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Copper is an important selectors for antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) transfer because of metal-antibiotic cross-resistance and/or coresistance. Due to carbon-based materials' good adsorption capacity for heavy metals, graphene and graphene oxide have great potential to reduce ARGs abundance in the environment with copper pollution. To figure out the mechanics, this study investigated the effects of graphene and graphene oxide on the succession of ARGs, mobile genetic elements (MGEs), heavy metal resistance genes (HMRGs), and bacterial communities during copper-contained swine manure anaerobic digestion. Results showed that graphene and graphene oxide could reduce ARGs abundance in varying degrees with the anaerobic reactors that contained a higher concentration of copper. Nevertheless, graphene decreased the abundance of ARGs more effectively than graphene oxide. Phylum-level bacteria such as Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Spirochaetes, and Verrucomicrobiaat were significantly positively correlated with most ARGs. Network and redundancy analyses demonstrated that alterations in the bacterial community are one of the main factors leading to the changes in ARGs. Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Spirochaetes were enriched lower in graphene reactor than graphene oxide in anaerobic digestion products, which may be the main reason that graphene is superior to graphene oxide in reduced ARGs abundance. Additionally, ARGs were close to HMRGs than MGEs in the treatments with graphene, the opposite in graphene oxide reactors. Therefore, we speculate that the reduction of HMRGs in graphene may contribute to the result that graphene is superior to graphene oxide in reduced ARGs abundance in anaerobic digestion.

Purpose. To investigate the clinical characteristics and treatment of adult idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) accompanied with trigger digit. Materials and Methods. A retrospective analysis was performed on a total of 74 patients with adult idiopathic CTS accompanied with trigger digit admitted to and treated at the Hand Surgery Department of Ningbo No. 6 Hospital from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2019. Data on patients’ gender, age, occupation, course of the disease, menstruation, surgeries, examination-related information, complications, treatment methods, and prognoses during follow-up were recorded and subsequently used to analyze the pathogeneses, clinical characteristics, and treatment. Results. A total of 74 patients (72 females and 2 males) were included. Among female patients, 51 were postmenopausal and 18 were non-postmenopausal. There were 101 fingers with trigger digit, including 14 patients with trigger digit in both hands, and 115 wrists affected by the CTS. The average course of CTS was 34.5 ± 49.3 months, and that of trigger digit was 10.5 ± 22.4 months. Seventy had both trigger digit and CTS in one hand, while among patients with both hands involved, only 4 had trigger digit or CTS in one hand. Eighty-nine fingers underwent A1 pulley release, and 104 hands underwent carpal tunnel surgery, with steroids being injected under the adventitia of the median nerve during the surgery. All patients who underwent surgeries had I/A-healed incisions, and 14 of them had obvious synovial hyperplasia observed in the carpal tunnel and flexor tendon sheath during surgeries. Follow-up visits, which lasted 3 to 35 months, had an average duration of 1.34 years and included 72 patients. In 63 patients (63/72), the syndrome of tenosynovitis and numbness disappeared and normal hand functions were restored; in 6 patients, the numbness in hands greatly improved and normal hand functions were almost completely restored, while no improvement in numbness of hands and limited hand functions were still observed in 3 patients. Conclusion. CTS accompanied with trigger digit was more common in postmenopausal females, and the course of CTS was longer than that of trigger digit. CTS and trigger digit were more likely to simultaneously occur in the same hand, while some patients might not have obvious synovial hyperplasia in the carpal tunnel. Surgeries were effective in severe cases.

