA and NaB can enhance gut innate immune function through G-protein-mediated signaling pathways while mitigating the overactive inflammatory responses by inhibiting histone deacetylase. The regulatory effects may occur in both epithelial enterocytes and the immune cells in the lamina propria. Prior to further clinical trials, comprehensive literature reviews and rigid examination concerning the underlying mechanism are necessary. To this end, we collected and reviewed 197 published reports regarding the mechanisms, bioactivities, and clinical effects of BA and NaB to modulate gut inflammatory diseases. Our review found insufficient evidence to guarantee the safety of clinical practice of BA and NaB, either by anal enema or oral administration of capsule or tablet. The safety of clinical use of BA and NaB should be further evaluated. Alternatively, dietary patterns rich in "fruits, vegetables and beans" may be an effective and safe approach to prevent gut inflammatory disease, which elevates gut microbiota-dependent production of BA. Our review provides a comprehensive reference to future clinical trials of BA and NaB to treat gut inflammatory diseases.

Physical Activity, Screen-Based Sedentary Behavior and Physical Fitness in Chinese Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Purpose: The aim of this study is to explore the relationship between screen-based sedentary behavior, physical activity and physical fitness among Chinese adolescents. Methods: This study randomly selected adolescents from 10 administrative districts in Shandong, China. The data gathering tools for demographic and other characteristics (gender, age, body mass index and socioeconomic status), PA (PAQ-A) and screen-based sedentary behavior (YRBSS) and physical fitness (NSPFH 2014) were utilized in this study. Statistical analysis was performed by T-test, chi-square test and multiple linear regression. Results: 10,002 adolescents (14.39 years ± 1.79) participated in the study. The results demonstrated that BMI and high TV viewing time had a significant negative correlation with physical fitness, but there was no association between the amount of time spent playing computer/video games and physical fitness among adolescents. High SES and physical activity in leisure time five or more times per week were significantly associated with most dimensions of physical fitness. Conclusions: the results suggest that we not only need to focus on adolescent risk behavior associated with low socioeconomic status and obesity, but also enforce physical activity and reduce sedentary television-watching behavior, which will be crucial pathways and strategies to improve the physical fitness of Chinese adolescents.

Docosahexaenoic acid-enriched phospholipids and eicosapentaenoic acid-enriched phospholipids inhibit tumor necrosis factor-alpha-induced lipolysis in 3T3-L1 adipocytes by activating sirtuin 1 pathways.

Some chronic diseases such as cancer-associated cachexia (CAC) and obesity are associated with the overproduction of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) that stimulates excess lipolysis in adipocytes. Our previous studies have shown that docosahexaenoic acid-enriched phospholipids (DHA-PL) and eicosapentaenoic acid-enriched phospholipids (EPA-PL) ameliorated CAC and obesity-related metabolic disorders. To identify the molecular mechanisms involved, we examined the impact and the associated signaling pathways of DHA-PL and EPA-PL on TNF-α-induced lipolysis in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. The present results revealed that DHA-PL and EPA-PL inhibited the TNF-α-induced increase of glycerol release and protected lipid droplets. In addition, DHA-PL and EPA-PL increased DHA and EPA contents in the phospholipid fraction of adipocytes, respectively. Moreover, DHA-PL and EPA-PL enhanced sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) deacetylase activity and its protein expression. By activating SIRT1, DHA-PL and EPA-PL upregulated the G0/G1 switch gene 2 protein level to inhibit adipose triglyceride lipase activity, activate AMP-activated protein kinase to reverse the downregulation of perilipin expression and phosphorylation of hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) at Ser565 and prevent the phosphorylation of HSL at Ser660. Furthermore, DHA-PL and EPA-PL improved glucose uptake and glucose transporter type 4 translocation to the plasma membrane in TNF-α-treated adipocytes. Thus, it was concluded that DHA-PL and EPA-PL inhibit TNF-α-induced lipolysis in 3T3-L1 adipocytes by activating the SIRT1 pathways.

Different Effects of Leucine Supplementation and/or Exercise on Systemic Insulin Sensitivity in Mice.

