DSCAM gene triplication causes excessive GABAergic synapses in the neocortex in Down syndrome mouse models.

Down syndrome (DS) is caused by the trisomy of human chromosome 21 (HSA21). A major challenge in DS research is to identify the HSA21 genes that cause specific symptoms. Down syndrome cell adhesion molecule (DSCAM) is encoded by a HSA21 gene. Previous studies have shown that the protein level of the Drosophila homolog of DSCAM determines the size of presynaptic terminals. However, whether the triplication of DSCAM contributes to presynaptic development in DS remains unknown. Here, we show that DSCAM levels regulate GABAergic synapses formed on neocortical pyramidal neurons (PyNs). In the Ts65Dn mouse model for DS, where DSCAM is overexpressed due to DSCAM triplication, GABAergic innervation of PyNs by basket and chandelier interneurons is increased. Genetic normalization of DSCAM expression rescues the excessive GABAergic innervations and the increased inhibition of PyNs. Conversely, loss of DSCAM impairs GABAergic synapse development and function. These findings demonstrate excessive GABAergic innervation and synaptic transmission in the neocortex of DS mouse models and identify DSCAM overexpression as the cause. They also implicate dysregulated DSCAM levels as a potential pathogenic driver in related neurological disorders.

Comprehensive assessment of drought resistance and recovery in kiwifruit genotypes using multivariate analysis.

As global climate change persists, ongoing warming exposes plants, including kiwifruit, to repeated cycles of drought stress and rewatering, necessitating the identification of drought-resistant genotypes for breeding purposes. To better understand the physiological mechanisms underlying drought resistance and recovery in kiwifruit, moderate (40-45% field capacity) and severe (25-30% field capacity) drought stresses were applied, followed by rewatering (80-85% field capacity) to eight kiwifruit rootstocks in this study. We then conducted a multivariate analysis of 20 indices for the assessment of drought resistance and recovery capabilities. Additionally, we identified four principal components, each playing a vital role in coping with diverse water conditions. Three optimal indicator groups were pinpointed, enhancing precision in kiwifruit drought resistance and recovery assessment and simplifying the evaluation system. Finally, MX-1 and HW were identified as representative rootstocks for future research on kiwifruit's responses to moderate and severe drought stresses. This study not only enhances our understanding of the response mechanisms of kiwifruit rootstocks to progressive drought stress and recovery but also provides theoretical guidance for reliable screening of drought-adaptive kiwifruit genotypes.

Low PDE4A expression promoted the progression of ovarian cancer by inducing Snail nuclear translocation.

Widespread metastasis is the primary reason for the high mortality associated with ovarian cancer (OC), and effective targeted therapy for tumor aggressiveness is still insufficient in clinical practice. Therefore, it is urgent to find new targets to improve prognosis of patients. PDE4A is a cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase that plays a crucial role in the occurrence and development in various malignancies. Our study firstly reported the function of PDE4A in OC. Expression of PDE4A was validated through bioinformatics analysis, RT-qPCR, Western blot, and immunohistochemistry. Additionally, its impact on cell growth and motility was assessed via in vitro and in vivo experiments. PDE4A was downregulated in OC tissues compared with normal tissues and low PDE4A expression was correlated with poor clinical outcomes in OC patients. The knockdown of PDE4A significantly promoted the proliferation, migration and invasion of OC cells while overexpression of PDE4A resulted in the opposite effect. Furthermore, smaller and fewer tumor metastatic foci were observed in mice bearing PDE4A-overexpressing OVCAR3 cells. Mechanistically, downregulation of PDE4A expression can induce epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and nuclear translocation of Snail, which suggests that PDE4A plays a pivotal role in suppressing OC progression. Notably, Rolipram, the PDE4 inhibitor, mirrored the effects observed with PDE4A deletion. In summary, the downregulation of PDE4A appears to facilitate OC progression by modulating the Snail/EMT pathway, underscoring the potential of PDE4A as a therapeutic target against ovarian cancer metastasis.

Secondary Metabolites with Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities from Camellia fascicularis.

