Enhanced Interface Charge Carrier Transport of SnO2/CeO2 via Oxygen Vacancy Synergized Heterojunction for Triethylamine Sensing Property.

Efficient charge carrier transport characteristics are critical to achieving the excellent performance of metal-oxide semiconductor gas sensors. Herein, SnO2/CeO2 heterojunction layered nanosheets with abundant oxygen vacancies were successfully synthesized through a simple solvothermal assisted high-temperature calcination method. The synergistic effect of oxygen vacancies and heterojunctions promoting the charge carrier transport properties at the SnO2/CeO2 interface for the enhanced sensing properties of triethylamine (TEA) was highlighted. As a result, the optimized SnO2/CeO2 exhibits improved gas sensing performance at 173 °C to 50 ppm of TEA. These include high response (205), excellent selectivity, low detection limit, and good long-term stability. This enhanced gas sensing property of SnO2/CeO2 is mainly attributed to the fact that the heterojunction and oxygen vacancies act as dual active sites synergistically inducing electron transfer, thereby effectively modulating the transport properties of the interfacial charge carriers, and thus facilitate the surface reactions efficiently. In this work, the dual-engineering strategy of synergistic interaction of heterojunction and oxygen vacancies can provide new perspectives for the design of advanced gas sensing materials.

GFPBW1, a ß-glucan from Grifola frondosa as vaccine adjuvant: APCs activation and maturation.

Adjuvants for vaccines with characteristics of improving adaptive immunity particularly via leverage of antigen presenting cells (APCs) are currently lacking. In a previous work we obtained a new soluble 300 kDa homogeneous ß-glucan named GFPBW1 from the fruit bodies of Granola frondosa. GFPBW1 could activate macrophages by targeting dendritic cell associated C-type lectin 1 (Dectin-1)/Syk/NF-κB signaling to achieve antitumour effects. In this study the adjuvant effects of GFPBW1 were explored with OVA-antigen and B16-OVA tumor model. We showed that GFPBW1 (5, 50, 500 µg/mL) dose-dependently promoted activation and maturation of APCs in vitro by increasing CD80, CD86 and MHC II expression. We immunized female mice with OVA in combination with GFPBW1 (50 or 300 µg) twice with an interval of two weeks. GFPBW1 markedly and dose-dependently increased OVA-specific antibody titers of different subtypes including IgG1, IgG2a, IgG2b and IgG3, suggesting that it could serve as an adjuvant for both Th1 and Th2 type immune responses. Furthermore, GFPBW1 in combination with aluminum significantly increased the titers of OVA-specific IgG2a and IgG2b, but not those of IgG1, suggesting that GFPBW1 could be used as a co-adjuvant of aluminum to compensate for Th1 deficiency. For mice immunized with OVA plus GFPBW1, no obvious pathological injury was observed in either major organs or injection sites, and no abnormalities were noted for any of the hematological parameters. When GFPBW1 served as an adjuvant in the B16-OVA cancer vaccine models, it could accomplish entire tumor suppression with preventive vaccines, and enhance antitumour efficacy with therapeutic vaccines. Differentially expressed genes were found to be enriched in antigen processing process, specifically increased tumor infiltration of DCs, B1 cells and plasma cells in the OVA plus GFPBW1 group, in accordance with its activation and maturation function of APCs. Collectively, this study systematically describes the properties of GFPBW1 as a novel potent and safe adjuvant and highlights its great potential in vaccine development.

Association of Antenatal Corticosteroids with Neonatal Outcomes among Very Preterm Infants Born to Mothers with Clinical Chorioamnionitis: A Multicenter Cohort Study.

