Protective role of apolipoprotein A and B in Parkinson's disease: A prospective study from UK Biobank.

Introduction: Evidence have indicated relation between apolipoproteins and neurodegenerative disorders (NDDs). However, previous studies have produced inconsistent results, and a comprehensive analysis of apolipoproteins in NDDs is currently lacking.

Methods: Using Cox proportional hazards regression analysis based on data from UK Biobank, we examined the association between baseline serum levels of apolipoprotein A (ApoA) and apolipoprotein B (ApoB) and risk of Parkinson's disease (PD), Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, frontotemporal dementia, and multiple sclerosis.

Solvation Dynamics of Thermoresponsive Polymer Films: The Influence of Salt Series in Water and Mixed Water/Methanol Atmosphere.

Understanding the salt effects on solvation behaviors of thermoresponsive polymers is crucial for designing and optimizing responsive systems suitable for diverse environments. In this work, the effect of potassium salts (CHCOOK, KCl, KBr, KI, and KNO) on solvation dynamics of poly(4-(N-(3'-methacrylamidopropyl)-N,N-dimethylammonio) butane-1-sulfonate) (PSBP), poly(N-isopropylmethacrylamide) (PNIPMAM), and PSBP-b-PNIPMAM films is investigated under saturated water and mixed water/methanol vapor via advanced in situ neutron/optical characterization techniques. These findings reveal that potassium salts enhance the films' hygroscopicity or methanol-induced swellability.

Bias-Switchable Photodetection and Photosynapse Dual-Functional Devices Based on 2D Perovskite/Organic Heterojunction for Imaging-to-Recognition Conversion.

Optoelectronic devices with imaging and recognition capabilities are crucial for developing artificial visual system (AVS). Bias-switchable photodetection and photosynaptic devices have been developed using 2D perovskite oxide/organic heterojunctions. This unique structure allows for modulated carrier dynamics under varied bias conditions, enabling the devices to function as photodetectors without bias and as photosynapses with bias.

Luminescent macroporous aerogels of two-dimensional nanocrystals of metal halide perovskites with adjustable semiconducting bandgaps.

In semiconducting aerogels, exciton-photon interactions occur in porous frameworks with solid-gas interfaces. Herein, by freezing and vacuum freeze-drying of cyclohexane dispersions of platelet-shaped nanocrystals of organic-inorganic metal halide perovskites, aerogels with macro-/meso-porosity, tunable luminescence in the visible light range, and photocurrent responses were fabricated.

Association between baseline serum bicarbonate and the risk of postoperative delirium in patients undergoing cardiac surgery in the ICU: a retrospective study from the MIMIC-IV database.

Background: Although serum bicarbonate is a reliable predictor of various disease complications, its relationship with postoperative delirium (POD) remains unclear. Our research aimed to assess the effect of baseline serum bicarbonate levels on the incidence of POD in cardiac surgery patients.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on cardiac surgery patients who met specific inclusion and exclusion criteria, using data from the Marketplace for Information in Critical Care Medicine (MIMIC-IV) database.

Environmental cadmium-induced circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network regulatory mechanism in human normal liver cell model.

At present, hundreds of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) have been confirmed to be related to the toxicity of cadmium (Cd). However, the role of circular RNAs (circRNAs) in the toxicity of Cd and the underlying regulatory mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we chose human normal liver cells (L-02) as a model to investigate changes in transcriptome expression levels following exposure to Cd.

Association between polypharmacy and chronic kidney disease among community-dwelling older people: a longitudinal study in southern China.

Background: Polypharmacy would increase the risk of adverse drug events and the burden of renal drug excretion among older people. Nevertheless, the association between the number of medication and the risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD) remains controversial. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the association between the number of medication and the incidence of CKD in older people.

Cadmium-induced reproductive toxicity combined with a correlation to the oogenesis process and competing endogenous RNA networks based on a Caenorhabditis elegans model.

Accumulation of the heavy metal Cadmium (Cd) in the ovaries and placenta can affect the structure and function of these organs and induce female reproductive toxicity. This toxicity may be due to Cd's similarity to estrogen and its ability to disrupt endocrine systems. However, the exact molecular mechanism by which Cd causes reproductive toxicity at the transcriptome level remains poorly understood.

