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Yue Wang,1 Jie Chen,1 Han Dong,2 Rui-Lin Ma,1 Ying Zou,3 Wei Wang,4 Qingmei Zheng,5 Ying Feng,6 Zhangyun Tan,7 Xiaoqin Zeng,8 Yinqing Zhao,7 Yan Deng,1 Yanfang Wang,1 Bei Gu,9 Aijun Sun1,10 1National Clinical Research Center for Obstetric & Gynecologic Diseases Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Women and Children’s Hospital of Jinzhou, Jinzhou, Liaoning, 121000, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hunan Provincial Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Reproductive Medicine, the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050000, People’s Republic of China; 5Department of Gynecology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, 266500, People’s Republic of China; 6Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330006, People’s Republic of China; 7Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Xinhui Maternity and Children’s Hospital, Nanning, Guangxi, 529100, People’s Republic of China; 8Department of Gynecology, Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510000, People’s Republic of China; 9Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Peking University Ninth School of Clinical Medicine, Beijing, 100038, People’s Republic of China; 10Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing, 100010, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Aijun Sun, Email saj@pumch.cnBackground: The basic medical education stage is not enough to support physicians to fully diagnose and evaluate polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The study aims to discover the difference in treatment choice between participants with different annual consultation number of PCOS, to promote lifelong learning, and drive balanced development within healthcare.Methods: This is a multicenter cross-sectional survey. Participants’ basic information, knowledge of PCOS and treatment options were collected online. According to the annual consultation number of patients with PCOS, physicians were divided into three groups: 0– 50 people/yr, 50– 200 people/yr, and > 200 people/yr, and the results were derived from χ2 test, Fisher exact test, and multivariate logistic regression analysis.Results: The study analyzed 1689 questionnaires, and 1206 physicians (71.4%) received less than 50 women per year, 388 physicians (30.0%) with an annual number of 50– 200 women, and 95 physicians (5.6%) with patient turnover for more than 200 people. Reproductive endocrinologists generally have higher access to the clinic. As the number of visits increases, more and more physicians would perceive patients as more likely to have abnormal blood glucose and heavy weight. Physicians with large numbers of consultations are more likely to use Asian or Chinese standards to assess obesity. The multivariate analysis involved variables such as age, hospital level, specialty, and patient turnover annually, and more young doctors actively assessed lipid profile (odds ratio (OR) 1.56, 95% confidence interval (CI) (1.16, 2.16)), and primary hospitals (OR 0.65 CI (0.44, 0.89)) chose OGTT for blood glucose assessment less than tertiary hospitals. Physicians in secondary hospitals are more aggressive in evaluating androgens.Conclusion: Our survey found differences in endocrine assessment, metabolic screening, and treatment in PCOS women in terms of the number of obstetrician-gynecologists who received different patient consultation numbers. The importance of continuing education for physicians is emphasized, to promote lifelong learning.Keywords: polycystic ovary syndrome, consultation number, lifelong learning, insulin resistance, obesity, hyperandrogenemia, metformin

Aldosterone-producing adenoma is a subtype of primary aldosteronism. Recent advancements in multi-omics research have led to significant progress in understanding primary aldosteronism at the genetic level. Among the various genes associated with the development of aldosterone-producing adenomas, the KCNJ5 (potassium inwardly rectifying channel, subfamily J, member 5) gene has received considerable attention due to its prevalence as the most common somatic mutation gene in primary aldosteronism. This paper aims to integrate the existing evidence on the involvement of KCNJ5 gene in the pathogenesis of aldosterone-producing adenomas, to enhance the understanding of the underlying mechanisms of aldosterone-producing adenomas from the perspective of genetics, and to provide novel insights for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of aldosterone-producing adenomas.

Quantum interference is a natural consequence of wave-particle duality in quantum mechanics, and is widely observed at the atomic scale. One interesting manifestation of quantum interference is coherent population trapping (CPT), first proposed in three-level driven atomic systems and observed in quantum optical experiments. Here, we demonstrate CPT in a gate-defined semiconductor double quantum dot (DQD), with some unique twists as compared to the atomic systems. Specifically, we observe CPT in both driven and nondriven situations. We further show that CPT in a driven DQD could be used to generate adiabatic state transfer. Moreover, our experiment reveals a nontrivial modulation to the CPT caused by the longitudinal driving field, yielding an odd-even effect and a tunable CPT. Our results broaden the field of CPT, and open up the possibility of quantum simulation and quantum computation based on adiabatic passage in quantum dot systems.

Background: The role of Sm-like 5 (LSM5) in colon cancer has not been determined. In this study, we investigated the role of LSM5 in progression of colon cancer and the potential underlying mechanism involved., Aim: To determine the role of LSM5 in the progression of colon cancer and the potential underlying mechanism involved., Methods: The Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis database and the Human Protein Atlas website were used for LSM5 expression analysis and prognosis analysis. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting were utilized to detect the expression of mRNAs and proteins. A lentivirus targeting LSM5 was constructed and transfected into colon cancer cells to silence LSM5 expression. Proliferation and apoptosis assays were also conducted to evaluate the growth of the colon cancer cells. Human GeneChip assay and bioinformatics analysis were performed to identify the potential underlying mechanism of LSM5 in colon cancer., Results: LSM5 was highly expressed in tumor tissue and colon cancer cells. A high expression level of LSM5 was related to poor prognosis in patients with colon cancer. Knockdown of LSM5 suppressed proliferation and promoted apoptosis in colon cancer cells. Silencing of LSM5 also facilitates the expression of p53, cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1A (CDKN1A) and tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily 10B (TNFRSF10B). The inhibitory effect of LSM5 knockdown on the growth of colon cancer cells was associated with the upregulation of p53, CDKN1A and TNFRSF10B., Conclusion: LSM5 knockdown inhibited the proliferation and facilitated the apoptosis of colon cancer cells by upregulating p53, CDKN1A and TNFRSF10B., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disease in women of reproductive age, whose clinical characteristics are hyperandrogenism (HA), ovulatory dysfunction, and polycystic ovary, often accompanied by insulin resistance (IR) and metabolic abnormalities. Glucagon-like peptide (GLP)-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1Ra), such as exenatide, can bind to specific receptors on tissues such as the ovaries to improve the clinical phenotype of PCOS, while insulin-sensitizing agents, such as metformin, can also benefit to metabolic abnormalities in PCOS. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC/MS) metabolomics revealed differences between the mechanisms of exenatide and metformin treatment of PCOS to some extent., Methods: In this study, 50 obese subjects with PCOS were randomly divided into the exenatide combined with metformin group (COM group, n  = 28) and the metformin group (MF group, n  = 22) for 12-week treatment. Before and after, serum samples were subjected to LC/MS analysis., Results: After treatment, there were 153 named differential metabolites in the COM group and 99 in the MF group. Most phosphatidylcholines (PC) and deoxycholic acid 3-glucuronide (DA3G) were significantly upregulated, while most glycerophosphoethanolamine (PE-NMe2), glycerophosphocholine (GPC), and threonine were downregulated in both groups. Only the decrease of neuromedin B, glutamate, and glutamyl groups and the increase of chenodeoxycholic acid sulfate docosadienoate (22: 2n6), and prostaglandin E2 have been observed in the COM group. In addition, salicylic acid and spisulosine increased and decanoylcarnitine decreased in the MF group. Both groups were enriched in glycerophospholipid, choline, and sphingolipid metabolism, while the COM group was especially superior in the glutamine and glutamate, bile secretion, and amino acid metabolism., Conclusion: Compared with metformin alone in the treatment of PCOS, the differential metabolites of the exenatide combined with metformin group are more extensive. The COM group may act on the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis (HPO) and its bypass, regulate multiple metabolism pathways such as phospholipids, amino acids, fatty acids, carnitine, bile acids, and glucose directly or indirectly in obese PCOS patients., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Jingwen Gan et al.)

