Evaluating new biomarkers for diabetic nephropathy: Role of α2-macroglobulin, podocalyxin, α-L-fucosidase, retinol-binding protein-4, and cystatin C.

Background: The intricate relationship between type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and diabetic nephropathy (DN) presents a challenge in understanding the significance of various biomarkers in diagnosis.

Aim: To elucidate the roles and diagnostic values of α2-macroglobulin (α2-MG), podocalyxin (PCX), α-L-fucosidase (AFU), retinol-binding protein-4 (RBP-4), and cystatin C (CysC) in DN.

Methods: From December 2018 to December 2020, 203 T2DM patients were enrolled in the study.

Effects of lactic acid bacteria inoculants on the nutrient composition, fermentation quality, and microbial diversity of whole-plant soybean-corn mixed silage.

The mixture of whole-plant soybean and whole-plant corn silage (WPSCS) is nutrient balanced and is also a promising roughage for ruminants. However, few studies have investigated the changes in bacterial community succession in WPSCS inoculated with homofermentative and heterofermentative lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and whether WPSCS inoculated with LAB can improve fermentation quality by reducing nutrient losses. This study investigated the effect of () or () on the fermentation quality, aerobic stability, and bacterial community of WPSCS.

A microbial ecosystem enhanced by regulating soil carbon and nitrogen balance using biochar and nitrogen fertiliser five years after application.

The indiscriminate use of nitrogen fertiliser (NF) is a obstruction to improve soil quality and crop yields. However, the effect of biochar and NF on soil microbial ecosystem (SME) and crop yields is unknown. A five-year field experiment in China aimed to evaluate the effects of biochar and nitrogen fertiliser (NF) combination on soil structure, C-to-N ratio (CNR), microbial biomass, and spring maize yield.

Soil microbial diversity under different types of interference in birch secondary forest in the Greater Khingan Mountains in China.

Introduction: Soil microorganisms are an important component of soil ecosystems with an indispensable role in forest ecosystems. We analyzed the soil microbial diversity in birch secondary forest formed by natural restoration or artificial reconstruction after interference by burning, clear cutting, and gradient cutting, and the undisturbed forest in the Greater Khingan Mountains in China.

Methods: Illumina high-throughput sequencing technology was used to analyze the characteristics of the soil microbial community during the restoration process of birch secondary forest caused by the different types of interference.

Distribution characteristics of mercury concentration and estimation of mercury pools in different age groups of Larix gmelinii forests of Daxing'an Mountain.

Forests are important sinks of atmospheric mercury. Quantifying mercury pools in forest ecosystem tissues are essential for understanding the global mercury cycle. To reveal the characteristics of Hg concentration and Hg pool distribution in natural forests at different ages, samples from the vegetation layer, organic horizons, coarse wood debris, and mineral soil layers were collected in young forest, middle forest, near-mature forest, and mature forest of Larix gmelinii forests at the Daxing'an Mountain.

METTL3 exerts synergistic effects on m6A methylation and histone modification to regulate the function of VGF in lung adenocarcinoma.

Background: Multiple genetic and epigenetic regulatory mechanisms play a vital role in tumorigenesis and development. Understanding the interplay between different epigenetic modifications and its contribution to transcriptional regulation in cancer is essential for precision medicine. Here, we aimed to investigate the interplay between N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modifications and histone modifications in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD).

A modified perioperative regimen for deceased donor kidney transplantation in presensitized recipients without prior desensitization therapy.

Background: Renal transplantation in HLA-presensitized recipients entails an increased risk of antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) and graft loss. There is currently no accepted standard treatment protocol that can help transplant surgeons safely perform deceased donor (DD) kidney transplantation in presensitized patients without pretransplant desensitization.

Methods: Fifty-one panel-reactive antibody (PRA)-positive recipients and 62 PRA-negative retransplant recipients (control) who received DD renal transplantation were included.

Priority conservation area of under climate change: application of an ensemble modeling.

(Rupr.) Kuzen is a major tree species with high economic and ecological value in the Greater Khingan Mountains coniferous forest of Northeast China. Reconstructing the priority Conservation Area of under Climate could provide a scientific basis for its germplasm conservation and management.

A homozygous EVC mutation in a prenatal fetus with Ellis-van Creveld syndrome.

Background: Ellis-van Creveld (EvC) syndrome, caused by variants in EVC, is a rare genetic skeletal dysplasia. Its clinical phenotype is highly diverse. EvC syndrome is rarely reported in prenatal stages because its presentation overlaps with other diseases.

Can Kunxian Capsule, a Novel Tripterygium Preparation be Used as an Adjuvant Treatment of Early Recurrent Focal Segmental Glomerular Sclerosis After Renal Transplantation? A Case Report.

Focal segmental glomerular sclerosis (FSGS) tends to recur after kidney transplantation, particularly when genetic testing is negative. Once the recurrence happens, the renal graft function can rapidly become impaired, following a massive urine protein loss. Despite intensive plasmapheresis and high-dose rituximab treatment, the complete remission rate remains below 50%.

