Different clinicopathological features between young and older patients with pulmonary adenocarcinoma and ground-glass opacity.

After the recommendation of computed tomography as a routine procedure for lung cancer screening, an increasing number of young adults have been diagnosed with pulmonary ground-glass opacity (GGO). Up to 63% of pulmonary nodules with a GGO component can be malignant. Since young cancer patients have limited exposure to environmental mutagens, they have special characteristics and needs. This study sought to compare the clinicopathological characteristics of young and old patients with GGO-associated lung adenocarcinoma (GGO-LUAD). Clinicopathological data from 203 patients who underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery between January 2018 and April 2020 for pulmonary GGO component nodules were reviewed. Lung nonmucinous adenocarcinoma patients younger than 40 years old and older than 40 years old were enrolled: 103 patients ≤ 40 years old and 100 patients > 40 years old. The relevant clinicopathological features, including sex, smoking status, tumor size, pathological characteristics, radiographic features and prognosis of pulmonary nodules, were evaluated. Univariate analyses were applied for comparisons between groups. The differences in baseline characteristics (sex, smoking status, tumor location) between the different age groups were not significant. Young patients were more likely to have tumors < 1 cm in size, while older patients predominantly had tumors > 2 cm in size. The mean percentage of invasive adenocarcinoma was greater in the elderly group. Young and older patients seemed to have similar subtypes of adenocarcinoma (p > 0.05) but had different degrees of differentiation (p < 0.001). The 3-year overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) of the young group were 100% and 99.03%, respectively, while the 3-years OS and RFS of the older group were 99% and 98%, respectively. Our work revealed that young patients with malignant pulmonary nodules and GGOs have distinct pathological subtypes. Patients with GGOs of different ages have different clinicopathological characteristics. The 3-year prognosis of young patients with malignant pulmonary nodules with GGOs is satisfactory.

Human Periodontal Ligament Stem Cells (hPDLSCs) Spontaneously Differentiate into Myofibroblasts to Repair Diabetic Wounds.

Advanced glycation end product (AGE) accumulation due to diabetes causes vascular and neurological lesions, delaying healing. The use of stem cells could overcome these problems. Although many studies have shown the potential beneficial effects of stem cell therapies in the treatment of chronic and refractory skin ulcers, their delivery methods are still under investigation. Human periodontal ligament stem cells (hPDLSCs) can spontaneously differentiate into myofibroblasts in specific cultures; therefore, they have the potential to effectively treat diabetic wounds and may also have applications in the field of medical cosmetics. The myofibroblastic differentiation ability of hPDLSCs in the presence of AGEs was evaluated by the expression of α-SMA and COL1A1 using RT-qPCR and WB technology. Wound healing in diabetic mice, induced by streptozotocin (STZ) and assessed using H&E staining, Masson staining, and immunohistochemical (IHC) and immunofluorescence (IF) staining, was used to validate the effects of hPDLSCs. In the wound tissues, the expression of α-SMA, COL1A1, CD31, CD206, iNOS, and vimentin was detected. The findings indicated that in H-DMEM, the expression of COL1A1 exhibited a significant decrease, while α-SMA demonstrated an increase in P7 cells, ignoring the damage from AGEs (p < 0.05). In an STZ-induced diabetic C57BL/6J mice whole-skin defect model, the healing rate of the hPDLSCs treatment group was significantly higher than that in the models (on the 7th day, the rate was 65.247% vs. 48.938%, p < 0.05). hPDLSCs have been shown to spontaneously differentiate into myofibroblasts in H-DMEM and resist damage from AGEs in both in vivo and in vitro models, suggesting their potential in the field of cosmetic dermatology.

C-Terminal Binding Protein: Regulator between Viral Infection and Tumorigenesis.

C-terminal binding protein (CtBP), a transcriptional co-repressor, significantly influences cellular signaling, impacting various biological processes including cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, and immune responses. The CtBP family comprises two highly conserved proteins, CtBP1 and CtBP2, which have been shown to play critical roles in both tumorigenesis and the regulation of viral infections. Elevated CtBP expression is noted in various tumor tissues, promoting tumorigenesis, invasiveness, and metastasis through multiple pathways. Additionally, CtBP's role in viral infections varies, exhibiting differing or even opposing effects depending on the virus. This review synthesizes the advances in CtBP's function research in viral infections and virus-associated tumorigenesis, offering new insights into potential antiviral and anticancer strategies.

