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Background: Previous studies have demonstrated that exposure to environmental tobacco smoke is associated with a reduction in fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) levels, elevation in eosinophil (EOS) counts and alterations in airway inflammation patterns, influencing the efficacy of glucocorticoid therapy for TH2 inflammation. No previous study has investigated the association of the extent of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke with FeNO levels. This study aimed to investigate the association of the extent of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke with FeNO level and EOS count. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, we included 12,766 individuals from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007–2012. The extent of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke was assessed by measuring serum cotinine levels. Participants were categorised into quintiles based on their cotinine levels. Logistic regression models were developed to evaluate the association of serum cotinine levels with FeNO levels and EOS count. Findings: In the unadjusted and adjusted models, the highest quintile of serum cotinine levels (> 105 ng/mL) was significantly negatively associated with FeNO levels. However, low‐to‐moderate quintiles of serum cotinine levels were not significantly associated with FeNO levels. Based on sensitivity analyses, the negative associations between the highest quintile of serum cotinine levels and FeNO levels remained consistent among participants with asthma, chronic bronchitis and respiratory symptoms within 7 days. Increased serum cotinine levels were significantly associated with increased EOS counts, which in turn were significantly associated with increased FeNO levels. EOS significantly mediated 7.59% of cotinine‐associated reductions in FeNO levels. Conclusions: Our findings indicated that high levels of tobacco smoke exposure are associated with a decrease in FeNO levels and an increase in EOS count. The smoking status should be considered when evaluating type 2 airway inflammation based on FeNO levels and EOS count.

Background The Alba (Acetylation lowers binding affinity) protein family consists of small, conserved nucleic acid-binding proteins involved in regulating gene expression and stress responses. Although studied in several plants, their roles in legumes remain poorly understood. Characterizing Alba genes in soybean ( Glycine max L. ), a crop highly affected by climate stress, is essential for improving its stress resilience. Results In this study, a total of 15 Glycine max Alba ( GmAlba ) genes were identified, unevenly distributed across 14 chromosomes with varied exon-intron structures and conserved hydrophilic domains. Phylogenetic analysis grouped them into five clades: Groups 1–2 (Rpp25-like) and Groups 3–5 (Rpp20-like), with Group 4 only containing soybean-specific members, indicating functional divergence. Promoter analysis revealed multiple cis-elements related to phytohormone and stress responses. Transcriptomic data showed broad expression across tissues, with GmAlba5 / 6 / 10 highly expressed, especially in reproductive organs. RT-qPCR confirmed differential expression under salt, heat, cold, and ABA treatments, suggesting roles in stress adaptation. Structural modelling revealed protein diversity, while subcellular localization showed nuclear, cytoplasmic, and dual localization patterns, supporting DNA/RNA-related functions. Co-expression network analysis indicated interactions with diverse proteins, highlighting involvement in multiple biological processes. Conclusions This study provides the first comprehensive analysis of the GmAlba gene family in soybeans, detailing their phylogeny, structure, and spatiotemporal expression across tissues and stress conditions. These findings lay the groundwork for future research to enhance stress resilience in soybeans.

Influenza A virus (IAV) H1N1 infection is a constant threat to human health and it remains so due to the lack of an effective treatment. Since melatonin is a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory molecule with anti-viral action, in the present study we used melatonin to protect against H1N1 infection under in vitro and in vivo conditions. The death rate of the H1N1-infected mice was negatively associated with the nose and lung tissue local melatonin levels but not with serum melatonin concentrations. The H1N1-infected AANAT -/- melatonin-deficient mice had a significantly higher death rate than that of the WT mice and melatonin administration significantly reduced the death rate. All evidence confirmed the protective effects of melatonin against H1N1 infection. Further study identified that the mast cells were the primary targets of melatonin action, i.e., melatonin suppresses the mast cell activation caused by H1N1 infection. The molecular mechanisms involved melatonin down-regulation of gene expression for the HIF-1 pathway and inhibition of proinflammatory cytokine release from mast cells; this resulted in a reduction in the migration and activation of the macrophages and neutrophils in the lung tissue. This pathway was mediated by melatonin receptor 2 (MT2) since the MT2 specific antagonist 4P-PDOT significantly blocked the effects of melatonin on mast cell activation. Via targeting mast cells, melatonin suppressed apoptosis of alveolar epithelial cells and the lung injury caused by H1N1 infection. The findings provide a novel mechanism to protect against the H1N1-induced pulmonary injury, which may better facilitate the progress of new strategies to fight H1N1 infection or other IAV viral infections.