The human tumor suppressor Ring finger protein 20 (RNF20)-mediated histone H2B monoubiquitination (H2Bub) is essential for proper chromosome segregation and DNA repair. However, what is the precise function and mechanism of RNF20–H2Bub in chromosome segregation and how this pathway is activated to preserve genome stability remain unknown. Here, we show that the single-strand DNA-binding factor Replication protein A (RPA) interacts with RNF20 mainly in the S and G2/M phases and recruits RNF20 to mitotic centromeres in a centromeric R-loop-dependent manner. In parallel, RPA recruits RNF20 to chromosomal breaks upon DNA damage. Disruption of the RPA–RNF20 interaction or depletion of RNF20 increases mitotic lagging chromosomes and chromosome bridges and impairs BRCA1 and RAD51 loading and homologous recombination repair, leading to elevated chromosome breaks, genome instability, and sensitivities to DNA-damaging agents. Mechanistically, the RPA–RNF20 pathway promotes local H2Bub, H3K4 dimethylation, and subsequent SNF2H recruitment, ensuring proper Aurora B kinase activation at centromeres and efficient loading of repair proteins at DNA breaks. Thus, the RPA–RNF20–SNF2H cascade plays a broad role in preserving genome stability by coupling H2Bub to chromosome segregation and DNA repair.

A new braconid genus belonging to the tribe Alysiini. Phaenospila van Achterberg & Yao, gen. nov. (type species: Phaenospila signator Yao, sp. nov.), is described. The genus is identified with morphological characters and a phylogenetic analysis of COI sequence data; GenBank accession numbers of fifty generated sequences from the three species are included. Three new species are described and illustrated, Phaenospila brevicarinata van Achterberg & Yao sp. nov., Phaenospila areolator Yao & van Achterberg sp. nov., Phaenospila signator Yao sp. nov. A key to the species of the genus Phaenospila is included.

Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) has been found high sensitivity and specificity in cardiac ischemia. However, the role of CPET in coronary artery disease (CAD) is unclear. This study was to explore the diagnostic value of CPET indicators in CAD.A total of 138 symptomatic patients with suspected CAD who underwent a CPET were included in this cross-sectional study. CPET indicators of all individuals were collected. ΔVONo significant differences in the CPET indicators were observed among the patients with or without CAD. The high SNYTAX score (≥22) group showed a significant reduction in the ΔVOThe ΔVO

BACKGROUND Co-morbidity of SRY gene turner syndrome (TS) with positive SRY gene and non-classical congenital adrenal hyperplasia (NCAH) is extremely rare and has never been reported to date. CASE SUMMARY In this article, we present a 14-year-old girl who was referred to our hospital with short stature (weight of 43 kg and height of 143 cm, < -2 SD) with no secondary sexual characteristics (labia minora dysplasia). Laboratory tests indicated hypergonadotropic hypogonadism with significantly increased androstenedione and 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP) levels. This was accompanied by the thickening of the extremity of the left adrenal medial limb. The patient’s karyotype was 45,X/46,X, +mar, and cytogenetic analysis using multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification and high-throughput sequencing indicated that the SRY gene was positive with compound heterozygous mutations in CYP21A2 as the causative gene for congenital adrenal hyperplasia. The sites of the suspected candidate mutations were amplified and verified using Sanger sequencing. The patient was finally diagnosed as having SRY positive TS with NCAH. The patient and her family initially refused medical treatment. At her most recent follow-up visit (age = 15 years old), the patient presented facial hair, height increase to 148 cm, and weight of 52 kg, while androstenedione and 17-OHP levels remained high. The patient was finally willing to take small doses of hydrocortisone (10 mg/d). CONCLUSION In conclusion, upon evaluation of the patient mentioned in the report, we feel that 17-OHP measurement and cytogenetic analysis are necessary for TS patients even in the absence of significant virilization signs. This will play a significant role in guiding diagnosis and treatment.

As an ecofriendly thermoelectric material with intrinsic low thermal conductivity, ternary diamond-like Cu2SnSe3 (CSS) has attracted much attention. Nevertheless, its figure of merit, ZT, is limite...

