Background Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is a major contributor to the global burden of cardiovascular diseases. However, evidence from meta-analyses on the association between ambient ozone exposure and ASCVD risk remains relatively insufficient. Objective To explore the epidemiological association between ambient ozone exposure and ASCVD, providing scientific evidence for ASCVD prevention and control from the perspective of environmental risk factor management. Methods We systematically searched PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, the Cochrane Library, CNKI, Wanfang Database, CBM, and VIP for published epidemiological studies on the relationship between ambient ozone exposure and ASCVD from January 2007 to December 2023. We performed quality assessment and data extraction of the included studies, and utilized meta-analysis to evaluate the effects of short-term and long-term ozone exposure on different ASCVD outcomes, including mortality and incidence of ischemic heart disease (IHD) and ischemic stroke (IS). Results A total of 24 studies were included based on a set of predetermined eligibility criteria. The meta-analysis results indicated that short-term ozone exposure was associated with an increased risk of ASCVD mortality and incidence. Specifically, short-term ozone exposure was significantly associated with an elevated risk of IHD mortality (combined RR=1.011, 95%CI: 1.008, 1.015; P < 0.05). Additionally, short-term ozone exposure was significantly linked to increased IS mortality (combined RR=1.005, 95%CI: 1.003, 1.008; P < 0.05) and incidence (combined RR=1.015, 95%CI: 1.003, 1.027; P < 0.05). Conclusion Short-term exposure to ambient ozone significantly elevates acute cardiovascular disease risk. However, the epidemiological association between long-term ozone exposure and ASCVD remains inconclusive. Future high-quality cohort studies with refined exposure assessment methods are warranted to elucidate the chronic cardiovascular effects of ozone exposure.

The Janus kinase/signal transducers and activators of transcription (JAK-STAT) control natural killer (NK) cells development and cytotoxic functions, however, whether long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in this pathway remains unknown. We found that miR155HG was elevated in activated NK cells and promoted their proliferation and effector functions in both NK92 and induced-pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs)-derived NK (iPSC-NK) cells, without reliance on its derived miR-155 and micropeptide P155. Mechanistically, miR155HG bound to miR-6756 and relieved its repression of JAK3 expression, thereby promoting the JAK-STAT pathway and enhancing NK cell proliferation and function. Further investigations disclosed that upon cytokine stimulation, STAT3 directly interacts with miR155HG promoter and induces miR155HG transcription. Collectively, we identify a miR155HG-mediated positive feedback loop of the JAK-STAT signaling. Our study will also provide a power target regarding miR155HG for improving NK cell generation and effector function in the field of NK cell adoptive transfer therapy against cancer, especially iPSC-derived NK cells.

To investigate the role of intestinal fungi in the progression of heart failure (HF) associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease (CKD)-associated anemia (CKD-anemia) is associated with poor survival, and hemoglobin targets are often not achieved with current therapies. Phase 3 trials have demonstrated the treatment efficacy of roxadustat for CKD-anemia. This phase 4 study aims to evaluate the long-term (52-week) safety and effectiveness of roxadustat in a broad real-world patient population with CKD-anemia with and without dialysis in China. METHODS: This Phase 4 multicenter, open-label, prospective study, conducted from 24 November 2020 to 11 November 2022, evaluated the long-term safety and effectiveness of roxadustat for CKD-anemia in China. Patients aged ≥18 years with CKD-anemia with or without dialysis were included. The initial oral dose was 70-120 mg (weight-based followed by dose adjustment) over 52 weeks. The primary endpoint was safety based on adverse events (AEs). The secondary endpoints were hemoglobin changes from baseline and the proportion of patients who achieved mean hemoglobin ≥100 g/L. Effectiveness evaluable populations 1 (EE1) and EE2 included roxadustat-naïve and previously roxadustat-treated patients, respectively. The safety analysis set (SAF) included all patients who received ≥1 occasion. RESULTS: The EE1, EE2, and SAF populations included 1804, 193, and 2021 patients, respectively. In the SAF, the mean age was 50 ± 14 years, and 1087 patients (53.8%) were male. Mean baseline hemoglobin was 96.9 ± 14.0 g/L in EE1 and 100.3 ± 12.9 g/L in EE2. In EE1, the mean (95% confidence interval) hemoglobin changes from baseline over weeks 24-36 and 36-52 were 14.2 (13.5-14.9) g/L and 14.3 (13.5-15.0) g/L, respectively. Over weeks 24-36 and 36-52, 83.3% and 86.1% of patients in EE1 and 82.7% and 84.7% in EE2 achieved mean hemoglobin ≥100 g/L, respectively. In the SAF, 1643 (81.3%) patients experienced treatment-emergent AEs (TEAEs). Overall, 219 (10.8%) patients experienced drug-related TEAEs. Thirty-eight (1.9%) patients died of TEAEs (unrelated to the study drug). Vascular access thrombosis was uncommon. CONCLUSIONS: Roxadustat (52 weeks) increased hemoglobin and maintained the treatment target in Chinese patients with CKD-anemia with acceptable safety, supporting its use in real-world settings. REGISTRATION Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ( www.chictr.org.cn ) ChiCTR2100046322; CDE ( www.chinadrugtrials.org.cn ) CTR20201568.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Anemia/etiology* ; Middle Aged ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic/complications* ; Glycine/adverse effects* ; Isoquinolines/adverse effects* ; Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Adult ; Hemoglobins/metabolism* ; Treatment Outcome ; China ; Registries ; East Asian People

Objective:To understand the molecular evolutionary characteristics of the recombinant strain GII.3[P12] of norovirus acute gastroenteritis outbreaks and aggregated outbreaks in China from 2022 to 2023.Methods:Epidemiological information, case information, clinical samples, as well as detection and genotyping information of norovirus outbreaks and aggregated outbreaks from 2022 to 2023 were collected; positive samples of the GII.3[P12] recombinant strain were subjected to nucleic acid extraction, whole-genome amplification, and sequence analysis; and homology simulation method were used to construct a three-dimensional structure and predict antigenic epitopes.Results:From January 2022 to December 2023, a total of 1 136 norovirus outbreaks and aggregated outbreaks were reported in China′s norovirus outbreak surveillance network, and genotyping result were successfully obtained for 942 outbreaks, with GII dominating, accounting for 76.0% (716/942), and the proportion of GI and mixed genotypes being 15.8% (149/942) and 8.2% (77/942). Norovirus outbreaks caused by GII were dominated by GII.3[P12] (22.5%, 161/716), while other major genotypes included GII.17[P17] (18.7%, 134/716), GII.4_Sydney 2012[P16] (11.6%, 83/716) and GII.6[P7] ( 11.3%, 81/716). 2022-2023 Outbreaks caused by GII.3[P12] were concentrated in February-March (54.0%, 87/161), with the main outbreaks occurring in nursery and primary schools (87.5%), the mode of transmission was mainly human-to-human (68.9%), and the main susceptible population was children aged 3-7 years (93.3%). In this study, the genome sequences of 25 GII.3[P12] recombinant strains were obtained, and according to the phylogenetic analysis, it was shown that the GII.3[P12] recombinant strains in China in 2022-2023 belonged to the Cluster IV cluster of sublineage b (7 strains) and sublineage c (18 strains). A total of 11 linear and 8 conformational epitopes were predicted by epitope prediction analysis, and the predicted linear and conformational epitopes had overlapping positions, and each conformational epitope was part of the predicted linear epitope with conserved potential antigen-binding and receptor-binding sites.Conclusions:The recombinant strain GII.3[P12] is one of the epidemic strains that will cause outbreaks and clusters of norovirus in China in 2022-2023, and its genome did not undergo significant mutation.

Objective:To construct and validate a predictive model for postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) in patients undergoing robot-assisted laparoscopic urological surgery.Methods:This retrospective study included the medical records of 932 patients who underwent robot-assisted laparoscopic urological surgery at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine from January 2020 to February 2022. The patients were divided into a training group ( n=559) and a validation group ( n=373) at a 6∶4 ratio. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the independent risk factors for PPCs, and a nomogram prediction model was constructed based on these factors. The performance of the model was evaluated using the receiver operating characteristic curve and calibration curve, and the clinical benefit was assessed using the clinical decision curve analysis. Results:The independent risk factors for PPCs included advanced age (>60 yr), smoking history, respiratory tract infection within 1 month, preoperative low SpO 2 (<96%), and prolonged length of postoperative hospital stay ( P<0.05), and the body mass index (18.5-<28.0 kg/m 2) was a protective factor. The nomogram prediction model developed based on the aforementioned 6 influencing factors had an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.81 (95% confidence interval 0.76-0.86) in training group and 0.80 (95% confidence interval 0.75-0.86) in validation group. The calibration curve indicated a good consistency between the predicted and actual occurrence curves, and the clinical decision curve analysis showed good accuracy and net benefit of the prediction model. Conclusions:The predictive model for PPCs is successfully constructed based on age, low body mass index, smoking history, history of respiratory tract infection within 1 month, preoperative low SpO 2 and prolonged length of postoperative hospital stay and has good predictive performance in patients undergoing robot-assisted laparoscopic urological surgery.

Objective To explore the immediate,long-term,and delayed effects of spiral stabilizing muscle chain technique compared to static distraction and Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation(PNF)stretching techniques on the flexibility of hip flexors.Methods Ninety subjects were randomly divided intothree groups of 30 each.Group 1 underwent the static stretching of the hip joint.Group 2 received PNF stretching,and Group 3 participated in SPS training.All participants were measured for hip extension angle to assess hip flexor flexibility before training,immediately after the first training session,at the end of 4 weeks of training,and 2 weeks after training cessation.Results Within-group comparisons showed significant increases in hip extension angles after one training session,after 4 weeks of training,and after 2 weeks of cessation compared to pre-training(P＜0.05).Between-group comparisons indicated no statistically significant differences in hip extension angle improvements among the three groups after one training session,after 4 weeks of training,and after 2 weeks of cessation(P＞0.05).Conclusion SPS training,static stretching,and PNF stretching all demonstrate good immediate,long-term,and delayed effects on improving hip extension angles,with consistent stretching outcomes.

