Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) inhibits cardiac mast cells activation and improves myocardial atrophy after ischemic stroke.

BACKGROUND: Ischemic stroke is one of the leading causes of chronic disability worldwide, and stroke-induced heart damage can lead to death. According to research, patients with a variety of brain disease have good clinical results after vagus nerve stimulation (VNS). After ischemic stroke, mast cells (MCs) degranulate and release a large number of mediators, which may cause systemic inflammation. Chymase secreted by MCs can increase the levels of pathological angiotensin II (AngⅡ), which plays a crucial role in the deterioration of heart disease. Our goal was to develop a minimally invasive, targeted, and convenient VNS approach to assess the impact of VNS and to clarify the relationship between VNS and MCs in the prognosis of patients with myocardial atrophy after acute ischemic stroke. METHODS: In this study, we verified the role of VNS in the treatment of myocardial atrophy after stroke and its molecular mechanism using a rat model of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO/r). Behavioral studies were assessed using neurobehavioral deficit scores. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, immunofluorescence staining, Western blotting and qRT-PCR were used to analyze the expression levels of myocardial atrophy, MC and inflammatory markers in rat hearts. RESULTS: VNS improved myocardial atrophy in MCAO/r rats, inhibited MC activation, reduced the expression of chymase and AngⅡ, and inhibited the expression of proinflammatory factors. The chymase activator C48/80 reversed these effects of VNS. Chymase activation inhibited the effect of VNS on myocardial atrophy in MCAO/r rats, increased AngⅡ expression and aggravated inflammation and autophagy. The myocardial atrophy of MCAO/r rats was improved after chymase inhibition, and AngⅡ expression, inflammation and autophagy were reduced. Our results suggest that VNS may reduce the expression of chymase and AngⅡ by inhibiting MC activation, thereby improving myocardial atrophy and reducing inflammation and autophagy in MCAO/r rats. Inhibition of MC activation may be an effective strategy for treating myocardial atrophy after stroke. CONCLUSIONS: VNS inhibits MC activation and reduces the expression of chymase and AngII, thereby alleviating myocardial atrophy, inflammation and autophagy after stroke.

Multi-habitat distribution and coalescence of resistomes at the watershed scale based on metagenomics.

The characteristics of the resistome distribution in rivers have been extensively studied. However, the distribution patterns of resistomes in multiple habitats and contributions of upstream habitats to the resistome profile in water bodies remains unclear. The current study explored the distribution and coalescence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), metal resistance genes (MRGs), and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) in four habitats (including water bodies, sediments, biofilms, and riparian soils) within the Shichuan River watershed. The results revealed significant variations in the abundances and diversity of resistomes across the four habitats and two seasons. Assembly processes of resistomes were predominated by stochastic processes in summer but deterministic processes in winter. The main source of the resistome in summer water bodies was the movement of genes from upstream water bodies. However, the main sources of resistome in downstream water bodies in winter were the movement of resistomes in upstream sediments and the input of external pollution. The physicochemical properties of winter water bodies significantly influenced the movement of the resistomes across habitats. The current study elucidated the multi-habitat distribution pattern and migration mechanism of the resistome in the river system, providing new insights for effectively monitoring and controlling bacterial resistance.

Protein-Protein Interaction Prediction Model Based on ProtBert-BiGRU-Attention.

The physiological activities within cells are mainly regulated through protein-protein interactions (PPI). Therefore, studying protein interactions has become an essential part of researching protein function and mechanisms. Traditional biological experiments required for PPI prediction are expensive and time consuming. For this reason, many methods based on predicting PPI from protein sequences have been proposed in recent years. However, existing computational methods usually require the combination of evolutionary feature information of proteins to predict PPI docking situations. Because different relevant features of selected proteins are chosen, there may be differences in the predicted results for PPI. This article proposes a PPI prediction method based on the pretrained protein sequence model ProtBert, combined with the Bidirectional Gated Recurrent Unit (BiGRU) and attention mechanism. Only using protein sequence information and leveraging ProtBert's powerful ability to capture amino acid feature information, BiGRU is used for further feature extraction of the amino acid vectors output by ProtBert. The attention mechanism is then applied to enhance the focus on different amino acid features and improve the expression ability of protein sequence features, ultimately obtaining binary classification results for protein interactions. Experimental results show that our proposed ProtBert-BiGRU-Attention model has good predictive performance for PPI. Through relevant comparative experiments, it has been proven that our model performs well in protein binary prediction. Furthermore, through the ablation experiment of the model, different deep learning modules' contributions to the prediction have been demonstrated.

