Decadal Trends in the Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome in Economically Developed Regions in China.

Objective: To estimate decadal trends in the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in economically developed regions in China and its association with city economic levels. Methods: Using a comprehensive Chinese healthcare database, repeated cross-sectional studies were conducted on adults who had annual health check-ups from 2012 to 2021 in 4 economically developed cities. MetS was defined by the criteria of the Chinese Diabetes Society in 2013. The crude prevalence of MetS adjusted for sex and age was reported. The association between prevalence, calendar year, and city gross domestic product (GDP) per capita was analyzed by regression model. Results: 158 274 participants aged 18 years and older were included. The unadjusted prevalence of MetS increased from 15.5% (95% CI: 14.2%-16.8%) to 20.0% (95% CI: 19.5%-20.5%) from 2012 to 2021. The adjusted overall prevalence has increased steadily from 12.8% to 20.8% after controlling age and sex (P < .001). Male and older age groups had a higher MetS prevalence. In the regression model of the association between the MetS prevalence, calendar year, and city GDP per capita, calendar year had a positive association with the prevalence (P < .001, 95% CI: 0.648-1.954) and city GDP per capita had a negative association (P = .030, 95% CI: -0.136 to -0.007). Conclusion: The MetS prevalence increased steadily in the economically developed regions in China among the health check-up population during 2012-2021. The MetS prevalence is shown to be negatively associated with GDP per capita in the study population.

Mitochondrial GRIM19 Loss Induces Liver Fibrosis through NLRP3/IL33 Activation via Reactive Oxygen Species/NF-кB Signaling.

Background and Aims: Hepatic fibrosis (HF) is a critical step in the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Gene associated with retinoid-IFN-induced mortality 19 (GRIM19), an essential component of mitochondrial respiratory chain complex I, is frequently attenuated in various human cancers, including HCC. Here, we aimed to investigate the potential relationship and underlying mechanism between GRIM19 loss and HF pathogenesis. Methods: GRIM19 expression was evaluated in normal liver tissues, hepatitis, hepatic cirrhosis, and HCC using human liver disease spectrum tissue microarrays. We studied hepatocyte-specific GRIM19 knockout mice and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein-9 (Cas9) lentivirus-mediated GRIM19 gene-editing in murine hepatocyte AML12 cells in vitro and in vivo. We performed flow cytometry, immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry, western blotting, and pharmacological intervention to uncover the potential mechanisms underlying GRIM19 loss-induced HF. Results: Mitochondrial GRIM19 was progressively downregulated in chronic liver disease tissues, including hepatitis, cirrhosis, and HCC tissues. Hepatocyte-specific GRIM19 heterozygous deletion induced spontaneous hepatitis and subsequent liver fibrogenesis in mice. In addition, GRIM19 loss caused chronic liver injury through reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated oxidative stress, resulting in aberrant NF-кB activation via an IKK/IкB partner in hepatocytes. Furthermore, GRIM19 loss activated NLRP3-mediated IL33 signaling via the ROS/NF-кB pathway in hepatocytes. Intraperitoneal administration of the NLRP3 inhibitor MCC950 dramatically alleviated GRIM19 loss-driven HF in vivo. Conclusions: The mitochondrial GRIM19 loss facilitates liver fibrosis through NLRP3/IL33 activation via ROS/NF-кB signaling, providing potential therapeutic approaches for earlier HF prevention.

Aspirin suppresses hepatocellular carcinoma progression by inhibiting platelet activity.

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common malignant liver disease in the world. Platelets (PLTs) are known to play a key role in the maintenance of liver homeostasis and the pathophysiological processes of a variety of liver diseases. Aspirin is the most classic antiplatelet agent. However, the molecular mechanism of platelet action and whether aspirin can affect HCC progression by inhibiting platelet activity need further study. AIM: To explore the impact of the antiplatelet effect of aspirin on the development of HCC. METHODS: Platelet-rich plasma, platelet plasma, pure platelet, and platelet lysate were prepared, and a coculture model of PLTs and HCC cells was established. CCK-8 analysis, apoptosis analysis, Transwell analysis, and real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were used to analyze the effects of PLTs on the growth, metastasis, and inflammatory microenvironment of HCC. RT-PCR and Western blot were used to detect the effects of platelet activation on tumor-related signaling pathways. Aspirin was used to block the activation and aggregation of PLTs both in vitro and in vivo, and the effect of PLTs on the progression of HCC was detected. RESULTS: PLTs significantly promoted the growth, invasion, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and formation of an inflammatory microenvironment in HCC cells. Activated PLTs promoted HCC progression by activating the mitogen-activated protein kinase/protein kinase B/signal transducer and activator of transcription three (MAPK/ AKT/STAT3) signaling axis. Additionally, aspirin inhibited HCC progression in vitro and in vivo by inhibiting platelet activation. CONCLUSION: PLTs play an important role in the pathogenesis of HCC, and aspirin can affect HCC progression by inhibiting platelet activity. These results suggest that antiplatelet therapy has promising application prospects in the treatment and combined treatment of HCC.

