Effects of Clipping an Invasive Plant Species on the Growth of Planted Plants of Two Co-Occurring Species in a Greenhouse Study.

The restoration of native plants in invaded habitats is constrained with the presence of highly competitive exotic species. Aboveground removal, such as clipping or mowing, of invasive plants is required for successful restoration. The effects of clipping an invasive plant species, Solidago canadensis, grown at five densities (1-5 plants per pot), and planting two co-occurring and competitive species, Sesbania cannabina and Imperata cylindrica, on the growth of both the invasive species and the co-occurring species were investigated in a greenhouse experiment. The established S. canadensis suppressed the growth of planted seedlings with 47.8-94.4% reduction in biomass, with stronger effects at higher densities; clipping significantly reduced 97.5-97.4% of biomass of S. canadensis and ameliorated the suppression effects (with only 8.7-52.7% reduction in biomass of the co-occurring plants), irrespective of density. Both the aboveground and belowground part of S. canadensis contributed to its suppression effects on planted co-occurring species. Seed sowing of co-occurring species reduced the belowground growth, but not the underground growth of S. canadensis. S. cannabina appeared to be more effective at reducing the growth of S. canadensis than I. cylindrica. Therefore, clipping together with planting competitive species that can overcome the belowground priority effects of S. canadensis could be a promising strategy for controlling S. canadensis invasion and restoring native plant communities.

Serum cholinesterase is associated with incident diabetic retinopathy: the Shanghai Nicheng cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Serum cholinesterase (ChE) is positively associated with incident diabetes and dyslipidemia. We aimed to investigate the relationship between ChE and the incidence of diabetic retinopathy (DR). METHODS: Based on a community-based cohort study followed for 4.6 years, 1133 participants aged 55-70 years with diabetes were analyzed. Fundus photographs were taken for each eye at both baseline and follow-up investigations. The presence and severity of DR were categorized into no DR, mild non-proliferative DR (NPDR), and referable DR (moderate NPDR or worse). Binary and multinomial logistic regression models were used to estimate the risk ratio (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) between ChE and DR. RESULTS: Among the 1133 participants, 72 (6.4%) cases of DR occurred. The multivariable binary logistic regression showed that the highest tertile of ChE (≥ 422 U/L) was associated with a 2.01-fold higher risk of incident DR (RR 2.01, 95%CI 1.01-4.00; P for trend < 0.05) than the lowest tertile (< 354 U/L). The multivariable binary and multinomial logistic regression showed that the risk of DR increased by 41% (RR 1.41, 95%CI 1.05-1.90), and the risk of incident referable DR was almost 2-fold higher than no DR (RR 1.99, 95%CI 1.24-3.18) with per 1-SD increase of loge-transformed ChE. Furthermore, multiplicative interactions were found between ChE and elderly participants (aged 60 and older; P for interaction = 0.003) and men (P for interaction = 0.044) on the risk of DR. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, ChE was associated with the incidence of DR, especially referable DR. ChE was a potential biomarker for predicting the incident DR.

Blocking Dectin-1 prevents colorectal tumorigenesis by suppressing prostaglandin E2 production in myeloid-derived suppressor cells and enhancing IL-22 binding protein expression.

Dectin-1 (gene Clec7a), a receptor for ß-glucans, plays important roles in the host defense against fungi and immune homeostasis of the intestine. Although this molecule is also suggested to be involved in the regulation of tumorigenesis, the role in intestinal tumor development remains to be elucidated. In this study, we find that azoxymethane-dextran-sodium-sulfate-induced and ApcMin-induced intestinal tumorigenesis are suppressed in Clec7a-/- mice independently from commensal microbiota. Dectin-1 is preferentially expressed on myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). In the Clec7a-/- mouse colon, the proportion of MDSCs and MDSC-derived prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) levels are reduced, while the expression of IL-22 binding protein (IL-22BP; gene Il22ra2) is upregulated. Dectin-1 signaling induces PGE2-synthesizing enzymes and PGE2 suppresses Il22ra2 expression in vitro and in vivo. Administration of short chain ß-glucan laminarin, an antagonist of Dectin-1, suppresses the development of mouse colorectal tumors. Furthermore, in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC), the expression of CLEC7A is also observed in MDSCs and correlated with the death rate and tumor severity. Dectin-1 signaling upregulates PGE2-synthesizing enzyme expression and PGE2 suppresses IL22RA2 expression in human CRC-infiltrating cells. These observations indicate a role of the Dectin-1-PGE2-IL-22BP axis in regulating intestinal tumorigenesis, suggesting Dectin-1 as a potential target for CRC therapy.

