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Poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)-based solid electrolyte suffers from limited anodic stability and an intrinsic flammable issue, hindering the achievement of high energy density and safe all-solid-state lithium batteries. Herein, we surprisingly found out that a bromine-rich additive, decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE), could be preferably oxidized at an elevated voltage and decompose to lithium bromide at an elevated potential followed by inducing an organic-rich cathode/electrolyte interphase (CEI) on NCM811 surface, enabling both high-voltage resistance (up to 4.5 V) and flame-retardancy for the PEO-based electrolyte. On the basis of this novel solid electrolyte, all-solid-state Li/NCM811 batteries deliver an average reversible capacity of 151.4 mAh g

We aimed to analyze the expression of Cyclin D1 (CCND1) gene in ovarian cancer and the influence of silencing its expression on ovarian cancer cells based on the Oncomine database. The expression of CCND1 gene in ovarian cancer was analyzed by utilizing the relevant information in different tumors and Oncomine database. The correlation between CCDN1 expression level and prognosis of ovarian cancer was analyzed by the online database Kaplan-Meier (kmplot.com). The expression of CCND1 gene in ovarian cancer and the effect of silencing its expression on cancer cells were analyzed by cell experiments. After mining and comprehensively analyzing 7 studies on the differential expression of CCND1 gene in ovarian cancer tissue and normal ovarian tissue included in the Oncomine database, it was found that the median value of CCND1 gene ranked 218.0 (P = 8.03 × 10−6) among all differentially expressed genes, suggesting that CCND1 gene expression in ovarian cancer tissue was higher than that in normal ovarian tissue. Adib Ovarian, Bonome Ovarian and Hendrix Ovarian microarrays revealed that the expression of CCND1 gene in ovarian cancer tissue was significantly higher than that in normal ovarian tissue (P

To retrospectively analyze the use of artificial pneumoperitoneum in CT scans, to explore its operation methods and technical points, and to lay the foundation for the widespread application of artificial pneumoperitoneum in CT. A total of 331 patients who underwent artificial pneumoperitoneum with CT angiography from January 1, 2013, to November 1, 2019, were recruited. All patients underwent standardized artificial pneumoperitoneum in the horizontal, left and right lateral, and prone positions during CT thin-layer scans of the abdomen and 3D reconstruction. Taking the surgical results as the gold standard, and using kappa test to verify the consistency of surgical results and imaging results. In all 331 patients, 43 patients had a normal peritoneal space, and 288 patients had an abnormal peritoneal space. And only 22 patients developed complications of subcutaneous emphysema, accounting for 6.6% of all 331 patients. In terms of the postoperative results, 28 were normal, and 303 were abnormal. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of CT diagnosis of abdominal adhesions using artificial pneumoperitoneum were 100%, 95.04%, and 95.46%, respectively. According to the Kappa consistency test, the imaging diagnosis from the CT scan with artificial pneumoperitoneum had a high consistency with the surgical results (kappa = 0.796, P

Dialysis patients with erythropoietin hypo-responsiveness suffered from refractory anemia. Roxadustat reversibly binds and inhibits hypoxia-inducible factor-prolyl hydroxylase (HIF-PHD), resulting in increased endogenous EPO which stimulates erythropoiesis, theoretically has an advantage over exogenous EPO in anti-anemia therapy. From September 2019 to October 2020, 32 dialysis patients with hypo-responsiveness to erythropoietin were evaluated. During the 24-week follow-up period, all patients were taken off erythropoietin and switched to roxadustat. Dosage adjustments were administrated according to the fluctuation of hemoglobin level during the treatment. Parameters about anemia, iron metabolism and biochemical indexes were collected, and adverse events were recorded. A total of 31 patients completed the clinical observation, with varying degrees of malnutrition-inflammation. Post treatment, the levels of transferrin and total iron-binding capacity were increased, while that of transferrin saturation and cholesterol decreased. 15 cases (accounting for 48.39%, designated as fulfilled group) met the target level of hemoglobin, while 16 cases (51.61%, non-fulfilled group) did not. The baseline conditions of the above two groups were compared. The levels of hypersensitive C-reactive protein, interleukin-6 and serum ferritin in the non-fulfilled group were higher than those in the fulfilled group, and the levels of residual renal function, serum albumin, iron, transferrin and total iron-binding capacity were lower than those in the fulfilled group. Linear regression analysis showed that increase of HsCRP had a negative effect on the improvement of Hb. One case of adverse reaction grade 3 and four cases of grade 2 occurred throughout the study, yet all were relieved after therapy. Significant anti-anemia effects could be achieved in most patients with erythropoietin hypo-responsiveness after treatment with roxadustat, accompanied by relatively mild and rare adverse reactions. The malnutrition-inflammation states of patients may interfere with the anti-anemia effect of roxadustat, and iron utilization is more important than iron storage in anemia improvement.

Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic non-essential heavy metal. Chronic low Cd exposure (CLCE) has been associated with distinct pathologies in many organ systems, including liver and kidney damage, osteoporosis, carcinogenicity, or reproductive toxicity. Currently, about 10% of the global population is at risk of CLCE. It is urgent to find robust and effective biomarkers for early diagnosis of Cd exposure and treatment. Metabolomics is a high-throughput method based on mass spectrometry to study the dynamic changes in a series of endogenous small molecular metabolites (typically 1000 Da) of tissues, cells, or biofluids. It can reflect the rich and complex biochemical changes in the body after exposure to heavy metals, which may be useful in screening biomarkers to monitor exposure to environmental pollutants and/or predict disease risk. Therefore, this review focuses on the changes in metabolic profiles of humans and rodents under long-term Cd exposure from the perspective of metabolomics. Furthermore, the relationship between the disturbance of metabolic pathways and the toxic mechanism of Cd is discussed. All these information will facilitate the development of reliable metabolic biomarkers for early detection and diagnosis of Cd-related diseases.

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease, the pathogenesis of which is more complicated and often requires long-term treatment. In particular, moderate to severe psoriasis usually requires systemic treatment. Psoriasis is also associated with many diseases, such as cardiometabolic diseases, malignant tumors, infections, and mood disorders. Psoriasis can appear at any age, and lead to a substantial burden for individuals and society. At present, psoriasis is still a treatable, but incurable, disease. Previous studies have found that microRNAs (miRNAs) play an important regulatory role in the progression of various diseases. Currently, miRNAs studies in psoriasis and dermatology are relatively new. Therefore, the identification of key miRNAs in psoriasis is helpful to elucidate the molecular mechanism of psoriasis.To identify key molecular markers and signaling pathways to provide potential basis for the treatment and management of psoriasis.The miRNA and mRNA data were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Then, differentially expressed mRNAs (DEmRNAs) and differentially expressed miRNAs (DEmiRNAs) were screened out by limma R package. Subsequently, DEmRNAs were analyzed for Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomics functional enrichment. The "WGCNA" R package was used to analyze the co-expression network of all miRNAs. In addition, we constructed miRNA-mRNA regulatory networks based on identified hub miRNAs. Finally,A total of 639 DEmRNAs and 84 DEmiRNAs were identified. DEmRNAs screening criteria were adjustedThe identification of potential key molecular markers and signaling pathways provides potential research directions for further understanding the molecular mechanisms of psoriasis. This may also provide new research ideas for the prevention and treatment of psoriasis in the future.

Early recurrence results in poor prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after liver transplantation (LT). This study aimed to explore the value of computed tomography (CT)-based radiomics nomogram in predicting early recurrence of patients with HCC after LT.A cohort of 151 patients with HCC who underwent LT between December 2013 and July 2019 were retrospectively enrolled. A total of 1218 features were extracted from enhanced CT images. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator algorithm (LASSO) logistic regression was used for dimension reduction and radiomics signature building. The clinical model was constructed after the analysis of clinical factors, and the nomogram was constructed by introducing the radiomics signature into the clinical model. The predictive performance and clinical usefulness of the three models were evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and decision curve analysis (DCA), respectively. Calibration curves were plotted to assess the calibration of the nomogram.There were significant differences in radiomics signature among early recurrence patients and non-early recurrence patients in the training cohort (P0.001) and validation cohort (P0.001). The nomogram showed the best predictive performance, with the largest area under the ROC curve in the training (0.882) and validation (0.917) cohorts. Hosmer-Lemeshow testing confirmed that the nomogram showed good calibration in the training (P = 0.138) and validation (P = 0.396) cohorts. DCA showed if the threshold probability is within 0.06-1, the nomogram had better clinical usefulness than the clinical model.Our CT-based radiomics nomogram can preoperatively predict the risk of early recurrence in patients with HCC after LT.

