Association of dietary inflammatory index and leukocyte telomere length with mild cognitive impairment in Chinese older adults.

BACKGROUND: There are minimal data on the relationship between DII and MCI in an elderly Chinese population and no research has assessed the potential effect of LTL. OBJECTIVE: We investigated the association between DII and MCI while taking into account the potential effect of LTL. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 3,386 participants aged ≥ 60 years of age from the Tianjin Elderly Nutrition and Cognition Cohort study. DII score was constructed based on a validated self-administered food frequency questionnaire was calculated based on the method developed by Shivappa et al. LTL was measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the association between DII, LTL and MCI. Moreover, mediation analysis was employed to test the mediation effect of LTL on the total effect of DII on MCI. RESULTS: Compared with the participants in the lowest tertiles of LTL and DII score, the odds ratios (ORs) of MCI in the highest tertiles were 0.386(95% CI: 0.281-0.529) and 1.650 (95% CI: 1.232-2.209), respectively. The significant association between DII score and MCI persisted after further adjusting for LTL (OR: 1.595; 95% CI: 1.189-2.140). The link between DII score and MCI was mediated partially by LTL (ßindirect effect= -0.008, P<0.05). CONCLUSION: High DII score was positively associated with MCI prevalence in an elderly Chinese population and the link between DII scores and MCI seemed to be mediated partially by LTL.

Telomere and mitochondria mediated the association between dietary inflammatory index and mild cognitive impairment: A prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Diet and chronic inflammation might play a major role in the pathogenesis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI). In addition, peripheral blood leukocyte telomere length (LTL) and mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn) might mediate the relationship between inflammation and MCI risk. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate whether inflammatory potential of diet assessed by dietary inflammatory index (DII), chronic inflammation, peripheral blood LTL, and mtDNAcn were associated with the risk of MCI. RESULTS: A population-based cohort study was conducted with a total of 2944 participants. During a median follow-up of 2 years, 438 (14.90%) individuals were new-onset MCI. After adjustment, a higher score of DII (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.056, 95% CI: 1.005, 1.109), a higher log systemic immune inflammation index (SII) (HR: 1.333, 95% CI: 1.089, 1.633) and log system inflammation response index (SIRI) (HR: 1.487, 95% CI: 1.024, 2.161) predicted elevated risk of MCI. An increased mtDNAcn (HR: 0.843, 95% CI: 0.712, 0.997), but not LTL, predicted a decreased risk of MCI. Negative associations of log SII with LTL (ß:-0.359, 95% CI: -0.445, -0.273) and mtDNAcn (ß:-0.048, 95% CI: -0.090, -0.006) were found. Additionally, negative associations of log SIRI with LTL (ß: -0.035, 95% CI: -0.052, -0.017) and mtDNAcn (ß:-0.136, 95% CI: -0.216, -0.056) were also found. Path analysis suggested that SIRI, LTL, and mtDNAcn, in series, have mediation roles in the association between DII score and MCI risk. CONCLUSIONS: Higher DII, SII, and SIRI might predict a greater risk of MCI, while a longer LTL and an increased mtDNAcn were linked to a reduced risk of MCI among the older population. LTL and mtDNAcn could play mediation roles in the association between DII and MCI risk.

Brown leaf spot of Cunninghamia lanceolata Caused by Colletotrichum kahawae in Sichuan province, China.

Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata) is an important timber species that has been widely cultivated in southern China. It is extensively applied in medicine, environmental monitoring, furniture, urban (e.g., street trees) and rural landscaping, windbreak forest, soil and water conservation. In January 2022, distinct leaf spot symptoms were observed in Chinese fir in Hongya Forestry (29°45'N, 103°11'E) Meishan City, Sichuan Province, China. Field surveys showed that the disease was widespread, with around 70% disease incidence. The typical symptoms initially appeared as yellowish-brown necrotic lesions on the margin of the leaves. Subsequently, lesions gradually expanded and developed into larger necrotic areas with red-brown irregular shape. The lesions later expanded throughout the leaf. Infected leaves turned dark brown and wilted, leading to seeding's death. Diseased leaves with typical symptoms were collected for pathogen isolation and identification. Infected tissues from ten samples were cut into small pieces of 2 × 2 mm. Infected tissues were surface disinfected with 3% sodium hypochlorite and 75% ethanol for 30s and 60s, respectively, and rinsed with sterile water 3 times. They were blotted dry with autoclaved paper towels and incubated on potato dextrose agar (PDA) with streptomycin sulfate (50 µg/mL) for 5 ~ 8 days at 25°C. and 12 h light/dark period. The diameter of the colonies reached 65.7 to 75.9 mm, with a gray to black center, and white edges while the reverse sides were gray to orange. Conidia were single-celled, colorless, straight, cylindrical, bluntly rounded at both ends, Conidia dimensions varied from, 7.3 µm to 15.7 µm in length and 3.3 µm to 6.1 µm in width (n = 100). For molecular identification, the genomic DNA of isolate SM2290708, SM229070801 and SM229070802 were extracted using a fungal genomic DNA extraction kit (Beijing Solarbio Science & Technology Co., Ltd., City, China). The internal transcribed spacers of the ribosomal RNA (ITS) [ITS1/ITS4 (White et al., 1990), calmodulin (CAL) (Weir et al., 2012), ß-tubulin (TUB2) (O'Donnell et al., 1997), and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) (Templeton et al. 1992) were amplified. Sequences were deposited in GenBank (ITS: ON564877, OQ535027 and OQ535028; CAL: ON583827, OQ538101 and OQ538102; TUB2: ON583830, OQ538104 and OQ538105; and GAPDH: ON583831, OQ538108 and OQ538109). BLAST results showed that our ITS, CAL, TUB2 and GAPDH sequences were >99% identical to the corresponding sequences of Colletotrichum kahawae deposited at NCBI (GenBank JX010231, JX009642, JX010444, and JX010012). Identification was confirmed by Bayesian inference using MrBayes (Fig 2). The conidial suspension (1 × 106 conidia/ml) was used for inoculation by spraying leaves of ten 3-year-old Chinese fir plants for pathogenicity test. Fifteen leaves of each plant were inoculated. An equal number of control leaves was sprayed with sterilized distilled water as a control. Finally, all potted plants were placed in a greenhouse at 28°C under a 16 h/8 h photoperiod and in 73% to 79% relative humidity. After fifteen days, the symptoms observed on the inoculated plants were similar to those of the original diseased plants, but the controls remained asymptomatic. Colletotrichum kahawae was re-isolated from the infected leaves and identified by both morphological characteristics and DNA sequence analysis. The pathogenicity test was repeated three times, which showed similar results, confirming Koch's postulates. To our knowledge, this is the first report of brown leaf spot on C. lanceolata caused by C. kahawae in China. The results of this study provide basic information for diagnosis of the pathogen and developing prevention strategies to manage C. lanceolata leaf spot disease.

Effects of enhance recovery after surgery nursing program on the surgical site wound infection in patients undergoing laparoscopic hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma: A meta-analysis.

Our study aimed to investigate the effects of an enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) nursing program on surgical site wound infections (SSWI) and postoperative complications in patients undergoing laparoscopic hepatectomy (LH) for hepatocellular carcinoma. Computer searches of the PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure and Wanfang databases were conducted to gather randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that were published from inception to September 2023. The target studies evaluated the effects of the ERAS nursing program in patients undergoing LH for hepatocellular carcinoma. Two independent authors screened the literature, extracted the data and performed quality assessments. Dichotomous variables were analysed using odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), as effect analysis statistics. Stata software (version 17.0) was used for data analysis. Eleven RCTs with 765 patients were included, with 383 patients in the ERAS group and 382 in the control group. The results revealed that the incidence of SSWI (OR = 0.32, 95%CI:0.15-0.71, p = 0.004) and postoperative complications (OR = 0.23, 95%CI:0.15-0.34, p < 0.001) were both significantly reduced in the ERAS group, compared with the control group. The ERAS nursing program, when applied to patients undergoing laparoscopic hepatic cancer resection, can effectively reduce the incidence of SSWI and postoperative complications, thus promoting postoperative recovery.

Nitrogen-Embedded Quintuple [7]Helicene: A Helicene-Azacorannulene Hybrid with Strong Near-Infrared Fluorescence.

