Inhibitory effect of marine Bacillus sp. and its biomineralization on the corrosion of X65 steel in offshore oilfield produced water

The issue of material failure attributed to microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) is escalating in seriousness. Microorganisms not only facilitate corrosion but certain beneficial microorganisms also impede its occurrence. This study explored the impact of marine B. velezensis on the corrosion behavior of X65 steel in simulated offshore oilfield produced water. B. velezensis exhibited rapid growth in the initial stages, and the organic acid metabolites were found to promote corrosion. Subsequently, there was an increase in cross-linked "networked" biofilms products, a significant rise in the prismatic shape of corrosion products, and a tendency for continuous development in the middle and late stages. The organic/inorganic mineralized film layer formed on the surface remained consistently complete. Metabolic products of amino acid corrosion inhibitors were also observed to be adsorbed into the film. B. velezensis altered the kinetics of the X65 steel cathodic reaction, resulting in a deceleration of the electrochemical reaction rate. The mineralization induced by B. velezensis effectively slowed down the corrosion rate of X65 steel.

Study on mechanism underlying the acceleration of pitting corrosion of B30 copper-nickel alloy by sulfate-reducing bacteria in seawater

In this paper, the relationship between the pitting corrosion formation of B30 copper-nickel (CuNi) alloy and the metabolism of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) was investigated. Combined with the influence of temperature during the actual operation of the cooling systems, the evolution law of the alloy passivation film was analyzed, and the mechanism of SRB promoting the accelerated development of B30 CuNi alloy pitting corrosion was revealed. The results show that SRB significantly promoted the pitting formation and development of B30 CuNi alloy. The maximum pitting depth was 3.9 μm in the sterile system and 15.3 μm with SRB, which was 3.9 times higher than that of sterile system. The loose porous Cu2S film formed by SRB metabolites and copper matrix was easily penetrated by corrosive anions, which promoted copper dissolution and led to pit nucleation. The sulfide adsorbed on the surface prevented or delayed the passivation of B30 CuNi alloy by blocking the adsorption site of O atom, and the corrosion nuclei continued to grow. The non-uniformity caused by the film peeling accelerated the longitudinal development of pitting corrosion, and the expansion and coalescence of adjacent pits caused the transverse development of pitting corrosion. Temperature had a certain influence on the SRB and the formation of B30 CuNi alloy passivation film. The passivation film was formed rapidly at 50 °C with poor quality and the passivation property of Cu2O film was weakened. With the increase of temperature, the pitting potential of sterile system negative shifted from 0.447 to 0.360 V (vs. SCE), while SRB system from 0.340 to 0.198 V (vs. SCE), and the pitting resistance decreased. The passivation film with defects and the Cu2S reduced the barrier efficiency of the film and accelerated the pitting corrosion of B30 CuNi alloy.

Boosting Excited-State Energy Transfer by Anchoring Dipole Orientation in Binary Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence/J-Aggregate Assemblies

Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) has been widely applied in fluorescence imaging, sensing and so on, while developing useful strategy of boosting FRET efficiency becomes a key issue that limits the application. Except optimizing spectral properties, promoting orientation factor (κ2) has been well discussed but rarely utilized for boosting FRET. Herein, we constructed binary nano-assembling of two thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) emitters (2CzPN and DMAC-DPS) with J-type aggregate of cyanine dye (C8S4) as doping films by taking advantage of their electrostatic interactions. Time-resolved spectroscopic measurements indicated that 2CzPN/Cy-J films exhibit an order of magnitude higher kFRET than DMAC-DPS/Cy-J films. Further quantitative analysing on kFRET and kDET indicated higher orientation factor (κ2) in 2CzPN/Cy-J films play a key role for achieving fast kFRET, which was subsequently confirmed by anisotropic measurements. Corresponding DFT/TDDFT calculation revealed strong "two-point" electrostatic anchoring in 2CzPN/Cy-J films that is responsible for highly orientated transitions. We provide a new strategy for boosting FRET in nano-assemblies, which might be inspired for designing FRET-based devices of sensing, imaging and information encryption.

Reduced graphene oxide/MXene hybrid decorated graphite felt as an effective electrode for vanadium redox flow battery

Vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) is a highly suitable technology for energy storage and conversion in the application of decoupling energy and power generation. However, the sluggish reaction kinetics of redox couples is one of the bottlenecks hindering the commercialization of VFFBs. Developing efficient electrode is a promising method to improve the battery performance. In this work, a reduced graphene oxide/Mxene hybrid-decorated graphite felt (rGO/Mxene@GF) is designed to facilitate the kinetics of redox reaction. The electrocatalytic activity and mass transfer of the prepared electrode are investigated through experiment and simulation methods. The results indicate that the favorable mass transfer and the synergistic effect between rGO and Ti3C2Tx Mxene remarkably improve the performance of electrode. The flow cell with rGO/Mxene@GF delivers a good stability up to 100 cycles with a coulombic, voltage, and energy efficiency of 91.6%, 82.7%, and 75.8%, respectively, at a current density of 80 mA cm-2. These findings suggest that the as-prepared rGO/Mxene@GF holds a good application potential in VRFB and provides a promising approach to design efficient electrode for electrochemical devices.

Exosomes Derived from Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells Alleviate Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms via Shuttling Proteins

Our prior investigations have evidenced that bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (BMSC) therapy can significantly improve the outcomes of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This study aims to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the proteomics between BMSCs and BMSCs-Exos, and to further elucidate the potential therapeutic effect of BMSCs-Exos on RA, so as to establish a theoretical framework for the prevention and therapy of BMSCs-Exos on RA. The 4D label-free LC-MS/MS technique was used for comparative proteomic analysis of BMSCs and BMSCs-Exos. Collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) rat model was used to investigate the therapeutic effect of BMSCs-Exos on RA. Our results showed that some homology and differences were observed between BMSCs and BMSCs-Exos proteins, among which proteins highly enriched in BMSCs-Exos were related to extracellular matrix and extracellular adhesion. BMSCs-Exos can be taken up by chondrocytes, promoting cell proliferation and migration. In vivo results revealed that BMSCs-Exos significantly improved the clinical symptoms of RA, showing a certain repair effect on the injury of articular cartilage. In short, our study revealed, for the first time, that BMSCs-Exos possess remarkable efficacy in alleviating RA symptoms, probably through shuttling proteins related to cell adhesion and tissue repair ability in CIA rats, suggesting that BMSCs-Exos carrying expressed proteins may become a useful biomaterial for RA treatment.

Multidimensional Frailty Instruments Can Predict Acute Exacerbations Within One Year in Patients with Stable Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Retrospective Longitudinal Study

Background

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is closely associated with frailty, and prevention of acute exacerbations is important for disease management. Moreover, COPD patients with frailty experience a higher risk of acute exacerbations. However, the frailty instruments that can better predict acute exacerbations remain unclear.

Purpose

(1) To explore the factors influencing frailty and acute exacerbations in stable COPD patients, and (2) quantify the ability of multidimensional frailty instruments to predict acute exacerbations within 1 year.

Patients and methods

In this retrospective longitudinal study, stable COPD patients were recruited from the outpatient department of Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital from July 2022 to June 2023. COPD patients reviewed their frailty one year ago and their acute exacerbations within one year using face-to-face interviews with a self-developed frailty questionnaire. Frailty status was assessed using the Frailty Index (FI), frailty questionnaire (FRAIL), and Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS). One-way logistic regression was used to explore the factors influencing frailty and acute exacerbations. Multivariate logistic regression was used to establish a prediction model for acute exacerbations, and the accuracy of the three frailty instruments was compared by measuring the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC).

Results

A total of 120 individuals were included. Frailty incidence estimates using FI, FRAIL, and CFS were 23.3%, 11.7%, and 15.8%, respectively. The three frailty instruments showed consistency in COPD assessments (P<0.05). After adjusting for covariates, frailty reflected by the FI and CFS score remained an independent risk factor for acute exacerbations. The CFS score was the best predictor of acute exacerbations (AUC, 0.764 (0.663-0.866); sensitivity, 57.9%; specificity, 80.0%). Moreover, the combination of CFS plus FRAIL scores was a better predictor of acute exacerbations (AUC, 0.792 (0.693-0.891); sensitivity, 86.3%; specificity, 60.0%).

Conclusion

Multidimensional frailty assessments could improve the identification of COPD patients at high risk of acute exacerbations and facilitate targeted interventions to reduce acute exacerbations in these patients.

