Association between magnesium depletion score and the prevalence of kidney stones in the low primary income ratio: a cross-sectional study of NHANES 2007-2018.

INTRODUCTION: To explore the association between magnesium depletion score (MgDS) and the prevalence of kidney stones in the low primary income ratio (PIR). METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007-2018. Within the low PIR, people aged ≥20 years with complete information on MgDS and kidney stones questionnaires were enrolled. Multivariable logistic regression and stratified logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the association between MgDS and the prevalence of kidney stones and recurrence of kidney stones by confounding factors adjusted. Stratified and interaction analysis was conducted to find whether some factors modified the association. In addition, sensitive analyses were also conducted to observe the stability. The work has been reported in line with the STROCSS criteria, Supplemental Digital Content 1, http://links.lww.com/JS9/C781. RESULT: A total of 7,600 adults were involved in the study, and the individuals were classified into four groups: 0 points for MgDS (n=3,814), 1 point for MgDS (n=2,229), 2 points for MgDS (n=1,020), and ≥3 points for MgDS (n=537). The multivariable logistic regression suggested that a positive association between MgDS and the prevalence of kidney stones (OR=1.123, 95%CI 1.019 to 1.238) in the fully-adjusted model. Compared with the lowest group, people with ≥3 points of MgDS had a had a significant relationship with kidney stones (OR=1.417, 95%CI 1.013 to 1.983). No significant association was observed between the recurrence of kidney stones and MgDS. The result of the sensitive analysis showed the robustness of the main analysis. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of kidney stones is inversely associated with MgDS, which suggests that maintaining a higher MgDS is accompanied by higher prevalence rates of kidney stones in the low PIR.

Photodetectors Based on ZrS3/MoS2 Heterostructures.

High-performance photodetectors with the detection capability of linearly polarized light have broad applications in both military and civilian fields. Quasi-one-dimensional ZrS3 as an emerging anisotropic two-dimensional material has come under the spotlight owing to its intriguing properties. However, the performance of the ZrS3 photodetector is seriously restricted by its low responsivity. Herein, a novel high-performance photodetector based on the van der Waals ZrS3/MoS2 heterostructure is proposed. Attributed to the charge trapping-assisted photogating effect, interlayer carrier transitions, and fast spatial separation of the photogenerated electron-hole pairs, the device displays superior photoresponse characteristics ranging from the ultraviolet to the visible spectrum in terms of high responsivity up to 212 A/W, an extraordinary external quantum efficiency of 8.5 × 104%, and a prompt rise/decay time of 0.19/0.38 ms. In addition, owing to the profound birefringence and dichroism effects in ZrS3 together with strong light-matter interactions in the heterostructure, profound linear-polarization sensitivity is demonstrated with a dichroic ratio of about 2.8. Overall, this photodetector not only is integrated with the excellent properties of ZrS3 and monolayer MoS2 but also further enhances the advantages through interlayer couplings, which demonstrate the strong potential of the ZrS3-based devices for high-performance, ultrafast, and polarization-sensitive photodetection.

Association Between Physical Activity and the Prevalence of Kidney Stones in American Adults: Results From a Multiyear National Survey.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between physical activity (PA) and the prevalence of kidney stones. METHODS: A cross-section study was conducted using data from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007-2018. PA was evaluated based on the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to elucidate the association between PA (patterns, intensity, duration, and frequency of moderate and vigorous PA) and the prevalence of kidney stones after adjusting for potential confounders. Stratified and interaction analyses were conducted to detect potential effect modifiers. In addition, PA was assessed using metabolic equivalent and physical volume, and followed the regression above. Water intake was obtained from the day 2 dietary recall and was included in the sensitivity analysis. RESULTS: A total of 34,390 participants were included in the analysis. The multivariable logistic regression revealed that individuals who engaged in moderate PA for 30-60 minutes per day had a significant inverse association with the prevalence of kidney stones in the fully adjusted model (odds ratio=0.804, 95% confidence interval 0.700 to 0.923), while no more significant finding was observed for other PA parameters. Interaction and stratified analyses indicated no covariate modifying the association. The results above were robust in the sensitivity analysis. CONCLUSION: The duration of moderate PA (30-60 min/d) is inversely associated with the prevalence of kidney stones, while no more significant association was observed between other PA parameters (including patterns, intensity, duration, and frequency of vigorous PA, frequency of moderate PA) and kidney stones.

