Maternal group B decreases infant length and alters the early-life microbiome: a prospective cohort study.

Background: Maternal colonization with Group B Streptococcus (GBS) disrupts the vaginal microbiota, potentially affecting infant microbiota assembly and growth. While the gut microbiota's importance in infant growth is recognized, the specific effects of maternal GBS on growth remain unclear. This study aimed to explore the effects of maternal vaginal GBS during pregnancy on early infant growth, microbiome, and metabolomics.

Recent progress of natural materials-based hydrogel for postoperative chemotherapy.

Hydrogels have been widely used for in situ postoperative chemotherapy due to fewer side effects and longer duration of drug action compared to systemic chemotherapy. This paper reviews the application of natural materials-based hydrogels after tumor resection to explore them as an option for postoperative chemotherapy. Different material-based hydrogels, different response-based hydrogels, and the clinical applications of implantable, injectable, and sprayed hydrogels were investigated and summarized.

The association of psoriasis with composite dietary antioxidant index and its components: a cross-sectional study from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Background: Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder associated with various comorbidities. The role of nutrition and dietary antioxidants in psoriasis management has gained attention. The Composite Dietary Antioxidant Index (CDAI) quantifies overall dietary antioxidant intake, but its association with psoriasis remains unclear.

Exploring causal correlations between plasma proteins and peripheral neuropathy: a Mendelian randomization.

Background: Peripheral neuropathy (PN) is a common neurological disorder, and circulating plasma proteins with causal genetic evidence are a major source of therapeutic targets. This study identifies several potential plasma proteins that are causally related to PN risk, providing new insights into protein-mediated pathogenesis of PN and potential targets for novel therapies.

Methods: To identify potential therapeutic targets for PN, we employed two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) to identify plasma proteins associated with six common PN.

A novel variant (p.A524P) in Spastin is responsible for a Chinese family with hereditary spastic paraplegia.

Background: Hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) represents a group of monogenic neurodegenerative disorders characterized by high clinical and genetic heterogeneity. HSP is characterized by slowly progressing hypertonia of both lower extremities, spastic gait, and myasthenia. The most prevalent autosomal dominant form of HSP, known as spastic paraplegia 4 (SPG4), is attributed to variants in the spastin (SPAST) gene.

Association of preserved ratio impaired spirometry with mortality and cardiovascular diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Preserved ratio impaired spirometry (PRISm) is a type of abnormal lung function. PRISm and mortality have been explored in several studies, but a comprehensive evaluation of the associations is limited. The current study aims to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis in order to investigate the mortality and cardiovascular diseases in patients with PRISm.

Associations of the glycaemic index and the glycaemic load with risk of type 2 diabetes in 127 594 people from 20 countries (PURE): a prospective cohort study.

Background: The association between the glycaemic index and the glycaemic load with type 2 diabetes incidence is controversial. We aimed to evaluate this association in an international cohort with diverse glycaemic index and glycaemic load diets.

Methods: The PURE study is a prospective cohort study of 127 594 adults aged 35-70 years from 20 high-income, middle-income, and low-income countries.

Nickel induces mitochondrial damage in renal cells in vitro and in vivo through its effects on mitochondrial biogenesis, fusion, and fission.

Nickel (Ni) and its compounds are common, widely distributed components of hazardous waste in the chemical industry. Excessive exposure to Ni can cause kidney damage in humans and animals. We investigated the impact of Ni on renal mitochondria using in vivo and in vitro models of Ni nephrotoxicity, and explored the Ni nephrotoxic mechanism.

S-Adenosylmethionine (SAM) diet promotes innate immunity via histone H3K4me3 complex.

S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) was a methyl donor for modifying histones, which had crucial roles in lipid accumulation, tissue injury, and immune responses. SAM fluctuation might be linked to variations in histone methylation. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of whether the SAM diet influenced the immune response via histone modification remained obscure.

Solid pseudopapillary neoplasm of the pancreas: a retrospective study of 195 cases.

Objective: Solid pseudopapillary neoplasm of the pancreas (SPN) is a rare exocrine tumor of the pancreas. The aim of our study is to summarize the clinical features of SPN and to analyze the risk factors for malignant SPN.

Methods: From May 2013 to September 2022, patients who were pathologically confirmed to have SPN were retrospectively reviewed.

The mechanism of nickel-induced autophagy and its role in nephrotoxicity.

