Nuclear alpha-synuclein accelerates cell senescence and neurodegeneration.

BACKGROUND: The progression of Parkinson's disease (PD) is related to ageing. The accumulation of nuclear alpha-synuclein (α-syn) may accelerate the occurrence of neurodegenerative diseases, but its role in PD remains poorly understood. METHODS: In the present study, α-syn expression was specifically targeted to the nucleus by constructing an adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector in which a nuclear localization sequence (NLS) was added to the α-syn coding sequence. Virus-mediated gene transfer, behavioural tests, RNA-Seq, immunohistochemistry, western blotting, and quantitative real-time PCR were then performed. RESULTS: In vivo experiments using a mouse model showed that nuclear α-syn increased the severity of the PD-like phenotype, including the loss of dopaminergic neurons concomitant with motor impairment and the formation of α-syn inclusions. These nuclear inclusions contained α-syn species of high molecular weights and induced strong transcriptional dysregulation, especially induced high expression of p21 and senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP)-related genes. In addition, the transcriptional alterations induced by nuclear α-syn were associated with gliosis, inflammation, oxidative and DNA damage, and lysosomal dysfunction, and they eventually accelerated neuronal loss and neurodegeneration. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that nuclear α-syn plays a crucial role in PD pathogenesis.

Unlocking a greener future: The role of digital finance in enhancing green total factor energy efficiency.

The development of digital finance provides new opportunities for improving energy efficiency and promoting green development. This paper calculates green total factor energy efficiency (GTFEE) using the super-efficiency SBM model and examines the impact of digital finance on GTFEE. Digital finance has a significant positive impact on GTFEE. Under a bank-dominated financial structure, the positive impact of digital finance on GTFEE is quite significant. In regions with intense banking competition, a large amount of green credit, and lower resource dependence, digital finance is conducive to enhancing GTFEE. Optimizing the allocation efficiency of production factors is an essential mechanism for digital finance to encourage improvements in GTFEE. Digital finance alleviates distortions in factor markets and enhances the matching of the marginal output and the price of capital, labor, and energy factors, thereby facilitating improvements in GTFEE. Further analysis indicates that digital finance has a significant, positive spatial spillover effect on GTFEE, enhancing GTFEE levels in both local and neighboring regions. This study enriches the research on the relationship between digital finance and energy efficiency and provides theoretical foundations and policy references for how digital finance can better serve the green transition of the economy.

Evolution and diversity of biomineralized columnar architecture in early Cambrian phosphatic-shelled brachiopods.

Biologically-controlled mineralization producing organic-inorganic composites (hard skeletons) by metazoan biomineralizers has been an evolutionary innovation since the earliest Cambrian. Among them, linguliform brachiopods are one of the key invertebrates that secrete calcium phosphate minerals to build their shells. One of the most distinct shell structures is the organo-phosphatic cylindrical column exclusive to phosphatic-shelled brachiopods, including both crown and stem groups. However, the complexity, diversity, and biomineralization processes of these microscopic columns are far from clear in brachiopod ancestors. Here, exquisitely well-preserved columnar shell ultrastructures are reported for the first time in the earliest eoobolids Latusobolus xiaoyangbaensis gen. et sp. nov. and Eoobolus acutulus sp. nov. from the Cambrian Series 2 Shuijingtuo Formation of South China. The hierarchical shell architectures, epithelial cell moulds, and the shape and size of cylindrical columns are scrutinised in these new species. Their calcium phosphate-based biomineralized shells are mainly composed of stacked sandwich columnar units. The secretion and construction of the stacked sandwich model of columnar architecture, which played a significant role in the evolution of linguliforms, is highly biologically controlled and organic-matrix mediated. Furthermore, a continuous transformation of anatomic features resulting from the growth of diverse columnar shells is revealed between Eoobolidae, Lingulellotretidae, and Acrotretida, shedding new light on the evolutionary growth and adaptive innovation of biomineralized columnar architecture among early phosphatic-shelled brachiopods during the Cambrian explosion.

Agricultural carbon reduction in China: The synergy effect of trade and technology on sustainable development.