Herein, a nitrogen-embedded quintuple [7]helicene (N-Q7H) with an azapentabenzocorannulene core, which can be considered to be a helicene/azacorannulene hybrid π-system, was synthesized from azapentabenzocorannulene in a three-step process. N-Q7H is the first example of a multiple helicene with an azabuckybowl core. Single-crystal X-ray diffractometry unambiguously confirmed the structure of the propeller-shaped hybrid π-system. Owing to nitrogen-atom doping in the multiple helicenes and effective hybridization between the helicene and azacorannulene, N-Q7H exhibits considerably redshifted absorption and emission (yellow-to-green color change and green-to-near-infrared fluorescence change) relative to the azapentabenzocorannulene core. The broad absorption from the ultraviolet-visible to the NIR region is ascribable to the allowed transition between the highest occupied molecular orbital and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital after symmetry breaking, as revealed by density functional theory calculations. Compared to previous propeller-shaped multiple helicenes with corannulene or hexabenzocoronene (etc.) as cores, N-Q7H demonstrates a significantly higher NIR fluorescence quantum efficiency of 28%. Additionally, the chiral-resolution and redox properties of N-Q7H were investigated. The excellent photophysical and inherent chiral properties of N-Q7H suggest that azapentabenzocorannulene can be used as an outstanding nitrogen-embedded core to construct novel multiple helicenes with wide application potential, including as NIR fluorescent bio-probes.

Real-Time Sniffing Mass Spectrometry Aided by Venturi Self-Pumping Applicable to Gaseous and Solid Surface Analysis.

Based on the Venturi self-pumping effect, real-time sniffing with mass spectrometry (R-sniffing MS) is developed as a tool for direct and real-time mass spectrometric analysis of both gaseous and solid samples. It is capable of dual-mode operation in either gaseous or solid phase, with the corresponding techniques termed as Rg-sniffing MS and Rs-sniffing MS, respectively. In its gaseous mode, Rg-sniffing MS is capable of analyzing a gaseous mixture with response time (0.8-2.1 s rise time and 7.3-9.6 s fall time), spatial resolution (<80 µm), three-dimensional diffusion imaging, and aroma distribution imaging of red pepper. In its solid mode, an appropriate solvent droplet desorbs the sample from a solid surface, followed by the aspiration of the mixture using the Venturi self-pumping effect into the mass spectrometer, wherein it is ionized by a standard ion source. Compared with the desorption electrospray ionization (DESI) technique, Rs-sniffing MS demonstrated considerably improved limit of detection (LOD) values for arginine (0.07 µg/cm2 Rs-sniffing vs 1.47 µg/cm2 DESI), thymopentin (0.10 µg/cm2 vs 2.67 µg/cm2), and bacitracin (0.16 µg/cm2 vs 2.28 µg/cm2). Rs-sniffing is applicable for the detection of C60(OCH3)6Cl-, an intermediate in the methoxylation reaction involving C60Cl6 (solid) and methanol (liquid). The convenient and highly sensitive R-sniffing MS has a characteristic separation of desorption from the ionization process, in which the matrix atmosphere of desorption can be interfaced by a pipe channel and self-pumped by the Venturi effect with consequent integration using a standard ion source. The R-sniffing MS operates in a voltage-, heat-, and vibration-free environment, wherein the analyte is ionized by a standard ion source. Consequently, a wide range of samples can be analyzed simultaneously by the R-sniffing MS technique, regardless of their physical state.

Prevalence of Parkinson's Disease in Adults Aged 65 Years and Older in China: A Multicenter Population-Based Survey.

BACKGROUND: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disease. With the aging of the Chinese population, it is important to understand the prevalence of PD in the elderly. OBJECTIVE: Little data are available on the current prevalence of PD in China. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of PD in Chinese individuals aged 65 years and older and to analyze associated risk factors. METHODS: We performed a population-based cross-sectional survey using a multistage cluster sampling design. Residents aged 65 years and older were drawn from 11 urban districts and 10 rural counties across China. Data were entered into spreadsheets and analyzed using SPSS 24. RESULTS: We identified 151 patients with PD among 8,124 residents aged 65 years and over, including 75 men and 76 women. The overall prevalence of PD in the study population was 1.86%, and the standardized prevalence of PD was 1.60%. The crude prevalence in men (2.12%) was higher than that in women (1.66%) and the standardized prevalence in urban areas (1.98%) was higher than that in rural areas (1.48%). Logistic regression analysis showed that independent risk factors for PD were older age, heavy metal or pesticide exposure, urban residence, rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder, and heart disease. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of PD among individuals aged 65 years and older in China has remained constant. The prevalence of PD is higher in men than in women and higher in urban areas than in rural areas.

Efficacy and safety of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in triple-negative breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a subtype of breast cancer with a poor prognosis that seriously threatens women's health. There is still a lack of effective therapeutic targets for TNBC treatment. We conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy and safety of programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1)/programmed death protein ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitors in combination with chemotherapy for TNBC patients. METHODS: We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) related to PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors combined with chemotherapy. Literature conforming to the research content was identified according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The endpoints of efficacy were pathological complete response (pCR), event-free survival (EFS), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS). Safety outcomes included adverse events (AEs) of any grade, AEs of grade ≥3, serious AEs, and the incidence of various AEs. We obtained odds ratios (OR), hazard ratio (HR), and 95% confidence interval (CI) for the included studies. Data analysis was performed using Review Manager software (version 5.3). RESULTS: A total of 4468 patients from eight RCTs were analyzed. PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in combination with chemotherapy significantly improved pCR (OR, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.28 - 1.98, p < 0.0001), EFS (HR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.48 - 0.91, p = 0.01), and OS (HR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.52 - 0.99, p = 0.05) in patients with TNBC compared to chemotherapy alone or placebo in combination with chemotherapy. Furthermore, we found that the pCR rate was almost identical in the PD-L1 positive group (OR, 1.65; 95% CI, 1.26 - 2.16, p = 0.0002) and the PD-L1 negative group (OR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.04 - 2.33, p = 0.03). Among patients with advanced-stage TNBC, PFS (HR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.74 - 0.90, p < 0.0001) was longer in the combination therapy group than in the chemotherapy group. There were no statistically significant differences between the experimental and control groups in OS (HR, 1.03; 95% CI, 0.74 - 1.42, p = 0.87). In terms of safety, we found that the combination therapy group had a significantly higher incidence of hyperthyroidism in patients with early and advanced TNBC (OR, 5.76; 95% CI, 2.38 - 13.95, p = 0.0001) (OR, 7.86; 95% CI, 2.65 - 23.29, p = 0.0002). CONCLUSIONS: The combination of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors and chemotherapy could improve the survival and prognosis of patients with early and advanced TNBC. Combination treatment may be harmful to the thyroid; therefore, active surveillance and regular follow-up are necessary during treatment.

Association between methionine cycle metabolite-related diets and mild cognitive impairment in older Chinese adults: a population-based observational study.

BACKGROUND: Homocysteine (Hcy) and folate, involved in a common metabolic pathway supplying essential methyl groups for DNA and protein synthesis, have been found to be associated with cognitive function. Moreover, diet may influence methionine cycle metabolites (MCM) as well as mild cognitive impairment (MCI), but MCM-related dietary patterns are unclear in an older population. OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to identify MCM-related dietary patterns of older Chinese adults, and examine their association with the prevalence of MCI in a large population-based study. METHODS: This study included 4457 participants ≥ 60 years of age from the Tianjin Elderly Nutrition and Cognition Cohort study. Dietary data were collected using a valid self-administered food frequency questionnaire, and factor analysis was used to identify major dietary patterns in the population. MCM-based dietary patterns were derived using reduced rank regression (RRR) based on serum folate and Hcy as response variables. RESULTS: Compared with the participants in the lowest quartile of vegetarian pattern and processed foods pattern, the odds ratios (ORs) of MCI in the highest quartile were 0.72 (95% CI 0.53-0.98) and 1.39 (95% CI 1.03-1.88), respectively. In the MCM-based dietary patterns derived using RRR, the ORs for MCI for the highest quartile of MCM patterns I and II were 0.58 (95% CI 0.44-0.78) and 1.38 (95% CI 1.04-1.83), respectively, compared with participants in the lower quartile. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this large population-based study suggested that adopting an MCM-related dietary pattern, especially avoiding processed foods, can decrease the occurrence of MCI.

Brown leaf spot of Prunus serrulata Caused by Colletotrichum fioriniae in Sichuan, China.

