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Summary: The widely recommended fracture prediction tool FRAX was developed based on and for the general population. Although several adjusted FRAX methods were suggested for type 2 diabetes (T2DM), they still need to be evaluated in T2DM cohort. Introduction: This study was undertaken to develop a prediction model for Chinese diabetes fracture risk (CDFR) and compare its performance with those of FRAX. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, 1730 patients with T2DM were enrolled from 2009.08 to 2013.07. Major osteoporotic fractures (MOFs) during follow-up were collected from Electronic Health Records (EHRs) and telephone interviews. Multivariate Cox regression with backward stepwise selection was used to fit the model. The performances of the CDFR model, FRAX, and adjusted FRAX were compared in the aspects of discrimination and calibration. Results: 6.3% of participants experienced MOF during a median follow-up of 10 years. The final model (CDFR) included 8 predictors: age, gender, previous fracture, insulin use, diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN), total cholesterol, triglycerides, and apolipoprotein A. This model had a C statistic of 0.803 (95%CI 0.761–0.844) and calibration χ2 of 4.63 (p = 0.86). The unadjusted FRAX underestimated the MOF risk (calibration χ2 134.5, p < 0.001; observed/predicted ratio 2.62, 95%CI 2.17–3.08), and there was still significant underestimation after diabetes adjustments. Comparing FRAX, the CDFR had a higher AUC, lower calibration χ2, and better reclassification of MOF. Conclusion: The CDFR model has good performance in 10-year MOF risk prediction in T2DM, especially in patients with insulin use or DPN. Future work is needed to validate our model in external cohort(s). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the work, a kind of composite material with excellent stab/puncture resistance was prepared by resin bonded Kevlar fabric. Water-borne epoxy resin (PAEK), polyacrylamide (APAM), fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene phosphate potassium salt (TFPK) are formulated to form a novel sizing agent that can be used for the sizing Kevlar fabrics. The effects of the sizing agent on the mechanical and stab/puncture resistance are examined. A field emission scanning electron microscopy (SEM), an ultra-depth of field 3d microscope, and a universal testing machine were used to observe and evaluate the morphology of sizing fabrics, the stab/puncture morphology, mechanical properties, and quasi-static stabbing properties, respectively. The test results show that the puncture resistance of the sizing Kevlar fabrics increases first and then decreases with the increase of sizing agent concentration. Compared with non-sizing fabrics, the Kevlar fabrics that are treated with a sizing agent at a concentration of 10 wt% have 524 % higher puncture resistance, 301 % higher stab resistance, and a 6.9-fold increase in the burst strength. Because the fiber bundles in the sizing fabrics are confined due to the resin saturation, the friction among fibers is enhanced and thus better resists an external force and contributes a greater resistance against sharp objects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the relationship between parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels and body weight, body mass index (BMI), lipid profiles, and fat distribution in subjects with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) and controls. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study in 192 patients with PHPT and 202 controls. Serum concentrations of calcium, 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), PTH, lipids profiles, and other hormones were quantified. Bone mineral density was assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Fat distribution evaluation utilizing quantitative computed tomography was conducted in another 66 patients with PHPT and 155 controls. Results: PHPT patients were older (P < 0.001) and had less body weight (P < 0.001), lower BMI (P = 0.019), lower serum concentrations of 25(OH)D (P < 0.001), total cholesterol (P = 0.036), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (P = 0.036), and higher circulating concentration of free fatty acid (FFA) (P = 0.047) as compared with controls. After adjusting multiple confounders, PTH was positively correlated with weight (r = 0.311, P < 0.001), BMI (r = 0.268, P < 0.01), and visceral adipose tissue area (VAA) (r = 0.191, P < 0.05) in the first tertile of PTH. However, these associations were not observed in the second tertile. While in the third tertile, PTH was negatively correlated with weight (r = –0.200, P < 0.05), BMI (r = –0.223, P < 0.05) and marginally with VAA (r = –0.306, P = 0.065), it showed positive association with FFA (r = 0.230, P < 0.05). Conclusions: The inverted U-shape relationship between PTH and body weight, BMI, VAA found in this study is helpful to explain the conflicting results among these parameters, and extend our understanding of the metabolic effects of PTH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To identify the commonalities between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and diabetes mellitus (DM) to understand the mechanisms of Chinese medicine (CM) in different diseases with the same treatment.Methods: A text mining approach was adopted to analyze the commonalities between RA and DM according to CM and biological elements. The major commonalities were subsequently verified in RA and DM rat models, in which herbal formula for the treatment of both RA and DM identified via text mining was used as the intervention.Results: Similarities were identified between RA and DM regarding the CM approach used for diagnosis and treatment, as well as the networks of biological activities affected by each disease, including the involvement of adhesion molecules, oxidative stress, cytokines, T-lymphocytes, apoptosis, and inflammation. The Ramulus Cinnamomi-Radix Paeoniae Alba-Rhizoma Anemarrhenae is an herbal combination used to treat RA and DM. This formula demonstrated similar effects on oxidative stress and inflammation in rats with collagen-induced arthritis, which supports the text mining results regarding the commonalities between RA and DM.Conclusion: Commonalities between the biological activities involved in RA and DM were identified through text mining, and both RA and DM might be responsive to the same intervention at a specific stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relapse remains one of the major obstacles in Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph+ALL) even after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The persistence of leukemia-propagating cells (LPCs) may lead to the recurrence of Ph+ALL. Using a xenograft assay, LPCs enrichment in the CD34+CD38-CD58- fraction in Ph+ALL was recently identified. A further cohort study indicated that the LPCs phenotype at diagnosis was an independent risk factor for relapse of Ph+ALL. However, little is known about the potential molecular mechanism of LPCs-mediated relapse. Therefore, the gene expression profiles of the sorted LPCs and other cell fractions from patients with de novo Ph+ALL were investigated using RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq). Most of the differentially expressed genes between the LPCs and other cell fractions were related to the regulation of the cell cycle and metabolism, as identified by the gene ontology (GO) enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses. Consistent with the RNA-Seq results, the mRNA levels of cell cycle-related genes, such as cyclin-dependent kinase 4, were significantly lower in the LPCs fraction than in other cell fractions. Moreover, the proportion of quiescent cells in LPCs was significantly higher than in other cell fractions. In summary, distinctive gene expression profiles and clusters, which were mostly related to the regulation of the cell cycle and metabolism, were demonstrated between LPCs and other cell fractions from patients with de novo Ph+ALL. Therefore, it would be beneficial to develop novel LPCs-based therapeutic strategies for Ph+ALL patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: We aimed to investigate associations among serum levels of LCN2, bone resorption marker carboxy-terminal cross-linking telopeptide of type-1 collagen (CTx), bone formation marker osteocalcin (OCN), and bone mineral densities (BMDs) in ambulatory healthy women.Methods: This cross-sectional study analyzed 1012 previously enrolled outpatient Han Chinese women. BMDs of the lumbar spine and femoral neck were measured using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. Serum levels of LCN2, CTx, OCN, and creatinine (Scr) were measured.Results: Circulating LCN2 was inversely correlated with BMDs at the lumbar spine and femoral neck (Spearman’s r = −0.08, P = 0.010 and r = −0.14, P < 0.001; respectively). A significant positive correlation between LCN2 and CTx (r = 0.11, P < 0.001), OCN (r = 0.06, P = 0.047), age (r = 0.21, P < 0.001), and Scr (r = 0.24, P < 0.001) was also observed. After adjusting for age and Scr, the correlation among LCN2, BMDs and OCN disappeared, but LCN2 was still positively associated with CTx (r = 0.08, P = 0.010). The circulating concentration of LCN2 showed no significant difference between subjects with and without osteoporotic fractures (43.63 (35.29, 