Camellia fascicularis has important ornamental, medicinal, and food value. It also has tremendous potential for exploiting bioactivities. However, the bioactivities of secondary metabolites in C. fascicularis have not been reported. The structures of compounds were determined by spectral analysis and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) combined with the available literature on secondary metabolites of C. fascicularis leaves. In this study, 15 compounds were identified, including 5 flavonoids (1-5), a galactosylglycerol derivative (6), a terpenoid (7), 4 lignans (8-11), and 4 phenolic acids (12-15). Compounds 6-7 and 9-12 were isolated from the genus Camellia for the first time. The remaining compounds were also isolated from C. fascicularis for the first time. Evaluation of antioxidant and antimicrobial activities revealed that compounds 5 and 8-11 exhibited stronger antioxidant activity than the positive drug ascorbic acid, while compounds 7, 13, and 15 showed similar activity to ascorbic acid. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of antibacterial activity for compounds 5, 7, 9, 11, and 13 against Pseudomonas aeruginosa was comparable to that of the positive control drug tetracycline at a concentration of 62.50 µg/mL; other secondary metabolites inhibited Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus at concentrations ranging from 125-250 µg/mL.

KLF14 directly downregulates the expression of GPX4 to exert antitumor effects by promoting ferroptosis in cervical cancer.

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death among women worldwide, and effective therapeutic strategies for its treatment are limited. Recent studies have indicated that ferroptosis, a form of regulated cell death, is a promising therapeutic strategy. KLF14 has been shown to regulate both cell proliferation and apoptosis in cervical cancer. However, its role in modulating lipid peroxidation and ferroptosis remains largely unexplored and enigmatic. METHODS: SiHa and HeLa cells were transduced with lentiviral vectors to overexpress KLF14. Protein levels were analyzed via western blotting and immunohistochemistry (IHC). LDH assays, calcein-AM/propidium iodide (PI) staining, and generation of cell growth curves using a real-time cell analysis (RTCA) system were used to detect cell damage and proliferation. Cellular ROS, lipid ROS, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Fe2+ assays and a xenograft mouse model were used to measure the level of ferroptosis. Proteomics combined with bioinformatics methods was used to screen target genes regulated by KLF14, and CUT&Tag and dual-luciferase assays confirmed the repression of GPX4 by KLF14 via direct binding to its promoter. RESULTS: KLF14 is abnormally expressed in various tumors and downregulated in cervical cancer. Overexpression of KLF14 induced ferroptosis and inhibited cell proliferation in vitro as well as xenograft tumorigenicity in vivo. Mechanistic studies revealed that KLF14 binds to the promoter of GPX4, suppressing its transcriptional activity and thereby decreasing its expression, which contributes to the induction of ferroptosis. Truncation and point mutation analyses of the GPX4 promoter revealed multiple binding sites for KLF14 within the - 1000 bp to + 35 bp region, which are responsible for its inhibitory effect on GPX4 transcription. Additionally, deletion of the zinc finger motif in KLF14 abolished its inhibitory effect on GPX4 promoter activity and cell proliferation. CONCLUSION: Our data revealed a previously unidentified function of KLF14 in promoting ferroptosis, which results in the suppression of cell proliferation. Mechanistically, we revealed a novel regulatory mechanism by which KLF14 targets GPX4. These findings suggest a novel strategy to induce ferroptosis through the targeting of KLF14 in human cervical cancer cells.

Soaking the Rare-Earth Carbonates for a Change: An Alternative Approach to Explore Carbonate Nonlinear Optical Crystals.

Alkali-metal rare-earth carbonates (ARECs) find great potential in nonlinear optical applications. As the most common method, the hydrothermal reaction is widely used in synthesizing ARECs. The black-box nature of the hydrothermal reaction makes it difficult for understanding the formation processes and therefore may slow down the pace of structural discovery. Here, by simply soaking the rare-earth carbonates in Na2CO3 solutions, we successfully obtain a series of noncentrosymmetric Na3RE(CO3)3·6H2O (RE = Tb 1, Sm 2, Eu 3, Gd 4, Dy 5, Ho 6, and Er 7) compounds without using the high-temperature hydrothermal method. The transformation process, investigated by powder X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, is governed by the concentration of the soaking solutions. Na3Tb(CO3)3·6H2O, as an example, is studied structurally, and its physical properties are characterized. It exhibits a second harmonic generation effect of 0.5 × KDP and a short UV cutoff edge of 222 nm (5.8 eV). Our study provides insights for exploring new AREC structures, which may further advance the development of carbonate nonlinear optical crystals.

PFASs in Cerebrospinal Fluids and Blood-CSF Barrier Permeability in Patients with Cognitive Impairment.

