ObjectiveIn the realm of forensic science, dust is a valuable type of trace evidence with immense potential for intricate investigations. With the development of DNA sequencing technologies, there is a heightened interest among researchers in unraveling the complex tapestry of microbial communities found within dust samples. Furthermore, striking disparities in the microbial community composition have been noted among dust samples from diverse geographical regions, heralding new possibilities for geographical inference based on microbial DNA analysis. The pivotal role of microbial community data from dust in geographical inference is significant, underscoring its critical importance within the field of forensic science. This study aims to delve deeply into the nuances of fungal community composition across the urban landscapes of Beijing, Fuzhou, Kunming, and Urumqi in China. It evaluates the accuracy of biogeographic inference facilitated by the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) fungal sequencing while concurrently laying a robust foundation for the operational integration of environmental DNA into geographical inference mechanisms. MethodsITS2 region of the fungal genomes was amplified using universal primers known as 5.8S-Fun/ITS4-Fun, and the resulting DNA fragments were sequenced on the Illumina MiSeq FGx platform. Non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis (NMDS) was employed to visually represent the differences between samples, while analysis of similarities (ANOSIM) and permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA) were utilized to statistically evaluate the dissimilarities in community composition across samples. Furthermore, using Linear Discriminant Analysis Effect Size (LEfSe) analysis to identify and filter out species that exhibit significant differences between various cities. In addition, we leveraged SourceTracker to predict the geographic origins of the dust samples. ResultsAmong the four cities of Beijing, Fuzhou, Kunming and Urumqi, Beijing has the highest species richness. The results of species annotation showed that there were significant differences in the species composition and relative abundance of fungal communities in the four cities. NMDS analysis revealed distinct clustering patterns of samples based on their biogeographic origins in multidimensional space. Samples from the same city exhibited clear clustering, while samples from different cities showed separation along the first axis. The results from ANOSIM and PERMANOVA confirmed the significant differences in fungal community composition between the four cities, with the most pronounced distinctions observed between Fuzhou and Urumqi. Notably, the biogeographic origins of all known dust samples were successfully predicted. ConclusionSignificant differences are observed in the fungal species composition and relative abundance among the cities of Beijing, Fuzhou, Kunming, and Urumqi. Employing fungal ITS2 sequencing on dust samples from these urban areas enables accurate inference of biogeographical locations. The high feasibility of utilizing fungal community data in dust for biogeographical inferences holds particular promise in the field of forensic science.

In 2023, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease was renamed metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease by the American and European liver associations. This new nomenclature recognizes metabolic dysfunction as the central driver of the disease, and the diagnostic criteria now require the presence of hepatic steatosis plus at least one of five cardiometabolic risk factors. B-mode ultrasonography remains the most common and practical method for detecting hepatic steatosis, although newer ultrasound techniques based on attenuation, backscatter, and speed of sound have gained traction as tools to diagnose and quantify hepatic steatosis. Additionally, ultrasound elastography is increasingly used in routine clinical practice to assess liver fibrosis, diagnose cirrhosis, and identify clinically significant portal hypertension.

The lack of clear definition and classification for “moderate ulcerative colitis (UC)” creates ambiguity regarding the suitability of step-up versus top-down treatment approaches. In this paper, experts address crucial gaps in assessing and managing moderate UC. The Asia-Pacific, Middle East, and Africa Inflammatory Bowel Disease Coalition comprised 24 experts who convened to share, discuss and vote electronically on management recommendations for moderate UC. Experts emphasized that the goal of treating UC is to attain clinical, biomarker, and endoscopic remission using cost-effective strategies such as 5-aminosalicylates (5-ASAs), well-tolerated therapy that can be optimized to improve outcomes. Experts agreed that 5-ASA therapy could be optimized by maximizing dosage (4 g/day for induction of remission), combining oral and topical administration, extending treatment duration beyond 8 weeks, and enhancing patient adherence through personalized counselling and reduced pill burden. Treatment escalation should ideally be reserved for patients with predictors of aggressive disease or those who do not respond to 5-ASA optimization. Premature treatment escalation to advanced therapies (including biologics and oral small molecules) may have long-term health and financial consequences. This paper provides consensus-based expert recommendations and a treatment algorithm, based on current evidence and practices, to assist decision-making in real-world settings.

In 2023, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease was renamed metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease by the American and European liver associations. This new nomenclature recognizes metabolic dysfunction as the central driver of the disease, and the diagnostic criteria now require the presence of hepatic steatosis plus at least one of five cardiometabolic risk factors. B-mode ultrasonography remains the most common and practical method for detecting hepatic steatosis, although newer ultrasound techniques based on attenuation, backscatter, and speed of sound have gained traction as tools to diagnose and quantify hepatic steatosis. Additionally, ultrasound elastography is increasingly used in routine clinical practice to assess liver fibrosis, diagnose cirrhosis, and identify clinically significant portal hypertension.