The predictive significance of chromobox family members in prostate cancer in humans.

PURPOSE: The Chromobox (CBX) family proteins are crucial elements of the epigenetic regulatory machinery and play a significant role in the development and advancement of cancer. Nevertheless, there is limited understanding regarding the role of CBXs in development or progression of prostate cancer (PCa). Our objective is to develop a unique prognostic model associated with CBXs to improve the accuracy of predicting outcomes of patients with PCa. METHODS: Data from TCGA and GEO databases were analyzed to assess differential expression, prognostic value, gene pathway enrichment, and immune cell infiltration. COX regression analysis was utilized to identify the independent prognostic factors that impact disease-free survival (DFS). The expression of CBX2 and FOXP3+ cells infiltration was verified by immunohistochemical staining of clinical tissue sections. In vitro proliferation, migration and invasion assay were conducted to examine the function of CBX2. RNA-seq was employed to examine the CBX2 related pathway enrichment. RESULTS: CBX2, CBX3, CBX4, and CBX8 were upregulated, while CBX6 and CBX7 were downregulated in PCa tissues. CBXs expression varied by stage and grade. Elevated expression of CBX1, CBX2, CBX3, CBX4 and CBX8 is correlated with poor outcome. CBX2 expression, T stage, and Gleason score were independent prognostic factors. The expression level of CBX2 in PCa tissues was significantly higher than that in adjacent normal tissues. More Treg infiltration was observed in the group with high CBX2 expression. CBX2 expression affected PCa cell growth, migration, and invasion. CONCLUSIONS: CBX2 is involved in the development and advancement of PCa, suggesting its potential as a reliable prognostic indicator for PCa patients.

Elucidating the role of MICAL1 in pan-cancer using integrated bioinformatics and experimental approaches.

Molecule interacting with CasL 1 (MICAL1) is a crucial protein involved in cell motility, axon guidance, cytoskeletal dynamics, and gene transcription. This pan-cancer study analyzed MICAL1 across 33 cancer types using bioinformatics and experiments. Dysregulated expression, diagnostic potential, and prognostic value were assessed. Associations with tumor characteristics, immune factors, and drug sensitivity were explored. Enrichment analysis revealed MICAL1's involvement in metastasis, angiogenesis, metabolism, and immune pathways. Functional experiments demonstrated its impact on renal carcinoma cells. These findings position MICAL1 as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target in specific cancers, warranting further investigation into its role in cancer pathogenesis.

Sexual dysfunction in patients with diabetes: association between remnant cholesterol and erectile dysfunction.

BACKGROUND: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is closely associated with dyslipidemia; however, it is yet unknown how ED and remnant cholesterol (RC) are related. As such, this research sought to explore the correlation between RC and ED among individuals with diagnosed with diabetes. METHODS: This cross-sectional study used information from 215 males from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2001 to 2004. RC was calculated as follows: the values of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) were subtracted from the total cholesterol (TC) value, while ED diagnoses were based on self-reports. Weighted logistic regression analyses using both univariate and multivariate approaches were conducted to assess the correlation between RC and ED. RESULTS: After comprehensive adjustment, multivariable logistic regression models revealed a strong correlation between RC and ED in subjects with diabetes (with an odds ratio (OR) of 7.49 and a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 1.98-28.37; P = 0.004). On categorizing RC into 3 grades (T1-T3), the OR corresponding to higher RC grade increased. Despite the results not reaching statistical significance upon categorization, a consistent and statistically significant trend (P for trend < 0.05) was observed. CONCLUSION: This study indicated a correlation between increased RC levels and a higher prevalence of ED in diabetic males. RC may serve as a promising predictor of ED in individuals with diabetes. However, additional studies are required to confirm these findings.

