Exploration of the mode of death and potential death mechanisms of nucleus pulposus cells.

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) is a common chronic orthopaedic disease in orthopaedics that imposes a heavy economic burden on people and society. Although it is well established that IVDD is associated with genetic susceptibility, ageing and obesity, its pathogenesis remains incompletely understood. Previously, IVDD was thought to occur because of excessive mechanical loading leading to destruction of nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs), but studies have shown that IVDD is a much more complex process associated with inflammation, metabolic factors and NPCs death and can involve all parts of the disc, characterized by causing NPCs death and extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation. The damage pattern of NPCs in IVDD is like that of some programmed cell death, suggesting that IVDD is associated with programmed cell death. Although apoptosis and pyroptosis of NPCs have been studied in IVDD, the pathogenesis of intervertebral disc degeneration can still not be fully elucidated by using only traditional cell death modalities. With increasing research, some new modes of cell death, PANoptosis, ferroptosis and senescence have been found to be closely related to intervertebral disc degeneration. Among these, PANoptosis combines essential elements of pyroptosis, apoptosis and necroptosis to form a highly coordinated and dynamically balanced programmed inflammatory cell death process. Furthermore, we believe that PANoptosis may also crosstalk with pyroptosis and senescence. Therefore, we review the progress of research on multiple deaths of NPCs in IVDD to provide guidance for clinical treatment.

Development of starch-based films reinforced with curcumin-loaded nanocomplexes: Characterization and application in the preservation of blueberries.

In current study, curcumin-loaded bioactive nanocomplexes (Cur NCs) (2 %, 5 %, 8 %, and 11 %) were used to prepare corn starch (CS)-based composite films (CS-Cur NCs). Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy revealed that Cur NCs were uniformly dispersed in the polymer matrix via physical interaction. Moreover, the mechanical, gas barrier, hydrophobicity, optical, and thermal properties and the antioxidant activity of composite films were potentially improved with the addition of Cur NCs. Subsequently, CS-based film with 11 % Cur NCs exhibited high antioxidant activity (the scavenging rates of DPPH and ABTS are 50.07 % ± 0.82 % and 65.26 % ± 1.60 %, respectively) and was used for packaging blueberries. Compared with the control, the CS-Cur NCs packaging treatment effectively improved the appearance and nutrition of blueberries, and maintained the high activity of several antioxidant enzymes. Furthermore, CS-Cur NCs packaging treatment significantly improved the ascorbic acid (AsA) and glutathione (GSH) levels, thus regulating the AsA-GSH cycle system and suppressing the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In summary, the CS-Cur NCs packaging could effectively conserve the postharvest quality of blueberries by improving antioxidant enzyme activity and suppressing excessive accumulation of ROS, which contributes to the development of bioactive packaging and provides novel insights into the preservation of blueberries. This work demonstrates that the development of active packaging is promising to absorb the oxidative radicals from food, and protect the food from inherent and external factors, thus enhancing the quality, security, and shelf-life of the food during storage.

Ultra-processed food consumption and metabolic disease risk: an umbrella review of systematic reviews with meta-analyses of observational studies.

Background and aims: There is an ongoing debate on whether to advocate reducing ultra-processed food (UPF) in dietary guidelines to control metabolic disease (such as obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus [T2DM]). We aimed to summarize the evidence from systematic reviews with meta-analyses between UPF consumption and metabolic diseases risk, assess the credibility, and verify the robustness of these associations. Methods: We systematically searched PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases from their inception to July 15, 2023, to identify relevant systematic reviews with meta-analyses. We used the random-effects model to evaluate the summary effect size, along with 95% confidence interval and prediction interval. We also assessed heterogeneity, evidence of small-study effects and excess significance bias, and categorized the credibility of each association based on quantitative umbrella review criteria. Additionally, we conducted subgroup and sensitivity analyses to assess the robustness of associations based on continents, study design, dietary assessment methods, definition methods of UPF, population, and units of UPF consumption. Results: Overall, 6 systematic reviews with 13 meta-analyses were included. Three (23.08%) meta-analyses were classified as highly suggestive evidence for meeting the criteria that associations were significant at p < 10-6, had more than 1,000 cases, and presented the largest study with significance at p < 0.05. Among them, the highest UPF consumption quantile was associated with an increased risk of obesity (OR = 1.55, 95% CI: 1.36-1.77) when compared with the lowest UPF consumption quantile. The highest UPF consumption quantile was associated with an increased risk of T2DM (RR = 1.40, 95% CI: 1.23-1.59) when compared with the lowest UPF consumption quantile, and a 10% increase in UPF consumption (% g/d) was associated with an increased risk of T2DM (RR = 1.12, 95% CI: 1.10-1.13). Meanwhile, the robustness of these associations was verified by a series of subgroup and sensitivity analyses. Conclusion: UPF consumption may be a risk factor for several metabolic diseases. However, well-designed studies are still needed to verify our findings in the future.