The objective of this study was to assess the relationship of ACS with neonatal outcomes among very preterm infants born to mothers with clinical chorioamnionitis in China. This was a multicenter retrospective cohort study. Study participants included infants born at <32 weeks' gestation with clinical chorioamnionitis and registered in the Chinese Neonatal Network from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2020. Infants were divided into two groups: any amount of ACS or no administration of ACS. Multivariable generalized linear models using generalized estimating equations were used to assess the association between ACS and neonatal outcomes among the study population. We identified 2193 infants eligible for this study; 1966 (89.6%) infants had received ACS therapy, and 227 (10.4%) had not received any ACS therapy. Among very preterm infants born to mothers with clinical chorioamnionitis, any ACS usage was significantly associated with decreased risks of early death (aRR 0.56, 95% CI 0.32, 0.99) and severe ROP (aRR 0.51, 95% CI 0.28, 0.93) after adjustment for maternal hypertension, gestational age at birth, Caesarean section, being inborn, and administration of systemic antibiotics to the mother within 24 h before birth. In addition, out of the 2193 infants, the placentas of 1931 infants underwent pathological examination with recorded results. Subsequently, 1490 of these cases (77.2%) were diagnosed with histological chorioamnionitis. In 1490 cases of histologic chorioamnionitis, any ACS usage was significantly related to decreased risks of overall mortality (aRR 0.52, 95% CI 0.31, 0.87), severe ROP (aRR 0.47, 95% CI 0.25, 0.97), and respiratory distress syndrome (aRR 0.52, 95% CI 0.31, 0.87). We concluded that any ACS was associated with reduced risks for neonatal early death and severe ROP among very preterm infants born to mothers with clinical chorioamnionitis.

Association between Neonatal Outcomes and Admission Hypothermia among Very Preterm Infants in Chinese Neonatal Intensive Care Units: A Multicenter Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate the relationship between admission hypothermia and outcomes among very preterm infants (VPIs) in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) in China. We also investigated the frequency of hypothermia in VPIs in China and the variation in hypothermia across Chinese Neonatal Network (CHNN) sites. STUDY DESIGN: This retrospective cohort study enrolled infants with 240/7 to 316/7 weeks of gestation with an admission body temperature ≤37.5 °C who were admitted to CHNN-participating NICUs between January 1 and December 31, 2019. RESULTS: A total of 5,913 VPIs were included in this study, of which 4,075 (68.9%) had hypothermia (<36.5 °C) at admission. The incidence of admission hypothermia varied widely across CHNN sites (9-100%). Lower gestational age (GA), lower birth weight, antenatal steroid administration, multiple births, small for GA, Apgar scores <7 at the 5th minute, and intensive resuscitation were significantly associated with admission hypothermia. Compared with infants with normothermia (36.5-37.5 °C), the adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for composite outcome among infants with admission hypothermia <35.5 °C increased to 1.47 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.15-1.88). The adjusted ORs for mortality among infants with admission hypothermia (36.0-36.4 and <35.5 °C) increased to 1.41 (95% CI, 1.09-1.83) and 1.93 (95% CI, 1.31-2.85), respectively. Admission hypothermia was associated with a higher likelihood of bronchopulmonary dysplasia, but was not associated with necrotizing enterocolitis ≥stage II, severe intraventricular hemorrhage, cystic periventricular leukomalacia, severe retinopathy of prematurity, or sepsis. CONCLUSION: Admission hypothermia remains a common problem for VPIs in a large cohort in China and is associated with adverse outcomes. Continuous quality improvement of admission hypothermia in the future may result in a substantial improvement in the outcomes of VPIs in China. KEY POINTS: · Admission hypothermia is common in VPIs.. · The incidence of admission hypothermia in VPIs remains high in China.. · Admission hypothermia is associated with adverse outcomes in VPIs..

Solvated Electrons Generated on the Surface of Na-SPHI for Boosting Visible Light Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution with Ultra-High AQE.

Enhancing the utilization of visible-light-active semiconductors with an excellent apparent quantum efficiency (AQE) remains a significant and challenging goal in the realm of photocatalytic water splitting. In this study, a fully condensed sulfur-doped poly(heptazine imide) metalized with Na (Na-SPHI) is synthesized by an ionothermal method by using eutectic NaCl/LiCl mixture as the ionic solvent. Comprehensive characterizations of the obtained Na-SPHI reveal several advantageous features, including heightened light absorption, facilitated exciton dissociation, and expedited charge transfer. More importantly, solvated electron, powerful reducing agents, can be generated on the surface of Na-SPHI upon irradiation with visible light. Benefiting from above advantage, the Na-SPHI exhibits an excellent H2 evolution rate of 571.8 µmol·h-1 under visible light illumination and a super-high AQE of 61.7% at 420 nm. This research emphasizes the significance of the solvated electron on the surface of photocatalyst in overcoming the challenges associated with visible light-driven photocatalysis, showcasing its potential application in photocatalytic water splitting.

