Pharmacotherapy for adults with overweight and obesity: a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Pharmacotherapy provides an option for adults with overweight and obesity to reduce their bodyweight if lifestyle modifications fail. We summarised the latest evidence for the benefits and harms of weight-lowering drugs. METHODS: This systematic review and network meta-analysis included searches of PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library (CENTRAL) from inception to March 23, 2021, for randomised controlled trials of weight-lowering drugs in adults with overweight and obesity. We performed frequentist random-effect network meta-analyses to summarise the evidence and applied the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation frameworks to rate the certainty of evidence, calculate the absolute effects, categorise interventions, and present the findings. The study was registered with PROSPERO, CRD 42021245678. FINDINGS: 14 605 citations were identified by our search, of which 132 eligible trials enrolled 48 209 participants. All drugs lowered bodyweight compared with lifestyle modification alone; all subsequent numbers refer to comparisons with lifestyle modification. High to moderate certainty evidence established phentermine-topiramate as the most effective in lowering weight (odds ratio [OR] of ≥5% weight reduction 8·02, 95% CI 5·24 to 12·27; mean difference [MD] of percentage bodyweight change -7·98, 95% CI -9·27 to -6·69) followed by GLP-1 receptor agonists (OR 6·33, 95% CI 5·00 to 8·00; MD -5·79, 95% CI -6·34 to -5·25). Naltrexone-bupropion (OR 2·69, 95% CI 2·10 to 3·44), phentermine-topiramate (2·40, 1·68 to 3·44), GLP-1 receptor agonists (2·22, 1·74 to 2·84), and orlistat (1·71, 1·42 to 2·05) were associated with increased adverse events leading to drug discontinuation. In a post-hoc analysis, semaglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist, showed substantially larger benefits than other drugs with a similar risk of adverse events as other drugs for both likelihood of weight loss of 5% or more (OR 9·82, 95% CI 7·09 to 13·61) and percentage bodyweight change (MD -11·40, 95% CI -12·51 to -10·29). INTERPRETATION: In adults with overweight and obesity, phentermine-topiramate and GLP-1 receptor agonists proved the best drugs in reducing weight; of the GLP-1 agonists, semaglutide might be the most effective. FUNDING: 1.3.5 Project for Disciplines of Excellence, West China Hospital, Sichuan University.

Simultaneous realization of high gain and low DMG of four-mode EDFA under bidirectional hybrid-mode pump.

We theoretically and experimentally verify that, the bidirectional hybrid-mode pumping scheme can address the optimization problem of trade-off between high gain and low differential modal gain (DMG) of four-mode erbium-doped fiber amplifier (4M-EDFA), in comparison with traditional both forward and backward hybrid-mode pumping scheme. It is noticed that, when the total pump power is fixed, the bidirectional hybrid-mode pumping scheme can not only achieve higher gain, but also suppress DMG due to different overlap integrals for the forward and backward pumping schemes. The bidirectional hybrid-mode pumped 4M-EDFA is developed with the forward pumping at LP02 mode and the backward pumping at LP21 mode, under a pump power ratio of 30%:70%. Thus, we can achieve an average gain of up to 21.16 dB and a low DMG of 0.43 dB at 1550 nm, and an average gain of up to 20.64 dB with a DMG of less than 1.6 dB over the C-band. In particular, the bidirectional hybrid-mode pumping scheme allows us to tailor the gain characteristics of the few-mode erbium-doped fiber amplifiers (FM-EDFAs), by adjusting the power ratio between forward and backward pumps.

Cerebrospinal fluid amyloid-ß and cerebral microbleed are associated with distinct neuropsychiatric sub-syndromes in cognitively impaired patients.