Dietary purple potato supplement attenuates DSS-induced colitis in mice: impact on mitochondrial function

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a condition characterized by disrupted intestinal barrier function, abnormal immune response, and mucosal structure loss. This study evaluated the beneficial role of purple potato (PP) supplementation against IBD symptoms using a murine model of dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis, and further explored the underlying mechanisms. Six-week-old C57BL/6J male mice were randomized into two groups and fed a standard rodent diet with or without 10% PP powder for 7 weeks. At the 5th week of dietary supplements, mice in each group were further divided into two subgroups and were either induced with or without 2.5% DSS induction for 7 days, followed by 7 days of recovery. Data showed that PP supplementation ameliorated the disease activity index in DSS-treated mice and reversed the colonic structure loss, mucosal damage, macrophage infiltration, and pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion induced by DSS in the colonic tissue. PP supplementation also restored the levels of tight junction proteins and caudal type homeobox 2 in DSS-treated mice. Furthermore, dietary PP enhanced peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α signaling pathway, mitochondrial biogenesis, mitochondrial proteostasis, and protein-folding capacity. In summary, dietary PP ameliorated DSS-induced colitis and improved gut structures and barrier function, which was associated with improved mitochondrial function. These results support further investigation of PP as a potential dietary intervention for IBD.

Quercetin as a promising intervention for rat osteoarthritis by decreasing M1-polarized macrophages via blocking the TRPV1-mediated P2X7/NLRP3 signaling pathway

Osteoarthritis (OA) is characterized by an imbalance between M1 and M2 polarized synovial macrophages. Quercetin has shown protective effects against OA by altering M1/M2-polarized macrophages, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, rat chondrocytes were treated with 10 ng/mL of IL-1β. To create M1-polarized macrophages in vitro, rat bone marrow-derived macrophages (rBMDMs) were treated with 100 ng/mL LPS. To mimic OA conditions observed in vivo, a co-culture system of chondrocytes and macrophages was established. ATP release assays, immunofluorescence assays, Fluo-4 AM staining, Transwell assays, ELISA assays, and flow cytometry were performed. Male adult Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were used to create an OA model. Histological analyses, including H&E, and safranin O-fast green staining were performed. Our data showed a quercetin-mediated suppression of calcium ion influx and ATP release, with concurrent downregulation of TRPV1 and P2X7 in the chondrocytes treated with IL-1β. Activation of TRPV1 abolished the quercetin-mediated effects on calcium ion influx and ATP release in chondrocytes treated with IL-1β. In the co-culture system, overexpression of P2X7 in macrophages attenuated the quercetin-mediated effects on M1 polarization, migration, and inflammation. Either P2X7 or NLRP3 knockdown attenuated IL-1β-induced M1/M2 polarization, migration, and inflammation. Moreover, overexpression of TRPV1 reduced the quercetin-mediated suppressive effects on OA by promoting M1/M2-polarized macrophages in vivo. Collectively, our data showed that quercetin-induced suppression of TRPV1 leads to a delay in OA progression by shifting the macrophage polarization from M1 to M2 subtypes via modulation of the P2X7/NLRP3 pathway.

α-Ketoglutarate for Preventing and Managing Intestinal Epithelial Dysfunction

The epithelium lining the intestinal tract serves a multifaceted role. It plays a crucial role in nutrient absorption and immune regulation and also acts as a protective barrier, separating underlying tissues from the gut lumen content. Disruptions in the delicate balance of the gut epithelium trigger inflammatory responses, aggravate conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, and potentially lead to more severe complications such as colorectal cancer. Maintaining intestinal epithelial homeostasis is vital for overall health, and there is growing interest in identifying nutraceuticals that can strengthen the intestinal epithelium. α-Ketoglutarate, a metabolite of the tricarboxylic acid cycle, displays a variety of bioactive effects, including functioning as an antioxidant, a necessary cofactor for epigenetic modification, and exerting anti-inflammatory effects. This article presents a comprehensive overview of studies investigating the potential of α-ketoglutarate supplementation in preventing dysfunction of the intestinal epithelium.

Damage-associated cellular markers in the clinical and pathogenic profile of vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia

BACKGROUND

Adenoviral vector-based COVID-19 vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT) is rare but carries significant risks of mortality and long-term morbidity. The underlying pathophysiology of severe disease is still not fully understood. The objectives were to explore the pathophysiological profile and examine for clinically informative biomarkers in patients with severe VITT.

METHODS

Twenty-two hospitalized patients with VITT, 9 pre- and 21 post-ChAdOx1 vaccine controls, were recruited across England, United Kingdom. Admission blood samples were analyzed for cytokine profiles, cell death markers (lactate dehydrogenase and circulating histones), neutrophil extracellular traps, and coagulation parameters. Tissue specimens from deceased patients were analyzed.

RESULTS

There were strong immune responses characterized by significant elevations in proinflammatory cytokines and T helper 1 and 2 cell activation in patients with VITT. Markers of systemic endothelial activation and coagulation activation in both circulation and organ sections were also significantly elevated. About 70% (n = 15/22) of patients met the International Society for Thrombosis and Haemostasis criteria for disseminated intravascular coagulation despite negligible changes in the prothrombin time. The increased neutrophil extracellular trap formation, in conjunction with marked lymphopenia, elevated lactate dehydrogenase, and circulating histone levels, indicates systemic immune cell injury or death. Both lymphopenia and circulating histone levels independently predicted 28-day mortality in patients with VITT.

CONCLUSION

The coupling of systemic cell damage and death with strong immune-inflammatory and coagulant responses are pathophysiologically dominant and clinically relevant in severe VITT.

AMPK Suppression Due to Obesity Drives Oocyte mtDNA Heteroplasmy via ATF5-POLG Axis

Due to the exclusive maternal transmission, oocyte mitochondrial dysfunction reduces fertility rates, affects embryonic development, and programs offspring to metabolic diseases. However, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) are vulnerable to mutations during oocyte maturation, leading to mitochondrial nucleotide variations (mtSNVs) within a single oocyte, referring to mtDNA heteroplasmy. Obesity (OB) accounts for more than 40% of women at the reproductive age in the USA, but little is known about impacts of OB on mtSNVs in mature oocytes. It is found that OB reduces mtDNA content and increases mtSNVs in mature oocytes, which impairs mitochondrial energetic functions and oocyte quality. In mature oocytes, OB suppresses AMPK activity, aligned with an increased binding affinity of the ATF5-POLG protein complex to mutated mtDNA D-loop and protein-coding regions. Similarly, AMPK knockout increases the binding affinity of ATF5-POLG proteins to mutated mtDNA, leading to the replication of heteroplasmic mtDNA and impairing oocyte quality. Consistently, AMPK activation blocks the detrimental impacts of OB by preventing ATF5-POLG protein recruitment, improving oocyte maturation and mitochondrial energetics. Overall, the data uncover key features of AMPK activation in suppressing mtSNVs, and improving mitochondrial biogenesis and oocyte maturation in obese females.

NLRP3 inflammasome activation promotes liver inflammation and fibrosis in experimental biliary atresia

BACKGROUND

Biliary atresia (BA) is characterized by a progressive fibroinflammatory cholangiopathy in early infants with unknown etiology. Although innate immune disorder is involved in its mechanism, role of NLRP3 inflammasome in BA remains largely undefined.

AIM

To explore the role of NLRP3 inflammasome in BA.

METHODS

The expressions of NLRP3 inflammasome-related genes were determined in BA patients. Role of NLRP3 inflammasome was evaluated using MCC950 in experimental BA. Furthermore, gadolinium chloride, a macrophage scavenger, was applied to validate the inflammasome's cellular localization. Finally, the effects of NLRP3 inflammasome activation on liver fibrosis were explored in vivo and vitro in experimental BA.

RESULTS

The components of NLRP3 inflammasome were up-regulated in BA patients. Inflammasome-related genes showed positively correlated with liver inflammation and fibrosis in BA patients. In experimental BA, inflammasome-related genes were up-regulated, and their expressions were inhibited by MCC950, which promoted mice growth, protected liver function, alleviated obstructive jaundice, inhibited liver inflammation, and reduced serum IL-1β level. NLRP3 inflammasome was expressed in macrophages, and macrophage elimination exerted the same protective roles as MCC950 did in BA. Additionally, NLRP3 inflammasome activation promoted liver fibrosis in experimental BA.

CONCLUSIONS

NLRP3 inflammasome activation in macrophages promoted liver inflammation and fibrosis in experimental BA.

Global burden of sleep disturbances among older adults and the disparities by geographical regions and pandemic periods

Sleep disturbances are highly prevalent during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially among older adults. We aimed to evaluate sleep heath during COVID-19 pandemic and assess the differences among geographical regions and pandemic periods. We searched three databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science) to find articles up to March 12, 2023. We included observational studies that reported the prevalence of sleep disturbances among adults aged 60 years or older in any setting. Two researchers independently reviewed the literature and retrieved the data. We used Der Simonian-Laird random effects meta-analyses to pool the data, followed by subgroup analysis, sensitivity analysis, and meta-regression. A total of 64 studies with 181,224 older adults during the pandemic were included. The prevalence of poor sleep quality, short sleep duration, long sleep duration, and insomnia symptoms were 47.12% (95% CI: 25.97%, 68.27%), 40.81% (95% CI: 18.49%, 63.12%), 31.61% (95% CI: 24.83%, 38.38%), and 21.15% (95% CI: 15.30%, 27.00%), respectively. The prevalence of sleep problems reported by self-constructed items was 26.97% (95% CI: 20.73%, 33.22%). When compared to America (64.13%), Europe (20.23%) and the Western Pacific (21.31%) showed a lower prevalence of sleep problems (all P < 0.0001). The prevalence of worsened sleep problems was 27.88% (95% CI: 11.94%, 43.82%). Compared to 2020 (15.14%), it increased to 47.42% in 2021 (P < 0.05). Eight studies on sleep disturbances among 672 older COVID-19 patients were included. The prevalence of sleep problems and insomnia symptoms among older COVID-19 patients were 41.58% (95% CI: 21.97%, 61.20%) and 41.56% (95% CI: 28.11%, 58.02%), respectively. A significant burden related to poor sleep has been observed among older adults worldwide over the past three years, with variations across different regions and time periods. It is important to make more efforts in prevention and intervention to identify the risk factors, treatment, and rehabilitation of sleep disturbances for healthy aging.

