Objective To investigate the association between dietary patterns and adolescent development in girls in Pudong New Area，Shanghai. Methods Using a stratified cluster sampling method, a total of 998 girls were selected from the cohort of growth, development, and health of children and adolescents in Pudong New Area of Shanghai. Physical development examinations and dietary surveys were conducted on these girls. Principal component analysis was used to determine girls' dietary patterns, and their relationship with adolescent development was analyzed using logistic regression. Results Among the 998 participants, 770 (77.15%) were pubertal girls. The factor analysis identified three dietary patterns, fungi and algae~nuts~legumes pattern, meat-vegetables and fruits-cereals pattern, and milk-eggs pattern. Logistic regression analysis revealed that after adjusting for age, waist circumference, residential district, mother's education level, and father's education level, the Q2 level (OR=0.54, 95% CI: 0.30-0.99), Q3 level (OR=0.50, 95% CI: 0.27-0.91), and Q4 level (OR=0.49, 95% CI: 0.26-0.90) of the fungi and algae-nuts-legumes pattern were negatively correlated with adolescent development. The Q2 level (OR=0.48, 95% CI: 0.27-0.87) and Q3 level (OR=0.49, 95% CI: 0.27-0.88) of the milk-eggs pattern were also negatively correlated with adolescent development. Conclusion The fungi and algae~nuts~legumes pattern and milk-eggs patterns are inversely related to pubertal development.

ObjectiveMagnetoencephalography (MEG), a non-invasive neuroimaging technique, meticulously captures the magnetic fields emanating from brain electrical activity. Compared with MEG based on superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUID), MEG based on optically pump magnetometer (OPM) has the advantages of higher sensitivity, better spatial resolution and lower cost. However, most of the current studies are clinical studies, and there is a lack of animal studies on MEG based on OPM technology. Pain, a multifaceted sensory and emotional phenomenon, induces intricate alterations in brain activity, exhibiting notable sex differences. Despite clinical revelations of pain-related neuronal activity through MEG, specific properties remain elusive, and comprehensive laboratory studies on pain-associated brain activity alterations are lacking. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of inflammatory pain (induced by Complete Freund’s Adjuvant (CFA)) on brain activity in a rat model using the MEG technique, to analysis changes in brain activity during pain perception, and to explore sex differences in pain-related MEG signaling. MethodsThis study utilized adult male and female Sprague-Dawley rats. Inflammatory pain was induced via intraplantar injection of CFA (100 μl, 50% in saline) in the left hind paw, with control groups receiving saline. Pain behavior was assessed using von Frey filaments at baseline and 1 h post-injection. For MEG recording, anesthetized rats had an OPM positioned on their head within a magnetic shield, undergoing two 15-minute sessions: a 5-minute baseline followed by a 10-minute mechanical stimulation phase. Data analysis included artifact removal and time-frequency analysis of spontaneous brain activity using accumulated spectrograms, generating spectrograms focused on the 4-30 Hz frequency range. ResultsMEG recordings in anesthetized rats during resting states and hind paw mechanical stimulation were compared, before and after saline/CFA injections. Mechanical stimulation elevated alpha activity in both male and female rats pre- and post-saline/CFA injections. Saline/CFA injections augmented average power in both sexes compared to pre-injection states. Remarkably, female rats exhibited higher average spectral power 1 h after CFA injection than after saline injection during resting states. Furthermore, despite comparable pain thresholds measured by classical pain behavioral tests post-CFA treatment, female rats displayed higher average power than males in the resting state after CFA injection. ConclusionThese results imply an enhanced perception of inflammatory pain in female rats compared to their male counterparts. Our study exhibits sex differences in alpha activities following CFA injection, highlighting heightened brain alpha activity in female rats during acute inflammatory pain in the resting state. Our study provides a method for OPM-based MEG recordings to be used to study brain activity in anaesthetized animals. In addition, the findings of this study contribute to a deeper understanding of pain-related neural activity and pain sex differences.

