Zn(II)-curcumin prevents cadmium-aggravated diabetic nephropathy by regulating gut microbiota and zinc homeostasis.

Background: Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is known as the most common complication of diabetes, resulting from a complex inheritance-environment interaction without effective clinical treatments. Herein, we revealed the protective effects and mechanisms of Zn(II)-curcumin, a curcumin derivative, against streptozotocin-induced DN in rats in the presence or absence of cadmium exposure. Methods: The present study focused on investigating the therapy of Zn(II)-curcumin against cadmium-aggravated DN by regulating gut microbiota, metabolism, inflammation and zinc homeostasis based on pathological changes, TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway, inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), 16S rRNA gene sequencing and gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (GC-MS). Results: We found Zn(II)-curcumin significantly mitigated the cadmium-aggravated phenotypes of diabetic nephropathy, as indicated by the remission of renal dysfunction, pathological changes, inflammation and zinc dyshomeostasis in streptozotocin-treated rats exposed to cadmium. Administration of Zn(II)-curcumin significantly alleviated the dysbiosis of gut microbiota and the changes of serum metabolite profiles in rats treated with streptozotocin in combination with cadmium. Notably, fecal microbial transplantation identified the ability of Zn(II)-curcumin to regulate renal function, inflammation and zinc homeostasis was partly dependent on the gut microbiota. Conclusion: These findings revealed that Zn(II)-curcumin alleviated cadmium-aggravated diabetic nephropathy by reshaping the gut microbiota and zinc homeostasis, which provided unique insights into the mechanisms of the treatment and prevention of diabetic nephropathy.

Design of Antiferromagnetic Second-Order Band Topology with Rotation Topological Invariants in Two Dimensions.

The existence of fractionally quantized topological corner charge serves as a key indicator for two-dimensional (2D) second-order topological insulators (SOTIs), yet it has not been experimentally observed in realistic materials. Here, based on effective model analysis and symmetry arguments, we propose a strategy for achieving SOTI phases with in-gap corner states in 2D systems with antiferromagnetic (AFM) order. We discover that the band topology originates from the interplay between intrinsic spin-orbital coupling and interlayer AFM exchange interactions. Using first-principles calculations, we show that the 2D AFM SOTI phase can be realized in (MnBi2Te4)(Bi2Te3)m films. Moreover, we demonstrate that the SOTI states are linked to rotation topological invariants under 3-fold rotation symmetry C3, resulting in fractionally quantized corner charge, i.e., n3|e| (mod e). Due to the great achievements in (MnBi2Te4)(Bi2Te3)m systems, our results providing reliable material candidates for experimentally accessible AFM SOTIs should draw intense attention.

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis and primary ovarian failure: a two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis in a mixed-gender cohort.

Background: The causal relationship between juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and primary ovarian failure (POF) remains uncertain. To elucidate this relationship, we employed a two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis. Methods: The single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with JIA were obtained from a previously published genome-wide association study (GWAS), while the pooled data for POF originated from the FinnGen consortium. The study populations consisted exclusively of individuals of European descent. In our Mendelian randomization analysis, we performed inverse-variance weighted analysis, weighted-median analysis, weighted-mode analysis and Mendelian randomization-Egger regression analysis, supplemented by sensitivity analyses to validate the accuracy and robustness of the findings. Results: The IVW (OR = 1.23, 95% CI 1.06-1.43; P = 0.007) and weighted median (OR = 1.25, 95% CI 1.06-1.47; P = 0.009), along with sensitivity analysis validation, provide compelling evidence of a significant causal association between JIA and POF. Conclusion: The study revealed a significant causal association between genetically predicted JIA and POF, indicating that JIA significantly elevates the risk of developing POF. Therefore, it is recommended to implement screening for premature ovarian failure in women diagnosed with JIA.

Preparation and characterization of quercetin@ZIF-L/GO@AgNPs nanocomposite film for room-temperature strawberry preservation.