BACKGROUND: Neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) are prevalent in cognitively impaired individuals including Alzheimer's disease (AD) dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Whereas several studies have reported the associations between NPS with AD pathologic biomarkers and cerebral small vessel disease (SVD), but it remains unknown whether AD pathology and SVD contribute to different sub-syndromes independently or aggravate same symptoms synergistically. METHOD: We included 445 cognitively impaired individuals (including 316 MCI and 129 AD) with neuropsychiatric, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers (Aß42, p-tau, and t-tau) and multi-model MRI data. Psychiatric symptoms were accessed by using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI). Visual assessment of SVD (white matter hyperintensity, microbleed, perivascular space, lacune) on MRI images was performed by experienced radiologist. Linear regression analyses were conducted to test the association between neuropsychiatric symptoms with AD pathology and CSVD burden after adjustment for age, sex, education, apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 carrier status, and clinical diagnosis. RESULTS: The NPI total scores were related to microbleed (estimate 2.424; 95% CI [0.749, 4.099]; P =0.005). Considering the sub-syndromes, the hyperactivity was associated with microbleed (estimate 0.925; 95% CI [0.115, 1.735]; P =0.025), whereas the affective symptoms were correlated to CSF level of Aß42 (estimate -0.006; 95% CI [-0.011, -0.002]; P =0.005). Furthermore, we found the apathy sub-syndrome was associated with CSF t-tau/Aß42 (estimate 0.636; 95% CI [0.078, 1.194]; P =0.041) and microbleed (estimate 0.693; 95% CI [0.046, 1.340]; P =0.036). In addition, we found a significant interactive effect between CSF t-tau/Aß42 and microbleed (estimate 0.993; 95% CI [0.360, 1.626]; P =0.019) on severity of apathy sub-syndrome. CONCLUSION: Our study showed that CSF Aß42 was associated with affective symptoms, but microbleed was correlated with hyperactivity and apathy, suggesting the effect of AD pathology and SVD on different neuropsychiatric sub-syndromes.

Isotope engineering achieved by local coordination design in Ti-Pd co-doped ZrCo-based alloys.

Deuterium/Tritium (D/T) handling in defined proportions are pivotal to maintain steady-state operation for fusion reactors. However, the hydrogen isotope effect in metal-hydrogen systems always disturbs precise D/T ratio control. Here, we reveal the dominance of kinetic isotope effect during desorption. To reconcile the thermodynamic stability and isotope effect, we demonstrate a quantitative indicator of Tgap and further a local coordination design strategy that comprises thermodynamic destabilization with vibration enhancement of interstitial isotopes for isotope engineering. Based on theoretical screening analysis, an optimized Ti-Pd co-doped Zr0.8Ti0.2Co0.8Pd0.2 alloy is designed and prepared. Compared to ZrCo alloy, the optimal alloy enables consistent isotope delivery together with a three-fold lower Tgap, a five-fold lower energy barrier difference, a one-third lower isotopic composition deviation during desorption and an over two-fold higher cycling capacity. This work provides insights into the interaction between alloy and hydrogen isotopes, thus opening up feasible approaches to support high-performance fusion reactors.

Rare earth elements induced electronic engineering in Rh cluster toward efficient alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction.

The unique electronic and crystal structures of rare earth metals (RE) offer promising opportunities for enhancing the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) properties of materials. In this work, a series of RE (Sm, Nd, Pr and Ho)-doped Rh@NSPC (NSPC stands for N, S co-doped porous carbon nanosheets) with sizes less than 2 nm are prepared, utilizing a simple, rapid and solvent-free joule-heat pyrolysis method for the first time. The optimized Sm-Rh@NSPC achieves HER performance. The high-catalytic performance and stability of Sm-Rh@NSPC are attributed to the synergistic electronic interactions between Sm and Rh clusters, leading to an increase in the electron cloud density of Rh, which promotes the adsorption of H+, the dissociation of Rh-H bonds and the release of H2. Notably, the overpotential of the Sm-Rh@NSPC catalyst is a mere 18.1 mV at current density of 10 mAcm-2, with a Tafel slope of only 15.2 mV dec-1. Furthermore, it exhibits stable operation in a 1.0 M KOH electrolyte at 10 mA cm-2 for more than 100 h. This study provides new insights into the synthesis of composite RE hybrid cluster nanocatalysts and their RE-enhanced electrocatalytic performance. It also introduces fresh perspectives for the development of efficient electrocatalysts.

Comparative transcriptome analysis of longissimus dorsi muscle reveal potential genes affecting meat trait in Chinese indigenous Xiang pig.