Amblyseius orientalis shows high consumption and reproduction on Polyphagotarsonemus latus in China.

The broad mite, Polyphagotarsonemus latus (Banks) (Acari: Tarsonemidae), is a cosmopolitan pest that infests many greenhouse crops. Biological control is an important way to control P. latus, with predatory mites being the most widely used natural enemies of this pest. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the capabilities of three native phytoseiids in China (Neoseiulus californicus, Neoseiulus barkeri and Amblyseius orientalis) in controlling P. latus, using Amblyseius swirskii as a control, a commercial biocontrol agent of this pest widely used in Europe. Consumption, development, and reproduction of the four species when fed with P. latus were assessed, and their life table parameters were estimated and compared. Among the three native species, A. orientalis has the highest consumption rate of P. latus (29.0 per day), the shortest developmental duration (5.3 days), and the highest cumulative fecundity (13.5 eggs/female). Overall, its intrinsic rate of increase (rm) is 0.12, comparable to that of A. swirskii. Among the three candidates, A. orientalis is the only one whose population increase might be expected when fed with P. latus. Therefore, we propose A. orientalis to be a potential biocontrol agent for this pest in China.

First Report of Pectobacterium parvum Causing Diseases on Potato in Inner Mongolia, China.

Soft rot enterobacterial plant pathogens Pectobacterium spp. and Dickeya spp. have caused devastating blackleg, aerial stem rot, and soft rot of potato tubers (Charkowski 2018). In August 2021, potato plants (cv. Xisen6# or Maiken1) with blackleg or aerial stem rot symptoms were observed in two commercial fields in Xinghe County, Ulanqab City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China. The plants were wilted, and the crown stem showed gradual degradation and browning. The disease incidence was around 3 to 7% and 20 to 25% in Xinghe Zhangyou Village (33 ha) and Bianjia Village (7 ha), respectively. Pathogens were isolated on crystal violet pectate agar (CVP) plates (Ge et al. 2018). Briefly, symptomatic stem tissues were surface sterilized in 75% ethanol, ground, then serial dilutions were cultured on CVP plates (Handique et al. 2022). The plates were incubated at 28oC for 2 days. Pure colonies of Pectobacterium spp. were obtained from the pits of CVP plates and sequenced for identification using the universal 16S rRNA gene primers 27F/1492R (Monciardini et al. 2002). Results of the comparison of 16S sequences against NCBI GenBank showed 100% sequence identity to P. parvum FN20211T (CP087392.1) type strain for the three colonies designated as ZRIMU1006 (1542/1542 bp), ZRIMU1019 (1542/1542 bp), and ZRIMU1020 (1542/1542 bp). Sequences were deposited under accession numbers OP941529, OP941525, OP941526, respectively. Additionally, six housekeeping gene sequences were used to confirm identification at the species level and were uploaded to GenBank: fusA (OP793177, OP793171, OP793172), gapA (OP793221, OP793216, OP793217), gyrB (OP793265, OP793259, OP793260), infB (OP793310, OP793304, OP793305), pgi (OP793355, OP793349, OP793350), and rplB (OP793400, OP793394, OP793395). Phylogenetic trees constructed using the MEGA X program of concatenated sequences of the housekeeping genes sequences show that the three isolates grouped with P. parvam FN20211T, confirming that they are P. parvam. Pathogenicity tests for stem rot were done by injecting a bacterial suspension into potato seedlings (cv. Favorita) grown from seed tubers. The tubers were planted in perlite potting mix and 3 weeks after emergence, a 100 µl bacterial suspension (105 CFU/ml) or sterile phosphate-buffered solution was injected at the stem base. The bacterial injection experiment was performed twice in a greenhouse with five plants inoculated per bacterial strain. Plants were covered with plastic bags to maintain 100% humidity at 25°C for 2 days. Seven days after inoculation, the inoculated area of the seedlings had rotted or turned black, while the controls remained symptomless. Symptomatic tissues from each strain were processed as above and placed on CVP plates to reisolate the Pectobacterium spp. 16S rRNA sequence analysis confirmed the bacteria to be similar in sequence to the inoculated strains, thus completing Koch's postulates. Soft rot development was performed by adding bacterial suspension (100 µl, 105 CFU/ml) on tuber slices. The infected tubers rotted, while the controls were symptomless. The vacuum infiltration method on tuber that is used to test pathogens for blackleg did not result in the development of blackleg symptoms. Briefly, five tubers were inoculated with the pathogen by vacuum infiltration and planted in potting mix. The plants showed wilting after emergence, but no blackleg symptoms were observed. Recently, multiple new Pectobacterium species including P. parmentieri, P. polaris, and P. punjabense, were identified to cause potato disease in different provinces of China (Cao et al. 2021; Handique et al. 2022). In China, P. parvum was first isolated from Brassica, and in the year 2022, it was reported to cause aerial stem-rot on potato in Hebei province in China (Wang et al. 2022). Inner Mongolia is a major potato-seed-producing province and the incidence of new strains of Pectobacterium in the province causing aerial stem rot and soft rot of tuber might cause a reduction in seed production. This report will draw attention to the management of P. parvum by the seed-producing companies in Inner Mongolia which distributes the seed throughout China.

