Prognostic Factors of Severe Pneumonia in Adult Patients: A Systematic Review.

Objectives: This systematic review aimed to identify independent prognostic factors of severe pneumonia. Methods: A systematic search was undertaken in Pubmed, Embase, and Web of Science from inception to March 2023 to find cohort studies investigating the association between prognostic factors and adverse outcomes of severe pneumonia in adult patients. The study selection process involved screening the title and abstract of articles to identify relevant studies on severe pneumonia in adult patients. Inclusion criteria included studies with a prospective or retrospective longitudinal design, investigating prognostic factors, and performing multivariate analysis. Exclusion criteria included non-English or non-Chinese studies, studies focusing on severe pneumonia in children, studies conducting only univariate analysis, and conference abstracts, reviews, and case reports. The risk of bias was assessed by the Quality In Prognosis Studies (QUIPS) tool. Results: A total of 27 published studies, including both prospective and retrospective cohort studies, were included. These studies reported on 53 different prognostic factors and covered four unique outcomes. The quality assessment indicated that 59.3% of the studies had a low risk of bias. Age, functional dependence, heart rate, and oxygen saturation/respiratory rate index were found to be associated with mortality. Additionally, various laboratory indexes, such as serum cholinesterase, albumin, and blood urea nitrogen to creatinine ratio, demonstrated either protective or risk factors for prognosis. Injury and comorbidities, including acute renal failure, chronic lung disease, and Glasgow Coma Scale, were identified as risk factors for mortality. Scoring tools like Acute Physiological and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score, CURB-65 score, and Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI) score showed associations with mortality. Lastly, certain treatment protocols, such as vasoactive agent use, vasopressor use, and mechanical ventilation, were found to increase the risk of mortality, while invasive mechanical ventilation and the use of remdesivir and steroids had a positive impact on prognosis. These findings provide valuable insights for clinicians in predicting and managing severe pneumonia outcomes. Conclusion: This most comprehensive review identified 53 unique prognostic factors of severe pneumonia, which provided a reference for subsequent researchers to construct models to predict clinical outcomes in patients with severe pneumonia for clinical use. By identifying prognostic factors through multivariate analysis, healthcare providers can better assess the severity and prognosis of individual patients. This knowledge can aid in treatment planning, resource allocation, and determining the appropriate level of care for patients with severe pneumonia. Additionally, understanding the prognostic factors can help identify high-risk patients who may require more intensive monitoring or interventions. Overall, this study provides valuable insights that can inform clinical practice and improve patient outcomes in the management of severe pneumonia.

Exosome-derived circ_0001785 delays atherogenesis through the ceRNA network mechanism of miR-513a-5p/TGFBR3.

PURPOSE: Endothelial cell dysfunction is a major cause of early atherosclerosis. Although the role of extracellular vesicles in stabilizing atherosclerotic plaques is well established, the effect of circulating exosomes on plaque formation is still unknown. Here, we explored the effect of exosomes on atherosclerosis based on the function that exosomes can act on intercellular communication. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We extracted serum exosomes from the blood of CHD patients (CHD-Exo) and healthy individuals (Con-Exo). The obtained exosomes were co-cultured with human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in vitro. In addition, we determined that circ_0001785 functions as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNAs) in coronary artery disease by dual luciferase reporter gene analysis. The protective effect of circ_0001785 against endothelial cell injury was also verified using over-expression lentiviral transfection functional assays. In vivo experiments, we injected over-expressed circ_0001785 lentivirus into the tail vein of mice to observe its therapeutic effect on a mouse model of atherosclerosis. RESULTS: The vitro co-cultured results showed that the amount of plasma-derived exosomes have an increase in patients with coronary artery disease, and the inflammation and apoptosis of endothelial cells were exacerbated. Over-expression of circ_0001785 reduced endothelial cell injury through the ceRNA network pathway of miR-513a-5p/TGFBR3. Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction identified that the expressed amount of circ_0001785 was reduced in the circulating peripheral blood of CHD patients and increased within human and mouse atherosclerotic plaque tissue. The results of in vivo experiments showed that circ_0001785 reduced aortic endothelial cell injury and the formation of intraplaque neo-vascularization, and enhanced left ventricular diastolic function, thereby delaying the development of atherosclerosis in mice. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrated a new biomarker, exosome-derived circ_0001785, for atherogenesis, which can reduce endothelial cell injury and thus delay atherogenesis through the miR-513a-5p/TGFBR3 ceRNA network mechanism, providing an exosome-based intervention strategy for atherosclerosis.