In this study, we compared the transcriptome of longissimus dorsi muscle between Guizhou Xiang pigs (XP) and Western commercial Large White pigs (LW), which show diffirent meat quality between them. In terms of meat quality traits, the pH 45 min, color score, backfat thickness, and intramuscular fat (IMF) content were higher in Xiang pigs than in Large White pigs (P < 0.01), while the drip loss, lean meat percentage, shear force, and longissimus dorsi muscle area of Xiang pigs were lower than that of Large White pigs (P < 0.01). Nutrients such as monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA), total amino acids (TAA), delicious amino acids (DAA) and essential amino acids (EAA) in Xiang pigs were higher than that in Large White pigs, and the proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) of Xiang pigs was significantly lower than Large White pigs (P < 0.01). Transcriptome analysis identified 163 up-regulated genes and 88 genes down-regulated in Xiang pigs longissimus dorsi muscle. Combined with the correlation analysis and quantitative trait locis (QTLs) affecting meat quality, a total of 227 DEGs were screened to be significantly associated with meat quality values. Enrichment analysis indicated that numerous members of genes were gathered in muscle development, adipogenesis, amino acid metabolism, fatty acid metabolism and synthesis. Of those, 29 genes were identified to be hub genes that might be related with the meat quality of Xiang pig, such as MYOD1, ACTB, ASNS, FOXO1, ARG2, SLC2A4, PLIN2, and SCD. Thus, we screened and identified the potential functional genes for the formation of meat quality in Xiang pigs, which provides a corresponding theoretical basis for the study of the molecular regulatory mechanism of pork quality and the improvement of pork quality.

Reaction Environment Regulation for Electrocatalytic CO2 Reduction in Acids.

The electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) is a sustainable route for converting CO2 into value-added fuels and feedstocks, advancing a carbon-neutral economy. The electrolyte critically influences CO2 utilization, reaction rate and product selectivity. While typically conducted in neutral/alkaline aqueous electrolytes, the CO2RR faces challenges due to (bi)carbonate formation and its crossover to the anolyte, reducing efficiency and stability. Acidic media offer promise by suppressing these processes, but the low Faradaic efficiency, especially for multicarbon (C2+) products, and poor electrocatalyst stability persist. The effective regulation of the reaction environment at the cathode is essential to favor the CO2RR over the competitive hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and improve long-term stability. This review examines progress in the acidic CO2RR, focusing on reaction environment regulation strategies such as electrocatalyst design, electrode modification and electrolyte engineering to promote the CO2RR. Insights into the reaction mechanisms via in situ/operando techniques and theoretical calculations are discussed, along with critical challenges and future directions in acidic CO2RR technology, offering guidance for developing practical systems for the carbon-neutral community.

miR-30a-5p mediates ferroptosis of hippocampal neurons in chronic cerebral hypoperfusion-induced cognitive dysfunction by modulating the SIRT1/NRF2 pathway.

OBJECTIVE: Chronic cerebral hypoperfusion (CCH) is a common cause of brain dysfunction. As a microRNA (also known as miRNAs or miRs), miR-30a-5p participates in neuronal damage and relates to ferroptosis. We explored the in vivo and in vitro effects and functional mechanism of miR-30a-5p in CCH-triggered cognitive impairment through the silent information regulator 1 (SIRT1)/nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) pathway. METHODS: After 1 month of CCH modeling through bilateral common carotid artery stenosis, mice were injected with 2 µL antagomir (also known as anti-miRNAs) miR-30a-5p, with cognitive function evaluated by Morris water maze and novel object recognition tests. In vitro HT-22 cell oxygen glucose deprivation (OGD) model was established, followed by miR-30a-5p inhibitor and/or si-SIRT1 transfections, with Fe2+ concentration, malonaldehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) contents, reactive oxygen species (ROS), miR-30a-5p and SIRT1 and glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) protein levels, NRF2 nuclear translocation, and miR-30a-5p-SIRT1 targeting relationship assessed. RESULTS: CCH-induced mice showed obvious cognitive impairment, up-regulated miR-30a-5p, and down-regulated SIRT1. Ferroptosis occurred in hippocampal neurons, manifested by elevated Fe2+ concentration and ROS and MDA levels, mitochondrial atrophy, and diminished GSH content. Antagomir miR-30a-5p or miR-30a-5p inhibitor promoted SIRT1 expression and NRF2 nuclear translocation, increased GPX4, cell viability and GSH content, and reduced Fe2+ concentration and ROS and MDA levels. miR-30a-5p negatively regulated SIRT1. In vitro, miR-30a-5p knockout increased NRF2 nuclear translocation by up-regulating SIRT1, inhibiting OGD-induced ferroptosis in HT-22 cells. CONCLUSION: miR-30a-5p induces hippocampal neuronal ferroptosis and exacerbates post-CCH cognitive dysfunction by targeting SIRT1 and reducing NRF2 nuclear translocation.