Objective To explore the performance of mobile health platform for standardized management of pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus(GDM). Methods A randomized controlled trial was conducted,in which 295 women with GDM were randomized into two groups(traditional management group and mobile health management group)by a computer-generated sequence.The traditional management group accepted standardized GDM management,and the mobile health management group was supplemented by mobile health management based on the standardized management.The glycemic control rate and the incidences of low birth weight,macrosomia,preterm birth,premature rupture of membranes,postpartum hemorrhage after cesarean section,neonatal asphyxia,malformation,and admission to the neonatal intensive care unit were compared between the two groups. Results The glycemic control rate in mobile health management group was significantly higher than that in the traditional management group [(67.22±22.76)%

Background Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) DNA detection in the nasopharynx is considered a biomarker for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). We evaluated its performance as a reflex test to triage EBV seropositives within an NPC screening program in China. Methods The study population was embedded within an ongoing NPC screening trial and included 1111 participants who screened positive for anti-EBV VCA (antibodies against EBV capsid antigens)/EBNA1 (EBV nuclear antigen1)-IgA antibodies (of 18 237 screened). Nasopharynx swabs were collected/tested for EBNA1 gene EBV DNA load. We evaluated performance of EBV DNA in the nasopharynx swab as a reflex test to triage EBV serological high-risk (those referred to endoscopy/MRI) and medium-risk (those referred to accelerated screening) individuals. Results By the end of 2019, we detected 20 NPC cases from 317 serological high-risk individuals and 4 NPC cases from 794 medium-risk individuals. When used to triage serological high-risk individuals, nasopharynx swab EBV DNA was detected in 19/20 cases (positivity rate among cases: 95.0%; 95% CI, 75.1%–99.9%), with a referral rate of 63.4% (201/317, 95% CI, 57.8%–68.7%) and NPC detection rate among positives of 9.5% (19/201, 95% CI, 5.8%–14.4%). The performance of an algorithm that combined serology with triage of serology high-risk individuals using EBV DNA testing yielded a sensitivity of 72.4% (95% CI, 3.0%-81.4%) and specificity of 97.6% (95% CI, 97.2%-97.9%). When used to triage EBV serological medium-risk individuals, the positivity rate among cases was 75.0% (95% CI, 19.4%-99.4%), with a referral rate of 61.8% (95% CI, 58.4%-65.2%) and NPC detection rate among positives of 0.6% (95% CI, 0.1%-1.8%). Conclusions Nasopharynx swab EBV DNA showed promise as a reflex test to triage serology high-risk individuals, reducing referral by ca. 40% with little reduction in sensitivity compared to a serology-only screening program.

Root-rot disease has lead to serious reduction in yields and jeopardized the survival of the economically and ecologically important Zanthoxylum bungeanum trees cultured in Sichuan Province. In order to investigate the interaction between the microbiome and the root-rot disease, a metagenomic analysis was performed to characterize the microbial communities and functions in Z. bungeanum root endosphere, rhizosphere and bulk soil with/without root-rot disease. Soil physicochemical properties, microbial population size and enzyme activities were also analyzed for finding their interactions with the root-rot disease. As results, lower total nitrogen (TN) and available phosphorus (AP) contents but higher pH in rhizosphere and bulk soil, as well as lower substrate-induced respiration (SIR) and higher protease activity in bulk soil of diseased trees were found, in comparison with that of healthy trees. Microbial diversity and community composition were changed by root-rot disease in the endosphere, but not in rhizosphere and bulk soils. The endophytic microbiome of diseased trees presented higher Proteobacteria abundance and lower abundances of Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes and dominant fungal phyla. The relative abundances of nitrogen cycle- and carbon cycle-related genes in endophytic microbiomes were different between the diseased and healthy trees. Based on ANOSIM and PCoA, functional profiles (KEGG and CAZy) of microbiomes in rhizosphere and bulk soil shifted significantly between the diseased and healthy trees. In addition, soil pH, TN, AP, SIR, invertase and protease were estimated as the main factors influencing the shifts of taxonomic and functional groups in microbiomes of rhizosphere and bulk soil. Conclusively, the imbalance of root and soil microbial function groups might lead to shifts in the root endosphere-rhizosphere microenvironment, which in turn resulted in Z. bungeanum root-rot.

Background Liquid biopsy is gaining increasing popularity in cancer screening and diagnosis. However, there is no relatively mature DNA isolation method or commercial kit available that is compatible with different LB sample types. This study developed a PAN‐sample DNA isolation method (PAN method) for liquid biopsy samples. Methods The PAN method has two key steps, including biosample‐specific pretreatments for various LB sample types and high concentration guanidine thiocyanate buffer for lysis and denaturation procedure. Subsequently, the performance of PAN method was validated by a series of molecular analyses. Results The PAN method was used to isolate DNA from multiple sample types related to LB, including plasma, serum, saliva, nasopharyngeal swab, and stool. All purified DNA products showed good quality and high quantity. Comparison of KRAS mutation analysis using DNA purified using PAN method versus QIAamp methods showed similar efficiency. Epstein‐Barr virus DNA was detected via Q‐PCR using DNA purified from serum, plasma, nasopharyngeal swab, and saliva samples collected from nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients. Similarly, methylation sequencing of swab and saliva samples revealed good coverage of target region and high methylation of HLA‐DPB1 gene. Finally, 16S rDNA gene sequencing of saliva, swab, and stool samples successfully defines the relative abundance of microbial communities. Conclusions This study developed and validated a PAN‐sample DNA isolation method that can be used for different LB samples, which can be applied to molecular epidemiological research and other areas., The performance of the PAN method developed in this study was validated by a series of molecular analyses, such as spectrophotometric analysis, Q‐PCR, Sanger sequencing, and next‐generation sequencing of methylation and 16S rDNA.