The control of carbon emissions from agriculture is imperative in addressing the challenges posed by the greenhouse effect. China must develop a specific pathway for reducing its agricultural carbon emissions, accounting for its unique circumstances and considering the impacts of trade liberalization. (1) The study revealing that agricultural trade liberalization (ATL) has a marked effect on lowering China's agricultural carbon emission intensity (ACEI), with robustness and endogeneity tests supporting these findings. (2) In the pursuit of emissions reduction, the crucial role of technology spillovers (TS) and the optimization of industrial structure (OIS) are essential. (3) The reduction in ACEI is particularly notable in coastal regions, areas with low environmental regulations and during periods characterized by more stable agricultural tariffs. This study shows a synergistic association between ATL and ACEI, indicates the potential for a mutually beneficial situation with advantages in both economic and environmental aspects.

Tubule system of earliest shells as a defense against increasing microbial attacks.

The evolutionary mechanism behind the early Cambrian animal skeletonization was a complex and multifaceted process involving environmental, ecological, and biological factors. Predation pressure, oxygenation, and seawater chemistry change have frequently been proposed as the main drivers of this biological innovation, yet the selection pressures from microorganisms have been largely overlooked. Here we present evidence that calcareous shells of the earliest mollusks from the basal Cambrian (Fortunian Age, ca. 539-529 million years ago) of Mongolia developed advanced tubule systems that evolved primarily as a defensive strategy against extensive microbial attacks within a microbe-dominated marine ecosystem. These high-density tubules, comprising approximately 35% of shell volume, enable nascent mineralized mollusks to cope with increasing microbial bioerosion caused by boring endolithic cyanobacteria, and hence represent an innovation in shell calcification. Our finding demonstrates that enhanced microboring pressures played a significant role in shaping the calcification of the earliest mineralized mollusks during the Cambrian Explosion.

Digital financial development, synergistic reduction of pollution, and carbon emissions: evidence from biased technical change.

Environmental pollution control and greenhouse gas emissions reduction have become the main ecological protection issues. The digital transformation of the financial sector provides a vital opportunity to holistically promote environmental governance. This article incorporates the synergistic reduction of pollution and carbon emissions into the environmental governance system of digital financial development. Using panel data from 280 cities in China between 2011 and 2018, we examine the impact of digital financial development on the synergistic reduction of pollution and carbon emissions. We find that (1) digital finance development can significantly improve the synergistic reduction of pollution and carbon emissions, effectively lowering carbon emissions while reducing pollution. External environmental concerns can further unleash the potential for digital finance development to enhance its synergistic reduction of pollution and carbon emissions. (2) The key transmission mechanism lies in the dual guidance of digital finance development toward biased technical change, i.e., toward energy-saving elements on the input side and toward reduced pollution output on the output side, thereby inducing the synergistic reduction of pollution and carbon emissions. (3) The synergistic effect of digital finance development on pollution and carbon reduction depends on the necessary regional development endowment, such as strong green technology innovation capabilities, lower traditional financial accessibility, and carbon sink reserves. This study expands the understanding of the environmental effects of digital finance development and offers crucial insights for exploring the optimal development path under green strategies.

Nuclear localization of alpha-synuclein induces anxiety-like behavior in mice by decreasing hippocampal neurogenesis and pathologically affecting amygdala circuits.

Fear and anxiety are common in Parkinson's disease (PD) and may be caused by pathologies outside the dopaminergic system. Increasing evidence has shown that alpha-synuclein (α-syn) is involved in the development of anxiety in PD. In this study, we examined the effects of α-syn nuclear translocation on anxiety-like behavior in mice by overexpressing α-syn in the nuclei of the cell in the hippocampus. Our results show that α-syn overexpression in the nuclei increased the excitability of hippocampal neurons and activated NG2 glial cells and promoted the synthesis and release of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA). And nuclear localization of α-syn led to the loss of neurotrophic factors and decreased neurogenesis. Meanwhile, the hippocampus and amygdala acted synergistically, resulting in pathologic accumulation of α-syn and gliosis in the amygdala and caused loss of interneurons. These events led to the impairments of hippocampus and amygdala function, which ultimately induced anxiety-like behavior in mice. The findings obtained in our present study indicate that excessive nuclear translocation of α-syn in hippocampal neurons and damage to the amygdala circuits may be important in the development of anxiety in PD.

