Efficacy of maxillary molar intrusion and quantification of related external apical root resorption - A comparison of two approaches

OBJECTIVE

This retrospective single-centre study aimed to compare the efficacy of maxillary second molar intrusion with two different approaches, miniscrew-assisted molar intrusion and traditional segmental archwire intrusion, and to compare orthodontically induced external apical root resorption (OIERR) during intrusion between two groups via cone beam computed tomography (CBCT).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 40 adult patients (33.6 ± 10.3 years old) with supraerupted maxillary second molars due to the loss of antagonistic teeth were recruited, with 20 patients in each group. A segmental archwire with adjacent teeth as an anchorage was used in the control group, and 60-100 g of intrusive force was applied by using miniscrews in the experimental group to intrude the overerupted molars. Full-volume CBCT was performed before and after intrusion, and the amount of intrusion and extent of OIERR of the overerupted molars were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

Supraerupted maxillary second molars could be successfully intruded in an average of 5 months. There was more intrusive movement of the buccal and palatal cusps in the mininscrew group than that in the segmental archwire group (P < .05). The intrusive amount of palatal cusp was 3.67 ± 1.13 mm in the miniscrew group and 2.38 ± 0.74 mm in the segmental archwire group. More palatal OIERR was observed in the miniscrew group (30.3 ± 11.6 mm3) than in the segmental archwire group (21.0 ± 8.66 mm3) (P = .0063). There was no significant difference in OIERR between the two groups for mesial and distal buccal roots (P > .05).

CONCLUSION

Miniscrews help effectively with supraerupted maxillary second molar intrusion, especially for palatal cusps. There was more OIERR in the palatal root when using miniscrews compared to the segmental archwire approach.

Heterogeneous effects of hospital competition on inpatient quality: an analysis of five common diseases in China

BACKGROUND

Many countries has introduced pro-competition policies in the delivery of healthcare to improve medical quality, including China. With the increasing intensity of competition in China's healthcare market, there are rising concerns among policymakers about the impact of hospital competition on quality. This study investigated heterogeneous effects of hospital competition on inpatient quality.

METHODS

We analyzed the inpatient discharge dataset and selected chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), ischemic stroke, pneumonia, hemorrhagic stroke, and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) as representative diseases. A total of 561,429 patients in Sichuan Province in 2017 and 2019 were included. The outcomes of interest were in-hospital mortality and 30-day unplanned readmissions. The Herfindahl-Hirschman Index was calculated using predicted patient flows to measure hospital competition. To address the spatial correlations of hospitals and the structure of the dataset, the multiple membership multiple classification model was employed for analysis.

RESULTS

Amid intensifying competition in the hospital market, our study discerned no marked statistical variance in the risk of inpatient quality across most diseases examined. Amplified competition exhibited a positive correlation with heightened in-hospital mortality for both COPD and pneumonia patients. Elevated competition escalated the risk of 30-day unplanned readmissions for COPD patients, while inversely affecting the risk for AMI patients.

CONCLUSIONS

There is the heterogeneous impact of hospital competition on quality across various diseases in China. Policymakers who intend to leverage hospital competition as a tool to enhance healthcare quality must be cognizant of the possible influences of it.

Teriflunomide Promotes Blood-Brain Barrier Integrity by Upregulating Claudin-1 via the Wnt/β-catenin Signaling Pathway in Multiple Sclerosis

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) and tight junction (TJ) proteins maintain the homeostasis of the central nervous system (CNS). The dysfunction of BBB allows peripheral T cells infiltration into CNS and contributes to the pathophysiology of multiple sclerosis (MS). Teriflunomide is an approved drug for the treatment of MS by suppressing lymphocytes proliferation. However, whether teriflunomide has a protective effect on BBB in MS is not understood. We found that teriflunomide restored the injured BBB in the EAE model. Furthermore, teriflunomide treatment over 6 months improved BBB permeability and reduced peripheral leakage of CNS proteins in MS patients. Teriflunomide increased human brain microvascular endothelial cell (HBMEC) viability and promoted BBB integrity in an in vitro cell model. The TJ protein claudin-1 was upregulated by teriflunomide and responsible for the protective effect on BBB. Furthermore, RNA sequencing revealed that the Wnt signaling pathway was affected by teriflunomide. The activation of Wnt signaling pathway increased claudin-1 expression and reduced BBB damage in cell model and EAE rats. Our study demonstrated that teriflunomide upregulated the expression of the tight junction protein claudin-1 in endothelial cells and promoted the integrity of BBB through Wnt signaling pathway.

Study on the performance and mechanism of cobaltous ion removal from water by a high-efficiency strontium-doped hydroxyapatite adsorbent

In this study, a high-efficiency strontium-doped hydroxyapatite (Sr-HAP) adsorbent was synthesized by a sol-gel method for removing cobaltous ions (Co(II)) from water. The effects of adsorbent dose, initial solution pH, initial Co(II) concentration and temperature on the removal performance of Co(II) were investigated. Experimental results indicated that the optimum Sr-HAP dose was 0.30 g/50 mL solution, the Sr-HAP adsorbent could effectively remove Co(II) in a wide pH range of 3-8. Increasing temperature was conducive to the adsorption, and the maximum Co(II) adsorption capacity by Sr-HAP reached 48.467 mg/g at 45 °C. The adsorption of Co(II) followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model, indicating that the Co(II) adsorption by Sr-HAP was attributed mainly to chemisorption. The isothermal adsorption results showed that at lower Co(II) equilibrium concentration, the Langmuir model fitted the data better than the Freundlich model but opposite at higher Co(II) equilibrium concentration. Therefore, the adsorption of Co(II) was a process from monolayer adsorption to multilayer adsorption with the increase of the Co(II) equilibrium concentration. The diffusion analysis of Co(II) to Sr-HAP indicated that the internal diffusion and surface adsorption were the rate-controlled steps of Co(II) adsorption. Thermodynamic study demonstrated that the Co(II) adsorption process was spontaneous and endothermic. The mechanism study revealed that in addition to chemisorption, Sr-HAP also removed Co(II) ions from water via ion exchange and surface complexation.

mRNA cleavage by 21-nucleotide phasiRNAs determines temperature-sensitive male sterility in rice

Temperature-sensitive male sterility is one of the core components for hybrid rice (Oryza sativa) breeding based on the 2-line system. We previously found that knockout of ARGONAUTE 1d (AGO1d) causes temperature-sensitive male sterility in rice by influencing phased small interfering RNA (phasiRNA) biogenesis and function. However, the specific phasiRNAs and their targets underlying the temperature-sensitive male sterility in the ago1d mutant remain unknown. Here, we demonstrate that the ago1d mutant displays normal female fertility but complete male sterility at low temperature. Through a multiomics analysis of small RNA (sRNA), degradome, and transcriptome, we found that 21-nt phasiRNAs account for the greatest proportion of the 21-nt sRNA species in rice anthers and are sensitive to low temperature and markedly downregulated in the ago1d mutant. Moreover, we found that 21-nt phasiRNAs are essential for the mRNA cleavage of a set of fertility- and cold tolerance-associated genes, such as Earlier Degraded Tapetum 1 (EDT1), Tapetum Degeneration Retardation (TDR), OsPCF5, and OsTCP21, directly or indirectly determined by AGO1d-mediated gene silencing. The loss of function of 21-nt phasiRNAs can result in upregulation of their targets and causes varying degrees of defects in male fertility and grain setting. Our results highlight the essential functions of 21-nt phasiRNAs in temperature-sensitive male sterility in rice and suggest their promising application in 2-line hybrid rice breeding in the future.

Mechanical Behavior of Bio-Inspired Honeycomb-Core Composite Sandwich Structures to Low-Velocity Dynamic Loading

In order to improve the impact resistance of sandwich panels under low-velocity impact, the lotus leaf vein is selected as a biological prototype to design a bio-inspired honeycomb (BIH) sandwich panel. ABAQUS is used to establish and effectively verify the finite element (FE) model of the BIH sandwich panel. To systematically compare and study the mechanical properties of BIH and conventional hexagonal honeycomb sandwich panels under low-velocity impact, the maximum displacement of face-sheets, the deformation mode, the plastic energy consumption and the dynamic response curve of the impact end are presented. At the same time, the performance differences between them are revealed from the perspective of an energy absorption mechanism. Furthermore, the influence of the circumscribed circle diameter ratio of the BIH trunk to branch (γ), the thickness ratio of the trunk to branch (K) and the impact angle (θ) on impact resistance is studied. Finally, the BIH sandwich panel is further optimized by using the response surface method. It can be concluded that, compared to conventional hexagonal honeycomb sandwich panels, the addition of walls in the BIH sandwich panel reduces the maximum deformation of the rear face-sheet by 10.29% and increases plastic energy consumption by 8.02%. Properly adjusting the structural parameters can effectively enhance the impact resistance of the BIH sandwich panel.

