Comparative analysis of risk factors associated with degeneration of adjacent segments: zero-profile anchored spacer vs. anterior cervical plate and cage construct.

Objective: Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is an established treatment for cervical degenerative disc disease, but cervical spine surgery may affect sagittal alignment parameters and induce adjacent segment degeneration (ASD). This study aimed to determine the risk factors for developing ASD following anterior cervical plate and cage (ACPC) compared with the use of zero-profile anchored spacer (ROI-C). Methods: A retrospective contrastive study included 105 patients who underwent ACPC or ROI-C between January 2014 and October 2019 at our treatment centre. There were 50 cases in the ROI-C group and 55 patients in the ACPC group. Clinical and radiological results and the incidence of ASD were assessed after surgery. All patients were further divided into the ASD and non-ASD groups for subgroup analysis. Results: At each follow-up time, there was no statistically significant in radiographic parameters between the two groups. The overall ASD rate was higher in the ACPC group than in the ROI-C group (65.5% vs. 44.0%, p = 0.027). The low preoperative Cobb angle, low preoperative segment angle (SA), and loss of Cobb (ΔCobb) were significantly correlated with ASD. However, clinical outcomes were not associated with ASD at any postoperative follow-up visit. Conclusion: Equally good therapeutic effects were achieved with both the ROI-C and ACPC. The occurrence of ASD was considerably higher in the ACPC group than in the ROI-C group. The preoperative Cobb angle, preoperative SA, and ΔCobb were the most associated with an increase in the risk of ASD.

Insights into the mechanical microenvironment within the cartilaginous endplate: An emerging role in maintaining disc homeostasis and normal function.

Biomechanical factors are strongly linked with the emergence and development of intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD). The intervertebral disc (IVD), as a unique enclosed biomechanical structure, exhibits distinct mechanical properties within its substructures. Damage to the mechanical performance of any substructure can disrupt the overall mechanical function of the IVD. Endplate degeneration serves as a significant precursor to IVDD. The endplate (EP) structure, especially the cartilaginous endplate (CEP), serves as a conduit for nutrient and metabolite transport in the IVD. It is inevitably influenced by its nutritional environment, mechanical loading, cytokines and extracellular components. Currently, reports on strategies targeting the CEP for the prevention and treatment of IVDD are scarce. This is due to two primary reasons: first, limited knowledge of the biomechanical microenvironment surrounding the degenerated CEP cells; and second, innovative biological treatment strategies, such as implanting active cells (disc or mesenchymal stem cells) or modulating natural cell activity through the addition of therapeutic factors or genes to treat IVDD often overlook a critical aspect-the restoration of the nutrient supply function and mechanical microenvironment of the endplate. Therefore, restoring the healthy structure of the CEP and maintaining a stable mechanical microenvironment within the EP are crucial for the prevention of IVDD and the repair of degenerated IVDs. We present a comprehensive literature review on the mechanical microenvironment characteristics of cartilage endplates and their associated mechanical signaling pathways. Our aim is to provide valuable insights into the development and implementation of strategies to prevent IVDD by delaying or reversing CEP degeneration.