The effectiveness of problem-based learning compared with lecture-based learning in surgical education: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: This meta-analysis was conducted to systematically evaluate the impact of problem-based learning (PBL) and lecture-based learning (LBL) teaching models on students' learning in surgical education. METHODS: We systematically searched the publications related to the application of PBL and LBL in surgical courses in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Cochrane Library databases, the last retrieval time is September 20, 2022. After screening the literature according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, extracting data and evaluating the methodological treatment of the included studies, Stata 17.0 software was used to perform meta-analysis. RESULTS: Nine studies were included totally. The results showed that compared with LBL, PBL was superior in clinical competence (SMD = 0.81, 95% CI: 0.12 ~ 1.49, P = 0.020) and student satisfaction (SMD = 2.13, 95% CI: 1.11 ~ 3.15, P < 0.0001) with significant differences. But the comprehensive scores (SMD = 0.26, 95% CI: -0.37 ~ 0.89, P = 0.421) and theoretical knowledge (SMD=-0.19, 95% CI: -0.71 ~ 0.33, P = 0.482) to PBL and LBL had no significant difference. CONCLUSION: This study showed that the PBL teaching model is more effective than the LBL teaching model in surgical education on the aspects of enhancing clinical competence and student satisfaction. However, further well-designed studies are needed to confirm our findings.

Pan-cancer analysis and experimental validation revealed the m6A methyltransferase KIAA1429 as a potential biomarker for diagnosis, prognosis, and immunotherapy.

BACKGROUND: KIAA1429, also known as VIRMA (vir-like m6A methyltransferase associated), plays a crucial role in tumorigenesis by modulating the level of m6A methylation. Previous studies have reported the prevalent overexpression of KIAA1429 in multiple cancers, related to a poor prognosis. Nevertheless, the precise role of KIAA1429 in tumor progression and its impact on the immune response remains unclear. METHODS: A differential analysis of KIAA1429 expression was performed across cancers using data from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) databases. We evaluated the role of KIAA1429 in the diagnosis, prognosis, and immunotherapy of tumor patients using bioinformatics methods. In addition, we also analyzed the associations between KIAA1429 and DNA methylation, immunotherapy. RT-qPCR was used to study the expression levels of KIAA1429 mRNA in 11 cell lines. RESULTS: KIAA1429 is found to be overexpressed in 28 cancer types, but its expression is relatively low in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (LAML) and ovarian serous cystadenocarcinoma (OV). Moreover, KIAA1429 demonstrates a positive correlation with advanced stages of multiple cancers. Kaplan-Meier (KM) analysis suggested that patients with elevated KIAA1429 expression had shorter survival. Furthermore, KIAA1429 shows strong associations with DNA methylation, tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TIICs), and the tumor microenvironment (TME). RT-qPCR results indicated significantly higher expression of KIAA1429 in tumor cells compared to matched-normal cells. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, our work illustrates that KIAA1429 expression is positively connected with poor prognosis in multiple cancers. Moreover, KIAA1429 could serve as a diagnostic factor and a predictor of immune response for specific tumor types.

Could METS-VF provide a clue as to the formation of kidney stones?

Objective: The lifetime occurrence rate of kidney stones is 14%, making it one of the most prevalent urological conditions. Other contributing elements, such as obesity, diabetes, diet, and heredity, are also taken into account. Our research sought to explore the potential link between high visceral fat scores (METS-VF) and the occurrence of kidney stones, as a means of understanding how to prevent them. Methods: This research utilized data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), mirroring the demographics of the United States. We carried out an in-depth analysis of the connection between METS-VF and kidney stones, based on data from 29,246 participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey spanning 2007 to 2018, involving logistic regression, segmentation, and dose-response curve analysis. Results: Our study of 29,246 potential participants found that METS-VF was positively associated with the prevalence and progression of kidney stones. After subgroup analysis by gender, race, blood pressure, and blood glucose, our results showed that the ORs for METS-VF and kidney stones were (1.49, 1.44) in males and females, respectively; while in Mexicans, whites, blacks, and In other populations, the OR values were (1.33, 1.43, 1.54, 1.86); in hypertensive and normal populations, the OR values were (1.23, 1.48); in diabetic patients and normoglycemic patients were (1.36,1.43). This proves that it works for all groups of people. Summary: Our studies demonstrate a strong connection between METS-FV and the emergence of kidney stones. It would be beneficial to investigate METS-VF as a marker for kidney stone development and progression in light of these findings.

Efficient adsorption of low-concentration uranium from aqueous solutions by biomass composite aerogel.

