The predictive value of the hs-CRP/HDL-C ratio, an inflammation-lipid composite marker, for cardiovascular disease in middle-aged and elderly people: evidence from a large national cohort study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is associated with inflammation and abnormal lipid metabolism. However, a single inflammatory index or a single lipid index cannot accurately predict the prognosis of CVD independently because it is prone to be affected by various confounding factors. METHODS: This population-based cohort study included 6,554 participants from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) to investigate correlations. In the present study, the occurrence of CVD events such as stroke and heart disease was evaluated by considering self-reported diagnoses at the beginning of the study and during wave 4, and a restricted cubic spline model was used to investigate potential nonlinear relationships in addition to multivariate logistic regression models. Stratified analyses were performed to examine how sociodemographic characteristics may influence the results. RESULTS: Seven years of follow-up (2011-2018) revealed that 786 people (11.99%) developed CVD. According to the adjusted model, the high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP)-to-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio is a contributing factor to CVD risk (OR 1.31, 95% CI 1.05-1.64). In addition, a nonlinear relationship was observed between the hs-CRP/HDL-C ratio and the occurrence of new CVD, stroke, or cardiac issues (Poverall <0.05, Pnonlinear <0.05). Moreover, noteworthy associations between the hs-CRP/HDL-C ratio and age were detected in the stratified analysis (P = 0.048), indicating that younger participants had more negative effects of a high hs-CRP/HDL-C ratio. CONCLUSIONS: According to the present cohort study, a high hs-CRP/HDL-C ratio is a significant risk factor for CVD, new stroke, and heart problems. Early intervention in patients with increased hs-CRP/HDL-C ratios may further reduce the incidence of CVD, in addition to focusing on independent lipid markers or independent inflammatory markers.

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) in Non-Obese Patients with Schizophrenia: A Retrospective Study.

Background: To assess the prevalence and risk factors of NAFLD in non-obese patients with schizophrenia in a public psychiatric hospital in China. Methods: A total of 1,305 adult inpatients with schizophrenia in 2019 were included in this retrospective study. Body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25 kg/m2 was considered obese, and BMI < 25 kg/m2 was considered non-obese. We obtained the data from electronic records of the Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University. Results: A total of 1,045 non-obese patients and 260 obese patients were included in this study. The prevalence of NAFLD in non-obese patients was 25.0%, and it was much lower that in the obese patients (25.0% vs 64.6%, p < 0.001). Among the non-obese patients, there were significant differences in age, BMI, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), metabolic indices, and the prevalence of diabetes and hypertension between patients with NAFLD and patients without NAFLD. According to the results of binary logistic regression analysis, age, BMI, ALT, triglyceride (TG) and diabetes were significantly related to NAFLD among non-obese patients with schizophrenia. In contrast, HDL-C was was negatively associated with NAFLD among non-obese patients. Conclusion: This study suggested that NAFLD was common in patients with schizophrenia, even in non-obese patients with schizophrenia. In non-obese patients with schizophrenia, age, BMI, ALT, TG and diabetes are significantly associated with NAFLD. Moreover, HDL-C level was an independent protective factor against NAFLD. Given the adverse outcomes of NAFLD, it is necessary to increase awareness of NAFLD in patients with schizophrenia, especially in non-obese patients with schizophrenia.

Diagnostic status and epidemiological characteristics of community-acquired bacterial meningitis in children from 2019 to 2020: a multicenter retrospective study.