A Comprehensive Review on Metal Catalysts for the Production of Cyclopentanone Derivatives from Furfural and HMF.

The catalytic transformation of biomass-based furan compounds (furfural and HMF) for the synthesis of organic chemicals is one of the important ways to utilize renewable biomass resources. Among the numerous high-value products, cyclopentanone derivatives are a kind of valuable compound obtained by the hydrogenation rearrangement of furfural and HMF in the aqueous phase of metal-hydrogen catalysis. Following the vast application of cyclopentanone derivatives, this reaction has attracted wide attention since its discovery, and a large number of catalytic systems have been reported to be effective in this transformation. Among them, the design and synthesis of metal catalysts are at the core of the reaction. This review briefly introduces the application of cyclopentanone derivatives, the transformation mechanism, and the pathway of biomass-based furan compounds for the synthesis of cyclopentanone derivatives. The important progress of metal catalysts in the reaction since the first report in 2012 up to now is emphasized, the characteristics and catalytic performance of different metal catalysts are introduced, and the critical role of metal catalysts in the reaction is discussed. Finally, the future development of this transformation process was prospected.

Advances of Carbon Materials for Dual-Carbon Lithium-Ion Capacitors: A Review.

Lithium-ion capacitors (LICs) have drawn increasing attention, due to their appealing potential for bridging the performance gap between lithium-ion batteries and supercapacitors. Especially, dual-carbon lithium-ion capacitors (DC-LICs) are even more attractive because of the low cost, high conductivity, and tunable nanostructure/surface chemistry/composition, as well as excellent chemical/electrochemical stability of carbon materials. Based on the well-matched capacity and rate between the cathode and anode, DC-LICs show superior electrochemical performances over traditional LICs and are considered to be one of the most promising alternatives to the current energy storage devices. In particular, the mismatch between the cathode and anode could be further suppressed by applying carbon nanomaterials. Although great progresses of DC-LICs have been achieved, a comprehensive review about the advances of electrode materials is still absent. Herein, in this review, the progresses of traditional and nanosized carbons as cathode/anode materials for DC-LICs are systematically summarized, with an emphasis on their synthesis, structure, morphology, and electrochemical performances. Furthermore, an outlook is tentatively presented, aiming to develop advanced DC-LICs for commercial applications.

Photovoltage memory effect in a portable Faradaic junction solar rechargeable device.

Two-electrode solar rechargeable device is one of the promising technologies to address the problem of solar energy storage in large scale. However, the mechanism of dark output voltage remains unclear and the low volumetric energy density also limits its practical applications. Herein, we report that a Si/CoOx/KBi(aq)/MnOx Faradaic junction device exhibits a photovoltage memory effect, that is, the dark output voltage can precisely record the value of the photovoltage in the device. To investigate the mechanism of the effect, we develop an open circuit potential method to real-time monitor the photo charge and dark discharge processes in the Faradaic junction device. This effect leads to minimized interface energy loss in the Faradaic junction device, which achieves much higher performances than the devices without the effect. Moreover, we realize a portable device with a record value of the dark volumetric energy density (∼1.89 mJ cm-3) among all reported two-electrode solar rechargeable devices. These results offer guidance to improve the performance of a solar rechargeable device and design other photoelectric devices for new applications.

Faradaic junction and isoenergetic charge transfer mechanism on semiconductor/semiconductor interfaces.