The development of nuclear energy has led to the depletion of uranium resources and now presents the challenge of treating radioactive wastewater. Extracting uranium from seawater and nuclear wastewater has been identified as an effective strategy for addressing these issues. However, extracting uranium from nuclear wastewater and seawater is still extremely challenging. In this study, an amidoxime-modified feather keratin aerogel (FK-AO aerogel) was prepared using feather keratin for efficient uranium adsorption. The FK-AO aerogel showed an impressive adsorption capacity of 585.88 mg·g-1 in an 8 ppm uranium solution, with a calculated maximum adsorption capacity of 990.10 mg·g-1. Notably, the FK-AO aerogel demonstrated excellent selectivity for U(VI) in simulated seawater that contained coexisting heavy metal ions. In a uranium solution having a salinity of 35 g·L-1 and a concentration of 0.1-2 ppm, the FK-AO aerogel achieved a uranium removal rate of greater than 90 %, indicating its effectiveness in adsorbing uranium in environments having high salinity and low concentration. This suggests that FK-AO aerogel is an ideal adsorbent for extracting uranium from seawater and nuclear wastewater, and it is also expected that it could be used in industrial applications for extracting uranium from seawater.

Association between CD8+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and prognosis of non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: A meta-analysis method was used to investigate the prognostic value of CD8+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors. METHODS: A database search of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Cochrane Library up until 7 February, 2023. A clinical study on the relationship between CD8+ TILs and PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in the therapeutics of NSCLC. RevMan 5.3 and StataMP 17.0 software were used for meta-analysis. The outcome indicators incorporated overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS) and objective response rate (ORR). RESULTS: Nineteen articles with 1488 patients were included. The analysis results showed that high CD8+ TILs were associated with better OS (HR = 0.60, 95% CI: 0.46-0.77; P < 0.0001), PFS (HR = 0.68, 95% CI: 0.53-0.88; P = 0.003) and ORR (OR = 2.26, 95% CI: 1.52-3.36; P < 0.0001) in NSCLC patients treated with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors. Subgroup analysis indicated that patients with high CD8+ TILs had good clinical prognostic benefits whether the location of CD8+ TILs was intratumoral or stromal, and compared with East Asian, high CD8+ TILs in Caucasians showed a better prognosis. High CD8+ TILs in peripheral blood did not improve OS (HR = 0.83, 95% CI: 0.69-1.01; P = 0.06) and PFS (HR = 0.93, 95% CI: 0.61-1.14; P = 0.76) in NSCLC patients receiving PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors. CONCLUSION: In spite of the location of CD8+ TILs, high densities of CD8+ TILs were predictive of treatment outcomes in NSCLC patients treated with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors. However, high CD8+ TILs in peripheral blood had no predictive effect.

[Rapid health technology assessment of four oral Chinese patent medicines in treatment of functional gastrointestinal disorders].

To provide proof of the evidence-based medicine and decision-making information for the clinical decision of functional gastrointestinal disorders(FGIDs), this study evaluated and compared the efficacy, safety, and economy of four oral Chinese patent medicines(CPMs) in the treatment of FGIDs using the method of rapid health technology assessment. The literature was systematically retrieved from CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, SinoMed, EMbase, PubMed, Cochrane Library and ClinicalTrials.gov from the establishment of the databases to May 1, 2022. Two evaluators screened out the literature, extracted data, evaluated the quality of the literature, and descriptively analyzed the results according to the prepared standard. Eventually, 16 studies were included, all of which was rando-mized controlled trial(RCT). The results showed that Renshen Jianpi Tablets, Renshen Jianpi Pills, Shenling Baizhu Granules, and Buzhong Yiqi Granules all had certain effects on the treatment of FGIDs. Renshen Jianpi Tablets treated FGIDs and persistent diarrhea. Shenling Baizhu Granules treated diarrhea with irritable bowel syndrome and FGIDs. Buzhong Yiqi Granules treated diarrhea with irritable bowel syndrome, FGIDs, and chronic diarrhea in children. Renshen Jianpi Pills treated chronic diarrhea. The four oral CPMs all have certain effects on the treatment of FGIDs and have specific advantages for specific patients. Compared with other CPMs, Renshen Jianpi Tablets have higher clinical universality. However, there are problems such as insufficient clinical research evidence, generally low quality of evidence, lack of comparative analysis among medicines, and lack of academic evaluation. More high-quality clinical research and the economic research should be carried out in the future, so as to provide more evidence for the evaluation of the four CPMs.

