Association between synoptic types in Beijing and acute myocardial infarction hospitalizations: A comprehensive analysis of environmental factors.

BACKGROUND: Environmental factors like air pollution and temperature can trigger acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, the link between large-scale weather patterns (synoptic types) and AMI admissions has not been extensively studied. This research aimed to identify the different synoptic air types in Beijing and investigate their association with AMI occurrences. METHODS: We analyzed data from Beijing between 2013 and 2019, encompassing 2556 days and 149,632 AMI cases. Using principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering, classification into distinct synoptic types was conducted based on weather and pollution measurements. To assess the impact of each type on AMI risk over 14 days, we employed a distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM), with the reference being the lowest risk type (Type 2). RESULTS: Four synoptic types were identified: Type 1 with warm, humid weather; Type 2 with warm temperatures, low humidity, and long sunshine duration; Type 3 with cold weather and heavy air pollution; and Type 4 with cold temperatures, dryness, and high wind speed. Type 4 exhibited the greatest cumulative relative risk (CRR) of 1.241 (95%CI: 1.150, 1.339) over 14 days. Significant effects of Types 1, 3, and 4 on AMI events were observed at varying lags: 4-12 days for Type 1, 1-6 days for Type 3, and 1-11 days for Type 4. Females were more susceptible to Types 1 and 3, while individuals younger than 65 years old showed increased vulnerability to Types 3 and 4. CONCLUSION: Among the four synoptic types identified in Beijing from 2013 to 2019, Type 4 (cold, dry, and windy) presented the highest risk for AMI hospitalizations. This risk was particularly pronounced for males and people under 65. Our findings collectively highlight the need for improved methods to identify synoptic types. Additionally, developing a warning system based on these synoptic conditions could be crucial for prevention.

Temperature fluctuation and acute myocardial infarction in Beijing: an extended analysis of temperature ranges and differences.

Purpose: Few studies examined the relationship between temperature fluctuation metrics and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) hospitalizations within a single cohort. We aimed to expand knowledge on two basic measures: temperature range and difference. Methods: We conducted a time-series analysis on the correlations between temperature range (TR), daily mean temperature differences (DTDmean), and daily mean-maximum/minimum temperature differences (TDmax/min) and AMI hospitalizations, using data between 2013 and 2016 in Beijing, China. The effects of TRn and DTDmeann over n-day intervals were compared, respectively. Subgroup analysis by age and sex was performed. Results: A total of 81,029 AMI hospitalizations were included. TR1, TDmax, and TDmin were associated with AMI in J-shaped patterns. DTDmean1 was related to AMI in a U-shaped pattern. These correlations weakened for TR and DTDmean with longer exposure intervals. Extremely low (1st percentile) and high (5°C) DTDmean1 generated cumulative relative risk (CRR) of 2.73 (95% CI: 1.56-4.79) and 2.15 (95% CI: 1.54-3.01). Extremely high TR1, TDmax, and TDmin (99th percentile) correlated with CRR of 2.00 (95% CI: 1.73-2.85), 1.71 (95% CI: 1.40-2.09), and 2.73 (95% CI: 2.04-3.66), respectively. Those aged 20-64 had higher risks with large TR1, TDmax, and TDmin, while older individuals were more affected by negative DTDmean1. DTDmean1 was associated with a higher AMI risk in females. Conclusion: Temperature fluctuations were linked to increased AMI hospitalizations, with low-temperature extremes having a more pronounced effect. Females and the older adult were more susceptible to daily mean temperature variations, while younger individuals were more affected by larger temperature ranges.

Appropriateness of Percutaneous Coronary Interventions: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Since the foundation of appropriate use criteria (AUC) for coronary revascularization, the proportion of inappropriate (later revised as "rarely inappropriate") percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) varied in different populations. However, the pooled inappropriate PCI rate remains unknown. METHODS: We searched the PubMed, Cochrane, Embase, and Sinomed databases for studies related to AUC and PCIs. Studies that reported inappropriate/rarely appropriate PCI rates were included. A random effects model was employed in the meta-analysis because of the high statistical heterogeneity. RESULTS: Thirty-seven studies were included in our study, of which eight studies reported the appropriateness of acute PCIs or PCIs in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients, 25 studies reported the appropriateness of non-acute/elective PCIs or PCIs in non-ACS/stable ischemic heart disease (SIHD) patients, and 15 studies reported both acute and non-acute PCIs or did not distinguish the urgency of PCI. The pooled inappropriate PCI rate was 4.3% (95% CI: 2.6-6.4%) in acute scenarios, 8.9% (95% CI: 6.7-11.0%) in non-acute scenarios, and 6.1% (95% CI: 4.9-7.3%) overall. The inappropriate/rarely appropriate PCI rate was significantly higher in non-acute than acute scenarios. No difference in the inappropriate PCI rate was detected based on the study location, the country's level of development, or the presence of chronic total occlusion (CTO). CONCLUSIONS: The worldwide inappropriate PCI rate is generally identical but comparatively high, especially under non-acute scenarios.