Attention has been drawn to the associations between PFASs and human cognitive decline. However, knowledge on the occurrence and permeability of PFASs in the brains of patients with cognitive impairment has not been reported. Here, we determined 30 PFASs in paired sera and cerebrospinal fluids (CSFs) from patients with cognitive impairment (n = 41) and controls without cognitive decline (n = 18). We revealed similar serum PFAS levels but different CSF PFAS levels, with lower CSF PFOA (median: 0.125 vs 0.303 ng/mL, p < 0.05), yet higher CSF PFOS (0.100 vs 0.052 ng/mL, p < 0.05) in patients than in controls. Blood-brain transfer rates also showed lower RCSF/Serum values for PFOA and higher RCSF/Serum values for PFOS in patients, implying potential heterogeneous associations with cognitive function. The RCSF/Serum values for C4-C14 perfluoroalkyl carboxylates exhibited a U-shape trend with increasing chain length. Logistic regression analyses demonstrated that CSF PFOS levels were linked to the heightened risk of cognitive impairment [odds ratio: 3.22 (1.18-11.8)] but not for serum PFOS. Toxicity inference results based on the Comparative Toxicogenomics Database suggested that PFOS in CSF may have a greater potential to impair human cognition than other PFASs. Our results contribute to a better understanding of brain PFAS exposure and its potential impact on cognitive function.

Proteomics identifies hypothermia induced adiponectin protects corneal endothelial cells via AMPK mediated autophagy in phacoemulsification.

AIM: To explore the molecular mechanism underlying the protective effect of hypothermic perfusion on the corneal endothelium during phacoemulsification. METHODS: Phacoemulsification was performed on New Zealand white rabbits. Perfusate at different temperatures was used during the operation, and the aqueous humor was collected for proteomic sequencing after the operation. Corneal endothelial cell injury was simulated by a corneal endothelial cell oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) model in vitro. Flow cytometry and evaluation of fluorescent LC3B puncta were used to detect apoptosis and autophagy, and western blotting was used to detect protein expression. RESULTS: A total of 381 differentially expressed proteins were identified between the two groups. In vitro, 4 ℃ hypothermia significantly reduced apoptosis and promoted autophagy. Apoptosis increased after autophagy was inhibited by 3-Methyladenine (3-MA). Furthermore, adiponectin (ADIPOQ) knockdown inhibited phospho-AMPK and blocked the protective effect of hypothermia on corneal endothelial cells. CONCLUSIONS: We investigated the differential expression of proteins between the hypothermia group and normothermia group by proteomics. Moreover, hypothermia-induced ADIPOQ can reduce apoptosis by promoting AMPK-mediated autophagy.

Exploring the active components and potential mechanisms of Alpiniae oxyphyllae Fructus in treating diabetes mellitus with depression by UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap/MS, network pharmacology and molecular docking.

The growing incidence of diabetes mellitus (DM) and depression is a global public health issue. Alpiniae oxyphyllae Fructus (AOF) is a kind of medicinal and edible plant which be found with anti-diabetic property, and could improve depression-like symptoms. This study aimed to screen active targets and potential mechanisms of AOF in treating DM with depression. Injection of streptozotocin (STZ) and exposure to chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) for 4 weeks were used to conduct the DM with depression mice model. Behavioral tests, indexes of glucose metabolism, monoamine neurotransmitters, inflammatory cytokine and oxidative stress were measured. Histopathological change of hippocampus tissue was observing by HE and Nissl staining. UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap/MS, network pharmacology and molecular docking were used to explore the chemical components and mechanisms of AOF on the DM with depression. AOF showed a reversed effect on body weight in DM with depression mice. Glucose metabolism and insulin resistance could be improved by treatment of AOF. In addition, AOF could alleviate depression-like behaviors based on the results of behavior tests and monoamine neurotransmitters. AOF also attenuated STZ-CUMS induced neuron injury in hippocampus. Next, a total of 61 chemical components were identified in the UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap/MS analysis of the extract of AOF. Network pharmacology analysis suggested that 12 active components and 227 targets were screened from AOF, and 1802 target genes were screened from DM with depression, finally 126 intersection target genes were obtained. Drug-disease targets network was constructed and implied that the top five components with a higher degree value includes quercetin, nootkatone, baicalein, (-)-epicatechin and nootkatol. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network showed that MAPK1, FOS, AKT1, IL6 and TP53 may be the core intersection targets. The mechanism of the effect of AOF on DM with depression was analyzed through gene ontology (GO), and kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis, mainly involved in AGE/RAGE, PI3K/AKT, and MAPK signaling pathways. The results of molecular docking indicated that quercetin, nootkatone, baicalein, (-)-epicatechin and nootkatol all had good binding to the core intersection targets. Overall, our experimental researches have demonstrated that AOF could exert the dual effects of anti-diabetic and anti-depression on DM with depression mice, through multi-targets and multi-pathways.

