The Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index Independently Predicts Mortality in Diabetic Foot Ulcers Patients Undergoing Amputations.

. Patients with diabetic foot ulcers undergoing amputations have poor prognosis. Malnutrition usually occurs in this population and is associated with increased risk of mortality.

Association of Pentraxin 3 Gene Polymorphisms with Susceptibility to Diabetic Nephropathy.

BACKGROUND Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a major microvascular complication of diabetes. Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) is a member of the acute-phase reactants superfamily and altered plasma levels of PTX3 are associated with DN. We performed a case-control study to analyze the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in PTX3 and the risk for DN in patients with type 2 diabetes.

A model of health education and management for osteoporosis prevention.

Osteoporosis, a chronic disease with no therapeutic cure, affects a growing number of people as the aging population in China rapidly increases. Therefore, developing an evidence-based model of health education and management for osteoporosis prevention is required. In the present study, an osteoporosis club was established, which is a novel model of health education and management for osteoporosis prevention.

A polyethylenimine-modified carboxyl-poly(styrene/acrylamide) copolymer nanosphere for co-delivering of CpG and TGF-β receptor I inhibitor with remarkable additive tumor regression effect against liver cancer in mice.

Cancer immunotherapy based on nanodelivery systems has shown potential for treatment of various malignancies, owing to the benefits of tumor targeting of nanoparticles. However, induction of a potent T-cell immune response against tumors still remains a challenge. In this study, polyethylenimine-modified carboxyl-styrene/acrylamide (PS) copolymer nano-spheres were developed as a delivery system of unmethylated cytosine-phosphate-guanine (CpG) oligodeoxynucleotides and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) receptor I inhibitors for cancer immunotherapy.

Xenogeneic Decellularized Scaffold: A Novel Platform for Ovary Regeneration.

Women younger than 40 years may face early menopause because of premature ovarian failure (POF). The cause of POF can be idiopathic or iatrogenic, especially the cancer-induced oophorectomy and chemo- or radiation therapy. The current treatments, including hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and cryopreservation techniques, have increased risk of ovarian cancer and may reintroduce malignant cells after autografting.

Photoprompted Hot Electrons from Bulk Cross-Linked Graphene Materials and Their Efficient Catalysis for Atmospheric Ammonia Synthesis.

Ammonia synthesis is the single most important chemical process in industry and has used the successful heterogeneous Haber-Bosch catalyst for over 100 years and requires processing under both high temperature (300-500 °C) and pressure (200-300 atm); thus, it has huge energy costs accounting for about 1-3% of human's energy consumption. Therefore, there has been a long and vigorous exploration to find a milder alternative process. Here, we demonstrate that by using an iron- and graphene-based catalyst, Fe@3DGraphene, hot (ejected) electrons from this composite catalyst induced by visible light in a wide range of wavelength up to red could efficiently facilitate the activation of N and generate ammonia with H directly at ambient pressure using light (including simulated sun light) illumination directly.

Urgent-Start Peritoneal Dialysis and Hemodialysis in ESRD Patients: Complications and Outcomes.

Background: Several studies have suggested that urgent-start peritoneal dialysis (PD) is a feasible alternative to hemodialysis (HD) in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), but the impact of the dialysis modality on outcome, especially on short-term complications, in urgent-start dialysis has not been directly evaluated. The aim of the current study was to compare the complications and outcomes of PD and HD in urgent-start dialysis ESRD patients.

Methods: In this retrospective study, ESRD patients who initiated dialysis urgently without a pre-established functional vascular access or PD catheter at a single center from January 2013 to December 2014 were included.

Yes-associated protein/TEA domain family member and hepatocyte nuclear factor 4-alpha (HNF4α) repress reciprocally to regulate hepatocarcinogenesis in rats and mice.

Unlabelled: Great progress has been achieved in the study of Hippo signaling in regulating tumorigenesis; however, the downstream molecular events that mediate this process have not been completely defined. Moreover, regulation of Hippo signaling during tumorigenesis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains largely unknown. In the present study, we systematically investigated the relationship between Yes-associated protein/TEA domain family member (YAP-TEAD) and hepatocyte nuclear factor 4-alpha (HNF4α) in the hepatocarcinogenesis of HCC cells.

Tril targets Smad7 for degradation to allow hematopoietic specification in Xenopus embryos.

In Xenopus laevis, bone morphogenetic proteins (Bmps) induce expression of the transcription factor Gata2 during gastrulation, and Gata2 is required in both ectodermal and mesodermal cells to enable mesoderm to commit to a hematopoietic fate. Here, we identify tril as a Gata2 target gene that is required in both ectoderm and mesoderm for primitive hematopoiesis to occur. Tril is a transmembrane protein that functions as a co-receptor for Toll-like receptors to mediate innate immune responses in the adult brain, but developmental roles for this molecule have not been identified.

Urinary retinol-binding protein as a risk factor of poor prognosis in acute-on-chronic renal injury.

Background: Acute-on-chronic renal injury was commonly seen in clinical practice. Reversibility of acute-on-chronic renal injury had not yet been carefully explored. This study tested whether urinary biomarkers could be used as a noninvasive prognostic marker in patients with acute-on-chronic renal injury.

Online monitoring of trace chlorinated benzenes in flue gas of municipal solid waste incinerator by windowless VUV lamp single photon ionization TOFMS coupled with automatic enrichment system.

Chlorinated benzenes are typical precursors and indicators for polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) emissions from waste incinerators. Online and real-time monitoring of chlorobenzenes is a challenge due to their low concentration and complex nature of the flue gas. In this work, a continuous online monitoring system was built for detection of trace chlorinated benzenes based on a time-of-flight mass spectrometer (TOFMS).

HEY2, a target of miR-137, indicates poor outcomes and promotes cell proliferation and migration in hepatocellular carcinoma.

