circUBE3C modulates myoblast development by binding to miR-191 and upregulating the expression of p27.

Noncoding RNAs, including miRNAs (microRNAs) and circRNAs (circular RNA), are crucial regulators of myoblast proliferation and differentiation during muscle development. However, the specific roles and molecular mechanisms of circRNAs in muscle development remain poorly understood. Based on the existing circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network, our study focuses on circUBE3C, exploring its differential expression in fetal and adult muscle tissue of the cattle and investigating its impact on myoblast proliferation, apoptosis, and differentiation. The functional analysis of overexpression plasmids and siRNAs (small interfering RNAs) targeting circUBE3C was comprehensively evaluated by employing an array of advanced assays, encompassing CCK-8 (cell counting kit-8), EdU (5-ethynyl-20-deoxyuridine), flow cytometry, western blot analysis, and RT-qPCR. In vivo investigations indicated that overexpression of circUBE3C impedes the process of skeletal muscle regeneration. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that circUBE3C interacts with miR-191 and alleviates the suppression of p27 through cytoplasmic separation, bioinformatics prediction, dual-luciferase reporter assay, and RIP (RNA immunoprecipitation). Our findings indicate that the novel circRNA circUBE3C competitively binds to miR-191, thereby inhibiting proliferation and promoting apoptosis in bovine primary myoblasts and unveiling a regulatory pathway in bovine skeletal muscle development. These findings expand our understanding of circRNA functions in mammals and provide a basis for further exploration of their role in myogenesis and muscle diseases.

Natural variations of heterosis-related allele-specific expression genes in promoter regions lead to allele-specific expression in maize.

BACKGROUND: Heterosis has successfully enhanced maize productivity and quality. Although significant progress has been made in delineating the genetic basis of heterosis, the molecular mechanisms underlying its genetic components remain less explored. Allele-specific expression (ASE), the imbalanced expression between two parental alleles in hybrids, is increasingly being recognized as a factor contributing to heterosis. ASE is a complex process regulated by both epigenetic and genetic variations in response to developmental and environmental conditions. RESULTS: In this study, we explored the differential characteristics of ASE by analyzing the transcriptome data of two maize hybrids and their parents under four light conditions. On the basis of allele expression patterns in different hybrids under various conditions, ASE genes were divided into three categories: bias-consistent genes involved in basal metabolic processes in a functionally complementary manner, bias-reversal genes adapting to the light environment, and bias-specific genes maintaining cell homeostasis. We observed that 758 ASE genes (ASEGs) were significantly overlapped with heterosis quantitative trait loci (QTLs), and high-frequency variations in the promoter regions of heterosis-related ASEGs were identified between parents. In addition, 10 heterosis-related ASEGs participating in yield heterosis were selected during domestication. CONCLUSIONS: The comprehensive analysis of ASEGs offers a distinctive perspective on how light quality influences gene expression patterns and gene-environment interactions, with implications for the identification of heterosis-related ASEGs to enhance maize yield.

Fabricating Ultrathin Imprinting Layer for Fast Capture of Valsartan via a Metal Affinity-Oriented Surface Imprinting Method.

Rapid separation and enrichment of targets in biological matrixes are of significant interest in multiple life sciences disciplines. Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) have vital applications in extraction and sample cleanup owing to their excellent specificity and selectivity. However, the low mass transfer rate, caused by the heterogeneity of imprinted cavities in polymer networks and strong driving forces, significantly limits its application in high-throughput analysis. Herein, one novel metal affinity-oriented surface imprinting method was proposed to fabricate an MIP with an ultrathin imprinting layer. MIPs were prepared by immobilized template molecules on magnetic nanoparticles (NPs) with metal ions as bridges via coordination, and then polymerization was done. Under the optimized conditions, the thickness of the imprinting layer was merely 1 nm, and the adsorption toward VAL well matched the Langmuir model. Moreover, it took just 5 min to achieve adsorption equilibrium significantly faster than other reported MIPs toward VAL. Adsorption capacity still can reach 25.3 mg/g ascribed to the high imprinting efficiency of the method (the imprinting factor was as high as 5). All evidence proved that recognition sites were all external cavities and were evenly distributed on the surface of the NPs. The obtained MIP NPs exhibited excellent selectivity and specificity toward VAL, with good dispersibility and stability. Coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography, it was successfully used as a dispersed solid phase extraction material to determine VAL in serum. Average recoveries are over 90.0% with relative standard deviations less than 2.14% at three spiked levels (n = 3). All evidence testified that the MIPs fabricated with the proposed method showed a fast trans mass rate and a large rebinding capacity. The method can potentially use high-throughput separation and enrichment of target molecules in batch samples to meet practical applications.

