RuleFit-Based Nomogram Using Inflammatory Indicators for Predicting Survival in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma, a Bi-Center Study.

Purpose: Traditional prognostic studies utilized different cut-off values, without evaluating potential information contained in inflammation-related hematological indicators. Using the interpretable machine-learning algorithm RuleFit, this study aimed to explore valuable inflammatory rules reflecting prognosis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients.

Patients And Methods: In total, 1706 biopsy-proven NPC patients treated in two independent hospitals (1320 and 386) between January 2010 and March 2014 were included.

Borate Buffer as a Key Player in Cu-Based Homogeneous Electrocatalytic Water Oxidation.

Borate buffer was found to have both structural and functional roles within a low-cost tri-copper electrocatalyst for homogeneous water oxidation that exhibits a high turnover frequency of 310 s . The borate buffer was shown to facilitate the catalytic activity by both bridging the three Cu ions and participating in O-O bond formation. Phosphate and acetate buffers did not show such roles, making borate a unique player in this catalytic system.

Gut microbiota: A new target for T2DM prevention and treatment.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), one of the fastest growing metabolic diseases, has been characterized by metabolic disorders including hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia and insulin resistance (IR). In recent years, T2DM has become the fastest growing metabolic disease in the world. Studies have indicated that patients with T2DM are often associated with intestinal flora disorders and dysfunction involving multiple organs.

Association between Metformin Use and Risk of Total Knee Arthroplasty and Degree of Knee Pain in Knee Osteoarthritis Patients with Diabetes and/or Obesity: A Retrospective Study.

Objectives: We aimed to examine whether metformin (MET) use is associated with a reduced risk of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and low severity of knee pain in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA) and diabetes and/or obesity. Methods: Participants diagnosed with knee OA and diabetes and/or obesity from June 2000 to July 2019 were selected from the information system of a local hospital. Regular MET users were defined as those with recorded prescriptions of MET or self-reported regular MET use for at least 6 months.

Metformin attenuates osteoarthritis by targeting chondrocytes, synovial macrophages and adipocytes.

Objective: To investigate the therapeutic effect and mechanism of metformin on knee OA in normal diet (ND) mice or high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mice.

Methods: Destabilization of the medial meniscus surgery was performed in ND mice or HFD mice, and metformin was administrated in drinking water or not. The changes of OA joint structure, infiltration and polarization of synovial macrophages and circulating and local levels of leptin and adiponectin were evaluated.

Amide bond hydrolysis of peptoids.

Incorporating a chiral non-coordinating substitution at the N-terminal end within peptoids facilitates regio-selective amide bond hydrolysis mediated by a transition metal ion and/or an acidic buffer as evident by X-ray crystallographic analysis, supported by ESI-MS. This opens up a new direction for peptidomimetic compounds towards future application in chemistry, biology and medicine.

Quadriceps strength is negatively associated with knee joint structural abnormalities-data from osteoarthritis initiative.

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the longitudinal associations between baseline quadriceps strength and knee joint structural abnormalities in knee osteoarthritis (KOA).

Methods: This study is a longitudinally observational study based on Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI) cohort, including men and women aged 45-79. Quadriceps strength was measured by isometric knee extension testing at baseline.

RNA-Editing Enzyme ADAR1 p150 Isoform Is Critical for Germinal Center B Cell Response.

Adenosine deaminase acting on RNA (ADAR)1 is the principal enzyme for adenosine-to-inosine editing, an RNA modification-avoiding cytosolic nucleic acid sensor's activation triggered by endogenous dsRNAs. Two ADAR1 isoforms exist in mammals, a longer IFN-inducible and mainly cytoplasm-localized p150 isoform and a shorter constitutively expressed and primarily nucleus-localized p110 isoform. Studies of ADAR1 mutant mice have demonstrated that ADAR1 is essential for multiple physiological processes, including embryonic development, innate immune response, and B and T lymphocyte development.

Prognostic value of the modified advanced lung cancer inflammation index in overweight or obese patients with lung cancer: Results from a multicenter study.

Background: This study aimed to explore the relationship between the modified advanced lung cancer inflammation index (mALI) and the survival of overweight or obese patients with lung cancer (LC).

Methods: The mALI was defined as the appendix skeletal muscle index multiplied by the serum albumin level/neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio. The cutoff values for males and females were assessed separately.

Comprehensive comparison of the prognostic value of systemic inflammation biomarkers for cancer cachexia: a multicenter prospective study.

Aims: Systemic inflammation plays an important role in cancer cachexia. However, among the systemic inflammatory biomarkers, it is unclear which has optimal prognostic value for cancer cachexia.

Methods: The Kaplan-Meier method was used and the log-rank analysis was performed to estimate survival differences between groups.

Trend and Geographic Variation in Incidence and Prevalence of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Regions Across China: A Nationwide Employee Study Between 2013 and 2016.

