Application of phosphogypsum and phosphate-solubilizing fungi to Pb remediation: From simulation to in vivo incubation.

Phosphogypsum (PG) is the produced solid waste during phosphorus (P) extraction from phosphate rocks. PG is featured by its abundant PO43- and SO42-. This study investigated the utilization of PG as a material for lead (Pb) remediation, with the assistance of functional fungus. Aspergillus niger (A. niger) is a typical phosphate-solubilizing fungi (PSF), which has high ability to secret organic acids. Oxalic acid is its major secreted organic acid, which is often applied to enhance the P release from phosphate minerals. In this study, synthetic oxalic acid increased the immobilization rate of Pb2+ up to >99 % with the addition of PG. Then, it was observed that biogenic oxalic acid from A. niger can achieve comparable remediation effects. This was due to that PG could provide sufficient P for fungal growth, which allowed sustainable remediation. Subsequently, oxalic acid secreted by A. niger significantly increased the release of active P from PG, and then induced the formation of PPb minerals. In addition, other metabolites of A. niger (such as tyrosine-like substance) can also be complexed with Pb2+. Simultaneously, A. niger did not induce evidently elevation water-soluble fluorine (F) as PG contained abundant Ca2+. Moreover, this study elucidated that oversupply of PG promoted the formation of anglesite (Ksp = 1.6 × 10-8, relatively unstable), whereas the formation of lead oxalate (Ksp = 4.8 × 10-10, relatively stable) was reduced. This study hence shed a bright light on the sustainable utilization of PG for fungus-assisted remediation of heavy metals.

Two multimodal neuroimaging subtypes of obsessive-compulsive disorder disclosed by semi-supervised machine learning.

BACKGROUND: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a highly heterogeneous mental condition with a diverse symptom. Existing studies classified OCD on the basis of conventional phenomenology-based taxonomy ignoring the fact that the same subtype identified in accordance with clinical symptom may have different mechanisms and treatment responses. METHODS: This research involved 50 medicine-free patients with OCD and 50 matched healthy controls (HCs). All the participants were subjected to structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and amplitude of low frequency fluctuation (ALFF) were used to evaluate gray matter volume (GMV) and spontaneous neuronal activities at rest respectively. Similarity network fusion (SNF) was utilized to integrate GMVs and spontaneous neuronal activities, and heterogeneity by discriminant analysis was applied to characterise OCD subtypes. RESULTS: Two OCD subtypes were identified: Subtype 1 exhibited decreased GMVs (i.e., left inferior temporal gyrus, right supplementary motor area and right lingual gyrus) and increased ALFF value (i.e., right orbitofrontal cortex), whereas subtype 2 exhibited increased GMVs (i.e., left cuneus, right precentral gyrus, left postcentral gyrus and left hippocampus) and decreased ALFF value (i.e., right caudate nucleus). Furthermore, the altered GMVs was negatively correlated with abnormal ALFF values in both subtype 1 and 2. LIMITATIONS: This study requires further validation via a larger, independent dataset and should consider the potential influences of psychotropic medication on OCD patients' brain activities. CONCLUSIONS: Results revealed two reproducible subtypes of OCD based on underlying multimodal neuroimaging and provided new perspectives on the classification of OCD.

SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in China could reduce COVID-19-related respiratory syndromes and deaths: A retrospective cohort study.