Moxibustion improves motor function by down-regulating SNX5 and inhibiting ferroptosis in neurons of corpus striatum in mice with Parkinson's disease. / 艾灸调控SNX5å¯¹å¸•é‡‘æ£®ç— æ¨¡åž‹å°é¼ ç¥žç»å ƒé“æ­»äº¡çš„å½±å“.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the effect of moxibustion on the expression of sorting nexin 5 (SNX5), glutathione peroxidase (GPX4) and ferritin heavy chain (FTH1) in the corpus striatum in mice with Parkinson's disease (PD), so as to explore its mechanisms underlying improvement of PD by ameliorating ferroptosis in the substantia nigra striatum. METHODS: C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into normal, sham operation, model, and moxibustion groups, with 10 mice in each group. The PD model was established by unilateral injection of 6-hydroxydopamine (3.5 µL) into the right medial forebrain bundle (AP=-1.2 mm, ML=-1.3 mm, DV=-4.75 mm). The mice in the moxibustion group received moxibustion at "Baihui"(GV20) and "Sishencong"(EX-HN1) for 20 min each time, once a day, 6 times a week for 4 weeks. After the intervention, mice received apomorphine rotation behavior detection and pole climbing test. The expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in the substantia nigra was detected by immunofluorescence, the contents of Fe2+, malondialdehyde (MDA), the ratio of glutathione/oxidized glutathione (GSH/GSSG) in the corpus striatum were detected by using photocolorimetric method, and the expression levels of SNX5 (endocytosomal protein), GPX4 (one of the key targets for inhibiting ferroptosis) and FTH1 proteins and mRNAs in the corpus striatum were detected by Western blot and qPCR, respectively. RESULTS: Behavior tests showed that the pole climbing time and number of body rotation were significantly increased in the model group relevant to the sham operation group (P<0.01), and strikingly decreased in the moxibustion group relevant to the model group (P<0.01). The immunofluorescence intensity of TH in the substantia nigra, the ratio of GSH/GSSG, and the expression levels of GPX4 and FTH1 mRNAs and proteins in the corpus striatum were markedly decreased (P<0.01, P<0.05), while the contents of Fe2+ and MDA and the expression levels of SNX5 mRNA and protein in the corpus striatum significantly increased in the model group relevant to the sham operation group (P<0.01, P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the decreased immunofluorescence intensity of TH, GSH/GSSH, and the expression levels of GPX4 and FTH1 mRNAs and proteins, and the increased contents of Fe2+ and MDA and the expression levels of SNX5 mRNA and protein were reversed in the moxibustion group relevant to the model group (P<0.01, P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Moxibustion may improve motor dysfunction in PD mice, which may be related to its effects in down-regulating the expression of SNX5, promoting the synthesis of GSH, decreasing the contents of Fe2+ and MDA, up-regulating the ratio of GSH/GSSG and the expression of GPX4 and FTH1 mRNAs and proteins in the corpus striatum, and inhibiting the occurrence of ferroptosis.

Long-term noise exposure and cause-specific mortality in chronic respiratory diseases, considering the modifying effect of air pollution.

