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INTRODUCTION: Nrf2 regulates mild stress, chronic inflammation, and metabolic changes by regulating different immune cells via downstream signaling. Collection of information about the role of Nrf2 in inflammatory autoimmune diseases will better understand the therapeutic potential of targeting Nrf2 in these diseases. AREAS COVERED: In this review, we comprehensively discussed biological function of Nrf2 in different immune cells, including Nrf2 preventing oxidative tissue injury, affecting apoptosis of immune cells and inflammatory cytokine production. Moreover, we discussed the role of Nrf2 in the development of inflammatory autoimmune diseases. EXPERT OPINION: Nrf2 binds to downstream signaling molecules and then provides durable protection against different cellular and organ stress. It has emerged as an important target for inflammatory autoimmune diseases. Development of Nrf2 modulator drugs needs to consider factors such as target specificity, short/long term safety, disease indication identification, and the extent of variation in Nrf2 activity. We carefully discussed the dual role of Nrf2 in some diseases, which helps to better target Nrf2 in the future.

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The pursuit of advanced mRNA detection methods has been driven by the need for sensitive, accurate approaches that are particularly suited for live-cell analysis. Herein, we proposed a cascaded and localized assembly (CLA) system, integrating branched catalytic hairpin assembly (bCHA) with a localized hybridization chain reaction (LHCR) for enhanced mRNA imaging. The CLA system employed a dual-nanosphere (NS) platform, NSABC and NS12, and the interaction between the target and NSABC initiated the bCHA process and activated a split trigger. The newly generated trigger served as the initiator for the LHCR on NS12, leading to amplified fluorescent signals. Notably, this work introduced the first integration of a splitting strategy in a bCHA-HCR cascaded system, reducing false-positive signals and enhancing specific detection. The dual-NS platform further minimized background noise and improved the reaction kinetics through spatial confinement. As a result, the system achieved a detection limit of 1.23 pM. With these advantages, the CLA system demonstrated successful application in both living cells and clinical tissues, underscoring its potential in biomolecular research and clinical diagnostics.

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ADN , Nanosferas , ARN Mensajero , Nanosferas/química , ARN Mensajero/análisis , Humanos , ADN/química , Hibridación de Ácido Nucleico , Imagen Óptica , Límite de Detección

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The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), a cAMP-dependent Cl- channel, is closely associated with multiple pathogen infections, such as SARS-CoV-2. However, whether the function of the CFTR is involved in herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection has not been reported. To evaluate the association of CFTR activity with HSV infection, the antiviral effect of CFTR inhibitors in epithelial cells and HSV-infected mice was tested in this study. The data showed that treatment with CFTR inhibitors in different concentrations, Glyh-101 (5-20 µM), CFTRi-172 (5-20 µM) and IOWH-032 (5-20 µM), or the gene silence of the CFTR could suppress herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) and herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2) replication in human HaCaT keratinocytes cells, and that a CFTR inhibitor, Glyh-101 (10-20 µM), protected mice from HSV-1 and HSV-2 infection. Intracellular Cl- concentration ([Cl-]i) was decreased after HSV infection via the activation of adenylyl cyclase (AC)-cAMP signaling pathways. CFTR inhibitors (20 µM) increased the reduced [Cl-]i caused by HSV infection in host epithelial cells. Additionally, CFTR inhibitors reduced the activity and phosphorylation of SGK1 in infected cells and tissues (from the eye and vagina). Our study found that CFTR inhibitors can effectively suppress HSV-1 and HSV-2 infection, revealing a previously unknown role of CFTR inhibitors in HSV infection and suggesting new perspectives on the mechanisms governing HSV infection in host epithelial cells, as well as leading to potential novel treatments.