MicroRNA expression as a prognostic biomarker of tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC): a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have indicated that microRNA (miRNA) expression in tumour tissues has prognostic significance in Tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) patients. This study explored the possible prognostic value of miRNAs for TSCC based on published research. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search of multiple databases was conducted according to predefined eligibility criteria. Data were extracted from the included studies by two researchers, and HR results were determined based on Kaplan‒Meier curves according to the Tierney method. The Newcastle‒Ottawa Scale (NOS) and GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) pro-GDT were applied to assess the quality of all studies. Publication bias was estimated by funnel plot, Egger's rank correlation test and sensitivity analysis. RESULTS: Eleven studies (891patients) were included, of which 6 reported up-regulated miRNAs and 7 mentioned down-regulated miRNAs. The pooled hazard ratio (HR) from the prognostic indicator overall survival (OS) was 1.34 (1.25-1.44), p < 0.00001, indicating a significant difference in miRNA expression between TSCC patients with better or worse prognosis. CONCLUSION: MiRNAs may have high prognostic value and could be used as prognostic biomarkers of TSCC.

Research on the Magnetic Properties of High-Saturation Magnetically Induced Alloy Motors under Magnetocaloric Coupling.

In the face of the rapid development of the motor industry, some motors with traditional soft magnetic materials can no longer meet the needs of the market. Using new high-saturation magnetic density materials has become a new breakthrough to improve the torque density of motors. Fe-Co alloys (1J22) have high-saturation magnetic induction strength, which can effectively improve the motor's magnetic field strength and increase its torque density. At the same time, the temperature rise of the motor is also an important factor to consider in the motor design process. In particular, the change in core temperature caused by loss makes the coupling of the internal temperature field and the electromagnetic field of the motor more common. Therefore, it is necessary to test the temperature and magnetic properties of 1J22 together. In this paper, a coupling measurement device for magnetic properties of soft magnetic materials is built, and a 1J22 temperature field-electromagnetic field coupling experiment is completed. It is found that the maximum loss of 1J22 decreases by 4.44% with the increase in temperature; the maximum loss is 6.41% less than that of traditional silicon steel. Finally, a finite element simulation model is built to simulate the actual working conditions of the motor, and it is verified that the magnetic properties of the material at high temperature will have a certain impact on the performance of the motor.

miR-224-5p Attenuates Allergic Responses in Mice with Allergic Rhinitis by Modulating the Th1/Th2 Response.

Background: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a common chronic respiratory disease that has become a global health problem. miRNAs play an important role in multiple immune and inflammatory diseases, including AR. In this work, the mechanism by which miR-224-5p regulates AR in vivo and in vitro was examined. Methods: Human nasal epithelial cells (HNEpCs) were used to establish an AR cell model induced by Der P1, and C57BL/6 mice were used to establish an AR animal model induced by OVA (ovalbumin). RT-qPCR was used to determine the level of miR-224-5p; western blot analysis was used to determine GATA3; ELISA was used to determine the levels of OVA-specific IgE, IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13; flow cytometry was used to determine the differentiation of Th1 and Th2 cells; and HE and PAS staining was used to observe the histopathological alterations in the mouse nasal mucosa and spleen. Results: miR-224-5p was downregulated in nasal mucosa from mice with AR and an AR cell model. Overexpressed miR-224-5p can improve AR development and attenuate AR symptoms by regulating GATA3-mediated Th1/Th2 responses. Conclusion: miR-224-5p attenuates allergic reactions in mice with AR by regulating the Th1/Th2 response.

Association of handgrip strength asymmetry and weakness with functional disability among middle-aged and older adults in China.

