An acidic pH environment converts necroptosis to apoptosis.

Cardiac ischemia results in anaerobic metabolism and lactic acid accumulation and with time, intracellular and extracellular acidosis. Ischemia and subsequent reperfusion injury (IRI) lead to various forms of programmed cell death. Necroptosis is a major form of programmed necrosis that worsens cardiac function directly and also promotes inflammation by the release of cellular contents. Potential effects of increasing acidosis on programmed cell death and their specific components have not been well studied. While apoptosis is caspase-dependent, in contrast, necroptosis is mediated by the receptor-interacting protein kinases 1 and 3 (RIPK1/3). In our study, we observed that at physiological pH = 7.4, caspase-8 inhibition did not prevent TNFα-induced cell death in mouse cardiac vascular endothelial cells (MVECs) but promoted necroptotic cell death. As expected, necroptosis was blocked by RIPK1 inhibition. However, at pH = 6.5, TNFα induced an apoptosis-like pattern which was inhibited by caspase-8 inhibition. Interestingly phosphorylation of necroptotic molecules RIPK1, RIPK3, and mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein (MLKL) was enhanced in an acidic pH environment. However, RIPK3 and MLKL phosphorylation was self-limited which may have limited their participation in necroptosis. In addition, an acidic pH promoted apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) cleavage and nuclear translocation. AIF RNA silencing inhibited cell death, supporting the role of AIF in this cell death. In summary, our study demonstrated that the pH of the micro-environment during inflammation can bias cell death pathways by altering the function of necroptosis-related molecules and promoting AIF-mediated cell death. Further insights into the mechanisms by which an acidic cellular micro-environment influences these and perhaps other forms of regulated cell death, may lead to therapeutic strategies to attenuate IRI.

LAIR1 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma cell metastasis and induces M2-macrophage infiltration through activating AKT-IKKß-p65 axis.

LAIR1, a receptor found on immune cells, is capable of binding to collagen and is involved in immune-related diseases. However, the precise contribution of LAIR1 expressed on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells to tumor microenvironment is still unclear. In our study, bioinformatics analysis and immunofluorescence were employed to study the correlation between LAIR1 levels and clinical indicators. Transwell and scratch tests were used to evaluate how LAIR1 affected the migration and invasion of HCC cells. The chemotactic capacity and alternative activation of macrophages were investigated using RT-qPCR, transwell, and immunofluorescence. To investigate the molecular mechanisms, transcriptome sequencing analysis, Western blot, nucleus/cytoplasm fractionation, ELISA, and cytokine microarray were employed. We revealed a significant correlation between the presence of LAIR1 and an unfavorable outcome in HCC. We indicated that LAIR1 promoted migration and invasion of HCC cells through the AKT-IKKß-p65 axis. Additionally, the alternative activation and infiltration of tumor-associated macrophages induced by LAIR1 were reliant on the upregulation of IL6 and CCL5 within this axis, respectively. In conclusion, blocking LAIR1 was found to be an effective approach in combating the cancerous advancement of HCC.

A new integrative analysis of histopathology and single cell RNA-seq reveals the CCL5 mediated T and NK cell interaction with vascular cells in idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Inflammation and dysregulated immunity play vital roles in idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH), while the mechanisms that initiate and promote these processes are unclear. METHODS: Transcriptomic data of lung tissues from IPAH patients and controls were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), differential expression analysis, protein-protein interaction (PPI) and functional enrichment analysis were combined with a hemodynamically-related histopathological score to identify inflammation-associated hub genes in IPAH. The monocrotaline-induced rat model of pulmonary hypertension was utilized to confirm the expression pattern of these hub genes. Single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) data were used to identify the hub gene-expressing cell types and their intercellular interactions. RESULTS: Through an extensive bioinformatics analysis, CXCL9, CCL5, GZMA and GZMK were identified as hub genes that distinguished IPAH patients from controls. Among these genes, pulmonary expression levels of Cxcl9, Ccl5 and Gzma were elevated in monocrotaline-exposed rats. Further investigation revealed that only CCL5 and GZMA were highly expressed in T and NK cells, where CCL5 mediated T and NK cell interaction with endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells, and fibroblasts through multiple receptors. CONCLUSIONS: Our study identified a new inflammatory pathway in IPAH, where T and NK cells drove heightened inflammation predominantly via the upregulation of CCL5, providing groundwork for the development of targeted therapeutics.