Fragility of Statistically Significant Outcomes in Colonic Diverticular Disease Randomized Trials: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: The p value has been criticized as an oversimplified determination of whether a treatment effect exists. One alternative is the fragility index. It is a representation of the minimum number of nonevents that would need to be converted to events to increase the p value above 0.05. OBJECTIVE: To determine the fragility index of randomized controlled trials assessing the efficacy of interventions for patients with diverticular disease since 2010 to assess the robustness of current evidence. DESIGN: MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched from inception to August 2022. SETTINGS: Articles were eligible for inclusion if they were randomized trials conducted between 2010 and 2022 with parallel, superiority designs evaluating interventions in patients with diverticular disease. Only randomized trials with dichotomous primary outcomes with an associated p value of <0.05 were considered for inclusion. PARTICIPANTS: Any surgical or medical intervention for patients with diverticular disease. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The fragility index was determined by adding events and subtracting nonevents from the groups with the smaller number of events. Events were added until the p value exceeded 0.05. The smallest number of events required was considered the fragility index. RESULTS: After screening 1271 citations, 15 randomized trials met the inclusion criteria. Nine of the studies evaluated surgical interventions and 6 evaluated medical interventions. The mean number of patients randomly assigned and lost to follow-up per randomized controlled trial was 92 (SD 35.3) and 9 (SD 11.4), respectively. The median fragility index was 1 (range, 0-5). The fragility indices for the included studies did not correlate significantly with any study characteristics. LIMITATIONS: Small sample, heterogeneity, and lack of inclusion of studies with continuous outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: The randomized trials evaluating surgical and medical interventions for diverticular disease are not robust. Changing a single-outcome event in most studies was sufficient to make a statistically significant study finding not significant. See Video Abstract . FRAGILIDAD DE LOS RESULTADOS ESTADSTICAMENTE SIGNIFICATIVOS EN ENSAYOS ALEATORIOS DE ENFERMEDAD DIVERTICULAR DEL COLON UNA REVISIN SISTEMTICA: ANTECEDENTES:El valor p ha sido criticado por una determinación demasiado simplificada de si existe un efecto del tratamiento. Una alternativa es el Índice de Fragilidad. Es una representación del número mínimo de no eventos que deberían convertirse en eventos para aumentar el valor p por encima de 0,05.OBJETIVO:Determinar el IF de ensayos controlados aleatorios que evalúan la eficacia de las intervenciones para pacientes con enfermedad diverticular desde 2010 para evaluar la solidez de la evidencia actual.FUENTES DE DATOS:Se realizaron búsquedas en MEDLINE, Embase y CENTRAL desde el inicio hasta agosto de 2022.SELECCIÓN DE ESTUDIOS:Los artículos eran elegibles para su inclusión si eran ensayos aleatorizados realizados entre 2010 y 2022 con diseños paralelos de superioridad que evaluaran intervenciones en pacientes con enfermedad diverticular. Sólo se consideraron para su inclusión los ensayos aleatorizados con resultados primarios dicotómicos con un valor de p asociado menor que 0,05.INTERVENCIÓNES:Cualquier intervención quirúrgica o médica para pacientes con enfermedad diverticular.PRINCIPALES MEDIDAS DE VALORACIÓN:El índice de fragilidad se determinó sumando eventos y restando no eventos de los grupos con el menor número de eventos. Se agregaron eventos hasta que el valor p superó 0,05. El menor número de eventos requeridos se consideró índice de fragilidad.RESULTADOS:Después de examinar 1271 citas, 15 ensayos aleatorios cumplieron los criterios de inclusión. Nueve de los estudios evaluaron intervenciones quirúrgicas y seis evaluaron intervenciones médicas. El número medio de pacientes aleatorizados y perdidos durante el seguimiento por ECA fue 92 (DE 35,3) y 9 (DE 11,4), respectivamente. La mediana del índice de fragilidad fue 1 (rango: 0-5). Los índices de fragilidad de los estudios incluidos no se correlacionaron significativamente con ninguna característica del estudio.LIMITACIONES:Muestra pequeña, heterogeneidad y falta de inclusión de estudios con resultados continuos.CONCLUSIONES:Los ensayos aleatorios que evalúan las intervenciones quirúrgicas y médicas para la enfermedad diverticular no son sólidos. Cambiar un solo evento de resultado en la mayoría de los estudios fue suficiente para que un hallazgo estadísticamente significativo del estudio no fuera significativo. (Traducción- Dr. Ingrid Melo ).

Magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer based on dynamically established metal-mediated binding sites for the determination of trace captopril in rat plasma.

Therapeutic drug monitoring of captopril, which is a commonly used antihypertensive agent in clinical practice, is necessary. However, matrix effect-induced pretreatment is the bottleneck for determination. Metal-mediated molecularly imprinted polymers, an essential branch of molecularly imprinted polymers with better specificity and selectivity, have been used to separate/enrich analytes from complex matrices. In this work, Cu2+ was introduced to dynamically establish the binding sites of metal-mediated molecularly imprinted polymer towards captopril. All evidence demonstrated that the metal-mediated molecularly imprinted polymer based on Cu2+ coordination obtained a higher adsorption capacity (81.23 mg/g), faster adsorption rate (adsorption equilibrium within 50 min), and better selectivity (with the unrecognized analog). Subsequently, the Cu2+ -mediated molecularly imprinted polymer was used as dispersive molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction to successfully establish an analytical platform for the determination of trace captopril in rat plasma. The enrichment factor was up to 20, the detection limit was as low as 0.16 µg/ml, and the average recovery was in the range of 87.51%-98.28% with a relative standard deviation of less than 3.29%. This study provides a promising reference for the preparation of selective adsorbents to improve pretreatment.

Copy number variation of bovine S100A7 as a positional candidate affected body measurements.

Beef production is closely related to the national economy and the attention has been paid to the improvement of beef cattle by molecular markers associated. Copy number variations (CNVs) recently have been gained many researches and recognized as an important source of genetic variation. Extensive studies have indicated that CNVs have effects on a large range of economic traits by a wide range of gene copy number alteration. S100A7 is a member of S100 family which is a famous family of Ca2+-binding proteins. S100A7 plays a crucial role in many important phenotypes (progress) including inflammatory diseases, psoriasis, obesity, etc. The aim of our study was to explore the phenotypic effects of CNV located in the S100A7 gene of bovine chromosome 3. We detected S100A7 CNV by qPCR in different cattle breeds, including Qinchuan cattle, Yunling cattle, Xianan cattle and a crossbred group Pinan. The copy number was identified as gain, normal and loss type, our results showed that the gain type was the main type in three types of S100A7 CNV of the whole tested breeds. After CNV detection, association analysis between S100A7 CNV and growth traits was carried out in four cattle breeds. We found significant effects of the CNV on cattle growth traits with differently preferred CNV types such as gain type with better chest depth (p = 0.043) in QC, loss type with better body length (p = 0.008) and rump width (p = 0.014) in YL, normal with better chest girth (p = 0.001), gain with better waist width (p = 0.001) and rump width (p = 0.044) in PN. These results suggested that the S100A7 CNV could affect the phenotypic traits and be used as a promising genetic marker for cattle molecular breeding.

Association analysis of indels in the VISFATIN gene with five cattle breeds and their growth traits.

