Up-and-Down Determination of Different Crystalloid Coload Volumes on the ED 90 of Prophylactic Norepinephrine Infusion for Preventing Postspinal Anesthesia Hypotension During Cesarean Section.

Background: Fluid loading improves hemodynamic stability and reduces the incidence rate of post-spinal anesthesia hypotension when prophylactic vasopressors are administered. We investigated the impact of different crystalloid coload volumes on the 90% effective dose (ED) of prophylactic norepinephrine infusion for preventing post-spinal anesthesia hypotension in non-hypertensive patients undergoing cesarean section. Methods: Patients were randomly allocated to receive one of the different crystalloid coload volumes (0mL/kg [0mL/kg Group], 5mL kg [5mL/kg Group], and 10mL kg [10mL/kg Group]) in combination with prophylactic norepinephrine infusion immediately after the induction of spinal anesthesia. The prophylactic norepinephrine infusion doses were determined using the up-and-down sequential allocation methodology, with an initial dose of 0.025 µg/kg/min and a gradient of 0.005 µg/kg/min. The primary endpoint was the effective dose at which 90% (ED 90) of patients responded to prophylactic norepinephrine infusion for preventing post-spinal anesthesia hypotension. Results: The estimated effective dose of norepinephrine infusion, at which 90% (ED 90) of patients responded, was found to be 0.084 (95% CI, 0.070 to 0.86), 0.074 (95% CI, 0.059 to 0.077), and 0.063 (95% CI, 0.053 to 0.064) µg/kg/min in the three groups, respectively. Conclusion: A crystalloid coload of 5 mL/kg or 10 mL/kg, as opposed to the groups receiving 0 mL/kg crystalloid coloads, resulted in a reduction of approximately 11.9% and 25.0%, respectively, in the ED90 of prophylactic norepinephrine infusion for preventing post-spinal anesthesia hypotension during cesarean section.

Molecular Epidemiology of Human Parainfluenza Virus Type 3 in Children With Acute Respiratory Tract Infection in Hangzhou.

BACKGROUND: Since the outbreak of COVID-19, China has undertaken a variety of preventative and control measures, effectively reducing the incidence of numerous infectious diseases among the pediatric population in Hangzhou. We aim to investigate the genetic and epidemiological characteristics of Human parainfluenza virus-3 (HPIV-3) in pediatric patients during this period. METHODS: A total of 1442 pharyngeal swab samples were collected from outpatients and inpatients with a diagnosis of acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs) from November 2020 to March 2021. HPIV-3 was detected by quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The L gene of HPIV-3 positive samples was amplified and sequenced. RESULTS: Among 1442 children with ARTI, the positive rate of HPIV-3 was 7.07% (102/1442). The positive detection rate was the highest in the 6-month to 1-year age group. Coinfection was observed in 36 HPIV-3-positive samples (35.29%, 36/102), and adenovirus (ADV) was the most common coinfecting virus (63.89%, 23/36). The L gene of 48 HPIV-3 positive samples was sequenced. The nucleotide sequence analysis showed high consistency (92.10%-99.40%), and all strains belonged to C3a. CONCLUSIONS: During study periods, the positive detection rate of HPIV-3 among children is high, and the highest proportion of coinfection was observed in HPIV-3 mixed ADV infection. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the nucleotide sequence of the L gene of HPIV-3 was highly consistent, and the main epidemic strain in this area was the C3a subtype.

Associations of three differential white blood cell counts, platelet counts, and their derived inflammatory indices with cancer-related fatigue in patients with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy.