Targeting Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 1 Induces Apoptosis and Cell Cycle Arrest of Activated Hepatic Stellate Cells

Liver fibrosis is the integral process of chronic liver diseases caused by multiple etiologies and characterized by excessive deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM). During liver fibrosis, hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) transform into a highly proliferative, activated state, producing various cytokines, chemokines, and ECM. However, the precise mechanisms that license HSCs into the highly proliferative state remain unclear. Cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1) is a requisite event for the transition of the G1/S and G2/M phases in eukaryotic cells. In this study, it is demonstrated that CDK1 and its activating partners, Cyclin A2 and Cyclin B1, are upregulated in both liver fibrosis/cirrhosis patient specimens and the murine hepatic fibrosis models, especially in activated HSCs. In vitro, CDK1 is upregulated in spontaneously activated HSCs, and inhibiting CDK1 with specific small-molecule inhibitors (CGP74514A, RO-3306, or Purvalanol A) orshort hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) resulted in HSC apoptosis and cell cycle arrest by regulating Survivin expression. Above all, it is illustrated that increased CDK1 expression licenses the HSCs into a highly proliferative state and can serve as a potential therapeutic target in liver fibrosis.

A panel of multivalent nanobodies broadly neutralizing Omicron subvariants and recombinant

The emerging Omicron subvariants have a remarkable ability to spread and escape nearly all current monoclonal antibody (mAb) treatments. Although the virulence of SARS-CoV-2 has now diminished, it remains a significant threat to public health due to its high transmissibility and susceptibility to mutation. Therefore, it is urgent to develop broad-acting and potent therapeutics targeting current and emerging Omicron variants. Here, we identified a panel of Omicron BA.1 spike receptor-binding domain (RBD)-targeted nanobodies (Nbs) from a naive alpaca VHH library. This panel of Nbs exhibited high binding affinity to the spike RBD of wild-type, Alpha B.1.1.7, Beta B.1.351, Delta plus, Omicron BA.1, and BA.2. Through multivalent Nb construction, we obtained a subpanel of ultrapotent neutralizing Nbs against Omicron BA.1, BA.2, BF.7 and even emerging XBB.1.5, and XBB.1.16 pseudoviruses. Protein structure prediction and docking analysis showed that Nb trimer 2F2E5 targets two independent RBD epitopes, thus minimizing viral escape. Taken together, we obtained a panel of broad and ultrapotent neutralizing Nbs against Omicron BA.1, Omicron BA.2, BF.7, XBB.1.5, and XBB.1.16. These multivalent Nbs hold great promise for the treatment against SARS-CoV-2 infection and could possess a superwide neutralizing breadth against novel omicron mutants or recombinants.

First-Principles Investigation into the Interaction of H2O with α-CsPbI3 and the Intrinsic Defects within It

CsPbI3 possesses three photoactive black phases (α, β, and γ) with perovskite structures and a non-photoactive yellow phase (δ) without a perovskite structure. Among these, α-CsPbI3 exhibits the best performance. However, it only exists at high temperatures and it tends to transform into the δ phase at room temperature, especially in humid environments. Therefore, the phase stability of CsPbI3, especially in humid environments, is the main obstacle to its further development. In this study, we studied the interaction of H2O with α-CsPbI3 and the intrinsic defects within it. It was found that the adsorption energy in the bulk is higher than that on the surface (-1.26 eV in the bulk in comparison with -0.60 eV on the surface); thus, H2O is expected to have a tendency to diffuse into the bulk once it adsorbs on the surface. Moreover, the intrinsic vacancy of VPb0 in the bulk phase can greatly promote H2O insertion due to the rearrangement of two I atoms in the two PbI6 octahedrons nearest to VPb0 and the resultant breaking of the Pb-I bond, which could promote the phase transition of α-CsPbI3 in a humid environment. Moreover, H2O adsorption onto VI+1 contributes to a further distortion in the vicinity of VI+1, which is expected to enhance the effect of VI+1 on the phase transition of α-CsPbI3. Clarifying the interaction of H2O with α-CsPbI3 and the intrinsic defects within it may provide guidance for further improvements in the stability of α-CsPbI3, especially in humid environments.

Programmable RNA N6 -methyladenosine editing with CRISPR/dCas13a in plants

N6 -methyladenonsine (m6 A) is the most prevalent internal modification of messenger RNA (mRNA) and plays critical roles in mRNA processing and metabolism. However, perturbation of individual m6 A modification to reveal its function and the phenotypic effects is still lacking in plants. Here, we describe the construction and characterization of programmable m6 A editing tools by fusing the m6 A writers, the core catalytic domain of the MTA and MTB complex, and the AlkB homologue 5 (ALKBH5) eraser, to catalytically dead Cas13a (dCas13a) to edit individual m6 A sites on mRNAs. We demonstrated that our m6 A editors could efficiently and specifically deposit and remove m6 A modifications on specific RNA transcripts in both Nicotiana benthamiana and Arabidopsis thaliana. Moreover, we found that targeting SHORT-ROOT (SHR) transcripts with a methylation editor could significantly increase its m6 A levels with limited off-target effects and promote its degradation. This leads to a boost in plant growth with enlarged leaves and roots, increased plant height, plant biomass, and total grain weight in Arabidopsis. Collectively, these findings suggest that our programmable m6 A editing tools can be applied to study the functions of individual m6 A modifications in plants, and may also have potential applications for future crop improvement.

Prediction Models for Dysphagia in Intensive Care Unit after Mechanical Ventilation: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

Dysphagia is a common condition that can independently lead to death in patients in the intensive care unit (ICU), particularly those who require mechanical ventilation. Despite extensive research on the predictors of dysphagia development, consistency across these studies is lacking. Therefore, this study aimed to identify predictors and summarize existing prediction models for dysphagia in ICU patients undergoing invasive mechanical ventilation.

METHODS

We searched five databases: PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure. Studies that developed a post-extubation dysphagia risk prediction model in ICU were included. A meta-analysis of individual predictor variables was performed with mixed-effects models. The risk of bias was assessed using the prediction model risk of bias assessment tool (PROBAST).

RESULTS

After screening 1,923 references, we ultimately included nine studies in our analysis. The most commonly identified risk predictors included in the final risk prediction model were the length of indwelling endotracheal tube ≥72 h, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score ≥15, age ≥65 years, and duration of gastric tube ≥72 h. However, PROBAST analysis revealed a high risk of bias in the performance of these prediction models, mainly because of the lack of external validation, inadequate pre-screening of variables, and improper treatment of continuous and categorical predictors.

CONCLUSIONS

These models are particularly susceptible to bias because of numerous limitations in their development and inadequate external validation. Future research should focus on externally validating the existing model in ICU patients with varying characteristics. Moreover, assessing the acceptance and effectiveness of the model in clinical practice is needed.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

NA Laryngoscope, 134:517-525, 2024.

Development and application of a nomogram model for the prediction of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae infection in neuro-ICU patients

IMPORTANCE

Patients in neuro-ICU are at a high risk of developing nosocomial CRKP infection owing to complex conditions, critical illness, and frequent invasive procedures. However, studies focused on constructing prediction models for assessing the risk of CRKP infection in neurocritically ill patients are lacking at present. Therefore, this study aims to establish a simple-to-use nomogram for predicting the risk of CRKP infection in patients admitted to the neuro-ICU. Three easily accessed variables were included in the model, including the number of antibiotics used, surgery, and the length of neuro-ICU stay. This nomogram might serve as a useful tool to facilitate early detection and reduction of the CRKP infection risk of neurocritically ill patients.

Comparison of mandibular buccal shelf morphology between adolescents and adults with different vertical patterns using CBCT

OBJECTIVE

This retrospective study aimed to analyze the anatomical structure of the mandibular buccal shelf (MBS) in adolescents and adults with different vertical patterns to determine the optimal location for miniscrew insertion in orthodontic treatment.

METHODS

Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans of 230 patients were utilized for measurements. The morphology and thickness of alveolar bone at the MBS were measured. Two-way ANOVA and regression analysis were conducted to analyze the influencing factors on alveolar bone and cortical bone thickness.

RESULTS

Age had a significant effect on alveolar bone thickness (level I: F = 62.449, level II: F = 18.86, p < 0.001), cortical bone thickness (level II: F = 18.86, p < 0.001), alveolar bone tilt (F = 6.267, p = 0.013), and second molar tilt (F = 6.693, p = 0.01). Different vertical patterns also influenced alveolar bone thickness (level I: F = 20.950, level II: F = 28.470, p < 0.001), cortical bone thickness (level I: F = 23.911, level II: F = 23.370, p < 0.001), and alveolar bone tilt (F = 27.046, p < 0.001). As age increased, the alveolar bone thickness at level I decreased by 0.096 mm and at level II decreased by 0.073 mm. Conversely, the thickness of alveolar bone at level I and level II increased by 0.06 mm and 0.075 mm, respectively. The cortical bone thickness at level I and level II increased by 0.024 mm and 0.29 mm, respectively. However, the alveolar bone thickness decreased by 0.931 mm and 1.545 mm at level I and level II, and the cortical bone thickness decreased by 0.542 mm and 0.640 mm at level I and level II, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Age, different vertical patterns, alveolar bone inclination, and different shapes of MBS significantly affected the thickness of alveolar bone and cortical bone in the MBS area. Notably, only alveolar bone thickness and cortical bone thickness at level II were affected by age and different vertical patterns simultaneously. These findings can provide valuable insights for orthodontic practitioners in selecting the most suitable location for miniscrew insertion during treatment planning.