Comparative efficacy and safety of non-pharmacological interventions as adjunctive treatment for vascular dementia: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Objectives: The incidence of vascular dementia (VaD) is steadily rising annually, significantly impacting the mental well-being and overall quality of life of the elderly, and imposing substantial economic burdens on families and society. In recent years, non-pharmacological therapies as supplementary treatments for VaD have garnered significant attention and have been extensively utilized in clinical settings. Consequently, a network meta-analysis (NMA) was conducted by us to assess the effectiveness of various non-pharmacological therapies in the management of VaD. Design: We systematically searched seven databases from their inception up to January 2024 to identify randomized controlled trials focusing on non-pharmacological interventions for the treatment of VaD. The methodological quality and risk of bias were rigorously assessed utilizing the RoB 2.0 evaluation tool. The NMA was performed using R software and STATA 14 software, adhering to frequentist theory principles. Additionally, sensitivity analysis, meta-regression analysis, and funnel plot were conducted to assess the stability, heterogeneity, and publication bias, respectively. Results: The NMA included 91 eligible studies involving 7,657 patients. The NMA results indicated that in terms of improving Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), the following non-pharmacological interventions ranked higher based on p-value: acupuncture_moxibustion_ conventional treatment (ACUP_MB_CT) [P-score = 0.95; pooled mean difference (95% CI): 5.09 (3.82; 6.36)], fastigial nucleus stimulation_CT (FNS_CT) [0.87; 4.51 (2.59; 6.43)], ACUP_rehabilitation training_CT (ACUP_RT_CT) [0.84; 4.19 (2.77; 5.61)], repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation_CT (rTMS_CT) [0.82; 3.98 (3.08; 4.88)], and aerobic exercise_CT (AE_CT) [0.82; 4.25 (1.86; 6.64)]. Regarding improvement in Activities of Daily Living Scale (ADL), the following non-pharmacological interventions ranked higher based on P-score: ACUP_MB_CT [0.98; 17.21 (13.19; 21.23)], ACUP_RT_CT [0.87; 14.32 (8.43; 20.22)], rTMS_CT [0.78; 11.83 (9.92; 13.75)], and ACUP_CT [0.73; 11.23 (9.26; 13.19)]. No significant adverse reactions were reported in the included studies. Conclusion: ACUP_MB_CT may be considered the most efficacious intervention for enhancing cognitive function and daily living skills in individuals diagnosed with VaD. Furthermore, ACUP_RT_CT, rTMS_CT, FNS_CT, ACUP_CT, and AE_CT also demonstrate significant clinical utility. Non-pharmacological interventions are unlikely to significantly increase adverse reactions and has a certain degree of safety.Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier [CRD42024498902].

Artificial Intelligence in Metabolomics: A Current Review.

Metabolomics and artificial intelligence (AI) form a synergistic partnership. Metabolomics generates large datasets comprising hundreds to thousands of metabolites with complex relationships. AI, aiming to mimic human intelligence through computational modeling, possesses extraordinary capabilities for big data analysis. In this review, we provide a recent overview of the methodologies and applications of AI in metabolomics studies in the context of systems biology and human health. We first introduce the AI concept, history, and key algorithms for machine learning and deep learning, summarizing their strengths and weaknesses. We then discuss studies that have successfully used AI across different aspects of metabolomic analysis, including analytical detection, data preprocessing, biomarker discovery, predictive modeling, and multi-omics data integration. Lastly, we discuss the existing challenges and future perspectives in this rapidly evolving field. Despite limitations and challenges, the combination of metabolomics and AI holds great promises for revolutionary advancements in enhancing human health.

Establishing a Male-Positive Genetic Sexing Strain in the Asian Malaria Vector Anopheles stephensi.