In December 2019, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emerged in Wuhan City and rapidly spread across the world. The clinical characteristics of affected patients in different regions and populations may differ. Thus, this study aimed to identify the characteristics of the disease to provide an insight about the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. Data on the demographic characteristics and clinical findings of the patients admitted at the First Hospital of Changsha from January 1, 2020 to February 10, 2020 were assessed. In this study, there were 8 (3.8%) asymptomatic, 21 (10.0%) mild upper respiratory tract infection (URTI), and 180 (86.1%) pneumonia cases. In total, 47 (22.5%) patients resided in Wuhan, and 45 (21.5%) had recently traveled to Wuhan before disease onset. Moreover, 19 (9.1%) had contact with people from Wuhan, and 69 (33.0%) were family cluster cases. The median incubation period was approximately 6.3 (range: 1.0-20.0) days. Fever and cough were the most common initial symptoms: 99 (49.3%) patients presented with fever, without cough; 59 (29.4%) with cough, without fever; and 33 (16.4%) with both fever and cough. The symptoms of patients with COVID-19 were relatively mild outside Wuhan, and family cluster was a remarkable epidemic characteristic. Special attention should be paid to asymptomatic patients.

The rapid increase in urban population density driven by urban development has intensified inequity in urban green space distribution. Identifying the causes of changes in green equity and developing strategies to improve urban greening are crucial for optimizing resource allocation and alleviating social inequalities. However, the long-term spatio-temporal evolution of green visibility and equity remains underexplored. This study utilized the “Time Machine” feature to capture street view images from 2014, 2017, and 2021, analyzing changes in green visibility and its equity across residential communities in Wuhan. Deep learning techniques and statistical methods, including the Gini coefficient and location quotient (LQ), were employed to assess the distribution and spatial equity of street-level greenery. The results showed that overall green visibility in Wuhan increased by 4.18% between 2014 and 2021. However, this improvement did not translate into better spatial equity, as the Gini coefficient consistently ranged between 0.4 and 0.5. Among the seven municipal districts, only the Jiang’an District demonstrated relatively equitable green visibility in 2017 and 2021. Despite a gradual reduction in disparities in green visibility, a spatial mismatch persisted between UGS growth and population distribution, leading to uneven patterns in UGS equity. This study explores the factors driving inequities in green visibility and proposes strategies to enhance urban greening. Key recommendations include integrating the green visibility equity evaluation framework into urban planning to guide fair green space allocation, prioritizing greenery in low-income neighborhoods, and reducing hardscapes to support the planting and maintenance of tall canopy trees. These measures aim to enhance accessible and visible green resources and promote equitable access across communities.

Gas embolism is a serious complication in laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Intraoperative real‐time transesophageal echocardiography is helpful for diagnosis. We present a case of a 61‐year‐old man who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy and experienced circulatory shock. Transesophageal echocardiography showed a large number of bubbles in four cardiac chambers, although there was an absence of an intracardiac shunt. After the surgery, the patient had an impairment of limb movement and was diagnosed with postoperative acute cerebral infarction. Gas embolism is a serious complication in surgery. For patients with suspected or definite gas embolism during laparoscopy surgery, perioperative neurological complications are still worthy of attention even in the absence of intracardiac shunts. When air embolism is suspected, transesophageal echocardiography can be used immediately for a quick and definite diagnosis.