Background: Little is known about the association of handgrip strength (HGS) asymmetry with functional disability in China. We aimed to examine the individual and combined association of HGS asymmetry and weakness with functional disability among middle-aged and older Chinese adults. Methods: We included participants aged ≥45 years from two waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (2011 and 2015). HGS weakness was defined as the maximal HGS<28 kg for men and <18 kg for women. HGS asymmetry was measured by dividing the maximal nondominant HGS (kg) by the maximal dominant HGS (kg), with the value <0.90 or >1.10 considered as asymmetry. Functional disability was assessed by activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) and was defined as encountering difficulty in completing one or more ADL/IADL tasks. The logistic regression models were used to explore the association between HGS measures and functional disability. Results: 11 950 (mean age 59.2 ± 9.6 years, 47.9% males) and 7540 (mean age 57.5 ± 8.6 years, 50.1% males) participants were included in the cross-sectional and prospective study, respectively. HGS asymmetry and weakness, individually or simultaneously, were associated with an increased prevalence of functional disability. During the four-year follow-up, 1822 (24.2%) participants had incident functional disability. The separate exposure to HGS asymmetry (odds ratio (OR) = 1.18; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.05-1.32) or weakness (OR = 1.59; 95% CI = 1.30-1.95) was independently associated with functional disability. For combined associations, those with both weakness and asymmetry showed the greatest risk of new-onset functional disability (OR = 1.91; 95% CI = 1.45-2.52). Conclusions: HGS asymmetry and weakness were associated with a higher risk of functional disability. Assessing HGS asymmetry together with weakness may help to better identify those at risk of functional disability to enable early interventions.

The geriatric nutrition risk index is longitudinally associated with incident Sarcopenia: evidence from a 5-year prospective cohort.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies investigating the association between the geriatric nutrition risk index (GNRI) and sarcopenia either lacked longitudinal evidence or narrowly focused on specific populations. AIMS: We aimed to reveal longitudinal associations of GNRI with sarcopenia risk in community-dwelling Chinese. We also investigated interaction effects of potential factors on such associations. METHODS: We included participants aged ≥ 50 years with sufficient data from the WCHAT study who did not have sarcopenia at baseline and completed sarcopenia assessment during follow-up. GNRI was calculated according to the formula based on serum albumin, height and weight. Sarcopenia was diagnosed according to the 2019 AWGS consensus. Longitudinal associations between GNRI and sarcopenia were estimated by logistic regression with GNRI as either a continuous or categorical variable by tertiles, using generalized estimating equations (GEE) as sensitivity analyses. Subgroup analyses by potential covariates were conducted to detect interaction effects. RESULTS: A total of 1907 participants without baseline sarcopenia were finally included, of whom 327 (17.1%) developed incident sarcopenia during 5-year follow-up. After controlling for confounders, sarcopenia risk decreased with each one standard deviation increase in GNRI (ORadjusted=0.36, 95% CI 0.31-0.43), and it also decreased successively from the lowest (< 111.2) through middle (111.2-117.7) to the highest (≥ 117.8) tertile of the GNRI level (P for trend < 0.001). Similar results were yielded by GEE. Such associations generally remained robust across subgroups with distinct characteristics, while significant differences were observed between different age groups (≥ 65 vs. <65 years) (interaction P-value < 0.05). CONCLUSION: GNRI is longitudinally associated with sarcopenia risk with possibly age-specific differences in association magnitude, which holds implications for policymakers to conduct population-based risk assessment.

Assessment of Secondary Sulfate Aqueous-Phase Formation Pathways in the Tropical Island City of Haikou: A Chemical Kinetic Perspective.