53.66) vs. 42.25 (34.43, 51.46) ng/ml, respectively, P = 0.111). Serum CTx concentrations rose with serum LCN2 increasing from the lowest to the highest quartile (P for trend = 0.005), even after adjusting for age and Scr (P for trend = 0.040). In multivariate regression analysis, LCN2 was one of the main determinants for changes in serum CTx (standard β = 0.061, P = 0.005).Conclusions: In ambulatory healthy women, the relationships among serum LCN2 level, BMDs, and OCN were confounded by age and Scr. Although LCN2 was positively related with CTx, the correlation was very weak and may not be physiologically relevant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose an optimal approach to solve the problem of multi-degree reduction of C-Bézier surfaces in the norm L with prescribed constraints. The control points of the degree-reduced C-Bézier surfaces can be explicitly obtained by using a matrix operation that is based on the transfer matrix of the C-Bézier basis. With prescribed boundary constraints, this method can be applied to piecewise continuous patches or to a single patch with the combination of surface subdivision. The resulting piecewise approximating patches are globally G continuous. Finally, numerical examples are presented to show the effectiveness of the method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previously we have demonstrated that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) contributes to spinal long-term potentiation (LTP) and pain hypersensitivity through activation of GluN2B-containing N-methyl- d-aspartate (GluN2B-NMDA) receptors in rats following spinal nerve ligation (SNL). However, the molecular mechanisms by which BDNF impacts upon GluN2B-NMDA receptors and spinal LTP still remain unclear. In this study, we first documented that Fyn kinase-mediated phosphorylation of GluN2B subunit at tyrosine 1472 (pGluN2B) was involved in BDNF-induced spinal LTP and pain hypersensitivity in intact rats. Second, we revealed a co-localization of Fyn and GluN2B-NMDA receptor in cultured dorsal horn neurons, implying that Fyn is a possible intermediate kinase linking BDNF/TrkB signaling with GluN2B-NMDA receptors in the spinal dorsal horn. Furthermore, we discovered that both SNL surgery and intrathecal active Fyn could induce an increased expression of dorsal horn pGluN2B, as well as pain hypersensitivity in response to von Frey filaments stimuli; and more importantly, all these actions were effectively abrogated by pre-treatment with either PP2 or ifenprodil to respectively inhibit Fyn kinase and GluN2B-NMDA receptors activity. Moreover, we found that intrathecal administration of BDNF scavenger TrkB-Fc prior to SNL surgery, could prevent the nerve injury-induced increase of both pFyn and pGluN2B expression, and also inhibit the mechanical allodynia in neuropathic rats. Collectively, these results suggest that Fyn kinase-mediated pGluN2B is critical for BDNF-induced spinal LTP and pain hypersensitivity in SNL rats. Therefore, the BDNF-Fyn-GluN2B signaling cascade in the spinal dorsal horn may constitute a key mechanism underlying central sensitization and neuropathic pain development after peripheral nerve injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge of phosphorus (P) components in water is vital to understanding the biogeochemistry of the P cycle, but little information is available about P, especially organic P components in water. We used solution P nuclear magnetic resonance technology (P NMR) to characterize the classes of dissolved and particulate P compounds, as well as their spatial variation, in eutrophic Lake Taihu, Eastern China. Results showed that orthophosphate and monoesters were the dominant components in dissolved and particulate P. The main difference between the classes of dissolved and particulate P compounds was that phosphonate was detected in dissolved P, whereas pyrophosphate was mainly found in particulate P. The proportions of various classes of P compounds in particulate total P were relatively stable, which may be partly attributed to phytoplankton. In dissolved total P (DTP), the proportions of orthophosphate and monoester varied substantially and were significantly correlated with DTP concentration. According to the source of P and the ratios of dominant classes of P compounds in dissolved and particulate P, the dissolved orthophosphate may be substantially influenced by pollution sources, and other P compounds are mainly controlled by biological transformation processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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To investigate the effects of genetic and non-genetic factors on bone mineral densities (BMDs) and osteoporotic fractures. This