Aldanella attleborensis (Mollusca) from Cambrian Stage 2 of the Three Gorges Area and Its Stratigraphic Implications.

Some small shelly fossils are important index fossils for global stratigraphic subdivisions and correlations of the Cambrian Terreneuvian. The first appearance datum (FAD) of the cosmopolitan mollusk Aldanella attleborensis has been suggested as one of the potential markers for defining the base of Cambrian Stage 2. Aldanella fossils were uncommon in South China, and if occurring, were often described as Aldanella yanjiaheensis, A. attleborensis, or indeterminate species in the literature, while A. yanjiaheensis was often taken as a junior synonym of A. attleborensis. Nevertheless, a detailed taxonomic revision of A. yanjiaheensis based on material from its type locality awaits to be made. In this study, we systematically re-evaluated A. yanjiaheensis based on the numerous specimens collected from the base of Member 5 of the Yanjiahe Formation in the Three Gorges area, western Hubei Province of South China. Detailed taxonomic comparison further substantiates that A. yanjiaheensis is a junior synonym of A. attleborensis, signifying its strong potential for a global correlation across paleocontinents. Morphological parameter analyses indicate that the length and width of shell tube of A. attleborensis shows allometric growth. The nearly cosmopolitan distribution and characteristic morphology of A. attleborensis indicate that it can play a significant role in the subdivision and correlation of Cambrian Stage 2. The co-occurrence of A. attleborensis and Watsonella crosbyi from the base of Member 5 of the Yanjiahe Formation corroborates that Member 5 belongs to Cambrian Stage 2.

Fibrous or Prismatic? A Comparison of the Lamello-Fibrillar Nacre in Early Cambrian and Modern Lophotrochozoans.

The Precambrian-Cambrian interval saw the first appearance of disparate modern metazoan phyla equipped with a wide array of mineralized exo- and endo-skeletons. However, the current knowledge of this remarkable metazoan skeletonization bio-event and its environmental interactions is limited because uncertainties have persisted in determining the mineralogy, microstructure, and hierarchical complexity of these earliest animal skeletons. This study characterizes in detail a previously poorly understood fibrous microstructure-the lamello-fibrillar (LF) nacre-in early Cambrian mollusk and hyolith shells and compares it with shell microstructures in modern counterparts (coleoid cuttlebones and serpulid tubes). This comparative study highlights key differences in the LF nacre amongst different lophotrochozoan groups in terms of mineralogical compositions and architectural organization of crystals. The results demonstrate that the LF nacre is a microstructural motif confined to the Mollusca. This study demonstrates that similar fibrous microstructure in Cambrian mollusks and hyoliths actually represent a primitive type of prismatic microstructure constituted of calcitic prisms. Revision of these fibrous microstructures in Cambrian fossils demonstrates that calcitic shells are prevalent in the so-called aragonite sea of the earliest Cambrian. This has important implications for understanding the relationship between seawater chemistry and skeletal mineralogy at the time when skeletons were first acquired by early lophotrochozoan biomineralizers.

NEAT1 Regulates Calcium Oxalate Crystal-Induced Renal Tubular Oxidative Injury via miR-130/IRF1.

Aims: Calcium oxalate (CaOx) crystal deposition induces damage to the renal tubular epithelium, increases epithelial adhesion, and contributes to CaOx nephrocalcinosis. The long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) nuclear paraspeckle assembly transcript 1 (NEAT1) is thought to be involved in this process. In this study, we aimed to investigate the mechanism by which NEAT1 regulates renal tubular epithelium in response to inflammatory and oxidative injury triggered by CaOx crystals. Results: As CaOx crystals were deposited in mouse kidney tissue, the expression of NEAT1 was significantly elevated and positively correlated with interferon regulatory factor 1 (IRF1), Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), and NF-κB. NEAT1 targets and inhibits miR-130a-3p as a competitor to endogenous RNA. miR-130 binds to and exerts inhibitory effects on the 3'-untranslated region of IRF1. After transfected with silence-NEAT1, IRF1, TLR4, and NF-κB were also variously inhibited, and oxidative damage in renal calcinosis was subsequently attenuated. When we simultaneously inhibited NEAT1 and miR-130, renal tubular injury was exacerbated. Innovation and Conclusion: We found that the lncRNA NEAT1 can enhance IRF1 signaling through targeted repression of miR-130a-3p and activate TLR4/NF-κB pathways to promote oxidative damage during CaOx crystal deposition. This provides an explanation for the tubular epithelial damage caused by CaOx crystals and offers new ideas and drug targets for the prevention and treatment of CaOx nephrocalcinosis. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 38, 731-746.