Objective:To investigate the expression of microRNA-4262 (miR-4262) and neuregulin 1 (NRG1) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tissues and the relationship with prognosis.Methods:A total of 102 NSCLC patients who underwent surgical resection from January 2017 to February 2021 in Tongren People's Hospital of Guizhou Province were selected. The expression levels of miR-4262 and NRG1 were detected using real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR. The expression levels of miR-4262 and NRG1 in NSCLC cancer tissues and adjacent tissues, as well as NSCLC cancer tissues with different clinicopathological characteristics were analyzed. TargetScan database was used to predict the binding sites of miR-4262 and NRG1, and Pearson correlation coefficient was used to analyze the correlation between miR-4262 and NRG1 expression in NSCLC cancer tissues. Based on the mean expression levels of miR-4262 and NRG1 in NSCLC cancer tissues, the patients were divided into high miR-4262 expression group (miR-4262≥1.52, n=54) and low miR-4262 expression group (miR-4262<1.52, n=48), high NRG1 expression group (NRG1≥0.79, n=54) and low NRG1 expression group (NRG1<0.79, n=48). Kaplan-Meier survival curves were plotted to compare the 3-year overall survival (OS) rates between groups. Cox proportional risk regression model was used to analyze the influencing factors for the prognosis of NSCLC patients. Results:The expression level of miR-4262 was significantly higher in NSCLC tumor tissues compared to adjacent tissues (1.52±0.21 vs. 1.11±0.20), while NRG1 expression level was lower (0.79±0.11 vs. 1.06±0.11), there were statistically significant differences ( t=14.22, P<0.001; t=-15.13, P<0.001). The expression of miR-4262 was negatively correlated with NRG1 in cancer tissues of NSCLC patients ( r=-0.74, P<0.001). There were statistically significant differences in the expression levels of miR-4262 and NRG1 of NSCLC patients in tumor differentiation ( t=2.80, P=0.006; t=-2.80, P=0.006), TNM stage ( F=24.36, P<0.001; F=17.66, P<0.001), and lymph node metastasis ( t=4.02, P<0.001; t=-3.98, P<0.001). At the end of the follow-up period, 57 patients survived, and 45 died, with a 3-year OS rate of 55.88%. Patients with high miR-4262 expression had a significantly lower 3-year OS rate compared to those with low miR-4262 expression (35.19% vs. 79.17%), patients with high NRG1 expression had a significantly higher 3-year OS rate than those with low NRG1 expression (77.78% vs. 31.25%), there were statistically significant differences ( χ2=22.58, P<0.001; χ2=27.26, P<0.001). Univariate analysis showed that, age ( HR=2.47, 95% CI: 1.05-5.80, P=0.038), maximum tumor diameter ( HR=3.75, 95% CI: 1.61-8.74, P=0.002), differentiation degree ( HR=3.03, 95% CI: 1.32-6.96, P=0.009), TNM stage (stage Ⅱ, HR=3.45, 95% CI: 1.10-10.83, P=0.034; stage Ⅲ, HR=6.72, 95% CI: 2.03-22.26, P=0.002), lymph node metastasis ( HR=3.00, 95% CI: 1.29-6.96, P=0.010), miR-4262 expression ( HR=3.72, 95% CI: 1.48-9.35, P=0.005), and NRG1 expression ( HR=0.30, 95% CI: 0.13-0.73, P=0.008) were all influencing factors for OS in NSCLC patients. Multivariate analysis showed that, differentiation degree ( HR=5.47, 95% CI: 1.63-18.34, P=0.006), TNM stage (stage Ⅲ, HR=5.56, 95% CI: 1.23-25.14, P=0.026), lymph node metastasis ( HR=3.72, 95% CI: 1.19-11.60, P=0.024), miR-4262 expression ( HR=8.56, 95% CI: 2.26-32.41, P=0.002), and NRG1 expression ( HR=0.26, 95% CI: 0.09-0.76, P=0.014) were all independent influencing factors for OS in NSCLC patients. Conclusions:The expression of miR-4262 is high and the expression of NRG1 is low in cancer tissues of NSCLC patients. The 3-year OS rate of patients with high miR-4262 expression is lower than that of patients with low miR-4262 expression, and the 3-year OS rate of patients with high NRG1 expression is higher than that of patients with low NRG1 expression. Differentiation degree, TNM stage, lymph node metastasis, miR-4262 and NRG1 are all independent influencing factors for the prognosis of NSCLC patients.

