An unusually high prevalence of allergic rhinitis at high altitudes in 6-7 year old children - An epidemiological study.

Objectives: To compare the epidemiology and disease patterns of allergic rhinitis (AR) at 2 different altitudes in children aged 6-7 years, and subsequently to compare with and augment data from international studies. Materials and methods: This is a multistage, clustered and stratified random sample study. The study area comprises 2 distinct areas within Yunnan Province, China. Low altitude was represented by Xishuangbanna Prefecture (XB), while high altitude was represented by Diqing Prefecture (DiQ). Each study area was subdivided into 3 sub-areas, and children aged 6-7 years were randomly sampled based on proportion-weighted sampling. The area studied includes the well-known area of Shangri-La city. Questionnaires were distributed and jointly completed by study participants and their parents or guardians, under the guidance of professional medical staff. Results: 2796 valid questionnaires out of 2933 distributed were obtained (survey response rate 95.3%). The prevalence of AR is statistically significantly higher at high altitude (DiQ, 36.0%, 95%CI 33.2-38.8) as compared to low altitude (XB, 19.7%, 95%CI 17.8-21.6) (p < 0.001). Both areas studied had a greater prevalence of AR compared to international data. In both XB and DiQ, male gender, history of early antibiotic use, urban place of birth and place of residence, presence of smokers within the same household, family history of allergic diseases (such as atopic dermatitis), as well as higher parental educational level were all associated with a higher prevalence of AR (p < 0.05). In DiQ, the prevalence of AR in Han ethnicity was greater than that of ethnic minorities (p < 0.05). In XB, being a single child was associated with an increased prevalence of AR compared to those who had siblings (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Our study found that the prevalence of AR is relatively greater at higher altitudes. Genetic and environmental factors both play an important role in the pathogenesis of AR. While altitude may be an important environmental factor, confounding factors may include humidity, temperature and distribution pattern of common aeroallergens.

EEG-FRM: a neural network based familiar and unfamiliar face EEG recognition method.

Recognizing familiar faces holds great value in various fields such as medicine, criminal investigation, and lie detection. In this paper, we designed a Complex Trial Protocol-based familiar and unfamiliar face recognition experiment that using self-face information, and collected EEG data from 147 subjects. A novel neural network-based method, the EEG-based Face Recognition Model (EEG-FRM), is proposed in this paper for cross-subject familiar/unfamiliar face recognition, which combines a multi-scale convolutional classification network with the maximum probability mechanism to realize individual face recognition. The multi-scale convolutional neural network extracts temporal information and spatial features from the EEG data, the attention module and supervised contrastive learning module are employed to promote the classification performance. Experimental results on the dataset reveal that familiar face stimuli could evoke significant P300 responses, mainly concentrated in the parietal lobe and nearby regions. Our proposed model achieved impressive results, with a balanced accuracy of 85.64%, a true positive rate of 73.23%, and a false positive rate of 1.96% on the collected dataset, outperforming other compared methods. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness and superiority of our proposed model.

Association between meeting 24-h movement guidelines and health in children and adolescents aged 5-17 years: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Twenty-four-hour movement behaviors have significant implications for physical and mental health throughout one's lifespan. Consistent with movement behaviors, several countries have formulated and published 24-h movement guidelines. This review summarized the studies related to 24-h movement guidelines among children and adolescents from six databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, CINAHL, and SPORTDiscus). In a total of 61 studies that discussed compliance with 24-h movement guidelines, the overall adherence rate was very low (7.1%), with boys exceeding girls, children surpassing adolescents, and regional differences. A total of 39 studies examined the associations between 24-h movement guidelines and health indicators. Findings indicated that meeting all three guidelines was favorably associated with adiposity, cardiometabolic health, mental and social health, physical fitness, health-related quality of life, academic achievement, cognitive development, perceived health, dietary patterns, and myopia. Future research should utilize longitudinal and experimental designs to enhance our understanding of the associations between 24-h movement guidelines and health indicators, thereby aiding the formulation and refinement of such guidelines. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, CRD42023481230.

TRPV3 Facilitates Lipolysis and Attenuates Diet-Induced Obesity via Activation of the NRF2/FSP1 Signaling Axis.

