Revisiting the current and emerging concepts of postharvest fresh fruit and vegetable pathology for next-generation antifungal technologies.

Fungal infections of fresh fruits and vegetables (FFVs) can lead to safety problems, including consumer poisoning by mycotoxins. Various strategies exist to control fungal infections of FFVs, but their effectiveness and sustainability are limited. Recently, new concepts based on the microbiome and pathobiome have emerged and offer a more holistic perspective for advancing postharvest pathogen control techniques. Understanding the role of the microbiome in FFV infections is essential for developing sustainable control strategies. This review examines current and emerging approaches to postharvest pathology. It reviews what is known about the initiation and development of infections in FFVs. As a promising concept, the pathobiome offers new insights into the basic mechanisms of microbial infections in FFVs. The underlying mechanisms uncovered by the pathobiome are being used to develop more relevant global antifungal strategies. This review will also focus on new technologies developed to target the microbiome and members of the pathobiome to control infections in FFVs and improve safety by limiting mycotoxin contamination. Specifically, this review stresses emerging technologies related to FFVs that are relevant for modifying the interaction between FFVs and the microbiome and include the use of microbial consortia, the use of genomic technology to manipulate host and microbial community genes, and the use of databases, deep learning, and artificial intelligence to identify pathobiome markers. Other approaches include programming the behavior of FFVs using synthetic biology, modifying the microbiome using sRNA technology, phages, quorum sensing, and quorum quenching strategies. Rapid adoption and commercialization of these technologies are recommended to further improve the overall safety of FFVs.

Analytical performance evaluation of hemoglobin A1c on an ARKRAY HA-8160 analyzer with newly-developed mobile phase buffer.

Background: Most glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) analytical reagents used were obtained from the analyzer's manufacturer. However, clinical laboratories need more choices for HbA1c analytical reagents to overcome the limitations of dedicated reagents for special analyzers. We developed new mobile phase buffers as HbA1c diagnostic reagents and evaluated their analytical performance for the HbA1c assay. Methods: Different mobile phase buffers used as HbA1c diagnostic reagents were prepared using different concentrations of sodium salts. According to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) recommendation guidelines, the analytical performances of the newly developed mobile phase buffers were evaluated on an ARKRAY HA-8160 Analyzer. Both quality controls and clinical blood samples were used in these experiments. To assess the quality of the newly developed mobile phase buffers, precision, accuracy, linearity, carryover, interference, bias, correlation with commercial reagents, and stability were analyzed. Results: The CVs of intra-assay precision and interassay precision of quality control and clinical.There were fewer than 1.00 % blood sample assays using the newly developed mobile phase buffer. The RDs of accuracy were less than 1.00 %. Linearity: R2 = 0.9998 in the concentration range of 4.40%-17.30 %. Carryover: 0.00 %. Reagent comparison revealed that the Pearson regression equation was Y = 0.9884x+0.05692 (R2 = 0.9977), and the Bland-Altman mean difference was -0.02650 % (CI: -0.2121 %-0.1591 %) between the two analytical reagents. Stability was also acceptable within 12 months. This mobile phase buffer showed good anti-interference ability. Conclusion: The newly developed mobile phase buffers demonstrated good analytical performance and were suitable for clinical HbA1c assays on an ARKRAY HA-8160 Analyzer.