Signal enhancement ratio of multi-phase contrast-enhanced MRI: an imaging biomarker for survival in pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate signal enhancement ratio (SER) for tissue characterization and prognosis stratification in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC), with quantitative histopathological analysis (QHA) as the reference standard. METHODS: This retrospective study included 277 PDAC patients who underwent multi-phase contrast-enhanced (CE) MRI and whole-slide imaging (WSI) from three centers (2015-2021). SER is defined as (SIlt - SIpre)/(SIea - SIpre), where SIpre, SIea, and SIlt represent the signal intensity of the tumor in pre-contrast, early-, and late post-contrast images, respectively. Deep-learning algorithms were implemented to quantify the stroma, epithelium, and lumen of PDAC on WSIs. Correlation, regression, and Bland-Altman analyses were utilized to investigate the associations between SER and QHA. The prognostic significance of SER on overall survival (OS) was evaluated using Cox regression analysis and Kaplan-Meier curves. RESULTS: The internal dataset comprised 159 patients, which was further divided into training, validation, and internal test datasets (n = 60, 41, and 58, respectively). Sixty-five and 53 patients were included in two external test datasets. Excluding lumen, SER demonstrated significant correlations with stroma (r = 0.29-0.74, all p < 0.001) and epithelium (r = -0.23 to -0.71, all p < 0.001) across a wide post-injection time window (range, 25-300 s). Bland-Altman analysis revealed a small bias between SER and QHA for quantifying stroma/epithelium in individual training, validation (all within ± 2%), and three test datasets (all within ± 4%). Moreover, SER-predicted low stromal proportion was independently associated with worse OS (HR = 1.84 (1.17-2.91), p = 0.009) in training and validation datasets, which remained significant across three combined test datasets (HR = 1.73 (1.25-2.41), p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: SER of multi-phase CE-MRI allows for tissue characterization and prognosis stratification in PDAC. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: The signal enhancement ratio of multi-phase CE-MRI can serve as a novel imaging biomarker for characterizing tissue composition and holds the potential for improving patient stratification and therapy in PDAC. KEY POINTS: Imaging biomarkers are needed to better characterize tumor tissue in pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Signal enhancement ratio (SER)-predicted stromal/epithelial proportion showed good agreement with histopathology measurements across three distinct centers. Signal enhancement ratio (SER)-predicted stromal proportion was demonstrated to be an independent prognostic factor for OS in PDAC.

Effect of polydimethylsiloxane surface morphology on osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells through SIRT1 signalling pathway.

Constructing surface topography with a certain roughness is a widely used, non-toxic, cost-effective and effective method for improving the microenvironment of cells, promoting the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), and promoting the osseointegration of grafts and further improving their biocompatibility under clinical environmental conditions. SIRT1 plays an important regulatory role in the osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow-derived MSCs (BM-MSCs). However, it remains unknown whether SIRT1 plays an important regulatory role in the osteogenic differentiation of BM-MSCs with regard to surface morphology. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) with different surface morphologies were prepared using different grits of sandpaper. The value for BMSCs added on different surfaces was detected by cell proliferation assays. RT-qPCR and Western blotting were performed to detect SIRT1 activation and osteogenic differentiation of MSCs. Osteogenesis of MSCs was detected by alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and alizarin red S staining. SIRT1 inhibition experiments were performed to investigate the role of SIRT1 in the osteogenic differentiation of MSCs induced by surface morphology. We found that BM-MSCs have better value and osteogenic differentiation ability on a surface with roughness of PDMS-1000M. SIRT1 showed higher gene and protein expression on a PDMS-1000M surface with a roughness of 13.741 ± 1.388 µm. The promotion of the osteogenic differentiation of MSCs on the PDMS-1000M surface was significantly decreased after inhibiting SIRT1 expression. Our study demonstrated that a surface morphology with certain roughness can activate the SIRT1 pathway of MSCs and promote the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs via the SIRT1 pathway.

Docking protein 6 (DOK6) selectively docks the neurotrophic signaling transduction to restrain peripheral neuropathy.

The appropriate and specific response of nerve cells to various external cues is essential for the establishment and maintenance of neural circuits, and this process requires the proper recruitment of adaptor molecules to selectively activate downstream pathways. Here, we identified that DOK6, a member of the Dok (downstream of tyrosine kinases) family, is required for the maintenance of peripheral axons, and that loss of Dok6 can cause typical peripheral neuropathy symptoms in mice, manifested as impaired sensory, abnormal posture, paw deformities, blocked nerve conduction, and dysmyelination. Furthermore, Dok6 is highly expressed in peripheral neurons but not in Schwann cells, and genetic deletion of Dok6 in peripheral neurons led to typical peripheral myelin outfolding, axon destruction, and hindered retrograde axonal transport. Specifically, DOK6 acts as an adaptor protein for selectivity-mediated neurotrophic signal transduction and retrograde transport for TrkC and Ret but not for TrkA and TrkB. DOK6 interacts with certain proteins in the trafficking machinery and controls their phosphorylation, including MAP1B, Tau and Dynein for axonal transport, and specifically activates the downstream ERK1/2 kinase pathway to maintain axonal survival and homeostasis. This finding provides new clues to potential insights into the pathogenesis and treatment of hereditary peripheral neuropathies and other degenerative diseases.

