Identification of HK3 as a promising immunomodulatory and prognostic target in sepsis-induced acute lung injury

BACKGROUND

Sepsis is a life-threatening global disease with a significant impact on human health. Acute lung injury (ALI) has been identified as one of the primary causes of mortality in septic patients. This study aimed to identify candidate genes involved in sepsis-induced ALI through a comprehensive approach combining bioinformatics analysis and experimental validation.

METHODS

The datasets GSE65682 and GSE32707 obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus database were merged to screen for sepsis-induced ALI related differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Functional enrichment and immune infiltration analyses were conducted on DGEs, with the construction of protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks to identify hub genes. In vitro and in vivo models of sepsis-induced ALI were used to study the expression and function of hexokinase 3 (HK3) using various techniques including Western blot, real-time PCR, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, Cell Counting Kit-8, Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and flow cytometry.

RESULTS

The results of bioinformatics analysis have identified HK3, MMP9, and S100A8 as hub genes with diagnostic and prognostic significance for sepsis-induced ALI. The HK3 has profound effects on sepsis-induced ALI and exhibits a correlation with immune regulation. Experimental results showed increased HK3 expression in lung tissue of septic mice, particularly in bronchial and alveolar epithelial cells. In vitro studies demonstrated upregulation of HK3 in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated lung epithelial cells, with cytoplasmic localization around the nucleus. Interestingly, following the knockdown of HK3 expression, lung epithelial cells exhibited a significant decrease in proliferation activity and glycolytic flux, accompanied by an increase in cellular inflammatory response, oxidative stress, and cell apoptosis.

CONCLUSIONS

It was observed for the first time that HK3 plays a crucial role in the progression of sepsis-induced ALI and may be a valuable target for immunomodulation and therapy.Bioinformatics analysis identified HK3, MMP9, and S100A8 as hub genes with diagnostic and prognostic relevance in sepsis-induced ALI. Experimental findings showed increased HK3 expression in the lung tissue of septic mice, particularly in bronchial and alveolar epithelial cells. In vitro experiments demonstrated increased HK3 levels in lung epithelial cells stimulated with LPS, with cytoplasmic localization near the nucleus. Knockdown of HK3 expression resulted in decreased proliferation activity and glycolytic flux, increased inflammatory response, oxidative stress, and cell apoptosis in lung epithelial cells.

Corrigendum: Cardiovascular magnetic resonance findings in Danon disease: a case series of a family

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2023.1159576.].

Multiple autoimmune disorders refractory to glucocorticoids after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: a case report and review of the literature

We report here the case of a 50-year-old man who was first diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome with excess blasts-2 (MDS-EB-2) and underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) in 2019, resulting in complete remission. However, he was diagnosed in 2021 with several autoimmune disorders, including autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT), and autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA). This is referred as multiple autoimmune syndrome (MAS), which is a rare occurrence after allo-HSCT, as previously noted in the literature. Despite being treated with glucocorticoids, cyclosporine A, and other medications, the patient did not fully recover. To address the glucocorticoid-refractory MAS, a four-week course of rituximab (RTX) at a weekly dose of 100mg was administered, which significantly improved the patient's condition. Thus, this case report underscores the importance of implementing alternative treatments in patients with post-transplant autoimmune diseases, who are glucocorticoid-refractory or glucocorticoid-dependent, and highlights the effectiveness of RTX as second-line therapy.

Post-procedural elevated cardiac troponin I and the association with 5-year mortality in patients undergoing elective PCI

Background

The clinically meaningful cardiac troponin I (cTnI) threshold associated with the long-term prognosis in patients undergoing elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is still debated.

Objective

To assess the association between different thresholds for post-procedural cTnI and 5-year mortality.

Methods

The study included 4059 consecutive patients with normal baseline cTnI values who underwent elective PCI. The post-procedural cTnI level was measured at 8-48 h after PCI. The main study endpoints were 5-year all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality.

Results

A cTnI ≥5 times the upper reference limit (URL) as defined by the fourth universal definition of myocardial infarction (4th UDMI), ≥35 times as defined by the Academic Research Consortium-2 criteria, and ≥70 times as defined by the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI [2014]) was identified in 33%, 6.6%, and 3.3% of patients, respectively. During 5 years of follow-up, the all-cause mortality rate was 3.4% (n = 132) and the cardiovascular mortality rate was 2.0% (n = 77). Both all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality increased with higher peak cTnI, and were independently predicted by a cTnI ≥70 times the URL (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 2.45, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.20-5.02 and adjusted HR 3.17, 95% CI 1.31-7.67, respectively; reference, cTnI <1 × URL]. The SCAI (2014) threshold was significantly associated with 5-year cardiovascular mortality (adjusted HR 2.66, 95% CI 1.20-5.89; reference, cTnI, <70 × URL) and all-cause mortality (adjusted HR 2.23, 95% CI 1.16-4.30; reference, cTnI <70 × URL).

