Sex-specific differences in the association between triglyceride glucose index and carotid plaque in a cardiovascular high-risk population: a cross-sectional study based on a Chinese community-dwelling population

BackgroundTo date, numerous studies have investigated the relationship between the triglyceride glucose (TyG) index and carotid plaques, but the impact of gender on this relationship has not been explored. Therefore, this study aims to investigate gender-specific differences in the relationship between the TyG index and carotid plaques in a high cardiovascular risk population in China.MethodsThis cross-sectional study's data were derived from a longitudinal pilot study involving 1,085 high-risk cardiovascular subjects. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to analyze the relationship between the TyG index and carotid plaques. A generalized additive model combined with a stratified regression model was employed to assess the nonlinear relationship between the TyG index and carotid plaques across different genders. In the nonlinear relation, the inflection point was calculated by a two-piecewise linear regression model.ResultsAfter adjusting for confounders such as age, sex, BMI, SBP, DBP, AST/ALT, TC, LDL-c, HDL-c, creatinine, smoking, and antilipemic medication, the generalized additive model results revealed a nonlinear relationship between the TyG index and carotid plaque formation, with significant differences across genders. In males, the relationship between the TyG index and carotid plaques was S-shaped. The two-piecewise linear regression model identified two inflection points: TyG = 8.39 (P = 0.017) and TyG = 10.2 (P = 0.009).ConclusionThe relationship between the TyG index and the formation of carotid plaques is nonlinear, and there are significant differences in the correlation between males and females

Development and validation of a clinical diagnostic model for pregnant women with renal colic in the emergency department in China: a protocol for a retrospective cohort study

IntroductionUrolithiasis affects many people throughout their lives. Among the maternal population, although the morbidity of acute urolithiasis in pregnant women is unremarkable, it is the leading cause of hospitalisation during pregnancy. There is no effective clinical diagnostic tool to help doctors diagnose diseases. Our primary aim was to develop and validate a clinical prediction model based on statistical methods to predict the probability of having disease in pregnant women who visited the emergency department because of urolithiasis-induced colic.Methods and analysisWe will use multivariate logistic regression analysis to build a multivariate regression linear model. A receiver operating characteristic curve plot and calibration plot will be used to measure the discrimination value and calibration value of the model, respectively. We will also use least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression analysis combined with logistic regression analysis to select predictors and construct the multivariate regression model. The model will be simplified to an application that has been reported before, and users will only need to enter their clinical parameters so that risk probability is automatically derived.Ethics and disseminationThe review and approval documents of the clinical research ethics committee have been received from the ethics committee of our hospital (The Third Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University). We will disseminate research findings through presentations at scientific conferences and publication in peer-reviewed journals.</jats:sec

Selection of a marker gene to construct a reference library for wetland plants, and the application of metabarcoding to analyze the diet of wintering herbivorous waterbirds

Food availability and diet selection are important factors influencing the abundance and distribution of wild waterbirds. In order to better understand changes in waterbird population, it is essential to figure out what they feed on. However, analyzing their diet could be difficult and inefficient using traditional methods such as microhistologic observation. Here, we addressed this gap of knowledge by investigating the diet of greater white-fronted goose Anser albifrons and bean goose Anser fabalis, which are obligate herbivores wintering in China, mostly in the Middle and Lower Yangtze River floodplain. First, we selected a suitable and high-resolution marker gene for wetland plants that these geese would consume during the wintering period. Eight candidate genes were included: rbcL, rpoC1, rpoB, matK, trnH-psbA, trnL (UAA), atpF-atpH, and psbK-psbI. The selection was performed via analysis of representative sequences from NCBI and comparison of amplification efficiency and resolution power of plant samples collected from the wintering area. The trnL gene was chosen at last with c/h primers, and a local plant reference library was constructed with this gene. Then, utilizing DNA metabarcoding, we discovered 15 food items in total from the feces of these birds. Of the 15 unique dietary sequences, 10 could be identified at specie level. As for greater white-fronted goose, 73% of sequences belonged to Poaceae spp., and 26% belonged to Carex spp. In contrast, almost all sequences of bean goose belonged to Carex spp. (99%). Using the same samples, microhistology provided consistent food composition with metabarcoding results for greater white-fronted goose, while 13% of Poaceae was recovered for bean goose. In addition, two other taxa were discovered only through microhistologic analysis. Although most of the identified taxa matched relatively well between the two methods, DNA metabarcoding gave taxonomically more detailed information. Discrepancies were likely due to biased PCR amplification in metabarcoding, low discriminating power of current marker genes for monocots, and biases in microhistologic analysis. The diet differences between two geese species might indicate deeper ecological significance beyond the scope of this study. We concluded that DNA metabarcoding provides new perspectives for studies of herbivorous waterbird diets and inter-specific interactions, as well as new possibilities to investigate interactions between herbivores and plants. In addition, microhistologic analysis should be used together with metabarcoding methods to integrate this information

