3D porous conductive matrix based on phase-transited BSA and covalent coupling-stabilized transition ZnS-CNT for antifouling and on-site detection of nitrite in soil.

Nitrite plays a critical role in a variety of nitrification and denitrification processes in the nitrogen cycle. Due to the high surface energy, tendency to aggregate, and poor conductivity, current nitrite ZnS-based sensing platform could not meet the need of on-site nitrite detection in smart agriculture. In order to address these issues, the carboxylated carbon nanotube (CNT) was introduced to reduce the surface energy and prevented aggregation of ZnS, while ZnS-carboxylated CNT (ZnS-CNT) composite also provided excellent electrochemical conductivity. Furthermore, the introduction of phase transition BSA (PTB) created a three-dimensional porous conductive matrix without interfering with the mass transfer process of nitrite. The resulting sensing platform exhibited a linear detection range of 10 nM to 0.4 mM for nitrite, with a detection limit of 0.73 nM. And this sensing platform had the excellent antifouling ability to direct detection nitrite in real soil suspension. In addition, the sensing platform demonstrated remarkable resistance to interferences from pH variations, microbial presence, and organic pollutants that usually present in soil environment. Therefore, on-site detection of nitrite ions in soil environment was realized no needing complex pretreatments.

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Cholelithiasis is a common disease of the digestive system. The risk factors for cholelithiasis have been reported and summarized many times in the published literature, which primarily focused on cross-sectional studies. Due to the inherent limitations of the study design, the reported findings still need to be validated in additional longitudinal studies. Moreover, a number of new risk factors for cholelithiasis have been identified in recent years, such as bariatric surgery, hepatitis B virus infection, hepatitis C virus infection, kidney stones, colectomy, osteoporosis, etc. These new findings have not yet been included in published reviews. Herein, we reviewed the 101 cholelithiasis-associated risk factors identified through research based on longitudinal investigations, including cohort studies, randomized controlled trials, and nested case control studies. The risk factors associated with the pathogenesis of cholelithiasis were categorized as unmodifiable and modifiable factors. The unmodifiable factors consist of age, sex, race, and family history, while the modifiable factors include 37 biological environmental factors, 25 socioenvironmental factors, and 35 physiochemical environmental factors. This study provides thorough and comprehensive ideas for research concerning the pathogenesis of cholelithiasis, supplying the basis for identifying high-risk groups and formulating relevant prevention strategies.

A prospective cohort study of exposure to household pesticide with cardiovascular diseases mortality in older adults.

OBJECTIVES: We examined the associations of self-reported exposures, and urinary metabolites related to household pesticide with cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality in older adults based on the 2007 to 2014 waves of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). METHODS: Information on application and urinary metabolites related to household pesticide exposure were collected. We estimated the risks of household pesticide exposure, urinary metabolites with subsequent incident CVD death using Cox proportional hazards regression models. The indirect effects of urinary metabolites and effect modifications were examined. RESULTS: The participants who reported exposure to household pesticide had a higher risk of incident CVD death (adjusted HR 1.40, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.81). Per 1-log10 increase in urinary N, N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide (DEET) related to household insect repellents was associated with a higher risk of incident CVD death (adjusted HR 1.97, 95% CI 1.14 to 3.40). Urinary DEET explained 4.21% of the total association between household pesticide exposure and CVD death risk. The participants who persisted a low level of health diet exhibited pronounced CVD death risks with household pesticide exposures. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to household pesticide, especially household insect repellents, was consistently associated with an elevated CVD death risk in older adults. A heatlhy diet could partly attenuate the associations.

Phenotypic and genetic effect of carotid intima-media thickness on the risk of stroke.

While carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) as a noninvasive surrogate measure of atherosclerosis is widely considered a risk factor for stroke, the intrinsic link underlying cIMT and stroke has not been fully understood. We aimed to evaluate the clinical value of cIMT in stroke through the investigation of phenotypic and genetic relationships between cIMT and stroke. We evaluated phenotypic associations using observational data from UK Biobank (N = 21,526). We then investigated genetic relationships leveraging genomic data conducted in predominantly European ancestry for cIMT (N = 45,185) and any stroke (AS, Ncase/Ncontrol=40,585/406,111). Observational analyses suggested an increased hazard of stroke per one standard deviation increase in cIMT (cIMTmax-AS: hazard ratio (HR) = 1.39, 95%CI = 1.09-1.79; cIMTmean-AS: HR = 1.39, 95%CI = 1.09-1.78; cIMTmin-AS: HR = 1.32, 95%CI = 1.04-1.68). A positive global genetic correlation was observed (cIMTmax-AS: [Formula: see text]=0.23, P=9.44 × 10-5; cIMTmean-AS: [Formula: see text]=0.21, P=3.00 × 10-4; cIMTmin-AS: [Formula: see text]=0.16, P=6.30 × 10-3). This was further substantiated by five shared independent loci and 15 shared expression-trait associations. Mendelian randomization analyses suggested no causal effect of cIMT on stroke (cIMTmax-AS: odds ratio (OR)=1.12, 95%CI=0.97-1.28; cIMTmean-AS: OR=1.09, 95%CI=0.93-1.26; cIMTmin-AS: OR=1.03, 95%CI = 0.90-1.17). A putative association was observed for genetically predicted stroke on cIMT (AS-cIMTmax: beta=0.07, 95%CI = 0.01-0.13; AS-cIMTmean: beta=0.08, 95%CI = 0.01-0.15; AS-cIMTmin: beta = 0.08, 95%CI = 0.01-0.16) in the reverse direction MR, which attenuated to non-significant in sensitivity analysis. Our work does not find evidence supporting causal associations between cIMT and stroke. The pronounced cIMT-stroke association is intrinsic, and mostly attributed to shared genetic components. The clinical value of cIMT as a surrogate marker for stroke risk in the general population is likely limited.

Exercise, weight maintenance, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease risk: a Chinese cohort study.

Background: Exercise has been reported to be associated with a reduced risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), but there is no consensus on the role of weight changes in this association. This study aims to investigate whether the impact of exercise on NAFLD is mainly dependent on weight changes or is inherent to exercise itself. Methods: The study recruited 1671 Chinese NAFLD-free adults in 2019, and collected their exercise habits as well as 3 years of medical examination data including anthropometric measurements, blood biochemistry parameters, and liver ultrasound results. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were employed to examine the impact of exercise habits on NAFLD risk, with mediation analysis utilized to estimate the magnitude of the role of weight maintenance in the association between exercise and NAFLD. Results: After adjusting for confounders, moderate to high-intensity exercisers were 1.56 times (95% CIs = 1.09-2.22) more likely to successfully control their body weight, and therefore the weight-controlled group had a lower NAFLD risk of 34.9% (95% CIs = 21.8%-56.0%) compared to the weight-gain group. Mediation analysis reveals that exercise can significantly reduce the risk of NAFLD both through weight maintenance (37.1%) and independent of weight maintenance (62.9%). Conclusion: It might be more crucial to emphasize the adoption of regular moderate to high-intensity exercise for preventing NAFLD in the general population, rather than solely focusing on weight maintenance.

Independent association of general and central adiposity with risk of gallstone disease: observational and genetic analyses.

