Plasmonic-Promoted Interatomic Hot Carriers Regulation Enhanced Electrocatalytic Nitrogen Reduction Reaction.

Utilizing hot carriers for efficient plasmonic-mediated chemical reactions (PMCRs) to convert solar energy into secondary energy is one of the most feasible solutions to the global environmental and energy crisis. Finding a plasmonic heterogeneous nanostructure with a more efficient and reasonable hot carrier transport path without affecting the intrinsic plasmonic properties is still a major challenge that urgently needs to be solved in this field. Herein, the mechanism by which plasmonic-promoted interatomic hot electron redistribution on the surface of Au3Cu alloy nanoparticles promotes the electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction (ENRR) is successfully clarified. The localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect can boost the transfer of plasmonic hot electrons from Au atoms to Cu atoms, trigger the interatomic electron regulation of Au3Cu alloy nanoparticles, enhance the desorption of ammonia molecules, and increase the ammonia yield by approximately 93.9%. This work provides an important reference for rationally designing and utilizing the LSPR effect to efficiently regulate the distribution and mechanism of plasmonic hot carriers on the surface of heterogeneous alloy nanostructures.

Matcha alleviates obesity by modulating gut microbiota and its metabolites.

Matcha shows promise for diabetes, obesity, and gut microbiota disorders. Studies suggest a significant link between gut microbiota, metabolites, and obesity. Thus, matcha may have a positive impact on obesity by modulating gut microbiota and metabolites. This study used 16S rDNA sequencing and untargeted metabolomics to examine the cecal contents in mice. By correlation analysis, we explored the potential mechanisms responsible for the positive effects of matcha on obesity. The results indicated that matcha had a mitigating effect on the detrimental impacts of a high-fat diet (HFD) on multiple physiological indicators in mice, including body weight, adipose tissue weight, serum total cholesterol (TC), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels, as well as glucose tolerance. Moreover, it was observed that matcha had an impact on the structural composition of gut microbiota and gut metabolites. Specifically, matcha was able to reverse the alterations in the abundance of certain obesity-improving bacteria, such as Alloprevotella, Ileibacterium, and Rikenella, as well as the abundance of obesity-promoting bacteria Romboutsia, induced by a HFD. Furthermore, matcha can influence the levels of metabolites, including formononetin, glutamic acid, pyroglutamic acid, and taurochenodeoxycholate, within the gastrointestinal tract. Additionally, matcha enhances caffeine metabolism and the HIF-1 signaling pathway in the KEGG pathway. The results of the correlation analysis suggest that formononetin, theobromine, 1,3,7-trimethyluric acid, and Vitamin C displayed negative correlation with both the obesity phenotype and microbiota known to exacerbate obesity, while demonstrating positive correlations with microbiota that alleviated obesity. However, glutamic acid, pyroglutamic acid, and taurochenodeoxycholate had the opposite effect. In conclusion, the impact of matcha on gut metabolites may be attributed to its modulation of the abundance of Alloprevotella, Ileibacterium, Rikenella, and Romboutsia within the gastrointestinal tract, thereby potentially contributing to the amelioration of obesity.

A retrospective study of resting energy expenditure in children hospitalized with different nutritional status.

Background: Resting energy expenditure (REE) refers to the energy consumption of the body in a resting state without skeletal muscle activity. This study aimed to examine the REE among children hospitalized with varying nutritional status. Methods: This was a retrospective study. We enrolled 109 pediatric cases that underwent indirect calorimetry (IC) and divided into four groups: mild malnutrition group (15 cases), moderate malnutrition group (30 cases), severe malnutrition group (32 cases), and obesity group (32 cases). We compared and analyzed the measured REE (mREE) using IC with the predicted REE (pREE) using five energy equations. The paired t-test was used to compare the results of two samples. Pearson analysis was used to assess the correlation between two values. The agreement analysis was performed using the Bland-Altman method. Results: There was no significant difference in mREE between the mild, moderate, and severe malnutrition groups, but each differed significantly from the obesity group. All populations exhibited significant correlation between the mREEs and all five energy equations, and the equation with the highest predictive accuracy was the Schofield equation, which achieved an accuracy of 47.7%. In subgroup analysis, there was no significant difference between mREE and pREE for each of the five equations in the mild, moderate malnutrition groups. Only the prediction result of the Liu equation was not significantly different from the mREE in the severe malnutrition group. The prediction accuracy of the Liu equation was relatively the highest (34.4%). However, in the obese group, there were significant differences in pREE and mREE between the Liu equation and Mifflin equation. Under different nutritional statuses, the results of the Bland-Altman analysis suggested that deviation values between REEs predicted by each equation and mREE were greater than ±10%. Conclusions: There were differences in REE among children with different nutritional status. The results obtained from the five predictive energy equations deviated from the IC results. When REE cannot be measured by IC, it is essential to choose an appropriate predictive energy equation based on the nutritional status of the individual.