During major health emergencies (e.g., the COVID-19 pandemic) people often fear missing relevant information. COVID-19 information fear of missing out (FOMO) is a phenomenon where people feel anxiety about losing control of COVID-19-related information. The present study aimed to examine how COVID-19 information FOMO relates to mental health (e.g., depression and anxiety), the mediating role of resilience, and the moderating role of personality types during the COVID-19 pandemic. We surveyed 1442 Chinese undergraduates (Mage = 21.68 ± 2.35 years) on the relevant variables. The results showed that COVID-19 information FOMO was positively associated with depression and anxiety, and resilience mediated these associations. Latent profile analysis (LPA) identified three personality types (undercontrolled, adaptive, and overcontrolled). Personality types moderated the mediation models, in which the indirect effects were only significant in the participants classified in the undercontrolled group rather than the participants classified in the other two groups. This study told us that undergraduates’ mental health, particularly that of the undercontrollers, should be paid attention to when responding to a major public health emergency (e.g., the COVID-19 pandemic).

Mast cells, widely residing in connective tissues and on mucosal surfaces, play significant roles in battling against influenza A viruses. To gain further insights into the host cellular responses of mouse mast cells with influenza A virus infection, such as the highly pathogenic avian influenza A virus H5N1 and the human pandemic influenza A H1N1, we employed high-throughput RNA sequencing to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and related signaling pathways. Our data revealed that H1N1-infected mouse mast P815 cells presented more up- and down-regulated genes compared with H5N1-infected cells. Gene ontology analysis showed that the up-regulated genes in H1N1 infection were enriched for more degranulation-related cellular component terms and immune recognition-related molecular functions terms, while the up-regulated genes in H5N1 infection were enriched for more immune-response-related biological processes. Network enrichment of the KEGG pathway analysis showed that DEGs in H1N1 infection were specifically enriched for the FoxO and autophagy pathways. In contrast, DEGs in H5N1 infection were specifically enriched for the NF-κB and necroptosis pathways. Interestingly, we found that Nbeal2 could be preferentially activated in H5N1-infected P815 cells, where the level of Nbeal2 increased dramatically but decreased in HIN1-infected P815 cells. Nbeal2 knockdown facilitated inflammatory cytokine release in both H1N1- and H5N1-infected P815 cells and aggravated the apoptosis of pulmonary epithelial cells. In summary, our data described a transcriptomic profile and bioinformatic characterization of H1N-1 or H5N1-infected mast cells and, for the first time, established the crucial role of Nbeal2 during influenza A virus infection.

Hyperlipidemia increases postoperative delirium (POD) risk via neuroinflammation; however, effective pharmacological interventions to mitigate POD in this population remain limited. Remimazolam has been reported to reduce perioperative stress and modulate neuroinflammatory responses. We investigated the effect of remimazolam on POD incidence in surgical patients with hyperlipidemia. In this retrospective cohort study, we enrolled 1123 patients with hyperlipidemia who underwent surgery under general anesthesia with or without remimazolam at a single institution. The primary outcome measure was POD incidence within 3 days postoperatively. To assess the impact of remimazolam on POD, a target trial emulation framework was applied to enhance control of confounders and strengthen causal inference. We additionally investigated the dose-response relationship between remimazolam exposure and POD. POD incidence in the remimazolam group was 13.8%, which was 7.2% lower than that in the non-remimazolam group (P<0.01). Additionally, delirium severity (median score: 9 vs 10, P<0.01) and cognitive impairment incidence at 6 months postoperatively (4.4% vs 8.3%, P<0.05) were lower in the remimazolam group. The target trial emulation further confirmed the protective effects of remimazolam on POD (adjusted risk difference [aRD]: -5.3%, P=0.016), delirium severity (aRD: -2.238, P<0.001), and cognitive dysfunction incidence at 6 months postoperatively (aRD: -3.97%, P=0.019). Dose-response analysis showed a significant reduction in POD incidence when the total remimazolam dose was ≥10.29 mg or the maintenance rate was ≥0.51 mg kg h . Remimazolam significantly reduced POD incidence and severity in patients with hyperlipidemia and improved cognitive function at 6 months postoperatively. However, prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings.