The potential association between metabolic disorders and pulmonary tuberculosis: a Mendelian randomization study.

BACKGROUND: Metabolic disorders (MetDs) have been demonstrated to be closely linked to numerous diseases. However, the precise association between MetDs and pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) remains poorly understood. METHOD: Summary statistics for exposure and outcomes from genome-wide association studies (GWASs) for exposures and outcomes were obtained from the BioBank Japan Project (BBJ) Gene-exposure dataset. The 14 clinical factors were categorized into three groups: metabolic laboratory markers, blood pressure, and the MetS diagnostic factors. The causal relationship between metabolic factors and PTB were analyzed using two-sample Mendelian Randomization (MR). Additionally, the direct effects on the risk of PTB were investigated through multivariable MR. The primary method employed was the inverse variance-weighted (IVW) model. The sensitivity of this MR analysis was evaluated using MR-Egger regression and the MR-PRESSO global test. RESULTS: According to the two-sample MR, HDL-C, HbA1c, TP, and DM were positively correlated with the incidence of active TB. According to the multivariable MR, HDL-C (IVW: OR 2.798, 95% CI 1.484-5.274, P = 0.001), LDL (IVW: OR 4.027, 95% CI 1.140-14.219, P = 0.03) and TG (IVW: OR 2.548, 95% CI 1.269-5.115, P = 0.009) were positively correlated with the occurrence of PTB. TC (OR 0.131, 95% CI 0.028-0.607, P = 0.009) was negatively correlated with the occurrence of PTB. We selected BMI, DM, HDL-C, SBP, and TG as the diagnostic factors for metabolic syndrome. DM (IVW, OR 1.219, 95% CI 1.040-1.429 P = 0.014) and HDL-C (IVW, OR 1.380, 95% CI 1.035-1.841, P = 0.028) were directly correlated with the occurrence of PTB. CONCLUSIONS: This MR study demonstrated that metabolic disorders, mainly hyperglycemia, and dyslipidemia, are associated with the incidence of active pulmonary tuberculosis.

Precirrhotic Primary Biliary Cholangitis with Portal Hypertension: Bile Duct Injury Correlate.

Background/Aims: : The histological characteristics and natural history of precirrhotic primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) with portal hypertension (PH) are unclear. Our aim was to clarify the prevalence, risk factors, and histological characteristics of precirrhotic PBC patients with PH. Methods: : This retrospective study compared the clinical features, histological characteristics, and response to ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) between the PH and non-PH groups of precirrhotic PBC patients. Results: : Out of 165 precirrhotic PBC patients, 40 (24.2%) also had PH. According to histological stage 1, 2 and 3 disease, 5.3% (1/19), 17.3% (17/98), and 45.8% (22/48) of patients also had PH, respectively. Precirrhotic PBC with PH was significantly positively correlated with bile duct loss, degree of cytokeratin 7 positivity, and degree of fibrosis in the portal area, but significantly negatively correlated with lymphoid follicular aggregation. Compared to the non-PH group, patients in the PH group showed a higher prevalence of obliterative portal venopathy, incomplete septal fibrosis, portal tract abnormalities and non-zonal sinusoidal dilatation (p<0.05). In addition, patients with PH were more likely to present with symptoms of jaundice, ascites, epigastric discomfort, a poorer response to UDCA, and more decompensation events (p<0.05). High alkaline phosphatase levels, low white blood cell counts, high Mayo scores, and high FIB-4 index values were risk factors for precirrhotic PBC with PH. Conclusions: : Approximately 24.2% of precirrhotic PBC patients have PH, which is histologically related to the injury of bile ducts. High alkaline phosphatase levels, low white blood cell counts, high Mayo scores, and high FIB-4 index values are associated with increased risk of precirrhotic PBC with PH.

Cytochrome P450 CitCYP97B modulates carotenoid accumulation diversity by hydroxylating ß-cryptoxanthin in Citrus.