Conclusion

In patients with normal pre-procedural cTnI who underwent elective PCI, a post-procedural cTnI ≥70 times the URL independently predicted 5-year all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. Therefore, only the SCAI (2014) post-procedural cTnI threshold was independently associated with long-term mortality.

The role of peer social relationships in psychological distress and quality of life among adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus: a longitudinal study

BACKGROUND

Adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus suffer from diabetes distress and poor health-related quality of life (HRQOL) since living with the condition that differentiates them from their peers. The present study investigated the effects of peer support and stress on diabetes distress and HRQOL and whether positive coping mediated the effects.

METHODS

We used a prospective study design. A total of 201 adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus from 20 cities in 4 provinces were recruited.Participants complete two separate surveys at approximately 18-month intervals. The scales employed at both Time 1 and Time 2 included the Diabetes-Specific Peer Support Measure, Diabetes Stress Questionnaire for Youths, Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire, 5-item Problem Areas in Diabetes Scale, and the Diabetes Quality of Life for Youth scale.

RESULTS

Baseline peer stress directly predicted diabetes distress and HRQOL at 18 months, even controlling for age, gender, and peer support. However, the direct effect of baseline peer support on 18-month diabetes distress and HRQOL was insignificant. Baseline peer support indirectly affected diabetes distress and HRQOL at 18 months through positive coping, indicating that positive coping plays a mediating role.

CONCLUSION

The findings suggest that peer social relationships, especially peer stress, and positive coping are promising intervention targets for adolescents facing challenges in psychosocial adaptation.

An ecological resilience model for adolescents with type 1 diabetes: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Highly resilient adolescents with type 1 diabetes have been proved to achieve within-target glycemic outcomes and experience high quality of life. The ecological resilience model for adolescents with type 1 diabetes was developed in this study. It aims to increase our understanding of how resilience is both positively and negatively affected by internal and environmental ecological factors.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study surveyed 460 adolescents with type 1 diabetes from 36 cities in 11 provinces, China. Participants completed self-report questionnaires on resilience, family functioning, peer support, peer stress, coping style, and demographics. Standard glycated hemoglobin tests were performed on the adolescents. Structural equation modeling was applied to analyze the data.

RESULTS

The ecological resilience model for adolescents with type 1 diabetes was a good model with a high level of variance in resilience (62%). Family functioning was the most important predictor of resilience, followed by peer support, positive coping, and peer stress. Moreover, positive coping was the mediator of the relationship between family functioning and resilience. Positive coping and peer stress co-mediated the association between peer support and resilience.

CONCLUSIONS

Family functioning, peer relationships, and positive coping are interrelated, which may jointly influence resilience. The findings provide a theoretical basis for developing resilience-promotion interventions for adolescents with type 1 diabetes, which may lead to health improvements during a vulnerable developmental period.

The application of encapsulation technology in the food Industry: Classifications, recent Advances, and perspectives

Encapsulation technology has been extensively used to enhance the stability, specificity, and bioavailability of essential food ingredients. Additionally, it plays a vital role in improving product quality and reducing production costs. This study presents a comprehensive classification of encapsulation techniques based on the state of different cores (solid, liquid, and gaseous) and offers a detailed description and analysis of these encapsulation methods. Specifically, it introduces the diverse applications of encapsulation technology in food, encompassing areas such as antioxidant, protein activity, physical stability, controlled release, delivery, antibacterial, and probiotics. The potential impact of encapsulation technology is expected to make encapsulation technology a major process and research hotspot in the food industry. Future research directions include applications of encapsulation for enzymes, microencapsulation of biosensors, and novel technologies such as self-assembly. This study provides a valuable theoretical reference for the in-depth research and wide application of encapsulation technology in the food industry.