Background: General obesity is a well-established risk factor for gallstone disease (GSD), but whether central obesity contributes additional independent risk remains controversial. We aimed to comprehensively clarify the effect of body fat distribution on GSD. Methods: We first investigated the observational association of central adiposity, characterized by waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), with GSD risk using data from UK Biobank (N=472,050). We then explored the genetic relationship using summary statistics from the largest genome-wide association study of GSD (ncase=43,639, ncontrol=506,798) as well as WHR, with and without adjusting for body mass index (BMI) (WHR: n=697,734; WHRadjBMI: n=694,649). Results: Observational analysis demonstrated an increased risk of GSD with one unit increase in WHR (HR=1.18, 95%CI=1.14-1.21). A positive WHR-GSD genetic correlation (rg =0.41, P=1.42×10-52) was observed, driven by yet independent of BMI (WHRadjBMI: rg =0.19, P=6.89×10-16). Cross-trait meta-analysis identified four novel pleiotropic loci underlying WHR and GSD with biological mechanisms outside of BMI. Mendelian randomization confirmed a robust WHR-GSD causal relationship (OR=1.50, 95%CI=1.35-1.65) which attenuated yet remained significant after adjusting for BMI (OR=1.17, 95%CI=1.09-1.26). Furthermore, observational analysis confirmed a positive association between general obesity and GSD, corroborated by a shared genetic basis (rg =0.40, P=2.16×10-43), multiple novel pleiotropic loci (N=11) and a causal relationship (OR=1.67, 95%CI=1.56-1.78). Conclusion: Both observational and genetic analyses consistently provide evidence on an association of central obesity with an increased risk of GSD, independent of general obesity. Our work highlights the need of considering both general and central obesity in the clinical management of GSD.

ABC2A: A Straightforward and Fast Method for the Accurate Backmapping of RNA Coarse-Grained Models to All-Atom Structures.

RNAs play crucial roles in various essential biological functions, including catalysis and gene regulation. Despite the widespread use of coarse-grained (CG) models/simulations to study RNA 3D structures and dynamics, their direct application is challenging due to the lack of atomic detail. Therefore, the reconstruction of full atomic structures is desirable. In this study, we introduced a straightforward method called ABC2A for reconstructing all-atom structures from RNA CG models. ABC2A utilizes diverse nucleotide fragments from known structures to assemble full atomic structures based on the CG atoms. The diversification of assembly fragments beyond standard A-form ones, commonly used in other programs, combined with a highly simplified structure refinement process, ensures that ABC2A achieves both high accuracy and rapid speed. Tests on a recent large dataset of 361 RNA experimental structures (30-692 nt) indicate that ABC2A can reconstruct full atomic structures from three-bead CG models with a mean RMSD of ~0.34 Å from experimental structures and an average runtime of ~0.5 s (maximum runtime < 2.5 s). Compared to the state-of-the-art Arena, ABC2A achieves a ~25% improvement in accuracy and is five times faster in speed.

Risk factors for prostate cancer: An umbrella review of prospective observational studies and mendelian randomization analyses.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of prostate cancer is increasing in older males globally. Age, ethnicity, and family history are identified as the well-known risk factors for prostate cancer, but few modifiable factors have been firmly established. The objective of this study was to identify and evaluate various factors modifying the risk of prostate cancer reported in meta-analyses of prospective observational studies and mendelian randomization (MR) analyses. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We searched PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science from the inception to January 10, 2022, updated on September 9, 2023, to identify meta-analyses and MR studies on prostate cancer. Eligibility criteria for meta-analyses were (1) meta-analyses including prospective observational studies or studies that declared outcome-free at baseline; (2) evaluating the factors of any category associated with prostate cancer incidence; and (3) providing effect estimates for further data synthesis. Similar criteria were applied to MR studies. Meta-analysis was repeated using the random-effects inverse-variance model with DerSimonian-Laird method. Quality assessment was then conducted for included meta-analyses using AMSTAR-2 tool and for MR studies using STROBE-MR and assumption evaluation. Subsequent evidence grading criteria for significant associations in meta-analyses contained sample size, P values and 95% confidence intervals, 95% prediction intervals, heterogeneity, and publication bias, assigning 4 evidence grades (convincing, highly suggestive, suggestive, or weak). Significant associations in MR studies were graded as robust, probable, suggestive, or insufficient considering P values and concordance of effect directions. Finally, 92 selected from 411 meta-analyses and 64 selected from 118 MR studies were included after excluding the overlapping and outdated studies which were published earlier and contained fewer participants or fewer instrument variables for the same exposure. In total, 123 observational associations (45 significant and 78 null) and 145 causal associations (55 significant and 90 null) were categorized into lifestyle; diet and nutrition; anthropometric indices; biomarkers; clinical variables, diseases, and treatments; and environmental factors. Concerning evidence grading on significant associations, there were 5 highly suggestive, 36 suggestive, and 4 weak associations in meta-analyses, and 10 robust, 24 probable, 4 suggestive, and 17 insufficient causal associations in MR studies. Twenty-six overlapping factors between meta-analyses and MR studies were identified, with consistent significant effects found for physical activity (PA) (occupational PA in meta: OR = 0.87, 95% CI: 0.80, 0.94; accelerator-measured PA in MR: OR = 0.49, 95% CI: 0.33, 0.72), height (meta: OR = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.06, 1.12; MR: OR = 1.07, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.15, for aggressive prostate cancer), and smoking (current smoking in meta: OR = 0.74, 95% CI: 0.68, 0.80; smoking initiation in MR: OR = 0.91, 95% CI: 0.86, 0.97). Methodological limitation is that the evidence grading criteria could be expanded by considering more indices. CONCLUSIONS: In this large-scale study, we summarized the associations of various factors with prostate cancer risk and provided comparisons between observational associations by meta-analysis and genetically estimated causality by MR analyses. In the absence of convincing overlapping evidence based on the existing literature, no robust associations were identified, but some effects were observed for height, physical activity, and smoking.

