The influence of Life's Essential 8 on the link between socioeconomic status and depression in adults: a mediation analysis.

BACKGROUND: Individuals with low socioeconomic status (SES) are at a higher risk of developing depression. However, evidence on the role of cardiovascular health (CVH) in this chain is sparse and limited. The purpose of this research was to assess the mediating role of Life's Essential 8 (LE8), a recently updated measurement of CVH, in the association between SES and depression according to a nationally representative sample of adults. METHODS: Data was drawn from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) in 2013-2018. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was applied to analyze the association of SES (measured via the ratio of family income to poverty (FIPR), occupation, educational level, and health insurance) and LE8 with clinically relevant depression (CRD) (evaluated using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9)). Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to analyze the correlation between SES and LE8. Mediation analysis was carried out to explore the mediating effect of LE8 on the association between SES and CRD. Moreover, these associations were still analyzed by sex, age, and race. RESULTS: A total of 4745 participants with complete PHQ-9 surveys and values to calculated LE8 and SES were included. In the fully adjusted model, individuals with high SES had a significantly higher risk of CRD (odds ratio = 0.21; 95% confidence interval: 0.136 to 0.325, P < 0.01) compared with those with low SES. Moreover, LE8 was estimated to mediate 22.13% of the total association between SES and CRD, and the mediating effect of LE8 varied in different sex and age groups. However, the mediating effect of LE8 in this chain was significant in different sex, age, and racial subgroups except for Mexican American (MA) individuals. CONCLUSION: The results of our study suggest that LE8 could mediate the association between SES and CRD. Additionally, the mediating effect of LE8 in this chain could be influenced by the race of participants.

Metatranscriptomics revealed the molecular characterization of circulating enterovirus strains causing aseptic meningitis in children in Wuxi, China.

Enteroviruses are major etiological agents of aseptic meningitis globally, however information on circulating enterovirus types associated with this disease in Wuxi, China is limited. In this study, cerebrospinal fluid samples were collected from 20 pediatric aseptic meningitis cases in a Wuxi hospital in 2020 and subjected to metagenomic analysis to detect pathogens. Enterovirus B was detected in 9 cases, including 7 echovirus 18 (E18) and 2 echovirus 11 (E11) strains. The E18 strains exhibited 87.5-98.2% nucleotide identity and phylogenetically clustered with other China E18 strains, while the E11 strains showed 97.59% identity and clustered within the D5 subgroup along with other China E11 strains. One E18 strain was identified as a novel recombinants with a distinct recombination breakpoint within 3D gene. These findings expand knowledge on enteroviruses associated with pediatric aseptic meningitis in Wuxi, and highlight the circulation of genetically diverse E18 and E11 strains, including novel E18 recombinants. Characterization of enterovirus diversity by metagenomic analysis is important for molecular diagnosis and epidemiological tracking of aseptic meningitis cases. Continued surveillance of circulating enterovirus strains in Wuxi that may cause future outbreaks is warranted.

Fabrication of ammonia and acetic acid-responsive intelligent films based on grape skin anthocyanin via adjusting the pH of film-forming solution.

pH-responsive intelligent films for food freshness monitoring have attracted great attentions recently. In this study, several intelligent films based on chitosan (CS), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and grape skin anthocyanin (GSA) were prepared, and the effect of film-forming solution pH on the properties of intelligent films was investigated. The results of SEM, FTIR, XRD and TGA displayed that the hydrogen bond between CS and GSA was strong at strong acidic conditions (2.0-2.5), and it weakened at weak acidic conditions (3.0-4.5). Meanwhile, the hydrogen bond between PVA and GSA was negligible under strong acidic conditions, and it appeared under weak acidic conditions. Consequently, the films fabricated under weak acidic conditions displayed lower water solubility, lower water vapor permeability, and higher elongation at break. The tensile strength of films increased firstly and subsequently decreased with pH increasing, reaching a maximum value of 31.44 MPa at pH 3.5. Additionally, the films prepared at pH 2.5 and 4.0 showed the best color responsiveness to ammonia and acetic acid, respectively. Overall, the intelligent films prepared under variant pH have the potential to realize the goal of monitoring the freshness of different types of food, thereby expanding the application subject of anthocyanins-based intelligent films.

Effects of air-impingement jet drying on drying kinetics and quality retention of tomato slices.