Dietary fat and fatty acid consumptions and the odds of asthenozoospermia: a case-control study in China.

STUDY QUESTION: Are dietary fat and fatty acid (FA) intakes related to the odds of asthenozoospermia? SUMMARY ANSWER: Plant-based fat consumption was associated with decreased asthenozoospermia odds, while the consumption of animal-based monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) was positively related to asthenozoospermia odds. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: Dietary fat and FA are significant ingredients of a daily diet, which have been demonstrated to be correlated to the reproductive health of men. However, to date, evidence on fat and FA associations with the odds of asthenozoospermia is unclear. STUDY DESIGN SIZE DURATION: The hospital-based case-control study was performed in an infertility clinic from June 2020 to December 2020. Briefly, 549 asthenozoospermia cases and 581 controls with normozoospermia were available for final analyses. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS SETTING METHODS: We collected dietary data through a verified food frequency questionnaire of 110 food items. Asthenozoospermia cases were ascertained according to the World Health Organization guidelines. To investigate the correlations of dietary fat and FA consumptions with the odds of asthenozoospermia, we calculated the odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding 95% CIs through unconditional logistic regression models. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: Relative to the lowest tertile of consumption, the highest tertile of plant-based fat intake was inversely correlated to the odds of asthenozoospermia (OR = 0.68, 95% CI = 0.50-0.91), with a significant dose-response relation (OR = 0.85, 95% CI = 0.75-0.97, per standard deviation increment). Inversely, animal-based MUFA intake (OR = 1.49, 95% CI = 1.04-2.14) was significantly correlated to increased odds of asthenozoospermia, and an evident dose-response relation was also detected (OR = 1.24, 95% CI = 1.05-1.45, per standard deviation increment). Subgroup analyses showed similar patterns of associations to those of the primary results. Moreover, we observed significant interactions on both multiplicative and additive scales between animal-based MUFA and cigarette smoking. LIMITATIONS REASONS FOR CAUTION: Selection bias and recall bias were unavoidable in any of the observational studies. As we failed to obtain the information of trans-fatty acid (TFA) consumption, the relation of TFA intake and asthenozoospermia odds was unclear. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: This study indicated that different sources of fat and FAs might exert different effects on the etiology of asthenozoospermia, and cigarette smoking could exacerbate the adverse effect of high animal-based MUFA intake on asthenozoospermia. Our findings provide novel evidence pertaining to the fields of prevention of asthenozoospermia through decreasing animal-derived fat and FA consumptions and smoking cessation. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTERESTS: This work was supported by the JieBangGuaShuai Project of Liaoning Province, Natural Science Foundation of Liaoning Province, Clinical Research Cultivation Project of Shengjing Hospital, and Outstanding Scientific Fund of Shengjing Hospital. All authors have no conflict of interest to declare. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: N/A.

Rapid detection of carbamate nerve agent analogues using dually functionalized gold nanoclusters.

Carbamate nerve agents (CMNAs) are a type of lethal cholinesterase inhibitor with one or more quaternary amine centres and aromatic rings. CMNAs have been recently added to the Annex on Chemicals of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and Schedules of Controlled Chemicals of China. In this study, a rapid, sensitive and selective method was developed for the fluorescence detection of ambenonium chloride (AC) through host-guest and electrostatic dual interactions between AC and cyclodextrin/11-mercaptoundecanoic acid (CD/MUA) dually functionalized gold nanoclusters (AuNCs). Through this method, AC was detected with a limit of detection of 10.0 ng/mL. Method evaluation showed high selectivity towards AC over other related compounds. The practical applicability was verified, as satisfactory recoveries were obtained for AC spiked in river water and urine, as well as Proficiency Test samples from Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). In addition, a fluorescence sensing array comprising four AuNCs was designed to distinguish six carbamates and structurally similar compounds. This method provides a potential approach for the rapid, sensitive and selective recognition and detection of CMNAs.

Phytochemical consumption and the risk of teratozoospermia: findings from a hospital-based case-control study in China.