Predictors of trimodality therapy in patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer and effect on survival

Background Due to its unique advantages over radical cystectomy (RC), trimodality therapy (TMT) is increasingly being utilized by patients diagnosed with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) who are not suitable for or refuse RC. However, achieving a satisfactory oncological outcome with TMT requires strict patient selection criteria, and the comparative oncological outcomes of TMT versus RC remain controversial. Methods Patients diagnosed with non-metastatic MIBC who underwent TMT or RC were identified from the SEER database during 2004–2015. Before one-to-one propensity score matching (PSM), logistic regression was utilized to identify predictors of TMT. After matching, K-M curves were generated to estimate cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS) with log-rank to test the significance. Finally, we conducted univariate and multivariate Cox analyses to identify independent prognostic factors for CSS and OS. Results The RC and TMT groups included 5812 and 1260 patients, respectively, and the TMT patients were significantly older than the RC patients. Patients with advanced age, separated, divorced, or widowed (SDW) or unmarried marital status (married as reference), and larger tumor size (< 40 mm as reference) were more likely to be treated with TMT. After PSM, TMT was found to be associated with worse CSS and OS, and it was identified as an independent risk factor for both CSS and OS. Conclusion MIBC patients may not be carefully evaluated prior to TMT, and some non-ideal candidates underwent TMT. TMT resulted in worse CSS and OS in the contemporary era, but these results may be biased. Strict TMT candidate criteria and TMT treatment modality should be required (AU)

Establishment of a prognostic risk prediction model incorporating disulfidptosis-related lncRNA for patients with prostate cancer.

PURPOSE: Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the major tumor diseases that threaten men's health globally, and biochemical recurrence significantly impacts its prognosis. Disulfidptosis, a recently discovered cell death mechanism triggered by intracellular disulfide accumulation leading to membrane rupture, is a new area of research in the context of PCa. Currently, its impact on PCa remains largely unexplored. This study aims to investigate the correlation between long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) associated with disulfidptosis and the prognosis of PCa, seeking potential connections between the two. METHODS: Transcriptomic data for a PCa cohort were obtained from the Cancer Genome Atlas database. Disulfidptosis-related lncRNAs (DDRLs) were identified through differential expression and Pearson correlation analysis. DDRLs associated with biochemical recurrence-free survival (BRFS) were precisely identified using univariate Cox and LASSO regression, resulting in the development of a risk score model. Clinical factors linked to BRFS were determined through both univariate and multivariate Cox analyses. A prognostic nomogram combined the risk score with key clinical variables. Model performance was assessed using Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves, Decision Curve Analysis (DCA), and calibration curves. The functional impact of a critical DDRL was substantiated through assays involving CCK8, invasion, migration, and cell cloning. Additionally, immunohistochemical (IHC) staining for the disulfidptosis-related protein SLC7A11 was conducted. RESULTS: The prognostic signature included AC026401.3, SNHG4, SNHG25, and U73166.1 as key components. The derived risk score from these signatures stood as one of the independent prognostic factor for PCa patients, correlating with poorer BRFS in the high-risk group. By combining the risk score with clinical variables, a practical nomogram was created, accurately predicting BRFS of PCa patients. Notably, silencing AC026401.3 significantly hindered PCa cell proliferation, invasion, migration, and colony formation. IHC staining revealed elevated expression of the dithiosulfatide-related protein SLC7A11 in tumor tissue. CONCLUSIONS: A novel prognostic signature for PCa DDRLs, possessing commendable predictive power, has been constructed, simultaneously providing potential therapeutic targets associated with disulfidptosis, among which AC026401.3 has been validated in vitro and demonstrated inhibition of PCa tumorigenesis after its silencing.

Predictors of trimodality therapy in patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer and effect on survival.

BACKGROUND: Due to its unique advantages over radical cystectomy (RC), trimodality therapy (TMT) is increasingly being utilized by patients diagnosed with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) who are not suitable for or refuse RC. However, achieving a satisfactory oncological outcome with TMT requires strict patient selection criteria, and the comparative oncological outcomes of TMT versus RC remain controversial. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with non-metastatic MIBC who underwent TMT or RC were identified from the SEER database during 2004-2015. Before one-to-one propensity score matching (PSM), logistic regression was utilized to identify predictors of TMT. After matching, K-M curves were generated to estimate cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS) with log-rank to test the significance. Finally, we conducted univariate and multivariate Cox analyses to identify independent prognostic factors for CSS and OS. RESULTS: The RC and TMT groups included 5812 and 1260 patients, respectively, and the TMT patients were significantly older than the RC patients. Patients with advanced age, separated, divorced, or widowed (SDW) or unmarried marital status (married as reference), and larger tumor size (< 40 mm as reference) were more likely to be treated with TMT. After PSM, TMT was found to be associated with worse CSS and OS, and it was identified as an independent risk factor for both CSS and OS. CONCLUSION: MIBC patients may not be carefully evaluated prior to TMT, and some non-ideal candidates underwent TMT. TMT resulted in worse CSS and OS in the contemporary era, but these results may be biased. Strict TMT candidate criteria and TMT treatment modality should be required.

T1 mapping in evaluation of clinicopathologic factors for rectal adenocarcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: T1 mapping has been increasingly applied in the study of tumor. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the value of T1 mapping in evaluating clinicopathologic factors for rectal adenocarcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighty-six patients with rectal adenocarcinoma confirmed by surgical pathology who underwent preoperative pelvic MRI were retrospectively analyzed. High-resolution T2-weighted imaging (T2WI), T1 mapping, and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) were performed. T1 and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) parameters were compared among different associated tumor markers, tumor grades, stages, and structure invasion statuses. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was estimated. RESULTS: T1 value showed significant difference between high- and low-grade tumors ([1531.5 ± 84.7 ms] vs. [1437.1 ± 80.3 ms], P < 0.001). T1 value was significant higher in positive than in negative perineural invasion ([1495.7 ± 89.2 ms] vs. [1449.4 ± 88.8 ms], P < 0.05). No significant difference of T1 or ADC was observed in different CEA, CA199, T stage, N stage, lymphovascular invasions, extramural vascular invasion (EMVI), and circumferential resection margin (CRM) (P > 0.05). The AUC under ROC curve of T1 value were 0.796 in distinguishing high- from low-grade rectal adenocarcinoma. The AUC of T1 value in distinguishing perineural invasion was 0.637. CONCLUSION: T1 value was helpful in assessing pathologic grade and perineural invasion correlated with rectal cancer.

Sleep and circadian rhythm disturbance in kidney stone disease: a narrative review.

The circadian rhythm generated by circadian clock genes functions as an internal timing system. Since the circadian rhythm controls abundant physiological processes, the circadian rhythm evolved in organisms is salient for adaptation to environmental change. A disturbed circadian rhythm is a trigger for numerous pathological events. Recently, accumulated data have indicated that kidney stone disease (KSD) is related to circadian rhythm disturbance. However, the mechanism between them has not been fully elucidated. In this narrative review, we summarized existing evidence to illustrate the possible association between circadian rhythm disturbance and KSD based on the epidemiological studies and risk factors that are linked to circadian rhythm disturbance and discuss some chronotherapies for KSD. In summary, KSD is associated with systemic disorders. Metabolic syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, and microbiome dysbiosis are the major risk factors supported by sufficient data to cause KSD in patients with circadian rhythm disturbance, while others including hypertension, vitamin D deficiency, parathyroid gland dysfunction, and renal tubular damage/dysfunction need further investigation. Then, some chronotherapies for KSD were confirmed to be effective, but the molecular mechanism is still unclear.

CD38 Deficiency Alleviates Diabetic Cardiomyopathy by Coordinately Inhibiting Pyroptosis and Apoptosis.