VISFATIN is an adipose cytokine that has been proved to correlate with growth and development traits. In a previous study from our lab, two insertion/deletions (indels; including a 35-bp insertion at its intron 4 and a 6-bp deletion in intron 5) were identified within the VISFATIN gene. To validate these indels and evaluate their association with growth traits in Chinese cattle, a total of 413 samples from four Chinese indigenous breeds and 217 samples from Chinese breeds were detected. Three genotypes (WW, WI and II) at intron 4 were detected based on the 35-bp insertion (allele I) or deletion (allele W) and showed moderate polymorphism in all samples. Two genotypes (WW and WD) at intron 5 were detected based on the 6-bp deletion (allele D) or insertion (allele W) in Xianan (XN) cattle and Jinnan (JN) cattle population but showed poor polymorphisms. Association analysis illustrated that the indel at intron 4 is significantly associated with chest girth, rump length and body weight in Ji'an (JA) cattle and the indel at intron 5 can cause a significant difference in rump length in JN cattle. To our knowledge, it is the first time it has been shown that indels within the VISFATIN gene are associated with growth traits in the two Chinese indigenous cattle breeds. These findings suggest that the VISFATIN gene can be used as a molecular marker for JN and JA cattle breeding.

Deletions in GSN gene associated with growth traits of four Chinese cattle breeds.

The aim of this study was to assess the potential of 21 bp mutation in the second intron of the GSN gene as a molecular marker-assisted by exploring the effect of 21 bp mutation on growth traits in four beef cattle breeds. Gelsolin (GSN), a member of the superfamily of gel proteins, is involved in the regulation of a variety of cellular activities in the organism and plays an important function in cell motility, apoptosis, signal transduction and inflammatory responses. Gelatin can not only negatively regulate the pro-apoptotic effect of P53 protein, but also promote apoptosis by blocking the interaction between actin and deoxyribonuclease, so, the GSN gene was selected as a candidate gene in this study. In this study, a 21 bp mutation on the second intron to the GSN gene was verified in 573 individuals of Yunling (YL, n = 220), Jiaxian (JX, n = 140), Xianan (XN, n = 114) and Qinchuan (QC, n = 97) cattle breeds using Once PCR and agarose gel electrophoresis. The association analysis of polymorphisms in the GSN gene with growth traits in four breeds was revealed: in YL cattle, the heart girth and forehead size of heterozygous ID genotype were significantly higher than II genotype (P < 0.05). In JX cattle, the withers height, body length and heart girth of II and ID genotype were significantly highest than DD genotype (P < 0.01); the height at hip cross and height at sacrum of II genotype was significantly highest than DD genotype (P < 0.01), but ID genotype was significantly higher than DD genotype. In XN cattle, the abdominal girth and circumference of the cannon bone of II genotype were significantly higher than ID genotype (P < 0.05). In QC cattle, the hucklebone width of ID genotype was significantly the highest than II genotype (P < 0.01). The results suggest that GSN may be an important candidate gene and that a 21 bp mutation on the second intron to the GSN gene can be used for molecular marker-assisted selection of four beef cattle breeds.

Wheat heat tolerance is impaired by heightened deletions in the distal end of 4AL chromosomal arm.

Heat stress (HS) causes substantial damages to worldwide crop production. As a cool season crop, wheat (Triticum aestivum) is sensitive to HS-induced damages. To support the genetic improvement of wheat HS tolerance (HST), we conducted fine mapping of TaHST1, a locus required for maintaining wheat vegetative and reproductive growth under elevated temperatures. TaHST1 was mapped to the distal terminus of 4AL chromosome arm using genetic populations derived from two BC6 F6 breeding lines showing tolerance (E6015-4T) or sensitivity (E6015-3S) to HS. The 4AL region carrying TaHST1 locus was approximately 0.949 Mbp and contained the last 19 high confidence genes of 4AL according to wheat reference genome sequence. Resequencing of E6015-3S and E6015-4T and haplotype analysis of 3087 worldwide wheat accessions revealed heightened deletion polymorphisms in the distal 0.949 Mbp region of 4AL, which was confirmed by the finding of frequent gene losses in this region in eight genome-sequenced hexaploid wheat cultivars. The great majority (86.36%) of the 3087 lines displayed different degrees of nucleotide sequence deletions, with only 13.64% of them resembling E6015-4T in this region. These deletions can impair the presence and/or function of TaHST1 and surrounding genes, thus rendering global wheat germplasm vulnerable to HS or other environmental adversities. Therefore, conscientious and urgent efforts are needed in global wheat breeding programmes to optimize the structure and function of 4AL distal terminus by ensuring the presence of TaHST1 and surrounding genes. The new information reported here will help to accelerate the ongoing global efforts in improving wheat HST.