Objective: To investigate the association of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) with triglyceride glucose index (TyG) and TyG-related indicators in Uyghur populations of The Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. Methods: Based on the cohort of the Uygur population of The Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, 11 833 study subjects were included. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate the cumulative incidence of CVD in each quartile of TyG and TyG-related indicators. Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to evaluate the relationship between TyG and CVD, TyG-related indicators and CVD. Framingham CVD risk score model (Framingham model) was used to evaluate whether the addition of TyG and TyG-related indicators could improve the predictive ability of the model. The potential mediating role of the TyG in the association between obesity and CVD was examined through mediation effect analysis. Results: The average age of the subjects was (37.00±13.67) years-old, and 51.0% were male. The median follow-up time was 5.67 years, with 1 288 CVD events. The cumulative incidence of CVD increased with the increase of TyG and TyG-related indicators quartiles, and compared with the Q 1 group, the risk of CVD in the Q 4 group of TyG, TyG-BMI, and TyG-WHtR increased by 20% ( HR =1.20, 95% CI : 1.01-1.42), 77% ( HR =1.77, 95% CI : 1.46-2.16) and 68% ( HR =1.68, 95% CI : 1.36-2.09), respectively. After adding TyG, TyG-BMI, and TyG-WHtR to the Framingham model, respectively, the model's area under the curve, net reclassification improvement, and integrated discrimination improvement were improved. In the association between BMI, WHtR, and CVD, the proportion of mediating effects mediated by the TyG index was 10.55% and 11.50%. Conclusions: Elevated levels of TyG and TyG-related indicators were strongly associated with the risk of CVD in the Uyghur population of The Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, with TyG-BMI being the most closely correlated with CVD. Early monitoring of TyG-BMI helps identify high-risk groups of CVD.

Objective: To investigate the effect of exenatide treatment on the composition of intestinal flora and metabolic pathways in patients with obesity with polycystic ovary syndrome., Methods: Patients with obesity with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) were distributed to two groups: one received exenatide combined with metformin (COM group, n  = 14) and the other used metformin alone (MF group, n  = 15). Fresh fecal specimens from the participants, including 29 patients with obesity with PCOS and 6 healthy controls, were collected for metagenomic sequencing. The effect of exenatide combination with metformin or metformin alone on the composition and function of intestinal flora in patients with obesity with PCOS were compared by bioinformatics analysis., Results: The level of BMI, TT, HbA1c, and HDL-c was significantly improved in both groups. The MF and COM groups were abundant in Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Uroviricota, Actinobacteria, and Proteobacteria. Abundance of Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, Hungatella, and certain probiotics like Phocaeicola and Anaerobutyricum significantly increased in both groups after treatment. Enriched microbial species in the MF and COM group were different. Clostridium, Fusobacterium, and Oxalobacter were the main bacteria in the post-MF group, while Lactococcus_garvieae , Clostridium_perfringens , and Coprococcus _sp_AF16_5 were the main bacteria in the post-COM group. The post-COM group had more probiotic species including Bifidobacterium, Prevotella, and Anaerobutyricum after treatment., Conclusion: Both exenatide combined with metformin and metformin monotherapy can improve metabolic and endocrine markers, and the diversity and abundance of gut microbiota in patients with obesity with PCOS. The effects of the combination and monotherapy agents on intestinal flora were consistent to some extent but also unique respectively.

Objective: To investigate the species, concentration and seasonal trends of main airborne allergenic pollen in 4 districts and 5 counties of Hohhot City. Methods: The Department of allergy, Beijing Shijitan Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University conducted a cross-sectional study about monitoring the airborne allergenic pollen from August 1, 2021 to July 31, 2022 by the gravitational method in 4 districts and 5 counties of Hohhot City, which include Yuquan District, Xincheng District, Huimin District, Saihan District, Tuoketuo County, Helingeer County, Tumotezuoqi County, Wuchuan County and Qingshuihe County. Daily pollens were counted and identified by optical microscopy, and the data were analyzed. Results: The airborne allergenic pollen was collected every month all year round in 4 districts and 5 counties of Hohhot city. Through the whole year of the total quantity of pollens ranged from 24 850 to 50 154 grains per 1 000 mm 2 and two peaks of pollen concentration in air were observed,which happened in spring (from March to May) and in summer and autumn (from July to September). In spring, the main pollens were tree pollens, which principally distributed in Populus pollen (18.29%), Ulmus pollen (8.36%), Pinus pollen (6.20%), Cupressaceae pollen (5.23%), Betulaceae pollen (2.73%), Salix pollen (1.80%) and Quercus pollen (1.16%). In summer and autumn, the main pollens were weed pollens, which mainly included Artemisia pollen (42.73%), Chenopodiaceae pollen or Amaranthaceae pollen (7.46%), Poaceae pollen (2.26%), Humulus pollen or Cannabis pollen (0.60%). Conclusion: There were two peaks of main airborne allergenic pollen in 4 districts and 5 counties of Hohhot City. In the spring peak of pollen, the main airborne pollens were tree pollens. In the summer and autumn peak of pollen, the main airborne pollens were weed pollens. The Artemisia pollen was the most major airborne pollen in this area.

Myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI) was often observed after surgeries, causing a lot of suffering to patients. Inflammation and apoptosis were critical determinants during MIRI. We conveyed experiments to reveal the regulatory functions of circHECTD1 in MIRI development. The Rat MIRI model was established and determined by 2,3,5-triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining. We analyzed cell apoptosis using TUNEL and flow cytometry. Proteins expression was evaluated by western blot. The RNA level was determined by qRT-PCR. Secreted inflammatory factors were analyzed by ELISA assay. To predict the interaction sequences on circHECTD1, miR-138-5p, and ROCK2, bioinformatics analysis was performed. Dual-luciferase assay was used to confirm these interaction sequences. CircHECTD1 and ROCK2 were upregulated in the rat MIRI model, while miR-138-5p was decreased. CircHECTD1 knockdown alleviated H/R-induced inflammation in H9c2 cells. Direct interaction and regulation of circHECTD1/miR-138-5p and miR-138-5p/ROCK2 were confirmed by dual-luciferase assay. CircHECTD1 promoted H/R-induced inflammation and cell apoptosis by inhibiting miR-138-5p. miR-138-5p alleviated H/R-induced inflammation, while ectopic ROCK2 antagonized such effect of miR-138-5p. Our research suggested that the circHECTD1-modulated miR-138-5p suppressing is responsible for ROCK2 activation during H/R-induced inflammatory response, providing a novel insight into MIRI-associated inflammation., (© 2023 The Authors. The Kaohsiung Journal of Medical Sciences published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Kaohsiung Medical University.)

Diminished ovarian reserve (DOR), generally defined as a decreased number or quality of oocytes, has a significant impact on quality of life and fertility in women. In recent years, the incidence of DOR has been increasing and the ages of patients are younger. The search for an effective DOR treatment has emerged as one of the preeminent research topics in reproductive health. An effective DOR therapy would improve ovarian function, fertility, and quality of life in patients. In this review we evaluated DOR treatment progress both in Western medicine and Chinese medicine, and elucidated the characteristics of each treatment., (© 2021. The Chinese Journal of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine Press and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Recent reports discovered that red blood cells (RBCs) could scavenge cell-free mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), which drives the accelerated erythrophagocytosis and innate immune activation characterized by anemia and inflammatory cytokine production. However, the clinical value of the circulating mtDNA copy number alterations in hematologic malignancies is poorly understood. Our data showed that in comparison to healthy group, the patients group had significantly higher mtDNA and histone H4 levels. Moreover, we observed that RBC-bound mtDNA and histone H4 were negatively correlated with hemoglobin in patients. In addition, cytokines and chemokines levels in patients differed significantly from normal controls (21 higher, 7 lower). Our study suggested that both circulating mtDNA and histone H4 were associated with anemia in hematologic malignancies, which helps to further understand the potential mechanism of anemia development in patients with hematologic malignancies. This information may play a vital role in the specific therapeutic interventions for leukemia in the future.

Objectives: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is commonly seen in stroke patients, and its relationship with cognitive impairment remains poorly understood. This study aimed to explore the roles of OSA in cognition impairment in patients with minor ischemic stroke., Methods: Patients with minor ischemic stroke were consecutively enrolled from January 2020 to May 2021. Every patient underwent polysomnography (PSG) to assess for OSA. Based on the apnea hypopnea index (AHI), patients were grouped into the no OSA (AHI < 5), mild OSA (5 ≤ AHI < 15), and moderate-to-severe OSA (MS OSA, AHI ≥ 15) groups. Neuropsychological assessments were performed to evaluate cognitive function, and the correlations between cognitive function and OSA were investigated., Results: Of 94 patients, 35 had no OSA, 32 had mild OSA, and 27 had moderate-to-severe OSA. Compared to the no or mild OSA groups, the moderate-to-severe OSA group performed worse on the Chinese version of the Auditory Verbal Learning Test (CAVLT)-Recognition (p < 0.001), Digital Span Test (DST)-Backward (p < 0.001), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) (p < 0.001), and Stroop Color and Word Test (SCWT)-Interference (p < 0.001). The severity of cognitive impairment was assessed using the MoCA, which was negatively related to the AHI (p = 0.041) and lowest SpO2 (p = 0.048)., Conclusions: The findings suggest that OSA has significant effects on cognition impairment in patients with minor ischemic stroke and that hypoxemia may be a potential pathophysiological mechanism of OSA-induced cognitive impairment., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Objective: To compare the clinical efficacy and safety of oral administration of Buxue Yimu Pills (BYP, ), ferrous sulfate (FS), and the combination of BYP and FS on gynecological anemia, and investigate the mechanisms using network pharmacology., Methods: A randomized, controlled, multi-center clinical trial was conducted. Totally 150 patients with hemoglobin of 70-110 g/L due to gynecological conditions were recruited and randomized (using the block randomization method) into Buxue Yimu Pills group (24 g/d), oral iron group (FS Tablets, 0.9 g/d), and combined treatment group (BYP, 24 g/d plus FS Tablets, 0.9 g/d), 50 patients in each group. At the enrollment and 4-week treatment, complete blood count, serum iron indexes were evaluated. Adverse events, liver and renal functions, as well as blood coagulation were observed. Network pharmacology was conducted to identify the active ingredients and explore the potential mechanisms of BYP., Results: Ten (20%) and 7 (14%) participants discontinued the therapy due to gastrointestinal symptoms in oral iron and combination treatment groups. All 3 groups showed elevated hemoglobin. The patients in the iron group exhibited typically elevated in serum iron and ferritin and decreased in total iron-binding capacity. No change in iron indexes was observed in BYP group. The patients in the combination treatment group neither showed significant changes in serum ferritin nor total iron-binding capacity. No significant adverse reactions were observed in the BYP group. The network pharmacology identified 27 bioactive compounds and 145 targets of BYP on gynecological anemia. Biological processes and pathways including regulation of inflammation, hormone, angiogenesis and hemostasis, response to decreased oxygen levels, effects on myeloma cell, and response to metal ions were identified., Conclusion: BYP contributes to the practical improvement on gynecological anemia potentially through multi-target mechanisms and optimized iron re-distribution. (Trial registration: No. NCT03232554)., (© 2021. The Chinese Journal of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine Press and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: This study aimed to compare the ability of certain obesity-related indicators to identify metabolic syndrome (MetS) among normal-weight adults in rural Xinjiang., Methods: A total of 4315 subjects were recruited in rural Xinjiang. The questionnaire, biochemical and anthropometric data were collected from them. Binary logistic regression was used to analyze the association between the z-score of each index and MetS. The area under the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to compare the diagnostic ability of each index. According to the cut-off value of each index, nomogram models were established and their diagnostic ability were evaluated., Results: After adjusting for confounding factors, each indicator in different genders was correlated with MetS. Triglyceride-glucose index (TyG index) showed the strongest association with MetS in both males (OR = 3.749, 95%CI: 3.173-4.429) and females (OR = 3.521,95%CI: 2.990-4.148). Lipid accumulation product (LAP) showed the strongest diagnostic ability in both males (AUC = 0.831, 95%CI: 0.806-0.856) and females (AUC = 0.842, 95%CI: 0.820-0.864), and its optimal cut-off values were 39.700 and 35.065, respectively. The identification ability of the TyG index in different genders (males AUC: 0.817, females AUC: 0.817) was slightly weaker than LAP. Waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) had the similar AUC (males: 0.717, females: 0.747) to conicity index (CI) (males: 0.734, females: 0.749), whereas the identification ability of a body shape index (ABSI) (males AUC: 0.700, females AUC: 0.717) was relatively weak. Compared with the diagnostic ability of a single indicator, the AUC of the male nomogram model was 0.876 (95%CI: 0.856-0.895) and the AUC of the female model was 0.877 (95%CI: 0.856-0.896). The identification ability had been significantly improved., Conclusion: LAP and TyG index are effective indicators for identifying MetS among normal-weight adults in rural Xinjiang. Nomogram models including age, CI, LAP, and TyG index can significantly improve diagnostic ability., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Purpose: To explore the association between waist circumference (WC), estimated cardiopulmonary function (eCRF), and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in southern Xinjiang. Update the Framingham model to make it more suitable for the southern Xinjiang population., Methods: Data were collected from 7705 subjects aged 30-74 years old in Tumushuke City, the 51st Regiment of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. CVD was defined as an individual's first diagnosis of non-fatal acute myocardial infarction, death from coronary heart disease, and fatal or non-fatal stroke. The Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to analyze the association between WC, eCRF and CVD risk. Restricted cubic spline plots were drawn to describe the association of the two indicators with CVD risk. We update the model by incorporating the new variables into the Framingham model and re-estimating the coefficients. The discrimination of the model is evaluated using AUC, NRI, and IDI metrics. Model calibration is evaluated using pseudo R 2 values., Results: WC was an independent risk factor for CVD (multivariate HR: 1.603 (1.323, 1.942)), eCRF was an independent protective factor for CVD (multivariate HR: 0.499 (0.369, 0.674)). There was a nonlinear relationship between WC and CVD risk (nonlinear χ2 = 12.43, P = 0.002). There was a linear association between eCRF and CVD risk (non-linear χ2 = 0.27, P = 0.6027). In the male, the best risk prediction effect was obtained when WC and eCRF were added to the model (AUC = 0.763((0.734,0.792)); pseudo R 2  = 0.069). In the female, the best risk prediction effect was obtained by adding eCRF to the model (AUC = 0.757 (0.734,0.779); pseudo R 2  = 0.107)., Conclusion: In southern Xinjiang, WC is an independent risk factor for CVD. eCRF is an independent protective factor for CVD. We recommended adding WC and eCRF in the male model and only eCRF in the female model for better risk prediction., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Objective: To analyze whether triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and the value of TyG index in predicting CVD risk among Kazakh and Uighur population of Xinjiang. Methods: In this study, 5 375 Kazakh and Uygur people of Xinyuan county and Jiashi county were selected as the research objects. Subjects were divided into four groups based on the quartile of the TyG index level. Cox regression model was used to analyze the association between TyG index with the risk of CVD. The dose-response relationship between TyG index and CVD risk was described by restricted cubic splines. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, net reclassification improvement (NRI), and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) were used to estimate the value of TyG index for predicting CVD. Mediating effect analysis was conducted to analyze the mediating effect of TyG index in the association between body mass index and CVD. Results: The age of subjects was 41.06（30.11，53.00）years old, with 46.30%（2 489/5 375）was male. After multivariate adjustment, there was an increasing trend between the risk of CVD and the higher TyG index P trend <0.001, compared with subjects of TyG index in Q 1 , the HR (95% CI ) of Q 2 , Q 3 , and Q 4 groups was 1.53, 1.23 and 1.73, respectively. Restricted cubic splines showed that TyG index was the linearly associated with the risk of CVD. TyG index could improve the prediction ability of Framingham model for the risk of CVD (NRI=0.106, P= 0.010; IDI=0.003, P= 0.030). The mediating effect analysis showed that in the relationship between body mass index and CVD, the TyG index had a mediating effect ( P <0.001), and the ratio of mediating effect was 12.69%. Conclusion: TyG index is an independent predictor of CVD risk among kazakh and Uygur population in Xinjiang and has a good predictive value for the risk of CVD.

Background: A body shape index (ABSI) has been proven to be related to a population's CVD incidence. However, the application of this indicator has produced different results., Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the applicability of the ABSI in predicting the incidence of CVD in rural Xinjiang, China, and compare it with waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), and body mass index (BMI)., Subjects and Methods: 5375 people aged 18 years or older were included in the study. We used the Cox proportional hazard model to evaluate the relationship between WC, WHR, WHtR, BMI, and ABSI and the incidence of CVD, the area under the curve (AUC) to evaluate the predictive power of each anthropometric index for the incidence of CVD, and restricted cubic splines are used to analyse the trend relationship between anthropometric indicators and the incidence of CVD., Results: After multivariate adjustment, standardised WC, WHR, WHtR, BMI, and ABSI all positively correlated with the incidence of CVD. WC had the highest HR (95% CI) value, 1.64 (1.51-1.78), and AUC (95% CI) value, 0.7743 (0.7537-0.7949). ABSI had the lowest HR (95% CI) value, 1.21(1.10-1.32), and AUC (95% CI) value, 0.7419 (0.7208-0.7630). In the sex-specific sensitivity analysis, the predictive ability of traditional anthropometric indicators for the incidence of CVD is higher than that of ABSI., Conclusions: In the rural areas of Xinjiang, the traditional anthropometric indicators of WC had better ability to predict the incidence of CVD than ABSI.

