Association between triglyceride-glucose index and colorectal polyps:A retrospective cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND Colorectal polyps(CPs)are frequently occurring abnormal growths in the colorectum,and are a primary precursor of colorectal cancer(CRC).The triglyceride-glucose(TyG)index is a novel marker that assesses metabolic health and insulin resistance,and has been linked to gastrointestinal cancers.AIM To investigate the potential association between the TyG index and CPs,as the relation between them has not been documented.METHODS A total of 2537 persons undergoing a routine health physical examination and colonoscopy at The First People's Hospital of Kunshan,Jiangsu Province,China,between January 2020 and December 2022 were included in this retrospective cross-sectional study.After excluding individuals who did not meet the eligibility criteria,descriptive statistics were used to compare characteristics between patients with and without CPs.Logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine the associations between the TyG index and the prevalence of CPs.The TyG index was calculated using the following formula:Ln[triglyceride(mg/dL)×glucose(mg/dL)/2].The presence and types of CPs was determined based on data from colonoscopy reports and pathology reports.RESULTS A nonlinear relation between the TyG index and the prevalence of CPs was identified,and exhibited a curvilinear pattern with a cut-off point of 2.31.A significant association was observed before the turning point,with an odds ratio(95% confidence interval)of 1.70(1.40,2.06),P<0.0001.However,the association between the TyG index and CPs was not significant after the cut-off point,with an odds ratio(95% confidence interval)of 0.57(0.27,1.23),P=0.1521.CONCLUSION Our study revealed a curvilinear association between the TyG index and CPs in Chinese individuals,suggesting its potential utility in developing colonoscopy screening strategies for preventing CRC.

Aicardi-Goutières syndrome type 7 in a Chinese child:A case report

BACKGROUND IFIH1 is a protein-coding gene.Disorders associated with IFIH1 include Aicardi-Goutières syndrome(AGS)type 7 and Singleton-Merten syndrome type 1.Related pathways include RIG-I/MDA5-mediated induction of the interferon(IFN)-α/βpathway and the innate immune system.AGS type 7 is an autosomal dominant inflammatory disorder characterized by severe neurological impairment.In infancy,most patients present with psychomotor retardation,axial hypotonia,spasticity,and brain imaging changes Laboratory assessments showed increased IFN-αactivity with upregulation of IFN signaling and IFN-stimulated gene expression.Some patients develop normally in the early stage,and then have episodic neurological deficits.CASE SUMMARY The 5-year-old girl presented with postpartum height and weight growth retardation,language retardation,brain atrophy,convulsions,and growth hormone deficiency.DNA samples were obtained from peripheral blood from the child and her parents for whole-exome sequencing and test of genome-wide copy number variation.Heterozygous mutations in the IFIH1 gene were found.Physical examination at admission found that language development was delayed,the reaction to name calling was average,there was no communication with people,but there was eye contact,no social smile,and no autonomous language.However,the child had rich gesture language and body language,could understand instructions,had bad temper.When she wants to achieve something,she starts crying or shouting.Cardiopulmonary examination showed no obvious abnormality,and abdominal examination was normal.Bilateral muscle strength and muscle tone were symmetrical and slightly decreased.Physiological reflexes exist,but pathological reflexes were not elicited.CONCLUSION We reported the clinical characteristics of a Chinese child with a clinical diagnosis of AGS type 7,which expanded the mutational spectrum of the IFIH1 gene.

Mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes: Toward cell-free therapeutic strategies in regenerative medicine

Mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs)are multipotent stem cells with marked potential for regenerative medicine because of their strong immunosuppressive and regenerative abilities.The therapeutic effects of MSCs are based in part on their secretion of biologically active factors in extracellular vesicles known as exosomes.Exosomes have a diameter of 30-100 nm and mediate intercellular communication and material exchange.MSC-derived exosomes(MSC-Exos)have potential for cell-free therapy for diseases of,for instance,the kidney,liver,heart,nervous system,and musculoskeletal system.Hence,MSC-Exos are an alternative to MSCbased therapy for regenerative medicine.We review MSC-Exos and their therapeutic potential for a variety of diseases and injuries.

Effects of different acupuncture methods combined with routine rehabilitation on gait of stroke patients

