Anthropogenic processes drive spatiotemporal variability of sulfate in groundwater from a multi-aquifer system: Dilution caused by mine drainage.

The water quality evolution of surface and groundwater caused by mining activities and mine drainage is a grave public concern worldwide. To explore the effect of mine drainage on sulfate evolution, a multi-aquifer system in a typical coal mine in Northwest China was investigated using multi-isotopes (δ34SSO4, δ18OSO4, δD, and δ18Owater) and Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) model. Before mining, the Jurassic aquifer was dominated by gypsum dissolution, accompanied by cation exchange and bacterial sulfate reduction, and the phreatic aquifers and surface water were dominated by carbonate dissolution. Significant increase in sulfate in phreatic aquifers due to mine drainage during the early stages of coal mining. However, in contrast to common mining activities that result in sulfate contamination from pyrite oxidation, mine drainage in this mining area resulted in accelerated groundwater flow and enhanced hydraulic connections between the phreatic and confined aquifers. Dilution caused by the altered groundwater flow system controlled the evolution of sulphate, leading to different degrees of sulfate decrease in all aquifers and surface water. As the hydrogeochemical characteristic of Jurassic aquifer evolved toward phreatic aquifer, this factor should be considered to avoid misjudgment in determining the source of mine water intrusion. The study reveals the hydrogeochemical evolution induced by mine drainage, which could benefit to the management of groundwater resources in mining areas.

The association between gout flares and monosodium urate burden assessed using musculoskeletal ultrasound in patients with gout.

Background: Ultrasound (US) has a high sensitivity in detecting monosodium urate (MSU) deposition in gout patients. However, the value of US in predicting gout flares has been reported only in a few monocentric studies. Objective: To investigate the association between gout flares in the previous year and US-detected MSU burden using two different US scores. Design: A retrospective study. Methods: Patients with gout were consecutively recruited to undergo musculoskeletal US examinations of their knees, ankles, and feet. The score derived from Outcome Measure in Rheumatology (hereinafter referred to as MSU score) and musculoskeletal US features-based (hereinafter referred to as MSKF score) were used to quantify the MSU burden of gout. Odds ratios for frequent gout flares were calculated. Results: We enrolled 1894 patients with gout (mean age: 45 years; gout duration: 5 years; males: 96.1%), experiencing a median of three flares over the past year. Of these, 428 (22.6%) patients reported frequent (⩾7) gout flares. The MSU and MSKF median scores were 6 and 9, respectively. For each five-point increase in MSU and MSKF score, the odds ratio of frequent gout flares increased 1.13-fold and 1.24-fold, respectively. The area under the curve (AUC) for the MSU and MSKF score was 0.635 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.604-0.665] and 0.688 (95% CI: 0.659-0.718), respectively, (AUC difference 0.054, p value for AUC difference < 0.001). Conclusion: The MSU and MSKF scores were significantly associated with the number of gout flares in the previous year. The MSKF score outperformed the MSU score in terms of frequent gout flare discrimination.

Bariatric Surgery and Its Metabolic Echo Effect on Serum Uric Acid Levels.

Bariatric surgery (BS) has been a significant means of reducing weight in obese individuals. The metabolic changes after bariatric surgery are crucial as they extend its advantages beyond weight loss. As its name implies, "metabolic surgery" also addresses obesity-related metabolic concerns. Bariatric surgery has always been associated with lessened serum uric acid (SUA) levels. In this review, we examined current studies to understand how surgical therapies impact serum uric acid levels. Strongly minded on the extent and timing of changes in the level of serum uric acid after bariatric surgeries. We conducted a comprehensive search for relevant current studies in PubMed, Google Scholar, JAMA, and the Cochrane Library until February 1, 2024. We aimed to analyze the metabolic advantages of bariatric surgery, focusing on its function in treating hyperuricemia and lowering the risk of associated disorders. Our review elaborates on factors contributing to decreased serum uric acid levels after bariatric surgery, such as alterations in renal function, insulin sensitivity, and inflammatory markers.

Impact of long-term mining activity on groundwater dynamics in a mining district in Xinjiang coal Mine Base, Northwest China: insight from geochemical fingerprint and machine learning.