The association between platelet glycoprotein-specific antibodies and response to short-term high-dose dexamethasone with prednisone maintenance treatment in adult patients with primary immune thrombocytopenia.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to detect the association between platelet glycoprotein-specific autoantibodies and the patient response to short-term high-dose dexamethasone (HD-DXM) + prednisone maintenance treatment.

Methods: The data from 112 adult patients newly diagnosed with ITP who were administered first-line HD-DXM + prednisone maintenance therapy between January 2016 and January 2021 were retrospectively analyzed.

Results: A total of 72 patients positive for platelet glycoprotein-specific antibodies were enrolled in the antibody-positive group, and 40 patients not positive for platelet glycoprotein-specific antibodies were enrolled in the antibody-negative group.

Case report: Daratumumab for treatment of refractory late or chronic active antibody-mediated rejection in renal allograft recipients with high levels of donor-specific antibodies.

Background: Late or chronic active antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) associated with donor-specific antibodies (dnDSA) after renal transplantation is a great clinical challenge because it is often resistant to conventional therapies. Daratumumab, an anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody that can deplete plasma cells, may be effective for the treatment of late or chronic active AMR.

Methods: We designed a novel regimen that included early intensive therapy with daratumumab plus plasmapheresis (PP)/intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG) and later maintenance therapy with daratumumab alone, and used this regimen to treat late or chronic active AMR in two kidney transplant recipients with extremely high levels of anti-DQ7 dnDSA.

Carbon exchange characteristics and their environmental effects in the northern forest ecosystem of the Greater Khingan Mountains in China.

Measurement and analysis of CO concentration at the ecosystem scale is the basis for studying ecosystem feedback to global climate change, and it is particularly useful for understanding the processes and mechanisms of ecosystem C exchange. Through observation of CO concentration at different heights, this study examined whether a CO lake phenomenon exists in the Larix gmelinii ecosystem of the Greater Khingan Mountains (China), and how it might be changed and what might represent its driving factors if such a phenomenon were found to exist. Plants and soils were sampled regularly to determine δC and to quantify the proportion of C released by each component of the ecosystem.

Case Report: Successful ABO-Incompatible Deceased Donor Kidney Transplantation in an Infant Without Pre-transplant Immunological Treatment.

ABO blood group antibodies have not been generated or are at low titer during early infancy. Therefore, in theory, ABO-incompatible kidney transplantation (ABOi KT) may be successfully achieved in small infants without any pre-transplant treatment. We report here the first ABO-incompatible deceased donor kidney transplantation (ABOi DDKT) in an infant.

Emission characteristics of water-soluble ions in PM released by forest fuel combustion in Great Xing'an Mountains, Inner Mongolia, China.

Understanding the emission factors of fine particulate matter (PM) released by forest fuel combustion is important for revealing the impacts of forest fire on atmosphere and ecosystem. Water-soluble ions are important components of fine particulate matter, with great significance to the formation of particulate matter. A self-designed biomass combustion system was used to simulate the combustion of three components (trunks, branches, barks) and their surface dead fuel (litter, semi-humus, humus) of five tree species (, , , , ) and branches of three shrub species (, , ) in Great Xing'an Mountains in Inner Mongolia.

Case Report: Splenic Irradiation for the Treatment of Chronic Active Antibody-Mediated Rejection in Kidney Allograft Recipients With Donor-Specific Antibodies.

Chronic active antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) in renal transplantation is usually refractory to current conventional treatment with rituximab, plasmapheresis (PP), and intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG). Splenic irradiation has been reported to be effective in the rescue of early severe acute AMR after kidney transplantation; however, its effect in chronic active AMR has not been reported to date. In order to reduce donor-specific antibody (DSA) and prevent the progression of chronic AMR, we used repetitive low-dose splenic irradiation, together with rituximab and PP/IVIG, in two living-related kidney transplant recipients with pathologically diagnosed chronic active AMR and the presence of long-term class II- DSA.

Functional Diversity of Class XI Myosins in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Plant myosin XI acts as a motive force for cytoplasmic streaming through interacting with actin filaments within the cell. Arabidopsis thaliana (At) has 13 genes belonging to the myosin XI family. Previous reverse genetic approaches suggest that At myosin XIs are partially redundant, but are functionally diverse for their specific tasks within the plant.

Measurement of enzymatic and motile activities of Arabidopsis myosins by using Arabidopsis actins.

There are two classes of myosin, XI and VIII, in higher plants. Myosin XI moves actin filaments at high speed and its enzyme activity is also very high. In contrast, myosin VIII moves actin filaments very slowly with very low enzyme activity.

Proteomic response of oat leaves to long-term salinity stress.

Salinity adversely affects plant growth and production. Oat is a moderately salt-tolerant crop and can contribute to improving saline soil. The physiological and molecular responses of the oat plant to long-term salinity were studied.

Activation-induced cytidine deaminase selectively catalyzed active DNA demethylation in pluripotency gene and improved cell reprogramming in bovine SCNT embryo.

DNA methylation in mammals is an epigenetic marker and necessary for normal embryogenesis. The global genomic demethylation of 5-methylcytosine occurs during the first cell cycle following fertilization. Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID), which is well-known for the function in antibody diversification, has been implicated to play a role in active demethylation, but its role in cell reprogramming and its crosstalk with other DNA demethylation mechanism need to be clarified.