Exploring the mechanism of nano-selenium treatment on the nutritional quality and resistance in plum plants.

The impact of emerging stressors, such as pesticides and heavy metals, on the nutritional quality, resistance, and antioxidant systems of crops is the subject of intense monitoring. Due to its low toxicity and biocompatibility, nano-selenium (nano-Se) increases antioxidant capacity more effectively than selenium (Se). However, the protective mechanism of nano-Se in plum trees is still unknown when subjected to long-term abiotic stress. In this study, nano-Se foliar application enhanced the fruit's fresh weight and diameter and plant growth and development by increasing the content of trace elements (Zn and Se) and amino acids (Try, Phe, Pro, and Arg) in leaves and fruits. Compared to the control, nano-Se treatment dramatically improved the plant's antioxidant system, resulting in a substantial increase in SOD (44.3 %), POD (24.3 %), and CAT (95.6 %) levels. It also increased IAA (118.8 %), total flavonoids (23.0 %), total phenols (15.8 %), rutin (37.7 %), quercetin (146.8 %), and caffeic acid (19.8 %) contents by regulating phenylpropane metabolic pathways. Targeted amino acid analysis indicated that nano-Se biofortification greatly enhanced the levels of His (60.7 %), Ser (123.5 %), Thr (105.7 %), Val (202.1 %), Ile (236.2 %), Leu (84.0 %), Tyr (235.0 %), and Phe (164.7 %). The non-target metabolomics results showed that nano-Se treatment stimulated plum growth and nutrition by boosting phenylpropane metabolism and amino acid production. Therefore, nano-Se can improve the quality and resistance of plums by regulating both the primary and secondary metabolic pathways of plants and enhancing the antioxidant capacity. This investigation provides a reference for extrapolating the positive effects of nano-Se on crop quality to other plant species.

Organic carbon cycling in the sediments of Prydz Bay, Eastern Antarctica: Implications for a high carbon sequestration potential.

Understanding the dynamics of sedimentary organic carbon (SOC) in the productive continental marginal sea surrounding Antarctica is crucial for elucidating the effect of this sea on the global carbon cycle. We analyzed 31 surface sediment samples and eight sediment cores collected from Prydz Bay (PB) and the adjacent basin area. The element and stable isotope compositions, grain size compositions, and biogenic silica and lithogenic minerals of these samples were used to evaluate the spatial variations in the sources, transport mechanisms, and preservation patterns of SOC, with a particular focus on the efficiency of the biological carbon pump (BCP). Our findings reveal that the SOC originated from mixed marine/terrestrial sources. The δ13C values were higher in the Prydz Bay Gyre (PBG) region than in the open sea area. Biogenic matter-rich debris, associated with fine-grained particles (silt and clay), was concentrated in the PBG, while abiotic ice-rafted debris and coarse-grained particles were preferentially deposited in the bank and ice shelf front regions. Lithogenic matter predominated in the basin sediments. The annual accumulation rate of SOC in PB ranged from 1.6 to 6.2 g·m-2·yr-1 (mean 4.2 ± 1.9 g·m-2·yr-1), and the rates were higher in the PBG than in the ice shelf front region. Estimates based on our tentative box model suggest that the efficiency of the BCP, which refers to the proportion of surface-produced organic carbon successfully transferred to deep waters, is approximately 5.7 % in PB, surpassing the global average (∼0.8 %) and the efficiencies reported for other polar environments. Furthermore, our calculations indicate that the SOC preservation efficiency (the ratio of preserved to initially deposited organic carbon in sediments) in PB is approximately 79 % ± 20 %, underscoring the significant carbon sequestration potential within PB. The results of this study have important implications for the effects of sediment dynamics on the carbon cycle in the sea surrounding Antarctica.