Effects of Ginseng Consumption on Cardiovascular Health Biomarkers in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Ginseng, with various pharmacological activities, has received increasing attention to improve cardiovascular health (CVH). Therefore, this meta-analysis synthesized the effect of ginseng consumption on biomarkers of CVH in adults. A systematic search was performed in the databases of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Library through July 24, 2023 to screen out English-language randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the effects of ginseng consumption on body composition, blood pressure, vascular stiffness, lipid metabolism, glucose metabolism, insulin resistance, inflammatory cytokines, and adipocytokines in adults. The weighted mean difference (WMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to evaluate the overall effect size, and STATA 12.0 was used for comprehensive analysis. Forty-five studies were included in the meta-analysis. Ginseng consumption significantly reduced systolic blood pressure (SBP) (WMD = -2.57 mmHg, 95% CI = -4.99 to -0.14, p = 0.038), total cholesterol (TC) (WMD = -4.40 mg/dL, 95% CI = -8.67 to -0.132, p = 0.043), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (WMD = -2.81 mg/dL, 95% CI = -4.89 to -0.72, p = 0.008), C-reactive protein (CRP) (WMD = -0.41 mg/L, 95% CI = -0.73 to -0.10, p = 0.010), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) (WMD = -2.82 pg./mL, 95% CI = -4.31 to -1.32, p < 0.001). Subgroup analyses suggested that supplementation with ginseng for less than 12 weeks significantly reduced SBP, but 12 weeks or more improved TC and CRP. Ginseng consumption on SBP, TC, and CRP seemed to be more effective on unhealthy participants. The meta-analysis showed that ginseng consumption might have the potential to improve SBP, TC, LDL-C, CRP, and IL-6. These findings suggest that ginseng is a potential candidate for the maintenance of CVH. However, our results had high heterogeneity. Future high-quality studies are needed to firmly establish the clinical efficacy of ginseng consumption.

Preclinical Evaluation of HER2-Targeting DARPin G3: Impact of Albumin-Binding Domain (ABD) Fusion.

Designed ankyrin repeat protein (DARPin) G3 is an engineered scaffold protein. This small (14.5 kDa) targeting protein binds with high affinity to human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). HER2 is overexpressed in several cancers. The use of the DARPin G3 for radionuclide therapy is complicated by its high renal reabsorption after clearance via the glomeruli. We tested the hypothesis that a fusion of the DARPin G3 with an albumin-binding domain (ABD) would prevent rapid renal excretion and high renal reabsorption resulting in better tumour targeting. Two fusion proteins were produced, one with the ABD at the C-terminus (G3-ABD) and another at the N-terminus (ABD-G3). Both variants were labelled with 177Lu. The binding properties of the novel constructs were evaluated in vitro and their biodistribution was compared in mice with implanted human HER2-expressing tumours. Fusion with the ABD increased the retention time of both constructs in blood compared with the non-ABD-fused control. The effect of fusion with the ABD depended strongly on the order of the domains in the constructs, resulting in appreciably better targeting properties of [177Lu]Lu-G3-ABD. Our data suggest that the order of domains is critical for the design of targeting constructs based on scaffold proteins.

Improving new energy subsidy efficiency considering learning effect: A case study on wind power.

Subsidy policies are instrumental in driving the development of new energy. However, the effective allocation of new energy subsidies over time is challenging given fiscal constraints. This study addresses this challenge by considering the learning effect associated with the new energy industry. A two-stage dynamic programming model is proposed to capture the investment decision-making process of companies under new energy subsidy policies and government subsidy setups. Theoretical findings suggest that company investment decisions in new energy are influenced by a guiding principle: The subsidy rate should be negatively correlated with the variation rate of production scale increment (VRPSI). We calibrate this investment decision principle using wind power data from 14 countries. According to this principle, excessive subsidy rates may result in a low VRPSI, thereby diminishing future investment profitability in the new energy industry and leading to subsidy inefficiency. Upon investigating the efficiency of annual subsidy allocation, we find that the subsidy rates were potentially set too high in 2014, 2016, and 2017. Furthermore, the government should exercise caution regarding an inefficient subsidy pattern whereby companies invest in new energy only when the subsidy rate exceeds a certain threshold, neglecting traditional power sources. It is crucial to note that although this study uses wind power industry data for calibration and simulation, the theoretical model can be broadly applied to other new energy industries and emerging industries with increasing marginal net profit.

