The Prognostic Value of Serum Calcium Levels in Elderly Dilated Cardiomyopathy Patients.

Background: It is unclear whether serum calcium on admission is associated with clinical outcomes in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). In this study, we conducted a retrospective study spanning a decade to investigate the prognostic value of baseline calcium in elderly patients with DCM. Methods: A total of 1,089 consecutive elderly patients (age ≥60 years) diagnosed with DCM were retrospectively enrolled from January 2010 to December 2019. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to investigate the association of serum calcium with their clinical outcomes. Results: In this study, the average age of the subjects was 68.36 ± 6.31 years. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that serum calcium level had a great sensitivity and specificity for predicting in-hospital death, with an AUC of 0.732. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that patients with a serum calcium >8.62 mg/dL had a better prognosis than those with a serum calcium ≤8.62 mg/dL (log-rank χ2 40.84, p < 0.001). After adjusting for several common risk factors, a serum calcium ≤8.62 mg/dL was related to a higher risk of long-term mortality (HR: 1.449; 95% CI: 1.115~1.882; p = 0.005). Conclusions: Serum calcium level could be served as a simple and affordable tool to evaluate patients' prognosis in DCM.

The evolutionary mechanism and function analysis of two subgroups of histamine-producing and non-histamine-producing Tetragenococcus halophilus.

Tetragenococcus halophilus is a halophilic bacterium that existed in the fermentation of soy sauce and miso for flavor production and probiotic benefits. However, it is composed of two subgroups, histamine-producing and non-histamine-producing, with the former causing histamine accumulation and offering risks to food safety. Exploring the evolutionary mechanisms and physiological function of histamine-biosynthesis is of significance for understanding the formative mechanism of T. halophilus's strain-specificity and is helpful for microbial control. Using systematic genomic analysis, we found that plasmid acquisition and loss is the evolutionary form resulting in the two subgroups of T. halophilus. Two plasmids, plasmid α with 30 kb and plasmid ß with 4 kb existed in histamine-producing T. halophilus. We investigated the whole genetic information and proposed their genetic function in both two plasmids. The acquisition of histamine-producing plasmid enhanced the acid tolerance of histamine-producing T. halophilus but did not affect salt tolerance. More interestingly, we found that the existence of plasmid will promote the co-culture growth of T. halophilus. This study deepens our understanding of the formative mechanism of microbial species diversity, and provides our knowledge of the physiological function of histamine-producing plasmids.

Perinatal risk factors for neonatal early-onset sepsis: a meta-analysis of observational studies.

OBJECTIVE: Early-onset neonatal sepsis (EONS) remains an important cause of neonatal mortality and has many risk factors, therefore, this study aimed to investigate the perinatal risk factors for EONS. METHODS: We searched CNKI, Wan Fang, VIP, CBM, PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science to compile studies regarding the incidence of neonatal early-onset sepsis, published up to 1 May 2022. To evaluate the quality of the included studies, we used the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, and the RevMan5.3 software was used for meta-analysis. RESULTS: A total of 17 studies were included, with 1987 cases in the case group and 4814 cases in the control group. Meta-analysis showed that perinatal asphyxia or intrauterine distress (OR = 3.00, 95% CI: 2.18-4.13), amniotic fluid meconium contamination (OR = 4.51, 95% CI: 2.31-8.81), group B streptococcal (GBS) colonization in pregnant women (OR = 2.13, 95% CI: 1.48-3.05), chorioamnionitis (OR = 4.58, 95% CI: 2.61-8.05), premature rupture of membranes (OR = 2.63, 95% CI: 2.09-3.30), lower gestational age (OR = 1.31, 95% CI: 1.18-1.44), maternal urinary or reproductive tract infection (OR = 3.61, 95% CI: 2.14-6.11), perinatal fever (OR = 3.59, 95% CI: 2.25-5.71), very low birth weight (OR = 3.79, 95% CI: 2.14-6.73), and vaginal examination ≥3 times (OR = 7.95, 95% CI: 4.04-15.64) were the perinatal risk factors for EONS. CONCLUSION: Perinatal asphyxia or intrauterine distress, meconium contamination in amniotic fluid, GBS colonization in pregnant women, chorioamnionitis, premature rupture of membranes, lower gestational age, maternal urinary tract or reproductive tract infection, perinatal fever, very low birth weight, and vaginal examinations ≥3 times may increase the risk of EONS.