The trajectory of depressive symptoms over time and the presence of depressive symptoms at a single time point with the risk of dementia among US older adults: A national prospective cohort study

AIM

This study aims to assess the association between trajectories of depressive symptoms and the risk of dementia, and to compare the predictive ability of trajectories using multiple data points with depressive symptoms at a single data point.

METHODS

We included 5306 older adults from the Health and Retirement Study. We assessed depressive symptoms using the Center for Epidemiology Depression Scale (CES-D), and identified its 8- year trajectories (2002-2010) using latent class trajectory modeling. We calculated hazard ratios (HR) using Cox proportional hazards models. The concordance index (C-index) was used to compare the discriminative power of the models.

RESULTS

We identified two trajectories of depressive symptoms, characterized by maintaining low CES-D scores, and moderate starting scores that steadily increased throughout the follow-up period. During 40,199 person-years, compared to the low trajectory, the increasing trajectory of depressive symptoms was associated with a higher risk of dementia (HR = 1.35; 95% CI: 1.09-1.67) (C-index = 0.759). For every point increase in the degree of depressive symptoms (CES-D scores) in 2010, the risk of dementia increased by 7% (95% CI: 1.03-1.12) (C-index = 0.760). The presence of depressive symptoms (CES-D scores ≥3) in 2010 was not associated with an increased risk of dementia (HR = 1.18; 95% CI: 0.98-1.43) (C-index = 0.759). The C-index values of cox models showed similar discriminative power.

CONCLUSIONS

The increasing trajectory of depressive symptoms at multiple data points and the degree of depressive symptoms at a single data point were associated with an increased risk of subsequent dementia among older adults.

Association of temperature and precipitation with malaria incidence in 57 countries and territories from 2000 to 2019: A worldwide observational study

Background

The transmission of malaria is known to be affected by climatic factors. However, existing studies on the impact of temperature and precipitation on malaria incidence offer no clear-cut conclusions, and there is a lack of research on a global scale. We aimed to estimate the association of temperature and precipitation with malaria incidence globally from 2000 to 2019.

Methods

We used meteorological data from the National Centers for Environmental Information and malaria incidence data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 to calculate effect sizes through quasi-Poisson generalised linear models while controlling for confounders.

Results

231.4 million malaria cases occurred worldwide in 2019. National annual average temperature and precipitation were associated with malaria incidence, with an increase in the age-standardised incidence rate (ASIR) of 2.01% (95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.00, 2.02) and 6.04% (95% CI = 6.00, 6.09) following one unit increase of national annual average temperature and precipitation. In subgroup analysis, we found that malaria incidence in Asian countries was most affected by temperature, while the incidence in African countries was most affected by precipitation (P < 0.05). Stratified by age, children under five were most affected by both temperature and precipitation (P < 0.05). We additionally found that the impact of the national annual average temperature on malaria incidence increased over time (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

We advocate for a comprehensive approach to malaria prevention, focussed on addressing the impact of climate factors through international collaboration, adaptive measures, and targeted interventions for vulnerable populations.

Cold exposure impacts DNA methylation patterns in cattle sperm

DNA methylation is influenced by various exogenous factors such as nutrition, temperature, toxicants, and stress. Bulls from the Pacific Northwest region of the United States and other northern areas are exposed to extreme cold temperatures during winter. However, the effects of cold exposure on the methylation patterns of bovine sperm remain unclear. To address, DNA methylation profiles of sperm collected during late spring and winter from the same bulls were analyzed using whole genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS). Bismark (0.22.3) were used for mapping the WGBS reads and R Bioconductor package DSS was used for differential methylation analysis. Cold exposure induced 3,163 differentially methylated cytosines (DMCs) with methylation difference ≥10% and a q-value < 0.05. We identified 438 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) with q-value < 0.05, which overlapped with 186 unique genes. We also identified eight unique differentially methylated genes (DMGs) (Pax6, Macf1, Mest, Ubqln1, Smg9, Ctnnb1, Lsm4, and Peg10) involved in embryonic development, and nine unique DMGs (Prmt6, Nipal1, C21h15orf40, Slc37a3, Fam210a, Raly, Rgs3, Lmbr1, and Gan) involved in osteogenesis. Peg10 and Mest, two paternally expressed imprinted genes, exhibited >50% higher methylation. The differential methylation patterns of six distinct DMRs: Peg10, Smg9 and Mest related to embryonic development and Lmbr1, C21h15orf40 and Prtm6 related to osteogenesis, were assessed by methylation-specific PCR (MS-PCR), which confirmed the existence of variable methylation patterns in those locations across the two seasons. In summary, cold exposure induces differential DNA methylation patterns in genes that appear to affect embryonic development and osteogenesis in the offspring. Our findings suggest the importance of replicating the results of the current study with a larger sample size and exploring the potential of these changes in affecting offspring development.

Venture capital, innovation channels, and regional resource dependence: Evidence from China

Although the literature predominantly emphasises the crucial role of technological innovation in alleviating resource dependence, limited attention has been given to the pivotal role of capital in driving such innovation. As a critical factor in technological advancements and productivity enhancement, venture capital has a substantial function in the utilisation of resources and the development of sustainable energy sources. Drawing upon panel data from 30 provinces in China, this study explores how venture capital and resource dependence are interrelated. Our research reveals that venture capital effectively mitigates regional resource dependence by facilitating increased investment in innovation channels. However, the weakening of regional human resources mitigates venture capital's diminishing impacts on resource dependence. These findings provide valuable insights for countries seeking to reduce their dependence on natural resources and achieve long-term economic sustainability.

[A case of fungal keratitis caused by Petriella setifera infection]

The patient, a 66-year-old male, suffered from redness, blurred vision, photophobia, and tearing in the right eye after being injured by a wooden board. Anti-inflammatory treatment showed poor effectiveness. A 4 mm × 4 mm infiltrate with white deposits on the surface was observed in the central cornea of the right eye. Microscopic examination of corneal scrapings, fungal culture, and in vivo confocal microscopy all indicated fungal infection. The isolated strain was identified as Scedosporium apiospermum through microscopic morphology and confirmed as Petriella setifera by gene sequencing. The patient received corneal debridement combined with routine anti-inflammatory and antifungal treatment in the outpatient clinic. During the follow-up period, the condition continued to improve. Slit lamp examination at the revisit 40 days after the initial diagnosis revealed thinning of the corneal stroma, basic healing of the epithelium, and an increase in uncorrected visual acuity from 0.3 to 0.6.

Exercise enhances placental labyrinth trophoblast development by activation of PGC-1α and FNDC5/irisin†

Placental chorion/labyrinth trophoblasts are energy demanding which is met by the mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. Exercise enhances placental development and mitochondrial biogenesis, but the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. To address, female C57BL/6 J mice were randomly assigned into two groups: a control group and an exercise (EX) group. All animals were acclimated to treadmill exercise for 1 week before mating, but only the EX group was subjected to daily exercise during pregnancy from embryonic day (E) 1.5 to E16.5. Placenta were collected at E18.5 for biochemical and histochemical analyses, and primary trophoblast cells were isolated from the E18.5 placenta for further analyses. The data showed that exercise during pregnancy promoted the expression of syncytiotrophoblast cell markers, indicating trophoblast cell differentiation, which was closely associated with elevated mitochondrial biogenesis and oxidative metabolism in the E18.5 placenta. In addition, exercise during pregnancy activated peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator-1 α (PGC-1α), which was associated with upregulated placental α-ketoglutarate and the expression of isocitrate dehydrogenases and ten-eleven translocations, facilitating DNA demethylation of the Pgc1a promoter. Furthermore, exercise upregulated fibronectin type III domain containing 5 expression and the secretion of its cleaved form, irisin, which is known to activate PGC-1α. These data suggest that exercise-induced activation of PGC-1α, via epigenetic modifications, is responsible for promoting mitochondrial energy metabolism and chorion/labyrinth trophoblast development.