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Antivirales , Regulador de Conductancia de Transmembrana de Fibrosis Quística , Herpes Simple , Herpesvirus Humano 1 , Herpesvirus Humano 2 , Replicación Viral , Animales , Ratones , Antivirales/farmacología , Regulador de Conductancia de Transmembrana de Fibrosis Quística/metabolismo , Regulador de Conductancia de Transmembrana de Fibrosis Quística/antagonistas & inhibidores , Humanos , Herpes Simple/tratamiento farmacológico , Herpes Simple/virología , Herpesvirus Humano 1/efectos de los fármacos , Herpesvirus Humano 1/fisiología , Replicación Viral/efectos de los fármacos , Herpesvirus Humano 2/efectos de los fármacos , Herpesvirus Humano 2/fisiología , Femenino , Línea Celular , Células Epiteliales/virología , Células Epiteliales/efectos de los fármacos , Células Epiteliales/metabolismo , Células HaCaT , Queratinocitos/virología , Queratinocitos/efectos de los fármacos , Ratones Endogámicos BALB C , Chlorocebus aethiops , Simplexvirus/efectos de los fármacos , Simplexvirus/fisiología

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In the last 40 years, there has been a notable rise in the occurrence of diabetes within China, leading to the country now having the highest number of individuals affected by this condition globally. This prospective observational study examined the effect of different baseline relative leukocyte telomere length (RTL) and the combined effect of baseline RTL and plasma phospholipid fatty acid (PPFA) on the risk of developing diabetes. Adults from Ningxia Province who underwent baseline and follow-up surveys were included in the study. The correlation between the baseline RTL and PPFA was investigated using a multiple linear regression model. The combined effects of baseline RTL and PPFA levels on the risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) were investigated using a Cox regression model with time as the covariate. A total of 1461 study subjects were included in this study. According to the diagnostic criteria of the Chinese Diabetes Society, 141 subjects developed T2DM during the follow-up period. The baseline age was negatively correlated with RTL. After adjustment for age, C16:0, C18:1 n-9, C20:4 n-6, C20:3 n-3, and monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) concentrations were negatively correlated with RTL. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that C16:0 and MUFA concentrations influenced RTL. Subjects with shorter RTL at baseline had a higher risk of developing diabetes than those with longer RTL. Subjects with shorter RTL and higher C16:0 and MUFA concentrations at baseline had a higher risk of developing T2DM than those with longer RTL and lower C16:0 and MUFA concentrations. Our findings indicated that PPFA affects changes in RTL. In addition, RTL and PPFA are associated with the occurrence of T2DM.

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In atomically thin van der Waals materials, grain boundaries-the line defects between adjacent crystal grains with tilted in-plane rotations-are omnipresent. When the tilting angles are arbitrary, the grain boundaries form inhomogeneous sublattices, giving rise to local electronic states that are not controlled. Here we report on epitaxial realizations of deterministic MoS2 mirror twin boundaries (MTBs) at which two adjoining crystals are reflection mirroring by an exactly 60° rotation by position-controlled epitaxy. We showed that these epitaxial MTBs are one-dimensionally metallic to a circuit length scale. By utilizing the ultimate one-dimensional (1D) feature (width ~0.4 nm and length up to a few tens of micrometres), we incorporated the epitaxial MTBs as a 1D gate to build integrated two-dimensional field-effect transistors (FETs). The critical role of the 1D MTB gate was verified to scale the depletion channel length down to 3.9 nm, resulting in a substantially lowered channel off-current at lower gate voltages. With that, in both individual and array FETs, we demonstrated state-of-the-art performances for low-power logics. The 1D epitaxial MTB gates in this work suggest a novel synthetic pathway for the integration of two-dimensional FETs-that are immune to high gate capacitance-towards ultimate scaling.

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Coronary artery disease (CAD) such as acute myocardial infarction (MI) share several common risk factors with cancers, and each disease may influence the prognosis of the other. Recently, acute MI was demonstrated to accelerate the outgrowth of preexisting breast cancer cells but the risk of breast cancer after MI remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the association between acute MI and a subsequent diagnosis of breast cancer. Female patients with and without a history of acute MI were identified from nationwide databases in Taiwan. Patients with a diagnosis of cancer, MI or CAD prior to the study period were excluded. After reducing confounding through inverse probability of treatment weighting, we compared the incidence of newly diagnosed breast cancer between patients with a history of acute MI and those without. As a result, a total of 66,445 female patients were obtained, including 15,263 patients with a history of acute MI and 51,182 patients without. The incidences of breast cancer during follow-up were 1.93 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.78-2.09) and 1.80 (95% CI 1.67-1.93) per 1,000 person-years for patients with and without a history of acute MI, respectively. The hazard ratio (HR) was 1.05 (95% CI 0.78-1.41, P = 0.756). In subgroup analysis, breast cancer risk was significantly associated with acute MI in patients using antidiabetic drugs (HR 1.27; 95% CI 1.02-1.58) and in low to moderate urbanization levels (HR 1.28; 95% CI 1.06-1.53). In conclusion, the risk of newly diagnosed breast cancer was not increased in patients with acute MI when compared to general population without MI or CAD.