PURPOSE: Inflammation is thought to be a vital element in the etiology of cancer-related fatigue (CRF), and circulating blood cell parameters could be important markers of inflammatory response. However, the associations of several major blood cell counts and their derived inflammatory indices with CRF are not well described. The present study aimed to establish whether a relationship exists between the counts of three white blood cell (WBC) types, platelets, and CRF and investigate whether several systemic inflammatory indices were associated with CRF in patients with breast cancer (BC). METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with a sample of 824 patients with BC undergoing chemotherapy. The cancer fatigue scale was administered to assess CRF. Hematological indicators, including neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, and platelets, were retrieved from routine blood test. Network analyses were used to examine the associations among them. RESULTS: Among 824 participants, the mean score of CRF was (27 ± 10), ranging from 0 to 57. The results of network models indicated that physical fatigue was negatively linked to lymphocyte counts (weight = - 0.161), and affective fatigue was positively associated with neutrophil counts (weight = 0.070). Additionally, physical fatigue was positively linked to the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) (weight = 0.049). CONCLUSION: There were preliminary associations of counts of three WBC types, platelet counts, and systemic inflammatory indices, with distinct dimensions of CRF in patients with BC. Findings provide empirical support for the cellular basis of fatigue-associated inflammatory states.

Prenatal Parental Exposure to Metals and Birth Defects: A Prospective Birth Cohort Study.

While maternal exposure to high metal levels during pregnancy is an established risk factor for birth defects, the role of paternal exposure remains largely unknown. We aimed to assess the associations of prenatal paternal and maternal metal exposure and parental coexposure with birth defects in singletons. This study conducted within the Jiangsu Birth Cohort recruited couples in early pregnancy. We measured their urinary concentrations for 25 metals. A total of 1675 parent-offspring trios were included. The prevalence of any birth defects among infants by one year of age was 7.82%. Paternal-specific gravity-corrected urinary concentrations of titanium, vanadium, chromium, manganese, cobalt, nickel, copper, and selenium and maternal vanadium, chromium, nickel, copper, selenium, and antimony were associated with a 21-91% increased risk of birth defects after adjusting for covariates. These effects persisted after mutual adjustment for the spouse's exposure. Notably, when assessing the parental mixture effect by Bayesian kernel machine regression, paternal and maternal chromium exposure ranked the highest in relative importance. Parental coexposure to metal mixture showed a pronounced joint effect on the risk of overall birth defects, as well as for some specific subtypes. Our findings suggested a couple-based prevention strategy for metal exposure to reduce birth defects in offspring.

Frequency-Specific Alterations of Fractional Amplitude of Low-Frequency Fluctuations in Adult-Onset Hypothyroidism.

BACKGROUND: The neuropathophysiological mechanisms of brain damage underlying hypothyroidism remain unclear. Fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFF) has been established as a reliable indicator for investigation of abnormal spontaneous brain activity that occurs at specific frequencies in different types of mental disorder. However, the changes of fALFF in specific frequency bands in hypothyroidism have not yet been investigated. METHODS: Fifty-three hypothyroid patients and 39 healthy controls (HCs) underwent thyroid-related hormone levels tests, neuropsychological assessment, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. The fALFF in the standard band (0.01-0.1 Hz), slow-4 (0.027-0.073 Hz), and slow-5 bands (0.01-0.027 Hz) were analyzed. An analysis of Pearson correlation was conducted between fALFF, thyroid-related hormone levels, and neuropsychological scores in hypothyroid patients. RESULTS: Compared to HCs, within the routine band, hypothyroidism group showed significantly decreased fALFF in left lingual gyrus, middle temporal gyrus (MTG), precentral gyrus, calcarine cortex, and right inferior occipital gyrus; within the slow-5 band, the hypothyroidism group exhibited decreased fALFF in left lingual gyrus, MTG, superior temporal gyrus, postcentral gyrus, and paracentral lobule, and increased fALFF in supplementary motor area (SMA) and right middle frontal gyrus; additionally, fALFF in the left lingual gyrus within the routine and slow-5 bands were negatively correlated with the level of thyroid stimulating hormone. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, the slow-5 frequency band exhibits better sensitivity than the standard band in detecting fALFF values. A decrease of fALFF values in the lingual gyrus and MTG was observed in both the standard and slow-5 bands and might present potential neuroimaging biomarkers for hypothyroidism. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: No: ChiCTR2000028966. Registered 9 January, 2020, https://www.chictr.org.cn.