BACKGROUND: Chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs) are among the top three causes of human mortality. The relationship between modifiable environmental risk factor of noise and risk of mortality in CRDs is unclear. We investigated the longitudinal association between environmental noise exposure and cause-specific mortality in individuals with CRDs, considering the modifying effect of air pollution. METHODS: Residential noise exposure was modelled using Common Noise Assessment Methods in Europe. Information on death causes were acquired from death registry data. Cox proportional-hazards models were used to estimate effect sizes. RESULTS: Among 41,222 participants selected from UK Biobank with CRDs in baseline, a total of 3618 death cases occurred during an average follow-up of 12 years with mortality density of 7.16 per 1000 person years. Exposure with highest noise level (> percentile 90) were associated with 22 % (Hazard ratio [HR] = 1.22, 95 % confidence interval [CI]: 1.05, 1.42), 71 % (HR = 1.71, 95 % CI: 1.14, 2.56), and 84 % (HR = 1.84, 95 % CI: 1.10, 3.07) increased risks for all-cause, respiratory disease (RD)-cause, and COPD-cause mortalities, separately. Both multiplicative and additive interactions was found between air pollution and noise with the risk of RD-cause mortality. Participants with high air pollution and noise exposure were associated with a 101 % (HR = 2.01, 95 % CI: 1.10, 3.66) increased risk of RD-cause mortality. CONCLUSION: It is imperative to mitigate noise exposure as a preventive measure against incident mortality in individuals with CRDs.

Inhibition of PLA2G4A attenuated valproic acid- induced lysosomal membrane permeabilization and restored impaired autophagic flux: Implications for hepatotoxicity.

Valproic acid (VPA) has broad efficacy against several seizures but causes liver injury limiting its prolonged clinical use. Some studies have demonstrated that VPA-induced hepatotoxicity is characterized by microvesicular hepatic steatosis. However, novel detailed mechanisms to explain VPA-induced hepatic steatosis and experimentally rigorously validated protective agents are still lacking. In this study, 8-week-old C57BL/6J mice were gavaged with VPA (500 mg/kg/d) for 4 weeks to establish an in vivo model of VPA-induced chronic liver injury. Quantitative proteomic and non-targeted lipidomic analyses were performed to explore the underlying mechanisms of VPA-induced hepatotoxicity. As a result, VPA-induced hepatotoxicity is associated with impaired autophagic flux, which is attributed to lysosomal dysfunction. Further studies revealed that VPA-induced lysosomal membrane permeabilization (LMP), allows soluble lysosomal enzymes to leak into the cytosol, which subsequently led to impaired lysosomal acidification. A lower abundance of glycerophospholipids and an increased abundance of lysophospholipids in liver tissues of mice in the VPA group strongly indicated that VPA-induced LMP may be mediated by the activation of phospholipase PLA2G4A. Metformin (Met) acted as a potential protective agent attenuating VPA-induced liver dysfunction and excessive lipid accumulation. Molecular docking and cellular thermal shift assays demonstrated that Met inhibited the activity of PLA2G4A by directly binding to it, thereby ameliorating VPA-induced LMP and autophagic flux impairment. In conclusion, this study highlights the therapeutic potential of targeting PLA2G4A-mediated lysosomal dysfunction in VPA-induced hepatotoxicity.

Excited-state dynamics of 3-hydroxychromone in gas phase.

In recent years, 3-hydroxychromone (3-HC) and its derivatives have attracted much interest for their applications as molecular photoswitches and fluorescent probes. A clear understanding of their excited-state dynamics is essential for their applications and further development of new functional 3-HC derivatives. However, the deactivation mechanism of the photoexcited 3-HC family is still puzzling as their spectral properties are sensitive to the surrounding medium and substituents. The excited-state relaxation channels of 3-HC have been a matter of intense debate. In the current work, we thoroughly investigated the excited-state decay process of the 3-HC system in the gas phase using high-level electronic structure calculations and on-the-fly excited-state dynamic simulations intending to provide insight into the intrinsic photochemical properties of the 3-HC system. A new deactivation mechanism is proposed in the gas phase, which is different from that in solvents. The excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) process that occurs in solutions is not preferred in the gas phase due to the existence of a sizable energy barrier (∼0.8 eV), and thus, no dual fluorescence is found. On the contrary, the non-radiative decay process is the dominant decay channel, which is driven by photoisomerization combined with ring-puckering and ring-opening processes. The results coincide with the observations of an experiment performed in a supersonic jet by Itoh (M. Itoh, Pure Appl. Chem., 1993, 65(8), 1629-1634). The current work indicates that the solution environment plays an important role in regulating the excited-state dynamic behaviour of the 3-HC system. This study thus provides theoretical guidance for the rational design and improvement of the photochemical properties of the 3-HC system and paves the way for further investigation into its photochemical properties in complex environments.

Caspase-12 is Expressed in Purkinje Neurons and Prevents Psychiatric-Like Behavior in Mice.