Exploring the impact of college graduates' place attachment on entrepreneurial intention upon returning to hometowns: A study based on the theory of planned behavior

The issue of the continuing decline of rural areas caused by urbanization has become a global concern. Encouraging college graduates to return to their hometowns to start businesses is an important initiative for countries to achieve sustainable rural development. Drawing from the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), this study introduces two additional variables: place attachment and entrepreneurial self-efficacy. Through a series of three model refinements, a comprehensive theoretical framework has been formulated to elucidate Chinese college graduates' hometown-based entrepreneurial intention and behavior. The samples for this study were 1151 college graduates selected from diverse universities across China. This study aims to explore the influence of college graduates' hometown-based entrepreneurial intention using Structural Equation Modelling. This analytical approach illuminates how variables such as college graduates' place attachment, entrepreneurial self-efficacy, subjective norm for hometown-based entrepreneurship, and attitude towards hometown-based entrepreneurship affected their hometown-based entrepreneurial intention. The research findings reveal the following insights: (1) The overall levels of college graduates' place attachment and hometown-based entrepreneurial intention were relatively low. (2) College graduates' place attachment, entrepreneurial self-efficacy, subjective norm for hometown-based entrepreneurship, and attitude towards hometown-based entrepreneurship, had a positive impact on their hometown-based entrepreneurial intention. (3) College graduates' place attachment and subjective norm for hometown-based entrepreneurship had a significant impact on their hometown-based entrepreneurial intention through the mediating variable of entrepreneurial self-efficacy. This study then makes policy recommendations from theoretical and managerial aspects.

Environmentally realistic dose of tire-derived metabolite 6PPD-Q exposure causes intestinal jejunum and ileum damage in mice via cannabinoid receptor-activated inflammation

N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N'-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine quinone (6PPD-Q) is a quinone derivative of a common tire additive 6PPD, whose occurrence has been widely reported both in the environment and human bodies including in adults, pregnant women and children. Yet, knowledge on the potential intestinal toxicity of 6PPD-Q in mammals at environmentally relevant dose remain unknown. In this study, the effects of 6PPD-Q on the intestines of adult ICR mice were evaluated by orally administering environmentally relevant dose or lower levels of 6PPD-Q (0.1, 1, 10, and 100 μg/kg) for 21 days. We found that 6PPD-Q disrupted the integrity of the intestinal barrier, mostly in the jejunum and ileum, but not in the duodenum or colon, in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, intestinal inflammation manifested with elevated levels of TNF-α, IL-1, and IL-6 mostly observed in doses at 10 and 100 μg/kg. Using reverse target screening technology combining molecular dynamic simulation modeling we identified key cannabinoid receptors including CNR2 activation to be potentially mediating the intestinal inflammation induced by 6PPD-Q. In summary, this study provides novel insights into the toxic effects of emerging contaminant 6PPD-Q on mammalian intestines and that the chemical may be a cannabinoid receptor agonist to modulate inflammation.

Effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis on growth and biochemical characteristics of Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata) seedlings under low phosphorus environment

Background

The continuous establishment of Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata) plantations across multiple generations has led to the limited impact of soil phosphorus (P) on tree growth. This challenge poses a significant obstacle in maintaining the sustainable management of Chinese fir.

Methods

To investigate the effects of Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on the growth and physiological characteristics of Chinese fir under different P supply treatments. We conducted an indoor pot simulation experiment in the greenhouse of the Forestry College of Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University with one-and-half-year-old seedlings of Chinese fir from March 2019 to June 2019, with the two P level treatment groups included a normal P supply treatment (1.0 mmol L-1 KH2PO4, P1) and a no P supply treatment (0 mmol L-1 KH2PO4, P0). P0 and P1 were inoculated with Funneliformis mosseae (F.m) or Rhizophagus intraradices (R.i) or not inoculated with AMF treatment. The AMF colonization rate in the root system, seedling height (SH), root collar diameter (RCD) growth, chlorophyll (Chl) photosynthetic characteristics, enzyme activities, and endogenous hormone contents of Chinese fir were estimated.

Results

The results showed that the colonization rate of F.m in the roots of Chinese fir seedlings was the highest at P0, up to 85.14%, which was 1.66 times that of P1. Under P0 and P1 treatment, root inoculation with either F.m or R.i promoted SH growth, the SH of R.i treatment was 1.38 times and 1.05 times that of F.m treatment, respectively. In the P1 treatment, root inoculation with either F.m or R.i inhibited RCD growth. R.i inhibited RCD growth more aggressively than F.m. In the P0 treatment, root inoculation with F.m and R.i reduced the inhibitory effect of phosphorus deficiency on RCD. At this time, there was no significant difference in RCD between F.m, R.i and CK treatments (p < 0.05). AMF inoculation increased Fm, Fv, Fv/Fm, and Fv/Fo during the chlorophyll fluorescence response in the tested Chinese fir seedlings. Under the two phosphorus supply levels, the trend of Fv and Fm of Chinese fir seedlings in different treatment groups was F.m > R.i > CK. Under P0 treatment, The values of Fv were 235.86, 221.86 and 147.71, respectively. The values of Fm were 287.57, 275.71 and 201.57, respectively. It increased the antioxidant enzyme activity and reduced the leaf's malondialdehyde (MDA) content to a certain extent.