Fresh strawberries are easily contaminated by microorganisms after picking. Therefore, how to effectively store and keep fresh strawberries has been a hot topic for scientists to study. In this study, we prepared a leaf shaped metal organic framework nanomaterial loaded with quercetin (Quercetin@ZIF-L) at first, which can achieve effective loading of quercetin (96%) within 45 min and has a controlled release effect under acidic conditions. In addition, by cleverly combining satellite graphene oxide @ silver nanoparticles (GO@AgNPs) with slow precipitation performance, Quercetin@ZIF-L/GO@AgNPs nanocomposite film with larger pore size and larger specific surface area was prepared by scraping method. The characterization data of water flux, retention rate, flux recovery rate and water vapor permeability show that the composite film has good physical properties. The experiment of film packaging showed that the fresh life of strawberry could be extended from 3 to 8 days, which significantly improved the storage and freshness cycle of strawberry. At the same time, the metal migration test proved that the residual amount of silver ion in strawberry met the EU standard and zinc ions are beneficial to the health, enriching the types of high-performance fresh-keeping materials and broadening the application.

Spatial distribution characteristics and degradation mechanism of microorganisms in n-hexadecane contaminated vadose zone.

The damage caused by petroleum hydrocarbon pollution to soil and groundwater environment is becoming increasingly significant. The vadose zone is the only way for petroleum hydrocarbon pollutants to leak from surface into groundwater. The spatial distribution characteristics of indigenous microorganisms in vadose zone, considering presence of capillary zones, have rarely been reported. To explore the spatial distribution characteristics of indigenous microorganisms in vadose zone contaminated by petroleum hydrocarbons, a one-dimensional column migration experiment was conducted using n-hexadecane as characteristic pollutant. Soil samples were collected periodically from different heights during experiment. Corresponding environmental factors were monitored online. The microbial community structure and spatial distribution characteristics of the cumulative relative abundance were systematically analyzed using 16S rRNA sequencing. In addition, the microbial degradation mechanism of n-hexadecane was analyzed using metabolomics. The results showed that presence of capillary zone had a strong retarding effect on n-hexadecane infiltration. Leaked pollutants were mainly concentrated in areas with strong capillary action. Infiltration and displacement of NAPL-phase pollutants were major driving force for change in moisture content (θ) and electric conductivity (EC) in vadose zone. The degradation by microorganisms results in a downward trend in potential of hydrogen (pH) and oxidation-reduction potential (ORP). Five petroleum hydrocarbon-degrading bacterial phyla and 11 degradable straight-chain alkane bacterial genera were detected. Microbial degradation was strong in the area near edge of capillary zone and locations of pollutant accumulation. Mainly Sphingomonas and Nocardioides bacteria were involved in microbial degradation of n-hexadecane. Single-end oxidation involved microbial degradation of n-hexadecane (C16H34). The oxygen consumed, hexadecanoic acid (C16H32O2) produced during this process, and release of hydrogen ions (H+) were the driving factors for reduction of ORP and pH. The vadose zone in this study considered presence of capillary zone, which was more in line with actual contaminated site conditions compared with previous studies. This study systematically elucidated vertical distribution characteristics of petroleum hydrocarbon pollutants and spatiotemporal variation characteristics of indigenous microorganisms in vadose zone considered presence of capillary zone. In addition, the n-hexadecane degradation mechanism was elucidated using metabolomics. This study provides theoretical support for development of natural attenuation remediation measures for petroleum-hydrocarbon-contaminated soil and groundwater.

Climate change will reduce North American inland wetland areas and disrupt their seasonal regimes.

Climate change can alter wetland extent and function, but such impacts are perplexing. Here, changes in wetland characteristics over North America from 25° to 53° North are projected under two climate scenarios using a state-of-the-science Earth system model. At the continental scale, annual wetland area decreases by ~10% (6%-14%) under the high emission scenario, but spatiotemporal changes vary, reaching up to ±50%. As the dominant driver of these changes shifts from precipitation to temperature in the higher emission scenario, wetlands undergo substantial drying during summer season when biotic processes peak. The projected disruptions to wetland seasonality cycles imply further impacts on biodiversity in major wetland habitats of upper Mississippi, Southeast Canada, and the Everglades. Furthermore, wetlands are projected to significantly shrink in cold regions due to the increased infiltration as warmer temperature reduces soil ice. The large dependence of the projections on climate change scenarios underscores the importance of emission mitigation to sustaining wetland ecosystems in the future.

Facile Preparation of Magnetic COF-on-COF for Rapid Adsorption and Determination of Sulforaphane from Cruciferous Vegetables.

