Chlorogenic acid inhibits NLRP3 inflammasome activation through Nrf2 activation in diabetic nephropathy.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the single largest cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Inflammation reaction mediated by NLRP3 inflammasome and Nrf2-related oxidative stress have been considered to play a very important role in the progress of diabetic nephropathy (DN). Effective drugs for the treatment of diabetic nephropathy still need to be explored.

Bidirectional high-speed optical wireless communication with tunable large field of view assisted by liquid crystal metadevice.

Beam-steered infrared (IR) light communication has gained tremendous attention as one of the solutions of congested wireless communication traffic. High performance active beam-steering devices play a crucial role in data allocation and exchange. Conventional beam-steering devices such as spatial light modulator (SLM) and micro-electrical mechanical system (MEMS) mirror and the current emerging nonmechanical beam-steering metasurface-based devices are challenging to realize a large tunable steering angle beyond several degrees, which significantly hinders the spatial application of optical wireless communications (OWC).

Net 30-Tb/s bidirectional IM/DD optical interconnect over 19-core fiber enabled by WDM uplink/downlink twin-SSB PAM-4 transmission.

High-capacity optical interconnects with short reach are hugely demanded driven by the exponential growth of data traffic. In this work, four-channel wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) uplink/downlink twin single-sideband (twin-SSB) signals are implemented by a wavelength selective switch (WSS) at once, which simplifies the structure of multi-channel SSB transmitters and reduces the cost of high-capacity optical interconnect. Compared to a double sideband scheme, it has been experimentally proven that the performance of SSB transmission over standard single-mode fiber (SSMF) at C-band with an ultra-high baud rate has been greatly improved, which has the ability to effectively overcome the power fading induced by chromatic dispersion in an intensity modulation and direct detection (IM/DD) system.

Variation in parental investment preferences for nestlings of the Gray-backed Shrike () in alpine environments.

In the northeastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the Gray-backed Shrike, a shrubland bird species of the plateau, confronts harsh living conditions. The impact of such an environment on their reproductive strategies has long intrigued us. This study reveals significant environmental effects on the investment of the Gray-backed Shrike during their nestling-rearing and egg-laying stages.

The leakage field characteristics of a large hybrid electromagnetic pulse simulator.

The leakage field of a hybrid electromagnetic pulse simulator with horizontal polarization is simulated and experimentally investigated based on the finite integration technique in this paper. The field distribution characteristics and far-field radiation pattern of the simulator are given. The attenuation characteristics of the electric field at specific directions in the z = 2 m plane are also predicted by numerical data fitting.

A hybrid simulator with novel bicone-wire grid antenna.

The simulator is an indispensable device for the study of high-altitude electromagnetic pulse (HEMP) effects. In order to improve the quality of the electric field waveforms of the HEMP simulator, we carried out simulation and experimental studies for the biconical-wire grid antenna. A new bicone-wire grid antenna HEMP simulator was designed by using skeletonized cones instead of solid cones, which can substantially improve the mobility of the simulator.

Does patent pledge reduce pollution and carbon emissions? Evidence from China.

The existing literature has extensively examined the impact of green innovations, such as patents, on pollution and carbon emissions. However, there has been comparatively less emphasis on the debt financing of green innovation by using patents as collateral. This oversight may have implications for the realization of pollution and carbon emissions reduction goals.

Alterations of the gut microbiota in type 2 diabetics with or without subclinical hypothyroidism.

Background: Diabetes and thyroid dysfunction are two closely related endocrine diseases. Increasing evidences show that gut microbiota plays an important role in both glucose metabolism and thyroid homeostasis. Meanwhile, copy number variation (CNV) of host salivary -amylase gene (AMY1) has been shown to correlate with glucose homeostasis.

Association between the rs4784227-CASC16 polymorphism and the risk of breast cancer: A meta-analysis.

Objective: Although several studies have identified an association between the rs4784227-cancer susceptibility candidate gene 16 (CASC16) polymorphism and breast cancer, the results remain inconclusive. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis to assess the relationship between the rs4784227-CASC16 polymorphism and breast cancer risk.

Methods: Studies were searched in the PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Google Scholar, and Cochran Library databases until June 10, 2021, to identify all potential literature on rs4784227-CASC16 polymorphism and breast cancer risk association.

Hybrid Additive Manufacturing of Fused Filament Fabrication and Ultrasonic Consolidation.