Diabetic cardiomyopathy is one of the diabetes mellitus-induced cardiovascular complications that can result in heart failure in severe cases, which is characterized by cardiomyocyte apoptosis, local inflammation, oxidative stress, and myocardial fibrosis. CD38, a main hydrolase of NAD+ in mammals, plays an important role in various cardiovascular diseases, according to our previous studies. However, the role of CD38 in diabetes-induced cardiomyopathy is still unknown. Here, we report that global deletion of the CD38 gene significantly prevented diabetic cardiomyopathy induced by high-fat diet plus streptozotocin (STZ) injection in CD38 knockout (CD38-KO) mice. We observed that CD38 expression was up-regulated, whereas the expression of Sirt3 was down-regulated in the hearts of diabetic mice. CD38 deficiency significantly promoted glucose metabolism and improved cardiac functions, exemplified by increased left ventricular ejection fraction and fractional shortening. In addition, we observed that CD38 deficiency markedly decreased diabetes or high glucose and palmitic acid (HG + PA)-induced pyroptosis and apoptosis in CD38 knockout hearts or cardiomyocytes, respectively. Furthermore, we found that the expression levels of Sirt3, mainly located in mitochondria, and its target gene FOXO3a were increased in CD38-deficient hearts and cardiomyocytes with CD38 knockdown under diabetic induction conditions. In conclusion, we demonstrated that CD38 deficiency protected mice from diabetes-induced diabetic cardiomyopathy by reducing pyroptosis and apoptosis via activating NAD+/Sirt3/FOXO3a signaling pathways.

A positive association between the prevalence of circadian syndrome and overactive bladder in United States adults.

Objective: To explore the association between the prevalence of circadian syndrome (CircS) and overactive bladder (OAB). Materials and methods: Cross-section analysis was based on the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005-2018. Data regarding OAB was collected from questionnaires. The association between the prevalence of CircS and OAB was elucidated using three multivariable logistic regression models. Stratified and interaction analyses were performed to find whether some factors can modify the association. Results: Totally 8,033 males and 8,065 females were included. People with CircS had a significantly higher prevalence of OAB compared to the non-CircS group in the fully-adjusted model (OR = 1.238, 95%CI 1.080-1.419). A significant positive correlation between the number of CircS components and the prevalence of OAB was observed when the components were ≥ 6 (OR = 1.975, 95%CI 1.463-2.665). No significant interaction was seen in the three models. Conclusion: There is a positive association between the prevalence of CircS and OAB. When the number of components is ≥6, the prevalence of OAB shows a strongly positive correlation with the number of CircS components.

Mechanism of prognostic marker SPOCK3 affecting malignant progression of prostate cancer and construction of prognostic model.

BACKGROUND: SPOCK3 is a secreted extracellular matrix proteoglycan. This study aimed to investigate the effect of SPOCK3 on the malignant progression of prostate cancer and to construct a prognostic model to predict DFS of patients with prostate cancer. METHODS: Clinical and transcriptome sequencing data for prostate cancer were download from the TCGA and GEO databases. The survival curve showed that SPOCK3 has prognostic significance. GO, KEGG, and GSEA enrichment analysis were used to investigate how SPOCK3 affects the malignant progression of prostate cancer. Based on ESTIMATE and ssGSEA, the relationship between SPOCK3 and immune cell infiltration in prostate cancer tissue was clarified. Univariate and multivariate COX regression analysis was used to identify the independent prognostic factors of prostate cancer OS and to construct a nomogram. The calibration curve and ROC curves were drawn to assess the nomogram's predictive power. RESULTS: The survival curve revealed that patients in the low-expression group of SPOCK3 had a poor prognosis. According to enrichment analysis, SOPCK3-related genes were enriched in collagen-containing extracellular matrix, PI3K-Akt, and MAPK signaling pathway. ESTIMATE analysis revealed that SPOCK3 expression was positively correlated with the interstitial score, immune score, and ESTIMATE score. The results of ssGSEA analysis revealed that the infiltration levels of Mast cells, NK cells, and B cells were higher in the SPOCK3 high expression group. Cox regression analysis showed that SPOCK3 expression level, T and Gleason score were independent risk factors of patient prognosis, and a nomogram was constructed. The ROC curve showed the AUCs of DFS at 2, 3, and 5 years. CONCLUSION: SPOCK3 is a protective factor for DFS in prostate cancer patients. SPOCK3 is significantly associated with immune cell infiltration. The prognostic model constructed based on SPOCK3 has excellent predictive performance.