Long-term coal mining could lead to a serious of geo-environmental problems. However, less comprehensive identification of factors controlling the groundwater dynamics were involved in previous studies. This study focused on 68 groundwater samples collected before and after mining activities, Self-Organizing Maps (SOM) combining with Principal Component Analysis (PCA) derived that the groundwater samples were classified into five clusters. Clusters 1-5 (C1-C5) represented the groundwater quality affected by different hydrochemical processes, mainly including mineral (carbonate and evaporite) dissolution and cation exchange, which were controlled by the hydrochemical environment at different stages of mining activities. Combining with the time-series data, the Extreme Gradient Boosting Decision Trees (XGBoost) derived that the mine water inflow (feature relative importance of 40.0%) and unit goaf area (feature relative importance of 29.2%) were dominant factors affecting the confined groundwater level, but had less or lagged impact on phreatic groundwater level. This was closely related to the height of the water flow fractured zone and hydraulic connection between aquifers. The results of this study on the coupled evolution of groundwater dynamics could enhance our understanding of the effects of mining on aquifer systems and contribute to the prevention of water hazards in the coalfields.

Data Science Applications in Circular Economy: Trends, Status, and Future.

The circular economy (CE) aims to decouple the growth of the economy from the consumption of finite resources through strategies, such as eliminating waste, circulating materials in use, and regenerating natural systems. Due to the rapid development of data science (DS), promising progress has been made in the transition toward CE in the past decade. DS offers various methods to achieve accurate predictions, accelerate product sustainable design, prolong asset life, optimize the infrastructure needed to circulate materials, and provide evidence-based insights. Despite the exciting scientific advances in this field, there still lacks a comprehensive review on this topic to summarize past achievements, synthesize knowledge gained, and navigate future research directions. In this paper, we try to summarize how DS accelerated the transition to CE. We conducted a critical review of where and how DS has helped the CE transition with a focus on four areas including (1) characterizing socioeconomic metabolism, (2) reducing unnecessary waste generation by enhancing material efficiency and optimizing product design, (3) extending product lifetime through repair, and (4) facilitating waste reuse and recycling. We also introduced the limitations and challenges in the current applications and discussed opportunities to provide a clear roadmap for future research in this field.

Correlation Between Impaired Sensitivity to Thyroid Hormones and Serum Uric Acid in Female Patients With Obesity and After Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy.

OBJECTIVE: An alterable risk factor for hyperuricemia is obesity. Additionally, obese people may have a moderate form of acquired resistance to thyroid hormones. Thyrotropin, thyroid hormones, and obesity all interact subtly. However, the connection between thyroid hormone sensitivity and hyperuricemia in obese patients both before and after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) has not yet been clarified. The objective of our study was to investigate the connection between impaired thyroid hormone sensitivity and elevated uric acid (UA) levels before and after LSG. METHODS: In total, 1054 euthyroid patients with obesity (481 males, 573 females), 248 (143 female patients) of whom underwent subsequent LSG, were enrolled in this retrospective study. Anthropometric measurements and thyroid hormone and UA levels were taken before and 3 months after LSG. RESULTS: Female patients with obesity with impaired sensitivity to thyroid hormones had higher UA levels (P for trend <.01). The odds ratio of the fourth vs first quartile of thyroid feedback quantile index, thyrotropin index, and thyrotropin-thyroxine resistance index were 4.285 (confidence interval: 1.360-13.507), 3.700 (confidence interval: 1.276-10.729), and 2.839 (confidence interval: 1.014-7.948), respectively, with robust relationships with female hyperuricemia (all P < .05). However, there was only a positive correlation between the decline in UA levels and thyroid feedback quantile index, thyrotropin, and thyrotropin-thyroxine resistance index in female patients following LSG. CONCLUSION: Female hyperuricemia is correlated with higher thyroid hormone resistance index scores. Resistance to thyroid hormones was greatly improved by LSG. The decrease in UA levels after surgery is correlated with the improvement of thyroid hormone resistance after LSG.

Efficacy and safety of orlistat in male patients with overweight/obesity and hyperuricemia: results of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is associated with elevated serum uric acid (SUA) levels and frequent gout flares. Losing weight can reduce the SUA level and gout flares. The effect of orlistat on SUA levels and gout flares in patients with overweight/obesity and hyperuricemia (HUA) has not been extensively studied. This study investigated the effects of orlistat on SUA levels and gout flares compared to placebo in overweight and obese patients with HUA. METHODS: A total of 72 Chinese patients with overweight/obesity and HUA were randomly divided into a placebo group (35, 48.6%) and an orlistat group (37, 51.4%); the trial lasted 12 weeks. The primary endpoints were the relative changes in body weight, the SUA level, and gout flares in the per-protocol population. RESULTS: Orlistat reduced the proportion of patients with gout flares (log-rank P = 0.023, hazard ratio = 0.31, 95% confidence interval 0.11-0.85). There was no significant difference in SUA level between the two groups. The average weight loss of the orlistat group was 2.85 kg, and the average weight loss of the placebo group was 0.76 kg. The weight loss in the orlistat group was significantly greater than that in the control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first to demonstrate that orlistat has no significant effect on SUA levels in patients with overweight/obesity and HUA. The utility of orlistat as an adjunct therapy to prevent gout flares during weight loss in patients with HUA was emphasized. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT05496075.

Rare earth element behaviors of groundwater in overlying aquifers under the influence of coal mining in northern Ordos Basin, China.

Rare earth elements (REEs) have been used as tracers to reveal the hydrochemical sources and processes in groundwater systems that are usually modified by anthropogenic inputs. However, the REE behaviors in groundwater affected by mining activities have yet to be fully understood. In combination of REE geochemistry with general hydrochemical and isotopic (δ2H and δ18O) methods, this study investigated the concentration and fractionation of REEs in alkaline groundwater from two coal mines with similar aquifer lithology but different mining histories in the Northern Ordos Basin. One of the coal mines started mining in March 2009 (Ningtiaota coal mine, NTT), while the other started mining in December 2018 (Caojiatan coal mine, CJT). Results show that the primary hydrochemical type is HCO3-Ca in NTT groundwater with pH value ranging between 7.68 and 8.60, while CJT groundwater was dominated by the HCO3-Na type with higher pH of 9.09-10.00. The average values of ΣREEs were lower, and the NASC-normalized pattern reflected more intense fractionation in NTT groundwater than those in CJT groundwater. The evident differences are caused by the distinctions in water-rock interaction, complexation of inorganic species, and adsorption of REEs in NTT and CJT groundwater. Furthermore, these processes were closely related to the pH of groundwater that was different in two coal mines, which is likely linked to the different durations of coal mining activities that led to differences in development of rock fractures and pyrite oxidation. It is expected that REEs, combined with other indicators such as pH, can be used to trace and help better understand the hydrochemical changes in groundwater caused by mining.

Combination of magnetic field and ultraviolet for fouling control in saline wastewater distribution systems.

Fouling is a significant challenge for recycling and reusing saline wastewaters for industrial, agricultural or municipal applications. In this study, we propose a novel approach of magnetic field (MaF) and ultraviolet (UV) combined application for fouling mitigation. Results showed, combination of MaF and UV (MaF-UV) significantly decreased the content of biofouling and reduced the complexity of microbial networks, compared to UV and MaF alone treatments. This was due to MaF as pretreatment effectively reduced the water turbidity, improve the influent water quality of UV disinfection and increases UV transmittance, eliminating the adverse impacts of UV scattering and shielding, hence increased the inactivation effectiveness of UV disinfection process. MaF assisted UV also reduced the abundance of UV-resistant bacteria and inhibited the risk of bacterial photoreactivation and dark repair. Meanwhile, MaF-UV drastically reduced the contents of precipitates and particulate fouling by accelerating the transformation rate of CaCO3 crystal from compact calcite to loosen hydrated amorphous CaCO3, and enhancing the flocculation process. These findings demonstrated that MaF-UV is an effective anti-fouling strategy, and provide insights for sustainable application of saline wastewaters.

Evaluating Losses from Water Scarcity and Benefits of Water Conservation Measures to Intercity Supply Chains in China.