Transient receptor potential vanilloid (TRPV) ion channels play a crucial role in various cellular functions by regulating intracellular Ca2+ levels and have been extensively studied in the context of several metabolic diseases. However, the regulatory effects of TRPV3 in obesity and lipolysis are not well understood. In this study, utilizing a TRPV3 gain-of-function mouse model (TRPV3G568V/ G568V), we assessed the metabolic phenotype of both TRPV3G568V/ G568V mice and their control littermates, which were randomly assigned to either a 12-week high-fat diet or a control diet. We investigated the potential mechanisms underlying the role of TRPV3 in restraining obesity and promoting lipolysis both in vivo and in vitro. Our findings indicate that a high-fat diet led to significant obesity, characterized by increased epididymal and inguinal white adipose tissue weight and higher fat mass. However, the gain-of-function mutation in TRPV3 appeared to counteract these adverse effects by enhancing lipolysis in visceral fat through the upregulation of the major lipolytic enzyme, adipocyte triglyceride lipase (ATGL). In vitro experiments using carvacrol, a TRPV3 agonist, demonstrated the promotion of lipolysis and antioxidation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes after TRPV3 activation. Notably, carvacrol failed to stimulate Ca2+ influx, lipolysis, and antioxidation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes treated with BAPTA-AM, a cell-permeable calcium chelator. Our results revealed that TRPV3 activation induced the action of transcriptional factor nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2), resulting in increased expression of ferroptosis suppressor protein 1 (FSP1) and superoxide dismutase2 (SOD2). Moreover, the inhibition of NRF2 impeded carvacrol-induced lipolysis and antioxidation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes, with downregulation of ATGL, FSP1, and SOD2. In summary, our study suggests that TRPV3 promotes visceral fat lipolysis and inhibits diet-induced obesity through the activation of the NRF2/FSP1 signaling axis. We propose that TRPV3 may be a potential therapeutic target in the treatment of obesity.

Effects of toothpaste containing inactivated Lacticaseibacillus paracasei Probio-01 on plaque-induced gingivitis and dental plaque microbiota.

Plaque-induced gingivitis is an inflammatory response in gingival tissues resulting from bacterial plaque accumulation at the gingival margin. Postbiotics can promote the proliferation of beneficial bacteria and optimise the state of microbiota in the oral cavity. In this study, we investigated the effect of inactivated Lacticaseibacillus paracasei Probio-01 on plaque-induced gingivitis and the dental plaque microbiota. A total of 32 healthy gingival participants (Group N, using blank toothpaste for 3 months) and 60 patients with plaque-induced gingivitis (30 in Group F, using inactivated Probio-01 toothpaste for 3 months, and 30 in Group B, using blank toothpaste for 3 months, respectively) were recruited. Clinical indices, which included bleeding on probing (BOP), gingival index (GI), and plaque index (PI), were used to assess the severity of gingivitis. Furthermore, 16SrDNA amplicon sequencing was used to explore changes in the gingival state and dental plaque microbiota in patients with plaque-induced gingivitis. The results showed that inactivated Probio-01 significantly reduced clinical indices of gingivitis, including BOP, GI, and PI, in participants with plaque-induced gingivitis and effectively relieved gingival inflammation, compared with that observed in the control group (group B). Inactivated Probio-01 did not significantly influence the diversity of dental plaque microbiota, but increased the relative abundance of dental plaque core bacteria, such as Leptotrichia and Fusobacterium (P < 0.05). Strong correlations were observed between the indices and abundance of dental plaque microbiota. Overall, the inactivated Probio-01 significantly reduced the clinical indices of gingivitis and effectively improved gingival inflammation in patients with plaque-induced gingivitis. The activity of inactivated Probio-01 against plaque-induced gingivitis was possibly mediated by its ability to regulate the dental plaque microbiota, as indicated by the close correlation between the plaque microbiota and clinical indices of gingivitis.

Abundance and Seasonal Migration Patterns of Green Lacewings (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) across the Bohai Strait in Eastern Asia.