Risk of mother-to-child transmission after amniocentesis in pregnant women with hepatitis B virus: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Amniocentesis is the most widely used invasive prenatal diagnostic sampling technique. However, whether this increases the risk of mother-to-child transmission of infectious diseases remains controversial. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine whether amniocentesis increases the risk of hepatitis B virus infection in infants who received standard prophylaxis, and to assess the related risk factors for mother-to-child transmission in women who underwent amniocentesis during pregnancy. STUDY DESIGN: This retrospective analysis used the clinical data of pregnant women with hepatitis B virus infection at West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University in 2019. After meeting the inclusion criteria, the participants were divided into 2 groups on the basis of whether they had undergone amniocentesis during pregnancy. The infant hepatitis B virus serologic status was followed 1 to 6 months after completion of immunization. The infant testing positive for hepatitis B surface antigen and negative for Hepatitis B surface antibody indicated mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B virus. RESULTS: In total, 1764 pregnant women with hepatitis B virus infection were enrolled. Of these, 846 underwent amniocentesis during pregnancy and 918 did not. All offspring received a standardized immunoprophylaxis schedule. The overall mother-to-child transmission rate for hepatitis B virus was 0.6% (5/846) in the amniocentesis group and 0.4% (4/918) in the control group (P=.745). Subgroup analysis showed that the mother-to-child transmission rate in hepatitis B e antigen-positive women was 1.8% (2/111) in the amniocentesis group and 1.0% (2/209) in the control group (P=.612). In women with high viral load, the mother-to-child transmission rate was 1.3% (1/78) vs 0.9% (1/107) (amniocentesis group vs control group; P=1.000). In the amniocentesis group, 31 amniotic fluid specimens had an abnormal appearance (bloody or brown). Univariate analysis showed that the mother-to-child transmission rates of these mothers were statistically higher than those of mothers with pale yellow or transparent amniotic fluid (2/31 vs 3/815; relative risk, 17.527 [3.037-101.151]; P=.012). CONCLUSION: Amniocentesis did not increase the risk of mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B virus in infants who received a standardized immunoprophylaxis schedule, including those with mothers who were hepatitis B e antigen-positive or had a high viral load. However, the abnormal appearance (bloody or brown) of the amniotic fluid obtained during amniocentesis may indicate increased risk of mother-to-child transmission for hepatitis B virus.

Seeing nanoscale electrocatalytic reactions at individual MoS2 particles under an optical microscope: probing sub-mM oxygen reduction reaction.

MoS2 is a promising electrocatalytic material for replacing noble metals. Nanoelectrochemistry studies, such as using nanoelectrochemical cell confinement, have particularly helped in demonstrating the preferential electrocatalytic activity of MoS2 edges. These findings have been accompanied by considerable research efforts to synthesize edge-abundant nanomaterials. However, to fully apprehend their electrocatalytic performance, at the single particle level, new instrumental developments are also needed. Here, we feature a highly sensitive refractive index based optical microscopy technique, namely interferometric scattering microscopy (iSCAT), for monitoring local electrochemistry at single MoS2 petal-like sub-microparticles. This work focuses on the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), which operates at low current densities and thus requires high-sensitivity imaging techniques. By employing a precipitation reaction to reveal the ORR activity and utilizing the high spatial resolution and contrast of iSCAT, we achieve the sensitivity required to evaluate the ORR activity at single MoS2 particles.

Altered static and dynamic functional network connectivity in individuals with subthreshold depression: a large-scale resting-state fMRI study.