Analysis of the hemostatic effect of preset wrapping technique for type A aortic dissection with abnormal coagulation.

Background: There are many techniques to reduce anastomotic bleeding for the total arch replacement, but hemostasis is sometimes difficult to achieve after surgery for acute dissection, especially in patients with abnormal coagulation (AC). This study aimed to investigate the hemostatic effect and early efficacy of a pre-set bovine pericardium wrapper in the right heart system shunt for total arch replacement in patients with type A aortic dissection (TAAD) and preoperative AC. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 85 patients with TAAD and AC who underwent total arch replacement between January 2018 and December 2022. The patients were divided into two groups: the preset pericardium group (n=30) and the control group (n=55). Results: There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of Bentall surgery (ascending aorta replacement with an aortic valve artificial vessel) and cardiac arrest time. However, compared to the control group, the preset pericardium group exhibited a shorter duration of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and operation (P<0.001). Additionally, the preset pericardium group required fewer transfusions of blood products and hemostatic drugs (P<0.05). Moreover, the preset pericardium group had lower 24-hour postoperative mediastinal drainage volume (P<0.001), a lower proportion of bedside hemofiltration (P=0.039), and a shorter duration of mechanical ventilation and stay in the intensive care unit (P=0.014). Although the preset pericardium group showed reductions in in-hospital mortality, re-exploration for bleeding, and neurologic dysfunction, these differences were not statistically significant compared to the control group. Conclusions: This study represents the first investigation into the application of the preset wrapping technique in total arch replacement for TAAD with AC. The results demonstrate that this method can reduce the duration of CPB and operation, decrease postoperative bleeding, and minimize the need for blood transfusion and hemostatic drugs. Consequently, this technique may contribute to early postoperative recovery.

Functional loops: Monitoring functional organization of deep neural networks using algebraic topology.

Various topological methods have emerged in recent years to investigate the inner workings of deep neural networks (DNNs) based on the structural and weight information. However, their effectiveness is restricted due to the stratified structure and volatile weight information. In this study, we explore the relationship between functional organizations and network performance using algebraic topology. Our results indicate that functional loops reveal functional interaction patterns of multiple neurons in DNNs. We also propose functional persistence as a measure of functional complexity and develop an early stopping criterion that achieves competitive results without requiring a validation set.

Heterogeneous Nucleating Agent for High-Boiling-Point Nonhalogenated Solvent-Processed Organic Solar Cells and Modules.