Digital economy and inclusive green growth: The moderating effect of government environmental regulation.

As digital economy flourishes, there have been fundamental changes in the patterns of economic development, social structure, and ecological environment, which are the key elements of inclusive green growth (IGG). However, whether digital economy can effectively contribute to IGG requires further investigation. This paper evaluates the direct and spatial spillover effect of digital economy on IGG of 280 cities in China during 2011-2019 using Spatial Durbin Model (SDM). It further explores how government environmental regulation (GER) moderates this facilitating effect. The empirical results show that digital economy significantly reinforces IGG while GER weakens the benefits of digital economy to IGG. There is a significant spatial spillover effect of digital economy on IGG in neighboring regions; specifically, IGG in peripheral cities is more significantly encouraged by digital economy than in central cities. In addition, digital development demonstrates the most significant impact on IGG in central regions of China, followed by the eastern regions, with western regions lagging behind. This paper contributes theoretically and empirically to promote digital economy selectively for IGG in different regions and provides a guideline for policymakers to achieve IGG through proper GER.

In situ synthesis of layered nickel organophosphonates for efficient aqueous nickel-zinc battery cathodes.

Aqueous nickel-zinc (Ni-Zn) batteries have received increasing research interests because of their reliable safety and economical-friendliness. However, the retarded ionic diffusion, low capacity and limited stability of traditional Ni-based cathodes greatly impedes the practical application of Ni-Zn batteries. Herein, two metal organophosphonate materials of Ni methylphosphonate (Ni-MPA) and Ni phenylphosphonate (Ni-PPA) directly grown on Ni foam are constructed successfully through one step solvothermal technique. These two self-supported Ni organophosphonates featured hybrid two-dimensional (2D) structures consisting of alternating inorganic and organic layers, where the inorganic layers are formed by six-coordinated Ni2+ bridged by oxygen atoms and capped by organophosphonate groups, availing to provide rich open redox reaction sites, rapid ion diffusion and structural flexibility. The research results reveal that the organic groups in phosphonic acid ligands have important influence on their electrochemical properties. Consequently, the Ni-MPA electrode exhibits a higher specific capacity of 2.27 mAh/cm2 compared to that of the Ni-PPA electrode (1.1 mAh/cm2) at 3.0 mA/cm2; however, it demonstrates a more rapid transformation rate into Ni(OH)2 in an alkaline solution. Furthermore, the constructed Ni-MPA//Zn battery can deliver an impressive areal energy density of 2.95 mWh/cm2, good rate performance as well as a long-term cycling stability.

Serum albumin and prognosis in elderly patients with nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy.

AIMS: Hypoalbuminemia was extensively used to diagnose malnutrition in older adults. Malnutrition was associated with mortality in elderly patients with cardiovascular diseases. The relationship between hypoalbuminemia and clinical outcomes in elderly patients with nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (NIDCM) remains unknown. METHODS: A total of 1058 consecutive patients with NIDCM (age ≥60 years) were retrospectively enrolled from January 2010 to December 2019. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to assess the association of hypoalbuminemia with clinical outcomes. RESULTS: Patients with hypoalbuminemia were older (69.29 ±â€Š6.67 vs. 67.61 ±â€Š5.90 years, P  < 0.001) and had higher prevalence of in-hospital and long-term death than those without (6.9 vs. 1.7%, 50.7 vs. 35.2%, P  < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis showed that hypoalbuminemia was significantly related to in-hospital death [odds ratio (OR): 4.334, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.185-8.597, P  < 0.001]. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that patients with hypoalbuminemia had worse prognosis than those with nonhypoalbuminemia (log-rank χ2 28.96, P  < 0.001). After adjusting for age, serum creatinine, HDL-C, AST/ALT hypoalbuminemia, LVEF and diabetes, hypoalbuminemia remained an independent predictor for long-term death (hazard ratio 1.322, 95% CI 0.046-1.670, P  = 0.019). CONCLUSION: Hypoalbuminemia was associated with increased risk of in-hospital and long-term mortality in elderly patients with NIDCM.