Background: Information is limited regarding the effectiveness of the inactivated vaccine for COVID-19 approved in China in preventing infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) when administered in real-world conditions. Methods: We retrospectively surveyed 1352 patients with a positive SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid test treated at a major tertiary medical center in Foshan city (Guangdong, China) between November 2022 and February 2023. The exposure group was patients who had previously received the COVID-19 vaccine, which included patients who had received different doses of the vaccine and different vaccine types. The primary outcome of this study was the effectiveness of the vaccine in preventing severe disease and death among SARS-CoV-2-infected patients. Results: We found a mortality rate of 12.1 % associated with COVID-19. The results showed that an increase in the number of vaccine doses was associated with a reduction in in-hospital mortality. When compared to unvaccinated patients, vaccinated patients had an 8.5 % lower mortality rate. There was also a statistically significant reduction in the risk of death among vaccinated patients compared to unvaccinated patients (OR = 0.521 [95 % CI, 0.366 to 0.741]). Patients who had received the vaccine had a 22.8 % reduction in the risk of severe disease. In addition, the use of antiviral drugs decreased progressively with increasing vaccine doses (P < 0.05). Of these, anticoagulation, Paxlovid, and mechanical ventilation were used least frequently in the one-dose group. Conclusions: The vaccines approved in China mitigated the incidence of severe COVID-19 and reduced mortality. These findings suggest that COVID-19 vaccination can help to control the pandemic.

Pore evolution mechanisms during directed energy deposition additive manufacturing.

Porosity in directed energy deposition (DED) deteriorates mechanical performances of components, limiting safety-critical applications. However, how pores arise and evolve in DED remains unclear. Here, we reveal pore evolution mechanisms during DED using in situ X-ray imaging and multi-physics modelling. We quantify five mechanisms contributing to pore formation, migration, pushing, growth, removal and entrapment: (i) bubbles from gas atomised powder enter the melt pool, and then migrate circularly or laterally; (ii) small bubbles can escape from the pool surface, or coalesce into larger bubbles, or be entrapped by solidification fronts; (iii) larger coalesced bubbles can remain in the pool for long periods, pushed by the solid/liquid interface; (iv) Marangoni surface shear flow overcomes buoyancy, keeping larger bubbles from popping out; and (v) once large bubbles reach critical sizes they escape from the pool surface or are trapped in DED tracks. These mechanisms can guide the development of pore minimisation strategies.

Reduced functional connectivity of the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex at rest in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

BACKGROUND: Neuroimaging studies have revealed the role of the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in the neurobiological mechanism of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, only a few studies have examined the functional connectivity (FC) pattern of the right DLPFC at rest in OCD. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this research is to examine the FC patterns of the right DLPFC at rest in OCD. METHODS: Twenty-eight medication-free patients with OCD and 20 healthy controls underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. Seed-based FC and support vector machine (SVM) were used to analyze the imaging data. RESULTS: The patients with OCD showed reduced FC values in the right middle temporal gyrus (MTG), right superior temporal gyrus, right ventral anterior cingulate cortex (vACC), and left Crus II. No brain regions showed a remarkable difference in FC values in patients with OCD after 8 weeks of medication treatment. The reduced right DLPFC-right MTG and right DLPFC-right vACC connectivities were correlated with the clinical symptoms of OCD. SVM results showed that reduced right DLPFC-right MTG connectivity at rest could predict the therapeutic response to OCD medication. CONCLUSIONS: The findings highlight the important role of the right DLPFC in the pathophysiological mechanism of OCD.

Competition of Cd(II) and Pb(II) on the bacterial cells: a new insight from bioaccumulation based on NanoSIMS imaging.