Genetic biocontrol interventions targeting mosquito-borne diseases require the release of male mosquitoes exclusively, as only females consume blood and transmit human pathogens. This reduces the risk of spreading pathogens while enabling effective population control. Robust sex sorting methods to enable early larval sorting in mosquitoes need to be developed to allow for scalable sex sorting for genetic biocontrol interventions. This study applies the SEPARATOR (Sexing Element Produced by Alternative RNA-splicing of A Transgenic Observable Reporter) system, previously developed for Aedes aegypti , to the Asian malaria vector Anopheles stephensi . We hypothesized that the intron from the doublesex gene in Anopheles gambiae would function in An. stephensi due to evolutionary conservation. Our results confirm that the splicing module from An. gambiae operates effectively in An. stephensi , demonstrating evolutionary conservation in sex-specific splicing events between these species. This system enables reliable positive male selection from first instar larval to pupal stages. RT-PCR analysis demonstrates that male-specific EGFP expression is dependent on doublesex sex-specific splicing events. The SEPARATOR system's independence from sex-chromosome linkage confers resistance to meiotic recombination and chromosomal rearrangements. This approach may facilitate the mass release of males, and the cross-species portability of SEPARATOR establishes it as a valuable tool for genetic biocontrol interventions across various pest species.

Digital identification of Aucklandiae radix, Vladimiriae radix, and Inulae radix based on multivariate algorithms and UHPLC-QTOF-MS analysis.

INTRODUCTION: The identification of Aucklandiae Radix (AR), Vladimiriae Radix (VR), and Inulae Radix (IR) based on traits and microscopic features is susceptible to the state of samples and the subjective awareness of personnel, and the identification based on a few or single chemical compositions is a cumbersome and time-consuming procedure and fails to rationally and effectively utilize the information of unknown components and is not specificity enough. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to improve the identification efficiency, strengthen supervision, and realize digital identification of three Chinese medicines. Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF-MS) combined with multivariate algorithms was used to explore the digital identification of AR, VR, and IR. MATERIALS AND METHODS: UHPLC-QTOF-MS was used to analyze AR, VR, and IR. The MS data combined with multivariate algorithms such as partial least squares discrimination analysis (PLS-DA) and artificial neural networks (ANNs) was used to filter important variables and data modeling. Finally, the optimal model was selected for the digital identification of three herbs. RESULTS: The results showed that three herbs can be distinguished on the whole level, and through feature screening, 591 characteristic variables combined with multivariate algorithms to construct data models. The ANN model was the best with accuracy = 0.983, precision = 0.984, and external verification showed the reliability and practicability of ANN model. CONCLUSION: ANN model combined with MS data is of great significance for tdigital identification of AR, VR, and IR. It is an important reference for developing the digital identification of traditional Chinese medicines at the individual level based on UHPLC-QTOF-MS and multivariate algorithms.

Electroencephalogram Alpha Oscillations in Stroke Recovery: Insights into Neural Mechanisms from Combined Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation and Mirror Therapy in Relation to Activities of Daily Life.

The goal of stroke rehabilitation is to establish a robust protocol for patients to live independently in community. Firstly, we examined the impact of 3 hybridized transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)-mirror therapy interventions on activities of daily life (ADL) in stroke patients. Secondly, we explored the underlying therapeutic mechanisms with theory-driven electroencephalography (EEG) indexes in the alpha band. This was achieved by identifying the unique contributions of alpha power in motor production to ADL in relation to the premotor cortex (PMC), primary cortex (M1), and Sham tDCS with mirror therapy. The results showed that, although post-intervention ADL improvement was comparable among the three tDCS groups, one of the EEG indexes differentiated the interventions. Neural-behavioral correlation analyses revealed that different types of ADL improvements consistently corresponded with alpha power in the temporal lobe exclusively in the PMC tDCS group (all rs > 0.39). By contrast, alterations in alpha power in the central-frontal region were found to vary, with ADL primarily in the M1 tDCS group (r = -0.6 or 0.7), with the benefit depending on the complexity of the ADL. In conclusion, this research suggested two potential therapeutic mechanisms and demonstrated the additive benefits of introducing theory-driven neural indexes in explaining ADL.

Progress in application of cyclic single-stranded nucleic acids.