Objective To investigate the inhibitory effect of β-elemonic acid(β-EA)on the proliferation and inva-sion of colon cancer cells and the underlying mechanisms through PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway.Methods The effects of β-EA on colon cancer cell proliferation were evaluated using the MTT assay and colony formation as-say.Transwell invasion assay were used to assess the impact of β-EA on invasion.Western blot analysis was con-ducted to detect changes in PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway proteins after treatment.Results MTT assay showed thatβ-EA effectively inhibited the proliferation of colon cancer HCT8 and HCT116 cells in a dose-dependent manner.The colony formation assay confirmed its inhibitory effect on cell proliferation.Transwell invasion assays demonstra-ted that β-elemonic acid reduced the invasion abilities of the cells.Western blot analysis revealed increased expression of apoptosis-related proteins cleaved-caspase 3,cleaved-caspase 9,and Bax,while Bcl-2 expression was decreased.Invasion-related proteins vimentin,snail,MMP2,and MMP9 were downregulated after treatment.Addi-tionally,β-EAA reduced the levels of p-PI3K,p-Akt,and p-mTOR,and these reductions were more pronounced af-ter the addition of the PI3K inhibitor LY294002.Conclusions β-EA may inhibit proliferation and invasion in colon cancer cell lines HCT8 and HCT116 through PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway,and potentially be transformed as a novel therapeutic agent for colon cancer.

Objective To establish and evaluate a nomogram prediction model for spontaneous peritonitis in HBV-related primary liver cancer.Methods A retrospective study was conducted on 1298 patients with HBV-related primary liver cancer hospitalized in the Kunming Third People's Hospital from January 2012 to December 2022.General data and serological indicators were collected,and patients were divided into infection group(n=262)and control group(n=1036)based on the occurrence of spontaneous peritonitis.Univariate and LASSO regression analyses were used to screen variables,followed by binary logistic regression to analyze the influencing factors of spontaneous peritonitis in HBV-related primary liver cancer patients,leading to the establishment of a nomogram prediction model.Finally,the Hosmer-lemeshow(H-L)goodness of fit test,receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve,calibration curve,decision curve analysis(DCA)and clinical impact curve(CIC)were utilized to evaluate the fit degree,accuracy,calibration,and clinical practicability of the nomogram prediction model.Results Single factor analysis revealed significant differences between infection group and control group in portal vein cancer thrombus(PVTT),Child-Pugh grade,China Liver Cancer Staging(CNLC)stage,alcohol consumption history,smoking history,white blood cell count(WBC),neutrophil count(NE),hemoglobin(Hb),fibrinogen(FIB),abnormal prothrombin(PIVKA-Ⅱ),aspartate aminotransferase(AST),alanine aminotransferase(ALT),total protein(TP),prealbumin(PA),γ-glutamyltransferase(GGT),alkaline phosphatase(ALP),cholinesterase(CHE),total bile acid(TBA),total cholesterol(TC),low density lipoprotein(LDL),creatinine(Cr),HBV DNA,CD3+T cells count,CD4+T cells count,CD8+T cells count,CD4+T cells/CD8+T cells ratio,procalcitonin(PCT),serum amyloid A(SAA),interleukin-6(IL-6),high-sensitivity C-reactive protein(hs-CRP),alpha-fetoprotein(AFP),and IL-4(P＜0.05).LASSO regression analysis identified 5 variables:Child-Pugh grade,PVTT,WBC,CHE and hs-CRP.Binary logistic regression analysis indicated that Child-Pugh grade(Grade B:OR=5.780,95％CI 3.271-10.213,P＜0.001;Grade C:OR=14.818,95％CI 7.697-28.526,P＜0.001),PVTT(OR=2.893,95％CI 2.037-4.108,P＜0.001),WBC(OR=1.088,95％CI 1.031-1.148,P=0.002),and hs-CRP(OR=1.005,95％CI 1.001-1.010,P=0.026)were the independent risk factors of spontaneous peritonitis in HBV-related primary liver cancer patients.Using these 4 variables,a nomogram prediction model was constructed and evaluated.The P-value of the H-L goodness of fit test was 0.760.Moreover,the area under ROC curve(AUC)was 0.866,with a sensitivity of 0.870 and a specificity of 0.716.The average absolute error of the calibration curve is 0.022.DCA and CIC analyses demonstrated that the nomogram prediction model possessed some clinical utility.Conclusion The nomogram prediction model for spontaneous peritonitis in HBV-related primary liver cancer patients,constructed using Child-Pugh grade,PVTT,WBC and hs-CRP,exhibits a high fitting degree and accuracy,with the prediction probability highly consistent with the actual occurrence probability,and possesses certain clinical practicability.

