Transcriptome and proteome analyses reveal that upregulation of GSTM2 by allisartan improves cardiac remodeling and dysfunction in hypertensive rats.

Long-term hypertension can lead to hypertensive heart disease, which ultimately progresses to heart failure. As an angiotensin receptor blocker antihypertensive drug, allisartan can control blood pressure, and improve cardiac remodeling and cardiac dysfunction caused by hypertension. The aim of the present study was to investigate the protective effects of allisartan on the heart of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) and the underlying mechanisms. SHRs were used as an animal model of hypertensive heart disease and were treated with allisartan orally at a dose of 25 mg/kg/day. The blood pressure levels of the rats were continuously monitored, their body and heart weights were measured, and their cardiac structure and function were evaluated using echocardiography. Wheat germ agglutinin staining and Masson trichrome staining were employed to assess the morphology of the myocardial tissue. In addition, transcriptome and proteome analyses were performed using the Solexa/Illumina sequencing platform and tandem mass tag technology, respectively. Immunofluorescence co-localization was conducted to analyze Nrf2 nuclear translocation, and TUNEL was performed to detect the levels of cell apoptosis. The protein expression levels of pro-collagen I, collagen III, phosphorylated (p)-AKT, AKT, p-PI3K and PI3K, and the mRNA expression levels of Col1a1 and Col3a1 were determined by western blotting and reverse transcription-quantitative PCR, respectively. Allisartan lowered blood pressure, attenuated cardiac remodeling and improved cardiac function in SHRs. In addition, allisartan alleviated cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and cardiac fibrosis. Allisartan also significantly affected the 'pentose phosphate pathway', 'fatty acid elongation', 'valine, leucine and isoleucine degradation', 'glutathione metabolism', and 'amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism' pathways in the hearts of SHRs, and upregulated the expression levels of GSTM2. Furthermore, allisartan activated the PI3K-AKT-Nrf2 signaling pathway and inhibited cardiomyocyte apoptosis. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that allisartan can effectively control blood pressure in SHRs, and improves cardiac remodeling and cardiac dysfunction. Allisartan may also upregulate the expression levels of GSTM2 in the hearts of SHRs and significantly affect glutathione metabolism, as determined by transcriptome and proteome analyses. The cardioprotective effect of allisartan may be mediated through activation of the PI3K-AKT-Nrf2 signaling pathway, upregulation of GSTM2 expression and reduction of cardiomyocyte apoptosis in SHRs.

Identification of important modules and biomarkers in diabetic cardiomyopathy based on WGCNA and LASSO analysis.

Background: Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) lacks specific and sensitive biomarkers, and its diagnosis remains a challenge. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop useful biomarkers to help diagnose and evaluate the prognosis of DCM. This study aims to find specific diagnostic markers for diabetic cardiomyopathy. Methods: Two datasets (GSE106180 and GSE161827) from the GEO database were integrated to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between control and type 2 diabetic cardiomyopathy. We assessed the infiltration of immune cells and used weighted coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) to construct the gene coexpression network. Then we performed a clustering analysis. Finally, a diagnostic model was built by the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO). Results: A total of 3066 DEGs in the GSE106180 and GSE161827 datasets. There were differences in immune cell infiltration. According to gene significance (GS) > 0.2 and module membership (MM) > 0.8, 41 yellow Module genes and 1474 turquoise Module genes were selected. Hub genes were mainly related to the "proteasomal protein catabolic process", "mitochondrial matrix" and "protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum" pathways. LASSO was used to construct a diagnostic model composed of OXCT1, CACNA2D2, BCL7B, EGLN3, GABARAP, and ACADSB and verified it in the GSE163060 and GSE175988 datasets with AUCs of 0.9333 (95% CI: 0.7801-1) and 0.96 (95% CI: 0.8861-1), respectively. H9C2 cells were verified, and the results were similar to the bioinformatics analysis. Conclusion: We constructed a diagnostic model of DCM, and OXCT1, CACNA2D2, BCL7B, EGLN3, GABARAP, and ACADSB were potential biomarkers, which may provide new insights for improving the ability of early diagnosis and treatment of diabetic cardiomyopathy.

Dissipation behaviours, residues, and health risk of six herbicides in sugar beets under field conditions.