Analysis of factors affecting the prognosis of patients with intrauterine adhesions after transcervical resection of adhesions.

OBJECTIVES: To study the factors affecting the prognosis of patients with intrauterine adhesions (IUAs) after transcervical resection of adhesions (TCRA), analyze the reproductive outcome, and guide prognostic improvements. DESIGN: Prospective study. PATIENTS: Our study included 292 patients diagnosed with IUAs who underwent follow-up office hysteroscopy at Shenyang Women's and Children's Hospital between June 2018 and June 2022. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were divided into case (52 patients whose hysteroscopy results indicated the presence of IUAs) and nocase (240 patients whose uterine cavity had returned to normal shape without obvious adhesion) groups on the basis of the results of a 2-month follow-up hysteroscopy following TCRA. Clinical data were collected and compared with various influencing factors, and the combined effect of these factors was assessed using multifactorial logistic regression analysis. A nomogram prediction model was constructed and internally validated on the basis of multifactorial analysis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Intrauterine re-adhesion was observed at a 2-month follow-up after TCRA. RESULTS: Postoperative re-adhesion occurred in 52 of 292 patients with IUAs. Multifactorial binary logistic regression analysis showed that IUA barrier gel reapplication 5 days after TCRA was a protective factor. In contrast, the preoperative American Fertility Society scores demonstrated that severe IUAs and chronic endometritis were risk factors. The results of the multifactorial analysis were used to build a nomogram model, and the area under the curve value of the nomogram model for predicting postoperative recurrence was 0.914 (95% confidence interval: 0.864-0.956). The bootstrap method was subsequently used to resample 1,000 times for internal validation. The results showed that the internal validation C-index was 0.9135, and the calibration and ideal curves were well-matched. CONCLUSION: The prognosis of patients with IUAs after TCRA is related to the severity of preoperative IUAs, presence of chronic endometritis, and IUA barrier gel reapplication 5 days after TCRA. Therefore, clinicians should monitor patients using targeted data to reduce recurrence risk after TCRA and improve the prognosis of patients with IUAs.

Research progress on mechanisms of acupuncture and moxibustion underlying improvement of oxidative stress. / é’ˆç¸æ”¹å–„æ°§åŒ–åº”æ¿€ä½œç”¨æœºåˆ¶çš„ç ”ç©¶è¿›å±•.

Oxidative stress is associated with a variety of disease pathologies, it may lead to mitochondrial dysfunction, damage of impaired DNA repairment, cell damage or apoptosis. Acupuncture and moxibustion therapy has been proved to have a role in reducing oxidative stress in organisms under pathological conditions. In the present paper, we collected literatures in both English and Chinese from domestic and foreign databases on the mechanisms of acupuncture and moxibustion underlying amelioration of oxidative stress over the past 5 years, and analyzed the link between acupuncture-moxibustion intervention and redox biology from four aspects： 1) regulation of the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), 2) affecting antioxidant enzyme-related pathways to reduce ROS, 3) repairing proteins, lipids and DNAs attacked by ROS, and 4) inhibiting downstream apoptosis or autophagy of ROS pathway. By summarizing and prospecting such antioxidant mechanisms, this paper may provide some basis and ideas for in-depth mechanism research on acupuncture and moxibustion to improve oxidative stress and related diseases.

Using a new human milk fortifier to optimize human milk feeding among very preterm and/or very low birth weight infants: a multicenter study in China.

