Soft water exposure increases the effect of genetic susceptibility on the risk of rheumatoid arthritis.

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. The mineral content of domestic water plays an essential role in human health. However, the relationship between water mineral content, genetic predisposition, and RA risk remains unclear.

Acupuncture for neurodegenerative diseases: mechanisms, efficacy, and future research directions.

In recent years, acupuncture has shown good therapeutic efficacy in treating neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and multiple sclerosis. Studies have demonstrated that acupuncture alleviates symptoms primarily by suppressing neuroinflammation, enhancing autophagy, improving synaptic plasticity, and optimizing mitochondrial function. As molecular research advances, the underlying mechanisms of acupuncture in these conditions have become increasingly clear.

Associations of Handgrip Strength and Testosterone With Cerebral White Matter Hyperintensity and Microstructural Injury.

Background: White matter hyperintensity (WMH) is one of the key imaging markers of cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) and white matter microstructural injury may occur earlier than WMH. However, the associations of handgrip strength (HGS) and serum total testosterone (STT) with WMH and microstructural injury have not been thoroughly investigated. Therefore, we aimed to explore the associations of HGS and STT with WMH and microstructural injury, measured by fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), intracellular volume fraction (ICVF), and isotropic volume fraction (ISOVF).

Microvascular functional and structural changes in early-stage CADASIL.

Background: Cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) is the most common monogenic form of hereditary cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD). While studies have demonstrated heterogeneous alterations in cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) and gray matter structure in CADASIL patients, the diagnostic utility of CVR and brain structural imaging in identifying CADASIL remains uncertain.

Methods: This study investigated CVR and gray matter density (GMD) in 22 CADASIL patients compared to 21 age- and sex-matched healthy controls.

Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound irradiation ameliorates gut inflammation and neuroinflammation in mice with DSS-induced colitis.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a lifelong autoimmune disease associated with a high prevalence of mental disorders. An abnormal gut-brain axis plays a key role in UC. Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) has been reported to alleviate neuroinflammation.

Impact of gene-environment interactions on atrial fibrillation and cardiac structure.

Environmental pollution is a major burden of cardiovascular disease. The aim of the study was to investigate the interactions between combined environmental factors and genetic susceptibility on atrial fibrillation (AF) and cardiac structures. The study included 374,495 participants from the UK Biobank, utilizing genetic data and environmental variables (including air pollution, noise, greenspace and water quality).

Taking Food to Mouth: Correlation Between Repetitive Movement and Upper Limb Flexion Synergy After Stroke.

BackgroundPathological upper-limb synergistic movement is a prevalent symptom of post-stroke motor dysfunction and pose a significant challenge in the rehabilitation of hemiplegia. However, the underlying mechanisms remain elusive, hindering the development of effective therapeutic strategies.ObjectiveThis study aims to explore the mechanisms underlying pathological synergic movements post-stroke by examining the interrelationship between motor modules associated with upper limb flexion synergy and the repetitive action of "taking food to the mouth.

Pre-mRNA cleavage complex II protein Pcf11 facilitates swine influenza virus replication by interacting with viral NP and promoting polymerase activity.

Swine influenza virus (SIV) poses a significant threat to the pig industry and public health safety due to rapid viral evolution and potential interspecies transmission. Identifying the key host factors that involved in viral replication can not only provide new insights into the regulatory mechanism of viral replication, but also provide theoretical support for the development of new antiviral therapeutics. Here, the Pre-mRNA cleavage complex II protein Pcf11 (PCF11) was revealed to promote the proliferation of SIV and other influenza viruses.

Ion velocity map imaging study of the charge transfers from N2+/N+ to H2O.

Considering important roles of ion-molecule collision in planetary atmospheres, here we investigate the charge transfer dynamics of N2+/N+ + H2O → N2/N + H2O+ in the collision energy range of 0.42-2.09 eV.

Biomechanical Modeling and Evaluation of Buttocks Automatic Assisted Repositioning in Bedridden Patients.

Pressure ulcers (PUs) pose a significant challenge in the care of bedridden patients, to which automated tilt nursing beds have emerged as a promising solution. However, the lack of effective models to elucidate the mechanical responses of deep tissue during assisted repositioning and identify the optimal tilt angle has hindered the implementation of effective automatic assisted repositioning systems for long-term care patients. Therefore, this study developed a novel computational model that integrates the buttocks with a support mattress to simulate automatic assisted repositioning, thereby analyzing deep tissue responses and optimizing tilt angles for effective load offloading.

Joint effect of modifiable risk factors on Parkinson's disease: a large-scale longitudinal study.

Introduction: Previous researches have often underestimated the diversity and combined effects of risk factors for Parkinson's disease (PD). This study aimed to identify how multiple modifiable risk factors collectively impact PD.

Methods: The study included 452,492 participants from the UK Biobank, utilizing genetic data and 255 phenotypic variables.

Oxidative stress in asthma pathogenesis: mechanistic insights and implications for airway smooth muscle dysfunction.

Airway smooth muscle (ASM) dysfunction is a key factor in the narrowing of airways in asthma patients, characterized by excessive secretion of inflammatory factors, increased mass, and amplified contractile responses. These pathological features are instrumental in the propagation of airway inflammation, structural remodeling, and the escalation of airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), which are also principal factors underlying the limitations of current therapeutic strategies. In asthmatic ASM, an imbalance between oxidant production and antioxidant defenses culminates in oxidative stress, which is involved in the excessive secretion of inflammatory factors, increased mass, and amplified contractile responses of ASM, and is a critical etiological factor implicated in the dysregulation of ASM function.

Effects of obesity on aging brain and cognitive decline: A cohort study from the UK Biobank.

Objective: To investigate the impact of obesity on brain structure and cognition using large neuroimaging and genetic data.

Methods: Associations between body mass index (BMI), gray matter volume (GMV), whiter matter hyper-intensities (WMH), and fluid intelligence score (FIS) were estimated in 30283 participants from the UK Biobank. Longitudinal data analysis was conducted.

Association of systemic inflammatory markers with white matter hyperintensities and microstructural injury: an analysis of UK Biobank data.

Background: White matter damage is closely associated with cognitive and psychiatric symptoms and is prevalent in cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD); although the pathophysiological mechanisms involved in CSVD remain elusive, inflammation plays a crucial role. We sought to investigate the relationship between systemic inflammation markers and imaging markers of CVSD, namely white matter hyperintensity (WMH) and microstructural injury.

Methods: We conducted a study involving both cross-sectional and longitudinal data from the UK Biobank Cohort.

Polystyrene nanoplastics promote colitis-associated cancer by disrupting lipid metabolism and inducing DNA damage.

Nanoplastics (NPs) have attracted widespread attention owing to their presence in the body. Recent studies highlighted the detrimental effects of NPs on the digestive tract. However, no studies have reported an association between NPs exposure and colitis-associated cancer (CAC).

Multimodal integration to identify the invasion status of lung adenocarcinoma intraoperatively.

Evaluating the invasiveness of lung adenocarcinoma is crucial for determining the appropriate surgical strategy, impacting postoperative outcomes. This study developed a multimodality model combining radiomics, intraoperative frozen section (FS) pathology, and clinical indicators to predict invasion status. The study enrolled 1,424 patients from two hospitals, divided into multimodal training, radiology testing, and pathology testing cohorts.

An in vitro experimental study on the synergistic pathogenicity analysis of pulsatile tinnitus involving venous flow velocity, sigmoid sinus wall dehiscence and sinus malformation.

Pulsatile tinnitus (PT) is synchronous with patients' heartbeat, with various reported intracranial etiologies. Sigmoid sinus wall dehiscence (SSWD), sinus malformation and high venous flow velocity were common marks of PT and were generally treated as independent etiology in clinic, but their coupling effect remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the synergistic pathogenicity of these etiologies.

Comprehensive analysis of psychological symptoms and quality of life in early patients with IBD: a multicenter study from China.

Objective: To investigate the prevalence and risk factors of psychological symptoms and quality of life (QoL) in early patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Methods: From September 2021 to May 2022, a unified questionnaire was developed to collect clinical data from early patients with IBD from 42 tertiary care hospitals. The influencing factors of psychological symptoms and poor QoL are screened by logistic regression analysis for constructing model in predicting poor QoL.

The individualized optimal pillow height and neck support design for side sleepers.

An optimal pillow effectively increases sleep quality and prevents cervical symptoms. However, the influence of body dimension on optimal pillow design or selection strategy has not been clarified quantitatively. This study aims to investigate the individualized optimal pillow height and neck support for side sleepers.

High-resolution anionic velocity map imaging apparatus for dissociative electron attachment dynamics study.

Dissociative electron attachment (DEA) of a molecular target XY, e- + XY → XY- → X + Y-, is an important process in plasma, atmosphere, interstellar space, and ionizing radiation. DEA dynamics, i.e.

A surrogate model-based approach for adaptive selection of the optimal traffic conflict prediction model.

For identifying the optimal model for real-time conflict prediction, there is a necessity for proposing a quantitative analysis approach that adaptively selects the optimal prediction model from a large pool of task-suited models, while simultaneously considering the computational efficiency and prediction precision. Based on this line, this study developed an innovative approach termed surrogate model-based optimal prediction model selection (SM-OPMS). This approach aims to accelerate the optimal model selection while incorporating prediction precision considerations, under the precondition of comprehensively evaluating task-suited models.

Inverse Isotope Kinetic Effect of the Charge Transfer Reactions of Ar with HO and DO.

Hydrogen isotopic effect, as the key to revealing the origin of Earth's water, arises from the H/D mass difference and quantum dynamics at the transition state of reaction. The ion-molecule charge-exchange reaction between water (HO/DO) and argon ion (Ar) proceeds spontaneously and promptly, where there is no transition-state or intermediate complex. In this energetically resonant process, we find an inverse kinetic isotope effect (KIE) leading to the higher charge transfer rate for DO, by the velocity map imaging measurements of HO/DO products.

Direct Observation of Anionic Yields from the Liquid-Vapor Interface by Electron Irradiation.

Dissociative electron attachment (DEA) is widely believed to play a high-profile role in ionizing radiation damages of bioorganic molecules, and its fundamentals are mainly learned from the gas-phase studies. However, the DEA process in aqueous solution is still in debate. Here we provide experimental evidence about the DEA processes of liquid methanol by using electron-impact-time-delayed mass spectrometry.