Operation speed and coherence time are two core measures for the viability of a qubit. Strong spin-orbit interaction (SOI) and relatively weak hyperfine interaction make holes in germanium (Ge) intriguing candidates for spin qubits with rapid, all-electrical coherent control. Here we report ultrafast single-spin manipulation in a hole-based double quantum dot in a germanium hut wire (GHW). Mediated by the strong SOI, a Rabi frequency exceeding 540 MHz is observed at a magnetic field of 100 mT, setting a record for ultrafast spin qubit control in semiconductor systems. We demonstrate that the strong SOI of heavy holes (HHs) in our GHW, characterized by a very short spin-orbit length of 1.5 nm, enables the rapid gate operations we accomplish. Our results demonstrate the potential of ultrafast coherent control of hole spin qubits to meet the requirement of DiVincenzo's criteria for a scalable quantum information processor., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Obesity and insulin resistance (IR) are common features of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Metformin (MET) increases insulin sensitivity, but it is associated with unsatisfactory weight loss. The glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist exenatide has been shown to reduce weight and IR in patients with diabetes. This study aimed to explore the therapeutic effects of exenatide once-weekly (QW) combined with MET on body weight, as well as metabolic and endocrinological parameters in overweight/obese women with PCOS., Methods: Fifty overweight/obese women with PCOS diagnosed via the Rotterdam criteria were randomized to one of two treatment groups: MET (500 mg three times a day [TID]) or combination treatment (COM) (MET 500 mg TID, exenatide 2 mg QW) for 12 weeks. The primary outcomes were anthropometric changes associated with obesity, and the secondary outcomes included changes in reproductive hormone levels, glucose and lipid metabolism, and C-reactive protein., Results: Forty (80%) patients completed the study. COM therapy was superior to MET monotherapy in reducing weight (P = 0.045), body mass index (BMI) (P = 0.041), and waist circumference (P = 0.023). Patients in the COM group on an average lost 3.8 ± 2.4 kg compared with 2.1 ± 3.0 kg in the MET group. In the COM group, BMI and waist circumference decreased by 1.4 ± 0.87 kg/m2 and 4.63 ± 4.42 cm compared with 0.77 ± 1.17 kg/m2 and 1.72 ± 3.07 cm in the MET group, respectively. Moreover, levels of fasting glucose, oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) 2-h glucose, and OGTT 2-h insulin were significantly lower with COM therapy than with MET (P < 0.050). Mild and moderate gastrointestinal reactions were the most common adverse events in both groups., Conclusions: COM therapy was more effective than MET alone in reducing body weight, BMI, and waist circumference, and improving insulin sensitivity in overweight/obese women with PCOS, with acceptable short-term side effects., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04029272. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04029272., (Copyright © 2021 The Chinese Medical Association, produced by Wolters Kluwer, Inc. under the CC-BY-NC-ND license.)

Background: This study aimed to describe the prevalence of metabolically healthy obesity (MHO) and metabolically unhealthy normal weight (MUNW) rural adults in Xinjiang and to explore their influencing factors., Methods: We selected 13,525 Uyghur, Kazakh and Han participants in Kashi, Yili and Shihezi areas in Xinjiang from 2009 to 2010. Weight status was classified according to body mass index. Metabolic phenotype was further defined based on the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III criteria., Results: The prevalence of normal weight, overweight, and obesity were 51.6, 30.2, and 14.4%, respectively. The mean age of the population was 45.04 years. The prevalence of MHO was 5.5% overall and was 38.5% among obese participants. The prevalence of MUNW was 15.5% overall and was 30.1% among normal weight participants. A metabolically healthy phenotype among obese individuals was positively associated with females and vegetable consumption ≥4 plates per week. However, this was inversely associated with higher age, red meat consumption ≥2 kg per week, and larger waist circumference (WC). Conversely, a metabolically unhealthy phenotype among normal-weight individuals was positively associated with higher age, red meat consumption ≥2 kg per week, and larger WC; this was however inversely associated with vegetable consumption ≥4 plates per week., Conclusions: The prevalence of MHO among obese adults in Xinjiang is higher than that of Han adults, while the prevalence of MUNW among normal weight adults is lower than that among Han adults. In obese and normal weight participants, higher age, more red meat consumption, and larger WC increase the risk of metabolic abnormality, and more vegetable consumption reduces the risk of metabolic abnormality., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

In the last 20 years, silicon quantum dots have received considerable attention from academic and industrial communities for research on readout, manipulation, storage, near-neighbor and long-range coupling of spin qubits. In this paper, we introduce how to realize a single spin qubit from Si-MOS quantum dots. First, we introduce the structure of a typical Si-MOS quantum dot and the experimental setup. Then, we show the basic properties of the quantum dot, including charge stability diagram, orbital state, valley state, lever arm, electron temperature, tunneling rate and spin lifetime. After that, we introduce the two most commonly used methods for spin-to-charge conversion, i.e., Elzerman readout and Pauli spin blockade readout. Finally, we discuss the details of how to find the resonance frequency of spin qubits and show the result of coherent manipulation, i.e., Rabi oscillation. The above processes constitute an operation guide for helping the followers enter the field of spin qubits in Si-MOS quantum dots.

Genetic modification technologies can be used for modifying animal genome to express exogenous genes or affect the function of endogenous genes. In animal breeding, genetic modification technologies allow the rapid generation of germplasms with beneficial traits. It includes traditional genetic modification, virus or sperm carrier-mediated genetic modification and nuclease-mediated genome editing, especially the CRISPR/Cas9, one of the artificial nuclease genome editing technologies, have been applied in genome editing in many domestic animals including sheep (Ovis aries). Compared with conventional strategies used for animal breeding, there is great value for sheep breeding improvement by using genome editing technology, which is more effective and timesaving. In this review, we summarize the approaches of genetic modification in sheep and discuss the possibility of molecular design and breeding of sheep by genome editing technologies. We also identify the potential bottlenecks and challenges of these technologies in sheep breeding.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of Chinese medicine Dingkun Pill () alone or in combination with Diane-35 on patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)., Methods: This is a prospective randomized controlled trial conducted at Peking Union Medical College Hospital Beijing, China, from December 2016 to September 2017. Totally 117 PCOS patients were randomly assigned to the Dingkun Pill group (38 cases), Diane-35 group (40 cases), or combined group (39 cases). Patients in the Dingkun Pill group or Diane-35 group took daily 7 g of oral Dingkun Pill or 1 tablet of oral Diane-35, respectively, for 21 consecutive days followed by 7 drug-free days. And the combined group received a combination of Dingkun Pill and Diane-35. The treatment course was 3 months. Fasting plasma glucose and insulin, total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglycerides (TG), free fatty acids (FFA) and sex hormones were analyzed, quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI) was calculated, and menstruation and acne scores were recorded at baseline and after 3-month treatment., Results: Compared with before treatment, QUICKI decreased significantly in the Dingkun Pill and combined groups after 3-month treatment (P<0.05); TC, LDL-C and FFA decreased significantly in the Dingkun Pill group (P<0.01), LDL-C also decreased obviously in the Diane-35 group (P<0.01), while TC increased significantly in the combined group (P<0.01), TG increased significantly in all groups (P<0.01); total testosterone (TT) and menstruation regularity was improved significantly in the Diane-35 and combined groups (P<0.01); acne scores were improved in all groups (P<0.01). After treatment, TC and FFA in the Dingkun Pill group were significantly lower than the Diane-35 group (P<0.05 or P<0.01); TT was lower and regular menstruation rate was higher in the Diane-35 and combined groups than the Dingkun Pill group (P<0.01), and no differences were observed between Diane-35 group and combined group (P>0.05)., Conclusions: Dingkun Pill showed better effects than Diane-35 in improving insulin sensitivity, lowering TC and FFA. Diane-35 was more efficient in regulating menstruation and lowering androgen than Dingkun Pill. Combination of Dingkun Pill and Diane-35 may be a better choice to regulate menstruation, lower androgens while improve glucose metabolism in PCOS patients. (Registered on ClinicalTrials.gov, registration No. NCT03264638).

