The mediating effect of family resilience between coping styles and caregiver burden in maintenance hemodialysis patients: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Primary caregivers of hemodialysis patients suffer from varying degrees of stress from their patients. Caring for hemodialysis patients can expose caregivers to many problems, leading to an increased burden of care and even impacting the quality of care. The purpose of our study was to examine whether family resilience could be a mediating variable moderating the relationship between patient coping styles and caregiver burden. METHODS: The study was a cross-sectional and descriptive-analytical study that interviewed 173 pairs of hemodialysis patients and their caregivers at a blood purification center in a public hospital in China. The Brief Coping Styles Scale (Chinese version) was used to assess individuals' coping styles for disease and treatment. From the caregiver's perspective, the Family Resilience Assessment Scale (Chinese version) was used to understand the resilience of families, and the Zarit Caregiver Burden Scale was used to capture the caregiver's subjective experience of burden. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS version 23 and Amos version 26 to analyze the relationships between variables to examine for correlation and construct mediated effects models. RESULTS: Coping styles showed a significant positive correlation with family resilience (r = 0.347, P < 0.01) and a negative correlation with caregiver burden (r = -0.379, P < 0.01). A significant negative correlation was found between family resilience and caregiver burden (r = -0.503, P < 0.01). In the mediation model, patient coping styles directly impacted caregiver burden significantly (95% CI [-0.372, -0.058]), and coping styles indirectly impacted caregiver burden by family resilience in a significant way (95% CI [-0.275, -0.098]). CONCLUSIONS: Patient coping styles directly affect caregiver burden. Family resilience is a mediating variable between patients' coping styles and the burden on caregivers.

The mediating effect of bullying on parental-peer support matching and NSSI behaviour among adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Being subjected to bullying is a significant risk factor for non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) among adolescents. Parental support, peer support, and social connectedness play protective roles in mitigating NSSI in this population. However, the precise impact of the combined effects of parental and peer support on bullying and NSSI requires further investigation. METHODS: This study employed the Child and Adolescent Social Support Scale, Delaware Bullying Victimisation Scale, Social Connectedness Scale, and the Ottawa Self-Injury Inventory to survey 1277 Chinese adolescents. Polynomial regression analysis and response surface analysis were applied to examine the mediating role of bullying and social connectedness in the relationship between parental and peer support matching and NSSI. RESULTS: The results indicate that parental support (r = 0.287, P < 0.001), peer support (r = 0.288, P < 0.001), and social connectedness (r = 0.401, P < 0.001) were protective factors against NSSI in adolescents. Conversely, bullying (r = 0.425, P < 0.001) acts as a risk factor for NSSI in this population. Adolescents with low parental and peer support experienced more bullying than those with high parental and peer support, while those with low parental but high peer support experienced less bullying than those with high parental but low peer support (R^2 = 0.1371, P < 0.001). Social connectedness moderated the effect between bullying and NSSI in this model (ß = 0.006, P < 0.001). LIMITATIONS: Due to the under-representation of participants and lack of longitudinal data support, the explanatory power of causality between variables was limited. Future studies should include national samples and incorporate longitudinal studies to enhance the generalisability and robustness of the findings. CONCLUSION: This study reveals the influence mechanism of parental and peer support matching experienced by adolescents on bullying and NSSI and the moderating role of social connectedness. These findings enrich the developmental theory of adolescent NSSI and provide reference for the prevention and intervention of adolescent NSSI behaviour.

Hydro-Photo-Thermo-Responsive Multicolor Luminescence Switching of a Ternary MOF Hybrid for Advanced Information Anticounterfeiting.