The Non-Denatured Processing of Brasenia schreberi Mucilage-Characteristics of Hydrodynamic Properties and the Effect on In Vivo Functions.

Food non-denatured processes, such as freeze-drying and grinding, are commonly applied to raw materials with good bioactive functions. Although the functional components are maintained, whether structural and physical changes impact the in vivo function is often ignored in practical situations. Brasenia schreberi mucilage (BSM) has a significant alleviation effect on DSS-induced colitis. This work focused on the influence of non-denatured manufacture on the colonic benefits of BSM-based products. First, three forms of products including fresh mucilage (FM), freeze-dried products (FS), and freeze-dried powder (FP) were prepared. Then, their in vitro physiochemical properties were compared, analyzing their influence on the gut inflammation degree, microbial composition, and SCFA production in mice. The results suggested that the water retention rate of FS and FP was decreased to 34.59 ± 3.85%, and 9.93 ± 1.76%. The viscosity of FM, FS, and FP was 20.14 Pa∙s, 4.92 Pa∙s, and 0.41 Pa∙s, respectively. The freeze-drying and grinding process also damaged the lamellar microstructure of BSM. Then, animal tests showed that colitis mice intervened with FM, FS, and FP had disease activity scores of 2.03, 3.95, and 4.62. Meanwhile, FM notably changed the gut microbial composition and significantly increased propionate and butyrate levels. It seemed that the distinct colitis alleviation efficacy of BSM-based products is attributed to different hydrodynamic properties in the gut. FM had relatively higher viscosity and correspondingly high nutritional density in the gut lumen, which stimulates Firmicutes growth and promotes butyrate production, and thereby exhibited the best efficiency on protecting from colitis.

Dose-Response Study of Norepinephrine Infusion for Maternal Hypotension in Preeclamptic Patients Undergoing Cesarean Delivery Under Spinal Anesthesia.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Spinal anesthesia remains the preferred mode of anesthesia for preeclamptic patients during cesarean delivery. We investigated the incidence of maternal hypotension under spinal anesthesia during cesarean delivery, by comparing different prophylactic infusion rates of norepinephrine with normal saline. METHODS: We randomly allocated 180 preeclamptic patients (45 in each groups) aged 18-45 scheduled for cesarean delivery to receive one of four prophylactic norepinephrine infusions at doses of 0 (normal saline group), 0.025 (0.025 group), 0.05 (0.05 group), or 0.075 (0.075 group) µg/kg/min following spinal anesthesia. The primary endpoint was the incidence of maternal hypotension (systolic blood pressure < 80% of baseline). RESULTS: The incidence of maternal hypotension was reduced with different prophylactic infusion rates of norepinephrine (26.7%, 15.6%, and 6.7%) compared with normal saline (37.8%) with a significant decreasing trend (p = 0.002). As the infusion doses of norepinephrine increased, there is a significant decreasing trend in deviation of systolic blood pressure control (median performance error; median absolute performance error) from baseline (p < 0.001; p < 0.001) and need for rescue norepinephrine boluses (p = 0.020). The effective dose 50 and effective dose 90 of prophylactic norepinephrine infusion were - 0.018 (95% confidence interval - 0.074, 0.002) µg/kg/min and 0.065 (95% confidence interval 0.048, 0.108) µg/kg/min, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Prophylactic infusion of norepinephrine, as compared to no preventive measures, can effectively reduce the incidence of maternal hypotension in preeclamptic patients under spinal anesthesia during cesarean delivery, without increasing other adverse events for either the mother or neonate. REGISTRATION: Clinical trials.gov identifier number NCT04556370.

Deep Amplicon Sequencing Reveals Culture Selection of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis by Clinical Samples.

