The Interaction Between Nutraceuticals and Gut Microbiota: a Novel Therapeutic Approach to Prevent and Treatment Parkinson's Disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a complex neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons, leading to motor and non-motor symptoms. Emerging research has shed light on the role of gut microbiota in the pathogenesis and progression of PD. Nutraceuticals such as curcumin, berberine, phytoestrogens, polyphenols (e.g., resveratrol, EGCG, and fisetin), dietary fibers have been shown to influence gut microbiota composition and function, restoring microbial balance and enhancing the gut-brain axis. The mechanisms underlying these benefits involve microbial metabolite production, restoration of gut barrier integrity, and modulation of neuroinflammatory pathways. Additionally, probiotics and prebiotics have shown potential in promoting gut health, influencing the gut microbiome, and alleviating PD symptoms. They can enhance the gut's antioxidant capacity of the gut, reduce inflammation, and maintain immune homeostasis, contributing to a neuroprotective environment. This paper provides an overview of the current state of knowledge regarding the potential of nutraceuticals and gut microbiota modulation in the prevention and management of Parkinson's disease, emphasizing the need for further research and clinical trials to validate their effectiveness and safety. The findings suggest that a multifaceted approach involving nutraceuticals and gut microbiota may open new avenues for addressing the challenges of PD and improving the quality of life for affected individuals.

Tin-oxo nanoclusters for extreme ultraviolet photoresists: Effects of ligands, counterions, and doping.

The extreme ultraviolet (EUV) nanolithography technology is the keystone for developing the next-generation chips. As conventional chemically amplified resists are approaching the resolution limit, metal-containing photoresists, especially tin-oxo clusters, seize the opportunity to embrace this challenge owing to their small sizes, precise atomic structures, and strong EUV absorption. However, atomistic insights into the mechanism for regulating their photolithographic behavior are lacking. Herein, we systematically explored the effects of ligands, counterions, and endohedral doping on the photophysical properties of tin-oxo cage clusters by first-principles calculations combined with molecular dynamics simulations. Photoresists assembled by allyl-protected clusters with small-size OH- or Cl- counterions have a high absorption coefficient at the EUV wavelength of 13.5 nm and a low energy cost for ligand detachment and superior stability to ensure high sensitivity and strong etch resistance, respectively. The photoresist performance can further be improved by endohedral doping of the metal-oxo nanocage with Ag+ and Cd2+ ions, which exhibit superatomic characteristics and are likely to be synthesized in laboratory. These theoretical results provide useful guidance for modification of metal-oxo clusters for high-resolution EUV photolithography.

The transcriptional response in mosquitoes distinguishes between fungi and bacteria but not Gram types.

Mosquitoes are prolific vectors of human pathogens, therefore a clear and accurate understanding of the organization of their antimicrobial defenses is crucial for informing the development of transmission control strategies. The canonical infection response in insects, as described in the insect model Drosophila melanogaster, is pathogen type-dependent, with distinct stereotypical responses to Gram-negative bacteria and Gram-positive bacteria/fungi mediated by the activation of the Imd and Toll pathways, respectively. To determine whether this pathogen-specific discrimination is shared by mosquitoes, we used RNAseq to capture the genome-wide transcriptional response of Aedes aegypti and Anopheles gambiae (s.l.) to systemic infection with Gram-negative bacteria, Gram-positive bacteria, yeasts, and filamentous fungi, as well as challenge with heat-killed Gram-negative, Gram-positive, and fungal pathogens. From the resulting data, we found that Ae. aegypti and An. gambiae both mount a core response to all categories of infection, and this response is highly conserved between the two species with respect to both function and orthology. When we compared the transcriptomes of mosquitoes infected with different types of bacteria, we observed that the intensity of the transcriptional response was correlated with both the virulence and growth rate of the infecting pathogen. Exhaustive comparisons of the transcriptomes of Gram-negative-challenged versus Gram-positive-challenged mosquitoes yielded no difference in either species. In Ae. aegypti, however, we identified transcriptional signatures specific to bacterial infection and to fungal infection. The bacterial infection response was dominated by the expression of defensins and cecropins, while the fungal infection response included the disproportionate upregulation of an uncharacterized family of glycine-rich proteins. These signatures were also observed in Ae. aegypti challenged with heat-killed bacteria and fungi, indicating that this species can discriminate between molecular patterns that are specific to bacteria and to fungi.