This study established a residue detection method based on the QuEChERS pre-treatment method and combined it with high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to test six herbicides (metamitron, clopyralid, desmedipham, phenmedipham, ethofumesate, and haloxyfop-p-methyl) in sugar beet plants, soil, and roots. The degradation dynamics and terminal residues of each herbicide in sugar beets were analysed. Finally, the dietary risks of various herbicides in sugar beets were evaluated based on the dietary structure of Chinese people, and the risk quotient values were below 100%. Using this detection method, all reagents exhibited good linearity (0.9724 ≤ R2 ≤ 0.9998), The limit of quantification (LOQ) ranged from 0.01 to 0.05 mg/L, the matrix effect ranged from -1.2% to -50%, the addition recovery rate ranged from 77.00% to 103.48%, and the relative standard deviation ranged from 1.61% to 16.17%; therefore, all indicators of this method met the residue detection standards. Under field conditions, the half-lives (t1/2) ranged about 0.65 ∼ 2.96 d and 0.38 ∼ 27.59 d in sugar beet plants and soil, respectively. All herbicides were easily degraded in sugar beet plants and soil (t1/2 < 30 d). The terminal residue amounts in the beet plants, soil, and roots ranged from < LOQ to 0.243 mg/kg. The dietary risk assessment of each pesticide was conducted based on the residual median of the terminal residues and the highest residual values on the edible part of the beetroot. The chronic exposure risk quotient (RQc) and acute exposure risk quotient (RQa) values were < 100%, indicating that the residue of each pesticide in beetroot posed low risks to consumers in China at the recommended dosage.

p53-associated miRNAs repress lncRNA ZFAS1 to retard the proliferation of papillary thyroid carcinoma.

INTRODUCTION: Thyroid carcinoma is the most frequent malignancy among endocrine-related tumours. Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the main type of thyroid carcinoma, and almost 80% cases of thyroid carcinoma are diagnosed as PTC. The molecular mechanism underlying PTC progression is unclear. This study aims to investigate the potential mechanisms of zinc finger antisense 1 (ZFAS1) function in PTC. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The expression of ZFAS1 and p53 was determined by quantitative polymerase chain analysis (qPCR) in PTC tissues derived from 20 PTC patients. Quantitative chromatin immunoprecipitation assay (qChIP) analysis was performed to validate the target of ZFAS1/p53 and miRNAs/p53. The Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) dataset GSE94908 was analysed to obtain the differentially expressed p53-associated microRNAs (miRNAs). Luciferase assay validated the target of ZFAS1/miRNAs, and 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was used to determine the cell proliferation. RESULTS: The expression of ZFAS1 was up-regulated in the tissues derived from PTC patients, and the expression of ZFAS1 was negatively associated with p53 expression in PTC. The expression of ZFAS1 was significantly higher in the MDA-T120 cells harbouring mutant p53. We validated that ZFAS1 is a direct target of p53. In PTC cells, p53 directly repressed the ZFAS1 expression. In addition, we determined that miR-135b-5p and miR-193a-3p are directly induced by p53 in PTC cells. Interestingly, p53-targeted miR-135b-5p, miR-193a-3p, and miR-34b repressed the expression of ZFAS1 via the seed-matching sequences in the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) of ZFAS1, and thereby suppressed PTC cell proliferation induced by ZFAS1. CONCLUSION: The oncogenic lncRNA ZFAS1 is directly repressed by p53 in PTC. p53-mediated miRNAs including miR-135b 5p, miR-193a-3p, and miR-34b repress ZFAS1 expression, and thereby inhibit the proliferation of PTC.

Associations of dietary iron intake with cardiovascular disease risk and dyslipidemia among Chinese adults.