STUDY QUESTION: Are dietary phytochemicals associated with the risk of teratozoospermia? SUMMARY ANSWER: Dietary intake of carotene, including total carotene, α-carotene, ß-carotene as well as retinol equivalent, and lutein + zeaxanthin, were inversely correlated with the risk of teratozoospermia. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: Phytochemicals are natural plant derived bioactive compounds, which have been reported to be potentially associated with male reproductive health. To date, no study has investigated the association between phytochemical intake and the risk of teratozoospermia. STUDY DESIGN SIZE DURATION: This hospital-based case-control study, which included 146 newly diagnosed teratozoospermia cases and 581 controls with normozoospermia from infertile couples, was conducted in a hospital-based infertility clinic in China, from June 2020 to December 2020. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS SETTING METHODS: Dietary information was collected using a validated semi-quantitative 110-item food frequency questionnaire. Unconditional logistic regression was applied to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the associations between phytochemical (i.e. phytosterol, carotene, flavonoid, isoflavone, anthocyanidin, lutein + zeaxanthin, and resveratrol) intake and the risk of teratozoospermia. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: We observed a decreased risk of teratozoospermia for the highest compared with the lowest tertile consumption of total carotene (OR = 0.40, 95% CI = 0.21-0.77), α-carotene (OR = 0.53, 95% CI = 0.30-0.93), ß-carotene (OR = 0.47, 95% CI = 0.25-0.88), retinol equivalent (OR = 0.47, 95% CI = 0.24-0.90), and lutein + zeaxanthin (OR = 0.35, 95% CI = 0.19-0.66), with all of the associations showing evident linear trends (all P trend <0.05). In addition, significant dose-response associations were observed between campestanol and α-carotene consumption and the risk of teratozoospermia. Moreover, there was a significant multiplicative interaction between BMI and lutein + zeaxanthin intake (P interaction <0.05). LIMITATIONS REASONS FOR CAUTION: The cases and controls were not a random sample of the entire target population, which could lead to admission rate bias. Nevertheless, the controls were enrolled from the same infertility clinic, which could reduce the bias caused by selection and increase the comparability. Furthermore, our study only included a Chinese population, therefore caution is required regarding generalization of our findings to other populations. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: Dietary phytochemicals, namely carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, might exert a positive effect on teratozoospermia. These phytochemicals are common in the daily diet and dietary supplements, and thus may provide a preventive intervention for teratozoospermia. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTERESTS: This study was funded by Natural Science Foundation of Liaoning Province (No. 2022-MS-219 to X.B.W.), Outstanding Scientific Fund of Shengjing Hospital (No. M1150 to Q.J.W.), Clinical Research Cultivation Project of Shengjing Hospital (No. M0071 to B.C.P.), and JieBangGuaShuai Project of Liaoning Province (No. 2021JH1/1040050 to Y.H.Z.). All authors declared that there was no conflict of interest. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: N/A.

Non-Genetic Factors and Risk of Cervical Cancer: An Umbrella Review of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses of Observational Studies.

Objectives: The association between non-genetic risk factors and cervical cancer (CC) remains controversial and unclear. This umbrella review was conducted to evaluate and synthesize previously published systematic reviews and meta-analyses related to non-genetic factors and CC risk. Methods: We searched PubMed, Web of Science, and EMBASE to identify studies investigating the association between extragenetic factors and CC risk. For each article, we calculated the summary effect size and the 95% confidence interval. Specific criteria were used to classify the association into four levels: strong, highly suggestive, suggestive, or weak. Results: A total of 18 meta-analyses of different risk factors for CC were examined; these studies covered risk factors related to diet, lifestyle, reproduction, disease, viral infection, microorganisms, and parasites. Oral contraceptive use and Chlamydia trachomatis infection were shown to increase CC risk, and this was supported by strong evidence. Additionally, there were four risk factors supported by highly suggestive evidence and six risk factors supported by suggestive evidence. Conclusion: In conclusion, there is a strong association between oral contraceptive use, Chlamydia trachomatis infection, and increased CC risk.

First Report of Pectobacterium versatile Causing Diseases on Potato in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Heilongjiang Province, China.