Dietary Cannabidiol Activates PKA/AMPK Signaling and Attenuates Chronic Inflammation and Leaky Gut in DSS-Induced Colitis Mice

SCOPE

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is characterized by chronic inflammation in the gut, accompanied by impaired epithelial integrity, increased macrophage infiltration, and enhanced colon cancer risk.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Cannabidiol (CBD), a phytocannabinoid isolated from cannabis plants, is supplemented into mice diet, and its beneficial effects against dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced experimental colitis is evaluated. Eight-week-old mice were fed a standard diet supplemented with or without CBD (200 mg kg-1 ) for 5 weeks. In the 4th week of dietary treatment, mice were subjected to 2.5% DSS induction for 7 days, followed by 7 days of recovery, to induce colitis. CBD supplementation reduced body weight loss, gross bleeding, fecal consistency, and disease activity index. In addition, CBD supplementation protected the colonic structure, promoted tissue recovery, and ameliorated macrophage infiltration in the colonic tissue, which was associated with the activation of cyclic AMP-protein kinase A, extracellular signal-regulated kinase ½, and AMP-activated protein kinase signaling pathways. CBD supplementation also suppressed NLRP3 inflammasome activation and related pro-inflammatory marker secretion. Consistently, CBD feeding reduced tight junction protein claudin2 and myosin light chain kinase in DSS-treated mice.

CONCLUSION

Dietary CBD protects against inflammation and colitis symptoms induced by DSS, providing an alternative approach to IBD management.

A Time-varying Equivalent Circuit Modeling and Measuring Approach for Intracardiac Communication in Leadless Pacemakers

Intracardiac wireless communication is crucial for the development of multi-chamber leadless cardiac pacemakers (LCP). However, the time-varying characteristics of intracardiac channel pose major challenges. As such, mastering the dynamic conduction properties of the intracardiac channel and modeling the equivalent time-varying channel are imperative for realizing LCP multi-chamber pacing. In this paper, we present a limiting volume variational approach based on the electrical properties of cardiac tissues and trends in chamber volume variation. This approach was used to establish a quasi-static and a continuous time-varying equivalent circuit model of an intracardiac channel. An equivalence analysis was conducted on the model, and a discrete time-varying equivalent circuit phantom grounded on the cardiac cycle was subsequently established. Moreover, an ex vivo cardiac experimental platform was developed for verification. Results indicate that in the frequency domain, the congruence between phantom and ex vivo experimental outcomes is as high as 94.3%, affirming the reliability of the equivalent circuit model. In the time domain, the correlation is up to 75.3%, corroborating its effectiveness. The proposed time-varying equivalent circuit model exhibits stable and standardized dynamic attributes, serving as a powerful tool for addressing time-varying challenges and simplifying in vivo or ex vivo experiments.

Effect of sacubitril valsartan on heart failure with mid-range or preserved ejection fraction in patients on maintenance hemodialysis: real-world experience in a single-center, prospective study

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of sacubitril valsartan (SV) on heart failure (HF) hospitalization and cardiovascular mortality in patients on hemodialysis with HF with preserved ejection fraction (EF; HFpEF).

METHODS

This single-center, prospective study enrolled 155 stable hemodialysis patients with EF > 40% who were followed up for 12 months. Fifty-nine patients were treated with SV; the others were matched for EF (57.89 ± 9.35 vs. 58.00 ± 11.82, P = 0.9) at a ratio of 1:1 and included as controls. The target dosage of SV was 200 mg/day.

RESULTS

Twenty-three (23/155; 14.84%) had HF with mid-range EF (HFmrEF), while 132 (85.16%) had HFpEF. After SV treatment, the peak early diastolic transmitral flow velocity/peak early diastolic mitral annular tissue velocity(E/e') improved from 17.19 ± 8.74 to 12.80 ± 5.52 (P = 0.006), the left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic diameter decreased from 53.14 ± 7.67 mm to 51.56 ± 7.44 mm (P = 0.03), and the LV mass index decreased from 165.7 ± 44.6 g/m2 to 154.8 ± 24.0 g/m2 (P = 0.02). LVEF (P = 0.08) and LV global longitudinal strain (P = 0.7) did not change significantly. The composite outcome of first and recurrent HF hospitalization or cardiovascular death showed no difference between group. However, the Acute Dialysis Quality Initiative Workgroup (ADQI) HF class improved in 39 and 15 patients and worsened in 1 and 11 patients in the SV and control groups, respectively (P < 0.001). Age, diabetes mellitus, and pulmonary arterial pressure were independent risk factors for HF hospitalization and cardiovascular mortality in patients with HFpEF.

CONCLUSIONS

SV improved LV hypertrophy, diastolic function, and the ADQI class for HF; however, it failed to reduce the composite endpoints of HF hospitalization and cardiovascular disease-related mortality over 12 months of follow-up in patients on maintenance hemodialysis with EF of > 40%.

TDA/rGO@WS with Joule heat and photothermal synergistic effect: A promising adsorption material for all-weather recovery of viscous oil spills at sea

Oil spills are a global environmental protection challenge, and traditional adsorption materials have poor effect on low temperature and high viscosity marine oil spills. This article reports composite adsorption materials TDA/rGO@WS for viscous oil spills: loaded with rGO/TDA coating on a commercial biomass wood pulp sponge (WS), achieving Joule heating, photothermal effect and hydrophobic modification. The results showed that the TDA/rGO@WS has good photothermal conversion ability and Joule heating ability, and the temperature increased to 83.7 °C and 148 °C, respectively, under simulated solar irradiation and additional voltage at room temperature. The efficiency of adsorption at a low temperature of 5 °C increased by 22.41% at 1 sun and by 51.53% at 10 V. Temperature effectively reduced the viscosity of the offshore oil spill and ensures the efficient adsorption of oil spills at low temperatures promoted. The TDA/rGO@WS also showed good hydrophobicity (WCA=129°), excellent efficiency of water-oil separation (99.53%) and good adsorption capacity (9.4-13.68 g/g) for marine fuel oils. TDA/rGO@WS effectively solves the problem of cleaning up high-viscosity oil spills from ships in winter and polar waters, and proposes a new strategy for all-weather efficient treatment of oil spills at sea.

Trajectories of health conditions and their associations with the risk of cognitive impairment among older adults: insights from a national prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

The associations between trajectories of different health conditions and cognitive impairment among older adults were unknown. Our cohort study aimed to investigate the impact of various trajectories, including sleep disturbances, depressive symptoms, functional limitations, and multimorbidity, on the subsequent risk of cognitive impairment.

METHODS

We conducted a prospective cohort study by using eight waves of national data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS 2002-2018), involving 4319 adults aged 60 years or older in the USA. Sleep disturbances and depressive symptoms were measured using the Jenkins Sleep Scale and the Centers for Epidemiologic Research Depression (CES-D) scale, respectively. Functional limitations were assessed using activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), respectively. Multimorbidity status was assessed by self-reporting physician-diagnosed diseases. We identified 8-year trajectories at four examinations from 2002 to 2010 using latent class trajectory modeling. We screened participants for cognitive impairment using the 27-point HRS cognitive scale from 2010 to 2018 across four subsequent waves. We calculated hazard ratios (HR) using Cox proportional hazard models.

RESULTS

During 25,914 person-years, 1230 participants developed cognitive impairment. In the fully adjusted model 3, the trajectories of sleep disturbances and ADLs limitations were not associated with the risk of cognitive impairment. Compared to the low trajectory, we found that the increasing trajectory of depressive symptoms (HR = 1.39; 95% CI = 1.17-1.65), the increasing trajectory of IADLs limitations (HR = 1.88; 95% CI = 1.43-2.46), and the high trajectory of multimorbidity status (HR = 1.48; 95% CI = 1.16-1.88) all posed an elevated risk of cognitive impairment. The increasing trajectory of IADLs limitations was associated with a higher risk of cognitive impairment among older adults living in urban areas (HR = 2.30; 95% CI = 1.65-3.21) and those who smoked (HR = 2.77; 95% CI = 1.91-4.02) (all P for interaction < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggest that tracking trajectories of depressive symptoms, instrumental functioning limitations, and multimorbidity status may be a potential and feasible screening method for identifying older adults at risk of cognitive impairment.

Integrated multi-omics profiling to dissect the spatiotemporal evolution of metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma

Comprehensive molecular analyses of metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are lacking. Here, we generate multi-omic profiling of 257 primary and 176 metastatic regions from 182 HCC patients. Primary tumors rich in hypoxia signatures facilitated polyclonal dissemination. Genomic divergence between primary and metastatic HCC is high, and early dissemination is prevalent. The remarkable neoantigen intratumor heterogeneity observed in metastases is associated with decreased T cell reactivity, resulting from disruptions to neoantigen presentation. We identify somatic copy number alterations as highly selected events driving metastasis. Subclones without Wnt mutations show a stronger selective advantage for metastasis than those with Wnt mutations and are characterized by a microenvironment rich in activated fibroblasts favoring a pro-metastatic phenotype. Finally, metastases without Wnt mutations exhibit higher enrichment of immunosuppressive B cells that mediate terminal exhaustion of CD8+ T cells via HLA-E:CD94-NKG2A checkpoint axis. Collectively, our results provide a multi-dimensional dissection of the complex evolutionary process of metastasis.

