Targeting the adenosine signaling pathway in macrophages for cancer immunotherapy.

One of the ways in which macrophages support tumorigenic growth is by producing adenosine, which acts to dampen antitumor immune responses and is generated by both tumor and immune cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Two cell surface expressed molecules, CD73 and CD39, boost catalytic adenosine triphosphate, leading to further increased adenosine synthesis, under hypoxic circumstances in the TME. There are four receptors (A1, A2A, A2B, and A3) expressed on macrophages that allow adenosine to perform its immunomodulatory effect. Researchers have shown that adenosine signaling is a key factor in tumor progression and an attractive therapeutic target for treating cancer. Several antagonistic adenosine-targeting biological therapies that decrease the suppressive action of tumor-associated macrophages have been produced and explored to transform this result from basic research into a therapeutic advantage. Here, we'll review the newest findings from studies of pharmacological compounds that target adenosine receptors, and their potential therapeutic value based on blocking the suppressive action of macrophages in tumors.

The biosafety incident response competence scale for clinical nursing staff: a development and validation study.

AIMS: This study was designed to develop a biosafety incident response competence scale and evaluate its validity and reliability among clinical nurses. DESIGN: This study employed a sequential approach, comprising four phases: (1) the establishment of a multidimensional conceptual model, (2) the preliminary selection of the items, (3) further exploration and psychometric testing of the items, (4) the application of the scale among clinical nurses. METHODS: The biosafety incident response competence conceptual model was developed through literature review and the Delphi method. A total of 1,712 clinical nurses participated in the preliminary items selection, while 1,027 clinical nurses were involved in the further psychometric testing from July 2023 to August 2023. The item analysis, exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were conducted to evaluate the construct validity. Reliability was measured using Cronbach's alpha, split-half reliability, and test-retest reliability, while validity analysis included content validity, structural validity, convergent validity, and discriminant validity. From September to November 2023, we conducted a survey using the established scale with a total of 4338 valid questionnaires collected. T-test and variance analysis was employed to determine potential variations in biosafety incident response competence based on participants characteristics. RESULTS: The final scale is composed of 4 factors and 29 items, including monitoring and warning abilities, nursing disposal abilities, biosafety knowledge preparedness, and infection protection abilities. The explanatory variance of the 4 factors was 75.100%. The Cronbach's alpha, split-half reliability and test-retest reliability were 0.974, 0.945 and 0.840 respectively. The Scale-level content validity index was 0.866. The Average Variance Extracted of the 4 factors was larger than 0.5, the Construct Reliability was larger than 0.7, and the Heterotrait-Monotrait ratio were less than 0.9. There were significant differences in the scores of response competence among nurses of different ages, working years, titles, positions, departments, marital status and participation in biosafety training (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The biosafety incident response competence scale for nurses exhibits satisfactory reliability and validity, making it a valuable tool for assessing clinical nurses' abilities in responding to biosafety incidents.

Body Mass Index and All-Cause Mortality in Elderly Patients with Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: A Meta-Analysis.

INTRODUCTION: The "obesity paradox" in elderly patients suffering from percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) remains a source of controversy. The present meta-analysis focused on exploring the real existence of "obesity paradox" in these patients. METHODS: As of November 2022, PubMed, Cochrane, and Embase databases were comprehensively searched to identify articles reporting all-cause mortality according to diverse body mass index (BMI) categories after PCI among the old cases developing coronary artery disease (CAD). Summary estimates of relative risks (RRs) were assigned to four BMI groups, including underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obesity groups. RESULTS: There were altogether nine articles involving 25,798 cases selected for further analysis. Relative to normal weight group, overweight and obesity groups had decreased all-cause mortality (RR: 0.86, 95% CI: 0.77-0.95 for overweight group; RR: 0.57, 95% CI: 0.40-0.80 for obesity group), while underweight group had elevated all-cause mortality (RR: 1.52, 95% CI: 1.01-2.29). CONCLUSION: Our study revealed an "obesity paradox" relation of BMI with all-cause mortality in elderly cases receiving PCI. In comparison with normal weight group, overweight and obesity groups had decreased all-cause mortality, while underweight group had increased all-cause mortality.