Characterization of polyamine metabolism predicts prognosis, immune profile, and therapeutic efficacy in lung adenocarcinoma patients.

Background: Polyamine modification patterns in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and their impact on prognosis, immune infiltration, and anti-tumor efficacy have not been systematically explored. Methods: Patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were classified into subtypes according to polyamine metabolism-related genes using the consensus clustering method, and the survival outcomes and immune profile were compared. Meanwhile, the geneCluster was constructed according to the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of the subtypes. Subsequently, the polyamine metabolism-related score (PMRS) system was established using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) multivariate regression analysis in the TCGA training cohort (n = 245), which can be applied to characterize the prognosis. To verify the predictive performance of the PMRS, the internal cohort (n = 245) and the external cohort (n = 244) were recruited. The relationship between the PMRS and immune infiltration and antitumor responses was investigated. Results: Two distinct patterns (C1 and C2) were identified, in which the C1 subtype presented an adverse prognosis, high CD8+ T cell infiltration, tumor mutational burden (TMB), immune checkpoint, and low tumor immune dysfunction and exclusion (TIDE). Furthermore, two geneClusters were established, and similar findings were observed. The PMRS, including three genes (SMS, SMOX, and PSMC6), was then constructed to characterize the polyamine metabolic patterns, and the patients were divided into high- and low-PMRS groups. As confirmed by the validation cohort, the high-PMRS group possessed a poor prognosis. Moreover, external samples and immunohistochemistry confirmed that the three genes were highly expressed in tumor samples. Finally, immunotherapy and chemotherapy may be beneficial to the high-PMRS group based on the immunotherapy cohorts and low half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values. Conclusion: We identified distinct polyamine modification patterns and established a PMRS to provide new insights into the mechanism of polyamine action and improve the current anti-tumor strategy of LUAD.

Direct and rapid thermal shock for recycling spent graphite in lithium-ion batteries.

Due to the rapid increase in the number of spent lithium-ion batteries, there has been a growing interest in the recovery of degraded graphite. In this work, a rapid thermal shock (RTS) strategy is proposed to regenerate spent graphite for use in lithium-ion batteries. The results of structural and morphological characterization demonstrate that the graphite is well regenerated by the RTS process. Additionally, an amorphous carbon layer forms and coats onto the surface of the graphite, contributing to excellent rate performance. The regenerated graphite (RG-1000) displays excellent rate performance, with capacities of 413 mAh g-1 at 50 mA g-1 and 102.1 mAh g-1 at 1000 mA g-1, respectively. Furthermore, it demonstrates long-term cycle stability, maintaining a capacity of 80 mAh g-1 at 1000 mA g-1 with a capacity retention of 78.4 % after 600 cycles. This RTS method enables rapid and efficient regeneration of spent graphite anodes for lithium-ion batteries, providing a facile and environmentally friendly strategy for their direct regeneration.

Characterization of key odorants in 'Baimaocha' black teas from different regions.

'Baimmaocha' is a distinctive resource for production of high-quality black tea, and its processed black tea has unique aroma characteristics. 190 volatile compounds were identified by comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography-olfactometry-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry(GC × GC-O-Q-TOMS), and among them 23 compounds were recognized as key odorants contributing to forming different aroma characteristics in 'Baimaocha' black teas of Rucheng, Renhua, and Lingyun (RCBT, RHBT, LYBT). The odor activity value coupled with GC-O showed that methyl salicylate (RCBT), geraniol (RHBT), trans-ß-ionone and benzeneacetaldehyde (LYBT) might be the most definitive aroma compounds identified from their respective regions. Furthermore, PLS analysis revealed three odorants as significant contributors to floral characteristic, four odorants related to fruity attribute, four odorants linked to fresh attribute, and three odorants associated with roasted attribute. These results provide novel insights into sensory evaluation and chemical substances of 'Baimaocha' black tea and provide a theoretical basis for controlling and enhancement tea aroma quality.

