Current status and strategies of asthma questionnaire application in China

The prevalence of bronchial asthma in China is 4.2%, similar to other countries around the world, but the mortality rate of asthma in China is 36.7 /100 000, which is four times as high as that of Japan and seven times as that of the United States. Therefore, It is urgent for China to strengthen the effectiveness of asthma management and minimize the risk of related deaths. Pivotal aspects of asthma management involve screening and assessing symptom control. Simple screening tools expedite rapid identification of patients who require more detailed assessment in primary medical care. Numerical tools like ACT and ACQ are widely used in clinical practice and clinical research. Categorical symptom control tools are extensively used in clinical studies. For example,asthma APGAR (Activities, Persistence, Triggers, Asthma medications, Response to therapy) questionnaire not only assists in assessing asthma, but also in enhancing treatment adherence, improving asthma control. Currently, some asthma questionnaires face limitations in their application in China, particularly concerning sociocultural factors, specific age groups, and heterogeneous phenotypes. More attention should be paid to individualized factors (age diverse, clinical phenotypes), and use of biomarkers and intelligent technologies in questionnaire design for enhancing management of asthma

An analysis of the global burden of gallbladder and biliary tract cancer attributable to high BMI in 204 countries and territories: 1990–2021

BackgroundGallbladder and biliary tract cancers (GBTCs) are aggressive with poor prognosis, often undetected until advanced stages. High Body Mass Index (BMI) is a significant risk factor, contributing substantially to GBTC mortality and Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs). This study aimed to quantify the global burdens of GBTCs attributable to high BMI from 1990 to 2021, thereby developing more rational prevention and treatment strategies for GBTC.MethodsData were extracted from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021. Age-standardized rates of mortality (ASMR), and DALYs (ASDR) for GBTCs due to high BMI were calculated by years, genders, ages, geographical locations, and sociodemographic index (SDI). The estimated annual percentage change (EAPC) was calculated to evaluate the temporal trends from 1990 to 2021. Decomposition and frontier analyses were conducted to understand the driving forces behind burden changes and to identify top-performing countries. Inequality analysis was conducted to assess burden disparities across different SDI levels. The disease burden was forecasted through 2035 using the Bayesian age period cohort (BAPC) model.ResultsGlobally, ASMR and ASDR for GBTCs related to high BMI decreased from 1990 to 2021; however, the absolute number of deaths and DALYs cases more than doubled, and similar patterns are projected to continue over the next 14 years in the absence of intervention. High SDI regions showed higher burdens due to higher obesity rates, population growth, and aging, while low SDI regions faced higher EAPCs due to limited resources. Moreover, this inequality has become more significant. Females were more susceptible across all age groups. Notable variations in burden management were observed among countries, with some low SDI nations demonstrating superior performance to high SDI countries.ConclusionDespite the decline in rates, the burden of GBTCs attributable to high BMI remains substantial, underscoring the need for targeted prevention strategies for high BMI, particularly in high SDI regions. Gender and age disparities necessitate tailored health interventions

Dietary menthol-induced TRPM8 activation enhances WAT “browning” and ameliorates diet-induced obesity

Beige adipocytes are a new type of recruitable brownish adipocytes, with highly mitochondrial membrane uncoupling protein 1 expression and thermogenesis. Beige adipocytes were found among white adipocytes, especially in subcutaneous white adipose tissue (sWAT). Therefore, beige adipocytes may be involved in the regulation of energy metabolism and fat deposition. Transient receptor potential melastatin 8 (TRPM8), a Ca2+-permeable non-selective cation channel, plays vital roles in the regulation of various cellular functions. It has been reported that TRPM8 activation enhanced the thermogenic function of brown adiposytes. However, the involvement of TRPM8 in the thermogenic function of WAT remains unexplored. Our data revealed that TRPM8 was expressed in mouse white adipocytes at mRNA, protein and functional levels. The mRNA expression of Trpm8 was significantly increased in the differentiated white adipocytes than pre-adipocytes. Moreover, activation of TRPM8 by menthol enhanced the expression of thermogenic genes in cultured white aidpocytes. And menthol-induced increases of the thermogenic genes in white adipocytes was inhibited by either KT5720 (a protein kinase A inhibitor) or BAPTA-AM. In addition, high fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity in mice was significantly recovered by co-treatment with menthol. Dietary menthol enhanced WAT "browning" and improved glucose metabolism in HFD-induced obesity mice as well. Therefore, we concluded that TRPM8 might be involved in WAT "browning" by increasing the expression levels of genes related to thermogenesis and energy metabolism. And dietary menthol could be a novel approach for combating human obesity and related metabolic diseases