The purpose was to explore the drying kinetics, the moisture effective diffusivities, color, total polyphenols, lycopene and antioxidant activities of dried tomato slices by air-impingement jet drying (AIJD). The results showed that high temperature increased the drying rate, and Modified Page model accurately predicted the AIJD characteristics of tomato slices. AIJD is better than hot air drying in shortening drying time, enhancing drying rate and decreasing the loss of total polyphenols, lycopene and antioxidant capacity of tomato slices. Tomato slices dried by AIJD also showed higher lightness and redness. Lycopene content and antioxidant activity of tomato slices dried by AIJD were increased by higher drying temperature. Based on experimental data, AIJD at 80 °C can be used in tomato drying process due to the advantages in drying efficiency and content of bioactive compounds. This study will provide helpful information for the production of high quality of dried tomato products.

The effects of remifentanil combined with propofol on the oxidative damage and the stress and inflammatory responses in cardiac surgery patients.

OBJECTIVE: This paper aims to explore the effects of remifentanil combined with propofol on the stress responses, oxidative damage, and inflammatory responses in cardiac surgery patients. METHODS: One hundred and four patients who underwent cardiac surgery in our hospital from August 2017 to March 2019, were recruited as the study cohort and divided into control and observation groups. The 50 patients in the control group were anesthetized with fentanyl and propofol, and the 54 patients in the observation group were anesthetized with remifentanil and propofol. The general clinical data were observed and compared between the two groups. At different time points, changes in the oxidative stress response indicators (mean artery pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR)) and in the cardiac function indexes (left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), stroke volume (SV), and cardiac output (CO)) were observed. The inflammatory cytokine levels (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin-10 (IL-10), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)) were analyzed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). The patients' postoperative recovery (time to spontaneous respiration, time to opening eyes, extubation time) and their Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scores were observed. Their pain at half an hour and at 24 hours after the operation were observed, as well as their postoperative adverse reactions. RESULTS: There were no differences in the general data between the two groups (P>0.05). Compared with the patients in the control group, the patients in the observation group had better oxidative stress levels and better cardiac function indexes (P<0.05), better postoperative inflammatory cytokine levels (P<0.05), better postoperative recovery (P<0.05), lower postoperative pain scores (P<0.05), and a lower total incidence of adverse reactions (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Remifentanil combined with propofol can effectively reduce oxidative stress and inflammatory responses in cardiac surgery patients.

Sex Difference Between Trace Elements and Pulmonary Functions in Children.

It has been defined that deficiency of trace elements plays an important role in the progression of asthma. However, the relationship between blood zinc (Zn), selenium (Se), and magnesium (Mg) and pulmonary functions in children remains to be clarified. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Wuxi, China, and a total of 202 healthy children were recruited. The forced vital capacity volume (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in the 1 s (FEV1) were measured. Blood samples were collected, and the levels of blood zinc, selenium, and magnesium were measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Meanwhile, the concentrations of serum total IgE was also determined. The associations between trace elements and pulmonary functions were analyzed by multiple linear regression models. After stratified by sex, there was a positive association between blood Zn and pulmonary functions in boys. In addition, blood Zn was also negatively associated with serum total IgE concentrations in boys, but not in girls after adjusting for potential confounders. Our findings indicated that zinc deficiency was significantly related to children's pulmonary functions and that screening of trace elements may be a potential solution to decrease the risks of asthma in children.

Effects of Lead, Mercury, and Cadmium Co-exposure on Children's Pulmonary Function.

Accumulating evidence has shown that toxic metals exposure can have adverse effects on children, but the effects of blood Pb, Hg, and Cd co-exposure on pulmonary function in children remains to be clarified. This cross-sectional multicenter study was conducted in Wuxi City, China. A total of 221 healthy children free from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were recruited. The blood samples were collected while blood Pb, Hg, and Cd levels were determined. The forced vital capacity volume (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in the 1 s (FEV1) were measured. The associations between metals concentration and pulmonary function were analyzed by multiple linear regression models. The geometric means of the blood Pb, Hg, and Cd levels in our study were 37.27 µg/L, 1.41 µg/L, and 0.28 µg/L, respectively. After adjusting for age, sex, maternal education, annual family income, fish consumption, and second-hand smoking exposure, only the blood Pb levels were significantly negatively associated with the pulmonary function. In addition, a significantly positive interaction between blood Pb and blood Cd on pulmonary function were also detected. Although causal relationship cannot be confirmed in this study, at least higher levels of Pb in blood are associated with decreased pulmonary parameters in children.

Mutual regulation between miR-21 and the TGFß/Smad signaling pathway in human bronchial fibroblasts promotes airway remodeling.