Association of extreme precipitation with hospitalizations for acute myocardial infarction in Beijing, China: A time-series study.

Background: In the context of global climate changes, increasing extreme weather events have aroused great public concern. Limited evidence has focused on the association between extreme precipitation and hospitalizations for acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Our study aimed to examine the effect of extreme precipitation on AMI hospitalizations. Methods: Daily AMI hospitalizations, weather variables and air pollution data in Beijing from 2013 to 2018 were obtained. We used a time-series analysis with a distributed lag model to evaluate the association of extreme precipitation (≥95th percentile of daily precipitation) with AMI hospitalizations. Subgroup analysis was conducted to identify the vulnerable subpopulations and further assessed the attributable burden. Results: Extreme precipitation increased the risk of AMI hospitalizations with significant single-day effects from Lag 4 to Lag 11, and the maximum cumulative effects at Lag 0-14 (CRR = 1.177, 95% CI: 1.045, 1.326). Older people (≥65 years) and females were more vulnerable to extreme precipitation. The attributable fraction and numbers of extreme precipitation on AMI hospitalizations were 0.68% (95% CI: 0.20%, 1.12%) and 854 (95% CI: 244, 1,395), respectively. Conclusion: Extreme precipitation is correlated with a higher risk of AMI hospitalizations. The elderly (≥65 years) and females are more susceptible to AMI triggered by extreme precipitation.

Higher Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Is Associated with Lower All-Cause and Cardiovascular Mortality among US Adults with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

AIMS: We aimed to assess the association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study based on the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2001-2016 on adults aged ≥20 years. NAFLD was determined as a US Fatty Liver Index score ≥ 30 in the absence of other liver conditions. Weighted Cox proportional hazards regression models were applied to explore the relationship between serum 25(OH)D levels and mortality. RESULTS: 898 all-cause deaths and 305 cardiovascular deaths were recorded over a median follow-up of 8.7 years. Compared with those in the severe deficiency group (below 25.0 nmol/L), the fully adjusted HRs and 95% CIs of NAFLD patients with sufficient serum 25(OH)D concentrations (≥75.0 nmol/L) were 0.36 (0.22, 0.60) for all-cause mortality and 0.14 (0.07, 0.29) for cardiovascular mortality. Each one-unit increase in the natural log-transformed serum 25(OH)D concentration was related to a 41% lower risk for all-cause deaths (HR = 0.59, 95% CI: 0.46, 0.77) and a 65% lower risk for cardiovascular deaths (HR = 0.35, 95% CI: 0.22, 0.58). CONCLUSIONS: Among NAFLD patients, increased serum 25(OH)D levels were independently associated with reduced risk for all-cause and cardiovascular deaths.

The Effect of Ozone Treatment on Metabolite Profile of Germinating Barley.

Ozone is widely used to control pests in grain and impacts seed germination, a crucial stage in crop establishment which involves metabolic alterations. In this study, dormancy was overcome through after-ripening (AR) in dry barley seed storage of more than 4 weeks; alternatively, a 15-min ozone treatment could break the dormancy of barley immediately after harvest, with accelerated germination efficiency remaining around 96% until 4 weeks. Headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and liquid absorption coupled with gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) were utilized for metabolite profiling of 2-, 4- and 7-day germinating seeds. Metabolic changes during barley germination are reflected by time-dependent characteristics. Alcohols, fatty acids, and ketones were major contributors to time-driven changes during germination. In addition, greater fatty acids were released at the early germination stage when subjected to ozone treatment.

Household solid fuel use with diabetes and fasting blood glucose levels among middle-aged and older adults in China.