Prunus serrulate Lindl is widely cultivated in urban areas of China. It is mainly used for wood cultivation and urban landscaping. In May 2021, new leaf spot disease was observed in Chengdu city (30°42' to 30°45'N, 103°51' to 104°7'E), with 69.3% disease incidence, which could inhibit leaf growth and reduce their biomass. A planting area of more than 1000 square meters was investigated. The diseased leaves were mostly concentrated in the lower position of plants, where the humidity was higher. The disease infected P. serrulata leaves and occurred in the field from March to October, with the highest incidence in early May. The typical symptoms initially appeared as brown necrotic lesions on the margin of the leaves. The lesions then enlarged gradually and developed into reddish brown spots, eventually coalescing into large irregular, necrotic lesions with dark brown margins. Finally, the diseased leaves withered and died. Conidiomata were not formed on the diseased tissue. Ten symptomatic leaves were collected from 5 different trees in the planting area. Infected tissues from ten samples were cut into small pieces of 3 × 3 mm. The infected tissues were surface-sterilized by 3% sodium hypochlorite and 75% ethanol respectively for 30s and 60s, and rinsed three times in sterile water. Then they were blot-dried with autoclaved paper towels and cultured on potato dextrose agar (PDA) amended with streptomycin sulfate (50 µg/mL), and incubated at 25°C for 4 to 8 days. After culturing for 8 days at 25℃ and 12 h/12 h light/dark on PDA, the colony diameter reached 67.5 to 78.6 mm. The colonies were initially white, cottony, then became light pink to misty rose at the center, and the reverse side of the colony turned dark red to red and had pale yellowish borders. The conidia were straight, smooth-walled, colorless, fusiform with acute ends, measuring 8.2 to 16.7 × 3.1 to 5.9 µm in size (n = 100). For molecular identification, the genomic DNA of the representative isolate RBWY202105 was extracted using a fungal genomic DNA extraction kit (Solarbio, Beijing). The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) [ITS1/ITS4 (White et al., 1990)], histone3 (HIS3) [CYLH3F/CYLH3R (Crous et al. 2004)], chitin synthase (CHS-1) [CHS-79F/CHS-345R (Carbone & Kohn, 1999)], actin (ACT) [ACT512F/ACT (Carbone & Kohn, 1999)], ß-tubulin (TUB2) [BT2A/BT2B (O'Donnell et al., 1997)], and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) [GDF/GDR (Templeton et al. 1992)] were amplified. Sequences were deposited in GenBank (ITS: ON000436, HIS3: ON014581, CHS-1: ON014579, ACT: ON014583, TUB2: ON014582, and GAPDH: ON014580). BLAST results indicated that the ITS, HIS3, CHS-1, ACT, TUB2 and GAPDH sequences showed >99% identity with Colletotrichum fioriniae (Marcelino & Gouli) R.G. Shivas & Y.P sequences at NCBI (GenBank MW497230 (561/582), MT740312 (415/415), KU736865 (258/258), MK680659 (246/246), MK967342 (757/757), and MW656269 (263/263)). The conidial suspension (1 × 106 conidia/ml) was used for inoculation by spraying leaves of ten 4-year-old P. serrulata plants for pathogenicity test. Fifteen leaves of each plant were inoculated with spore suspensions on the leaves (600 µl per leaf). The same amount of control leaves was sprayed with sterilized distilled water as a control. Finally, all potted plants were placed in a greenhouse at 25°C under a 16 h/8 h photoperiod and 67 to 78% relative humidity. After ten days, the symptoms observed on the inoculated plants were similar to those of the original diseased plants, but the controls remained asymptomatic. Colletotrichum fioriniae was re-isolated from the infected leaves and identified by both morphological characteristics and DNA sequence analysis (The ITS, HIS3, TUB2, CHS-1, GAPDH and ACT genes). The pathogenicity test was repeated thrice, which showed similar results, confirming Koch's postulates. To our knowledge, this is the first report of brown leaf spot on P. serrulata caused by C. fioriniae in China. The identification of C. fioriniae could provide relevant information for taking management strategies and further research on the Prunus serrulata disease.

Breast adenoid cystic carcinoma: a report of seven cases and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Primary adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) of breast is rarely seen clinically. It is a special subtype of triple-negative breast cancer characterized by low expression of Ki-67, low malignant potential, slow progression and favorable prognosis. To date, treatment for this disease is controversial and no consensus is reached. We analyzed clinical manifestations and pathological characteristics of seven primary breast ACC cases and reported in combination with literature review to promote understanding, diagnosis and treatment of this disease. CASE PRESENTATION: We collected seven breast ACC cases pathologically diagnosed and treated in Department of breast surgery of the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University from January 2015 to December 2018. We organized and summarized the clinical, imaging, pathological and prognostic information and performed statistical analysis. The median age was 60 years (ranging from 54 to 64 years). Tumors of all patients were detected by immunohistochemistry. Molecular types were mostly triple negative (4/7), and Ki-67 expression was low (5/7). Lymph node metastases were absent in all patients received axillary lymph node surgery. Median follow-up time was 39 months (ranging from 25 to 68 months). There was no occurrence of relapse, distant metastasis or death. CONCLUSION: Breast ACC is accompanied with favorable diagnosis, which is different from typical triple-negative breast cancer. Accurate diagnosis of ACC is particularly important.