The mediating role of default mode network during meaning-making aroused by mental simulation between stressful events and stress-related growth: a task fMRI study.

BACKGROUND: Stressful events and meaning-making toward them play an important role in adolescents' life and growth. However, ignoring positive stressful events leads to negativity bias; further, the neural mechanisms of meaning-making are unclear. We aimed to verify the mediating role of meaning-making in stressful events and stress-related growth and the function of the default mode network (DMN) during meaning-making in this functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study. METHODS: Participants comprised 59 university students. Stressful life events, meaning-making, and stress-related growth were assessed at baseline, followed by fMRI scanning during a meaning-making task aroused by mental simulation. General linear modeling and psychophysiological interaction (PPI) analyses were used to explore the activation and functional connectivity of DMN during meaning-making. RESULTS: Mental simulation triggered meaning-making, and DMN activity decreased during meaning-making. Activation of the DMN was negatively correlated with coping flexibility, an indicator of stress-related growth. PPI analysis showed that meaning-making was accompanied by diminished connectivity in the DMN. DMN activation during meaning-making can mediate the relationship between positive stressful events and coping flexibility. CONCLUSIONS: Decreased DMN activity and diminished functional connectivity in the DMN occurred during meaning-making. Activation of the DMN during meaning-making could mediate the relationship between positive stressful events and stress-related growth, which provides a cognitive neural basis for the mediating role of meaning-making in the relationship between stressful events and indicators of stress-related growth. IMPLICATIONS: This study supports the idea that prosperity makes heroes, expands the meaning-making model, and suggests the inclusion of enhancing personal resources and meaning-making in education. This study was the first to validate the activation pattern and functional connectivity of the DMN during meaning-making aroused by mental simulation using an fMRI task-state examination, which can enhance our sense of meaning and provide knowledge that can be used in clinical psychology interventions. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study protocol was pre-registered in Open Science Framework (see osf.io/ahm6e for details).

The effects of proprioceptive weighting changes on posture control in patients with chronic low back pain: a cross-sectional study.

Introduction: Patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP) exhibit changes in proprioceptive weighting and impaired postural control. This study aimed to investigate proprioceptive weighting changes in patients with CLBP and their influence on posture control. Methods: Sixteen patients with CLBP and 16 healthy controls were recruited. All participants completed the joint reposition test sense (JRS) and threshold to detect passive motion test (TTDPM). The absolute errors (AE) of the reposition and perception angles were recorded. Proprioceptive postural control was tested by applying vibrations to the triceps surae or lumbar paravertebral muscles while standing on a stable or unstable force plate. Sway length and sway velocity along the anteroposterior (AP) and mediolateral (ML) directions were assessed. Relative proprioceptive weighting (RPW) was used to evaluate the proprioception reweighting ability. Higher values indicated increased reliance on calf proprioception. Results: There was no significant difference in age, gender, and BMI between subjects with and without CLBP. The AE and motion perception angle in the CLBP group were significantly higher than those in the control group (JRS of 15°: 2.50 (2.50) vs. 1.50 (1.42), JRS of 35°: 3.83 (3.75) vs. 1.67 (2.00), pJRS < 0.01; 1.92 (1.18) vs. 0.68 (0.52), pTTDPM < 0.001). The CLBP group demonstrated a significantly higher RPW value than the healthy controls on an unstable surface (0.58 ± 0.21 vs. 0.41 ± 0.26, p < 0.05). Under the condition of triceps surae vibration, the sway length (pstable < 0.05; punstable < 0.001), AP velocity (pstable < 0.01; punstable < 0.001) and ML velocity (punstable < 0.05) had significant group main effects. Moreover, when the triceps surae vibrated under the unstable surface, the differences during vibration and post vibration in sway length and AP velocity between the groups were significantly higher in the CLBP group than in the healthy group (p < 0.05). However, under the condition of lumbar paravertebral muscle vibration, no significant group main effect was observed. Conclusion: The patients with CLBP exhibited impaired dynamic postural control in response to disturbances, potentially linked to changes in proprioceptive weighting.