Caspase-12 is a caspase family member for which functions in regulating cell death and inflammation have previously been suggested. In this study, we used caspase-12 lacZ reporter mice to elucidate the expression pattern of caspase-12 in order to obtain an idea about its possible in vivo function. Strikingly, these reporter mice showed that caspase-12 is expressed explicitly in Purkinje neurons of the cerebellum. As this observation suggested a function for caspase-12 in Purkinje neurons, we analyzed the brain and behavior of caspase-12 deficient mice in detail. Extensive histological analyses showed that caspase-12 was not crucial for establishing cerebellum structure or for maintaining Purkinje cell numbers. We then performed behavioral tests to investigate whether caspase-12 deficiency affects memory, motor, and psychiatric functions in mice. Interestingly, while the absence of caspase-12 did not affect memory and motor function, caspase-12 deficient mice showed depression and hyperactivity tendencies, together resembling manic behavior. Next, suggesting a possible molecular mechanistic explanation, we showed that caspase-12 deficient cerebella harbored diminished signaling through the brain-derived neurotrophic factor/tyrosine kinase receptor B/cyclic-AMP response binding protein axis, as well as strongly enhanced expression of the neuronal activity marker c-Fos. Thus, our study establishes caspase-12 expression in mouse Purkinje neurons and opens novel avenues of research to investigate the role of caspase-12 in regulating psychiatric behavior.

A robust triphenylamine-based monolithic polymer network for selective sieving of CO2 and PM from flue gas.

The increasingly urgent issue of climate change is driving the development of carbon dioxide (CO2) capture and separation technologies in flue gas after combustion. The monolithic adsorbent stands out in practical adsorption applications for its simplified powder compaction process while maintaining the inherent balance between energy consumption for regeneration and selectivity for adsorption. However, optimizing the adsorption capacity and selectivity of CO2 separation materials remains a significant challenge. Herein, we synthesized monolithic polymer networks (N-CMPs) with triphenylamine adsorption sites, acid-base environment tolerance, and precise narrow microchannel pore systems for the selective sieving of CO2 and particulate matter (PM) in flue gas. The inherent continuous covalent bonding of N-CMPs, along with their highly delocalized π-π conjugated porous framework, ensures the stability of the monolithic polymer network's adsorption and separation capabilities under wet and acid-base conditions. Specifically, under the conditions of 1 bar at 273 K, the CO2 adsorption capacity of N-CMP-1 is 3.35 mmol/g. Attributed to the highly polar environment generated by triphenylamine and the inherent high micropore/mesopore ratio, N-CMPs exhibit an excellent ideal adsorbed solution theory (IAST) selectivity for CO2/N2 under simulated flue gas conditions (CO2/N2 = 15:85). Dynamic breakthrough experiments further visualize the high separation efficiency of N-CMPs in practical adsorption applications. Moreover, under acid-base conditions, N-CMPs achieve a capture efficiency exceeding 99.76 % for PM0.3, enabling the selective separation of CO2 and PM in flue gas. In fact, the combined capture of hazardous PM and CO2 from the exhaust gases produced by the combustion of fossil fuels will play a pivotal role in mitigating climate change and environmental issues until low-carbon and alternative energy technologies are widely adopted.

Systematic review of the mechanism and assessment of liver fibrosis in biliary atresia.

PURPOSE: This study systematically reviewed our team's research on the mechanism and assessment of liver fibrosis in BA, summarized our experience, and discussed the future development direction. METHODS: In this study, Pubmed and Wanfang databases were searched to collect the literature published by our team on the mechanisms of liver fibrosis in BA and the assessment of liver fibrosis in BA, and the above research results were systematically reviewed. RESULTS: A total of 58 articles were retrieved. Among the included articles, 25 articles related to the mechanism of liver fibrosis in BA, and five articles evaluated liver fibrosis in BA. This article introduces the key pathways and molecules of liver fibrosis in BA and proposes a new grading system for liver fibrosis in BA. CONCLUSIONS: The new BA liver fibrosis grading method is expected to assess children's conditions, guide treatment, and improve prognosis more accurately. In addition, we believe that the TGF-ß1 signaling pathway is the most important in the study of liver fibrosis in BA, and at the same time, the study of EMT occurrence in BA should also be deepened to resolve the controversy on this issue.

Analysis on epidemiological and drug resistance characteristics of lymph node tuberculosis from Hunan province, China.