EtOS2K as a C1 Source: Solvent- and Temperature-Controlled Selective Synthesis of Quinoline-2-thione and Quinoline-2-one Derivatives.

Herein, we disclosed a highly chemoselective synthesis of quinoline-2-one and quinoline-2-thione derivatives using EtOS2K as the C1 source. Quinoline-2-one derivatives were synthesized selectively with NaCl as a catalyst in the solvent DMSO/H2O, while quinoline-2-thione derivatives were produced without the need for any catalyst in an environmentally friendly solvent EtOH/H2O. The reaction conditions were mild and had good functional group tolerance.

Association between serum TSH levels and all-cause mortality in critically ill patients.

Thyroid dysfunction is common in critical illness and may influence prognosis. However, the value of TSH in patients with severe diseases remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between TSH and the clinical prognosis of critically ill patients. Methods: This retrospective study identified patients who were admitted to the ICU in the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care (MIMIC-IV) database (version 2.2). A total of 6432 patients were divided into four groups based on TSH quartiles (Q1, <0.92 mIU/L; Q2, 0.92-1.07 mIU/L; Q3, 1.07-3.10 mIU/L; Q4, >3.10 mIU/L). The clinical outcomes were defined as all-cause 7-, 30-, and 90-year mortality after ICU admission. Restricted cubic splines (RCSs) for nonlinear associations were generated to visualize the relationship between TSH levels and clinical outcomes. The survival differences among the four groups were also analyzed using Kaplan‒Meier curves and log rank tests. Univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression were further used to assess the association between TSH levels and clinical outcomes. Results: After multivariate adjustment, a U-shaped relationship was observed between TSH levels and all-cause 7-, 30-, and 90- mortality among patients with severe disease (all P < 0.05 for nonlinearity). The plot showed a risk reduction in the low range of TSH, which reached the lowest risk at approximately 2.9 µIU/mL and then increased thereafter. Compared with patients with Q3 TSH levels, those with Q1, Q2, and Q4 TSH levels had a significantly higher risk of all-cause 30-day mortality (Q1: hazard ratio, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.06-1.54; Q2: hazard ratio, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.01-1.48; Q4: hazard ratio, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.04-1.50). For all-cause 90-day mortality, only the Q4 group had a significantly higher mortality risk than the Q3 group (hazard ratio, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.07-1.44). In subgroup analyses, we found that Q1 TSH levels were associated with higher mortality risk in men and older (≥65 years) patients, while Q4 TSH had a greater risk in men and younger (<65 years) patients. Conclusions: TSH was significantly associated with all-cause 7-, 30-, and 90-day mortality in critically ill patients after admission to the ICU. TSH may serve as a valuable biomarker for risk stratification in critically ill patients.

Research hotspots and trends of oral health in older adults from 2013 to 2023: A bibliometric and visual analysis.

Background: Oral health problems seriously affect the quality of life of older adults. It is of great significance to investigate the statuses of oral health in older adults. The study aimed to analyze the current status, hotspots and frontiers of global oral health research in older adults through bibliometrics to provide references and guidance for future research in this field. Methods: Literature on oral health in older adults from 2013 to 2023 was retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database. CiteSpace 6.2.R4 was used for bibliometric and visual analysis, including journal and co-cited journal, country/region, institution, author, co-cited references, and keyword analysis. Results: A total of 1430 publications related to oral health in older adults were included. The number of publications has gradually increased over the past decade. The most widely published and cited journal was Gerodontology. The most prominent contribution came from the United States of America, and the University of London and Hirohiko Hirano were the most prolific institution and author, respectively. The current research hotspots were summarized as oral hygiene interventions, oral health-related quality of life and oral health issues in older adults. Cohort studies of oral health, the relationship between oral health and frailty, and the correlation between oral health and nutritional status may be emerging research trends. Conclusions: This study systematically analyzed the hotspots and frontiers of oral health in older adults and called for increased collaboration among countries, institutions, and authors. In addition, oral hygiene interventions for older adults, oral health-related quality of life, oral health issues, cohort studies of oral health, and the relationship between oral health and frailty or nutritional status may be the focus of future research.