High-boiling-point nonhalogenated solvents are superior solvents to produce large-area organic solar cells (OSCs) in industry because of their wide processing window and low toxicity; while, these solvents with slow evaporation kinetics will lead excessive aggregation of state-of-the-art small molecule acceptors (e.g. L8-BO), delivering serious efficiency losses. Here, a heterogeneous nucleating agent strategy is developed by grafting oligo (ethylene glycol) side-chains on L8-BO (BTO-BO). The formation energy of the obtained BTO-BO; while, changing from liquid in a solvent to a crystalline phase, is lower than that of L8-BO irrespective of the solvent type. When BTO-BO is added as the third component into the active layer (e.g. PM6:L8-BO), it easily assembles to form numerous seed crystals, which serve as nucleation sites to trigger heterogeneous nucleation and increase nucleation density of L8-BO through strong hydrogen bonding interactions even in high-boiling-point nonhalogenated solvents. Therefore, it can effectively suppress excessive aggregation during growth, achieving ideal phase-separation active layer with small domain sizes and high crystallinity. The resultant toluene-processed OSCs exhibit a record power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 19.42% (certificated 19.12%) with excellent operational stability. The strategy also has superior advantages in large-scale devices, showing a 15.03-cm2 module with a record PCE of 16.35% (certificated 15.97%).

Appropriate control measure design by rapidly identifying risk areas of volatile organic compounds during the remediation excavation at an organic contaminated site.

Many organic contaminated sites require on-site remediation; excavation remediation processes can release many volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which are key atmospheric pollutants. It is therefore important to rapidly identify VOCs during excavation and map their risk areas for human health protection. In this study, we developed a rapid analysis and assessment method, aiming to and reveal the real-time distribution of VOCs, evaluate their human health risks by quantitative models, and design appropriate control measures. Through on-site diagonal distribution sampling and analysis, VOCs concentration showed a decreasing trend within 5 m from the excavation point and then increased after 5 m with the increase in distance from the excavation point (p < 0.05). The concentrations of VOCs near the dominant wind direction were higher than the concentrations of surrounding pollutants. In contrast with conventional solid-phase adsorption (SPA) and thermal desorption gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (TD-GC/MS) methods for determining the composition and concentration of VOCs, the rapid measurement of VOCs by photo-ionization detector (PID) fitted well with the chemical analysis and modeling assessment of cancer/non-cancer risk. The targeting area was assessed as mild-risk (PID < 10 ppm), moderate-risk (PID from 10 to 40 ppm), and heavy-risk (PID > 40 ppm) areas. Similarly, the human health risks also decreased gradually with the distance from the excavation point, with the main risk area located in the dominant wind direction. The results of rapid PID assessment were comparable to conventional risk evaluation, demonstrating its feasibility in rapidly identifying VOCs releases and assessing the human health risks. This study also suggested appropriate control measures that are important guidance for personal protection during the remediation excavation process.

Co-applied biochar and PGPB promote maize growth and reduce CO2 emission by modifying microbial communities in coal mining degraded soils.

Coal mining is one of the human activities that has the greatest impact on the global carbon (C) cycle and biodiversity. Biochar and plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) have been both used to improve coal mining degraded soils; however, it is uncertain whether the effects of biochar application on soil respiration and microbial communities are influenced by the presence or absence of PGPB and soil nitrogen (N) level in coal mining degraded soils. A pot experiment was carried out to examine whether the effects of biochar addition (0, 1, 2 and 4% of soil mass) on soil properties, soil respiration, maize growth, and microbial communities were altered by the presence or absence of PGPB (i.e. Sphingobium yanoikuyae BJ1) (0, 200 mL suspension (2 × 106 colony forming unit (CFU) mL-1)) and two soil N levels (N0 and N1 at 0 and 0.2 g kg-1 urea- N, respectively). The results showed the presence of BJ1 enhanced the maize biomass relative to the absence of BJ1, particularly in N1 soils, which was related to the discovery of Lysobacter and Nocardioides that favor plant growth in N1 soils. This indicates a conversion in soil microbial communities to beneficial ones. The application of biochar at a rate of 1% decreased the cumulative CO2 regardless of the presence or absence of BJ1; BJ1 increased the ß-glucosidase (BG) activities, and BG activities were also positively correlated with RB41 strain with high C turnover in N1 soils, which indicates that the presence of BJ1 improves the C utilization rates of RB41, decreasing soil C mineralization. Our results highlight that biochar addition provided environmental benefits in degraded coal mining soils, and the direction and magnitude of these effects are highly dependent on the presence of PGPB and the soil N level.