Objectives: To investigate the clinical epidemiological and drug resistance (DR) characteristics of lymph node tuberculosis (LNTB) in Hunan Province which locates in South-central China, and to provide scientific clues for effective prevention and treatment of LNTB. Methods: We retrospectively collected LNTB patients with Mycobacterium tuberculosis culture positive at Hunan Chest Hospital, the biggest TB reference hospital in South-central China, from January 2013 to December 2021. The multiple demographic, clinical and drug susceptibility data of patients were collected from the hospital's electronic patient records. Descriptive statistical methods, Chi-square test and logistic regression analysis were employed as statistical methods. Results: Of the 577 LNTB cases, 373 (64.64%) were males, 352 (61.01%) were farmers; majority (161, 33.10%) aged at 20-29 years old; 147 (25.48%) had simple LNTB, 350 (60.66%) had LNTB combined with pulmonary TB (PTB) (defined as LNTB-PTB), and 80 (13.86%) had LNTB combined with other extrapulmonary TB (EPTB) (defined as LNTB-EPTB). A total of 345 (59.79%, 345/577) LNTB patients had cervical node infection, and the simple LNTB patients (81.63%, 120/147) had higher proportion of this infection than LNTB-PTB (51.71%, 181/350) and LNTB-EPTB (55.00%, 44/80) (both p values <0.017), respectively. LNTB-EPTB was more inclined to have abdominal tuberculous LNs (20%, 16/80) and at least four tuberculous lesions (22.50%, 18/80) than simple LNTB and LNTB-PTB. Seventy-seven (13.34%) and 119 (20.62%) were resistant to rifampicin (RIF) and isoniazid (INH), respectively; 72 (12.48%) were multi-drug resistant (MDR), and a total of 150 (26.00%) were DR (resistant to at least one of RIF, INH, ethambutol and streptomycin). LNTB patients aged 30-34 and 50-54 years old (compared to those aged <30 years) were independent predictors of RIF resistance (RR) (ORs were 3.47 and 2.83, respectively; 95% CIs were 1.64-7.35 and 1.08-7.46, respectively). Conclusion: Our study disclosed the epidemiological and DR characteristics of LNTB in Hunan Province, China. High LNTB prevalence was found in younger people while high RR LNTB prevalence was found in older ones, suggesting that we should conduct further studies to clarify the occurrence of RR in LNTB, meanwhile, strengthen the diagnoses and treatments of LNTB to prevent the emergence of RR.

Radiofrequency ablation combined with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization for recurrent liver cancer.

BACKGROUND: The recurrence rate of liver cancer after surgery is high. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) combined with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) is an effective treatment for liver cancer; however, its efficacy in recurrent liver cancer remains unclear. AIM: To investigate the clinical effect of TACE combined with RFA in the treatment of recurrent liver cancer. METHODS: Ninety patients with recurrent liver cancer were divided into 2 groups according to treatment plan: Control (RFA alone); and experimental [TACE combined with RFA (TACE + RFA)]. The incidence of increased alanine aminotransferase levels, complications, and other indices were compared between the two groups before and after the procedures. RESULTS: One month after the procedures, the short-term efficacy rate and Karnofsky Performance Status scores of the experimental group were significantly higher than those of the control group (P < 0.05). Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and total bilirubin levels were lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05); The overall response rate was 82.22% and 66.67% in the experimental and control groups, respectively; The disease control rate was 93.33% and 82.22% in the experimental and control groups, respectively, the differences are statistically significant (P < 0.05). And there were no statistical differences in complications between the two groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: TACE + RFA was effective for the treatment of recurrent liver cancer and significantly reduced AFP levels and improved various indices of liver function.

Evaluating new biomarkers for diabetic nephropathy: Role of α2-macroglobulin, podocalyxin, α-L-fucosidase, retinol-binding protein-4, and cystatin C.