Pectobacterium spp. and Dickeya spp. cause aerial stem rot on potatoes worldwide (Charkowski, 2018). Potato plants (cv. Xisen6# or Youjin) with aerial stem rot or blackleg symptoms (Fig. S1) were observed in the commercial fields in Changji, Xinjiang Province in September 2021 and Harbin, Heilongjiang Province in August 2021, in China. The field disease incidences were 45-50% and 15-20% in Changji (2 ha) and Harbin (1 ha), respectively. Five diseased plants from each field site were collected to isolate the pathogen. Symptomatic stems were soaked in 75% ethanol for 2 min, rinsed, and ground in sterile distilled water (Handique et al. 2022). The suspension was plated onto a crystal violet pectate agar (CVP) plate (Ge et al. 2018). Three days after incubation at 28°C, bacterial colonies that developed pits on CVP plates were purified and sequenced for identification using the universal 16S rRNA gene primer set 27F/1492R (Monciardini et al. 2002). Amplified 16S rDNA sequences from two isolates designated as ZRIMU1267 and ZRIMU1366 showed more than 99% sequence identity to P. versatile CFBP6051T type strain and the sequences were submitted to GenBank (accession numbers: OP476349, OP476350). Additionally, six housekeeping genes sequences were uploaded to GenBank: proA (OP487826, OP487832), gyrA (OP487828, OP487834), icdA (OP487823, OP487829), mdh (OP487825, OP487831), gapA (OP487824, OP487830), and rpoS (OP487827, OP487833) (Ma et al. 2007; Waleron et al. 2008). A phylogenetic tree based on concatenated sequences (MLSA) of the housekeeping genes (Fig. S2) of the two isolates was constructed using MEGA X (Tamura et al. 2013).The phylogenetic tree of MLSA sequences shows that the sequences from isolates ZRIMU1267 and ZRIMU1366 clustered with P. versatile CFBP6051T indicating that these isolates are P. versatile at the species level. Koch's postulate were performed on 3-week-old potato seedlings (cv. Favorita) and tubers. The bacterial suspension (100 µl, 105 CFU/ml) or sterile phosphate-buffered solution was injected into the crown area of the seedlings for the development of aerial stem rot or drenched in the potting mix for the development of blackleg, and the plants were covered with polybags to keep 100% humidity at 25° for 2 days. Five seedlings were inoculated for each strain and the experiment was repeated twice. Seven days after stem injection, the infected area of the inoculated seedlings was rotten, turned black, or even lodged, while the controls were symptomless (Fig. S3a). Four days after drench application, the seedlings were wilted and lodged, while the controls were symptomless (Fig. S3 c). Tuber slice assay for soft rot development was performed by adding bacterial suspension (100 µl, 105 CFU/ml). One day after inoculation, the infected tubers rotted, while the controls were symptomless (Fig. S3 b). ZRIMU1267 and ZRIMU1366 were reisolated from infected tissues on CVP plates and identified by 16S rRNA sequences to complete Koch's postulate. Diseases on potato has been reported to be caused by P. atrosepticum, P. carotovorum, P. brasiliense, P. parmentieri, P. polaris, and P. punjabense in China (Zhao et al. 2018; Cao et al. 2021; Wang et al. 2021; Handique et al. 2022). P. versatile causing aerial stem rot on potatoes have been reported in Hebei province (Han et al. 2022), while our study reports P. versatile strains that are able to cause multiple diseases on potatoes in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Heilongjiang provinces of China. The results indicate that P. versatile might be widely distributed in northern China, and it is necessary to include cropping season and post-harvest strategies to control diseases caused by P. versatile.

Expression and functional analysis of transformer-2 in Phytoseiulus persimilis and other genes potentially participating in reproductive regulation.

Transformer-2 (tra-2) is an important sex-determining gene in insects. It also plays a role in the reproduction of phytoseiid mites. We performed bioinformatic analyses for the tra-2 ortholog in Phytoseiulus persimilis (termed Pptra-2), measured its expression at different stages and quantitatively identified its function in reproduction. This gene encodes 288 amino acids with a conserved RRM domain. The peak of its expression was observed in adult females, especially ca. 5 days after mating. In addition, expression is also higher in eggs than in other stages and adult males. When Pptra-2 was silenced through RNA interference with oral delivery of dsRNA, 56% of the females had their egg hatching rates decreased in the first 5 days, from ca. 100% to ca. 20%, and maintained at low levels during the rest of the oviposition period. To detect other genes functionally related to Pptra-2, transcriptome analyses were performed on day 5 after mating. We compared mRNA expressions among interfered females with significantly reduced egg hatching rate, interfered females without significant hatching rate and CK. In total 403 differential genes were identified, of which 42 functional genes involved in the regulation of female reproduction and embryonic development were screened and discussed.

Association between Pregestational Vaginal Dysbiosis and Incident Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy Risk: a Nested Case-Control Study.