Effect of changes in anthropometric measurements on the remission and progression of prediabetes: A community-based cohort study.

AIMS: We assessed the impact of changes in body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage (BF%), and waist circumference (WC) on prediabetes among middle-aged and elderly Chinese adults. SUBJECTS, MATERIALS AND METHODS: 2.5-year changes in BMI, BF%, and WC were calculated by subtracting baseline levels from follow-up, based on a cohort of 3,632 participants with prediabetes, and outcomes were defined as remission to normal glucose regulation (NGR), persistence in prediabetes, and progression to newly diagnosed diabetes mellitus (NDM). RESULTS: Among participants with prediabetes, 16.9% returned to NGR and 24.6% progressed to NDM. Changes in BMI, BF%, but not WC were associated with remission and progression of prediabetes (risk ratio per standard deviation increase of BMI: 0.86 [0.79-0.93] and 1.15 [1.08-1.23]; BF%: 0.91 [0.84-0.98] and 1.11 [1.03-1.19]). Among participants with combined impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), only BF% change was significantly associated with remission of prediabetes. CONCLUSION: Short-term management of BMI and BF% should be emphasized to promote the remission and prevent the progression of prediabetes. Moreover, it is of particular clinical importance to monitor BF% among people with combined IFG and IGT.

Blocking DCIR mitigates colitis and prevents colorectal tumors by enhancing the GM-CSF-STAT5 pathway.

Dendritic cell immunoreceptor (DCIR; Clec4a2), a member of the C-type lectin receptor family, plays important roles in homeostasis of the immune and bone systems. However, the intestinal role of this molecule is unclear. Here, we show that dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis and azoxymethane-DSS-induced intestinal tumors are reduced in Clec4a2-/- mice independently of intestinal microbiota. STAT5 phosphorylation and expression of Csf2 and tight junction genes are enhanced, while Il17a and Cxcl2 are suppressed in the Clec4a2-/- mouse colon, which exhibits reduced infiltration of neutrophils and myeloid-derived suppressor cells. Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) administration ameliorates DSS colitis associated with reduced Il17a and enhanced tight junction gene expression, whereas anti-GM-CSF exacerbates symptoms. Furthermore, anti-NA2, a ligand for DCIR, ameliorates colitis and prevents colorectal tumors. These observations indicate that blocking DCIR signaling ameliorates colitis and suppresses colonic tumors, suggesting DCIR as a possible target for the treatment of these diseases.

The hospitalization burden of inflammatory bowel disease in China: a nationwide study from 2013 to 2018.