To explore the impacts of household solid fuel use for cooking and heating on diabetes and fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels, we used data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, a national survey including middle-aged and older adults. Multivariable logistic and linear regression models were used to explore the relationship between household solid fuel use (coal, crop residue, and wood) for cooking and heating with diabetes and FBG levels. Subgroup analyses were also performed based on age, sex, region of residence, smoking status, and body mass index to examine potential interactions between the variables and household solid fuel use. Among the 6195 participants, 75.4% and 61.4%, respectively, used solid fuels for heating and cooking. Relative to clean fuel users, solid fuel users had higher odds of diabetes (heating: OR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.01-1.44; cooking: OR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.12-1.53) and higher FBG levels (heating: ß = 3.23; 95% CI, 1.10-5.36; cooking: ß = 2.86; 95% CI, 0.95-4.77). Simultaneous use of solid fuels for cooking/heating was also positively associated with diabetes (OR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.07-1.61) and FBG (ß = 4.30; 95% CI, 1.82-6.78). No significant interactions were detected between subgroup variables and the impacts of solid fuel use on diabetes and FBG. Household solid fuel use is positively associated with diabetes and FBG levels. These findings imply that inhibiting household solid fuel use may contribute to decreasing diabetes development in China.

Association of sunshine duration with acute myocardial infarction hospital admissions in Beijing, China: A time-series analysis within-summer.

BACKGROUND: Over the years, various epidemiological studies found that acute myocardial infarction (AMI) often shows seasonal rhythm patterning, which is usually influenced by the variations of environmental factors, such as air pollution, ambient temperature, solar activity, relative humidity. However, there are few studies on the impact of sunlight-induced AMI especially in developing countries, and they had inconsistent results. This study aimed to examine within-summer variations in the temporal association between sun exposure and AMI. METHODS: We obtained hospitalization data for AMI of Beijing during 2013-2019. We used a distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM) combined with a quasi-Poisson regression model to estimate the non-linear lag effects of sunshine duration on AMI incidences. We evaluated the overall effect of AMI admissions with exposure to sunshine duration in the lag 0-21 days. RESULTS: A total of 45,301 AMI cases were enrolled in our study during summer (June-September). The minimum of the morbidity was during days with a sunshine duration of 3.9 h. We found significant and U-shaped associations between sunshine duration and AMI, and the overall estimated relative risk was 1.29 (95% CI: 1.02,1.62) and 1.69 (95% CI: 1.28,2.24) for short (1st percentile) and long (99th percentile) sunshine duration, respectively. The males and younger people (<65 years) were most susceptible to these effects. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that both short and long sunshine duration could increase the risk of AMI admissions, especially for males and younger people. We suggest that public health policymakers should fully consider the balance of the pros and cons of solar exposure, and provide appropriate public health recommendations accordingly to gain the greatest benefits from sunlight.

Effects of Context and Virtual Reality Environments on the Wine Tasting Experience, Acceptability, and Emotional Responses of Consumers.

Wine tasting is a multidimensional experience that includes contextual information from tasting environments. Formal sensory tastings are limited by the use of booths that lack ecological validity and engagement. Virtual reality (VR) can overcome this limitation by simulating different environmental contexts. Perception, sensory acceptability, and emotional responses of a Cabernet Sauvignon wine under traditional sensory booths, contextual environments, and VR simulations were evaluated and compared. Participants (N = 53) performed evaluations under five conditions: (1) traditional booths, (2) bright-restaurant (real environment with bright lights), (3) dark-restaurant (real environment with dimly lit candles), (4) bright-VR (VR restaurant with bright lights), and (5) dark-VR (VR restaurant with dimly lit candles). Participants rated the acceptability of aroma, sweetness, acidity, astringency, mouthfeel, aftertaste, and overall liking (9-point hedonic scale), and intensities of sweetness, acidity, and astringency (15-point unstructured line-scale). Results showed that context (booths, real, or VR) affected the perception of the wine's floral aroma (dark-VR = 8.6 vs. booths = 7.5). Liking of the sensory attributes did not change under different environmental conditions. Emotional responses under bright-VR were associated with "free", "glad", and "enthusiastic"; however, under traditional booths, they were related to "polite" and "secure". "Nostalgic" and "daring" were associated with dark-VR. VR can be used to understand contextual effects on consumer perceptions.

Bioanalytical approaches for the detection of protein acetylation-related enzymes.

Reversible protein acetylation catalyzed by histone acetyltransferases (HATs) and histone deacetylases (HDACs) is an essential post-translational modification (PTM) mechanism which correlates largely with epigenetic gene regulation such as transcriptional activation, DNA replication, histone deposition, and DNA repair. Dysfunction of histone acetylation and the aberrant activity of HATs/HDACs is often associated with the pathogenesis of numerous diseases, especially cancer. Therefore, developing potent and specific analytical methods for HATs/HDACs is important for fundamental biochemical research, disease diagnosis and treatment, and drug development. This paper briefly summarizes the general design strategies used in HAT/HDAC sensors, gives a systematic overview of recent advances in the analytical methods for HAT/HDAC enzymatic analysis, classifies these methods by their biorecognition mechanisms and relative applications either in vitro or in living cells, then outlines challenges faced by these bioanalytical methods and offers perspectives on future developments.