Cyclic nucleic acids are biologically stable against nucleic acid exonucleases due to the absence of 5' and 3' termini. Studies of cyclic nucleic acids mainly focus on cyclic single-stranded nucleic acids. Single-stranded nucleic acids are further divided into circular RNA (circRNA) and circular single-stranded DNA (cssDNA). The synthesis methods of circRNA include lasso-driven cyclization, intron-paired cyclization, intron cyclization, intron complementary pairing-driven cyclization, RNA-binding protein-driven cyclization, and artificial synthesis depending on the source. Its main role is to participate in gene expression and the treatment of some diseases. Circular single-stranded DNA is mainly synthesized by chemical ligation, template-directed enzyme ligation, and new techniques for the efficient preparation of DNA single loops and topologies based on CircLigase. It is mainly used in rolling circle amplification (RCA) technology and in the bioprotection of circular aptamers and second messengers. This review focuses on the types, synthesis methods, and applications of cyclic single-stranded nucleic acids, providing a reference for further research on cyclic single-stranded nucleic acids.

Effect of Complex Well Conditions on the Swelling and Tribological Properties of High-Acrylonitrile Stator Rubber in Screw Pumps.

The effects of complex well conditions in shale oil wells on the swelling and tribological properties of high-acrylonitrile stator rubber used in screw pumps were investigated in this study. Tests were conducted considering the combined effects of immersion medium, temperature, and duration. The key parameters measured included mass change rate, volume change rate, hardness, elongation at break, tensile strength, surface micro-morphology of the rubber after thermal expansion and swelling, friction coefficient, and wear quantity. The results indicated that in the actual well fluids, the mass change rate of high-acrylonitrile rubber ranged from -1.08% to 1.29%, with a maximum volume change rate of 2.78%. In diesel oil, the greatest mass change rate of the rubber was 4.68%, and the volume change rate did not exceed ±1%, indicating superior swelling resistance. In both actual well fluids and diesel oil, the maximum decreases in hardness were 8.7% and 9.5%, respectively. Tensile strength and elongation at break decreased with increasing immersion temperature, with elongation at break in 80 °C diesel oil decreasing by over 50%, indicating a significant decline in the tensile properties of the rubber. The average friction coefficient of rubber specimens immersed in actual well fluids at three temperatures, as well as in diesel oil at 25 and 50 °C, decreased compared with the high-acrylonitrile rubber without thermal expansion and swelling. However, the average friction coefficient of rubber specimens immersed in diesel oil at 80 °C increased. The wear quantity of the rubber increased following immersion in both media. Additionally, the friction coefficient and wear quantity of the rubber increased with increasing immersion temperatures. The results of the study can offer valuable insights into assessing the durability of properties in high-acrylonitrile stator rubber under complex well conditions.

Quantum Transport through a Quantum Dot Coupled to Majorana Nanowire and Two Ferromagnets with Noncollinear Magnetizations.

We study the electron tunneling (ET) and local Andreev reflection (AR) processes in a quantum dot (QD) coupled to the left and right ferromagnetic leads with noncollinear ferromagnetisms. In particular, we consider that the QD is also side-coupled to a nanowire hosting Majorana bound states (MBSs) at its ends. Our results show that when one mode of the MBSs is coupled simultaneously to both spin-up and spin-down electrons on the QD, the height of the central peak is different from that if the MBS is coupled to only one spin component electrons. The ET and AR conductances, which are mediated by the dot-MBS hybridization, strongly depend on the angle between the left and right magnetic moments in the leads. Interaction between the QD and the MBSs will result in sign change of the angle-dependent tunnel magnetoresistance. This is very different from the case when the QD is coupled to regular fermonic mode, and can be used for detecting the existence of MBSs, a current challenge in condensed matter physics under extensive investigations.

Streptococcus suis Serotype 2 Type IV Secretion Effector SspA-1 Induces Proinflammatory Cytokine Production via TLR2 Endosomal and Type I Interferon Signaling.

The subtilisin-like protease-1 (SspA-1) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of a highly virulent strain of Streptococcus suis 2. However, the mechanism of SspA-1-triggered excessive inflammatory response is still unknown. In this study, we demonstrated that activation of type I IFN signaling is required for SspA-1-induced excessive proinflammatory cytokine production. Further experiments showed that the TLR2 endosomal pathway mediates SspA-1-induced type I IFN signaling and the inflammatory response. Finally, we mapped the major signaling components of the related pathway and found that the TIR adaptor proteins Mal, TRAM, and MyD88 and the downstream activation of IRF1 and IRF7 were involved in this pathway. These results explain the molecular mechanism by which SspA-1 triggers an excessive inflammatory response and reveal a novel effect of type I IFN in S. suis 2 infection, possibly providing further insights into the pathogenesis of this highly virulent S. suis 2 strain.