Genetic variants in BCL-2 family genes influence the risk of non-syndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate

BACKGROUND

The BCL-2 family is crucial for cell death regulation and is involved in development, tissue homeostasis, and immunity. This study aimed to investigate the association between genetic variants in BCL-2 family genes and non-syndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate (NSCL/P) risk.

METHODS

A two-stage case-control study was conducted in this association study. Gene-based analysis using Multi-marker Analysis of GenoMic Annotation was performed in the first stage cohort, which included 565 cases and 1269 controls. A logistic regression model was employed to assess the effect of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on susceptibility to NSCL/P. Candidate SNPs were replicated by extra dbGaP case-parent trios. Haploreg, RegulomeDB, and UCSC Genome Browser were used to identify enhancer effects of promising SNPs. Bulk RNA sequencing data obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus was used to identify co-expressed genes. Single-cell RNA sequencing dataset was used to infer the cell population of the candidate gene. The "Monocle" package was used to analyze the pseudotime cell trajectories.

RESULTS

Rs3943258 located in the enhancer region was associated with the risk of NSCL/P (Pmeta  = 5.66 × 10-04 ) and exhibited an eQTL effect for BCL2 (P = 3.96 × 10-02 ). Co-expression and pathway enrichment analysis revealed that genes related to Bcl2 were significantly enriched in the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway, and Wnt signaling pathway. Five cell clusters were identified in single-cell RNA sequencing, and Bcl2 was mainly located in the mesenchyme.

CONCLUSION

The rs3943258 located within BCL2 was probably related to NSCL/P susceptibility.

Climate and mineral accretion as drivers of mineral-associated and particulate organic matter accumulation in tidal wetland soils

Tidal wetlands sequester vast amounts of organic carbon (OC) and enhance soil accretion. The conservation and restoration of these ecosystems is becoming increasingly geared toward "blue" carbon sequestration while obtaining additional benefits, such as buffering sea-level rise and enhancing biodiversity. However, the assessments of blue carbon sequestration focus primarily on bulk SOC inventories and often neglect OC fractions and their drivers; this limits our understanding of the mechanisms controlling OC storage and opportunities to enhance blue carbon sinks. Here, we determined mineral-associated and particulate organic matter (MAOM and POM, respectively) in 99 surface soils and 40 soil cores collected from Chinese mangrove and saltmarsh habitats across a broad range of climates and accretion rates and showed how previously unrecognized mechanisms of climate and mineral accretion regulated MAOM and POM accumulation in tidal wetlands. MAOM concentrations (8.0 ± 5.7 g C kg-1 ) (±standard deviation) were significantly higher than POM concentrations (4.2 ± 5.7 g C kg-1 ) across the different soil depths and habitats. MAOM contributed over 51.6 ± 24.9% and 78.9 ± 19.0% to OC in mangrove and saltmarsh soils, respectively; both exhibited lower autochthonous contributions but higher contributions from terrestrial or marine sources than POM, which was derived primarily from autochthonous sources. Increased input of plant-derived organic matter along the increased temperature and precipitation gradients significantly enriched the POM concentrations. In contrast, the MAOM concentrations depended on climate, which controlled the mineral reactivity and mineral-OC interactions, and on regional sedimentary processes that could redistribute the reactive minerals. Mineral accretion diluted the POM concentrations and potentially enhanced the MAOM concentrations depending on mineral composition and whether the mineral accretion benefited plant productivity. Therefore, management strategies should comprehensively consider regional climate while regulating sediment supply and mineral abundance with engineering solutions to tap the OC sink potential of tidal wetlands.

Study on the relation between macro-mechanical properties and micro-structure of geopolymers with different activator modulus

The fly ash-based geopolymer (FABG) containing slag has distinct advantages in field applications. In this work, given that the activator modulus is a significant parameter affecting the properties of FABG, the influence mechanism of activator modulus (SiO2/Na2O from 1.1 to 1.5) on the macro-mechanical properties and micro-structure composition of FABG containing slag is explored. According to the experimental results, the early product of FABG containing slag is mainly C-A-S-H gel, and N-(C)-A-S-H gel with high cross-linking degree is formed at a later stage. Both C-A-S-H and N-A-S-H gels are distinguished in reaction products by using 29Si NMR. The Si/Al ratio of N-A-S-H gel and C-A-S-H gel decreases with the increase of modulus, resulting in an increase of MCL in C-A-S-H. Appropriate activator modulus can effectively activate slag and fly ash to yield more gels and form a more uniform and dense micro-structure, resulting in a lower threshold pore size and macroporosity, and an associated increase of the material strength. Meanwhile, the gel amount has a positive effect on the strength development in the FABG.

Behind the Indolent Facade: Uncovering the Molecular Features and Malignancy Potential in Lung Minimally Invasive Adenocarcinoma by Single-Cell Transcriptomics

The increased use of low-dose computed tomography screening has led to more frequent detection of early stage lung tumors, including minimally invasive adenocarcinoma (MIA). To unravel the intricacies of tumor cells and the immune microenvironment in MIA, this study performs a comprehensive single-cell transcriptomic analysis and profiles the transcriptomes of 156,447 cells from fresh paired MIA and invasive adenocarcinoma (IA) tumor samples, peripheral blood mononuclear cells, and adjacent normal tissue samples from three patients with synchronous multiple primary lung adenocarcinoma. This study highlights a connection and heterogeneity between the tumor ecosystem of MIA and IA. MIA tumor cells exhibited high expression of aquaporin-1 and angiotensin II receptor type 2 and a basal-like molecular character. Furthermore, it identifies that cathepsin B+ tumor-associated macrophages may over-activate CD8+ T cells in MIA, leading to an enrichment of granzyme K+ senescent CD8+ T cells, indicating the possibility of malignant progression behind the indolent appearance of MIA. These findings are further validated in 34 MIA and 35 IA samples by multiplexed immunofluorescence. These findings provide valuable insights into the mechanisms that maintain the indolent nature and prompt tumor progression of MIA and can be used to develop more effective therapeutic targets and strategies for MIA patients.

Ferrostatin-1 suppresses cardiomyocyte ferroptosis after myocardial infarction by activating Nrf2 signaling

OBJECTIVES

Ferroptosis, a new regulated cell death pathway, plays a crucial part in the development of cardiovascular disease. However, the precise underlying mechanism remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to elucidate this.

METHODS

Herein, an erastin-induced H9C2 cell ferroptosis in vitro model and a myocardial infarction murine model, which was created by ligating the left anterior descending coronary artery, were established. Ferroptosis-related indicators, myocardial injury-related indicators, and Nrf2 signaling-related proteins expression were analyzed to explore the potential mechanism underlying cardiomyocyte ferroptosis-mediated cardiovascular disease development.

RESULTS

We demonstrated that Nrf2 downregulation in myocardial tissue, accompanied by ferroptotic events and changes in xCT and GPX4 expressions, induced cardiomyocyte ferroptosis and myocardial injury after myocardial infarction. These events, including ferroptosis and changes in Nrf2, xCT, and GPX4 expressions, were improved by ferrostatin-1 in vivo and in vitro. Besides, Nrf2 deficiency or inhibition aggravated myocardial infarction-induced cardiomyocyte ferroptosis by decreasing xCT and GPX4 expressions in vivo and in vitro. Moreover, ferrostatin-1 directly targeted Nrf2, as evidenced by surface plasmon resonance analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

These results indicated that myocardial infarction is accompanied by cardiomyocyte ferroptosis and that Nrf2 signaling plays a crucial part in regulating cardiomyocyte ferroptosis after myocardial infarction.

Polystyrene nanoplastic exposure induces excessive mitophagy by activating AMPK/ULK1 pathway in differentiated SH-SY5Y cells and dopaminergic neurons in vivo

BACKGROUND

Microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs) are emerging environmental contaminants detected in human samples, and have raised concerns regarding their potential risks to human health, particularly neurotoxicity. This study aimed to investigate the deleterious effects of polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs, 50 nm) and understand their mechanisms in inducing Parkinson's disease (PD)-like neurodegeneration, along with exploring preventive strategies.

METHODS

Following exposure to PS-NPs (0.5-500 μg/mL), we assessed cytotoxicity, mitochondrial integrity, ATP levels, and mitochondrial respiration in dopaminergic-differentiated SH-SY5Y cells. Molecular docking and dynamic simulations explored PS-NPs' interactions with mitochondrial complexes. We further probed mitophagy's pivotal role in PS-NP-induced mitochondrial damage and examined melatonin's ameliorative potential in vitro. We validated melatonin's intervention (intraperitoneal, 10 mg/kg/d) in C57BL/6 J mice exposed to 250 mg/kg/d of PS-NPs for 28 days.