A new method to quantify the impacts of human activity on soil conservation service.

Human activities and climate change impact ecosystem services, thereby affecting economic and social sustainable development. Measuring the heterogeneity in space and time of how human activities affect ecosystem services poses a challenge for the sustainable management of land resources. Based on "human appropriation of net primary production (HANPP) - Fractional Vegetation Cover (FVC) - Soil Conservation Service (SCS)" cascading effect, first, a geographically and temporally weighted regression (GTWR) model was employed to assess the impact of HANPP in percent of potential NPP (hereafter HANPP%) on the FVC; second, changes in the FVC caused by human activities were quantified; and third, the potential soil conservation service (SCSp) and actual soil conservation service (SCSa) were estimated using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model, and the difference between them represented the changes in soil conservation service caused by human activities (SCSh). Taking the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau as a case study, we found that the GTWR model was well suited for analyzing the relationship between the HANPP% and the FVC (R2 = 0.897). The HANPP resulted in a decrease in the FVC from 0.222 in 2001 to 0.199 in 2019 and correspondingly resulted in a decrease in the ratio of SCSh to SCSp from 8.95% to 7.24%. This study provides a quantitative method that allows quantifying the influence of human activity on ecosystem services closely related to the FVC.

iPSC-based model of Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease for phenotype recapitulation and drug screening.

Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease, a major blinding eye disease, is characterized by an autoimmune response against melanocytes in multiple organs throughout the body. Currently, the aetiology and pathogenesis of VKH disease are unclear, and the treatment strategy needs to be further optimized. The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), a monolayer of pigmented cells of the fundus, is essential for maintaining normal visual function and is involved in both the acute and chronic stages of VKH disease. Therefore, the functions of the RPE may play a critical role in the aetiology and treatment of VKH disease. Herein, we established a human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) RPE model of VKH disease by reprogramming peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) into iPSCs and then differentiating them into RPE cells. Patient-derived RPE cells exhibited barrier disruption, impaired phagocytosis, and depigmentation compared with those from normal controls, which was consistent with the features of VKH disease. Furthermore, a small molecular compound targeting EGR2 was found to rescue the barrier and phagocytic functions of the hiPSC-RPE cells through high-throughput virtual screening and functional studies, suggesting a promising strategy for the treatment of VKH disease.

Efficacy and safety of chimeric antigen receptor T-cells treatment in central nervous system lymphoma: a PRISMA-compliant single-arm meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells are used to treat refractory and recurrent B-cell lymphoma. When administered intravenously, CAR T cells can be detected in cerebrospinal fluid, and thus represent a promising method for the treatment of central nervous system lymphoma (CNSL). This meta-analysis aimed to clarify the effectiveness and safety of CAR T-cell therapy in the treatment of CNSL. METHODS: Studies involving patients with CNSL who received CAR T-cell therapy that reported overall response (OR), complete response (CR), and partial response (PR) were included. A random-effects or fixed-effects model with double arcsine transformation was used for the pooled analysis and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were determined for all outcomes. RESULTS: Eight studies, comprising 63 patients, were identified and were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled OR and CR rates after treatment with CAR T cells were 69% (95% CI, 56-81%) and 51% (95% CI, 37-64%), respectively. The pooled rate of progressive disease after remission was 38% (95% CI, 21-55%). The pooled rate for neurotoxicity grade 3 or above was 12% (95% CI, 3-24%, I2 = 0.00%, p = 0.53). No treatment-related deaths were reported. CONCLUSIONS: CAR T-cell therapy is a promising option for the treatment of CNSL owing to a high short-term remission rate and controllable side effects. However, the high recurrence rate after remission must be addressed. Long-term follow-up data with large sample sizes are also needed to better assess the effectiveness and safety of CAR T-cell therapy. REGISTRATION: This meta-analysis was registered in the international prospective register of systematic reviews (PROSPERO) (CRD42022301332).