was a cross-sectional study to investigate the relationships between 18 SNPs and non-genetic factors with BMDs and osteoporotic fractures in 1012 Chinese Han women. Five SNPs in genes GPR177, CTNNB1, MEF2C, SOX6, and TNFRSF11B were associated with L1-4 or total hip BMDs. rs11898505 in SPTBN1 gene was associated with osteoporotic fractures. Subjects carrying the largest number of risk alleles (highest 10 %) not only had lower BMD values as compared to those carrying the least number of risk alleles (lowest 10 %), they also had a higher risk of fracture [ P = 0.002, OR = 2.252, 95 %CI (1.136, 4.463)]. Results from multivariate stepwise regression analysis revealed that age [ P < 0.001, OR = 1.038, 95 % CI (1.018, 1.058)], number of falls in a year [ P < 0.001, OR = 2.347, 95 % CI (1.459, 3.774)], the G risk allele in rs11898505 [ P = 0.023, OR = 1.559, 95 % CI (1.062, 2.290)], and the L1-4 BMD [ P = 0.017, OR = 0.286, 95 % CI (0.102, 0.798)] were associated with the occurrence of osteoporotic fractures. Genetic (rs11898505) and non-genetic factors (age, number of falls in a year and L1-4 BMD) could work in concert to contribute to the risk of osteoporotic fractures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To acquire data of Brucella cellular fatty acids (CFAs) and probe into the possibility of utilizing CFAs information in typing Brucella, 19 reference strains were subjected to CFAs study. After all strains were inoculated on Brucella Agar plates, the cells were harvested, saponificated, methylated and extracted to provide fatty acid methylesters for gas chromatography (GC) analysis. Based on the CFAs data matrix, a dendrogram of 19 reference strains was generated by SPSS11.5 software package. The results showed that 19 reference strains were divided into five clusters: cluster 1 included B. suis (bv. 1, 2, 3, 5) and B. ovis; cluster 2 included B. abortus (bv. 3, 4, 5, 6) and B. melitensis (bv. 1, 2, 3); cluster 3 included B. abortus (bv. 1, 2, 7, 9) and B. neotomae; cluster 4 was B. suis (bv. 4); and cluster 5 was B. canis. Typing Brucella by GC analysis of CFAs is a good method to reflect drug resistance of Brucella, and the classification is beneficial for clinical therapy. It also provides a new result of typing and demonstrates that the traditional classification is not completely reasonable. CFAs analysis may identify B. suis (bv. 4) and B. canis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a novel algorithm for planar curve offsetting. The basic idea is to regard the locus relative to initial base circle, which is formed by moving the unit normal vectors of the base curve, as a unit circular arc first, then accurately to represent it as a rational curve, and finally to reparameterize it in a particular way to approximate the offset. Examples illustrated that the algorithm yields fewer curve segments and control points as well as C1 continuity, and so has much significance in terms of saving computing time, reducing the data storage and smoothing curves entirely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective was to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in exons of the osteoprotegerin gene and to analyze the relationship between the SNPs and bone mineral density in postmenopausal women. We used polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and direct sequencing methods to identify SNPs and genotypes in 205 postmenopausal women. BMD at the lumbar spine (L2–4) and femoral neck (FN) were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). Serum osteocalcin (OC), osteoprotegerin (OPG), receptor activator of nuclear factor κB ligand (RANKL) and urinary N-telopeptide of type I collagen (NTx) were also measured. In exon 1 of the OPG gene, we found the Lys3Asn SNP. In 205 postmenopausal women, the Asn-allele frequency was 26.0%, and the distribution of Lys3Asn genotypes was Lys-Lys 56.6%, Lys-Asn 34.6% and Asn-Asn 8.8%, respectively. BMD at the lumbar spine (L2–4) of the Asn-Asn genotype was significantly higher (9.5–12.6%) than Lys-Asn and Lys-Lys genotypes ( P =0.012), with evidence for an allele dose effect ( P =0.008). Results remained similar after adjustment for age and body mass index. The Lys3Asn polymorphism of the OPG gene alone accounted for 7.7% of the variance of the L2–4 BMD in a multiple regression model. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the OPG genotype Lys-Lys had a 2.7 times (95% CI: 0.83–9.11) greater risk for osteopenia/osteoporosis than the Asn-Asn genotype. The Lys3Asn polymorphism in the OPG gene is associated with L2–4 BMD in postmenopausal women. The Lys-allele is associated with lower BMD and an increased risk for osteoporosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]