BACKGROUND: Human milk fortifier (HMF) composition has been optimized recently. But clinical evidence of its safety and efficacy is limited in Chinese population. The aim of this study was to evaluate effects of a new HMF in growth, nutritional status, feeding intolerance, and major morbidities among very preterm (VPT) or very low birth weight (VLBW) infants in China. METHODS: VPT/VLBW infants admitted from March 2020 to April 2021 were prospectively included in the experimental (new HMF, nHMF) group, who received a new powdered HMF as a breast milk feeding supplement during hospitalization. Infants in the control group (cHMF) admitted from January 2018 to December 2019, were retrospective included, and matched with nHMF group infants for gestational age and birth weight. They received other kinds of commercially available HMFs. Weight gain velocity, concentrations of nutritional biomarkers, incidence of major morbidities, and measures of feeding intolerance were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Demographic and clinical characteristics of infants in nHMF and cHMF groups were comparable. Weight gain velocity had no significant difference between the nHMF (14.0 ± 3.5 g/kg/d) and the cHMF group (14.2 ± 3.8 g/kg/d; P = 0.46). Incidence of morbidities, including necrotizing enterocolitis, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, retinopathy of prematurity, culture-confirmed sepsis, and feeding intolerance during hospitalization between nHMF and cHMF, were similar (all P-values > 0.05). The time to achieve full enteral feeding [13.5 (10, 21) days] in the nHMF group was significantly shorter than that in the cHMF group [17 (12, 23) days, HR = 0.67, 95%CI: 0.49, 0.92; P = 0.01]. Compared with cHMF group, the decrease of blood urea nitrogen level over time in nHMF group was smaller (ß = 0.6, 95%CI:0.1, 1.0; P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The new HMF can promote growth of preterm infants effectively without increasing the incidence of major morbidity and feeding intolerance. It can be used feasible in Chinese VPT/VLBW infants. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04283799).

Delivery room resuscitation intensity and associated neonatal outcomes of 24+0-31+6 weeks' preterm infants in China: a retrospective cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to review current delivery room (DR) resuscitation intensity in Chinese tertiary neonatal intensive care units and to investigate the association between DR resuscitation intensity and short-term outcomes in preterm infants born at 24+0-31+6 weeks' gestation age (GA). METHODS: This was a retrospective cross-sectional study. The source population was infants born at 24+0-31+6 weeks' GA who were enrolled in the Chinese Neonatal Network 2019 cohort. Eligible infants were categorized into five groups: (1) regular care; (2) oxygen supplementation and/or continuous positive airway pressure (O2/CPAP); (3) mask ventilation; (4) endotracheal intubation; and (5) cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The association between DR resuscitation and short-term outcomes was evaluated by inverse propensity score-weighted logistic regression. RESULTS: Of 7939 infants included in this cohort, 2419 (30.5%) received regular care, 1994 (25.1%) received O2/CPAP, 1436 (18.1%) received mask ventilation, 1769 (22.3%) received endotracheal intubation, and 321 (4.0%) received CPR in the DR. Advanced maternal age and maternal hypertension correlated with a higher need for resuscitation, and antenatal steroid use tended to be associated with a lower need for resuscitation (P < 0.001). Severe brain impairment increased significantly with increasing amounts of resuscitation in DR after adjusting for perinatal factors. Resuscitation strategies vary widely between centers, with over 50% of preterm infants in eight centers requiring higher intensity resuscitation. CONCLUSIONS: Increased intensity of DR interventions was associated with increased mortality and morbidities in very preterm infants in China. There is wide variation in resuscitative approaches across delivery centers, and ongoing quality improvement to standardize resuscitation practices is needed.

Multi-Scale Engineered 2D Carbon Polyhedron Array with Enhanced Electrocatalytic Performance.

Electrocatalyst engineering from the atomic to macroscopic level of electrocatalysts is one of the most powerful routes to boost the performance of electrochemical devices. However, multi-scale structure engineering mainly focuses on the range of atomic-to-particle scale such as hierarchical porosity engineering, while catalyst engineering at the macroscopic level, such as the arrangement configuration of nanoparticles, is often overlooked. Here, a 2D carbon polyhedron array with a multi-scale engineered structure via facile chemical etching, ice-templating induced self-assembly, and high-temperature pyrolysis processes is reported. Controlled phytic acid etching of the carbon precursor introduces homogeneous atomic phosphorous and nitrogen doping, as well as a well-defined mesoporous structure. Subsequent ice-templated self-assembly triggers the formation of a 2D particle array superstructure. The atomic-level doping gives rise to high intrinsic activity, while the well-engineered porous structure and particle arrangement addresses the mass transport limitations at the microscopic particle level and macroscopic electrode level. As a result, the as-prepared electrocatalyst delivers outstanding performance toward oxygen reduction reaction in both acidic and alkaline media, which is better than recently reported state-of-the-art metal-free electrocatalysts. Molecular dynamics simulation together with extensive characterizations indicate that the performance enhancement originates from multi-scale structural synergy.