Relationship between inflammatory markers and mild cognitive impairment in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes: a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have indicated that inflammatory markers were associated with the risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in type 2 diabetes (T2D). Serum folate was related to MCI as well as inflammation. However, no studies have investigated the association between inflammatory markers and MCI taking account of serum folate level in T2D patients. This study aimed to conduct a case-control study to evaluate the association between inflammatory markers and MCI taking account of serum folate level in Chinese patients with T2D. METHODS: This study consisted of 126 T2D patients (63 cases with MCI and 63 controls without MCI). Clinical parameters, serum folate, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were measured. Spearman correlation analysis and logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the association between the inflammatory markers and the risk of MCI in T2D patients. RESULTS: There were higher serum hs-CRP, IL-6 and TNF-α in T2D cases with MCI compared with the controls. Serum folate was negatively correlated with hs-CRP, TNF-α, and IL-6 (P < 0.05). In multivariate analysis, there were significant associations between serum IL-6 or hs-CRP and MCI after adjusting for the confounding variables, however, the association between hs-CRP and MCI disappeared after further adjusting for serum folate. Further subgroup analysis revealed that the significant association between hs-CRP and MCI only existed in the low folate subgroup (< 7.0 µg/L; OR = 3.34, 95% CI: 1.05-10.64), not in the high folate subgroup (≥7.0 µg/L; OR = 2.16, 95% CI: 0.68-6.88) after adjusting for the confounding variables. CONCLUSIONS: Serum IL-6 and hs-CRP were associated with the risk of MCI in Chinese patients with T2D. Serum folate might modify the association between serum hs-CRP and MCI in T2D patients.

Effect of Vitamin D Supplementation on Some Inflammatory Biomarkers in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Subjects: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The mechanism, by which vitamin D influences inflammatory biomarkers in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), is not very well known. Thus, a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials was conducted to assess the effect of vitamin D supplementation on some inflammatory biomarkers in T2DM subjects. METHODS: We searched randomized controlled trials from PubMed and the Cochrane Library in October 2017 and conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of vitamin D supplementation on high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). Either a fixed-effects or a random-effects model was used to calculate pooled effects. RESULTS: We identified 13 studies that met our inclusion criteria. The results indicated that the vitamin D supplementation significant decreased the hs-CRP level by 0.45 µg/mL, whereas the vitamin D supplementation did not  influence the TNF-α and IL-6. Subgroup analysis showed that vitamin D significantly lowered hs-CRP by 0.34 µg/mL among trials with a daily vitamin D dose ≤4,000 IU and by 0.31 µg/mL among trials with time of vitamin D supplementation > 12 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: Vitamin D supplementation is beneficial for the reduction of hs-CRP inT2DM subjects but does not have a significant influence on TNF-α and IL-6 in T2DM subjects.

Enhancement of the efficiency of oocyte vitrification through regulation of histone deacetylase 6 expression.

OBJECTIVE: Successful oocyte vitrification (OV) is critical for cryopreservation of the oocytes from female patients with infertility, polycystic ovaries, and gynecologic cancers. Recent evidence suggests that relatively low levels of histone acetylation are critical for maintenance of the maturation capacity of cryopreserved oocytes. However, previous studies have only demonstrated a key role of histone deacetylases (HDAC) 1 and 2 in the cryopreservation of oocytes. METHODS: In this study, we investigated the role of HDAC6 in these settings. We found that mouse oocytes with low HDAC6 levels decreased survival rate, cleavage rate, and blastocyst rate after OV. Bioinformatics analyses were used to predict HDAC6-targeting microRNAs (miRNAs), while the functional binding of miRNAs to HDAC6 mRNA was evaluated by a dual luciferase reporter assay. RESULTS: Among all HDAC6-targeting miRNAs, we detected expression of miR-558, miR-527, and miR-762 in mouse oocytes. Specifically, we found that only miR-762 significantly inhibited protein translation of HDAC6 via binding to the 3'-UTR of the HDAC6 mRNA. Transfection of oocytes with HDAC6 or antisense of miR-762 significantly increased the survival rate, the cleavage rate, and blastocyst rate after OV. CONCLUSION: As a result, our data suggest that induction of HDAC6 levels by miR-762 suppression may improve the current protocol for OV.

An alternative approach for nitrate and arsenic removal from wastewater via a nitrate-dependent ferrous oxidation process.