The commonly-used drug susceptibility testing (DST) relies on bacterial culture and faces shortcomings such as long turnaround time and clone/subclone selection. We developed a targeted deep amplification sequencing (DAS) method directly applied to clinical specimens. In this DAS panel, we examined 941 drug-resistant mutations associated with 20 anti-tuberculosis drugs with an initial amount of 4 pg DNA and reduced clinical testing time from 20 days to two days. A prospective study was conducted using 115 clinical specimens mainly with Xpert® Mycobacterium tuberculosis/rifampicin (Xpert MTB/RIF) assay positive to evaluate drug-resistant mutation detection. DAS was performed on culture-free specimens, while culture-dependent isolates were used for phenotypic DST, DAS, and whole-genome sequencing (WGS). For in silico molecular DST, our result based on DAS panel revealed the similar accuracy to three published reports based on WGS. For 82 isolates, application of DAS showed better sensitivity (93.03% vs. 92.16%), specificity (96.10% vs. 95.02%), and accuracy (91.33% vs. 90.62%) than Mykrobe software using WGS. Compared to culture-dependent WGS, culture-free DAS provides a full picture of sequence variation at population level, exhibiting in detail the gain-and-loss variants caused by bacterial culture. Our study performs a systematic verification of the advantages of DAS in clinical applications and comprehensively illustrates the discrepancy in Mycobacterium tuberculosis before and after culture.

Linking stigma to social isolation among colorectal cancer survivors with permanent stomas: the chain mediating roles of stoma acceptance and valuable actions.

PURPOSE: Colorectal cancer (CRC) survivors with permanent stomas might be at higher risk of social isolation, and stigma can play an important role in the development of social isolation. However, the underlying psychological mechanisms are understudied. The current study examined how stoma acceptance and valuable actions mediated the relationships between stigma and social isolation among CRC survivors with permanent stomas. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with a sample of 303 CRC survivors with permanent stomas. The chain mediation models were conducted using the PROCESS macro for SPSS to explore the pathways through which stigma can be associated with CRC survivors' social isolation, mediated by stoma acceptance and valuable actions. RESULTS: The results indicated that higher stigma was related to lower stoma acceptance, less personal values enactment, and higher social isolation, as well as lower objective social connectedness and subjective social belongingness among CRC survivors with permanent stomas. Additionally, the mediational analyses revealed that stoma acceptance and valuable actions jointly mediated the relationships between stigma and social isolation. CONCLUSION: Social isolation among CRC survivors during the adjustment to both stoma and stigma may be alleviated through tailored interventions that improve stoma acceptance and valuable actions. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: The chain mediating roles of stoma acceptance and valuable actions highlight that tailored interventions, such as acceptance and commitment therapy, can be targeted for this population, considering this population's unique needs.

Association of prenatal multiple metal exposures with child neurodevelopment at 3 years of age: A prospective birth cohort study.

Prenatal exposures to toxic metals and trace elements have been linked to childhood neurodevelopment. However, existing evidence remains inconclusive, and further research is needed to investigate the mixture effects of multiple metal exposures on childhood neurodevelopment. We aimed to examine the associations between prenatal exposure to specific metals and metal mixtures and neurodevelopment in children. In this prospective cohort study, we used the multivariable linear regressions and the robust modified Poisson regressions to explore the associations of prenatal exposure to 25 specific metals with neurodevelopment among children at 3 years of age in 854 mother-child pairs from the Jiangsu Birth Cohort (JBC) Study. The Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) was employed to assess the joint effects of multiple metals on neurodevelopment. Prenatal manganese (Mn) exposure was negatively associated with the risk of non-optimal cognition development of children, while vanadium (V), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), antimony (Sb), cerium (Ce) and uranium (U) exposures were positively associated with the risk of non-optimal gross motor development. BKMR identified an interaction effect between Sb and Ce on non-optimal gross motor development. Additionally, an element risk score (ERS), representing the mixture effect of multiple metal exposures including V, Cu, Zn, Sb, Ce and U was constructed based on weights from a Poisson regression model. Children with ERS in the highest tertile had higher probability of non-optimal gross motor development (RR = 2.37, 95 % CI: 1.15, 4.86) versus those at the lowest tertile. Notably, Sb [conditional-posterior inclusion probabilities (cPIP) = 0.511] and U (cPIP = 0.386) mainly contributed to the increased risk of non-optimal gross motor development. The findings highlight the importance of paying attention to the joint effects of multiple metals on children's neurodevelopment. The ERS score may serve as an indicator of comprehensive metal exposure risk for children's neurodevelopment.