Fused filament fabrication (FFF) additive manufacturing technology has the advantages of being low cost, having a simple operation, using wide types of molding materials, and producing less pollution during the printing process. However, the mechanical properties of the molded sample are unsatisfactory due to the limited bonding force between the filaments during the forming process, which limits its further development and application in the engineering field. Herein, the hybrid additive manufacturing technology for heterogeneous materials based on the ultrasonic-assisted enhanced fused filament fabrication technology was proposed.

WGCNA, LASSO and SVM Algorithm Revealed RAC1 Correlated M0 Macrophage and the Risk Score to Predict the Survival of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients.

RAC1 is involved in the progression of HCC as a regulator, but its prognostic performance and the imbalance of immune cell infiltration mediated by it are still unclear. We aim to explore the prognostic and immune properties of RAC1 in HCC. We separately downloaded the data related to HCC from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and GEO database.

Overexpression of ring finger protein 20 inhibits the progression of liver fibrosis via mediation of histone H2B lysine 120 ubiquitination.

Liver fibrosis is a chronic liver injury that leads to liver cirrhosis and liver cancer. Ring finger protein 20 (RNF20), also named as E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase BRE1A, has been reported to be involved in chronic liver diseases. However, the role of RNF20 in liver fibrosis remains unclear.

Risk factors for HIV infection among 15 to 25-year-old rural unmarried Yi adolescents in an ethnic minority region of China.

We aimed to analyze factors related to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection among 15 to 25-year-old rural unmarried Yi adolescents in Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture from 2011 to 2016, and to investigate the relationship among the HIV-related risk factors.Three sites (Butuo, Zhaojue, and Ganluo counties) with a Yi population were selected from 2011 to 2016 in Liangshan prefecture. We used questionnaires to investigate demographic and behavioral characteristics and performed HIV testing.

Factors associated with HIV infection among Yi minority residents in Liangshan Prefecture, Sichuan Province: A path analysis.

We aimed to evaluate HIV prevalence among residents of Liangshan Prefecture through HIV sentinel surveillance (HSS) data over the period from 2010 to 2016, and investigate risk factors for HIV infection in this population and interactions among them.Two sites (Dechang and Ningnan counties) with majority-Han populations, and 1 site (Butuo) with a majority-Yi population were selected. We used questionnaires to investigate residents' demographic and behavioral characteristics from 2010 to 2016, and performed HIV testing.

Factors related to HIV infection among unmarried youth in rural areas of Southwest China.

We evaluated HIV prevalence among unmarried youth in rural areas of Liangshan Prefecture in southwest China over the period of 2011-2015, and the interactions between behaviors associated with HIV risk. We used HIV sentinel surveillance (HSS) data for our analysis. We used questionnaires to investigate information among unmarried youth aged 15 to 25 years and performed HIV testing.

Analysis of HIV prevalence among pregnant women in Liangshan Prefecture, China, from 2009 to 2015.

Background: Yi people make up about 50% of the population in Liangshan Prefecture, Sichuan Province, China, but accounted for 88.07% of new HIV cases in the prefecture from 2011 to 2013. This study evaluated HIV prevalence in pregnant women of Liangshan Prefecture using HIV sentinel surveillance (HSS) data over the period of 2009 to 2015.

Outcomes and factors associated with survival of patients with HIV/AIDS initiating antiretroviral treatment in Liangshan Prefecture, southwest of China: A retrospective cohort study from 2005 to 2013.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive cases have been reported among people who injected drugs in Liangshan Prefecture in southwest of China since 1995 and Liangshan has become one of the most seriously affected epidemic areas in China. In 2004, several patients with HIV/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) initiated antiretroviral treatment (ART) at the Central Hospital of Liangshan Prefecture. From 2005 to 2013, the number of patients receiving ART dramatically increased.

A mathematical modeling study of the HIV epidemics at two rural townships in the Liangshan Prefecture of the Sichuan Province of China.

Background: As a response to a severe HIV epidemic in the Liangshan Prefecture, one of the worst in China, population based HIV interventions, including two population-wide HIV screening, have been carried out since 2005 at two townships in a remote mountainous region of Liangshan. The objective of our mathematical modeling study is to assess the temporal dynamics of the HIV epidemic in the two townships based on the data collected in the study area during the period 2005-2010.

Methods: A mathematical model was set up to describe the population dynamics of HIV transmission in study area.