Body mass index and waist-to-height ratio effect on mortality in non-alcoholic fatty liver: revisiting the obesity paradox.

Purpose: Emerging research indicates that individuals with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) who carry excess weight have similar or even higher survival rates than their normal-weight counterparts. This puzzling "obesity paradox" may be attributed to underlying biases. To explore this phenomenon, we examined data extracted from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) III, which spanned from 1988-1994.

Natural History and Prognosis of Chronic Hepatitis B Patients in the Indeterminate Phase.

Background And Aims: In chronic hepatitis B (CHB), an indeterminate phase exists outside the typical predefined phases. Our study investigates this indeterminate phase's natural history and prognosis, focusing on antiviral treatment outcomes.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study to compare the risk of transitioning to immune active phase between inactive and indeterminate CHB and the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cirrhosis between untreated patients with indeterminate CHB (at baseline and throughout follow-up) and those who received treatment, following standard AASLD 2018 guidance.

The fibrosis investigating navigator in diabetes (FIND): A tool to predict liver fibrosis risk in subjects with diabetes.

Background: Type 2 diabetes increases the risk of cirrhosis and liver cancer. Noninvasive and early assessment of liver fibrosis is essential. We aimed to develop a score to aid in the initial assessment of liver fibrosis in the diabetic population.

Increased accumulation of fatty acids in engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae by co-overexpression of interorganelle tethering protein and lipases.

Fatty acids (FAs) and their derivatives are versatile chemicals widely used in various industries. Synthetic biology, using microbial cell factories, emerges as a promising alternative technology for FA production. To enhance the production capacity of these microbial chassis, additional engineering strategies are imperative.

Crucial amino acids identified in Δ12 fatty acid desaturases related to linoleic acid production in .

Perilla oil from the medicinal crop possess a wide range of biological activities and is generally used as an edible oil in many countries. The molecular basis for its formation is of particular relevance to perilla and its breeders. Here in the present study, four genes were identified in different perilla cultivars, PF40 and PF70, with distinct oil content levels, respectively.

Microbial production of 5--jinkoheremol, a plant-derived antifungal sesquiterpene.

Synthetic biology using microbial chassis is emerging as a powerful tool for the production of natural chemicals. In the present study, we constructed a microbial platform for the high-level production of a sesquiterpene from , 5--jinkoheremol, which exhibits strong fungicidal activity. First, the mevalonate and sterol biosynthesis pathways were optimized in engineered yeast to increase the metabolic flux toward the biosynthesis of the precursor farnesyl pyrophosphate.

Effects of Drought Stress on Photosynthesis and Chlorophyll Fluorescence in Blue Honeysuckle.

Blue honeysuckle ( L.) is a deciduous shrub with perennial rootstock found in China. The objectives of this study were to explore the drought tolerance of blue honeysuckle, determine the effect of drought stress on two photosystems, and examine the mechanism of acquired drought tolerance.

Lattice Manipulation with Di-Tertiary Ammonium Spacer in Bismuth Bromide Perovskite Directs Efficient Charge Transport and Suppressed Ion Migration for Photodetector Applications.

Bismuth halide hybrid perovskites have emerged as promising alternatives to their lead halide homologs because of high chemical stability, low toxicity, and structural diversity. However, their advancements in optoelectronic field are plagued with poor charge transport, due to considerable microstrain triggered by bulky spacer. Herein, the di-tertiary ammonium spacer (N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-1,4-butanediammonium, TMBD) is explored to direct stable 1D bismuth bromide lattice structure with relaxed microstrain.

Prognostic significance of dynamic changes in liver stiffness measurement in patients with chronic hepatitis B and compensated advanced chronic liver disease.

Background And Aim: Liver stiffness measurements (LSMs) are promising for monitoring disease progression or regression. We assessed the prognostic significance of dynamic changes in LSM over time on liver-related events (LREs) and death in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and compensated advanced chronic liver disease (cACLD).

Methods: This retrospective study included 1272 patients with CHB and cACLD who underwent at least two measurements, including LSM and fibrosis score based on four factors (FIB-4).

Proton pump inhibitor use is associated with increased liver steatosis.

Despite proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) being generally safe, there are questions about their potential long-term complications. The present study aimed to investigate the association between PPI therapy and the incidence of hepatic steatosis and liver fibrosis in the outpatient population of the United States. The present study included 7,395 individuals aged ≥20 years who underwent hepatic vibration-controlled transient elastography (VCTE) examination.

The steatosis-associated fibrosis estimator (SAFE) outperformed the FIB-4 score in screening the population for liver disease.