Sulforaphane (SFN) is a natural isothiocyanate compound widely abundant in cruciferous vegetables with multiple bioactive functions. However, traditional analytical methods for the extraction and determination of SFN are cumbersome, time-consuming, and low sensitivity with large amounts of organic solvents. Herein, novel magnetic COF-on-COFs (MB-COFs) were fabricated using Fe3O4 as a magnetic core and COFs-1 grown with COFs-2 as a shell, and they were used as efficient adsorbents of magnetic dispersive solid-phase extraction for rapid quantification of SFN in cruciferous vegetables by combining with HPLC-MS/MS. At the optimal ratio of COFs-1 to COFs-2, MB-COFs had a spherical cluster-like structure and a rough surface, with a sufficient magnetic response for rapid magnetic separation (1 min). Due to the introduction of Fe3O4 and COFs-2, MB-COFs exhibited outstanding extraction efficiencies for SFN (92.5-97.3%), which was about 18-72% higher than that of the bare COFs. Moreover, MB-COFs showed good adsorption capacity (Qm of 18.0 mg/g), rapid adsorption (5 min) and desorption (30 s) to SFN, and favorable reusability (≥7 cycles) by virtue of their unique hierarchical porous structure. The adsorption kinetic data were well fitted by the pseudo-second-order, Ritchie-second-order, intra-particle diffusion, and Elovich models, while the adsorption isotherm data were highly consistent with the Langmuir, Temkin, and Redlich-Peterson models. Finally, under the optimized conditions, the developed method showed a wide linear range (0.001-0.5 mg/L), high sensitivity (limits of quantification of 0.18-0.31 µg/L), satisfactory recoveries (82.2-96.2%) and precisions (1.8-7.9%), and a negligible matrix effect (0.82-0.97). Compared to previous methods, the proposed method is faster and more sensitive and significantly reduces the use of organic solvents, which can achieve the efficient detection of large-scale samples in practical scenarios. This work reveals the high practical potential of MB-COFs as adsorbents for efficient extraction and sensitive analysis of SFN in cruciferous vegetables.

A cleaner snow future mitigates Northern Hemisphere snowpack loss from warming.

Light-absorbing particles (LAP) deposited on seasonal snowpack can result in snow darkening, earlier snowmelt, and regional climate change. However, their future evolution and contributions to snowpack change relative to global warming remain unclear. Here, using Earth System Model simulations, we project significantly reduced black carbon deposition by 2081-2100, which reduces the December-May average LAP-induced radiative forcing in snow over the Northern Hemisphere from 1.3 Wm-2 during 1995-2014 to 0.65 (SSP126) and 0.49 (SSP585) Wm-2. We quantify separately the contributions of climate change and LAP evolution on future snowpack and demonstrate that projected LAP changes in snow over the Tibetan Plateau will alleviate future snowpack loss due to climate change by 52.1 ± 8.0% and 8.0 ± 1.1% at the end of the century for the two scenarios, mainly due to reduced black carbon contamination. Our findings highlight a cleaner snow future and its benefits for future water supply from snowmelt especially under the sustainable development pathway of SSP126.

Chiral-Flux-Phase-Based Topological Superconductivity in Kagome Systems with Mixed Edge Chiralities.

Recent studies have attracted intense attention on the quasi-2D kagome superconductors AV_{3}Sb_{5} (A=K, Rb, and Cs) where the unexpected chiral flux phase (CFP) associates with the spontaneous time-reversal symmetry breaking in charge density wave states. Here, commencing from the 2-by-2 charge density wave phases, we bridge the gap between topological superconductivity and time-reversal asymmetric CFP in kagome systems. Several chiral topological superconductor (TSC) states featuring distinct Chern numbers emerge for an s-wave or a d-wave superconducting pairing symmetry. Importantly, these CFP-based TSC phases possess unique gapless edge modes with mixed chiralities (i.e., both positive and negative chiralities), but with the net chiralities consistent with the Bogoliubov-de Gennes Chern numbers. We further study the transport properties of a two-terminal junction, using Chern insulator or normal metal leads via atomic Green's function method with Landauer-Büttiker formalism. In both cases, the normal electron tunneling and the crossed Andreev reflection oscillate as the chemical potential changes, but together contribute to plateau transmissions (1 and 3/2, respectively) that exhibit robustness against disorder. These behaviors can be regarded as the signature of a TSC hosting edge states with mixed chiralities.

NPM promotes hepatotoxin-induced fibrosis by inhibiting ROS-induced apoptosis of hepatic stellate cells and upregulating lncMIAT-induced TGF-ß2.