Application of 3-dimensional visualization and image fusion technology in liver cancer with portal vein tumor thrombus surgery.

Liver cancer with portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT) is a frequent finding and is related to poor prognosis. Surgical resection provides a more promising prognosis in selected patients. The purpose of this study was to explore the application of 3D (3-dimensional) visualization and image fusion technology in liver cancer with PVTT surgery. 12 patients were treated with surgery between March 2019 and August 2022. The preoperative standard liver volume (SLV), estimated future liver remnant (FLR), FLR/SLV, 3D visualization models, PVTT classification, operation programs, surgical results, and prognosis were collected and analyzed. Twelve patients who had complete data of 3D visualization and underwent hemihepatectomy combined with portal vein tumor thrombectomy. The operation plan was formulated by 3D visualization and was highly consistent with the actual surgery. The SLV was 1208.33 ±â€…63.22 mL, FLR was 734.00 mL and FLR/SLV was 61.62 ±â€…19.38%. The accuracy of classification of PVTT by 3D visualization was 100%, Cheng type Ⅱa (4 cases), Ⅱb (2 cases), Ⅲa (4 cases), and Ⅲb (2 cases). The 3D visualization model was a perfect fusion with the intraoperative live scene and precise guidance for hepatectomy. No patient was suffering from postoperative liver failure and without procedure­associated death. 6 patients died of tumor recurrence, and 2 patients died of other reasons. The 12-month cumulative survival rate was 25.9%. 3D visualization and image fusion technology could be used for precise assessment of FLR, classification of PVTT, surgery navigation, and which was helpful in improving the safety of hepatectomy.

Volatomic differences among Vitis amurensis cultivars and its hybrids with V. vinifera revealed the effects of genotype, region, and vintage on grape aroma.

Vitis amurensis grape, an East Asian Vitis species, has excellent cold and disease resistance and exhibits high winemaking potential. In this study, the aroma compounds in grapes from five V. amurensis cultivars ('Beiguohong', 'Beiguolan', 'Shuangfeng', 'Shuanghong', 'Shuangyou') and three interspecific hybrids ('Beibinghong', 'Xuelanhong', 'Zuoyouhong') from two regions (Zuojia and Ji'an, Jilin, China) were identified via HS-SPME-GC/MS. The results showed that V. amurensis grapes had a greater concentration of aroma compounds than the interspecific hybrid berries. 'Beibinghong' was relatively rich in terpenes, although their concentrations were all lower than the threshold. 'Shuangfeng' contained more concentrations of free C6/C9 compounds, alcohols, aromatics and aldehydes/ketones than the other cultivars. The aroma characteristics of 'Beiguolan' and 'Shuanghong' were relatively similar. The grapes from the lower temperature and more fertile soil of Zuojia contained more C6/C9 compounds, norisoprenoids and alcohols, while aromatics were more abundant in the grapes from Ji'an, which was warmer than the Zuojia region. Herbaceous, floral, fruity and sweet were the main aroma series of V. amurensis grapes. Our study could provide a reference for the development and utilization of V. amurensis grapes and lay a foundation for the development of wild grape cultivars and the production of wines with characteristic styles.

Subpixel motion artifacts correction and motion estimation for 3D-OCT.

A number of hardware-based and software-based strategies have been suggested to eliminate motion artifacts for improvement of 3D-optical coherence tomography (OCT) image quality. However, the hardware-based strategies have to employ additional hardware to record motion compensation information. Many software-based strategies have to need additional scanning for motion correction at the expense of longer acquisition time. To address this issue, we propose a motion artifacts correction and motion estimation method for OCT volumetric imaging of anterior segment, without requirements of additional hardware and redundant scanning. The motion correction effect with subpixel accuracy for in vivo 3D-OCT has been demonstrated in experiments. Moreover, the physiological information of imaging object, including respiratory curve and respiratory rate, has been experimentally extracted using the proposed method. The proposed method offers a powerful tool for scientific research and clinical diagnosis in ophthalmology and may be further extended for other biomedical volumetric imaging applications.