Background A woven coronary artery is a rare congenital coronary anomaly and incidentally found in coronary angiogram. Coronary angiography is the major diagnostic modality, which shows the main trunk of coronary divides into several channels which later reconnect with normal blood flow (J Int Cardiol 113:121-123 2006). However, some cases and reviews inferred that this characteristic might be mimicked by recanalized coronary thrombus, which occurs following thrombotic occlusion. In some case, the multiple intraluminal channels have a ‘Swiss cheese’, a ‘Spider web-like’, a ‘Honeycomb’ or a ‘Lotus root’ appearance and most of them appear in local segment (Int J Cardiol 186: 239–240, 2015). As these images are nonspecific findings, there is no angiographic uniform definition of intracoronary thrombus. More information about the characteristics and the development of this woven-like structure is needed. Case presentation A 67-year-old male patient was admitted to our hospital because of chest pain. Coronary artery angiogram revealed that the right coronary artery (RCA) divided into multiple thin channels from proximal to distal, which was similar to the so-called woven coronary artery. Compared with his prior coronary angiograms which showed a tiny hazy lesion in distal segment of RCA, we found the woven-like phenomena should be caused by a late-stage recanalized coronary thrombus. Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) was performed to restore the RCA flow, and the angina symptom was extremely improved during clinical follow-up. Conclusions The diagnostic criteria of woven coronary artery was based on angiographic image. However, some cases and reviews inferred that thrombotic recanalization might also share the same characteristic. In this case, we collected the baseline angiograms and intracoronary images then successfully diagnosed the woven-like RCA as thrombotic recanalization. For this kind of woven-like coronary artery, PCI could be a better treatment strategy. Detailed history collection and intracoronary image techniques should be emphasized in future clinical practice in the differentiating and treatment of woven-like phenomena.

The increasing and widespread application of antibacterial drugs makes antibiotic resistance a prominent and growing concern in clinical practice. The emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria presents a global threat. However, the development and use of novel antibacterial agents involves time-consuming and costly challenges that may lead to yet further drug resistance. More recently, researchers have turned to traditional Chinese medicine to stem the rise of antibiotic resistance in pathogens. Many studies have shown traditional Chinese medicines to have significant bacteriostatic and bactericidal effects, with the advantage of low drug resistance. Some of which when combined with antibiotics, have also demonstrated antibacterial activity by synergistic effect. Traditional Chinese medicine has a variety of active components, including flavonoids, alkaloids, phenols, and quinones, which can inhibit the growth of drug-resistant bacteria and be used in combination with a variety of antibiotics to treat various drug-resistant bacterial infections. We reviewed the interaction between the active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicines and antibiotic-resistant bacteria. At present, flavonoids and alkaloids are the active ingredients that have been most widely studied, with significant synergistic activity demonstrated when used in combination with antibiotics against drug-resistant bacteria. The reviewed studies show that traditional Chinese medicine and its active ingredients have antimicrobial activity on antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which may enhance the susceptibility of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, potentially reduce the required dosage of antibacterial agents and the rate of drug resistance. Our results provide direction for finding and developing alternative methods to counteract drug-resistant bacteria, offering a new therapeutic strategy for tackling antibiotic resistance.

Background insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) rs956115 is associated with vascular risk in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and concomitant diabetes. CYP2C19 rs4244285 modulates clopidogrel responsiveness and predicts outcome of CAD. We designed this study to explore the association between IRS-1 rs956115, CYP2C19 rs4244285, and platelet reactivity as well as 1-year outcome in patients with CAD undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).Methods IRS-1 rs956115, CYP2C19 rs4244285 genotypes and platelet reactivity were assessed in 1611 post-PCI patients. Major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) which were defined as a composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke over 1-year were evaluated. One-way ANOVA was used to compare the platelet reactivity among different genotypes of rs956115 and rs4244285. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard model analysis was used to estimate the association between genotypes of rs956115 and rs4244285 and risk of MACE.Results At 1 month, patients with rs956115 CG genotype had significantly lower level of residual ADP-induced platelet aggregation (PLADP) than those with CC genotype. PLADP significantly increased with the number of rs4244285 A alleles. Patients with rs956115 CG or GG genotype had a 2.09-fold higher risk of MACE than those with CC genotype (adjusted HR=2.09; 95%CI:1.04-4.19; P=0.0376), and those with rs4244285 GA genotype had a 2.19-fold higher risk than GG homozygotes (adjusted HR=2.19; 95%CI:1.13-4.24; P=0.0200). There was no significant difference in risk between AA and GG homozygotes. No interaction between rs956115 and rs4244285 was observed. Conclusions In post-PCI patients, rs956115 GG/CG and rs4244285 GA genotypes were associated with 2.09- and 2.19-fold cardiovascular risks respectively at 1-year follow-up. The effect of rs956115 appeared to be independent of known clinical predictors, while that of rs4244285 GA could be mediated by lower clopidogrel response. Trial registration: Pharmacogenetic and Pharmacokinetic Study of Clopidogrel (PPSC), NCT01968499. Registered October 17, 2013 - Retrospectively registered, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01968499?term=NCT01968499&draw=1&rank=1