Spontaneous resolution or antibiotic effectiveness? Reflection on a case of pediatric urinary tract infections caused by Enterococcus raffinosus.

Enterococcus raffinosus, named by Collins et al. in 1989, is a cocci-shaped bacterium that typically appears in pairs or short chains. As a Gram-positive and non-motile bacterium, it grows at 10°C-45°C, exhibiting negative peroxidase activity [1]. It is a normal flora in the oropharynx and gastrointestinal tract of domestic cats [2] and can also be isolated from human rectal swabs [3], it belongs to the same genus Enterococcus as Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium. Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium constitute 90% of clinically isolated strains. However, the incidence of other enterococci, excluding E. faecalis and E. faecium, is on the rise [4]. In this case report, a patient with pediatric urinary tract infections caused by E. raffinosus was presented, and a summary of relevant literature was provided.

Maternal Dietary Cholesterol and Egg Intake during Pregnancy and Large-for-Gestational-Age Infants: A Prospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Cholesterol plays a vital role in fetal growth and development during pregnancy. There remains controversy over whether pregnant females should limit their cholesterol intake. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to investigate the association between maternal dietary cholesterol intake during pregnancy and infant birth weight in a Chinese prospective cohort study. METHODS: A total of 4146 mother-child pairs were included based on the Jiangsu Birth Cohort study. Maternal dietary information was assessed with a semiquantitative food-frequency questionnaire. Birth weight z-scores and large-for-gestational-age (LGA) infants were converted by the INTERGROWTH-21st neonatal weight-for-gestational-age standard. Poisson regression and generalized estimating equations were employed to examine the relationships between LGA and maternal dietary cholesterol across the entire pregnancy and trimester-specific cholesterol intake, respectively. RESULTS: The median intake of maternal total dietary cholesterol during the entire pregnancy was 671.06 mg/d, with eggs being the main source. Maternal total dietary cholesterol and egg-sourced cholesterol were associated with an increase in birth weight z-score, with per standard deviation increase in maternal total and egg-sourced dietary cholesterol being associated with an increase of 0.16 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.07, 0.25] and 0.06 (95% CI: 0.03, 0.09) in birth weight z-score, respectively. Egg-derived cholesterol intake in the first and third trimesters was positively linked to LGA, with an adjusted relative risk of 1.11 (95% CI: 1.04, 1.18) and 1.09 (95% CI: 1.00, 1.18). Compared with mothers consuming ≤7 eggs/wk in the third trimester, the adjusted relative risk for having an LGA newborn was 1.37 (95% CI: 1.09, 1.72) for consuming 8-10 eggs/wk and 1.45 (95% CI: 1.12, 1.86) for consuming >10 eggs/wk (P-trend = 0.015). CONCLUSIONS: Maternal total dietary cholesterol intake, as well as consuming over 7 eggs/wk during pregnancy, displayed significant positive relationships with the incidence of LGA, suggesting that mothers should avoid excessive cholesterol intake during pregnancy to prevent adverse birth outcomes.

Relationship between stigma and infertility-related stress among couples undergoing AID: The mediating role of communication patterns.