Many insects, including green lacewings, migrate seasonally to exploit suitable breeding and winter habitats. Green lacewings are important natural enemies of insect pests worldwide. Here, four dominant green lacewing species, Chrysoperla nipponensis (Okamoto), Chrysopa pallens (Rambur), Chrysoperla furcifera (Okamoto), and Chrysopa formosa Brauer, were investigated for their ability to migrate between northern and northeastern China across the Bohai Strait from late May to late October each year. Furthermore, there were significant interannual and seasonal differences in the number of migratory green lacewings collected. The number of green lacewings in spring was significantly lower than that in summer and autumn, and the highest average number of green lacewings occurred in June. In addition, there were differences in the sex ratio of migrating green lacewings between months, with a greater proportion of females than males. Finally, the seasonal migration trajectories simulated by the HYSPLIT model revealed that the green lacewings captured on Beihuang Island primarily originated from Shandong Province. Accordingly, these findings contribute to our understanding of green lacewing migration in eastern Asia and aid its incorporation within integrated pest management (IPM) packages for several crop pests. Furthermore, long-term tracking of migrant insect populations can reveal ecosystem services and trophic dynamic processes at the macroscale.

Effect of Extended Care on Functional Rehabilitation of Stroke-Induced Hemiplegic Patients.

Background: We aimed to observe the effect of extended care on improving motor function and activities of daily living of stroke-induced hemiplegic patients. Methods: Patients clinically diagnosed as stroke with hemiplegia and hospitalized in the Neurology Department at Tianjin Haibin People's Hospital, China from 2019 to 2020 were selected. One hundred twenty patients were enrolled and randomly divided into the intervention group (60 patients) and the control group (60 patients). The control group was given routine rehabilitation treatment and care. Based on routine rehabilitation treatment and care, the intervention group was given transitional care. After discharge, the patients were followed up. Barthel indexes (BIs) were collected to evaluate the activities of daily living of patients. The Fugl-Meyer Motor Function Assessment (FMA) was adopted to evaluate the patients' motor function. Results: There was no statistically significant difference in the total BI scores between the two groups of patients at the two time points before intervention and at discharge. The total scores of the intervention group were higher than those of the control group after 1 month and 3 months of discharge, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in total FMA scores between the two groups of patients before intervention, indicating comparability. After 3 months of discharge, the total FMA score of the intervention group patients was higher than that of the control group, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusion: Continuous care can effectively improve motor function and daily living ability of stroke patients with hemiplegia.

The influence of gender-specific factors influencing severe anxiety in psychotic major depression: role of thyroid hormones and depression severity.

BACKGROUND: Psychotic major depression (PMD) is characterized by major depressive disorder (MDD) accompanied by delusions or hallucinations. While the prevalence of PMD and its association with anxiety have been studied, gender-specific differences and the role of thyroid hormones in PMD-related anxiety remain less explored. METHODS: A total of 1718 first-episode and drug-naïve MDD patients was assessed for the presence of PMD and severe anxiety. Clinical assessments, including Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA), Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), and Clinical Global Impressions-Severity (CGI-S) scale, were conducted to assess depression, anxiety, psychotic symptoms, and clinical severity, respectively. Blood samples were collected to measure thyroid function parameters. RESULTS: The prevalence of severe anxiety was higher in PMD patients compared to non-psychotic MDD patients (71.3% vs. 5.3%). No significant gender differences were observed in the prevalence of severe anxiety among PMD patients. However, elevated thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels and increased depression severity (HAMD scores) were identified as independent risk factors for severe anxiety in female PMD patients. In contrast, no significant risk factors were found in male PMD patients. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUCROC) analysis revealed that the HAMD score and TSH level showed acceptable discriminatory capacity for distinguishing between female PMD patients with and without severe anxiety. CONCLUSION: This study highlights the heightened prevalence of severe anxiety in PMD patients, with TSH levels and depression severity emerging as gender-specific risk factors for anxiety in females. These findings suggest the importance of thyroid hormone assessment and tailored interventions for managing anxiety in female PMD patients.

Discovery of Fusarium pseudograminearum Causing Crown Rot of Winter Wheat in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China.

