Novel loss-of-function variant in DENND5A impedes melanosomal cargo transport and predisposes to familial cutaneous melanoma.

Purpose: More than half of the familial cutaneous melanomas have unknown genetic predisposition. This study aims at characterizing a novel melanoma susceptibility gene.

Methods: We performed exome and targeted sequencing in melanoma-prone families without any known melanoma susceptibility genes.

Impact of Retinopathy and Systemic Vascular Comorbidities on All-Cause Mortality.

Purpose: To assess the impact of retinopathy and systemic vascular comorbidities on the all-cause mortality in a representative U.S. sample.

Retinal Neurovascular Impairment in Non-diabetic and Non-dialytic Chronic Kidney Disease Patients.

Widespread neural and microvascular injuries are common in chronic kidney disease (CKD), increasing risks of neurovascular complications and mortality. Early detection of such changes helps assess the risks of neurovascular complications for CKD patients. As an extension of central nervous system, the retina provides a characteristic window to observe neurovascular alterations in CKD.

ILC2s induce adaptive Th2-type immunity in different stages of tuberculosis through the Notch-GATA3 pathway.

The study is to investigate the roles of group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) in different courses of tuberculosis (TB). Serum and PBMCs were respectively isolated from the TST negative, LTBI (latent TB infection), ATB (active TB) and RTB (recurrent TB) patients. Flow cytometry was used to detect Th1, Th2 and ILC2s in the peripheral blood.

Association of visual impairment with risk for future Parkinson's disease.

Background: Although visual dysfunction is one of the most common non-motor symptoms among patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), it is not known whether visual impairment (VI) predates the onset of clinical PD. Therefore, we aim to examine the association of VI with the future development of PD in the UK Biobank Study.

Methods: The UK Biobank Study is one of the largest cohort studies of health, enrolling over 500,000 participants aged 40-69 years between 2006 and 2010 across the UK.

The Prediction Model of Risk Factors for COVID-19 Developing into Severe Illness Based on 1046 Patients with COVID-19.

This study analyzed the risk factors for patients with COVID-19 developing severe illnesses and explored the value of applying the logistic model combined with ROC curve analysis to predict the risk of severe illnesses at COVID-19 patients' admissions. The clinical data of 1046 COVID-19 patients admitted to a designated hospital in a certain city from July to September 2020 were retrospectively analyzed, the clinical characteristics of the patients were collected, and a multivariate unconditional logistic regression analysis was used to determine the risk factors for severe illnesses in COVID-19 patients during hospitalization. Based on the analysis results, a prediction model for severe conditions and the ROC curve were constructed, and the predictive value of the model was assessed.

Adiposity by Differing Measures and the Risk of Cataract in the UK Biobank: The Importance of Diabetes.

Purpose: To examine the association between adiposity by differing measures and incident cataract and identify important factors contributing to the association.

Methods: Our analysis included 153,139 adults from the UK Biobank, aged 40 to 70 years at baseline (2006-2010). Cataract was ascertained using hospital inpatient, and self-reported data until the early of 2021.

Diagnostic value of transvaginal three-dimensional ultrasound combined with color Doppler ultrasound for early cesarean scar pregnancy.

Background: Our study sought to obtain data which assess the diagnostic value of transvaginal three-dimensional ultrasound (3D-US) combined with color Doppler ultrasound (US) for early cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP).

Methods: All participants were randomly divided into a Control group diagnosed using 3D-US and a Combination group diagnosed using 3D-US combined with color Doppler US. The preoperative US results were compared with postoperative pathological results.

Self-reported cataract surgery and 10-year all-cause and cause-specific mortality: findings from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Purpose: To investigate the association of self-reported cataract surgery with all-cause and cause-specific mortality using a large-scale population-based sample.

Methods: Data from the 1999-2008 cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used. A self-reported history of cataract surgery was considered a surrogate for the presence of clinically significant cataract surgery.

Quantitative Mammographic Density Measurements and Molecular Subtypes in Chinese Women With Breast Cancer.

Background: Studies investigating associations between mammographic density (MD) and breast cancer subtypes have generated mixed results. We previously showed that having extremely dense breasts was associated with the human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2)-enriched subtype in Chinese breast cancer patients.

Methods: In this study, we reevaluated the MD-subtype association in 1549 Chinese breast cancer patients, using VolparaDensity software to obtain quantitative MD measures.

Enhanced acidic resistance ability and catalytic properties of Bacillus 1,3-1,4-β-glucanases by sequence alignment and surface charge engineering.

High stability at acidic environment is required for 1,3-1,4-β-glucanase to function in biofuel, brewing and animal feed industries. In this study, a mesophilic β-glucanase from Bacillus terquilensis CGX 5-1 was rationally engineered through sequence alignment and surface charge engineering to improve its acidic resistance ability. Nineteen singly-site variants were constructed and Q1E, I133L and V134A variants showed better acidic stability without the compromise of catalytic property and thermostability.

Ten Years of Knowledge of Nano-Carrier Based Drug Delivery Systems in Ophthalmology: Current Evidence, Challenges, and Future Prospective.

The complex drug delivery barrier in the eye reduces the bioavailability of many drugs, resulting in poor therapeutic effects. It is necessary to investigate new drugs through appropriate delivery routes and vehicles. Nanotechnology has utilized various nano-carriers to develop potential ocular drug delivery techniques that interact with the ocular mucosa, prolong the retention time of drugs in the eye, and increase permeability.

