Dual-functional Nanosized Albumin Facilitates CRISPR-Cas9-PAR2 to Mitigate Cytokine Storm via TLR4 and Pyroptosis Signaling.

Protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR2) widely modulates various cytokine secretions and inflammatory responses, while excessive cytokine releases and immune hyperactivation may trigger cytokine storm. However, the potential participation of PAR2 in cytokine storm remains elusive. CRISPR-Cas9 as an efficient gene editing tool can be used for investigating the possible function of PAR2.

Hydrogeomorphic conditions drive aquatic macroinvertebrate diversity between depression and slope wetlands in a mountainous region.

Aquatic macroinvertebrates inhabiting freshwater wetlands make important contributions to biodiversity. However, environmental characteristics of wetlands is often varied in a specific region, especially in mountainous areas. We investigated 24 depression wetlands and 20 slope wetlands in the Great Xing'an Mountains in Northeast China and aimed to reveal the hydrogeomorphic settings in driving the wetland aquatic macroinvertebrate diversity and offer insights to environmental management.

Effects of phosphorus application on yield, quality and phosphorus use efficiency of edible sweetpotato: A case study of Xushu 32.

To explore the appropriate amount of phosphorus (P) fertilizer and improve economic yield and P use efficiency of edible sweetpotato, we took Xushu 32 as an example and compared the effects of different P application rates on yield, quality, P accumulation and P use efficiency of edible sweetpotato based on a two-year field experiment (soil available P content was 31.70 mg·kg) from 2018 to 2019. There were five P application levels (PO), including 0 (P), 25 (P), 50 (P), 75 (P) and 100 kg·hm(P).

Accumulation of mercury in the terrestrial food chain of the Liaohe estuary wetlands, China.

Mercury is a global pollutant that can be enriched in organisms and eventually endanger human health. In this paper, we studied the soil, plants, and animals in the sandy beach, winged alkali pong wetland, reed wetland, and rice field in Liaohe estuary in 2018 and 2019, measured the plant and animal carbon and stable nitrogen isotopes, and carried out the food chain construction by animal carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes, and studied and analyzed the accumulation of mercury from the producer to the consumer of the food chain. The results showed that the food chain construction at the sampling sites was as follows: S: plants < flesh worms, ants < spiders; S: plants < moths, leaf beetles, mosquitoes, ants < spiders; S: plants < mosquitoes < spiders; S: plants < flattened hooks, mosquitoes, ants < spiders; S: plants < ants < spiders.

Global dynamics of an age-dependent multiscale hepatitis C virus model.

In this paper, we focus on the global dynamics of a multiscale hepatitis C virus model. The model takes into account the evolution of the virus in cells and RNA. For the model, we establish the globally asymptotical stability of both infection-free and infected equilibria.

Fabrication of a novel core-shell-shell temperature-sensitive magnetic composite with excellent performance for papain adsorption.

Herein, a novel temperature-sensitive magnetic composite (FeO@SiO@P(NIPAM--VI)/Cu) with a uniform core-shell-shell structure was successfully prepared a layer-by-layer method. The resulting magnetic composite revealed good magnetic properties and remarkable affinity to papain with a maximum adsorption capacity of 199.17 mg g.

Impacts of spectral characteristics of dissolved organic matter on methylmercury contents in peatlands, Northeast China.

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) plays an important role in promoting or suppressing methylmercury (MeHg) production in wetlands. However, the effects of DOM spectral characteristics on MeHg levels remain poorly understood in boreal peatlands in Northeast China, where is undergoing remarkable climate warming. In the present work, soil samples were collected from 22 peatlands in the Greater Khingan Mountains (GKM) to test the hypothesis that DOM spectral properties control MeHg levels.

Changes of mercury and methylmercury content and mercury methylation in Suaeda salsa soil under different salinity.

In this paper, we studied the changes of Hg and MeHg contents in Liaohe estuarine Suaeda salsa soils under anaerobic conditions by simulated indoor incubation at constant temperature and whether the changes of salinity (CK, 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.

Corrigendum: High Circulating Follicle-Stimulating Hormone Level Is a Potential Risk Factor for Renal Dysfunction in Post-Menopausal Women.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2021.

Efficacy and safety of pulsatile gonadotropin-releasing hormone therapy in patients with congenital hypogonadotropic hypogonadism: a multicentre clinical study.

Background: Pulsatile gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) therapy may restore function of the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonad axis and induce spermatogenesis in male patients with congenital hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (CHH). The study sought to test the reliability of a newly developed Innopump hormone pump, and to confirm the efficacy and safety of pulsatile GnRH therapy (by Innopump hormone pump) in CHH patients.

Methods: From November 2017 to November 2018, 28 male patients with CHH were treated with pulsatile GnRH at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, and Shandong Provincial Hospital.

Dynamic mechanism of multiple bursting patterns in a whole-cell multiscale model with calcium oscillations.

The dynamic mechanism of a whole-cell model containing electrical signalling and two-compartment Ca signalling in gonadotrophs is investigated. The transition from spiking to bursting by Hopf bifurcation of the fast subsystem about the slow variable is detected via the suitable parameters. When the timescale of K gating variable is changed, the relaxation oscillation with locally small fluctuation, chaotic bursting and mixed-mode bursting (MMB) are revealed through chaos.

Effects of increasing intake of soybean oil on synthesis of testosterone in Leydig cells.

Background: Soybean oil is a very common edible oil in daily life. With the changes in the dietary composition, the intake of soybean oil increased. However, the effects of dietary intake of soybean oil on testosterone production are still unclear.

High Circulating Follicle-Stimulating Hormone Level Is a Potential Risk Factor for Renal Dysfunction in Post-Menopausal Women.

Objective: Menopause contributes to renal dysfunction in women, which is generally attributed to estrogen withdrawal. In addition to decreased estrogen level, serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) level increases after menopause. This study investigated the association between high circulating FSH level and renal function in post-menopausal women.

Glycemic deviation index: a novel method of integrating glycemic numerical value and variability.

Background: There are many continuous blood glucose monitoring (CGM) data-based indicators, and most of these focus on a single characteristic of abnormal blood glucose. An ideal index that integrates and evaluates multiple characteristics of blood glucose has not yet been established.

Methods: In this study, we proposed the glycemic deviation index (GDI) as a novel integrating characteristic, which mainly incorporates the assessment of the glycemic numerical value and variability.

Effect of Saxagliptin, a Dipeptidyl Peptidase 4 Inhibitor, on Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

Background And Aim: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) represents a broad spectrum of chronic liver disease characterized by aberrant accumulation of triglycerides (TG) in hepatocytes without excessive alcohol consumption. Hepatic lipotoxicity derived from overaccumulation of free fatty acids is considered as one of the typical hallmarks of NAFLD. Insulin resistance (IR) and chronic inflammation are widely recognized as the key etiological factors associated with NAFLD.

High fat diet impairs spermatogenesis by regulating glucose and lipid metabolism in Sertoli cells.

Aims: Sertoli cells (SCs) play an important role in the process of spermatogenesis. SCs provide energy for germ cells (GCs) and themselves through glycolysis and fatty acid oxidation (FAO) respectively. High fat diet (HFD) impairs spermatogenesis by damaging function of SCs, however whether HFD disrupts energy metabolism in SCs remains unclear.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms within the Wnt pathway predict the risk of bone metastasis in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

The Wingless-type (Wnt) signaling pathway plays an important role in the development and progression of cancer. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the Wnt pathway and the risk of bone metastasis in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We collected 500 blood samples from patients with NSCLC and genotyped eight SNPs from four core genes (WNT2, AXIN1, CTNNB1 and APC) present within the WNT pathway.

Total and Methylmercury of Suaeda heteroptera Wetland Soil Response to a Salinity Gradient Under Wetting and Drying Conditions.

Mercury (Hg) methylation could occur in freshwater ecosystems with low or high salinity. However, few studies are available about the effects of salinity change on mercury(Hg) release and methylation. In-situ experiments using Suaeda heteroptera wetland soil column from the Liaohe estuary were performed to decipher how total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) contents change under fluctuant salinity and wet and dry soil conditions.

Interaction effect of obesity and thyroid autoimmunity on the prevalence of hyperthyrotropinaemia.

Purpose: The role of thyroid autoimmunity in the association between obesity and hyperthyrotropinaemia remains unclear. We aimed to assess the relationship between obesity, autoimmunity, and hyperthyrotropinaemia.

Methods: In this population-based cross-sectional study, 12531 Chinese individuals (18-80 years) with thyroid function test were categorized into three groups by body mass index (BMI) and were categorized into three layers by thyroid autoantibodies.

CusS-CusR Two-Component System Mediates Tigecycline Resistance in Carbapenem-Resistant .

Background: The increase in carbapenem-resistant (CRKP), especially the emergence of tigecycline-resistant (KP), is a serious public health concern. However, the underlying mechanism of tigecycline resistance is unclear. In this study, we evaluated the role of the CusS-CusR two-component system (TCS), which is associated with copper/silver resistance, in tigecycline resistance in CRKP.

Branched Chain Amino Acids Protects Rat Mesangial Cells from High Glucose by Modulating TGF-β1 and BMP-7.

Aim: Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) have been reported owning curative effects in early diabetic nephropathy. However, the mechanisms of its action have not been elucidated. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of possible mechanism(s) of BCAAs on cultured rat mesangial cells (RMCs).

Skeletal muscle mass to visceral fat area ratio is an important determinant associated with type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

Background: Skeletal muscle mass to visceral fat area ratio (SVR) were shown to be related to some chronic diseases, such as non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases. The aim of this study is to determine whether the SVR is associated with metabolic syndrome (MS) and type 2 diabetes (T2DM).

Methods: A total of 798 subjects were included in this cross-sectional study.

Salinity and redox conditions affect the methyl mercury formation in sediment of Suaeda heteroptera wetlands of Liaoning province, Northeast China.

Using a laboratory simulation experiment, we studied the trend of change in methylmercury (MeHg) content of sediments in response to the changing salinity of flooding water (deionized water, 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.

Genotype-phenotype correlation study and mutational and hormonal analysis in a Chinese cohort with 21-hydroxylase deficiency.

Background: Steroid 21-hydroxylase deficiency (21OHD) is the most common enzymatic defect, but the genotype-phenotype associations have not been well established in Chinese patients. Here, a Chinese 21OHD cohort was enrolled to investigate the clinical, biochemical, and genetic characteristics of this disorder.

Methods: Mutation analysis of CYP21A2 gene, 21-hydroxylase activity assays and in silico predictions of protein structure were performed.