Background: Some studies have shown that a high level of bilirubin is a protective factor against metabolic syndrome (MS), while a high level of transaminase is a risk factor for MS. However, the existing results are inconsistent and few cohort studies have been published., Methods: Using an ambispective cohort study, 565 Kazakhs from Xinjiang, China were selected as the study subjects. The baseline serum bilirubin and transaminase levels of the subjects were divided into quartiles and the relationship between these values and the incidence of MS was analyzed. The definition of MS was based on the Joint Interim Statement (JIS) diagnostic criteria., Results: The average follow-up time for the subjects was 5.72 years. The cumulative incidence of MS was 36.11% (204 of the 565 subjects), and the incidence density was 63.10/1000 person-years. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that the levels of total bilirubin (TBIL) and indirect bilirubin (IBIL) were negatively correlated with the occurrence of MS, Compared to the lowest quartile level (Q1), the hazard ratios of MS the TBIL levels at the Q2-Q4 quartiles were: 0.47 (0.31-0.71), 0.53 (0.35-0.79), and 0.48 (0.32-0.72), respectively, while IBIL levels at the Q2-Q4 quartiles showed an MS hazard ratio of 0.48 (0.32-0.72), 0.54(0.36-0.81), and 0.52 (0.35-0.77), respectively, all at a 95% confidence level. However, no relationship was found between transaminase levels and the incidence of MS., Conclusion: Serum TBIL and IBIL levels were negatively correlated with the incidence of MS in a Kazakh population in China.

The propose of this review was to summarize the advances in multi-scale surface technology of titanium implants to accelerate the osseointegration process. The several multi-scaled methods used for improving wettability, roughness, and bioactivity of implant surfaces are reviewed. In addition, macro-scale methods (e.g., 3D printing (3DP) and laser surface texturing (LST)), micro-scale (e.g., grit-blasting, acid-etching, and Sand-blasted, Large-grit, and Acid-etching (SLA)) and nano-scale methods (e.g., plasma-spraying and anodization) are also discussed, and these surfaces are known to have favorable properties in clinical applications. Functionalized coatings with organic and non-organic loadings suggest good prospects for the future of modern biotechnology. Nevertheless, because of high cost and low clinical validation, these partial coatings have not been commercially available so far. A large number of in vitro and in vivo investigations are necessary in order to obtain in-depth exploration about the efficiency of functional implant surfaces. The prospective titanium implants should possess the optimum chemistry, bionic characteristics, and standardized modern topographies to achieve rapid osseointegration.

In silicon quantum dots (QDs), at a certain magnetic field commonly referred to as the "hot spot," the electron spin relaxation rate (T&#95;{1}^{-1}) can be drastically enhanced due to strong spin-valley mixing. Here, we experimentally find that with a valley splitting of 78.2±1.6  μeV, this hot spot in spin relaxation can be suppressed by more than 2 orders of magnitude when the in-plane magnetic field is oriented at an optimal angle, about 9° from the [100] sample plane. This directional anisotropy exhibits a sinusoidal modulation with a 180° periodicity. We explain the magnitude and phase of this modulation using a model that accounts for both spin-valley mixing and intravalley spin-orbit mixing. The generality of this phenomenon is also confirmed by tuning the electric field and the valley splitting up to 268.5±0.7  μeV.

To identify and verify the active ingredients from Astragalus membranaceus on hypertensive cardiac remodeling based on network pharmacology and heart RNA-sequencing data. The monomers of A. membranaceus and their intervention target database were established by using network pharmacology. The genes associated to cardiac remodeling were then screened by analyzing cardiac RNA-sequencing data. An overlap between genes related to cardiac remodeling and targets of ingredients form A. membranaceus was collected to obtain monomers with protective effect on hypertensive cardiac remodeling. Angiotensin Ⅱ(AngⅡ)-induced mouse cardiac remodeling model was used to validate the protective effect of active ingredients from A. membranaceus on hypertensive cardiac remodeling. Finally, a total of 81 monomers and 1 197 targets were enrolled in our database. Mouse RNA-sequencing data showed that 983 genes were significantly up-regulated and 465 genes were down-regulation in myocardial tissues of the cardiac remodeling mice as compared with blank group mice, respectively. Ninety-two genes were found via overlapping between genes related to cardiac remodeling and targets, involving 59 monomers from A. membranaceus. Further research found that vanillic acid(VA) could intervene 27 genes associated with hypertensive cardiac remodeling, ranking top 1. Meanwhile, VA could significantly inhibit AngⅡ-induced increase in ratio of heart weight to body weight and heart weight to tibial length, ANP and BNP mRNA levels in myocardial tissues, myocardial tissue damage, cardiac fibrosis level and cardiac hypertrophy level in vivo. Those results showed that network pharmacology screen-based VA has protective effect on AngⅡ-induced cardiac remodeling.

The efficacy and safety of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) versus low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) are still debated in the treatment of patients with cancer, and the optimal duration of therapy remains uncertain. Electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library) were searched to retrieve studies on the efficacy and safety of DOACs versus LMWH in treating patients with cancer from January 1980 to October 2018. The primary efficacy and safety endpoints were recurrent venous thromboembolism (VTE) and major bleeding. Our study included two randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and nine observational studies, together comprising 4509 patients with cancer. The pooled estimates indicated that DOACs led to a modest reduction recurrent VTE in the RCTs [RR: 0.63, 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.42-0.96, P = 0.03] and in the observational studies (RR: 0.74, 95% CI, 0.58-0.93, P = 0.011), without increasing the risk of major bleeding for observational studies (P = 0.805), but increased for RCTs (P = 0.017). The same trends were observed in the rivaroxaban subgroup. Moreover, subgroup analyses according to the treatment duration indicated that DOACs significantly reduced the incidence of recurrent VTE (P = 0.006 at 6 months; P < 0.001 at 12 months) without significant differences in major bleeding compared with LMWH at 6 or 12 months. Patients with cancer who received DOACs exhibited a significant reduction in recurrent VTE with no increased risk of major bleeding compared with LMWH. DOACs may be an alternative choice for long-term anticoagulant therapy in patients with cancer.

Chemical composition in fingermarks could provide useful information for forensic studies and applications. Here, we evaluate the feasibility of analysis and imaging of fingermarks via elements by synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence (SRXRF) and commercial X-ray fluorescence (XRF). As a proof of concept, we chose four brands of sunscreens to make fingermarks on different substrates, including plastic film, glass, paper, and silicon wafer. We obtained an evident image of fingermarks via zinc and titanium by XRF methods. In addition, the ratios of element concentrations in sunscreen fingermarks were obtained, which were in accordance with the results obtained by acid digestion and ICP-OES analysis. In comparison, commercial XRF offers the most advantages in terms of non-destructive detection, easy accessibility, fast element images, and broad applicability. The possibility to acquire fingermark images simultaneously with element information opens up new avenues for forensic science. Graphical abstract.

Objective: This study aims to investigate whether long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) SNHG1 could regulate proliferative and invasive abilities of liver cancer (LC) cells via p53 and DNMT1, so as to regulate the occurrence and progression of LC., Patients and Methods: SNHG1 expression in LC tissues and paracancerous tissues was detected by quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR). Correlation between SNHG1 expression and tumor stage of LC patients was analyzed. The regulatory effects of SNHG1 and p53 on proliferative, invasive capacities and cell cycle were accessed by CCK-8 (cell counting kit-8), transwell assay and flow cytometry, respectively. The binding condition between SNHG1 and DNMT1 was determined by RNA binding protein immunoprecipitation (RIP) and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP). Western blot was conducted to determine whether SNHG1 could regulate p53 in LC cells. Finally, rescue experiments were carried out to evaluate whether SNHG1 regulates proliferative and invasive abilities of LC cells through p53., Results: SNHG1 expression was higher in LC tissues than that of paracancerous tissues. LC patients with stage III-IV presented higher expression level of SNHG1 than those with stage I-II. Similarly, SNHG1 was highly expressed in LC cells than that of normal liver cells. LC cell lines SMMC-7721 and SK-HEP-1 were selected for this study. SNHG1 knockdown inhibited the proliferative and invasive abilities, and arrested the cell cycle in the G0/G1 phase of SMMC-7721 and SK-HEP-1 cells. RIP and ChIP results demonstrated that SNHG1 could bind to DNMT1 and inhibit p53 expression. Overexpression of p53 partially reversed the inhibitory effects of SNHG1 on proliferative and invasive abilities of LC cells., Conclusions: High expression of SNHG1 could promote proliferative and invasive abilities of LC cells through targeting inhibition of p53 expression by binding to DNMT1.