Fusarium pseudograminearum is an important plant pathogen that invades many crops (Zhang et al. 2018). Since it was first discovered in Australia in 1951, F. pseudograminearum has been reported in many countries and regions and caused huge economic losses (Burgess et al. 2001). In 2012, crown rot of wheat caused by F. pseudograminearum was discovered for the first time in Henan Province, China (Li et al. 2012). Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the most important food crops in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), with 1.07 million hectares cultivated in 2020. In June 2023, a survey of crown rot disease was carried out in winter wheat cv. Xindong 20 in Hotan area, XUAR, China (80.148907°E, 37.051474°N). About 5% of wheat plants showed symptoms of crown rot such as browning of the stem base and white head. The disease was observed in 85% of wheat fields. In order to identify the pathogens, 36 pieces of diseased stem basal tissue, 0.5 cm in length, were collected and sterilized with 75% alcohol for 30s and 5% NaOCl solution for 2 min, then rinsed three times with sterile water and placed on potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium at 25°C. A total of 27 isolates with consistent morphological characteristics were obtained using single-spore technique (Leslie and Summerell. 2006), and the isolation rate was 75%. The isolates grew rapidly on PDA, produced large numbers of fluffy white hyphae, and pink pigment accumulated in the medium. The isolates were grown on 2% mung bean flour medium and identified by morphological and molecular methods. Macroconidia were abundant, relatively slender, curved to almost straight, commonly two to seven septate, and averaged 22 to 72 × 1.8 to 4.9 µm. Microconidia were not observed. The morphological characters are consistent with Fusarium (Aoki and O'Donnell. 1999). Two isolates (LP-1 and LP-3) were selected for molecular identification. Primers EF1/EF2 (5'-ATGGGTAAGGARGACAAGAC-3'/5'-GGARGTACCAGTSATCATG-3') were used to amplify a portion of the EF-1α gene (O'Donnell et al. 1998). The two 696 bp PCR products were sequenced and submitted to GenBank. The EF-1α gene sequences (GenBank Accession No: PP062794 and PP062795) shared 99.9% identity (695/696) with published F.pseudograminearum sequences (e.g., OP105187, OP105184, OP105179, OP105173). The identification was further confirmed by F. pseudograminearum species-specific PCR primers Fp1-1/Fp1-2 (Aoki and O'Donnell. 1999). The expected PCR products of 518 bp were produced only in F. pseudograminearum. Pathogenicity tests of LP-1 and LP-3 isolates were performed on 7-day-old seedlings of winter wheat cv. Xindong 20 using the drip inoculation method with a 10-µl of a 106 macroconidia ml-1 suspension near the stem base (Xu et al. 2017). The experiment was repeated five times in a 20 to 25°C greenhouse. Control seedlings were treated with sterile water. After 4 weeks, wheat seedling death and crown browning occurred in the inoculated plants with over 90% incidence. No symptoms were observed in the control plants. The pathogen was reisolated from the inoculated plants by the method described above and identified by morphological and PCR amplification using F. pseudograminearum species-specific primers Fp1-1/Fp1-2. No F. pseudograminearum was isolated from the control plants, fulfilling Koch's postulates. To our knowledge, this is the first report of F. pseudograminearum causing crown rot of winter wheat in XUAR of China. Since F. pseudograminearum can cause great damage to wheat, one of the most important food crops in China, necessary measures should be taken to prevent the spread of F. pseudograminearum to other regions.

SLC34A2 promotes cell proliferation by activating STX17-mediated autophagy in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Solute carrier family 34 member 2 (SLC34A2) has been implicated in the development of various malignancies. However, the clinical significance and underlying molecular mechanisms of SLC34A2 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remain elusive. METHODS: Western blotting, quantitative real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry were utilized to evaluate the expression levels of SLC34A2 mRNA/protein in ESCC cell lines or tissues. Kaplan-Meier curves were employed for survival analysis. CCK-8, colony formation, EdU and xenograft tumor model assays were conducted to determine the impact of SLC34A2 on ESCC cell proliferation. Cell cycle was examined using flow cytometry. RNA-sequencing and enrichment analysis were carried out to explore the potential signaling pathways. The autophagic flux was evaluated by western blotting, mRFP-GFP-LC3 reporter system and transmission electron microscopy. Immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry were utilized for identification of potential SLC34A2-interacting proteins. Cycloheximide (CHX) chase and ubiquitination assays were conducted to test the protein stability. RESULTS: The expression of SLC34A2 was significantly upregulated in ESCC and correlated with unfavorable clinicopathologic characteristics particularly the Ki-67 labeling index and poor prognosis of ESCC patients. Overexpression of SLC34A2 promoted ESCC cell proliferation, while silencing SLC34A2 had the opposite effect. Moreover, SLC34A2 induced autophagy to promote ESCC cell proliferation, whereas inhibition of autophagy suppressed the proliferation of ESCC cells. Further studies showed that SLC34A2 interacted with an autophagy-related protein STX17 to promote autophagy and proliferation of ESCC cells by inhibiting the ubiquitination and degradation of STX17. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that SLC34A2 may serve as a prognostic biomarker for ESCC.