Finely ordered intracellular domain harbors an allosteric site to modulate physiopathological function of P2X3 receptors.

P2X receptors, a subfamily of ligand-gated ion channels activated by extracellular ATP, are implicated in various physiopathological processes, including inflammation, pain perception, and immune and respiratory regulations. Structural determinations using crystallography and cryo-EM have revealed that the extracellular three-dimensional architectures of different P2X subtypes across various species are remarkably identical, greatly advancing our understanding of P2X activation mechanisms. However, structural studies yield paradoxical architectures of the intracellular domain (ICD) of different subtypes (e.g., P2X3 and P2X7) at the apo state, and the role of the ICD in P2X functional regulation remains unclear. Here, we propose that the P2X3 receptor's ICD has an apo state conformation similar to the open state but with a less tense architecture, containing allosteric sites that influence P2X3's physiological and pathological roles. Using covalent occupancy, engineered disulfide bonds and voltage-clamp fluorometry, we suggested that the ICD can undergo coordinated motions with the transmembrane domain of P2X3, thereby facilitating channel activation. Additionally, we identified a novel P2X3 enhancer, PSFL77, and uncovered its potential allosteric site located in the 1α3ß domain of the ICD. PSFL77 modulated pain perception in P2rx3+/+, but not in P2rx3-/-, mice, indicating that the 1α3ß, a "tunable" region implicated in the regulation of P2X3 functions. Thus, when P2X3 is in its apo state, its ICD architecture is fairly ordered rather than an unstructured outward folding, enabling allosteric modulation of the signaling of P2X3 receptors.

A fault diagnosis method based on an improved diffusion model under limited sample conditions.

As a critical component in mechanical systems, the operational status of rolling bearings plays a pivotal role in ensuring the stability and safety of the entire system. However, in practical applications, the fault diagnosis of rolling bearings often encounters limitations due to the constraint of sample size, leading to suboptimal diagnostic accuracy. This article proposes a rolling bearing fault diagnosis method based on an improved denoising diffusion probability model (DDPM) to address this issue. The practical value of this research lies in its ability to address the limitation of small sample sizes in rolling bearing fault diagnosis. By leveraging DDPM to generate one-dimensional vibration data, the proposed method significantly enriches the datasets and consequently enhances the generalization capability of the diagnostic model. During the model training process, we innovatively introduce the feature differences between the original vibration data and the predicted vibration data generated based on prediction noise into the loss function, making the generated data more directional and targeted. In addition, this article adopts a one-dimensional convolutional neural network (1D-CNN) to construct a fault diagnosis model to more accurately extract and focus on key feature information related to faults. The experimental results show that this method can effectively improve the accuracy and reliability of rolling bearing fault diagnosis, providing new ideas and methods for fault detection and prevention in industrial applications. This advancement in diagnostic technology has the potential to significantly reduce the risk of system failures, enhance operational efficiency, and lower maintenance costs, thus contributing significantly to the safety and efficiency of mechanical systems.

Temporal Trends and Practice Variation in Early Repair of the Ruptured Aneurysm Among Patients with Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage in the United States, 2012-2019.