BACKGROUND: Whether iron intake can affect cardiovascular disease (CVD) and dyslipidemia is controversial. However, few studies have focused on reducing the risk of CVD in people at risk for dyslipidemia. This study explored the linear relationship and possible nonlinear relationship between CVD and dyslipidemia. METHODS: Dietary data were obtained from the China Health and Nutrition Survey between 2004 and 2015. The survey included 8173 participants older than 18 years. CVD risk was estimated by the Framingham risk score (FRS). Logistic regression analysis was used to determine whether iron intake affects CVD incidence and lipid profiles. The nonlinear association was tested with restricted cubic splines (RCSs). RESULTS: For males, higher total iron intake [the fifth quintile (Q) vs. Q1 odds ratio (OR): 0.335, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.248-0.453], heme iron intake (OR: 0.679, 95% CI: 0.492-0.937) and non-heme iron intake (OR: 0.362, 95% CI: 0.266-0.492) reduced CVD incidence. Heme iron intake increased high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (OR: 1.786, 95% CI: 1.226-2.602), high total cholesterol (TC) (OR: 2.404, 95% CI: 1.575-3.669), high triglyceride (TG) (OR: 1.895, 95% CI: 1.423-2.523), and low apolipoprotein A1/apolipoprotein B (ApoA-1/ApoB) risk (OR: 1.514, 95% CI: 1.178-1.945). Moderate non-heme iron intake reduced high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) incidence (Q5 vs. Q1 OR: 0.704, 95% CI: 0.507-0.979). For females, higher total iron intake (Q5 vs. Q1 OR: 0.362, 95% CI: 0.266-0.492) and non-heme iron intake (OR: 0.347, 95% CI: 0.154-0.781) reduced CVD incidence. Heme iron intake increased high LDL-C (OR: 1.587, 95% CI: 1.160-2.170) and high TC incidence (OR: 1.655, 95% CI: 1.187-2.309). CONCLUSIONS: Men, especially those at risk of developing dyslipidemia, should consume non-heme rather than heme iron to reduce CVD incidence. For women, increased heme iron intake did not reduce CVD incidence. Therefore, women should minimize their heme iron intake to prevent dyslipidemia.

Endoplasmic reticulum stress-mediated cell death in cardiovascular disease.

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) plays a vital function in maintaining cellular homeostasis. Endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) can trigger various modes of cell death by activating the unfolded protein response (UPR) signaling pathway. Cell death plays a crucial role in the occurrence and development of diseases such as cancer, liver diseases, neurological diseases, and cardiovascular diseases. Several cardiovascular diseases including hypertension, atherosclerosis, and heart failure are associated with ER stress. ER stress-mediated cell death is of interest in cardiovascular disease. Moreover, an increasing body of evidence supports the potential of modulating ERS for treating cardiovascular disease. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the UPR signaling pathway, the mechanisms that induce cell death, and the modes of cell death in cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, we discuss the mechanisms of ERS and UPR in common cardiovascular diseases, along with potential therapeutic strategies.

Using warming tolerances to predict understory plant responses to climate change.

Climate change is pushing species towards and potentially beyond their critical thermal limits. The extent to which species can cope with temperatures exceeding their critical thermal limits is still uncertain. To better assess species' responses to warming, we compute the warming tolerance (ΔTniche ) as a thermal vulnerability index, using species' upper thermal limits (the temperature at the warm limit of their distribution range) minus the local habitat temperature actually experienced at a given location. This metric is useful to predict how much more warming species can tolerate before negative impacts are expected to occur. Here we set up a cross-continental transplant experiment involving five regions distributed along a latitudinal gradient across Europe (43° N-61° N). Transplant sites were located in dense and open forests stands, and at forest edges and in interiors. We estimated the warming tolerance for 12 understory plant species common in European temperate forests. During 3 years, we examined the effects of the warming tolerance of each species across all transplanted locations on local plant performance, in terms of survival, height, ground cover, flowering probabilities and flower number. We found that the warming tolerance (ΔTniche ) of the 12 studied understory species was significantly different across Europe and varied by up to 8°C. In general, ΔTniche were smaller (less positive) towards the forest edge and in open stands. Plant performance (growth and reproduction) increased with increasing ΔTniche across all 12 species. Our study demonstrated that ΔTniche of understory plant species varied with macroclimatic differences among regions across Europe, as well as in response to forest microclimates, albeit to a lesser extent. Our findings support the hypothesis that plant performance across species decreases in terms of growth and reproduction as local temperature conditions reach or exceed the warm limit of the focal species.

A meta-analysis of the changes in the Gut microbiota in patients with intractable epilepsy compared to healthy controls.