Single-cell RNA Sequencing Analysis Reveals the Role of Cancer-associated Fibroblasts in Skin Melanoma.

AIMS: Mechanism of fibroblasts in skin melanoma (SKME) revealed by single-cell RNA sequencing data. BACKGROUND: SKME is responsible for more than 80% of skin-related cancer deaths. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) generate inflammatory factors, growth factors and extracellular matrix proteins to facilitate cancer cell growth, metastasis, drug resistance and immune exclusion. However, molecular mechanisms of CAFs in SKME are still lacking. OBJECTIVE: Our goal was to reveal the role of CAFs in SKME. METHODS: We downloaded the single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) dataset from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GSE215120) database. Then, the Seurat package was applied to analyze the single-cell atlas of SKME data, and cell subsets were annotated with the CellMarker database. The molecular mechanisms of CAFs in SKME were disclosed via differential gene expression and enrichment analysis, Cellchat and SCENIC methods. RESULTS: Using scRNA-seq data, three SKME cases were used and downscaled and clustered to identify 11 cell subgroups and 5 CAF subsets. The enrichment of highly expressed genes among the 5 CAF subsets suggests that cell migration-inducing hyaluronan-binding protein (CEMIP) + fibroblasts and naked cuticle homolog 1 (NKD1) + fibroblasts were closely associated with epithelial to mesenchymal transition. Cellchat analysis revealed that CAF subpopulations promoted melanocyte proliferation through Jagged1 (JAG1)-Notch homolog 1 (NOTCH1), JAG1-NOTCH3 and migration through pleiotrophin (PTN)-syndecan-3 (SDC3) receptor-ligand pairs. The SCENIC analysis identified that most of the transcription factors in each CAF subpopulation played a certain role in the metastasis of melanoma and were highly expressed in metastatic SKME samples. Specifically, we observed that CEMIP+ fibroblasts and NKD1+ fibroblasts had potential roles in participating in immune therapy resistance. Collectively, we uncovered a single-- cell atlas of SKME and revealed the molecular mechanisms of CAFs in SKME development, providing a base for immune therapy and prognosis assessment. CONCLUSION: Our study reveals that 5 CAFs in SKME have a promoting effect on melanocyte proliferation and metastasis. More importantly, CEMIP+ fibroblasts and NKD1+ fibroblasts displayed close connections with immune therapy resistance. These findings help provide a good basis for future immune therapy and prognosis assessment targeting CAFs in SKME.

Sirt6 regulates the proliferation of neural precursor cells and cortical neurogenesis in mice.

Sirt6, a member of the class III histone deacetylases (HDACs), functions in the regulation of genomic stability, DNA repair, cancer, metabolism and aging. Sirt6 deficiency is lethal, and newborn SIRT6-null cynomolgus monkeys show unfinished brain development. After the generation of a cortex-specific Sirt6 conditional knockout mouse model, we investigated the specific deletion of Sirt6 in NPCs at E10.5. This study found that Sirt6 deficiency causes excessive proliferation of neural precursor cells (NPCs) and retards differentiation. The results suggest that endogenous Sirt6 in NPCs regulates histone acetylation and limits stemness-related genes, including Notch1, in order to participate in NPC fate determination. These findings help elucidate Sirt6's role in brain development and in NPC fate determination while providing data on species generality and differentiation.

Ovarian carcinoma immune-related microRNA affects the heterogeneity of the endocrine microenvironment and anti-tumor immune pattern.

BACKGROUND: The eighth-leading cause of cancer-related mortality and the seventh-most prevalent malignancy in women globally is ovarian cancer (OV). However, 5-year survival expectancy after conventional treatment is not good. Therefore, there is an urgent need for novel signatures to guide the designation of therapeutic schemes for OV patients. METHODS: We used univariate Cox analysis to screen hormone secretion regulation axis-related microRNAs (miRNAs), least absolute shrinkage and selection operator analysis to select candidate miRNAs and multivariate Cox analysis to build the risk model. To evaluate possible route and functional differences, enrichment analysis using Gene Ontology (GO) and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) were performed on the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) across various risk groups. We compared Tumor Immune Dysfunction and Exclusion (TIDE) scores across risk categories by analyzing immune cell infiltration, immune checkpoint gene expression, immunological function and TIDE scores. In the end, we determined the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50 ) of chemotherapy and targeted medicines for individual patients. Cell assays were determined to test the migration of the miRNA-target genes and western blotting was used to test the correlation of the miRNA-target genes and the pathways. RESULTS: We finally identified hormone secretion regulation axis-related 13 microRNAs to build a risk model. The validation of observed and anticipated values revealed a fair level of agreement. To evaluate the molecular pathways between various groups in accordance with the GO and KEGG analyses, we then discovered 173 DEGs between distinct risk groups. The risk score was shown to be inversely related to the number of immune cells, including myeloid dendritic, granulocytes, M1 and M2 macrophages, B cells, t-lymphocytes, and CD4+ and CD8+ cells, suggesting that immune cells are more frequent in the low-risk group. Immune cell infiltration investigation yielded these results. Finally, we recognized 11 chemotherapeutic drugs and 30 novels targeted drugs on the basis of IC50 between the different risk groups. GJB5 was determined to be the mir-219 target gene and was identified as promoting the cell cycle process. In addition, hormone secretion regulation axis related miRNAs were reported to affects the heterogeneity of endocrine microenvironment and anti-tumor immune pattern. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, a 13-miRNA prognostic model was constructed to know the immune status, prognosis, immunotherapeutic response and anti-tumor drug sensitivity for OV, which provides theoretical guidance for the effective and individualized treatment of OV patients.

The inflammatory response-related robust machine learning signature in endometrial cancer: Based on multi-cohort studies.

Uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma (UCEC) is a prevalent form of cancer in women, affecting the inner lining of the uterus. Inflammation plays a crucial role in the progression and prognosis of cancer, making it important to identify inflammatory response-related subtypes in UCEC for targeted therapy and personalized medicine. This study discovered significant variation in immune response within UCEC tumors based on molecular subtypes of inflammatory response-related genes. Subtype A showed a more favorable prognosis and better response to immunotherapies like anti-CTLA4 and anti-PDCD1 therapy. Functional analysis revealed subtype-specific differences in immune response, with subtype A exhibiting higher expression of genes related to cytokine signaling pathways, NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity pathways and inflammatory processes. Subtype A also showed increased sensitivity to three chemotherapeutic agents. A 12-gene inflammatory response-related signature was found to have prognostic value for 1, 2 and 3 year survival in UCEC patients. Additionally, a validated machine learning-based signature demonstrated significant differences in clinical traits between low-risk and high-risk cohorts. Elevated risk scores were associated with higher pathological grading, older age, advanced stage and immune subtype C2. Low-risk groups had higher infiltration of immune cell types such as CD8 + T cells and activated CD4 + cells. However, the abundance of cytotoxic immune cells decreased with increasing risk scores. Finally, PCR was applied to test the different expression in P2PX4. P2RX4 knockdown inhibited the proliferation and proliferation of the endometrial carcinoma Ishikawa cell line. In conclusion, this developed signature can serve as a clinical prediction index and reveal distinct immune expression patterns. Ultimately, this study has the potential to enhance targeted therapy and personalized medicine for UCEC patients.

Spermidine protects cartilage from IL-1ß-mediated ferroptosis.

Rheumatoid arthritis is characterized by a burst of inflammation, the destruction of cartilage and the abundant release of inflammatory factors such as IL-1ß. Thus, the effect of IL-1ß on cartilage was examined in this study. IL-1ß could cause lipid peroxidation and disturbances in iron metabolism by increasing the expression of NCOA4 and decreasing the expression of FTH, which also induced ferritinophagy. In addition, the expression of the key antioxidant proteins SLC7A11 and GPX4 was inhibited by IL-1ß, resulting in ferroptosis in chondrocytes. Spermidine (SPD), a low-molecular-weight aliphatic nitrogen-containing compound that widely exists in animals, has been reported to be an antioxidant. In our study, we found that SPD could inhibit ferritinophagy and reverse the decrease in the expression of SLC7A11 and GPX4. Therefore, we uncovered one of the molecular mechanisms of cartilage destruction and inflammation and provide a potential polyamine for the treatment of RA.