BACKGROUND: Early repair of the ruptured cerebral aneurysm (RRCA), preferably within 24 hours of onset, is endorsed by clinical guideline as the preferred management strategy for patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). However, a comprehensive picture of this guideline-recommended usage in contemporary clinical practice is not available. AIMS: This study aimed to characterize trends over time and practice variation in the implementation of an early RRCA strategy among patients with aSAH in a large, national representative data. METHODS: Using data from the 2012-2019 National Inpatient Sample, we measured trends in the proportion of early RRCA, defined as within day 1 of admission, overall, and by demographic and geographical subgroups. Additionally, we created multilevel regression models to quantify hospital-level variation in the early RRCA rates. RESULTS: We identified 82,615 aSAH hospitalizations (mean age, 56.1 years; 68.9% women) undergoing RRCA and, among these, 84.0% (95% CI, 83.4-84.7%) receiving early RRCA. The proportion of early RRCA increased steadily from 82.5% in 2012 to 85.8% in 2019 (P for trend <0.001). The proportion of patients receiving early RRCA across geographic regions ranged from 78.7% to 87.9%, with a median (IQR) of 84.2% (83.0-86.1%). In contrast, the delivery of early RRCA varied widely among hospitals, with a median (IQR) rate of 86.1% (75.0-100.0%) and a range from 0 to 100.0%. The median odds ratio for the early use of RRCA treatment was 1.24 (95% CI, 1.21-1.27) in 2019, indicating 24% increased odds of implementing early RRCA if moving from a lower-use to a higher-use hospital. CONCLUSIONS: Most patients in the United States with aSAH received early RRCA treatment and exhibited an upward trend over the recent 8-year period. However, substantial variation in access to early RRCA was been observed across population subgroups, particularly at the hospital level. Future efforts are necessary to identify further sources of this variation and to develop initiatives that could represent an opportunity to optimize guideline-based quality of care in aSAH management.

Efficiency of HoLEP in patients with detrusor underactivity and renal dysfunction secondary to BPO.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess the bladder and renal functional outcomes of holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) in patients with benign prostatic obstruction (BPO) complicated by detrusor underactivity (DU) and secondary renal dysfunction. METHODS: Thirty-one patients were included in this prospective study. Eligible patients had urinary retention, a bladder outlet obstruction index (BOOI) greater than 40, a bladder contractility index (BCI) less than 100, abnormal renal function at the initial diagnosis (serum creatinine > 132 µmol/L) and a renal pelvis anteroposterior diameter (PRAPD) > 1.5 cm bilaterally. All patients underwent HoLEP in a routine manner and were evaluated preoperatively and at 1, 3 and 6 months after surgery. The baseline characteristics of the patients, perioperative data, postoperative outcomes and complications were assessed. RESULTS: Significant improvement was observed in the international prostate symptom score (IPSS), quality of life (QoL) score, maximal urinary flow rate (Qmax), post-void residual volume (PVR), Scr and RPAPD at the 6-month follow-up. Bladder wall thickness (BWT) exhibited a decreasing trend but did not significantly differ from the preoperative values. No grade 3 or higher adverse events occurred, and grade 3 and lower complications were treated conservatively. Three patients required reinsertion of indwelling catheters, and they were able to void spontaneously after two weeks of catheterisation training and medication treatment. CONCLUSION: HoLEP is an effective treatment for men with BPO accompanied by DU and consequent renal function impairment. Patients are able to regain spontaneous voiding. Both bladder and renal functions were preserved and improved.

NAC1 promotes stemness and regulates myeloid-derived cell status in triple-negative breast cancer.

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a particularly lethal breast cancer (BC) subtype driven by cancer stem cells (CSCs) and an immunosuppressive microenvironment. Our study reveals that nucleus accumbens associated protein 1 (NAC1), a member of the BTB/POZ gene family, plays a crucial role in TNBC by maintaining tumor stemness and influencing myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). High NAC1 expression correlates with worse TNBC prognosis. NAC1 knockdown reduced CSC markers and tumor cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Additionally, NAC1 affects oncogenic pathways such as the CD44-JAK1-STAT3 axis and immunosuppressive signals (TGFß, IL-6). Intriguingly, the impact of NAC1 on tumor growth varies with the host immune status, showing diminished tumorigenicity in natural killer (NK) cell-competent mice but increased tumorigenicity in NK cell-deficient ones. This highlights the important role of the host immune system in TNBC progression. In addition, high NAC1 level in MDSCs also supports TNBC stemness. Together, this study implies NAC1 as a promising therapeutic target able to simultaneously eradicate CSCs and mitigate immune evasion.