Effect of different courses and durations of invasive mechanical ventilation on respiratory outcomes in very low birth weight infants.

This multicenter retrospective study was conducted to explore the effects of different courses and durations of invasive mechanical ventilation (MV) on the respiratory outcomes of very low birth weight infants (VLBWI) in China. The population for this study consisted of infants with birth weight less than 1500 g needing at least 1 course of invasive MV and admitted to the neonatal intensive care units affiliated with the Chinese Neonatal Network within 6 h of life from January 1st, 2019 to December 31st, 2020. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate associations between invasive MV and respiratory outcomes. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) were computed with the effects of potential confounders. (1) Among the 3183 VLBWs with a history of at least one course of invasive MV, 3155 (99.1%) met inclusion criteria and were assessed for the primary outcome. Most infants received one course (76.8%) and a shorter duration of invasive MV (62.16% with ventilation for 7 days or less). (2) In terms of the incidence of all bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) (mild, moderate, and severe BPD), there were no significant differences between different invasive MV courses [For 2 courses, adjusted OR = 1.11 (0.88, 1.39); For 3 courses or more, adjusted OR = 1.07 (0.72, 1.60)]. But, with the duration of invasive MV prolonging, the OR of BPD increased [8-21 days, adjusted OR = 1.98 (1.59, 2.45); 22-35 days, adjusted OR = 4.37 (3.17, 6.03); ≥ 36 days, adjusted OR = 18.44 (10.98, 30.99)]. Concerning severe BPD, the OR increased not only with the course of invasive MV but also with the duration of invasive MV [For 2 courses, adjusted OR = 2.17 (1.07, 4.40); For 3 courses or more, adjusted OR = 2.59 (1.02, 6.61). 8-21 days, adjusted OR = 8.42 (3.22, 22.01); 22-35 days, adjusted OR = 27.82 (9.08, 85.22); ≥ 36 days, adjusted OR = 616.45 (195.79, > 999.999)]. (3) When the interaction effect between invasive MV duration and invasive MV course was considered, it was found that there were no interactive effects in BPD and severe BPD. Greater than or equal to three courses would increase the chance of severe BPD, death, and the requirement of home oxygen therapy. Compared with distinct courses of invasive MV, a longer duration of invasive MV (> 7 days) has a greater effect on the risk of BPD, severe BPD, death, and the requirement of home oxygen therapy.

Association between ICU quality and in-hospital mortality of V-V ECMO-supported patients-the ECMO quality improvement action (EQIA) study: a national cohort study in China from 2017 to 2019.

This cohort study was performed to explore the influence of intensive care unit (ICU) quality on in-hospital mortality of veno-venous (V-V) extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO)-supported patients in China. The study involved all V-V ECMO-supported patients in 318 of 1700 tertiary hospitals from 2017 to 2019, using data from the National Clinical Improvement System and China National Critical Care Quality Control Center. ICU quality was assessed by quality control indicators and capacity parameters. Among the 2563 V-V ECMO-supported patients in 318 hospitals, a significant correlation was found between ECMO-related complications and prognosis. The reintubation rate within 48 hours after extubation and the total ICU mortality rate were independent risk factors for higher in-hospital mortality of V-V ECMO-supported patients (cutoff: 1.5% and 7.0%; 95% confidence interval: 1.05-1.48 and 1.04-1.45; odds ratios: 1.25 and 1.23; P = 0.012 and P = 0.015, respectively). Meanwhile, the V-V ECMO center volume was a protective factor (cutoff of ≥ 50 cases within the 3-year study period; 95% confidence interval: 0.57-0.83, odds ratio: 0.69, P = 0.0001). The subgroup analysis of 864 patients in 11 high-volume centers further strengthened these findings. Thus, ICU quality may play an important role in improving the prognosis of V-V ECMO-supported patients.

Towards a comprehensive view of the herpes B virus.