[Workplace Fatigue, Metabolic Syndrome, and Cardiovascular Disease Risks: A Study of Long-Term Night Shift Nurses].

BACKGROUND: Night-shift work affects the physical and mental health of employees. Early identification of relevant high-risk groups may be referenced in health promotion, job analysis, and job design. PURPOSE: To explore the differences in workplace fatigue, physiological index of metabolic syndrome, and risk of cardiovascular disease between long-term and non-long-term night-time working nursing staff. METHODS: The health examination data of 91 long-term and 119 non-long-term night-shift nurses were collected. A sub-data analysis approach was used and t-test, chi-square, Pearson`s correlation, and hierarchical multiple regression were used to conduct statistical analysis. RESULTS: A positive correlation between cardiovascular risk and workplace fatigue was found in the long-term night-shift working group. Moreover, a lower average duration of sleep was found in the non-long-term night-shift working group. Finally, the participants with workplace fatigue and metabolic syndrome were found to have higher levels of cardiovascular risk. CONCLUSIONS / IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Nursing staff who work night shifts for long-term and non-long-term periods should all receive regular health check-ups and practice healthy eating, exercise, and sleep habits. Employers should provide regular health checkups to their nursing staff and implement measures to identify health hazards in accordance with laws on labor standards, occupational safety, and health and labor health protection regulations, and then adopt appropriate plans and necessary safety and health measures to achieve a mutually beneficial result for both employers and employees in the healthcare industry.

Impacts of cigarette smoking on liver fibrosis and its regression under therapy in male patients with chronic hepatitis B.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The role of cigarette smoking in the development of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) remains poorly understood. We assessed the potential contributions of cigarette smoking to liver fibrosis and its regression after starting antiviral therapy in CHB patients. METHODS: In this cohort study, 2144 consecutive male CHB patients under no antiviral therapy were evaluated and 206 patients with significant liver fibrosis (≥F2) initiating antiviral therapy had longitudinal follow-up. Liver fibrosis was measured by liver stiffness measurement using transient elastography. To adjust for imbalances between smoking history and never smoking groups, propensity score (PS) matching model with 1:1 ratios were performed. Cigarette smoking history and intensity (pack-years) were collected and documented using a standardized questionnaire. RESULTS: Before PS matching, 432/2144 patients had advanced fibrosis in prevalence cohort. Patients with smoking history (n = 1002) had a greater prevalence of advanced fibrosis than those without (n = 1142) (24.4% vs 16.5%, P = 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that smoking contributed to advanced fibrosis (OR, 1.458; 95% CI, 1.114-1.908). In longitudinal cohort, multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated retarded fibrosis regression in patients with history of smoking ≥10 pack-years (OR, 0.288; 95% CI, 0.1-0.825). After PS matching, patients with smoking history had higher prevalence of advanced fibrosis (22.8% vs 18%, P = 0.024) than those non-smokers. In post-PS-matching logistic regression, the effect of smoking on advanced fibrosis persisted (OR, 1.415; 95% CI, 1.047-1.912; P = 0.024). CONCLUSIONS: Cigarette smoking in male CHB patients aggravated liver fibrosis prior to and delayed fibrosis regression under antiviral therapy.

Growth behavior, glucose consumption and phenol removal efficiency of Chlorella vulgaris under the synergistic effects of glucose and phenol.