A novel simplified approach for endodontic retrograde surgery in short single-rooted teeth.

BACKGROUND: High technical thresholds, long operative times, and the need for expensive and specialized equipment impede the widespread adoption of endodontic microsurgery in many developing countries. This study aimed to compare the effects of a simplified, cost-effective, and time-efficient surgical approach involving orthograde obturation using biological ceramic material greater than 6 mm combined with apicoectomy for single-rooted teeth with short lengths with those of the conventional and current standard methods. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-five premolars equally categorized into three groups: conventional surgery group, standard surgery group, and modified surgery group. A µCT scan was used to calculate the volume of voids. A micro-leakage test and scanning electron microscope (SEM) were performed to assess the sealing effect. Additionally, four cases of chronic periapical periodontitis in the anterior region were selected, and the patients received either the modified approach or the standard surgery for endodontic microsurgery. RESULTS: The volumes of voids in the apical 0-3 mm of the modified group and the standard group were comparable. The micro-leakage test and SEM examination demonstrated closely bonded fillings in the dentinal walls in both the modified surgery group and standard surgery group. The outcomes of the preliminary application of this modified procedure on patients were successful at the time of the follow-up cutoff. CONCLUSIONS: The modified surgery group exhibited similar root canal filling and apical sealing abilities with the standard procedure for single-rooted teeth with short lengths (< 20 mm). The preliminary application of this modified surgical procedure achieved favorable results.

The relationship between dysphagia and frailty among Chinese hospitalized older patients: a serial mediation model through self-perceived oral health and self-reported nutritional status.

BACKGROUND: Frailty contributes to adverse outcomes in older adults and places a heavy burden on healthcare resources. Dysphagia is associated with frailty, but the mechanisms by which dysphagia affects frailty in older adults are unclear. This study aimed to investigate a serial mediating effect of self-perceived oral health and self-reported nutritional status in the relationship between dysphagia and frailty among hospitalized older patients in China. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 1200 patients aged ≥ 65 years in the Department of Geriatrics, Shaanxi Provincial People's Hospital. A structured face-to-face interview was used to survey the following questionnaires: General Information Questionnaire, Tilburg Frailty Indicators (TFI), Eating Assessment Tool-10 (EAT-10), 30mL Water Swallow Test (WST), Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI), and Short-Form Mini-Nutritional Assessment (MNA-SF). A total of 980 participants with complete data were included in the analysis. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 26.0 and Amos 28.0 software. Spearman's correlation analysis was used for correlation analysis of study variables. The results of the multivariate linear regression analysis for frailty were used as covariates in the mediation analysis, and the structural equation model (SEM) was used to analyze the mediating effects among the study variables. RESULTS: Dysphagia, self-perceived oral health, self-reported nutritional status, and frailty were significantly correlated (P<0.001). Dysphagia was found to directly affect frailty (ß = 0.161, 95%CI = 0.089 to 0.235) and through three significant mediation pathways: (1) the path through self-perceived oral health (ß = 0.169, 95%CI = 0.120 to 0.221), accounting for 36.98% of the total effect; (2) the path through self-reported nutritional status (ß = 0.050, 95%CI = 0.023 to 0.082), accounting for 10.94% of the total effect; (3) the path through self-perceived oral health and self-reported nutritional status (ß = 0.077, 95%CI = 0.058 to 0.102), accounting for 16.85% of the total effect. The total mediation effect was 64.77%. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicated that dysphagia was significantly associated with frailty. Self-perceived oral health and self-reported nutritional status were serial mediators of this relationship. Improving the oral health and nutritional status of hospitalized older patients may prevent or delay the frailty caused by dysphagia.

Marivirga aurantiaca sp. nov., a halophilic nitrite-reducing bacterium, isolated from intertidal surface sediments.