Advances in Research on Pig Salivary Analytes: A Window to Reveal Pig Health and Physiological Status.

Saliva is an important exocrine fluid that is easy to collect and is a complex mixture of proteins and other molecules from multiple sources from which considerable biological information can be mined. Pig saliva, as an easily available biological liquid rich in bioactive ingredients, is rich in nucleic acid analytes, such as eggs, enzymes, amino acids, sugars, etc. The expression levels of these components in different diseases have received extensive attention, and the analysis of specific proteins, metabolites, and biological compositions in pig saliva has become a new direction for disease diagnosis and treatment. The study of the changes in analytes in pig saliva can provide a new strategy for early diagnosis, prognosis assessment, and treatment of diseases. In this paper, the detection methods and research progress of porcine salivary analytes are reviewed, the application and research progress of porcine salivary analytes in diseases are discussed, and the future application prospect is presented.

Arabidopsis SNARE SYP132 impacts on PIP2;1 trafficking and function in salinity stress.

In plants so-called plasma membrane intrinsic proteins (PIPs) are major water channels governing plant water status. Membrane trafficking contributes to functional regulation of major PIPs and is crucial for abiotic stress resilience. Arabidopsis PIP2;1 is rapidly internalised from the plasma membrane in response to high salinity to regulate osmotic water transport, but knowledge of the underlying mechanisms is fragmentary. Here we show that PIP2;1 occurs in complex with SYNTAXIN OF PLANTS 132 (SYP132) together with the plasma membrane H+-ATPase AHA1 as evidenced through in vivo and in vitro analysis. SYP132 is a multifaceted vesicle trafficking protein, known to interact with AHA1 and promote endocytosis to impact growth and pathogen defence. Tracking native proteins in immunoblot analysis, we found that salinity stress enhances SYP132 interactions with PIP2;1 and PIP2;2 isoforms to promote redistribution of the water channels away from the plasma membrane. Concurrently, AHA1 binding within the SYP132-complex was significantly reduced under salinity stress and increased the density of AHA1 proteins at the plasma membrane in leaf tissue. Manipulating SYP132 function in Arabidopsis thaliana enhanced resilience to salinity stress and analysis in heterologous systems suggested that the SNARE influences PIP2;1 osmotic water permeability. We propose therefore that SYP132 coordinates AHA1 and PIP2;1 abundance at the plasma membrane and influences leaf hydraulics to regulate plant responses to abiotic stress signals.

Maternal age-specific risks for adverse birth weights according to gestational weight gain: a prospective cohort in Chinese women older than 30.

BACKGROUND: It is unclear whether the effects of abnormal gestational weight gain (GWG) on birth outcomes are differently in women with different maternal ages. This study aimed to investigate maternal age-specific association between GWG and adverse birth weights in Chinese women older than 30. METHODS: 19,854 mother-child dyads were selected from a prospective cohort study in Southwest China between 2019 and 2022. Logistic regression model was used to assess the association between GWG, which defined by the 2009 Institute of Medicine guidelines, and adverse birth weights including large- and small-for-gestational-age (LGA and SGA), stratified by maternal age (31-34 years and ≥ 35 years). RESULTS: In both maternal age groups, excessive and insufficient GWG were associated with increased odds of LGA and SGA, respectively. After women were categorized by pre-pregnancy body mass index, the associations remained significant in women aged 31-34 years, whereas for women aged ≥ 35 years, the association between excessive GWG and the risk of LGA was only significant in normal weight and overweight/obese women, and the significant effect of insufficient GWG on the risk of SGA was only observed in underweight and overweight/obese women. Moreover, among overweight/obese women, the magnitude of the association between insufficient GWG and the risk of SGA was greater in those aged ≥ 35 years (31-34 years: OR 2.08, 95% CI 1.19-3.55; ≥35 years: OR 2.65, 95% CI 1.47-4.74), while the impact of excessive GWG on the risk of LGA was more pronounced in those aged 31-34 years (31-34 years: OR 2.18, 95% CI 1.68-2.88; ≥35 years: OR 1.71, 95% CI 1.30-2.25). CONCLUSIONS: The stronger associations between abnormal GWG and adverse birth weights were mainly observed in women aged 31-34 years, and more attention should be paid to this age group.