MiRNAs as biomarkers for diagnosis of neonatal sepsis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between circulating miRNAs and neonatal sepsis and the mechanism of action are still unclear at this time. Therefore, the potential diagnostic role of miRNAs in neonatal sepsis (NS) was studied through meta-analysis. METHOD: Web of Science, Cochrane Library, PubMed, and Embase are retrieved, supplemented by manual search, and the search was conducted to find related studies without time limit until May 2022.The quality of the literature was assessed via QUADAS criteria and meta-analyzed via Stata 11.0 software, including the assessment of specificity, sensitivity, likelihood ratio and diagnostic odds ratio. Then, sensitivity analysis and heterogeneity testing were conducted, and finally, the summary receiver operating characteristics (SROC) curve was drawn. RESULT: This study included 14 articles, including 20 miRNAs and 1597 newborns(control group: 727 and case group: 870). Among them, one article was of low quality, three articles were of high quality, and the rest were of medium quality. According to the results of random effects model analysis, the pooled specificity and sensitivity of miRNA for the diagnosis of NS were 0.83 (95%CI: 0.79-0.87) and 0.76 (95%CI: 0.72-0.80), respectively. And negative likelihood ratio, positive likelihood ratio, and diagnostic odds ratio were 0.29 (95%CI: 0.24-0.34), 4.51 (95%CI: 3.52-5.78), and 15.81 (95%CI: 10.71-23.35), respectively. The area under the SROC curve was 0.86, and there was no evidence publication bias detected in the funnel plot. CONCLUSION: Circulating miRNAs may be very useful in the development of early diagnostic strategies for neonatal sepsis.

Engineering iron carbide catalyst with aerophilic and electron-rich surface for improved electrochemical CO2 reduction.

Highly efficient electrocatalyst for carbon dioxide reduction (CO2RR) is desirable for converting CO2 into carbon-based chemicals and reducing anthropogenic carbon emission. Regulating catalyst surface to improve the affinity for CO2 and the capability of CO2 activation is the key to high-efficiency CO2RR. In this work, we develop an iron carbide catalyst encapsulated in nitrogenated carbon (SeN-Fe3C) with an aerophilic and electron-rich surface by inducing preferential formation of pyridinic-N species and engineering more negatively charged Fe sites. The SeN-Fe3C exhibits an excellent CO selectivity with a CO Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 92 % at -0.5 V (vs. RHE) and remarkably enhanced CO partial current density as compared to the N-Fe3C catalyst. Our results demonstrate that Se doping reduces the Fe3C particle size and improves the dispersion of Fe3C on nitrogenated carbon. More importantly, the preferential formation of pyridinic-N species induced by Se doping endows the SeN-Fe3C with an aerophilic surface and improves the affinity of the SeN-Fe3C for CO2. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that the electron-rich surface, which is caused by pyridinic N species and much more negatively charged Fe sites, leads to a high degree of polarization and activation of CO2 molecule, thus conferring a remarkably improved CO2RR activity on the SeN-Fe3C catalyst.

Transformation of arginine into zero-dimensional nanomaterial endows the material with antibacterial and osteoinductive activity.