A case report of para-esophageal bronchogenic cyst with esophageal communication

Abstract Paraesophageal bronchogenic cyst was one of common mediastinal congenital cystic lesions of foregut origin. Because of an intimate embryologic relationship with the esophagus, they were usually found intramural (intramural esophageal bronchogenic cysts) with the local esophageal mucosa being intact and the paraesophageal bronchogenic cysts were rarely communicated with esophageal lumen. We report a case of para-esophageal bronchogenic cyst communicating to the esophageal lumen thorough a pedicle of canal, which looked liked a diverticulum on X-ray. During the operation, a communication of paraesophageal bronchogenic cyst with esophageal was found and the pathology diagnosis were made then. The symptoms of chest pain and dysphagia were relieved immediately after operation. The follow-up was well 2 years after the surgery.</jats:p

Sorghum yield prediction using UAV multispectral imaging and stacking ensemble learning in arid regions

IntroductionFrequent droughts and climate fluctuations pose significant challenges to stabilizing and increasing the yields of drought-tolerant crops like sorghum. Accurate, detailed, and spatially explicit yield predictions are essential for precision irrigation, variable fertilization, and food security assessment.MethodsThis study was conducted in the Lifang dryland experimental area in Jinzhong, Shanxi Province, using a sorghum planting experiment. Multispectral imagery and meteorological data were collected simultaneously using a DJI Mavic 3M UAV during key growth stages (seedling emergence, jointing, flowering, and maturity). A “spectral-meteorological-spatial” three-dimensional prediction framework was developed using eight machine learning algorithms. SHAP values and Partial Dependency Plots were used to assess variable importance.ResultsEnsemble learning algorithms performed best, with the Gradient Boosting model achieving an R2 of 0.9491 and Random Forest reaching 0.9070. SHAP analysis revealed that DVI and NDGI were the most important predictors. The jointing stage contributed most to prediction accuracy (R2 = 0.9454), followed by maturity (R² = 0.9215) and flowering (R2 = 0.9075). Yield spatial distribution ranged from 4,291 to 4,965 kg haR-1, with a global Moran’s I index of 0.5552 indicating moderate positive spatial autocorrelation.DiscussionIntegrating UAV multispectral data with machine learning methods enables efficient sorghum yield prediction, with the jointing stage identified as the optimal monitoring period. This study provides crucial technical support for precision planting and efficient sorghum management in arid regions

Transient Inhibition of mTORC1 Signaling Ameliorates Irradiation-Induced Liver Damage

Recurrent liver cancer after surgery is often treated with radiotherapy, which induces liver damage. It has been documented that activation of the TGF-β and NF-κB signaling pathways plays important roles in irradiation-induced liver pathologies. However, the significance of mTOR signaling remains undefined after irradiation exposure. In the present study, we investigated the effects of inhibiting mTORC1 signaling on irradiated livers. Male C57BL/6J mice were acutely exposed to 8.0 Gy of X-ray total body irradiation and subsequently treated with rapamycin. The effects of rapamycin treatment on irradiated livers were examined at days 1, 3, and 7 after exposure. The results showed that 8.0 Gy of irradiation resulted in hepatocyte edema, hemorrhage, and sinusoidal congestion along with a decrease of ALB expression. Exposure of mice to irradiation significantly activated the mTORC1 signaling pathway determined by pS6 and p-mTOR expression via western blot and immunostaining. Transient inhibition of mTORC1 signaling by rapamycin treatment consistently accelerated liver recovery from irradiation, which was evidenced by decreasing sinusoidal congestion and increasing ALB expression after irradiation. The protective role of rapamycin on irradiated livers might be mediated by decreasing cellular apoptosis and increasing autophagy. These data suggest that transient inhibition of mTORC1 signaling by rapamycin protects livers against irradiation-induced damage