Herpes B virus is a biosafety level 4 pathogen and widespread in its natural host species, macaques. Although most infected monkeys show asymptomatic or mild symptoms, human infections with this virus can cause serious neurological symptoms or fatal encephalomyelitis with a high mortality rate. Herpes B virus can be latent in the sensory ganglia of monkeys and humans, often leading to missed diagnoses. Furthermore, the herpes B virus has extensive antigen crossover with HSV, SA8, and HVP-2, causing false-positive results frequently. Timely diagnosis, along with methods with sensitivity and specificity, are urgent for research on the herpes B virus. The lack of a clear understanding of the host invasion and life cycle of the herpes B virus has led to slow progress in the development of effective vaccines and drugs. This review discusses the research progress and problems of the epidemiology of herpes B virus, detection methods and therapy, hoping to inspire further investigation into important factors associated with transmission of herpes B virus in macaques and humans, and arouse the development of effective vaccines or drugs, to promote the establishment of specific pathogen-free (SPF) monkeys and protect humans to effectively avoid herpes B virus infection.

Sonic hedgehog signaling promotes angiogenesis of endothelial progenitor cells to improve pressure ulcers healing by PI3K/AKT/eNOS signaling.

BACKGROUND: Pressure ulcer is a severe disease in the paralyzed and aging populations. Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are able to regulate ulcer healing by modulating angiogenesis, but the molecular mechanism is still obscure. Sonic hedgehog (SHH) signaling contributes to angiogenesis in various diseases and has been identified to modulate EPCs function. Here, we aimed to explore the significance of SHH signaling in EPCs function during pressure ulcers. METHODS: The EPCs were isolated and characterized by the expression of DiI-acLDL and bind fluorescein iso-thiocyanate UEA-1. Cell proliferation was detected by cell counting kit 8 (CCK-8). The DiI-acLDL and bind fluorescein iso-thiocyanate UEA-1 were analyzed by immunofluorescent analysis. The angiogenesis of EPCs was analyzed by tube formation assay. The pressure ulcers rat model was constructed, the wound injury was analyzed by H&E staining and angiogenesis was analyzed by the accumulation of CD31 based on immunofluorescent analysis. RESULTS: The expression of patched-1 and Gli-1 was enhanced by SHH activator SAG but reduced by SHH inhibitor cyclopamine in the EPCsThe PI3K, Akt, eNOS expression and the Akt phosphorylation were induced by SAG, while the treatment of cyclopamine presented a reversed result. The proliferation and migration of EPCs were enhanced by SAG but repressed by cyclopamine or PI3K/AKT/eNOS signaling inhibitor Y294002, in which the co-treatment of Y294002 could reverse the effect of SAG. CONCLUSIONS: Thus, we found that SHH signaling activated angiogenesis properties of EPCs to improve pressure ulcers healing by PI3K/AKT/eNOS signaling. SHH signaling may serve as the potential target for attenuating pressure ulcers.

Modality Exploration, Retrieval and Adaptation for Trajectory Prediction.

Predicting future trajectories of dynamic agents is inherently riddled with uncertainty. Given a certain historical observation, there are multiple plausible future movements people can perform. Notably, these possible movements are usually centralized around a few representative motion patterns, e.g. acceleration, deceleration, turning, etc. In this paper, we propose a novel prediction scheme which explores human behavior modality representations from real-world trajectory data to discover such motion patterns and further uses them to aid in trajectory prediction. To explore potential behavior modalities, we introduce a deep feature clustering process on trajectory features and each cluster can represent a type of modality. Intuitively, each modality is naturally a class, and a classification network can be adopted to retrieve highly probable modalities about to happen in the future according to historical observations. On account of a wide variety of cues existing in the observation (e.g. agents' motion states, semantics of the scene, etc.), we further design a gated aggregation module to fuse different types of cues into a unified feature. Finally, an adaptation process is proposed to adapt a certain modality to specific historical observations and generate fine-grained prediction results. Extensive experiments on four widely-used benchmarks show the superiority of our proposed approach.

Association between serum uric acid to high density lipoprotein-cholesterol ratio and arterial stiffness in a Japanese population.