Dynamic functional network connectivity (dFNC) is an expansion of static FNC (sFNC) that reflects connectivity variations among brain networks. This study aimed to investigate changes in sFNC and dFNC strength and temporal properties in individuals with subthreshold depression (StD). Forty-two individuals with subthreshold depression and 38 healthy controls (HCs) were included in this study. Group independent component analysis (GICA) was used to determine target resting-state networks, namely, executive control network (ECN), default mode network (DMN), sensorimotor network (SMN) and dorsal attentional network (DAN). Sliding window and k-means clustering analyses were used to identify dFNC patterns and temporal properties in each subject. We compared sFNC and dFNC differences between the StD and HCs groups. Relationships between changes in FNC strength, temporal properties, and neurophysiological score were evaluated by Spearman's correlation analysis. The sFNC analysis revealed decreased FNC strength in StD individuals, including the DMN-CEN, DMN-SMN, SMN-CEN, and SMN-DAN. In the dFNC analysis, 4 reoccurring FNC patterns were identified. Compared to HCs, individuals with StD had increased mean dwell time and fraction time in a weakly connected state (state 4), which is associated with self-focused thinking status. In addition, the StD group demonstrated decreased dFNC strength between the DMN-DAN in state 2. sFNC strength (DMN-ECN) and temporal properties were correlated with HAMD-17 score in StD individuals (all p < 0.01). Our study provides new evidence on aberrant time-varying brain activity and large-scale network interaction disruptions in StD individuals, which may provide novel insight to better understand the underlying neuropathological mechanisms.

Unbalanced X;Y translocations carrying SRY in prenatal settings: Clinical, molecular, and cytogenetic analysis of three cases.

BACKGROUND: Generally, the translocation of SRY onto one of the X chromosomes leads to 46, XX testicular disorders of sex development, a relatively rare condition characterized by the presence of testicular tissue with a 46, XX karyotype. Three prenatal cases of unbalanced X; Y translocation carrying SRY were identified in this study. METHODS: Structural variants were confirmed using single nucleotide polymorphism array and chromosomal karyotyping. X chromosome inactivation (XCI) was also analyzed. Detailed clinical features of the three cases were collected. RESULTS: We identified two fetuses with maternal inherited unbalanced X; Y translocations carrying SRY and skewed XCI presenting with normal female external genitalia, and one fetus with de novo 46, XX (SRY+) and random XCI manifested male phenotypic external genitalia. CONCLUSION: This study reports that cases with unbalanced X; Y translocations carrying SRY manifested a normal female external genitalia in a prenatal setting. We speculate that the skewed XCI mediates the silence of SRY. In addition, our study emphasizes that combining clinical findings with pedigree analysis is critical for estimating the prognosis of fetuses with sex chromosome abnormalities.

Localization of Ectopic Hyperparathyroidism: Ultrasound Versus 99mTc-sestamibi, 4-Dimensional Computed Tomography, and 11C-choline Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the usefulness of ultrasound (US) for the localization of ectopic hyperparathyroidism and compare it with 99mTc-sestamibi (99mTc-MIBI), 4-dimensional computed tomography (4D-CT), and 11C-choline positron emission tomography/ computed tomography (PET/CT). METHODS: Of the 527 patients with surgically confirmed primary hyperparathyroidism, 79 patients with ectopic hyperparathyroidism were enrolled. The diagnostic performance of US, 99mTc-MIBI, US + MIBI, 4D-CT, and 11C-choline PET/CT was calculated, and the factors affecting the sensitivity of US and 99mTc-MIBI were analyzed. RESULTS: Eighty-three ectopic parathyroid lesions were found in 79 patients. The sensitivity was 75.9%, 81.7%, 95.1%, 83.3%, and 100% for US, 99mTc-MIBI, US + MIBI, 4D-CT, and 11C-choline PET/CT, respectively. The difference in sensitivity among these different modalities did not achieve statistical significance (P > .05). The US sensitivity was significantly higher for ectopic lesions in the neck region than for those in the anterior mediastinum/chest wall (85.9% vs. 42.1%, P < .001). The 99mTc-MIBI and 4D-CT sensitivity was not significantly different between these two groups (84.1% vs. 94.6%, P = .193 and 81.3% vs. 85.7%, P = 1). The 11C-choline PET/CT sensitivity was 100% in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: US is a valuable tool for the localization of ectopic hyperparathyroidism, especially for ectopic lesions in the neck region.