Unique electrocatalytic activity of a nucleic acid-mimicking coordination polymer for the sensitive detection of coenzyme A and histone acetyltransferase activity.

A nucleic acid-mimicking CoA-Ag(I) coordination polymer (CP) was in situ prepared and its unique electrocatalytic activity to H2O2 reduction was discovered. Based on it, a novel, label-free electrochemical sensor has been developed for the sensitive detection of coenzyme A (CoA) and histone acetyltransferase (HAT) activity.

Near-infrared dual-emission quantum dots-gold nanoclusters nanohybrid via co-template synthesis for ratiometric fluorescent detection and bioimaging of ascorbic acid in vitro and in vivo.

Near-infrared (NIR) quantum dots (QDs) have emerged as an attractive bioimaging toolkit for exploring biological events because they can provide deep imaging penetration and low fluorescence background. However, the quantitation process of such NIR QDs generally relies on single-emission intensity change, which is susceptible to a variety of environmental factors. Herein, for the first time, we proposed a protein-directed co-template strategy to synthesize a NIR-based, dual-emission fluorescent nanohybrid (DEFN) constructed from far-red gold nanoclusters and NIR PbS QDs (AuNCs-PbS-QDs). The convenient protein-directed co-template synthesis avoids the tedious chemical coupling and modification required in conventional preparation approaches of DEFNs. Additionally, the dual-emission signals of AuNCs-PbS-QDs exhibit two well-resolved emission peaks (640 and 813 nm) separated by 173 nm, which can eliminate environmental interferences by the built-in correction of ratiometric signal, resulting in a more favorable system for bioimaging and biosensing. Next, the target-responsive capability of this NIR-based DEFN to ascorbic acid (AA) was discovered, enabling the proposed DEFN to ratiometrically detect AA with a linear range of 3-40 µM and a detection limit of 1.5 µM. This DEFN sensor possesses high selectivity, rapid response, and excellent photostability. Moreover, the feasibility of this NIR nanosensor has been fully proved by the ratiometric detection of AA for fruit internal quality assessment, in vitro cellular imaging, and in vivo imaging in nude mice.

Time-resolved luminescence biosensor for continuous activity detection of protein acetylation-related enzymes based on DNA-sensitized terbium(III) probes.

Protein acetylation of histone is an essential post-translational modification (PTM) mechanism in epigenetic gene regulation, and its status is reversibly controlled by histone acetyltransferases (HATs) and histone deacetylases (HDACs). Herein, we have developed a sensitive and label-free time-resolved luminescence (TRL) biosensor for continuous detection of enzymatic activity of HATs and HDACs, respectively, based on acetylation-mediated peptide/DNA interaction and Tb(3+)/DNA luminescent probes. Using guanine (G)-rich DNA-sensitized Tb(3+) luminescence as the output signal, the polycationic substrate peptides interact with DNA with high affinity and subsequently replace Tb(3+), eliminating the luminescent signal. HAT-catalyzed acetylation remarkably reduces the positive charge of the peptides and diminishes the peptide/DNA interaction, resulting in the signal on detection via recovery of DNA-sensitized Tb(3+) luminescence. With this TRL sensor, HAT (p300) can be sensitively detected with a wide linear range from 0.2 to 100 nM and a low detection limit of 0.05 nM. The proposed sensor was further used to continuously monitor the HAT activity in real time. Additionally, the TRL biosensor was successfully applied to evaluating HAT inhibition by two specific inhibitors, anacardic acid and C464, and satisfactory Z'-factors above 0.73 were obtained. Moreover, this sensor is feasible to continuously monitor the HDAC (Sirt1)-catalyzed deacetylation with a linear range from 0.5 to 500 nM and a detection limit of 0.5 nM. The proposed sensor is a convenient, sensitive, and mix-and-read assay, presenting a promising platform for protein acetylation-targeted epigenetic research and drug discovery.

Nucleic acid-mimicking coordination polymer for label-free fluorescent activity assay of histone acetyltransferases.

A novel and label-free fluorescence assay for histone acetyltransferase (HAT) activity was established via in situ generation of a nucleic acid-mimicking CoA-Au(I) coordination polymer (CP). Moreover, the potency of this assay for HAT-targeted drug discovery was proved by screening HAT inhibitors.

Fluorescent nanosensor for probing histone acetyltransferase activity based on acetylation protection and magnetic graphitic nanocapsules.