The First Human Infection Case of Macacine Alphaherpesvirus 1 Virus in China.

BACKGROUND: Macacine alphaherpesvirus 1 (BV) was first reported in the 1930s and only about 60 cases have been diagnosed since then. METHODS: A 53-year-old male who worked as a veterinary surgeon, developed a fever with nausea and vomiting in April 2021 in Beijing, China. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and metagenomics Next Generation Sequencing (mNGS) were used for diagnosis. RESULTS: BV DNA was confirmed by mNGS and PCR. The case died 51 days after onset, due to the damage to the brain and spinal cord caused by a viral infection and hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. The typical BV inclusion bodies in the brain were found for the first time. CONCLUSIONS: Here we reported the first human infection case of BV in China. This fatal case highlights the potential threat of BV to occupational workers and the essential role of surveillance.

Predicting post-resection recurrence by integrating imaging-based surrogates of distinct vascular patterns of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background & Aims: Distinct vascular patterns, including microvascular invasion (MVI) and vessels encapsulating tumour clusters (VETC), are associated with poor outcomes of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Imaging surrogates of these vascular patterns potentially help to predict post-resection recurrence. Herein, a prognostic model integrating imaging-based surrogates of these distinct vascular patterns was developed to predict postoperative recurrence-free survival (RFS) in patients with HCC. Methods: Clinico-radiological data of 1,285 patients with HCC from China undergoing surgical resection were retrospectively enrolled from seven medical centres between 2014 and 2020. A prognostic model using clinical data and imaging-based surrogates of MVI and VETC patterns was developed (n = 297) and externally validated (n = 373) to predict RFS. The surrogates (i.e. MVI and VETC scores) were individually built from preoperative computed tomography using two independent cohorts (n = 360 and 255). Whether the model's stratification was associated with postoperative recurrence following anatomic resection was also evaluated. Results: The MVI and VETC scores demonstrated effective performance in their respective training and validation cohorts (AUC: 0.851-0.883 for MVI and 0.834-0.844 for VETC). The prognostic model incorporating serum alpha-foetoprotein, tumour multiplicity, MVI score, and VETC score achieved a C-index of 0.748-0.764 for the developing and external validation cohorts and generated three prognostically distinct strata. For patients at model-predicted medium risk, anatomic resection was associated with improved RFS (p <0.05). By contrast, anatomic resection had no impact on RFS in patients at model-predicted low or high risk (both p >0.05). Conclusions: The proposed model integrating imaging-based surrogates of distinct vascular patterns enabled accurate prediction for RFS. It can potentially be used to identify HCC surgical candidates who may benefit from anatomic resection. Impact and implications: MVI and VETC are distinct vascular patterns of HCC associated with aggressive biological behaviour and poor outcomes. Our multicentre study provided a model incorporating imaging-based surrogates of these patterns for preoperatively predicting RFS. The proposed model, which uses imaging detection to estimate the risk of MVI and VETC, offers an opportunity to help shed light on the association between tumour aggressiveness and prognosis and to support the selection of the appropriate type of surgical resection.

Prevalence and risk factors for kidney disease among hospitalized PLWH in China.