Balloon Pulmonary Angioplasty for Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Disease: Success Rate and Complications among Different Patient Populations.

INTRODUCTION: Balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) is an effective intervention for patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary disease (CTEPD). We aimed to identify the patient group with a low success rate or high complication rate of BPA, which is still unclear. METHODS: Both CTEPD patients with or without pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH and NoPH-CTEPD) were included. CTEPH patients were divided into groups with or without pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA-CTEPH and NoPEA-CTEPH). The efficacy and safety of BPA were compared among the groups. RESULTS: There were 450, 66, and 41 sessions in the NoPEA-CTEPH, PEA-CTEPH, and NoPH-CTEPD groups, respectively. The success rate (≥1 degree improvement in flow grade) in the PEA-CTEPH group was 94.5%, significantly lower than that in the NoPEA-CTEPH (97.1%) and NoPH-CTEPD (98.4%) groups (p = 0.014). The percentage of complete flow recovery in treated vessels was also lower in PEA-CTEPH group. BPA-related complication rate in NoPEA-CTEPH, PEA-CTEPH, and NoPH-CTEPD patients was 6.1%, 6.0%, and 0.0%, respectively (p = 0.309). One BPA-related death occurred (solely in NoPEA-CTEPH). Mean pulmonary artery pressure ≥41.5 mm Hg was a predictor of BPA-related complications. NoPEA-CTEPH patients had more improvement in 6-min walk distance (6MWD, 87 ± 93 m NoPEA-CTEPH vs. 40 ± 43 m PEA-CTEPH vs. 18 ± 20 m NoPH-CTEPD, p = 0.012). CONCLUSIONS: BPA was safe and effective for all CTEPD groups with less improvement for the PEA-CTEPH and NoPH-CTEPD groups. The success rate of BPA was lower in the PEA-CTEPH group and the complication rate was lower in the NoPH-CTEPD group. Pre-BPA treatment to lower pulmonary artery pressure should not be overlooked in CTEPD patients.

Clinical characteristics and mortality predictors among very old patients with pulmonary thromboembolism: a multicenter study report.

BACKGROUND: Clinical characteristics of patients with pulmonary thromboembolism have been described in previous studies. Although very old patients with pulmonary thromboembolism are a special group based on comorbidities and age, they do not receive special attention. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to explore the clinical characteristics and mortality predictors among very old patients with pulmonary thromboembolism in a relatively large population. DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS: The study included a total of 7438 patients from a national, multicenter, registry study, the China pUlmonary thromboembolism REgistry Study (CURES). Consecutive patients with acute pulmonary thromboembolism were enrolled and were divided into three groups. Comparisons were performed between these three groups in terms of clinical characteristics, comorbidities and in-hospital prognosis. Mortality predictors were analyzed in very old patients with pulmonary embolism. KEY RESULTS: In 7,438 patients with acute pulmonary thromboembolism, 609 patients aged equal to or greater than 80 years (male 354 (58.1%)). There were 2743 patients aged between 65 and 79 years (male 1313 (48%)) and 4095 patients aged younger than 65 years (male 2272 (55.5%)). Patients with advanced age had significantly more comorbidities and worse condition, however, some predisposing factors were more obvious in younger patients with pulmonary thromboembolism. PaO2 < 60 mmHg, eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73m2, malignancy, anticoagulation as first therapy were mortality predictors for all-cause death in very old patients with pulmonary thromboembolism. The analysis found that younger patients were more likely to have chest pain, hemoptysis (the difference was statistically significant) and dyspnea triad. CONCLUSION: In very old population diagnosed with pulmonary thromboembolism, worse laboratory results, atypical symptoms and physical signs were common. Mortality was very high and comorbid conditions were their features compared to younger patients. PaO2 < 60 mmHg, eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73m2 and malignancy were positive mortality predictors for all-cause death in very old patients with pulmonary thromboembolism while anticoagulation as first therapy was negative mortality predictors.