Owing to the high efficiency of converting nitrate to nitrogen gas with ferrous iron as the electron donor, the process of nitrate-dependent ferrous oxidation (NDFeO) has been considered suitable to treat wastewater that contains nitrate but lacks organic matter. Meanwhile, arsenic immobilization often has been found during the NDFeO reaction. Thus, it was strongly expected that nitrate and arsenic could be removed simultaneously in co-contaminated wastewater through the NDFeO process. However, in the current work, arsenic was not removed during the NDFeO process when the pH was high (above 8), though the nitrate reduction rate was over 90%. Meanwhile, the biosolid particles from the NDFeO process demonstrated strong adsorption ability for arsenic when the pH was below 6. Yet, the adsorption became weak when the pH was above 7. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy analysis revealed that the main activated component for arsenic adsorption was iron oxide in these particles, which was easily crippled under high pH conditions. These results implied that co-removal of nitrate and arsenic in wastewater treatment using NDFeO was difficult to carry out under high pH conditions. Thus, a two-step approach in which nitrate was removed first by NDFeO followed by arsenic adsorption with NDFeO biosolids was more feasible.

Prevalence of Mild Cognitive Impairment and Its Subtypes among Chinese Older Adults: Role of Vascular Risk Factors.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The prevalence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and its subtypes among Chinese older adults, and the contribution of vascular risk factors (VRF) and vascular disorders to MCI remain unclear. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of MCI and its different subtypes, and clarify the role of VRF and vascular diseases in the occurrence of MCI. METHODS: A random sample of 5,214 nondementia (DSM-IV) individuals aged ≥65 years underwent neuropsychological assessments and clinical examinations. MCI, including amnestic MCI-single domain (aMCI-SD), amnestic MCI-multiple domains (aMCI-MD), nonamnestic MCI-single domain (naMCI-SD), and nonamnestic MCI-multiple domains (naMCI-MD), was defined according to modifications of the Petersen criteria. VRF (smoking, obesity, and diabetes) and vascular disorders (myocardial infarction, atrial xFB01;brillation, stroke, and hypertension) were assessed based on information through self-report and medical records. Data were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: The prevalence of MCI was 11.33% (95% CI: 8.21-14.43), and that of aMCI-SD, aMCI-MD, naMCI-SD, and naMCI-MD was 4.48% (95% CI: 2.24-6.74), 2.09% (95% CI: 0.80-3.38), 4.22% (95% CI: 1.38-7.08), and 0.53% (95% CI: 0.32-0.75), respectively. The prevalence of MCI is higher in women than in men. Multivariate logistic regression analysis shows that VRF and vascular diseases were significantly related to increase the odds of MCI and its specific subtype. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of MCI is almost 11% among Chinese older adults. VRF and vascular disorders are associated with MCI, especially naMCI.

Folic acid attenuates the effects of amyloid ß oligomers on DNA methylation in neuronal cells.

PURPOSE: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a highly prevalent type of dementia. The epigenetic mechanism of gene methylation provides a putative link between nutrition, one-carbon metabolism, and disease progression because folate deficiency may cause hypomethylation of promoter regions in AD-relevant genes. We hypothesized that folic acid supplementation may protect neuron cells from amyloid ß (Aß) oligomer-induced toxicity by modulating DNA methylation of APP and PS1 in AD models. METHODS: Primary hippocampal neuronal cells and hippocampal HT-22 cells were incubated for 24 h with a combination of folic acid and either Aß oligomers or vehicle and were then incubated for 72 h with various concentrations of folic acid. AD transgenic mice were fed either folate-deficient or control diets and gavaged daily with various doses of folic acid (0 or 600 µg/kg). DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) activity, cell viability, methylation potential of cells, APP and PS1 expression, and the methylation of the respective promoters were determined. RESULTS: Aß oligomers lowered DNMT activity, increased PS1 and APP expression, and decreased cell viability. Folic acid dose-dependently stimulated methylation potential and DNMT activity, altered PS1 and APP promoter methylation, decreased PS1 and APP expression, and partially preserved cell viability. Folic acid increased PS1 and APP promoter methylation in AD transgenic mice. CONCLUSION: These results suggest a mechanism by which folic acid may prevent Aß oligomer-induced neuronal toxicity.

The Effect of Diuresis on the Paced QRS Complexes in Pacing-Dependent Patients with Heart Failure.