Background: Incidence and prevalence rates and trends of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in China remain largely unknown.

Objective: This study aimed to estimate the nationwide prevalence and incidence of IBD and identify its noticeable trends in China between 2013 and 2016.

Methods: We conducted a population-based analysis using data from the National Urban Employee Basic Medical Insurance database.

Survival impact of additional induction chemotherapy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma with chronic hepatitis B infection: a retrospective, bi-center study.

Background: Patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) who have hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection tend to be treated with induction chemotherapy (IC) due to a higher metastasis rate. However, additional IC may lead to immunosuppression and can negatively affect the prognosis. We evaluated whether receiving IC improved the prognosis of patients with NPC co-infected with HBV, on the basis of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT).

The prevalence and molecular epidemiology of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) carriage in patients admitted to intensive care units in Beijing, China.

Background: Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) can be carried in the gut for a long period and its carriage status is associated with subsequent infections. This study aimed to investigate the frequency of intestinal VRE carriage in intensive care patients in Beijing.

Methods: A multicenter, retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted at six hospitals in Beijing, China.

Microsphere-containing Hydrogel Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering.

Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education Centre for Biomedical Technologies Current tissue engineering technology aims to achieve the regeneration of human tissues, which integrates the key factors such as scaffolds, cells and biomolecules. Among these key factors, the development of high-performance scaffolds is the basis for the success of tissue engineering strategies. In the past decades, hydrogel scaffolds have been developed rapidly and widely used in biomedical field, however, their drawbacks have also been revealed, which shows that a single hydrogel scaffold cannot meet the excellent performance required in the field of tissue engineering.

Novel Diagnostic and Prognostic Tools for Lung Cancer Cachexia: Based on Nutritional and Inflammatory Status.

Background: Cachexia is one of the most common complications affecting lung cancer patients that seriously affects their quality-of-life and survival time. This study aimed to analyze the predictors and prognostic factors of lung cancer cachexia as well as to develop a convenient and accurate clinical prediction tool for oncologists.

Methods: In this multicenter cohort study, 4022 patients with lung cancer were retrospectively analyzed.

and Its Metabolite Butyrate Inhibit Colitis and Upregulate TLR5 through the SP3 Signaling Pathway.

The pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis (UC) is unclear, but it is generally believed to be closely related to an imbalance in gut microbiota. () might play a key role in suppressing intestinal inflammation, but the mechanism of its anti-inflammatory effect is unknown. In this study, we investigated the role of and Toll-like receptor 5 (TLR5) in relieving mouse colitis.

A Novel Prognostic Score Including the CD4/CD8 for AIDS-Related Lymphoma.

Background: A simple and clinically applicable prognostic scoring system for AIDS-related lymphoma (ARL) in the era of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) is needed to better stratify patients' risks and to assist in the decision-making of therapeutic strategies.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective multicenter cohort study in 138 primary ARL patients over an 8-year period from 2013 to 2020. Survival curves were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method.

A Novel Systemic Inflammation Prognostic Score to Stratify Survival in Elderly Patients With Cancer.

Background: Elderly patients with cancer face the challenge of systemic inflammation, which can lead to a poor prognosis. Existing inflammatory indices cannot fully reflect the immune-inflammatory status of patients. This study aimed to develop a new scoring system to predict the survival of elderly patients with cancer using inflammatory indices, namely, the systemic inflammation prognostic score (SIPS).

The advanced lung cancer inflammation index is the optimal inflammatory biomarker of overall survival in patients with lung cancer.

Backgrounds: Malnutrition and systemic inflammatory responses are associated with poor overall survival (OS) in lung cancer patients, but it remains unclear which biomarkers are better for predicting their prognosis. This study tried to determine the best one among the existing common nutrition/inflammation-based indicators of OS for patients with lung cancer.

Materials And Methods: There were 16 nutrition or systemic inflammation-based indicators included in this study.

Effects of sulfated β-glucan from Saccharomyces cerevisiae on growth performance, antioxidant ability, nonspecific immunity, and intestinal flora of the red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii).

The aim of this study was to examine the combined effects of sulfated β-Glucan from Saccharomyces cerevisiae (sGSC) on growth performance, antioxidant ability, nonspecific immunity, and intestinal flora of the red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii). Four experimental diets (sGSC25, sGSC50, sGSC100 and sGSC200) with different levels of sGSC (0.025%, 0.

Association of serum total bilirubin with survival outcomes in patients with cancer cachexia: A prospective, multicenter cohort study.

Objectives: Cancer cachexia is a systemic paraneoplastic phenomenon involving multiple organs, including the liver. Total bilirubin (TBIL) is an easily obtained blood biomarker that reflects liver homeostasis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of serum TBIL in patients with cancer cachexia.