Energy band alignment theory has been widely used to understand interface charge transfer in semiconductor/semiconductor heterojunctions for solar conversion or storage, such as quantum-dot sensitized solar cells, perovskite solar cells and photo(electro)catalysis. However, abnormally high open-circuit voltage and charge separation efficiency in these applications cannot be explained by the classic theory. Here, we demonstrate a Faradaic junction theory with isoenergetic charge transfer at semiconductor/semiconductor interface. Such Faradaic junction involves coupled electron and ion transfer, which is substantively different from the classic band alignment theory only involving electron transfer. The Faradaic junction theory can be used to explain these abnormal results in previous studies. Moreover, the characteristic of zero energy loss of charge transfer in a Faradaic junction also can provide a possibility to design a solar conversion device with a large open-circuit voltage beyond the Shockley-Queisser limit by the band alignment theory.

Graphene-Based Cathode Materials for Lithium-Ion Capacitors: A Review.

Lithium-ion capacitors (LICs) are attracting increasing attention because of their potential to bridge the electrochemical performance gap between batteries and supercapacitors. However, the commercial application of current LICs is still impeded by their inferior energy density, which is mainly due to the low capacity of the cathode. Therefore, tremendous efforts have been made in developing novel cathode materials with high capacity and excellent rate capability. Graphene-based nanomaterials have been recognized as one of the most promising cathodes for LICs due to their unique properties, and exciting progress has been achieved. Herein, in this review, the recent advances of graphene-based cathode materials for LICs are systematically summarized. Especially, the synthesis method, structure characterization and electrochemical performance of various graphene-based cathodes are comprehensively discussed and compared. Furthermore, their merits and limitations are also emphasized. Finally, a summary and outlook are presented to highlight some challenges of graphene-based cathode materials in the future applications of LICs.

High performance Li-ion capacitor fabricated with dual graphene-based materials.

Lithium-ion capacitors (LICs) are now drawing increasing attention because of their potential to overcome the current energy limitations of supercapacitors and power limitations of lithium-ion batteries. In this work, we designed LICs by combining an electric double-layer capacitor cathode and a lithium-ion battery anode. Both the cathode and anode are derived from graphene-modified phenolic resin with tunable porosity and microstructure. They exhibit high specific capacity, superior rate capability and good cycling stability. Benefiting from the graphene-enhanced electrode materials, the all graphene-based LICs demonstrate a high working voltage (4.2 V), high energy density of 142.9 Wh kg-1, maximum power density of 12.1 kW kg-1 with energy density of 50 Wh kg-1, and long stable cycling performance (with ∼88% capacity retention after 5000 cycles). Considering the high performance of the device, the cost-effective and facile preparation process of the active materials, this all graphene-based lithium-ion capacitor could have many promising applications in energy storage systems.

Double-Stranded RNA Dependent Kinase R Regulates Antibacterial Immunity in Sepsis.

Double-stranded RNA dependent kinase R (PKR) is originally identified as an intracellular sensor of viral infection, but its role in bacterial infection remains largely unknown. Here we report that PKR was an important regulator of antibacterial immunity in sepsis. Genetic deletion of PKR or pharmacological inhibition of its kinase activity markedly increased bacterial loads, organ injury, and mortality in polymicrobial infection induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). In contrast, PKR deficiency or inhibition did not affect bacterial loads, organ injury, or mortality when mice were systemically challenged with Escherichia coli, an abundant microbe in the gastrointestinal tract. PKR deficiency or inhibition markedly decreased the release of interleukin (IL)-1ß after CLP. Defect in IL-1 signaling phenocopied PKR deficiency or inhibition in CLP-induced bacterial sepsis. Taken together, these findings identified a critical role of the PKR signaling pathway in antibacterial immunity.