In order to promote the application of electrochemical water softening technology in industrial circulating cooling water systems, electric field type, cathode structure and solution residence time are selected for optimization analysis of an electrochemical water softening device. The experimental results show that the water softening performance per unit area of mesh cathode is better than that of a plate cathode. In addition, the softening amount per unit area of the mesh cathode can be further increased when the high-frequency (HF) power supply is applied. When the HF power supply is applied, the softening amount per unit area is 158.58 g/m2·h−1 more than when the direct current power supply is applied. In order to explore the growth mechanism of calcium carbonate, micro-analysis technology and high-speed bubble photography technology are used. The results show that the bubbles escape along the longitudinal direction of the electrode plate, and the main growth direction of calcium carbonate growth is consistent with the escape direction of the bubble; that is, the bubbles grow along the longitudinal direction of the electrode plate. The special structure of the diamond-shaped mesh cathode facilitates the growth of calcium carbonate crystals. HIGHLIGHTS The high-frequency power supply can further increase the descaling amount per unit area of the mesh cathode.; The special structure of the diamond-shaped mesh cathode facilitates the growth of calcium carbonate crystals.; The maximum desalination rate of this experimental device is 604.5 g/m2 h−1.

High on-treatment platelet reactivity (HOPR) is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular events in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We randomised post-PCI patients with HOPR after 5 days of standard dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) to intensified therapy with aspirin 100 mg once daily in combination with either clopidogrel 150 mg once daily, clopidogrel 75 mg once daily plus cilostazol 100 mg twice daily, ticagrelor 90 mg twice daily, or standard therapy with clopidogrel 75 mg once daily (STD) for 1 month, after which all patients were switched to standard DAPT for a further 11 months. The primary outcome was residual HOPR rate at 1 month. We screened 1724 patients with light transmission aggregation studies and randomised 434 with HOPR. At 1 month the proportion of patients with persistent HOPR was significantly lower in the intensified therapy groups compared with STD group. Compared to the group receiving STD therapy, those receiving intensified therapy had significantly lower rate of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) at both 1 month and 12 months with no significant increase in bleeding. In patients with post-PCI HOPR, 1 month of intensified antiplatelet therapy provides greater platelet inhibition and improves outcomes without increasing bleeding. Clinical Trial Registration URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique Identifier: NCT01955200.

The interaction between cracks, as well as their propagation, in single-crystal aluminum was simulated at the atomic scale by molecular dynamics method and modified embedded atom method. Further, the effects of the distance between two cracks and the difference of crack size on crack propagation and mechanical properties were comprehensively investigated. The results demonstrated that multi-crack propagation in aluminum is a quite complex process, which is accompanied by micro-crack growth, merging, stress shielding, and the crossing of slip bands. During crack propagation, there are interactions between cracks. Such interactions inhibit the phase transition, dislocation and slip bands at the crack tip, and also affect the direction of crack propagation. The intensity of the interaction between two cracks decreases with the increase of the distance between them and increases with increasing crack size. Moreover, the strength limit of aluminum decreases with the increase of the distance between cracks and the difference in their size.