Carotenoids in plant foods provide health benefits by functioning as provitamin A. One of the vital provitamin A carotenoids, ß-cryptoxanthin, is typically plentiful in citrus fruit. However, little is known about the genetic basis of ß-cryptoxanthin accumulation in citrus. Here, we performed a widely targeted metabolomic analysis of 65 major carotenoids and carotenoid derivatives to characterize carotenoid accumulation in Citrus and determine the taxonomic profile of ß-cryptoxanthin. We used data from 81 newly sequenced representative accessions and 69 previously sequenced Citrus cultivars to reveal the genetic basis of ß-cryptoxanthin accumulation through a genome-wide association study. We identified a causal gene, CitCYP97B, which encodes a cytochrome P450 protein whose substrate and metabolic pathways in land plants were undetermined. We subsequently demonstrated that CitCYP97B functions as a novel monooxygenase that specifically hydroxylates the ß-ring of ß-cryptoxanthin in a heterologous expression system. In planta experiments provided further evidence that CitCYP97B negatively regulates ß-cryptoxanthin content. Using the sequenced Citrus accessions, we found that two critical structural cis-element variations contribute to increased expression of CitCYP97B, thereby altering ß-cryptoxanthin accumulation in fruit. Hybridization/introgression appear to have contributed to the prevalence of two cis-element variations in different Citrus types during citrus evolution. Overall, these findings extend our understanding of the regulation and diversity of carotenoid metabolism in fruit crops and provide a genetic target for production of ß-cryptoxanthin-biofortified products.

Effects of Different Parts of the Rose Flower on the Development, Fecundity, and Life Parameters of Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae).

Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) is an important horticultural pest that causes serious damage to rose plants, which is one of its preferred foods. In this study, rose petals, rose flowers, and 10% honey solution + kidney bean pods were chosen as foods to assess their influence on the growth, development and fecundity of F. occidentalis. The results showed that developmental time of immature F. occidentalis with the following trend: rose flowers <10% honey solution + kidney bean pods < rose petals < kidney bean pods. The longevities of both female and male adults were lowest when feeding on the rose petals and were highest when feeding on rose flowers. The fecundity was in the following order: rose flowers >10% honey solution + kidney bean pods > rose petals > kidney bean pods. The net reproductive rate (R0), intrinsic rate of increase (r), and finite rate of increase (λ) of F. occidentalis feeding on rose petals and kidney bean pods were lower than those feeding on rose flowers and 10% honey solution + kidney bean pods. The development, longevity, fecundity, and parameters have significantly changed since F1 generation after feeding with the three food types. The results indicated that different parts of rose flowers had a significant effect on the development of thrips, and nectar and pollen had a positive effect on thrips population increase and reproduction.

In Situ Encapsulated Moiré Perovskite for Stable Photodetectors with Ultrahigh Polarization Sensitivity.

Nanostructures provide a simple, effective, and low-cost route to enhance the light-trapping capability of optoelectronic devices. In recent years, nano-optical structures have been widely used in perovskite optoelectronic devices to greatly enhance the device performance. However, the inherent instability of perovskite materials hinders the practical application of these nanostructured optoelectronic devices. Here, in situ encapsulated moiré lattice perovskite photodetectors (PDs) by two nanograting-structured soft templates with relative rotation angles is fabricated. The confinement growth of the two nanograting templates leads to crystal growth with moiré lattice structure, which improves the light-harvesting ability of the perovskite crystal, thereby improving the device performance. The PD exhibits responsivity to 1026.5 A W-1 . The Moiré lattice-perovskite-based PD maintained 95% of the initial performance after 223 days. After being continuously sprayed with water moist for 180 min, the performance is maintained at 95.7% of its initial level. The nanograting structure endows the device with high polarization sensitivity of Imax /Imin as high as 9.1.

Wafer-scale high aspect-ratio sapphire periodic nanostructures fabricated by self-modulated femtosecond laser hybrid technology.

Sapphire nanostructures with a high aspect-ratio have broad applications in photoelectronic devices, which are difficult to be fabricated due to the properties of high transparency and hardness, remarkable thermal and chemical stability. Although the phenomenon of laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) provides an extraordinary idea for surface nanotexturing, it suffers from the limitation of the small depth of the nanostructures. Here, a high-efficiency self-modulated femtosecond laser hybrid technology was proposed to fabricate nanostructures with high aspect-ratios on the sapphire surface, which was combined backside laser modification and subsequent wet etching. Due to the refractive index mismatch, the focal length of the laser could be elongated when focused inside sapphire. Thus, periodic nanostructures with high-quality aspect ratios of more than 55 were prepared on the sapphire surface by using this hybrid fabrication method. As a proof-of-concept, wafer-scale (∼2 inches) periodic nanostripes with a high aspect-ratio were realized on a sapphire surface, which possesses unique diffractive properties compared to typical shallow gratings. The results indicate that the self-modulated femtosecond laser hybrid technology is an efficient and versatile technique for producing high aspect-ratio nanostructures on hard and transparent materials, which would propel the potential applications in optics and surface engineering, sensing, etc.