Haemorrhagic retroperitoneal paraganglioma initially manifesting as acute abdomen: a rare case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Paragangliomas (PGLs) are extremely rare neuroendocrine tumours arising from extra-adrenal chromaffin cells. PGLs are clinically rare, difficult to diagnose and usually require surgical intervention. PGLs mostly present catecholamine-related symptoms. We report a case of Acute abdomen as the initial manifestation of haemorrhagic retroperitoneal PGL. There has been only one similar case reported in literature. CASE PRESENTATION: We present a unique case of a 52-year-old female with acute abdomen induced by haemorrhagic retroperitoneal PGL. The patient had a 5-h history of sudden onset of serve right lower quadrant abdominal pain radiating to the right flank and right lumbar region. Patient had classic symptoms of acute abdomen. Abdominal ultrasound revealed a large abdominal mass with a clear boundary. A Computed Tomography Angiography (CTA) of superior mesenteric artery was also performed to in the emergency department. The CTA demonstrated a large retroperitoneal mass measured 9.0 × 7.3 cm with higher density inside. A provisional diagnosis of retroperitoneal tumour with haemorrhage was made. The patient received intravenous fluids, broad-spectrum antibiotics and somatostatin. On the 3rd day of admission, her abdominal pain was slightly relieved, but haemoglobin decreased from 10.9 to 9.4 g/dL in 12 h suggesting that there might be active bleeding in the abdominal cavity. Thus, we performed a midline laparotomy for the patient. Haemorrhage was successfully stopped during operation. The retroperitoneal tumour with haemorrhage was completely removed. The abdominal pain was significantly relieved after surgery. The patient initially presented with acute abdomen instead of catecholamine-related symptoms. The diagnosis of retroperitoneal PGL with haemorrhage was finally confirmed by postoperative pathological and immunohistochemical results. The postoperative course was uneventful. At the 1-year follow-up visit, no tumour recurrence was observed by Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography. A literature review was performed to further understand and analyse the aforementioned disease. CONCLUSION: Acute abdomen as the initial manifestation of haemorrhagic retroperitoneal paraganglioma is extremely rare. Abdominal Computed Tomography is essential to locate the lesion and differentiate between other causes of acute abdomen. PGLs are hypervascular tumours. We should be aware that ruptured retroperitoneal PGL with massive bleeding could be life threatening and require emergency laparotomy.

Silencing IFNγ inhibits A1 astrocytes and attenuates neurogenesis decline and cognitive impairment in endotoxemia.

Cognitive impairment, acute or long-term, is a common complication in patients with severe bacterial infection. However, the underlying mechanisms are not fully verified and effective medicine is not available in clinics. Interferon gamma (IFNγ) is a pivotal cytokine against infection and is believed to be a tune in homeostasis of cognitive function. Here, we collected blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CF) from human subjects and mice, and found that plasma and CF levels of IFNγ were significantly increased in septic patients and endotoxin-challenged mice when compared with healthy controls. IFNγ signaling was boosted in the hippocampus of mice after a challenge of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), which was accompanied with cognitive impairment and decline of neurogenesis. Deficiency of IFNγ or its receptor (IFNγR) dramatically attenuated microglia-induced A1 astrocytes and consequently restored neurogenesis and cognitive function in endotoxemia mice model. Using primary microglia, astrocytes and neurons, we found that IFNγ remarkably increased LPS-mediated release of TNFα and IL-1α in microglia and consequently induced the transformation of astrocyte to A1 subtype, which ultimately resulted in neuron damage. Thus, IFNγ promotes cognitive impairment in endotoxemia by enhancing microglia-induced A1 astrocytes. Targeting IFNγ would be a novel strategy for preventing or treating cognitive dysfunction in patients with Gram-negative infection.

Cu@Pd/C with Controllable Pd Dispersion as a Highly Efficient Catalyst for Hydrogen Evolution from Ammonia Borane.

