Keratinocyte TLR2 and TLR7 contribute to chronic itch through pruritic cytokines and chemokines in mice.

Although neuronal Toll-like receptors (TLRs) (e.g., TLR2, TLR3, and TLR7) have been implicated in itch sensation, the roles of keratinocyte TLRs in chronic itch are elusive.

Improving the robustness of beach water quality modeling using an ensemble machine learning approach.

Microbial pollution of beach water can expose swimmers to harmful pathogens. Predictive modeling provides an alternative method for beach management that addresses several limitations associated with traditional culture-based methods of assessing water quality. Widely-used machine learning methods often suffer from high variability in performance from one year or beach to another.

Identification of novel HLA-A0201-restricted T-cell epitopes against thyroid antigens in autoimmune thyroid diseases.

Purpose: The different mechanisms that trigger the autoimmune attack to the thyroid between Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) and Graves' disease (GD) are still unclear. The aim of this study was to recognize thyroid antigens specific CD8+ T-cell epitopes and explore the relationship between these epitopes and thyroid autoantibodies, duration and classification in these two diseases.

Methods: Free thiiodothyronine, free tetraiodothyronine, thyroid-stimulating hormone, TgAb, and TPOAb were all measured by immunochemiluminometric assays, while TRAb was tested by radioimmunoassay.

The Association between Genomic DNA Methylation and Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Aim: DNA methylation is thought to be involved in regulating the expression of key genes and inducing diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). However, clinically, the level of whole-genome DNA methylation and its relationship with DPN remains unclear.

Methods: 186 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) admitted to the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University since Jul.

Evaluation of groundwater discharge into surface water by using Radon-222 in the Source Area of the Yellow River, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Understanding hydrological processes in the Source Area of the Yellow River (SAYR), Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, is vital for protection and management of groundwater and surface water resources in the region. In situ water measurements of exchange rates between surface water and groundwater are, however, hard to conduct because of the harsh natural conditions of the SAYR. We here present an indirect method using in situ Rn measurements to estimate groundwater discharge into rivers and lakes in the SAYR.

The heterogeneity of islet autoantibodies and the progression of islet failure in type 1 diabetic patients.

Type 1 diabetes mellitus is heterogeneous in many facets. The patients suffered from type 1 diabetes present several levels of islet function as well as variable number and type of islet-specific autoantibodies. This study was to investigate prevalence and heterogeneity of the islet autoantibodies and clinical phenotypes of type 1 diabetes mellitus; and also discussed the process of islet failure and its risk factors in Chinese type 1 diabetic patients.