The critical BMI hypothesis for puberty initiation and the gender prevalence difference: Evidence from an epidemiological survey in Beijing, China.

Background: Although previous studies suggested that there is a certain level of body fat mass before puberty can be initiated, most studies have focused on girls.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between precocious puberty and physical growth in school-aged children in Beijing, China.

Methods: 7590 Chinese children (3591 girls and 3999 boys) aged 6-11 years were recruited in Beijing, China.

An effective preselection criterion for MODY with an increasingly positive genetic testing rate by NGS: results from two cohorts of Chinese children.

The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY) in two selected cohorts of Chinese children with diabetes and clinically suspected MODY, using next-generation sequencing (NGS). Ninety-three children who met the comprehensive criteria of suspected MODY were enrolled in two cohorts. A custom NGS panel or a whole exon group was used for sequencing.

Convolutional neural network-based portable computer vision system for freshness assessment of crayfish (Prokaryophyllus clarkii).

Developing novel techniques for freshness assessment are of the utmost importance in yield and trade of aquatic products. The crayfish (Prokaryophyllus clarkii) is one of the most popular freshwater products in China, and its food safety should be a serious concern. In this study, a convolutional neural network (CNN)-based portable computer vision system for freshness assessment of crayfish method was proposed.

The Ion Channel Gene KCNAB2 Is Associated with Poor Prognosis and Loss of Immune Infiltration in Lung Adenocarcinoma.

The malignancy with the greatest global mortality rate is lung cancer. Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the most common subtype. The evidence demonstrated that voltage-gated potassium channel subunit beta-2 (KCNAB2) significantly participated in the initiation of colorectal cancer and its progression.

A multi-functional zwitterionic hydrogel with unique micro-structure, high elasticity and low modulus.

Owing to their tissue-like softness and low modulus, hydrogels minimize the mechanical mismatch with biological tissues and have received wide attention as biomaterials. However, the development of soft hydrogels is often limited by their brittleness. Here, an ultra-soft and tough hydrogel based on zwitterionic poly(sulfobetaine methacrylate) (PSBMA) was designed and successfully prepared.

Rapid Simultaneous Determination of Three Synthetic Cannabinoids in Urine and Plasma of Rats Using Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry.

Synthetic cannabinoids, a class of psychoactive compounds, are controlled as new psychoactive substances (NPSs) identified by the early warning system (EWS) of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA). At present, several new synthetic cannabinoids have appeared in the illegal drug market, including 4-methylnaphthalen-1-yl-(1-pentylindol-3-yl) methanone (JWH-122), methyl (1-(5-fluoropentyl)-1H-indazole-3-carbonyl)-L-valinate (5F-AMB), and methyl 2-(1-(4-fluorobenzyl)-1Hindazole-3-carboxamido)-3-methylbutanoate (AMB-FUBINACA). A convenient, rapid, and highly sensitive analytical method was developed to determine three synthetic cannabinoids in rat plasma and urine.

Depression, Anxiety, and Cigarette Smoking Among Patients with Tuberculosis.

Smoking adversely affects tuberculosis (TB) outcomes and may be associated with depression and anxiety among people diagnosed with TB in Botswana. We conducted a cross-sectional study among patients newly diagnosed with TB in Gaborone, Botswana, evaluating factors associated with self-reported cigarette smoking. We performed Poisson regression analyses with robust variance to examine whether depressive and anxiety symptoms were associated with smoking.

Knockdown of miR-214 Alleviates Renal Interstitial Fibrosis by Targeting the Regulation of the PTEN/PI3K/AKT Signalling Pathway.

The microRNA-214 (miR-214) precursor is formed by the DNM3 gene on human chromosome 1q24.3, which is encoded and transcribed in the nucleus and processed into mature miR-214 in the cytoplasm. Association of miR-214 with the interstitial fibrosis of the kidney has been reported in existing research.

A scoping review of deep learning in cancer nursing combined with augmented reality: The era of intelligent nursing is coming.

Artificial intelligence has been developing greatly in the field of medicine. As a new research hotspot of artificial intelligence, deep learning (DL) has been widely applied in the fields of cancer risk assessment, symptom recognition, and cancer detection. Therefore, nursing care issues in terms of consuming time and energy, lower accuracy, and lower efficiency can be solved with applying DL in caring cancer patients.

Intracranial direct electrical mapping reveals the functional architecture of the human basal ganglia.

The basal ganglia play a key role in integrating a variety of human behaviors through the cortico-basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical loops. Accordingly, basal ganglia disturbances are implicated in a broad range of debilitating neuropsychiatric disorders. Despite accumulating knowledge of the basal ganglia functional organization, the neural substrates and circuitry subserving functions have not been directly mapped in humans.

Ultra-broadband perfect absorber using triple-layer nanofilm in a long-wave near-infrared regime.

Plasmonic absorbers have received considerable attention because of their promising applications in solar cells, controllable thermal emission, and infrared detection. Most proposed plasmonic absorbers are fabricated with a precisely designed surface-pattern, which require complex manufacturing process and are costly. Herein, we propose a simple plasmonic absorber composed of a triple-layer // nanosystem.

A haplodiploid mite adjusts fecundity and sex ratio in response to density changes during the reproductive period.

Population density is one of the main socio-environmental factors that have critical impacts on reproduction of animals. Consequently, they need to adjust their reproductive strategies in response to changes of local population density. In this study we used a haplodiploid spider mite, Tetranychus ludeni Zacher (Acari: Tetranychidae), to test how population density dynamics during the reproductive period altered female reproductive performance.

Plastome structure, phylogenomic analyses and molecular dating of Arecaceae.