Polymetallic exposure causes complex toxicity to microorganisms. In this study, we investigated the responses of Escherichia coli under co-existence of cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb), primarily based on biochemical analysis and RNA sequencing. Cd completely inhibited bacterial growth at a concentration of 2.41 mmol/L, with its removal rate as low as <10%. In contrast, the Pb removal rate was >95% under equimolar sole Pb stress. In addition, the Raman analysis confirmed the loss of proteins for the bacterial cells. Under the co-existence of Cd and Pb, the Cd toxicity to E. coli was alleviated. Meanwhile, the biosorption of Pb cations was more intense during the competitive sorption with Cd. Transmission electron microscopy images showed that a few cells were elongated during incubation, i.e., the average cellular length increased from 1.535 ± 0.407 to 1.845 ± 0.620 µm. Moreover, NanoSIMS imaging showed that the intracellular distribution of Cd and Pb was coupled with sulfur. Genes regulating sulfate transporter were also upregulated to promote sulfate assimilation. Then, the subsequent production of biogenic sulfide and sulfur-containing amino acids was enhanced. Although this strategy based on S enrichment could resist the polymetallic stress, not all related genes were induced to upregulate under sole Cd stress. Therefore, the S metabolism might remodel the microbial resistance to variable occurrence of heavy metals. Furthermore, the competitive sorption (in contrast to sole Cd stress) could prevent microbial cells from strong Cd toxicity.IMPORTANCEMicrobial tolerance and resistance to heavy metals have been widely studied under stress of single metals. However, the polymetallic exposure seems to prevail in the environment. Though microbial resistance can alleviate the effects of exogenous stress, the taxonomic or functional response to polymetallic exposure is still not fully understood. We determined the strong cytotoxicity of cadmium (Cd) on growth, and cell elongation would be driven by Cd stress. The addition of appropriate lead (Pb) showed a stimulating effect on microbial bioactivity. Meanwhile, the biosorption of Pb was more intense during co-existence of Pb and Cd. Our work also revealed the spatial coupling of intracellular S and Cd/Pb. In particular, the S assimilation was promoted by Pb stress. This work elucidated the microbial responses to polymetallic exposure and may provide new insights into the antagonistic function during metal stresses.

Effects of temperature-related changes on charred bone in soil: From P release to microbial community.

Phosphorus (P) is one of the most common limited nutrients in terrestrial ecosystems. Animal bones, with abundant bioapatite, are considerable P sources in terrestrial ecosystems. Heating significantly promotes P release from bone bioapatite, which may alleviate P limitation in soil. This study aimed to explore P release from charred bone (CB) under heating at various temperatures (based on common natural heating). It showed that heating at ∼300 °C significantly increased the P release (up to ∼30 mg/kg) from CB compared with other heating temperatures. Then, the subsequent changes of available P and pH induced evident alternation of soil microbial community composition. For instance, CB heated at ∼300 °C caused elevation of phosphate-solubilizing fungi (PSF) abundance. This further stimulated P mobility in the soil. Meanwhile, the fungal community assembly process was shifted from stochastic to deterministic, whereas the bacterial community was relatively stable. This indicated that the bacterial community showed fewer sensitive responses to the CB addition. This study hence elucidated the significant contribution of heated bone materials on P supply. Moreover, functional fungi might assist CB treated by natural heating (e.g., fire) to construct P "Hot Spots".

Natural exosomes-like nanoparticles in mung bean sprouts possesses anti-diabetic effects via activation of PI3K/Akt/GLUT4/GSK-3ß signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic metabolic disease characterized by hyperglycemia and insulin resistance. Mung bean sprouts are traditionally considered a "folk" hypoglycemic food and their pharmacological effects and underlying mechanisms warrant further investigation. PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the anti-diabetic effects of the exosomes-like nanoparticles in mung bean sprouts (MELNs) and explore the related molecular mechanisms. RESULTS: MELNs were isolated using a differential centrifugation-polyethylene glycol (PEG) method, and the identification of MELNs were confirmed by PAGE gel electrophoresis, agarose gel electrophoresis, thin-layer chromatography (TLC), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In the high-fat diet/streptozotocin (HFD/STZ) mouse model, MELNs ameliorated the progression of T2DM by increasing oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and insulin tolerance test (ITT) results, decreasing the fasting blood glucose level, and reducing the serum triglycerides (TG) and total cholesterol (TC). Histopathological examinations indicated MELNs diminished inflammatory infiltration of hepatocytes and amplified the area of islet B cells. In addition, MELNs decreased the oxidative stress levels in liver tissue and had good biocompatibility. In vitro experiments verified that MELNs improved the viability of glucosamine (GlcN) induced insulin-resistant hepatocytes. Furthermore, this study also revealed that MELNs upregulated GLUT4 & Nrf2 and down-regulated GSK-3ß via activating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, promoting the production of antioxidant enzymes, such as HO-1 and SOD, to reduce oxidative stress. CONCLUSION: MELNs mitigated the progression of type 2 diabetes in HFD/STZ mouse model. The underlying molecular mechanism is related to PI3K/Akt/GLUT4/GSK-3ß signaling pathway.