A balanced vaginal microbiome dominated by Lactobacillus can help promote women's reproductive health, with Lactobacillus crispatus showing the most beneficial effect. However, the potential role of vaginal microbiomes in hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) development is not thoroughly explored. In this nested case-control study based on an assisted reproductive technology follow-up cohort, we prospectively assessed the association between pregestational vaginal microbiomes with HDP by collecting vaginal swabs from 75 HDP cases (HDP group) and 150 controls (NP group) and using 16S amplicon sequencing for bacterial identification. The vaginal microbial composition of the HDP group significantly differed from that of the NP group. The abundance of L. crispatus was significantly lower, and the abundances of Gardnerella vaginalis was significantly higher, in the HDP group than in the NP group. Of note, L. crispatus-dominated vaginal community state type was associated with a decreased risk for HDP (odds ratio = 0.436; 95% confidence interval, 0.229 to 0.831) compared with others. Additionally, network analysis revealed different bacterial interactions with 61 and 57 exclusive edges in the NP and HDP groups, respectively. Compared with the HDP group, the NP group showed a higher weighted degree and closeness centrality. Several taxa, including G. vaginalis, L. iners, and bacterial vaginosis-associated bacteria (Prevotella, Megasphaera, Finegoldia, and Porphyromonas), were identified as "drivers" for network rewiring. Notable alterations of predicted pathways involved in amino acid, cofactor, and vitamin metabolism; membrane transport; and bacterial toxins were observed in the HDP group. IMPORTANCE The etiology of HDP remains unclear to date. Effective methods for the individualized prediction and prevention are lacking. Pregestational vaginal dysbiosis precedes the diagnosis of HDP, providing a novel perspective on the etiology of HDP. Early pregnancy is the critical period of placental development, and abnormal placentation initiates HDP development. Thus, disease prevention should be considered before pregnancy. Vaginal microbiome characterization and probiotic interventions before pregnancy are preferred because of their safety and potential for early prevention. This study is the first to prospectively assess associations between pregestational vaginal microbiome and HDP. L. crispatus-dominated vaginal community state type is linked to a reduced risk for HDP. These findings suggest that vaginal microbiome characterization may help identify individuals at high risk for HDP and offer potential targets for the development of novel pregestational intervention methods.

Role of sirtuins in metabolic disease-related renal injury.

Poor control of metabolic diseases induces kidney injury, resulting in microalbuminuria, renal insufficiency and, ultimately, chronic kidney disease. The potential pathogenetic mechanisms of renal injury caused by metabolic diseases remain unclear. Tubular cells and podocytes of the kidney show high expression of histone deacetylases known as sirtuins (SIRT1-7). Available evidence has shown that SIRTs participate in pathogenic processes of renal disorders caused by metabolic diseases. The present review addresses the regulatory roles of SIRTs and their implications for the initiation and development of kidney damage due to metabolic diseases. SIRTs are commonly dysregulated in renal disorders induced by metabolic diseases such as hypertensive nephropathy and diabetic nephropathy. This dysregulation is associated with disease progression. Previous literature has also suggested that abnormal expression of SIRTs affects cellular biology, such as oxidative stress, metabolism, inflammation, and apoptosis of renal cells, resulting in the promotion of invasive diseases. This literature reviews the research progress made in understanding the roles of dysregulated SIRTs in the pathogenesis of metabolic disease-related kidney disorders and describes the potential of SIRTs serve as biomarkers for early screening and diagnosis of these diseases and as therapeutic targets for their treatment.

Air pollution exposure and ovarian reserve impairment in Shandong province, China: The effects of particulate matter size and exposure window.

BACKGROUND: Lack of evidence exists on whether air pollution exposure may affect ovarian reserve, especially for Chinese women. OBJECTIVES: To explore the association between exposure to various air pollutants and anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), a predictor of ovarian reserve, over different exposure windows in Shandong Province, China. METHODS: We enrolled 18,878 women who had AMH measurements in the Center for Reproductive Medicine, Shandong University during 2010-2019. Daily average concentrations of ambient particulate matter with diameters ≤1 µm/2.5 µm/10 µm (PM1, PM2.5, and PM10), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and ozone (O3) were developed at a spatial resolution of 0.01° × 0.01°, and assigned to the residential addresses. Three exposure windows were considered, i.e., the process from primary to small antral follicle stage (W1), from primary to secondary follicle stage (W2), and from secondary to small antral follicle stage (W3). The air pollution-AMH association was fitted using the multivariable linear mixed effect model with adjustment for potential confounders. Stratified analyses were performed by age group, overweight status, residential region, and educational level. RESULTS: The level of AMH changed by -8.8% (95% confidence interval (CI): -12.1%, -5.3%), -2.1% (95% CI: -3.5%, -0.6%), -1.9% (95% CI: -3.3%, -0.5%), and -4.5% (95% CI: -7.1%, -1.9%) per 10 µg/m3 increase in PM1, PM2.5, PM10, and NO2, respectively, during W1. The effect estimates were significant during W2 for PM1, PM2.5 and NO2 while minimal association was observed in W3. Greater vulnerability for certain air pollutants were observed for women who lived in inland areas and were less educated. CONCLUSIONS: We found that ovarian reserve was negatively associated with air pollution exposure for women, particularly from the primary to secondary follicle stage. The effect estimate increased by the reduction in the diameter of PMs, which also varied across population sub-groups.