Absolute protein quantification based on calibrated particle counting using electrospray-differential mobility analysis.

The traceability of in vitro diagnostics or drug products is based on the accurate quantification of proteins. In this study, we developed an absolute quantification approach for proteins. This method is based on calibrated particle counting using electrospray-differential mobility analysis (ES-DMA) coupled with a condensation particle counter (CPC). The absolute concentration of proteins was quantified with the observed protein particle number measured with ES-DMA-CPC, and the detection efficiency was determined by calibrators. The measurement performance and quantitative level were verified using two certificated reference materials, BSA and NIMCmAb. The linear regression fit for the detection efficiency values of three reference materials and one highly purified protein (myoglobin, BSA, NIMCmAb and fibrinogen) indicated that the detection efficiency and the particle size distribution of these proteins exhibited a linear relationship. Moreover, to explore the suitability of the detection efficiency-particle size curve for protein quantification, the concentrations of three typical proteinaceous particles, including two high molecular weight proteins (NIST reference material 8671 and D-dimer) and one protein complex (glutathione S-transferase dimer), were determined. This work suggests that this calibrated particle counting method is an efficient approach for nondestructive, rapid and accurate quantification of proteins, especially for measuring proteinaceous particles with tremendous size and without reference standards.

Roegneria yenchiana: A new species in the Triticeae (Poaceae) from the Hengduan Mountain region.

Roegneria yenchiana sp. nov. (Triticeae) is a new species collected from Shangri-la of Yunnan Province in China based on morphological, cytological, and molecular data. It is morphologically characterized by one spikelet per node, rectangular glums, awns flanked by two short mucros in lemmas, distinguished from other species of Roegneria. The genomic in situ hybridization results indicate that R. yenchiana is an allotetraploid, and its genomic constitution is StY. Phylogenetic analyses based on multiple loci suggested that R. yenchiana is closely related to Pseudoroegneria and Roegneria, and the Pseudoroegneria served as the maternal donors during its polyploid speciation.

Theoretical Study of Am(III) and Eu(III) Separation by a Bipyridyl Phosphate Ligand.

Actinide An(III) and lanthanide Ln(III) are known to exhibit similar chemical properties; thus, it is difficult to distinguish them in the separation of highly radioactive waste liquids. One potential method to efficiently separate actinides and lanthanides involves the design and development of phosphorus-oxygen-bonded ligands with solvent extraction separation. Here, a bipyridine phosphate ligand with two isopropyl and phosphate groups is introduced to selectively extract actinides. The electronic structure, bonding properties, thermodynamic behavior, and quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) of Am(III) and Eu(III) complexes with the bipyridine phosphate ligands were analyzed by using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The analysis demonstrates that the Am-N bond exhibits stronger covalent characteristics than the Eu-N bond, indicating that the bipyridine phosphate ligand had better selectivity for Am(III) than for Eu(III) in terms of binding affinity. The thermodynamic analysis established the complex [ML(NO3)2(H2O)2]+ as the most stable species during the complexation process. The results indicate great potential for utilizing the bipyridine phosphate ligand for the effective separation of An(III)/Ln(III) in spent fuel reprocessing experiments.

Research on the decomposition mechanisms of lithium silicate ores with different crystal structures by autotrophic and heterotrophic bacteria.

Ores serve as energy and nutrient sources for microorganisms. Through complex biochemical processes, microorganisms disrupt the surface structure of ores and release metal elements. However, there is limited research on the mechanisms by which bacteria with different nutritional modes act during the leaching process of different crystal structure ores. This study evaluated the leaching efficiency of two types of bacteria with different nutritional modes, heterotrophic bacterium Bacillus mucilaginosus (BM) and autotrophic bacterium Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans (AF), on different crystal structure lithium silicate ores (chain spodumene, layered lepidolite and ring elbaite). The aim was to understand the behavioral differences and decomposition mechanisms of bacteria with different nutritional modes in the process of breaking down distorted crystal lattices of ores. The results revealed that heterotrophic bacterium BM primarily relied on passive processes such as bacterial adsorption, organic acid corrosion, and the complexation of small organic acids and large molecular polymers with metal ions. Autotrophic bacterium AF, in addition to exhibiting stronger passive processes such as organic acid corrosion and complexation, also utilized an active transfer process on the cell surface to oxidize Fe2+ in the ores for energy maintenance and intensified the destruction of ore lattices. As a result, strain AF exhibited a greater leaching effect on the ores compared to strain BM. Regarding the three crystal structure ores, their different stacking modes and proportions of elements led to significant differences in structural stability, with the leaching effect being highest for layered structure, followed by chain structure, and then ring structure. These findings indicate that bacteria with different nutritional modes exhibit distinct physiological behaviors related to their nutritional and energy requirements, ultimately resulting in different sequences and mechanisms of metal ion release from ores after lattice damage.