HEY2, a bHLH transcription factor, has been implicated in the progression of human cancers. Here, we showed that HEY2 expression was markedly increased in HCC, compared with the adjacent nontumorous tissues. High HEY2 expression was closely correlated with tumor multiplicity, tumor differentiation and TNM stage.

Effects of chronic sleep deprivation on glucose homeostasis in rats.

Epidemiological studies have shown that chronic sleep disturbances resulted in metabolic disorders. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between chronic sleep deprivation (CSD) and the glucose homeostasis in rats. Twenty-four rats were randomly divided into CSD group and control (CON) group.

High urinary excretion of kidney injury molecule-1 predicts adverse outcomes in acute kidney injury: a case control study.

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common clinical syndrome with poor prognosis. The insensitivity and non-specificity of traditional markers of renal dysfunction prevent timely estimation of the severity of renal injury, and the administration of possible therapeutic agents. Urinary kidney injury molecule-1 (uKIM-1) is a marker of epithelial injury of renal tubules.

High-Pressure Photon Ionization Source for TOFMS and Its Application for Online Breath Analysis.

Photon ionization mass spectrometry (PI-MS) is a widely used technique for the online detection of trace substances in complex matrices. In this work, a new high-pressure photon ionization (HPPI) ion source based on a vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) Kr lamp was developed for time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOFMS). The detection sensitivity was improved by elevating the ion source pressure to about 700 Pa.

Effects of chronic sleep deprivation on bone mass and bone metabolism in rats.

Background: This study aimed to assess the effects of chronic sleep deprivation (CSD) on bone mass and bone metabolism in rats.

Methods: Twenty-four rats were randomly divided into CSD and control (CON) groups. Rats were subjected to CSD by using the modified multiple platform method (MMPM) to establish an animal model of CSD.

Schistosoma japonicum cystatin attenuates murine collagen-induced arthritis.

Recombinant SjCystatin (rSjCystatin), a recombinant protein of Schistosoma japonicum cystatin, has been reported to have an effect on immunoregulation mediated by IL-10 induction. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common autoimmune inflammatory arthropathy, and recombinant immune-modulating drugs for RA treatment are under development. We aimed to study the putative immune regulation of rSjCystatin and its prophylactic/therapeutic effects on murine collagen-induced arthritis (CIA).

Profiling of differentially expressed microRNAs in arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy.

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is a kind of primary cardiomyopathy characterized by the fibro-fatty replacement of right ventricular myocardium. Currently, myocardial microRNAs have been reported to play critical role in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular pathophysiology. So far, the profiling of microRNAs in ARVC has not been described.

Toxoplasma gondii GRA15 effector-induced M1 cells ameliorate liver fibrosis in mice infected with Schistosomiasis japonica.

Recent studies indicated that type II Toxoplasma gondii (Tg) GRA15 favored the generation of classically activated macrophages (M1), whereas type I/III TgROP16 promoted the polarization of alternatively activated macrophages (M2). A number of studies have demonstrated that M2 cells are involved in the pathogenesis of the liver fibrogenesis caused by Schistosoma japonicum. The purpose of the present study was to explore the inhibitory effect of Toxoplasma-derived TgGRA15 on mouse hepatic fibrosis with schistosomiasis.

Photoionization-Generated Dibromomethane Cation Chemical Ionization Source for Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry and Its Application on Sensitive Detection of Volatile Sulfur Compounds.

Soft ionization mass spectrometry is one of the key techniques for rapid detection of trace volatile organic compounds. In this work, a novel photoionization-generated dibromomethane cation chemical ionization (PDCI) source has been developed for time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOFMS). Using a commercial VUV lamp, a stable flux of CH2Br2(+) was generated with 1000 ppmv dibromomethane (CH2Br2) as the reagent gas, and the analytes were further ionized by reaction with CH2Br2(+) cation via charge transfer and ion association.

[Progress in researches on macrophages in liver fibrosis of schistosomiasis].

Schistosomiasis causes the imbalance of fibrogenesis and pro-fibrinolytic promoting factors, leading to extracellular matrix deposition and liver fibrosis. The activation of liver macrophages (Kupffer cells) and stellate cells are the two crucial events, which constitute a complex network regulating fibrosis balance. This review discusses the function of fibrotic cytokines secreted by macrophages, and their interaction and mutual influence with stellate cells in hepatic fibrosis.

Altered cerebellar-cerebral functional connectivity in benign adult familial myoclonic epilepsy.

Objective: The pathogenesis of benign adult familial myoclonic epilepsy (BAFME) remains unknown, although cerebellar pathologic changes and brain hyperexcitability have been reported. We used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine the functional connectivity between the cerebellum and cerebrum in a Chinese family with BAFME for the first time.

Methods: Eleven adults with BAFME and 15 matched healthy controls underwent resting-state blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) fMRI scanning.

MR Imaging Measures of Intracranial Atherosclerosis in a Population-based Study.

Purpose To implement a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging protocol to measure intracranial atherosclerotic disease (ICAD) in a population-based multicenter study and report examination and reader reliability of these MR imaging measurements and descriptive statistics representative of the general population. Materials and Methods This prospective study was approved by the institutional review boards and compliant with HIPAA. Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study participants (n = 1980) underwent brain MR imaging from 2011 to 2013 at four ARIC sites.

Systematic comparison of the mono-, dimethyl- and trimethyl 3-hydroxy-4(1H)-pyridones - Attempted optimization of the orally active iron chelator, deferiprone.

A range of close analogues of deferiprone have been synthesised. The group includes mono-, di- and tri-methyl-3-hydroxy-4(1H)-pyridones. These compounds were found to possess similar pFe(3+) values to that of deferiprone, with the exception of the 2.