Licochalcone A induces G2/M phase arrest and apoptosis via regulating p53 pathways in esophageal cancer: In-vitro and in-vivo study.

Licochalcone A (LCA) is a flavonoid isolated from Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch that has shown promising therapeutic effects in various cancers. This study attempted to analyze its therapeutic potential for esophageal cancer (EC). Combining multiple databases and network pharmacology, we found that the mechanism of LCA inhibiting EC may be closely related to p53 signaling pathway, cell cycle regulation and apoptosis. Molecular docking was then used to predict the affinity between LCA and key targets. Subsequently, we selected three common EC cell lines for in vitro validation. LCA treatment significantly inhibited EC cell proliferation and colony formation. Wound healing and transwell assay showed that LCA can reduce the migration and invasion of EC cells, and down-regulated the expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP). LCA promoted excessive ROS production, decreased mitochondrial membrane potential, and upregulated the expression of Bax, Caspase3 and Caspase-9, all of which are involved in apoptosis. LCA treatment blocked the cell cycle in G2/M phase and decreased the expression of cyclin D1, cyclin B1, and CDK1. LCA significantly up-regulated p53 protein and gene expression, thereby inducing apoptosis and cycle arrest. Finally, the xenograft tumor model was established by subcutaneous injection of Eca-109 cells. LCA administration inhibited tumor growth by activating p53 signaling pathways and apoptosis. Meanwhile, there was no significant weight loss and few major organotoxicity and hematotoxicity. In conclusion, LCA is an excellent candidate for EC treatment by regulating p53 pathway to induce G2/M phase arrest and apoptosis.

Lanthanide-MOFs as multi-responsive photoluminescence sensor for sensitively detecting Fe3+, Cr2O72- and nitrofuran antibiotics.

Fast and selective detection of contaminants plays a key role in meeting human health and environmental concerns. Herein, two groups of isostructural lanthanide MOFs, [Ln(Hpta)(oxalic acid)]·H2O (1-Eu, 2-Gd) and [Ln(pta)(oxalic acid)0.5(H2O)2]·2H2O (3-Eu, 4-Gd) (H2pta = 2-(4-pyridyl)-terephthalic acid, C2O4- = oxalic acid), were synthesized by solvothermal method. Single crystal X-ray diffraction reveals that 1 and 2 are 3D neutral frameworks, while 3 and 4 consist of 2D layers with parallelogram holes and stack into 3D networks through O-H⋯N and O-H⋯O hydrogen bonding interactions. All complexes remain crystalline and stable below 400 °C, suggesting preeminent thermostability. Noteworthily, only 3 shows excellent chemical stability in water and organic solvent. Therefore, the solid-state fluorescence spectrum was used to characterize 3 which exhibited intense red luminescence. The N active sites in the pore channels of 3 are conducive to displaying a distinct quenching effect for Fe3+ cations in aqueous solutions, Cr2O72- anions in DMF and DMA solutions, and nitrofuran antibiotics in the DMF solvent. Overall, 3 is a prospective luminescent sensor for detecting Fe3+, Cr2O72- and nitrofuran antibiotics.

Development of a gold nanoparticle-based lateral flow immunoassay for the fast detection of diafenthiuron in cabbage and apples.