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Neoplasias de la Mama , Infarto del Miocardio , Humanos , Femenino , Neoplasias de la Mama/epidemiología , Neoplasias de la Mama/complicaciones , Neoplasias de la Mama/diagnóstico , Infarto del Miocardio/epidemiología , Infarto del Miocardio/diagnóstico , Infarto del Miocardio/complicaciones , Persona de Mediana Edad , Taiwán/epidemiología , Anciano , Incidencia , Factores de Riesgo , Adulto , Estudios de Cohortes , Modelos de Riesgos Proporcionales

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OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to compare the psychosocial characteristics of functional dyspepsia (FD) with its subgroups, epigastric pain syndrome (EPS) and postprandial distress syndrome (PDS), against a healthy control group, and to investigate the quality of life (QoL). METHODS: All of the subjects were 210 adults, 131 patients with FD were diagnosed by gastroenterologist and 79 adults with no observable symptoms of FD were selected as the normal control group. Demographic factors were investigated. The Korean-Beck Depression Inventory-II, Korean-Beck Anxiety Inventory, Korean-Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and WHO Quality of Life Assessment Instrument Brief Form were used to assess psychological factors. A one-way analysis of variance was used to compare differences among the groups. Further, a stepwise regression analysis was conducted to determine factors affecting the QoL of the FD group. RESULTS: Between-group differences in demographic characteristics were not significant. Depression (F=37.166, p<0.001), anxiety (F=30.261, p<0.001), and childhood trauma (F=6.591, p<0.01) were all significantly higher in FD group compared to the normal control. Among FD subgroups, EPS exhibited higher levels of both depression and anxiety than PDS. Social support (F=17.673, p<0.001) and resilience (F=8.425, p<0.001) were significantly lower in FD group than in other groups, and the values were higher in PDS than in EPS. Resilience (ß=0.328, p<0.001) was the most important explanatory variable. The explained variance was 46.6%. CONCLUSION: Significantly more symptoms of depression, anxiety, childhood trauma was observed for both FD sub-group. These groups also had less social support, resilience, and QoL than the control groups.

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Breast cancer, a globally prevalent malignancy, is characterized by pronounced heterogeneity. Accurate subtyping requires the simultaneous detection of different biomarkers, which is crucial for personalized treatment strategies. However, existing methodologies are hindered by limited versatility and sensing performance. To overcome these hurdles, this study presents a universal 3D-Hybridization Chain Reaction (3D-HCR) system for RNA detection and subtype-specific diagnosis of breast cancer. The system integrated a universal trigger for HCR, thereby circumventing the need for complex sequence design and enabling the analysis of various RNA targets. Leveraging the spatial-confinement effect offered by DNA nanocarriers, this system exhibited superior amplification efficiency, achieving detection limits of 3.83 pM and 4.96 pM for PD-L1 mRNA and miR-21, respectively. Importantly, the system could differentiate between triple-negative breast cancer and estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer in both living cells and clinical tissues. These findings underscore the potential of the universal 3D-HCR system as a promising tool in clinical diagnostics. With its proven proficiency in breast cancer diagnostics and versatility in RNA analysis, this system holds the promise of broadening the horizons of precision medicine.

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Neoplasias de la Mama , MicroARNs , Humanos , Neoplasias de la Mama/genética , Neoplasias de la Mama/diagnóstico , Femenino , MicroARNs/análisis , Hibridación de Ácido Nucleico , ARN Mensajero/genética , ARN Mensajero/análisis , Límite de Detección