RESULTS

In our in vitro experiments, we observed PS-NP accumulation in cells, including mitochondria, leading to cell toxicity and reduced viability. Notably, antioxidant treatment failed to fully rescue viability, suggesting reactive oxygen species (ROS)-independent cytotoxicity. PS-NPs caused significant mitochondrial damage, characterized by altered morphology, reduced mitochondrial membrane potential, and decreased ATP production. Subsequent investigations pointed to PS-NP-induced disruption of mitochondrial respiration, potentially through interference with complex I (CI), a concept supported by molecular docking studies highlighting the influence of PS-NPs on CI. Rescue experiments using an AMPK pathway inhibitor (compound C) and an autophagy inhibitor (3-methyladenine) revealed that excessive mitophagy was induced through AMPK/ULK1 pathway activation, worsening mitochondrial damage and subsequent cell death in differentiated SH-SY5Y cells. Notably, we identified melatonin as a potential protective agent, capable of alleviating PS-NP-induced mitochondrial dysfunction. Lastly, our in vivo experiments demonstrated that melatonin could mitigate dopaminergic neuron loss and motor impairments by restoring mitophagy regulation in mice.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study demonstrated that PS-NPs disrupt mitochondrial function by affecting CI, leading to excessive mitophagy through the AMPK/ULK1 pathway, causing dopaminergic neuron death. Melatonin can counteract PS-NP-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and motor impairments by regulating mitochondrial autophagy. These findings offer novel insights into the MNP-induced PD-like neurodegenerative mechanisms, and highlight melatonin's protective potential in mitigating the MNP's environmental risk.

Comparison of Clinicopathological Features and Prognosis of Mucinous Gastric Carcinoma and other Gastric Cancers: A Retrospective Study of 4,417 Patients

BACKGROUND

Mucinous gastric carcinoma (MGC) is a distinct histologic subtype of gastric cancer (GC) that is often diagnosed at an advanced stage. The clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of MGC, when compared to adenocarcinoma and signet-ring cell carcinoma (SRCC), are currently subjects of debate and require further investigation.

METHODS

In this study, we conducted an investigation on 4,417 patients who were hospitalized with GC at Zhejiang Cancer Hospital between April 2008 and December 2019. The objective was to compare the prognosis and clinicopathological characteristics of MGC with other types of GC.

RESULTS

In comparison to adenocarcinoma, MGC patients exhibited more advanced tumor infiltration (p < 0.001), lower tumor differentiation (p < 0.001), and higher rates of preoperative tumor marker positivity (except for AFP and CA125) (all p < 0.05). However, after propensity score matching (PSM) to eliminate confounding factors, MGC patients surprisingly exhibited a better prognosis than adenocarcinoma patients (p = 0.008), and the results in multifactorial COX regression were similar (HR = 0.792, 95% CI 0.629-0.997, p = 0.047). Among patients with MGC, age, pN stage, as well as preoperative levels of CA125 and CA724 (all p < 0.05), emerged as independent prognostic markers. While overall survival did not significantly differ between MGC and SRCC (p = 0.196), significant survival disparities emerged in advanced-stage patients (p = 0.009), with MGC showing better survival rates. Furthermore, a nomogram was developed to predict 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival in gastric cancer patients based on various factors, achieving a C-index of 0.772 (95% CI: 0.745-0.799).

CONCLUSIONS

While the poorer prognosis associated with MGC may be linked to its advanced stage and lower degree of differentiation, its biological behavior could contribute to improved survival.

Versatile Liquid Metal/Alginate Composite Fibers with Enhanced Flame Retardancy and Triboelectric Performance for Smart Wearable Textiles

Liquid metal (LM) shows the superiority in smart wearable devices due to its biocompatibility and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding. However, LM based fibers that can achieve multifunctional integrated applications with biodegradability remain a daunting challenge. Herein, versatile LM based fibers are fabricated first by sonication in alginate solution to obtain LM micro/nano droplets and then wet-spinning into LM/alginate composite fibers. By mixing with high-concentration alginate solution (4-6 wt.%), the LM micro/nano droplets stability (colloidal stability for > 30 d and chemical stability for > 45 d) are not only improved, but also facilitate its spinning into fibers through bimetallic ions (e.g., Ga3+ and Ca2+ ) chelation strategy. These resultant fibers can be woven into smart textiles with excellent flexibility, air permeability, water/salt resistance, and high temperature tolerance (-196-150 °C). In addition, inhibition of smoldering result from the LM droplets and bimetallic ions is achieved to enhance flame retardancy. Furthermore, these fibers combine the exceptional properties of LM droplets (e.g., photo-thermal effect and EMI shielding) and alginate fibers (e.g., biocompatibility and biodegradability), applicable in wearable heating devices, wireless communication, and triboelectric nanogenerator, making it a promising candidate for flexible smart textiles.

Microwave-induced thermoacoustic microscopy based on short-pulse microwave and high-frequency point-focused ultrasonic transducer

BACKGROUND

As an emerging hybrid imaging modality, microwave-induced thermoacoustic imaging (MITAI) provides high contrast and deep tissue penetration, and has been extensively applied in cancer diagnosis, arthritis detection, and brain research. However, the previous studies had a limited spatial resolution of about 0.45-1.5 mm.

PURPOSE

Here, we describe a microwave-induced thermoacoustic microscopy (MITAM) system to help overcome the resolution limitation of current MITAI to image more subtle tissue features. On this basis, this paper applies MITAM to the thin skin and to demonstrate the potential of MITAM in detecting scleroderma.

METHODS

To achieve high resolution, short pulse width microwave (pulse width: 70 ns) and high-frequency ultrasonic point-focused transducer (center frequency: 25 MHz) were used to build the MITAM system. Two parallel copper wires with a diameter of 90 μm in the X/Y plane and Y/Z plane were imaged to estimate X/Y/Z resolution. Nine Balb/c mice were randomly divided into three groups and injected with different concentrations of bleomycin to induce scleroderma models. Their ex vivo skins were then imaged by our MITAM system. Visual observations were performed on the 3-dimensional skins MITAM images. And the mean value, Standard deviation, quartile distance, and signal-to-noise ratio were calculated to verify the results of the qualitative observations. Hematoxylin-Eosin (HE) and Masson staining were used to validate the findings of the MITAM.

RESULTS

The thickness of each imaged skin was measured to be about 450 μm. As an organ composed of multiple layers of tissues, the skin needs to be imaged at high resolution for the detection of related diseases. The results obtained showed that the improved resolution (68 μm in the Z-axis and 135 μm in the X-axis/Y-axis) of MITAM over conventional MITAI allowed us to differentiate scleroderma skins from normal skins and to identify the severity of scleroderma skins, consistent with the pathological findings of these skins.

CONCLUSIONS

The preliminary results obtained indicate that the MITAM can relieve the resolution limitation of traditional MITAI and has the potential to detection scleroderma. However, the transmission-type MITAM mentioned in this paper is difficult to image in vivo due to the narrow area between the antenna and the transducer. In the future, a reflective scanning MITAM will be constructed to detect scleroderma in vivo.

Pirfenidone ameliorates liver steatosis by targeting the STAT3-SCD1 axis

OBJECTIVE

Previous studies reported that pirfenidone (PFD) is associated with liver disease. However, the effects of pirfenidone on energy metabolism and hepatic lipid accumulation are still poorly understood.

METHODS

In this study, C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into two groups, and fed a normal chow diet (NCD) or a high-fat diet (HFD) for 16 weeks. At the end of the eighth week, half of the mice fed on both diets were treated with PFD. Biochemical and lipid metabolism-related indices were analyzed. Furthermore, Hepa 1-6 cells and mouse primary hepatocytes (MPHs) were incubated with PFD with or without free fatty acid (FFA) treatment. Then, stattic (a p-STAT3 inhibitor) or Ad-shSTAT3 was used to further elucidate the effects of Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling on PFD regulation of hepatic steatosis.

RESULTS

PFD ameliorated obesity and hepatic lipid deposition in HFD mice by decreasing stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 (SCD1) expression and upregulating p-STAT3 in the liver. In Hepa 1-6 cells and MPHs, PFD also down-regulated the expression of SCD1. STAT3 inhibition treatment eliminated the benefits of PFD on both SCD1 and hepatic steatosis.

CONCLUSION

In summary, our data reveal that PFD may play an important role in mitigating hepatic steatosis in a STAT3-SCD1-dependent manner.

Discrimination and Quantification of Glutathione by Cu+-Based Nanozymes

Glutathione (GSH) is the most abundant low-molecular-weight biological thiol in vivo and has been linked to several diseases. The accurate quantification of GSH is therefore crucial for disease diagnosis and monitoring. In this study, we prepared self-assembled Cu(I)-Cys (cysteine) nanozymes through a two-step procedure. The Cu(I)-Cys nanoparticles exhibited peroxidase-mimicking activity. Upon the addition of H2O2, they were able to oxidize 3,3,5,5-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) into oxTMB, resulting in a measurable increase in UV-Vis absorption at 655 nm. However, in the presence of GSH, oxTMB was reduced back to TMB, leading to a decrease in UV-Vis absorption at 655 nm. By utilizing these changes in the absorption intensity, we achieved the sensitive detection of GSH with a detection limit of 2.13 μM. Moreover, taking advantage of the different peroxidase-mimicking activities of Cu(I)-Cys nanoparticles at various pH values, a sensor array with Cu(I)-Cys nanoparticles at pH 4 and pH 5 was constructed. The discrimination of GSH among Cys and ascorbic acid was achieved and the practicability of the sensor array in human serum was validated. This novel approach holds significant promise for the precise discrimination and quantification of GSH and its potential applications in disease diagnosis and therapeutics.

