Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Level Is Positively Associated with Vascular Reactivity Index in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) significantly influences endothelial function. This study assessed the correlation between serum 25(OH)D and endothelial function using the vascular reactivity index (VRI) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Fasting blood samples from 102 T2DM participants and VRI were assessed.

Design, Modeling, and Experimental Validation of an Active Microcatheter Driven by Shape Memory Effects.

Microcatheters capable of active guidance have been proven to be effective and efficient solutions to interventional surgeries for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Herein, a novel microcatheter made of two biocompatible materials, shape memory alloy (SMA) and polyethylene (PE), is proposed. It consists of a reconfigurable distal actuator and a separate polyethylene catheter.

Yinhuang granule alleviates carbon tetrachloride-induced liver fibrosis in mice and its mechanism.

Background: Liver fibrosis is a formidable global medical challenge, with no effective clinical treatment currently available. Yinhuang granule (YHG) is a proprietary Chinese medicine comprising Radix and Flos. It is frequently used for upper respiratory tract infections, pharyngitis, as well as acute and chronic tonsillitis.

GBF family member PfGBF3 and NAC family member PfNAC2 regulate rosmarinic acid biosynthesis under high light.

Rosmarinic acid (RA) is an important medicinal metabolite and a potent food antioxidant. We discovered that exposure to high light intensifies the accumulation of RA in the leaves of perilla (Perilla frutescens (L.) Britt).

Multi-functional composite dressings with sustained release of MSC-SLP and anti-adhesion property for accelerating wound healing.

Exudate management is of significant clinical value for the treatment of acute wound. Various wound dressings have been developed to restore the function of injured tissues and promote wound healing, but proper exploiting the healing factors inside exudate and achieving anti-adhesion wound care remains a challenge. Herein, we present a novel multi-functional composite dressing (MCD) by coupling supernatant lyophilized powder of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC-SLP) with a sandwich-structured wound dressing (SWD).

Injectable thermosensitive selenium-containing hydrogel as mesenchymal stem cell carrier to improve treatment efficiency in limb ischemia.

Limb ischemia is a refractory disease characterized by persistent inflammation, insufficient angiogenesis, and tissue necrosis. Although mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have shown potential for treating limb ischemia, their therapeutic effects are limited by low engraftment rates. Therefore, developing an optimal MSC delivery system that enhances cell viability is imperative.

Circulating cytokines and alcoholic liver disease: a two-sample bidirectional Mendelian randomization study.

Background: Increased inflammation in the liver during ethanol exposure is a major feature of alcoholic liver disease (ALD). An important contributing component to the development of ALD is the inflammatory response brought on by immunological response, however the connection between individual circulating cytokines and ALD is still unclear. To ascertain the causation, we conducted a two-sample bidirectional Mendelian randomization research.

Integrated analysis of miRNA, transcriptome, and degradome sequencing provides new insights into lipid metabolism in perilla seed.

MicroRNAs (miRNA) are small noncoding RNAs that play a crucial as molecular regulators in lipid metabolism in various oil crops. Perilla (Perilla frutescens) is a specific oil crop known for its high alpha-linolenic acid (C18:3n3, ALA) content (>65 %) in their seed oils. In view of the regulatory mechanism of miRNAs in perilla remains unclear, we conducted miRNAs and transcriptome sequencing in two cultivars with distinct lipid compositions.

Decreased miR-329-3p upregulates and in mouse hepatic I/R injury in an age-independent manner.

: Hepatic ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is common after liver surgery, particularly in patients of older age. However, an understanding of the mechanism of injury remains incomplete. In this study, we explored the molecular mechanisms underlying hepatic I/R injury and associations with age in a murine model.

Genome-wide comprehensive characterization and transcriptomic analysis of AP2/ERF gene family revealed its role in seed oil and ALA formation in perilla (Perilla frutescens).

Perilla (Perilla frutescens) is a potential specific oilseed crop with an extremely high α-linolenic acid (ALA) content in its seeds. AP2/ERF transcription factors (TFs) play important roles in multiple biological processes. However, limited information is known about the regulatory mechanism of the AP2/ERF family in perilla's oil accumulation.

Serum sclerostin level is positively associated with endothelial dysfunction measured by digital thermal monitoring in patients with type 2 diabetes: A prospective cross-sectional study.

Sclerostin and dickkopf-1 (DKK1), extracellular inhibitors of the canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, have been associated with vascular aging and atherosclerosis. This study aimed to assess the correlation of sclerostin and DKK1 concentrations with endothelial function measured using vascular reactivity index (VRI) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Fasting blood samples were collected from 100 patients with T2DM.

Electrothermally Driven Reconfiguration of Microrobotic Beam Structures for the ChipSail System.

Solar sailing enables efficient propellant-free attitude adjustment and orbital maneuvers of solar sail spacecraft with high area-to-mass ratios. However, the heavy supporting mass for large solar sails inevitably leads to low area-to-mass ratios. Inspired by chip-scale satellites, a chip-scale solar sail system named ChipSail, consisting of microrobotic solar sails and a chip-scale satellite, was proposed in this work.

Serum Leptin Level is Positively Correlated with Aortic Stiffness in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Background: The global number of people living with diabetes mellitus (DM) continues to grow. Obesity, smoking, hypercholesterolemia, and hypertension are independently correlated with the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in diabetic patients regardless of differences in race or ethnicity. We aimed to investigate the relationship between serum leptin levels and aortic stiffness in patients with type 2 DM to identify cardiovascular risk at the early stage.

Characterization of a Group of 2,3-Oxidosqualene Cyclase Genes Involved in the Biosynthesis of Diverse Triterpenoids of .

(L.), a traditional edible and medicinal crop, contains diverse triterpenes with multiple pharmacological properties. However, the biosynthesis of triterpenes in perilla remains rarely revelation.

Metformin increases bone marrow adipose tissue by promoting mesenchymal stromal cells apoptosis.

Bone marrow adipose tissue (MAT) has the potential to exert both local and systemic effects on metabolic homeostasis. As a first-line drug used to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus, metformin has conflicting effects on MAT and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (BM-MSC) differentiation. Through a series of experiments and , we found that except improving the glucose and lipid metabolism disorder in / mice, 200 mg/kg metformin increased MAT in mice tibia, and prompted osteogenic genes () and lipogenic genes () expression in mice bone marrow.

Engineered Sandwich-Structured Composite Wound Dressings with Unidirectional Drainage and Anti-Adhesion Supporting Accelerated Wound Healing.

Proper management of exudate is of great clinical value for reducing wound infection and promoting wound healing, thus various dressings have been studied to address this widespread medical challenge. Herein, a novel sandwich-structured composite wound dressing (SCWD), integrating of a superlyophobic (SLO) polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) layer, a superlyophilic gauze layer, and a lyophobic PDMS layer is presented, with particular unidirectional droplet drainage and stable anti-adhesion capabilities, which realizes effective management of wound exudate and provides a favorable environment for wound healing. Thanks to the stable SLO property on the PDMS surface with hierarchical micro/nanostructures, the continuously accumulated wound exudate at the interface between dressing and wound surface is gradually deformed, eventually passing through SLO PDMS layer through milli-scale channels and being absorbed by gauze layer.

Integrated metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses reveal molecular response of anthocyanins biosynthesis in perilla to light intensity.

The perilla anthocyanins have important medicinal and ornamental value, and their contents are significantly affected by light intensity. In view of their molecular mechanisms were not well understood, we integrated the metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses of the light-sensitive perilla variety under different light intensity. The perilla leave color were obviously affected under different treatments.

Serum Adipocyte Fatty-Acid Binding Protein as an Independent Marker of Peripheral Artery Disease in Patients with Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus.

The adipocyte fatty-acid binding protein (A-FABP) is predominantly expressed in macrophages and adipocytes and is an essential mediator of inflammation and atherosclerosis pathogenesis. Atherosclerosis is an aggravating factor for peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Our study intended to study the association between PAD and serum A-FABP levels in type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients.

[An Integrated Digital Magnetic Resonance Imaging Spectrometer].

An integrated digital magnetic resonance imaging spectrometer was proposed in this study. By using the FPGA chip Artix7 200T, timing control, data processing, digital frequency conversion and phase control were implemented into a single-chip, thus effectively improved timing accuracy and phase accuracy, while avoided the structural design complexity caused by multi-board connection and improved system integration and imaging quality.

Negative Correlation of Serum Adiponectin Level with Aortic Stiffness in Elderly Diabetic Persons.

Adiponectin has anti-inflammatory activity against atherosclerosis. Aortic stiffness is a common manifestation of atherosclerosis in diabetes mellitus and elderly persons. This study aimed to evaluate whether low serum adiponectin levels were associated with aortic stiffness in geriatric diabetic patients.

Genome-Wide Analysis of the Fatty Acid Desaturase Gene Family Reveals the Key Role of in α-Linolenic Acid Biosynthesis in Perilla Seeds.

Perilla (), a traditional medicinal and oilseed crop in Asia, contains extremely high levels of polyunsaturated α-linolenic acid (ALA) (up to 60.9%) in its seeds. ALA biosynthesis is a multistep process catalyzed by fatty acid desaturases (FADs), but the gene family in perilla has not been systematically characterized.

Hypoadiponectinemia is associated with aortic stiffness in nondialysis diabetic patients with stage 3-5 chronic kidney disease.

Objectives: Albuminuria and serum adiponectin levels are factors that have been associated with the development of cardiovascular disease in patients with diabetes mellitus. Here we investigated the relationship between serum adiponectin levels and aortic stiffness in nondialysis diabetic kidney disease patients with stage 3-5 chronic kidney disease.

Methods: Fasting blood samples were obtained from 80 nondialysis diabetic kidney disease patients with stage 3-5 chronic kidney disease.

Serum Levels of Fibroblast Growth Factor 21 Are Positively Associated with Aortic Stiffness in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Aortic stiffness (AS), assessed using carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV), is associated with cardiovascular disease in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The relationship between serum fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF-21) and AS in T2DM patients was evaluated. Fasting serum FGF-21 levels of 130 T2DM patients were measured using an enzyme immunoassay kit.

Characteristics and Risk Factors of Pulmonary Hypertension in Patients With Hyperthyroidism.

Objective: This study aimed to comprehensively assess the characteristics and risk factors of hyperthyroidism with pulmonary hypertension (PH).

Methods: This was a retrospective cross-sectional analysis of 315 consecutive patients with hyperthyroidism admitted to the endocrinology department of Tongji Hospital from February 2016 to December 2017. PH was defined as a pulmonary arterial systolic pressure above 35 mm Hg measured by echocardiography.