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High-entropy alloys (HEAs) provide new research avenues for alloy combinations in the periodic table, opening numerous possibilities in novel-alloy applications. However, their electrical characteristics have been relatively underexplored. The challenge in establishing an HEA electrical conductivity model lies in the changes in electronic characteristics caused by lattice distortion and complexity of nanostructures. Here we show a low-frequency electrical conductivity model for the Nb-Mo-Ta-W HEA system. The cocktail effect is found to explain trends in electrical-conductivity changes in HEAs, while the magnitude of the reduction is understood by the calculated plasma frequency, free electron density, and measured relaxation time by terahertz spectroscopy. As a result, the refractory HEA Nb15Mo35Ta15W35 thin film exhibits both high hardness and excellent conductivity. This combination of Nb15Mo35Ta15W35 makes it suitable for applications in atomic force microscopy probe coating, significantly improving their wear resistance and atomic-scale image resolution.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the urgent need for rapid and reliable strategies for early detection of SARS-CoV-2. In this study, we propose a DNA nanosphere-based crosslinking catalytic hairpin assembly (CCHA) system for the rapid and sensitive SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection. The CCHA system employs two DNA nanospheres functionalized with catalytic hairpin assembly (CHA) hairpins. The presence of target SARS-CoV-2 RNA initiated the crosslinking of DNA nanospheres via CHA process, leading to the amplification of fluorescence signals. As a result, the speed of SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis was enhanced by significantly increasing the local concentration of the reagents in a crosslinked DNA product, leading to a detection limit of 363 fM within 5 min. The robustness of this system has been validated in complex environments, such as fetal bovine serum and saliva. Hence, the proposed CCHA system offers an efficient and simple approach for rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA, holding substantial promise for enhancing COVID-19 diagnosis.

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COVID-19 , Límite de Detección , ARN Viral , SARS-CoV-2 , SARS-CoV-2/genética , SARS-CoV-2/aislamiento & purificación , ARN Viral/análisis , ARN Viral/genética , Humanos , COVID-19/diagnóstico , COVID-19/virología , Nanosferas/química , ADN/química , Secuencias Invertidas Repetidas , Animales , Prueba de Ácido Nucleico para COVID-19/métodos , Bovinos , Reactivos de Enlaces Cruzados/química , Saliva/virología

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Malnutrition is a prevalent and severe issue in hospitalized patients with chronic diseases. However, malnutrition screening is often overlooked or inaccurate due to lack of awareness and experience among health care providers. This study aimed to develop and validate a novel digital smartphone-based self-administered tool that uses facial features, especially the ocular area, as indicators of malnutrition in inpatient patients with chronic diseases. Facial photographs and malnutrition screening scales were collected from 619 patients in four different hospitals. A machine learning model based on back propagation neural network was trained, validated, and tested using these data. The model showed a significant correlation (p < 0.05) and a high accuracy (area under the curve 0.834-0.927) in different patient groups. The point-of-care mobile tool can be used to screen malnutrition with good accuracy and accessibility, showing its potential for screening malnutrition in patients with chronic diseases.

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BACKGROUND: Previous studies have demonstrated the relationship between adipocyte factors, insulin resistance, and other indicators with telomere length. However, these studies did not consider the influence of changes in different indicators on telomere length over time. Therefore, the aim of this study is to elucidate the impact of changes in adipocyte factors, HOMA-IR, and other indicators on the dynamic variation of telomere length. METHODS: The data were from a cohort study conducted in Ningxia, China. A total of 1624 subjects were analyzed. Adipokines and relative leukocyte telomere length (RLTL) were measured, and changes in Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR), Homeostatic Model Assessment for ß-Cell Function (HOMA-ß), and Quantitative Insulin Sensitivity Check Index (QUICKI) were calculated. Generalized linear models evaluated associations between changes in adipokines and RLTL changes. Furthermore, univariate analyses examined the effects of changes in adipokines and insulin resistance indicators on ΔRLTL. RESULTS: The research findings indicate that females generally have shorter telomeres compared to males. In comparison to the low-level group of Δleptin (LEP), the high-level group of ΔLEP shows a negative correlation with ΔRLTL (B=-1.32, 95% CI (-2.38, -0.27)). Even after multivariable adjustments, this relationship persists (B=-1.31, 95% CI (-2.24, -0.23)). Further analysis reveals that after adjusting for ΔHOMA-IR, ΔHOMA-ß, and ΔQUICKI, the high-level group of ΔLEP still exhibits a significant negative correlation with ΔRLTL (B=-1.37, 95% CI (-2.43, -0.31)). However, the interaction effects between ΔHOMA-IR, ΔHOMA-ß, ΔQUICKI, and ΔLEP do not affect ΔRLTL. CONCLUSIONS: Elevated levels of leptin were significantly correlated with shortened telomere length. This suggests that increased leptin levels may impact overall individual health by affecting telomere length, underscoring the importance of measures to reduce leptin levels to mitigate the onset and progression of related diseases.