CLDN18.2 expression and its impact on prognosis and the immune microenvironment in gastric cancer

BACKGROUND

The investigational use of zolbetuximab (IMAB362), a groundbreaking monoclonal antibody medication targeting claudin 18.2 (CLDN18.2), for treatment of advanced gastrointestinal cancers is currently underway. The unclear clinicopathological characteristics and tumour immune microenvironment of CLDN18.2-positive gastric cancer (GC) make it difficult to develop and optimize CLDN18.2-targeted therapies.

METHODS

A total of 451 tumour tissues, 342 matched paraneoplastic tissues, and 107 matched metastatic lymph nodes were collected from GC patients. These specimens were stained for CLDN18.2 expression and quantified using immunohistochemistry (IHC). Correlations between CLDN18.2 expression and clinicopathological features as well as immune-related factors were analysed. Survival curves were drawn using the Kaplan‒Meier approach, and independent factors affecting GC prognosis were identified using Cox regression analysis. Information from relevant databases was used for corroboration.

RESULTS

Expression of the CLDN18.2 gene was significantly lower in gastric tumour tissues than in normal tissues (p < 0.001) but comparable in metastatic lymph nodes (p = 0.851). CLDN18.2 expression was significantly associated with Borrmann type, degree of differentiation, PD-L1 expression, and survival in GC patients and was identified as an independent risk factor for patient prognosis (HR = 1.57, 95% CI 1.16-2.11, p = 0.003). There was no correlation between CLDN18.2 expression and HER2, Lauren type, tumour size, TNM stage, or any other clinicopathological characteristic. In CLDN18.2-positive tumours, fractions of CD4 + T cells and CD8 + T cells were significantly higher than those in CLDN18.2-negative tumours. Patients with CLDN18.2-negative expression and significant CD4 + T-cell or CD8 + T-cell infiltration had the best prognosis (5-year OS: 61.0%, P = 0.036; 5-year OS: 62.2%, P = 0.034).

CONCLUSIONS

CLDN18.2 is expressed at a low level in tumour tissues and serves as an independent prognostic factor for patients with GC. Furthermore, CLDN18.2 correlates with immune infiltrating cells and PD-L1 expression.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Risk of Global Cardiovascular Diseases and Type 2 Diabetes

BACKGROUND

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) was associated with elevated risk of cardiometabolic diseases in observational studies. We aimed to evaluate the observational and genetic associations of Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) with multiple cardiometabolic outcomes.

METHODS

Our phenotypic and genetic association analyses included more than 400 000 participants who were free of major cardiovascular disease and diabetes at recruitment (2006-2010) and were followed up until December 2019 based on the UK Biobank. For the Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses, 415 and 273 single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with CD and UC, respectively, were selected as genetic instruments. Summary-level data on individual cardiometabolic outcomes were obtained from 4 different genome-wide association studies with a total of 2 248 842 participants.

RESULTS

In the multivariable-adjusted observational analyses, CD was associated with higher risks of heart failure (hazard ratio [HR], 1.72; 95% confidence interval, 1.22-2.42) and type 2 diabetes (HR, 2.11; 95% confidence interval, 1.67-2.67) but not with myocardial infarction or ischemic stroke. UC was related to increased risks of all the assessed cardiometabolic diseases (HRs ranged from 1.29 for myocardial infarction to 1.76 for type 2 diabetes). Conversely, neither the genetic risk score for CD nor that for UC was associated with higher risk of developing cardiometabolic diseases. In 2-sample MR analyses, genetically determined CD and UC were not associated with any of the assessed cardiometabolic diseases (all P values >.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Despite confirming the observational associations, our study does not support a causal association between IBD and elevated risk of cardiometabolic diseases.

A biosensor based on Fe3O4@MXene-Au nanocomposites with high peroxidase-like activity for colorimetric and smartphone-based detection of glucose

A novel magnetic nanozyme Fe₃O₄@MXene-Au nanocomposite, which possessed higher peroxidase-like activity than that of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles and Fe₃O₄@MXene nanocomposites, was developed. The outstanding magnetic properties of the nanozyme endowed it with the ability of simple and rapid separation, achieving great recyclability. Based on Fe₃O₄@MXene-Au nanocomposites and glucose oxidase (Glu Ox), a highly selective colorimetric biosensor for glucose detection was developed. Fe₃O₄@MXene-Au nanocomposites can catalyze H₂O₂ produced from glucose catalyzed by glucose oxidase to ·OH and oxidize colorless 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) to blue oxidized TMB (oxTMB) with a significant absorbance at 652 nm. The linear range of glucose was 0-1.4 mM under optimal conditions, with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.11 mM. Glucose in human whole blood was successfully detected with satisfactory recoveries. Furthermore, a facile agarose hydrogel detection platform was designed. With smartphone software, glucose detection can be realized by the agarose hydrogel platform, demonstrating the potential in on-site and visual detection of glucose.

The Screening of the Protective Antigens of Aeromonas hydrophila Using the Reverse Vaccinology Approach: Potential Candidates for Subunit Vaccine Development

The threat of bacterial septicemia caused by Aeromonas hydrophila infection to aquaculture growth can be prevented through vaccination, but differences among A. hydrophila strains may affect the effectiveness of non-conserved subunit vaccines or non-inactivated A. hydrophila vaccines, making the identification and development of conserved antigens crucial. In this study, a bioinformatics analysis of 4268 protein sequences encoded by the A. hydrophila J-1 strain whole genome was performed based on reverse vaccinology. The specific analysis included signal peptide prediction, transmembrane helical structure prediction, subcellular localization prediction, and antigenicity and adhesion evaluation, as well as interspecific and intraspecific homology comparison, thereby screening the 39 conserved proteins as candidate antigens for A. hydrophila vaccine. The 9 isolated A. hydrophila strains from diseased fish were categorized into 6 different molecular subtypes via enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC)-PCR technology, and the coding regions of 39 identified candidate proteins were amplified via PCR and sequenced to verify their conservation in different subtypes of A. hydrophila and other Aeromonas species. In this way, conserved proteins were screened out according to the comparison results. Briefly, 16 proteins were highly conserved in different A. hydrophila subtypes, of which 2 proteins were highly conserved in Aeromonas species, which could be selected as candidate antigens for vaccines development, including type IV pilus secretin PilQ (AJE35401.1) and TolC family outer membrane protein (AJE35877.1). The present study screened the conserved antigens of A. hydrophila by using reverse vaccinology, which provided basic foundations for developing broad-spectrum protective vaccines of A. hydrophila.

Tricyclic antidepressants induce liver inflammation by targeting NLRP3 inflammasome activation

BACKGROUND

Idiosyncratic drug-induced liver injury (IDILI) is common in hepatology practices and, in some cases, lethal. Increasing evidence show that tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) can induce IDILI in clinical applications but the underlying mechanisms are still poorly understood.

METHODS

We assessed the specificity of several TCAs for NLRP3 inflammasome via MCC950 (a selective NLRP3 inhibitor) pretreatment and Nlrp3 knockout (Nlrp3^-/-) BMDMs. Meanwhile, the role of NLRP3 inflammasome in the TCA nortriptyline-induced hepatotoxicity was demonstrated in Nlrp3^-/- mice.

RESULTS

We reported here that nortriptyline, a common TCA, induced idiosyncratic hepatotoxicity in a NLRP3 inflammasome-dependent manner in mildly inflammatory states. In parallel in vitro studies, nortriptyline triggered the inflammasome activation, which was completely blocked by Nlrp3 deficiency or MCC950 pretreatment. Furthermore, nortriptyline treatment led to mitochondrial damage and subsequent mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS) production resulting in aberrant activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome; a selective mitochondrial ROS inhibitor pretreatment dramatically abrogated nortriptyline-triggered the NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Notably, exposure to other TCAs also induced aberrant activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome by triggering upstream signaling events.

CONCLUSION

Collectively, our findings revealed that the NLRP3 inflammasome may act as a crucial target for TCA agents and suggested that the core structures of TCAs may contribute to the aberrant activation of NLRP3 inflammasome induced by them, an important factor involved in the pathogenesis of TCA-induced liver injury. Video Abstract.