Community-acquired bacterial meningitis (CABM) is the main cause of morbidity and mortality in children. The epidemiology of CABM is regional and highly dynamic. To clarify the diagnostic status and epidemiological characteristics of children with CABM in this region, and pay attention to the disease burden, so as to provide evidence for the prevention and treatment of CABM. By retrospective case analysis, the clinical data of 918 CABM cases in children aged 0-14 years in Zhejiang Province from January, 2019 to December, 2020 were collected. The etiological diagnosis rate of CABM in children was 23.1%, the annual incidence rate 4.42-6.15/100,000, the annual mortality rate 0.06-0.09/100,000,the cure and improvement rate 94.4%, and the case fatality rate 1.4%. The total incidence of neuroimaging abnormalities was 20.6%. The median length of stay for CABM children was 20(16) days, with an average cost of 21,531(24,835) yuan. In addition, the incidence rate was decreased with age. Escherichia coli(E.coli) and group B Streptococcus agalactiae(GBS) were the principal pathogens in CABM infant<3 months(43.3%, 34.1%), and Streptococcus pneumoniae(S. pneumoniae) was the most common pathogen in children ≥ 3 months(33.9%). In conclusion, the annual incidence and mortality of CABM in children aged 0-14 years in Zhejiang Province are at intermediate and low level. The distribution of CABM incidence and pathogen spectrum are different in age; the incidence of abnormal neuroimaging is high; and the economic burden is heavy.

LncRNA STAT3-AS regulates endometrial receptivity via the STAT3 signaling pathway.

Endometrial receptivity is critical for the successful establishment of pregnancy in ruminants. Interferon tau (IFNT) plays a key role in promoting embryo attachment by activating the Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription pathway, which induces the expression of a series of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs). In our previous study, sequencing analysis of goat endometrial epithelial cells (gEECs) treated with 20 ng/mL IFNT revealed a differentially expressed long non-coding RNA located on the STAT3 antisense chain, which we designated STAT3-AS. The aim of this study was to investigate the role and mechanism of STAT3-AS in establishing endometrial receptivity in goats. The results showed that STAT3-AS was expressed in both the nucleus and cytoplasm of gEECs, and its expression increased significantly in the uterus on day 15 of pregnancy. STAT3-AS expression was upregulated in gEECs treated with IFNT alone or in combination with progesterone and estradiol. Knockdown of STAT3-AS using specific short interfering RNA significantly inhibited the expression of classical ISGs such as interferon-stimulated gene 15 and 2',5'-oligodenylate synthetase 2, as well as uterine endometrial receptivity-related genes including homeobox gene A11, integrin beta 3, and vascular endothelial growth factor. Moreover, gEEC proliferation and the STAT3 pathway were suppressed in the absence of STAT3-AS. However, pretreatment with the STAT3 activator RO8191 restored the effect of silencing STAT3-AS on endometrial receptivity. Overall, these results suggest that STAT3-AS is an important regulator of endometrial receptivity in goats and that it regulates endometrial receptivity through the STAT3 pathway.

Continuous electroproduction of formate via CO2 reduction on local symmetry-broken single-atom catalysts.

Atomic-level coordination engineering is an efficient strategy for tuning the catalytic performance of single-atom catalysts (SACs). However, their rational design has so far been plagued by the lack of a universal correlation between the coordination symmetry and catalytic properties. Herein, we synthesised planar-symmetry-broken CuN3 (PSB-CuN3) SACs through microwave heating for electrocatalytic CO2 reduction. Remarkably, the as-prepared catalysts exhibited a selectivity of 94.3% towards formate at -0.73 V vs. RHE, surpassing the symmetrical CuN4 catalyst (72.4% at -0.93 V vs. RHE). In a flow cell equipped with a PSB-CuN3 electrode, over 90% formate selectivity was maintained at an average current density of 94.4 mA cm-2 during 100 h operation. By combining definitive structural identification with operando X-ray spectroscopy and theoretical calculations, we revealed that the intrinsic local symmetry breaking from planar D4h configuration induces an unconventional dsp hybridisation, and thus a strong correlation between the catalytic activity and microenvironment of metal centre (i.e., coordination number and distortion), with high preference for formate production in CuN3 moiety. The finding opens an avenue for designing efficient SACs with specific local symmetries for selective electrocatalysis.

Tailored pharmacist-led intervention to improve adherence to Iron supplementation in premature infants: a randomized controlled trial in China.