Abnormal HCK/glutamine/autophagy axis promotes endometriosis development by impairing macrophage phagocytosis.

The presence of extensive infiltrated macrophages with impaired phagocytosis is widely recognised as a significant regulator for the development of endometriosis (EMs). Nevertheless, the metabolic characteristics and the fundamental mechanism of impaired macrophage phagocytosis are yet to be clarified. Here, we observe that there is the decreased expression of haematopoietic cellular kinase (HCK) in macrophage of peritoneal fluid from EMs patients, which might be attributed to high oestrogen and hypoxia condition. Of note, HCK deficiency resulted in impaired macrophage phagocytosis, and increased number and weight of ectopic lesions in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, this process was mediated via regulation of glutamine metabolism, and further upregulation of macrophage autophagy in a c-FOS/c-JUN dependent manner. Additionally, macrophages of EMs patients displayed insufficient HCK, excessive autophagy and phagocytosis dysfunction. In therapeutic studies, supplementation with glutamine-pre-treated macrophage or Bafilomycin A1 (an autophagy inhibitor)-pre-treated macrophage leads to the induction of macrophage phagocytosis and suppression of EMs development. This observation reveals that the aberrant HCK-glutamine-autophagy axis results in phagocytosis obstacle of macrophage and further increase the development risk of Ems. Additionally, it offers potential therapeutic approaches to prevent EMs, especially patients with insufficient HCK and macrophage phagocytosis dysfunction.

Asymmetric catalytic synthesis of chiral covalent organic framework composite (S)-DTP-COF@SiO2 for HPLC enantioseparations by normal-phase and reversed-phase chromatographic modes.

A novel CCOF core-shell composite material (S)-DTP-COF@SiO2 was prepared via asymmetric catalytic and in situ growth strategy. The prepared (S)-DTP-COF@SiO2 was utilized as separation medium for HPLC enantioseparation using normal-phase and reversed-phase chromatographic modes, which displays excellent chiral separation performance for alcohols, esters, ketones, and epoxides, etc. Compared with chiral commercial chromatographic columns (Chiralpak AD-H and Chiralcel OD-H columns) and some previously reported chiral CCOF@SiO2 (CC-MP CCTF@SiO2 and MDI-ß-CD-modified COF@SiO2)-packed columns, there are 4, 3, 13, and 15 tested racemic compounds that could not be resolved on the Chiralpak AD-H column, Chiralcel OD-H column, CC-MP CCTF@SiO2 column, and MDI-ß-CD-modified COF@SiO2 column, respectively, which indicates that the resolution effect of (S)-DTP-COF@SiO2-packed column can be complementary to the other ones. The effects of the analyte mass, column temperature, and mobile phase composition on the enantiomeric separation were investigated. The chiral column exhibits good reproducibility after multiple consecutive injections. The RSDs (n = 5) of the peak area and retention time were less than 1.5% for repetitive separation of 2-methoxy-2-phenylethanol and 1-phenyl-1-pentanol. The chiral core-shell composite (S)-DTP-COF@SiO2 exhibited good enantiomeric separation performance, which not only demonstrates its potential as a novel CSP material in HPLC but also expands the range of applications for chiral COFs.

Morphological Changes of Peri-Coronary Adipose Tissue Together with Elevated NLR in Acute Myocardial Infarction Patients in-Hospital.