MoleMCL: a multi-level contrastive learning framework for molecular pre-training.

MOTIVATION: Molecular representation learning plays an indispensable role in crucial tasks such as property prediction and drug design. Despite the notable achievements of molecular pre-training models, current methods often fail to capture both the structural and feature semantics of molecular graphs. Moreover, while graph contrastive learning has unveiled new prospects, existing augmentation techniques often struggle to retain their core semantics. To overcome these limitations, we propose a gradient-compensated encoder parameter perturbation approach, ensuring efficient and stable feature augmentation. By merging enhancement strategies grounded in attribute masking and parameter perturbation, we introduce MoleMCL, a new MOLEcular pre-training model based on multi-level contrastive learning. RESULTS: Experimental results demonstrate that MoleMCL adeptly dissects the structure and feature semantics of molecular graphs, surpassing current state-of-the-art models in molecular prediction tasks, paving a novel avenue for molecular modeling. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION: The code and data underlying this work are available in GitHub at https://github.com/BioSequenceAnalysis/MoleMCL.

Secondary Analysis of the Salt Substitute and Stroke Study (SSaSS): Effects of Potassium-Enriched Salt on Cardiac Outcomes.

BACKGROUND: The SSaSS (Salt Substitute and Stroke Study) has shown that use of a potassium-enriched salt lowers the risk of stroke, total cardiovascular events, and premature death. The effects on cause-specific cardiac outcomes are reported here. METHODS: SSaSS was an unblinded, cluster-randomised trial assessing the effects of potassium-enriched salt compared with regular salt among 20 995 Chinese adults with established stroke and older age and uncontrolled hypertension. Post hoc efficacy analyses were performed using an intention-to-treat method and a hierarchical Poisson regression model adjusting for clustering to obtain rate ratios and 95% CIs. We assessed acute coronary syndrome, heart failure, arrhythmia, and sudden death. RESULTS: Over a mean 4.74 years follow-up, there were 695 acute coronary syndrome events, 454 heart failure events, 230 arrhythmia events, and 1133 sudden deaths recorded. The rates of events were lower in potassium-enriched salt group for all outcomes but CIs were wide for most: acute coronary syndrome (6.32 versus 7.65 events per 1000 person-years; rate ratio, 0.80 [95% CI, 0.65-0.99]); heart failure (9.14 versus 11.32 events per 1000 person-years; rate ratio, 0.88 [95% CI, 0.60-1.28]); arrhythmia (4.43 versus 6.20 events per 1000 person-years; rate ratio, 0.59 [95% CI, 0.35-0.98]); and sudden death (11.01 versus 11.76 events per 1000 person-years; rate ratio, 0.94 [95% CI, 0.82-1.07]; all P>0.05 with adjustment for multiple comparisons). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that use of potassium-enriched salt is more likely to prevent than cause cardiac disease but the post hoc nature of these analyses precludes definitive conclusions. REGISTRATION: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT02092090.

Comparative chloroplast genomes study of five officinal Ardisia Species: Unraveling interspecific diversity and evolutionary insights in Ardisia.