Insight into the role of stress response and toxic mechanism induced by Chloro-haloacetonitrile in vitro.

Chloro-haloacetonitrile (Cl-HAN), belongs to a group of nitrogenous disinfection by-products (N-DBPs) found in surface water, and are known to pose a major risk to the safety of human drinking water. However, the exact biological toxicity mechanism and the extent of the stress response caused by Cl-HAN remain unclear, resulting in a lack of effective measures to control its presence. Thus, the quantitative toxicological genomics and bioinformatics methods were applied to explore the effects of three chloro-haloacetonitriles (Cl-HANs) on the transcription of fusion genes under varying concentrations of stress in E. coli over 2-hour period. The initial stress response and their toxic mechanism were analyzed. The study also identified the molecular toxicity endpoint, and the core genes that are responsible for the specific toxicity of different Cl-HANs. Cl-HANs exhibited concentration-dependent characteristics of toxic effects, and caused changes in gene expression related oxidative and membrane stress. The stress response results showed that dichloroacetonitrile (dCAN) still caused significant DNA damage under the lowest concentration stress. Chloroacetonitrile (CAN) and trichloroacetonitrile (tCAN) exhibited lower genetic toxicity levels at 513 µg/L and 10.7 µg/L, respectively. The toxic effects of tCAN were widespread. And there was a good correlation between the molecular endpoint (EC-TELI1.5) and the phenotypic endpoint (LD50) with rp=-0.8634 (P=0.0593). In all concentrations of stress in CAN, dCAN, and tCAN, the number of overexpressed genes shared was 15, 2, and 14, respectively. Furthermore, bioinformatics analysis demonstrated that Cl-HANs affected genes associated with general stress pathways, such as cell biochemistry and physical homeostasis, resulting in changes in biological processes. And for CAN-induced DNA damage, polA played a dominant role, while katG, oxyR, and ahpC were the core genes involved in oxidative stress induced by dCAN and tCAN, respectively. These findings provide valuable data for the toxic effect of Cl-HANs.

Fabrication of edible nanocellulose chitosan bi-component film based on a novel "swell-permeate" approach.

The fabrication of multi-component film with colloidal particles could be inconvenient. A novel "swell-permeate" (SP) strategy was proposed to form homogeneous multi-component films. The SP strategy allows colloidal particles to fit into the polymer network by stretching the polymer chains assisted by water. We demonstrated the strategy by creating films with polysaccharide substrates as ß-cyclodextrin grafted chitosan (CS) with nanocellulose. The addition of nanocellulose significantly increased the mechanical properties and the barrier performance of the films. The size of nanocellulose particles in affecting mechanical properties was investigated by applying different length of cellulose nanocrystal (CNC), the longer of which, due to denser physical entanglements, showed a better increase to the film in the elastic modulus and tensile strength to 4.54-fold and 5.71-fold, respectively. The films were also loaded with ethyl-p-coumarate (EpCA) and had an enhanced performance in anti-microbial for Altenaria alternata, Salmonella typhi, and Escherichia coli. The anti-oxidative property was increased as well, and both effects were valid both in vitro and in ready-to-eat apples. The strategy provides a practical and convenient method for fabricating colloidal particle containing films, and the novel idea of "swell-permeate" is potentially regarded as a new solution to the challenge of ready-to-eat food quality maintenance.

Comparative analysis of the complete chloroplast genomes of thirteen Bougainvillea cultivars from South China with implications for their genome structures and phylogenetic relationships.