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Resistencia a la Insulina , Leptina , Femenino , Masculino , Humanos , Leptina/genética , Estudios de Cohortes , Resistencia a la Insulina/genética , Población Rural , Acortamiento del Telómero , Telómero/genética , Adipoquinas , China , Leucocitos

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Apart from mediating viral entry, the function of the free HIV-1 envelope protein (gp120) has yet to be elucidated. Our group previously showed that EP2 derived from one ß-strand in gp120 can form amyloid fibrils that increase HIV-1 infectivity. Importantly, gp120 contains ~30 ß-strands. We examined whether gp120 might serve as a precursor protein for the proteolytic release of amyloidogenic fragments that form amyloid fibrils, thereby promoting viral infection. Peptide array scanning, enzyme degradation assays, and viral infection experiments in vitro confirmed that many ß-stranded peptides derived from gp120 can indeed form amyloid fibrils that increase HIV-1 infectivity. These gp120-derived amyloidogenic peptides, or GAPs, which were confirmed to form amyloid fibrils, were termed gp120-derived enhancers of viral infection (GEVIs). GEVIs specifically capture HIV-1 virions and promote their attachment to target cells, thereby increasing HIV-1 infectivity. Different GAPs can cross-interact to form heterogeneous fibrils that retain the ability to increase HIV-1 infectivity. GEVIs even suppressed the antiviral activity of a panel of antiretroviral agents. Notably, endogenous GAPs and GEVIs were found in the lymphatic fluid, lymph nodes, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of AIDS patients in vivo. Overall, gp120-derived amyloid fibrils might play a crucial role in the process of HIV-1 infectivity and thus represent novel targets for anti-HIV therapeutics.

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Amiloide , Proteína gp120 de Envoltorio del VIH , Infecciones por VIH , VIH-1 , Proteína gp120 de Envoltorio del VIH/metabolismo , VIH-1/fisiología , Humanos , Amiloide/metabolismo , Infecciones por VIH/virología , Infecciones por VIH/metabolismo , Proteínas Amiloidogénicas/metabolismo , Virión/metabolismo , Péptidos/metabolismo , Péptidos/química , Péptidos/farmacología

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BACKGROUND: Lupus nephritis (LN) is the most common complication of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The limited treatment options for LN increase the economic burdens on patients. Because fibrotic progression leads to irreversible renal damage in LN patients and further progresses to chronic kidney disease (CKD) and the end stage of renal disease (ESRD), developing new targets to prevent LN fibrotic progression could lead to a feasible treatment strategy for LN patients. METHODS: In this study, we examined YAP activation and LATS2 downregulation in LN kidney biopsy samples (LN: n = 8, normal: n = 2) and lupus-prone MRL/lpr mice (n = 8 for each disease stage). The function of LATS2 was further investigated by in situ injection of Ad-LATS2 into mice with LN (n = 6 mice per group). We examined the role of SIAH2-LATS2 regulation by IP-MS and co-IP, and the protective effect of the SIAH2 inhibitor was investigated in mice with LN. RESULTS: Restoring LATS2 by an adenovirus in vivo alleviated renal fibrotic damage in mice with LN. Moreover, we found that LATS2 was degraded by a K48 ubiquitination-proteasome pathway mediated by SIAH2 and promoted YAP activation to worsen fibrosis progression in LN. The H150 region of the substrate binding domain (SBD) is an important site for SIAH2-LATS2 binding. The SIAH2-specific inhibitor vitamin K3 protected against LN-associated fibrotic damage in vivo. CONCLUSION: In summary, we identified the SIAH2-LATS2 axis as an attractive intervention target in LN to alter the resistance to fibrosis.

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Lupus Eritematoso Sistémico , Nefritis Lúpica , Humanos , Ratones , Animales , Nefritis Lúpica/metabolismo , Vitamina K 3 , Ratones Endogámicos MRL lpr , Riñón/patología , Lupus Eritematoso Sistémico/patología , Fibrosis , Proteínas Serina-Treonina Quinasas , Proteínas Supresoras de Tumor

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BACKGROUND: Higher intakes of dietary antioxidants have been linked to a lower type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) risk. However, few studies have comprehensively examined the overall dietary antioxidant capacity, assessed by dietary antioxidant quality scores (DAQS) and dietary total antioxidant capacity (DTAC), related to T2DM risk, especially in populations consuming relatively monotonous diets. This study aimed to evaluate the associations of DAQS, DTAC, and T2DM among rural Chinese adults. METHODS: Data from 12,467 participants from the Natural Population Cohort of Northwest China: Ningxia Project was analyzed. Dietary intake was assessed using a validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. DAQS were calculated based on vitamins A, C, and E, zinc (Zn), and selenium (Se) intake. DTAC was estimated using the ferric-reducing ability of plasma assay. Logistic regression models were used to evaluate the associations of DAQS and DTAC with T2DM risk. Restricted cubic splines were used to assess potential non-linear relationships between DTAC and T2DM. RESULTS: T2DM was observed in 1,238 (9.9%) participants. After adjusting for confounders, compared to the lowest tertiles (T1) of DAQS, the odds ratios (ORs) for T2DM were 1.03 (95% CI 0.82-1.30) in T2 and 0.85 (95% CI 0.68-1.06) in T3 (P = 0.010). Compared to T1, the ORs for T2DM in the highest T3 were 0.78 (95% CI 0.67-0.91, P-trend = 0.008) for vitamin A, 1.34 (95% CI 1.15-1.56, P-trend < 0.001) for vitamin E, 0.83 (95% CI 0.71-0.97, P-trend = 0.007) for Se, and 0.86 (95% CI 0.74-1.01, P-trend = 0.033) for Zn. Compared to the lowest quartile(Q1) of DTAC, the OR in the highest Q4 was 0.96 (95% CI 0.80-1.17, P-trend = 0.024) for T2DM. A non-linear relationship was observed between DATC and T2DM. CONCLUSION: Higher DAQS and DATC were associated with a lower T2DM risk, suggesting that consuming antioxidant-rich foods may reduce the T2DM risk.

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Butirofilinas , Lupus Eritematoso Sistémico , Humanos , Antígenos CD , Butirofilinas/genética , China , Lupus Eritematoso Sistémico/diagnóstico , Lupus Eritematoso Sistémico/genética

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Background and Objectives: Ascites, often associated with liver cirrhosis, poses diagnostic challenges, particularly in detecting bacterial infections. Traditional methods have limitations, prompting the exploration of advanced techniques such as 16S rDNA next-generation sequencing (NGS) for improved diagnostics in such low-biomass fluids. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the NGS method enhances detection sensitivity compared to a conventional ascites culture. Additionally, we aimed to explore the presence of a microbiome in the abdominal cavity and determine whether it has a sterile condition. Materials and Methods: Ten patients with clinically suspected spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) were included in this study. A traditional ascites culture was performed, and all ascites samples were subjected to 16S ribosomal RNA gene amplification and sequencing. 16S rRNA gene sequencing results were interpreted by comparing them to positive and negative controls for each sample. Results: Differential centrifugation was applied to all ascites samples, resulting in very small or no bacterial pellets being harvested. The examination of the 16S amplicon sequencing libraries indicated that the target amplicon products were either minimally visible or exhibited lower intensity than their corresponding negative controls. Contaminants present in the reagents were also identified in the ascites samples. Sequence analysis of the 16S rRNA gene of all samples showed microbial compositions that were akin to those found in the negative controls, without any bacteria isolated that were unique to the samples. Conclusions: The peritoneal cavity and ascites exhibit low bacterial biomass even in the presence of SBP, resulting in a very low positivity rate in 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Hence, the 16S RNA sequencing method does little to enhance the rate of positive samples compared to traditional culture methods, including in SBP cases.

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Ascitis , Peritonitis , Humanos , ARN Ribosómico 16S/genética , Ascitis/genética , Peritonitis/diagnóstico , Peritonitis/microbiología , Bacterias/genética , Secuenciación de Nucleótidos de Alto Rendimiento/métodos