Introduction And Objectives: Assessing fibrosis risk noninvasively is essential. The steatosis-associated fibrosis estimator (SAFE) score shows promise but needs validation.

Patients And Methods: This was a three-part study.

Prediction model of early recurrence of multimodal hepatocellular carcinoma with tensor fusion.

In oncology, clinical decision-making relies on a multitude of data modalities, including histopathological, radiological, and clinical factors. Despite the emergence of computer-aided multimodal decision-making systems for predicting hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence post-hepatectomy, existing models often employ simplistic feature-level concatenation, leading to redundancy and suboptimal performance. Moreover, these models frequently lack effective integration with clinically relevant data and encounter challenges in integrating diverse scales and dimensions, as well as incorporating the liver background, which holds clinical significance but has been previously overlooked.

Bulk Photovoltaic Effect in Polar 3D Perovskitoid Enables Self-Powered Polarization-Sensitive Photodetection.

The family of polar hybrid perovskites, in which bulk photovoltaic effects (BPVEs) drive steady photocurrent without bias voltage, have shown promising potentials in self-powered polarization-sensitive photodetection. However, reports of BPVEs in 3D perovskites remain scare, being mainly hindered by the limited dipole moment or lack of symmetry breaking. Herein, a polar 3D perovskitoid, (BDA)PbBr (BDA = NHCHNH), where the spontaneous polarization (P)-induced BPVE drives self-powered photodetection of polarized-light is reported.

The microbial biosynthesis of noncanonical terpenoids.

Terpenoids are a class of structurally complex, naturally occurring compounds found predominantly in plant, animal, and microorganism secondary metabolites. Classical terpenoids typically have carbon atoms in multiples of five and follow well-defined carbon skeletons, whereas noncanonical terpenoids deviate from these patterns. These noncanonical terpenoids often result from the methyltransferase-catalyzed methylation modification of substrate units, leading to irregular carbon skeletons.

Upregulation of TRPC1 in microglia promotes neutrophil infiltration after ischemic stroke.

Neutrophil infiltration has been linked to worse clinical outcomes after ischemic stroke. Microglia, a key type of immune-competent cell, engage in cross-talk with the infiltrating immune cells in the inflamed brain area, yet the molecular mechanisms involved remain largely unexplored. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms of how canonical transient receptor potential 1 (TRPC1) modulated neutrophil infiltration in male mouse cerebral ischemia and reperfusion injury (CIRI) models.

Mean ADC values and arterial phase hyperintensity discriminate small (≤ 3 cm) well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma from dysplastic nodule.

Background/aim: This research endeavor sought to distinguish small (≤ 3 cm) well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma (WD-HCC) from dysplastic nodules (DN) by employing traditional imaging features and mean apparent diffusion coefficient (mADC) values derived from diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI).

Materials And Methods: In this retrospective analysis, we assessed a cohort of ninety patients with confirmed dysplastic nodules (DNs) (n = 71) or well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma (WD-HCC) (n = 41) who had undergone dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging between March 2018 and June 2021. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were executed to pinpoint characteristics that can effectively differentiate histologic grades.

Halide Ordering Enables Superior Charge Transport in 3D (NMPDA)Pb I Br Perovskitoid Single Crystal.

Halide composition engineering has been demonstrated as an effective strategy for optical and electronic properties modulation in 3D perovskites. While the impact of halide mixing on the structural and charge transport properties of 3D perovskitoids remains largely unexplored. Herein, it is demonstrated that bromine (Br) mixing in 3D (NMPDA)Pb I (NMPDA = N-methyl-1,3-propane diammonium) perovskitoid yields stabilized (NMPDA)Pb I Br with specific ordered halide sites, where Br ions locate at the edge-sharing sites.

Lowering the threshold of alanine aminotransferase for enhanced identification of significant hepatic injury in chronic hepatitis B patients.

Background: The clinical and histological features of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients who fall into the "grey zone (GZ)" and do not fit into conventional natural phases are unclear.

Aim: To explore the impact of varying the threshold of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels in identifying significant liver injury among GZ patients.

Methods: This retrospective analysis involved a cohort of 1617 adult patients diagnosed with CHB who underwent liver biopsy.

Broadband red emission from one-dimensional hexamethonium lead bromide perovskitoid.

Broadband emissions from low-dimensional hybrid perovskites have aroused intense interest. However, the achievement of broadband red emission in lead halide perovskites remains challenging. Herein, we report a one-dimensional (1D) hybrid lead bromide perovskitoid, (HM)PbBr (HM = hexamethonium), featuring a corrugated "3 × 3" [PbBr] chain.