Implant-associated infection is a major threat affecting the success of orthopedic surgeries. Although various materials scavenge bacteria by generating reactive oxygen species (ROS), the intrinsic inability of ROS to distinguish bacteria from cells notably limits the therapeutic effects. Here, we found that the arginine carbon dots (Arg-CDs) that were transformed from arginine exhibited supreme antibacterial and osteoinductive activity. We further designed the Schiff base bond between Arg-CDs and aldehyde hyaluronic acid/gelatin methacryloyl (HG) hydrogel to release Arg-CDs in response to the acidic bone injury microenvironment. The free Arg-CDs could selectively kill bacteria by generating excessive ROS. Furthermore, the Arg-CD-loaded HG composite hydrogel showed excellent osteoinductive activity through inducing the M2 polarization of macrophages by up-regulating interleukin-10 (Il10) expression. Together, our findings revealed that transformation of the arginine into zero-dimensional Arg-CDs could endow the material with exceptional antibacterial and osteoinductive activity, favoring the regeneration of infectious bone.

The accuracy of soluble urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor for the diagnosis of neonatal sepsis: a meta-analysis.

Background: Neonatal sepsis is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality in newborns. However, atypical clinical manifestations and symptoms make the early diagnosis of neonatal sepsis a challenge. Relatively high-serum soluble urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) has been implicated as a diagnostic biomarker for adult sepsis. Therefore, the meta-analysis is intended to explore the diagnostic value of suPAR for neonatal sepsis. Methods: The PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, China Biological Medicine Disk, and Wanfang databases were retrieved from inception to 31 December 2022 to collect diagnostic accuracy studies about suPAR for neonatal sepsis. Two reviewers independently screened the literature, extracted data, and assessed the risk of bias in the included studies using the quality assessment of diagnostic accuracy studies-2 (QUADAS-2) tool. Then, a meta-analysis was performed using Stata 15.0 software. Results: A total of six articles involving eight studies were included. The results of the meta-analysis showed that the pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, and diagnostic odds ratio were 0.89 [95%CI (0.83-0.93)], 0.94 [95%CI (0.77-0.98)], 14 [95%CI (3.5-55.2)], 0.12 [95%CI (0.08-0.18)], and 117 [95%CI (24-567)], respectively. The area under the curve (AUC) of summary receiver operator characteristic (SROC) curves was 0.92 [95%CI (0.90-0.94)]. Sensitivity analysis confirmed the stability of the results, and publication bias was not observed. Fagan's nomogram results demonstrated the clinical availability of the findings. Conclusion: Current evidence suggests that suPAR has potential diagnostic value for neonatal sepsis. Owing to the limited quality of the included studies, more high-quality studies are needed to verify the above conclusion.

Building Osteogenic Microenvironments with a Double-Network Composite Hydrogel for Bone Repair.

The critical factor determining the in vivo effect of bone repair materials is the microenvironment, which greatly depends on their abilities to promote vascularization and bone formation. However, implant materials are far from ideal candidates for guiding bone regeneration due to their deficient angiogenic and osteogenic microenvironments. Herein, a double-network composite hydrogel combining vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-mimetic peptide with hydroxyapatite (HA) precursor was developed to build an osteogenic microenvironment for bone repair. The hydrogel was prepared by mixing acrylated ß-cyclodextrins and octacalcium phosphate (OCP), an HA precursor, with gelatin solution, followed by ultraviolet photo-crosslinking. To improve the angiogenic potential of the hydrogel, QK, a VEGF-mimicking peptide, was loaded in acrylated ß-cyclodextrins. The QK-loaded hydrogel promoted tube formation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells and upregulated the expression of angiogenesis-related genes, such as Flt1, Kdr, and VEGF, in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. Moreover, QK could recruit bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. Furthermore, OCP in the composite hydrogel could be transformed into HA and release calcium ions facilitating bone regeneration. The double-network composite hydrogel integrated QK and OCP showed obvious osteoinductive activity. The results of animal experiments showed that the composite hydrogel enhanced bone regeneration in skull defects of rats, due to perfect synergistic effects of QK and OCP on vascularized bone regeneration. In summary, improving the angiogenic and osteogenic microenvironments by our double-network composite hydrogel shows promising prospects for bone repair.