A novel Gram-stain-negative strain, designated S37H4T, was isolated from an intertidal surface sediment sample collected from Zhanjiang City, Guangdong province, south PR China. Cells of the strain were aerobic, non-flagellated, long rod-shaped and motile by gliding. S37H4T could grow at 4-40 °C, pH 7.0-8.5 and in 2.0-15.0 % NaCl, with optimal growth at 25-30 °C, pH 7.5 and 9.0 % NaCl, respectively. S37H4T was capable of nitrite removal under high-salt conditions, and there were three denitrification genes, nirK, norB and nosZ, in its genome. The results of phylogenetic analyses based on the 16S rRNA gene and genome sequences indicated that S37H4T represented a member of the genus Marivirga and formed a subclade with Marivirga lumbricoides JLT2000T. S37H4T showed the highest 16S rRNA sequence similarity to M. lumbricoides JLT2000T (98.3 %) and less than 97.0 % similarity with other type strains of species of the genus Marivirga. The average nucleotide identity (ANI) and digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) values between S37H4T and the reference type strains of species of the genus Marivirga were 70.7-74.3 % and 18.2-19.2 %, respectively. The major fatty acids of S37H4T were iso-C15 : 0, iso-C15 : 1G, iso-C17 : 0 3-OH and summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω6c and/or C16 : 1ω7c). The major respiratory quinone of this novel strain was MK-7, and the predominant polar lipids were identified as phosphatidylethanolamine, an unidentified aminolipid, an unidentified phospholipid and three unidentified lipids. The results of analyses of phylogenetic, genomic, physiological and biochemical characteristics indicated that S37H4T represented a novel species of the genus Marivirga, for which the name Marivirga aurantiaca sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is S37H4T (= GDMCC 1.1866T = KACC 21922T).

Targeted IFNγ induction by a genetically engineered Salmonella typhimurium is the key to the liver metastasis inhibition in a mouse model of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor.

Background: Liver metastasis is one of the primary causes of death for the patients with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs). However, no curative therapy has been developed so far. Methods: The anti-tumor efficacy of a genetically engineered tumor-targeting Salmonella typhimurium YB1 was evaluated on a non-functional INR1G9 liver metastasis model. Differential inflammatory factors were screened by Cytometric Bead Array. Antibody depletion assay and liver-targeted AAV2/8 expression vector were used for functional evaluation of the differential inflammatory factors. Results: We demonstrated that YB1 showed significant anti-tumor efficacy as a monotherapy. Since YB1 cannot infect INR1G9 cells, its anti-tumor effect was possibly due to the modulation of the tumor immune microenvironment. Two inflammatory factors IFNγ and CCL2 were elevated in the liver after YB1 administration, but only IFNγ was found to be responsible for the anti-tumor effect. Liver-targeted expression of IFNγ caused the activation of macrophages and NK cells, and reproduced the therapeutic effect of YB1 on liver metastasis. Conclusion: We demonstrated that YB1 may exhibit anti-tumor effect mainly based on IFNγ induction. Targeted IFNγ therapy can replace YB1 for treating liver metastasis of PNETs.

A machine learning prediction model for cancer risk in patients with type 2 diabetes based on clinical tests.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of type 2 diabetes is rapidly increasing worldwide. Studies have shown that it is also associated with cancer-related morbidities. Early detection of cancer in patients with type 2 diabetes is crucial. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to construct a model to predict cancer risk in patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: This study collected clinical data from a total of 5198 patients. A cancer risk prediction model was established by analyzing 261 items from routine laboratory tests. We screened 107 risk factors from 261 clinical tests based on the importance of the characteristic variables, significance of differences between groups (P< 0.05), and minimum description length algorithm. RESULTS: Compared with 16 machine learning classifiers, five classifiers based on the decision tree algorithm (CatBoost, light gradient boosting, random forest, XGBoost, and gradient boosting) had an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of > 0.80. The AUC for CatBoost was 0.852 (sensitivity: 79.6%; specificity: 83.2%). CONCLUSION: The constructed model can predict the risk of cancer in patients with type 2 diabetes based on tumor biomarkers and routine tests using machine learning algorithms. This is helpful for early cancer risk screening and prevention to improve patient outcomes.

Integrative analysis of multi-omics data reveals a pseudouridine-related lncRNA signature for prediction of glioma prognosis and chemoradiotherapy sensitivity.

