Forecasting cardiovascular disease risk and burden in China from 2020 to 2030: a simulation study based on a nationwide cohort.

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains a significant public health challenge in China. This study aimed to project the burden of CVD from 2020 to 2030 using a nationwide cohort and to simulate the potential impact of various control measures on morbidity and mortality.

Methods: An agent-based model was employed to simulate annual CVD incidence and mortality from 2021 to 2030.

Ultrasonic renal length as an indicator of renal fibrosis severity in non-diabetic patients with chronic kidney disease.

Background: Debate continues regarding the potential of the ultrasonic renal length to serve as an indicator for evaluating the advancement of renal fibrosis in chronic kidney disease (CKD). This study investigates the independent association between renal length and renal fibrosis in non-diabetic CKD patients and assesses its diagnostic performance.

Methods: From April 2019 to December 2021, 144 non-diabetic patients diagnosed with CKD who underwent a renal ultrasound examination and kidney biopsy were prospectively enrolled.

Healable, Recyclable, and Ultra-Tough Waterborne Polyurethane Elastomer Achieved through High-Density Hydrogen Bonding Cross-Linking Strategy.

With the increasing popularity of elastomers in industry and daily life, their high performance and functionality have attracted widespread attention. However, it is a great challenge for them to possess both high mechanical properties and excellent healing and recovery capabilities due to the limitations of the preparation methods and the intrinsic microstructure of the elastomers. In this study, a strategy of ice-controlled interfacial stepwise cross-linking was proposed to prepare the waterborne polyurethane-based elastomers with ultrahigh-density hydrogen bonding interaction achieved by enhancing the utilization rate of phenol hydroxyl groups of tannic acid to the maximum extent.

Association of long-term exposure to ozone with cardiovascular mortality and its metabolic mediators: evidence from a nationwide, population-based, prospective cohort study.

Background: Previous studies about chronic effects of ozone (O) on cardiovascular mortality are scarce and inconclusive. We aimed to investigate the association between cardiovascular mortality and a broad range of long-term O exposure levels.

Methods: This analysis included 3,206,871 participants aged 35-75 years enrolled in the ChinaHEART study.

A Multi-Layer Multi-Pass Weld Bead Cross-Section Morphology Extraction Method Based on Row-Column Grayscale Segmentation.

In the field of welding detection, weld bead cross-section morphology serves as a crucial indicator for analyzing welding quality. However, the extraction of weld bead cross-section morphology often relies on manual extraction based on human expertise, which can be limited in consistency and operational efficiency. To address this issue, this paper proposes a multi-layer multi-pass weld bead cross-section morphology extraction method based on row-column grayscale segmentation.

Genetically Expressed RNA Strand Displacement for Cellular Manipulation.

Nucleic acid strand displacement is a pivotal concept in dynamic nucleic acid nanotechnologies, which has been extensively investigated and applied across various fields. Compared with DNA systems, the genetically expressed RNA strand displacement technology offers unique advantages for construction of genetic circuits in living cells, where RNA expression and modulation may be seamlessly integrated into the genomic network for long-term and stable regulations of diversified biological functionalities. This Concept paper provides an overview of previous efforts on developments of synthetic gene circuits through utilization of RNA strand displacement, including our endeavors in this field.

Development and validation of a risk prediction model for short-term progression of carotid atherosclerosis among early middle age adults.

Aim: We aimed at creating and validating a prognostic model incorporating easily accessible clinical and laboratory parameters to forecast the likelihood of short-term progression of carotid atherosclerosis.

Methods: A prediction model was developed and validated for carotid plaque progression within 2 years in an early middle-age population in China. Progression was defined as the new appearance of carotid plaque or stenosis among participants who had normal carotid status at baseline.

TAOK1-mediated regulation of the YAP/TEAD pathway as a potential therapeutic target in heart failure.

Background: This study aimed to determine the roles of interleukin (IL)-17, TAO kinase 1 (TAOK1), and NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) in cardiomyocyte pyroptosis and proliferation.

Methods: The IL-17-treated H9C2 cells were used as in vitro heart failure (HF) models. These cells were subjected to TAOK1 overexpression or knockdown and treated with BMS-986299 (NLRP3 inflammasome agonist), MCC950 (NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitor), or verteporfin (Yes-associated protein [YAP] inhibitor).

The relationship between dietary intake of live microbes and insulin resistance among healthy adults in the US: a cross-sectional study from NHANES 2003-2020.

Dietary intake of live microbes may benefit human health, but less is known about the role in insulin resistance. This study was developed with the goal of evaluating potential relationships between IR and dietary live microbes. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) dataset was leveraged to collect data from 6,333 subjects 18 + years of age.

Building RNA-Mediated Artificial Signaling Pathways between Endogenous Genes.

ConspectusSophisticated genetic networks play a pivotal role in orchestrating cellular responses through intricate signaling pathways across diverse environmental conditions. Beyond the inherent complexity of natural cellular signaling networks, the construction of artificial signaling pathways (ASPs) introduces a vast array of possibilities for reshaping cellular responses, enabling programmable control of living organisms. ASPs can be integrated with existing cellular networks and redirect output responses as desired, allowing seamless communication and coordination with other cellular processes, thereby achieving designable transduction within cells.

Effects of and Moluodan on the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in mice with precancerous gastric cancer lesions.

Background: () is the primary risk factor for gastric cancer (GC), the Wnt/β-Catenin signaling pathway is closely linked to tumourigenesis. GC has a high mortality rate and treatment cost, and there are no drugs to prevent the progression of gastric precancerous lesions to GC. Therefore, it is necessary to find a novel drug that is inexpensive and preventive to against GC.

Design and rationale of the Comprehensive intelligent Hypertension managEment SyStem (CHESS) evaluation study: A cluster randomized controlled trial for hypertension management in primary care.

Background: Hypertension management in China is suboptimal with high prevalence and low control rate due to various barriers, including lack of self-management awareness of patients and inadequate capacity of physicians. Digital therapeutic interventions including mobile health and computational device algorithms such as clinical decision support systems (CDSS) are scalable with the potential to improve blood pressure (BP) management and strengthen the healthcare system in resource-constrained areas, yet their effectiveness remains to be tested. The aim of this report is to describe the protocol of the Comprehensive intelligent Hypertension managEment SyStem (CHESS) evaluation study assessing the effect of a multifaceted hypertension management system for supporting patients and physicians on BP lowering in primary care settings.

Chemically Cross-Linked Hammerhead Ribozyme as an Efficient RNA Interference Tool.

RNA-cleaving ribozymes are promising candidates as general tools of RNA interference (RNAi) in gene manipulation. However, compared with other RNA systems, such as siRNA and CRISPR technologies, the ribozyme tools are still far from broad applications on RNAi due to their poor performance in the cellular context. In this work, we report an efficient RNAi tool based on chemically modified hammerhead ribozyme (HHR).

Harnessing Catalytic RNA Circuits for Construction of Artificial Signaling Pathways in Mammalian Cells.

Engineering of genetic networks with artificial signaling pathways (ASPs) can reprogram cellular responses and phenotypes under different circumstances for a variety of diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. However, construction of ASPs between originally independent endogenous genes in mammalian cells is highly challenging. Here we report an amplifiable RNA circuit that can theoretically build regulatory connections between any endogenous genes in mammalian cells.

Sociodemographic Factors, Leisure-Time Physical Activity and Mortality.

Introduction: Exploring sociodemographic effect modification is important to provide evidence for developing targeted recommendations and reducing health inequalities. This study evaluated how sociodemographic factors including age, sex, race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status (SES) modify the association between leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) and all-cause and major cause-specific mortality.

Methods: The study sample included 471,992 people from the 1997-2018 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) and 41,830 people from the 1999-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

Influence of Socioeconomic Gender Inequality on Sex Disparities in Prevention and Outcome of Cardiovascular Disease: Data From a Nationwide Population Cohort in China.

Background Knowledge gaps remain in how gender-related socioeconomic inequality affects sex disparities in cardiovascular diseases (CVD) prevention and outcome. Methods and Results Based on a nationwide population cohort, we enrolled 3 737 036 residents aged 35 to 75 years (2014-2021). Age-standardized sex differences and the effect of gender-related socioeconomic inequality (Gender Inequality Index) on sex disparities were explored in 9 CVD prevention indicators.

Autophagy-amplifying nanoparticles evoke immunogenic cell death combined with anti-PD-1/PD-L1 for residual tumors immunotherapy after RFA.

Incomplete radiofrequency ablation (IRFA) triggers mild protective autophagy in residual tumor cells and results in an immunosuppressive microenvironment. This accelerates the recurrence of residual tumors and causes resistance to anti-PD-1/PDL1 therapy, which bringing a great clinical challenge in residual tumors immunotherapy. Mild autophagy activation can promote cancer cell survival while further amplification of autophagy contributes to immunogenic cell death (ICD).

Precise localization of microvascular invasion in hepatocellular carcinoma based on three-dimensional histology-MR image fusion: an experimental study.

Background: Microvascular invasion (MVI) is an independent risk factor for postoperative recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, MVI cannot be detected by conventional imaging. To localize MVI precisely on magnetic resonance (MR) images, we evaluated the feasibility and accuracy of 3-dimensional (3D) histology-MR image fusion of the liver.

Educational inequalities in mortality and their mediators among generations across four decades: nationwide, population based, prospective cohort study based on the ChinaHEART project.

Objectives: To assess the different educational inequalities in mortality among generations born between 1940 and 1979 in China, and to investigate the role of socioeconomic, behavioural, and metabolic factors as potential contributors to the reduction of educational inequalities.

Design: Nationwide, population based, prospective cohort study.

Setting: The ChinaHEART (China Health Evaluation And risk Reduction through nationwide Teamwork) project in all 31 provinces in the mainland of China.

Establishing artificial gene connections through RNA displacement-assembly-controlled CRISPR/Cas9 function.

Construction of synthetic circuits that can reprogram genetic networks and signal pathways is a long-term goal for manipulation of biosystems. However, it is still highly challenging to build artificial genetic communications among endogenous RNA species due to their sequence independence and structural diversities. Here we report an RNA-based synthetic circuit that can establish regulatory linkages between expression of endogenous genes in both Escherichiacoli and mammalian cells.