Introduction: Prematurity is due to a number of factors, especially genetics. This study was designed to evaluate the impact of a pharmacist-led patient-centered medication therapy management trial on iron deficiency and medication adherence among premature infants receiving iron supplementation at a tertiary hospital in Shaoxing, China. Methods: In this randomised controlled trial, eighty-one premature infants, with or without genetic factors, born at 26 to 30 weeks and 6 days gestational age, will be recruited and randomised to an intervention group or a control group. The intervention group will receive a pharmacist-driven discharge counseling on iron supplements from recruitment, until 12 months. The control group will receive care as usual. The main outcomes were haemoglobin (g/L), serum iron (µg/L), medication adherence estimation and differentiation scale, the satisfaction with information about medicines scale, beliefs about medicines questionnaire and the Bayley scales for infant development. Results: A total of 81 patients were enrolled in the study. After intervention, results for the haemoglobin and serum iron differed significantly between the control group and the intervention group (101.36 vs. 113.55, P < 0.0001 and 51.13 vs. 101.36, P = 0.004). Additionally, there was a substantial difference between the intervention group and the control group in terms of patient medication adherence estimation and differentiation scale (27 vs. 34, P = 0.0002). the intervention group had better mental development index and psychomotor development index, compared with the control group (91.03 vs. 87.29, P = 0.035 and 95.05 vs. 90.00, P = 0.022). Discussion: In premature infants with iron deficiency, our pharmacist-led team significantly improved clinical outcomes and medication adherence.

Cryoprotective Effect of NADES on Frozen-Thawed Mirror Carp Surimi in Terms of Oxidative Denaturation, Structural Properties, and Thermal Stability of Myofibrillar Proteins.

Quality degradation due to the formation and growth of ice crystals caused by temperature fluctuations during storage, transportation, or retailing is a common problem in frozen surimi. While commercial antifreeze is used as an ingredient in frozen surimi, its high sweetness does not meet the contemporary consumer demand for low sugar and low calories. Therefore, the development of new green antifreeze agents to achieve an enhanced frozen-thawed stability of surimi has received more attention. The aim of this study was to develop a cryoprotectant (a mixture of citric acid and trehalose) to enhance the frozen-thawed stability of surimi by inhibiting the oxidative denaturation and structural changes of frozen-thawed mirror carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) surimi myofibrillar protein (MP). The results showed that the amounts of free amine, sulfhydryl, α-helix, intrinsic fluorescence intensity, and thermal stability in the control significantly decreased after five F-T cycles, while the Schiff base fluorescence intensity, amounts of disulfide bonds and surface hydrophobicity significantly increased (p < 0.05). Compared to sucrose + sorbitol (SS), the natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) effectively inhibited protein oxidation. After five F-T cycles, the α-helix content and Ca2+-ATPase activity of the NADES samples were 4.32% and 80.0%, respectively, higher, and the carbonyl content was 17.4% lower than those of the control. These observations indicate that NADES could inhibit oxidative denaturation and enhance the structural stability of MP.

Activation of ULK1 to trigger FUNDC1-mediated mitophagy in heart failure: Effect of Ginsenoside Rg3 intervention.

BACKGROUND: Although the development of therapies for heart failure (HF) continues apace, clinical outcomes are often far from ideal. Unc51-like-kinase 1 (ULK1)-mediated mitophagy prevents pathological cardiac remodeling and heart failure (HF). Molecularly ULK1-targeted agent to enhance mitophagy is scanty. HYPOTHESIS/PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate whether Ginsenoside Rg3 (Rg3) can activate ULK1 to trigger FUNDC1-mediated mitophagy for protecting heart failure. METHODS: Molecular docking and surface plasmon resonance were used to detect the ULK1 binding behavior of Rg3. Established HF model in rats and transcriptome sequencing were used to evaluate the therapeutic effect and regulatory mechanism of Rg3. Loss-of-function approaches in vivo and in vitro were performed to determine the role of ULK1 in Rg3-elicited myocardial protection against HF. FUNDC1 recombinant plasmid of site mutation was applied to elucidate more in-depth mechanisms. RESULTS: Structurally, a good binding mode was unveiled between ULK1 and Rg3. In vivo, Rg3 improved cardiac dysfunction, adverse remodeling, and mitochondrial damage in HF rats. Furthermore, Rg3 promoted Ulk1-triggered mitophagy both in vivo and in vitro, manifested by the impetus of downstream Fundc1-Lc3 interaction. Of note, the protective effects conferred by Rg3 against mitophagy defects, pathological remodeling, and cardiac dysfunction were compromised by Ulk1 gene silencing both in vivo and in vitro. Mechanistically, Rg3 activated mitophagy by inducing ULK1-mediated phosphorylation of FUNDC1 at the Ser17 site, not the Ser13 site. CONCLUSION: Together these observations demonstrated that Rg3 acts as a ULK1 activator for the precise treatment of HF, which binds to ULK1 to activate FUNDC1-mediated mitophagy.