BACKGROUND: The intricate relationship between type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and diabetic nephropathy (DN) presents a challenge in understanding the significance of various biomarkers in diagnosis. AIM: To elucidate the roles and diagnostic values of α2-macroglobulin (α2-MG), podocalyxin (PCX), α-L-fucosidase (AFU), retinol-binding protein-4 (RBP-4), and cystatin C (CysC) in DN. METHODS: From December 2018 to December 2020, 203 T2DM patients were enrolled in the study. Of these, 115 were diagnosed with DN (115 patients), while the remaining 88 patients were classified as non-DN. The urinary levels of α2-MG, PCX, and AFU and the serum concentrations RBP-4 and CysC were measured in conjunction with other relevant clinical indicators to evaluate their potential correlations and diagnostic utility. RESULTS: After adjustments for age and gender, significant positive correlations were observed between the biomarkers CysC, RBP-4, α2-MG/urinary creatinine (UCr), PCX/UCr, and AFU/UCr, and clinical indicators such as urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR), serum creatinine, urea, 24-h total urine protein, and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR). Conversely, these biomarkers exhibited negative correlations with the estimated glomerular filtration rate (P < 0.05). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis further demonstrated the diagnostic performance of these biomarkers, with UACR showcasing the highest area under the ROC curve (AUCROC) at 0.97. CONCLUSION: This study underscores the diagnostic significance of α2-MG, PCX, and AFU in the development of DN. The biomarkers RBP-4, CysC, PCX, AFU, and α2-MG provide promising diagnostic insights, while UACR is the most potent diagnostic biomarker in assessing DN.

Melatonin prevents cadmium-induced osteoporosis by affecting the osteoblast and osteoclast differentiation and pyroptosis in duck.

Cadmium (Cd), is a highly toxic environmental pollutant, which seriously threatens the health of poultry and humans. The occurrence of osteoporosis is the main manifestation of cadmium toxicity. Pyroptosis plays an important role in the development of osteoporosis. Melatonin has been shown to affect preserving bone health. However, the underlying mechanism has not been elucidated. In the present study, these functions of melatonin have been investigated in duck bone tissue and osteoblast during cadmium exposure. In vivo, the studies suggest that melatonin protects against cadmium-induced duck osteoporosis by improving the osteogenesis function, inhibiting bone resorption, and suppressing the occurrence of pyroptosis. In vitro, the findings demonstrated that melatonin alleviated the inhibition effect of cadmium on duck bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSC) osteogenic differentiation, and suppressed the cadmium-induced osteoclast differentiation. In addition, we also found that melatonin prevents cytokines release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), interleukin-18 (IL-18), and interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) by cadmium-induced, and reduces the expression of n-terminal Gasdermin D (N-GSDMD), alleviates the osteoblast death rate. In short, melatonin as a potential therapeutic agent has bright prospects in cadmium-induced bone toxicity.

Local vascular Klotho mediates diabetes-induced atherosclerosis via ERK1/2 and PI3-kinase-dependent signaling pathways.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Diabetes is one of the major causes of cardiovascular disease (CVD). As high as 29 % of patients with diabetes develop atherosclerosis. Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells (VSMCs) are a key mediator in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, generating pro-inflammatory and proliferative characteristics in atherosclerotic lesions. METHODS: We used human atherosclerotic samples, developed diabetes-induced atherosclerotic mice, and generated loss of function and gain of function in Klotho human aortic smooth muscle cells to investigate the function of Klotho in atherosclerosis. RESULTS: We found that Klotho expression is decreased in smooth muscle actin-positive cells in patients with diabetes and atherosclerosis. Consistent with human data, we found that Apoe knockout mice with streptozotocin-induced diabetes fed on a high-fat diet showed decreased expression of Klotho in SMCs. Additionally, these mice showed increased expression of TGF-ß, MMP9, phosphorylation of ERK and Akt. Further, we utilized primary Human Aortic Smooth Muscle Cells (HASMCs) with d-glucose under dose-response and in time-dependent conditions to study the role of Klotho in these cells. Klotho gain of function and loss of function studies showed that Klotho inversely regulated the expression of atherosclerotic markers TGF-ß, MMP2, MMP9, and Fractalkine. Further, High Glucose (HG) induced Akt, and ERK1/2 phosphorylation were enhanced or mitigated by endogenous Klotho deficiency or its overexpression respectively. PI3K/Akt and MAPK/ERK inhibition partially abolished the HG-induced upregulation of TGF-ß, MMP2, MMP9, and Fractalkine. Additionally, Klotho knockdown increased the proliferation of HASMCs and enhanced α-SMA and TGF-ß expression. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, these results indicate that local vascular Klotho is involved in diabetes-induced atherosclerosis, which is via PI3K/Akt and ERK1/2-dependent signaling pathways.