The severe water scarcity in China poses significant economic risks to its agriculture, energy, and manufacturing sectors, which can have a cascading effect through the supply chains. Current research has assessed water scarcity losses for global countries and Chinese provinces by using the water scarcity risk (WSR) method. However, this method involves subjective functions and parameter settings, and it fails to capture the adaptive behaviors of economies to water scarcity, compromising the reliability of quantified water scarcity loss. There is a pressing need for a new method to assess losses related to water scarcity. Here, we develop an agent-based complex network model to estimate the inter-regional and intersectoral impacts of water scarcity on both cities and basins. Subsequently, we evaluate the supply chain-wide economic benefits of four different water conservation measures as stipulated by the 14th Five-Year Plan for the Construction of a Water-Saving Society. These measures include increasing the utilization rate of recycled water in water-scarce cities, reducing the national water consumption per industrial value-added, and implementing agricultural and residential water conservation measures. Results show that direct losses constitute only 9% of the total losses from water scarcity. Approximately 37% of the losses can be attributed to interregional impacts. Among the water-scarce cities, Qingdao, Lanzhou, Jinan, and Zhengzhou pose a significant threat to China's supply chains. Agricultural water conservation yields the highest amount of water savings and economic benefits, while residential water conservation provides the highest economic benefit per unit of water saved. The results provide insights into managing water scarcity, promoting cross-regional cooperation, and mitigating economic impacts.

Is Kidney Stone Associated with Thyroid Disease? The United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007­2018

BACKGROUND: Kidney stones and thyroid disease are two common diseases in the general population, with multiple common risk factors. The associations between kidney stones and thyroid disease are unclear. AIM: This study aims to assess the association between 'once had a thyroid disease' and the odds of kidney stones. METHODS: Adult participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007-2018 with reliable kidney stone and thyroid disease data were included. Adjusting for age, gender, race, education level, and marital status, diabetes, hypertension, gout, angina pectoris, stroke, and asthma, logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between kidney stones and thyroid illness. RESULTS: Using stratified analysis, the association between thyroid illness and kidney stones was investigated further. Among the participants, 4.9% had kidney stones, and 10.1% had thyroid disease. Kidney stone was associated with thyroid disease (OR=1.441, (95% CI:1.294-1.604), p <0.01), which remained significant (OR=1.166, (95% CI:1.041-1.305), p <0.01) after adjustments with age, gender, race, education level and marital status, diabetes, hypertension, gout, angina pectoris, stroke, and asthma. Stratified by blood lead, blood cadmium, and blood urea nitrogen levels in the human body, the odds of kidney stones still increased with once having a previous thyroid disease. CONCLUSIONS: In this large nationally representative survey over 10 years, kidney stone was strongly associated with thyroid disease. In this cross-sectional study, we explored the association between thyroid disease and kidney stones, which may help clinicians intervene in them early.

Purine Metabolic Pathway Alterations and Serum Urate Changes after Oral Inosine Loading in Male Chinese Volunteers.

BACKGROUND: Oral inosine loading is a new method to evaluate the effects of purine on urate metabolism. However, individuals respond differently to acute purine intake, and the effects on the metabolism of other purines remain to be explored. METHODS: 35 male participants are recruited. Participants received 500 mg of inosine orally after an overnight fast, and blood and urine samples are collected before and at various time points over 180 min after inosine administration. RESULTS: The serum urate concentration is significantly different between the hyperuricemia (n = 14) and non-hyperuricemia (n = 16) groups before inosine intake, but there is no in urate change after inosine intake. When grouped according to the baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), the increase in urate level in the high-eGFR group is significantly higher than that in the low-eGFR group (p  =  0.047). The high-eGFR group showed higher levels of serum xanthine and xanthine oxidase (XOD), the key enzyme in urate synthesis, after inosine loading (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The increase in urate level is positively related to eGFR after oral acute inosine administration, which may have been due to a higher level of XOD.

Beinaglutide for weight management in Chinese individuals with overweight or obesity: A phase 3 randomized controlled clinical study.