Sulfate (SO42-) is an essential chemical species in atmospheric aerosols and plays an influential role in their physical-chemical characteristics. The mechanisms of secondary SO42- aerosol have been intensively studied in air-polluted cities. However, few studies have focused on cities with good air quality. One-year PM2.5 samples were collected in the tropical island city of Haikou, and water-soluble inorganic ions, as well as water-soluble Fe and Mn, were analyzed. The results showed that non-sea-salt SO42- (nss-SO42-) was the dominant species of water-soluble inorganic ions, accounting for 40-57% of the total water-soluble inorganic ions in PM2.5 in Haikou. The S(IV)+H2O2 pathway was the main formation pathway for secondary SO42- in wintertime in Haikou, contributing to 57% of secondary SO42- formation. By contrast, 54% of secondary SO42- was produced by the S(IV)+Fe×Mn pathway in summer. In spring and autumn, the S(IV)+H2O2, S(IV)+Fe×Mn, and S(IV)+NO2 pathways contributed equally to secondary SO42- formation. The ionic strength was the controlling parameter for the S(IV)+NO2 pathway, while pH was identified as a key factor that mediates the S(IV)+H2O2 and S(IV)+Fe×Mn pathways to produce secondary SO42-. This study contributes to our understanding of secondary SO42- production under low PM2.5 concentrations but high SO42- percentages.

The regulatory pathway of transcription factor MYB36 from Trichoderma asperellum Tas653 resistant to poplar leaf blight pathogen Alternaria alternata Aal004.

In fungi, MYB transcription factors (TFs) mainly regulate growth, development, and resistance to stress. However, as major disease-resistance TFs, they have rarely been studied in biocontrol fungi. In this study, MYB36 of Trichoderma asperellum Tas653 (Ta) was shown to respond strongly to the stress caused by Alternaria alternata Aa1004. Compared with wild-type Ta (Ta-Wt), the inhibition rate of the MYB36 knockout strain (Ta-Kn) on Aa1004 decreased by 11.06%; the superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT) activities decreased by 82.15 U/g, 0.19 OD470/min/g, and 1631.2 µmol/min/g, respectively. The MYB36 overexpression strain (Ta-Oe) not only enhanced hyperparasitism on Aa1004, caused its hyphae to swell, deform, or even rupture, but also reduced the incidence rate of poplar leaf blight. MYB36 regulates downstream (TFs, detoxification genes, defense genes, and other antifungal-related genes by binding to the cis-acting elements "ACAT" and "ATCG". Zinc finger TFs, as the main antifungal TFs, account for 90% of the total TFs, and Zn37.5 (23.24-) and Zn83.7 (23.18-fold) showed the greatest expression difference when regulated directly by MYB36. The detoxification genes mainly comprised 11 major major facilitator superfamily (MFS) genes, among which MYB36 directly increased the expression levels of three genes by more than 2-3.44-fold. The defense genes mainly encoded cytochrome P450 (P450) and hydrolases. e.g., P45061.3 (2-10.95-), P45060.2 (2-7.07-), and Hyd44.6 (2-2.30-fold). This study revealed the molecular mechanism of MYB36 regulation of the resistance of T. asperellum to A. alternata and provides theoretical guidance for the biocontrol of poplar leaf blight and the anti-disease mechanism of biocontrol fungi.

Longitudinal associations between social support and sarcopenia: findings from a 5-year cohort study in Chinese aged ≥50 years.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to investigate longitudinal associations of overall social support and its sub-domains with risk of sarcopenia and its related traits in community-dwelling Chinese aged ≥ 50 years. We also explored interaction effects of potential factors on such associations. DESIGN: A prospective cohort study. SETTING: Community-based setting in western China. PARTICIPANTS: We included participants aged ≥50 years with complete information necessary for analysis from the WCHAT study who did not have sarcopenia at baseline (2018) and had sufficient data for sarcopenia assessment during 2021-2023. MEASUREMENTS: Exposures included overall social support, subjective support, objective support and support utilization, which were assessed with the Social Support Rating Scale. Outcomes included sarcopenia, low muscle mass (LMM), low muscle strength and low physical performance, which were diagnosed with the 2019 AWGS consensus. Longitudinal associations between the exposures and outcomes were estimated by logistic regression, with generalized estimating equations (GEE) as sensitivity analyses. Subgroup analyses by potential covariates were conducted to detect interaction effects. RESULTS: A total of 1905 participants were finally included in the analytic sample, of whom 326 (17.1%) developed incident sarcopenia during 5-year follow-up. After controlling for confounders, higher degree of overall social support (OR = 0.87, 95%CI 0.76-0.99), subjective support (OR = 0.88, 95%CI 0.77-0.99) and support utilization (OR = 0.87, 95%CI 0.77-0.99) correlated with lower sarcopenia risk, among which higher support utilization degree was indicative of lower risk for LMM (OR = 0.88, 95%CI 0.79-0.98). GEE further revealed that overall support degree was negatively associated with risk for sarcopenia (OR = 0.86, 95%CI 0.76-0.98) and LMM (OR = 0.87, 95%CI 0.77-0.99). Objective support was neither significantly associated with sarcopenia nor its traits. No significant interaction effect was observed between overall support and the concerned confounders on sarcopenia (interaction P-value > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Overall social support degree was negatively associated with sarcopenia risk, possibly primarily through affecting muscle mass rather than muscle strength or physical performance, and such an association remained robust across subgroups with distinct characteristics. This holds implications for policymakers to conduct population-based risk assessment, and supportive strategies against sarcopenia should focus on enhancing subjective support and support utilization rather than objective support alone.