OBJECTIVE: To explore gut microbiota changes in intractable epilepsy patients compared to healthy control individuals through meta-analysis. METHODS: PubMed, Web of Science, CNKI, Wanfang, medRxiv, bioRxiv, ilae.org, clinical trial databases, and papers from the International Epilepsy Congress (IEC) were searched, and the literature on the correlation between intractable epilepsy and the gut microbiota reported from database establishment to June 2023 was included. Literature meeting the inclusion criteria was screened, and meta-analysis of the included literature was performed using RevMan5.4 software. RESULTS: Ten case-control studies were included in the meta-analysis. There were 183 patients with intractable epilepsy and 283 healthy control subjects. The analysis results indicated that Bacteroidetes (MD = -0.64, 95 %-CI = -1.21 to -0.06) and Ruminococcaceae (MD = -1.44, 95 % CI = -1.96 to -0.92) were less abundant in the patients with intractable epilepsy than in the normal population. Proteobacteria (MD = 0.53, 95 % CI = 0.02 to 1.05) and Verrucomicrobia (MD = 0.26, 95 % CI = 0.06 to 0.45) were more abundant in the patients with intractable epilepsy than in the normal population. CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis indicated that the abundances of Bacteroidetes and Ruminococcaceae were reduced while those of Proteobacteria and Verrucomicrobia were significantly increased in patients with intractable epilepsy. The above changes in these four taxa of the gut microbiota may have been induced by intractable epilepsy, which may increase the risk of seizures. Their roles in the pathogenesis of intractable epilepsy need to be further explored, and related factors that influence microbiota changes should be considered in future studies.

Transcriptomic and metabolomic differences between banana varieties which are resistant or susceptible to Fusarium wilt.

Background: Fusarium wilt, caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense race 4 (Foc4), is the most lethal disease of bananas in Asia. Methods: To better understand the defense response of banana to Fusarium wilt, the transcriptome and metabolome profiles of the roots from resistant and susceptible bananas inoculated with Foc4 were compared. Results: After Foc4 inoculation, there were 172 and 1,856 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the Foc4-susceptible variety (G1) and Foc4-resistant variety (G9), respectively. In addition, a total of 800 DEGs were identified between G1 and G9, which were mainly involved in the oxidation-reduction process, cell wall organization, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, and lipid and nitrogen metabolism, especially the DEGs of Macma4_08_g22610, Macma4_11_g19760, and Macma4_03_g06480, encoding non-classical arabinogalactan protein; GDSL-like lipase; and peroxidase. In our study, G9 showed a stronger and earlier response to Foc4 than G1. As the results of metabolomics, lipids, phenylpropanoids and polyketides, organic acids, and derivatives played an important function in response to Fusarium wilt. More importantly, Macma4_11_g19760 might be one of the key genes that gave G9 more resistance to Foc4 by a lowered expression and negative regulation of lipid metabolism. This study illustrated the difference between the transcriptomic and metabolomic profiles of resistant and susceptible bananas. These results improved the current understanding of host-pathogen interactions and will contribute to the breeding of resistant banana plants.

Risk of allergic rhinitis in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Numerous parallels exist between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and allergic rhinitis (AR), which include risk factors (such as environmental and genetic factors), pathogenesis (immune disorders, epithelial cell barriers, etc.), and treatment (immunosuppressants and immunomodulators, such as cyclosporine and steroids). However, the risk of AR in IBD patients is unknown. OBJECTIVE: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, patients with IBD are examined for their risk of AR. METHODS: Several databases are accessible in both Chinese and English, including PubMed, BioRXiv, WanFang, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Web of Science, METSTR, and MedRxiv. Findings presented at allergy, rhinology, thoracic, and gastrointestinal conferences were analyzed. Based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, two evaluators independently retrieved data, read the literature, and evaluated bias risk. The data analysis was conducted using RevMan 5.4. Case-control and cohort studies were eligible study designs for this research. RESULTS: There were 10 case-control studies and 1 cohort study included in the meta-analysis. The experimental group consisted of 65,687 IBD patients, of whom 5838 had AR. A total of 345,176 participants without IBD were included in the control group, of whom 24,625 developed AR. The outcomes demonstrated that IBD patients had a higher risk of developing AR (odds ratio [OR] = 1.48, 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.12, 1.95], Z = 2.78, P = 0.005) than those without IBD. CONCLUSION: The risk of AR is higher in IBD patients. Further investigation is required to determine the mechanism behind the association between AR and IBD.

