BackgroundObservational studies report inconclusive effects of tea consumption on the risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and the mechanisms are unclear. This study aims to investigate the effects of genetically predicted tea intake (cups of tea consumed per day) on AD, brain volume, and cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) using the two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) method.MethodsSummary statistics of tea intake were obtained from UK Biobank (N = 447,485), and AD was from the International Genomics of Alzheimer’s Project (N = 54,162). Genetic instruments were retrieved from UK Biobank using brain imaging-derived phenotypes for brain volume outcomes (N > 33,224) and genome-wide association studies for CSVD (N: 17,663–48,454).ResultsIn the primary MR analysis, tea intake significantly increased the risk of AD using two different methods (ORIVW = 1.48, 95% CI: [1.14, 1.93]; ORWM = 2.00, 95% CI: [1.26, 3.18]) and reached a weak significant level using MR-Egger regression (p < 0.1). The result passed all the sensitivity analyses, including heterogeneity, pleiotropy, and outlier tests. In the secondary MR analysis, per extra cup of tea significantly decreased gray matter (βWM = −1.63, 95% CI: [−2.41, −0.85]) and right hippocampus volume (βWM = −1.78, 95% CI: [−2.76, −0.79]). We found a nonlinear association between tea intake and AD in association analysis, which suggested that over-drinking with more than 13 cups per day might be a risk factor for AD. Association analysis results were consistent with MR results.ConclusionThis study revealed a potential causal association between per extra cup of tea and an increased risk of AD. Genetically predicted tea intake was associated with a decreased brain volume of gray matter and the right hippocampus, which indicates that over-drinking tea might lead to a decline in language and memory functions. Our results shed light on a novel possible mechanism of tea intake to increase the risk of AD by reducing brain volume.
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has developed into one of the most lethal, aggressive, and malignant cancers worldwide. Although HCC treatment has improved in recent years, the incidence and lethality of HCC continue to increase yearly. Therefore, an in-depth study of the pathogenesis of HCC and the search for more reliable therapeutic targets are crucial to improving the survival quality of HCC patients. Currently, miRNAs have become one of the hotspots in life science research, which are widely present in living organisms and are non-coding RNAs involved in regulating gene expression. MiRNAs exert their biological roles by suppressing the expression of downstream genes and are engaged in various HCC-related processes, including proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, and metastasis. In addition, the expression status of miRNAs is related to the drug resistance mechanism of HCC, which has important implications for the systemic treatment of HCC. This paper reviews the regulatory role of miRNAs in the pathogenesis of HCC and the clinical applications of miRNAs in HCC in recent years.
With the rapid development of China’s urbanization, a large number of people have moved from rural to urban areas. People have proposed higher and more urgent needs for the urban environment. Particularly, the urban street landscape is close to people’s lives, and the upgrading of design methods can improve the quality of life. Besides, the application of artificial intelligence design has become possible as information technology develops. In this paper, a visual simulator is established through algorithm models and applied to street landscape design.
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