The association between mannose binding lectin gene polymorphisms and the risk of neonatal sepsis: an updated meta-analysis.

Objectives: To evaluate the relationship between mannose-binding lectin (MBL) polymorphism and neonatal sepsis to provide ideas for early diagnosis and control of neonatal sepsis using meta-analysis. Methods: The China National Knowledge Infrastructure, WanFang Data, China Biological Medicine Disc, PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases were electronically searched to collect studies on the association between the MBL gene variants and the risk of neonatal sepsis. Original articles from case-control and cohort studies on the relationship between MBL polymorphisms and neonatal sepsis were considered eligible. Meta-analysis was performed using Stata 15.0 software. The chi-square-based Q test and I2 statistics were used to assess heterogeneity. Forest plots were used to display the results graphically. Potential publication bias was assessed using the Egger and Begg tests and funnel plots. Results: Twenty-two studies, including 4565 cases and 12,746 controls, were included in this meta-analysis. Meta-analysis showed a significant relationship between MBL rs1800450 (codon 54, G > A) and neonatal sepsis in the variant vs. wild types. However, the analysis showed MBL exon 1 gene polymorphism (A/O), MBL rs5030737 (codon 52, C > T), and rs1800451 (codon 57, G > A), involved in existing research, were not associated with the risk of sepsis in neonates. Conclusions: Current evidence shows that MBL rs1800450 is associated with neonatal culture-proven sepsis. Owing to the limited quantity and quality of the included studies, more high-quality studies are required to verify the above conclusion.

The immediate effects of iTBS on the muscle activation pattern under challenging balance conditions in the patients with chronic low back pain: A preliminary study.

Background: The patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP) showed impaired postural control, especially in challenging postural task. The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is reported to involve in the complex balance task, which required considerable attentional control. The effect of intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) over the DLPFC to the capacity of postural control of CLBP patients is still unknown. Methods: Participants diagnosed with CLBP received a single-session iTBS over the left DLPFC. All the participants completed the postural control tasks of single-leg (left/right) standing before and after iTBS. The activation changes of the DLPFC and M1 before and after iTBS were recorded by functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). The activation pattern of the trunk [transversus abdominis (TrA), superficial lumbar multifidus (SLM)] and leg [tibialis anterior (TA), gastrocnemius medialis (GM)] muscles including root mean square (RMS) and co-contraction index (CCI) during single-leg standing were measured by surface electromyography (sEMG) before and after the intervention. The paired t-test was used to test the difference before and after iTBS. Pearson correlation analyses were performed to test the relationship between the oxyhemoglobin concentration and sEMG outcome variables (RMS and CCI). Results: Overall, 20 participants were recruited. In the right-leg standing condition, compared with before iTBS, the CCI of the right TrA/SLM was significantly decreased (t = -2.172, p = 0.043), and the RMS of the right GM was significantly increased (t = 4.024, p = 0.001) after iTBS. The activation of the left DLPFC (t = 2.783, p = 0.012) and left M1 (t = 2.752, p = 0.013) were significantly decreased and the relationship between the left DLPFC and M1 was significant after iTBS (r = 0.575, p = 0.014). Correlation analysis showed the hemoglobin concentration of M1 was negatively correlated with the RMS of the right GM (r = -0.659, p = 0.03) and positively correlated between CCI of the right TrA/SLM (r = 0.503, p = 0.047) after iTBS. There was no significant difference in the brain or muscle activation change in the left leg-standing condition between before and after iTBS. Conclusion: Intermittent theta burst stimulation over the left DLPFC seems to be able to improve the muscle activation pattern during postural control ability in challenging postural task, which would provide a new approach to the treatment of CLBP.

Ratio of Histamine-Producing/Non-Histamine-Producing Subgroups of Tetragenococcus halophilus Determines the Histamine Accumulation during Spontaneous Fermentation of Soy Sauce.