Sleep Characteristics and Cancer-Related Outcomes: An Umbrella Review of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses of Observational Studies.

BACKGROUND: Sleep is closely related to various diseases. Several meta-analyses have provided evidence of sleep and cancer, and yet the credibility of this evidence has not been comprehensively quantified. Thus, we conducted an umbrella review to quantify the evidence for systematic reviews and meta-analyses of observational studies on sleep characteristics (sleep duration, sleep quality, napping, bedtime, and wake-up time) and cancer-related outcomes. METHODS: PubMed, Web of Science (Core Collection), and Embase databases were searched from inception until 29 July 2022. Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews, version 1, was used to evaluate the methodological quality of each eligible systematic review or meta-analysis. For each association, the summary effect with a 95% confidence interval was evaluated by fixed and random effects models. The 95% prediction interval, heterogeneity, small-study effects, and excess significance bias were also evaluated. Evidence of the associations from systematic reviews and meta-analyses was ranked based on the established criteria of published literature as convincing, highly suggestive, suggestive, weak, or non-significant. RESULTS: The umbrella review identified thirty meta-analyses on the aforementioned associations from six articles. The methodological quality of five articles was high or moderate. Suggestive evidence was found for associations between long sleep duration and a 21% increased risk of colorectal cancer, a 9% increased all-cancer mortality and a 65% increased mortality of lung cancer, and associations between short sleep duration and a 21% increased mortality of lung cancer. Additionally, the evidence of associations between short sleep duration and lung cancer mortality was upgraded to convincing, and between long sleep duration and lung cancer mortality was upgraded to highly suggestive, among the population reporting 24 h sleep duration. CONCLUSION: Abnormal sleep duration might be linked to several adverse cancer-related outcomes.

The sirtuin family in health and disease.

Sirtuins (SIRTs) are nicotine adenine dinucleotide(+)-dependent histone deacetylases regulating critical signaling pathways in prokaryotes and eukaryotes, and are involved in numerous biological processes. Currently, seven mammalian homologs of yeast Sir2 named SIRT1 to SIRT7 have been identified. Increasing evidence has suggested the vital roles of seven members of the SIRT family in health and disease conditions. Notably, this protein family plays a variety of important roles in cellular biology such as inflammation, metabolism, oxidative stress, and apoptosis, etc., thus, it is considered a potential therapeutic target for different kinds of pathologies including cancer, cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, and other conditions. Moreover, identification of SIRT modulators and exploring the functions of these different modulators have prompted increased efforts to discover new small molecules, which can modify SIRT activity. Furthermore, several randomized controlled trials have indicated that different interventions might affect the expression of SIRT protein in human samples, and supplementation of SIRT modulators might have diverse impact on physiological function in different participants. In this review, we introduce the history and structure of the SIRT protein family, discuss the molecular mechanisms and biological functions of seven members of the SIRT protein family, elaborate on the regulatory roles of SIRTs in human disease, summarize SIRT inhibitors and activators, and review related clinical studies.

Calcium ionophore improves embryonic development and pregnancy outcomes in patients with previous developmental problems in ICSI cycles.

BACKGROUND: Calcium (Ca2+) ionophores are now mainly considered as efficient treatments for fertilization failure. Recently, its application for rescuing poor embryo development was proposed but still non-routine. This study aimed to explore whether Ca2+ ionophore improves embryo development and pregnancy outcomes in patients with poor embryo development in previous intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles. METHODS: This study included 97 patients undergoing assisted oocyte activation (AOA) with Ca2+ ionophore (calcimycin, A23187) treatment. Preimplantation embryonic development and clinical outcomes were compared between ICSI-AOA cycles (AOA group) and previous ICSI cycles of the same patients in which poor embryo developmental potential was present (non-AOA group). Subgroups stratified by maternal age (< 35, 35-40, ≥ 40 years, respectively) were analyzed separately. RESULTS: A total of 642 MII oocytes were collected in AOA group, and 689 in non-AOA group. Significantly higher day 3 good quality embryo rate (P = 0.034), good quality blastocyst formation rate (P <  0.001), and utilization rate (P <  0.001) were seen in AOA group. Similar results were seen in each subgroup. For pregnancy outcomes, there were significant differences in clinical pregnancy rate (P = 0.039) and live birth rate (P = 0.045) in total group. In subgroup aged < 35 years, biochemical (P = 0.038), clinical (P = 0.041), and ongoing pregnancy rate (P = 0.037) in AOA group were significantly higher than that in non-AOA group. No significant improvement for clinical outcomes for subgroups aged 35-40 and aged ≥40. CONCLUSION: The study suggests that calcimycin could improve preimplantation development and pregnancy outcomes in patients aged < 35 years with embryo developmental problems in previous ICSI cycles.