Using broadly targeted plant metabolomics technology combined with network pharmacology to explore the mechanism of action of the Yishen Gushu formula in the treatment of Postmenopausal osteoporosis in vivo.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Yishen Gushu Formula (YSGSF) is composed of Epimedium, prepared Rehmannia, Drynaria, Eucommia, Dodder, ginseng, Astragalus, Ligusticum wallichii, Aucklandia and Panax notoginseng. It can improve bone mineral density by regulating bone metabolism. However, the mechanism of YSGSF in the treatment of Postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP) remains unclear. AIM OF THE STUDY: The compounds, targets, and molecular mechanisms of YSGSF in the treatment of PMOP were investigated using broad-spectrum target metabolomics from plants, combined with network pharmacology and animal studies, leading to a discussion on a novel approach to understanding YSGSF's action in PMOP treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole-linear ion trap tandem mass spectrometry(UPLC-QTRAP-MS/MS) within a comprehensive targeted metabolomics framework, the active constituents of YSGSF were identified. This, alongside network pharmacology and molecular docking, facilitated the identification of critical signaling pathways and targets pertinent to YSGSF's therapeutic effect on PMOP. Subsequently, an animal model for PMOP was developed. Following intervention grouping, rats' weight changes were recorded; serum bone metabolic factors were assessed via ELISA; bone microstructure was examined using HE staining and Micro-CT; and key signaling pathway proteins and genes were analyzed through immunohistochemistry to validate YSGSF's potential mechanism in PMOP treatment. RESULTS: A total of 84 main active components of YSGSF were identified. The key signaling pathways affected by YSGSF in the treatment of PMOP were the TNF and IL-7 signaling pathways, closely related to TNF-α, IL-1ß, c-jun and other protein targets. The results of animal experiments showed that YSGSF could downregulate the expression of TNF-a, IL-1ß and c-Jun proinflammatory factors by regulating the TNF and IL-7 signaling pathways and regulate the inflammatory response, osteocyte differentiation and apoptosis to control the development of PMOP. CONCLUSION: YSGSF activates the TNF-α and IL-7 signaling pathways in PMOP rats, reducing TNF-α and IL-1ß levels, the c-Jun inflammatory response, and osteocyte differentiation and apoptosis, thus playing a significant role in treating PMOP.

Comparative proteomics reveals that fatty acid metabolism is involved in myocardial adaptation to chronic hypoxic injury.

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most serious form of heart disease, and chronic hypoxia is the basic physiological process underlying CHD. Some patients with CHD do not undergo surgery, and thus, they remain susceptible to chronic hypoxia, suggesting that some protective mechanism might exist in CHD patients. However, the mechanism underlying myocardial adaptation to chronic hypoxia remains unclear. Proteomics was used to identify the differentially expressed proteins in cardiomyocytes cultured under hypoxia for different durations. Western blotting assays were used to verify protein expression. A Real-Time Cell Analyzer (RTCA) was used to analyze cell growth. In this study, 3881 proteins were identified by proteomics. Subsequent bioinformatics analysis revealed that proteins were enriched in regulating oxidoreductase activity. Functional similarity cluster analyses showed that chronic hypoxia resulted in proteins enrichment in the mitochondrial metabolic pathway. Further KEGG analyses found that the proteins involved in fatty acid metabolism, the TCA cycle and oxidative phosphorylation were markedly upregulated. Moreover, knockdown of CPT1A or ECI1, which is critical for fatty acid degradation, suppressed the growth of cardiomyocytes under chronic hypoxia. The results of our study revealed that chronic hypoxia activates fatty acid metabolism to maintain the growth of cardiomyocytes.

Prenatal High-Sucrose Diet Induced Vascular Dysfunction of Renal Interlobar Arteries in the Offspring via PPARγ-RXRg-ROS/Akt Signaling.

SCOPE: Prenatal nutrition imbalance correlates with developmental origin of cardiovascular diseases; however whether maternal high-sucrose diet (HS) during pregnancy causes vascular damage in renal interlobar arteries (RIA) from offspring still keeps unclear. METHODS AND RESULTS: Pregnant rats are fed with normal drinking water or 20% high-sucrose solution during the whole gestational period. Swollen mitochondria and distributed myofilaments are observed in vascular smooth muscle cells of RIA exposed to prenatal HS. Maternal HS increases phenylephrine (PE)-induced vasoconstriction in the RIA from adult offspring. NG-Nitro-l-arginine (L-Name) causes obvious vascular tension in response to PE in offspring from control group, not in HS. RNA-Seq of RIA is performed to reveal that the gene retinoid X receptor g (RXRg) is significantly decreased in the HS group, which could affect vascular function via interacting with PPARγ pathway. By preincubation of RIA with apocynin (NADPH inhibitor) or capivasertib (Akt inhibitor), the results indicate that ROS and Akt are the vital important factors to affect the vascular function of RIA exposure to prenatal HS. CONCLUSION: Maternal HS during the pregnancy increases PE-mediated vasoconstriction of RIA from adult offspring, which is mainly related to the enhanced Akt and ROS regulated by the weakened PPARγ-RXRg.