Comparative visual outcomes of the first versus second eye following small-incision lenticule extraction (SMILE).

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to compare the visual outcomes of the first operated eyes with those of the second operated eyes following small-incision lenticule extraction (SMILE). METHODS: A total of 202 patients (404 eyes) underwent SMILE using the tear film mark centration method for myopia and myopic astigmatism correction. Baseline characteristics, objective optical quality, decentered displacement, induced corneal aberrations, and modulation transfer function (MTF) values were assessed. Linear regression analyzed the relationship between decentration and visual quality parameters, including corneal aberrations and MTF values. RESULTS: No significant difference was observed in objective visual quality, efficacy, and safety indexes between the two groups (all P > 0.05). The average decentered displacement for the first and second surgical eyes was 0.278 ± 0.17 mm and 0.315 ± 0.15 mm, respectively (P = 0.002). The horizontal coma in the first surgical eyes were notably lower than in the second (P = 0.000). MTF values at spatial frequencies of 5, 10, 15, and 20 cycles/degree (c/d) were higher in the first surgical eyes compared to the second (all P < 0.05). Linear regression indicated that high-order aberrations (HOAs), root mean square (RMS) coma, spherical aberration, horizontal coma, vertical coma, and eccentric displacement were all linearly correlated. Furthermore, MTF values exhibited a linear relationship with eccentric displacement across these spatial frequencies. CONCLUSIONS: There was no discernible difference in visual acuity, efficacy, or safety between the two operated eyes. Nonetheless, the first operated eyes exhibited reduced decentered displacement and demonstrated superior outcomes in terms of horizontal coma and MTF values compared to the second operated eyes following SMILE. The variations in visual quality parameters were linearly correlated with decentered displacement.

Efficient and Stable Unsupervised Feature Selection Based on Novel Structured Graph and Data Discrepancy Learning.

Unsupervised feature selection is an important tool in data mining, machine learning, and pattern recognition. Although data labels are often missing, the number of data classes can be known and exploited in many scenarios. Therefore, a structured graph, whose number of connected components is identical to the number of data classes, has been proposed and is frequently applied in unsupervised feature selection. However, methods based on the structured graph learning face two problems. First, their structured graphs are not always guaranteed to maintain the same number of connected components as the data classes with existing optimization algorithms. Second, they usually lack strategies for choosing moderate hyperparameters. To solve these problems, an efficient and stable unsupervised feature selection method based on a novel structured graph and data discrepancy learning (ESUFS) is proposed. Specifically, the novel structured graph, consisting of a pairwise data similarity matrix and an indicator matrix, can be efficiently learned by solving a discrete optimization problem. Data discrepancy learning focuses on features that maximize the difference among data and helps in selecting discriminative features. Extensive experiments conducted on various datasets show that ESUFS outperforms state-of-the-art methods not only in accuracy (ACC) but also in stability and speed.

Blocking Interfacial Proton Transport via Self-Assembled Monolayer for Hydrogen Evolution-Free Zinc Batteries.