Factors associated with afebrile presentation and delayed defervescence of bacterial meningitis in children under 3 years of age: a multi-centre retrospective analysis.

BACKGROUND: This multi-center study aimed to identify factors affecting fever and delayed defervescence in bacterial meningitis (BM) patients under 3 years of age because of the variability of fever in this patient population. METHODS: Only BM patients under 3 years treated at 49 centers in China from November 2018 to end-April 2021 were included in the study. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to determine factors associated with afebrile presentation and fever of delayed defervescence. RESULTS: A total of 863 BM patients under 3 years were included in the study. Coagulase negative staphylococcus was associated with afebrile presentation (OR = 1.176), while septicaemia and ear-nose-throat infections were associated with fever (P < 0.05). The patients with fever were assigned into early and delayed defervescence groups based on defervescence time (less than and more than or equal to one week). Furthermore, Streptococcus agalactiae meningitis (OR = 1.124), concomitant gastrointestinal infection (OR = 1.276), encephalomalacia (or = 1.339), and subdural effusion (OR = 1.454) were independently associated with delayed defervescence (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The findings can aid in the efficient utilization of fever in auxiliary diagnosis and evaluating the condition of the disease.

ACEI/ARB and beta-blocker therapies for preventing cardiotoxicity of antineoplastic agents in breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Anthracyclines and trastuzumab are widely used to treat breast cancer but increase the risk of cardiomyopathy and heart failure. With the use of trastuzumab and anthracycline-containing medications, this study intends to evaluate the effectiveness and security of current treatments against cardiotoxicity. We conducted a systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), which used at least one angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI), angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB), or beta-blocker (BB) to prevent cardiotoxicity of antineoplastic agents for breast cancer, in 4 databases (PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Web of Science) from inception to 11 May 2022, without language restrictions. The outcome of interest was left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and adverse events. Stata 15 and R software 4.2.1 were used to perform all statistical analyses. The Cochrane version 2 of the risk of bias tool was used to assess the risk of bias, and the grading of recommendations assessment, development, and evaluation (GRADE) assessment was used to appraise the quality of the evidence. Fifteen randomized clinical studies with a total of 1977 patients were included in the analysis. The included studies demonstrated statistically significant LVEF in the ACEI/ARB and BB treatment groups (χ2 = 184.75, I2 = 88.6%, p = 0.000; SMD 0.556, 95% CI 0.299 to 0.813). In an exploratory subgroup analysis, the benefit of experimental agents on LVEF, whether anthracyclines or trastuzumab, was prominent in patients treated with ACEIs, ARBs, and BBs. Compared to placebo, ACEI/ARB and BB treatments in breast cancer patients protect against cardiotoxicity after trastuzumab and anthracycline-containing medication treatment, indicating a benefit for both.

A semiconductor-electrocatalyst nano interface constructed for successive photoelectrochemical water oxidation.