Gallbladder cancer has an insidious onset,and most of the cases are in advanced stage at the time of diagnosis,with unfavorable prognosis. Radical surgery is the only potential curative method for gallbladder cancer at present,but radical surgery of advanced gallbladder cancer is difficult and the postoperative recurrence rate is high. Neoadjuvant therapy and conversion therapeutic modalities are of great significance to improve the rate of radical resection of advanced gallbladder cancer and reducing the risk of postoperative recurrence. The application and research of minimally invasive approach surgery in gallbladder cancer are increasing; organoid technology provides a new platform for precise and individualized treatment and new drug development, and the application of artificial intelligence combined with big data shows great potential in tumor diagnosis, surgical assistance and prognosis evaluation. Although these techniques provide more means to improve the therapeutic effect of advanced gallbladder cancer, there are still challenges in clinical practice and more high-quality clinical studies.

Lingguizhugan Decoction (LGZG) demonstrates significant efficacy in treating various cardiovascular diseases clinically, yet its precise mechanism of action remains elusive. This study aimed to elucidate the potential mechanisms and effects of LGZG on isoproterenol (ISO) continuous stimulation-induced chronic heart failure (CHF) in mice, providing direct experimental evidence for further clinical applications. In vivo, continuous ISO infusion was administered to mice, and ventricular myocytes were utilized to explore LGZG?s potential mechanism of action on the ?1-adrenergic receptor (?1-AR)/Gs/G protein-coupled receptor kinases (GRKs)/?-arrestin signaling deflection system in the heart. The findings reveal that LGZG significantly reduced the messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expression of hypertrophy-related biomarkers [atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP)] and improved cardiac remodeling and left ventricular diastolic function in mice with ISO-induced CHF. Furthermore, LGZG inhibited the overactivation of Gs/cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)/protein kinase A (PKA) signaling and downregulated the downstream transcriptional activity of cAMP-response element binding protein (CREB) and the expression of the coactivator CBP/P300. Notably, LGZG downregulated the expression of ?-arrestin1 and GRK 2/3/5 while upregulating the expression of ?1-AR and ?-arrestin2. These results suggest that LGZG inhibits Gs/cAMP/PKA signaling and ?-arrestin/GRK-mediated desensitization and internalization of ?1-AR, potentially exerting cardioprotective effects through the synergistic regulation of the ?1-AR/Gs/GRKs/?-arrestin signaling deflection system via multiple pathways.
Animals ; Heart Failure/genetics* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Mice ; Male ; G-Protein-Coupled Receptor Kinases/genetics* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Humans ; Isoproterenol ; Arrestins/genetics* ; Chronic Disease

Objective:To develop a rapid, sensitive, and quantitative method for detecting Klebsiella pneumoniae using digital loop-mediated isothermal amplification(LAMP)-CRISPR/Cas12b. Methods:Five LAMP primers targeting the Kp-1 gene of Klebsiella pneumoniae and guide RNA (gRNA) for Cas12b were designed. The digital LAMP-CRISPR/Cas12b reaction mixture included 1×WarmStart ? LAMP master mix, 1×LAMP primers, 250 nmol/L Cas12b, 250 nmol/L gRNA, 3 μmol/L ssDNA reporter, 1 000 U/ml RNase inhibitor, 4 mmol/L Mg 2+, and DEPC water. After preparing the digital chip, it was incubated at 60℃ for one hour. Fluorescence distribution was then detected using a biochip analyzer to calculate the input DNA concentration. The specificity of the method was tested using genomic DNA from seven pathogenic microorganisms. The quantitative performance was assessed using serial dilutions of Klebsiella pneumoniae DNA ranging from 5-500 000 copies/μl. Clinical sputum samples were collected for comparison of quantitative performance with qPCR and qualitative performance with culture methods. Results:The digital LAMP-CRISPR/Cas12b method showed high specificity, yielding negative results for all six non-target pathogens. Quantitative performance tests indicated a sensitivity as low as 5 copies/μl, with a linear dynamic range of 5-50 000 copies/μl ( R2=0.927 4). Clinical sample quantitative testing showed that the correlation coefficient between digital LAMP-CRISPR/Cas12b and qPCR quantification was 0.917 0. Compared with the culture results of 72 samples, this method had a sensitivity of 100% and detected two additional samples with negative culture result, with a specificity of 91%; Compared with the culture method, qPCR had a sensitivity of 96% and a specificity of 83%. These results indicated that the digital LAMP-CRISPR/Cas12b method had good quantitative and qualitative detection performance for clinical sputum samples. Conclusions:This method offers advantages over qPCR, including rapidity, simplicity, and high precision. The digital LAMP-CRISPR/Cas12b method enables absolute quantification of Klebsiella pneumoniae in sputum samples, enhancing the accuracy of early screening for Klebsiella pneumoniae infections. These advantages make digital LAMP-CRISPR/Cas12b technology highly promising for the precise diagnosis of pathogenic microorganisms in field detection, primary healthcare, and resource-limited environments.