BACKGROUND: Augmentation of the amplitude of QRS complexes with diuretic therapy for patients with congestive heart failure has been well documented. However, the effect of diuresis on the paced QRS complexes in pacing-dependent patients with heart failure is scarce. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of diuresis on the paced QRS complexes in pacing-dependent patients with heart failure. METHOD: Thrity-two consecutive pacing-dependent patients with heart failure were enrolled in this study. Before and after diuresis, the sums of paced QRS amplitude of leads I+II (ΣpQRSI+II ), six limb leads (ΣpQRS6L ), leads V1 -V3 (ΣpQRSV1-V3 ), leads V4 -V6 (ΣpQRSV4-V6 ), leads V1 -V6 (ΣpQRSV1-V6 ), and lead aVR (pQRSaVR ), paced QRS duration (pQRSd ), paced QT intervals (pQT) and the body weight of each patient were measured, then the % changes (Δ%) in paced electrocardiogram (ECG) variables and the Δ% in body weight were evaluated. RESULTS: Compared with before diuresis, paced ECG variables significantly increased and body weight significantly decreased after diuresis, Δ% in paced QRS amplitude(s) in all ECG variables (ΣpQRSI+II, ΣpQRS6L, ΣpQRSV1-V3 , ΣpQRSV4-V6 , ΣpQRSV1-V6 , and pQRSaVR ) correlated well with Δ% in body weight (r = 0.416, r = 0.849, r = 0.901, r = 0.371, r = 0.837, r = 0.619, and P = 0.018, P < 0.001, P < 0.001, P = 0.037, P < 0.001, P < 0.001), while there was no correlation between Δ% in pQRSd and pQT and Δ% in body weight. CONCLUSIONS: The changes in amplitude of paced QRS complexes may be useful for the monitoring of therapy of pacing-dependent patients with heart failure.

4-Year Trajectory of Visceral Adiposity Index in the Development of Type 2 Diabetes: A Prospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Our aim was to evaluate whether visceral adiposity index (VAI) could predict the risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) in different genders and to compare the predictive ability between VAI and other fatness indices. METHODS: Four thousand seventy-eight participants including 1,817 men and 2,261 women, aged 18 and older and free of T2D at baseline were enrolled in 2010 and followed up for 4 years. New cases of T2D were identified via the annual medical examination. Cox regression analysis was used to assess the association between VAI and incidence of T2D. Receiver operating characteristic curve and area under the curves (AUC) were applied to compare the prediction ability of T2D between VAI and other fatness indices. RESULTS: During the 4-year follow-up, 153 (8.42%) of 1,817 men and 88 (3.89%) of 2,261 women developed T2D. The multivariable-adjusted hazards ratios for developing T2D in the highest tertile of VAI scores were 2.854 (95% CI 1.815-4.487) in men and 3.551 (95% CI 1.586-7.955) in women. The AUC of VAI was not higher than that of other fatness indices. CONCLUSIONS: VAI could predict the risk of T2D among Chinese adults, especially in women. However, the prediction ability of T2D risk for VAI was not higher than that of the other fatness indices.

Folic Acid Supplementation Mitigates Alzheimer's Disease by Reducing Inflammation: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background/Aims. Low serum folate levels can alter inflammatory reactions. Both phenomena have been linked to Alzheimer's disease (AD), but the effect of folic acid on AD itself is unclear. We quantified folate supplementation's effect on inflammation and cognitive function in patients with AD over the course of 6 months. Methods. Patients newly diagnosed with AD (age > 60 years; n = 121; mild to severe; international criteria) and being treated with donepezil were randomly assigned into two groups with (intervention group) or without (control group) supplemental treatment with folic acid (1.25 mg/d) for 6 months. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was administered to all patients at baseline and follow-up, and blood samples were taken before and after treatment. We quantified serum folate, amyloid beta (Aß), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), plasma homocysteine (Hcy), S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH), and the mRNA levels of presenilin (PS), IL-6, and TNFα in leukocytes. Data were analyzed using a repeated-measures mixed model. Results. The mean MMSE was slightly increased in the intervention group compared to that in the control group (P < 0.05). Posttreatment, plasma SAM and SAM/SAH levels were significantly higher (P < 0.05), while Aß 40, PS1-mRNA, and TNFα-mRNA levels were lower in the intervention group than in the control group (P < 0.05). The Aß 42/Aß 40 ratio was also higher in the intervention group (P < 0.05). Conclusions. Folic acid is beneficial in patients with AD. Inflammation may play an important role in the interaction between folic acid and AD. This trial is registered with clinical trial registration number ChiCTR-TRC-13003246.