BACKGROUND Stroke refers to a group of cerebrovascular diseases associated with organic braininjury. It is characterized by the sudden and rapid onset of focal or diffusedysfunction. In recent years, in addition to routine treatment, Chinese medicineacupuncture has been administered to patients with hemiplegia, and it can beconsidered a new treatment for rehabilitation.AIM To investigate the effects of eye acupuncture needle retention and bodyacupuncture combined with routine rehabilitation on gait performance andplantar pressure in patients recovering from stroke.METHODS Thirty-two stroke patients who met the inclusion criteria were randomly dividedinto an experimental group and a control group, with 16 patients in each group.Both groups underwent routine rehabilitation. The experimental group wastreated by eye acupuncture needle retention, and the control group was treated bybody acupuncture. Before and after 4 wk of treatment, both groups underwentkinematic and plantar pressure synchronous tests to assess gait performance.RESULTS The step length, gait speed, step frequency, joint angles of the lower limbs, andground reaction force impulse in the anterior region of the affected foot in bothgroups significantly increased from before to after treatment (P < 0.05);the center of mass displacement, peak pressure values, and impulse in the anterior region ofthe healthy foot and posterior regions of both the affected and healthy feetsignificantly decreased from before to after treatment (P < 0.05). The patients inthe experimental group showed greater improvement in the following parametersthan the control group: Step length, gait speed, step frequency, lower extremityjoint angles, center of gravity displacement, and peak pressure values andimpulse in the anterior and posterior regions of both the affected and healthy feet(P < 0.05).CONCLUSION Eye acupuncture needle retention and body acupuncture combined with routinerehabilitation can effectively improve the gait performance of patients recoveringfrom stroke. Between these two treatments, eye acupuncture needle retentioncombined with routine treatment is better than body acupuncture, and it can beconsidered a practical and effective clinical treatment.

Effect of hot rolling on the microstructure and impact absorbed energy of the strip steel by CSP

The microstructures and impact absorbed energies at various temperatures were investigated for steel strips hot rolled to thickness reductions of 95.5%, 96.0%, 96.5%, 97.0%, and 97.5%. Results indicate that grain refinement can be realized with an increase in hot rolling reduction. Besides, finer precipitates can be achieved with an increase in hot rolling reduction from 95.5%to 97.0%. The impact absorbed energy decreases with a decrease in testing temperature for steel strips hot rolled to 95.5%, 96.0%, and 96.5%reductions in thickness. However, in the case of steel strips hot rolled to 97.0%and 97.5%reductions in thickness, the impact absorbed energy remained almost constant with a decrease in testing temperature.

Effect of nano-sized precipitates on the crystallography of ferrite in high-strength strip steel

For strip steel with the thickness of 1.6 ram, the yield and tensile strengths as high as 760 and 850 MPa, respectively, were achieved using the compact strip production technology. Precipitates in the steel were characterized by scanning and transmission electron microscopy to elucidate the strengthening mechanism. In addition, intragranular misorientation, Kernel average misorientafion, and stored energy were measured using electron backscatter diffraction for crystallographic analysis of ferrite grains containing precipitates and their neighbors without precipitates. It is found that precipitates in specimens primarily consist of TiC and Ti4CzS2. Ferrite grains containing pre- cipitates exhibit the high Taylor factor as well as the crystallographic orientations with {012}, {011}, {112}, or {221} plane parallel to the rolling plane. Compared with the intragranular orientation of adjoining grains, the intragranular misorientation of grains containing precipi- tates fluctuates more frequently and more mildly as a function of distance. Moreover, the precipitates can induce ferrite grains to store a rela- tively large amount of energy. These results suggest that a correlation exists between precipitation in ferrite grains and grain crystallographic properties.

Homogeneous transparent device and its layered realization

Arbitrarily shaped electromagnetic transparent devices with homogeneous, non-negative, anisotropic and generic constitutive parameters are proposed based on linear transformation optics, which provides the flexibility for device design that is applicable for the practical fabrication. To remove the anisotropic property, a layered structure is developed based on effective medium theory. Simulation results show that with sufficient layers, the performance of the layered transparent device is nearly as perfect as an ideal device, and it is able to protect an antenna without sacrificing its performance. The feasibility of designing a transparent device by using natural isotropic materials instead of metamaterials would dramatically reduce the difficulty of fabrication and further promote the practicality of the device.

Spatial and spectral filtering of tapered lasers by using tapered distributed Bragg reflector grating

A 1040 nm tapered laser with tapered distributed Bragg reflector(DBR) grating is designed and fabricated. By designing the grating with tapered layout, the tapered DBR grating exhibits the scattering effect on side backward-traveling waves, thus achieving additional suppression of parasitic oscillation. Under the suppression of parasitic oscillation, the spatial and spectral characteristics of the tapered laser are improved. The experimental results show that a near-Gaussian far-field distribution and a kink-free P–I characteristics are achieved, and a single peak emission with a wavelength of1046.84 nm and a linewidth of 56 pm is obtained.

Ulnar nerve injury associated with displaced distal radius fracture:Two case reports

BACKGROUND Ulnar nerve injury subsequent to a fracture of the distal radius is extremely rare compared to median nerve injury.Treatment of ulnar nerve injury after closed distal radial fracture is controversial.Reasonable surgical planning and careful postoperative management can improve the prognosis of patients.CASE SUMMARY We report two cases of ulnar nerve injury subsequent to fracture of the distal radius.Both patients were admitted to hospital.Both patients had persistent ulnar nerve compression syndromes.The first patient achieved rapid recovery by early nerve decompression surgery,while the second patient had no recovery at 2-3 mo after injury and had more severe symptoms.At 10 wk after injury,the second patient agreed to nerve decompression surgery.The second patient finally achieved a successful outcome after nerve decompression and neurolysis,although she still has residual symptoms.CONCLUSION For patients with ulnar nerve compression syndrome related to acute wrist fracture,if symptoms persist and signs of recovery are not observed,early release is necessary to prevent permanent neurological damage.

Anti-epileptic and Neuroprotective Effects of Ultra-low Dose NADPH Oxidase Inhibitor Dextromethorphan on Kainic Acid-induced Chronic Temporal Lobe Epilepsy in Rats

Neuroinflammation mediated by microglia and oxidative stress play pivotal roles in the development of chronic temporal lobe epilepsy(TLE).We postulated that kainic acid(KA)-Induced status epilepticus triggers microglia-dependent inflammation,leading to neuronal damage,a lowered seizure threshold,and the emergence of spontaneous recurrent seizures(SRS).Extensive evidence from our laboratory suggests that dextromethorphan(DM),even in ultra-low doses,has anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects in many animal models of neurodegenerative disease.Our results showed that administration of DM(10 ng/kg per day;subcutaneously via osmotic minipump for 4 weeks)significantly mitigated the residual effects of KA,including the frequency of SRS and seizure susceptibility.In addition,DM-treated rats showed improved cognitive function and reduced hippocampal neuronal loss.We found suppressed microglial activation-mediated neuroinflammation and decreased expression of hippocampal gp91^(phox) and p47^(phox) proteins in KA-induced chronic TLE rats.Notably,even after discontinuation of DM treatment,ultra-low doses of DM continued to confer long-term anti-seizure and neuroprotective effects,which were attributed to the inhibition of microglial NADPH oxidase 2 as revealed by mechanistic studies.

Exploiting methylated amino resin as a multifunctional binder for high-performance lithium-sulfur batteries

The practical application of Li-S batteries is severely restricted by limited cycle life and low sulfur loading.Here,a common industrial paint,methylated amino resin(MAR),was employed as a novel multifunctional binder to address these issues.The S cathodes by using MAR binder(S@MAR) demonstrate an excellent reversible capacity of 480.9 mA·h·g^(-1) after 400 cycles at a rate of 0.5 C,and the sulfur loading in the electrode could achieve as high as 3.0 mg·cm^(-2).These achievements are ascribed to the superior mechanical property for volume expansion,better adsorption ability toward poly sulfides,and more favorable Li+transportation of MAR,compared to the conventional binders of polyvinylidene difluoride and carboxymethylcellulose.This study paves a new way for obtaining high-energy-density Li-S batteries by the simple application of multifunctional binder that are inherently cost-effective.

Genome-wide analysis of hippocampal transfer RNA-derived small RNAs identifies new potential therapeutic targets of Bushen Tiansui formula against Alzheimer’s disease

Objective:Bushen Tiansui formula(BSTSF),a traditional Chinese medicine prescription,has been widely used to treat Alzheimer’s disease(AD).However,the mechanisms underlying its effects remain largely unknown.In this study,a rat AD model was used to study the effects of BSTSF on cognitive performance and expression of transfer RNA-derived small RNAs(tsRNAs)in the hippocampus,to determine whether treatment of AD with BSTSF could regulate the expression of tsRNAs,a novel small non-coding RNA.Methods:To generate a validated AD model,oligomeric amyloid-β_(1-42)(Aβ_(1-42))was injected intracerebroventricularly into rats.The Morris water maze(MWM)test was used to evaluate rat cognitive performance,and tsRNA-sequencing was conducted to examine tsRNA expression in the rat hippocampus.Potential targets were validated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR).Bioinformatic analyses were conducted to investigate the biological function of candidate tsRNAs.Results:The learning and memory deficits of Aβ_(1-42)-induced AD rats,assessed by MWM tests,were clearly ameliorated by BSTSF treatment.A total of 387 tsRNAs were detected in the rat hippocampus.Among them,13 were significantly dysregulated in AD rats compared with sham control rats,while 57 were markedly altered by BSTSF treatment,relative to untreated AD rats(fold change>2 and P<0.05).Moreover,six BSTSF treatment-related tsRNAs were identified and validated by qRT-PCR.Bioinformatic analyses indicated that the six treatment-related tsRNAs had potential therapeutic roles,via multiple signaling pathways and Gene Ontology biological functions,including cyclic adenosine monophosphate and retrograde endocannabinoid signaling.Conclusion:This study identified a previously uncharacterized mechanism underlying the effects of BSTSF in alleviating the learning and memory deficits in Aβ_(1-42)-induced AD rats,demonstrating that tsRNAs are potential therapeutic targets of BSTSF in the treatment of AD.