Intake of ultra-processed foods and asthenozoospermia odds: A hospital-based case-control study.

Background: The intake of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) has increased rapidly in recent years. Evidence has suggested that UPFs has adverse effects on several health outcomes. This study aimed to first evaluate the association between the intake of UPFs and asthenozoospermia odds. Methods: A hospital-based case-control study including 549 cases and 581 controls was performed in the infertility clinics of Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University from June 2020 to December 2020. Dietary intake was assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Food items were categorized by the NOVA classification system based on the degree of processing. Semen parameters were analyzed according to the World Health Organization guidelines. Results: The highest tertile of UPFs intake (% of total energy intake) was positively associated with the odds of asthenozoospermia (odds ratio [OR] = 1.53; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.12, 2.10; P for trend < 0.05), compared with the lowest tertile. Similar patterns were also found in subgroup analyses among participants with age ≥32 years (OR = 1.58; 95% CI: 1.04, 2.40), BMI ≥ 24 kg/m2 (OR = 1.52; 95% CI: 1.04, 2.22), ever cigarette smoking (OR = 1.78; 95% CI: 1.14, 2.79), and ever alcohol drinking (OR = 1.65; 95% CI: 1.01, 2.72), and in sensitivity analyses by using absolute amount (g/day) to calculate the intake of UPFs. Conclusion: Higher consumption of UPFs was positively associated with the odds of asthenozoospermia. More studies are needed to confirm our findings.

Star Polycation Mediated dsRNA Improves the Efficiency of RNA Interference in Phytoseiulus persimilis.

RNA interference (RNAi) is one of the most widely used techniques to study gene functions. There is still a lack of RNAi techniques that can be applied in Phytoseiidae conveniently and efficiently. Star Polycation is a new nanomaterial commonly used as a carrier of dsRNA in RNAi. Five genes of P. persimilis (PpATPb, PpATPd, PpRpL11, PpRpS2, and Pptra-2) were selected to verify whether SPc promotes the delivery of dsRNA into P. persimilis through soaking. When each of the five genes were interfered using SPc-mediated dsRNA, the total number of success offspring produced per female in six days decreased by ca. 92%, 92%, 91%, 96%, and 64%. When PpATPb, PpATPd, PpRpL11, or PpRpS2 was interfered, both the fecundity and egg hatching rate decreased. In contrast, when Pptra-2 was interfered, reduction in the reproductive capability was mainly the result of the decreased egg hatching rate. Correspondingly, when the target gene was interfered, P. persimilis expression of PpRpL11 reduced by 63.95%, while that of the other four genes reduced by at least 80%. Our studies showed that nanomaterials, such as SPc, have the potential to be used in RNA interference of phytoseiid mites.

Dietary protein and multiple health outcomes: An umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of observational studies.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Numerous studies have evaluated the effects of dietary protein on specific health outcomes. The aim of our umbrella review was to summarize the existing evidence between the intake of dietary proteins and multiple health outcomes, and assess their strength and validity. METHODS: Our study was registered at PROSPERO (No. CRD42021255938). We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases from inception to May 18, 2021, to identify relevant systematic reviews and meta-analyses of observational studies. The validated "A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews" for assessing the methodological quality of included systematic reviews was utilized. For each association, we estimated the summary effect size using fixed and random effects methods, and the 95% confidence and prediction intervals. We also evaluated heterogeneity, evidence of small-study effects, and excess significance bias. RESULTS: Overall, 16 articles with 58 meta-analyses were included. All studies were categorized as over moderate quality. On employing the random-effects model, fourteen (24.1%) meta-analyses were found to be significant at P < 0.05, whereas only one (1.7%) remained significant at P < 10-6. Twenty-two (37.9%) meta-analyses had large or very large heterogeneity. Evidence of small-study effects and excess significance bias was found for three (5.2%) meta-analyses, respectively. One meta-analysis was supported by highly suggestive evidence, indicating that a 5% increase in energy intake from animal protein was associated with 12% higher risk of type 2 diabetes (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.08-1.17). Of note, the intake of animal and plant proteins had different health effects on type 2 diabetes, all-cause mortality, and risk of cardiovascular disease mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Although the intake of dietary protein was associated with certain health outcomes, the strength of evidence was limited for most outcomes. Moreover, the source of dietary protein is an important factor that requires better consideration in future studies.