The use of algae is an effective approach to remove phenol and its derivatives from polluted water. The growth behavior, glucose consumption and phenol removal efficiency of Chlorella vulgaris under the synergistic effects of glucose and phenol were investigated. The evolutions of tolerance and removal efficiency of C. vulgaris to phenol under different trophic modes and glucose contents were observed. The results revealed that growth of C. vulgaris were inhibited with the increase of phenol from 0 to 400 mg L-1 in culture media; the tolerance to phenol enhanced with the addition of glucose from 2 to 10 g L-1, while glucose consumption was inhibited with the increase of phenol content; phenol removal efficiency varied with glucose concentrations in mixotrophic media. The finding suggested that phenol inhibited the growth of C. vulgaris and glucose assimilation under mixotrophic cultivation, while appropriate glucose addition could enhance the tolerance of C. vulgaris to phenol and affect the phenol removal efficiency.

SatEC: A 5G Satellite Edge Computing Framework Based on Microservice Architecture.

As outlined in the 3Gpp Release 16, 5G satellite access is important for 5G network development in the future. A terrestrial-satellite network integrated with 5G has the characteristics of low delay, high bandwidth, and ubiquitous coverage. A few researchers have proposed integrated schemes for such a network; however, these schemes do not consider the possibility of achieving optimization of the delay characteristic by changing the computing mode of the 5G satellite network. We propose a 5G satellite edge computing framework (5GsatEC), which aims to reduce delay and expand network coverage. This framework consists of embedded hardware platforms and edge computing microservices in satellites. To increase the flexibility of the framework in complex scenarios, we unify the resource management of the central processing unit (CPU), graphics processing unit (GPU), and field-programmable gate array (FPGA); we divide the services into three types: system services, basic services, and user services. In order to verify the performance of the framework, we carried out a series of experiments. The results show that 5GsatEC has a broader coverage than the ground 5G network. The results also show that 5GsatEC has lower delay, a lower packet loss rate, and lower bandwidth consumption than the 5G satellite network.

Light irradiation can regulate the growth characteristics and metabolites compositions of Rhodotorula mucilaginosa.

Light is an important factor that can induce the growth of varieties of organisms including fungi and their secondary metabolites. The evolutions of biomass, carotenoids, lipid production, compositions and contents of fatty acid and amino acid in Rhodotorula mucilaginosa were investigated under different light irradiation conditions. The results indicated that irradiation with 1700 lx could promote the growth and glucose assimilation of R. mucilaginosa, compared to the dark control, while the trial with 3500 lx had certain inhibiting effects. The carotenoids concentrations and percentages of unsaturated fatty acid (USFA, C16:1 and C18:1) increased with the improvement of irradiation intensity. Conversely, the proportions of saturated fatty acids (C16:0, C18:0 and C20:0) were decreased. The relative contents of amino acid and total protein were reduced under illumination compared to dark control. Conclusively, irradiation could change the cell growth and metabolites of the pigmented fungus, which implied that there may be a photoinduced mode exists in R. mucilaginosa similar to that of Neurospora crassa, and it also could be applied to regulate the biosynthesis and production of valuable components such as carotenoids and USFA.