AIM: To investigate the efficacy and safety of beinaglutide as an adjunct to lifestyle intervention among non-diabetic Chinese individuals with overweight or obesity. METHODS: This multicentre, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (ChiCTR1900023428) included 427 Chinese adults with a body mass index of 28 kg/m2 or higher (obesity) or 24-27.9 kg/m2 (overweight) with weight-related complications. Patients were randomized in a 2:1 ratio to receive 0.2 mg of beinaglutide (subcutaneous) thrice daily or placebo for 16 weeks. Co-primary endpoints were body weight change and the proportion of patients with a weight reduction of 5% or more. RESULTS: Mean body weight change from baseline to week 16 was -6.0% and -2.4% in the beinaglutide (n = 282) and placebo (n = 138) groups, respectively; the mixed model repeated measures difference was -3.6% (95% confidence interval: -4.6% to -2.6%; P < .0001). At week 16, more beinaglutide-treated patients achieved a weight reduction of 5% or more (58.2% vs. 25.4% [placebo], odds ratio: 4.4; P < .0001) and of 10% or more (21.3% vs. 5.1% [placebo], odds ratio: 5.5; P < .0001). Beinaglutide also resulted in greater waist circumference reduction (difference: -1.81 cm; P < .01). The weight regain rate 12 weeks after beinaglutide treatment was 0.78%. Nausea (transient and mild-to-moderate) was the most common adverse event in the beinaglutide group (49.3% vs. 7.1% [placebo]). More patients receiving beinaglutide discontinued treatment because of adverse events (5.9% vs. 0.7% [placebo]). Pancreatitis or an increased resting heart rate was not observed in the beinaglutide group. CONCLUSION: Beinaglutide combined with lifestyle intervention resulted in significant and clinically meaningful weight reduction with good tolerance in non-diabetic Chinese individuals with overweight or obesity.

Unveiling complementarities between national sustainable development strategies through network analysis.

The 2030 agenda of the United Nations provides a framework of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 232 indicators for its members to fulfill. The overall achievement critically depends on how nations understand the interactions between these SDGs and set priorities for development pathways. This study provides a comprehensive network analysis of global SDG complementarities, measured by the co-occurrences of SDG pairs' comparative advantages in the same region by adopting the 'product space' concept from economics. We construct the 'SDG space' at goal and indicator levels with the most recently available data and then validate its robustness by comparing it to the commonly used correlation network and confirm its predictive power using historical data. Network analysis reveals a strongly connected socioeconomic-related core and an environmental-related periphery, with 'bridge' indicators connecting different clusters. The goal-level space identifies the 'bridge' goals as SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and SDG 15 (Life on Hand) in the environmental-related cluster, while identifying SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 6 (Clean water and Sanitation), and SDG 16 (Justice and Strong Institutions) in the socioeconomic cluster. The indicator-level space provides details to explain how they act as 'bridges' in the network. In particular, 16-9: Free Press Index is the 'bridge' indicator with the highest betweenness centrality value and acts as the bottleneck indicator in China for its overall sustainable development. Improving it can enhance connected indicators' performance, leading to positive cascading effects on different aspects of sustainability.

Efficacy of noiiglutide injection on body weight in obese Chinese adults without diabetes: A multicentre, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 2 trial.

AIM: To evaluate the effect of noiiglutide as an adjunct to lifestyle intervention on the reduction in body weight and tolerability in obese Chinese adults without diabetes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this 24-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2 trial, 254 obese adults with a body mass index of 28.0-40.0 kg/m2 and without diabetes were enrolled. Participants were initially randomized in a 1:1:1 ratio to one of three dose levels: 0.12, 0.24, or 0.36 mg of the study treatment. Within each dose level, participants were further randomized in a 3:1 ratio to receive either subcutaneous injection of noiiglutide or a matching placebo. The primary endpoint was the change in body weight from baseline to week 24. RESULTS: Across all noiiglutide dosage levels, least squares mean reductions in body weight from baseline to week 24 ranged from 8.03 to 8.50 kg, compared with 3.65 kg in the placebo group (all p-values <.0001). In the noiiglutide groups (0.12, 0.24, 0.36 mg/day), a significantly higher proportion of participants achieved a weight loss ≥5% (68.8%, 60.0%, 73.0%) and ≥10% (37.5%, 36.9%, 39.7%), compared with the pooled placebo group (≥5%: 29.0%; ≥10%: 8.1%). Gastrointestinal adverse events, such as nausea, diarrhoea and vomiting, were more common in all noiiglutide groups (15.4%-30.2%, 18.8%-22.2%, 15.6%-18.5%) than in the pooled placebo group (8.1%, 6.5%, 0%). CONCLUSIONS: In obese Chinese adults without diabetes, once-daily subcutaneous noiiglutide significantly reduced body week at week 24 compared with placebo, and had a manageable safety profile, primarily involving gastrointestinal disorders.

