Association of meibomian gland morphology with orifice plugging and lid margin thickening in meibomian gland dysfunction patients.

Purpose: We sought to investigate the association of meibomian gland morphology with lid margin abnormalities in patients with meibomian gland dysfunction.

Methods: This retrospective study included 368 eyes of 184 patients. Meibography was used to evaluate meibomian gland (MG) morphological features, such as dropout, distortion, thickened ratio and thinned ratio.

Central medial thalamic nucleus dynamically participates in acute itch sensation and chronic itch-induced anxiety-like behavior in male mice.

Itch is an annoying sensation consisting of both sensory and emotional components. It is known to involve the parabrachial nucleus (PBN), but the following transmission nodes remain elusive. The present study identified that the PBN-central medial thalamic nucleus (CM)-medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) pathway is essential for itch signal transmission at the supraspinal level in male mice.

Molecular cloning and functional characterization of peroxiredoxin 4 (prx 4) in freshwater crayfish, Procambarus clarkii.

Peroxiredoxin (Prx), which is a newly discovered member of the antioxidant protein family, performs important biological functions in intracellular signal transduction. In the present study, a peroxiredoxin 4 gene was cloned from crayfish for the first time and named Pc-prx 4. According to the amino acid sequence signature, Pc-Prx 4 was identified as the typical 2-Cys Prx molecule, which possessed two conserved cysteines (Cys98 and Cys219).

Oxidative stress-induced TET1 upregulation mediates active DNA demethylation in human gastric epithelial cells.

The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is more vulnerable to effects by the outside environment, and experiences oxidative stress. A wide diversity of GI disorders can be partially attributed to oxidative stress. However, the mechanism of oxidative stress-caused GI pathological changes is not clear.

Islr regulates insulin sensitivity by interacting with Psma4 to control insulin receptor alpha levels in obese mice.

Insulin resistance is the leading cause of type 2 diabetes (T2D), and dysfunctional insulin receptor signaling is a major manifestation of this insulin resistance. In T2D, the corresponding insulin receptor levels are aberrantly down-regulated, which is one of the major factors underlying obesity-induced insulin resistance in adipose tissue. However, the precise mechanism of insulin receptor impairment in obese individuals remains unclear.

Adsorption mechanism and removal efficiency of magnetic graphene oxide-chitosan hybrid on aqueous Zn(II).

Magnetic architecture incorporating graphene-chitosan has demonstrated encouraging application in wastewater purification. Herein, a ternary hybrid based on FeO-graphene oxide-chitosan (MGOCS) was fabricated and employed as adsorbent to remove aqueous Zn(II). The adsorption mechanism was intensively inspected based on the hard and soft acid base (HSAB) theory.

The Metal-binding Protein Atlas (MbPA): An Integrated Database for Curating Metalloproteins in All Aspects.

Metal-binding proteins are essential for the vital activities and engage in their roles by acting in concert with metal cations. MbPA (The Metal-binding Protein Atlas) is the most comprehensive resource up to now dedicated to curating metal-binding proteins. Currently, it contains 106,373 entries and 440,187 sites related to 54 metals and 8169 species.

Response to pioglitazone in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease patients with . without type 2 diabetes: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background: Pioglitazone is considered a potential therapy for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, different effects of pioglitazone on NAFLD have been demonstrated in diabetic and non-diabetic patients. Herein, a meta-analysis of randomized, placebo-controlled trials was carried out to indirectly compare pioglitazone in NAFLD patients with .

Management of Rheumatoid Arthritis With a Digital Health Application: A Multicenter, Pragmatic Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Digital health applications have been shown to be effective in the management of chronic diseases with simple treatment targets. The potential clinical value of digital health applications in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has not been well studied.

Objective: To investigate whether assessing patient-reported outcomes using digital health applications could result in disease control for patients with RA.

Visualizing stimulus-responsive dual-ligand fluorescent probes for hypochlorite: A novel strategy for real application in tap water.

As an effective ingredient of disinfectants, ClO inevitably remains in water, which induces potential health hazards such as lung damage and kidney disease. In this study, we synthesized stimulus-responsive dual-ligand luminol-Tb-GMP coordination polymer nanoparticles (luminol-Tb-GMP CPNPs) as highly selective fluorescent probes for the real-time and visual detection of ClO . CPNPs consist of Tb , a nuclear metal, that coordinates with GMP and luminol, an auxiliary ligand.

Potassium-rich mining waste addition can shorten the composting period by increasing the abundance of thermophilic bacteria during high-temperature periods.

Conventional compost sludge has a long fermentation period and is not nutrient rich. Potassium-rich mining waste was used as an additive for aerobic composting of activated sludge to make a new sludge product. The effects of different feeding ratios of potassium-rich mining waste and activated sludge on the physicochemical properties and thermophilic bacterial community structure during aerobic composting were investigated.

Volume Deformation and Hydration Behavior of Ordinary Portland Cement/Calcium Sulfoaluminate Cement Blends.

Blends of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) and calcium sulfoaluminate (CSA) cement can be used to adjust the properties of cement for specific applications. In this study, CSA cement was used as a shrinkage-compensating admixture to improve the hydration behavior and performance (compressive strength and drying shrinkage) of OPC; the expansion behavior of the blended cement mortar was evaluate based on the saturation index of ettringite. The experimental results showed that incorporating CSA cement resulted in a delayed effect on the hydration of CS, shortened the induction periods of the blended cement and decreased the setting time.

Gp130 Promotes Inflammation via the STAT3/JAK2 Pathway in Allergic Conjunctivitis.