Obesity and lipid indices as predictors of depressive symptoms in middle-aged and elderly Chinese: insights from a nationwide cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Depressive symptoms are one of the most common psychiatric disorders, with a high lifetime prevalence rate among middle-aged and elderly Chinese. Obesity may be one of the risk factors for depressive symptoms, but there is currently no consensus on this view. Therefore, we investigate the relationship and predictive ability of 13 obesity- and lipid-related indices with depressive symptoms among middle-aged and elderly Chinese. METHODS: The data were obtained from The China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). Our analysis includes individuals who did not have depressive symptoms at the baseline of the CHARLS Wave 2011 study and were successfully follow-up in 2013 and 2015. Finally, 3790 participants were included in the short-term (from 2011 to 2013), and 3660 participants were included in the long-term (from 2011 to 2015). The average age of participants in short-term and long-term was 58.47 years and 57.88 years. The anthropometric indicators used in this analysis included non-invasive [e.g. waist circumference (WC), body mass index (BMI), and a body mass index (ABSI)], and invasive anthropometric indicators [e.g. lipid accumulation product (LAP), triglyceride glucose index (TyG index), and its-related indices (e.g. TyG-BMI, and TyG-WC)]. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to examine the predictive ability of various indicators for depressive symptoms. The association of depressive symptoms with various indicators was calculated using binary logistic regression. RESULTS: The overall incidence of depressive symptoms was 20.79% in the short-term and 27.43% in the long-term. In males, WC [AUC = 0.452], LAP [AUC = 0.450], and TyG-WC [AUC = 0.451] were weak predictors of depressive symptoms during the short-term (P < 0.05). In females, BMI [AUC = 0.468], LAP [AUC = 0.468], and TyG index [AUC = 0.466] were weak predictors of depressive symptoms during the long-term (P < 0.05). However, ABSI cannot predict depressive symptoms in males and females during both periods (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The research indicates that in the middle-aged and elderly Chinese, most obesity- and lipid-related indices have statistical significance in predicting depressive symptoms, but the accuracy of these indicators in prediction is relatively low and may not be practical predictors.

Four-years change of BMI and waist circumference are associated with metabolic syndrome in middle-aged and elderly Chinese.

The purpose of the study was to determine whether changes in body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) in middle-aged and elderly Chinese are associated with metabolic syndrome. In this cohort investigation, 3697 middle-aged and elderly people aged 45 or over were recruited from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). The National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (2005) defined metabolic syndrome (MetS). With Cox regression analysis, we calculated hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for MetS based on BMI-WC change categories. To assess the prevalence of MetS, the changes in BMI and WC levels were classified into four quartiles based on their relative and absolute changes. In subjects whose BMI and WC decreased (HR = 0.338; 95% CIs 0.264, 0.433) as well as those whose BMI increased and their WC decreased (HR = 0.375; 95% CIs 0.228, 0.499), metabolic syndrome risk was significantly lower compared with those with increases in both BMI and WC. Regarding the absolute changes in BMI, the lowest percentile of BMI was significantly lower in both males (HR = 0.302; 95% CIs 0.204, 0.448) and females (HR = 0.486; 95% CIs 0.354, 0.667) for the risk of metabolic syndrome. Similar results were observed in the absolute changes in WC, with the lowest quantile of WC having a significant impact on MetS risk in males (HR = 0.170; 95% CIs 0.107, 0.270) and females (HR = 0.303; 95% CIs 0.217, 0.424). The risk of metabolic syndrome was significantly associated with changes in BMI and WC in middle-aged and elderly Chinese. A reduced BMI and WC are associated with lower metabolic syndrome risks in middle-aged and elderly people.

Peripheral cutaneous synucleinopathy characteristics in genetic Parkinson's disease.

