Neuroscience is a significant frontier discipline within the natural sciences and has become an important interdisciplinary frontier scientific field. Brain is one of the most complex organs in the human body, and its structural and functional analysis is considered the “ultimate frontier” of human self-awareness and exploration of nature. Driven by the strategic layout of “China Brain Project”, Chinese scientists have conducted systematic research focusing on “understanding the brain, simulating the brain, and protecting the brain”. They have made breakthrough progress in areas such as the principles of brain cognition, mechanisms and interventions for brain diseases, brain-like computation, and applications of brain-machine intelligence technology, aiming to enhance brain health through biomedical technology and improve the quality of human life. Due to limited understanding and comprehension of neuroscience, there are still many important unresolved issues in the field of neuroscience, resulting in a lack of effective measures to prevent and protect brain health. Therefore, in addition to actively developing new generation drugs, exploring non pharmacological treatment strategies with better health benefits and higher safety is particularly important. Epidemiological data shows that, exercise is not only an indispensable part of daily life but also an important non-pharmacological approach for protecting brain health and preventing neurodegenerative diseases, forming an emerging research field known as motor neuroscience. Basic research in motor neuroscience primarily focuses on analyzing the dynamic coding mechanisms of neural circuits involved in motor control, breakthroughs in motor neuroscience research depend on the construction of dynamic monitoring systems across temporal and spatial scales. Therefore, high spatiotemporal resolution detection of movement processes and movement-induced changes in brain structure and neural activity signals is an important technical foundation for conducting motor neuroscience research and has developed a set of tools based on traditional neuroscience methods combined with novel motor behavior decoding technologies, providing an innovative technical platform for motor neuroscience research. The protective effect of exercise in neurodegenerative diseases provides broad application prospects for its clinical translation. Applied research in motor neuroscience centers on deciphering the regulatory networks of neuroprotective molecules mediated by exercise. From the perspectives of exercise promoting neurogenesis and regeneration, enhancing synaptic plasticity, modulating neuronal functional activity, and remodeling the molecular homeostasis of the neuronal microenvironment, it aims to improve cognitive function and reduce the incidence of Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease. This has also advanced research into the molecular regulatory networks mediating exercise-induced neuroprotection and facilitated the clinical application and promotion of exercise rehabilitation strategies. Multidimensional analysis of exercise-regulated neural plasticity is the theoretical basis for elucidating the brain-protective mechanisms mediated by exercise and developing intervention strategies for neurological diseases. Thus,real-time analysis of different neural signals during active exercise is needed to study the health effects of exercise throughout the entire life cycle and enhance lifelong sports awareness. Therefore, this article will systematically summarize the innovative technological developments in motor neuroscience research, review the mechanisms of neural plasticity that exercise utilizes to protect the brain, and explore the role of exercise in the prevention and treatment of major neurodegenerative diseases. This aims to provide new ideas for future theoretical innovations and clinical applications in the field of exercise-induced brain protection.