Objective: Obesity-related diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and cardiovascular diseases have increased due to the obesity epidemic. Early intervention for obesity through lifestyle and nutrition plays an important role in preventing obesity-related diseases. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore the role of leucine and exercise in adiposity, systemic insulin resistance, and inflammation to provide theoretical and guiding basis for the early prevention and treatment of obesity. Methods: C57BL/6J male mice were randomly divided into HFD or LFD-fed mice group. After 9 weeks, glucose tolerance test (GTT) was performed to detect their systemic insulin sensitivity. Starting from week 10, mice were divided into eight groups and treated with moderate exercise or/and 1.5% leucine. At week 13, systemic insulin sensitivity was detected by GTT. At week 14, mice were dissected to analyze adiposity and inflammation. Results: In LFD mice, exercise significantly increased systemic insulin sensitivity by increasing GLUT4 expression in the muscle and decreasing adiposity through increasing AMPK phosphorylation in adipose tissue. In HFD mice, the simultaneous intervention of exercise and leucine increases systemic insulin sensitivity by reducing liver and adipose tissue inflammation via decreasing NF-κB p65 phosphorylation, and increasing the expression of adiponectin in adipose tissue. Conclusion: There are different mechanisms underlying the effects of exercise and leucine on insulin resistance and inflammation in LFD-fed mice or HFD-fed mice.

Right ventricular dysfunction in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma undergoing anthracycline-based chemotherapy: a 2D strain and 3D echocardiography study.

To investigate whether 2D strain and 3D echocardiography could early identify the impaired right ventricular (RV) function after anthracycline exposure. Sixty-one patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma treated with anthracycline were studied. Echocardiography was conducted at baseline, after the third cycle of the chemotherapy, after the completion of the chemotherapy, and follow-up at 10 months after the initiation of chemotherapy. RV global longitudinal strain (RV GLS) and RV free wall longitudinal strain (RV FWLS) were calculated using speckle tracking echocardiography. RV ejection fraction (RVEF) was analyzed by 3D echocardiography. RV systolic dysfunction was defined by ≥ 2 RV parameters below the threshold value, and cardiotoxicity was defined as a reduction in left ventricular EF > 10 to < 53%. After the third cycle of chemotherapy, only RV GLS was significantly decreased, while after the completion of the chemotherapy, RV GLS, RV FWLS, and RVEF were all significantly decreased compared with baseline measurements. At the end of follow-up, 9 patients (14.8%) were diagnosed with RV systolic dysfunction, and 16 patients (26.2%) had at least 1 abnormal RV function parameter. The proportion of RV systolic dysfunction was significantly higher in patients with cardiotoxicity than in patients without cardiotoxicity, yielding an odds ratio of 5.143. A percentage decrease in RV FWLS and RVEF were independent predictors of RV systolic dysfunction. Two-dimensional strain and 3D echocardiography are valuable methods for evaluating anthracycline-related impairment of RV function in DLBCL patients receiving chemotherapy. RV FWLS and RVEF are reliable predictors of RV systolic dysfunction.

Associations between dietary patterns and physical fitness among Chinese elderly.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship between dietary patterns and physical fitness among older Chinese (≥60 years) individuals. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. Dietary data were collected by a simplified semi-quantitative FFQ. The 30-s Chair Stand test (30sCST), 30-s Arm Curl test (30sACT), 8-foot Time Up-and-Go test (8fTUAGT) and 6-min Walking test (6mWT) were used to assess physical fitness. Dietary patterns were obtained by factor analysis. The association between dietary patterns and physical fitness was explored by multiple logistic regression. SETTING: Six communities (villages) of three districts in Liaocheng City (Shandong Province, China). PARTICIPANTS: A total of 596 residents were recruited from April to May 2017. RESULTS: Among 556 residents who were finally enrolled, 196 were men (35 %) and 360 were women (65 %). Three dietary patterns were identified: 'Western', 'Vegetarian' and 'Modern'. The 30sACT revealed that men in the fourth quartile of the Western pattern were less likely to be classified in the 'high-level' group, but men in the fourth quartile of the Vegetarian pattern were classified in the high-level group. The 6mWT revealed that men in the fourth quartile of the Modern pattern were classified in the high-level group. These associations were independent of confounding factors. CONCLUSIONS: Adherence to the Vegetarian pattern and Modern pattern may be protective factors for maintaining good physical fitness in older Chinese individuals. The Western pattern may lead to poor physical fitness in this population.

[Microbial Diversity and Influencing Factors in a Small Watershed in Winter].