Optimization of hepatitis B cirrhosis detection by stepwise application of transient elastography and routine biomarkers.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Significant inflammation may overestimate liver stiffness and result in false positive diagnosis by transient elastography for chronic hepatitis B (CHB) cirrhosis detection. This study tries to further improve the performance by stepwise combination with routine biomarkers. METHODS: A total of 236 compensated CHB patients with alanine transferase lower than five times upper limit of normal, liver biopsies, transient elastography, and routine blood tests were included. Performance of stepwise combination of transient elastography and routine biomarkers was analyzed. RESULTS: The area under the receiver operating characteristics curve for detecting cirrhosis was 0.876 for transient elastography, 0.794 for fibrosis index based on the four factors (FIB-4), 0.765 for age-platelet index (API), 0.715 for aspartate aminotransferase-platelet ratio index (APRI), and 0.661 for alanine-aspartate aminotransferase ratio, respectively. The numbers for significant fibrosis were 0.844, 0.662, 0.595, 0.695, and 0.510 in the same order. The proportion of patients determined as cirrhosis or non-cirrhosis was 66.5% by transient elastography, 41.1% by FIB-4, 14.4% by API, and 24.2% by APRI, respectively; the numbers for significant fibrosis were 55.5% by transient elastography, 11.9% by APRI, and none by the other serum markers. Stepwise combination of transient elastography and FIB-4/APRI increased positive predictive value of confirming cirrhosis diagnosis from 0.677 to 0.808 and 0.724, respectively; and the proportion of patients being determined in the state of cirrhosis and obviating liver biopsy was up to 76%. CONCLUSION: By transient elastography-based stepwise combination with readily available serum markers, performance of detecting compensated CHB cirrhosis could be significantly improved in terms of diagnosis accuracy and proportion of obviating liver biopsy.

Concurrent Use of Statins in Patients Undergoing Curative Intent Treatment for Triple Negative Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Pre-clinical studies in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) suggest that statins may inhibit cell proliferation, promote cell-cycle arrest, induce apoptosis, change the tumor microenvironment, and improve effectiveness of other therapies. Observational studies have demonstrated variable effects from statin therapy on oncologic outcomes in these patients. As such, we aimed to pool previous data via a systematic review and meta-analysis to elucidate the impact of concurrent statin use on oncologic outcomes for patients with TNBC. Medline, EMBASE, CENTRAL, and PubMed were systematically searched from inception through to June 2022. Studies were included if they compared patients with TNBC receiving and not receiving statin therapy concurrently with oncologic treatment for curative intent in terms of recurrence and survival in a non-metastatic setting. The primary outcomes were 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) and 5-year overall survival (OS). A pairwise meta-analyses was performed using inverse variance random effects. Risk of bias was assessed with the ROBINS-I and the GRADE approach was conducted to assess quality of evidence. From 4014 citations, 5 studies with 625 patients on statin therapy and 2707 patients not on statin therapy were included. There was a significant increase in 5-year DFS for patients on statin therapy compared to patients not on statin therapy (OR 1.44, 95% CI 1.04-1.98, P = .03). No significant difference was noted in 5-year OS between the 2 groups (OR 1.12, 95% CI 0.86-1.47, P = .40). Included studies were at moderate-to-high risk of bias. The GRADE quality of evidence was very low. This review presents very low-quality evidence that concurrent use of statins with oncologic treatment may potentially improve long-term DFS for patients with TNBC undergoing curative intent therapy. Future research by way of large, prospective study is required to further clarify the clinical utility of statins on patients undergoing treatment for TNBC.

Prucalopride and Bowel Function Post Gastrointestinal Surgery: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

BACKGROUND: Prolonged postoperative ileus (PPOI) contributes to morbidity and prolonged hospitalization. Prucalopride, a selective 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor agonist, may enhance bowel motility. This review assesses whether the perioperative use of prucalopride compared to placebo is associated with accelerated return of bowel function post gastrointestinal (GI) surgery. METHODS: OVID, CENTRAL, and EMBASE were searched as of January 2024 to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing prucalopride and placebo for prevention of PPOI in adult patients undergoing GI surgery. The primary outcomes were time to stool, time to flatus, and time to oral tolerance. The secondary outcomes were incidence of PPOI, length of stay (LOS), postoperative complications, adverse events, and overall costs. The Cochrane risk of bias tool for randomized trials and the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations framework were used. An inverse variance random effects model was used. RESULTS: From 174 citations, 3 RCTs with 139 patients in each treatment group were included. Patients underwent a variety of GI surgeries. Patients treated with prucalopride had a decreased time to stool (mean difference 36.82 hours, 95% CI 59.4 to 14.24 hours lower, I2 = 62%, low certainty evidence). Other outcomes were not statistically significantly different (very low certainty evidence). Postoperative complications and adverse events could not be meta-analyzed due to heterogeneity; yet individual studies suggested no significant differences (very low certainty evidence). DISCUSSION: Current RCT evidence suggests that prucalopride may enhance postoperative return of bowel function. Larger RCTs assessing patient important outcomes and associated costs are needed before routine use of this agent.