Bovine milk osteopontin improved intestinal health of pregnant rats fed a high-fat diet through improving bile acid metabolism

The main purpose of the current study was to investigate the ameliorative effects of bovine milk osteopontin (bmOPN) on the gut dysfunction of pregnant rats fed a high-fat diet (HFD). Bovine milk osteopontin was supplemented at a dose of 6 mg/kg body weight. Bovine milk osteopontin supplementation during pregnancy reduced colonic inflammation of HFD dams, and it also increased the colonic expression of ZO-1 and claudin-4 of HFD dams. Bovine milk osteopontin significantly enriched the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes, whereas it decreased Proteobacteria, Helicobacteraceae, and Desulfovibrionaceae in feces of HFD dams. The levels of isobutyric acid and pentanoic acid in the HFD + bmOPN group were higher than that of the HFD group. Functional predication analysis of microbial genomes revealed that bmOPN supplementation to HFD pregnancies changed 4 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways including bile acid biosynthesis. Further, bmOPN enriched hepatic taurochenodeoxycholic acid and tauroursodeoxycholic acid plus taurohyodeoxycholic acid in the gut of HFD maternal rats. Our findings suggested that bmOPN improved the gut health of HFD pregnant rats partially through modulating bile acid biosynthesis.

Airway management with Hi-flow nasal cannula oxygen in children with severe laryngeal obstruction

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to report our initial experience in airway management in young children with severe laryngeal obstruction. Hi-flow nasal cannula oxygen (HFNO) with spontaneous respiration was used as a new airway management strategy in young children undergoing suspension laryngoscopic surgery.

METHODS

Children aged between 1 day and 24 months scheduled for suspension laryngoscopy were retrospectively studied. The data collected included the patients' age, gender, American Society of Anaesthesiologists physical status classification, comorbidities, preoperative physiological status, methods of induction and maintenance of anesthesia, course of the disease and surgical options, lowest oxygen saturation recorded, transcutaneous CO2, duration of operation, and patients' need for rescue methods.

RESULTS

A total of 38 patients successfully underwent suspension laryngoscopy under HFNO with spontaneous respiration. 19 patients were less than 1 year old (7 neonates), while the other half were less than or equal to 2 years old. The median [IQR (range)] lowest oxygen saturation recorded during the operation was 98 [93-99 (91-99)] %. The median [IQR (range)] duration of HFNO with spontaneous respiration was 65 [45-100 (30-200)] minutes. The median [IQR (range)] PCO2/PtcCO2 at the end of the spontaneous ventilation period was 54 [48-63 (39-70)] mmHg, which was the same as the preoperative PCO2 despite a long operation time.

CONCLUSIONS

HFNO with spontaneous respiration emerged as a new airway management strategy in young children with severe laryngeal obstruction that was beneficial in maintaining oxygenation and was superior to transnasal humidified rapid insufflation ventilatory exchange (THRIVE) in terms of the rising rate of PCO2 in these patients, thereby prolonging the safety time of the operation.

Assessing acceptability of the fourth dose against COVID-19 among Chinese adults: A population-based survey

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has wreaked havoc across the globe for approximately three years. Vaccination is a key factor to ending this pandemic, but its protective effect diminishes over time. A second booster dose at the right time is needed. To explore the willingness to receive the fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and its influencing factors, we commenced a national, cross-sectional and anonymous survey in mainland China among people aged 18 and above from October 24 to November 7, 2022. A total of 3,224 respondents were eventually included. The acceptance rate of the fourth dose was 81.1% (95% CI: 79.8-82.5%), while it was 72.6% (95% CI: 71.1-74.2%) for a heterologous booster. Confidence in current domestic situation and the effectiveness of previous vaccinations, and uncertainty about extra protection were the main reasons for vaccine hesitancy. Perceived benefit (aOR = 1.29, 95% CI: 1.159-1.40) and cues to action (aOR = 1.73, 95% CI: 1.60-1.88) were positively associated with the vaccine acceptance, whereas perceived barriers (aOR = 0.78, 95% CI: 0.72-0.84) and self-efficacy (aOR = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.71-0.89) were both negatively associated with it. Additionally, sex, age, COVID-19 vaccination history, time for social media, and satisfaction with the government's response to COVID-19 were also factors affecting vaccination intention. Factors influencing the intention of heterologous booster were similar to the above results. It is of profound theoretical and practical significance to clarify the population's willingness to vaccinate in advance and explore the relevant influencing factors for the subsequent development and promotion of the fourth-dose vaccination strategies.

COVID-19 vaccination in people living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA) in China: A cross-sectional study

COVID-19 appears to put people living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA) at a higher risk of catastrophic consequences and mortality. However, investigations on the hesitancy and vaccination behavior of PLWHA in China were lacking compared to the general population. From January 2022 to March 2022, we conducted a multi-center cross-sectional survey of PLWHA in China. Logistic regression models were used to examine factors associated to vaccine hesitancy and COVID-19 vaccine uptake. Among 1424 participants, 108 participants (7.6%) were hesitant to be vaccinated while 1258 (88.3%) had already received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Higher COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy was associated with older age, a lower academic level, chronic disease, lower CD4+ T cell counts, severe anxiety and despair, and high perception of illness. Lower education level, lower CD4+ T cell counts, and significant anxiety and depression were all associated with a lower vaccination rate. When compared to vaccinated participants, those who were not hesitant but nevertheless unvaccinated had a higher presence of chronic disease and lower CD4+ T cell count. Tailored interventions (e.g. targeted education programs) based on these linked characteristics were required to alleviate concerns for PLWHA in promoting COVID-19 vaccination rates, particularly for PLWHA with lower education levels, lower CD4+ T cell counts, and severe anxiety and depression.

Lower rate of mpox vaccination hesitancy and medical consultation among Chinese men who have sex with men living with HIV in comparison with those living without HIV: A national observational study

This anonymous cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the relationships between HIV infection and mpox-related focus issues among Chinese men who have sex with men (MSM). This study involved in 27 MSM social organizations and was conducted from July 31 to August 4, 2023. Mpox vaccination hesitancy was defined as the proportion of participants who expressed unwillingness to receive self-funded and free vaccines. Logistic regression models were employed to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95%CI). Of 7196 MSMs, the prevalence of mpox differed between people living with HIV (PLWH) (1.04%, 20/1920) and people living without HIV (PLWoH) (0.55%, 29/5276) (P = .037). However, after adjusting for all covariates, there was no significant association between HIV status and mpox (aOR = 1.17; 95%CI = 0.58, 2.39; P = .658). Furthermore, the crude rates of vaccination hesitation (PLWoH: 5.91%, PLWH: 4.11%; P = .004) and consultation hesitation (PLWoH: 16.22%, PLWH: 10.78%; P < .001) were both lower in the PLWH. Compared with PLWoH, PLWH had lower odds ratios of vaccination hesitation (aOR = 0.70; 95%CI = 0.53, 0.92; P = .011) and consultation hesitation (aOR = 0.74; 95%CI = 0.60, 0.90; P = .003) among MSM. The estimate of association between HIV status and consultation hesitation was even smaller among MSM who reported hepatitis C infection or uncertainty (aOR = 0.30; 95%CI = 0.15, 0.56), compared with those without hepatitis C (aOR = 0.73; 95%CI = 0.60, 0.89) (P for interaction = .037). MSM living with HIV in China demonstrated a greater willingness to accept mpox vaccination and medical consultation. In the future, it is recommended that medical institutions establish good medical environment to control the mpox epidemic, especially for PLWH.

Global, regional, and national disease burden and attributable risk factors of HIV/AIDS in older adults aged 70 years and above: a trend analysis based on the Global Burden of Disease study 2019

We aimed to assess the burden and trend of the HIV/AIDS epidemic among older adults over the past three decades at different geographical levels, based on the data collected from the Global Burden of Diseases (GBD) study 2019. This assessment identified the average annual percentage changes (AAPCs) using Joinpoint regression analysis. Globally, the incidence of HIV/AIDS has decreased (AAPC = -3.107); however, the overall prevalence has consistently increased (AAPC = 5.557). Additionally, both mortality (AAPC = 2.166) and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs; AAPC = 2.429) have increased. The highest increasing trends in female HIV/AIDS incidence and prevalence were observed in the Central Asia region. However, for males, these trends were observed in the Oceania region and the high-income Asia Pacific region, respectively. In recent decades, females aged 70-74 years had the highest incidence and prevalence, while males aged 70-74 years had highest mortality and DALYs in low social development index (SDI) regions. Unsafe sex resulted in 15 381.16 deaths, accounting for 90.73% of all HIV/AIDS deaths, and 331 140.56 DALYs, accounting for 91.12% of all HIV/AIDS DALYs. The HIV/AIDS disease burden differs by region, age, and sex among older adults. Sexual health education and targeted screening for older adults are recommended.

Genomic epidemiological investigation of an outbreak of Serratia marcescens neurosurgical site infections associated with contaminated haircutting toolkits in a hospital barber shop

BACKGROUND

Nine surgical site infections caused by Serratia marcescens were diagnosed in neurosurgical patients in a 3500-bed hospital between 2nd February and 6th April 2022.

OBJECTIVE

To trace the source of infections caused by S. marcescens to expedite termination of the outbreak and prevent future epidemics.