A series of Cu@Pd/C with different Pd contents was prepared using the galvanic reduction method to disperse Pd on the surface of Cu nanoparticles on Cu/C. The dispersion of Pd was regulated by the Cu(I) on the surface, which was introduced by pulse oxidation. The Cu2O did not react during the galvanic reduction process and restricted the Pd atoms to a specific area. The pulse oxidation method was demonstrated to be an effective process to control the oxidization degree of Cu on Cu/C and then to govern the dispersion of Pd. The catalysts were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM), high angular annular dark field scanning TEM (HAADF-STEM), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) mapping, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), auger electron spectroscopy (AES), and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES), which were used to catalyze the hydrogen evolution from ammonia borane. The Cu@Pd/C had much higher activity than the PdCu/C, which was prepared by the impregnation method. The TOF increased as the Cu2O in Cu/C used for the preparation of Cu@Pd/C increased, and the maximum TOF was 465 molH2 min-1 molPd-1 at 298 K on Cu@Pd0.5/C-640 (0.5 wt % of Pd, 640 mL of air was pulsed during the preparation of Cu/C-640). The activity could be maintained in five continuous processes, showing the strong stability of the catalysts.

Ethyl pyruvate protects against sepsis-associated encephalopathy through inhibiting the NLRP3 inflammasome.

BACKGROUND: With the advance of antibiotics and life support therapy, the mortality of sepsis has been decreasing in recent years. However, the incidence of sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE), a common complication of sepsis, is still high. There are few effective therapies to treat clinical SAE. We previously found that ethyl pyruvate (EP), a metabolite derivative, is able to effectively inhibit the NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Administration of ethyl pyruvate protects mice against polymicrobial sepsis in cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) model. The aim of present study is to investigate if ethyl pyruvate is able to attenuate SAE. METHODS: After CLP, C57BL/6 mice were intraperitoneally or intrathecally injected with saline or ethyl pyruvate using the sham-operated mice as control. New Object Recognition (NOR) and Morris Water Maze (MWM) were conducted to determine the cognitive function. Brain pathology was assessed via immunohistochemistry. To investigate the mechanisms by which ethyl pyruvate prevent SAE, the activation of NLRP3 in the hippocampus and the microglia were determined using western blotting, and cognitive function, microglia activation, and neurogenesis were assessed using WT, Nlrp3-/- and Asc-/- mice in the sublethal CLP model. In addition, Nlrp3-/- and Asc-/- mice treated with saline or ethyl pyruvate were subjected to CLP. RESULTS: Ethyl pyruvate treatment significantly attenuated CLP-induced cognitive decline, microglia activation, and impaired neurogenesis. In addition, EP significantly decreased the NLRP3 level in the hippocampus of the CLP mice, and inhibited the cleavage of IL-1ß induced by NLRP3 inflammsome in microglia. NLRP3 and ASC deficiency demonstrated similar protective effects against SAE. Nlrp3-/- and Asc-/- mice significantly improved cognitive function and brain pathology when compared with WT mice in the CLP models. Moreover, ethyl pyruvate did not have additional effects against SAE in Nlrp3-/- and Asc-/- mice. CONCLUSION: The results demonstrated that ethyl pyruvate confers protection against SAE through inhibiting the NLRP3 inflammasome.

Preparation of 1-Hydroxy-2,5-hexanedione from HMF by the Combination of Commercial Pd/C and Acetic Acid.

The development of a simple and durable catalytic system for the production of chemicals from a high concentration of a substrate is important for biomass conversion. In this manuscript, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) was converted to 1-hydroxy-2,5-hexanedione (HHD) using the combination of commercial Pd/C and acetic acid (AcOH) in water. The influence of temperature, H2 pressure, reaction time, catalyst amount and the concentration of AcOH and HMF on this transformation was investigated. A 68% yield of HHD was able to be obtained from HMF at a 13.6 wt% aqueous solution with a 98% conversion of HMF. The resinification of intermediates on the catalyst was characterized to be the main reason for the deactivation of Pd/C. The reusability of the used Pd/C was studied to find that most of the activity could be recovered by being washed in hot tetrahydrofuran.

Facile Preparation of Pd/UiO-66-v for the Conversion of Furfuryl Alcohol to Tetrahydrofurfuryl Alcohol under Mild Conditions in Water.