BACKGROUND: Kidney disease is an important comorbidity in people living with HIV(PLWH), and is associated with poor outcomes. However, data on renal function of PLWH are limited in China so far. In this study we assessed the prevalence of kidney disease in patients either on antiretroviral therapy (ART) or not respectively in a single center in China and explored the possible risk factors associated. METHODS: In the cross-sectional study, we recruited hospitalized adult PLWH. Demographic characteristics, clinical information and laboratory variables were collected. Kidney disease was defined as estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2, and/or isolated hematuria, proteinuria, microalbuminuria. We calculated the prevalence of kidney disease and used logistic regression to assess its associated risk factors. RESULTS: A total of 501 adult PLWH were enrolled, 446 (89.0%) males and 55 (11.0%) females. The median age was 39 (IQR 30-50) years old. The prevalence of kidney disease was 19.0%, 22 (4.4%) patients with eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2, 53 (10.6%) patients with hematuria, 11 (2.2%) patients with proteinuria, and 40 (8.0%) patients with microalbuminuria. 297 (59.3%) patients were receiving ART. The patients on ART had a higher prevalence of renal disease than those had not been administrated with ART (22.6% vs. 13.7%, P = 0.013). On the multivariate logistic regression analysis among patients not on ART, lower haemoglobin (OR 0.994, 95%CI: 0.902-0.988, P = 0.013) were significantly associated with kidney disease. While among those on ART, older age (OR 1.034, 95%CI: 1.003-1.066, P = 0.032), lower haemoglobin (OR 0.968, 95%CI: 0.948-0.988, P = 0.002) and lower albumin (OR 0.912, 95%CI: 0.834-0.997, P = 0.044) were significantly associated with kidney disease. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of kidney disease among hospitalized PLWH in China is high, especially in patients on ART. A larger scale study on Chinese outpatient PLWH should be conducted, so as to precisely assess prevalence of kidney disease in general Chinese PLWH.

Predicting Microvascular Invasion in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Using CT-based Radiomics Model.

Background Prediction of microvascular invasion (MVI) may help determine treatment strategies for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Purpose To develop a radiomics approach for predicting MVI status based on preoperative multiphase CT images and to identify MVI-associated differentially expressed genes. Materials and Methods Patients with pathologically proven HCC from May 2012 to September 2020 were retrospectively included from four medical centers. Radiomics features were extracted from tumors and peritumor regions on preoperative registration or subtraction CT images. In the training set, these features were used to build five radiomics models via logistic regression after feature reduction. The models were tested using internal and external test sets against a pathologic reference standard to calculate area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). The optimal AUC radiomics model and clinical-radiologic characteristics were combined to build the hybrid model. The log-rank test was used in the outcome cohort (Kunming center) to analyze early recurrence-free survival and overall survival based on high versus low model-derived score. RNA sequencing data from The Cancer Image Archive were used for gene expression analysis. Results A total of 773 patients (median age, 59 years; IQR, 49-64 years; 633 men) were divided into the training set (n = 334), internal test set (n = 142), external test set (n = 141), outcome cohort (n = 121), and RNA sequencing analysis set (n = 35). The AUCs from the radiomics and hybrid models, respectively, were 0.76 and 0.86 for the internal test set and 0.72 and 0.84 for the external test set. Early recurrence-free survival (P < .01) and overall survival (P < .007) can be categorized using the hybrid model. Differentially expressed genes in patients with findings positive for MVI were involved in glucose metabolism. Conclusion The hybrid model showed the best performance in prediction of MVI. © RSNA, 2023 Supplemental material is available for this article. See also the editorial by Summers in this issue.

Toluene Tolerated Li9.88GeP1.96Sb0.04S11.88Cl0.12 Solid Electrolyte toward Ultrathin Membranes for All-Solid-State Lithium Batteries.

Sulfide solid electrolyte membranes employed in all-solid-state lithium batteries generally show high thickness and poor chemical stability, which limit the cell-level energy density and cycle life. In this work, Li9.88GeP1.96Sb0.04S11.88Cl0.12 solid electrolyte is synthesized with Sb, Cl partial substitution of P, S, possessing excellent toluene tolerance and stability to lithium. The formed SbS43- group in Li9.88GeP1.96Sb0.04S11.88Cl0.12 exhibits low adsorption energy and reactivity for toluene molecules, confirmed by first-principles density functional theory calculation. Using toluene as the solvent, ultrathin Li9.88GeP1.96Sb0.04S11.88Cl0.12 membranes with adjustable thicknesses can be well prepared by the wet coating method, and an 8 µm thick membrane exhibits an ionic conductivity of 1.9 mS cm-1 with ultrahigh ionic conductance of 1860 mS and ultralow areal resistance of 0.68 Ω cm-2 at 25 °C. The obtained LiCoO2|Li9.88GeP1.96Sb0.04S11.88Cl0.12 membrane|Li all-solid-state lithium battery shows an initial reversible capacity of 125.6 mAh g-1 with a capacity retention of 86.3% after 250 cycles at 0.1 C under 60 °C.