Responses of plant carbon and nitrogen assimilations to nitrogen addition in a subtropical forest: Canopy addition vs. understory addition.

The global atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition has intensified in recent years, resulting in a complex impact on forest ecosystems. This study investigated the effects of canopy (CAN) and understory additions of N (UAN) on leaf carbon (C) and N assimilations, as well as growth parameters of representative woody plant species in an evergreen broad-leaved forest, i.e. Castanea henryi, Schefflera heptaphylla, Blastus cochinchinensis, and Lasianthus chinensis. The results showed that leaf N assimilation key enzyme nitrate reductase (NR) activities of B. cochinchinensis and S. heptaphylla were significantly decreased by UAN, and were significantly decreased by CAN for C. henryi. CAN significantly decreased the nitrite reductase activity of C. henryi, while significantly increased that of L. chinensis. However, the Amax values of each woody species were not significantly different among control (CK), CAN, and UAN. Community surveys demonstrated that CAN and UAN inhibited the growth (diameter at breast height, height, or crown width) of the representative large tree, C. henryi, while promoting the growths of understory woody species (B. cochinchinensis and L. chinensis). Overall, N addition was found to change the physiological processes of N and C metabolisms of the dominant woody species in an evergreen broad-leaved forest. The community of subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests may further decline and its C fixation capacity may be detrimentally changed under N deposition in the future.

Untangling the impact of plantation type and functional traits on ecosystem nutrient stocks in an experimentally restored forest ecosystem.

The primary objective of ecological restoration is recovering biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. While a functional trait-based approach can help understand community assembly and ecosystem function recovery during ecological restoration, there still exists a knowledge gap in assessing how functional traits indicate the mediating roles of the plant community in response to forest restoration effects on ecosystem functions. This study applied the "response-effect trait" framework to investigate experimentally whether the treatment of plantation type has an impact on community trait compositions, which in turn could affect forest ecosystem nutrient stocks - here, carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) stocks in tree, understory, litter and soil pools at an experimental station in subtropical China. We used structural equation models (SEMs) to examine the relationships among plantation type, community weighted mean of traits, and nutrient stocks in each pool. Our results show that most of the tree and understory traits studied were response traits to plantation type. Moreover, certain traits played a significant role in mediating plantation-type effects on C, N and P stocks for understory pool (e.g., understory stem specific density and specific leaf area, tree leaf phosphorus content), and for litter and soil pools (e.g., tree leaf carbon or phosphorus content, understory specific leaf area, leaf nitrogen or phosphorus content), known as "response-effect traits". For the tree pool, only effect traits, and no "response-effect" tree traits, were found for the N stock. Total effects of SEMs indicated that, understory or tree traits can have a greater impact than plantation type on understory or litter C, N or P stocks. After approximately 35 years of natural restoration, exotic plantations exhibited a different community trait characteristic from native plantations. The important roles of traits in mediating the effects of plantation type on non-tree pool C, N and P stocks were highlighted.