The hydrogenation of furan ring in the biomass-derived furans is of great importance for the conversion of biomass to valuable chemicals. Fabrication of high activity and selectivity catalyst for this hydrogenation under mild conditions was one of the focuses of this research. In this manuscript, UiO-66-v, in which vinyl bonded to the benzene ring, was first prepared. Then, the uniformly distributed vinyl was used as the reductant for the preparation of Pd/UiO-66-v. The catalyst was characterized by X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric, N2 physical adsorption/desorption, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectrometer elemental mappings, and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy to find the Pd/UiO-66-v had a narrow palladium nanoparticles size of 3-5 nm and maintained the structure and thermal stability of UiO-66-v. The Pd/UiO-66-v was used for the hydrogenation of furfuryl alcohol to tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol in water. 99% conversion of furfuryl alcohol was obtained with 90% selectivity to tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol after reacted at 0.5 MPa H2, 303 K for 12 h. The Pd/UiO-66-v was proved to be effective for the hydrogenation of furan ring in furans and could be used for at least five times.

Pseudomyxoma peritonei induced by low-grade appendiceal mucinous neoplasm accompanied by rectal cancer: a case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) is a disease involving the peritoneum characterized by the production of large quantities of mucinous ascites. PMP has a low incidence, is difficult to diagnose, and has a guarded prognosis. PMP induced by low-grade appendiceal mucinous neoplasm is extremely rare, and PMP accompanied by rectal cancer is even rarer. CASE PRESENTATION: We present a unique case of a 70-year-old male with PMP induced by low-grade appendiceal mucinous neoplasm accompanied by rectal cancer. The patient's clinical, surgical, and histologic data were reviewed. The patient had persistent distended abdominal pain without radiating lower back pain, abdominal distension for 1 month, and no exhaustion or defecation for 4 days. A transabdominal ultrasound-guided biopsy was performed on the first day. The patient received an emergency exploratory laparotomy because of increased abdominal pressure. We performed cytoreductive surgery, enterolysis, intestinal decompression, special tumour treatment and radical resection of rectal carcinoma. The postoperative course was uneventful. The postoperative histological diagnoses were PMP, low-grade appendiceal mucinous neoplasm and rectal medium differentiated adenocarcinoma. At the 1-year follow-up visit, no tumour recurrence was observed by computed tomography (CT). We also performed a literature review. CONCLUSIONS: We should be aware that PMP can rarely be accompanied by rectal cancer, which represents an easily missed diagnosis and increases the difficulty of diagnosis and treatment. Additionally, there are some typical characteristics of PMP with respect to diagnosis and treatment.

TRIF signaling is required for caspase-11-dependent immune responses and lethality in sepsis.

BACKGROUND: Caspase-11, a cytosolic receptor of bacterial endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide: LPS), mediates immune responses and lethality in endotoxemia and experimental sepsis. However, the upstream pathways that regulate caspase-11 activation in endotoxemia and sepsis are not fully understood. The aim of this study is to test whether TIR-domain-containing adapter-inducing interferon-ß (TRIF) signaling is critical for caspase-11-dependent immune responses and lethality in endotoxemia. METHODS: Mice of indicated genotypes were subjected to endotoxemia or cecum ligation and puncture (CLP) and monitored daily by signs of a moribund state for lethality. Serum interleukin (IL)-1α, IL-1ß, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) were measured by ELISA. Data were analyzed by using student's t-test or one-way ANOVA followed by post-hoc Bonferroni test. Survival data were analyzed by using the log-rank test. RESULTS: Blockade of type 1 interferon signaling or genetic deletion of TRIF or guanylate-binding proteins (GBPs) prevented caspase-11-dependent immune responses, organ injury and lethality in endotoxemia and experimental sepsis. In vitro, deletion of GBPs blocked cytosolic LPS-induced caspase-11 activation in mouse macrophages. CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrate that TRIF signaling is required for caspase-11-dependent immune responses and lethality in endotoxemia and sepsis, and provide novel mechanistic insights into how LPS induces caspase-11 activation during bacterial infection.