Due to its unique insecticidal and acaricidal mechanism of action, and ability to mix with most insecticides and fungicides, diafenthiuron (DIAF) is widely used in the cultivation of fruits and vegetables. However, this insecticide can cause unacceptable harm to organisms, making the detection of DIAF residues in fruits and vegetables crucial. In this study, a novel hapten based on the structure of DIAF was utilized to prepare a monoclonal antibody (mAb) with high specificity and sensitivity. The half maximum inhibitory concentration (IC50) of the anti-DIAF mAb was 20.96 µg kg-1 as determined by ic-ELISA and little cross-reactivity with other analogues. Next, a GNP-based lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) was developed to detect DIAF in cabbages and apples. The optimized LFIA, for cabbage samples, showed a visual limit of detection (vLOD), cut-off value and calculated limit of detection (cLOD) of 0.1 mg kg-1, 10 mg kg-1 and 1.5 µg kg-1, respectively, and for apples 0.1 mg kg-1, 5 mg kg-1 and 3.4 µg kg-1, respectively. Recovery rates in cabbage and apples were 89.4-105.0% and 105.3-112.0%, with a coefficient of variation of 2.73-5.71% and 2.15-7.56%, respectively. These results indicated that the established LFIA based on our anti-DIAF mAb was a reliable method for in situ rapid detection of DIAF in cabbage and apple samples.

Microstructural and Performance Analysis of TP304H/T22 Dissimilar Steel Welded Joints.

In the power plant boiler industry, dissimilar steel welding is widely used in the connection of thermal power generation units. As an important component of the unit, research on the organizational properties of dissimilar steel welded joints has significant guidance for the life design of the joint. For the long-term service state of TP304H/T22 dissimilar steel welded joints, the microstructure's morphological evolution, the microhardness, and the tensile properties of tube samples were analyzed using tests and numerical simulations. The results show that the microstructure of each part of the welded joint was free of damaged features, such as a creep cavity and intergranular cracks. The microhardness of the weld was higher than that of the base metal. In the tensile test, the welded joints broke at the weld metal at room temperature and at the side of the TP304H base metal at a temperature of 550 °C. The tensile fracture morphology demonstrated a change from a ductile fracture to a hybrid fracture when the temperature rose. The fusion zone and base metal on the TP304H side were the stress concentration areas of the welded joint, which easily sprouted cracks. This study holds significant reference value in assessing the safety and reliability of dissimilar steel welded joints in superheater units.

Efficacy and safety of Dachaihu Decoction for acute pancreatitis: Protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Dachaihu Decoction (DCD) is a traditional herbal formula widely used for treating acute pancreatitis (AP) in China. However, the efficacy and safety of DCD has never been validated, limiting its application. This study will assess the efficacy and safety of DCD for AP treatment. METHODS: Relevant randomized controlled trials of DCD in treating AP will be searched through Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, CINAHL, China National Knowledge Infrastructure database, Wanfang Database, VIP Database, and Chinese Biological Medicine Literature Service System database. Only studies published between the inception of the databases and May 31, 2023 shall be considered. Searches will also be performed in the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, and ClinicalTrials.gov. Preprint databases and grey literature sources such as OpenGrey, British Library Inside, ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global, and BIOSIS preview will also be searched for relevant resources. The primary outcomes to be assessed will include mortality rate, rate of surgical intervention, proportion of patients with severe acute pancreatitis transferred to ICU, gastrointestinal symptoms, and the acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II score. Secondary outcomes will include systemic complications, local complications, the normalization period of C-reactive protein, length of stay in the hospital, TNF-α, IL-1, IL-6, IL-8, and IL-10 levels, and adverse events. Study selection, data extraction, and assessment of bias risk will be conducted independently by two reviewers using the Endnote X9 and Microsoft Office Excel 2016 software. The risk of bias of included studies will be assessed by the Cochrane "risk of bias" tool. Data analysis will be performed using the RevMan software (V.5.3). Subgroup and sensitivity analysis will be performed where necessary. RESULTS: This study will provide high-quality current evidence of DCD for treating AP. CONCLUSION: This systematic review will provide evidence of whether DCD is an effective and safe therapy for treating AP. TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO registration number CRD42021245735. The protocol for this study was registered at PROSPERO, and is available in the S1 Appendix. https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42021245735.