The management pattern and outcomes of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension: rationale and design for a Chinese real-world study.

BACKGROUND: Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is a progressive pulmonary vascular disorder with substantial morbidity and mortality, also a disease underdiagnosed and undertreated. It is potentially curable by pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA) in patients with surgically accessible thrombi. Balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) and targeted medical therapy are options for patients with distal lesions or persistent/recurrent pulmonary hypertension after PEA. There is an urgent need to increase the awareness of CTEPH. Qualified CTEPH centers are still quite limited. Baseline characteristics, management pattern and clinical outcome of CTEPH in China needs to be reported. METHODS AND DESIGN: The CHinese reAl-world study to iNvestigate the manaGEment pattern and outcomes of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CHANGE) study is designed to provide the multimodality treatment pattern and clinical outcomes of CTEPH in China. Consecutive patients who are ≥ 14 year-old and diagnosed with CTEPH are enrolled. The diagnosis of CTEPH is confirmed in right heart catheterization and imaging examinations. The multimodality therapeutic strategy, which consists of PEA, BPA and targeted medical therapy, is made by a multidisciplinary team. The blood sample and tissue from PEA are stored in the central biobank for further research. The patients receive regular follow-up every 3 or 6 months for at least 3 years. The primary outcomes include all-cause mortality and changes in functional and hemodynamic parameters from baseline. The secondary outcomes include the proportion of patients experiencing lung transplantation, the proportion of patients experiencing heart and lung transplantation, and changes in health-related quality of life. Up to 31 December 2023, the study has enrolled 1500 eligible patients from 18 expert centers. CONCLUSIONS: As a real-world study, the CHANGE study is expected to increase our understanding of CTEPH, and to fill the gap between guidelines and the clinical practice in the diagnosis, assessment and treatment of patients with CTEPH. REGISTRATION NUMBER IN CLINICALTRIALS.GOV: NCT05311072.

Isoalantolactone exerts anti-melanoma effects via inhibiting PI3K/AKT/mTOR and STAT3 signaling in cell and mouse models.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Although the anti-cancer activity of isoalantolactone (IATL) has been extensively studied, the anti-melanoma effects of IATL are still unknown. Here, we have investigated the anti-melanoma effects and mechanism of action of IATL. MTT and crystal violet staining assays were performed to detect the inhibitory effect of IATL on melanoma cell viability. Apoptosis and cell cycle arrest induced by IATL were examined using flow cytometry. The molecular mechanism of IATL was explored by Western blotting, confocal microscope analysis, molecular docking, and cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA). A B16F10 allograft mouse model was constructed to determine the anti-melanoma effects of IATL in vivo. The results showed that IATL exerted anti-melanoma effects in vitro and in vivo. IATL induced cytoprotective autophagy in melanoma cells by inhibiting the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling. Moreover, IATL inhibited STAT3 activation both in melanoma cells and allograft tumors not only by binding to the SH2 domain of STAT3 but also by suppressing the activity of its upstream kinase Src. These findings demonstrate that IATL exerts anti-melanoma effects via inhibiting the STAT3 and PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathways, and provides a pharmacological basis for developing IATL as a novel phytotherapeutic agent for treating melanoma clinically.

Both arthroscopic one-step Broström-Gould and Lasso-loop stitch techniques achieved favourable clinical outcomes for chronic lateral ankle instability.