Infertility can be stressful for infertile couples. This study aims to examine the intra-dyadic associations between stigma, communication patterns, and infertility-related stress in couples undergoing artificial insemination by donor semen (AID). This cross-sectional study was conducted from January to April 2021. Two hundred and three couples undergoing AID were recruited from a reproductive centre in China. All of the couples completed a two-item stigma questionnaire, Communication Pattern Questionnaire, and Fertility Problem Inventory. The actor-partner interdependence mediation analysis was performed using AMOS 23.0. The analysis demonstrated significant actor-actor effects for couples undergoing AID. More specifically, higher levels of stigma among wives and husbands were associated with more negative communication patterns, thereby increasing their own infertility-related stress. Simultaneously, there was a significant partner-actor effect among infertile wives, demonstrating that the husband's stigma can affect his wife's infertility-related stress by influencing her communication patterns. Couples undergoing AID experience increased infertility-related stress when they have high levels of stigma and negative communication patterns, and husbands' stigma is correlated to wives' communication patterns. Therefore, dyadic interventions aiming to improving stigma and enhancing positive communication may be conducive to reducing infertility-related stress.

Prevalence data for total corneal astigmatism in cataract patients.

PURPOSE: To report the prevalence data for total corneal astigmatism (TCA) in cataract patients. METHODS: The authors retrospectively collected and analyzed the preoperative biometric data of the patients who underwent cataract surgery in the Department of Ophthalmology, Peking University Third Hospital, from January 2019 to May 2023. RESULTS: The mean age of the 10817 patients was 71 ± 10 years; the male/female ratio was 4653/6164. The mean TCA obtained by the IOLMaster 700 (Carl Zeiss Meditec AG, Jena, Germany), the Abulafia-Koch (AK) formula, and the Barrett toric calculator was 1.11 ± 0.81 diopter (D), 1.13 ± 0.75 D, and 1.12 ± 0.74 D respectively, which was significantly greater than the mean standard keratometric (K) astigmatism (0.99 ± 0.75 D) obtained by IOLMaster 700. Against-the-rule (ATR) astigmatism was dominant in all the TCA measurements, and its proportion increased with age. TCA measurements by different methods exhibit high variability, with a total of 1574 (8.9%) data sets from 1016 (9.4%) patients showing a difference larger than 0.5 D in at least one pair of TCA measurements. CONCLUSION: The use of TCA rather than K astigmatism significantly influenced the choice of intraocular lenses (IOLs) as more patients would be candidates for toric IOLs. It was essential to carefully compare and select TCA obtained with multiple methods for optimal postoperative visual quality.

Characterization of the potential allergenicity of enzymatically hydrolyzed casein in Balb/c mouse model.

Bovine casein is a major allergen present in cow milk to induce anaphylaxis. In this study, the potential allergenicity of enzymatically hydrolyzed casein (HC) was evaluated based on in vitro and in vivo. The results showed that Alcalase and Protamex treatment (AT, PT) reduced the potential allergenicity of CN, with the greatest reductions of 68.25% and 50.75%, respectively. In addition, in vivo results showed that HC effectively alleviated allergic response symptoms of Balb/c mice; a significant tendency toward decreased serum IgG1 and mast cell tryptase levels was observed, accompanied by a decrease of Th2-associated IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13 and an increase of IFN-γ levels in spleen. Moreover, the inflammation of the lung, jejunum, and ileum was remarkably ameliorated. The findings indicated that HC induced a shift toward Th1 response and maintained the Th1/Th2 immune balance. Importantly, our results provide the basis for the production of hypoallergenic dairy products.