Selecting appropriate developing methods/reagents or their combination to enhance the effect for fingerprint development is of great significance for practical forensic investigation. Ethyl-2-cyanoacrylate ester (superglue) fuming is a popular method for "in-situ" developing fingerprints in forensic science, followed by fluorescence staining to enhance the contrast of the fingerprint image in some occasion. In this study, a series of fluorescent poly(p-phenylene vinylene) (PPV) nanoparticles (NPs) in colloidal solution were successfully prepared and the emission color was tuned via a simple way. The fuming process was carried out using a home-made device. The staining was accomplished by immersing a piece of absorbent cotton into the solution of NPs, and then gently applied on the fumed fingerprints for several times. The PPV NPs were found to have a better developing effect than Rhodamine 6G when excited by 365 nm UV lamp. Different emission colors of NPs are advantageous in developing fingerprints on various substrates. Mechanism study suggested that the NPs were embedded in the porous structure of the superglue resin. In all, the combination of fuming method with the staining by conjugated polymer NPs has been demonstrated to be successful for fluorescent fingerprint development and be promising for more practical forensic applications., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Objective: Arsenic is a metalloid environmental carcinogen involved in the occurrence and development of many cancers. miRNA-21 plays a crucial role in arsenic-induced carcinogenesis. We aimed to elucidate the mechanism by which miRNA-21 influences arsenic-induced cancer., Methods: We used meta-analysis of published studies to determine how arsenic induces cancerous cells through miRNA-21., Results: Low-dose arsenic exposure (⪕ 5 μmol/L) can increase miRNA-21 and phosphorylated signal transducter and activator of transcription 3 (pSTAT3) expression, and decrease programmed cell death protein 4 (PDCD4) and protein sprouty homolog 1 (Spry1) expression. High-dose arsenic exposure (> 5 μmol/L), can increase miRNA-21 expression, and decrease Spry1 and E-cadherin expression. Short-term arsenic exposure (⪕ 24 h) can increase miRNA-21 and pSTAT3 expression, and decrease PDCD4 expression. Moreover, long-term arsenic exposure (> 24 h) can increase the miRNA-21, STAT3, and pSTAT3 expression, and decrease PDCD4 expression. We found that activation of miRNA-21 and pSTAT3 were most pronounced following long-term arsenic exposure at low doses, and the effects on PDCD4 expression were most pronounced following short-term arsenic exposure at low doses. miRNA-21 inhibitors increased the expression of tumor suppressor genes PDCD4, PTEN, and Spry1 and miRNA-21-mimics suppressed the expression of these tumor suppressor genes., Conclusion: Arsenic can cause cancer by activating miRNA-21 and inhibiting the expression of PDCD4, PTEN, and Spry1., (Copyright © 2018 The Editorial Board of Biomedical and Environmental Sciences. Published by China CDC. All rights reserved.)

Background: The present study aims to comprehensively determine the efficacy of different therapy regimens based on Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F (TwHF) for patients with primary nephrotic syndrome (PNS) using network meta-analysis method., Methods: Seven electronic databases were searched to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared the differences between different therapy regimens based on TwHF for patients with PNS. The risk of bias in included RCTs was evaluated according to the Cochrane Handbook version 5.2.0. Network meta-analysis was performed to compare different regimens. Primary outcomes were complete remission rate and total remission rate. The secondary outcomes were hr urinary protein excretion, serum albumin, serum creatinine, and urea nitrogen. Data analysis was performed using R software., Results: A total of 40 studies involving 2846 patients with PNS were included. Compared with prednisone, the improvement in total remission rate and complete remission rate was associated with TwHF alone (odds ratio [OR] = 4.80, 95% credible intervals [CrI]: 2.20-10.00; OR = 6.30, 95% CrI: 2.90-13.00, respectively), TwHF+prednisone (OR = 2.10, 95% CrI: 1.30-3.50; OR = 2.40, 95% CrI: 1.50-3.80, respectively), TwHF+CPA (OR = 12.00, 95% CrI: 1.10-150.00; OR = 16.00, 95% CrI: 1.60-170.00, respectively), and TwHF+Cyclosporine A (OR = 28.00, 95% CrI: 3.20-250.00; OR = 35.00, 95% CrI: 4.50-270.00, respectively). Compared with TwHF alone, TwHF+prednisone showed less benefit in improving total remission rate and complete remission rate (OR = 0.44, 95% CrI: 0.21-0.91; OR = 0.38, 95% CrI: 0.19-0.77, respectively). TwHF alone, TwHF+prednisone could significantly reduce hr urinary protein excretion (MD = -0.69, 95% CrI: -1.30 to -0.14; MD = -1.00, 95% CrI: -1.90 to -0.14, respectively) and increase serum albumin (MD = 5.90, 95% CrI: 2.50-9.30; MD = 3.40, 95% CrI: 1.30-5.50, respectively) when compared to prednisone alone. TwHF alone showed significant reduction in serum creatinine when compared to CPA (MD = -19.00, 95% CrI: -37.00 to -0.56)., Conclusions: TwHF alone, the addition TwHF to prednisone showed more benefit in improving total and complete remission rate, hr urinary protein excretion, serum albumin, and serum creatinine.

Objectives: Ozonated autohemotherapy (O3-AHT) has been used to effectively treat gout, but the underlying therapeutic mechanisms remain unknown. In this study, as an initial effort to understand the therapeutic mechanisms of O3-AHT, we aim to examine the effect of O3-AHT on serum inflammatory cytokine levels in gouty patients., Patients and Methods: Three groups of patients and healthy subjects were recruited, including the gouty (n=10), hyperuricemia (n=10), and healthy control (n=11) groups. Cytometric bead array was applied to examine 12 cytokines before (T0), during (T1), and after (T2) therapies., Results: Three cytokines, IL-8, IL-12, and MCP-1, were detectable in all participants. Before O3-AHT, the average serum levels of IL-8 and MCP-1 were higher in the gout group than in the hyperuricemia and healthy control groups, confirming the inflammation status in gouty patients. After the 5th course of O3-AHT (T1), IL-8 level was significantly increased compared to that at T0. IL-12 level was also raised at T1, although the difference did not reach statistical significance. After completing the therapy, both IL-8 and IL-12 levels decreased to levels lower than those at T0. MCP-1 level remained essentially unchanged during and after treatment., Conclusion: Our results indicate that O3-AHT induces a significant change in serum cytokine levels, suggesting that modulating the inflammatory process is one of the therapeutic mechanisms underlying O3-AHT. In addition, the sensitive response of serum IL-8 and IL-12 levels to O3-AHT suggests that these cytokines may be developed as biomarkers to evaluate the therapeutic effect of O3-AHT in gouty patients., Competing Interests: Disclosure The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Poly(p-phenylenevinylene) (PPV) nanoparticles in aqueous colloidal solution have been prepared via a modified Wessling method, with the addition of surfactant. The fluorescent colloidal solution was used as the developing solution to develop the fingerprints on different substrates. The developing process was accomplished simply by immersing the substrates into developing solution and then taking out, followed by rinsing with deionized water. The initial study about the fingerprints on the adhesive tapes showed that the developing solution is very effective in fluorescence development on both fresh and aged visible fingerprints; and such an effect was negligibly affected by treating the fingerprints with water or other organic solvents, whether before developing or after. Further study on latent fingerprints (LFPs) demonstrated that PPV nanoparticles in colloidal solution have high sensitivity in developing fingerprints to give very clearly fluorescent patterns. At least 6 months of storage of the colloidal solution did not reduce the developing effect; and each developing solution (3.6 mg/mL, 5.0 mL) can be used to develop at least 30 fingerprints without sacrificing the legibility of the pattern. The preliminary mechanism investigation suggested that selectivity achieved toward the ridge of the fingerprint is very likely due to the affinity between PPV molecules and oily secretions of the fingerprints. Digital magnification of the developed fingerprints provided more details about the fingerprint.