OBJECTIVE: Airway remodeling is an important pathological feature of asthma. Excessive deposition of extracellular matrix (e.g., collagen) secreted from fibroblasts is a major factor contributing to airway remodeling. Currently, the mechanism by which collagen continues to be oversynthesized in the airway remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the role of the microRNA-21 (miR-21) and TGFß/Smad signaling pathway in human bronchial fibroblasts (HBFs), and explored the regulatory mechanism of airway remodeling. METHODS: HBFs were cultured in vitro and treated with the transforming growth factor ß (TGFß), receptor inhibitor (SB431542), and TGFß1. miR-21 and Smad7 overexpressing lentiviruses, as well as an miR-21 interfering lentivirus were constructed and transfected into HBFs. Western blotting was used to determine the expression of airway remodeling-related proteins and proteins in the TGFß/Smad signaling pathway. miR-21 expression was measured by quantitative real-time PCR. RESULTS: The high expression of miR-21 induced by TGFß1 was reduced following the treatment with the SB431542 in HBFs. Smad7 overexpression inhibited the elevated expression of the COL I protein induced by miR-21 overexpression in HBFs. Inhibiting miR-21 expression upregulated the level of Smad7 protein, thus reducing the expression of airway remodeling-related proteins induced by TGFß1 stimulation in HBFs. CONCLUSIONS: TGFß1 can induce miR-21 expression in HBFs through the TGFß/Smad signaling pathway to promote airway remodeling. miR-21 downregulates Smad7, activates the TGFß/Smad signaling pathway, and promotes airway remodeling. Mutual regulation between miR-21 and the TGFß/Smad signaling pathway in HBFs promotes airway remodeling.

HnRNPK/miR-223/FBXW7 feedback cascade promotes pancreatic cancer cell growth and invasion.

Several studies have identified miR-223 critically involved in various types of cancer, including pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). However, its action and regulatory mechanisms in PDAC remains largely unclear. In this study, we found that the expression levels of miR-223 were increased in clinical samples with PDAC (81.6%). The upregulation of miR-223 increases the proliferation, migration, and invasive abilities of PDAC cells in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, miR-223 directly targeted FBXW7 and overexpression of FBXW7 reverted miR-223- induced drastic proliferation in PDAC cells. Interestingly, miR-223 promoter was found to form a coprecipitable complex with hnRNPK, and siRNA knockdown of hnRNPK in PDAC cells reduced the levels of miR-223. These results show that hnRNPK is a cellular protein that binds and affects the accumulation of miR-223 in PDAC. Furthermore, FBXW7 interacts with hnRNPK and promotes its degradation, which requires phosphorylation of hnRNPK at threonine 1695 by GSK3. Consistently, we observed an inverse expression pattern between FBXW7 and miR-223, whereas a positive expression pattern between miR-223 and hnRNPK was found in human PDAC tissues. These data unveiled an important new miR-223/FBXW7/HnRNPK feedback cascade in human PDAC.

MiR-371-5p facilitates pancreatic cancer cell proliferation and decreases patient survival.

BACKGROUND: microRNAs (miRNAs) play a critical role in tumorigenesis, either as a tumor suppressor or as an oncogenic miRNA, depending on different tumor types. To date, scientists have obtained a substantial amount of knowledge with regard to miRNAs in pancreatic cancer. However, the expression and function of miR-371-5p in pancreatic cancer has not been clearly elucidated. The aim of this study was to investigate the roles of miR-371-5p in pancreatic cancer and its association with the survival of patients with pancreatic cancer. METHODS: The expression of miR-371-5p was examined in pancreatic duct adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and their adjacent normal pancreatic tissues (ANPT) or in pancreatic cancer cell lines by qRT-PCR. The association of miR-371-5p expression with overall survival was determined. The proliferation and apoptosis of SW-1990 and Panc-1 cells, transfected with miR-371-5p mimics or inhibitor, were assessed using MTT assay and flow cytometry, respectively. The tumorigenicity was evaluated via mice xenograft experiments. miR-371-5p promoter interactions were analyzed by chromatin immunoprecipitation assays (ChIP). Protein expression was analyzed by Western blot. RESULTS: The expression level of miR-371-5p was dramatically upregulated in clinical PDAC tissues compared with ANPT. Patients with high miR-371-5p expression had a significantly shorter survival than those with low miR-371-5p expression. The in vitro and in vivo assays showed that overexpression of miR-371-5p resulted in cell proliferation and increased tumor growth, which was associated with inhibitor of growth 1 (ING1) downregulation. Interestingly, we also found that ING1, in turn, inhibited expression of miR-371-5p in the promoter region. CONCLUSIONS: our study demonstrates a novel ING1-miR-371-5p regulatory feedback loop, which may have a critical role in PDAC. Thus miR-371-5p can prove to be a novel prognostic factor and therapeutic target for pancreatic cancer treatment.