BACKGROUND: Glioblastoma is the most common type of glioma with a high incidence and poor prognosis, and effective medical treatment remains challenging. Pseudouridine (Ψ) is the first post-transcriptional modification discovered and one of the most abundant modifications to RNA. However, the prognostic value of Ψ-related lncRNAs (ΨrLs) for glioma patients has never been systematically evaluated. This study aims to construct a risk model based on ΨrLs signature and to validate the predictive efficiency of the model. METHOD: Transcriptomic data, genomic data, and relevant clinical data of glioma patients were extracted from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA). ΨrLs with significant correlation with Ψ-related genes were identified, and univariate Cox regression, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression, and multivariate Cox regression were used to further select biomarkers and construct a ΨrLs signature risk model. Then, the expression of lncRNAs of ΨrLs signature in multiple glioma cell lines was detected by qPCR. Further, ROC analysis, stratification analysis, correlation analysis, survival analysis, nomogram, enrichment analysis, immune infiltration analysis, chemoradiotherapy sensitivity analysis, somatic mutation, and recurrent copy number variation (CNV) analysis were used to validate the predictive efficiency of ΨrLs signature in TCGA and CGGA datasets. RESULTS: A four-lncRNA ΨrLs signature (DNAJC27-AS1, GDNF-AS1, ZBTB20-AS4, and DNMBP-AS1) risk model was constructed. By ROC analysis, stratified analysis, correlation analysis, survival analysis, and nomogram, the signature showed satisfactory predictive efficiency. Functional enrichment analysis revealed the differences in immune-related biological processes between high- and low-risk groups. Immune infiltration analysis showed that the high-risk group had lower tumor purity and higher stromal, immune and ESTIMATE scores. Mitoxantrone was identified as effective drug for low-risk group of glioma patients. Key genes in glioma development, including IDH1, EGFR, PTEN, etc., were differentially mutated between risk groups. The main recurrent CNVs in low-risk groups were 19q13.42 deletion and 7q34 amplification; 10q23.31 deletion and 12q14.1 in the high-risk group. CONCLUSIONS: Our study identified a four-lncRNA ΨrLs signature that effectively predicts the prognosis of glioma patients and may serve as a diagnostic tool. Risk scores of glioma patients generated by the signature is associated with immune-related biological processes and chemoradiotherapy sensitivity. These findings may inform the development of more targeted and effective therapies for glioma patients.

A Homo-Mannich Reaction Strategy Enables Collective Access to Ibophyllidine, Aspidosperma, Kopsia, and Melodinus Alkaloids.

We report here a homo-Mannich reaction of cyclopropanol with an iminium ion, generated by an asymmetric allylic dearomatization of indole, to construct a tricyclic hydrocarbazole core, which is shared by a variety of monoterpenoid indole alkaloids across families. Through this approach, an all-carbon quaternary stereogenic center as well as an allyl and a ketone group were installed. Using this functionalized hydrocarbazole as the structural platform, D ring and E rings of different sizes (i.e., five-, six-, and seven-membered) were successively or simultaneously assembled, leading to a collective asymmetric synthesis of seven alkaloids belonging to the ibophyllidine, Aspidosperma, Kopsia, and Melodinus alkaloid families.

Genetic evidence for the causal linkage between telomere length and aortic aneurysm risk: A Mendelian randomisation study.