Muscle Psn gene combined with exercise contribute to healthy aging of skeletal muscle and lifespan by adaptively regulating Sirt1/PGC-1α and arm pathway.

The Presenilin (Psn) gene is closely related to aging, but it is still unclear the role of Psn genes in skeletal muscle. Here, the Psn-UAS/Mhc-GAL4 system in Drosophila was used to regulate muscle Psn overexpression(MPO) and muscle Psn knockdown(MPK). Drosophila were subjected to endurance exercise from 4 weeks to 5 weeks old. The results showed that MPO and exercise significantly increased climbing speed, climbing endurance, lifespan, muscle SOD activity, Psn expression, Sirt1 expression, PGC-1α expression, and armadillo (arm) expression in aged Drosophila, and they significantly decreased muscle malondialdehyde levels. Interestingly, when the Psn gene is knockdown by 0.78 times, the PGC-1α expression and arm expression were also down-regulated, but the exercise capacity and lifespan were increased. Furthermore, exercise combined with MPO further improved the exercise capacity and lifespan. MPK combined with exercise further improves the exercise capacity and lifespan. Thus, current results confirmed that the muscle Psn gene was a vital gene that contributed to the healthy aging of skeletal muscle since whether it was overexpressed or knocked down, the aging progress of skeletal muscle structure and function was slowed down by regulating the activity homeostasis of Sirt1/PGC-1α pathway and Psn/arm pathway. Exercise enhanced the function of the Psn gene to delay skeletal muscle aging by up regulating the activity of the Sirt1/PGC-1α pathway and Psn/arm pathway.

Prognostic Value of Inflammatory Cytokines in Predicting Hospital Readmissions in Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between inflammatory cytokines and the risk of heart failure (HF) readmission in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Patients and Methods: We enrolled 429 patients with HFpEF admitted to the cardiology department in our hospital from January 2020 to July 2022. The patients were divided into the readmission or non-readmission groups according to whether they were readmitted for heart failure within 1 year of discharge. The clinical features and laboratory date of the subjects were collected and analyzed. Multivariate cox regression analysis was used to identify predictors of HF readmission. In addition, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to determine the prognostic value of each factor. Results: The levels of IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17, TNF-α, NT-proBNP, heart rate, total cholesterol and NYHA class were significantly higher in the readmission group than in the non-readmission group (p < 0.05). IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-17, TNF-α, NT-proBNP, heart rate and NYHA class were identified as independent predictors of HF readmission. Conclusion: Inflammatory markers, including IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-17 and TNF-α were related to the HF readmission in patients with HFpEF.

The Chinese customers and service staff interactive affective system (CCSIAS): introduction to a multimodal stimulus dataset.

To research the emotional interaction between customers and service staff, single-modal stimuli are being used to activate subjects' emotions while multimodal emotion stimuli with better efficiency are often neglected. This study aims to construct a multimodal emotion stimuli database (CCSIAS) with video records of real work status of 29 service staff and audio clips of interactions between customers and service staff by setting up wide-angle cameras and searching in company's Ocean Engine for 15 consecutive days. First, we developed a tool to assess the emotional statuses of customers and service staff in Study 1. Second, 40 Masters and PhD students were invited to assess the audio and video data to evaluate the emotional states of customers and service staff in Study 2, using the tools developed in Study 1. Third, 118 participants were recruited to test the results from Study 2 to ensure the stability of the derived data. The results showed that 139 sets of stable emotional audio & video data were constructed (26 sets were high, 59 sets were medium and 54 sets were low). The amount of emotional information is important for the effective activation of participants' emotional states, and the degree of emotional activation of video data is significantly higher than that of the audio data. Overall, it was shown that the study of emotional interaction phenomena requires a multimodal dataset. The CCSIAS (https://osf.io/muc86/) can extend the depth and breadth of emotional interaction research and can be applied to different emotional states between customers and service staff activation in the fields of organizational behavior and psychology.