ObjectiveTo explore the effects of genetic variation of obesity-related biological pathways and gene-obesity interactions on the incidence of gastric cancer, so as to better understand the pathogenesis of gastric cancer and help identify high-risk populations for individualized prevention of gastric cancer. MethodsA case-control study based on the Shanghai Suburban Adult Cohort and Biobank study (SSACB) was conducted on the cases with gastric cancer. A total of 267 cases with gastric cancer and 267 healthy controls matched 1∶1 by age and gender using propensity score were included in the study. After genome-wide genotyping, quality control and imputation, 19 250 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) sites from 115 genes in 4 obesity-related biological pathways were extracted. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate the association between these SNP sites and the risk of gastric cancer, and false positive report probability (FPRP) was used for multiple test correction.Data from Biobank Japan (BBJ) and FinnGen public accessible databases were used to validate significant SNP sites. For validated sites, expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) analysis and differentially expressed genes analysis were further performed. Additive and multiplicative interactions were used to evaluate the gene-obesity interactions on the incidence of gastric cancer. Additive interaction evaluation indicators included relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI), attributable proportion due to interaction (AP) and synergy index (SI), while multiplicative interaction evaluation indicators include OR_GxE and P_inter. ResultsA total of 41 SNP sites were significantly associated with the onset of gastric cancer (P_adj<0.05, FPRP_0.1<0.1), among which 7 groups of haplotype blocks were formed. ACACB/ rs2268401 [SSACB: P=0.005, BBJ: P=0.049], HRAS/ rs12785860 (SSACB: P<0.001, FinnGen: P=0.045), and PTPN1/ rs6095985 (SSACB: P<0.001, FinnGen: P=0.023) were significantly associated with the risk of gastric cancer after validation in different populations. Among which, the G allele of HRAS/ rs12785860 was correlated with the downregulation of HRAS mRNA expression (P<0.001), and the expression level of HRAS in gastric cancer tissues was higher than that in adjacent normal tissues (P<0.001). Additionaly, JAK1/rs11208559 showed a positive additive interaction with waist circumstance (WC) on the risk of gastric cancer [RERI=2.29(0.06~4.53), AP=0.57(0.23~0.90), SI=4.03(2.20~5.87)]. ConclusionObesity-related biological pathway SNP sites and their haplotypes are associated with the risk of gastric cancer, suggesting that genetic variations in obesity pathways may affect gastric cancer. The HRAS/ rs12785860 is significantly associated with downregulation of HRAS gene expression, which may serve as a potential genetic marker for gastric cancer. JAK1/rs11208559 interacts with obesity additively on the risk of gastric cancer. Individuals with GC+CC genotypes and pre-central or central obesity have an increased risk of gastric cancer, providing clues and evidences for individualized prevention of gastric cancer.

Objective To investigate the efficacy of leaflet augmentation technique to repair the recurrent mitral valve (MV) regurgitation after mitral repair in children. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of children who underwent redo MV repair for recurrent regurgitation after initial MV repair, using a leaflet augmentation technique combined with a standardized repair strategy at Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, from 2018 to 2022. The pathological features of the MV, key intraoperative procedures, and short- to mid-term follow-up outcomes were analyzed. Results A total of 24 patients (12 male, 12 female) were included, with a median age of 37.6 (range, 16.5–120.0) months. The mean interval from the initial surgery was (24.9±17.0) months. All children had severe mitral regurgitation preoperatively. The cardiopulmonary bypass time was (150.1±49.5) min, and the aortic cross-clamp time was (94.0±24.2) min. There were no early postoperative deaths. During a mean follow-up of (20.3±9.1) months, 3 (12.5%) patients developed moderate or severe mitral regurgitation (2 severe, 1 moderate). One (4.2%) patient died during follow-up, and one (4.2%) patient underwent a second MV reoperation. The left ventricular end-diastolic diameter was significantly reduced postoperatively compared to preoperatively [ (43.5±8.6) mm vs. (35.8±7.8)mm, P<0.001]. Conclusion The leaflet augmentation technique combined with a standardized repair strategy can achieve satisfactory short- to mid-term outcomes for the redo mitral repair after previous MV repair. It can be considered a safe and feasible technical option for cases with complex valvular lesions and severe pathological changes.

Researchers commonly use cyclization recombination enzyme/locus of X-over P1 (Cre/loxP) technology-based conditional gene knockouts of model mice to investigate the functional roles of genes of interest in Sertoli and Leydig cells within the testis. However, the shortcomings of these genetic tools include high costs, lengthy experimental periods, and limited accessibility for researchers. Therefore, exploring alternative gene silencing techniques is of great practical value. In this study, we employed adeno-associated virus (AAV) as a vector for gene silencing in Sertoli and Leydig cells. Our findings demonstrated that AAV serotypes 1, 8, and 9 exhibited high infection efficiency in both types of testis cells. Importantly, we discovered that all three AAV serotypes exhibited exquisite specificity in targeting Sertoli cells via tubular injection while demonstrating remarkable selectivity in targeting Leydig cells via interstitial injection. We achieved cell-specific knockouts of the steroidogenic acute regulatory ( Star ) and luteinizing hormone/human chorionic gonadotropin receptor (Lhcgr) genes in Leydig cells, but not in Sertoli cells, using AAV9-single guide RNA (sgRNA)-mediated gene editing in Rosa26-LSL-Cas9 mice. Knockdown of androgen receptor ( Ar ) gene expression in Sertoli cells of wild-type mice was achieved via tubular injection of AAV9-short hairpin RNA (shRNA)-mediated targeting. Our findings offer technical approaches for investigating gene function in Sertoli and Leydig cells through AAV9-mediated gene silencing.
Animals ; Male ; Leydig Cells/metabolism* ; Mice ; Dependovirus/genetics* ; Sertoli Cells/metabolism* ; Gene Silencing ; Genetic Vectors ; Testis/cytology*