The water quality of a small watershed will directly affect the water quality safety of the entire watershed. The Lidu small watershed of the Fulin District in Chongqing was selected for this study. The characteristics of runoff and the microbial community in the receiving water body were analyzed by high-throughput sequencing technology. The effects of the physical and chemical factors of the water body on the microbial diversity in the water body were also investigated. The results showed that the small watershed of Lidu was an important source of nitrite and dissolved organic carbon for the receiving water. There was no significant difference in the microbial richness and diversity of the water flowing through different pollution sources in the small watershed, and the microbial diversity index was negatively correlated with the total phosphorus (r -0.79--0.84, P ≤ 0.01) and phosphate (r -0.71--0.80, P ≤ 0.01) of the water. At the phylum level, Actinobacteria (37.33% ±14.69%) accounted for the largest proportion of runoff flowing through the agricultural area, followed by Proteobacteria (32.53% ±7.18%), Cyanobacteria (14.65% ±22.64%), Bacteroidetes (8.50% ±3.67%), and others. Proteobacteria (43.67% ±10.80%) accounted for the largest proportion of runoff flowing through the industrial area, followed by Bacteroidetes (25.33% ±11.97%), Actinobacteria (24.17% ±14.66%), Firmicutes (2.53% ±0.72%), and others. At the genus level, hgcI_clade (19.08% ±13.46%) accounted for the largest proportion of runoff flowing through the agricultural area, followed by CL 500-29 _marine_group (7.40% ±4.44%), Limnohabitans (7.05% ±3.14%), and others. Flavobacterium (20.40% ±12.37%) accounted for the largest proportion of runoff flowing through the industrial area, followed by hgcI_clade (15.30% ±11.11%), Acinetobacter (9.33% ±11.50%), and others. The Flavobacterium in the runoff water may be related to the input of industrial sources in the watershed. Nitrous nitrogen, total phosphorus, phosphate, pH, and Zn2+ were the main environmental factors that affected the microbial community in the small watershed. They can explain the variance of microbial community 0.26, 0.21, 0.20, 0.15, and 0.14, respectively. DOC, nitrate nitrogen, and heavy metal ions such as Cu2+, Zn2+, Mn2+, and As3+ were also related to the proportion of some microorganisms in the water.

Advances in the Involvement of Gut Microbiota in Pathophysiology of NAFLD.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is characterized by hepatic steatosis and progresses to non-steatohepatitis (NASH) when the liver displays overt inflammatory damage. Increasing evidence has implicated critical roles for dysbiosis and microbiota-host interactions in NAFLD pathophysiology. In particular, microbiota alter intestine absorption of nutrients and intestine permeability, whose dysregulation enhances the delivery of nutrients, endotoxin, and microbiota metabolites to the liver and exacerbates hepatic fat deposition and inflammation. While how altered composition of gut microbiota attributes to NAFLD remains to be elucidated, microbiota metabolites are shown to be involved in the regulation of hepatocyte fat metabolism and liver inflammatory responses. In addition, intestinal microbes and circadian coordinately adjust metabolic regulation in different stages of life. During aging, altered composition of gut microbiota, along with circadian clock dysregulation, appears to contribute to increased incidence and/or severity of NAFLD.

Clustering effects of health risk behavior on mental health and physical activity in Chinese adolescents.

PURPOSE: Risk behaviors are significantly impacting physical and psychological health among adolescents, resulting in a tremendous public health issue. The aim of this study is to examine the association of clustered risk behaviors with mental health and physical activity, and identify to what extent the clustering of various risk behaviors is associated with psychological health and physical activity in Chinese adolescents. METHODS: Students aged 16-18 years, male 16.2 ± 1.03, female 16.3 ± 1.56, were recruited from 30 high schools to complete an online questionnaire in fall semester 2017. A structured questionnaire, 2017 state and local youth risk behavior survey was revised, modified, and translated into Chinese. Five questions were designed to assess physical activity times of the last 7 days. Symptom checklist 90 (SCL-90) was used to investigate the mental health status of the participants. Statistical analyses were done employing chi-square tests, two step cluster analysis, logistic regression. RESULT: Results illustrate that girls report a significantly higher mean of being bullied in school, electronically bullied, feeling sad or hopeless, and trying cigarette smoking. Two-step cluster analysis and regression analysis find that alcohol use, smoking and sedentary behavior have significant effect on adolescent health. Logic regression demonstrated that risk behaviors have significantly associated with mental health and physical activity in specific cluster. CONCLUSION: This study finds that a specific behavior cluster has significant impact on mental health and physical activity among adolescents. Integrating risk behaviors cluster with factors can be employed to target high-risk adolescents who have poor physical and psychosocial health. The research suggest that more effective and feasible school intervention programs can be designed to promote adolescent health-related behavior in terms of those pathways.

Carotid web and ischemic stroke: a CT angiography study.