Polymorphisms of CYP7A1 and HADHB Genes and Their Effects on Milk Production Traits in Chinese Holstein Cows

Our preliminary research proposed the cytochrome P450 family 7 subfamily A member 1 (CYP7A1) and hydroxyacyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase trifunctional multienzyme complex beta subunit (HADHB) genes as candidates for association with milk-production traits in dairy cattle because of their differential expression across different lactation stages in the liver tissues of Chinese Holstein cows and their potential roles in lipid metabolism. Hence, we identified single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the CYP7A1 and HADHB genes and validated their genetic effects on milk-production traits in a Chinese Holstein population with the goal of providing valuable genetic markers for genomic selection (GS) in dairy cattle, This study identified five SNPs, 14:g.24676921A&gt;G, 14:g.24676224G&gt;A, 14:g.24675708G&gt;T, 14:g.24665961C&gt;T, and 14:g.24664026A&gt;G, in the CYP7A1 gene and three SNPs, 11:g.73256269T&gt;C, 11:g.73256227A&gt;C, and 11:g.73242290C&gt;T, in HADHB. The single-SNP association analysis revealed significant associations (p value &le; 0.0461) between the eight SNPs of CYP7A1 and HADHB genes and 305-day milk, fat and protein yields. Additionally, using Haploview 4.2, we found that the five SNPs of CYP7A1 formed two haplotype blocks and that the two SNPs of HADHB formed one haplotype block; notably, all three haplotype blocks were also significantly associated with milk, fat and protein yields (p value &le; 0.0315). Further prediction of transcription factor binding sites (TFBSs) based on Jaspar software (version 2023) showed that the 14:g.24676921A&gt;G, 14:g.24675708G&gt;T, 11:g.73256269T&gt;C, and 11:g.73256227A&gt;C SNPs could alter the 5&prime; terminal TFBS of the CYP7A1 and HADHB genes. The 14:g.24665961C&gt;T SNP caused changes in the structural stability of the mRNA for the CYP7A1 gene. These alterations have the potential to influence gene expression and, consequently, the phenotype associated with milk-production traits. In summary, we have confirmed the genetic effects of CYP7A1 and HADHB genes on milk-production traits in dairy cattle and identified potential functional mutations that we suggest could be used for GS of dairy cattle and in-depth mechanistic studies of animals

In vivo, label-free, three-dimensional quantitative imaging of liver surface using multi-photon microscopy

Various structural features on the liver surface reflect functional changes in the liver. The visualization of these surface features with molecular specificity is of particular relevance to understanding the physiology and diseases of the liver. Using multi-photon microscopy (MPM), we have developed a label-free, three-dimensional quantitative and sensitive method to visualize various structural features of liver surface in living rat. MPM could quantitatively image the microstructural features of liver surface with respect to the sinuosity of collagen fiber, the elastic fiber structure, the ratio between elastin and collagen, collagen content, and the metabolic state of the hepatocytes that are correlative with the pathophysiologically induced changes in the regions of interest. This study highlights the potential of this technique as a useful tool for pathophysiological studies and possible diagnosis of the liver diseases with further development. © 2014 AIP Publishing LLC

Vitrimer enhanced carbazole-based organic room-temperature phosphorescent materials

A new strategy for obtaining RTP materials by adding potential phosphorescent molecules to a reprocessable epoxy cross-linked network.</jats:p

Genome-wide association studies on longitudinal phenotypes reveal genetic mechanisms of egg production in chickens

ABSTRACT: Understanding the genetic mechanisms underlying egg production is crucial for improving laying performance in chickens. However, traditional genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have not effectively utilized the information regarding the longitudinal trajectories and dynamics of egg-laying phenotype. In this study, based on individual egg production records over time, we first utilized the Yang-Ning model to characterize four egg production parameters. Our SNP-based GWAS on these parameters, along with three multidimensional GWAS models, captured different aspects of egg-laying dynamics. The novel significant associations and candidate genes identified, including C3, CADPS2, and TLN2, contribute significantly to egg-laying traits. By quantifying both direct and indirect effects of egg production parameters on egg number (EN) through the integration of Bayesian networks and structural equation modeling, we demonstrated that an earlier age at first egg directly promotes EN. The findings from this study enhance our understanding of the genetic mechanisms involved in egg production and provide valuable insights for optimizing chicken breeding strategies