Parkinson's disease(PD)is a common neurodegenerative disease characterized by degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra,abnormal aggregation of α-synuclein and neuroinflammation.Therapeutic methods including drug intervention have limited efficacy.In recent years,the role of gut microbiota-brain axis in the pathogenesis of PD has received extensive attention.Butyrate acid,as a short-chain fatty acid produced by intestinal microbiota,has been demonstrated to exert certain role in PD prevention and treatment.This review discusses the molecular mechanism of butyrate acid in PD,its potential therapeutic effect and its clinical application in the treatment of PD patients from the perspective of regulating neuroinflammation,mitigating mitochondrial dysfunction,regulating oxidative stress,maintaining intestinal epithelial integrity and blood-brain barrier permeability,in order to provide reference for the research on prevention and treatment of PD.

Objective To develop the application technology of finger length ratios in the selection of Muay Thai athletes,and to provide practical guidance for improving the competitive level of Muay Thai.Methods By using the method of snowball sampling and simple random sampling,413 subjects were selected in Bangkok,Thailand,including 84 male Muay Thai professional players,62 female Muay Thai professional players,137 ordinary male college students and 130 female college students.The finger length of the subjects was measured and their finger length ratios was calculated.SPSS 20.0 statistical software was used for discriminant analysis.Results The 2D∶3D,2D∶4D,2D∶5D,3D∶4D and 3D∶5D of male Muay Thai professional players were significantly lower than that in the general male Thai population,and the 2D∶4D,3D∶4D and 3D∶5D of female Muay Thai players were significantly lower than that in the general female Thai population,and the above differences were statistically significant(P＜0.05).Discriminant functions developed using both the full model and stepwise method were statistically significant,demonstrating high accuracy and stability.The correct discrimination rates were higher in the male population than that in the female population.When distinguishing between Muay Thai professional fighters and the general Thai population,the optimal 2D∶4D threshold for males is 0.951,and for females,it was 0.960.Conclusion The discriminant model of Muay Thai professional players and ordinary people based on the ratios of finger length can provide important reference for the selection of Muay Thai athletes.

ObjectiveTo explore the impact of exogenous chitosan on the growth and metabolism of Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. (G. uralensis) and to improve the quality of cultivated G. uralensis for both medicine and food and aid in the increase in the content of effective components in G. uralensis.MethodsIn this study, whole G. uralensis plants were treated with exogenous chitosan, and comprehensive analyses of secondary metabolites and proteins were conducted using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry and isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantitation, respectively. Effects of chitosan induction on endogenous hormones of G. uralensis were analyzed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Gene ontology function annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway annotation were conducted to study the effect of chitosan induction on the proteome.ResultsChitosan induction significantly increased the levels of flavonoids in G. uralensis; however, the variation in triterpenoids was not substantial. Biological processes, including photosynthesis, secondary metabolism, and abiotic stress responses, were significantly enriched. Additionally, the photosynthetic pathway, photosynthesis-antenna protein pathway, and plant hormone signal transduction pathway were significantly enriched. In the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway, the upstream-related enzyme phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) and the downstream-related enzymes chalcone synthase (CHS), polyketide reductase (PKR), chalcone isomerase (CHI), and vestitone reductase (VR) were significantly upregulated.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that chitosan induction may promote the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, and the TCA cycle enhancement significantly upregulated PAL, CHS, PKR, CHI, and VR, the five key enzymes involved in flavonoid synthesis of G. uralensis, indicating that chitosan induction activated the entire metabolic pathway associated with flavonoids in G. uralensis. Our findings provide a reference for improving the quality of cultivated G. uralensis from the perspective of pharmacodynamic components.