Background Genetic polymorphisms of key proteins involved in clopidogrel absorption, metabolism, and action may contribute to variability in platelet inhibition in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), but their impacts on cardiovascular outcomes remain unclear. Purpose To examine the associations between genetic polymorphisms and cardiovascular outcomes in Chinese patients undergoing PCI and treated with clopidogrel and aspirin. Methods This prospective cohort study consecutively enrolled 2,453 post-PCI patients treated with clopidogrel and aspirin. Adenosine diphosphate-induced platelet aggregation was measured by light transmission aggregometry. A total of 40 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of 18 genes selected according to published studies were investigated using an improved multiplex ligation detection reaction technique. The primary outcome was major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE), the composite of cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI), and ischemic stroke within one year after PCI. Results We restricted the analyses to the first 1,452 patients who had finished one-year follow-up and complete data on genotyping and platelet aggregation. 44 (3.03%) patients suffered MACE. Among the 40 SNPs, only the A-allele carriers of CYP2C19*2 had a significant higher risk of MACE (adjusted HR 2.05; 95% CI, 1.01–4.19; p=0.048) and platelet aggregation than non-A-carriers after adjusting age, sex, MI presentation, and left ventricular ejection fraction. CYP2C19*3, CYP2B6 rs3745274, and PEAR1 rs12041331 variants were also significantly associated with platelet aggregation (all p Conclusion About 54.2% of Chinese patients with PCI were A-allele carriers of CYP2C19*2, who face a two-fold higher risk of MACE than non-A-allele carriers in Chinese patients after PCI. It would help identify low clopidogrel responders and optimize antiplatelet therapy before drug administration. Figure 1 Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): National Natural Science Funding of China

Aim: This trial aimed to assess the effects of exenatide, a GLP-1RA, on renal outcomes in patients with T2DM and DKD. Methods: We performed a randomized, parallel study conducted in 4 general hospitals. T2DM patients with an eGFR≥30mL/min/1.73m2 and macroalbuminuria, defined as 24h-urinary albumin-creatinine ratio (UAER) >0.3g/24h, were randomized 1:1 to receive exenatide twice daily plus glargine or lispro insulin plus glargine for 24 weeks. The primary outcome was percentage change in 24h-UAER after 24 weeks of intervention comparing to baseline measurement. The secondary outcomes included the percentage change in urinary ACR, change in 24h-UAER, ACR, HbA1c, FPG, body weight and blood pressure. The safety outcomes include rates of hypoglycemia, adverse events and change in eGFR during the follow up. Results: Between March 2016 and April 2019, 92 patients were randomized and took at least one dose of study drug. The mean age of the participants was 56 years. At baseline, the median 24h-UAER was 1512.0 mg/24h (IQR 782.5-2818.0), and mean eGFR was 70.4 mL/min/1.73 m2 (SD 23.4). After 24 weeks, exenatide reduced the percentage change of the 24h-UAER (difference between groups was 29.7%, p=0.0255), the percentage change of ACR (difference between groups was 28.4%, p=0.0395) and the absolute change of ACR (difference between groups was 607.8 mg/g, p=0.0209) but had no significant difference on the absolute change of 24h-UAER than the control group. Meanwhile, the body weight declined by 1.3kg with exenatide (difference between groups was 2.7kg, p=0.0001). There was no difference between two groups on the change in HbA1c, FPG, blood pressure or eGFR. Comparing to the control group, lower frequency of hypoglycemia as well as more gastrointestinal adverse events were in intervention group. Conclusions: Exenatide twice daily plus glargine for 24 weeks resulted in significant reduction of albuminuria in T2DM patients with DKD. Disclosure X. Wang: None. Q. Zhang: None. M. Guan: None. S. Sheng: None. W. Mo: None. M. Zou: None. J. Li: None. J. Bi: None. X. Tang: None. J. He: None. G. Xu: None. P. Li: None. H. Zhang: None. Y. Xue: None.

Background: Cardiovascular outcomes in clinical trials with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients have shown that glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist can have a beneficial effect on the kidney. This trial aimed to assess the effects of exenatide on renal outcomes in patients with T2DM and diabetic kidney disease (DKD). Methods: We performed a randomized parallel study encompassing 4 general hospitals. T2DM patients with an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≥30 mL/min/1.73 m2 and macroalbuminuria, defined as 24-h urinary albumin excretion rate (UAER) >0.3 g/24 h were randomized 1:1 to receive exenatide twice daily plus insulin glargine (intervention group) or insulin lispro plus glargine (control group) for 24 weeks. The primary outcome was the UAER percentage change from the baseline after 24 weeks of intervention. The rates of hypoglycemia, adverse events (AEs), and change in eGFR during the follow-up were measured as safety outcomes. Results: Between March 2016 and April 2019, 92 patients were randomized and took at least 1 dose of the study drug. The mean age of the participants was 56 years. At baseline, the median UAER was 1,512.0 mg/24 h and mean eGFR was 70.4 mL/min/1.73 m2. After 24 weeks of treatment, the UAER percentage change was significantly lower in the intervention group than in the control group (p = 0.0255). Moreover, the body weight declined by 1.3 kg in the intervention group (the difference between the 2 groups was 2.7 kg, p = 0.0001). Compared to the control group, a lower frequency of hypoglycemia and more gastrointestinal AEs were observed in the intervention group. Conclusion: Exenatide plus insulin glargine treatment for 24 weeks resulted in a reduction of albuminuria in T2DM patients with DKD.

Background: This trial aimed to assess the effects of exenatide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA), on renal outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and diabetic kidney disease (DKD).Methods: We performed a randomized, parallel study conducted in 4 general hospitals. T2DM patients with an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≥30 mL/min/1.73m2 and macroalbuminuria, defined as 24-hour urinary albumin excretion rate (UAER) >0.3 g/24-h, were randomized 1:1 to receive exenatide twice daily plus insulin glargine or insulin lispro plus glargine for 24 weeks. The primary outcome was percentage change in UAER after 24 weeks of intervention comparing to baseline measurement. Rates of hypoglycemia, adverse events and change in eGFR during the follow up were set as safety outcomes.Results: Between March 2016 and April 2019, 92 patients were randomized and took at least one dose of study drug. The mean age of the participants was 56 years. At baseline, the median UAER was 1512.0 mg/24-h, and mean eGFR was 70.4 mL/min/1.73 m2. After 24 weeks, exenatide reduced 29.7% of the UAER (p = 0.0255). Meanwhile, the body weight declined by 1.3 kg with exenatide (difference between groups was 2.7 kg, p = 0.0001). Comparing to the control group, lower frequency of hypoglycemia as well as more gastrointestinal adverse events were in intervention group. Conclusions: Exenatide plus insulin glargine for 24 weeks resulted in significant reduction of albuminuria in T2DM patients with DKD.Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT02690883. Registered 20 February, 2016, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02690883

In practical applications, the range rate used in a target tracking algorithm will further increase the strong nonlinearity between the measurement and the state, and the unknown correlation coefficient of measurement noise between the range and the range rate will cause suboptimal gain of the filter, which will seriously affect the performance of the filter. In this paper, an expectation maximization (EM)-based sequential modified unbiased converted measurement Kalman filter is proposed for target tracking with an unknown correlation coefficient of measurement noise between the range and the range rate. Firstly, a pseudo measurement is constructed by multiplying the range and the range rate to reduce the strong nonlinearity. The mean and covariance of converted errors are subsequently derived using modified unbiased converted measurement (MUCM) to weaken the error caused by the linearization of the measurement equation, which will effectively improve the dynamic accuracy of target tracking. Then, the converted errors of the position and the pseudo measurement are decorrelated by Cholesky factorization to facilitate the subsequent identification of the correlation coefficient, and the posterior probability distribution of the state is obtained using sequential filtering within the Bayesian framework. Finally, the EM is introduced in the updating procedure of the pseudo measurement to estimate both the target state and the correlation coefficient. The target tracking scenario with an unknown correlation coefficient is built to demonstrate the validity and feasibility of the proposed algorithm. Simultaneously, the results of the normalized error squared validate the consistency of the MUCM.

Background Thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP) plays an important role in the development of diabetic nephropathy. In the present study, we investigated role of TXNIP on oxidative stress in glomerular mesangial cells (GMCs) cultured in high glucose or normal glucose, and explored the potential mechanism related to TXNIP as well. Methods Oxidative stress in GMCs under high or normal glucose was detected. TXNIP knockdown by specific siRNA or over expression by pcDNA3.0-TXNIP vector was performed to evaluate the role of TXNIP on injury of GMCs caused by oxidative stress. Activator of AMPK AICAR and AMPK inhibitor Compound C were treated the GMCs. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondrial membrane potential were detected by flow cytometry. Activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and superoxide dismutase (CAT) were measured by ELISA. Activity of thioredoxin (Trx) was determined using Trx activity assay kit. mRNA expression of AMPK, TXNIP, Trx1 and Trx2 were tested by qRT-PCR. Expressions of P-AMPK, TXNIP and fibronectin proteins were detected by Western blotting. Results High glucose induced the increase of ROS level, activation of TXNIP, but restricted mitochondrial membrane potential and activities of p-AMPK, SOD and CAT, and Trx. TXNIP siRNA and AICAR inhibited high glucose-induced oxidative stress response in GMCs and fibronectin expression, but promoted cell viability. In contrast, pcDNA3.0-TXNIP and Compound C increased oxidative stress response in normal glucose cultured GMCs, but decreased cell viability. The combined effect of TXNIP siRNA and AICAR on the inhibition of oxidative stress was obviously stronger than that of single use of TXNIP siRNA. Conclusion TXNIP facilitates the oxidative stress response in GMCs partially through AMPK pathway, which may provide potential therapeutic target for diabetic nephropathy treatment.

Although single crystalline SnSe has high thermoelectric figure of merit ZT, the highest ZT reported for polycrystalline SnSe-based material is not larger than 1. Here we show that a record value of ZT = 1.26 at 880 K is achieved for polycrystalline SnSe based composites with PbTe nanoinclusions. Our results indicate that the high performance arises from simultaneous increase in power factor and thermal resistance. The increased power factor mainly originates from enhanced electrical conductivity due to increased carrier concentration; while the large (∼25%) reduction of thermal conductivity can be ascribed to both the interface scattering of phonons and inhibition of bipolar effect. Present result demonstrates that the introduction of proper nanoinclusions can effectively elevate the thermoelectric performance of polycrystalline SnSe compound.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) on body fat redistribution and muscle mass in overweight/obese patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the data of 76 patients with body mass indexes (BMI)≥24 kg/m(2), who had an established diagnosis of T2DM in our department between December, 2014 and September, 2015. We divided these patients according to their BMI in overweight group (BMI of 24-27.9 kg/m(2), n=14), obese group (BMI of 28-31.9 kg/m(2), n=35) and severely obese group (BMI≥32 kg/m(2), n=27). All the patients received treatment with GLP-1RAs (Exenatide or Liraglutide) for 3.0 to 29.0 weeks (mean 8.9 weeks), and their blood glucose, HbA1c and serum lipids were analyzed. For each patient, the fat and muscle masses were analyzed using a human body composition analyzer (JAWON-IOI353, Korea) before and after GLP-1RAs treatment. RESULTS: Treatment with GLP-1RAs significantly decreased BMI and visceral adiposity index (VAI) in all the patients in the 3 groups (P < 0.05). The treatment significantly decreased the body weight in the overweight group and obese group by 2.70 kg (0.60-4.95 kg) and 2.65 kg (1.45-6.40 kg), respectively (P < 0.05), and significantly decreased the waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) in the overweight group (P < 0.05). The obese and severely obese patients showed significantly decreased percentage body fat (including both subcutaneous and visceral fat) and increased muscle mass after the treatment (P < 0.05). Compared with those in the overweight group, the percentage body fat and VAI were significantly decreased in the obese group after the treatment (P < 0.05), and the percentage of subcutaneous fat reduced and the muscle ratio increased more obviously in the obese and severely obese patients (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: GLP-1RAs treatment can significantly lower BMI and improve body fat distribution in obese patients with T2DM, especially in patients with a greater BMI.