The triglyceride-glucose index is associated with atherosclerosis in patients with symptomatic coronary artery disease, regardless of diabetes mellitus and hyperlipidaemia.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes and hyperlipidaemia are both risk factors for coronary artery disease, and both are associated with a high triglyceride-glucose index (TyG index). The TyG index has been presented as a marker of insulin resistance (IR). Its utility in predicting and detecting cardiovascular disease has been reported. However, few studies have found it to be a helpful marker of atherosclerosis in patients with symptomatic coronary artery disease (CAD). The purpose of this study was to demonstrate that the TyG index can serve as a valuable marker for predicting coronary and carotid atherosclerosis in symptomatic CAD patients, regardless of diabetes mellitus and hyperlipidaemia. METHODS: This study included 1516 patients with symptomatic CAD who underwent both coronary artery angiography and carotid Doppler ultrasound in the Department of Cardiology at Tianjin Union Medical Center from January 2016 to December 2022. The TyG index was determined using the Ln formula. The population was further grouped and analysed according to the presence or absence of diabetes and hyperlipidaemia. The Gensini score and carotid intima-media thickness were calculated or measured, and the patients were divided into four groups according to TyG index quartile to examine the relationship between the TyG index and coronary or carotid artery lesions in symptomatic CAD patients. RESULTS: In symptomatic CAD patients, the TyG index showed a significant positive correlation with both coronary lesions and carotid plaques. After adjusting for sex, age, smoking, BMI, hypertension, diabetes, and the use of antilipemic and antidiabetic agents, the risk of developing coronary lesions and carotid plaques increased across the baseline TyG index. Compared with the lowest quartile of the TyG index, the highest quartile (quartile 4) was associated with a greater incidence of coronary heart disease [OR = 2.55 (95% CI 1.61, 4.03)] and carotid atherosclerotic plaque [OR = 2.31 (95% CI 1.27, 4.20)] (P < 0.05). Furthermore, when compared to the fasting blood glucose (FBG) or triglyceride (TG) level, the TyG index had a greater area under the ROC curve for predicting coronary lesions and carotid plaques. The subgroup analysis demonstrated the TyG index to be an equally effective predictor of coronary and carotid artery disease, regardless of diabetes and hyperlipidaemia. CONCLUSION: The TyG index is a useful marker for predicting coronary and carotid atherosclerosis in patients with symptomatic CAD, regardless of diabetes mellitus and hyperlipidaemia. The TyG index is of higher value for the identification of both coronary and carotid atherosclerotic plaques than the FBG or TG level alone.

The association between 5-HT1A binding and temporal lobe epilepsy: A meta-analysis of molecular imaging studies.

BACKGROUND: Studies have shown conflicting results in the correlation between serotonin-1A (5-HT1A) receptor binding levels in the brain and temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). There is a need to systematically evaluate the correlation between the 5-HT1A binding level and TLE from the perspective of the brain using molecular imaging. METHODS: Chinese and English databases, such as the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), the China Science and Technology Journal Database (VIP), WanFang, the Chinese Biomedical Literature Service System (SinoMed), PubMed and Web of Science, were searched. RESULTS: Two evaluators independently screened the literature, extracted data, and evaluated the risk of bias in the included studies according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. RevMan 5.4.1 was used to analyze the data. A total of 196 participants were included; of these, 95 had TLE and 131 were healthy controls who had never had a seizure before participating in the study. Meta-analysis results suggested that 1) decreased 5-HT1A binding was found on the affected side of patients with TLE (standard mean difference (SMD) = -1.45, 95% confidence interval (CI) [-2.27, -0.64], Z = 3.48, P = 0.0005); 2) decreased 5-HT1A binding was found in the ipsilateral hippocampus of patients with TLE (SMD = -1.76, 95% CI [-2.51, -1.00], Z = 4.57, P＜0.00001); 3) decreased 5-HT1A binding was found in the ipsilateral temporal lobe cortex of patients with TLE (SMD = -0.46, 95% CI [-0.80, -0.12], Z = 2.66, P = 0.008); 4) decreased 5-HT1A binding was found in the ipsilateral amygdala in patients with TLE (SMD = -1.36, 95% CI [-2.48, -0.23], Z = 2.37, P = 0.02); and 5) decreased 5-HT1A binding was found in the frontal lobe of patients with TLE(SMD = -0.75, 95% CI [-1.29, -0.20], Z = 2.67, P = 0.008). CONCLUSION: A reduction in 5-HT1A binding in the hippocampus, temporal cortex, amygdala, and frontal lobe was observed on the affected side of patients with TLE. The decrease in 5-HT1A binding can be considered related to TLE. Potentially relevant factors should be considered in future molecular imaging studies.

Impact of patch age and size on forest soil characteristics in European agricultural landscapes.