PURPOSE: Both the arthroscopic Broström-Gould and Lasso-loop stitch techniques are commonly used to treat chronic lateral ankle instability (CLAI). The purpose of this study is to introduce an arthroscopic one-step outside-in Broström-Gould (AOBG) technique and compare the mid-term outcomes of the AOBG technique and Lasso-loop stitch technique. METHODS: All CLAI patients who underwent arthroscopic lateral ankle stabilization surgery in our department from 2018 to 2019 were retrospectively enrolled. The patients were divided into two groups according to the surgical methods employed: the AOBG technique (Group A) and the Lasso-loop technique (Group B). The visual analogue scale pain score, American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society ankle hindfoot score, Tegner activity score and Karlsson-Peterson score were evaluated preoperatively and during the follow-up from June to December 2022. The surgical duration, return to sports, sprain recurrence and surgical complications were also recorded and compared. RESULTS: A total of 74 patients (Group A, n = 42; Group B, n = 32) were included in this study with a mean follow-up of 39 months. No statistically significant differences were observed in demographic parameters or follow-up time between the two groups. Postoperative clinical scores indicated a significant improvement (all with p < 0.001) with no significant difference between the two groups (not significant [n.s.]). There was no significant difference in the surgical duration (46.1 vs. 49.7 min, n.s.), return to sports (92.9% vs. 93.8%, n.s.), or sprain recurrence (4.8% vs. 6.3%, n.s.). Only two cases in Group A reported knot irritation (4.8% vs. 0, n.s.), and one case in Group A experienced local skin numbness (0 vs. 3.1%, n.s.), with no significant difference. CONCLUSION: Both the AOBG and Lasso-loop stitch techniques yielded comparable favourable mid-term outcomes and return to sports with a low rate of surgical complications. Both procedures could be feasible strategies for CLAI patients. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III.

The CaMK Family Differentially Promotes Necroptosis and Mouse Cardiac Graft Injury and Rejection.

Organ transplantation is associated with various forms of programmed cell death which can accelerate transplant injury and rejection. Targeting cell death in donor organs may represent a novel strategy for preventing allograft injury. We have previously demonstrated that necroptosis plays a key role in promoting transplant injury. Recently, we have found that mitochondria function is linked to necroptosis. However, it remains unknown how necroptosis signaling pathways regulate mitochondrial function during necroptosis. In this study, we investigated the receptor-interacting protein kinase 3 (RIPK3) mediated mitochondrial dysfunction and necroptosis. We demonstrate that the calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaMK) family members CaMK1, 2, and 4 form a complex with RIPK3 in mouse cardiac endothelial cells, to promote trans-phosphorylation during necroptosis. CaMK1 and 4 directly activated the dynamin-related protein-1 (Drp1), while CaMK2 indirectly activated Drp1 via the phosphoglycerate mutase 5 (PGAM5). The inhibition of CaMKs restored mitochondrial function and effectively prevented endothelial cell death. CaMKs inhibition inhibited activation of CaMKs and Drp1, and cell death and heart tissue injury (n = 6/group, p < 0.01) in a murine model of cardiac transplantation. Importantly, the inhibition of CaMKs greatly prolonged heart graft survival (n = 8/group, p < 0.01). In conclusion, CaMK family members orchestrate cell death in two different pathways and may be potential therapeutic targets in preventing cell death and transplant injury.

Higher reliability and validity of Wavelet-ALFF of resting-state fMRI: From multicenter database and application to rTMS modulation.

Amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) has been widely used for localization of abnormal activity at the single-voxel level in resting-state fMRI (RS-fMRI) studies. However, previous ALFF studies were based on fast Fourier transform (FFT-ALFF). Our recent study found that ALFF based on wavelet transform (Wavelet-ALFF) showed better sensitivity and reproducibility than FFT-ALFF. The current study aimed to test the reliability and validity of Wavelet-ALFF, and apply Wavelet-ALFF to investigate the modulation effect of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). The reliability and validity were assessed on multicenter RS-fMRI datasets under eyes closed (EC) and eyes open (EO) conditions (248 healthy participants in total). We then detected the sensitivity of Wavelet-ALFF using a rTMS modulation dataset (24 healthy participants). For each dataset, Wavelet-ALFF based on five mother wavelets (i.e., db2, bior4.4, morl, meyr and sym3) and FFT-ALFF were calculated in the conventional band and five frequency sub-bands. The results showed that the reliability of both inter-scanner and intra-scanner was higher with Wavelet-ALFF than with FFT-ALFF across multiple frequency bands, especially db2-ALFF in the higher frequency band slow-2 (0.1992-0.25 Hz). In terms of validity, the multicenter ECEO datasets showed that the effect sizes of Wavelet-ALFF with all mother wavelets (especially for db2-ALFF) were larger than those of FFT-ALFF across multiple frequency bands. Furthermore, Wavelet-ALFF detected a larger modulation effect than FFT-ALFF. Collectively, Wavelet db2-ALFF showed the best reliability and validity, suggesting that db2-ALFF may offer a powerful metric for inspecting regional spontaneous brain activities in future studies.

Genome-wide association analyses identified novel susceptibility loci for pulmonary embolism among Han Chinese population.

BACKGROUND: A large proportion of pulmonary embolism (PE) heritability remains unexplained, particularly among the East Asian (EAS) population. Our study aims to expand the genetic architecture of PE and reveal more genetic determinants in Han Chinese. METHODS: We conducted the first genome-wide association study (GWAS) of PE in Han Chinese, then performed the GWAS meta-analysis based on the discovery and replication stages. To validate the effect of the risk allele, qPCR and Western blotting experiments were used to investigate possible changes in gene expression. Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was employed to implicate pathogenic mechanisms, and a polygenic risk score (PRS) for PE risk prediction was generated. RESULTS: After meta-analysis of the discovery dataset (622 cases, 8853 controls) and replication dataset (646 cases, 8810 controls), GWAS identified 3 independent loci associated with PE, including the reported loci FGG rs2066865 (p-value = 3.81 × 10-14), ABO rs582094 (p-value = 1.16 × 10-10) and newly reported locus FABP2 rs1799883 (p-value = 7.59 × 10-17). Previously reported 10 variants were successfully replicated in our cohort. Functional experiments confirmed that FABP2-A163G(rs1799883) promoted the transcription and protein expression of FABP2. Meanwhile, MR analysis revealed that high LDL-C and TC levels were associated with an increased risk of PE. Individuals with the top 10% of PRS had over a fivefold increased risk for PE compared to the general population. CONCLUSIONS: We identified FABP2, related to the transport of long-chain fatty acids, contributing to the risk of PE and provided more evidence for the essential role of metabolic pathways in PE development.

Proteome-wide mendelian randomization identifies causal plasma proteins in venous thromboembolism development.

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified numerous risk loci for venous thromboembolism (VTE), but it is challenging to decipher the underlying mechanisms. We employed an integrative analytical pipeline to transform genetic associations to identify novel plasma proteins for VTE. Proteome-wide association studies (PWAS) were determined by functional summary-based imputation leveraging data from a genome-wide association analysis (14,429 VTE patients, 267,037 controls), blood proteomes (1348 cases), followed by Mendelian randomization, Bayesian colocalization, protein-protein interaction, and pathway enrichment analysis. Twenty genetically regulated circulating protein abundances (F2, F11, ABO, PLCG2, LRP4, PLEK, KLKB1, PROC, KNG1, THBS2, SERPINA1, RARRES2, CEL, GP6, SERPINE2, SERPINA10, OBP2B, EFEMP1, F5, and MSR1) were associated with VTE. Of these 13 proteins demonstrated Mendelian randomized correlations. Six proteins (F2, F11, PLEK, SERPINA1, RARRES2, and SERPINE2) had strong support in colocalization analysis. Utilizing multidimensional data, this study suggests PLEK, SERPINA1, and SERPINE2 as compelling proteins that may provide key hints for future research and possible diagnostic and therapeutic targets for VTE.

Iontronic microscopy of a tungsten microelectrode: "seeing" ionic currents under an optical microscope.