Strain specificity (within-species variation) of microorganisms occurs widely in nature. It might affect microbiome construction and function in a complex microbial environment. Tetragenococcus halophilus, a halophilic bacterium that generally is used in high salt food fermentation, consists of two histamine-producing and non-histamine-producing subgroups. It is unclear whether and how the strain specificity of histamine-producing capacity influences the microbial community function during food fermentation. Here, based on systematic bioinformatic analysis, histamine production dynamic analysis, clone library construction analysis, and cultivation-based identification, we identified that T. halophilus is the focal histamine-producing microorganism during soy sauce fermentation. Furthermore, we discovered that a larger number and ratio of histamine-producing subgroups of T. halophilus significantly contributed more histamine production. We were able to artificially decrease the ratio of histamine-producing to non-histamine-producing subgroups of T. halophilus in complex soy sauce microbiota and realized the reduction of histamine by 34%. This study emphasizes the significance of strain specificity in regulating microbiome function. This study investigated how strain specificity influenced microbial community function and developed an efficient technique for histamine control. IMPORTANCE Inhibiting the production of microbiological hazards under the assumption of stable and high-quality fermentation is a critical and time-consuming task for the food fermentation industry. For spontaneously fermented food, it can be realized theoretically by finding and controlling the focal hazard-producing microorganism in complex microbiota. This work used histamine control in soy sauce as a model and developed a system-level approach to identify and regulate the focal hazard-producing microorganism. We discovered that the strain specificity of focal hazard-producing microorganisms had an important impact on hazard accumulation. Microorganisms frequently exhibit strain specificity. Strain specificity is receiving increasing interest since it determines not only microbial robustness but also microbial community assembly and microbiome function. This study creatively explored how the strain specificity of microorganisms influenced microbiome function. In addition, we believe that this work provides an excellent model for microbiological hazard control which can promote future work in other systems.

[Evaluation of PET Mainstream Scattering Correction Methods].

OBJECTIVE: Current mainstream PET scattering correction methods are introduced and evaluated horizontally, and finally, the existing problems and development direction of scattering correction are discussed. METHODS: Based on NeuWise Pro PET/CT products of Neusoft Medical System Co. Ltd. , the simulation experiment is carried out to evaluate the influence of radionuclide distribution out of FOV (field of view) on the scattering estimation accuracy of each method. RESULTS: The scattering events produced by radionuclide out of FOV have an obvious impact on the spatial distribution of scattering, which should be considered in the model. The scattering estimation accuracy of Monte Carlo method is higher than single scatter simulation (SSS). CONCLUSIONS: Clinically, if the activity of the adjacent parts out of the FOV is high, such as brain, liver, kidney and bladder, it is likely to lead to the deviation of scattering estimation. Considering the Monte Carlo scattering estimation of the distribution of radionuclide out of FOV, it's helpful to improve the accuracy of scattering distribution estimation.

MicroRNA­143­3p levels are reduced in the peripheral blood of patients with gestational diabetes mellitus and influences pancreatic ß­cell function and viability.