Protein acetylation catalyzed by histone acetyltransferases (HATs) is significant in biochemistry and pharmacology because of its crucial role in epigenetic gene regulations. Herein, an antibody-free fluorescent nanosensor is developed for the facile detection of HAT activity based on acetylation protection against exopeptidase cleavage and super-quenching ability of nanomaterials. It is shown for the first time that HAT-catalyzed acetylation could protect the peptide against exopeptidase digestion. FITC-tagged acetylated peptide causes the formation of a nano-quenchers/peptide nano-complex resulting in fluorescence quenching, while the unacetylated peptide is fully degraded by exopeptidase to release the fluorophore and restore fluorescence. Four kinds of nano-quenchers, including core-shell magnetic graphitic nanocapsules (MGN), graphene oxide (GO), single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), are comprehensively compared. MGN shows the best selectivity to recognize the acetylated peptide and the lowest detection limit because of its excellent quenching efficiency and magnetic enrichment property. With this MGN-based nanosensor, HAT p300 is detected down to 0.1 nM with wide linear range from 0.5 to 100 nM. This sensor is feasible to assess HAT inhibition and detect p300 activity in cell lysate. The proposed nanosensor is simple, sensitive, and cost-effective for HAT assay, presenting a promising toolkit for epigenetic research and HAT-targeted drug discovery.

A supercharged fluorescent protein as a versatile probe for homogeneous DNA detection and methylation analysis.

Supercharged proteins are a new class of functional proteins with exceptional stability and potent ability to deliver bio-macromolecules into cells. As a proof-of-principle, a novel application of supercharged proteins as a versatile biosensing platform for nucleic acid detection and epigenetics analysis is presented. Taking supercharged green fluorescent protein (ScGFP) as the signal reporter, a simple turn-on homogenous method for DNA detection has been developed based on the polyionic nanoscale complex of ScGFP/DNA and toehold strand displacement. This assay shows high sensitivity and potent ability to detect single-base mismatch. Furthermore, combined with bisulfite conversion, this ScGFP-based assay was further applied to analyze site-specific DNA methylation status of genomic DNA extracted from real human colon carcinoma tissue sample with ultrahigh sensitivity (4 amol methylated DNA).

The Ag+-G interaction inhibits the electrocatalytic oxidation of guanine--a novel mechanism for Ag+ detection.

The heavy metal ions-nucleobases interaction is an important research topic in environmental and biochemical analysis. The presence of the silver ion (Ag(+)) may influence the formation of oxidation intermediate and the electrocatalytic oxidation activity of guanine (G), since Ag(+) can interact with guanine at the binding sites which are involved in the electrocatalytic oxidation reaction of guanine. According to this principle, a new electrochemical sensor for indirectly detecting Ag(+) based on the interaction of Ag(+) with isolated guanine base using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) was constructed. Among the heavy metal ions examined, only Ag(+) showed the strongest inhibitory effect on the electrocatalytic oxidation of guanine at the multi-walled carbon nanotubes modified glassy carbon electrode (CNTs/GC). And the quantitative study of Ag(+) based on Ag(+)-G sensing system gave a linear range from 100 nM to 2.5 µM with a detection limit of 30 nM. In addition, this modified electrode had very good reproducibility and stability. The developed electrochemical method is an ideal tool for Ag(+) detection with some merits including remarkable simplicity, low-cost, and no requirement for probe preparation.

Development of a novel antioxidant assay technique based on G-quadruplex DNAzyme.

Study on antioxidants' radical scavenging processes and antioxidant capabilities is important for understanding the protective role of antioxidants against oxidative damages associated with some chronic diseases and food degradation. Traditional methods to monitor the radical scavenging by antioxidant require expensive instrument and sophisticated synthesis process. Herein, we report a novel, simple, colorimetric DNAzyme-based method to detect radical-scavenging capacity of antioxidant. In this new strategy, horseradish peroxidase (HRP) mimicking DNAzyme catalyzes the oxidation of ABTS2- (2,2'-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)) by H2O2 to generate blue/green ABTS.- radical, which can be scavenged by antioxidants resulting in color change. The typical kinetic curve of antioxidant-inhibited generation of ABTS.- shows distinct biphasic pattern, involving a lag phase (stage I) and a linear increase phase (stage II). kt value, the product of lag time (t) and the slope of the curve in stage II (k), was used as the parameter for antioxidant capacity determination. This DNAzyme-based antioxidant assay has been effectively used to quantitatively detect the concentrations of antioxidants and evaluate the antioxidant capabilities of a variety of antioxidants and some real samples. Compared with traditional antioxidant assays, this method is thermostable, pH stable, and time-saving, which presents a promising platform for antioxidant assay.