Liver fibrosis is caused by a variety of chronic liver injuries and has caused significant morbidity and mortality in the world with increasing tendency. Elucidation of the molecular mechanism of liver fibrosis is the basis for intervention of this pathological process and drug development. Nucleophosmin (NPM) is a widely expressed nucleolar phosphorylated protein, which is particularly important for cell proliferation, differentiation and survival. The biological role of NPM in liver fibrosis remains unknown. Here we show that NPM promotes liver fibrosis through multiple pathways. Our study found that NPM was up-regulated in cirrhosis tissues and activated in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). NPM inhibition reduced liver fibrosis markers expression in HSCs and inhibited the HSCs proliferation and migration. In mice model, NPM knockdown in HSCs or application of specific NPM inhibitor can remarkably attenuate hepatic fibrosis. Mechanistic analysis showed that NPM promotes hepatic fibrosis by inhibiting HSCs apoptosis through Akt/ROS pathway and by upregulating TGF-ß2 through Akt-induced lncMIAT. LncMIAT up-regulated TGF-ß2 mRNA by competitively sponging miR-16-5p. In response to liver injury, hepatocytes, Kupffer cells and HSCs up-regulated NPM to increase TGF-ß2 secretion to activate HSCs in a paracrine or autocrine manner, leading to increased liver fibrosis. Our study demonstrated that NPM regulated hepatotoxin-induced fibrosis through Akt/ROS-induced apoptosis of HSCs and via the Akt/lncMIAT-up-regulated TGF-ß2. Inhibition of NPM or application of NPM inhibitor CIGB300 remarkably attenuated liver fibrosis. NPM serves a potential new drug target for liver fibrosis.

Managing Interfacial Charged Defects with Multiple Active Sited Macrocyclic Valinomycin for Efficient and Stable Inverted Perovskite Solar Cells.

The unavoidably positively and negatively charged defects at the interface between perovskite and electron transport layer (ETL) often lead to severe surface recombination and unfavorable energy level alignment in inverted perovskite solar cells (PerSCs). Inserting interlayers at this interface is an effective approach to eliminate charged defects. Herein, the macrocyclic molecule valinomycin (VM) with multiple active sites of ─C═O, ─NH, and ─O─ is employed as an interlayer at the perovskite/ETL contact to simultaneously eliminate positively and negatively charged defects. Combined with a series of theoretical calculations and experimental analyzes, it is demonstrated that the ─C═O and ─O─ groups in VM can immobilize the uncoordinated Pb2+ to manage the positively charged defect and the formation of N─H···I hydrogen bonding can recompense the formamidine vacancies to eliminate the negatively charged defect. In addition, the VM interlayer induces a favorable downshift band bending at the perovskite/ETL interface, facilitating charge separation and boosting charge transfer. Thanks to the reduced charged defects and favorable energy level alignment, the fabricated inverted PerSC delivers an outstanding power conversion efficiency of 24.06% with excellent long-term ambient and thermal stability. This work demonstrates that managing charged defects via multiple functional groups and simultaneously regulating energy level alignment is a reliable strategy to boost the performance of PerSCs.

Determination of multiple mycotoxins in chili powder using cold-induced liquid-liquid extraction and Fe3O4@MWCNTs-NH2 coupled with UPLC-Q-TOF/MS.

Food matrix interference is still a big challenge in analyzing multiclass mycotoxins. Herein, a novel cold-induced liquid-liquid extraction-magnetic solid phase extraction (CI-LLE-MSPE) coupled with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF/MS) method was explored for the simultaneous determination of multiple mycotoxins in chili powders. Fe3O4@MWCNTs-NH2 nanomaterials were prepared and characterized, and the factors affecting the MSPE process were investigated. Based on this, the CI-LLE-MSPE-UPLC-Q-TOF/MS method was established for determining ten mycotoxins in chili powders. The proffered technique eliminated the matrix interference effectively and demonstrated strong linearity (0.5-500 µg/kg, R2 ≥ 0.999), high sensitivity (limit of quantification was 0.5-1.5 µg/kg), and the recovery was 70.6%-111.7%. The extraction process is simpler than conventional methods, as the adsorbent can be separated using magnets, and reusable adsorbents are beneficial in reducing costs. In addition, the method can provide a valuable reference for pretreatment procedures for other complex matrices.