Aqueous Zn-ion batteries (ZIBs) are promising next-generation energy storage devices, yet suffer from the issues of hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and intricate side reactions on the Zn anode surface. The hydrogen (H)-bond networks play a critical role in interfacial proton transport that may closely relate to HER but are rarely investigated.Herein, we report a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) strategy which is constructed by anchoring ionic liquid cations on Ti3C2Tx substrate for HER-free Zn anode. Molecule dynamics simulations reveal that the rationally designed SAM with a high coordination number of water molecules (25~27, 4~6 for Zn2+) largely reduces the interfacial densities of H2O molecules, therefore breaking the connectivity of H-bond networks and blocking proton transport on the interface, by which the HER is suppressed. Then, a series of in-situ characterizations demonstrate that negligible amounts of H2 gas are collected from the Zn@SAM-MXene anode. Consequently, the symmetric cell enables a long-cycling life of 3000 h at 1 mA cm-2 and 1000 h at 5 mA cm-2. More significantly, the stable Zn@SAM-MXene films are successfully used for coin full cells showing high-capacity retention of over 94% after 1000 cycles and large-area (10 × 5 cm2) pouch cells with desired performance.

Optical Activity and Excitonic Characteristics of Chiral CdSe Quantum Dots.

Introduction of chirality to colloidal semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) triggers a chiroptical effect. However, there remains a knowledge gap in the mechanism of chirality transfer and amplification from molecules to QDs. By time-dependent density functional theory calculations combined with a correlated electron-hole picture, we explored the chiroptical activity of CdSe QDs decorated with different chiral monocarboxylic acids from an excitonic perspective. Our calculations showed strong circular dichroism (CD) signals in the visible region for the chiral CdSe QDs. The excitonic states with large CD originate from QDs, while the chiral molecules break the orthogonality between electric and magnetic transition dipoles, which synergistically facilitates the prominent dissymmetric effect. The considered monocarboxylic acid chiral molecules all favor the bidentate adsorption configuration of the carboxyl group on the CdSe surface, endowing an identical CD signature but distinct excitonic characteristics. These findings are crucial for the regulation of chirality and excitons in semiconductor QDs to develop excitonic devices.

Composite polymer electrolyte based on poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) for solid-state batteries.

Using solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) with excellent thermal and electrical stability to replace liquid electrolytes, and assembling solid-state lithium-ion batteries (SSLIBs) is considered the best solution to these safety issues. However, it is difficult for a single electrolyte to have the characteristics of high ionic conductivity, low interface resistance, and high stability of the counter electrode at the same time. In this work, the composite polymer electrolyte membrane (CPE) of inorganic Li1.3Al0.3Ti1.7(PO4)3 (LATP) and organic poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) polymer was successfully prepared by traditional casting method. The addition of LATP (10 wt %) ceramic powder makes CPE membrane (CPE-10) exhibit excellent electrochemical performance: the lithium-ion transference number and electrochemical window are as high as 0.60 and 4.94 V, respectively. Moreover, the CPE-10 showed excellent Li-metal stability, thereby enabling the Li-Li symmetric cells to stably run for over 300 h at 0.1 mA/cm2 with effective lithium dendrite inhibition. When paired with a high-voltage LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2 (NCM622) cathode, the Li/CPE-10/NCM622 cell exhibited excellent electrochemical performance: the highest specific discharge capacity of 152 mAh/g could be conducted at 0.2C after 50 cycles corresponding to 100% Coulombic efficiencies. The prepared CPE-10 demonstrates excellent electrochemical performance, providing an effective design strategy for SSLMBs.

Efficacy and safety of radiofrequency ablation versus surgical sympathectomy in palmar hyperhidrosis.

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) comparative efficacy of treatments using video-assisted thoracoscopic sympathectomy (VATS) in the long term remains uncertain in patients with palmar hyperhidrosis (PHH). This study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of RFA and VATS in patients with PHH. We recruited patients aged ≥ 14 years with diagnosed PHH from 14 centres in China. The treatment options of RFA or VATS were assigned to two cohort in patients with PHH. The primary outcome was the efficacy at 1-year. A total of 807 patients were enrolled. After propensity score matching, the rate of complete remission was lower in RFA group than VATS group (95% CI 0.21-0.57; p < 0.001). However, the rates of palmar dryness (95% CI 0.38-0.92; p = 0.020), postoperative pain (95% CI 0.13-0.33; p < 0.001), and surgery-related complications (95% CI 0.19-0.85; p = 0.020) were lower in RFA group than in VATS group, but skin temperature rise was more common in RFA group (95% CI 1.84-3.58; p < 0.001). RFA had a lower success rate than VATS for the complete remission of PHH. However, the symptom burden and cost are lower in patients undergoing RFA compared to those undergoing VATS.Trial Registration: ChiCTR2000039576, URL: http://www.chictr.org.cn/index.aspx .