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the role and mechanism of Brahma-related gene 1 (Brg1) in regulating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in a bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) model. METHODS: Wild-type C57BL/6 and Brg1^f1/f1 mice were randomly divided into four groups: wild-type control, wild-type BPD, Brg1^f1/f1 control, and Brg1^f1/f1 BPD (n=5 each). Immortalized mouse pulmonary alveolar type 2 cells (imPAC2) were cultured, and Brg1 gene was knocked down using lentivirus transfection technology. Cells were divided into three groups: control, empty vector, and Brg1 knockdown. Hematoxylin and eosin staining and immunofluorescence were used to detect pathological changes in mouse lung tissue. Western blot and real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR were used to measure Brg1 protein and mRNA expression levels in mouse lung tissue. Western blot and immunofluorescence were used to detect the expression of homeodomain-containing protein homeobox (HOPX), surfactant protein C (SPC), and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway proteins in mouse lung tissue and imPAC2 cells. The CCK8 assay was used to assess the proliferation of imPAC2 cells, and co-immunoprecipitation was performed to verify the interaction between Brg1 and β-catenin proteins in imPAC2 cells. RESULTS: Compared to the Brg1^f1/f1 control group and wild-type BPD group, the Brg1^f1/f1 BPD group showed increased alveolar diameter and SPC protein expression, and decreased relative density of pulmonary vasculature and HOPX protein expression (P<0.05). Compared to the control group, the Brg1 knockdown group showed increased cell proliferation ability, protein expression levels of SPC, Wnt5a and β-catenin, and β-catenin protein fluorescence intensity, along with decreased HOPX protein expression (P<0.05). An interaction between Brg1 and β-catenin proteins was confirmed. CONCLUSIONS The Brg1 gene may promote the proliferation of alveolar type 2 epithelial cells by regulating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, thus influencing the occurrence and development of BPD.
Animals ; DNA Helicases/genetics* ; Transcription Factors/genetics* ; Wnt Signaling Pathway/physiology* ; Nuclear Proteins/genetics* ; Mice ; Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia/etiology* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; beta Catenin/physiology* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Cell Proliferation ; Lung/pathology* ; Male