Many landscapes worldwide are characterized by the presence of a mosaic of forest patches with contrasting age and size embedded in a matrix of agricultural land. However, our understanding of the effects of these key forest patch features on the soil nutrient status (in terms of nitrogen, carbon, and phosphorus) and soil pH is still limited due to a lack of large-scale data. To address this research gap, we analyzed 830 soil samples from nearly 200 forest patches varying in age (recent versus ancient forests) and size (small versus larger patches) along a 2500-km latitudinal gradient across Europe. We also considered environmental covariates at multiple scales to increase the generality of our research, including variation in macroclimate, nitrogen deposition rates, forest cover in a buffer zone, basal area and soil type. Multiple linear mixed-effects models were performed to test the combined effects of patch features and environmental covariates on soil nutrients and pH. Recent patches had higher total soil phosphorus concentrations and stocks in the mineral soil layer, along with a lower nitrogen to phosphorus ratio within that layer. Small patches generally had a higher mineral soil pH. Mineral soil nitrogen stocks were lower in forest patches with older age and larger size, as a result of a significant interactive effect. Additionally, environmental covariates had significant effects on soil nutrients, including carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and their stoichiometry, depending on the specific covariates. In some cases, the effect of patch age on mineral soil phosphorus stocks was greater than that of environmental covariates. Our findings underpin the important roles of forest patch age and size for the forest soil nutrient status. Long-term studies assessing edge effects and soil development in post-agricultural forests are needed, especially in a context of changing land use and climate.

Insights into the fermentation patterns of wheat bran cell wall polysaccharides using an in-vitro batch fermentation model.

We aimed to study the structural characteristics and fermentation properties of wheat bran cell wall polysaccharides (CWPs). Sequential extractions of CWPs from wheat bran produced the water-extractable (WE) and alkali-extractable (AE) fractions. The extracted fractions were structurally characterized based on their molecular weight (Mw) and monosaccharide composition. Our findings revealed that the Mw and the ratio of arabinose to xylose (A/X) of AE were higher than those of WE and that the two fractions were mainly composed of arabinoxylans (AXs). The substrates were then subjected to in vitro fermentation by human fecal microbiota. As fermentation progressed, the total carbohydrates of WE were significantly more utilized than that of AE (p < 0.05). The AXs in WE were utilized at a higher rate than those in AE. The relative abundance of Prevotella_9, which can efficiently utilize AXs, was significantly increased in AE. The presence of AXs in AE shifted the balance away from protein fermentation and caused a delay in protein fermentation. Our study demonstrated that wheat bran CWPs can modulate the gut microbiota in a structure-dependent manner. However, future studies should further characterize the fine structure of wheat CWPs to clarify their detailed relationship with gut microbiota and metabolites.

Multifunctional Applications of Ionic Liquids in Polymer Materials: A Brief Review.

As a new generation of green media and functional materials, ionic liquids (ILs) have been extensively investigated in scientific and industrial communities, which have found numerous ap-plications in polymeric materials. On the one hand, much of the research has determined that ILs can be applied to modify polymers which use nanofillers such as carbon black, silica, graphene oxide, multi-walled carbon nanotubes, etc., toward the fabrication of high-performance polymer composites. On the other hand, ILs were extensively reported to be utilized to fabricate polymeric materials with improved thermal stability, thermal and electrical conductivity, etc. Despite substantial progress in these areas, summary and discussion of state-of-the-art functionalities and underlying mechanisms of ILs are still inadequate. In this review, a comprehensive introduction of various fillers modified by ILs precedes a systematic summary of the multifunctional applications of ILs in polymeric materials, emphasizing the effect on vulcanization, thermal stability, electrical and thermal conductivity, selective permeability, electromagnetic shielding, piezoresistive sensitivity and electrochemical activity. Overall, this review in this area is intended to provide a fundamental understanding of ILs within a polymer context based on advantages and disadvantages, to help researchers expand ideas on the promising applications of ILs in polymer fabrication with enormous potential.

MECP2 germline mosaicism plays an important part in the inheritance of Rett syndrome: a study of MECP2 germline mosaicism in males.