Pancreatic ß-cell dysfunction has been demonstrated to mediate key roles in the pathogenesis of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Accumulating evidence has supported the functional involvement of microRNAs (miRNAs) in various types of diabetes, including GDM. However, the detailed biological effect of miRNAs in pancreatic ß-cell dysfunction remains poorly understood. In the present study, microarray data of miRNAs in the blood plasma of patients with GDM were retrieved from the Gene Expression Omnibus dataset under the accession number GSE98043. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) was performed to measure the expression levels of miR-143-3p in the blood plasma isolated from 30 female patients with GDM women and 30 healthy female individuals. Subsequently, murine pancreatic ß-cell line, MIN6 cells were treated with high glucose (HG) to construct in vitro cell models of GDM. miR-143-3p in HG-treated MIN6 cells was overexpressed or knocked down using miR-143-3p mimics and miR-143-3p inhibitor. Cell viability, insulin secretion and proinflammatory cytokine production were examined using CCK-8 and ELISA, respectively Cell apoptosis was measured by flow cytometry assay. The protein expression levels of proteins involved in the TAK1/NF-κB pathway were also assessed using western blot. The levels of miR-143-3p were found to be markedly lower in samples from patients with GDM, which were in turn negatively correlated with blood glucose levels. Overexpression of miR-143-3p in MIN6 cells significantly reversed HG-induced cell apoptosis and impairments in cell viability and insulin secretion. In addition, miR-143-3p overexpression attenuated HG-induced proinflammatory cytokine production by MIN6 cells. Subsequently, TGFß-activated kinase 1 (TAK1), an upstream regulator of the NF-κB pathway, was found to be a direct target of miR-143-3p in pancreatic ß cells through luciferase assays and western blot. Overexpression of TAK1 was revealed to abolish the curative effects of miR-143-3p on insulin secretion, cell viability and inflammatory response in HG-treated MIN6 cells. In addition, miR-143-3p could inactivate the NF-κB pathway by inhibiting TAK1 expression. Collectively, these results suggest that miR-143-3p levels are downregulated in the peripheral blood of patients with GDM. Therefore, miR-143-3p overexpression may serve as a method for preventing pancreatic ß cell dysfunction by inhibiting the TAK1/NF-κB pathway.

Fighting COVID-19 Misinformation through an Online Game Based on the Inoculation Theory: Analyzing the Mediating Effects of Perceived Threat and Persuasion Knowledge.

The COVID-19 pandemic was accompanied by the rapid spread of misinformation through social media platforms. This study attempted to develop an online fake news game based on the inoculation theory, applicable to the pandemic context, and aimed at enhancing misinformation discrimination. It also tested whether perceived threat and persuasion knowledge serve as underlying mechanisms of the effects of the intervention on misinformation discrimination. In Study 1, we used online priming to examine the influence of inoculation on misinformation discrimination. In Study 2, we developed an online fake-news-game-based intervention and attempted to validate its effectiveness through a randomized controlled trial while also exploring the mediating roles of perceived threat and persuasion knowledge. In Study 1, brief inoculation information priming significantly enhanced the ability to recognize misinformation (F(2.502) = 8.321, p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.032). In Study 2, the five-day game-based intervention significantly enhanced the ability to recognize misinformation (F(2.322) = 3.301, p = 0.038, ηp2 = 0.020). The mediation effect of persuasion knowledge was significant (ß = 0.025, SE = 0.016, 95% CI = [0.034, 0.075]), while that of perceived threat was not significant. Online interventions based on the inoculation theory are effective in enhancing misinformation discrimination, and one of the underlying mechanisms of this effect lies in its promotion of persuasion knowledge.

GDNF-Loaded Polydopamine Nanoparticles-Based Anisotropic Scaffolds Promote Spinal Cord Repair by Modulating Inhibitory Microenvironment.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating injury that causes permanent loss of sensation and motor function. SCI repair is a significant challenge due to the limited regenerating ability of adult neurons and the complex inflammatory microenvironment. After SCI, the oxidative stress induced by excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) often leads to prolonged neuroinflammation that results in sustained damage to the spinal cord tissue. Polydopamine (PDA) shows remarkable capability in scavenging ROS to treat numerous inflammatory diseases. In this study, glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF)-loaded PDA nanoparticle-based anisotropic scaffolds for spinal cord repair are developed. It is found that mesoporous PDA nanoparticles (mPDA NPs) in the scaffolds efficiently scavenge ROS and promote microglia M2 polarization, thereby inhibiting inflammatory response at the injury site and providing a favorable microenvironment for nerve cell survival. Furthermore, the GDNF encapsulated in mPDA NPs promotes corticospinal tract motor axon regeneration and its locomotor functional recovery. Together, findings from this study reveal that the GDNF-loaded PDA/Gelatin scaffolds hold potential as an effective artificial transplantation material for SCI treatment.