A phase 2 randomised controlled trial of mazdutide in Chinese overweight adults or adults with obesity.

Mazdutide is a once-weekly glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucagon receptor dual agonist. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of 24-week treatment of mazdutide up to 6 mg in Chinese overweight adults or adults with obesity, as an interim analysis of a randomised, two-part (low doses up to 6 mg and high dose of 9 mg), double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2 trial (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04904913). Overweight adults (body-mass index [BMI] ≥24 kg/m2) accompanied by hyperphagia and/or at least one obesity-related comorbidity or adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 28 kg/m2) were randomly assigned (3:1:3:1:3:1) to once-weekly mazdutide 3 mg, 4.5 mg, 6 mg or matching placebo at 20 hospitals in China. The primary endpoint was the percentage change from baseline to week 24 in body weight. A total of 248 participants were randomised to mazdutide 3 mg (n = 62), 4.5 mg (n = 63), 6 mg (n = 61) or placebo (n = 62). The mean percentage changes from baseline to week 24 in body weight were -6.7% (SE 0.7) with mazdutide 3 mg, -10.4% (0.7) with 4.5 mg, -11.3% (0.7) with 6 mg and 1.0% (0.7) with placebo, with treatment difference versus placebo ranging from -7.7% to -12.3% (all p < 0.0001). All mazdutide doses were well tolerated and the most common adverse events included diarrhoea, nausea and upper respiratory tract infection. In summary, in Chinese overweight adults or adults with obesity, 24-week treatment with mazdutide up to 6 mg was safe and led to robust and clinically meaningful body weight reduction.

Sex-dependent impact of obesity on aggressiveness of papillary thyroid cancer.

PURPOSE: To investigate the impact of body mass index (BMI) on the aggressiveness of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). METHODS: A total of 1720 PTC patients with total thyroidectomy or lobectomy, from January 2017 to April 2020, were retrospectively evaluated. Based on BMI, they were divided into two groups, as follows: control (CON, < 24 kg/m2) and overweight and obesity (OB, ≥ 24 kg/m2), each sex being analyzed separately. RESULTS: In the whole cohort, the OB group had significantly higher rates of extrathyroidal extension (21.5 vs. 16.8%, p = 0.013), multifocality (43.2 vs. 37.7%, p = 0.018), and BRAF-V600E mutation (82.9 vs. 79.3%, p = 0.015) than the CON group. In males, the OB group had increased rates of tumor size over 1cm (54.4 vs. 42.7%, p = 0.008), extrathyroidal extension (24.9 vs. 12.4%, p = 0.001), and multifocality (42.7 vs. 33.5%, p = 0.038). The OB group had significantly higher adjusted odds ratios (ORs) of 1.63 (1.14-2.33, p = 0.008), 2.12 (1.26-3.57, p = 0.005), and 1.56 (1.07-2.29, p = 0.022) for tumor size over 1cm, extrathyroidal extension, and multifocality compared with CON. Additionally, overweight and obesity were analyzed alone and the rates of extrathyroidal extension (30/100, 30.0%, p = 0.001) and tumor size over 1cm (65/100, 65.0%, p = 0.001) were significantly higher in the obesity group than in the overweight and CON groups. The obesity group had robust higher adjusted ORs of 2.51(1.50-4.20, p < 0.001), 2.93 (1.50-5.73, p = 0.002) and 1.89 (1.11-3.22, p = 0.020) for tumor size over 1cm, extrathyroidal extension, and multifocality compared with CON. CONCLUSIONS: Overweight and obesity were predominant independent risk factors for PTC aggressiveness in males. These data indicated that the therapeutic treatment should be based on risk stratification by BMI in males.