Efficacy of varenicline or bupropion and its association with nicotine metabolite ratio among smokers with COPD.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Nicotine metabolic ratio (NMR) has been associated with nicotine metabolism and smoking characteristics. However, there are few studies on the potential association between NMR and smoking cessation efficacy in smokers with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in China or elsewhere. METHODS: This study was a stratified block randomized controlled trial for smoking cessation in Chinese smokers with COPD. NMR was used as a stratification factor; slow metabolizers were defined as those with NMR <0.31, and normal metabolizers as those with NMR ≥0.31. Participants were randomly assigned to the varenicline or bupropion group. Follow-up visits were conducted at 1, 2, 4, 6, 9, 12 and 24 weeks. RESULTS: Two hundred twenty-four participants were recruited and analysed from February 2019 to June 2022. In normal metabolizers, the 9-12 weeks continuous abstinence rate of varenicline (43.1%) was higher than in bupropion (23.5%) (OR = 2.47, 95% CI 1.05-5.78, p = 0.038). There was no significant difference in abstinence rates between treatment groups in slow metabolizers (54.1% vs. 45.9%, OR = 1.39, 95% CI 0.68-2.83, p = 0.366). For slow metabolizers, the total score of side effects in the varenicline group was significantly higher than the bupropion group (p = 0.048), while there was no significant difference in side effects between groups for normal metabolizers (p = 0.360). CONCLUSION: Varenicline showed better efficacy than bupropion in normal metabolizers, and bupropion showed equivalent efficacy in slow metabolizers with less side effects. According to our study, NMR provides a better justification for both scientific research and tailoring optimal pharmacotherapy for smoking cessation among smokers in COPD.

Diffusion kurtosis imaging of brain white matter alteration in patients with coronary artery disease based on the TBSS method.

Object: The aim of our study was to examine the alterations in microstructure in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and cognitive impairment (CI) using diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI). Additionally, we aimed to investigate the potential correlation between DKI parameters and cognitive function. Materials and methods: A total of 28 CAD patients and 30 healthy controls (HC) were prospectively enrolled in our study. All participants underwent routine and diffusion sequences of head imaging. DKE software was utilized to generate various diffusion kurtosis imaging parameters (DKI), including kurtosis fractional anisotropy (KFA), mean kurtosis (MK), axial kurtosis (AK), radial kurtosis (RK), fractional anisotropy (FA), and mean diffusivity (MD). Nonparametric tests were conducted using tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) to compare the parameter values between the two groups. The parameter values of the significantly different fiber tracts were extracted and correlated with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores. Results: Compared to the HC group, patients with coronary artery disease exhibited significant reductions in FA values in the bilateral Superior corona radiata, bilateral Anterior corona radiata, bilateral Posterior corona radiata, corpus callosum, left Posterior thalamic radiation, right Posterior limb of internal capsule, Anterior limb of internal capsule, and Cerebral peduncle, as well as in the left Superior longitudinal fasciculus. Additionally, KFA values decreased in the bilateral Anterior corona radiata, bilateral Anterior limb of internal capsule, and Genu of the corpus callosum. The MK values decreased in the right Posterior corona radiata, Retrolenticular part of the internal capsule, Posterior thalamic radiation (including optic radiation), Superior longitudinal fasciculus, and left Posterior thalamic radiation (including optic radiation). Moreover, the RK values decreased in the bilateral Retrolenticular part of the internal capsule, right Posterior thalamic radiation (including optic radiation), and Superior longitudinal fasciculus, as well as in the left Superior longitudinal fasciculus and Posterior thalamic radiation (including optic radiation) (p < 0.01, TFCE corrected), while no significant differences were observed in other parameter values (p > 0.01, TFCE corrected). The FA values of the right posterior limb of the internal capsule (r = 0.610, p = 0.001) and the right cerebral peduncle (r = 0.622, p < 0.001) were positively correlated with MMSE scores. Additionally, a significant correlation between kurtosis and diffusion coefficient parameters (FA and KFA) was observed. Conclusion: CAD patients showed radial shrinkage and complexity of brain white matter microstructure. Whole-brain white matter analysis based on TBSS DKI can objectively reflect the characteristics of white matter damage in CAD patients, providing a basis for the auxiliary diagnosis of CAD with CI.

Konjac Oligosaccharides Alleviated Ovariectomy-Induced Bone Loss through Gut Microbiota Modulation and Treg/Th17 Regulation.