Association between the prevalence rates of circadian syndrome and testosterone deficiency in US males: data from NHANES (2011-2016).

Objective: The objective of this study is to explore the association between the prevalence rates of circadian syndrome (CircS) and testosterone deficiency (TD). Materials and methods: Cross-sectional analysis was conducted on the basis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011-2016. The target population was males aged ≥20 years old. A total of three multivariable logistic regression models were built to elucidate the association between the prevalence rates of CircS and TD. Interactive and stratified analyses were employed to explore whether some variables can modify the above association. Sensitivity analyses were also conducted to verify the stability of the results with extreme values removed. Results: A total of 3,436 eligible participants were involved. Multivariable logistic regression in the fully adjusted model suggested the CircS group had a significantly higher prevalence rate of TD compared with the non-CircS group (OR = 2.284, 95%CI 1.569 to 3.323). No significant correlation between the number of CircS components and TD was observed in any of the three models. The interactive and stratified analyses showed the association was more obvious in the population with moderate or vigorous activities. The results were robust after extreme data were excluded. Conclusion: There is a positive association between the prevalence rates of CircS and TD in US men. The association becomes more obvious owing to moderate or vigorous activities.

Association between circadian syndrome and the prevalence of kidney stones in overweight adults: a cross-sectional analysis of NHANES 2007-2018.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the association between circadian syndrome (CircS) and the prevalence of kidney stones in overweight people. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted based on the NHANES 2007-2018. Overweight people aged ≥ 20 years were the target population. Three multivariable logistic regression models were built to examine the association between CircS and kidney stones. Subgroup analysis based on age, gender, and race were also employed. Interaction and stratification analysis was also conducted to identify whether some factors modify the association. RESULT: A total of 4,603 overweight participants were included in the study. The multivariable logistic regression suggested that CircS was positively associated with the prevalence of kidney stones (OR = 1.422, 95% CI 1.057 to 1.912). The subgroup analysis showed that the association was more obvious in females (OR = 1.604, 95% CI 1.023 to 2.516) or in the population aged 35 to 49 years old (OR = 2.739, 95% CI 1.428 to 5.254). Additionally, the same trend was present when people were Mexican American (OR = 3.834, 95% CI 1.790 to 8.215) or other races (OR = 4.925, 95% CI 1.776 to 13.656). The interaction and stratification analysis showed that the results above were robust. CONCLUSION: CircS was positively associated with the prevalence of kidney stones in overweight people, especially people as females, aged 35 to 49, and Mexican Americans.

CD38 deficiency promotes skeletal muscle and brown adipose tissue energy expenditure through activating NAD+-Sirt1-PGC1α signaling pathway.

Obesity is a metabolic syndrome characterized by abnormal lipid deposition and energy imbalance. CD38 is a single-chain transmembrane glycoprotein widely expressed in a variety of cell types. The roles of skeletal muscle and brown fat in CD38 deficiency under HFD-induced obesity remain unknown. In this study, we established obesity model with HFD and examined the changes in metabolites with metabonomics. Our results showed that CD38 expression was increased in muscle and brown fat after HFD treatment. Moreover, the results of metabonomics showed that CD38 deficiency significantly altered the metabolites in energy metabolism, cofactor generation, and redox homeostasis. Furthermore, CD38 deficiency reduced the expressions of NADPH oxidase 2 and FASN in mRNA level. We found that the expressions of Sirt1, Sirt3, and PGC1α were upregulated in CD38-deficient muscle tissue. In brown fat, the Sirt1-3, cell death inducing DFFA-like effector A, ELOVL3, and Dio2 expressions were increased in CD38-deficient mice. Our results showed the uncoupling protein 1 expression was upregulated. And NAD+ supplementation increased the expression of Sirt1 and PGC1α after palmitic acid treatment. Taken together, our results demonstrated that the protection of CD38 deficiency on HFD-induced obesity was related to the inhibition of oxidative stress and increasing energy expenditure via activating NAD+/Sirtuins signaling pathways in muscle and brown fat.