Nickel (Ni), an environmental health hazard, is nephrotoxic to humans, but the exact mechanism is unknown. This study aims to identify whether nephrotoxicity is associated with autophagy. Here, nickel chloride (NiCl) increased autophagy in TCMK-1 cells.

Associations of serum carotenoids with asthma and mortality in the US adults.

Objective: This study was to investigate the association between serum carotenoid levels and the prevalence of asthma, as well as the relationship between serum carotenoid levels and the risk of mortality among individuals with asthma.

Methods: Data on five serum carotenoids (α-carotene, β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, lutein/zeaxanthin, and lycopene) were obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2001-2006. Mortality data was extracted from the pertinent mortality records within the NHANES database, up to December 31, 2019.

Polysaccharide from Panax japonicus C.A. Mey prevents non-alcoholic fatty liver disease development based on regulating liver metabolism and gut microbiota in mice.

In this study, a new polysaccharide (PSPJ) with specific molecular weight and monosaccharide compositions was isolated and purified from the water extract of Panacis Japonici Rhizoma (PJR). 16S rRNA analysis and untargeted metabolomic analysis were used to assess PSPJ's efficacy in averting non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This study indicated that PSPJ significantly reduced liver fat accumulation, the increase in blood lipids and ALT caused by HFD, indicating that PSPJ can prevent NAFLD.

Associations of dietary copper intake with cardiovascular disease and mortality: findings from the Chinese Perspective Urban and Rural Epidemiology (PURE-China) Study.

Background: Previous in vitro and animal experiments have shown that copper plays an important role in cardiovascular health. Dietary copper is the main source of copper in the human body and the association between dietary copper and cardiovascular disease remains unclear. Our study aimed to investigate the associations of dietary copper intake with the risk of major cardiovascular disease incidence, cardiovascular disease mortality, and all-cause mortality in Chinese adults.

Clinical application of blood purification in polymyositis/dermatomyositis.

Introduction: We investigated the clinical efficacy and safety of blood purification technology in patients with polymyositis/dermatomyositis.

Methods: In a study of 22 patients, 10 cases received blood purification treatment (5 cases received plasma exchange, 5 cases received plasma HA280 immunoadsorption), and 12 cases served as the control group. A 3-month follow-up was conducted to compare the clinical manifestations and laboratory examination.

Geographical, climatic, and soil factors control the altitudinal pattern of rhizosphere microbial diversity and its driving effect on root zone soil multifunctionality in mountain ecosystems.

Shifts in rhizosphere soil microorganisms of dominant plants' response to climate change profoundly impact mountain soil ecosystem multifunctionality; relatively little is known about the relationship between them and how they depend on long-term environmental drivers. Here, we conducted analyses of rhizosphere microbial altitudinal pattern, community assembly, and co-occurrence network of 6 dominant plants in six typical vegetation zones ranging from 1350 to 2900 m (a.s.

Lung cancer incidences after liver transplantation: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Liver transplantation has made significant progress in recent decades. Lung cancer is one of the most frequently occurring cancers after liver transplantation. However, the risk of lung cancer among liver transplant patients compared with the general population is unclear.

Extensive cytokine biomarker analysis in serum of Guillain-Barré syndrome patients.

Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is an acute idiopathic polyneuropathy which is related to infection and immune mechanism. The exact pathogenesis of the disease is unknown and treatment is limited. Thus, the purpose of the study is to identify biomarkers of GBS serum and elucidate their involvement in the underlying pathogenesis of GBS that could help to treat GBS more accurately.

Data-Driven Linear Quadratic Optimization for Controller Synthesis With Structural Constraints.

For various typical cases and situations where the formulation results in an optimal control problem, the linear quadratic regulator (LQR) approach and its variants continue to be highly attractive. In certain scenarios, it can happen that some prescribed structural constraints on the gain matrix would arise. Consequently then, the algebraic Riccati equation (ARE) is no longer applicable in a straightforward way to obtain the optimal solution.

Comprehensive analysis of clinical indications and viral strain variants among patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 in Inner Mongolia, China.

Since the first appearance of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in 2019, the virus is still evolving and mutating until now. In this study, we collected 6 throat swabs from patients who diagnosed with COVID-19 in Inner Mongolia, China, to understand the entry of multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants into Inner Mongolia and analyze the relationships between variants and clinical features observed in infected patients. In addition, we performed a combined analysis of clinical parameters associated with SARS-CoV-2 variants of interest, pedigree analysis, and detection of single-nucleotide polymorphisms.