Bougainvillea spp., belonging to the Nyctaginaceae family, have high economic and horticultural value in South China. Despite the high similarity in terms of leaf appearance and hybridization among Bougainvillea species, especially Bougainvillea × buttiana, their phylogenetic relationships are very complicated and controversial. In this study, we sequenced, assembled and analyzed thirteen complete chloroplast genomes of Bougainvillea cultivars from South China, including ten B. × buttiana cultivars and three other Bougainvillea cultivars, and identified their phylogenetic relationships within the Bougainvillea genus and other species of the Nyctaginaceae family for the first time. These 13 chloroplast genomes had typical quadripartite structures, comprising a large single-copy (LSC) region (85,169-85,695 bp), a small single-copy (SSC) region (18,050-21,789 bp), and a pair of inverted-repeat (IR) regions (25,377-25,426 bp). These genomes each contained 112 different genes, including 79 protein-coding genes, 29 tRNAs and 4 rRNAs. The gene content, codon usage, simple sequence repeats (SSRs), and long repeats were essentially conserved among these 13 genomes. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and insertions/deletions (indels) were detected among these 13 genomes. Four divergent regions, namely, trnH-GUG_psbA, trnS-GCU_trnG-UCC-exon1, trnS-GGA_rps4, and ccsA_ndhD, were identified from the comparative analysis of 16 Bougainvillea cultivar genomes. Among the 46 chloroplast genomes of the Nyctaginaceae family, nine genes, namely, rps12, rbcL, ndhF, rpoB, rpoC2, ndhI, psbT, ycf2, and ycf3, were found to be under positive selection at the amino acid site level. Phylogenetic relationships within the Bougainvillea genus and other species of the Nyctaginaceae family based on complete chloroplast genomes and protein-coding genes revealed that the Bougainvillea genus was a sister to the Belemia genus with strong support and that 35 Bougainvillea individuals were divided into 4 strongly supported clades, namely, Clades Ⅰ, Ⅱ, Ⅲ and Ⅳ. Clade Ⅰ included 6 individuals, which contained 2 cultivars, namely, B. × buttiana 'Gautama's Red' and B. spectabilis 'Flame'. Clades Ⅱ only contained Bougainvillea spinosa. Clade Ⅲ comprised 7 individuals of wild species. Clade Ⅳ included 21 individuals and contained 11 cultivars, namely, B. × buttiana 'Mahara', B. × buttiana 'California Gold', B. × buttiana 'Double Salmon', B. × buttiana 'Double Yellow', B. × buttiana 'Los Banos Beauty', B. × buttiana 'Big Chitra', B. × buttiana 'San Diego Red', B. × buttiana 'Barbara Karst', B. glabra 'White Stripe', B. spectabilis 'Splendens' and B. × buttiana 'Miss Manila' sp. 1. In conclusion, this study not only provided valuable genome resources but also helped to identify Bougainvillea cultivars and understand the chloroplast genome evolution of the Nyctaginaceae family.

High-risk screening for late-onset Pompe disease in China: An expanded multicenter study.

Late-onset Pompe disease (LOPD) is caused by a genetic deficiency of the lysosomal enzyme acid alpha-glucosidase (GAA), leading to progressive limb-girdle weakness and respiratory impairment. The insidious onset of non-specific early symptoms often prohibits timely diagnosis. This study aimed to validate the high-risk screening criteria for LOPD in the Chinese population. A total of 726 patients were included, including 96 patients under 14 years of age. Dried blood spots (DBS) and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) were employed to evaluate serum GAA activity. Forty-four patients exhibited a decreased GAA activity, 16 (2.2%) of which were confirmed as LOPD by genetic testing. Three previously unreported GAA mutations were also identified. The median diagnostic delay was shortened to 3 years, which excelled the previous retrospective studies. At diagnosis, most patients exhibited impaired respiratory function and/or limb-girdle weakness. Elevated serum creatine kinase (CK) levels were more frequently observed in patients who manifested before age 16. Overall, high-risk screening is a feasible and efficient method to identify LOPD patients at an early stage. Patients over 1 year of age with either weakness in axial and/or proximal limb muscles, or unexplained respiratory distress shall be subject to GAA enzymatic test, while CK levels above 2 times the upper normal limit shall be an additional criterion for patients under 16. This modified high-risk screening criteria for LOPD requires further validation in larger Chinese cohorts.