Ardisia S.W. (Primulaceae), naturally distributed in tropical and subtropical regions, has edible and medicinal values and is prevalent in clinical and daily use in China. More genetic information for distinct species delineation is needed to support the development and utilization of the genus Ardisia. We sequenced, annotated, and compared the chloroplast genomes of five Ardisia species: A. brunnescens, A. pusilla, A. squamulosa, A. crenata, and A. brevicaulis in this study. We found a typical quadripartite structure in all five chloroplast genomes, with lengths ranging from 155,045 to 156,943 bp. Except for A. pusilla, which lacked the ycf15 gene, the other four Ardisia species contained 114 unique genes, including 79 protein-coding genes, 30 tRNAs, and four rRNAs. In addition, the rps19 pseudogene gene was present only in A. brunnescens. Five highly variable DNA barcodes were identified for five Ardisia species, including trnT-GGU-psbD, trnT-UGU-trnL-UAA, rps4-trnT-UGU, rpl32-trnL-UAG, and rpoB-trnC-GAA. The RNA editiing sites of protein-coding genes in the five Ardisia plastome were characterized and compared, and 274 (A. crenata)-288 (A. brevicaulis) were found. The results of the phylogenetic analysis were consistent with the morphological classification. Sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis showed that ycf15 genes were highly divergent in Primulaceae. Reconstructions of ancestral character states indicated that leaf margin morphology is critical for classifying the genus Ardisia, with a rodent-like character being the most primitive. These results provide valuable information on the taxonomy and evolution of Ardisia plants.

Association Between Small Vessel Disease and Financial Capacity: A Study Based on Cognitively Normal Older Adults.

Background: Financial capacity is vital for the elderly, who possess a substantial share of global wealth but are vulnerable to financial fraud. Objective: We explored the link between small vessel disease (SVD) and financial capacity in cognitively unimpaired (CU) older adults via both cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses. Methods: 414 CU participants underwent MRI and completed the Financial Capacity Instrument-Short Form (FCI-SF). Subsequent longitudinal FCI-SF data were obtained from 104, 240, and 141 participants at one, two, and four years, respectively. SVD imaging markers, encompassing white matter hyperintensities (WMH), cerebral microbleeds (CMB), and lacune were evaluated. We used linear regression analyses to cross-sectionally explore the association between FCI-SF and SVD severity, and linear mixed models to assess how baseline SVD severity impacted longitudinal FCI-SF change. The false discovery rate method was used to adjust multiple comparisons. Results: Cross-sectional analysis revealed a significant association between baseline WMH and Bank Statement (BANK, ß=-0.194), as well as between lacune number and Financial Conceptual Knowledge (FC, ß= -0.171). These associations were stronger in APOE ɛ4 carriers, with ß= -0.282 for WMH and BANK, and ß= -0.366 for lacune number and FC. Longitudinally, higher baseline SVD total score was associated with severe FCI-SF total score decrease (ß= -0.335). Additionally, baseline WMH burden predicted future decreases in Single Checkbook/Register Task (SNG, ß= -0.137) and FC (ß= -0.052). Notably, the association between baseline WMH and SNG changes was amplified in APOE ɛ4 carriers (ß= -0.187). Conclusions: Severe SVD was associated with worse FCI-SF and could predict the decline of financial capacity in CU older adults.

Unraveling the ecological mechanisms of Aluminum on microbial community succession in epiphytic biofilms on Vallisneria natans leaves: Novel insights from microbial interactions.

The extensive use of aluminum (Al) poses an escalating ecological risk to aquatic ecosystems. The epiphytic biofilm on submerged plant leaves plays a crucial role in the regulation nutrient cycling and energy flow within aquatic environments. Here, we conducted a mesocosm experiment aimed at elucidating the impact of different Al concentrations (0, 0.6, 1.2, 2.0 mg/L) on microbial communities in epiphytic biofilms on Vallisneria natans. At 1.2 mg/L, the highest biofilms thickness (101.94 µm) was observed. Al treatment at 2.0 mg/L significantly reduced bacterial diversity, while micro-eukaryotic diversity increased. Pseudomonadota and Bacteroidota decreased, whereas Cyanobacteriota increased at 1.2 mg/L and 2.0 mg/L. At 1.2 and 2.0 mg/L. Furthermore, Al at concentrations of 1.2 and 2.0 mg/L enhanced the bacterial network complexity, while micro-eukaryotic networks showed reduced complexity. An increase in positive correlations among microbial co-occurrence patterns from 49.51% (CK) to 57.05% (2.0 mg/L) was indicative of augmented microbial cooperation under Al stress. The shift in keystone taxa with increasing Al concentration pointed to alterations in the functional dynamics of microbial communities. Additionally, Al treatments induced antioxidant responses in V. natans, elevating leaf reactive oxygen species (ROS) content. This study highlights the critical need to control appropriate concentration Al concentrations to preserve microbial diversity, sustain ecological functions, and enhance lake remediation in aquatic ecosystems.