Substantial transition to clean household energy mix in rural China.

The household energy mix has significant impacts on human health and climate, as it contributes greatly to many health- and climate-relevant air pollutants. Compared to the well-established urban energy statistical system, the rural household energy statistical system is incomplete and is often associated with high biases. Via a nationwide investigation, this study revealed high contributions to energy supply from coal and biomass fuels in the rural household energy sector, while electricity comprised ∼20%. Stacking (the use of multiple sources of energy) is significant, and the average number of energy types was 2.8 per household. Compared to 2012, the consumption of biomass and coals in 2017 decreased by 45% and 12%, respectively, while the gas consumption amount increased by 204%. Increased gas and decreased coal consumptions were mainly in cooking, while decreased biomass was in both cooking (41%) and heating (59%). The time-sharing fraction of electricity and gases (E&G) for daily cooking grew, reaching 69% in 2017, but for space heating, traditional solid fuels were still dominant, with the national average shared fraction of E&G being only 20%. The non-uniform spatial distribution and the non-linear increase in the fraction of E&G indicated challenges to achieving universal access to modern cooking energy by 2030, particularly in less-developed rural and mountainous areas. In some non-typical heating zones, the increased share of E&G for heating was significant and largely driven by income growth, but in typical heating zones, the time-sharing fraction was <5% and was not significantly increased, except in areas with policy intervention. The intervention policy not only led to dramatic increases in the clean energy fraction for heating but also accelerated the clean cooking transition. Higher income, higher education, younger age, less energy/stove stacking and smaller family size positively impacted the clean energy transition.

Photopolymerization strategy for the preparation of small-diameter artificial blood vessels with micro-nano structures on the inner wall.

Although large diameter vessels made of polyurethane materials have been widely used in clinical practice, the biocompatibility and long-term patency of small diameter artificial vessels have not been well addressed. Any technological innovation and advancement in small-diameter artificial blood vessels is of great interest to the biomedical field. Here a novel technique is used to produce artificial blood vessels with a caliber of less than 6 mm and a wall thickness of less than 0.5 mm by rotational exposure, and to form a bionic inner wall with a periodically micro-nano structure inside the tube by laser double-beam interference. The polyethylene glycol diacrylate used is a widely recognized versatile biomaterial with good hydrophilicity, biocompatibility and low cytotoxicity. The effect of the bionic structure on the growth of hepatocellular carcinoma cells and human umbilical vein endothelial cells was investigated, and it was demonstrated that the prepared vessels with the bionic structure could largely promote the endothelialization process of the cells inside them.

Laser digital manufacturing of high-performance photodetectors based on a semiconductor microwire.

Digital manufacturing technology meets the needs of today's technological development. However, the post-processing is essential for some digital fabrication methods, such as annealing and ultraviolet (UV) exposure. Femtosecond laser direct writing (FsLDW) has gained considerable attention, because it is a non-photolithographic, non-vacuum, and no heat fabrication method. The photodetectors based on a semiconductor microwire were fabricated via FsLDW. Finally, the responsivity of the fabricated photodetectors based on zinc oxide (ZnO), titanium dioxide (TiO2), and tin oxide (SnO2) can reach 14.27, 1.3, and 81 A/W, respectively. The enhanced performance is attributed to the rough and porous surface of ZnO, TiO2, and SnO2 microwires. The whole preparation process is realized by the programmed control femtosecond laser scanning path. This Letter demonstrates that the fabrication method has potential in the digital manufacturing of high-performance UV photodetectors.

Highly Deformable High-Performance Paper-Based Perovskite Photodetector with Improved Stability.