Objective: This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of dyslipidemia, hypertriglyceridemia, hypercholesterolemia, high blood low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and low blood high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) in remote rural areas of Xinjiang and analyze these indicators' epidemiological characteristics. Methods: A survey of 13 000 individuals (aged ≥18 years) was conducted using a four-stage cluster random sampling method in Jiashi, Xinyuan, Aheqi, and Shawan Counties, Xinjiang, in 2009-2010. After nonpermanent residents were excluded, 12 154 individuals were included in this study. Questionnaire and physical examinations were conducted, including collection of fasting blood to detect TG, TC, LDL-C, and HDL-C. The results were calculated after complex weighting and compared according to the prevalence of different gender and age groups. Results: The overall levels of TG, TC, LDL-C, and HDL-C were 1.34±1.09, 4.45±1.16, 2.36±0.86, and 1.37±0.58 mmol/L, respectively. After complex weighting, the overall prevalence of dyslipidemia was 35.4%; that among men (42.9%) was greater than that among women (29.5%; χ 2 =234.19, P< 0.001), and the prevalence was 35.9%, 34.5%, and 35.1% (χ 2 =1.52, P= 0.467) in participants aged 18-44, 45-59, and ≥60 years, respectively. The overall prevalence of hypertriglyceridemia was 11.4%; that among men (13.5%) was greater than that among women (9.8%; χ 2 = 40.72, P< 0.001), and the prevalence was 9.6%, 13.0%, and 13.2% (χ 2 =38.71, P< 0.001) in participants aged 18-44, 45-59, and ≥60 years, respectively. The prevalence of hypercholesterolemia was 5.7%; that among men(5.0%) was greater than that among women (6.2%; χ 2 =6.95, P= 0.008), and the prevalence was 3.5%, 7.4%, and 8.4% (χ 2 =105.24, P< 0.001) in participants aged 18-4, 45-59, and ≥60 years, respectively. The prevalence of high blood LDL-C was 2.8%, and there was no significant difference between men (3.0%) and women (2.4%; χ 2 =1.43, P= 0.231); the prevalence was 3.5%, 7.4%, and 8.4% (χ 2 =42.81, P< 0.001) in participants aged 18-44, 45-59, and ≥60 years, respectively. The prevalence of low blood HDL-C was 24.0%; that among men (31.6%) was greater than that among women (18.0%; χ 2 =304.02, P< 0.001), and the prevalence was 27.8%, 20.6% and 19.5% (χ 2 =96.61, P< 0.001) in participants aged 18-44, 45-59, and ≥ 60 years, respectively. Conclusions: Low blood HDL-C was the main type of dyslipidemia among the population in remote rural areas of Xinjiang. The prevalence of dyslipidemia among men was greater than that among women, and there was a trend of younger men than women showing dyslipidemia.

Most previous studies on metabolic syndrome (MetS) examined urban and high income settings. We thus investigated the prevalence of MetS among a multi-ethnic population living in a low income rural area and explored the use of visceral adiposity and anthropometric indicators to identify men and women with MetS. We recruited 10,029 individuals of nomadic Kazakhs, rural Uyghur and Han residents in Xinjiang, China. MetS was defined by the Joint Interim Statement criteria. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was used to compare the area under the ROC curve (AUC) of each index. The age-adjusted prevalence of MetS was 21.8%. The visceral adiposity index (VAI), lipid accumulation product (LAP), body adiposity index (BAI) and the waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) were significantly associated with MetS, independent of ethnic, age, and other covariates. The AUC of VAI, LAP and WHtR were all greater than 0.7, and the LAP was the index that most accurately identified MetS status in men (AUC = 0.853) and women (AUC = 0.817), with the optimal cut-offs of 34.7 and 27.3, respectively. In conclusion, the prevalence of MetS in low income rural adults of Xinjiang was high and the LAP was an effective indicator for the screening of MetS.

Background: Previous studies have evaluated the associations between the cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) TaqIB polymorphism (rs708272), the risk of developing composite ischemic cardiovascular disease (CVD) and the concentration of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), but results remain controversial. The objective of this study was to investigate whether a relationship exists between these factors., Methods: We conducted a meta-analysis of available studies to clarify the associations of the CETP TaqIB polymorphism with HDL-C concentration and the composite ischemic CVD risk in both Asians and Caucasians. All statistical analyses were done with Stata 12.0., Results: Through utilization of the Cochrane Library, Embase, PubMed, Web of Science, Springer, China Science and Technology Journal Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Google Scholar, and Baidu Library, a total of 45 studies from 44 papers with 20,866 cases and 21,298 controls were combined showing a significant association between the CETP TaqIB variant and composite ischemic CVD risk. Carriers of allele TaqIB-B1 were found to have a higher risk of composite ischemic CVD than non-carriers: OR = 1.15, 95% CI = 1.09-1.21, p < 0.001. Meanwhile, 28 studies with 23,959 subjects were included in the association between the CETP TaqIB polymorphism and the concentration of HDL-C. RESULTS suggested that carriers of the B1B1 genotype had lower concentrations of HDL-C than those of the B2B2 genotype: SMD = 0.50, 95% CI = 0.36-0.65, p < 0.001., Conclusions: The synthesis of available evidence demonstrates that the CETP TaqIB polymorphism protects against composite ischemic CVD risk and is associated with a higher HDL-C concentration in both Asians and Caucasians., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Objective: To explore the relationship between the polymorphisms and haplotypes in the CETP gene and dyslipidemia among Xinjiang Kazak and Uygur residents., Methods: A population status survey was performed from 2010 to 2011 in Kashgar Xinjiang Uygur and Kazak residents, stratified cluster sampling method was used to select Uygur, Kazak residents with abnormal blood lipid values (n=367 and 345, respectively) as the dyslipidemia groups, and to select residents with normal lipid values as control group from the same area (n=374 and 390, respectively). SNaPshot technology was applied to detect the DNA of CETP gene rs3764261, rs1800775, rs708272 and rs5882 loci in all selected residents, and linkage disequilibrium analysis and haplotype construction were performed., Results: (1) In Uygur residents, the dyslipidemia risk of rs708272 CT (OR=0.64, 95%CI 0.46-0.91, P=0.01) and TT genotype (OR=0.60, 95%CI 0.40-0.91, P=0.02) was significantly lower than CC genotype. Dyslipidemia risk of rs3764261 GT (OR=0.55, 95%CI 0.40-0.74, P=0.00) and TT genotype (OR=0.47, 95%CI 0.28-0.78, P<0.01) was significantly lower than GG genetype. Dyslipidemia risk of the rs1800775 CC genotype was higher than AA genotype (OR=1.79, 95%CI 1.17-2.74, P=0.01). There was no statistical significance in CETP gene of the 4 genotype and allele frequency between the dyslipidemia and normal lipid groups in Kazak residents (all P>0.05). (2) In Uighur residents with dyslipidemia, HDL-C level was significantly higher in rs708272 TT genotype carriers than in CC and CT genotypes (all P<0.05) and in rs3764261 TT genotype carriers than in GG genotype carriers (P=0.008), while was significantly lower in rs1800775 CC genotype carriers with AA genotype carriers (P=0.008). (3) Linkage disequilibrium analysis showed that there was strong linkage disequilibrium between rs3764261 and rs708272 (D'=0.869, r(2)=0.869), rs1800775 and rs708272 (D'=0.845, r(2)=0.446) in Uighur residents, and there was strong linkage disequilibrium between rs3764261 and rs708272 (D'=0.963, r(2)=0.963), rs1800775 and rs708272 (D'=0.988, r(2)=0.630) in Kazak residents. (4) Significant differences were observed in frequency distribution of haplotype GACA(OR=0.579, 95%CI 0.388-0.864, P=0.006), GATA (OR=2.183, 95%CI 1.231-3.873, P=0.006), GCCA (OR=0.723, 95%CI 0.549-0.954, P=0.001), TATA (OR=0.723, 95%CI 0.549-0.954, P=0.021) and TATG (OR=0.601, 95%CI 0.429-0.841, P=0.002) in Uighur residents with normal or abnormal lipid profiles, while significant difference was observed in frequency distribution of haplotype GCCG (OR=1.961, 95%CI 1.207-3.188, P=0.005) in Kazak residents with normal or abnormal lipid profiles., Conclusion: CETP genotype rs708272, rs3764261 and rs1800775 polymorphism is closely related to dyslipidemia and haplotype GACA, TATA and TATG will reduce the risk of dyslipidemia, while haplotype GATA, GCCA will increase the risk of dyslipidemia in Uygur residents. The four CETP polymorphisms are not related to the risk of dyslipidemia, but haplotype GCCG is related to increased risk of dyslipidemia in Kazakhs residents.