Running-Time Analysis of Brain Storm Optimization Based on Average Gain Model.

The brain storm optimization (BSO) algorithm has received increased attention in the field of evolutionary computation. While BSO has been applied in numerous industrial scenarios due to its effectiveness and accessibility, there are few theoretical analysis results about its running time. Running-time analysis can be conducted through the estimation of the upper bounds of the expected first hitting time to evaluate the efficiency of BSO. This study estimates the upper bounds of the expected first hitting time on six single individual BSO variants (BSOs with one individual) based on the average gain model. The theoretical analysis indicates the following results. (1) The time complexity of the six BSO variants is O(n) in equal coefficient linear functions regardless of the presence or absence of the disrupting operator, where n is the number of the dimensions. Moreover, the coefficient of the upper bounds on the expected first hitting time shows that the single individual BSOs with the disrupting operator require fewer iterations to obtain the target solution than the single individual BSOs without the disrupting operator. (2) The upper bounds on the expected first hitting time of single individual BSOs with the standard normally distributed mutation operator are lower than those of BSOs with the uniformly distributed mutation operator. (3) The upper bounds on the expected first hitting time of single individual BSOs with the U-12,12 mutation operator are approximately twice those of BSOs with the U(-1,1) mutation operator. The corresponding numerical results are also consistent with the theoretical analysis results.

Avulsion fracture of the anterior superior iliac crest following autograft for anterior lumbar fusion: case report and literature review.

Avulsion fracture of the anterior superior iliac crest (ASIC) following autogenous bone grafting for anterior lumbar fusion (ALF) is an extremely rare complication. We describe a very rare case of avulsion fracture of the ASIC following autograft for ALF in a revision surgery for treating lumbar tuberculosis. A 68-year-old woman with lumbar tuberculosis underwent posterior debridement and posterior iliac crest bone graft fusion; however, her lumbar tuberculosis recurred 9 months after surgery. She then underwent a lumbar revision surgery, including removal of the posterior instrumentation and debridement, followed by anterior L2 corpectomy, debridement, anterior left iliac crest bone graft fusion, and internal fixation. When walking for the first time on postoperative day 3, she experienced a sharp, sudden-onset pain in the anterior iliac crest harvest area. X-ray revealed an avulsion fracture of the ASIC. Considering her failure to respond to conservative treatment for one week and large displacement of the fracture ends, an open reduction and internal fixation surgery was scheduled. Her pain symptoms were significantly relieved after the operation. Although rare, fracture of the ASIC following autograft for ALF should not be ignored. Fracture of the ASIC is usually treated conservatively. Additional surgical treatment is required only when intractable pain fails to respond to conservative treatment or when there is a large displacement of fracture ends that are not expected to heal spontaneously.

Green Space Morphology and School Myopia in China.