Background: The past decade has witnessed a dramatic increase in the number of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in China. The nationwide burden of hospitalization remains unclear, however. We aimed to address this gap by conducting analysis using a nationwide database. Methods: Population-based hospitalization rates from 2013 to 2018 were calculated by extrapolating the number of patients in the database to the national level. Surgical rates, annual hospital charges, and length of stay were also used for quantification of hospitalization burden. The Poisson regression analysis and the Cochran-Armitage trend test were conducted to analyze temporal trends as expressed as annual percentage of change (APC) with 95% confidential intervals (CIs). Results: From 2013 to 2018, the hospitalization rates for Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) in China increased from 2.20 (95% CI = 2.17-2.22) to 3.62 (3.59-3.65) per 100,000 inhabitants (p < 0.0001) with an APC of 10.68% (6.00-15.36%) and from 6.24 (6.20-6.28) to 8.29 (8.23-8.33) per 100,000 inhabitants (p < 0.0001) with an APC of 5.73% (2.32-9.15%), respectively. Surgical rates decreased from 7.96% (7.29-8.63%) to 5.56% (5.11-6.00%) for CD patients (p < 0.0001) with APC of -6.30% (-11.33 to -1.27%) and from 3.54% (3.26-3.82%) to 2.52% (2.32-2.72%) for UC patients (p < 0.0001) with APC of -6.35% (-16.21 to 3.51). In 2018, there were estimated 166,000 IBD patients hospitalized costing a total of $426.37 million ($149.91 + $276.46 million) across the entire China. Conclusion: The population-based hospitalization rate of IBD increased, whereas the surgical rate decreased from 2013 to 2018 in China.

The C-type lectin receptor Clec1A plays an important role in the development of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis by enhancing antigen presenting ability of dendritic cells and inducing inflammatory cytokine IL-17.

Clec1A, a member of C-type lectin receptor family, has a carbohydrate recognition domain in its extracellular region, but no known signaling motif in the cytoplasmic domain. Clec1a is highly expressed in endothelial cells and weakly in dendritic cells. Although this molecule was reported to play an important role in the host defense against Aspergillus fumigatus by recognizing 1,8-dihydroxynaphthalene-melanin on the fungal surface, the roles of this molecule in un-infected animals remain to be elucidated. In this study, we found that Clec1a-/- mice develop milder symptoms upon induction of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model for multiple sclerosis. The maximum disease score was significantly lower, and demyelination and inflammation of the spinal cord were much milder in Clec1a-/- mice compared to wild-type mice. No abnormality was detected in the immune cell composition in the draining lymph nodes and spleen on day 10 and 16 after EAE induction. Recall memory T cell proliferation after restimulation with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein peptide (MOG35-55) in vitro was decreased in Clec1a-/- mice, and antigen presenting ability of Clec1a-/- dendritic cells was impaired. Interestingly, RNA-Seq and RT-qPCR analyses clearly showed that the expression of inflammatory cytokines including Il17a, Il6 and Il1b was greatly decreased in Clec1a-/- mice after induction of EAE, suggesting that this reduced cytokine production is responsible for the amelioration of EAE in Clec1a-/- mice. These observations suggest a novel function of Clec1A in the immune system.

Osteocalcin and Risks of Incident Diabetes and Diabetic Kidney Disease: A 4.6-Year Prospective Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to examine the relationship between osteocalcin (OC) and the risk of incident diabetes and the risk of incident diabetic kidney disease (DKD). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We followed 5,396 participants without diabetes (nondiabetes subcohort) and 1,174 participants with diabetes and normal kidney function (diabetes subcohort) at baseline. Logistic regression and modified Poisson regression models were used to estimate the relative risk (RR) of baseline OC levels with incident diabetes and DKD. RESULTS: During a mean 4.6-year follow-up period, 296 cases of incident diabetes and 184 cases of incident DKD were identified. In the nondiabetes subcohort, higher OC levels were linearly associated with a decreased risk of diabetes (RR for 1-unit increase of loge-transformed OC 0.51 [95% CI 0.35-0.76]; RR for highest vs. lowest quartile 0.65 [95% CI 0.44-0.95]; P for trend < 0.05). In the diabetes subcohort, OC levels were linearly inversely associated with incident DKD (RR for 1-unit increase of loge-transformed OC 0.49 [95% CI 0.33-0.74]; RR for highest vs. lowest quartile 0.56 [95% CI 0.38-0.83]; P for trend < 0.05), even independent of baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate and urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio. No significant interactions between OC and various subgroups on incident diabetes or DKD were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Lower OC levels were associated with an increased risk of incident diabetes and DKD.

