Associations between Ultrafine Particles and Incident Dementia in Older Adults.

Fine particulate matter (PM) is linked to dementia risk, but ultrafine particles (UFPs, <100 nm) may be even more toxic due to their distinct physicochemical properties. However, evidence on UFPs and dementia remains limited. This study assessed the association between UFP exposure and Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related dementias (ADRD) among U.

Factors contributing to perioperative blood transfusion during total hip arthroplasty in patients continuing preoperative aspirin treatment: a nomogram prediction model.

Background: Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is associated with considerable blood loss during the perioperative period, which commonly requires a blood transfusion, especially in patients who continue aspirin treatment preoperatively. Blood transfusion can significantly increase both the length of hospital stay and total treatment costs and is potentially associated with adverse reactions. However, a visual predictive model for assessing the risk of blood transfusion in THA patients is lacking.

A chromosome-scale genome assembly of the pioneer plant Stylosanthes angustifolia: insights into genome evolution and drought adaptation.

Background: Drought is a major limiting factor for plant survival and crop productivity. Stylosanthes angustifolia, a pioneer plant, exhibits remarkable drought tolerance, yet the molecular mechanisms driving its drought resistance remain largely unexplored.

Results: We present a chromosome-scale reference genome of S.

Regional-specific trends of PM and O temperature sensitivity in the United States.

Climate change poses direct and indirect threats to public health, including exacerbating air pollution. However, the influence of rising temperature on air quality remains highly uncertain in the United States, particularly under rapid reduction in anthropogenic emissions. Here, we examined the sensitivity of surface-level fine particulate matter (PM) and ozone (O) to summer temperature anomalies in the contiguous US as well as their decadal changes using high-resolution datasets generated by machine learning.

Activation of aryl hydrocarbon receptor ameliorates degranulation of LL-37 induced mast cells in rosacea through enhancing autophagy.

Background: Activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) ameliorates LL-37-induced rosacea-like dermatitis in mice, whereas mast cells and cytokine overexpression are prominent features in rosacea skin.

Objective: To evaluate the potential mechanisms of AhR activation on autophagy and degranulation of mast cells in rosacea.

Methods: LL-37 treated mast cells were used to mimic rosacea.

The role of the components of PM in the incidence of Alzheimer's disease and related disorders.

Background: The associations of PM mass and various adverse health outcomes have been widely investigated. However, fewer studies focused on the potential health impacts of PM components, especially for dementia and Alzheimer's diseases (AD).

Methods: We constructed a nationwide population-based open cohort study among Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 or older during 2000-2018.

Biological Properties of KYS-164 Isolated from Kefir Grains.

KYS-164, isolated from homemade Tibetan kefir grains, produces bacteriocin-like inhibitory substances (BLIS), which are peptides with antimicrobial properties, but have not been fully characterized. The research on BLIS will lay the foundation for mining new bacteriocins. In this study, the optimal culture conditions for the production of highly active BLIS were found to be incubation at 30 °C and 120 rpm, and the most effective extraction method was ammonium sulfate precipitation (ASP) using ammonium sulfate at 80% saturation.

Molecular characterization of the (M)-carrying transposon Tn and plasmids in isolates recovered from swine.

Here, we report the genetic features and evolutionary mechanisms of two (M)-bearing plasmids (pTA2 and pTA7) recovered from swine isolates. The genetic profiles of pTA2 and pTA7 and corresponding transconjugants were accessed by S1 nuclease pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and Southern hybridization, followed by whole genome sequencing and bioinformatics analysis. The biological influences of pTA2 and pTA7 were determined by stability and direct competition assays.

Characterisation of a new virulent phage isolated from Hainan Island with potential against multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections.

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a serious life-threatening pathogen. The rise in P. aeruginosa resistance rates has renewed interest in phages as an alternative therapeutic approach for treating bacterial infections.

Structural insights into the membrane-bound proteolytic machinery of bacterial protein quality control.

In bacteria and eukaryotic organelles of prokaryotic origin, ATP-dependent proteases are crucial for regulating protein quality control through substrate unfolding and degradation. Understanding the mechanism and regulation of this key cellular process could prove instrumental in developing therapeutic strategies. Very recently, cryo-electron microscopy structural studies have shed light on the functioning of AAA+ proteases, including membrane-bound proteolytic complexes.

Association between serum IgM and all-cause mortality risk in Chinese centenarians: a prospective cohort study.

Background: We investigated the associations between IgM, IgG, IgA, and IgE levels and all-cause mortality risk in Chinese centenarians.

Methods: All participants were from the China Hainan Centenarian Cohort Study. Eligible participants were divided into quartiles based on their IgM, IgG, IgA, and IgE levels.

Target of rapamycin coordinates auxin are involved in exogenous melatonin regulated low temperature tolerance in cucumber seedlings.

Low temperature (LT) is an important environmental factor affecting the growth and yield of plants. Melatonin (MT) can effectively enhance the LT tolerance of cucumber. This study found that LT stress induced the expression of Comt1 (caffeic acid O-methyltransferase 1), with the highest expression being about 2-times that of the control.

Cryo-EM structure of the SPFH-NfeD family protein complex QmcA-YbbJ.

The SPFH (stomatin, prohibitin, flotillin, and HflK/C) protein family is universally present and encompasses the evolutionarily conserved SPFH domain. These proteins are predominantly localized in lipid raft and implicated in various biological processes. The NfeD (nodulation formation efficiency D) protein family is often encoded in tandem with SPFH proteins, suggesting a close functional relationship.

The genetic diversity and evolution analysis of the Hainan melioidosis outbreak strains.

Melioidosis is a zoonotic disease, with its outbreaks being rare and indicative of an unusual concurrence of extreme climate and natural environmental factors. An outbreak of melioidosis cases emerged in Hainan following Typhoon "Dianmu" from October to December 2021, presenting an opportunity to identify the environmental sources of infection for these cases due to its nature as a well-defined point-source cluster. To investigate the relationship between the occurrence of these melioidosis cases and the environment, we extracted the entire genome of 25 clinical strains and conducted MLST typing, followed by whole genome sequencing and analysis of molecular genetic information for four ST46 genotypes from these strains.

Antimicrobial activity of eight plant essential oils having antioxidant property against spoilage microbes.

Aims: To identify efficient, broad-spectrum, and non-toxic preservatives for natural agricultural products, eight essential oils were screened for high inhibitory and antioxidant activities against spoilage microbes.

Methods And Results: The zone of inhibition test and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assay were performed to assess the antimicrobial activity of eight essential oils against Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Penicillium, Saccharomyces, and Escherichia coli. Among the eight essential oils, garlic and rose essential oils exhibited the best inhibitory effects, their MICs against the spoilage microbes were 40-640 μl/l and 10-320 μl/l, respectively.

Melatonin-mediated low-temperature tolerance of cucumber seedlings requires Ca/CPKs signaling pathway.

Melatonin (Mel) is recognized as a prominent plant growth regulator. This study investigated the alleviating effect of Mel pretreatment on growth inhibition caused by low-temperature (LT) stress (10 °C/6 °C) in cucumber seedlings and explored the role of the Ca/Calcium-dependent protein kinases (CPKs) signaling pathway in Mel-regulated LT tolerance. The main results are as follows: compared to LT treatment alone, 100 μM Mel increased both the content of Ca (highest about 42.