Advances in the study of the correlation between urolithiasis and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease / 中华泌尿外科杂志

In recent years, researchers have found that patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) often have urolithiasis, and the incidence of urolithiasis increases gradually with the severity of NAFLD. Meanwhile, the detection rate of NAFLD was higher in patients with urolithiasis than in normal controls. In this paper, we reviewed the domestic and international studies on the correlation between urolithiasis and NAFLD and described the related pathogenesis, such as insulin resistance, oxidative stress, abnormal lipid metabolism and impaired glyoxalate detoxification. Meanwhile, this paper proposed preventive measures to reduce the risk of development and recurrence of NAFLD-associated urolithiasis by addressing the common risk factors of both diseases, including metabolism-related diseases, lifestyle and diet.

Study on the reasons of the interruption of Chinese residents' physical fitness behavior / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective:To discusses the formation mechanism and influencing factors of sports fitness behavior interruption.Methods:From January 1st to April 30th in 2015, the adults aged 20 and above in the national survey of fitness activities were selected as the research objects to analyze the reasons for the interruption of fitness behavior of Chinese residents, including 32 877 people with fitness habits and 5 152 people with interrupted fitness habits.SPSS 19.0 and AMOS 17.0 software were used to process the data.The chi-square test was used to analyze the characteristics and changing trend of people who interrupted physical fitness behavior.Correlation analysis and factor analysis were used to categorize public factors of residents' physical fitness behavior characteristics.Validating factor analysis and path analysis were used to analyze the main reasons affecting the disruption of residents' physical fitness behaviors.Results:The fitness interruption behavior among Chinese residents were statistically significant different in terms of age, gender, and habitation( χ2=2.791, 199.435, 12.402, all P<0.05). The highest percentage of fitness interruptions was observed among residents aged 20-39 (19.1%) in China, women (16.2%) were higher than men (15.5%), and urban (16.4%) were higher than rural (14.9%). Factor classification and model analysis showed that the occurrence of disruptions in physical fitness behavior among Chinese residents was influenced by a combination of health factors( β=0.52), social environment( β=0.57), psychological factors( β=0.42), and fitness behavior environment( β=0.22). Conclusion:The occurrence of disruption of physical fitness behavior of our residents is mainly influenced by the combination of health factors, psychological factors, social environment, and fitness behavior environment.

Screening the effective components in treating dampness stagnancy due to spleen deficiency syndrome and elucidating the potential mechanism of Poria water extract / 中国天然药物

Poria is an important medicine for inducing diuresis to drain dampness from the middle energizer. However, the specific effective components and the potential mechanism of Poria remain largely unknown. To identify the effective components and the mechanism of Poria water extract (PWE) to treat dampness stagnancy due to spleen deficiency syndrome (DSSD), a rat model of DSSD was established through weight-loaded forced swimming, intragastric ice-water stimulation, humid living environment, and alternate-day fasting for 21 days. After 14 days of treatment with PWE, the results indicated that PWE increased fecal moisture percentage, urine output, D-xylose level and weight; amylase, albumin, and total protein levels; and the swimming time of rats with DSSD to different extents. Eleven highly related components were screened out using the spectrum-effect relationship and LC-MS. Mechanistic studies revealed that PWE significantly increased the expression of serum motilin (MTL), gastrin (GAS), ADCY5/6, p-PKAα/β/γ cat, and phosphorylated cAMP-response element binding protein in the stomach, and AQP3 expression in the colon. Moreover, it decreased the levels of serum ADH, the expression of AQP3 and AQP4 in the stomach, AQP1 and AQP3 in the duodenum, and AQP4 in the colon. PWE induced diuresis to drain dampness in rats with DSSD. Eleven main effective components were identified in PWE. They exerted therapeutic effect by regulating the AC-cAMP-AQP signaling pathway in the stomach, MTL and GAS levels in the serum, AQP1 and AQP3 expression in the duodenum, and AQP3 and AQP4 expression in the colon.