Purpose: Allergic conjunctivitis (AC) is a common allergic condition worldwide that requires accurate screening and early diagnosis. We found that gp130 is essential for AC, as gp130 levels are elevated in AC. Therefore, this study aimed to elucidate the functions and the possible underlying mechanisms of gp130 in AC.

Glutamate levels in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and resting-state functional connectivity within reward circuits in alcohol-dependent patients.

Great progress has been made in understanding the neural mechanisms associated with alcohol-dependent (AD) patients. However, the interactions within the reward circuits of the patients need further exploration. Glutamatergic projections from the prefrontal cortex to some brain regions are present in the reward circuit.

A food poisoning caused by ST7 harboring gene in Hainan province, China.

ST7 is highly prevalent in humans, pigs, as well as food in China; however, staphylococcal food poisoning (SFP) caused by this ST type has rarely been reported. On May 13, 2017, an SFP outbreak caused by ST7 strains occurred in two campuses of a kindergarten in Hainan Province, China. We investigated the genomic characteristics and phylogenetic analysis of ST7 SFP strains combined with the 91 ST7 food-borne strains from 12 provinces in China by performing whole-genome sequencing (WGS).

Characterization of the Interactions between Minocycline Hydrochloride and Trypsin with Spectroscopic and Molecular Docking Technology.

In the current study, the interaction of minocycline hydrochloride (MC) and trypsin (TRP) was studied using fluorescence spectroscopy, synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy, three-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and molecular docking simulation techniques. The results show that the fluorescence quenching of trypsin at different degrees can be caused by minocycline hydrochloride at different temperatures. According to the Stern-Volmer equation, the fluorescence quenching type was static quenching.

How to Realize Ultrahigh Photochromic Performance for Real-Time Optical Recording in Transparent Ceramics.

A combination of transparency and photochromic (PC) properties in ferroelectrics has promising application potential in smart windows and optical storage/imaging. Nonetheless, limited by understanding the underlying PC mechanism, a splendid PC performance is rarely achieved in transparent ferroelectrics. Here, a strategy to construct deep-lying traps by ion-doping induced defect engineering in (KNa)NbO-based ferroelectric ceramics is proposed.

The secure judgment of graphic similarity against malicious adversaries and its applications.

With the advent of the era of big data, privacy computing analyzes and calculates data on the premise of protecting data privacy, to achieve data 'available and invisible'. As an important branch of secure multi-party computation, the geometric problem can solve practical problems in the military, national defense, finance, life, and other fields, and has important research significance. In this paper, we study the similarity problem of geometric graphics.

Classification and Prediction of Skyrmion Material Based on Machine Learning.

The discovery and study of skyrmion materials play an important role in basic frontier physics research and future information technology. The database of 196 materials, including 64 skyrmions, was established and predicted based on machine learning. A variety of intrinsic features are classified to optimize the model, and more than a dozen methods had been used to estimate the existence of skyrmion in magnetic materials, such as support vector machines, -nearest neighbor, and ensembles of trees.

Randomized Phase 2 Trial of Telitacicept in Patients With IgA Nephropathy With Persistent Proteinuria.

Introduction: To date, no specific therapies have been approved for immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) treatment. Telitacicept is a fusion protein composed of transmembrane activator and calcium-modulating cyclophilin ligand interactor and fragment crystallizable portion of immunoglobulin G (IgG), which neutralizes the B lymphocyte stimulator and a proliferation-inducing ligand.

Methods: This phase 2 randomized placebo-controlled trial aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of telitacicept in patients with IgAN.

Chaos generated in a semiconductor microcavity.

The dynamics of chaos in quantum systems has attracted much interest in connection with the fundamental aspects of quantum mechanics. We study the chaotic dynamics of both the excitonic mode and the cavity mode in a microcavity containing a quantum well driven by an external field. We investigate how the chaotic dynamics is influenced by the frequencies of the exciton and the cavity, the coupling constant between the exciton and cavity, the Coulomb interaction between excitons, and the response of the exciton to the cavity and the external field.

Machine learning-based automated sponge cytology for screening of oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma of the oesophagogastric junction: a nationwide, multicohort, prospective study.

Background: Oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma of the oesophagogastric junction have a dismal prognosis, and early detection is key to reduce mortality. However, early detection depends on upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, which is not feasible to implement at a population level. We aimed to develop and validate a fully automated machine learning-based prediction tool integrating a minimally invasive sponge cytology test and epidemiological risk factors for screening of oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma of the oesophagogastric junction before endoscopy.

FOXO signaling pathway participates in oxidative stress-induced histone deacetylation.

High concentrations of antioxidants can exert pro-oxidative effects, elevate the level of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), and cause oxidative stress in cells. We previously found that high concentrations of curcumin, a natural polyphenol antioxidant, elevated ROS levels and upregulated the expression of histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) in human gastric cancer cells (hGCCs); however, its potential mechanisms and subsequent functions have not been elucidated. In the present study, we treated hGCCs with high concentrations of curcumin, detected several indicators of oxidative stress, and investigated the mechanism of curcumin-treatment-mediated HDAC1 upregulation and its effect on histone acetylation.

Constructing discriminative feature space for LncRNA-protein interaction based on deep autoencoder and marginal fisher analysis.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles by regulating proteins in many biological processes and life activities. To uncover molecular mechanisms of lncRNA, it is very necessary to identify interactions of lncRNA with proteins. Recently, some machine learning methods were proposed to detect lncRNA-protein interactions according to the distribution of known interactions.