Uric acid (UA) and HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C) level are closely associated to the cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity. The UA/HDL-C ratio (UHR), a new parameter combination of serum UA and HDL-C, attracts attention for its association with metabolic and inflammatory conditions. There may exists the association between UHR and arterial stiffness. This study aims to explore the association between the UHR and brachial-ankle PWV (baPWV) and to determine whether or not UHR has effect on arterial stiffness. The present study included a total of 912 Japanese (592 men and 320 women), aged from 24 to 84, received a health medical checkup programme with an automatic waveform analyzer to measure baPWV and various standardized questionnaires in a medical center of Japan. Non-linear regression and threshold effect analysis were conducted to explore the association between UHR and baPWV. It was found that UHR was positively correlated with baPWV after adjusting for multiple confounders. A non-linear relationship (with a inflection point was 14.25) was found between UHR and baPWV. Subgroup analyses showed that the significant association between UHR and baPWV only existed in females group, no fatty liver group and normal BMI groups. This study revealed the nonlinear relationship between UHR and baPWV. A significant correlation between UHR and baPWV existed in females but not in males. Fatty liver status, BMI, and menopausal status may affect the above association.

Spatio-temporal variation of bacterial community structure in two intertidal sediment types of Jiaozhou Bay.

The intertidal sediment environment is dynamic and the biofilm bacterial community within it must constantly adapt, but an understanding of the differences in the biofilm bacterial community within sediments of different types is still relatively limited. The semi-enclosed Jiaozhou Bay has a temperate monsoon climate, with strong currents at the mouth of the bay. In this study, the structure of the bacterial community in Jiaozhou Bay sediment biofilms are described using high-throughput 16 S rRNA gene sequencing and the effects of temporal change and different sediment environment types are discussed. Alpha diversity was significantly higher in sandy samples than in muddy samples. Sandy sediments with increased heterogeneity promote bacterial aggregation. Beta diversity analysis showed significant differences between sediment types and between stations. Proteobacteria and Acidobacteria were significantly more abundant at ZQ, while Campilobacterota was significantly more abundant at LC. The relative abundances of Bacteroidetes, Campilobacterota, Firmicutes, and Chloroflexi were significantly higher in the muddy samples, while Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria were higher in the sandy samples. There were different phylum-level biomarkers between sediment types at different stations. There were also different patterns of functional enrichment in biogeochemical cycles between sediment types and stations with the former having more gene families that differed significantly, highlighting their greater role in determining bacterial function. Bacterial amplicon sequence variant variation between months was less than KEGG ortholog variation between months, presumably the temporal change had an impact on shaping the intertidal sediment bacterial community, although this was less clear at the gene family level. Random forest prediction yielded a combination of 43 family-level features that responded well to temporal change, reflecting the influence of temporal change on sediment biofilm bacteria.

LITAF inhibits colorectal cancer stemness and metastatic behavior by regulating FOXO1-mediated SIRT1 expression.

Lipopolysaccharide-induced tumor necrosis factor alpha factor (LITAF) is a transcription factor that activates the transcription of TNF-α and regulates the inflammatory response. LITAF has been found to have potential anti-cancer effects of in several tumors. However, the role of LITAF in colorectal cancer (CRC) remains unclear. Through a comprehensive pan-cancer analysis of the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), LITAF was identified as a differentially downregulated gene in CRC. We hypothesized that LITAF may participate in the modulation of CRC progression. The present study was aimed to investigate the expression profile of LITAF in CRC and its effect on metastatic behavior and stemness as well as the underlying molecular mechanism. The expression profile of LITAF in CRC, and its relationship with the prognosis of CRC were explored using public databases. LITAF expression was detected by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), western blot, and immunohistochemistry. Furthermore, the effects of overexpression or knockdown of LITAF on cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, invasion, and stemness of CRC cells were investigated in vitro. The regulatory effect of LITAF on forkhead Box O 1 (FOXO1)-sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) signaling axis was also explored. In addition, a xenograft mouse model was used to investigate the in-vivo role of LITAF. LITAF was downregulated in tumor tissues and its expression was associated with the prognosis, pathological stage and liver metastasis. In-vitro experiments confirmed that LITAF inhibited tumor cell proliferation, migration, invasion and stemness, and induced cell apoptosis. In vivo experiments demonstrated that LITAF inhibited the tumorigenicity and liver metastasis in tumor-bearing mice. Additionally, LITAF promoted FOXO1-mediated SIRT1 inhibition, thus regulating cancer stemness and malignant phenotypes. LITAF was silenced in CRC and it participated in the progression of CRC by inhibiting CRC cell stemness, and malignant phenotypes. Therefore, LITAF may serve as a novel biomarker of CRC prognosis.