Mechanism of Didang Decoction in prevention of anti-atherosclerosis and hyperlipidemia by HPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS and network pharmacology based on theory of "nutrients return to heart and fat accumulates in channels" / 中国中药杂志

Atherosclerosis(AS) is caused by impaired lipid metabolism, which deposits lipids in the intima, causes vascular fibrosis and calcification, and then leads to stiffening of the vascular wall. Hyperlipidemia(HLP) is one of the key risk factors for AS. Based on the theory of "nutrients return to the heart and fat accumulates in the channels", it is believed that the excess fat returning to the heart in the vessels is the key pathogenic factor of AS. The accumulation of fat in the vessels over time and the blood stasis are the pathological mechanisms leading to the development of HLP and AS, and "turbid phlegm and fat" and "blood stasis" are the pathological products of the progression of HLP into AS. Didang Decoction(DDD) is a potent prescription effective in activating blood circulation, removing blood stasis, resolving turbidity, lowering lipids, and dredging blood vessels, with the functions of dispelling stasis to promote regeneration, which has certain effects in the treatment of atherosclerotic diseases. This study employed high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry(HPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS) to screen the main blood components of DDD, explored the targets and mechanisms of DDD against AS and HLP with network pharmacology, and verified the network pharmacological results by in vitro experiments. A total of 231 blood components of DDD were obtained, including 157 compounds with a composite score >60. There were 903 predicted targets obtained from SwissTargetPrediction and 279 disease targets from GeneCards, OMIM, and DisGeNET, and 79 potential target genes of DDD against AS and HLP were obtained by intersection. Gene Ontology(GO) analysis suggested that DDD presumably exerted regulation through biological processes such as cholesterol metabolism and inflammatory response, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) analysis suggested that signaling pathways included lipid and atherosclerosis, insulin resistance, chemo-carcinogenesis-receptor activation, and AGE-RAGE signaling pathways in diabetic complications. In vitro experiments showed that DDD could reduce free fatty acid-induced lipid accumulation and cholesterol ester content in L02 cells and improve cellular activity, which might be related to the up-regulation of the expression of PPARα, LPL, PPARG, VEGFA, CETP, CYP1A1, and CYP3A4, and the down-regulation of the expression of TNF-α and IL-6. DDD may play a role in preventing and treating AS and HLP by improving lipid metabolism and inflammatory response, and inhibiting apoptosis with multi-component, multi-target, and multi-pathway characteristics.

Clinical Course and Risk Factors for Liver Injury of Severe and Critical Patients with COVID-19.

Introduction: Information regarding the clinical course of COVID-19 patients with liver injury is very limited, especially in severe and critical patients. The objective of this study was to describe the characteristics and clinical course of liver function in patients admitted with severe and/or critical SARS-CoV-2 infection, as well as explore the risk factors that affect liver function in the enrolled COVID-19 patients. Methods: Information on clinical characteristics of 63 severe and critical patients with confirmed COVID-19 was collected. Data on patients' demographics, laboratory characteristics, laboratory examination, SARS-CoV-2 RNA results and liver test parameters were acquired and analyzed. Results: The incidence of abnormal aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and total bilirubin in the critical group was significantly higher than in the severe group (respectively 81.48%, 81.49%, 62.67%, and 45.71%, 63.88%, 22.86%, p < 0.05). The time for liver function parameters to reach their extremes was approximately 2-3 weeks after admission. The independent factors associated with liver injury were patients with invasive ventilators, decreased percentages of neutrophils, lymphocytes and monocytes, and sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score ≥2 (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Abnormal liver tests are commonly observed in severe and critical patients with COVID-19. Severe patients infected by SARS-CoV-2 should be closely observed and monitored the liver function parameters, particularly when they present with independent risk factors for liver injury.