Optical methods for monitoring electrochemical reactions at an interface are advantageous because of their table-top setup and ease of integration into reactors. Here we apply EDL-modulation microscopy to one of the main components of amperometric measurement devices: a microelectrode. We present experimental measurements of the EDL-modulation contrast from the tip of a tungsten microelectrode at various electrochemical potentials inside a ferrocene-dimethanol Fe(MeOH)2 solution. Using the combination of the dark-field scattering microscope and the lock-in detection technique, we measure the phase and amplitude of local ion-concentration oscillations in response to an AC potential as the electrode potential is scanned through the redox-activity window of the dissolved species. We present the amplitude and phase map of this response, as such this method can be used to study the spatial and temporal variations of the ion-flux due to an electrochemical reaction close to metallic and semiconducting objects of general geometry. We discuss the advantages and possible extensions of using this microscopy method for wide-field imaging of ionic currents.

Disrupted topological organization of functional brain networks is associated with cognitive impairment in hypertension patients: a resting-state fMRI study.

PURPOSE: To investigate the alterations of topological organization of the whole brain functional networks in hypertension patients with cognitive impairment (HTN-CI) and characterize its relationship with cognitive scores. METHODS: Fifty-seven hypertension patients with cognitive impairment and 59 hypertension patients with normal cognition (HTN-NC), and 49 healthy controls (HCs) underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. Graph theoretical analysis was used to investigate the altered topological organization of the functional brain networks. The global topological properties and nodal metrics were compared among the three groups. Network-based statistic (NBS) analysis was used to determine the connected subnetwork. The relationships between network metrics and cognitive scores were also characterized. RESULTS: HTN-CI patients exhibited significantly decreased global efficiency, lambda, and increased shortest path length when compared with HCs. In addition, both HTN-CI and HTN-NC groups exhibited altered nodal degree centrality and nodal efficiency in the right precentral gyrus. The disruptions of global network metrics (lambda, Lp) and the nodal metrics (degree centrality and nodal efficiency) in the right precentral gyrus were positively correlated with the MoCA scores in HTN-CI. NBS analysis demonstrated that decreased subnetwork connectivity was present both in the HTN-CI and HTN-NC groups, which were mainly involved in the default mode network, frontoparietal network, and cingulo-opercular network. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated the alterations of topographical organization and subnetwork connectivity of functional brain networks in HTN-CI. In addition, the global and nodal network properties were correlated with cognitive scores, which may provide useful insights for the understanding of neuropsychological mechanisms underlying HTN-CI.

Femoral neck-shaft angle can predict the anterior capsular thickness in patients with femoracetabular impingement syndrome.

PURPOSE: To measure the femoral neck-shaft angle (NSA) on computed tomography (CT) images in femoracetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS) patients and explore its relationship with the anterior capsular thickness (ACT). METHODS: A retrospective review of prospectively collected data from 2022 was performed. Inclusion criteria included: primary hip surgery, 18 to 55 years of age, and CT imaging of the hips. Exclusion criteria included: revision hip surgery, mild or borderline hip dysplasia, hip synovitis, and incomplete radiographs and medical records. NSA was measured on CT imaging. ACT was measured using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Multiple linear regression was performed to assess the association between ACT and related variables, including age, sex, body mass index (BMI), lateral center-edge angle (LCEA), alpha angle, Beighton test score (BTS), and NSA. RESULTS: A total of 150 patients were included. The mean age, BMI, and NSA were 35.8 ± 11.2 years, 22.8 ± 3.5, and 129.4° ± 7.7°, respectively. Eighty-five (56.7%) patients were females. Multivariable regression analysis revealed that NSA (P = 0.002) and sex (P = 0.001) were significantly negatively correlated with ACT. Age, BMI, LCEA angle, alpha angle, and BTS were not correlated with ACT. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirmed that NSA significantly predicts ACT. A decrease in the NSA by 1° increases the ACT by 0.24 mm. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III.