Background: Cutaneous phosphorylated alpha-synuclein (p-α-syn) deposition is an important biomarker of idiopathic Parkinson's disease (iPD). Recent studies have reported synucleinopathies in patients with common genetic forms of PD. Objective: This study aimed to detect p-α-syn deposition characteristic in rare genetic PD patients with CHCHD2 or RAB39B mutations. Moreover, this study also aimed to describe peripheral alpha-synuclein prion-like activity in genetic PD patients, and acquire whether the cutaneous synucleinopathy characteristics of genetic PD are consistent with central neuropathologies. Methods: We performed four skin biopsy samples from the distal leg (DL) and proximal neck (C7) of 161 participants, including four patients with CHCHD2 mutations, two patients with RAB39B mutations, 16 patients with PRKN mutations, 14 patients with LRRK2 mutations, five patients with GBA mutations, 100 iPD patients, and 20 healthy controls. We detected cutaneous synucleinopathies using immunofluorescence staining and a seeding amplification assay (SAA). A systematic literature review was also conducted, involving 64 skin biopsies and 205 autopsies of genetic PD patients with synucleinopathy. Results: P-α-syn was deposited in the peripheral cutaneous nerves of PD patients with CHCHD2, LRRK2, or GBA mutations but not in those with RAB39B or PRKN mutations. There were no significant differences in the location or rate of α-syn-positive deposits between genetic PD and iPD patients. Peripheral cutaneous synucleinopathy appears to well represent brain synucleinopathy of genetic PD, especially autosomal dominant PD (AD-PD). Cutaneous α-synuclein SAA analysis of iPD and LRRK2 and GBA mutation patients revealed prion-like activity. Conclusion: P-α-syn deposition in peripheral cutaneous nerves, detected using SAA and immunofluorescence staining, may serve as an accurate biomarker for genetic PD and iPD in the future.

The value of cardiopulmonary comorbidity in patients with acute large vessel occlusion stroke undergoing endovascular thrombectomy: a retrospective, observational cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Chronic lung and heart diseases are more likely to lead an intensive end point after stroke onset. We aimed to investigate characteristics and outcomes of endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) in patients with acute large vessel occlusion stroke (ALVOS) and identify the role of comorbid chronic cardiopulmonary diseases in ALVOS pathogenesis. METHODS: In this single-center retrospective study, 191 consecutive patients who underwent EVT due to large vessel occlusion stroke in neurological intensive care unit were included. The chronic cardiopulmonary comorbidities and several conventional stroke risk factors were assessed. The primary efficacy outcome was functional independence (defined as a mRS of 0 to 2) at day 90. The primary safety outcomes were death within 90 days and the occurrence of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage(sICH). Univariate analysis was applied to evaluate the relationship between factors and clinical outcomes, and logistic regression model were developed to predict the prognosis of ALVOS. RESULTS: Endovascular therapy in ALVOS patients with chronic cardiopulmonary diseases, as compared with those without comorbidity, was associated with an unfavorable shift in the NHISS 24 h after EVT [8(4,15.25) versus 12(7.5,18.5), P = 0.005] and the lower percentage of patients who were functionally independent at 90 days, defined as a score on the modified Rankin scale of 0 to 2 (51.6% versus 25.4%, P = 0.000). There was no significant between-group difference in the frequency of mortality (12.1% versus 14.9%, P = 0.580) and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (13.7% versus 19.4%, P = 0.302) or of serious adverse events. Moreover, a prediction model showed that existence of cardiopulmonary comorbidities (OR = 0.456, 95%CI 0.209 to 0.992, P = 0.048) was independently associated with functional independence at day 90. CONCLUSIONS: EVT was safe in ALVOS patients with chronic cardiopulmonary diseases, whereas the unfavorable outcomes were achieved in such patients. Moreover, cardiopulmonary comorbidity had certain clinical predictive value for worse stroke prognosis.

Eco-friendly multifunctional coating for polyester-cotton blended fabrics with superior flame retardancy and antibacterial properties.

Since the fire hazards of polyester-cotton blended (PTCO) fabrics and the hidden dangers of bacterial infection concerns caused by the contained cotton fiber, the design of flame retardant and antibacterial PTCO fabrics has received considerable attention. In this work, flame-retardant PTCO fabrics with satisfactory antibacterial properties were fabricated via a convenient and eco-friendly impregnation treatment involving guanidine phosphate (GP) and polyethylenimine (PEI). The prepared PTCO fabrics demonstrated excellent flame retardancy with a high limiting oxygen index value of 30.5 % and self-extinguishing capability, the damaged length was only 34 mm in the vertical flammability test. Furthermore, the peak heat release rate and the total heat release of coated PTCO fabrics were reduced significantly by 49 % and 38 %, respectively, indicating a substantial enhancement in fire safety. According to the analysis of the char residues and volatiles, GP presented great catalytic carbonization property, and PEI assisted the formation of the dense and stable carbon layer. The stable carbon layer effectively restricted mass and oxygen transfer between the PTCO fabrics and the environment. In addition, the introduction of PEI also produced more nonflammable gases to enhance the flame retardancy of the PTCO fabrics. Importantly, the GP/PEI coating barely deteriorate the physical and mechanical properties of the PTCO fabrics. The antibacterial rate of the GP/PEI-coated PTCO fabrics against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus was 99.99 %, similar to that of GP-coated fabrics, indicating the efficacy antibacterial properties of GP, and the addition of PEI did not compromise the antibacterial properties of GP. This work offers an efficient and simple approach to producing multifunctional PTCO fabrics with excellent flame retardancy and antibacterial properties, which are hopeful to expand the promising application of PTCO fabrics.