Global Incidence, Progression, and Risk Factors of Age-Related Macular Degeneration and Projection of Disease Statistics in 30 Years: A Modeling Study.

Objective: Age-related macular degeneration(AMD) has become a major cause of visual impairment worldwide, especially in the elderly. Estimates of incidence, progression rates, and risk factors of AMD vary among studies, complicating the understanding of its epidemiology.

Methods: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, literature published up to March 1, 2021, was searched in both English and Chinese databases.

Improved Retinal Microcirculation After Cardiac Surgery in Patients With Congenital Heart Disease.

Microcirculatory changes in congenital heart disease (CHD) patients undergoing cardiac surgery are not fully understood. We aimed to investigate the changes of retinal microcirculation in CHD patients after cardiac surgery by optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) and explore the association between retinal microcirculation and surgical outcome. This prospective observational study consisted of 71 CHD patients aged ≥6 years undergoing cardiac surgery including 19 cyanotic CHD (CCHD) and 52 acyanotic CHD (ACHD).

Associations of ophthalmic and systemic conditions with incident dementia in the UK Biobank.

Aims: To examine independent and interactive associations of ophthalmic and systemic conditions with incident dementia.

Methods: Our analysis included 12 364 adults aged 55-73 years from the UK Biobank cohort. Participants were assessed between 2006 and 2010 at baseline and were followed up until the early of 2021.

Effects of cascade dam on the distribution of heavy metals and biogenic elements in sediments at the watershed scale, Southwest China.

Cascade dam has important effects on the magnitude and dynamics of sediment particles, heavy metals, and biogenic elements in reservoirs. However, systematic studies on the interception effect of cascade dam on the various elements that occur in rivers at the watershed scale are lacking. The aims of this study were to (1) assess the interception effect of a cascade dam on heavy metals and biogenic elements and (2) investigate the key factors of these effects of the cascade dam.

miR-23b Ameliorates nonalcoholic steatohepatitis by targeting Acyl-CoA thioesterases 4.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and its more advanced stages, Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and Cirrhosis, are the most common liver diseases in the worldwide, especially in developing countries. NAFLD is distinguished by the accumulation of triglycerides within hepatocytes. An increasing body of evidence suggests that hepatic MicroRNAs play an important role in NAFLD by controlling lipid metabolism, inflammation, and fibrosis.

Visual Impairment and Risk of Dementia: The UK Biobank Study.

Purpose: To investigate the relationship between visual impairment (VI) and dementia in the UK Biobank Study.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Methods: A total of 117,187 volunteers (aged 40-69 years) deemed free of dementia at baseline were included.

HITAC-seq enables high-throughput cost-effective sequencing of plasmids and DNA fragments with identity.

DNA sequencing is vital for many aspects of biological research and diagnostics. Despite the development of second and third generation sequencing technologies, Sanger sequencing has long been the only choice when required to precisely track each sequenced plasmids or DNA fragments. Here, we report a complete set of novel barcoding and assembling system, Highly-parallel Indexed Tagmentation-reads Assembled Consensus sequencing (HITAC-seq), that could massively sequence and track the identities of each individual sequencing sample.

The impact of musical expertise on anticipatory semantic processing during online speech comprehension: An electroencephalography study.

Musical experience has been found to aid speech perception. This electroencephalography study further examined whether and how musical expertise affects high-level predictive semantic processing in speech comprehension. Musicians and non-musicians listened to semantically strongly/weakly constraining sentences, with each sentence being primed by a congruent/incongruent sentence-prosody.

The microstructure, mechanical properties, corrosion performance and biocompatibility of hydroxyapatite reinforced ZK61 magnesium-matrix biological composite.

Magnesium (Mg)-based composites, as biomaterials, have attracted widespread attention due to their adjustable mechanical properties like elastic modulus, ductility, ultimate tensile strength, and corrosion resistance. In this study, hydroxyapatite (HA) reinforced ZK61 Mg-matrix composites were prepared by powder metallurgy and hot extrusion methods. The influence of the content of HA (10 wt%, 20 wt%, and 30 wt%) on the microstructure, density, mechanical properties, corrosion property and biocompatibility were investigated.

Immunomodulatory effect of psoriasis-derived dermal mesenchymal stem cells on TH1/TH17 cells.

T cell-mediated inflammation plays an important role in the development of psoriasis. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a population of multipotent cells that regulate the T cell-mediated immune response. To investigate the effects of psoriatic dermal mesenchymal stem cells (p-DMSCs) on proliferation, apoptosis and differentiation of T cells.

Clinical characteristics and outcomes of COVID-19 long-term nucleic acid positive patients.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics and outcomes of coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) long-term nucleic acid positive patients (hereinafter referred to as CLTAPs).

Methods: Patients were recruited from the Xiaogan Central Hospital between 16 January 2020 and 28 March 2020. Among the 562 cases of patients with laboratory-identified COVID-19 infection by real-time polymerase chain reaction (qtPCR), 19 cases of COVID-19 patients with more than 41 days from the first to the last time of nucleic acid test were selected as the study group, and 76 cases of age- and gender-matched COVID-19 patients were selected as the control group (hereinafter referred to as C-CLTAPs).

Combined QTL mapping and association study reveals candidate genes for leaf number and flowering time in maize.

Twelve QTL for flowering and leaf number were detected. The ZmWRKY14 could increase leaf number, flowering time and biomass yield which are promising for silage maize breeding. Silage maize, one of the most important feedstock for ruminants, is widely grown from temperate regions to the tropics.