Background Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common solid malignant tumors worldwide with a high-recurrence-rate. Identifying the molecular signatures and specific biomarkers of GC might provide novel clues for GC prognosis and targeted therapy. Methods Gene expression profiles were obtained from the ArrayExpress and Gene Expression Omnibus database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were picked out by R software. The hub genes were screened by cytohubba plugin. Their prognostic values were assessed by Kaplan–Meier survival analyses and the gene expression profiling interactive analysis (GEPIA). Finally, qRT-PCR in GC tissue samples was established to validate these DEGs. Results Total of 295 DEGs were identified between GC and their corresponding normal adjacent tissue samples in E-MTAB-1440, GSE79973, GSE19826, GSE13911, GSE27342, GSE33335 and GSE56807 datasets, including 117 up-regulated and 178 down-regulated genes. Among them, 7 vital upregulated genes (HMMR, SPP1, FN1, CCNB1, CXCL8, MAD2L1 and CCNA2) were selected. Most of them had a significantly worse prognosis except SPP1. Using qRT-PCR, we validated that their transcriptions in our GC tumor tissue were upregulated except SPP1 and FN1, which correlated with tumor relapse and predicts poorer prognosis in GC patients. Conclusions We have identified 5 upregulated DEGs (HMMR, CCNB1, CXCL8, MAD2L1, and CCNA2) in GC patients with poor prognosis using integrated bioinformatical methods, which could be potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for GC treatment.

Objective Plasma Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA is considered a biomarker for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). However, its long-term role in NPC development is unclear. Materials and methods A total of 1363 participants seropositive for EBV VCA-IgA and EBNA1-IgA in a community-based NPC screening program in southern China were tested for plasma EBV DNA levels by real-time qPCR between 2008 and 2015. New NPC cases were confirmed by active follow-up approach and linkage to local cancer registry through the end of 2016. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was performed to calculate the hazard ratios (HRs) for NPC risk with plasma EBV DNA. Results Thirty patients were newly diagnosed during a median 7.5 years follow-up. NPC incidence increased with the plasma EBV DNA load ranging from 281.46 to 10,074.47 per 100,000 person-years in participants with undetectable and ≥ 1000 copies/ml levels; the corresponding cumulative incidence rates were 1.73 and 50%. Furthermore, plasma EBV DNA loads conferred an independent risk for NPC development after adjustment for other risk factors, with HRs of 7.63 for > 3–999 copies/ml and 39.79 for ≥1000 copies/ml. However, the HRs decreased gradually after excluding NPC cases detected in the first 2 to 3 years and became statistically nonsignificant by excluding cases detected during the first 4 years. Conclusion Elevated plasma EBV DNA can predict NPC risk over 3 years. Monitoring plasma EBV DNA can be used as a complementary approach to EBV serological antibody-based screening for NPC.

Background: Hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality despite advances in antimicrobial therapy. The emergence of Gram-negative bacteria (GNB) is of major concern. The objective of this study was to describe the epidemiology, microbiology, and predictors of infection-related 30-day mortality in HAP with GNB. Methods: We performed a retrospective, single-center analysis of HAP patients with GNB occurring from January 2014 and December 2017. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify the risk factors for mortality. Results: During the observational period, there were 1472 cases of HAP; 314 cases were bacterial culture-positive, 269 cases were caused by GNB, with a predominance of Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The mortality related to GNB was 14.5% (39 deaths).In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, the risk factors for mortality were age >70 years, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, blood lymphocyte count