Conclusion

It is concluded that AMF can enhance the photosynthetic capacity of the host, regulate the distribution of endogenous hormones in plants, and promote plant growth by increasing the activity of antioxidant enzymes. When the P supply is insufficient, AMF is more helpful to plants, and R.i is more effective than F.m in alleviating P starvation stress in Chinese fir.

Deciphering the biotic and abiotic drivers of coalescence asymmetry between soil and manure microbiomes

Manure application improves soil fertility, yet its implications on the success of invasion of manure-borne microorganisms in the soil are poorly understood. Here, we assessed the importance of abiotic and biotic factors in modulating the extent to which manure-borne fungal and bacterial communities can invade resident soil microbial communities. For this purpose, we applied varying frequencies of two different amounts of manure to nine soils differing in physico-chemical properties, as well as in land-use history, over 180 days and monitored changes in bacterial and fungal communities. Variance partitioning revealed differential contributions of abiotic and biotic factors to invasion success, which together accounted for up to 82 % of the variance explained. We showed that the effects of interactions between biotic and abiotic factors increased with coalescence frequency and manure amount for the bacterial and fungal communities, respectively. Both abiotic and biotic factors were important for modulating coalescence asymmetry for the bacterial community, whereas abiotic factors had a greater effect on the fungal community. These results provide new insights into the drivers of coalescence events between manure and resident soil microbial communities. Moreover, our findings highlight the roles of the mixing ratio and frequency of coalescence events in modulating the survival of manure-borne microorganisms.

Self-assembled pea vicilin nanoparticles as nanocarriers for improving the antioxidant activity, environmental stability and sustained-release property of curcumin

BACKGROUND

The application of curcumin (Cur) in the food industry is usually limited by its low water solubility and poor stability. This study aimed to fabricate self-assembled nanoparticles using pea vicilin (7S) through a pH-shifting method (pH 7-pH 12-pH 7) to develop water-soluble nanocarriers of Cur.

RESULTS

Intrinsic fluorescence, far-UV circular dichroism spectra and transmission electron microscopy analysis demonstrated that the structure of 7S could be unfolded at pH 12.0 and refolded when the pH shifted to 7.0. The assembled 7S-Cur exhibited a high loading ability of 81.63 μg mg-1 for Cur and homogeneous particle distribution. Cur was encapsulated in the 7S hydrophobic nucleus in an amorphous form and combined through hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonding, resulting in the static fluorescence quenching of 7S. Compared with free Cur, the retention rates of Cur in 7S-Cur were approximately 1.12 and 1.70 times higher under UV exposure at 365 nm or heating at 75 °C for 120 min, respectively, as well as 7S-Cur showing approximately 1.50 times higher antioxidant activity. During simulated gastrointestinal experiments, 7S-Cur exhibited a better sustained-release property than free Cur.

CONCLUSION

The self-assembled 7S nanocarriers prepared using a pH-shifting method effectively improved the antioxidant activity, environmental stability and sustained-release property of Cur. Therefore, 7S isolated from pea protein could be used as potential nanocarriers for Cur. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Interlayer sp3 Bonds and Chirality at Bilayer Graphene Oxide/Calcium Silicate Hydrate Abnormally Enhance Its Interlayer Stress Transfer

Graphene oxide (GO) is an ideal reinforcing material with super design capability, which can achieve the combination of strength and toughness. However, the actual effect of GO is far below the theoretical prediction. This is mainly due to the weak interface between the nanofiller and the matrix. In this paper, a controllable method for improving interlayer stress transfer of double-layer graphene oxide/C-S-H (D-GO-CSH)-layered nanostructures is proposed by using interlayer sp3 bond and chirality. The results show that, compared with the control group, the normalized shear stress and normalized pull-out energy of the OH-sp3 model are increased by 44.93 and 49.25%, respectively, while those of the OO-sp3 model are increased by 32.26 and 31.03%, respectively. The interlayer sp3 bonds lead to a great enhancement (more than 3 times) in normalized interlayer stress transfer of D-GO-CSH-layered nanostructures while exerting a little opposite effect (about 5%). The improvement effects induced by the interlayer sp3 bonds are also strongly dependent on their distributions and the chirality of GO. According to the fracture mechanic theory and molecular dynamics results, the strain energy percentage difference (bond length and bond angle) of the zigzag-cen model is 34.8% lower than that of the control group model, which proves that the interlayer sp3 bonds have a remarkably positive effect on the interlayer stress transfer of D-GO-CSH-layered nanostructures. This provides a new way to further improve the interlayer stress transfer, pull-out energy, and interlayer shear stress of D-GO-CSH-layered nanostructures.