The effectiveness of intravenous zoledronic acid in elderly patients with osteoporosis after rotator cuff repair: a retrospective study.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of zoledronic acid (ZA) on postoperative healing and functional rehabilitation in osteoporotic patients with rotator cuff (RC) injury. 96 Patients were divided into three groups according to bone mineral density and ZA use (Group A: normal BMD; Group B: osteoporosis and intravenous ZA use; Group C: osteoporosis, without ZA use). Radiologic, functional and Serological outcomes were evaluated 6 months after surgery. The functional scores in all groups exhibited significant improvement 6 months after surgery. Inter-group comparison showed that Constant Shoulder joint function Score (CSS) of group A not significantly differing from that of group B, the other indicators were significantly better than those of group B and C. There were no significant differences in shoulder forward flexion, abductive Range of Motion between group B and C. Other indicators of group B were significantly improved compared to group C. The retear rate in group C (30.3%, 10/33) was higher than group A (6.1%, 2/33) and group B (13.3%, 4/30). In conclusion, the application of ZA can significantly reduce the rate of RC retear in elderly patients with osteoporosis after surgery, which is significant for postoperative shoulder joint functional rehabilitation.

The novel HLA-C*15:279 allele, identified by Sanger dideoxy nucleotide sequencing in a Chinese individual.

The novel HLA-C*15:279 allele differs from HLA-C*15:02:01:01 by five nucleotide substitutions in exons 4 and 5.

Konjac supplementation can alleviate obesity induced by high-fat diet in mice by modulating gut microbiota and its metabolites.

As a multi-factorial disease, obesity has become one of the major health problems in the world, and it is still increasing rapidly. Konjac supplementation, as a convenient dietary therapy, has been shown to be able to regulate gut microbiota and improve obesity. However, the specific mechanism by which konjac improves obesity through gut microbiota remains to be studied. In this study, a high-fat diet (HFD) was used to induce a mouse obesity model, and 16S rDNA sequencing and an untargeted metabolomics were used to investigate the impact of konjac on gut microbiota and gut metabolites in HFD-induced obese mice. The results show that konjac can reduce the body weight, adipose tissue weight, and lipid level of high-fat diet induced obese mice by changing the gut microbiota structure and gut metabolic profile. Association analysis revealed that konjac supplementation induced changes in gut microbiota, resulting in the up-regulation of 7-dehydrocholesterol and trehalose 6-phosphate, as well as the down-regulation of glycocholic acid and ursocholic acid within the Secondary bile acid biosynthesis pathway, ultimately leading to improvements in obesity. Among them, g_Acinetobacter (Greengene ID: 911888) can promote the synthesis of 7-dehydrocholesterol by synthesizing ERG3. g_Allobaculum (Greengene ID: 271516) and g_Allobaculum (Greengene ID: 259370) can promote the breakdown of trehalose 6-phosphate by synthesizing glvA. Additionally, the down-regulation of glycocholic acid and ursocholic acid may be influenced by the up-regulation of Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group. In conclusion, konjac exerts an influence on gut metabolites through the regulation of gut microbiota, thereby playing a pivotal role in alleviating obesity induced by a high-fat diet.

A new animal model of cardiorenal syndrome could be established by inducing heart failure through coronary artery ligation in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

In rats with unilateral nephrectomy and cardiac dysfunction, renal function deteriorates at an accelerated rate, as evidenced by increased proteinuria. Whether myocardial infarct-induced heart failure (HF) exacerbates renal injury in hypertensive rats with mild renal injury has not been reported. Rats underwent either coronary ligation or sham surgery. Thirty spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) aged 8 weeks were randomly divided into two groups. Group 1 was the sham group, in which the rats underwent thoracotomy without ligation of the coronary artery. Group 2 underwent coronary artery ligation. The rats in group 2 underwent coronary artery ligation on week 0. The experiment lasted 12 weeks. Urine was collected in metabolic cages over a 24-h period. Urine was collected from the rats 2 days before the end of the experiment, and the ratio of urinary protein to urinary creatinine was measured in the clinical laboratory. All rats were examined by echocardiogram one day before the end of the experiment. On the last day of the experiment, blood was collected and sent to the laboratory for analysis. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining were performed on heart and kidney sections. The ejection fraction in group 2 was lower than that in group 1 (P < 0.001). The urinary albumin to creatinine ratio in group 2 was greater than that in group 1 (P < 0.001). The urea and creatinine levels in group 1 were significantly lower than those in group 2 (P < 0.01). The levels of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and cystatin C were greater in the second group than in the first group (P < 0.05). The interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels in group 2 were significantly greater than those in group 1 (P < 0.001). The malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in Group 2 were greater than those in Group 1 (P < 0.01). The glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) levels in Group 2 were lower than those in Group 1 (P < 0.05). The level of angiotensin II (AT-II) in group 1 was lower than that in group 2 (P < 0.001). Cardiac dysfunction secondary to myocardial infarction could induce cardiorenal interactions in SHRs. It could be interpreted by the activation of oxidative stress, changes in inflammation and alteration of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system.