Simultaneous Delivery of Doxorubicin and EZH2-Targeting siRNA by Vortex Magnetic Nanorods Synergistically Improved Anti-Tumor Efficacy in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), one of the most aggressive types of breast cancer, currently lacks a targeted therapy and has a high clinical recurrence rate. The present study reports an engineered magnetic nanodrug based on Fe3 O4 vortex nanorods coated with a macrophage membrane loaded with doxorubicin (DOX) and Enhancer of zeste 2 polycomb repressive complex 2 subunit (EZH2) siRNA. This novel nanodrug displays excellent tissue penetration and preferential tumor accumulation. More importantly, it significantly increases tumor suppression compared to chemotherapy, suggesting the synergistic activity of the combination of doxorubicin and EZH2-inhibition. Importantly, owing to tumor-targeted delivery, nanomedicine shows an excellent safety profile after systemic delivery, unlike conventional chemotherapy. In summary, chemotherapy and gene therapy are combined into a novel magnetic nanodrug carrying doxorubicin and EZH2 siRNA, which shows promising clinical application potential in TNBC therapy.

An out of box thinking: the changes of iron-porphyrin during meat processing and gastrointestinal tract and some methods for reducing its potential health hazard.

Iron-porphyrin is a very important substance in organisms, especially in animals. It is not only the source of iron in human body, but is also the catalytic center of many reactions. Previous studies suggested that adequate intake of iron was important for the health of human, especially for children and pregnant women. However, associated diseases caused by iron over-intake and excessive meat consumption suggested its potential harmfulness for human health. During meat processing, Iron-porphyrin will cause the oxidation of proteins and fatty acids. In the gastrointestinal tract, iron-porphyrin can induce the production of malondialdehyde, fats oxidation, and indirectly cause oxidation of amino acids and nitrates etc. Iron-porphyrin enters the intestinal tract and disturbs the balance of intestinal flora. Finally, some common measures for inhibiting its activity are introduced, including the use of chelating agent, antioxidants, competitive inhibitor, etc., as well as give the hypothesis that sodium chloride increases the catalytic activity of iron-porphyrin. The purpose of this review is to present an overview of current knowledge about the changes of iron-porphyrin in the whole technico- and gastrointesto- processing axis and to provide ideas for further research in meat nutrition.

The effect of tomato and lycopene on clinical characteristics and molecular markers of UV-induced skin deterioration: A systematic review and meta-analysis of intervention trials.

Lycopene as a natural antioxidant that have been studied for ultraviolet radiation (UVR) photo protection and is one of the most effective carotenoids to scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS). This review aims to summarize the protective effect of tomato and lycopene on skin photo damage and skin photoaging in healthy subjects by reviewing the existing population intervention experiments. A total of five electronic databases including PubMed, Scopus, EBSCO, Web of Science and Cochrane Library were searched from inceptions to January 2021 without any restriction. Out of 19336 publications identified, 21 fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were meta-analysis. Overall, interventions supplementing tomato and lycopene were associated with significant reductions in Δa*, MMP-1, ICAM-1 and skin pigmentation; while tomato and lycopene supplementation were associated with significant increase in MED, skin thickness and skin density. Based on the results of this systematic review and meta-analysis, supplementation with tomato and lycopene could reduce skin erythema formation and improve the appearance and pigmentation of the skin, thereby preventing light-induced skin photodamage and skin photoaging. Lycopene-rich products could be used as endogenous sun protection and may be a potential nutraceutical for sun protection.

Fermented foods and metabolic outcomes in diabetes and prediabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Several randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have investigated the effects of fermented foods on metabolic outcomes in adult patients suffering from diabetes and prediabetes. However, the results of these RCTs are conflicting. This systematic review and meta-analysis was carried out on data from RCTs to evaluate the effects of fermented foods in patients with diabetes and prediabetes. The PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, the Cochrane Library and Scopus databases were searched up to 21 June, 2022. English-language RCTs of fermented foods consumption were included which gave metabolic outcomes on body composition, glucose control, insulin sensitivity, lipid profile, as well as blood pressure. Eighteen RCTs met the inclusion criteria and 843 participants were included in the final analysis. The pooled results showed a significant reduction of fasting blood glucose (FBG), the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), total cholesterol (TC), low density lipid cholesterol (LDL-C) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in the intervention group versus the control group. The results of this research showed that fermented foods have the potential to improve some metabolic outcomes, including FBG, HOMA-IR, TC, LDL-C, and DBP in patients with diabetes and prediabetes.

Latent factor model for multivariate functional data.

For multivariate functional data, a functional latent factor model is proposed, extending the traditional latent factor model for multivariate data. The proposed model uses unobserved stochastic processes to induce the dependence among the different functions, and thus, for a large number of functions, may provide a more parsimonious and interpretable characterization of the otherwise complex dependencies between the functions. Sufficient conditions are provided to establish the identifiability of the proposed model. The performance of the proposed model is assessed through simulation studies and an application to electroencephalography data.