Outdoor artificial light at night and male sperm quality: A retrospective cohort study in China.

Due to the worldwide increased rate of infertility among reproductive-age couples, there is a growing interest in the relationship between environmental stimuli and human sperm quality. While animal studies have demonstrated the detrimental effects of outdoor artificial light at night (ALAN) on sperm quality, investigations based on human data are lacking. Therefore, we conducted a retrospective cohort study involving 1991 sperm donor candidates and employed multivariate linear regression and restricted cubic spline models to quantify the association between outdoor ALAN and sperm quality. The aim was to determine whether there exists an association between exposure to outdoor ALAN and sperm quality. The study included 1991 sperm donor candidates with the following characteristics: mean [SD] age, 24.98 [4.78] years; mean [SD] BMI, 22.13 [2.60] kg/m2; mean [SD] sleep duration, 7.66 [1.07] hours/day. Outdoor ALAN exposure of study participants ranged from 0 to 100 nW/cm2/sr. Multiple regression analysis on chronic exposure (0-90 days before sperm donation) and human sperm quality revealed the following associations: for CASA primary motion parameters, every 100-unit (nW/cm2/sr) increase in chronic outdoor ALAN was associated with a change of -0.043 [95%CI: 0.073, -0.014] in Linearity (LIN), and -5.523 [95%CI: 9.100, -1.946] in Curvilinear velocity (VCL). For CASA secondary motion parameters, every 100-unit (nW/cm2/sr) increase in chronic outdoor ALAN was associated with a change of -3.873 [95%CI: 4.926, -2.748] in non-progressive motility rate (NP). Furthermore, the primary sperm quality parameter exhibited a decline of -4.740 [95%CI: 8.853, -0.628] in sperm motility rate per 100-unit (nW/cm2/sr) increase in chronic outdoor ALAN. Similar associations were also observed for acute exposure (0-9 days before sperm donation). This retrospective study suggests that poorer sperm quality is more prevalent among adult males residing in areas with higher levels of outdoor ALAN, with a particularly pronounced impact observed in males below the age of 25 years.

Bidirectional relationship between type 2 diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease: Prospective cohort study and genetic analyses.

BACKGROUND: While type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is considered a putative causal risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD), the intrinsic link underlying T2DM and CAD is not fully understood. We aimed to highlight the importance of integrated care targeting both diseases by investigating the phenotypic and genetic relationships between T2DM and CAD. METHODS: We evaluated phenotypic associations using data from the United Kingdom Biobank ( N = 472,050). We investigated genetic relationships by leveraging genomic data conducted in European ancestry for T2DM, with and without adjustment for body mass index (BMI) (T2DM: Ncase / Ncontrol = 74,124/824,006; T2DM adjusted for BMI [T2DM adj BMI]: Ncase / Ncontrol = 50,409/523,897) and for CAD ( Ncase / Ncontrol = 181,522/984,168). We performed additional analyses using genomic data conducted in multiancestry individuals for T2DM ( Ncase / Ncontrol = 180,834/1,159,055). RESULTS: Observational analysis suggested a bidirectional relationship between T2DM and CAD (T2DM→CAD: hazard ratio [HR] = 2.12, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.01-2.24; CAD→T2DM: HR = 1.72, 95% CI: 1.63-1.81). A positive overall genetic correlation between T2DM and CAD was observed ( rg = 0.39, P = 1.43 × 10 -75 ), which was largely independent of BMI (T2DM adj BMI-CAD: rg = 0.31, P = 1.20 × 10 -36 ). This was corroborated by six local signals, among which 9p21.3 showed the strongest genetic correlation. Cross-trait meta-analysis replicated 101 previously reported loci and discovered six novel pleiotropic loci. Mendelian randomization analysis supported a bidirectional causal relationship (T2DM→CAD: odds ratio [OR] = 1.13, 95% CI: 1.11-1.16; CAD→T2DM: OR = 1.12, 95% CI: 1.07-1.18), which was confirmed in multiancestry individuals (T2DM→CAD: OR = 1.13, 95% CI: 1.10-1.16; CAD→T2DM: OR = 1.08, 95% CI: 1.04-1.13). This bidirectional relationship was significantly mediated by systolic blood pressure and intake of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors, with mediation proportions of 54.1% (95% CI: 24.9-83.4%) and 90.4% (95% CI: 29.3-151.5%), respectively. CONCLUSION: Our observational and genetic analyses demonstrated an intrinsic bidirectional relationship between T2DM and CAD and clarified the biological mechanisms underlying this relationship.