The antinociceptive and anti-alpha-glucosidase effects of glucosides from Hemiphragma heterophyllum Wall.

Hemiphragma heterophyllum Wall. is commonly used in traditional Yi herbal medicine for treating bellyache and toothache. In the current study, an unreported monoterpene glucoside, (S)-thymoquinol O-(6-O-oleuropeoyl)-ß-d-glucopyranoside (1), together with 11 known glucosides were obtained from the whole herb of H. heterophyllum. Their structures were determined based on a detailed analysis of spectroscopic data and acid hydrolysis and methanolysis reactions. Bioassay results showed that compounds 1 and 10 at 40 mg/kg exhibited significant antinociceptive activity in the acetic acid-induced writhing model, with inhibitions of 59.80% and 64.07%, respectively. Moreover, five of the isolates showed moderate anti-α-glucosidase activities with IC50 values ranging from 5.67 to 46.16 µM.

The "spillover effect" of long-term care insurance in China on spouses' health and well-being.

This study examined the spillover effect of long-term care insurance (LTCI) on the health outcomes and well-being of spouses for Chinese middle and old-aged adults with expected LTC demand or actual care burdens. Using panel data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study between 2011 and 2018, we investigated the impact of the introduction of LTCI pilots across several cities on old individuals by using the difference-in-differences (DID) approach. We found a spillover effect of LTCI on the health and well-being outcomes of spouses of middle and old-aged individuals with functional limitations. It might due to the fact that LTCI could relieve economic burden by reducing out-of-pocket medical expenditures, which further affects health and well-being of spouses. The spillover effect on health and well-being was found to be stronger for male spouses and low-educated spouses. Spouses of the individuals aged below 80 years old and those live without adult children were more likely to benefit from the introduction of LTCI. Moreover, providing combination benefits seems to make spouses better off than offering direct services. Therefore, the results implied that the expansion of LTCI not only helped the care recipients themselves but could also improve the health and well-being of the spouses of functionally impaired older adults.

Is there a role for traditional and complementary medicines in managing chronic fatigue? a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

Introduction: Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is an increasingly common condition that is challenging to treat due to unclear etiology and a lack of consensus on clinical diagnosis and treatment guidance. Many affected people resorted to using traditional and complementary medicines (T&CMs). However, the evidence for T&CMs for CFS has been inconclusive and continues to evolve. The study aims to identify, summarize and assess the most recent evidence on the efficacy and safety of T&CMs for CFS. Methods: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating T&CMs for CFS published in English of Chinese between 1 January 2013 and 31 December 2022 were searched from 7 databases. RCTs comparing T&CMs with no treatment, placebo, or pharmacological medicine were included, irrespective of language or blinding. The Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials Statement extensions for Chinese herbal medicine Formulas (CONSORT-CHM) and the Cochrane Collaboration's Risk of Bias tool were used to evaluate the quality and risk of bias of included studies. Results: A total of 62 RCTs investigating 43 types of T&CMs and involving 5,231 participants with CFS were included in this review. The primary outcome measures mainly included the scoring of fatigue symptoms using the validated tool Fatigue Scale-14 (FS-14) or the TCM syndrome score. The main interventions showing overall efficacy were Chaihu Guizhi Decoction and Buzhong Yiqi combined with Xiao Chaihu Decoction, and 148 ingredients were identified, including Astragali Radix, Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma, and Bupleuri Radix. The most significant effect was the improvement of fatigue, followed by TCM-diagnosed symptoms and other psychological conditions. No serious adverse effect had been reported. However, the quality of the RCTs included RCTs were found to be suboptimal, and the risk of bias remained uncertain. Conclusion: Some evidence from RCTs supported the efficacy and safety of T&CM in CFS. However, given the methodological and quality heterogenicity of the included studies, the recommendations of T&CMs in treating CFS remain inconclusive. To develop better quality evidence about T&CMs for CFS, future studies should employ more objective diagnosis standards and outcome measurements, larger sample size, and better bias control, and ensure the compliance with the corresponding reporting guidelines. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42022362268, identifier CRD42022362268.

Efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese medicine for cancer-related fatigue: a systematic literature review of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is an extremely common and long-term condition that affects the physical and mental health of oncology patients. While the treatment for CRF with western medicine and non-pharmacological therapy remains uncertain and challenging, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has become a trending option for the patients. Based on the findings from randomized controlled trials (RCTs), this study aims to identify and evaluate the evidence about the efficacy and safety of TCM for CRF. METHODS: A systematic literature search was conducted according to the PRISMA literature research guidelines. Seven electronic databases including PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and Wanfang database were searched to identify RCTs which investigated TCM in the treatment of CRF published since inception to December 2022. RCTs comparing TCM with no treatment, placebo, or pharmacological interventions were considered eligible for this review. The Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials Statement extensions for Chinese herbal medicine Formulas (CONSORT-CHM) and the Cochrane Collaboration's Risk of Bias tool were used in this review to evaluate the quality and the risk of bias of all included trials. RESULTS: A total of 82 RCTs were included in this review, regardless of whether they were published in English or Chinese. After data extraction and results evaluation, 78 trials demonstrated overall efficacy in using TCM for CRF patients compared with the control group, in which 33 trials showed that the efficacy rate was statistically significant (p < 0.05 or p < 0.01). TCM was also shown to be beneficial in improving the scores of relevant scales (e.g., PFS, QoL, TCM syndrome score, other fatigue scales etc.) or physical tests indicators (e.g., cytokines, blood test etc.). The most common herbs found in Chinese medicine were Astragali Radix, Ginseng Radix and Codonopsis Radix. Some TCM products, such as Kangai Injection, Buzhong Yiqi Decoction and Shenqi Fuzheng Injection could provide a reference for medication in this review. A range of non-serious, reversible adverse effects associated with the use of TCM was also reported. However, the result of evaluation showed that none of the trials fully met all the CONSORT-CHM criteria, the quality of included trials was generally poor and the risk of bias was mostly uncertain. CONCLUSION: There is some evidence supporting the efficacy and safety of TCM in managing CRF in this systematic review. However, no clear conclusion can be made due to the inadequate reporting of efficacy and adverse reactions. In view of some concerns about the existing evidence after the evaluation, it is essential to standardize the comprehensive identification and efficacy measurement standards, improve the quality of RCTs and conduct more multicomponent therapies to provide an updated reference for CRF patients medication in the future. The protocol of this systematic review has been registered on PROSPERO (CRD42023413625). [ https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42023413625 ].

We should be screening for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) in all older adults at risk of falling: a commentary on the World Falls Guidelines.

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is amongst the commonest causes of dizziness and falls in older adults. Diagnosing and treating BPPV can reduce falls, and thereby reduce fall-related morbidity and mortality. Recent World Falls Guidelines recommend formal assessment for BPPV in older adults at risk of falling, but only if they report vertigo. However, this recommendation ignores the data that (i) many older adults with BPPV experience dizziness as vague unsteadiness (rather than vertigo), and (ii) others may experience no symptoms of dizziness at all. BPPV without vertigo is due to an impaired vestibular perception of self-motion, termed 'vestibular agnosia'. Vestibular agnosia is found in ageing, neurodegeneration and traumatic brain injury, and results in dramatically increased missed BPPV diagnoses. Patients with BPPV without vertigo are typically the most vulnerable for negative outcomes associated with this disorder. We thus recommend simplifying the World Falls Guidelines: all older adults (>60 years) with objective or subjective balance problems, irrespective of symptomatic complaint, should have positional testing to examine for BPPV.