Numerical Analysis of Droplet Impacting on an Immiscible Liquid via Three-Phase Field Method.

In this work, we establish a two-dimensional axisymmetric simulation model to numerically study the impacting behaviors between oil droplets and an immiscible aqueous solution based on the three-phase field method. The numerical model is established by using the commercial software of COMSOL Multiphysics first and then validated by comparing the numerical results with the previous experimental study. The simulation results show that under the impact of oil droplets, a crater will form on the surface of the aqueous solution, which firstly expands and then collapses with the transfer and dissipation of kinetic energy of this three-phase system. As for the droplet, it flattens, spreads, stretches, or immerses on the crater surface and finally achieves an equilibrium state at the gas-liquid interface after experiencing several sinking-bouncing circles. The impacting velocity, fluid density, viscosity, interfacial tension, droplet size, and the property of non-Newtonian fluids all play important roles in the impact between oil droplets and aqueous solution. The conclusions can help to cognize the mechanism of droplet impact on an immiscible fluid and provide useful guidelines for those applications concerning droplet impact.

A comprehensive review of nano-delivery system for tea polyphenols: Construction, applications, and challenges.

Tea polyphenols (TPs) are important bioactive compounds in tea and have excellent physiological regulation functions. However, the extraction and purification of TPs are key technologies affecting their further application, and the chemical instability, poor bioavailability of TPs are major challenges for researchers. In the past decade, therefore, research and development of advanced carrier systems for the delivery of TPs has been greatly promoted to improve their poor stability and poor bioavailability. In this review, the properties and function of TPs are introduced, and the recent advances in the extraction and purification technologies are systematically summarized. Particularly, the intelligent delivery of TPs via novel nano-carriers is critically reviewed, and the application of TPs nano-delivery system in medical field and food industry is also described. Finally, the main limitations, current challenges and future perspectives are highlighted in order to provide research ideas for exploiting nano-delivery carriers and their application in TPs.

Polysaccharide-based biopolymer hydrogels for heavy metal detection and adsorption.

BACKGROUND: With rapid development in agriculture and industry, water polluted with heavy metallic ions has come to be a serious problem. Adsorption-based methods are simple, efficient, and broadly used to eliminate heavy metals. Conventional adsorption materials have the problems of secondary environmental contamination. Hydrogels are considered effective adsorbents, and those prepared from biopolymers are biocompatible, biodegradable, non-toxic, safe to handle, and increasingly used to adsorb heavy metal ions. AIM OF REVIEW: The natural origin and easy degradability of biopolymer hydrogels make them potential for development in environmental remediation. Its water absorption capacity enables it to efficiently adsorb various pollutants in the aqueous environment, and its internal pore channels increase the specific surface area for adsorption, which can provide abundant active binding sites for heavy metal ions through chemical modification. KEY SCIENTIFIC CONCEPT OF REVIEW: As the most representative of biopolymer hydrogels, polysaccharide-based hydrogels are diverse, physically and chemically stable, and can undergo complex chemical modifications to enhance their performance, thus exhibiting superior ability to remove contaminants. This review summarizes the preparation methods of hydrogels, followed by a discussion of the main categories and applications of polysaccharide-based biopolymer hydrogels.

Construction of nano slow-release systems for antibacterial active substances and its applications: A comprehensive review.

At present, nano-carrier materials with antibacterial activity are of great significance. Due to the widespread resistance of many pathogenic microorganisms, it has seriously threatened human health. The natural antimicrobial substances extracted from fruits and vegetables can significantly improve their stability combined with nano-carrier materials. The resistance of pathogenic microorganisms will be substantially reduced, greatly enhancing the effect of active antimicrobial substances. Nanotechnology has excellent research prospects in the food industry, antibacterial preservation, food additives, food packaging, and other fields. This paper introduces nano-carrier materials and preparation techniques for loading and encapsulating active antibacterial substances in detail by constructing a nano-release system for active antibacterial substances. The antibacterial effect can be achieved by protecting them from adverse external conditions and destroying the membrane of pathogenic microorganisms. The mechanism of the slow release of the bacteriostatic active substance is also described. The mechanism of carrier loading and release is mainly through non-covalent forces between the bacteriostatic active substance and the carrier material, such as hydrogen bonding, π-π stacking, van der Waals forces, electrostatic interactions, etc., as well as the loading and adsorption of the bacteriostatic active substance by the chemical assembly. Finally, its wide application in food and medicine is introduced. It is hoped to provide a theoretical basis and technical support for the efficient utilization and product development of bacteriostatic active substances.