Targeting L-Selectin Lymphocytes to Deliver Immunosuppressive Drug in Lymph Nodes for Durable Multiple Sclerosis Treatment

Inflammation induced by autoreactive CD4⁺ T lymphocytes is a major factor in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS). Immunosuppressive drugs, such as FTY720, are subsequently developed to prevent the migration of CD4⁺ T lymphocytes to the central nervous system (CNS). However, these immunosuppressive drugs have limited accumulation in lymph nodes (LNs), resulting in poor efficacy. Here, this work develops a nanoplatform for delivering immunosuppressive drugs to LNs for durable MS treatment. Human CD47 peptide and L-selectin targeting aptamer are modified on the nanoparticles encapsulated with FTY720 (clnFTY) for self-passivation and the targeting of L-selectin on lymphocytes, a homing receptor for T-cells entering LNs. Using this natural process, clnFTY nanoparticles efficiently deliver FTY720 to LNs and delay disease progression in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) mice following a single dose treatment over a 42-day observational period. Considering the daily dosing requirement of FTY720, this strategy greatly improves its therapeutic efficiency. The ability of clnFTY nanoparticles to target lymphocytes, reduce sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 1 (S1PR1) expression, and suppress inflammatory cytokines release are demonstrated in clinical blood samples from MS patients. Taken together, this study demonstrates that targeted LNs delivery may greatly extend the treatment cycle of immunosuppressive drugs for durable MS treatment.

Genome-wide identification of Brassicaceae histone modification genes and their responses to abiotic stresses in allotetraploid rapeseed

BACKGROUND

Histone modification is an important epigenetic regulatory mechanism and essential for stress adaptation in plants. However, systematic analysis of histone modification genes (HMs) in Brassicaceae species is lacking, and their roles in response to abiotic stress have not yet been identified.

RESULTS

In this study, we identified 102 AtHMs, 280 BnaHMs, 251 BcHMs, 251 BjHMs, 144 BnHMs, 155 BoHMs, 137 BrHMs, 122 CrHMs, and 356 CsHMs in nine Brassicaceae species, respectively. Their chromosomal locations, protein/gene structures, phylogenetic trees, and syntenies were determined. Specific domains were identified in several Brassicaceae HMs, indicating an association with diverse functions. Syntenic analysis showed that the expansion of Brassicaceae HMs may be due to segmental and whole-genome duplications. Nine key BnaHMs in allotetraploid rapeseed may be responsible for ammonium, salt, boron, cadmium, nitrate, and potassium stress based on co-expression network analysis. According to weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), 12 BnaHMs were associated with stress adaptation. Among the above genes, BnaPRMT11 simultaneously responded to four different stresses based on differential expression analysis, while BnaSDG46, BnaHDT10, and BnaHDA1 participated in five stresses. BnaSDG46 was also involved in four different stresses based on WGCNA, while BnaSDG10 and BnaJMJ58 were differentially expressed in response to six different stresses. In summary, six candidate genes for stress resistance (BnaPRMT11, BnaSDG46, BnaSDG10, BnaJMJ58, BnaHDT10, and BnaHDA1) were identified.

CONCLUSIONS

Taken together, these findings help clarify the biological roles of Brassicaceae HMs. The identified candidate genes provide an important reference for the potential development of stress-tolerant oilseed plants.

Breast Milk Constituents and the Development of Breast Milk Jaundice in Neonates: A Systematic Review

Breast milk is tailored for optimal growth in all infants; however, in some infants, it is related to a unique phenomenon referred to as breast milk jaundice (BMJ). BMJ is a type of prolonged unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia that is often late onset in otherwise healthy-appearing newborns, and its occurrence might be related to breast milk itself. This review aims to systematically evaluate evidence regarding breast milk composition and the development of BMJ in healthy neonates. PubMed, Scopus and Embase were searched up to 13 February 2023 with key search terms, including neonates, hyperbilirubinemia, and breastfeeding. A total of 678 unique studies were identified and 12 were ultimately included in the systematic review with narrative synthesis. These included studies covered both nutritional compositions (e.g., fats and proteins) and bioactive factors (e.g., enzymes and growth factors) of breast milk and formally assessed the difference in the concentration (or presence) of various endogenous components of breast milk collected from mothers of BMJ infants and healthy infants. The results were inconsistent and inconclusive for most of the substances of interest, and there was only a single study available (e.g., total energy and mineral content, bile salts and cytokines); conflicting or even contradictory results arose when there were two or more studies on the subject matter (e.g., fats and free fatty acids contents and epidermal growth factor). The etiology of BMJ is likely multifactorial, and no single constituent of breast milk could explain all the BMJ cases observed. Further well-designed studies are warranted to investigate the complex interaction between maternal physiology, the breast milk system and infant physiology before this field could be progressed to uncover the etiology of BMJ.

Glomerular filtration rate estimated by differing measures and risk of all-cause mortality among Chinese individuals without or with diabetes: A nationwide prospective study

BACKGROUND

Whether estimated glomerular filtration rates (eGFRs) by differing biomarkers are differentially associated with mortality or whether the associations differ by diabetes status remains unclear, especially in Chinese population.

METHODS

We included 6995 participants without diabetes (mean age: 60.4 years) and 1543 with diabetes (mean age: 61.8 years). Each eGFR measure was divided into normal (≥90 mL/min/1.73 m² ), modestly declined (60 to <90 mL/min/1.73 m² ), and chronic kidney disease (CKD) (<60 mL/min/1.73 m² ) groups. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratio (HR) of all-cause mortality associated with each eGFR.

RESULTS

Over a follow-up of 7 years, 677 and 215 deaths occurred among individuals without or with diabetes, respectively. Among those without diabetes, all measures of modestly declined eGFR were not associated with mortality, whereas CKD defined by eGFR cystatin C (eGFRcys) and eGFR creatinine (eGFRcr)-cys (HRs were 1.71 and 1.55, respectively) but not by eGFRcr were associated with higher risk of mortality. Among diabetes, all measures of modestly declined eGFR (HRs: 1.53, 1.56, and 2.09 for eGFRcr, eGFRcys, and eGFRcr-cys, respectively) and CKD (HRs: 2.57, 2.99, and 3.92 for eGFRcr, eGFRcys, and eGFRcr-cys, respectively) were associated with higher risk of mortality. Regardless of diabetes status, an addition of eGFRcys or eGFRcr-cys to traditional risk factors lead to a larger improvement in the prediction of all-cause mortality risk than adding eGFRcr.

CONCLUSIONS

The association of eGFR with mortality risk appeared to be varied by its measures and by diabetes status among middle-aged and older Chinese, which needs to be considered in clinical practice.

Bioactive Peptide Nanodrugs Based on Supramolecular Assembly for Boosting Immunogenic Cell Death-Induced Cancer Immunotherapy

Immunogenic cell death (ICD)-induced immunotherapy holds promise for complete elimination and long-term protective immune responses against cancer by combining direct tumor cell killing and antitumor immune response. Some therapeutic approaches (such as hyperthermia, photodynamic therapy, or radiotherapy) and inducers (certain chemotherapy drugs, oncolytic viruses) have been devoted to initiating and/or boosting ICD, leading to the activation of tumor-specific immune responses. Recently, supramolecular assembled bioactive peptide nanodrugs have been employed to improve the efficacy of ICD-induced cancer immunotherapy by increasing tumor targeted accumulation as well as responsive release of ICD inducers, directly inducing high levels of ICD and realizing the simultaneous enhancement of immune response through the immune function of the active peptide itself. Here, the authors review bioactive peptide nanodrugs based on supramolecular assembly, mainly as an intelligent delivery system, a direct ICD inducer and an immune response enhancer, for boosting ICD induced cancer immunotherapy. The functions of diverse bioactive peptides used in the construction of nanodrugs are described. The design of a supramolecular assembly, the mechanism of boosting ICD, and synergetic effects of bioactive peptides combined immunotherapy are critically emphasized.

Integrated Control of Fatty Acid Metabolism in Heart Failure

Disrupted fatty acid metabolism is one of the most important metabolic features in heart failure. The heart obtains energy from fatty acids via oxidation. However, heart failure results in markedly decreased fatty acid oxidation and is accompanied by the accumulation of excess lipid moieties that lead to cardiac lipotoxicity. Herein, we summarized and discussed the current understanding of the integrated regulation of fatty acid metabolism (including fatty acid uptake, lipogenesis, lipolysis, and fatty acid oxidation) in the pathogenesis of heart failure. The functions of many enzymes and regulatory factors in fatty acid homeostasis were characterized. We reviewed their contributions to the development of heart failure and highlighted potential targets that may serve as promising new therapeutic strategies.