A panel based on three-miRNAs as diagnostic biomarker for prostate cancer

Background: Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most prevalent malignancies affecting the male life cycle. The incidence and mortality of prostate cancer are also increasing every year. Detection of MicroRNA expression in serum to diagnose prostate cancer and determine prognosis is a very promising non-invasive modality.Materials and method: A total of 224 study participants were included in our study, including 112 prostate cancer patients and 112 healthy adults. The experiment consisted of three main phases, namely, the screening phase, the testing phase, and the validation phase. The expression levels of serum miRNAs in patients and healthy adults were detected using quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and the area under the curve (AUC) were used to evaluate the diagnostic ability, specificity, and sensitivity of the candidate miRNAs.Result: Eventually, three miRNAs most relevant to prostate cancer diagnosis were selected, namely, miR-106b-5p, miR-129-1-3p and miR-381-3p. We used these three miRNAs to construct a diagnostic panel with very high diagnostic potential for prostate cancer, which had an AUC of 0.912 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.858 to 0.950; p &lt; 0.001; sensitivity = 91.67%; specificity = 79.76%]. In addition, the three target genes (DTNA, GJB1, and TRPC4) we searched for are also expected to be used for prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment in the future

Characterizing the Structural Pattern Predicting Medication Response in Herpes Zoster Patients Using Multivoxel Pattern Analysis

Herpes zoster (HZ) can cause a blistering skin rash with severe neuropathic pain. Pharmacotherapy is the most common treatment for HZ patients. However, most patients are usually the elderly or those that are immunocompromised, and thus often suffer from side effects or easily get intractable post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) if medication fails. It is challenging for clinicians to tailor treatment to patients, due to the lack of prognosis information on the neurological pathogenesis that underlies HZ. In the current study, we aimed at characterizing the brain structural pattern of HZ before treatment with medication that could help predict medication responses. High-resolution structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of 14 right-handed HZ patients (aged 61.0 ± 7.0, 8 males) with poor response and 15 (aged 62.6 ± 8.3, 5 males) age- (p = 0.58), gender-matched (p = 0.20) patients responding well, were acquired and analyzed. Multivoxel pattern analysis (MVPA) with a searchlight algorithm and support vector machine (SVM), was applied to identify the spatial pattern of the gray matter (GM) volume, with high predicting accuracy. The predictive regions, with an accuracy higher than 79%, were located within the cerebellum, posterior insular cortex (pIC), middle and orbital frontal lobes (mFC and OFC), anterior and middle cingulum (ACC and MCC), precuneus (PCu) and cuneus. Among these regions, mFC, pIC and MCC displayed significant increases of GM volumes in patients with poor response, compared to those with a good response. The combination of sMRI and MVPA might be a useful tool to explore the neuroanatomical imaging biomarkers of HZ-related pain associated with medication responses

The inhibitory effects of four inhibitors on the solution adsorption of CaCO3 on Fe3O4 and Fe2O3 surfaces

AbstractThis study presents the inhibitory effects of four scale inhibitors, including polyacrylic acid (PAA), hydrolyzed polymaleic anhydride (HPMA), polyepoxysuccinic acid (PESA) and polyaspartic acid (PASP), on the adsorption of CaCO3 on the surfaces of Fe3O4 and Fe2O3. Samples were characterized using SEM and EDS and the average atomic number ratios of Ca/Fe were calculated. Inhibition effects followed the trend: PESA &gt; PAA &gt; PASP &gt; HPMA and PESA &gt; PASP &gt; HPMA &gt; PAA for Fe3O4 and Fe2O3, respectively. Molecular dynamics simulations based on the adsorption model of the scale inhibitor on the surface and calculations of the adsorption energy between the scale inhibitor molecule and the surface revealed that the relatively high scale inhibitory effect is due to low adsorption energy between the inhibitor molecule and the surface. Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations of the model after adsorption revealed that the relatively low adsorption energy depends on the number of H-O bonds formed as well as those with higher Mulliken population values between the scale inhibitor and the surface.</jats:p