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer is one of the malignant cancers with the highest incidence rate, and it is important to identify the factors contributing to lung cancer carcinogenesis for prevention. Lifestyle and genetic factors play important roles in cancer development, however the impact of dietary factors, such as soy product intake, on lung cancer risk remains inadequately understood. This study aims to explore the associations between soy product intake, genetic risk, and lung cancer incidence, and validate the consistent effects of soy product intake in European populations, thereby providing new insights for lung cancer prevention. METHODS: Utilizing the Shanghai Suburban Adult Cohort and Biobank (SSACB) (n=66,311), Cox proportional hazards model was adopted to assess the association between soy product intake and lung cancer incidents, followed by subgroup analyses stratified by gender, smoking status, and pathological types of lung cancer. The UK Biobank (UKB) was used for validation of the effect of soy product intake on lung cancer. To investigate the association between genetic factors and lung cancer, in addition to previously reported loci, we incorporated newly identified loci from two independent studies in Southeast China: a nested case-control population from the SSACB cohort (433 cases/650 controls) and a case-control study from the Shanghai Cancer Center-Taizhou cohort (1359 cases/1359 controls). Meta-analysis and Linkage disequilibrium clumping (LD clumping) of the association results identified 23 loci for polygenic risk score (PRS) construction. Subsequently, conditional Logistic regression model was used to assess the association between genetic risk and lung cancer. RESULTS: In SSACB cohort, after adjusting for age, gender, smoking, chronic bronchitis, body mass index (BMI), vegetable intake and red meat intake, sufficient soy product intake was significantly associated with a reduced risk of lung cancer [hazard ratio (HR)=0.60, 95%CI: 0.47-0.77, Padj=6.69E-05], an effect that was consistent in males and females, smokers and non-smokers. In UKB, although the association did not reach statistical significance, a protective trend against lung cancer was also observed (HR=0.76, 95%CI: 0.55-1.06, Padj=0.10). In the nested case-control population within SSACB, a PRS score generated in the Chinese population was significantly correlated with lung cancer risk. After adjustment of age, gender, smoking, chronic bronchitis, and soy product intake, the high-PRS group had a 1.88 times higher risk of lung cancer compared to the low-PRS group (Padj=1.84E-03). CONCLUSIONS The prospective cohort study found that adequate intake of soy products was significantly associated with a reduced risk of lung cancer, while a high PRS is a risk factor for lung cancer development. Integrating soy product intake and PRS into traditional epidemiological risk factor prediction will guide personalized lung cancer prevention and high-risk population stratification.
Humans ; Lung Neoplasms/etiology* ; Male ; Female ; China/epidemiology* ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Biological Specimen Banks ; Risk Factors ; Case-Control Studies ; Cohort Studies

Transarterial radioembolization (TARE) is a widely utilized therapeutic approach for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), however, the clinical implementation is constrained by the stringent preparation conditions of radioembolization agents. Herein, we incorporated the superstable homogeneous iodinated formulation technology (SHIFT), simultaneously utilizing an enhanced solvent form in a carbon dioxide supercritical fluid environment, to encapsulate radionuclides (such as ¹³¹I,¹⁷⁷Lu, or ¹⁸F) with lipiodol for the preparation of radiolipiodol. The resulting radiolipiodol exhibited exceptional stability and ultra-high labeling efficiency (≥99%) and displayed notable intratumoral radionuclide retention and in vivo stability more than 2 weeks following locoregional injection in subcutaneous tumors in mice and orthotopic liver tumors in rats and rabbits. Given these encouraging findings, ¹⁸F was authorized as a radiotracer in radiolipiodol for clinical trials in HCC patients, and showed a favorable tumor accumulation, with a tumor-to-liver uptake ratio of ≥50 and minimal radionuclide leakage, confirming the feasibility of SHIFT for TARE applications. In the context of transforming from preclinical to clinical screening, the preparation of radiolipiodol by SHIFT represents an innovative physical strategy for radionuclide encapsulation. Hence, this work offers a reliable and efficient approach for TARE in HCC, showing considerable promise for clinical application (ChiCTR2400087731).

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to reexplore minimum iodine excretion and to build a dietary iodine recommendation for Chinese adults using the obligatory iodine loss hypothesis. METHODS: Data from 171 Chinese adults (19-21 years old) were collected and analyzed based on three balance studies in Shenzhen, Yinchuan, and Changzhi. The single exponential equation was accordingly used to simulate the trajectory of 24 h urinary iodine excretion as the low iodine experimental diets offered (iodine intake: 11-26 μg/day) and to further deduce the dietary reference intakes (DRIs) for iodine, including estimated average requirement (EAR) and recommended nutrient intake (RNI). RESULTS: The minimum iodine excretion was estimated as 57, 58, and 51 μg/day in three balance studies, respectively. Moreover, it was further suggested as 57, 58, and 51 μg/day for iodine EAR, and 80, 81, and 71 μg/day for iodine RNI or expressed as 1.42, 1.41, and 1.20 μg/(day·kg) of body weight. CONCLUSION The iodine DRIs for Chinese adults were established based on the obligatory iodine loss hypothesis, which provides scientific support for the amendment of nutrient requirements.
Humans ; Iodine/administration & dosage* ; Male ; Female ; China ; Young Adult ; Diet ; Adult ; Nutritional Requirements ; East Asian People