3D-Printed Bioactive Scaffold Loaded with GW9508 Promotes Critical-Size Bone Defect Repair by Regulating Intracellular Metabolism

The process of bone regeneration is complicated, and it is still a major clinical challenge to regenerate critical-size bone defects caused by severe trauma, infection, and tumor resection. Intracellular metabolism has been found to play an important role in the cell fate decision of skeletal progenitor cells. GW9508, a potent agonist of the free fatty acid receptors GPR40 and GPR120, appears to have a dual effect of inhibiting osteoclastogenesis and promoting osteogenesis by regulating intracellular metabolism. Hence, in this study, GW9508 was loaded on a scaffold based on biomimetic construction principles to facilitate the bone regeneration process. Through 3D printing and ion crosslinking, hybrid inorganic-organic implantation scaffolds were obtained after integrating 3D-printed β-TCP/CaSiO₃ scaffolds with a Col/Alg/HA hydrogel. The 3D-printed β-TCP/CaSiO₃ scaffolds had an interconnected porous structure that simulated the porous structure and mineral microenvironment of bone, and the hydrogel network shared similar physicochemical properties with the extracellular matrix. The final osteogenic complex was obtained after GW9508 was loaded into the hybrid inorganic-organic scaffold. To investigate the biological effects of the obtained osteogenic complex, in vitro studies and a rat cranial critical-size bone defect model were utilized. Metabolomics analysis was conducted to explore the preliminary mechanism. The results showed that 50 μM GW9508 facilitated osteogenic differentiation by upregulating osteogenic genes, including Alp, Runx2, Osterix, and Spp1 in vitro. The GW9508-loaded osteogenic complex enhanced osteogenic protein secretion and facilitated new bone formation in vivo. Finally, the results from metabolomics analysis suggested that GW9508 promoted stem cell differentiation and bone formation through multiple intracellular metabolism pathways, including purine and pyrimidine metabolism, amino acid metabolism, glutathione metabolism, and taurine and hypotaurine metabolism. This study provides a new approach to address the challenge of critical-size bone defects.

Current Strategies for Engineered Vascular Grafts and Vascularized Tissue Engineering

Blood vessels not only transport oxygen and nutrients to each organ, but also play an important role in the regulation of tissue regeneration. Impaired or occluded vessels can result in ischemia, tissue necrosis, or even life-threatening events. Bioengineered vascular grafts have become a promising alternative treatment for damaged or occlusive vessels. Large-scale tubular grafts, which can match arteries, arterioles, and venules, as well as meso- and microscale vasculature to alleviate ischemia or prevascularized engineered tissues, have been developed. In this review, materials and techniques for engineering tubular scaffolds and vasculature at all levels are discussed. Examples of vascularized tissue engineering in bone, peripheral nerves, and the heart are also provided. Finally, the current challenges are discussed and the perspectives on future developments in biofunctional engineered vessels are delineated.

The prevalence and risk factors of different degrees of stress urinary incontinence in Chinese women: A community-based cross-sectional study

AIM

To investigate the prevalence of SUI and explore the factors that could influence the severity of SUI in adult females.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional study.

METHODS

A total of 1178 subjects were assessed using a risk-factor questionnaires and International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire Short Form (ICIQ-SF) and then divided into no SUI group, mild SUI group and moderate-to-severe SUI group according to the ICIQ-SF score. Univariate analysis between adjacent groups and ordered logistic regression models in three groups were then performed to analysis the possible associated factor with the progressive of SUI.

RESULTS

The prevalence of SUI among adult women was 22.2% of them; 16.2% and 6% had mild SUI and moderate-to-severe SUI, respectively. Moreover, logistic analysis revealed that age, BMI, smoking, position preference for urination, urinary tract infections, urinary leaks during pregnancy, gynaecological inflammation and poor sleep quality were independent risk for the severity of SUI.

CONCLUSION

SUI symptoms were mostly mild among Chinese females, specific risk factors such as unhealthy living habits and urination behaviours increased the risk of SUI and the aggravation of symptoms. Therefore, targeted interventions should be formulated for women to delay disease progression.

Bubble wall confinement-driven molecular assembly toward sub-12 nm and beyond precision patterning

Patterning is attractive for nanofabrication, electron devices, and bioengineering. However, achieving the molecular-scale patterns to meet the demands of these fields is challenging. Here, we propose a bubble-template molecular printing concept by introducing the ultrathin liquid film of bubble walls to confine the self-assembly of molecules and achieve ultrahigh-precision assembly up to 12 nanometers corresponding to the critical point toward the Newton black film limit. The disjoining pressure describing the intermolecular interaction could predict the highest precision effectively. The symmetric molecules exhibit better reconfiguration capacity and smaller preaggregates than the asymmetric ones, which are helpful in stabilizing the drainage of foam films and construct high-precision patterns. Our results confirm the robustness of the bubble template to prepare molecular-scale patterns, verify the criticality of molecular symmetry to obtain the ultimate precision, and predict the application potential of high-precision organic patterns in hierarchical self-assembly and high-sensitivity sensors.

Ubiquitin-Conjugating Enzyme OsUBC11 Affects the Development of Roots via Auxin Pathway

Rice has 48 ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes, and the functions of most of these enzymes have not been elucidated. In the present study, a T-DNA insertional mutant named R164, which exhibited a significant decrease in the length of primary and lateral roots, was used as the experimental material to explore the potential function of OsUBC11. Analysis using the SEFA-PCR method showed that the T-DNA insertion was present in the promoter region of OsUBC11 gene, which encodes ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme (E2), and activates its expression. Biochemical experiments showed that OsUBC11 is a lysine-48-linked ubiquitin chain-forming conjugase. OsUBC11 overexpression lines showed the same root phenotypes. These results demonstrated that OsUBC11 was involved in root development. Further analyses showed that the IAA content of R164 mutant and OE3 line were significantly lower compared with wild-type Zhonghua11. Application of exogenous NAA restored the length of lateral and primary roots in R164 and OsUBC11 overexpression lines. Expression of the auxin synthesis regulating gene OsYUCCA4/6/7/9, the auxin transport gene OsAUX1, auxin/indole-3-acetic acid (Aux/IAA) family gene OsIAA31, auxin response factor OsARF16 and root regulator key genes, including OsWOX11, OsCRL1, OsCRL5 was significantly down-regulated in OsUBC11 overexpressing plants. Collectively, these results indicate that OsUBC11 modulates auxin signaling, ultimately affecting root development at the rice seedling stage.

Long noncoding RNA Gm2694 drives depressive-like behaviors in male mice by interacting with GRP78 to disrupt endoplasmic reticulum homeostasis

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in various biological processes and implicated in the regulation of neuronal activity, but the potential role of lncRNAs in depression remains largely unknown. Here, we identified that lncRNA Gm2694 was increased in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of male mice subjected to chronic social defeat stress (CSDS). The down-regulation of Gm2694 in the mPFC alleviated CSDS-induced depressive-like behaviors through enhanced excitatory synaptic transmission. Furthermore, we found that Gm2694 preferentially interacted with the carboxyl-terminal domain of 78-kilodalton glucose-regulated protein (GRP78), which abrogated GRP78 function and disrupted endoplasmic reticulum homeostasis, resulting in a reduction of the surface expression of AMPA receptors (AMPARs). Overexpression of GRP78 in the mPFC promoted the surface expression of AMPARs and attenuated the CSDS-induced depressive-like behaviors of mice. Together, our results unraveled a previously unknown role of Gm2694 in regulating endoplasmic reticulum homeostasis and excitatory synaptic transmission in depression.

The NORMAN Suspect List Exchange (NORMAN-SLE): facilitating European and worldwide collaboration on suspect screening in high resolution mass spectrometry

Background

The NORMAN Association (https://www.norman-network.com/) initiated the NORMAN Suspect List Exchange (NORMAN-SLE; https://www.norman-network.com/nds/SLE/) in 2015, following the NORMAN collaborative trial on non-target screening of environmental water samples by mass spectrometry. Since then, this exchange of information on chemicals that are expected to occur in the environment, along with the accompanying expert knowledge and references, has become a valuable knowledge base for "suspect screening" lists. The NORMAN-SLE now serves as a FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) chemical information resource worldwide.

Results

The NORMAN-SLE contains 99 separate suspect list collections (as of May 2022) from over 70 contributors around the world, totalling over 100,000 unique substances. The substance classes include per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), pharmaceuticals, pesticides, natural toxins, high production volume substances covered under the European REACH regulation (EC: 1272/2008), priority contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) and regulatory lists from NORMAN partners. Several lists focus on transformation products (TPs) and complex features detected in the environment with various levels of provenance and structural information. Each list is available for separate download. The merged, curated collection is also available as the NORMAN Substance Database (NORMAN SusDat). Both the NORMAN-SLE and NORMAN SusDat are integrated within the NORMAN Database System (NDS). The individual NORMAN-SLE lists receive digital object identifiers (DOIs) and traceable versioning via a Zenodo community (https://zenodo.org/communities/norman-sle), with a total of > 40,000 unique views, > 50,000 unique downloads and 40 citations (May 2022). NORMAN-SLE content is progressively integrated into large open chemical databases such as PubChem (https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/) and the US EPA's CompTox Chemicals Dashboard (https://comptox.epa.gov/dashboard/), enabling further access to these lists, along with the additional functionality and calculated properties these resources offer. PubChem has also integrated significant annotation content from the NORMAN-SLE, including a classification browser (https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/classification/#hid=101).

Conclusions

The NORMAN-SLE offers a specialized service for hosting suspect screening lists of relevance for the environmental community in an open, FAIR manner that allows integration with other major chemical resources. These efforts foster the exchange of information between scientists and regulators, supporting the paradigm shift to the "one substance, one assessment" approach. New submissions are welcome via the contacts provided on the NORMAN-SLE website (https://www.norman-network.com/nds/SLE/).