Systemic immune-inflammation index, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio in patients with type 2 diabetes at different stages of diabetic retinopathy.

AIM: To investigate systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) levels in patients with type 2 diabetes at different stages of diabetic retinopathy (DR). METHODS: This retrospective study included 141 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM): 45 without diabetic retinopathy (NDR), 47 with non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR), and 49 with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). Complete blood counts were obtained, and NLR, PLR, and SII were calculated. The study analysed the ability of inflammatory markers to predict DR using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. The relationships between DR stages and SII, PLR, and NLP were assessed using multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: The average NLR, PLR, and SII were higher in the PDR group than in the NPDR group (P=0.011, 0.043, 0.009, respectively); higher in the NPDR group than in the NDR group (P<0.001 for all); and higher in the PDR group than in the NDR group (P<0.001 for all). In the ROC curve analysis, the NLR, PLR, and SII were significant predictors of DR (P<0.001 for all). The highest area under the curve (AUC) was for the PLR (0.929 for PLR, 0.925 for SII, and 0.821 for NLR). Multivariate regression analysis indicated that NLR, PLR, and SII were statistically significantly positive and independent predictors for the DR stages in patients with DM [odds ratio (OR)=1.122, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.200-2.043, P<0.05; OR=0.038, 95%CI: 0.018-0.058, P<0.05; OR=0.007, 95%CI: 0.001-0.01, P<0.05, respectively). CONCLUSION: The NLR, PLR, and SII may be used as predictors of DR.

Intermittent sliding-lock-knot suture for limbal conjunctival autograft fixation in pterygium surgery: a technique note.

AIM: To report a technique used with intermittent sliding-lock-knot (ISLK) fixation for limbal conjunctival autografts in pterygium surgery and compared with those of routine intermittent (RI) fixation. METHODS: Consecutive patients with primary pterygium who had undergone pterygium excision combined with limbal conjunctival autograft transplantation between March 2021 and March 2022 at our institute were retrospectively analyzed. Primary outcome measures were mean duration of surgery and suture removal, degree of conjunctival hyperemia on postoperative day 1, pain score at suture removal, postoperative symptoms at 6mo, including conjunctival hyperemia, foreign body sensation, and graft stability. RESULTS: Ninety-eight patients underwent monocular surgery and were divided into ISLK (51 eyes) and RI (47 eyes) groups according to the type of conjunctiva autograft fixation method planned. There was no significant difference in mean duration of surgery between the two groups (18.59±2.39min vs 18.15±2.20min, P=0.417); however, compared to the RI group, shorter suture removal times were observed in the ISLK group [0.58min (0.42-0.87) vs 3.00min (2.21-4.15), P<0.001]. The degree of conjunctival hyperemia on postoperative day 1 was milder in the ISLK group (P<0.001). Pain scores at suture removal were lower in the ISLK group than in RI group [1 (0-3) vs 2 (1-4), P<0.001]. Postoperative symptoms at 6mo were comparable between the groups (P=0.487), with no recurrence. CONCLUSION: ISLK is an innovative method for limbal conjunctival autograft fixation after pterygium excision. Compared to RI fixation, ISLK facilitates suture removal and reduces discomfort, with comparable surgery duration and less conjunctival hyperemia.

Unprecedented POSS-Linked 3D Covalent Organic Frameworks with 2-Fold Interpenetrated scu or sqc Topology Regulated by Porphyrin Center for Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction.

The synthesis and characterization of porphyrin center regulated three-dimensional covalent organic frameworks (COFs) with 2-fold interpenetrated scu or sqc topology have been investigated. These COFs exhibit unique structural features and properties, making them promising candidates for photocatalytic applications in CO2 reduction and artemisinin synthesis. The porphyrin center serves as an anchor for metal ions, allowing precise control over structures and functions of the frameworks. Furthermore, the metal coordination within the framework imparts desirable catalytic properties, enabling their potential use in photocatalytic reactions. Overall, these porphyrin center regulated metal-controlled COFs offer exciting opportunities for the development of advanced materials with tailored functionalities.