Paper-based photodetectors have attracted extensive research interest owing to their environmentally friendly and highly deformable properties. Although perovskite crystals with outstanding optoelectronic properties have proved to be one of the most promising candidates for photodetectors, the development of paper-based photodetectors is hindered by the moisture absorptivity of paper and the instability of perovskite crystals in a humid atmosphere. In this study, we demonstrate a highly deformable and high-performance paper-based perovskite photodetector. The photodetector maintains its excellent performance even after exposure to a relative humidity of 60% for 120 h.

Perovskite Single-Crystal Microwire-Array Photodetectors with Performance Stability beyond 1 Year.

Compared with thin-film morphology, 1D perovskite structures such as micro/nanowires with fewer grain boundaries and lower defect density are very suitable for high-performance photodetectors with higher stability. Although the stability of perovskite microwire-based photodetectors has been substantially enhanced in comparison with that of photodetectors based on thin-film morphology, practical applications require further improvements to the stability before implementation. In this study, a template-assisted method is developed to prepare methylammonium lead bromide (MAPbBr3 ) micro/nanowire structures, which are encapsulated in situ by a protective hydrophobic molecular layer. The combination of the protective layer, high crystalline quality, and highly ordered microstructures significantly improve the stability of the MAPbBr3 single-crystal microwire arrays. Consequently, these MAPbBr3 single-crystal microwire-array-based photodetectors exhibit significant long-term stability, maintaining 96% of the initial photocurrent after 1 year without further encapsulation. The lifetime of such photodetectors is hence approximately four times longer than that of the most stable previously reported perovskite micro/nanowire-based photodetector; this is thought to be the most stable perovskite photodetector reported thus far. Furthermore, this work should contribute further toward the realization of perovskite 1D structures with long-term stability.

Template-confined growth of Ruddlesden-Popper perovskite micro-wire arrays for stable polarized photodetectors.

The detection of the polarization states of light is of great significance for the analysis of biological tissue morphologies, image display systems and sensors. Although organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite crystals have excellent photoelectric properties, which make them very suitable for the preparation of photodetectors, their applications in polarized light detection are hindered by their isotropy and instability. Here, we solved this problem by fabricating a stable 2D layered Ruddlesden-Popper perovskite into anisotropic micro-wire arrays with a template-confined method. Based on this anisotropic structure, a high-performance photodetector with a dark current as low as 10-12 A, high responsivity of 3.5 A W-1, detectivity exceeding 1 × 1015 Jones and a fast response with a rise time of 4.1 ms and a decay time of 3.3 ms was achieved and successfully applied for high-performance polarization detection. More importantly, the device maintained a superior performance even after being exposed to an environment of 60% relative humidity without encapsulation.

Gold nanoparticle densely packed micro/nanowire-based pressure sensors for human motion monitoring and physiological signal detection.

Flexible pressure sensors have gained ever-increasing attention because of their widespread applications in wearable devices. The sensor fabrication technologies reported so far are generally complicated, limiting their industrial applications. It is therefore of great importance to develop a simple method to fabricate high-performance flexible pressure sensors. Herein, we report an approach of assembling gold nanoparticles into strictly aligned and densely stacked micro/nanowires by imprinting for flexible pressure sensors with high performance. By our method, the whole assembly process takes only 1 min. The pressure sensor exhibits a best detection limit as low as 25 Pa. The sensors could be attached to any part of the human body and are so sensitive that even pulses in different regions of the body and the differences between a pregnant woman and a nonpregnant woman could be distinguished.

Chemometric analyses for the characterization of raw and processed seeds of Descurainia sophia (L.) based on HPLC fingerprints.

The seeds of Descurainia sophia (L.) (short for DSS below), with a long history of medicinal utilization in China, have attracted the attention of many Chinese medicine practitioners for the potent efficacy. In the present study, the raw and processed DSS were differentiated by several chemometrics methods based on HPLC fingerprints. Moreover, peaks which were mainly responsible for the differentiation between raw and roasted DSS were found. Therefore, the method of the chromatographic fingerprints combined with multivariate statistical analysis was effective and reasonable in orientating chemical constituents which were mainly responsible for the differentiation between raw and roasted materials, thus shedding light on illustrating the processing mechanism. What's more, this method can also be applied in the identification of authenticity.