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12302-022-00680-6.

BRN2 as a key gene drives the early primate telencephalon development

Evolutionary mutations in primate-specific genes drove primate cortex expansion. However, whether conserved genes with previously unidentified functions also play a key role in primate brain expansion remains unknown. Here, we focus on BRN2 (POU3F2), a gene encoding a neural transcription factor commonly expressed in both primates and mice. Compared to the limited effects on mouse brain development, BRN2 biallelic knockout in cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) is lethal before midgestation. Histology analysis and single-cell transcriptome show that BRN2 deficiency decreases RGC expansion, induces precocious differentiation, and alters the trajectory of neurogenesis in the telencephalon. BRN2, serving as an upstream factor, controls specification and differentiation of ganglionic eminences. In addition, we identified the conserved function of BRN2 in cynomolgus monkeys to human RGCs. BRN2 may function by directly regulating SOX2 and STAT3 and maintaining HOPX. Our findings reveal a previously unknown mechanism that BRN2, a conserved gene, drives early primate telencephalon development by gaining novel mechanistic functions.

Characterization of cross-species transcription and splicing from Penicillium to Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Heterologous expression of eukaryotic gene clusters in yeast has been widely used for producing high-value chemicals and bioactive secondary metabolites. However, eukaryotic transcription cis-elements are still undercharacterized, and the cross-species expression mechanism remains poorly understood. Here we used the whole expression unit (including original promoter, terminator, and open reading frame with introns) of orotidine 5'-monophosphate decarboxylases from 14 Penicillium species as a showcase, and analyzed their cross-species expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We found that pyrG promoters from the Penicillium species could drive URA3 expression in yeast, and that inefficient cross-species splicing of Penicillium introns might result in weak cross-species expression. Thus, this study demonstrates cross-species expression from Penicillium to yeast, and sheds light on the opportunities and challenges of cross-species expression of fungi expression units and gene clusters in yeast without refactoring for novel natural product discovery.

The Regulation of O2 Spin State and Direct Oxidation of CO at Room Temperature Using Triboelectric Plasma by Harvesting Mechanical Energy

Oxidation reactions play a critical role in processes involving energy utilization, chemical conversion, and pollutant elimination. However, due to its spin-forbidden nature, the reaction of molecular dioxygen (O2) with a substrate is difficult under mild conditions. Herein, we describe a system that activates O2 via the direct modulation of its spin state by mechanical energy-induced triboelectric corona plasma, enabling the CO oxidation reaction under normal temperature and pressure. Under optimized reaction conditions, the activity was 7.2 μmol h-1, and the energy consumption per mole CO was 4.2 MJ. The results of kinetic isotope effect, colorimetry, and density functional theory calculation studies demonstrated that electrons generated in the triboelectric plasma were directly injected into the antibonding orbital of O2 to form highly reactive negative ions O2-, which effectively promoted the rate-limiting step of O2 dissociation. The barrier of the reaction of O2- ions and CO molecular was 3.4 eV lower than that of O2 and CO molecular. This work provides an effective strategy for using renewable and green mechanical energy to realize spin-forbidden reactions of small molecules.

Advancing diagnostic performance and clinical applicability of deep learning-driven generative adversarial networks for Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that severely affects the activities of daily living in aged individuals, which typically needs to be diagnosed at an early stage. Generative adversarial networks (GANs) provide a new deep learning method that show good performance in image processing, while it remains to be verified whether a GAN brings benefit in AD diagnosis. The purpose of this research is to systematically review psychoradiological studies on the application of a GAN in the diagnosis of AD from the aspects of classification of AD state and AD-related image processing compared with other methods. In addition, we evaluated the research methodology and provided suggestions from the perspective of clinical application. Compared with other methods, a GAN has higher accuracy in the classification of AD state and better performance in AD-related image processing (e.g. image denoising and segmentation). Most studies used data from public databases but lacked clinical validation, and the process of quantitative assessment and comparison in these studies lacked clinicians' participation, which may have an impact on the improvement of generation effect and generalization ability of the GAN model. The application value of GANs in the classification of AD state and AD-related image processing has been confirmed in reviewed studies. Improvement methods toward better GAN architecture were also discussed in this paper. In sum, the present study demonstrated advancing diagnostic performance and clinical applicability of GAN for AD, and suggested that the future researchers should consider recruiting clinicians to compare the algorithm with clinician manual methods and evaluate the clinical effect of the algorithm.

Associations of COVID-19 lockdown with gestational length and preterm birth in China

BACKGROUND

The effects of COVID-19 lockdown measures on maternal and fetal health remain unclear. We examined the associations of COVID-19 lockdown with gestational length and preterm birth (PTB) in a Chinese population.

METHODS

We obtained medical records of 595,396 singleton live infants born between 2015 and 2020 in 5 cities in Guangdong Province, South China. The exposed group (N = 101,900) included women who experienced the COVID-19 Level I lockdown (1/23-2/24/2020) during pregnancy, while the unexposed group (N = 493,496) included women who were pregnant during the same calendar months in 2015-2019. Cumulative exposure was calculated based on days exposed to different levels of emergency responses with different weighting. Generalized linear regression models were applied to estimate the associations of lockdown exposure with gestational length and risk of PTB (< 37 weeks).

RESULTS

The exposed group had a shorter mean gestational length than the unexposed group (38.66 vs 38.74 weeks: adjusted β = - 0.06 week [95%CI, - 0.07, - 0.05 week]). The exposed group also had a higher risk of PTB (5.7% vs 5.3%; adjusted OR = 1.08 [95%CI, 1.05, 1.11]). These associations seemed to be stronger when exposure occurred before or during the 23rd gestational week (GW) than during or after the 24th GW. Similarly, higher cumulative lockdown exposure was associated with a shorter gestational length and a higher risk of PTB.

CONCLUSIONS

The COVID-19 lockdown measures were associated with a slightly shorter gestational length and a moderately higher risk of PTB. Early and middle pregnancy periods may be a more susceptible exposure window.

Design of lung nodules segmentation and recognition algorithm based on deep learning

BACKGROUND

Accurate segmentation and recognition algorithm of lung nodules has great important value of reference for early diagnosis of lung cancer. An algorithm is proposed for 3D CT sequence images in this paper based on 3D Res U-Net segmentation network and 3D ResNet50 classification network. The common convolutional layers in encoding and decoding paths of U-Net are replaced by residual units while the loss function is changed to Dice loss after using cross entropy loss to accelerate network convergence. Since the lung nodules are small and rich in 3D information, the ResNet50 is improved by replacing the 2D convolutional layers with 3D convolutional layers and reducing the sizes of some convolution kernels, 3D ResNet50 network is obtained for the diagnosis of benign and malignant lung nodules.

RESULTS

3D Res U-Net was trained and tested on 1044 CT subcases in the LIDC-IDRI database. The segmentation result shows that the Dice coefficient of 3D Res U-Net is above 0.8 for the segmentation of lung nodules larger than 10 mm in diameter. 3D ResNet50 was trained and tested on 2960 lung nodules in the LIDC-IDRI database. The classification result shows that the diagnostic accuracy of 3D ResNet50 is 87.3% and AUC is 0.907.

CONCLUSION

The 3D Res U-Net module improves segmentation performance significantly with the comparison of 3D U-Net model based on residual learning mechanism. 3D Res U-Net can identify small nodules more effectively and improve its segmentation accuracy for large nodules. Compared with the original network, the classification performance of 3D ResNet50 is significantly improved, especially for small benign nodules.

Loss of ARID1A expression promotes lung adenocarcinoma metastasis and predicts a poor prognosis

BACKGROUND

ARID1A is an essential subunit of SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complexes. ARID1A gene mutations and loss of ARID1A expression have been observed in a variety of cancers, and to be correlated with invasion, immune escape and synthetic lethality. As yet, however, the biological effect of ARID1A expression and its role in the prognosis of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) patients have remained unclear. In this study we aimed to further elucidate the role of ARID1A expression in LUAD in vitro and in vivo and to assess its effect on the clinical prognosis of LUAD patients.

METHODS

ARID1A expression was detected by IHC in tissue samples from LUAD patients. After regular culturing of LUAD cell lines and constructing stable ARID1A knockdown lines, wound healing and Transwell assays were used to assess the role of ARID1A in cell migration and invasion. The effect of ARID1A knockdown on metastasis was verified in vivo. Western blotting was used to examine the expression of target proteins. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to assess survival and to provide variables for nomogram construction. In addition, we used the "rms" package to construct a prognostic nomogram based on a Cox regression model.

RESULTS

We found that ARID1A expression serves as an effective prognostic marker for LUAD patients. Loss of ARID1A expression correlated with a poor prognosis, as verified with a nomogram based on a Cox regression model. In addition, we found that ARID1A knockdown promoted LUAD cell proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro and enhanced LUAD metastasis in vivo by activating the Akt signaling pathway.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data indicate that loss of ARID1A expression promotes LUAD metastasis and predicts a poor prognosis in LUAD patients.