Interleukin-17 family members in health and disease.

The interleukin-17 (IL-17) family consists of six family members (IL-17A-IL-17F) and all the corresponding receptors have been identified recently. This family is mainly involved in the host defense mechanisms against bacteria, fungi and helminth infection by inducing cytokines and chemokines, recruiting neutrophils, inducing anti-microbial proteins and modifying T-helper cell differentiation. IL-17A and some other family cytokines are also involved in the development of psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis by inducing inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, and antibodies against IL-17A as well as the receptor IL-17RA are being successfully used for the treatment of these diseases. Involvement in the development of inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and tumors has also been suggested in animal disease models. In this review, we will briefly review the mechanisms by which IL-17 cytokines are involved in the development of these diseases and discuss possible treatment of inflammatory diseases by targeting IL-17 family members.

Nomogram to predict primary non-response to infliximab in patients with Crohn's disease: a multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: Infliximab (IFX) is effective at inducing and maintaining clinical remission and mucosal healing in patients with Crohn's disease (CD); however, 9%-40% of patients do not respond to primary IFX treatment. This study aimed to construct and validate nomograms to predict IFX response in CD patients. METHODS: A total of 343 patients diagnosed with CD who had received IFX induction from four tertiary centers between September 2008 and September 2019 were enrolled in this study and randomly classified into a training cohort (n = 240) and a validation cohort (n = 103). The primary outcome was primary non-response (PNR) and the secondary outcome was mucosal healing (MH). Nomograms were constructed from the training cohort using multivariate logistic regression. Performance of nomograms was evaluated by area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC) and calibration curve. The clinical usefulness of nomograms was evaluated by decision-curve analysis. RESULTS: The nomogram for PNR was developed based on four independent predictors: age, C-reactive protein (CRP) at week 2, body mass index, and non-stricturing, non-penetrating behavior (B1). AUC was 0.77 in the training cohort and 0.76 in the validation cohort. The nomogram for MH included four independent factors: baseline Crohn's Disease Endoscopic Index of Severity, CRP at week 2, B1, and disease duration. AUC was 0.79 and 0.72 in the training and validation cohorts, respectively. The two nomograms showed good calibration in both cohorts and were superior to single factors and an existing matrix model. The decision curve indicated the clinical usefulness of the PNR nomogram. CONCLUSIONS: We established and validated nomograms for the prediction of PNR to IFX and MH in CD patients. This graphical tool is easy to use and will assist physicians in therapeutic decision-making.

Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Exosomal MicroRNA-133a Restrains Myocardial Fibrosis and Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Viral Myocarditis Rats Through Suppressing MAML1.

Myocarditis is a disease characterized by localized or diffuse inflammation of the myocardium without efficient treatment. This study explored the regulatory mechanism of microRNA-133 (miR-133) secreted from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosome (BMSC-Exo) on myocardial fibrosis and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in viral myocarditis (VMC) rats through regulating mastermind-like 1 (MAML1). BMSCs in rats were isolated and cultured to identify their immune phenotype and osteogenic and adipogenic ability, and BMSC-Exo were extracted and identified. Exosomes were obtained through ultracentrifugation, which were identified by transmission electron microscope and western blot analysis. The rats were injected with Coxsackie B3 virus for preparation of VMC model, and cardiomyocytes were isolated, cultured and grouped in the same way as animal experiments (NCExo, Ad-miR-133aExo, Adas-miR-133aExo). In vivo and in vitro experiments were conducted to figure out the roles of exosomal miR-133a and MAML1 in inflammation, apoptosis, EMT, fibrosis, and cell viability. The targeting relationship between miR-133a and MAML1 was verified by dual luciferase reporter gene assay. BMSC-Exo raised miR-133a expression in VMC rats and effectively improved the VMC rat cardiac function and myocardial fibrosis, increased cardiomyocyte viability and inhibited the EMT process. Elevated miR-133a in exosomes strengthened the improvements. Silenced miR-133a effectively reversed the effects of BMSC-Exo on VMC rats. miR-133a targeted MAML1. Inhibition of MAML1 improved cardiac function and myocardial fibrosis in VMC rats and could reverse the effect of miR-133a-silenced exosomes on VMC rats. Our study suggests that elevated exosomal miR-133a suppresses myocardial fibrosis and EMT in rats with VMC via down-regulating MAML1, thereby inhibiting the progression of myocarditis.

Can fecal calprotectin accurately identify histological activity of ulcerative colitis? A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Elevated fecal calprotectin (FC) levels have been reported to correlate with histological activity in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). However, the accuracy of FC for evaluating histological activity of UC remains to be determined. The aim of this study was to determine the accuracy of FC for evaluating histological activity of UC, based on updated definitions. METHODS: Related studies were retrieved from the PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane databases. Adult participants diagnosed with UC were included when sufficient data could be extracted to calculate the accuracy of FC for evaluating histological activity. The primary outcome was histological response, and the secondary outcome was histological remission, defined according to a recently updated position paper of European Crohn's and Colitis Organization. Statistics were pooled using bivariate mixed-effects models. The area under the curve was estimated by summary receiver-operating characteristic curves. RESULTS: Nine studies were included, from which 1039 patients were included for the analysis of histological response and 591 patients for histological remission. For the evaluation of histological response, the pooled sensitivity, specificity, and the area under the curve were 0.69 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.52-0.82], 0.77 (95% CI: 0.63-0.87), and 0.80 (95% CI: 0.76-0.83), respectively. For the evaluation of histological remission, the corresponding estimates were 0.76 (95% CI: 0.71-0.81), 0.71 (95% CI: 0.62-0.78), and 0.79 (95% CI: 0.75-0.82), respectively. FC had a higher accuracy in studies using Nancy Index. For histological response, the cut-off values of FC ranged from 50 to 172 µg/g, and the sensitivity was higher in studies with FC cut-off values >100 µg/g (0.77 versus 0.65). CONCLUSION: FC is a valuable biomarker for assessing histological activity in patients with UC. A cut-off value of 100-200 µg/g is more appropriate to spare patients from an unnecessary endoscopy and biopsy.

[Early treatment of suspension moxibustion for Bell's palsy in acute stage].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the efficacy of early treatment of suspension moxibustion for Bell's palsy and its influence on the prognosis, and to explore whether the early treatment of suspension moxibustion has non-inferiority effect to hormone treatment and whether suspension moxibustion combined with hormone treatment has the synergistic effect. METHODS: A total of 132 patients with acute-stage Bell's palsy were divided into a hormone group (94 cases) and a moxibustion group (38 cases) by non-random method, and the hormone group was further randomly divided into a hormone with moxibustion group (48 cases) and a hormone without moxibustion group (46 cases). The acupuncture and oral administration of mecobalamin capsule were used as basic treatment. Acupuncture was applied at Yangbai (GB 14), Sibai (ST 2), Quanliao (SI 18), Dicang (ST 4), Jiache (ST 6), Yifeng (TE 17), etc., with the needles retained for 30 min, once a day, 5 consecutive days per week; there was an interval of 2 days between two weeks, and a total of 4-week treatment was given. The oral administration of mecobalamin capsule was given 0.5 mg each time, 3 times a day for 4 weeks. The patients in the moxibustion group, on the basis of basic treatment, were treated with the suspension moxibustion at Yangbai (GB 14), Sibai (ST 2), Dicang (ST 4), Jiache (ST 6), Wangu (GB 12), Yifeng (TE 17) of affected side, 5 min per acupoint, once a day, 5 consecutive days per week; there was an interval of 2 days between two weeks, and a total of 4-week treatment was given. The patients in the hormone without moxibustion group, on the basis of basic treatment, were treated with prednisone acetate tablets. The patients in the hormone with moxibustion group, on the basis of basic treatment, were treated with suspension moxibustion and prednisone acetate tablets. All the treatment was given for 4 weeks. The House-Brcackmann facial nerve grading (H-B) global score and facial disability index (FDI) scale were used to evaluate the curative effect in the three groups before treatment, 2 weeks and 4 weeks into treatment and 4 weeks after treatment; the efficacy was compared among the three groups. RESULTS: Compared before treatment, the H-B grading and FDI scores were significantly improved 2 weeks and 4 weeks into treatment and 4 weeks after treatment (P<0.05). The various indexs of each group 2 weeks into treatment were not statistically significant in the three groups (P>0.05); the H-B grading and FDI scores in the hormone with moxibustion group were superior to those in the moxibustion group and the hormone without moxibustion group 4 weeks into treatment and 4 weeks after treatment (P<0.05), while there was no significant difference between the moxibustion group and the hormone without moxibustion group (P>0.05). At the end of follow-up, the cured rate in the hormone with moxibustion group was 81.3% (39/48), which was superior to 68.4% (26/38) in the moxibustion group and 60.9% (28/46) in the hormone without moxibustion group (P<0.05). However, there was no significant difference between the moxibustion group and the hormone without moxibustion group (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: The three treatment methods are all safe and effective for acute-stage Bell's palsy. The suspension moxibustion combined with hormone therapy are superior to suspension moxibustion or hormone therapy alone. Early treatment of suspension moxibustion is safe and effective for Bell's palsy, and has obvious synergistic effect with hormone. For the patients who cannot use hormone, suspension moxibustion could replace hormone, which is non-inferior to hormone.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE ENVIRONMENTAL ENDOCRINE DISRUPTOR BISPHENOL A AND DYSLIPIDEMIA: A FIVE-YEAR PROSPECTIVE STUDY.

Objective: To investigate whether serum bisphenol A (BPA) concentration is related to the occurrence of dyslipidemia. Methods: A total of 574 adults were enrolled at baseline and followed up for 5 years. Concentrations of serum BPA, triglycerides (TGs), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol were measured. Dyslipidemia was defined as the existence of one or more of the following conditions: high-LDL-cholesterolemia (LDL ≥140 mg/dL), hypertriglyceridemia (TGs ≥150 mg/dL), or low-HDL-cholesterolemia (HDL <40 mg/dL). Participants were stratified into tertiles according to low, median, and high baseline serum BPA levels. Multivariable linear and logistic regression models were used. Data from baseline and follow-up were used for cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses, respectively. Results: In the cross-sectional analysis, compared to subjects in the low BPA tertile, those in the high BPA tertile showed a higher level of LDL cholesterol (108.1 ± 24.4 mg/dL versus 119.5 ± 26.9 mg/dL; P<.05) and a lower level of HDL cholesterol (46.2 ± 11.7 mg/dL versus 39.5 ± 7.5 mg/dL; P<.05). In multivariable linear regression models, Z-transformed BPA was positively associated with LDL cholesterol (ß= 0.13, P = .002) and negatively associated with HDL cholesterol (ß= -0.28; P<.001). After cross-sectionally adjusting for confounders, subjects in higher BPA exposure was associated with a higher prevalence of low-HDL-cholesterolemia. Longitudinally, in subjects without low-HDL-cholesterolemia at baseline, each SD increment in baseline BPA was associated with a higher incidence of low-HDL-cholesterolemia after adjustment for confounders (odds ratio [95% confidence interval; CI] 2.76, 95% CI 1.21, 6.29). Conclusion: Cross-sectionally, higher BPA exposure is associated with a higher prevalence of low-HDL-cholesterolemia. Longitudinally, baseline BPA is an independent predictor of the 5-year incidence of low-HDL-cholesterolemia. Abbreviations: BMI = body mass index; BPA = bisphenol A; CI = confidence interval; CVD = cardiovascular disease; EIMDS = environment, inflammation and metabolic diseases study; HDL = high density lipoprotein; LDL = low density lipoprotein; OR = odds ratio; PPAR = peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor; SBP = systolic blood pressure; TG = triglyceride; Z-BPA = Z-transformed bisphenol A.

Platelet-to-lymphocyte percentage ratio index: a simple non-invasive index to monitor the endoscopic activity in Crohn's disease.

BACKGROUND: Recent evidence has shown that the complete blood count (CBC) is abnormal in patients with Crohn's disease (CD). We aimed to investigate an effective CBC parameter and explore its impact on disease activity in a large CD cohort. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of patients with established CD who underwent clinically indicated endoscopy at four tertiary centres in China between 2016 and 2020. Individual variables of the Simple Endoscopic Score for CD, CBC parameters, C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and faecal calprotectin (FC) were independently reviewed by different investigators. The hold-out method was used to verify the predictive power of the established model. RESULTS: Data from a total of 1388 endoscopic procedures performed for 882 eligible CD patients were available with routine blood parameters and related indicators. The model using platelet-to-lymphocyte percentage ratio (PLpR) had high accuracy for identifying patients in endoscopic remission (ER), with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.785 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.784-0.787], which was comparable with that for CRP (AUC: 0.775, 95% CI: 0.774-0.777). Notably, the AUC of PLpR was significantly higher than that of CRP in patients with colonic disease and with a history of surgery. Moreover, after combining the FC with PLpR, the AUC value of FC + PLpR increased up to 0.892 (95% CI: 0.890-0.894) for identifying ER. CONCLUSIONS: We explored an index (PLpR) to identify CD patients in ER based on platelet and lymphocyte percentage from the CBC. PLpR helped evaluate the degree of disease activity and monitor the therapeutic response.

Circulating TNF receptors 1 and 2 predict progression of diabetic kidney disease: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: We conducted a meta-analysis to investigate the association of circulating tumor necrosis factor-1 (TNFR-1) and TNFR-2 with diabetic kidney disease (DKD) progression, which is the first-ever quantitative analysis of these associations thus far. Whether TNFRs were better than albumin-creatinine ratio (ACR) in predicting DKD progression was also explored. METHODS: A systematic search of the PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases up to 1 February 2018, was conducted. The main outcome was DKD progression, which was defined as eGFR decline, macroalbuminuria, or incidence of DKD-related events. Eligible studies were included for pooled analysis using either fixed-effects or random-effects models to incorporate between-study variation by different measurement standards. Publication bias was evaluated using Egger's test. RESULTS: The meta-analysis included 6526 participants from 11 cohorts with circulating TNFR-1 measurements and 5385 participants from 10 prospective studies with circulating TNFR-2 measurements. Compared with the lowest level category, diabetic patients with the highest TNFR-1 or TNFR-2 level category exhibited a higher risk of DKD progression (RR 2.51, 95% CI [1.92-3.27] for TNFR-1; 3.23 [1.99-5.26] for TNFR-2). The risk of DKD progression was also increased with the per unit increment of TNFR-1 or TNFR-2 (1.68 [1.43-1.97] for TNFR-1; 1.69 [1.31-2.17] for TNFR-2). Although existing studies did not support a direct comparison between ACR and TNFRs, it was undeniable that TNFRs could improve the predictive value in DKD progression. CONCLUSIONS: Circulating TNFR-1 and TNFR-2 are reliable predictors of DKD progression. Whether TNFRs are better than ACR at predicting DKD progression needs to be further investigated.

High Capacity of Nutrient Accumulation by Invasive Solidago canadensis in a Coastal Grassland.

BACKGROUND: Solidago canadensis is a notorious invasive species from North America that is spreading across East China. It is invading some coastal grasslands and replacing native grass species. The effects of the S. canadensis invasion on soil nutrient cycling in the grasslands remain unclear. This study examined the effects of the invasion of S. canadensis on macronutrient accumulation in species aboveground part and soil. METHODS: Aboveground biomass, macronutrient (N, P, and K) pools in biomass, litter mass and decomposition rates, soil macronutrient availability and soil microbial biomass and enzyme activity that were related to nutrient transformation were compared between plots invaded by S. canadensis and uninvaded plots dominated by three different native grass species: Phacelurus latifolius, Phragmites australis, and Imperata cylindrica. RESULTS: S. canadensis had higher aboveground biomass, higher leaf N, P, and K concentrations, and consequently, a larger macronutrient pool size in the standing biomass. S. canadensis also produced more litter with higher N, P, and K concentrations and faster decomposition rates. The S. canadensis invasion did not change the total N, P, and K concentration in the topsoil (0-10 cm), but the invasion did increase their availability. The S. canadensis invasion did not increase the total soil organic matter (TSOM) content but did increase the soil microbial biomass and the activities of urease, alkaline phosphatase, invertase, amylase, and glucosidase in the topsoil. CONCLUSION: The invasion of S. canadensis accelerates the macronutrient cycling rate via increases in aboveground productivity and nutrient accumulation in standing biomass, faster nutrient release from litter and higher soil microbial activity. An enhanced nutrient cycling rate may further enhance its invasiveness through a positive feedback on soil processes.

Interaction of graphene oxide with bovine serum albumin: A fluorescence quenching study.

Fluorescence quenching was used to elucidate the binding interaction mechanism between bovine serum albumin (BSA) and graphene oxide (GO). By analyzing the values of Stern-Volmer quenching constant (KSV) and binding constant (KA) which were affected by temperature, we supposed that the quenching process between GO and BSA was mainly determined by static quenching, combined with dynamic quenching. The study of thermodynamics showed that the values of enthalpy change (∆H), entropy change (∆S) and Free Energy (∆G) were all negative, which implied that the weak interaction of the molecular between BSA and GO was Van der Waals interaction or hydrogen bond, and the quenching process was exothermic and spontaneous. The red shift in the synchronous fluorescence spectra suggested that the conformation of tryptophan was changed in the presence of GO. According to Förster's non-radiative energy transfer theory, the distance r between BSA (donor) and GO (acceptor) was calculated and indicated the occurrence of energy transfer from BSA to GO had high probability. The AFM observation and Raman spectroscopy revealed that the interaction between BSA and GO has occurred. Compared with other literatures, the explosion of surface topography about BSA and GO was paid more attention on in this study.

Influence of modified silica nanoparticles on phase behavior and structure properties of DPPC monolayers.

In this work, the effect of silica nanoparticles (NPs) adding to DPPC monolayer and the interaction between DPPC and silica nanoparticles are studied. Silica nanoparticles are prepared by microemulsion, meanwhile, DMDCS and APTES are used to modify silica NPs to get three types of modified silica NPs. These samples are mixed with DPPC to form mixed monolayer. By using the atomic force microscope (AFM), surface pressure-area and pressure-time isotherms, the effects of different hydrophilic-hydrophobic silica nanoparticles on the interface of lipid monolayer is analyzed. The data shows that the addition of silica nanoparticles changes the phase behavior, the collapse time and the structure of monolayer. Hydrophilic silica NPs decreases the collapse pressure and rigidity of DPPC monolayer, and makes monolayer collapse earlier since the steric hindrance leads to the resistance to compression, while hydrophobic silica NPs have less effect on monolayer in collapse pressure or rigidity but the texture of monolayer, and the addition of hydrophobic NPs causes the appearance of holes in the monolayer. We suppose that there are several possible locations of hydrophobic and hydrophilic silica nanoparticles in the air-water interface, which leads to different effects on the structure and rheological behavior of monolayer. This study can deepen the understanding on how nanoparticles affect human body since industries of nanoparticles on drug delivery, oil recovery and floatation are developing rapidly and getting more and more outside interest on a daily basis.