Developing smart materials capable of solid-state multicolor photoluminescence (PL) switching in response to multistimuli is highly desirable for advanced anticounterfeiting. Here, a ternary MOF hybrid showing hydro-photo-thermo-responsive multicolor PL switching in the solid state is presented. This hybrid is constructed by co-immobilizing Eu3+ and methyl viologen (MV) cations within an anionic MOF via the cation-exchange approach. The confined guest cations are well arranged in the framework channels, facilitating the synergistic realization of stimuli-responsive multiple PL color-switching through intermolecular coupling. The hybrid undergoes a rapid and reversible PL color-switching from red to blue upon water simulation, which is achieved by activating the blue emission of the framework linker while simultaneously quenching the Eu3+ emission. Furthermore, the hybrid displays photo-thermo-responsive PL switching from red to dark. UV-light irradiation or heating triggers the chromic conversion of MV to its colored radical form, which exhibits perfect spectral overlap with Eu3+ , thus activating Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) from Eu3+ to MV radicals and quenching the Eu3+ emission. Inspired by these results, PL morse patterns are designed and fabricated using a novel triple-level encryption strategy, showcasing the exciting potential of this hybrid in advanced anticounterfeiting applications.

Value of the triglyceride glucose index combined with body mass index in identifying non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in patients with type 2 diabetes.

BACKGROUND: The triglyceride glucose index combined with body mass index is a new index that reflects the degree of insulin resistance. In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to explore the predictive value of the triglyceride glucose-body mass index (TyG-BMI) in relation to the occurrence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in the Chinese population with type 2 diabetes (T2D). METHODS: We selected 826 patients with T2D who were hospitalized at the Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism of Karamay People's Hospital from September 2016 to October 2018 for this research. The height, weight, fasting blood glucose, serum insulin, and lipid profiles of the subjects were collected. The liver ultrasound showed any degree of echogenic enhancement of liver tissue and the liver appeared brighter than the renal cortex on ultrasound were considered to be NAFLD. The logistic regression analysis was performed to estimate associations between the triglyceride glucose index (TyG), TyG-BMI index, insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) and the ratio of the triglycerides to high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol with a diagnosis of NAFLD. The receiver operating characteristic curve method was used to analyze its predictive value for NAFLD. RESULTS: Results of the logistic regression analysis showed that the odds ratios of NAFLD were 6.535 (3.70-11.53) and 4.868 (2.576-9.200) for the TyG-BMI before and after correction,respectively(P < 0.001). The area under the curve (AUC) for TyG-BMI was 0.727 (0.691-0.764), which was the highest among all the other parameters studied. CONCLUSION: Compared with the TyG index, the TG/HDL-C and HOMA-IR, the TyG-BMI was a more effective predictor of NAFLD in T2D.

The addition of organic fertilizer can reduce the dependence of dryland yield on rainfall-based on a 32-year long-term study.

Clarifying the synergistic effect between rainfall and fertilization in rainfed farming and joint effect on crop yield can provide theoretical basis for improving the sustainable productivity of farmland in dry farming. A 32-year fertilizer regulation experiment was conducted in the dry farming region of the Loess Plateau. According to the precipitation, it was divided into dry, normal and high rainfall years. The influence of long-term fertilization regulation on crop yield and farmland moisture changes under different rainfall years was analyzed, and the regulation mechanism of fertilization and precipitation coordination on crop yield under different rainfall years was explored. The results showed that effects of fertilization on crop yield and water use efficiency (WUE) were closely related to experimental years. In the early stage, the increase in treatments with higher amounts of nitrogen was more significant, while in the later stage, the increase in treatments with less organic fertilizer was more significant. The correlation of crop yield, the whole rainfall (WR), growth period rainfall (GPR), fallow period rainfall (FPR), water storage during sowing (SWS), evapotranspiration (ET), WUE and utilization efficiency of precipitation (PUE)under different rainfall years and treatments was analyzed. The results showed that the crop yield showed that the correlation with PUE showed high> dry> normal rainfall year, and the correlation with WUE showed the law of dry> high> normal rainfall year. The correlation of organic fertilizer treatments was lower than that of single chemical fertilizer. With the years extension of application organic fertilizer, application low amount of organic fertilizer can improve crop yield by improving PUE, and can achieve the effect of application high amount of organic fertilizer. No matter what the rainfall years, the long-term application of organic fertilizer can make full use of the rainfall to improve the WUE, and then ensure the sustainability of crop yield.

The Effect of Loneliness on Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Behavior in Chinese Junior High School Adolescents: A Moderated Mediation Model.

Purpose: This study explore the interaction between loneliness and non-suicidal self-injury behaviors (hereinafter "NSSI"), and to further examine the mediating role of self-control and the moderating role of social connection. Methods: A total of 414 junior high school students (age 14.05±0.84) in Sichuan province in China were investigated on their loneliness, self-control, social connection and NSSI by questionnaire. Results: (1) there was a significant positive correlation between loneliness and NSSI; (2) self-control played a mediating role in the relationship between loneliness and NSSI; and (3) after controlling for gender, family structure, and family economic level, the social connectedness played a moderating role in the relationship between loneliness and NSSI, as well as between self-control and NSSI. Conclusion: The results verify the relationship between loneliness and NSSI, expands and deepens the internal logical relationship between them, and provides a reference that can be used in the future for the prevention and intervention of NSSI in adolescents.

The Impact of Academic Pressure and Peer Support on Adolescents' Loneliness: A Polynomial Regression and Response Surface Analysis.

Purpose: To explore the impact of the match between academic pressure and peer support on adolescents' sense of loneliness and examine whether social connectedness played a mediating role, using a polynomial regression and response surface analysis. Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted with 1277 adolescents from two cities in Sichuan Province, China, to investigate their academic pressure, peer support, social connectedness, and sense of loneliness. Results: (1) Adolescents' sense of loneliness positively correlated with their level of academic pressure and negatively correlated with their degree of peer support. (2) Social connectedness played a mediating role in the relationship between academic pressure, peer support, and sense of loneliness. (3) Adolescents with high academic pressure and low peer support had weaker social connectedness than those with low academic pressure and high peer support. (4) Adolescents with high academic pressure and high peer support had stronger social connectedness than those with low academic pressure and low peer support. Discussion: The study revealed the mechanism through which a match (or mismatch) between academic pressure and peer support influenced adolescents' sense of loneliness and validated the mediating role of social connectedness. The study enriches the developmental theory of adolescent loneliness and provides research experience for future interventions targeting adolescent loneliness.

Effects of five years conservation tillage for hedging against drought, stabilizing maize yield, and improving soil environment in the drylands of northern China.

Continuous tillage cultivation positioning trials can provide the basis for maintaining soil health, improving resource utilization efficiency and crop productivity, and achieving sustainable agricultural development. In this study, changes in soil stability and water-holding capacity characteristics were measured under different tillage cultivations from a multi-year microscopic perspective and analyzed to evaluate selected key indicators. Continuous monitoring of rainfall utilization efficiency and yield was carried out for five years. Here, we discuss the role of conservation tillage in buffering and stabilizing rainfall precipitation pattern on the fluctuation and uncertainty of soil water retention and water supply capacity and soil quality. The study was carried out on dryland areas of the Loess Plateau in northern China with eight tillage systems established in 2016: no-tillage (NT); no-tillage and straw (NTS); subsoiling (SU); subsoiling and straw (SUS); rotary tillage (RT); rotary tillage and straw (RTS); conventional tillage (CT); and conventional tillage and straw (CTS). All treatments were applied in conjunction with continuous cropping for five years. The evaluated soil parameters were mean weight diameter (MWD), geometric mean diameter (GMD), >0.25 mm aggregate content (R0.25) of water-stable aggregates (WSAs), soil moisture characteristic curve (SMCC), specific soil water capacity (Cθ), soil organic matter (SOM), rainfall utilization efficiency (RUE), and maize yields for five consecutive years. The MWD, GMD, and R0.25 of SUS were 27.38%, 17.57%, and 7.68% more than CTS (control), respectively. Overall, SOM, average annual RUE, and average annual yields increased by 14.64%, 11.89%, and 9.59%, respectively, compared with 2016. Our results strongly suggest that conservation tillage can considerably improve these characterization indicators. SUS was more effective than CTS in the 0-40 cm soil layer at hedging against drought in the area, stabilizing crop production, and achieving sustainable agricultural development.

Phage combination alleviates bacterial leaf blight of rice (Oryza sativa L.).

Rice bacterial leaf blight (BLB) is the most destructive bacterial diseases caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo). Phages have been proposed as a green and efficient strategy to kill bacterial pathogens in crops, however, the mechanism of action of phages in the control of phyllosphere bacterial diseases remain unclear. Here, the glasshouse pot experiment results showed that phage combination could reduce the disease index by up to 64.3%. High-throughput sequencing technology was used to analyze the characteristics of phyllosphere microbiome changes and the results showed that phage combinations restored the impact of pathogen invasion on phyllosphere communities to a certain extent, and increased the diversity of bacterial communities. In addition, the phage combination reduced the relative abundance of epiphytic and endophytic Xoo by 58.9% and 33.9%, respectively. In particular, Sphingomonas and Stenotrophomonas were more abundant. According to structural equation modeling, phage combination directly and indirectly affected the disease index by affecting pathogen Xoo biomass and phage resistance. In summary, phage combination could better decrease the disease index. These findings provide new insights into phage biological control of phyllosphere bacterial diseases, theoretical data support, and new ideas for agricultural green prevention and control of phyllosphere diseases.

The Effect of Emotion Regulation on Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Among Adolescents: The Mediating Roles of Sleep, Exercise, and Social Support.

Purpose: To explore the relationship between adolescents' emotion regulation ability and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) behavior and the role of sleep, exercise, and social support in this relationship. Methods: A total of 2573 adolescents were investigated with the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Scale, the Social Support Scale for Children and Adolescents, the Ottawa Self-Injury Questionnaire, and the Self-Made Living Condition Questionnaire, and path analysis was conducted based on the structural equation model (SEM). Results: 1) There was a significant correlation between emotion regulation ability and NSSI behavior; 2) sleep and social support played a mediating role between emotion regulation ability and NSSI behavior; and 3) sleep modulated the direct effect of negative emotion regulation ability on NSSI, while exercise modulated the direct effect of positive emotion regulation ability on NSSI, which indicated that sleep and exercise could effectively alleviate NSSI behavior caused by the lack of emotion regulation in adolescents.

Hierarchical topological model of the factors influencing adolescents' non-suicidal self-injury behavior based on the DEMATEL-TAISM method.

This study analyzed the factors influencing adolescents' non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) behavior and their interrelationships, and established a total influencing factor model. Through a literature analysis and semi-structured interviews with 87 adolescents and 27 experts in Guangxi Province, China, 13 influencing factors were identified from six aspects: physiological factors, cognitive factors, emotional factors, social support factors, social environment, and NSSI behavior. A system of factors influencing adolescents' NSSI behavior and a model of the factors influencing the comprehensive antagonism multilevel explanatory structure were obtained using a combination of Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory technique and Total Adversarial Interpretive Structural Model. In descending order, NSSI, emotional state, self-efficacy, and self-cognition influenced adolescents' NSSI behavior. Social environment, exercise, and recreation had a greater impact on other factors, while NSSI, emotional regulation ability, and emotional state were greatly affected by other factors. Emotion regulation ability, self-cognition, self-efficacy, family support, school support, social support, and sleep were found to be the core factors influencing NSSI behavior of adolescents. These factors could be used to directly intervene in adolescent NSSI behavior. Timely treatment of adolescents' negative emotional states is directly conducive to preventing NSSI behavior and alleviating its severity.

Influence of adolescents' tendency to catastrophise on non-suicidal self-injury behaviour: A moderated mediation model.

Adolescence is the peak period of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) behaviour, and it is also a period when the prevention and intervention in NSSI are frequently required. To explore the relationship between catastrophising and NSSI and its mechanism, the mediating effects of parental support and negative emotions on catastrophising and NSSI were analysed. A questionnaire was administered to 401 middle school students with a history of NSSI behaviour from 12 schools in Guangxi. (1) Adolescents' catastrophising tendencies positively predicted their NSSI status through negative emotions (B = 0.274, P < 0.001). The more severe the adolescents' catastrophising tendency, the more likely they were to have stronger negative emotions and thus show an increased NSSI level. (2) Parental support played a positive moderating role between the tendency to catastrophise and negative emotions (B = -0.101, t = -2.694, P < 0.01), and it had a protective effect on adolescents' NSSI. Catastrophising was less likely to induce the NSSI behaviour by reducing adolescents' negative emotions (B = -0.104, t = -2.313, P < 0.05); however, it should be noted that only parental affective support, informative support, and instrumental support played a significant mediating role. Parental support of adolescents has positive effects on the tendency to catastrophise, negative emotions, and NSSI, and it has some implications for the prevention and intervention of adolescents' NSSI.

Effect of Malondialdehyde-Induced Oxidation Modification on Physicochemical Changes and Gel Characteristics of Duck Myofibrillar Proteins.

This paper focuses on the effect of malondialdehyde-induced oxidative modification (MiOM) on the gel properties of duck myofibrillar proteins (DMPs). DMPs were first prepared and treated with oxidative modification at different concentrations of malondialdehyde (0, 0.5, 2.5, 5.0, and 10.0 mmol/L). The physicochemical changes (carbonyl content and free thiol content) and gel properties (gel whiteness, gel strength, water holding capacity, rheological properties, and microstructural properties) were then investigated. The results showed that the content of protein carbonyl content increased with increasing MDA oxidation (p < 0.05), while the free thiol content decreased significantly (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, there was a significant decrease in gel whiteness; the gel strength and water-holding capacity of protein gels increased significantly under a low oxidation concentration of MDA (0−5 mmol/L); however, the gel strength decreased under a high oxidation concentration (10 mmol/L) compared with other groups (0.5−5 mmol/L). The storage modulus and loss modulus of oxidized DMPs also increased with increasing concentrations at a low concentration of MDA (0−5 mmol/L); moreover, microstructural analysis confirmed that the gels oxidized at low concentrations (0.5−5 mmol/L) were more compact and homogeneous in terms of pore size compared to the high concentration or blank group. In conclusion, moderate oxidation of malondialdehyde was beneficial to improve the gel properties of duck; however, excessive oxidation was detrimental to the formation of dense structured gels.

[Isolation and identification of an endophytic fungus of Polygonatum cyrtonema and its antifungal metabolites].

OBJECTIVE: Endophytic fungi in medicinal plants produce a variety of bioactivity compounds. In this study, an endophytic fungus zjqy610 with antifungal activity was isolated from Polygonatum cyrtonema in Zhejiang Qingyuan Baishanzu Mountain nature reserve. METHODS: Strain zjqy610 was identified as Penicillium canescens based on the morphology and its rDNA sequence analysis. Three antifungal compounds were isolated from the fermentation broth of zjqy610 through normal-phase silica gel column chromatography and gel (Sephadex LH-20) column chromatography, traced by ultraviolet light or iodine vapor with bioassay-guided fractionation. RESULTS: These three compounds were elucidated as o-acetylbenzeneamidinocarboxylic acid (zjqy610B-g-3), griseofulvin (zjqy610D-4) and naphtho [1,2-b] furan-3-carboxylic acid, 4-hydroxy-5-methoxy-2-methyl-(zjqy610F-2) based on mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The antifungal activity assays showed that the three compounds had inhibitory to variety of plant pathogenic fungi. Compound zjqy610D-4 had strong antifungal activity against Botrytis cinerea, Colletotrichum orbiculare, Didymella bryoniae and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. EC50 was 0.68, 0.38, 0.91 and 0.61 mg/L, respectively. CONCLUSION: Zjqy610D-4 is deserved to develop an agricultural antibiotics.

Systemic Delivery of siRNA Specific for Silencing TLR4 Gene Expression Reduces Diabetic Cardiomyopathy in a Mouse Model of Streptozotocin-Induced Type 1 Diabetes.

INTRODUCTION: Diabetic cardiomyopathy is a cardiac dysfunction in patients with diabetes which may lead to overt heart failure and death. Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling triggers diabetic cardiomyopathy through various mechanisms, one of which is the upregulation of TLR4 expression. The aim of this study was to delineate the role of TLR4 in diabetic cardiomyopathy. METHODS: C57BL/6 mice were injected with streptozotocin to induce diabetes. The experimental and control groups were treated with 5 µg of TLR4 small interfering RNA (siRNA) or scrambled siRNA. Cardiac histopathology was evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin, Sirius red, and immunofluorescence staining after treatment with TLR4 siRNA. The myocardial fibrosis and inflammatory factors were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction after treatment with TLR4 siRNA. The myocardial function was evaluated by echocardiography after treatment with TLR4 siRNA. RESULTS: Compared with non-diabetic mouse hearts, hypertrophy, fibrosis, inflammation of cardiomyocytes, and myocardial dysfunction were significantly increased in diabetic mice (p < 0.05). Knockdown of TLR4 decreased hypertrophy, fibrosis, inflammation of cardiomyocytes, and myocardial dysfunction (p < 0.05). Cardiomyocytic cross-sectional areas in hearts of TLR4 siRNA-treated diabetic mice were similar to those of the sham-treated mice (p > 0.05). The induction of expression of cardiac fetal genes, beta-myosin heavy chain (ß-MHC) and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), which are two markers of cardiac hypertrophy, was significantly reduced in TLR4 siRNA-treated hearts compared with controls (p < 0.05). Moreover, siRNA-mediated silencing of TLR4 reduced diabetes-induced collagen deposition (p < 0.05). Paralleled with changes in collagen deposition and the expression of collagen I and collagen III, knockdown of TLR4 also reduced the expression of transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGFß1) mRNA (p < 0.05). The increased expression of intercellular cell adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) and vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1) was significantly attenuated by TLR4 siRNA treatment in the hearts of diabetic mice (p < 0.05). Furthermore, both fractional shortening (FS) and ejection fraction (EF) values were preserved in TLR4 siRNA-treated diabetic mice compared with control siRNA-treated mice (31.80% ± 2.82% vs. 28.50% ± 5.83% for FS, p < 0.05) (57.95% ± 6.48% vs. 45.34% ± 4.25% for EF, p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Our study used siRNA to specifically silence TLR4 gene expression in the diabetic mouse heart in vivo and to investigate the role that TLR4 plays in diabetic cardiomyopathy. It is likely that silencing of the TLR4 gene through siRNA could prevent the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy.

Effect of video-assisted education on informed consent and patient education for peripherally inserted central catheters: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of a video-assisted education intervention on informed consent and patient education for peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs). METHODS: We conducted a randomized controlled trial comparing the effects on informed consent of video-assisted patient education and traditional face-to-face discussion in a catheter outpatient ward of a cancer centre in Guangzhou, China, in 2018. Participants were 140 patients randomly allocated (1:1 ratio) to two groups: video-assisted or traditional intervention. General information, patient retention of PICC-related information, working time spent by nurses on the procedure, and patient and nurse satisfaction with the procedure were assessed. RESULTS: The time used for informed consent was significantly shorter in the experimental group (1.02 ± 0.24 minutes) than in the control group (6.87 ± 1.10 minutes). The time used for PICC-related education was significantly shorter in the experimental group (1.03 ± 0.28 minutes) than in the control group (5.11 ± 0.57 minutes). Nurses' degree of satisfaction with the procedure was significantly higher in the experimental group (4.10 ± 0.57) than in the control group (2.60 ± 0.70). CONCLUSION: The use of video-assisted informed consent and patient education in this cancer centre decreased nurses' working time and improved nurses' satisfaction.Clinical trial registration number: ChiCTR1800015664.

[Detection of heterogeneous type II collagen transplantation mediated cytotoxic response in vitro].

To detect the cellular immunity state of New Zealand white rabbit immunized by pig type II collagen. The New Zealand white rabbit was immunized by type II collagen for sixty days. The plasma was collected at a regular interval and the anti-type II collagen antibodies were examined. At the sixtieth day, the peripheral circular lymphocytes and the lymphocytes separated from spleen cells of rabbit and lymph nodes were collected and were stimulated by type II collagen in vivo again. The regulation of reactive cellular proliferation caused by the stimulation was detected. The experiment samples were divided into two groups. The first group was the positive control group by adding different concentrations of PHA and the non-specific immunity was assayed. The different concentrations of type II collagen were added to the second group and the specific immunity was assayed. The lymphocytes of normal rabbits showed proliferation by PHA stimulation but no proliferation by the first stimulation of type II collagen. Obvious proliferation due to the stimulation of both PHA and type II collagen in the immunized rabbit were observed. It shows that certain concentration of heterogeneous collagen may cause an increase of anti-type II collagen antibody in immunized rabbit and may cause a proliferation of lymphocytes in rabbit spleen and peripheral blood. The heterogeneous type II collagen causes cellular immunity in vivo.

[Study on preparation of a wound healing agent: fibronectin].

In search of the optimal preparation method for large-scale purification of human plasma fibronectin, we adopted affinity chromatography with gelatin and the Sepharose 4B activated with cyanogen bromide to purify fibronectin from type "C" plasma of healthy males, and scanned the best method under the conditions of different amount of plasma loading and different residence time in column. In a given column volume of gelatin, the absorbent was related with the plasma residence time in column and the total amount of plasma loaded. As a result, the optimal loading amount of plasma is 150 ml, and the residence time is 20 minutes. The preparation method, herein, has been proved to require small amount of plasma and yield large amount of fibronectin.

HbA1c and the diagnosis of diabetes and prediabetes in a middle-aged and elderly Han population from northwest China (HbA1c).

OBJECTIVE: To identify the optimal threshold of HbA1c and to evaluate the predictive performance of HbA1c levels in diagnosing diabetes and prediabetes in a middle-aged and elderly Han Chinese population from northwest China. METHODS: In all, 3354 participants aged ≥ 40 years with no history of diabetes from northwest China were enrolled in the present cross-sectional study. All subjects underwent a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), as well as HbA1c testing. HbA1c thresholds for diagnosing diabetes and prediabetes were identified by the highest sum of sensitivity and specificity of each cut-off point, and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of the HbA1c threshold. RESULTS: The mean (± SD) age of the participants was 57 ± 8 years, and 70.75% were women. Based on results of the OGTT, 1347 (40.16%) subjects had impaired fasting glucose and/or impaired glucose tolerance, and 725 (21.62%) had diabetes. The area under the ROC curve for detecting undiagnosed diabetes and prediabetes by HbA1c levels was 0.810 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.796-0.823) and 0.732 (95% CI 0.717-0.747), respectively. HbA1c threshold of 6.4% and 6.1% produced the highest sum of sensitivity (60.00% and 61.49%) and specificity (87.33% and 73.24%) for diagnosing diabetes and prediabetes, respectively. CONCLUSION: HbA1c is an effective and convenient method for diagnosing diabetes and prediabetes. HbA1c thresholds of 6.4% and 6.1% may be used as diagnostic criteria for diabetes and prediabetes, respectively, in the Han Chinese population living in northwest China.