Acupuncture therapies for cancer-related fatigue: A Bayesian network meta-analysis and systematic review.

Background: Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is one of the most commonly reported symptoms impacting cancer survivors. This study evaluated and compared the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture treatments for CRF. Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, China Biology Medicine China National Knowledge Infrastructure, China Science and Technology Journal Database, and WanFang Database from inception to November 2022 to identify eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing acupuncture treatments with sham interventions, waitlist (WL), or usual care (UC) for CRF treatment. The outcomes included the Cancer Fatigue Scale (CFS) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and pair-wise and Bayesian network meta-analyses were performed using STATA v17.0. Results: In total, 34 randomized controlled trials featuring 2632 participants were included. In the network meta-analysis, the primary analysis using CFS illustrated that point application (PA) + UC (standardized mean difference [SMD] = -1.33, 95% CI = -2.02, -0.63) had the highest probability of improving CFS, followed by manual acupuncture (MA) + PA (SMD = -1.21, 95% CI = -2.05, -0.38) and MA + UC (SMD = -0.80, 95% CI = -1.50, -0.09). Moreover, the adverse events of these interventions were acceptable. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that acupuncture was effective and safe on CRF treatment. However, further studies are still warranted by incorporating more large-scale and high-quality RCTs. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO, identifier CRD42022339769.

Decreased gray matter volume and dynamic functional alterations in medicine-free obsessive-compulsive disorder.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies discovered the presence of abnormal structures and functions in the brain regions of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Nevertheless, whether structural changes in brain regions are coupled with alterations in dynamic functional connectivity (dFC) at rest in medicine-free patients with OCD remains vague. METHODS: Three-dimensional T1-weighed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and resting-state functional MRI were performed on 50 medicine-free OCD and 50 healthy controls (HCs). Firstly, the differences in gray matter volume (GMV) between OCD and HCs were compared. Then, brain regions with aberrant GMV were used as seeds for dFC analysis. The relationship of altered GMV and dFC with clinical parameters in OCD was explored using partial correlation analysis. Finally, support vector machine was applied to examine whether altered multimodal imaging data might be adopted to distinguish OCD from HCs. RESULTS: Our findings indicated that GMV in the left superior temporal gyrus (STG) and right supplementary motor area (SMA) was reduced in OCD, and the dFC between the left STG and the left cerebellum Crus I and left thalamus, and between the right SMA and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and left precuneus was decreased at rest in OCD. The brain regions both with altered GMV and dFC values could discriminate OCD from HCs with the accuracy of 0.85, sensitivity of 0.90 and specificity of 0.80. CONCLUSION: The decreased gray matter structure coupling with dynamic function in the left STG and right SMA at rest may be crucial in the pathophysiology of OCD. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Study on the mechanism of brain network in obsessive-compulsive disorder with multi-model magnetic resonance imaging (registration date: 08/11/2017; registration number: ChiCTR-COC-17,013,301).

Dynamical behaviors of nanodroplets impinging on solid surfaces in the presence of electric fields.

The collision of droplets with solid surfaces is a common phenomenon in nature. However, droplets exhibit interesting motion states when captured by surfaces. This work investigates the dynamical behavior and the wetting condition of droplets captured by different surfaces in electric fields via molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. By adjusting the initial velocity of droplets (V0), electric field intensity (E) and directions, the spreading and wetting properties of droplets are analyzed systematically. The results indicate that the electric stretching effect occurs when a droplet strikes the solid surface in electric fields and the stretch length (ht) of droplets continuously increases with the enhancement of E. In the low field strength regime, the direction of electric fields has an effect on ht: the value of ht is larger in the case of positive electric fields as compared to negative electric fields. In the high field strength regime, the direction of electric fields makes no difference to ht: the droplet is stretched observably, and the breakdown voltage U is calculated to be 0.57 V nm-1 under both positive and negative electric fields. Droplets impacting with surfaces at initial velocities display various states. The droplet bounces off the surface regardless of the direction of electric field at V0 ≥ 1.4 nm ps-1. The maximum spreading factor ßmax and ht both increase with V0 and are not affected by field directions. The simulation results are consistent with experiments, and the relationships between E, ßmax, ht and V0 are proposed, which provide the theoretical basis for large-scale numerical calculations such as computational fluid dynamics.