Optimal obesity- and lipid-related indices for predicting type 2 diabetes in middle-aged and elderly Chinese.

To investigate the screening and predicting functions of obesity- and lipid-related indices for type 2 diabetes (T2D) in middle-aged and elderly Chinese, as well as the ideal predicted cut-off value. This study's data comes from the 2011 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). A cross-sectional study design was used to investigate the relationship of T2D and 13 obesity- and lipid-related indices, including body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-height ratio (WHtR), visceral adiposity index (VAI), a body shape index (ABSI), body roundness index (BRI), lipid accumulation product (LAP), conicity index (CI), Chinese visceral adiposity index (CVAI), triglyceride- glucose index (TyG index) and its correlation index (TyG-BMI, TyG-WC, TyG-WHtR). The unadjusted and adjusted correlations between 13 indices and T2D were assessed using binary logistic regression analysis. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was used to determine the usefulness of anthropometric indices for screening for T2D and determining their cut­off value, sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve (AUC). The study comprised 9488 people aged 45 years or above in total, of whom 4354 (45.89%) were males and 5134 (54.11%) were females. Among them were 716 male cases of T2D (16.44%) and 870 female cases of T2D (16.95%). A total of 13 obesity- and lipid-related indices were independently associated with T2D risk after adjusted for confounding factors (P < 0.05). According to ROC analysis, the TyG index was the best predictor of T2D among males (AUC = 0.780, 95% CI 0.761, 0.799) and females (AUC = 0.782, 95% CI 0.764, 0.799). The AUC values of the 13 indicators were higher than 0.5, indicating that they have predictive values for T2D in middle-aged and elderly Chinese. The 13 obesity- and lipid-related indices can predict the risk of T2D in middle­aged and elderly Chinese. Among 13 indicators, the TyG index is the best predictor of T2D in both males and females. TyG-WC, TyG-BMI, TyG-WHtR, LAP, and CVAI all outperformed BMI, WC, and WHtR in predicting T2D.

Unraveling the Complexity of REM Microstates: Insights from Nonlinear EEG Analysis.

While rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is conventionally treated as a unified state, it comprises two distinct microstates: phasic and tonic REM. Recent research emphasizes the importance of understanding the interplay between these microstates, hypothesizing their role in transient shifts between sensory detachment and external awareness. Previous studies primarily employed linear metrics to probe cognitive states, such as oscillatory power, while in this study, we adopt Lempel-Ziv Complexity (LZC), to examine the nonlinear features of electroencephalographic (EEG) data from the REM microstates and to gain complementary insights into neural dynamics during REM sleep. Our findings demonstrate a noteworthy reduction in LZC during phasic REM compared to tonic REM states, signifying diminished EEG complexity in the former. Additionally, we noted a negative correlation between decreased LZC and delta band power, along with a positive correlation with alpha band power. This study highlights the potential of nonlinear EEG metrics, particularly LZC, in elucidating the distinct features of REM microstates. Overall, this research contributes to advancing our understanding of the complex dynamics within REM sleep and opens new avenues for exploring its implications in both clinical and non-clinical contexts.

Psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Hypertension Belief Assessment Tool.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension is prevalent in China. Hypertensive patients suffer from many health problems in life. Hypertension is a common chronic disease with long-term and lifelong characteristics. In the long run, the existence of chronic diseases will affect the patient's own health beliefs. However, people's health beliefs about Hypertension are not explicit. Therefore, it is vital to find a suitable instrument to comprehend and improve the health beliefs of hypertensive patients, thus, better control of blood pressure and improvement of patient's quality of life are now crucial issues. This study aimed to translate the Hypertension Belief Assessment Tool (HBAT) into Chinese and examine the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Hypertension Belief Assessment Tool in hypertensive patients. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study. We translated the HBAT into Chinese and tested the reliability and validity of the Chinese version among 325 hypertensive patients. RESULTS: The Chinese version of the scale contains 21 items. The Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) revealed six factors and explained 77.898% of the total variation. A six-factor model eventually showed acceptable fit indices in the Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). With modified Confirmatory Factor Analysis, the fit indices were Chi-square/Degree of Freedom (CMIN/DF) = 2.491, Comparative Fit Index (CFI) = 0.952, Incremental Fit Index (IFI) = 0.952, Root-mean-square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) = 0.068, Tucker Lewis Index (TLI) = 0.941. The HBAT exhibits high internal consistency reliability (0.803), and the scale has good discriminant validity. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that the HBAT is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing the beliefs of Chinese hypertensive patients.