DeepION: A Deep Learning-Based Low-Dimensional Representation Model of Ion Images for Mass Spectrometry Imaging

Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) is a high-throughput imaging technique capable of the qualitative and quantitative in situ detection of thousands of ions in biological samples. Ion image representation is a technique that produces a low-dimensional vector embedded with significant spectral and spatial information on an ion image, which further facilitates the distance-based similarity measurement for the identification of colocalized ions. However, given the low signal-to-noise ratios inherent in MSI data coupled with the scarcity of annotated data sets, achieving an effective ion image representation for each ion image remains a challenge. In this study, we propose DeepION, a novel deep learning-based method designed specifically for ion image representation, which is applied to the identification of colocalized ions and isotope ions. In DeepION, contrastive learning is introduced to ensure that the model can generate the ion image representation in a self-supervised manner without manual annotation. Since data augmentation is a crucial step in contrastive learning, a unique data augmentation strategy is designed by considering the characteristics of MSI data, such as the Poisson distribution of ion abundance and a random pattern of missing values, to generate plentiful ion image pairs for DeepION model training. Experimental results of rat brain tissue MSI show that DeepION outperforms other methods for both colocalized ion and isotope ion identification, demonstrating the effectiveness of ion image representation. The proposed model could serve as a crucial tool in the biomarker discovery and drug development of the MSI technique.

Preoperative differentiation of gastric schwannomas and gastrointestinal stromal tumors based on computed tomography: a retrospective multicenter observational study

Introduction

Gastric schwannoma is a rare benign tumor accounting for only 1-2% of alimentary tract mesenchymal tumors. Owing to their low incidence rate, most cases are misdiagnosed as gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs), especially tumors with a diameter of less than 5 cm. Therefore, this study aimed to develop and validate a diagnostic nomogram based on computed tomography (CT) imaging features for the preoperative prediction of gastric schwannomas and GISTs (diameters = 2-5 cm).

Methods

Gastric schwannomas in 47 patients and GISTs in 230 patients were confirmed by surgical pathology. Thirty-four patients with gastric schwannomas and 167 with GISTs admitted between June 2009 and August 2022 at Hospital 1 were retrospectively analyzed as the test and training sets, respectively. Seventy-six patients (13 with gastric schwannomas and 63 with GISTs) were included in the external validation set (June 2017 to September 2022 at Hospital 2). The independent factors for differentiating gastric schwannomas from GISTs were obtained by multivariate logistic regression analysis, and a corresponding nomogram model was established. The accuracy of the nomogram was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic and calibration curves.

Results

Logistic regression analysis showed that the growth pattern (odds ratio [OR] 3.626; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.105-11.900), absence of necrosis (OR 4.752; 95% CI 1.464-15.424), presence of tumor-associated lymph nodes (OR 23.978; 95% CI 6.499-88.466), the difference between CT values during the portal and arterial phases (OR 1.117; 95% CI 1.042-1.198), and the difference between CT values during the delayed and portal phases (OR 1.159; 95% CI 1.080-1.245) were independent factors in differentiating gastric schwannoma from GIST. The resulting individualized prediction nomogram showed good discrimination in the training (area under the curve [AUC], 0.937; 95% CI, 0.900-0.973) and validation (AUC, 0.921; 95% CI, 0.830-1.000) datasets. The calibration curve showed that the probability of gastric schwannomas predicted using the nomogram agreed well with the actual value.

Conclusion

The proposed nomogram model based on CT imaging features can be used to differentiate gastric schwannoma from GIST before surgery.