BACKGROUND: Evidence of a clear causal relationship between telomere length and aortic aneurysms is limited by the potential for confounding or reverse causation effects. In this study, we used a Mendelian randomisation (MR) approach to investigate this putative causal association. METHODS: In total, 118 telomere length-associated single-nucleotide polymorphisms, identified in 472,174 individuals of European ancestry, were used as the instrumental variables. Summary statistics for genome-wide association studies of aortic aneurysms were obtained from the FinnGen consortium. For the primary MR analyses, the inverse-variance weighted random-effects method was used and was supplemented with multivariable MR, weighted median and MR-Egger approaches. The MR-Egger intercept test, Cochran's Q test and 'leave-one-out' sensitivity analysis were performed to evaluate the horizontal pleiotropy, heterogeneity and stability of the genetic variants. Forward and reverse MR analyses were performed. RESULTS: All forward univariable MR analyses showed that longer telomere lengths decreased aortic aneurysm risks (total aortic aneurysms: OR = 0.80, 95% CI 0.67-0.96, p = .015; thoracic aortic aneurysms: OR = 0.82, 95% CI 0.68-0.98, p = .026; abdominal aortic aneurysms: OR = 0.525, 95% CI 0.398-0.69, p < .001), whereas all reverse MR analyses suggested the absence of aortic aneurysm liability on telomere length. The sensitivity analysis results were robust, and no evidence of horizontal pleiotropy was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Our results support a possible causal association between telomere length and aortic aneurysms, providing new insights into the involvement of telomere biology in this condition and offering a potential avenue for targeted therapeutic interventions.

Time-dependent hormetic effects of polypeptide antibiotics and two antibacterial agents contribute to time-dependent cross-phenomena of their binary mixtures.

Polypeptide antibiotics (PPAs), silver nanoparticles (plural) (AgNP) and quorum sensing inhibitors (QSIs) are considered to be the ideal antibiotic substitutes. Due to the great potential for the combined use of these antibacterial agents, it is necessary to evaluate their joint effects. In this study, the joint toxic actions for the binary mixtures of PPA + PPA, PPA + AgNP, and PPA + QSI were judged via the independent action (IA) model based on the individual and combined toxicity of test agents to the bioluminescence of Aliivibrio fischeri during 24 h. It was observed that the single agents (PPAs, AgNP, and QSI) and the binary mixtures (PPA + PPA, PPA + AgNP, and PPA + QSI) all triggered the time-dependent hormetic effects on the bioluminescence, where the maximum stimulatory rate, the median effective concentration, and the occurrence of hormesis varied with the increase of time. While bacitracin triggered the maximum stimulatory rate (266.98 % at 8 h) among the single agents, the mixture of capreomycin sulfate and 2-Pyrrolidinone induced the maximum stimulatory rate (262.21 % at 4 h) among the binary mixtures. The cross-phenomenon that the dose-response curve of mixture crossed the corresponding IA curve was observed in all treatments, which also varied with time, exhibiting that the joint toxic actions and corresponding intensities possessed dose- and time-dependent features. Furthermore, three kinds of binary mixtures resulted in three different variation tendencies for the time-dependent cross-phenomena. Mechanistic speculation indicated that test agents possessed the stimulatory modes of action (MOAs) at low-dose and inhibitory MOAs at high-dose to induce the hormetic effects, and the interplays between these MOAs varied with time to trigger the time-dependent cross-phenomenon. This study provides the reference data for the joint effects of PPAs and typical antibacterial agents, which will benefit the application of hormesis in the exploration of time-dependent cross-phenomenon and promote the future development of environmental risk assessment of pollutant mixtures.

Outcome of visuospatial dysfunction assessment in patients with Parkinson's disease using mobile application software.

Background: Visuospatial dysfunction and cognitive impairment are common in Parkinson's disease (PD), which draw increasing attention in the current literature. But clinicians still lack rapid, effective and unified cognitive battery for visuospatial assessment. Objective: A new approach was studied to explore the feasibility of using mobile application software (APP) to evaluate visuospatial dysfunction in patients with PD and compared with traditional assessment tools. We aimed to verify the threshold score of the APP for early diagnosis. Materials and methods: A total of 41 patients with PD underwent assessments using several test modules including Digit Symbol Test (DST), Visual Organization Test (VOT), Facial Recognition Test (FRT), Vocabulary Memory Test (VMT) of this APP, as well as Clock Drawing Test (CDT), Cube Copying Test (CCT) and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) for comparison. Among the 41 PD patients, 30 individuals were found to have visuospatial dysfunction based on CDT score < 5 and CCT score of<18 while the remaining 11 patients served as control. Results: There were statistically significant differences in DST, VOT, and FRT scores (all p ≤ 0.001 for group comparisons). DST, VOT, and FRT-1 were significantly correlated with MMSE, CDT and CCT and the correlations were moderate or fairly strong. For visuospatial dysfunction diagnosis, all the areas under curves (AUC) of DST, VOT, and FRT-1 were statistically significant (p < 0.0001, p = 0.0002, and p = 0.0002, respectively). The estimates and 95% confidence intervals of AUC were 0.8303 (0.6868, 0.9739), 0.8045 (0.6423, 0.9668), and 0.7833 (0.6344, 0.9322), respectively. Their cut-off points for visuospatial dysfunction were 26, 17, and 19, respectively. After dichotomization by the cut-off points, DST had high sensitivity of 96.67% while VOT and FRT-1 had high specificity of 81.82 and 90.91%. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that visuospatial disorders was highly prevalent in PD patients, and the APP used in study could be a practical clinical screening tool for visuospatial ability assessment with high sensitivity and specificity.