Association Between CTSK Gene Polymorphisms and Response to Alendronate Treatment in Postmenopausal Chinese Women with Low Bone Mineral Density.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to explore the association between CTSK polymorphisms and the response to alendronate treatment in postmenopausal Chinese women with low bone mineral density. Patients and Methods: In this study, 460 postmenopausal women from Shanghai were included. All of them were treated with weekly oral alendronate 70 mg, daily calcium 600 mg and vitamin D 125 IU for a year. Four tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in CTSK gene were genotyped. Bone mineral densities of lumbar spine (L1-L4), femoral neck and total hip were measured at baseline and after 12 months of treatment, respectively. Results: After 1-year of treatment, there was no significant differences in BMI between baseline and follow-up. After alendronate treatment, the BMD of L1-4, femoral neck and total hip all increased significantly (all P < 0.001), with average increases of 4.33 ± 6.42%, 1.85 ± 4.20%, and 2.36 ± 3.79%, respectively. There was no significant difference in BMD at L1-L4, the femoral neck and total hip between different genotype groups at baseline (P>0.05). After 1-year treatment with alendronate, rs12746973 and rs10847 were associated with the % change of BMD at L1-L4 (P=0.038) and % change of BMD at femoral neck (P=0.038), respectively. Furthermore, rs10847 was associated with BMD response at femoral neck (P=0.013). However, the associations were not significant after Bonferroni correction. Conclusion: We concluded that the common variations of CTSK gene were potentially associated with the therapeutic response to alendronate treatment in Chinese women with low bone mineral density. However, further validation is needed.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and gut microbial dysbiosis- underlying mechanisms and gut microbiota mediated treatment strategies.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is by far the most prevalent form of liver disease worldwide. It's also the leading cause of liver-related hospitalizations and deaths. Furthermore, there is a link between obesity and NAFLD risk. A projected 25% of the world's population grieves from NAFLD, making it the most common chronic liver disorder. Several factors, such as obesity, oxidative stress, and insulin resistance, typically accompany NAFLD. Weight loss, lipid-lowering agents, thiazolidinediones, and metformin help prominently control NAFLD. Interestingly, pre-clinical studies demonstrate gut microbiota's potential causal role in NAFLD. Increased intestinal permeability and unhindered transport of microbial metabolites into the liver are the major disruptions due to gut microbiome dysbiosis, contributing to the development of NAFLD by dysregulating the gut-liver axis. Hence, altering the pathogenic bacterial population using probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) could benefit patients with NAFLD. Therefore, it is crucial to acknowledge the importance of microbiota-mediated therapeutic approaches for NAFLD and comprehend the underlying mechanisms that establish a connection between NAFLD and gut microbiota. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the affiliation between dysbiosis of gut microbiota and the progress of NAFLD, as well as the potential benefits of prebiotic, probiotic, synbiotic supplementation, and FMT in obese individuals with NAFLD.

The relationship between serum superoxide dismutase and thyroid function in obese patients after Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy.

To investigate the cross-sectional and longitudinal correlation between serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels and thyroid function with obesity before and after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG). Patients with morbid obesity (n = 219, 112 males and 107 females) who underwent LSG were selected and they were subdivided into normal levels of SOD (NSOD, n = 112) and high levels of SOD (HSOD, n = 107) according to the median value of SOD levels (183 U/mL). SOD and thyroid hormones were measured and compared at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months after LSG. The HSOD group had lower body mass index (BMI), total thyroxine (TT4), and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) than the NSOD group (p < 0.001, p = 0.031, p < 0.001, respectively). However, they had higher free triiodothyronine (FT3) and free thyroxine (FT4) (p = 0.019 and p = 0.017, respectively). SOD was significantly negatively associated with TSH and positively associated with FT4. Of all the patients, 22.31% (NSOD: 66.67%; HSOD: 33.33%) had subclinical hypothyroidism (SH), and there were lower SOD levels in the SH group. Preoperative SOD was a protective factor for SH. After LSG, SOD and FT4 levels were increased at 12 months after LSG, however, TSH, FT3, total triiodothyronine (TT3) and TT4 levels decreased compared to the preoperative levels at 3, 6, and 12 months in the SH group. Postoperative changes in FT4 and TT4 levels correlated with changes in SOD levels. SOD, which is correlated with thyroid hormones, protects against SH in patients with obesity. The improvement in thyroid function with SH after LSG may be related to increased SOD levels.