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BACKGROUND: Understanding adolescents' mental health during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and identifying those most at risk is an urgent public health challenge. This study explored the trend of suicide attempts and the association between loneliness, family financial stress, and suicide attempts during the COVID-19 pandemic among adolescents. METHODS: Data of the 2020 to 2022 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Surveys for adolescents aged 13-18 years were used. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the association between suicide attempts, family financial stress, and loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS: The trend of suicide attempt rates was lowest in 2020 (1.9%, 1,034 out of 53,534) and it showed an increasing trend with rates of 2.2% (1,159 out of 53,445) in 2021 and 2.5% (1,271 out of 50,455) in 2022. The risk of suicide attempt was higher among adolescents who experienced financial stress (in 2020: adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.53, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.26-1.88; in 2021: AOR, 1.63, 95% CI, 1.03-1.54) and felt lonely (in 2020: AOR, 2.19, 95% CI, 1.78-2.70; in 2021: AOR, 2.65, 95% CI, 2.16-3.26; in 2022: AOR, 1.3, 95% CI, 1.04-1.55) than those who did not. CONCLUSION: The COVID-19 pandemic affected the suicide attempts of adolescents, with financial stress and feelings of loneliness closely linked to this impact. Although the pandemic nears its end, the persistent risk of suicide attempts among adolescents remains a concern. Therefore, it is imperative to implement targeted screening and interventions to address adolescent suicide risk.

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COVID-19 , Pandemias , Adolescente , Humanos , Intento de Suicidio , COVID-19/epidemiología , Factores de Riesgo , Emociones

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Disinfection by-products (DBPs), including trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs), have attracted attention due to their carcinogenic properties, leading to varying conclusions. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the dose-response relationship and the dose-dependent effect of DBPs on cancer risk. We performed a selective search in PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase databases for articles published up to September 15th, 2023. Our meta-analysis eventually included 25 articles, encompassing 8 cohort studies with 6038,525 participants and 10,668 cases, and 17 case-control studies with 10,847 cases and 20,702 controls. We observed a positive correlation between increased cancer risk and higher concentrations of total trihalomethanes (TTHM) in water, longer exposure durations, and higher cumulative TTHM intake. These associations showed a linear trend, with relative risks (RRs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) being 1.02 (1.01-1.03), 1.04 (1.02-1.06), and 1.02 (1.00-1.03), respectively. Gender-specific analyses revealed slightly U-shaped relationships in both males and females, with males exhibiting higher risks. The threshold dose for TTHM in relation to cancer risk was determined to be 55 µg/L for females and 40 µg/L for males. A linear association was also identified between bladder cancer risk and TTHM exposure, with an RR and 95 % CI of 1.08 (1.05-1.11). Positive linear associations were observed between cancer risk and exposure to chloroform, bromodichloromethane (BDCM), and HAA5, with RRs and 95 % CIs of 1.02 (1.01-1.03), 1.33 (1.18-1.50), and 1.07 (1.03-1.12), respectively. Positive dose-dependent effects were noted for brominated THMs above 35 µg/L and chloroform above 75 µg/L. While heterogeneity was observed in the studies for quantitative synthesis, no publication bias was detected. Exposure to TTHM, chloroform, BDCM, or HAA5 may contribute to carcinogenesis, and the risk of cancer appears to be dose-dependent on DBP exposure levels. A cumulative effect is suggested by the positive correlation between TTHM exposure and cancer risk. Bladder cancer and endocrine-related cancers show dose-dependent and positive associations with TTHM exposure. Males may be more susceptible to TTHM compared to females.

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Desinfectantes , Neoplasias de la Vejiga Urinaria , Contaminantes Químicos del Agua , Masculino , Femenino , Humanos , Desinfección , Cloroformo/análisis , Trihalometanos/toxicidad , Trihalometanos/análisis , Contaminantes Químicos del Agua/toxicidad , Contaminantes Químicos del Agua/análisis , Desinfectantes/toxicidad

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Ionic movement has received renewed attention in recent years, particularly in the field of ferroelectric oxides, since it is intrinsically linked to chemical reaction kinetics and ferroelectric phase stability. The associated surface electrochemical processes coupled local ionic transport with an applied electric bias, exhibiting very high ionic mobility at room temperature based on a simple electrostatics scenario. However, few studies have focused on the applied-polarity dependence of ionic migration with directly visualized maps. Here, we use incorporated experiments of conductive scanning probe microscopy and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry to investigate oxygen ionic migration and cation redistribution in ionic oxides. The local concentrations of oxygen vacancies and other cation species are visualized by three-dimensional mappings, indicating that oxygen vacancies tend to be ejected toward the surface. An accumulation of oxygen vacancies and ionic redistribution strongly depend on tip polarity, thus corroborating their role in the electrochemical process. This work illustrates the interplay between ionic kinetics and electric switching.