Oligosaccharides from the plant Amorphophallus konjac were potentially effective in menopausal osteoporosis due to their prebiotic attributes. The present work mainly studied the regulation of konjac oligosaccharides (KOS) on menopausal bone loss. Experiments were carried out in ovariectomized (OVX) rats, and various contents of KOS were correlated with diet. After 3 months of treatment, the degree of osteoporosis was determined by bone mineral density and femoral microarchitecture. The research data showed that the 8% dietary KOS significantly alleviated bone loss in OVX rats, as it promoted the bone trabecular number by 134.2% and enhanced the bone bending stiffness by 103.1%. From the perspective of the gut-bone axis, KOS promoted gut barrier repair and decreased pro-inflammatory cytokines. Besides, KOS promoted the growth of Bifidobacterium longum and restored Treg/Th17 balance in bone marrow. The two aspects contributed to decreased osteoclastogenic activity and thus inhibited inflammation-related bone loss. This work extended current knowledge of prebiotic inhibition on bone loss and provide an alternative strategy for osteoporosis prevention.

Prevalence of cigarette use and addiction among Chinese females by age and province: Findings from nationwide China Health Literacy Survey during 2018-19.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of cigarette smoking among women is significantly different from that of men, however, cigarette use by women is little known. The study aims to describe cigarette use prevalence and patterns among Chinese females by age and province. METHODS: This study was based on the 2018 China Health Literacy Survey (2018 CHLS), a nationally representative cross-sectional study, and our analysis included 43,319 female participants aged 20-69 with valid data. The prevalence of cigarette use was estimated overall by sociodemographic factors and weighted based on the census population data. The logistic regression model was conducted to estimate adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the risk factors associated with cigarette use and dependency. RESULTS: In China, the estimated female current cigarette use prevalence was 1.85%, with over half of the population suffering from tobacco dependence (7.34 million). Jilin Province has the highest cigarette prevalence among women (10.59%), while Fujian Province has the lowest (0.27%). Participants over 60 years old (aOR=1.61, 95%CI=1.20-2.14), single (aOR=1.54, 95%CI=1.07-2.21), with primary education (aOR=1.93, 95%CI=1.47-2.52) were more likely to smoke. The age of smoking initiation among women intergenerational advanced, and compared to the cigarette users without tobacco dependence, those who have tobacco dependence start smoking earlier in all age groups (25.69 years vs. 19.36 years, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The cigarette use prevalence among Chinese women was 1.85%, and there are significant differences among provinces. We noted a trend of women initiating smoking at increasingly younger ages, particularly among those with tobacco dependence.

Targeting pro-inflammatory T cells as a novel therapeutic approach to potentially resolve atherosclerosis in humans.

Atherosclerosis (AS), a leading cause of cardio-cerebrovascular disease worldwide, is driven by the accumulation of lipid contents and chronic inflammation. Traditional strategies primarily focus on lipid reduction to control AS progression, leaving residual inflammatory risks for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs). While anti-inflammatory therapies targeting innate immunity have reduced MACEs, many patients continue to face significant risks. Another key component in AS progression is adaptive immunity, but its potential role in preventing AS remains unclear. To investigate this, we conducted a retrospective cohort study on tumor patients with AS plaques. We found that anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) monoclonal antibody (mAb) significantly reduces AS plaque size. With multi-omics single-cell analyses, we comprehensively characterized AS plaque-specific PD-1+ T cells, which are activated and pro-inflammatory. We demonstrated that anti-PD-1 mAb, when captured by myeloid-expressed Fc gamma receptors (FcγRs), interacts with PD-1 expressed on T cells. This interaction turns the anti-PD-1 mAb into a substitute PD-1 ligand, suppressing T-cell functions in the PD-1 ligands-deficient context of AS plaques. Further, we conducted a prospective cohort study on tumor patients treated with anti-PD-1 mAb with or without Fc-binding capability. Our analysis shows that anti-PD-1 mAb with Fc-binding capability effectively reduces AS plaque size, while anti-PD-1 mAb without Fc-binding capability does not. Our work suggests that T cell-targeting immunotherapy can be an effective strategy to resolve AS in humans.