Efforts to promote osteogenesis-angiogenesis coupling for bone tissue engineering.

Repair of bone defects exceeding a critical size has been always a big challenge in clinical practice. Tissue engineering has exhibited great potential to effectively repair the defects with less adverse effect than traditional bone grafts, during which how to induce vascularized bone formation has been recognized as a critical issue. Therefore, recently many studies have been launched to attempt to promote osteogenesis-angiogenesis coupling. This review summarized comprehensively and explored in depth current efforts to ameliorate the coupling of osteogenesis and angiogenesis from four aspects, namely the optimization of scaffold components, modification of scaffold structures, loading strategies for bioactive substances, and employment tricks for appropriate cells. Especially, the advantages and the possible reasons for every strategy, as well as the challenges, were elaborated. Furthermore, some promising research directions were proposed based on an in-depth analysis of the current research. This paper will hopefully spark new ideas and approaches for more efficiently boosting new vascularized bone formations.

Green manufacturing of a hypoxanthine enzyme sensor for fish freshness based on modified nitrocellulose surface with chito-oligosaccharide.

Hypoxanthine (Hx), produced by adenosine triphosphate (ATP) metabolism, is a valuable indicator that determines the quality and degradation status of meat products and is also an important biochemical marker to certain diseases such as gout. The rapid emergence of paper-based enzyme biosensors has already revolutionized its on-site determination. But it is still limited by the complex patterning and fabrication, unstable enzyme and uneven coloration. This work aims to develop an eco-friendly method to construct engineered paper microfluidic, which seeks to produce reaction and non-reaction zones without any patterning procedure. Chito-oligosaccharide (COS), derived from shrimp shells, was used to modify nitrocellulose membranes and immobilize xanthine oxidase (XOD) and chromogenic agent of nitro blue tetrazolium chloride (NBT). After modification, micro fluids could converge into the modification area and Hx could be detected by XOD-catalyzed conversion. Due to the positively charged cationic basic properties of COS, the enzyme storage stability and the color homogeneity could be greatly strengthened through the electrostatic attraction between COS and XOD and formazan product. The detection limit (LOD) is 2.30 µM; the linear range is 0.05-0.35 mM; the complete test time can be as short as 5 min. The COS-based biosensor shows high specificity and can be used directly for Hx in complex samples such as fish and shrimp samples, and different broths. This biosensor is eco-friendly, nontechnical, economical and therefore a compelling platform for on-site or home-based detection of food freshness.

Surgical treatment improves overall survival of hepatocellular carcinoma with extrahepatic metastases after conversion therapy: a multicenter retrospective study.

Systemic therapy is typically the primary treatment choice for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with extrahepatic metastases. Some patients may achieve partial response (PR) or complete response (CR) with systemic treatment, leading to the possibility of their primary tumor becoming resectable. This study aimed to investigate whether these patients could achieve longer survival through surgical resection of their primary tumor. We retrospectively collected data from 150 HCC patients with extrahepatic metastases treated at 15 different centers from January 1st, 2015, to November 30th, 2022. We evaluated their overall survival (OS) and progress-free survival (PFS) and analyzed risk factors impacting both OS and PFS were analyzed. Patients who received surgical treatment had longer OS compared to those who did not (median OS 16.5 months vs. 11.3 months). However, there was no significant difference in progression-free survival between the two groups. Portal vein invasion (P = 0.025) was identified as a risk factor for poor prognosis in patients, while effective first-line treatment (P = 0.039) and surgical treatment (P = 0.005) were protective factors. No factors showed statistical significance in the analysis of PFS. Effective first-line treatment (P = 0.027) and surgical treatment (P = 0.006) were both independent protective factors for prolonging patient prognosis, while portal vein invasion was an independent risk factor (P = 0.044). HCC patients with extrahepatic metastases who achieve PR/CR with conversion therapy may experience longer OS through surgical treatment. This study is the first to analyze the clinical outcomes of patients receiving surgical treatment for HCC with extrahepatic metastases.

Effects of sleep-disordered breathing on serum lipid levels in children:a case control study.

BACKGROUND: Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) during childhood is common and includes a range of breathing abnormalities that range from primary snoring (PS) to obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS).Studies have shown that not only OSAS, but also PS, which is originally considered harmless, could cause cardiovascular, cognitive, behavioral, and psychosocial problems. Many researches are focused on the relation of OSA and serum lipid levels. However, little studies are focused on PS and serum lipid levels in children.We evaluated whether serum lipid (total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C),low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C)) concentrations were associated with specific components of SDB, including indices of oxygen reduction index, lowest oxygen saturation, mean oxygen saturation. And we explored whether serum lipid levels were associated with different degree sleep disordered (PS and OSA group) and obese. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study. Children who were complained by their guardians with habitual snoring and(or) mouth breathing were collected in the SDB group. Normal children without sleep problem were matched in the control group. Subjects in the SDB group underwent polysomnography. The serum lipid profiles of all the children included TC, TG, HDL-C and LDL-C concentrations were measured by appropriate enzymatic assays. RESULTS: A total of 241 with Apnea/Hypopnea Index ≥ 5 (AHI) were assigned to the OSAS group and the remaining 155 with normal AHI were assigned to the PS group. The values of TC, TG, LDL-C and LDL/HDL were significantly higher in the OSAS group than in the PS group, and the values in the PS group were significantly higher than the control group. Multiple regression analysis revealed serum TG only correlated negatively with lowest oxygen saturation. Body mass index-z score has a positive effect on TG in all the 1310 children (P = 0.031) and in SDB 396 children(P = 0.012). The level of serum TG in obese group was significantly higher than that in non-obese group. CONCLUSIONS: SDB had a very obvious effect on blood lipids, whereas PS without apnea and hypoxia. Obese only affects the aggregation of TG. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ChiCTR1900026807(2019.10.23).

Independent and interactive associations of heart rate and obesity with type 2 diabetes mellites: A population-based study.

BACKGROUND: Although obesity and heart rate (HR) were closely related to the prevalence and development of type 2 diabetes mllitus (T2DM), few studies have shown a co-association effect of them on T2DM. We aimed at assessing the interactive effects of HR and obesity with prevalence of T2DM in Chinese population, providing the exact cutpoint of the risk threshold for blood glucose with high HR. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the Risk Evaluation of cAncers in Chinese diabeTic Individuals: a lONgitudinal study (REACTION) cohorts (N = 8398), the relationship between HR and T2DM was explored by linear regression, logistic regression, and restricted cubic spline, and odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Interaction terms between HR and body mass index (BMI) and HR and waist circumference (WC) were introduced into the logistic regression model. RESULTS: In those with HR > 88.0 beats/min, fasting plasma glucose and oral glucose tolerance tests were significantly correlated with HR, and the prevalence of T2DM was highly correlated with HR (all p < .05). There were interactive associations of HR and obesity in patients with T2DM with HR < 74 beats/min. CONCLUSION: High HR was in interaction with obesity, associating with prevalence of T2DM. The newly subdivided risk threshold for HR with T2DM might be HR > 88 beats/minute.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Rhipicephalus haemaphysaloides and its phylogenetic analysis.

We conducted an analysis of the complete mitochondrial genome of Rhipicephalus haemaphysaloides, a tick species known for transmitting various bacteria and viruses. The mitochondrial genome of R. haemaphysaloides has a length of 14,739 bp and consists of 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA genes (tRNAs), 2 ribosomal RNA genes (rRNAs), and 2 control regions. By utilizing the maximum likelihood method, we established the phylogenetic relationship among R. haemaphysaloides and other species within the Rhipicephalus genus of the Ixodidae family. This analysis revealed that R. haemaphysaloides and other Rhipicephalus species belong to the same clade, further affirming the taxonomic placement of R. haemaphysaloides within the Rhipicephalus genus. Furthermore, we compared the mitochondrial genomes of R. haemaphysaloides isolates from Changning, Yunnan Province, China, with isolates from Yangxin, Ganzhou, and Yingtan, Hubei Province, China. In summary, our investigation offers genetic proof endorsing the taxonomic categorization and phylogenetic placement of Ixodidae by assessing the entire mitochondrial genome of R. haemaphysaloides.