Family history, waist circumference and risk of ischemic stroke: A prospective cohort study among Chinese adults.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The associations between genetic factors and waist circumference (WC) with stroke risk have been evaluated in Western studies. However, evidence of this association has rarely been reported in the Chinese population. This study aimed to evaluate the association between WC and family history of stroke (FHS) with ischemic stroke (IS) risk among Chinese adults and to further explore the potential interaction of these associations. METHODS AND RESULTS: The China Kadoorie Biobank (CKB) study recruited 35,508 participants aged 30-79 years from the Qingdao urban area during 2004-2008. A total of 33,355 participants were included in study. Cox regression analysis was used to estimate the multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the independent and interactional associations between FHS and WC and IS risk. Participants with FHS had a 29% (HR = 1.29, 95% CI: 1.12-1.50) higher IS risk than those without FHS. Participants with excessive WC (85 cm for males and 80 cm for females) had a 78% (HR = 1.78, 95% CI: 1.51-2.10) higher IS risk than those with normal WC. The combined effect of FHS and excessive WC on IS was statistically significant (HR = 2.29, 95% CI: 1.84-2.86). The present study further found statistically significant multiplicative interactions of FHS and WC with IS risk (Pinteraction < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The present study indicated that FHS and WC were significantly associated with an increased risk of IS. The association between FHS and IS was associated with excessive WC.

Usnea improves high-fat diet- and vitamin D3-induced atherosclerosis in rats by remodeling intestinal flora homeostasis.

Background: Usnea has various pharmacological properties, including anti-inflammatory, antitumor, antioxidant, antiviral, and cardiovasculoprotective effects. Aim of the study: To investigate the potential mechanisms underlying the anti-atherosclerosis (AS) activity of Usnea ethanol extract (UEE) via the regulation of intestinal flora. Materials and Methods: The chemical composition of UEE was determined using ultra-performance liquid chromatography with quadrupole exactive orbitrap mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-EOMS). Thirty-six male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into six groups. A high-fat diet and intraperitoneal vitamin D3 injections were used to establish a rat model of AS. After 4 weeks of treatment with UEE, hematoxylin-eosin staining was performed to evaluate the pathomorphology of the aorta, liver, and colon. The composition and diversity of the rat intestinal flora were determined using high-throughput 16S rRNA sequencing. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were used to measure the levels of plasma trimethylamine oxide (TMAO), serum bile acid (BA), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), lipopolysaccharide (LPS), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and interleukin-6 (IL-6). The protein expression of cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase (CYP7A1) and flavin monooxygenase 3 (FMO3) in the liver and zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) and occludin in colon tissue was detected via western blotting. Results: Forty-four compounds were identified in UEE. In the rat model of AS, UEE significantly prevented calcium deposition; decreased the serum levels of TC, TG, LDL-C, LPS, TNF-α, and IL-6; and increased the serum level of HDL-C. Additionally, all UEE dosages decreased the relative abundance of Verrucomicrobiota while increased that of Bacteroidetes. FMO3 protein expression and TMAO levels decreased, whereas CYP7A1 protein expression and BA levels increased. The absorption of intestinal-derived LPS was minimized. Furthermore, the protein expression of ZO-1 and occludin was upregulated. Conclusion: UEE ameliorated AS. The underlying mechanism was the reversal of imbalances in the intestinal flora by Usnea, thereby inhibiting calcium deposition, abnormal lipid metabolism, and inflammatory response.