Corrigendum: Could METS-VF provide a clue as to the formation of kidney stones?

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1166922.].

Nuclear localization of alpha-synuclein affects the cognitive and motor behavior of mice by inducing DNA damage and abnormal cell cycle of hippocampal neurons.

Nuclear accumulation of alpha-synuclein (α-syn) in neurons can promote neurotoxicity, which is considered the key factor in the pathogenesis of synucleinopathy. The damage to hippocampus neurons driven by α-syn pathology is also the potential cause of memory impairment in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. In this study, we examined the role of α-syn nuclear translocation in the cognition and motor ability of mice by overexpressing α-syn in cell nuclei in the hippocampus. The results showed that the overexpression of α-syn in nuclei was able to cause significant pathological accumulation of α-syn in the hippocampus, and quickly lead to memory and motor impairments in mice. It might be that nuclear overexpression of α-syn may cause DNA damage of hippocampal neurons, thereby leading to activation and abnormal blocking of cell cycle, and further inducing apoptosis of hippocampal neurons and inflammatory reaction. Meanwhile, the inflammatory reaction further aggravated DNA damage and formed a vicious circle. Therefore, the excessive nuclear translocation of α-syn in hippocampal neurons may be one of the main reasons for cognitive decline in mice.

Ocruranus-Eohalobia Sclerites from the Cambrian Stage 2 Yanjiahe Formation in South China: Scleritome Reconstruction and Zoological Affinity.

The isolated sclerites of the Ocruranus and Eohalobia group are abundant among the early Cambrian small shelly fossil assemblages, which were recently assigned to the same scleritome as an early member of the polyplacophoran (chiton) stem lineage. However, the scleritome reconstruction and zoological affinities of these sclerites are still controversial due to the lack of exceptionally preserved articulated specimens with in-situ sclerites. Herein, we report new specimens of Ocruranus and Eohalobia sclerites from Member 5 of the Yanjiahe Formation, which provide new insights into the reconstruction of the original scleritome. The Eohalobia sclerites from the Yanjiahe Formation have an extended and upfolded proximal field with dense wrinkles, which seems to be a weakly mineralized structure and acted as a joint with another sclerite, Ocruranus. Comparing the butterfly-shaped proximal field on a unique sclerite of Eohalobia with the sub-apical field on Ocruranus sclerites suggests that the original scleritome of this group may consist of only two types of sclerites: the Ocruranus-type and the Eohalobia-type. The polygonal structure on the internal mold of Eohalobia sclerites is interpreted herein as the muscle attachment zone; their distribution corresponds well with that of the modern chitons, which provides strong evidence to support the close relationship between the Ocruranus-Eohalobia group and the Polyplacophora.

Association between body fat distribution and kidney stones: Evidence from a US population.

Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the relationship between the proportion of Android to Gynoid ratio and the incidence of kidney stones among US adults. Methods: Participants aged 20-59 years from the 2011-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database were selected to assess the association between Android to Gynoid ratio and kidney stone prevalence using logistic regression analysis, subgroup analysis and calculation of dose-response curves. Results: This study ultimately included 10858 participants, of whom 859 self-reported a history of kidney stones. And after adjusting for all confounders, an increased Android to Gynoid ratio was associated with an increased prevalence of kidney stones (OR=2.75, 95% CI:1.62-4.88). And subgroup analysis showed an increased prevalence of kidney stones in women (OR=3.55, 95% CI: 1.54-8.22), non-diabetic (OR=2.59, 95% CI: 1.45-4.60), 60 > age ≥ 40 years (OR=3.51, 95% CI: 1.83-6.71), Mexican-American (OR=4.35, 95% CI: 1.40- 13.53) and white (OR=3.86, 95% CI: 1.82-8.18) groups, there was a significant positive association between A/G ratio and kidney stones. In contrast, in the hypertensive subgroup, the A/G ratio was associated with kidney stones in all groups. Conclusions: Higher Android to Gynoid ratio is associated with a high prevalence of kidney stone disease.