METHODS

A review of all surgical procedures and cultures yielding S. marcescens since February 2022 was conducted. Samples were collected from patients and environmental sources. S. marcescens isolates were characterized by antibiotic susceptibility testing. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) was used to investigate genetic relationships. Resistance genes, virulence genes and plasmid replicons were identified.

RESULTS

S. marcescens was isolated from patients' puncture fluid, cerebrospinal fluid and other secretions, and was also cultured from the barbers' haircutting tools, including leather knives, slicker scrapers and razors. In total, 15 isolates were obtained from patients and eight isolates were obtained from haircutting tools. All isolates exhibited identical antibiotic resistance patterns. WGS revealed close clustering among the 23 isolates which differed significantly from previous strains. Three resistance genes and nine virulence-associated genes were detected in all isolates, and 19 of 23 isolates harboured an MOBP-type plasmid. The results confirmed an outbreak of S. marcescens, which was traced to contaminated haircutting tools in the hospital barber shop. The outbreak ended after extensive reinforcement of infection control procedures and re-education of the barbers.

CONCLUSIONS

These results highlight the risk of postoperative infections related to pre-operative skin preparation, and demonstrate the value of next-generation sequencing tools to expedite outbreak investigations.

The prevalence of mpox and its association with sexual behavior among Chinese men who have sex with men in early August 2023

Study investigating mpox infection and its association with sexual behavior among men who have sex with men (MSM) in China was lacking. This observational survey aimed to provide evidence on detail characteristics of mpox cases and sexual behavior, then analyze their relationship among MSM in China to help formulate prevention and control policies. An anonymous cross-sectional study was conducted in 27 MSM social organizations across 21 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions from July 31 to August 4, 2023. A safe sexual behavior index was constructed based on three risky sexual behaviors in the last month, including condomless anal intercourse, commercial sex and group sex. High safe sexual behavior indicated that the participant engaged in none of the three, and low safe sexual behavior indicated that they engaged in all three behaviors; otherwise, moderate safe sexual behavior was indicated. Among 7538 MSM, the prevalence of mpox was 0.73% (55/7538). The proportion of high safe sexual behavior was 79.64% (6003/7538). The crude prevalence of mpox was lower in the high safe sexual behavior group (0.35%, 21/6003), compared with the low (12.12%, 8/66) and moderate safe (1.78%, 26/1469) sexual behavior group. In the multivariable-adjusted analysis, after adjusting for all covariates, compared with low safe sexual behavior group, moderate safe sexual behavior group (aOR = 0.21; 95% CI = 0.08, 0.54) and high safe sexual behavior group (aOR = 0.04; 95% CI = 0.02, 0.12) both had lower risk of mpox. Of three sexual behaviors, MSM who reported no commercial sex had the lowest risk of mpox (aOR = 0.23; 95% CI = 0.13, 0.41), compared with those who reported commercial sex in the last month. The other two safe sexual behaviors both were associated with lower risk of mpox (no group sex vs. group sex: aOR = 0.15; 95% CI = 0.08, 0.28; no condomless anal intercourse vs. condomless anal intercourse: aOR = 0.23; 95% CI = 0.13, 0.41). The prevalence of mpox virus infection was nearly 1% among MSM in China. Strengthening mpox surveillance, emphasizing safe sexual behavior in health education are essential for the control of mpox among MSM in China.

Single-Cell RNA-Sequencing Provides Insight into Skeletal Muscle Evolution during the Selection of Muscle Characteristics

Skeletal muscle comprises a large, heterogeneous assortment of cell populations that interact to maintain muscle homeostasis, but little is known about the mechanism that controls myogenic development in response to artificial selection. Different pig (Sus scrofa) breeds exhibit distinct muscle phenotypes resulting from domestication and selective breeding. Using unbiased single-cell transcriptomic sequencing analysis (scRNA-seq), the impact of artificial selection on cell profiles is investigated in neonatal skeletal muscle of pigs. This work provides panoramic muscle-resident cell profiles and identifies novel and breed-specific cells, mapping them on pseudotime trajectories. Artificial selection has elicited significant changes in muscle-resident cell profiles, while conserving signs of generational environmental challenges. These results suggest that fibro-adipogenic progenitors serve as a cellular interaction hub and that specific transcription factors identified here may serve as candidate target regulons for the pursuit of a specific muscle phenotype. Furthermore, a cross-species comparison of humans, mice, and pigs illustrates the conservation and divergence of mammalian muscle ontology. The findings of this study reveal shifts in cellular heterogeneity, novel cell subpopulations, and their interactions that may greatly facilitate the understanding of the mechanism underlying divergent muscle phenotypes arising from artificial selection.

Development and validation of prediction models for poor sleep quality among older adults in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era

BACKGROUND

Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has a significant impact on sleep quality. However, the effects on sleep quality in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era remain unclear, and there is a lack of a screening tool for Chinese older adults. This study aimed to understand the prevalence of poor sleep quality and determine sensitive variables to develop an effective prediction model for screening sleep problems during infectious diseases outbreaks.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The Peking University Health Cohort included 10,156 participants enrolled from April to May 2023. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scale was used to assess sleep quality. The data were randomly divided into a training-testing cohort (n = 7109, 70%) and an independent validation cohort (n = 3027, 30%). Five prediction models with 10-fold cross validation including the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO), Stochastic Volatility Model (SVM), Random Forest (RF), Artificial Neural Network (ANN), and XGBoost model based on the area under curve (AUC) were used to develop and validate predictors.

RESULTS

The prevalence of poor sleep quality (PSQI >7) was 30.69% (3117/10,156). Among the generated models, the LASSO model outperformed SVM (AUC 0.579), RF (AUC 0.626), ANN (AUC 0.615) and XGBoost (AUC 0.606), with an AUC of 0.7. Finally, a total of 12 variables related to sleep quality were used as parameters in the prediction models. These variables included age, gender, ethnicity, educational level, residence, marital status, history of chronic diseases, SARS-CoV-2 infection, COVID-19 vaccination, social support, depressive symptoms, and cognitive impairment among older adults during the post-COVID-19 pandemic. The nomogram illustrated that depressive symptoms contributed the most to the prediction of poor sleep quality, followed by age and residence.

CONCLUSIONS

This nomogram, based on twelve-variable, could potentially serve as a practical and reliable tool for early identification of poor sleep quality among older adults during the post-pandemic period.

Measurement of MMP-7 in micro-volume peripheral blood: development of dried blood spot approach

Purpose

Serum matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7) is significant in differentiating biliary atresia (BA). This study aims to develop a new peripheral blood quantitative collection device to detect MMP-7 levels via dried blood spot (DBS).

Methods

This is a diagnostic accuracy test. Serum and DBS MMP-7 concentrations were measured using an ELISA kit. Intraoperative cholangiography and subsequent histological examinations were used to confirm BA diagnoses.

Results

A total of 241 infants with obstructive jaundice were enrolled, among whom 168 were BA. Linear regression showed DBS MMP-7 correlated well with serum MMP-7 (R = 0.93, P < 0.001). The best cut-off value of serum MMP-7 for BA was 25.9 ng/ml, achieving the area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.962 (95% CI: 0.941, 0.983), and the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were 86.9%, 94.5%, 97.3% and 75.8%, respectively. The best cut-off value of DBS MMP-7 for BA was 12.5 ng/ml, achieving the AUC of 0.922 (95% CI: 0.888, 0.956), and the sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV were 86.9%, 89.0%, 94.8%, and 74.7%, respectively. The dried blood spots were intervened under different storage conditions, including 1-5 days at room temperature, 2 or 3 days at 30 °C and 2 or 3 days at 37 °C. The DBS MMP-7 concentration under different storage conditions had good correlation and consistency with that at -80 °C.

Conclusions

Serum and DBS MMP-7 correlate well, both of which have high accuracy in the diagnosis of BA, while the requirements for the storage of DBS are low.

A Genome-Wide Analysis of Serine Protease Inhibitors in Cydia pomonella Provides Insights into Their Evolution and Expression Pattern

Serine protease inhibitors (serpins) appear to be ubiquitous in almost all living organisms, with a conserved structure and varying functions. Serpins can modulate immune responses by negatively regulating serine protease activities strictly and precisely. The codling moth, Cydia pomonella (L.), a major invasive pest in China, can cause serious economic losses. However, knowledge of serpin genes in this insect remain largely unknown. In this study, we performed a systematic analysis of the serpin genes in C. pomonella, obtaining 26 serpins from the C. pomonella genome. Subsequently, their sequence features, evolutionary relationship, and expression pattern were characterized. Comparative analysis revealed the evolution of a number of serpin genes in Lepidoptera. Importantly, the evolutionary relationship and putative roles of serpin genes in C. pomonella were revealed. Additionally, selective pressure analysis found amino acid sites with strong evidence of positive selection. Interestingly, the serpin1 gene possessed at least six splicing isoforms with distinct reactive-center loops, and these isoforms were experimentally validated. Furthermore, we observed a subclade expansion of serpins, and these genes showed high expression in multiple tissues, suggesting their important roles in C. pomonella. Overall, this study will enrich our knowledge of the immunity of C. pomonella and help to elucidate the role of serpins in the immune response.