Photoelectrochemical water splitting has long been considered an ideal approach to producing green hydrogen by utilizing solar energy. However, the limited photocurrents and large overpotentials of the anodes seriously impede large-scale application of this technology. Here, we use an interfacial engineering strategy to construct a nanostructural photoelectrochemical catalyst by incorporating a semiconductor CdS/CdSe-MoS2 and NiFe layered double hydroxide for the oxygen evolution reaction. Impressively, the as-prepared photoelectrode requires an low potential of 1.001 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode for a photocurrent density of 10 mA cm-2, and this is 228 mV lower than the theoretical water splitting potential (1.229 vs. reversible hydrogen electrode). Additionally, the generated current density (15 mA cm-2) of the photoelectrode at a given overpotential of 0.2 V remains at 95% after long-term testing (100 h). Operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy revealed that the formation of highly oxidized Ni species under illumination provides large photocurrent gains. This finding opens an avenue for designing high-efficiency photoelectrochemical catalysts for successive water splitting.

Dynamic changes in postmortem quality of mirror carp (Cyprinus carpio L.): Based on oxidation reaction and mitochondrial function properties.

The dynamic changes in the postmortem quality of mirror carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) were investigated. With extended postmortem time, conductivity, redness, lipid oxidation, and protein oxidation all increased, while lightness, whiteness, and freshness decreased. At 4 h postmortem, the pH value reached a minimum (6.58), while the centrifugal loss and hardness reached a maximum (17.13% and 2539 g). Additionally, variations in mitochondria-related parameters during apoptosis were studied. Within 72 h postmortem, the content of reactive oxygen species initially decreased and subsequently increased; furthermore, there was a significant increase in the mitochondrial membrane permeability transition pore, membrane fluidity, and swelling (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, the cytosolic cytochrome c level decreased from 0.71 to 0.23, which indicated potential mitochondrial damage. Thus, mitochondrial dysfunction during postmortem aging can give rise to oxidation and the production of ammonia and amine compounds, which leads to flesh quality deterioration.

USP18 promotes endometrial receptivity via the JAK/STAT1 and the ISGylation pathway.

Interferon-tau (IFNT), a pregnancy recognition signal in ruminants, promotes the establishment of endometrial receptivity by inducing the expression of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) via the Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK/STATs) signaling pathway. However, the precise mechanisms remain largely unknown. Ubiquitin-specific protease 18 (USP18) acts specifically on the ISGylation modification system to exert deubiquitination and participates in the regulation of the type I IFN signaling pathway. The purpose of this study was to determine the role and mechanism of USP18 on endometrial receptivity in goat. USP18 was mainly localized in the uterine luminal and glandular epithelium, and its expression levels were significantly increased from days 5-18 of early pregnancy. Progesterone (P4), estradiol (E2), and IFNT significantly stimulated USP18 expression in goat endometrial epithelial cells (gEECs) cultured in vitro. Meanwhile, the markers of endometrial receptivity HOXA11, ITGB1, ITGB3, and ITGB5 were significantly upregulated after USP18 overexpression in gEECs. However, USP18 interference significantly inhibited the expression of HOXA10, ITGB1, ITGB3, and ITGB5 in gEECs. In addition, both the phosphorylation levels of STAT1 and the expression of ISGylation-modified proteins were significantly increased after USP18 silencing in gEECs. Furthermore, pretreatment with the STAT1 inhibitor Fludara markedly restored the effect of USP18 interference in gEECs. In summary, USP18 may play an important role in promoting goat endometrial receptivity by regulating the JAK/STAT1 pathway and ISGylation.

Atomic-Level Regulation of Cobalt Single-Atom Nanozymes: Engineering High-Efficiency Catalase Mimics.

Nanozymes aim to mimic the highly evolved active centers of natural enzymes. Despite progress in nanozyme engineering, their catalytic performance is much less favorable compared with natural enzymes. This study shows that precise control over the atomic configuration of the active centers of Co single-atom nanozymes (SAzymes) enables the rational regulation of their catalase-like performance guided by theorical calculations. The constructed Co-N3 PS SAzyme exhibits an excellent catalase-like activity and kinetics, exceeding the representative controls of Co-based SAzymes with different atomic configurations. Moreover, we developed an ordered structure-oriented coordination design strategy for rationally engineering SAzymes and established a correlation between the structure and enzyme-like performance. This work demonstrates that precise control over the active centers of SAzymes is an efficient strategy to mimic the highly evolved active sites of natural enzymes.

Composite dietary antioxidant index negatively correlates with osteoporosis among middle-aged and older US populations.

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether the composite dietary antioxidant index (CDAI) is associated with osteoporosis (OP) in middle-aged and older US populations. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey and identified individuals aged 40-85 years (n=11,664) from secondary datasets from the 2007-2010, 2013-2014, and 2017-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry was used to measure bone mineral density (BMD), and OP was defined as a BMD T-score ≤-2.5 at the femoral neck or lumbar spine. The CDAI score was calculated based on dietary data from the first NHANES 24-hour dietary recall. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to evaluate the association between CDAI and OP. RESULTS: Among the 11,664 participants, the average age was 60.3 (11.8), 5,898 (50.6%) were female, and 925 (7.9%) had OP. The median CDAI was -2.0 (interquartile range, -6.9 to 4.2). After adjusting for age, sex, race, family income, body mass index, physical activity, calorie intake, estimated glomerular filtration rate, smoking and drinking status, hypertension, and diabetes, the CDAI was associated with OP (odds ratio (OR), 0.98; 95% CI: 0.96-0.99). Participants in the highest CDAI quantile were at low risk of osteoporosis (OR, 0.61; 95% CI: 0.44-0.85) versus those in the lowest quantile. Moreover, this association was stable in the subgroup and sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSION: Dietary antioxidant ability assessed by using the CDAI was inversely associated with OP among US adults aged 40-85 years.

Interferon-τ -induced ISG15-AS regulates endometrial receptivity during early goat pregnancy.

Endometrial receptivity is a critical process for the successful establishment of pregnancy in ruminants. However, the biological role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the development of endometrial receptivity is poorly understood. In this study, we performed RNA-seq analysis of immortalised goat endometrial epithelial cells (gEECs) treated with interferon-τ (IFNT). Transcriptome profiles showed that 8069 high-confidence putative lncRNAs, including 6498 intronic lncRNA transcripts, 1078 lincRNAs and 493 antisense lncRNAs were identified in gEECs with or without IFNT treatment. Functional clustering analysis was performed by using cis and trans lncRNAs prediction. GO and KEGG analyses revealed that differentially expressed lncRNAs may regulate tissue remodelling and immune responses. Subsequently, six of the 21 differentially expressed antisense lncRNAs were validated using qRT-PCR. Through functional screening and co-expression analysis of lncRNAs in gEECs, we identified that ISG15-AS was mainly expressed in the luminal and glandular epithelium on days 5 and 15 and was strongly upregulated on day 18 of pregnancy in vivo. Similarly, ISG15-AS was abundant in the nucleus and cytoplasm, and was significantly upregulated after treatment with IFNT in gEECs. In addition, ISG15 is an IFNT-responsive gene, that displayed an evident increase in vivo and in vitro. Moreover, sense ISG15 was significantly upregulated following ISG15-AS silencing. The key genes related to ISGylation and endometrial receptivity in gEECs dramatically increased after ISG15-AS inhibition. Collectively, our results indicate that a novel antisense lncRNA, ISG15-AS, may be important in regulating endometrial receptivity through ISGylation.

Systematic evaluation of guidelines for laparoscopic surgery and endoscopic management for colon cancer.