Association of a MiR-499 SNP and risk of congenital heart disease in a Chinese population.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in heart development. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in miRNAs have been shown to associate with congenital heart disease (CHD). Methionine synthase (MTR), a key enzyme of folate metabolism, is involved in the early embryonic development. In this study, we aimed to test whether MTR is a direct target of miR-499, and to estimate the associations between miR-499 polymorphisms and the risk of CHD in Chinese population. Gene polymorphisms were analyzed in 1615 subjects including 792 healthy controls and 823 CHD patients. The miR-499 SNP were genotyped and the associations between the SNP frequencies and CHD were assessed by computing odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs), as well as by applying Chi-square tests. Dual reporter assay was carried out to test whether MTR is a direct target gene of miR-499. The miR-499 rs374644 AG genotype was not associated with the CHD risk (AG vs. AA. OR=1.27, 95%CI=0.85-1.81, p=0.20). The GG genotype was associated with a significantly increased CHD risk (GG vs. AA. OR=5.33, 95%CI=1.80-15.83, p=0.001). The AG/GG variants were associated with a significantly increased CHD risk, compared with the AA genotype (OR=1.56, 95%CI=1.16-2.10, p=0.003). MiR-499 mimics inhibits the expression of MTR. MiR-499 directly targeted on MTR. Thus, our study suggested that miR-499 directly targets on MTR and the polymorphisms of rs3746444 may be associated with CHD risk in Chinese individuals.

Altered long non-coding RNAs predict worse outcome in osteosarcoma patients: evidence from a meta-analysis.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are emerging as promising prognostic biomarkers in an expanding list of malignant neoplasms. Here, we sought to investigate the strength of associations between lncRNA signatures and clinical outcomes in osteosarcoma. We conducted a systematic search of the online databases from inception to July 2016. Hazard ratios (HRs) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the primary endpoints of overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS) or event-free survival (EFS) were extracted and meta-analyzed. Our results manifested that altered lncRNAs expression was markedly associated with worse OS (univariate analysis: HR = 3.20, 95% CI: 2.42-4.24, P = 0.000; multivariate analysis: HR = 2.66, 95% CI: 1.92-3.69, P = 0.000), PFS (HR = 2.05, 95% CI: 1.32-3.18, P = 0.001) and EFS (HR = 4.37, 95% CI: 1.64-11.66, P = 0.003) times among osteosarcoma patients. In the pooled analyses stratified by clinicopathological features, levels of lncRNAs were closely correlated with tumor size (pooled P = 0.001), tumor stage (pooled P = 0.003), and distant metastasis (pooled P = 0.002) in osteosarcoma. The results obtained in our work suggest that altered lncRNA signatures predict unfavorable clinical outcomes and are acceptable to be potential prognostic biomarkers in forecasting prognosis of osteosarcoma.

Beyond the sticker price: including and excluding time in comparing food prices.

BACKGROUND: An ongoing debate in the literature is how to measure the price of food. Most analyses have not considered the value of time in measuring the price of food. Whether or not the value of time is included in measuring the price of a food may have important implications for classifying foods based on their relative cost. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this article is to compare prices that exclude time (time-exclusive price) with prices that include time (time-inclusive price) for 2 types of home foods: home foods using basic ingredients (home recipes) vs. home foods using more processed ingredients (processed recipes). The time-inclusive and time-exclusive prices are compared to determine whether the time-exclusive prices in isolation may mislead in drawing inferences regarding the relative prices of foods. DESIGN: We calculated the time-exclusive price and time-inclusive price of 100 home recipes and 143 processed recipes and then categorized them into 5 standard food groups: grains, proteins, vegetables, fruit, and dairy. We then examined the relation between the time-exclusive prices and the time-inclusive prices and dietary recommendations. RESULTS: For any food group, the processed food time-inclusive price was always less than the home recipe time-inclusive price, even if the processed food's time-exclusive price was more expensive. Time-inclusive prices for home recipes were especially higher for the more time-intensive food groups, such as grains, vegetables, and fruit, which are generally underconsumed relative to the guidelines. CONCLUSION: Focusing only on the sticker price of a food and ignoring the time cost may lead to different conclusions about relative prices and policy recommendations than when the time cost is included.