BACKGROUND: Germline mosaicisms could be inherited to offspring, which considered as "de novo" in most cases. Paternal germline MECP2 mosaicism has been reported in fathers of girls with Rett syndrome (RTT) previously. For further study, we focused on MECP2 germline mosaicism in males, not only RTT fathers. METHODS: Thirty-two fathers of RTT girls with MECP2 pathogenic mutations and twenty-five healthy adult males without history and family history of RTT or other genetic disorders were recruited. Sperm samples were collected and ten MECP2 hotspot mutations were detected by micro-droplet digital PCR (mDDPCR). And routine semen test was performed at the same time if the sample was sufficient. Additionally, blood samples were also detected for those with sperm MECP2 mosaicisms. RESULTS: Nine fathers with RTT daughters (28.1%, 9/32) were found to have MECP2 mosaicism in their sperm samples, with the mutant allele fractions (MAFs) ranging from 0.05% to 7.55%. Only one father with MECP2 c.806delG germline mosaicism (MAF 7.55%) was found to have mosaicism in the blood sample, with the MAF was 0.28%. In the group of healthy adult males, MECP2 mosaicism was found in 7 sperm samples (28.0%, 7/25), with the MAFs ranging from 0.05% to 0.18%. None of the healthy adult males with MECP2 germline mosaicisms were found with MECP2 mosaicism in blood samples. There were no statistical differences in age, or the incidence of asthenospermia between fathers with RTT daughters and healthy adult males with MECP2 germline mosaicisms. Additionally, there was no linear correlation between MAFs of MECP2 mosaicisms and the age of males with germline MECP2 mosaicisms. CONCLUSIONS: Germline MECP2 mosaicism could be found not only in fathers with RTT daughters but also in healthy adult males without family history of RTT. As germline mosaic mutations may be passed on to offspring which commonly known as "de novo", more attention should be paid to germline mosaicism, especially in families with a proband diagnosed with genetic disorders.

Comparing a novel Catfish flow restoration device and the Solitaire stent retriever for thrombectomy revascularisation in emergent largevessel occlusion stroke: a prospective randomised controlled study.

BACKGROUND: The Catfish stent retriever is a newly developed mechanical thrombectomy device for rapid recanalisation in emergent large vessel occlusion (ELVO) stroke. The current trial aimed to assess whether the Catfish stent retriever is non-inferior to the Solitaire stent retriever in terms of outcomes in ELVO stroke. METHODS: This was a randomised, prospective, parallel-group, multicentre, open-label, non-inferiority study conducted at 18 sites in China. The primary outcome was the proportion of cases with successful recanalisation (modified thrombolysis in cerebral infarction score of 2b or 3) following the procedure. Secondary efficacy outcomes included the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores at 24 hours and 7 days or discharge if earlier, time from artery puncture to successful recanalisation and good clinical outcome (modified Rankin scale score ≤2) at 90 days. Safety outcomes included symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage, all cause-death and severe adverse events at 90 days. RESULTS: Between 3 March 2019 and 5 June 2021, 118 and 120 patients were randomly allocated to the Catfish and Solitaire groups, respectively. The primary endpoint after all endovascular procedures was non-inferior in the Catfish group (88.5%, 100/113) than in the Solitaire group (87.7%, 100/114), with a rate difference (RD) of 0.78% (95% CI -7.64 to -9.20; p=0.001). Sensitivity analysis only considering the per-protocol set also yielded similar results, with an RD of 0.83% (95% CI -7.03 to -8.70; p<0.001). Additionally, the proportions of cases with good clinical outcomes (47.8% vs 50.0%, p=0.739) and all-cause death rates (17.7% vs 18.8%, p=0.700) were similar in both groups at 90 days. CONCLUSIONS: The Catfish stent retriever is an effective and safe device for endovascular recanalisation in ELVO stroke. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT03820882.

Efficacy of Melatonin for Insomnia in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Meta-analysis.

AIM: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of melatonin in treating insomnia in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). METHODS: Comprehensive searches were conducted in the PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases from their inception to April 20, 2022. Data were extracted and assessed for quality by two researchers. Statistical analysis was performed using the Stata 15.0 software. RESULTS: Four studies including 238 patients were included. The results showed that compared with the control group, melatonin could shorten the sleep-onset latency (standardized mean difference [SMD] = - 1.34, 95% CI: -2.19 to -0.48), reduce the number of awakenings (SMD = -2.35, 95% CI: -4.62 to -0.08), and prolong the total sleep time (SMD = 1.42, 95% CI: 0.5-2.33) in children with ASD. CONCLUSION: Melatonin has a certain effect on relieving sleep disturbances in children with ASD, which can shorten sleep latency, reduce the number of awakenings, and prolong total sleep time. Larger studies are required to verify this hypothesis.