Comparison of Chemiluminescence Enzyme Immunoassay (Cl-ELISA) with Colorimetric Enzyme Immunoassay (Co-ELISA) for Imidacloprid Detection in Vegetables.

Imidacloprid is one of the most commonly used insecticides for managing pests, thus, improving the quality and yield of vegetables. The abuse/misuse of imidacloprid contaminates the environment and threatens human health. To reduce the risk, a colorimetric enzyme-linked immunoassay assay (Co-ELISA) and chemiluminescence enzyme-linked immunoassay assay (Cl-ELISA) were established to detect imidacloprid residues in vegetables. The linear range of Co-ELISA ranged between 1.56 µg/L and 200 µg/L with a limit of detection (LOD) of 1.56 µg/L. The values for Cl-ELISA were 0.19 µg/L to 25 µg/L with an LOD of 0.19 µg/L, which are lower than those of Co-ELISA. Fortifying Chinese cabbage, cucumber, and zucchini with imidacloprid at 10, 50, and 100 µg/L yielded recoveries between 81.7 and 117.6% for Co-ELISA and at 5, 10, and 20 µg/L yielded recoveries range from 69.7 to 120.6% for Cl-ELISA. These results indicate that Cl-ELISA has a high sensitivity and a rapid detection time, saving cost (antigen and antibody concentrations) and serving as a more efficient model for the rapid detection of imidacloprid residue.

The role of USP51 in attenuating chemosensitivity of lung cancer cells to cisplatin by regulating DNA damage response.

Lung cancer is the most frequent type of cancer affecting both men and women globally, and it is associated with a high mortality rate. It is clinically treated with cisplatin, a platinum-based drug that works by generating DNA lesions, which activates DNA damage response and induces cell death. However, chemoresistance by cancer cells limits the clinical usefulness of cisplatin as an anticancer drug. Here, we uncovered a role of ubiquitin-specific protease 51 (USP51) in the chemosensitivity of lung cancer cells to cisplatin by regulating DNA damage response. USP51 was more upregulated in lung cancer tissues of chemotherapy-resistant patients than those of chemotherapy-sensitive patients with adjacent, nontumor tissues. USP51 overexpression in lung cancer cells in vitro reduced γ-H2AX formation and promoted checkpoint kinase 1 (CHK1) phosphorylation, whereas USP51 knockdown showed opposite effects, indicating that USP51 played an important role in promoting DNA damage repair. Finally, USP51 knockdown weakened cisplatin resistance in A549/DDP cells and significantly suppressed tumor growth in vivo, suggesting that a USP51 inhibitor combined with cisplatin may be considered as an effective treatment strategy to eliminate drug-resistant lung cancer cells.

Glucose substrate in the hydrogen breath test for gut microbiota determination: A recommended noninvasive test.

Intestinal dysbiosis and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) are common in patients with liver cirrhosis. Existing studies have not explored the association between gut dysbiosis and SIBO. We propose some suggestions for the authors' experimental methods and concepts, and we hope these suggestions can be adopted. The hydrogen breath test is worthy of recommendation due to its high accuracy and convenient operation. We suggest changing the substrate of the hydrogen breath test from lactulose to glucose to improve the accuracy of each parameter. SIBO is a small subset of gut dysbiosis, and we propose clarifying the concept of both. SIBO may be caused by liver cirrhosis or one of the pathogeneses of gastrointestinal diseases. Therefore, interference from other gastrointestinal diseases should be excluded from this study.

Colitis and colorectal tumors should be further explored and differentiated.

The original article by Yuichi et al explored whether the Japan Narrow-Band Imaging Expert Team classification and the pit pattern classification are suitable for diagnosing neoplastic lesions in patients with ulcerative colitis. In this letter, we offer some other perspectives. Risk factors for colorectal tumors include type 2 diabetes. Among genetic factors, the deletion or mutation of some genes, such as the p53 gene, can lead to colorectal tumors. There are significant gender differences in the occurrence and development of colorectal tumors. Some non-genetic factors, such as smoking, are also associated with the development of colorectal tumors. These all suggest that colorectal tumors are not only caused by ulcerative colitis, and we suggest further exploration and differentiation between colitis and colorectal tumors.