PURPOSE: To understand the methodological quality of recent guidelines for laparoscopic surgery and endoscopic management for colon cancer and to analyze the heterogeneity and possible reasons for the main recommendations. METHODS: A systematic and comprehensive search of databases and relevant websites was conducted to collect guidelines for laparoscopic surgery for colon cancer in the last 10 years that met the inclusion criteria. The AGREE II manual was used to evaluate the included guidelines and to assess and analyze the heterogeneity and reasons for key recommendations about the surgery. RESULTS: A total of fifteen guidelines were included in this study. Only two guidelines had an overall score greater than 60% and were recommended for clinical use. Eleven guidelines had an overall score of 30-60%, and two guidelines had an overall score of less than 30%. Further analysis of the reasons for heterogeneity in the guideline recommendations and evidence was performed for nine guidelines. This study found that only 36.1% of the evidence levels recommended in the guidelines were high. Significant heterogeneity exists in the main recommendations, mainly because the relevant content is not mentioned or described in detail. CONCLUSION: The quality of guidelines for laparoscopic colon cancer surgery is variable, and there is significant heterogeneity among key recommendations. And the level of evidence underlying the recommendations was generally not high. Further guideline updates should address the causes of the above heterogeneity.

Comparative transcriptome and proteome analyses of the longissimus dorsi muscle for explaining the difference between donkey meat and other meats.

Domestic donkeys (Equus asinus) have been maintained mainly for service purposes in the past. Nowadays, there is an increasing interest in donkey milk and meat production in several countries, including China. Donkey meat is highly consumed because of its nutritional value and unique flavor. However, genomic studies on donkey meat are limited. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to examine the molecular difference of longissimus dorsi muscles of donkey, cow, and goat. RNA sequencing and Proteome sequencing technology were used to analyze the transcriptome and proteome of the longissimus dorsi muscle of donkey, cow, and goat. A total of 1338 and 1780 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in donkey meat compared with that in cow and goat meat, respectively. Most of the DEGs were involved in biological processes, including small GTPase-mediated signal transduction, protein ubiquitination, protein glycosylation, and MAP kinase tyrosine/serine/threonine phosphatase activity. Additionally, 764 and 1024 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified in cow vs. donkey, and goat vs. donkey, respectively; these DEPs were mainly involved in metabolism. Genetic variation and regulatory factors can combine as a database to provide more valuable molecular information for further analysis.

Chemical transformation and cytotoxicity of iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) accumulated in mitochondria.

Iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) have been widely used as a nanoscale tool in biomedical research. However, it remains largely unknown how IONPs are transformed at a subcellular level to elicit distinct biological effects. In the present study, we prepared three different IONPs, including two IONPs targeting mitochondria (IONP-TPP) and lysosomes (IONP-APM), respectively, and a control with no specified target (IONP). By MTT assay and JC-1 staining, mitochondria-targeted IONP-TPP was found to produce significant cytotoxicity and severe mitochondrial membrane depolarization in MCF-7 cells. Furthermore, X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) analysis revealed that IONP-TPP underwent remarkable edge defects and oxidation inside the cell. These findings suggest that IONPs are prone to the chemical transformation at mitochondria, and mitochondria are vulnerable to IONPs accumulation in the cell.

The positive contribution of ultrasound technology in muscle food key processing and its mechanism-a review.

Traditional processing methods can no longer meet the demands of consumers for high-quality muscle food. As a green and non-thermal processing technology, ultrasound has the advantage of improving processing efficiency and reducing processing costs. Of these, the positive effect of power ultrasound in the processing of muscle foods is noticeable. Based on the action mechanism of ultrasound, the factors affecting the action of ultrasound are analyzed. On this basis, the effect of ultrasound technology on muscle food quality and its action mechanism and application status in processing operations (freezing-thawing, tenderization, marination, sterilization, drying, and extraction) is discussed. The transient and steady-state effects, mechanical effects, thermal effects, and chemical effects can have an impact on processing operations through complex correlations, such as improving the efficiency of mass and heat transfer. Ultrasound technology has been proven to be valuable in muscle food processing, but inappropriate ultrasound treatment can also have adverse effects on muscle foods. In the future, kinetic models are expected to be an effective tool for investigating the application effects of ultrasound in food processing. Additionally, the combination with other processing technologies can facilitate their intensive application on an industrial level to overcome the disadvantages of using ultrasound technology alone.