Polydatin inhibits mitochondrial damage and mitochondrial ROS by promoting PINK1-Parkin-mediated mitophagy in allergic rhinitis.

Polydatin (PD), a natural product derived from Polygonum cuspidatum, has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects and has significant benefits in treating allergic diseases. However, its role and mechanism in allergic rhinitis (AR) have not been fully elucidated. Herein, we investigated the effect and mechanism of PD in AR. AR model was established in mice with OVA. Human nasal epithelial cells (HNEpCs) were stimulated with IL-13. HNEpCs were also treated with an inhibitor of mitochondrial division or transfected with siRNA. The levels of IgE and cellular inflammatory factors were examined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay and flow cytometry. The expressions of PINK1, Parkin, P62, LC3B, NLRP3 inflammasome proteins, and apoptosis proteins in nasal tissues and HNEpCs were measured by Western blot. We found that PD suppressed OVA-induced epithelial thickening and eosinophil accumulation in the nasal mucosa, reduced IL-4 production in NALF, and regulated Th1/Th2 balance. In addition, mitophagy was induced in AR mice after OVA challenge and in HNEpCs after IL-13 stimulation. Meanwhile, PD enhanced PINK1-Parkin-mediated mitophagy but decreased mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS) production, NLRP3 inflammasome activation, and apoptosis. However, PD-induced mitophagy was abrogated after PINK1 knockdown or Mdivi-1 treatment, indicating a key role of the PINK1-Parkin in PD-induced mitophagy. Moreover, mitochondrial damage, mtROS production, NLRP3 inflammasome activation, and HNEpCs apoptosis under IL-13 exposure were more severe after PINK1 knockdown or Mdivi-1 treatment. Conclusively, PD may exert protective effects on AR by promoting PINK1-Parkin-mediated mitophagy, which further suppresses apoptosis and tissue damage in AR through decreasing mtROS production and NLRP3 inflammasome activation.

Mental health and psychosocial problems among laboratory technicians in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Hebei, China.

Objective: During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, an increased mental burden has been widely reported among medical health workers such as physicians and nurses. However, data on laboratory technicians exposed to COVID-19 have rarely been published. The aim of this study was to assess the magnitude of psychological symptoms among laboratory technicians and analyze potential risk factors associated with these symptoms. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was performed via the Wenjuanxing platform (a professional online questionnaire platform) (https://www.wjx.cn/mobile/statnew.aspx) to investigate the mental health of laboratory technicians during the COVID-19 pandemic in Hebei, China from October 4, 2021, to November 3, 2021. The online questionnaire included demographic and occupational characteristics data of responders, and the Symptom Check List-90-Revised (SCL90-R)was used to quantify the magnitude of psychological symptoms among laboratory technicians. Participants' demographic and occupational characteristics were analyzed using descriptive statistical analyses. Chi-square tests were applied to compare the severity of each symptom between two or more groups. A binary logistic regression model was developed to identify the predictors of laboratory technicians' mental health in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and outcomes are presented as odds ratios and 95% confidence interval. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 21 (SPSS, New Orchard Road, Armonk, New York, USA). Results: A total of 3081 valid questionnaires were collected. Of these 3081 participants, 338 (11.0%) reported a total SCL90-R score >160, which indicated positive psychological symptoms. Among the 338 participants who reported psychological problems, most of them were mild symptoms. Several factors associated with mental health problems in laboratory technicians during COVID-19 were found, which include a history of physical and/or psychological problems (all 10 symptoms p < 0.001), more than 10 years of work experience (depression symptoms: OR = 2.350, p = 0.024; anxiety symptoms: OR = 2.642, p = 0.038), frontline work (depression symptoms: OR = 1.761, p = 0.001; anxiety symptoms: OR = 2.619, p < 0.001; hostility symptoms: OR = 1.913, p = 0.001), participant in more than 3 times large-scale SARS-CoV-2 screenings and more than 36 h per week in SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid testing. Conclusion: A portion of laboratory technicians reported experiencing varying levels of psychological burden. During the COVID-19 pandemic, multiple interventions should be developed and implemented to address existing psychosocial challenges and promote the mental health of laboratory technicians.