Importance: China has experienced both rapid urbanization and major increases in myopia prevalence. Previous studies suggest that green space exposure reduces the risk of myopia, but the association between myopia risk and specific geometry and distribution characteristics of green space has yet to be explored. These must be understood to craft effective interventions to reduce myopia. Objective: To evaluate the associations between myopia and specific green space morphology using novel quantitative data from high-resolution satellite imaging. Design, Setting, and Participants: This prospective cohort study included students grades 1 to 4 (aged 6 to 9 years) in Shenzhen, China. Baseline data were collected in 2016-2017, and students were followed up in 2018-2019. Data were analyzed from September 2020 to January 2022. Exposures: Eight landscape metrics were calculated using land cover data from high-resolution Gaofen-2 satellite images to measure area, aggregation, and shape of green space. Main Outcome and Measures: The 2-year cumulative change in myopia prevalence at each school and incidence of myopia at the student level after 2 years were calculated as main outcomes. The associations between landscape metrics and school myopia were assessed, controlling for geographical, demographic, and socioeconomic factors. Principal component analyses were performed to further assess the joint effect of landscape metrics at the school and individual level. Results: A total of 138 735 students were assessed at baseline. Higher proportion, aggregation, and better connectivity of green space were correlated with slower increases in myopia prevalence. In the principal component regression, a 1-unit increase in the myopia-related green space morphology index (the first principal component) was negatively associated with a 1.7% (95% CI, -2.7 to -0.6) decrease in myopia prevalence change at the school level (P = .002). At the individual level, a 1-unit increase in myopia-related green space morphology index was associated with a 9.8% (95% CI, 4.1 to 15.1) reduction in the risk of incident myopia (P < .001), and the association remained after further adjustment for outdoor time, screen time, reading time, and parental myopia (adjusted odds ratio, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.80 to 0.97; P = .009). Conclusions and Relevance: Structure of green space was associated with a decreased relative risk of myopia, which may provide guidance for construction and renovation of schools. Since risk estimates only indicate correlations rather than causation, further interventional studies are needed to assess the effect on school myopia of urban planning and environmental designs, especially size and aggregation metrics of green space, on school myopia.

Spider-Silk-like Fiber Mat-Covered Polypropylene Warp-Knitted Hernia Mesh for Inhibition of Fibrosis under Dynamic Environment.

Hernia surgery is a widely performed procedure, and the use of a polypropylene mesh is considered the standard approach. However, the mesh often leads to complications, including the development of scar tissue that wraps around the mesh and causes it to shrink. Consequently, there is a need to investigate the relationship between the mesh and scar formation as well as to develop a hernia mesh that can prevent fibrosis. In this study, three different commercial polypropylene hernia meshes were examined to explore the connection between the fabric structure and mechanical properties. In vitro dynamic culture was used to investigate the mechanism by which the mechanical properties of the mesh in a dynamic environment affect cell differentiation. Additionally, electrospinning was employed to create polycaprolactone spider-silk-like fiber mats to achieve mechanical energy dissipation in dynamic conditions. These fiber mats were then combined with the preferred hernia mesh. The results demonstrated that the composite mesh could reduce the activation of fibroblast mechanical signaling pathways and inhibit its differentiation into myofibroblasts in dynamic environments.

CsCuAO1 Associated with CsAMADH1 Confers Drought Tolerance by Modulating GABA Levels in Tea Plants.

Our previous study showed that COPPER-CONTAINING AMINE OXIDASE (CuAO) and AMINOALDEHYDE DEHYDROGENASE (AMADH) could regulate the accumulation of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in tea through the polyamine degradation pathway. However, their biological function in drought tolerance has not been determined. In this study, Camellia sinensis (Cs) CsCuAO1 associated with CsAMADH1 conferred drought tolerance, which modulated GABA levels in tea plants. The results showed that exogenous GABA spraying effectively alleviated the drought-induced physical damage. Arabidopsis lines overexpressing CsCuAO1 and CsAMADH1 exhibited enhanced resistance to drought, which promoted the synthesis of GABA and putrescine by stimulating reactive oxygen species' scavenging capacity and stomatal movement. However, the suppression of CsCuAO1 or CsAMADH1 in tea plants resulted in increased sensitivity to drought treatment. Moreover, co-overexpressing plants increased GABA accumulation both in an Agrobacterium-mediated Nicotiana benthamiana transient assay and transgenic Arabidopsis plants. In addition, a GABA transporter gene, CsGAT1, was identified, whose expression was strongly correlated with GABA accumulation levels in different tissues under drought stress. Taken together, CsCuAO1 and CsAMADH1 were involved in the response to drought stress through a dynamic GABA-putrescine balance. Our data will contribute to the characterization of GABA's biological functions in response to environmental stresses in plants.