Background: Inflammation triggers atherosclerotic plaque rupture, leading to acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Following AMI, peri-coronary adipose tissue (PCAT) undergoes a transition from lipid-rich to hydrophilic characteristics due to vascular inflammation. This study investigates PCAT changes and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio levels during AMI. Patients and Methods: 60 AMI patients undergoing coronary computed tomography angiography and angiography (Jan 2020-Jun 2022) were studied 60 age, gender, BMI-matched stable angina, and 60 non-coronary artery disease patients were included. Siemens VB20.0 measured PCAT-volume and fat attenuation index (FAI). Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio levels were calculated by peripheral blood tests. Results: The PCAT volume and PCAT-FAI gradually increased across the control, stable angina, and AMI groups, with a corresponding gradual rise in NLR. NLR exhibited weak positive correlation with PCAT-FAI (r=0.35) and PCAT-volume (r=0.24). Multivariable logistic regression identified increased PCAT-volume, PCAT-FAI and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio as possible independent AMI risk factors. No significant PCAT-volume difference was observed between infarct-related artery (IRA) and non-IRA for all three coronary arteries. Only PCAT-FAI around IRA-LAD was higher than non-IRA-LAD (-74.84±6.93 HU vs -79.04±8.68 HU). PCAT-FAI around culprit vessels in AMI was higher than corresponding lesion related vessel in SA. PCAT-volume around narrowed non-IRA in AMI was higher than that of corresponding LRV in SA. PCAT-FAI of narrowed non-IRA-LADs and non-IRA-LCXs in AMI were elevated compared to LADs (-78.46±8.56HU vs -83.13±8.34 HU) and LCXs (-73.83±10.63 HU vs -81.38±7.88 HU) of lesion related vessel in stable angina. Conclusion: We found an association between AMI and inflammation in the coronary perivascular adipose tissue and systemic inflammatory response.

Indole Lactic Acid in Plasma and Urine: A Potential Biomarker for Chronic Kidney Disease and Inflammatory.

Purpose: We aimed to explore changes in plasma and urine indole lactic acid (ILA) levels and the relationship between inflammation and ILA in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients and healthy people. Patients and Methods: Forty-seven CKD patients and 30 healthy individuals were included in this study. One-way ANOVA was used for variables with normal distribution and homogeneous variance. A rank-sum test was performed for non-normally distributed variables. Correlation analyses were performed using Pearson's or Spearman correlation analyses. Independent relationship between patients and CKD was analyzed using ordinal and binary logistic regressions. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used. Results: Plasma and urine ILA levels were positively correlated (r = 0.51, P < 0.01). Plasma ILA was positively correlated with BMI, age, creatinine, BUN, triglycerides, and uric acid and negatively correlated with hemoglobin levels. Urine ILA levels were positively correlated with age, creatinine, BUN, and uric acid and negatively correlated with hemoglobin and albumin levels. Ordered logistic regression analysis showed that CKD was significantly correlated with plasma ILA (OR=4.49, P < 0.01), urinary ILA (OR=2.14,P < 0.01), urea levels (OR=1.43, P < 0.01) and hemoglobin levels (OR=0.95, P < 0.01) were significantly related. ROC curves indicated that plasma and urinary ILA were reliable predictors of CKD. CKD was correlated with plasma, urine ILA (OR=5.92, P < 0.01; OR=2.79, P < 0.01) and Hs-CRP (OR=2.45, P < 0.01). Conclusion: Plasma and urine ILA can potentially be used as biomarkers of CKD and inflammatory status.

Temporal trends in medication and service use patterns for mental health issues among men with prostate cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Prostate cancer can significantly impact mental wellbeing, creating uncertainty and morbidity. This study described patterns of psychotropic medication and mental health service use, as a proxy measure for mental health problems, 5 years before and 5 years after prostate cancer diagnosis. METHODS: Population-based registry data were linked with Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and Medicare Benefits Schedule data for all prostate cancer patients diagnosed in South Australia between 2012 and 2020 (n = 13,693). We estimated the proportion and rates of psychotropic medication and mental health service use before and after diagnosis. Multivariable adjusted interrupted time series analyses (ITSA) were conducted to uncover temporal patterns. RESULTS: Fifteen percent of men commenced psychotropic medications and 6.4% sought out mental health services for the first time after diagnosis. Psychotropic medication use rose from 34.5% 5 years before to 40.3% 5 years after diagnosis, including an increase in use of antidepressants (from 20.7% to 26.0%) and anxiolytics (from 11.3% to 12.8%). Mental health service use increased from 10.2% to 12.1%, with the increase mostly being general practice mental health visits (from 7.8% to 10.6%). Multivariable ITSA indicated a significant rise in medication and service utilisation immediately before and in the first 2 years following prostate cancer diagnosis. CONCLUSION: There is a clear increase in psychotropic medication use and mental health service use around the time of prostate cancer diagnosis. Mental health outcomes of men with prostate cancer may be improved with early mental health screening, particularly during the diagnosis process, to enable early intervention.