Constructing a Photothermal and Quaternary Ammonium Cation Bactericidal Platform onto SEBS for Synergistic Therapy

Poly(styrene-b-(ethylene-co-butylene)-b-styrene) (SEBS) with eminent elasticity, thermoplastic ability, and biological stability has aroused great interest in the medical area. However, bacteria can easily adhere to the hydrophobic SEBS surface to cause medical device-related infections. In this work, SEBS is modified to prepare the SEBS-polydopamine (PDA)-poly(lysine) quaternary ammonium derivative (PLQ) antibacterial surface by PDA deposition and surface grafting techniques to solve bacterial infections. PDA is used as an intermediate layer and presents an excellent photothermal effect. The grafted polymer PLQ has antimicrobial quaternary ammonium cation groups, which plays synergistic bactericidal therapy with PDA. The SEBS-PDA-PLQ surface almost totally suppresses the growth of bacteria with a surface bacterial survival rate of 0.05% under laser irradiation. The outstanding antibacterial activity of the SEBS-PDA-PLQ surface is attributed to the synergistic effects of the photothermal performance of PDA and quaternary ammonium cationic functional groups of PLQ. In addition, the membrane SEBS-PDA-PLQ shows good hydrophilicity, antiprotein adsorption ability, chemical stability, and biocompatibility. This antibiotic-free antimicrobial approach has great potential for practical application in solving infections associated with medical devices.

Polar lipid-enriched milk fat globule membrane supplementation in maternal high-fat diet promotes intestinal barrier function and modulates gut microbiota in male offspring

Intestinal development plays a critical role in physiology and disease in early life and has long-term effects on the health status throughout the lifespan. Maternal high-fat diet (HFD) fuels the inflammatory reaction and metabolic syndrome, disrupts intestinal barrier function, and alters gut microbiota in offspring. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether polar lipid-enriched milk fat globule membrane (MFGM-PL) supplementation in maternal HFD could promote intestinal barrier function and modulate gut microbiota in male offspring. Obese female rats induced by HFD were supplemented with MFGM-PL during pregnancy and lactation. The offspring were fed HFD for 11 weeks after weaning. MFGM-PL supplementation to dams fed HFD decreased the body weight gain and ameliorated abnormalities of serum insulin, lipids, and inflammatory cytokines in offspring at weaning. Maternal MFGM-PL supplementation promoted the intestinal barrier by increasing the expression of Ki-67, lysozyme, mucin 2, zonula occludens-1, claudin-3, and occludin. Additionally, MFGM-PL supplementation to HFD dams improved gut dysbiosis in offspring. MFGM-PL increased the relative abundance of Akkermansiaceae, Ruminococcaceae, and Blautia. Concomitantly, maternal MFGM-PL treatment increased short-chain fatty acids of colonic contents and G-protein-coupled receptor (GPR) 41 and GPR 43 expressions in the colon of offspring. Importantly, the beneficial effects of maternal MFGM-PL intervention persisted to offspring's adulthood, as evidenced by increased relative abundance of norank_f_Muribaculaceae, Peptostreptococcaceae and Romboutsia and modulated the taxonomic diversity of gut microbiota in adult offspring. In summary, maternal MFGM-PL supplementation improved intestinal development in the offspring of dams fed with HFD, which exerted long-term beneficial effects on offspring intestinal health.

CircRNA circ_0013339 Regulates the Progression of Colorectal Cancer Through miR-136-5p/SOX9 Axis

BACKGROUND

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common gastrointestinal malignancy. Dysregulation of circular RNAs (circRNAs) is associated with the progression of CRC. However, the role of circ_0013339 (hsa_circ_0013339) in CRC is still not clear.

METHODS

The levels of circ_0013339, miR-136-5p, and SRY-box transcription factor 9 (SOX9) in CRC were gauged by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Colony formation and 5-Ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) assays were used to detect cell proliferation. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK8) assay was used to measure cell viability. Western blot assay was performed to examine protein expression. The relationship between miR-136-5p and circ_0013339 or SOX9 was tested by dual-luciferase reporter assay. The effect of sh-circ_0013339 on tumor growth in vivo was examined by xenograft experiments.

RESULTS

Circ_0013339 expression was elevated in CRC tissues and cells, and circ_0013339 knockdown diminished the growth of CRC cells. MiR-136-5p was regulated by circ_0013339. MiR-136-5p deficiency ameliorated the effects of circ_0013339 silencing on CRC cell malignant behaviors. Circ_0013339 modulated SOX9 expression through miR-136-5p. SOX9 addition reversed the effects of miR-136-5p overexpression on CRC cell behaviors. Moreover, silencing of circ_0013339 suppressed the growth of xenograft tumors in vivo.

CONCLUSION

Circ_0013339 regulates the progression of CRC through miR-136-5p-dependent regulation of SOX9, uncovering a novel regulatory mechanism of circ_0013339 in CRC.

Vitamin a supplementation during pregnancy in shaping child growth outcomes: A meta-analysis

Abnormal fetal growth increases risks of childhood health complications. Vitamin A supplementation (VAS) is highly accessible, but literature inconsistency regarding effects of maternal VAS on fetal and childhood growth outcomes exists, deterring pregnant women from VAS during pregnancy. This meta-analysis aimed to analyze effects of vitamin A only or vitamin A + co-intervention during pregnancy in healthy mothers (MH) or with complications (MC, night blindness and HIV positive) on perinatal growth outcomes, also assess VAS dose impacts. The Cochrane Library, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, Embase and Web of Science databases were searched from inception to July 15, 2021. We covered subgroup analyses, including VAS in MH or MC within randomized controlled trial (RCT) or observational studies (OS). Fifty-five studies were included in this meta-analysis (426,098 pregnancies). Vitamin A decreased risk of preterm birth by 9% in MH-RCT (P < 0.001), by 62% in MH-OS (P = 0.029), by 10% in MC-RCT (P = 0.089); decreased LBW by 24% in MC-RCT (P = 0.032); increased neonatal weight in MC-RCT (SMD 0.96; P = 0.051). Besides, vitamin A + co-intervention decreased risks of preterm by 18% in MH-OS (P = 0.021); LBW by 25% in MH-OS (P < 0.001); by 32% in MC-RCT (P = 0.006); decreased neonatal defects by 33% in MH-OS (P = 0.064); decreased anemia by 25% in MH-OS (P = 0.0003); increased neonatal weight in MH-OS (SMD 0.51; P = 0.014); and increased neonatal length in MH-OS (SMD 1.83; P = 0.013). Meta-regression of VAS dose with individual outcomes was not significant, and no side effects were observed for VAS doses up to 4000 mcg (RAE/d). Regardless of maternal health conditions, VAS during pregnancy can safely and effectively improve fetal development and neonatal health even in mothers without VAD.

Characterization and Pharmacokinetic Assessment of a New Berberine Formulation with Enhanced Absorption In Vitro and in Human Volunteers

Berberine is a plant-origin quaternary isoquinoline alkaloid with a vast array of biological activities, including antioxidant and blood-glucose- and blood-lipid-lowering effects. However, its therapeutic potential is largely limited by its poor oral bioavailability. The aim of this study was to investigate the in vitro solubility and Caco-2 cell permeability followed by pharmacokinetic profiling in healthy volunteers of a new food-grade berberine delivery system (i.e., Berberine LipoMicel®). X-ray diffractometry (XRD), in vitro solubility, and Caco-2 cell permeability indicated higher bioavailability of LipoMicel Berberine (LMB) compared to the standard formulation. Increased aqueous solubility (up to 1.4-fold), as well as improved Caco-2 cell permeability of LMB (7.18 × 10-5 ± 7.89 × 10-6 cm/s), were observed when compared to standard/unformulated berberine (4.93 × 10-6 ± 4.28 × 10-7 cm/s). Demonstrating better uptake, LMB achieved significant increases in AUC0-24 and Cmax compared to the standard formulation (AUC: 78.2 ± 14.4 ng h/mL vs. 13.4 ± 1.97 ng h/mL, respectively; p < 0.05; Cmax: 15.8 ± 2.6 ng/mL vs. 1.67 ± 0.41 ng/mL) in a pilot study of healthy volunteers (n = 10). No adverse reactions were reported during the study period. In conclusion, LMB presents a highly bioavailable formula with superior absorption (up to six-fold) compared to standard berberine formulation and may, therefore, have the potential to improve the therapeutic efficacy of berberine. The study has been registered on ClinicalTrials.gov with Identifier NCT05370261.