Characterization and comparative transcriptomic analysis of skeletal muscle in female Pekin duck and Hanzhong Ma duck during different growth stages using RNA-seq.

Duck is an economically important poultry, and there is currently a major focus on improving its meat quality through breeding. There are wide variations in the growth regulation mechanisms of different duck breeds, that fundamental research on skeletal muscle growth is essential for understanding the regulation of unknown genes. The study aimed to broaden the understanding the duck skeletal muscle development and thereby to improve the performance of domestic ducks. In this study, RNA-seq data from skeletal muscles (breast muscle and leg muscle) of Pekin duck and Hanzhong Ma duck sampled at d 17, 21, and 27 of embryo (E17d, E21d, and E27d), as well as at 6-mo-old following birth (M6), to investigate and compare the mRNA temporal expression profiles and associated pathways that regulate skeletal myogenesis of different duck breeds. There were 331 to 1,440 annotated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in breast muscle and 380 to 1,790 annotated DEGs in leg muscle from different databases between 2 duck breeds. Gene ontology (GO) enrichment in skeletal muscles indicated that these DEGs were mainly involved in biosynthetic process, developmental process, regulation of protein metabolic process and regulation of gene expression. KEGG analysis in skeletal muscles showed that a total of 41 DEGs were mapped to 7 KEGG pathways, including ECM-receptor interaction, focal adhesion, carbon metabolism, regulation of actin cytoskeleton, calcium signaling pathway, biosynthesis of amino acids and PPAR signaling pathway. The differential expression of 8 selected DEGs was verified by qRT-PCR, and the results were consistent with RNA-seq data. The identified DEGs, such as SDC, SPP1, PAK1, MYL9, PGK1, NOS1, PHGDH, TNNT2, FN1, and AQP4, were specially highlighted, indicating their associations with muscle development in the Pekin duck and Hanzhong Ma duck. This study provides a basis for revealing the differences in skeletal muscle development between Pekin duck and Hanzhong Ma duck.

Targeted approaches to delineate neuronal morphology during early development.

Understanding the developmental changes that affect neurons is a key step in exploring the assembly and maturation of neural circuits in the brain. For decades, researchers have used a number of labeling techniques to visualize neuronal morphology at different stages of development. However, the efficiency and accuracy of neuronal labeling technologies are limited by the complexity and fragility of neonatal brains. In this review, we illustrate the various labeling techniques utilized for examining the neurogenesis and morphological changes occurring during the early stages of development. We compare the advantages and limitations of each technique from different aspects. Then, we highlight the gaps remaining in our understanding of the structure of neurons in the neonatal mouse brain.

Image-free target identification using a single-point single-photon LiDAR.

Single-photon light detection and ranging (LiDAR) - offering single-photon sensitivity and picosecond temporal resolution - has become one of the most promising technologies for 3D imaging and target detection. Generally, target detection and identification requires the construction of an image, performed by a raster-scanned or an array-based LiDAR system. In contrast, we demonstrate an image-free target identification approach based on a single-point single-photon LiDAR. The idea is to identify the object from the temporal data equipped with an efficient neural network. Specifically, the target is flood-illuminated by a pulsed laser and a single-point single-photon detector is used to record the time-of-flight (ToF) of back-scattering photons. A deep-learning method is then employed to analyze the ToF data and perform the identification task. Simulations with indoor and outdoor experiments show that our approach can identify the class and pose of the target with high accuracy. Importantly, we construct a compact single-point single-photon LiDAR system and demonstrate the practical capability to identify the types and poses of drones in outdoor environments over hundreds of meters. We believe our approach will be useful in applications for sensing dynamic targets with low-power optical detection.