Background: The genetic determinants of response to clopidogrel and aspirin are incompletely characterized. Recently, PEAR1 (platelet endothelial aggregation receptor-1) rs12041331 polymorphism has been shown to influence the platelet reactivity, but its impact on cardiovascular outcomes remains unclear in patients treated with antiplatelet agents. Methods and Results: In this prospective cohort study, 2439 Chinese patients with acute coronary syndrome or stable coronary artery disease undergoing coronary stent implantation and receiving clopidogrel and aspirin were consecutively recruited. Their platelet reactivity was determined by light transmission aggregometry at 5 and 30 days after coronary intervention. Genotyping was performed using an improved multiplex ligation detection reaction technique. All patients completed a 30-day follow-up for clinical outcomes. Genotyping for PEAR1 showed 768 (38.3%) GG homozygotes, 941 (46.9%) GA heterozygotes, and 298 (14.8%) AA homozygotes. The 30-day incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events, the composite of cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and ischemic stroke were significantly higher in AA homozygotes than in non-AA homozygotes (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.78; 95% CI, 1.13–6.82; P =0.026), irrespective of CYP2C19*2 loss-of-function polymorphism and known outcome predictors including age, sex, smoking, and diabetes mellitus. The ADP-induced platelet aggregation was significantly lower in AA homozygotes than that in GG homozygotes at both time points, although no significant difference was found for the arachidonic acid–induced platelet aggregation among the 3 groups. Conclusions: About 15% of Chinese patients undergoing coronary stent implantation were AA homozygotes for PEAR1 rs12041331. These patients had ≈3-fold increase in short-term major adverse cardiovascular events risk compared with non-AA homozygotes, and the adverse clinical outcome is unlikely to be mediated by suboptimal pharmacological response to aspirin or clopidogrel. Clinical Trial Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier: NCT01968499.

The corrosion damage is easy to be formed on the surface of a metal structure in the corrosion environment, then the structural mechanical properties are degraded. For this purpose, the cellular automata method was adopted to simulate the uniform corrosion damage behavior of aluminium alloy in this paper. The uniform corrosion of aluminium alloy surfaces is simulated in complex corrosive environments and different concentration of corrosion solution. The forming processes of corrosion and the changed rules under different concentration of corrosion solution c and ambient temperature T are all obtained. It was shown that with the increasing concentration of corrosion c and the ambient temperature T, the number of corrosion cells increased, and the number of corrosion cells presents an approximate power function of etching time t.

In this paper, R wave peak interval independent atrial fibrillation detection algorithm is proposed based on the analysis of the synchronization feature of the electrocardiogram signal by a deep neural network. Firstly, the synchronization feature of each heartbeat of the electrocardiogram signal is constructed by a Recurrence Complex Network. Then, a convolution neural network is used to detect atrial fibrillation by analyzing the eigenvalues of the Recurrence Complex Network. Finally, a voting algorithm is developed to improve the performance of the beat-wise atrial fibrillation detection. The MIT-BIH atrial fibrillation database is used to evaluate the performance of the proposed method. Experimental results show that the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the algorithm can achieve 94.28%, 94.91%, and 94.59%, respectively. Remarkably, the proposed method was more effective than the traditional algorithms to the problem of individual variation in the atrial fibrillation detection. Published version