Molecular identification and development of an infectious cDNA clone of Trichosanthes kirilowii-infecting cucurbit mild mosaic virus

Trichosanthes kirilowii has been mainly grown for use in traditional Chinese medicine. In this study, cucurbit mild mosaic virus (CuMMV) belonging to the genus Fabavirus was identified from T. kirilowii plants. CuMMV possesses a segmented, bipartite linear single-stranded RNA genome composed of RNA1 and RNA2. Sequence analysis showed that each genomic segment shares the highest sequence similarity with those of CuMMV isolated from pumpkin. A full-length infectious cDNA clone of CuMMV was further constructed and was found to induce typical symptoms in T. kirilowii, Cucumis sativus, C. melo, Citrullus lanatus, and Cucurbita pepo. The sap inoculum derived from the infectious cDNA clone of CuMMV could be mechanically transmitted and reproduce similar symptoms in the tested plants. This is the first report on the construction of a biologically active, full-length infectious cDNA clone of CuMMV, which will provide a useful tool in understanding CuMMV-encoded proteins and plant-CuMMV interactions.

U-shaped association between sleep duration and the risk of respiratory diseases mortality: a large prospective cohort study from UK Biobank

STUDY OBJECTIVES

Our cohort study aimed to study the association between sleep duration and risk of mortality due to respiratory diseases.

METHODS

We included 498,200 participants from UK Biobank (2006-2021). We classified sleep duration as short sleep duration (< 7 hours), long sleep duration (> 9 hours for adults, > 8 hours for older adults), and midrange sleep duration (7-9 hours). We used the Cox proportional hazards model and restricted cubic spline analysis to explore the association between sleep duration and respiratory diseases mortality.

RESULTS

During a median follow-up of 12.49 years, 2,477 deaths due to respiratory diseases were recorded, of which 1,099 were deaths due to chronic lower respiratory diseases. Cox models with penalized splines showed U-shaped associations of sleep duration with mortality due to total respiratory diseases and chronic lower respiratory diseases. Compared with midrange sleep duration, short sleep duration was associated with 14% higher risk of total respiratory diseases mortality (hazard ratio = 1.14; 95% confidence interval: 1.04, 1.25), and long sleep duration was associated with 35% higher risk of total respiratory diseases mortality (hazard ratio = 1.35; 95% confidence interval: 1.19, 1.55), after adjustment of baseline characteristics, health status, and lifestyle habits. Similarly, the hazard ratios for chronic lower respiratory diseases mortality were 1.20 (95% confidence interval: 1.04, 1.38) and 1.44 (95% confidence interval: 1.19, 1.74), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

There was a U-shaped association between sleep duration and respiratory diseases mortality. Appropriate sleep duration may improve the progress of respiratory diseases.

CITATION

Du M, Liu M, Liu J. U-shaped association between sleep duration and the risk of respiratory diseases mortality: a large prospective cohort study from UK Biobank. J Clin Sleep Med. 2023;19(11):1923-1932.

Dextran sulfate sodium-induced gut microbiota dysbiosis aggravates liver injury in mice with S100-induced autoimmune hepatitis

Recently, the incidence of autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) has gradually increased, and the disease can eventually develop into cirrhosis or even hepatoma if left untreated. AIH patients are often characterized by gut microbiota dysbiosis, but whether gut microbiota dysbiosis contributes to the progression of AIH remains unclear. In this study, we investigate the role of gut microbiota dysbiosis in the occurrence and development of AIH in mice with dextran sulfate sodium salt (DSS) induced colitis. C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into normal group, S100-induced AIH group, and DSS+S100 group (1 % DSS in the drinking water), and the experimental cycle lasted for four weeks. We demonstrate that DSS administration aggravates hepatic inflammation and disruption of the intestinal barrier, and significantly changes the composition of gut microbiota in S100-induced AIH mice, which are mainly characterized by increased abundance of pathogenic bacteria and decreased abundance of beneficial bacteria. These results suggest that DSS administration aggravates liver injury of S100-induced AIH, which may be due to DSS induced gut microbiota dysbiosis, leading to disruption of the intestinal barrier, and then, the microbiota translocate to the liver, aggravating hepatic inflammation.

Global trends and regional differences in disease burden of stroke among children: a trend analysis based on the global burden of disease study 2019

BACKGROUND

Stroke is a major cause of acute neurological symptoms in children with significant long-term neurological sequelae. However, data of diseases burden on stroke among children was lack. We aimed to be dedicated to analyze and compare global trends as well as regional and sociodemographic differences in stroke prevalence, incidence, mortality and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) among children aged 0 ~ 14 years.

METHOD

We obtained data on annual number of incident strokes, prevalent strokes, deaths, and DALYs, age-standardized incidence rates (ASIRs), prevalence rates (ASPRs), mortality rates (ASMRs) and DALY rates (ASDRs) of stroke among individuals aged 14 years and younger during 1990-2019 from the 2019 Global Burden of Disease Study. To quantify the temporal trends, we calculated changes (%) in number, and used joinpoint regression analysis to identify the average annual percentage changes (AAPCs) of age standardized rates.

RESULT

Globally, the incident strokes and prevalent strokes increased by 18.51% and 31.97%, respectively, but DALYs due to stroke and deaths due to stroke decreased by 60.18% and 65.03%, respectively, from 1990 to 2019. During the same period, ASIR increased by 0.21% (95%CI: 0.17, 0.24) from 18.02 to 100,000 population in 1990 to 19.11 per 100,000 in 2019; ASPR increased by 0.66% (95%CI: 0.36, 0.96) from 68.88 to 100,000 population in 1990 to 81.35 per 100,000 in 2019; while ASMR (AAPC= -3.94; 95%CI: -4.07, -3.81) and ASDR (AAPC= -3.50; 95%CI: -3.64, -3.36) both decreased. In 2019, the highest age standardized incidence, prevalence, mortality, and DALY rates all occurred in low sociodemographic index (SDI) regions. The greatest increase of age standardized incidence rate (AAPC = 0.21; 95%CI: 0.18, 0.25) and prevalence rate (AAPC = 1.15; 95%CI: 0.34, 1.96) both were in high SDI regions. Eastern Sub-Saharan Africa had the highest ASIR and ASPR in 2019, and Oceania had the highest ASMR and ASDR in 2019 across 21 GBD regions. High-income North America had the largest increase in ASIR (AAPC = 0.63; 95%CI: 0.59, 0.66) and ASPR (AAPC = 1.58; 95%CI: 0.54, 2.63). Against the overall decreasing trend of ASMR, an increasing trend of ASMR was found in Zimbabwe (AAPC = 0.91; 95%CI: 0.44, 1.37) and Botswana (AAPC = 0.74; 95%CI: 0.02, 1.47).

CONCLUSION

The overall increasing stroke incidence and prevalence indicated that prevention and management of stroke among younger population should be critical in the future. Despite stroke mortality with falling trend worldwide, specific countries or territories present worrying increase in stroke mortality. Without urgent implementation of effective primary prevention strategies, the stroke burden of children will probably continue to grow across the world, particularly in high-SDI countries.

Tanshinone IIA alleviates atherosclerosis in LDLR-/- mice by regulating efferocytosis of macrophages

Background: Tanshinone IIA (TIIA) is the major lipid-soluble active ingredient of the traditional Chinese medicine Salvia miltiorrhiza, which slows down atherosclerosis (AS). However, it remains unclear whether TIIA has the potential to enhance macrophage efferocytosis and thereby improve atherosclerosis. Objective: The focus of this examination was to determine if TIIA could reduce lipid accumulation and treat AS by enhancing efferocytosis. Methods: Firstly, we conducted in vivo experiments using LDLR knockout (LDLR-/-) mice for a period of 24 weeks, using histopathological staining, immunofluorescence and Western blot experiments to validate from the efficacy and mechanism parts, respectively; in addition, we utilized cells to validate our study again in vitro. The specific experimental design scheme is as follows: In vivo, Western diet-fed LDLR-/- mice for 12 weeks were constructed as an AS model, and normal diet-fed LDLR-/- mice were taken as a blank control group. The TIIA group and positive control group (atorvastatin, ATO) were intervened for 12 weeks by intraperitoneal injection (15 mg/kg/d) and gavage (1.3 mg/kg/d), respectively. In vitro, RAW264.7 cells were cultured with ox-LDL (50 ug/mL) or ox-LDL (50 ug/mL) + TIIA (20 uM/L or 40 uM/L). Pathological changes in aortic plaques and foam cell formation in RAW264.7 cells were evaluated using Masson and Oil Red O staining, respectively. Biochemical methods were used to detect lipid levels in mice. The immunofluorescence assay was performed to detect apoptotic cells and efferocytosis-related signal expression at the plaques. RT-qPCR and Western blot were carried out to observe the trend change of efferocytosis-related molecules in both mouse aorta and RAW264.7 cells. We also used the neutral red assay to assess RAW264.7 cells' phagocytic capacity. Results: Compared with the model group, TIIA decreased serum TC, TG, and LDL-C levels (p < 0.01), reduced the relative lumen area of murine aortic lipid-rich plaques (p < 0.01), enhanced the stability of murine aortic plaques (p < 0.01), reduced ox-LDL-induced lipid build-up in RAW264.7 cells (p < 0.01), and upregulated efferocytosis-related molecules expression and enhance the efferocytosis rate of ox-LDL-induced RAW264.7 cells. Conclusion: TIIA might reduce lipid accumulation by enhancing the efferocytosis of macrophages and thus treat AS.