Comparing iodized oil with polyvinyl alcohol for portal vein embolization in promoting liver remnant increase before partial hepatectomy.

BACKGROUND: To compare the efficacy and safety of iodized oil versus polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) particles in portal vein embolization (PVE) before partial hepatectomy. METHODS: From October 2016 to December 2021, 86 patients who planned to undergo hepatectomy after PVE were enrolled, including 61 patients post-PVE with PVA particles + coils and 25 patients post-PVE with iodized oil + coils. All patients underwent CT examination before and 2-3 weeks after PVE to evaluate the future liver remnant (FLR). The intercohort comparison included the degree of liver volume growth, changes in laboratory data, and adverse events. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the resection rate between the iodized oil group and the PVA particle group (68 % vs. 70 %, p = 0.822). In terms of the degree of hypertrophy (9.52 % ± 13.47 vs. 4.03 % ± 10.55, p = 0.047) and kinetic growth rate (4.07 % ± 5.4 vs. 1.55 % ± 4.63, p = 0.032), the iodized oil group was superior to the PVA group. The PVE operation time in the PVA particle group was shorter than that in the iodized oil group (121. 72 min ± 34.45 vs. 156. 2 min ± 71.58, p = 0.029). There was no significant difference in the degree of hypertrophy between the high bilirubin group and the control group (5.32 % ± 9.21 vs. 6.1 % ± 14.79, p = 0.764). Only 1 patient had a major complication. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with PVA particles, iodized oil PVE can significantly increase liver volume and the degree of hypertrophy without any significant difference in safety.

Honokiol Attenuates Choroidal Neovascularization by Inhibiting the Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-α/Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Axis via Nuclear Transcription Factor-Kappa B Activation.

PURPOSE: Honokiol is a lignan isolated from Magnolia officinalis and exhibits anti-angiogenic properties. This study was conducted to investigate the role of honokiol in choroidal neovascularization. METHODS: C57BL/6 mice were treated with honokiol at 10-20 mg/kg by daily intraperitoneal injection from day 1 to 6 after laser photocoagulation. ARPE-19 cells were cultured under hypoxic conditions with or without the presence of honokiol. After laser photocoagulation and honokiol treatment, hematoxylin and eosin staining, immunofluorescence and fundus fluorescein angiography were used to analyze the effect of honokiol on choroidal neovascularization formation. Quantitative real-time PCR, western blot, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, immunofluorescence, luciferase assay, and chromatin immunoprecipitation were performed to explore the mechanism of honokiol in the pathological process of choroidal neovascularization. Finally, the role of honokiol on the human choroidal vascular endothelial cells was detected by using 5-ethynyl-20-deoxyuridine assay, Transwell and Tube formation assays. RESULTS: The results of hematoxylin and eosin staining and immunofluorescence suggested that honokiol reduced the thickness, length, and area of choroidal neovascularization lesions in laser-induced choroidal neovascularization mouse model. Fundus fluorescein angiography showed that choroidal neovascularization leakage was reduced in honokiol group and the concentration of 20 mg/kg showed better effects. Mechanism studies have shown that honokiol exerted inhibitory effects on choroidal neovascularization by inactivating hypoxia-inducible factor-1α/vascular endothelial growth factor axis through the nuclear transcription factor-kappa B signaling pathway. The same results were obtained in ARPE-19 cells under hypoxic conditions. Furthermore, the conditional medium of retinal pigmented epithelial cells promoted the proliferation, migration, and tube formation of human choroidal vascular endothelial cells, while honokiol reversed these. CONCLUSION: We demonstrated that honokiol attenuated choroidal neovascularization formation by inactivating the hypoxia-inducible factor-1α/vascular endothelial growth factor axis through nuclear transcription factor-kappa B signaling pathway.

Synergism of Cry1Ca toxicity by gut resident Enterococcus spp. in the rice stem borer, Chilo suppressalis.

The bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is the most economically successful biopesticide to date, and Bt insecticidal proteins are produced in transgenic crops for pest control. However, relevant details in the Bt-mediated killing process remain undefined. In our previous research, we observed reduced larval susceptibility to Bt Cry1Ca in Chilo suppressalis, a major rice pest in China, after gut microbiota elimination. Here, we tested the hypothesis that gut microbiota, particularly abundant Enterococcus spp., influences C. suppressalis susceptibility to Cry1Ca. We isolated and identified four Enterococcus spp. from C. suppressalis gut microbiota and evaluated their impact on Cry1Ca toxicity. Among the four Enterococcus spp. identified, three of them (E. casseliflavus, E. faecalis, and E. mundtii) dramatically increased larval mortality when introduced in axenic C. suppressalis challenged with Cry1Ca. Gut epithelial damage by Cry1Ca promoted the translocation of Enterococcus spp. from the gut lumen into the hemocoel, where they proliferated and induced larval melanization and hemocyte apoptosis. Our combined findings demonstrate that the presence of specific gut microbiota can greatly affect susceptibility to Cry1Ca through melanization and apoptosis of hemocytes. Better understanding of the Bt intoxication process guides the development of bio-enhancers for Bt-based microbial biopesticides and potential improvement of transgenic crops.

Burdens and Difficulties Experienced by Parental Caregivers of Children and Adolescents with Idiopathic Nephrotic Syndrome in Mainland China: A Qualitative Study.

Purpose: To identify the difficulties and burdens related to the experience of caring for children. Methods: A phenomenological approach was used in this qualitative study. Semi-structured and adolescents with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (INS) in mainland China. Interviews lasting 35-90 minutes were conducted with 13 parental caregivers of youth with INS. The Colaizzi's analysis was used in data analysis. Results: The mean age of parental caregivers was 40.3 ± 6.1 years, and the average caregiving year of 3.2 ± 3.3 years. Most INS patients were male (69.2%), had a mean age of 7.6 ± 4.2 years. Based on the analysis of the data, five major themes emerged. These were: persistent emotional burden; neglected physical burden; overwhelming financial burden; absence of social support system and burden related to loss of normal life. Conclusion: Health professionals must develop strategies to provide stage-by-stage, targeted health education and psychological support services to parental caregivers of INS youth in China. The government must subsidize routine medications and frequent hospitalizations to minimize the financial burden on parental caregivers of INS youth. Moreover, anti-discrimination policies must be established to protect caregivers from explicit discrimination in public places.

A novel oxidative stress-related gene signature as an indicator of prognosis and immunotherapy responses in HNSCC.

PURPOSE: To identify molecular subtypes of oxidative stress-related genes in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and to construct a scoring model of oxidative stress-related genes. METHODS: R language based scRNA-seq and bulk RNA-seq analyses were used to identify molecular isoforms of oxidative stress-related genes in HNSCC. An oxidative stress-related gene scoring (OSRS) model was constructed, which were verified through online data and immunohistochemical staining of clinical samples. RESULTS: Using TCGA-HNSCC datasets, nine predictive genes for overall patient survival, rarely reported in previous similar studies, were screened. AREG and CES1 were identified as prognostic risk factors. CSTA, FDCSP, JCHAIN, IFFO2, PGLYRP4, SPOCK2 and SPINK6 were identified as prognostic factors. Collectively, all genes formed a prognostic risk signature model for oxidative stress in HNSCC, which were validated in GSE41613, GSE103322 and PRJEB23709 datasets. Immunohistochemical staining of SPINK6 in nasopharyngeal cancer samples validated the gene panel. Subsequent analysis indicated that subgroups of the oxidative stress prognostic signature played important roles during cellular communication, the immune microenvironment, the differential activation of transcription factors, oxidative stress and immunotherapeutic responses. CONCLUSIONS: The risk model might predict HNSCC prognosis and immunotherapeutic responses.