First Report of Paramyrothecium breviseta Causing Target Spot on Amorphophallus muelleri in Yunnan, China.

Amorphophallus muelleri is an Araceae plant with perennial tuber, widely used in food, pharmaceutical and chemical industry due to its richness in glucomannan. In April 2022, an outbreak of a target spot on A. muelleri plantlets was observed in a nursery in Ruili, Yunnan, China. The leafstalks of the diseased plantlets in the nursery turned brown and decayed (Fig.1 A-B), then gradually some water-soaked spots on the true leaves developed along the veins (Fig.1 A). Subquencely, the spots on the true leaves turned dark green to white-grayish in the center, which formed light to dark brown concentric rings with a target-like appearance surrounded by a yellow halo (Fig.1 C). When the temperature was 20-34℃ and the relatively humidity was 25-80%, dark-green to black sporodochia with white hypha appeared on the lower and upper leaf surfaces. Finally, 5-8% of the plants surveyed on 800 m2 of one-year-old plantlets in the nursery showed the symptoms and some plants with infected leafstalks would be death. Similar symptoms were also observed on about 10% of the transplanted plants surveyed on 12000 m2 (1.2 ha) of two-year-old plantlets in the field. Five diseased leaves from five distinct plantlets in the nursery were collected for pathogen isolation. Leaf pieces(5 x 5 mm) were cut from the edge of necrotic lesions, and surface-sterilized with 2.5% sodium hypochlorite for 1 min, 75% ethanol for 30 s, then rinsed 5 times by sterilized distilled water, finally put the leaf pieces on sterilized filter paper for 3-5 minutes to dry them and transferred onto potato dextrose agar (PDA) in petri dishes at 25℃ for three days. Five pure cultures identical to colony and conidial characteristics were isolated from five individual plants. The representative pure culture (M1) was grayish-white and circular colonies were 7.50 cm in diamter after 15 days at 25℃, with dark green concentric rings of sporodochia, the dorsal view of the colonies were yellowish. Conidia were aseptate, smooth, cylindrical, 5.00-6.25 (5.71) x 1.25-1.67 (1.63) µm (n = 20) rounded at both ends. A spore suspension (1 x 106 spores/ml) was prepared by harvesting spores from 15-day-old cultures grown in the dark at 25℃, then a thirty-ml of spore suspension was sprayed on the healthy leaves of 10 two-year-old plantlets. Thirty-ml of sterile water was sprayed on the healthy leaves of another 10 seedlings and used as the control. All seedlings were placed in a nursery at 20 to 34℃ and a relative humidity of 25 to 80%. Similar symptoms (Fig.1 D-F) to those observed in the nursery and field developed on all the 10 seedlings inoculated with M1 after two days, but not on the control leaves. The pathogenicity tests were repeated for three times. Fungal cultures reisolated from the infected leaves were identical to the original colonies and conidia, completing Koch's postulates. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS, primers ITS1 and ITS4) region of ribosomal DNA (OQ553785), calmodulin (cmdA, primers CAL-228F and CAL2Rd)(OQ559103), RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (rpb2, primers RPB2-5F2 and RPB2-7cR) (OQ559104) and ß-tubulin (tub2, primers Bt2a and Bt2b) (OQ559105) of M1 had 100%, 98.52%, 98.98% and 98.98% identity with the sequences of Paramyrothecium breviseta CBS544.75 (KU846289 for ITS, KU846262 for cmdA, KU846351 for rpb2, and KU846406 for tub2), respectively. In the phylogenic tree based on ITS, cmdA, rpb2 and tub2 gene sequences, the pure culture M1 clustered with P. breviseta CBS544.75, SDBR-CMU387, DRL4 and DRL3, which has been reported as the pathogen of leaf spot of Coffea arabica in China, C. canephora in China and Thailand (Wu et al. 2021; Withee et al. 2022). Molecular and morphological observations showed the pure culture M1 were P. breviseta (Withee et al. 2022), in addition the disease was named as target spot dueing to the typical target symptom on the leaves. To our knowledge, this is the first report of P. breviseta on A. muelleri from Yunnan, China, as well as worldwide. This disease can caused serious economic losses of A. muelleri dueing to that it can result 5-8% death of the plants in the nursery.