Synergistic Modulation of Mass Transfer and Parasitic Reactions of Zn Metal Anode via Bioinspired Artificial Protection Layer.

Rechargeable aqueous zinc-ion batteries are regarded as promising energy storage devices due to their attractive economic benefits and extraordinary electrochemical performance. However, the sluggish Zn2+ mass transfer behavior and water-induced parasitic reactions that occurred on the anode-electrode interface inevitably restrain their applications. Herein, inspired by the selective permeability and superior stability of plasma membrane, a thin UiO-66 metal-organic framework layer with smart aperture size is ex-situ decorated onto the Zn anode. Experimental characterizations in conjunction with theoretical calculations demonstrate that this bio-inspired layer promotes the de-solvation process of hydrated Zn2+ and reduces the effective contact between the anode and H2 O molecules, thereby boosting Zn2+ deposition kinetics and restraining interfacial parasitic reactions. Hence, the Zn||Zn cells could sustain a long lifespan of 1680 h and the Zn||Cu cells yielded a stable coulombic efficiency of over 99.3% throughout 600 cycles under the assistance of the bio-inspired layer. Moreover, pairing with δ-MnO2 cathode, the full cells also demonstrate prominent cycling stability and rate performance. From the bio-inspired design philosophy, this work provides a novel insight into the development of aqueous batteries.

Epidemiological and Genetic Analyses of Schizophrenia and Breast Cancer.

BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS: While the phenotypic association between schizophrenia and breast cancer has been observed, the underlying intrinsic link is not adequately understood. We aim to conduct a comprehensive interrogation on both phenotypic and genetic relationships between schizophrenia and breast cancer. STUDY DESIGN: We first used data from UK Biobank to evaluate a phenotypic association and performed an updated meta-analysis incorporating existing cohort studies. We then leveraged genomic data to explore the shared genetic architecture through a genome-wide cross-trait design. STUDY RESULTS: Incorporating results of our observational analysis, meta-analysis of cohort studies suggested a significantly increased incidence of breast cancer among women with schizophrenia (RR = 1.30, 95% CIs = 1.14-1.48). A positive genomic correlation between schizophrenia and overall breast cancer was observed (rg = 0.12, P = 1.80 × 10-10), consistent across ER+ (rg  = 0.10, P = 5.74 × 10-7) and ER- subtypes (rg = 0.09, P = .003). This was further corroborated by four local signals. Cross-trait meta-analysis identified 23 pleiotropic loci between schizophrenia and breast cancer, including five novel loci. Gene-based analysis revealed 27 shared genes. Mendelian randomization demonstrated a significantly increased risk of overall breast cancer (OR = 1.07, P = 4.81 × 10-10) for genetically predisposed schizophrenia, which remained robust in subgroup analysis (ER+: OR = 1.10, P = 7.26 × 10-12; ER-: OR = 1.08, P = 3.50 × 10-6). No mediation effect and reverse causality was found. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates an intrinsic link underlying schizophrenia and breast cancer, which may inform tailored screening and management of breast cancer in schizophrenia.