Objective: To study the correlation of serum stathmin 1 (STMN1) and cathepsin D (Cath-D) levels with the invasive growth of cervical cancer. Methods: The patients with cervical cancer and those with uterine fibroids who underwent surgical resection in the Second People’s Hospital of Yichang between January 2013 and November 2017 were selected and enrolled in the malignant group and the benign group of the study respectively; the serum was collected before operation to detect the contents of STMN1 and Cath-D; the cervical cancer lesion tissues were collected from the malignant group and the normal cervical tissues were collected from the benign group to measure the expression of STMN1, Cath-D, invasion genes and invasion signal molecules. Results: STMN1 and Cath-D contents in serum as well as STMN1 and Cath-D mRNA expression in lesion tissue of malignant group were significantly higher than those of benign group, and serum STMN1 and Cath-D contents of malignant group were positively correlated with STMN1 and Cath-D mRNA expression in lesion tissue; RACK1, Twist, MMP9, mTOR, S6K1, Wnt and β-catenin mRNA expression in lesion tissue of malignant group were significantly higher than those of benign group whereas E-cadherin, GRIM19 and GSK-3β mRNA expression were significantly lower than those of benign group, and serum STMN1 and Cath-D contents of malignant group were positively correlated with RACK1, Twist, MMP9, mTOR, S6K1, Wnt and β-catenin mRNA expression in lesion tissue, and negatively correlated with E-cadherin, GRIM19 and GSK-3β mRNA expression. Conclusion: The abnormally elevated STMN1 and Cath-D in serum of patients with cervical cancer can evaluate the invasive growth of the lesion.

BACKGROUND Although stratifying individuals with respect to nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) risk with Epstein-Barr virus-based markers is possible, the performance of diagnostic methods for detecting lesions among screen-positive individuals is poorly understood. METHODS The authors prospectively evaluated 882 participants aged 30 to 70 years who were enrolled between October 2014 and November 2018 in an ongoing, population-based NPC screening program and had an elevated NPC risk. Participants were offered endoscopy and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and lesions were identified either by biopsy at a follow-up endoscopy or further contact and linkage to the local cancer registry through December 31, 2019. The diagnostic performance characteristics of endoscopy and MRI for NPC detection were investigated. RESULTS Eighteen of 28 identified NPC cases were detected by both methods, 1 was detected by endoscopy alone, and 9 were detected by MRI alone. MRI had significantly higher sensitivity than endoscopy for NPC detection overall (96.4% vs 67.9%; Pdifference = .021) and for early-stage NPC (95.2% vs 57.1%; P = .021). The sensitivity of endoscopy was suggestively lower among participants who had previously been screened in comparison with those undergoing an initial screening (50.0% vs 81.2%; P = .11). The authors observed a higher overall referral rate by MRI versus endoscopy (17.3% vs 9.1%; P < .001). Cases missed by endoscopy had early-stage disease and were more commonly observed for tumors originating from the pharyngeal recess. CONCLUSIONS MRI was more sensitive than endoscopy for NPC detection in the context of population screening but required the referral of a higher proportion of screen-positive individuals. The sensitivity of endoscopy was particularly low for individuals who had previously been screened.

To study the expression of Peroxiredoxin-6 (Prdx6) gene in elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and its clinical significance.The expression level of Prdx6 in bone marrow cells of 33 cases of AML, 8 cases of CML and 11 cases of other blood diseases was detected by PCR. The correlation of the abnormal expression of Prdx6 with patient age and blood routine parameters was further analyzed.the expression level of Prdx6 in elderly patients with AML (≥60 years) was significantly lower than that in younger patients (＜60 years) (P＜0.05); the expression level of Prdx6 in low WBC (≤1×10The expression of Prdx6 in elderly patients with AML is low, moreover, it relates with low value of WBC in peripheral blood, suggesting that it may be one of poor prognostic factors for the elderly patients with AML.急性髓系白血病患者Peroxiredoxin-6基因表达及其临床意义.探讨Peroxiredoxin-6（Prdx6）在老年急性髓系白血病（AML）患者骨髓细胞中的表达及其临床意义.采用荧光定量聚合酶链式反应（PCR）技术检测33例AML患者、8例CML患者、11例其他血液病患者骨髓细胞中Prdx6基因的表达，进一步分析Prdx6异常表达与AML患者年龄及血常规参数的相关性.年龄较大（≥60岁）的AML患者的Prdx6表达水平明显低于年龄较小（＜60岁）的患者（P＜0.05）； 低WBC计数组（≤1×10老年AML患者中Prdx6低表达，且与外周血WBC基础值偏低相关，这可能是老年AML患者预后不良因素之一.