Serum HDL-C subfractions as predictors of cardiovascular calcification in hemodialysis patients: novel insights and clinical implications.

Objective: This study aims to explore the relationship between cardiovascular calcification (CVC) and serum levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and its subfractions in hemodialysis (HD) patients. Methods: HD patients and healthy participants were recruited based on specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. Various blood indicators were measured, and demographic information was recorded. HDL-C particle levels were quantified using lipophilic fluorescent dye staining and capillary electrophoresis (microfluidic platform). Coronary artery calcium scores and valve calcification were used to classify HD patients into calcification and non-calcification groups. Results: Compared to healthy participants, HD patients showed a significant increase in HDL-C, high-density lipoprotein 2 cholesterol (HDL2-C), and high-density lipoprotein 3 cholesterol (HDL3-C) levels (p < 0.001). Further division of HD patients into calcification and non-calcification groups revealed higher serum HDL3-C concentrations (p = 0.002) and a higher HDL3-C/HDL-C ratio (p = 0.04) in the calcification group. Additionally, elevated HDL3-C levels were found to be an independent risk factor for CVC in HD patients (p = 0.040). The ROC curve analysis showed an AUC value of 0.706 for HDL3-C (p = 0.002). Conclusion: Our study indicates that elevated serum HDL3-C levels in HD patients are an independent risk factor for CVC and can serve as a potential predictor for CVC events. However, more studies need to verify its potential as a predictive indicator..

Lower fecal microbiota transplantation ameliorates ulcerative colitis by eliminating oral-derived Fusobacterium nucleatum and virulence factor.

BACKGROUND: Recently, the oral oncobacterium Fusobacterium nucleatum (F. nucleatum), has been linked with ulcerative colitis (UC). Here, we aim to investigate whether Fecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT) can alleviate UC by restoring gut microbiota and eliminating oral-derived F. nucleatum and virulence factor fadA. METHOD: C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into a healthy control group (HC), Dextran Sulfate Sodium group (DSS), oral inoculation group (OR), upper FMT group (UFMT), and lower FMT group (LFMT). Disease activity index, body weight, survival rate, and histopathological scores were used to measure the severity of colitis. The function of the intestinal mucosal barrier was evaluated by performing immunohistochemical staining of the tight junction protein Occludin. Real-time PCR was used to assess the relative abundance of the nusG gene and the virulence gene fadA. Cytokine levels were detected by ELISA. Full-length sequencing of 16S rRNA was used to analyze the changes and composition of gut microbiota. FINDINGS: Oral incubation of F. nucleatum further exacerbated the severity of colitis and gut dysbiosis. Peptostreptococcaceae, Enterococcaceae, and Escherichia coli were significantly enriched in OR mice. However, LFMT mice showed an obvious decrease in disease activity and were more effective in restoring gut microbiota and eliminating F. nucleatum than UFMT mice. Bacteroidota, Lachnospiraceae, and Prevotellaceae were mainly enriched bacteria in LFMT mice. In addition, Genera such as Lactobacillus, Allobaculum, and Bacteroidales were found negative correlation with TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6. Genera like Romboutsia, Escherichia Shigella, Enterococcus, and Clostridium were found positively correlated with TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6. CONCLUSIONS: Oral incubation of F. nucleatum further exacerbates the severity and dysbiosis in DSS-induced colitis mice. Besides, lower tract FMT can ameliorate colitis by restoring the gut microbiota diversity and eliminating F. nucleatum and virulence factor fadA.