Avoidance of added salt for 6-12-month-old infants: A narrative review.

Most nutrition guidelines recommend avoiding foods with added salt for infants aged 6-12 months. However, the reason for no added salt lacks enough and reliable evidence. We re-searched and re-studied the relevant evidence. We searched PubMed and the Cochrane database for English-language studies published from 1904 through 2021. We also searched the databases of the websites of different national institutions. Randomized clinical trials (RCTs), systematic reviews, observational studies, and dietary guidelines were included in this review. The kidneys of infants aged 6-12 months have adequate sodium excretion capacity. There is insufficient evidence that high salt (sodium) intake early in life might lead to hypertension or salty diet preference in adults. Infants aged 6-12 months might be at risk of low sodium intake of only 150-300 mg of sodium/day, which may not meet the body's needs, if their supplementary food is not adequately salted.

Changes in energy, macronutrient, and food consumption in 47 countries over the last 70 years (1950-2019): a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to systematically examine trends in dietary energy, macronutrient, and food consumption in different geographic regions. METHODS: We searched Medline, Embase, CINAHL, and organizations for studies and reports using individual-level dietary assessments from 1950 to 2019 (PROSPERO CRD42022302843) and quantified changes using multivariable linear mixed-effects models. RESULTS: We identified 109 articles and reports from 47 countries, including Europe and Australasia (47% of studies), Asia (30%), Latin America (13%), the Middle East (6%), and North America (4%). In Southeast and East Asia, carbohydrate intake decreased, whereas fat consumption increased; the opposite pattern occurred in North America; and fat decreased while carbohydrate intake remained stable in Europe and Australasia. Consumption of carbohydrate and fat were stable in South Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East, but data were limited in these regions. A greater increase in national gross domestic product over time was associated with decreased carbohydrate and increased fat and protein intake. Dietary saturated fatty acid intake decreased in Northern and Eastern Europe and was stable in other regions. Changes in food varied by region; East and Southeast Asia increased meat, fish, dairy, egg, fruit, and vegetable consumption and decreased intake of grains, roots and tubers, legumes, whereas North America decreased dairy and red meat but increased eggs, nuts, poultry, and vegetable oil intake. Intakes of fruits, nuts, legumes, and roots and tubers were below recommendations in most regions. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate regional variations in dietary trends and identify countries that would benefit from nutritional policies aimed at decreasing lower-quality carbohydrate foods and increasing consumption of fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, and dairy.

An Embedded Hamiltonian Graph-Guided Heuristic Algorithm for Two-Echelon Vehicle Routing Problem.

Two-echelon vehicle routing problem (2E-VRP) is an NP-hard combinatorial optimization problem and a basic mathematical model of modern city logistics. While it is difficult to obtain the optimal solution of 2E-VRP, this study finds a breakthrough that the structure of the optimal route planning for 2E-VRP is usually an embedded Hamiltonian graph. In the graph, routes can be drawn in a planar graph as Hamiltonian circuits without intersections. Based on this finding, an embedded Hamiltonian graph-guided heuristic algorithm is proposed to solve 2E-VRP. As a crucial part of the algorithm, an initialization scheme is designed to search for the farthest vertices from each route and insert the rest of the vertices. In the satellite-adjustment process, a dynamic adjustment for satellites scheme is proposed to adjust the state of satellites. The two schemes aim to construct Hamiltonian circuits with few intersections. Experiments have been conducted on 207 instances to demonstrate the effect of the proposed algorithm on solving 2E-VRP. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can obtain more solutions of 2E-VRP with significantly smaller objective-function values. Furthermore, the number of intersections in routes generated by the proposed algorithm is much less than those obtained by the compared algorithms. With the use of the two schemes, the embedded Hamiltonian graph-guided heuristic algorithm significantly outperforms the compared algorithms for 2E-VRP.