A novel extraperitoneal approach exploration for the treatment of urachal mass: a retrospective observational single-center study.

BACKGROUND: To explore the extraperitoneal laparoscopic urachal mass excision technique and its safety and efficacy in treating urachal mass. METHODS: Baseline characteristics were collected from patients who underwent surgery to diagnose a urachal cyst or abscess in our hospital between January 2020 and August 2021. The full-length of the urachus and part of the top bladder wall were completely removed through the extraperitoneal approach. Patient outcomes were collected to evaluate surgical safety and efficacy, including operation time, intraoperative blood loss, drainage tube removal time, length of stay (LOS), and postoperative complications. RESULTS: All 20 surgeries were successfully performed laparoscopically, and no case was converted to open surgery. The mean body mass index of the patients was 24.6 ± 2.2. The mean patient age was 49.3 ± 8.7 years. The mean size of the cysts was 3.0 ± 0.4 cm. The mean operation time was 56.3 ± 12.0 min. The mean intraoperative blood loss was 28.0 ± 6.4 mL. The mean drainage tube removal time was 3.0 ± 0.5 days. The mean LOS was 5.2 ± 0.4 days. The mean follow-up was 13.4 ± 2.1 months. No postoperative complications were observed during the follow-up period. The short-term follow-up and small patient cohort limited our outcome evaluation. CONCLUSION: Our results indicated that the extraperitoneal laparoscopic approach was a safe and effective method to treat urachal mass. Given the limitations of the study, further multiple and larger sample-sized trials are required to confirm our findings.

Initial experience with 161 extraperitoneal laparoscopic radical cystectomy procedures: Comparison with transabdominal laparoscopic radical cystectomy.

OBJECTIVES: There is substantial concern about traditional transperitoneal laparoscopic radical cystectomy (TLRC) due to multiple postoperative complications. In contrast, extraperitoneal laparoscopic radical cystectomy (ELRC) appears to cause a lower rate of morbidity. The present study aimed to compare the efficacy of ELRC and TLRC for bladder cancer (BCa). METHODS: The clinical data of patients undergoing laparoscopic radical cystectomy for BCa from April 2018 to October 2021 were retrospectively analyzed, as ELRC and TLRC groups. The postoperative follow-up data of 275 patients were collected and the incidence of postoperative complications and other perioperative outcomes were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Surgery was successfully completed in all patients without conversion to open surgery. There was no significant difference in the duration of cystectomy surgery (67.32 ± 23.53 vs 72.17 ± 25.72 min, p = 0.106), intraoperative blood loss (178.06 ± 110.4 vs. 174.56 ± 127.40 ml, p = 0.413), or the number of lymph node dissection (15.1 ± 5.7 vs. 14.5 ± 5.1, p = 0.380) between the two groups. The length of stay (11.6 ± 3.8 vs 14.7 ± 5.6 d, p < 0.001), time to resume food intake after surgery (2.3 ± 0.9 vs 3.0 ± 1.3 d, p < 0.001), and the incidence of ileus (p < 0.001) in the ELRC group were significantly lower than in the TLRC group. CONCLUSIONS: ELRC is a safe procedure that can reduce the incidence of postoperative complications, shorten postoperative hospital stay, reduce the duration of recovery of patients, and, therefore, should be promoted.