[Association between suppressors of cytokine signaling mRNA expression and Th1/Th2 balance in children with asthma].

OBJECTIVE: Suppressors of cytokine signaling (SOCS) have been shown to play an important role in regulating cytokines, such as intracellular interferon (IFN) and interleukin (IL), in the Janus kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK-STAT) pathway. At present, the association between SOCS and asthma is still under study. The aim of this study is to explore the relationship of SOCS-1 and SOCS-3 mRNA expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) with the intracellular IFN-'/IL-4 ratio in CD4+ T cells and specific IgE (sIgE) level in children with asthma. METHODS: BMCs were collected from 44 children with allergic asthma (4-14 years) and 30 healthy children. The intracellular IFN-'/IL-4 ratio in CD4+ T cells was measured by flow cytometry. Total RNAs were extracted from the PBMCs and SOCS-1 and SOCS-3 mRNA expression was measured by SYBR Green I quantitative RT-PCR. RESULTS: Compared with the healthy children, children with allergic asthma showed a lower level of intracellular IFN-' in peripheral blood [(15.7±2.0)% vs (19.1±2.7)%] and IFN-'/IL-4 ratio (3.4±1.5 vs 4.8±2.9) and higher SOCS-1 mRNA expression (-Ct, 11.1±1.9 vs 12.6±2.8). There was a negative relationship between SOCS-1 mRNA expression and the percentage of IFN-'-producing CD4+ T cells in peripheral blood in both asthmatic and healthy children (P<0.05). No correlation was found between SOCS-1 and SOCS-3 expression and sIgE level. CONCLUSIONS: Children with allergic asthma have elevated levels of SOCS-1 mRNA in PBMCs, which is associated with Th2-skewed immune response.

[Roles of allergen testing in vitro and impulse oscillometry for lung function measurements in children with cough variant asthma].

OBJECTIVE: To study the roles of allergen testing in vitro and impulse oscillometry for lung function measurements in preschool children with cough variant asthma (CVA). METHODS: ethodsForty-four preschool children with acute asthma, 41 with chronic asthma, 46 with CVA, and 35 healthy preschool children as control were recruited in the study. Inhaled allergen, food allergen, and mite-specific IgE were determined by Pharmacia UniCAP System. Serum eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) and total IgE levels were measured. Lung function was assessed by impulse oscillometry. RESULTS: The positive rates of inhaled allergen and food allergen, and total IgE levels in the CVA, acute asthma and chronic asthma groups were higher than those in the control group (P<0.01). However, no significant differences were found among the three case groups. The serum ECP levels in the CVA group were lower than those in the acute asthma group (P<0.01), but did not show differences when compared with the chronic asthma group. The impulse oscillometry demonstrated that the respiratory total impedance (Zrs), airway resistance at 5 Hz (R5), airway resistance at 20 Hz (R20), subtracting R5 from R20 (R5-R20) and resonant frequency (Fres) in the CVA, acute asthma and chronic asthma groups were higher than those in the control group (P<0.01). Zrs, R5, R20, R5-R20, and Fres in the CVA and chronic asthma groups were lower than those in the acute asthma group (P<0.01). Serum ECP levels were positively correlated with Zrs, R5, R5-R20 and Fres (P<0.05) in the CVA and chronic asthma groups. CONCLUSIONS: The measurements of allergens, serum ECP and impulse oscillometry for lung function are helpful for the evaluation of airway inflammation and airway obstruction in preschool children with CVA.

A monitoring technique of piezoelectric impedance analysis used in tea polyphenols (TP) antimutagenic characteristics.

A new method was proposed for studying antimutagenic characteristics of tea polyphenols (TP) using piezoelectric impedance analysis during the Salmonella typhimurium strain TA100 growth process in the presence of mutagen 4-methylnitrosamino-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (abbreviated NNK). Compared with the general method of antimutagenic investigation, the proposed method provided real-time, multidimensional response information about the antimutagenic characteristics during the bacterial growth process. The results showed that TP was allowed to be antimutagenic at the lowest concentration of 0.25 microg/ml, and the inhibitory effect of TP presented a linear relationship with its dosage in the range of 0.25-2.5 microg/ml. And the relationship between the bacterial growth kinetic parameters and the TP dosage was also obtained. The present method provided a new approach for studying microbial antimutagenic characteristics.

[Pluripotential differentiation of QY1 bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell line].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the ability of QY1 bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (MSCs) line cells to differentiate into adipocytes, chondrocytes, osteoblasts, cardiac myocytes,vascular endothelial cells, and neural cells in vitro. METHODS: The QY1 cells at passage 5 were treated with the adipogenic medium, the chondrogenic medium and the osteogenic medium, 5-azacytidine, vascular endothelial growth factor and neural cell medium (revulsant 1 was 10 mmol/L beta-mercaptoethanol; revulsant 2 was 2%dimethylsulfoxide and 10(-8)mol/L dexamethasone) in culture respectively in vitro. The differentiated cells were identified by staining, immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR. RESULTS: The differentiated cells induced by the adipogenic medium formed adipocytes and contained fat lipid droplets, which were stained positively with Sudan III after 21 days of culture. The differentiated cells induced by the chondrogenic medium formed chondrogenic nodules, which were stained positively by Alcian blue at pH 1.0 after 21 days of culture. The differentiated cells induced by the osteogenic medium formed osteogenic nodules, which were stained positively by Von Kossa staining after 35 days of culture, and the secretion of a calcified extracellular matrix as black nodules was observed. The differentiated cells treated with 10 micromol/L 5-azacytidine could beat spontaneously and formed myotube structures,which were identified by the positive immunohistochemistry staining with anti-alpha-sarcomeric antibody and anti-Cx-43 antibody. The expression of alpha-myosin heavy chain was also observed by RT-PCR. The differentiated cells treated with 50 ng/mL vascular endothelial growth factor could form vascular endothelial cells and vascular endothelial web like structure, which were identified by the positive immunohistochemistry staining with CD31 and Factor VIII. The differentiated cells induced by revulsant 1 were positive in the immunohistochemistry staining with neuron-specific nuclear protein, while the expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein was negative. The differentiated cells induced by revulsant 2 were positive in the immunohistochemistry staining with glial fibrillary acidic protein, while the expression of neuron-specific nuclear protein was negative. CONCLUSION: QY1 bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell line has the ability to differentiate into adipocytes, chondrocytes, osteocytes, cardiomyocytes, vascular endothelial cells, neurons and neural glial cells in vitro. A bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell line cell can at least differentiate into 7 types of cells, which come from mesoderm and ectoderm.

[Differentiation of QY1 bone marrow pluripotential mesenchymal stem cell line cells into cardiomyocytes and vascular endothelial cells in vitro].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the differentiation potential of QY1 bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (MSCs) line cells into cardiacmyocytes and vascular endothelial cells in vitro, to optimize the suitable conditions of MSCs differentiating into cardiomyocytes in vitro, and to examine the potentials of MSCs differentiating into cardiomyogenesis and vasculogenesis. METHODS: Specifically committed differentiation inductive medium was employed, including 5-azacytidine for cardiomyogenesis and vascular endothelial growth factor for vasculogenesis in culture respectively in vitro. The differentiated cells were identified by immunohistochemistry and molecular biology. RESULTS: MSCs line cells had been cultured in the normal culture medium for 72 hours, then the differentiation inductive medium including 10 micromol/L 5-azacytidine was added into the normal culture dishes for 24 hours only. After that the culture medium was changed back to the normal culture medium. Normal culture medium was changed every 7 days. The second induction was performed after 14 days. The differentiated cells treated with 5-azacytidine could beat spontaneously and formed myotube structures in the optimal induction conditions, and the differentiation rate was (39.47+/-0.56)%. The differentiated cells expressed specific cardiomyocytic proteins identified by the positive immunohistochemistry staining with anti-alpha-sarcomeric antibody and anti-Cx-43 antibody, and also expressed the alpha-myosin heavy chain examined by RT-PCR. The differentiated cells began to appear as the lined up vascular endothelial cells after 48 hour treatment with vascular endothelial growth factor. Some of the differentiated cells connected each other to form vascular endothelial web-like structure after 7 day treatment with vascular endothelial growth factor. On 14 d after treating with vascular endothelial growth factor, the differentiated cells were identified by immunohistochemistry staining. The expressions of both specific surface antibody CD31 and factor VIII for vascular endothelial cells were positive. CONCLUSION: The cells of QY1 bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell line may differentiate into cardiomyocytes or vascular endothelial cells in vitro under specific condition.