OBJECTIVES: We sought to explore the prevalence, demographics, clinical and imaging features of the Carotid web (CaW) on CT angiography (CTA) in patients with cryptogenic and non-cryptogenic stroke through a large-scale retrospective study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 1662 patients with ischemic stroke and had a neck CTA were retrospectively reviewed. An extensive clinical workup was performed to identify patients with cryptogenic stroke. All neck CTA studies were reconstructed and independently evaluated by two experienced radiologists for presence or absence of CaW on the ipsilateral and contralateral to the stroke side. RESULTS: Thirty-three cases of CaW were eventually diagnosed in patients with ischemic stroke, with a prevalence of 2.2% (33/1489) in a hospital-based series. Twenty-six (26/33, 78.8%) cases of CaW were ipsilateral to the stroke side. There are 18 ipsilateral CaWs (18/285, 6.3%) in cryptogenic stroke patients, and eight ipsilateral CaWs (8/1204, 0.7%) in non-cryptogenic stroke, yielding an odds ratio of 10.1. Cryptogenic stroke patients with ipsilateral CaW were relatively young with a higher prevalence of women. The interrater and intrarater agreement on the CTA based diagnosis of CaW were substantial. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate a strong correlation between the CaW and cryptogenic stroke in large Asian study population. CTA is the imaging modality of choice for detecting CaW.

Speckle tracking echocardiography in the early detection and prediction of anthracycline cardiotoxicity in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma treated with (R)-CHOP regimen.

BACKGROUND: Despite speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) has emerged as a sensitive technique for identifying myocardial dysfunction, there are little data available on the appropriate timing to perform STE in the serial assessment after anthracycline administration. Moreover, further uncertainty is increased in the context of STE application in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) research, as most recommendations are inferred by studies conducted primarily in breast cancer. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine whether early measurement of strain parameters derived by STE could predict the development of cardiotoxicity. METHODS: Sixty-five patients were included in the final analysis. The patients were evaluated at baseline, after the third cycle and sixth-eighth cycle, and during follow-up. Global longitudinal strain (GLS) was analyzed using STE, and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was calculated by real time 3D echocardiography (RT3DE). RESULTS: There was a significant decrease in GLS after the third cycle of chemotherapy and remained decreased during subsequent follow-up, whereas LVEF decreased only at follow-up. A percentage reduction in GLS of 13.8% between baseline and the third cycle of chemotherapy was the best predictor of further LVEF reduction. CONCLUSION: Earlier monitoring timing and more accurate assessment methods might be helpful in the prevention of irreversible heart failure.

Ultrasound-Assisted Preparation of Chitosan/Nano-Activated Carbon Composite Beads Aminated with (3-Aminopropyl)Triethoxysilane for Adsorption of Acetaminophen from Aqueous Solutions.

A composite chitosan/nano-activated carbon (CS-NAC) aminated by (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES) was prepared in the form of beads and applied for the removal of acetaminophen from aqueous solutions. NAC and APTES concentrations were optimized to obtain a suitable adsorbent structure for enhanced removal of the pharmaceutical. The aminated adsorbent (CS-NAC-APTES beads) prepared with 40% w/w NAC and 2% v/v APTES showed higher adsorption capacity (407.83 mg/g) than CS-NAC beads (278.4 mg/g). Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis demonstrated that the surface area of the CS-NAC-APTES beads was larger than that of CS-NAC beads (1.16 times). The adsorption process was well fitted by the Freundlich model (R2 > 0.95), suggesting a multilayer adsorption. The kinetic study also substantiated that the pseudo-second-order model (R2 > 0.98) was in better agreement with the experimental data. Finally, it was proved that the prepared beads can be recycled (by washing with NaOH solution) at least 5 times before detectable performance loss.

Simulation and computer modeling of asphaltene in different solvents on oil-water interfaces using a molecular dynamic methodology.

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were used to study the thermodynamic properties of asphalt binder components, namely asphaltene, and other solvents, such as pentane or toluene, before and after adding pentane or toluene. The two systems were compared by MD simulation under lots of molecules, temperature and pressure to predict their internal energy, structure, and density as a function of time or distance between molecules. Then the simulation results of the two systems were analyzed and compared to determine the influence of different solvents on asphaltene aggregation behavior. The results show that the asphaltenes with pentane or toluene in the two systems have different structure and dynamic characteristics and will produce different precipitation and aggregation characteristics. The aggregation behavior of asphaltene at water - oil interface with or without pentane or toluene was studied. The relationship between the molecular structure and the aggregation of asphaltene in different solvents was investigated.