Contradictions in human-nature relationships threaten coastal resilience and sustainability in the Bohai Rim Region, China

Under the challenge of global environmental change and rapid development, tremendous risks brought about by natural disasters and human activities have increased environmental pressures for sustainable development. How to improve coastal resilience in the process of urban development has become an important topic in academia. In this study, a variable fuzzy recognition model was used to measure the level of coastal resilience in 17 cities in the Bohai Rim region, and then the kernel density, thiel index, and random forest model were used to explore the spatiotemporal characteristics and influencing factors of coastal resilience. The results show that (1) The overall resilience level of the Bohai Rim region is increasing over time, but at a relatively slow rate. (2) Coastal resilience has significant spatial unevenness, with high-level cities dominated by Tianjin, Qingdao, Yantai, etc. and low-level cities dominated by Cangzhou, Panjin, Yingkou, Binzhou, etc. (3) The influence of economic development, infrastructure, innovation ability, technology investment, and government regulation on coastal resilience decreases in order. Based on the research findings, the study can not only make suggestions for the actual regulation strategy but also provide empirical and theoretical experience for other coastal countries.

Renal function alters the association of lipoprotein(a) with cardiovascular outcomes in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention: a prospective cohort study

Background and hypothesis

Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] and renal dysfunction are both independent risk factors for cardiovascular disease. However, it remains unclear whether renal function mediates the association between Lp(a) and cardiovascular outcomes in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods

From a large prospective cohort study, 10 435 eligible patients undergoing PCI from January 2013 to December 2013 were included in our analysis. Patients were stratified into three renal function groups according to their baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (<60; 60-90; ≥90 ml/min/1.73 m2). The primary endpoint was a composite of all-cause death, nonfatal MI, ischemic stroke, and unplanned revascularization [major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE)].

Results

Over a median follow-up of 5.1 years, a total of 2144 MACCE events occurred. After multivariable adjustment, either eGFR <60 ml/min/1.73 m2 or elevated Lp(a) conferred a significantly higher MACCE risk. Higher Lp(a) was significantly associated with an increased risk of MACCE in patients with eGFR <60 ml/min/1.73 m2. However, this association was weakened in subjects with only mild renal impairment and diminished in those with normal renal function. A significant interaction for MACCE between renal categories and Lp(a) was observed (P = 0.026). Patients with concomitant Lp(a) ≥30 mg/dl and eGFR <60 ml/min/1.73 m2 experienced worse cardiovascular outcomes compared with those without.

Conclusion

The significant association between Lp(a) and cardiovascular outcomes was mediated by renal function in patients undergoing PCI. Lp(a)-associated risk was more pronounced in patients with worse renal function, suggesting close monitoring and aggressive management are needed in this population.

Flexible Anionic Groups-Activated Structure Dissymmetry for Strong Nonlinearity in Ln2 Ae3 MIV 3 S12 Family

Structural dissymmetry and strong second-harmonic generation (SHG) responses are key conditions for nonlinear optical (NLO) crystals, and targeted combinatorial screening of suitable anionic groups has become extremely effective. Herein, optimal combination of flexible SnSn (n = 5, 6) groups and highly electropositive cations (lanthanides (Ln3+ ) and alkaline earth (Ae2+ : Sr, Ca) metals) affords the successful synthesis of 12 NLO thiostannates including Ln2 Sr3 Sn3 S12 (Pmc21 ) and Ln2 Ca3 Sn3 S12 (P-62m); whereas 17 rigid GeS4 or SiS4 tetrahedra-constructed Ln2 Ae3 Ge3 S12 and Ln2 Ae3 Si3 S12 crystallize in the centrosymmetric (CS) Pnma. This unprecedented CS to noncentrosymmetric (NCS) structural transformation (Pnma to P-62m to Pmc21 ) in the Ln2 Ae3 MIV 3 S12 family indicates that chemical substitution of the tetrahedral GeS4 /SiS4 units with SnSn breaks the original symmetry to form the requisite NCS structures. Remarkably, strong polarization anisotropy and hyperpolarizability of the Sn(4+) S5 unit afford huge performance improvement from the nonphase-matching (NPM) SHG response (1.4 × AgGaS2 and Δn = 0.008) of La2 Ca3 Sn3 S12 to the strong phase-matching (PM) SHG effect (3.0 × AgGaS2 and Δn = 0.086) of La2 Sr3 Sn3 S12 . Therefore, Sn(4+) S5 is proven to be a promising "NLO-active unit." This study verifies that the coupling of flexible SnSn building blocks into structures opens a feasible path for designing targeted NCS crystals with strong nonlinearity and optical anisotropy.

MRI Manifestations of Breast Cancer Stroma and their Role in Predicting Molecular Subtype: A Case-control Study

OBJECTIVE

This study explored whether breast MRI manifestations could be used to predict the stroma distribution of breast cancer (BC) and the role of tumor stroma-based MRI manifestations in molecular subtype prediction.

METHODS

57 patients with pathologically confirmed invasive BC (non-special type) who had lumpy BC on MRI within one week before surgery were retrospectively collected in the study. Stroma distributions were classified according to their characteristics in the pathological sections. The stromal distribution patterns among molecular subtypes were compared with the MRI manifestations of BC with different stroma distribution types (SDTs).

RESULTS

SDTs were significantly different and depended on the BC hormone receptor (HR) (P<0.001). There were also significant differences among five SDTs on T2WI, ADC map, internal delayed enhanced features (IDEF), marginal delayed enhanced features (MDEF), and time signal intensity (TSI) curves. Spiculated margin and the absence of type-I TSI were independent predictors for BC with star grid type stroma. The appearance frequency of hypo-intensity on T2WI in HR- BCs was significantly lower (P=0.043) than in HR+ BCs. Star grid stroma and spiculated margin were key factors in predicting HR+ BCs, and the AUC was 0.927 (95% CI: 0.867-0.987).

CONCLUSION

Breast MRI can be used to predict BC's stromal distribution and molecular subtypes.

Vitamin E biofortification: enhancement of seed tocopherol concentrations by altered chlorophyll metabolism

Homogentisate Phytyltransferase (HPT) catalyzes condensation of homogentisate (HGA) and phytyl diphosphate (PDP) to produce tocopherols, but can also synthesize tocotrienols using geranylgeranyl diphosphate (GGDP) in plants engineered for deregulated HGA synthesis. In contrast to prior tocotrienol biofortification efforts, engineering enhanced tocopherol concentrations in green oilseeds has proven more challenging due to the integral role of chlorophyll metabolism in supplying the PDP substrate. This study show that RNAi suppression of CHLSYN coupled with HPT overexpression increases tocopherol concentrations by >two-fold in Arabidopsis seeds. We obtained additional increases in seed tocopherol concentrations by engineering increased HGA production via overexpression of bacterial TyrA that encodes chorismate mutase/prephenate dehydrogenase activities. In overexpression lines, seed tocopherol concentrations increased nearly three-fold, and resulted in modest tocotrienol accumulation. We further increased total tocochromanol concentrations by enhancing production of HGA and GGDP by overexpression of the gene for hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD). This shifted metabolism towards increased amounts of tocotrienols relative to tocopherols, which was reflected in corresponding increases in ratios of GGDP/PDP in these seeds. Overall, our results provide a theoretical basis for genetic improvement of total tocopherol concentrations in green oilseeds (e.g., rapeseed, soybean) through strategies that include seed-suppression of CHLSYN coupled with increased HGA production.

Excellent Polymerized Ionic-Liquid-Based Gel Polymer Electrolytes Enabled by Molecular Structure Design and Anion-Derived Interfacial Layer

Polymerized ionic liquid (PIL)-based gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) are well known as highly safe and stable electrolytes but with low ambient ionic conductivity. Herein, we first designed and synthesized an IL monomer with a long and flexible side chain and then mixed it with LiTFSI and MEMPTFSI to construct a PIL-based GPE (denoted as GM-GPE). The special molecular structure of the monomer greatly improves the ionic transport through the PIL chain, and the introduction of MEMPTFSI plasticizer further improves the ionic conductivity, promoting a TFSI--anion-derived SEI formation to suppress Li dendrite growth and forming an electrostatic shielding effect of MEMP+ cations to promote the uniform deposition of Li+. Consequently, the as-prepared GM-GPE exhibits high ambient ionic conductivity (4.3 × 10-4 S cm-1, 30 °C), robust electrochemical stability, excellent thermal stability, nonflammability, and superior ability to inhibit Li dendrite growth. The resultant LiFePO4|GM-GPE|Li cell exhibits a high discharge capacity of 150 mA h g-1 at 0.2 C along with a good cycling stability and rate capability. This work brings about new guidance for the development of high-quality GPEs with high ionic conductivity, high stability, and safety for long cycling and dendrite-free lithium metal batteries.

Association between multiple inflammatory biomarkers and remnant cholesterol levels in patients with percutaneous coronary intervention: A large-scale real-world study

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Remnant cholesterol (RC) has garnered increasing attention recently due to its association with adverse cardiovascular events. However, the relationship between RC levels and inflammation remains unclear. The goal of this study was to investigate and compare the predictive value of multiple inflammatory biomarkers for high RC in patients with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

METHODS AND RESULTS

Initially, a total of 10,724 consecutive individuals hospitalized for PCI at Fu Wai Hospital in 2013 were enrolled. Finally, 9983 patients receiving dual antiplatelet therapy and drug-eluting stent were selected for analysis. The inflammatory biomarkers included high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), hs-CRP-to-albumin ratio (CAR), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), lymphocyte-to-hs-CRP ratio (LCR), and systemic immune-inflammation index (SII). Patients were divided into higher RC and lower RC groups based on the median RC level. Multivariate logistic regression showed that hs-CRP (OR per SD: 1.254), CAR (OR per SD: 1.245), PLR (OR per SD: 1.139), and SII (OR per SD: 1.077) were associated with high RC (≥median), while LCR (OR per SD: 0.792) was associated with low RC (

CONCLUSIONS

In PCI patients, hs-CRP, CAR, PLR, LCR, and SII were independently associated with RC levels. Among these inflammatory biomarkers, hs-CRP conferred better prediction for high RC. This investigation further supports the close relationship between inflammation and residual lipid risk biomarker RC.

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Key Words

• Inflammation
• Percutaneous coronary intervention
• Remnant cholesterol
• hs-CRP

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MESH Headings

• Humans
• C-Reactive Protein/analysis
• Percutaneous Coronary Intervention/adverse effects
• Drug-Eluting Stents
• Biomarkers
• Inflammation/diagnosis
• Inflammation/etiology

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Rigid flexible coupling contact mechanism for oral and maxillofacial skin and soft tissues

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

The existing medical clinical treatment institutions mostly use rigid structures to come into contact with flexible skin. The rigid flexible coupled contact biomechanical model for the skin is the first step that urgently needs to be considered in the process of medical clinical operations. However, there has been currently no effective biomechanical contact model available.

METHODS

Based on the principle of elastic interface deformation, the basic biomechanical characteristics of oral and maxillofacial skin and soft tissues were analyzed to address the unknown mechanism of rigid body and maxillofacial contact in oral imaging operations. A nonlinear characterization method for the mechanical properties of oral and maxillofacial skin soft tissues was proposed by deriving a general contact force model that takes into account energy dissipation. However, the problem of the inability to obtain analytical solutions for the parameters of the dynamic model exists. It is necessary to perform particle swarm parameter identification on different nonlinear contact models and verify the accuracy of the algorithm through numerical simulation. A maxillofacial contact experiment was conducted to verify the operation process of an oral imaging robot.

RESULTS

After experimental analysis, it was found that the comprehensive average error between the model and the actual contact force was 0.13325 N. The absolute error of the maximum deformation displacement was below 0.18 N, which verified the effectiveness and safety of the contact model in the contact process of the oral imaging robot system.

CONCLUSIONS

The results indicate that the output force of the model has been in good agreement with the actual contact force.

Association of NPC1L1 and HMGCR gene polymorphisms with coronary artery calcification in patients with premature triple-vessel coronary disease

BACKGROUND

Coronary artery calcification (CAC) is a highly specific marker of atherosclerosis. Niemann-Pick C1-like 1 (NPC1L1) and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR) are the therapeutic targets of ezetimibe and statins, respectively, which are important for the progression of atherosclerosis. However, CAC's genetic susceptibility with above targets is still unknown. We aimed to investigate the association of NPC1L1 and HMGCR gene polymorphisms with CAC in patients with premature triple-vessel disease (PTVD).

METHODS

Four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs11763759, rs4720470, rs2072183, rs2073547) of NPC1L1, and three SNPs (rs12916, rs2303151, rs4629571) of HMGCR were genotyped in 872 PTVD patients. According to the coronary angiography results, patients were divided into low-degree CAC group and high-degree CAC group.

RESULTS

A total of 872 PTVD patients (mean age, 47.71 ± 6.12; male, 72.8%) were finally included for analysis. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed no significant association between the SNPs of NPC1L1 and HMGCR genes and high-degree CAC in the total population (P > 0.05). Subgroup analysis by gender revealed that the variant genotype (TT/CT) of rs4720470 on NPC1L1 gene was associated with increased risk for high-degree CAC in male patients only (OR = 1.505, 95% CI: 1.008-2.249, P = 0.046) in dominant model, but no significant association was found in female population, other SNPs of NPC1L1 and HMGCR genes (all P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

We reported for the first time that the rs4720470 on NPC1L1 gene was associated with high-degree CAC in male patients with PTVD. In the future, whether therapies related to this target could reduce CAC and cardiovascular events deserves further investigation.