OBJECTIVES: A stable, reliable, and easily implementable clinical diagnostic method for marginal velopharyngeal insufficiency (MVPI) was established on the basis of the subjective hearing judgement of hypernasality and objective examination of velopharyngeal closure to address the lack of unified diagnostic criteria for MVPI. METHODS: Nasopharyngeal fiberscopy and speech assessment results were collected from postoperative patients with cleft palate. These results were used to analyze the differences in the distribution of nasal resonance in patients with different velopharyngeal closure ratios and the correlation between velopharyngeal closure ratios and nasal resonance status. Mild-to-moderate hypernasality with its corresponding elopharyngeal closure ratio was employed to establish the diagnostic criteria of MVPI. The reproducibility of the criteria and whether the patients with MVPI diagnosed by using the criteria exhibited significantly different speech characteristics compared with other patients were verified. RESULTS: A strong correlation was found between velopharyngeal closure ratios and nasal resonance (P<0.001). Mild-to-moderate hypernasality mainly corresponded to velopharyngeal closure ratios ranging from 90% to 99%, and the combination of the two characteristics as the diagnostic criteria for MVPI demonstrated good consistency (Kappa value=0.789, P<0.001). Moreover, under the diagnostic criteria, significant differences in nasal resonance (P<0.001), nasal emission (P=0.007), and misarticulation (P<0.001) were found between patients with velopharyngeal insufficiency and those with MVPI. CONCLUSIONS Combining the subjective hearing judgement of mild-to-moderate hypernasality with velopharyngeal closure ratios over 90% under nasopharyngeal fiberscopy provides a reliable and effective clinical method for diagnosing MVPI.
Humans ; Velopharyngeal Insufficiency/physiopathology* ; Reproducibility of Results ; Cleft Palate/surgery* ; Male ; Female ; Child

Objective:To analyze the clinical features, prognosis and risk factors of SARS-CoV-2 associated acute pancreatitis (SAAP), and provide a basis for early prevention and treatment of SAAP.Methods:Patients with coronavirus disease 19 infection (COVID-19) admitted to Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital from December 1, 2022 to January 31, 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. Clinical characteristics such as age, gender and other data were recorded, and the indexes of blood routine, liver and kidney function, inflammatory factor, coagulation function, blood gas analysis, immunoglobulin and complement were collected after admission. Patients were divided into pancreatic injury group and non-pancreatic injury group according to the level of serum amylase/lipase. The difference of prognosis and related hematological parameters between the two groups was compared. Multifactorial logistic regression equation was constructed to analyze the risk factors of SAAP.Results:A total of 2 101 patients with COVID-19 who met the criteria were included, including 298 patients in the pancreatic injury group and 1 803 patients in the non-pancreatic injury group. 17 cases (5.7%) in the pancreatic injury group met the diagnostic criteria for AP. The age, male percentage and mortality rate of the pancreatic injury group were all significantly higher than those of the non-pancreatic injury group (all P<0.05). In the pancreatic injury group, white blood cell count, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, C-reactive protein (CRP), calcitoninogen, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, inflammatory cytokines, tumour necrosis factor, liver and kidney functions, coagulation (D-dimer and plasma fibrinogen degradation products), and lactate level were significantly higher than those in the non-pancreatic injury group (all P<0.05). Serum complement C3, albumin, albumin globule ratio and arterial oxygenation index were lower in the pancreatic injury group (all P<0.05). Multifactorial logistic regression analysis showed that gender, age, CRP, calcitoninogen, total bilirubin, creatinine, PaO 2, PaO 2/FiO 2 and lactate were independent risk factors for the occurrence of pancreatic injury in patients with COVID-19 (all P<0.05). Conclusions:Inflammation-related markers, D-dimer and fibrinogen degradation products were significantly higher in COVID-19 patients comorbid with pancreatic injury than in the patients without pancreatic injury. The risk of SAAP was significantly higher in male patients of senior age. Sex, age, CRP, calcitoninogen, total bilirubin, creatinine, oxygenation index, and lactic acid were independent risk factors for the onset of pancreatic injury in COVID-19 patients.