Evaluating the efficiency of primary health care institutions in China: an improved three-stage data envelopment analysis approach.

Background: Primary health care (PHC) institutions are key to realizing the main functions of the health care system. Since the new health care reform in 2009, the Chinese government has invested heavily in PHC institutions and launched favorable initiatives to improve the efficiency of such institutions. This study is designed to gauge the efficiency of PHC institutions by using 2012-2020 panel data covering 31 provinces in China.

Ionic Liquid Directed Spinning of Cellulose Aerogel Fibers with Superb Toughness for Weaved Thermal Insulation and Transient Impact Protection.

Aerogel fibers, combining the nanoporous characteristics of aerogels with the slenderness of fibers, have emerged as a rising star in nanoscale materials science. However, endowing nanoporous aerogel fibers with good strength and high toughness remains elusive due to their high porosity and fragile mechanics. To address this challenge, this paper reports supertough aerogel fibers (SAFs) initially started from ionic-liquid-dissociated cellulose via wet-spinning and supercritical drying in sequence.

Naringin Alleviates Glucose-Induced Aging by Reducing Fat Accumulation and Promoting Autophagy in .

Naringin (Nar) is a dihydroflavonoid compound, widely found in citrus fruit and used in Chinese herbal medicine. As a phytochemical, it acts as a dietary supplement that can delay aging and prevent aging-related disease, such as obesity and diabetes. However, its exact mechanism remains unclear.

The Topology of Polymer Brushes Determines Their Nanoscale Hydration.

Time-of-flight neutron reflectometry (ToF-NR) performed under different relative humidity conditions demonstrates that polymer brushes constituted by hydrophilic, cyclic macromolecules exhibit a more compact conformation with lower roughness as compared to linear brush analogues, due to the absence of dangling chain ends extending at the polymer-vapor interface. In addition, cyclic brushes feature a larger swelling ratio and an increased solvent uptake with respect to their linear counterparts as a consequence of the increased interchain steric repulsions. It is proposed that differences in swelling ratios between linear and cyclic brushes come from differences in osmotic pressure experienced by each brush topology.

The relationship between anthropometric indicators and health-related quality of life in a community-based adult population: A cross-sectional study in Southern China.

Background: This study was designed to analyze the relationship of waist circumference (WC), body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), relative fat mass (RFM), lipid accumulation product (LAP) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in the community-dwelling population of southern China and to explore the independent contribution of socio-demographic characteristics, number of chronic diseases and anthropometric indicators to HRQoL in that population.

Methods: This community-based cross-sectional survey studied 2,663 adults aged 18 years and older. HRQoL was assessed by the 3-level EuroQol 5-dimensional scale (EQ-5D-3L), and HRQoL were calculated using the Chinese EQ-5D-3L value set.

Molecular insights on the crystalline cellulose-water interfaces via three-dimensional atomic force microscopy.

Cellulose, a renewable structural biopolymer, is ubiquitous in nature and is the basic reinforcement component of the natural hierarchical structures of living plants, bacteria, and tunicates. However, a detailed picture of the crystalline cellulose surface at the molecular level is still unavailable. Here, using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we revealed the molecular details of the cellulose chain arrangements on the surfaces of individual cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) in water.

Association between environmental lead/cadmium co-exposure in drinking water and soil and type 2 diabetes mellitus/obesity in Southern China.

Lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) in environment can be directly absorbed by drinking water and soil. However, data on human Pb and Cd exposure by drinking water and soil and its long-term consequence for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and obesity are lacking. Our study aims to explore the association of typical heavy metals co-exposure in drinking water and soil to the community residents with T2DM and obesity indices in two cities of southern China.

Equity and efficiency of public hospitals' health resource allocation in Guangdong Province, China.

Background: To better meet people's growing demand for medical and health services, 21 cities in Guangdong Province were involved in the reform of public hospitals in 2017. This paper evaluates the equity and efficiency of public hospitals' health resource allocation in Guangdong Province and explores ways to change the current situation.

Methods: Data were collected from the Guangdong Health Statistical Yearbook 2016-2020 and Guangdong Statistical Yearbook 2017-2021.

Melt Electrowriting of Graded Porous Scaffolds to Mimic the Matrix Structure of the Human Trabecular Meshwork.