Arecaceae is a species-rich clade of Arecales, while also being regarded as a morphologically diverse angiosperm family with numerous species having significant economic, medicinal, and ornamental value. Although in-depth studies focused on the chloroplast structure of Arecaceae, as well as inferring phylogenetic relationships using gene fragments, have been reported in recent years, a comprehensive analysis of the chloroplast structure of Arecaceae is still needed. Here we perform a comprehensive analysis of the structural features of the chloroplast genome of Arecaceae, compare the variability of gene sequences, infer phylogenetic relationships, estimate species divergence times, and reconstruct ancestral morphological traits.

Anoikis-Associated Lung Cancer Metastasis: Mechanisms and Therapies.

Tumor metastasis occurs in lung cancer, resulting in tumor progression and therapy failure. Anoikis is a mechanism of apoptosis that combats tumor metastasis; it inhibits the escape of tumor cells from the native extracellular matrix to other organs. Deciphering the regulators and mechanisms of anoikis in cancer metastasis is urgently needed to treat lung cancer.

New insights into the novel sequences of the chicken pan-genome by liquid chip.

Increasing evidence indicates that the missing sequences and genes in the chicken reference genome are involved in many crucial biological pathways, including metabolism and immunity. The low detection rate of novel sequences by resequencing hindered the acquisition of these sequences and the exploration of the relationship between new genes and economic traits. To improve the capture ratio of novel sequences, a 48K liquid chip including 25K from the reference sequence and 23K from the novel sequence was designed.

Adipose-derived stem cells with miR-150-5p inhibition laden in hydroxyapatite/tricalcium phosphate ceramic powders promote osteogenesis via regulating Notch3 and activating FAK/ERK and RhoA.

Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) are multipotent stromal cells and play huge role in forming and repairing bone tissues. Emerging evidence shows that MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in ADSCs differentiation. Here, we explored the role of miR-150-5p and its related mechanisms in ADSCs osteogenesis.

Microfluidic Preparation of Gelatin Methacryloyl Microgels as Local Drug Delivery Vehicles for Hearing Loss Therapy.

Local drug delivery has become an effective method for disease therapy in fine organs including ears, eyes, and noses. However, the multiple anatomical and physiological barriers, unique clearance pathways, and sensitive perceptions characterizing these organs have led to suboptimal drug delivery efficiency. Here, we developed dexamethasone sodium phosphate-encapsulated gelatin methacryloyl (Dexsp@GelMA) microgel particles, with finely tunable size through well-designed microfluidics, as otic drug delivery vehicles for hearing loss therapy.

Gut microbiota-mitochondrial inter-talk in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

The increasing prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which is a progressive disease, has exerted huge a healthcare burden worldwide. New investigations have suggested that the gut microbiota closely participates in the progression of NAFLD through the gut-liver axis or gut-brain-liver axis. The composition of the microbiota can be altered by multiple factors, primarily dietary style, nutritional supplements, or exercise.

Metabolomics strategy comprehensively unveils the effect of catechins intervention on the biomarkers of exposure to acrylamide and biomarkers of cardiometabolic risk.

Polyphenolic antioxidants have been suggested to control the generation of acrylamide during thermal reactions. However, their role in protecting against the toxicity of acrylamide and the mechanism of action regarding profile alteration of biomarkers and metabolome remains unclear. A total of 65 adults were randomized into tea polyphenols (TP) and control groups and served with potato chips, which corresponded to an intake level of 12.

Metal-Free Photocatalysts for Conversion of H O into Hydrogen Peroxide.

Hydrogen peroxide (H O ) is an important green oxidizing agent for environmental protection and chemical production. In comparison to the traditional anthraquinone method, photosynthesis is a green and energy-saving process for H O production. To improve the stability and practical application value of the H O synthesized by photocatalysis, the H O photosynthesis should be conducted in pure water without involving any sacrificial reagents.

Relative Effectiveness of Social Media, Dating Apps, and Information Search Sites in Promoting HIV Self-testing: Observational Cohort Study.

Background: Social media sites, dating apps, and information search sites have been used to reach individuals at high risk for HIV infection. However, it is not clear which platform is the most efficient in promoting home HIV self-testing, given that the users of various platforms may have different characteristics that impact their readiness for HIV testing.

Objective: This study aimed to compare the relative effectiveness of social media sites, dating apps, and information search sites in promoting HIV self-testing among minority men who have sex with men (MSM) at an increased risk of HIV infection.

Transcriptome Sequencing Reveal That Rno-Rsf1_0012 Participates in Levodopa-Induced Dyskinesia in Parkinson's Disease Rats via Binding to Rno-mir-298-5p.

Levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID) is a common complication of chronic dopamine replacement therapy in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease (PD), and a noble cause of disability in advanced PD patients. Circular RNA (circRNA) is a novel type of non-coding RNA with a covalently closed-loop structure, which can regulate gene expression and participate in many biological processes. However, the biological roles of circRNAs in LID are not completely known.

Bifunctional OER/NRR Catalysts Based on a Thin-Layered CoO/GO Sandwich Structure.

Due to ample low-coordinated surface atoms, a distorted lattice endows thin-layered transition metal oxides with a flexible electronic structure, making them the ideal candidates for overall ammonia synthesis. This work proposes a novel and facile method for the controllable synthesis of thin-layered CoO catalysts with graphene as a conductive matrix to further enhance the overall N fixation performance. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and synchrotron radiation X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) demonstrate that the sandwiched CoO/GO catalysts enable exposure of more coordination unsaturated active sites, resulting in numerous oxygen vacancies.