In 2023, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease was renamed metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease by the American and European liver associations. This new nomenclature recognizes metabolic dysfunction as the central driver of the disease, and the diagnostic criteria now require the presence of hepatic steatosis plus at least one of five cardiometabolic risk factors. B-mode ultrasonography remains the most common and practical method for detecting hepatic steatosis, although newer ultrasound techniques based on attenuation, backscatter, and speed of sound have gained traction as tools to diagnose and quantify hepatic steatosis. Additionally, ultrasound elastography is increasingly used in routine clinical practice to assess liver fibrosis, diagnose cirrhosis, and identify clinically significant portal hypertension.

The lack of clear definition and classification for “moderate ulcerative colitis (UC)” creates ambiguity regarding the suitability of step-up versus top-down treatment approaches. In this paper, experts address crucial gaps in assessing and managing moderate UC. The Asia-Pacific, Middle East, and Africa Inflammatory Bowel Disease Coalition comprised 24 experts who convened to share, discuss and vote electronically on management recommendations for moderate UC. Experts emphasized that the goal of treating UC is to attain clinical, biomarker, and endoscopic remission using cost-effective strategies such as 5-aminosalicylates (5-ASAs), well-tolerated therapy that can be optimized to improve outcomes. Experts agreed that 5-ASA therapy could be optimized by maximizing dosage (4 g/day for induction of remission), combining oral and topical administration, extending treatment duration beyond 8 weeks, and enhancing patient adherence through personalized counselling and reduced pill burden. Treatment escalation should ideally be reserved for patients with predictors of aggressive disease or those who do not respond to 5-ASA optimization. Premature treatment escalation to advanced therapies (including biologics and oral small molecules) may have long-term health and financial consequences. This paper provides consensus-based expert recommendations and a treatment algorithm, based on current evidence and practices, to assist decision-making in real-world settings.

In 2023, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease was renamed metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease by the American and European liver associations. This new nomenclature recognizes metabolic dysfunction as the central driver of the disease, and the diagnostic criteria now require the presence of hepatic steatosis plus at least one of five cardiometabolic risk factors. B-mode ultrasonography remains the most common and practical method for detecting hepatic steatosis, although newer ultrasound techniques based on attenuation, backscatter, and speed of sound have gained traction as tools to diagnose and quantify hepatic steatosis. Additionally, ultrasound elastography is increasingly used in routine clinical practice to assess liver fibrosis, diagnose cirrhosis, and identify clinically significant portal hypertension.

The lack of clear definition and classification for “moderate ulcerative colitis (UC)” creates ambiguity regarding the suitability of step-up versus top-down treatment approaches. In this paper, experts address crucial gaps in assessing and managing moderate UC. The Asia-Pacific, Middle East, and Africa Inflammatory Bowel Disease Coalition comprised 24 experts who convened to share, discuss and vote electronically on management recommendations for moderate UC. Experts emphasized that the goal of treating UC is to attain clinical, biomarker, and endoscopic remission using cost-effective strategies such as 5-aminosalicylates (5-ASAs), well-tolerated therapy that can be optimized to improve outcomes. Experts agreed that 5-ASA therapy could be optimized by maximizing dosage (4 g/day for induction of remission), combining oral and topical administration, extending treatment duration beyond 8 weeks, and enhancing patient adherence through personalized counselling and reduced pill burden. Treatment escalation should ideally be reserved for patients with predictors of aggressive disease or those who do not respond to 5-ASA optimization. Premature treatment escalation to advanced therapies (including biologics and oral small molecules) may have long-term health and financial consequences. This paper provides consensus-based expert recommendations and a treatment algorithm, based on current evidence and practices, to assist decision-making in real-world settings.

In 2023, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease was renamed metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease by the American and European liver associations. This new nomenclature recognizes metabolic dysfunction as the central driver of the disease, and the diagnostic criteria now require the presence of hepatic steatosis plus at least one of five cardiometabolic risk factors. B-mode ultrasonography remains the most common and practical method for detecting hepatic steatosis, although newer ultrasound techniques based on attenuation, backscatter, and speed of sound have gained traction as tools to diagnose and quantify hepatic steatosis. Additionally, ultrasound elastography is increasingly used in routine clinical practice to assess liver fibrosis, diagnose cirrhosis, and identify clinically significant portal hypertension.

In recent years, polysaccharides have received much attention because of their high safety and good immunological activity. The study of polysaccharide in vivo process is a key scientific problem that needs to be solved for polysaccharide drug development. Some progress has been made in the field of polysaccharide pharmacokinetics and immunomodulation. However, due to the lack of both chromogenic and light-absorbing groups and the complex molecular structure of polysaccharides, the in vivo processes and immunomodulatory mechanisms of polysaccharides have been slow to be investigated. The effective combination of multiple techniques can break the bottleneck of difficult tracing and unknown immunomodulatory mechanism of polysaccharides in vivo, and promote the development and utilization of polysaccharides. In this paper, we systematically summarize the key techniques in the study of polysaccharide in vivo processes and immunomodulatory mechanisms in order to provide technical references and research ideas for the study of polysaccharide in vivo processes and immunomodulatory mechanisms.