Despite evidence suggesting the utility of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) markers to stratify individuals with respect to nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) risk in NPC high-risk regions, no validated NPC risk prediction model exists. We aimed to validate an EBV-based NPC risk score in an endemic population undergoing screening for NPC. This prospective study was embedded within an ongoing NPC screening trial in southern China initiated in 2008, with 51 235 adult participants. We assessed the score's discriminatory ability (area under the receiver-operator-characteristics curve, AUC). A new model incorporating the EBV score, sex and family history was developed using logistic regression and internally validated using cross-validation. AUCs were compared. We also calculated absolute NPC risk combining the risk score with population incidence and competing mortality data. A total of 151 NPC cases were detected in 2008 to 2016. The EBV-based score was highly discriminating, with AUC = 0.95 (95% CI = 0.93-0.97). For 90% specificity, the score had 87.4% sensitivity (95% CI = 81.0-92.3%). As specificity increased from 90% to 99%, the positive predictive value increased from 2.4% (95% CI = 1.9-3.0%) to 12.5% (9.9-15.5%). Correspondingly, the number of positive tests per detected NPC case decreased from 272 (95% CI = 255-290) to 50 (41-59). Combining the score with other risk factors (sex, first-degree family history of NPC) did not improve AUC. Men aged 55 to 59 years with the highest risk profile had the highest 5-year absolute NPC risk of 6.5%. We externally validated the discriminatory accuracy of a previously developed EBV score in a high-risk population. Adding nonviral risk factors did not improve NPC prediction.

Objective: The objective is to study the fluctuation pattern of blood glucose spectrum in patients with end-stage diabetic nephropathy (ESDN) receiving hemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD), respectively, and to compare the influences of these 2 dialysis methods on glycometabolism. Methods: Sixty-four dialysis patients with ESDN were recruited, including 35 HD patients and 29 PD patients. The 24-h blood glucose on dialysis days of the 2 groups was monitored by the continuous glucose monitoring system, and the relevant glycometabolism indexes were recorded and compared. Results: The control of blood glucose in both groups was not satisfactory. At the same blood glucose level, the dosage of exogenous insulin needed by patients in the PD group was larger than that in the HD group (p < 0.05). However, the fluctuation of blood glucose and consequently the incidence of hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia in HD group were greater than that in PD group (p < 0.05). The patients’ blood glucose levels decreased progressively during the course of HD. The mean blood glucose (MBG) values estimated by glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) in both groups were lower than the actual measured blood glucose values (p < 0.05). Preliminary correlation analysis showed that the deviation of the MBG values estimated by HbA1c was positively correlated with the degree of anemia. Conclusion: HD patients have larger glycemic variability as compared with PD patients, while PD patients have overall increased blood glucose levels. Hypoglycemic programs should be made according to the corresponding changes in blood glucose. The HbA1c value of dialysis patients has a large deviation, so it is necessary to explore its influencing factors and develop more accurate blood glucose assessment indicators.

IL24 mRNA is known to have an apoptotic effect on cancer cells but not on noncancer cells. However, the expression level of the IL24 mRNA in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and its subgroups is rarely studied. In this study, the clinical implication of IL24 mRNA was evaluated in the common subgroups of HNSCC, including oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), and laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) for analysis. Substantial IL24 mRNA expression data were calculated from several databases, such as the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), ArrayExpress, Sequence Read Archive (SRA), ONCOMINE, and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) databases. We ultimately collected a total of 41 microarrays and RNA-seq including 1,564 HNSCC and 603 noncancer tissue samples. IL24 mRNA was highly expressed in OSCC, LSCC, and NPC as shown by the separated standard mean difference (SMD), as well as HNSCC as a whole part (SMD = 1.47, 95% confdence interval (CI) = 1.24−1.70, P<0.0001). In all subgroups, the IL24 mRNA upregulation had the ability to distinguish cancer from noncancer tissue with area under the curves (AUCs) of the summary receiver operating characteristic (sROC) higher than 0.85. In conclusion, IL24 mRNA may be used as a potential marker for cancer screening, and its clinical diagnostic value needs to be further studied. It also provides a new idea for the treatment of the IL24 gene in HNSCC and its subgroups in the future.

A gold nanoparticles-reduced graphene oxide composite (AuNPs-rGO) was synthesized by chemical co-reduction strategy using ethylene glycol (EG) as a reducing agent. The structure and composition of this AuNPs-rGO composite were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscope (SEM), as well as the transmission electron microscope (TEM) techniques. Moreover, a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was modified with this AuNPs-rGO composite by dropping method. The electrochemical behavior and the electrocatalytic activity of this AuNPs-rGO/GCE electrode for the oxidation of sulfite were also investigated using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). The results showed that this AuNPs-rGO/GCE exhibited high electrochemical activity for the oxidation of sulfite under the synergistic action of AuNPs and rGO. In 0.10 mol L − 1 H 2 SO 4 , the linear range for the determination of sulfite by amperometry at 0.40 V vs SCE was 2.0 × 10 − 7 − 2.3 × 10 − 3 mol L − 1 ( r 2 = 0.995 6) with a detection limit of 4.5 × 10 − 8 mol L − 1 ( S / N = 3). The sensitivity for the determination of sulfite is 1026.5 μA (mmol L − 1 ) − 1 cm − 2 . At last, the as-prepared modified electrode was successfully used for the determination of sulfite in red wines with satisfactory results.

The gas-phase reaction of activation H H bond of H2 by FeO2+(6A1/4B2) has been investigated using DFT at the CCSD(T)//B3LYP/6-311G(2d, p) level. The calculation results show that the reaction is a TSR and belongs to the fourth case of the Hammond postulate. The involved crossing between the potential energy surfaces is discussed and the CPs and MECPs are located. In addition, the orbital interaction for ion-molecule complexes 4IM1 and 6IM1 have been examined by FMO analysis. Finally, the frontier molecular orbital interaction analysis about 4TS1 and 6TS1 were used to gain useful information about the H H σ bond activation by FeO2+.

A glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified with gold nanoparticles loading on the reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) composite film was fabricated by a two-step procedure. Firstly, rGO-MWCNTs composite were prepared by in-situ chemical reduction with hydrazine as a reducing agent. Then, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were deposited on the surface of rGO-MWCNTs using simple cyclic voltammetry. This modified electrode was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and electrochemical methods. Furthermore, the electrochemical behavior of bisphenol A (BPA) was also investigated using this modified electrode. The results showed that the modified electrode had high electrochemical activity for the oxidation of BPA. In 0.10 M phosphate buffer (PBS, pH 7.0), the linear range for the determination of BPA with differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) was in the range of 5.0 × 10−9−1.0 × 10−7 M and 1.0 × 10−7−2.0 × 10−5 M. The detection limit was 1.0 × 10−9 M (S/N = 3). The as-prepared modified electrode was successfully used to determine BPA in river water and the shopping receipt samples with recoveries range of 97%–110% and 98%–104%, respectively.

EZH2, a histone H3 lysine‐27‐specific methyltransferase, is involved in diverse physiological and pathological processes including cell proliferation and differentiation. However, the role of EZH2 in liver fibrosis is largely unknown. In this study, it was identified that EZH2 promoted Wnt pathway‐stimulated fibroblasts in vitro and in vivo by repressing Dkk‐1, which is a Wnt pathway antagonist. The expression of EZH2 was increased in CCl4‐induced rat liver and primary HSCs as well as TGF‐β1‐treated HSC‐T6, whereas the expression of Dkk1 was reduced. Silencing of EZH2 prevented TGF‐β1‐induced proliferation of HSC‐T6 cells and the expression of α‐SMA. In addition, knockdown of Dkk1 promoted TGF‐β1‐induced activation of HSCs. Moreover, silencing of EZH2 could restore the repression of Dkk‐1 through trimethylation of H3K27me3 in TGF‐β1‐treated HSC‐T6 cells. Interestingly, inhibition of EZH2 had almost no effect on the activation of HSC when Dkk1 was silenced. Collectively, EZH2‐mediated repression of Dkk1 promotes the activation of Wnt/β‐catenin pathway, which is an essential event for HSC activation.

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is an aggressive and life-threatening syndrome of excessive immune activation. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) generate an immunosuppressive microenvironment by secreting cytokines and have been used to treat autoimmune diseases. We report the first case of refractory secondary HLH treated with umbilical cord MSCs. A 52-year-old Chinese female patient with a history of type 2 diabetes was diagnosed with refractory secondary HLH based upon the HLH-2004 protocol and was treated by infusion of third-party umbilical cord MSCs (1.4 × 106 cells/kg of body weight, 70 × 106 cells in total) from the stem cell bank of Hainan Province. Body temperature recovered to normal on the sixth day after infusion with umbilical cord MSCs, and the levels of inflammatory factors macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1α, interleukin (IL)-12p70, stromal cell-derived factor (SDF)-1α, and IL-7 decreased significantly. Blood glucose levels were significantly lower than before treatment, and the amount of insulin needed was significantly reduced. Umbilical cord MSCs can relieve the symptoms of refractory secondary HLH and have a therapeutic effect on insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text, To evaluate the perfusion of coronary circulation and its related factors and the difference in the peak filling times in aortic sinus and coronary sinus by coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA). From January 1 to August 1, 2018, 61 outpatients with angina pectoris were recruited, completed a questionnaire about risk factors and underwent CCTA, which was also used to assess the stenosis of different coronary artery segments. The duration of circulation was 9.50 ± 2.43 seconds in patients with flat T wave, which was shorter than the duration in normal subjects (P = .021). However, other cardiovascular risk factors showed no effect on the duration of circulation. In addition, the duration of circulation was closely related to the peak filling time of coronary sinus [r(s) = 0.681]. We further divided the circulation time difference (delta) values into 3 levels (

Based on morphological evidence and DNA sequencing, we propose three new species of the basidiomycete family Boletaceae, namely Aureoboletus venustus, Leccinellum onyx, and Pulveroboletus sinensis. The species were collected from the Heishiding Nature Reserve in Guangdong Province, China. The descriptions are illustrated by photographs and line drawings, and comparisons were made with related species. Morphologically, A. venustus is characterized by its mucilaginous pileus with red to reddish orange color, a vivid yellow hymenophore surface, and small ellipsoid basidiospores (7) 7.5–10.5 (12) × 5–6 (7) μm in size. Leccinellum onyx is characterized by its slightly areolating pileus with grayish orange to brownish orange color, a grayish brown to light grayish orange hymenophore surface, short yellowish white tubes, a yellowish white to brownish gray stipe covered with dark brown warts, and small ellipsoid basidiospores with a size of (8) 9–11 (12) × (4) 5–6 μm. Its nucleotide sequence of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region is particularly long (1080 bp) in comparison to related species. Pulveroboletus sinensis is characterized by its yellow to vivid yellow pulverulent pileus covered with deep orange to brownish orange conico-pyramidal scales, an appendiculate margin, greenish yellow tubes easily becoming cyanescent upon bruising, a yellow to vivid yellow stipe covered with yellow to brownish orange conico-floccose scales, and small smooth ellipsoid basidiospores with a size of (6) 6.5–8.5 (11) × (4.5) 5–6 (6.5) μm. Phylogenetic analysis of nucleotide sequences of the ITS region and the nuclear large subunit ribosomal RNA gene (nrLSU) provided further evidence that the described mushrooms represent new species.

Cycloid is a new tooth profile (TP) to improve the meshing performance of harmonic drive. A new complex cycloid TP with a variable TP angle is suggested, which not only improves the meshing state b...

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) with M2 phenotype play an essential role in tumor microenvironment (TME) during the progression and development of numerous cancers and associated with poor prognosis. Thus, regulation of TAMs polarization emerged as a new strategy for tumor immune therapy. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory, herbs with Qi-tonifying character are involved in improving the defense capacity of immune system. In this study, we screened extracts and ingredients from five Qi-tonifying herbs exhibiting an inhibitory effect on M2 polarization of murine macrophages RAW264.7 induced by IL-4 and IL-13. Among these candidates, total flavonoids from Glycyrrhiza Radix et Rhizoma (TFRG) and ethanol extract of Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma significantly inhibited the expression of Arginase-1 (Arg-1) (above 90% at 100μg/mL), one of the phenotype markers of M2 macrophages. The inhibition of total saponins of Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma, ethanol extract of Cordyceps, ethanol extract of Acanthopanacis senticosi Radix et Rhizoma Seu caulis, and ethanol extract of Astragali Radix reached above 50% at 100μg/mL. The inhibition of ingredients including glabridin, isoliquiritin apioside, lysionotin, cordycepin, astragaloside IV, and calycosin reached above 50% at 50μM. Then, we investigated the molecular mechanisms of TFRG. TFRG abolished the migration of murine breast cancer 4T1 stimulated by the conditioned medium from M2 macrophages (M2-CM). In addition to Arg-1, TFRG also antagonized the IL-4/13-mediated mRNA upregulation of the M2 markers including found in inflammatory zone 1 (FIZZ1), chitinase-3-like protein 3 (YM1), and mannose receptor (CD206) and upregulated the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), one of the M1 markers. The further exploration showed that TFRG decreased the phosphorylation of STAT6 and increased the expression of miR-155. Our study provides a series of potential immune regulating natural products from five Qi-tonifying herbs on M2 phenotype. For instance, TFRG suppressed M2 polarization of macrophages partly by inactivating STAT6 pathway and enhanced the level of miR-155 to regulate the expressions of M1 and M2 markers.

Hedyotis diffusa Willd and Scutellaria barbata D. Don (HDSB) were the core couplet in medicines that were commonly used for the purpose of anti-inflammation and anticancer treatments in China. However, biological properties of this couplet have not been fully elucidated. In this study, we screened fractions of HDSB for their anti-inflammatory activities and explored pertinent molecular mechanisms on murine macrophage RAW264.7 cell model. Ethyl acetate fraction from the aqueous extract of the couplet at equal weight ratio (EA11) showed the strongest inhibition of the nitrite accumulation in supernatant of RAW264.7 cells stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS)/interferon-γ (IFN-γ). In addition, EA11 inhibited iNOS and IL-1β expression in a concentration-dependent manner while promoting the expression of HO-1 and PPAR-γ. Anti-inflammatory capability is most likely facilitated by its inhibitory effect on JNK signaling pathway and miR-155 expression. This study suggests that EA11 may be represented as a potential anti-inflammatory therapeutic candidate.