DPP Inhibition Enhances the Efficacy of PD-1 Blockade by Remodeling the Tumor Microenvironment in Lewis Lung Carcinoma Model.

The remarkable efficacy of cancer immunotherapy has been established in several tumor types. Of the various immunotherapies, PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors are most extensively used in the treatment of many cancers in clinics. These inhibitors restore the suppressed antitumor immune response and inhibit tumor progression by blocking the PD-1/PD-L1 signaling. However, the low response rate is a major limitation in the clinical application of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors. Therefore, combination strategies that enhance the response rate are the need of the hour. In this investigation, PT-100 (also referred to as Talabostat, Val-boroPro, and BXCL701), an orally administered and nonselective dipeptidyl peptidase inhibitor, not only augmented the effectiveness of anti-PD-1 therapy but also significantly improved T immune cell infiltration and reversed the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. The combination of PT-100 and anti-PD-1 antibody increased the number of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Moreover, the mRNA expression of T cell-associated molecules was elevated in the tumor microenvironment. The results further suggested that PT-100 dramatically reduced the ratio of tumor-associated macrophages. These findings provide a promising combination strategy for immunotherapy in lung cancer.

Gestational diabetes mellitus is associated with greater incidence of dementia during long-term post-partum follow-up.

BACKGROUND: The impact of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) on incident dementia is unknown. Our aim was to evaluate the relationship between GDM and all-cause dementia and the mediating effects of chronic diseases on this relationship. METHODS: This prospective cohort study included women from the UK Biobank who were grouped based on GDM history. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard models were used to explore the associations between GDM and dementia. We further analysed the mediating effects of chronic diseases on this relationship and the interactions of covariates. RESULTS: A total of 1292 women with and 204,171 women without a history of GDM were included. During a median follow-up period of 45 years after first birth, 2921 women were diagnosed with dementia. Women with a GDM history had a 67% increased risk of incident dementia (hazard ratio 1.67, 95% confidence interval: 1.03-2.69) compared with those without a GDM history. According to mediation analyses, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, chronic kidney disease and comorbidities (diagnosed with any two of the three diseases) explained 34.5%, 8.4%, 5.2% and 18.8% of the mediating effect on the relationship. Subgroup analyses revealed that physical activity modified the association between GDM history and dementia (p for interaction = 0.030). Among physically inactive women, GDM was significantly associated with incident dementia; however, this association was not observed among physically active women. CONCLUSIONS: A history of GDM was associated with a greater risk of incident dementia. Type 2 diabetes partially mediated this relationship. Strategies for dementia prevention might be considered for women with a history of GDM.

Integrating network pharmacology and experimental validation reveals therapeutic effects of D-mannose on NAFLD through mTOR suppression.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a chronic liver condition and metabolic disorder, has emerged as a significant health issue worldwide. D-mannose, a natural monosaccharide widely existing in plants and animals, has demonstrated metabolic regulatory properties. However, the effect and mechanism by which D-mannose may counteract NAFLD have not been studied. In this study, network pharmacology followed by molecular docking analysis was utilized to identify potential targets of mannose against NAFLD, and the leptin receptor-deficient, genetically obese db/db mice was employed as an animal model of NAFLD to validate the regulation of D-mannose on core targets. As a result, 67 targets of mannose are predicted associated with NAFLD, which are surprisingly centered on the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR). Further analyses suggest that mTOR signaling is functionally enriched in potential targets of mannose treating NAFLD, and that mannose putatively binds to mTOR as a core mechanism. Expectedly, repeated oral gavage of supraphysiological D-mannose ameliorates liver steatosis of db/db mice, which is based on suppression of hepatic mTOR signaling. Moreover, daily D-mannose administration reduced hepatic expression of lipogenic regulatory genes in counteracting NAFLD. Together, these findings reveal D-mannose as an effective and potential NAFLD therapeutic through mTOR suppression, which holds translational promise.