Background: Isoliquiritigenin, a key pharmacologically active compound derived from the traditional Chinese medicine Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, can be further modified into various high-value 5-deoxyflavones, demonstrating significant potential for pharmaceutical development. Currently, the supply of isoliquiritigenin primarily depends on plant extraction. However, heterologous synthesis using microbial cell factories presents a promising alternative, offering a solution to resource limitations caused by the dwindling availability of Glycyrrhiza uralensis. Objective: This study aimed to employ heterologous synthesis in yeast strains for the stable and high-efficiency production of isoliquiritigenin. Methods: First, a stable chassis strain for isoliquiritigenin production was constructed by integrating optimized biosynthetic pathway enzyme genes. A type IV noncatalytic chalcone isomerase-like protein and a synthetic protein scaffold system were employed to enhance the metabolic channeling of key pathway enzymes. Subsequently, yeast metabolism was fine-tuned to balance precursor supply, and cofactor engineering strategies were implemented to increase nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate hydrogen (NADPH) availability, thereby ensuring the catalytic efficiency of the key enzyme chalcone reductase. Results: The engineered strain Y21-2 achieved a 24.4-fold increase in isoliquiritigenin titer compared to the original strain. Additionally, the proportion of the by-product naringenin chalcone was reduced by 67.8%, marking the first instance in which the ratio of C-5 hydroxylated by-products was minimized to 10.4% during the microbial synthesis of 5-deoxyflavones. Conclusion: This work provides a valuable reference for the efficient and sustainable production of isoliquiritigenin, laying a solid foundation for further pathway optimization and the biotechnological synthesis of other high-value natural 5-deoxyflavones.

Objective:To investigate the molecular mechanism by which 2',4'-dihydroxychalcone(D2)inhibits proliferation,migration,and epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT)in colorectal cancer cells through miR-7-5p-mediated autophagy.Methods:Human colorectal cancer cell lines HCT-15 and SW620 were treated with D2 at concentrations of 0,12.5,25,and 50 μmol/L.Cell proliferation and clonogenic capacity were evaluated using MTT and colony formation assays.Cell migration was assessed by wound healing and Transwell assays.WB assay was used to detect the expression of EMT-related proteins,autophagy-related proteins,and key components of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway.Autophagosome formation was visualized by immunofluorescence staining.TCGA database and KEGG pathway analyses were performed to evaluate miR-7-5p expression and its association with colorectal cancer.RT-qPCR was used to quantify miR-7-5p expression,and lentiviral transduction was employed to establish stable miR-7-5p knockdown or overexpression cell lines.Results:D2 significantly inhibited colorectal cancer cell proliferation,migration,and EMT(P<0.05 or P<0.01).TCGA and KEGG analyses revealed that miR-7-5p expression was downregulated in colorectal cancer and closely associated with disease progression.D2 treatment(12.5,25,and 50 μmol/L)significantly upregulated miR-7-5p expression in HCT-15 and SW620 cells(P<0.01).At 25 μmol/L,D2 increased the expression of autophagy-related proteins(LC3 and p-ULK1)and inhibited the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway(P<0.05),accompanied by increased autophagosome formation(P<0.01).In miR-7-5p-knockdown cells treated with D2,the levels of LC3 and p-ULK1 were significantly reduced compared to D2-only treated cells(P<0.05 or P<0.01).Conclusion:D2 upregulates miR-7-5p to induce autophagy,thereby inhibiting colorectal cancer cell proliferation,migration,and EMT,possibly through suppression of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway.