The Effects of Model Insoluble Copper Compounds in a Sedimentary Environment on Denitrifying Anaerobic Methane Oxidation (DAMO) Enrichment.

The contribution of denitrifying anaerobic methane oxidation (DAMO) as a methane sink across different habitats, especially those affected by anthropogenic activities, remains unclear. Mining and industrial and domestic use of metals/metal-containing compounds can all cause metal contamination in freshwater ecosystems. Precipitation of metal ions often limits their toxicity to local microorganisms, yet microbial activity may also cause the redissolution of various precipitates.

Association of time in range with cognitive impairment in middle-aged type 2 diabetic patients.

Objective: This study investigated the association of Time In Range (TIR) obtained from Blood Glucose Monitoring (BGM) with Cognitive Impairment (CI) inpatients with middle-aged Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) and further explored whether a TIR goal for T2DM in adults with > 70% possess a protective effect on cognitive function.

Research Design And Methods: A total of 274 inpatients with T2DM aged 40-64 years, who underwent seven-point BGM ( pre meals and 120 min post meals and at bedtime) were recruited in this cross-sectional study. TIR was defined as the percentage of blood glucose within the target range of 3.

Association of waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for body mass index with cognitive impairment in middle-aged and elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Numerous reports indicate that both obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are factors associated with cognitive impairment (CI). The objective was to assess the relationship between abdominal obesity as measured by waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for body mass index (WHRadjBMI) and CI in middle-aged and elderly patients with T2DM.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted, in which a total of 1154 patients with T2DM aged ≥ 40 years were included.

Correlation between fat-to-muscle mass ratio and cognitive impairment in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Fat to muscle mass ratio (FMR), a novel index integrating fat and muscle composition, has garnered attention in age-related conditions such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and neurodegenerative diseases. Despite this research on the relationship between FMR and cognitive impairment (CI) in T2DM remains scarce. This study aimed to investigate the sex-specific association between FMR and CI in elderly T2DM patients.

Effect of Sarcopenia on 10-Year Risk of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Objective: To investigate the impact of sarcopenia on the 10-year risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) among individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Methods: This study included the clinical, laboratory, and body composition data of 1491 patients with T2DM who were admitted to the Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism at Tianjin Union Medical Center from July 2018 to July 2023. The China-PAR model was utilized to evaluate cardiovascular disease risk.

Risk factors for cognitive impairment in middle-aged type 2 diabetic patients: a cross-sectional study.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate risk factors for cognitive impairment (CI) and explore the relationship between obesity and cognition in hospitalised middle-aged patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM).

Methods: Subjects were divided into normal cognitive function (NCF) (n=320) and CI (n=204) groups based on the results of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). The risk factors for CI were determined by logistic regression analysis and generalised linear modelling.

Characteristics of Soil Arsenic Contamination and the Potential of Pioneer Plants for Arsenic Remediation in Gold Mine Tailings.

Arsenic (As) contamination of gold mine tailings poses major threats to the natural environment and human health, necessitating adequate management measures. To investigate the soil As contamination level and the potential of pioneer plants for As remediation, the soil and plants of an abandoned gold mine tailings in the Qinling Mountains were analyzed. The level of As contamination was assessed using the single-factor pollution index and potential ecological risk index, and its bioeffectiveness was analyzed.

Probabilistic Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Mining Soils Based on Fractions: A Case Study in Southern Shaanxi, China.

With rapid economic development, soil heavy metal (HM) pollution has emerged as a global environmental concern. Because the toxicity of HMs differs dramatically among various fractions, risk assessments based on these fractions are of great significance for environmental management. This study employed a modified Hakanson index approach to evaluate the possible ecological impacts of soil HMs in a gold mine tailings pond in Shaanxi Province, China.

Relationships Between Body Composition and Cognitive Impairment in Hospitalised Middle-Aged Type 2 Diabetic Patients.

Objective: The aim of this study was to elucidate the relationship between specific body composition and the risk of Cognitive Impairment (CI) in middle-aged Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) patients.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 504 hospitalized patients with T2DM from the Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism of the Tianjin Union Medical Center. Subjects were grouped by sex, and cognitive status was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA).

Comparison of lipid accumulation product and visceral adiposity index with traditional obesity indices in early-onset type 2 diabetes prediction: a cross-sectional study.

Background: The purpose of the study was to compare the efficacy of two novel obesity indices, lipid accumulation product (LAP) and visceral adiposity index (VAI), with traditional obesity indices in predicting early-onset type 2 diabetes (T2DM).

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a total of 744 participants, including 605 patients newly diagnosed with T2DM and 139 non-diabetic control subjects, were enrolled from a tertiary care hospital in Tianjin, China. Participants with T2DM were divided into two groups based on their age at diagnosis, namely early-onset T2DM (age less than 40 years, n = 154) and late-onset T2DM (age 40 years or older, n = 451).

Periodic step polarization accelerates electron recovery by electroactive biofilms (EABs).

Relatively low rate of electron recovery is one of the factors that limit the advancement of bioelectrochemical systems. Here, new periodic polarizations were investigated with electroactive biofilms (EABs) enriched from activated sludge and Geobacter sulfurreducens biofilms. When representative anode potentials (E ) were applied, redox centers with midpoint potentials (E ) higher than E were identified by localized cyclic voltammetry.

Adsorption of Toxic Tetracycline, Thiamphenicol and Sulfamethoxazole by a Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) under Different Conditions.

Activated carbon can be applied to the treatment of wastewater loading with different types of pollutants. In this paper, a kind of activated carbon in granular form (GAC) was utilized to eliminate antibiotics from an aqueous solution, in which Tetracycline (TC), Thiamphenicol (THI), and Sulfamethoxazole (SMZ) were selected as the testing pollutants. The specific surface area, total pore volume, and micropore volume of GAC were 1059.

Distribution characteristics and ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in sediments of Shahe reservoir.

Shahe Reservoir of Northern Canal Basin was selected as the study area. Nineteen surface (0~20 cm) sediment samples and three sediment core samples were collected to analyze the spatial distribution characteristics of As, Cd, Cu, Mn, Pb and Zn in the sediments. The geo-accumulation index, potential ecological risk index and risk assessment code were used to evaluate heavy metal pollution, as well as its potential risk was analyzed according to the speciation of heavy metals.

Assessment of Soil-Heavy Metal Pollution and the Health Risks in a Mining Area from Southern Shaanxi Province, China.

Soil-heavy metal pollution in mining areas is one of the problems in the comprehensive treatment of soil environmental pollution. To explore the degree of soil-heavy metal pollution and the human health risk in mining areas, the contents of soil As, Cd, Cu, Cr, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Cr(VI) in an abandoned gold mining area were determined. The geoaccumulation index (I), single-factor pollution index (SPI), Nemerow comprehensive pollution index (NCPI), potential ecological risk index (PERI), and the human health risk assessment model were used to assess the pollution degree and the risk of soil-heavy metal pollution.

The spatial distribution characteristics of typical pathogens and nitrogen and phosphorus in the sediments of Shahe Reservoir and their relationships.

Using samples collected in Shahe Reservoir in the upper North Canal in China, this research analyzes the structure of a microorganism group in sediment and the absolute abundance of two typical pathogenic bacteria (Escherichia coli and Enterococcus), and their relationship with environmental factors including total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP). The study of samples collected from the surface (0-20 cm) and sediment cores shows that the absolute abundance of E. coli in horizontal distribution in the sediment is highest in downstream of the reservoir and point source pollution area.

Non-enzymatic sensor for determination of glucose based on PtNi nanoparticles decorated graphene.

Diabetes has become a universal epidemic in recent years. Herein, the monitoring of glucose in blood is of importance in clinical applications. In this work, PtNi alloy nanoparticles homogeneously dispersed on graphene (PtNi alloy-graphene) was synthesized as a highly effective electrode material for glucose detection.

Anti-βGPI antibodies enhance atherosclerosis in ApoE-deficient mice.

Accelerated atherosclerosis often occurs in patients with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), and auto-antibodies to β glycoprotein I (anti-βGPI) are confirmed as pathogenic antibodies to APS. Our previous studies have demonstrated that the conversion of mouse peritoneal macrophages into foam cells could be enhanced by co-existence of βGPI and anti-βGPI IgG, but this phenomenon has not been explored in vivo. Here, we present a mouse model to observe the effect of anti-βGPI IgG in the development of atherosclerosis.

Pro‑atherogenic activation of A7r5 cells induced by the oxLDL/β2GPI/anti‑β2GPI complex.

A previous study has revealed that oxidized low‑density lipoprotein (oxLDL)/β2‑glycoprotein I (β2GPI)/anti‑β2‑glycoprotein I (anti‑β2GPI), an immune complex, is able to activate the Toll‑like receptor 4 (TLR4)/nuclear factor κβ (NF‑κβ) inflammatory signaling pathway in macrophages, and consequently enhance foam cell formation and the secretion of prothrombin activators. However, the effects of the oxLDL/β2GPI/anti‑β2GPI complex on vascular smooth muscle cells have yet to be investigated. The present study investigated whether the oxLDL/β2GPI/anti‑β2GPI complex was able to reinforce the pro‑atherogenic activities of a rat thoracic aorta smooth muscle cell line (A7r5) and examined the underlying molecular mechanisms.

Curcumin inhibits gastric cancer-derived mesenchymal stem cells mediated angiogenesis by regulating NF-κB/VEGF signaling.

Cancer-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) seem to play an important role in mediating tumor angiogenesis. Recently, curcumin has been shown to display multiple therapeutic properties, including anticancer activity. In the present study, we have tried to explore the role of curcumin in regulating gastric cancer cells-derived mesenchymal stem cells (GC-MSCs) mediated angiogenesis.

Immune modulation of Th1, Th2, and T-reg transcriptional factors differing from cytokine levels in Schistosoma japonicum infection.

In spite of long-term integrated control programs for Schistosoma japonicum infection in China, the infection is still persistent due to its zoonotic transmission and disease severity which further complicate its control. Th1, Th2, and T-reg cells are involved in S. japonicum immunity; however, their exact roles in immunopathology of this infection are still questionable.

Activation of mTOR is involved in anti-βGPI/βGPI-induced expression of tissue factor and IL-8 in monocytes.

Previous study has demonstrated that activation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway in endothelial cells (ECs) results in the formation of chronic vascular lesions associated with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). In addition, it has been shown that stimulation of monocytes and ECs by antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) leads to a prothrombotic and proinflammatory state and up-regulated expression of tissue factor (TF) and inflammatory cytokines. However, the role of mTOR in pathogenic mechanisms of APS remains largely unexplored.

[Anti-β2GPI antibody promotes release of inflammatory and pro-thrombosis molecules from arteries in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice].

Objective To investigate the roles of anti-beta 2 glycoprotein I antibodies (anti-β2GPI Ab) in the expressions of atherosclerosis(AS)-related inflammatory factors and pro-thrombosis molecules in apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE) mice. Methods ApoE mice were randomly divided into normal saline (NS) group, 100 μg anti-β2GPI Ab group, 100 μg homologous antibody (rabbit-IgG) group and 100 μg β2GPI/anti-β2GPI Ab complex group after silastic collars were placed around their carotid arteries by surgery. All mice were fed a high fat diet and corresponding stimuli were given through intraperitoneal injection at 7-day intervals.

[TLR2 blockade reduces TNF-α expression induced by β2GP1/anti-β2GP1 complex in mouse peritoneal macrophages].

Objective: To investigate the role of Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) in β2-glycoprotein 1/anti-β2-glycoprotein 1 (β2GP1/anti-β2GP1)-mediated tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) expression in mouse peritoneal macrophages.

Methods: The peritoneal macrophages from BALB/c mice were treated with β2GP1/anti-β2GP1 complex, agonist of TLR2 (Pam3CSK4) and agonist of TLR4 [lipopolysaccharide (LPS)], inhibitor of TLR2 [monoclonal IgG to mouse TLR2 (anti-mTLR2-IgG)] and inhibitor of TLR4 (TAK-242) in vitro. The mRNA level of TNF-α in the peritoneal macrophages was tested by real-time quantitative PCR, the protein expression of TNF-α was detected by Western blotting and immunofluorescence cytochemistry, and the expression of TLR2 on the surface of the peritoneal macrophages was assessed by flow cytometry.

The effect of Toll-like receptor 4 on β2-glycoprotein I-induced B cell activation in mouse model.

Our previous study demonstrated that Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) plays a vital role in the maturation of bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) from the mice immunized with human β2-glycoprotein I (β2GPI). However, the roles of TLR4 in the activation of B cells and production of anti-β2GPI antibodies in vivo have been rarely studied. This study aimed to investigate the activation of B cells from TLR4-defective (C3H/HeJ) and TLR4-intact (C3H/HeN) mice pre-immunized with human β2GPI.

The Effects of NF-κB and c-Jun/AP-1 on the Expression of Prothrombotic and Proinflammatory Molecules Induced by Anti-β2GPI in Mouse.

Our previous data demonstrated that nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and activator protein-1 (AP-1) are involved in the process of anti-β2GPI/β2GPI-induced tissue factor (TF) expression in monocytes. However, the role of NF-κB and AP-1 in pathogenic mechanisms of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) in vivo has been rarely studied. This study aimed to investigate whether NF-κB and c-Jun/AP-1 are involved in anti-β2GPI-induced expression of prothrombotic and proinflammatory molecules in mouse.