[Relationship Between Empathy and Depression in Adolescents: The Mediating Role of Family Functioning]. / é’å°‘å¹´å ±æƒ ä¸ŽæŠ‘éƒçš„å ³ç³»ï¼šå®¶åº­åŠŸèƒ½çš„ä¸­ä»‹ä½œç”¨.

Objective: To investigate the effect of empathy on depressive symptoms in adolescents and to explore the potential mediating role of family functioning in the effect of empathy on depressive symptoms. Methods: The 2022 cross-sectional data from the Chengdu Positive Child Development (CPCD) cohort were analyzed in the study. A survey was conducted in Chengdu in June 2022, involving 3020 students in grades 5-8 from three randomly selected stratified schools. The Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI-C), the Chinese Family Assessment Instrument (C-FAI), and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale for Children (CES-DC) were used in the survey. Chi-square test or one-way analysis of variance was performed to examine the differences in various demographic characteristics (sex, grade, region, and total monthly household income) between groups of respondents, as well as the differences in family functioning, empathy, and depression. Pearson correlation coefficient was used to examine the correlation between family functioning, empathy, and depressive symptoms. Structural equation modeling and SPSS PROCESS component Model 4 were used to analyze whether family functioning played a mediating role in the effect of empathy on depressive symptoms in adolescents. Results: The detection rate of depressive symptoms among survey respondents was 25.40%. The results of the difference analysis revealed significant differences in the detection rates of depressive symptoms among respondents of different grades, regions, and monthly household incomes (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the detection rates of depressive symptoms between male and female students. There was a significant difference in the detection rate of depressive symptoms between respondents with different scores for family dysfunction and empathy ability (P<0.001). Correlation analysis results showed that empathy scores were negatively correlated with depression (r=-0.11, P<0.001), that family dysfunction was positively correlated with depression (r=0.29, P<0.001), and that empathy scores were negatively correlated with family functioning (r=-0.37, P<0.001). The mediating role of family dysfunction in the relationship between empathy and depressive symptoms was established, with the direct effect being 0.039 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.010-0.069, P<0.001) and the indirect effect value being -0.096 (95% CI: -0.115--0.079, P<0.001). The direct effect value accounted for 28.89% of the total effect value, while the mediation effect value accounted for 71.11% of the total effect value. Conclusion: The empathy ability of adolescents is correlated to depressive symptoms, and family functioning plays a mediating role between empathy and depressive symptoms in adolescents. It is suggested that adolescents' empathy ability and family functioning should be enhanced through multiple channels to reduce the occurrence of depressive symptoms.

Potential and application of abortive transcripts as a novel molecular marker of cancers.

Abortive transcript (AT) is a 2-19 nt long non-coding RNA that is produced in the abortive initiation stage. Abortive initiation was found to be closely related to RNA polymerase through in vitro experiments. Therefore, the distribution of AT length and the scale of abortive initiation are correlated to the promoter, discriminator, and transcription initiation sequence, and can be affected by transcription elongation factors. AT plays an important role in the occurrence and development of various diseases. Here we summarize the discovery of AT, the factors responsible for AT formation, the detection methods and biological functions of AT, to provide new clues for finding potential targets in the early diagnosis and treatment of cancers.

Multi-heterojunctioned plastics with high thermoelectric figure of merit.

Conjugated polymers promise inherently flexible and low-cost thermoelectrics for powering the Internet of Things from waste heat1,2. Their valuable applications, however, have been hitherto hindered by the low dimensionless figure of merit (ZT)3-6. Here we report high-ZT thermoelectric plastics, which were achieved by creating a polymeric multi-heterojunction with periodic dual-heterojunction features, where each period is composed of two polymers with a sub-ten-nanometre layered heterojunction structure and an interpenetrating bulk-heterojunction interface. This geometry produces significantly enhanced interfacial phonon-like scattering while maintaining efficient charge transport. We observed a significant suppression of thermal conductivity by over 60 per cent and an enhanced power factor when compared with individual polymers, resulting in a ZT of up to 1.28 at 368 kelvin. This polymeric thermoelectric performance surpasses that of commercial thermoelectric materials and existing flexible thermoelectric candidates. Importantly, we demonstrated the compatibility of the polymeric multi-heterojunction structure with solution coating techniques for satisfying the demand for large-area plastic thermoelectrics, which paves the way for polymeric multi-heterojunctions towards cost-effective wearable thermoelectric technologies.