The permeability of the human trabecular meshwork (HTM) regulates eye pressure via a porosity gradient across its thickness modulated by stacked layers of matrix fibrils and cells. Changes in HTM porosity are associated with increases in intraocular pressure and the progress of diseases such as glaucoma. Engineered HTMs could help to understand the structure-function relation in natural tissues and lead to new regenerative solutions.

Probing the Structural Details of Chitin Nanocrystal-Water Interfaces by Three-Dimensional Atomic Force Microscopy.

Chitin is one of the most abundant and renewable natural biopolymers. It exists in the form of crystalline microfibrils and is the basic structural building block of many biological materials. Its surface crystalline structure is yet to be reported at the molecular level.

Poly(sulfobetaine)-Based Diblock Copolymer Thin Films in Water/Acetone Atmosphere: Modulation of Water Hydration and Co-nonsolvency-Triggered Film Contraction.

The water swelling and subsequent solvent exchange including co-nonsolvency behavior of thin films of a doubly thermo-responsive diblock copolymer (DBC) are studied via spectral reflectance, time-of-flight neutron reflectometry, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The DBC consists of a thermo-responsive zwitterionic (poly(4-((3-methacrylamidopropyl) dimethylammonio) butane-1-sulfonate)) (PSBP) block, featuring an upper critical solution temperature transition in aqueous media but being insoluble in acetone, and a nonionic poly(-isopropylmethacrylamide) (PNIPMAM) block, featuring a lower critical solution temperature transition in water, while being soluble in acetone. Homogeneous DBC films of 50-100 nm thickness are first swollen in saturated water vapor (HO or DO), before they are subjected to a contraction process by exposure to mixed saturated water/acetone vapor (HO or DO/acetone-d6 = 9:1 v/v).

The function and regulation network mechanism of circRNA in liver diseases.

Circular RNA (circRNA), a new type of endogenous non-coding RNA, is abundantly present in eukaryotic cells, and characterized as stable high conservation and tissue specific expression. It has been generated increasing attention because of their close association with the progress of diseases. The liver is the vital organ of humans, while it is prone to acute and chronic diseases due to the influence of multiple pathogenic factors.

[Clinical Analysis of Bloodstream Infection after Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation].

Objective: To analyze the clinical characteristics of bloodstream infection (BSI) in patients treated by hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT).

Methods: The clinical characteristics, distribution of pathogenic bacteria causing BSI and drug sensitivity of 910 patients treated by HSCT in our department from January 2013 to June 2020 were retrospectively analyzed.

Results: Among 910 HSCT patients, 111 patients were diagnosed as BSI within 100 days after transplantation, and 98 patients showed BSI during the period of agranulocytosis.

Comparison of several blood lipid-related indexes in the screening of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in women: a cross-sectional study in the Pearl River Delta region of southern China.

Background: Lipid metabolism disorders play a critical role in the progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, the number of studies on the relationships among blood lipid-related indexes and NAFLD is limited, and few studies have emphasized the comparison of blood lipid-related indexes in the same population to identify the optimal index for NAFLD screening. This study aimed to investigate the relationships among several blood lipid-related indexes and NAFLD, and to find the index with the best screening value for NAFLD.

The Construction and Analysis of ceRNA Network and Immune Infiltration in Kidney Renal Clear Cell Carcinoma.

Kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) has the highest invasion, mortality and metastasis of the renal cell carcinomas and seriously affects patient's quality of life. However, the composition of the immune microenvironment and regulatory mechanisms at transcriptomic level such as ceRNA of KIRC are still unclear. We constructed a ceRNA network associated with KIRC by analyzing the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), miRNA and mRNA expression data of 506 tumor tissue samples and 71 normal adjacent tissue samples downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database.

Association between sleep quality and central obesity among southern Chinese reproductive-aged women.

Background: The connections between sleep quality and central obesity among reproductive-aged women are not clear. The study aimed to explore the association between sleep quality and central obesity among Chinese reproductive-aged women and identify the independent contributions of sociodemographic characteristics, health-related factors, and sleep quality to central obesity.

Methods: In this cross-sectional survey, the minimal sample sizes were 2404 subjects; 2449 Chinese women aged 18-49 participated in this study.