This study aims to investigate the mechanisms involved in the action of lutein (LU) alleviating arsenic-induced reproductive toxicity using mice model. Forty male Kunming mice were received following treatments by gavage: normal saline solution (control), arsenic trioxide (ATO; 5 mg/kg/day), LU (40 mg/kg/day), and ATO + LU (5 mg/kg/day + 40 mg/kg/day). At the end, the mice were killed by cervical dislocation and weighed. Pathological examination was done on the testis. The biomedical parameters including superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH), total antioxidative capability, malondialdehyde (MDA), 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), and reproductive indexes were analyzed. The messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein expression of Nrf2, heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1), glutathione S-transferase (GST), nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate dehydrogenase, quinone 1 (NQO1) in testis were detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot. We found that there was a decrease in sperm count; testis somatic index; the activities of SOD, GSH, total antioxidative capacity (p < 0.01, respectively) in ATO-treated mice, while there was an increase in the levels of sperm abnormalities, MDA, and 8-OHdG than control (p < 0.01, respectively). The groups treated with ATO + LU showed recovery of the measured parameters between those of ATO or saline-treated group. The antagonized interaction between ATO and LU was statistically significant (p < 0.01). Mice treated with ATO + LU also showed greater mRNA expression of Nrf2, HO-1, NQO1, and GST than ATO or saline-treated groups. These findings suggest that LU alleviates reproductive toxicity induced by arsenic in male mice via Nrf2 signaling, which implicates a possible mechanism of LU in preventing the reproductive injury, and elucidates that consuming the rich plant sources of LU will alleviate the reproductive toxicity induced by chemicals., (© The Author(s) 2015.)

The aim of this study was to investigate the potential association between apolipoprotein A1 (APOA1) gene rs670, rs5069, and rs2070665 polymorphisms and dyslipidemia in the Kazakh population of Xinjiang, China. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) was used to identify APOA1 (rs670, rs5069, and rs2070665) genotypes in 736 subjects (341 dyslipidemia patients and 395 control subjects). The frequencies of the CC genotype for rs1421085 were found to be 7.2% (obese group), 4.4% (overweight group), and 5.6% (control group). Polymorphisms of the three loci of the APOA1 gene in Kazakh subjects met Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The frequencies of the A allele for rs670 were found to be 14.3% (dyslipidemia group) and 12.7% (control group). The frequencies of the T allele for rs5069 and rs2070665 were: dyslipidmia group (7.2 and 30.1%, respectively) and control group (7.7 and 32.5%, respectively). Frequency distributions of the 3 types of genotypes and alleles of the three loci showed no statistically significant difference (P > 0.05). Significant differences were observed in lipoprotein (α) [Lp(α)] between patients with the rs2070665 CT + TT and CC genotypes (P < 0.05); however, none of the other relevant indicators differed significantly between the two genotypes. No significant association was identified between rs670 or rs5069 and the lipid-related metabolic indices assessed in the study. These findings indicate that the polymorphisms in the APOA1 gene (rs670, rs5069, and rs2070665) are not associated with dyslipidemia in the Kazakh population assessed in this study.

Objective: To compare the screening ability of various anthropometric and atherogenic indices for Metabolic syndrome (MetS) using three common criteria and to evaluate the validity of suitable parameters in combination for the screening of MetS among a Kazakh population in Xinjiang., Methods: A total of 3752 individuals were selected using the stratified cluster random sampling method from nomadic Kazakhs (≥18 years old) in Xinyuan county, Xinjiang, China, which is approximately 4407 km away from the capital Beijing. MetS was defined by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) and Joint Interim Statement (JIS) criteria. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was used to compare the area under the ROC curve (AUC) of each index. The sensitivity, specificity, Youden's index and cut-offs of each index for the screening of MetS were calculated., Results: According to the IDF, ATP III and JIS criteria, 18.61%, 10.51%, and 24.83% of males and 23.25%, 14.88%, and 25.33% of females had MetS. According to the IDF criteria, the waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) was the index that most accurately identified individuals with and without MetS both in males (AUC = 0.872) and females (AUC = 0.804), with the optimal cut-offs of 0.53 and 0.52, respectively. According to both the ATP III and JIS criteria, the lipid accumulation product (LAP) was the best index to discriminate between individuals with and without MetS in males (AUC = 0.856 and 0.816, respectively) and females (AUC = 0.832 and 0.788, respectively), with optimal cut-offs of 41.21 and 34.76 in males and 28.16 and 26.49 in females, respectively. On the basis of the IDF standard, Youden's indices of WHtR and LAP serial tests for the screening of MetS were 0.590 and 0.455 in males and females, respectively, and those of WHtR and LAP parallel tests were 0.608 and 0.479, accordingly., Conclusion: According to the IDF, ATP III and JIS criteria, both the WHtR and LAP were better indices for the screening of MetS. The WHtR and LAP parallel test was the most accurate.

Objective: This study aimed to detect the association between polymorphisms and haplotype in the ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) gene and overweight/obese Uyghur patients in China., Methods: A total of 259 overweight/obese patients and 276 normal weight subjects, which were randomly selected from among 3049 adult Uyghurs, were matched for age. We genotyped ABCA1 single nucleotide polymorphisms of rs2515602, rs3890182, rs2275542, rs2230806, rs1800976, and rs4149313., Results: (1) The genotypic and allelic frequencies of rs2515602 and rs4149313 differed between the control group and case group. The genotypic frequency of rs2275542 also differed between the control group and case group (p < 0.05); (2) rs2515602, rs2230806, and rs4149313 polymorphisms were significantly related to risk of overweight/obese; (3) a significant linkage disequilibrium (LD) was observed between the ABCA1 gene rs2275542 with rs3890182 and rs2515602 with rs4149313. (4) the C-C-C-A-G-G, T-C-G-A-G-G, and T-T-G-G-G-A haplotypes were significant in normal weight and overweight/obese subjects (p < 0.05); (5) the levels of HDL-C (rs2515602, rs2275542, rs4149313) in normal weight subjects were different among the genotypes (p < 0.05); the levels of TC, LDL-C and TG (rs1800976) in overweight/obese subjects were different among the genotypes (p < 0.05)., Conclusions: The rs2515602, rs4149313, and rs2275542 polymorphisms were associated with overweight/obese conditions among Uyghurs. Strong LD was noted between rs2275542 with rs3890182 and rs2515602 with rs4149313. The C-C-C-A-G-G and T-C-G-A-G-G haplotypes may serve as risk factors of overweight/obesity among Uyghurs. The T-T-G-G-G-A haplotype may serve as a protective factor of overweight/obesity among Uyghurs. Rs2515602, rs2275542, rs4149313, and rs1800976 polymorphisms in the ABCA1 gene may influence lipid profiles.

Objective: To detect the interactions between six functional polymorphisms in ABCA1 and obesity in Kazakhs with low HDL-C levels., Methods: A total of 204 patients with low HDL-C and 207 health control subjects, which were randomly selected from among 5692 adult Kazakhs, were matched for age and sex. We genotyped ABCA1 single nucleotide polymorphisms of rs2515602, rs3890182, rs2275542, rs2230806, rs1800976, and rs4149313., Results: (1) The genotypic and allelic frequencies of rs2515602, rs2230806 and rs4149313 were different between normal HDL-C and low HDL-C subjects, the genotypic frequency of rs2275542 was also different between normal HDL-C and low HDL-C subjects (p < 0.05); (2) the level of HDL-C (rs2515602 and rs2275542) in normal HDL-C subjects were different among the genotypes (p < 0.05); the levels of TC, LDL-C (rs2515602, rs4149313); TG (rs2515602, rs1800976, rs4149313) in low HDL-C patients were different among the genotypes (p < 0.05); (3) interactions between the rs3890182, rs2275542, rs180096, and rs4149313 polymorphisms in ABCA1 gene and obesity may be associated with low HDL-C disease; (4) the C-C-C-A-A-G, T-C-C-A-A-A, T-C-C-A-A-G, C-C-C-A-A-A, C-T-G-G-A-A, and T-T-C-G-A-A haplotypes were significant between the subjects with normal HDL-C and low HDL-C level (p < 0.05)., Conclusions: The differences in serum lipid levels between normal HDL-C and low HDL-C subjects among Kazakhs might partly result from ABCA1 gene polymorphisms; ABCA1 gene polymorphisms may be associated with low HDL-C disease; the low HDL-C disease might partly result from interactions between ABCA1 gene polymorphisms and obesity; the C-C-C-A-A-G, T-C-C-A-A-A, and T-C-C-A-A-G haplotypes may serve as risk factors of low HDL-C disease among Kazakhs, the C-C-C-A-A-A, C-T-G-G-A-A, and T-T-C-G-A-A haplotypes may serve as protective factor of low HDL-C disease among Kazakhs.

Objective . To study the relationships between IR and glucose and lipid metabolism in far western China and these relationships' ethnic heterogeneity. Methods . From the baseline survey, 419 Uygur cases, 331 Kazak cases, and 220 Han cases were randomly selected, resulting in a total of 970 cases for study. FINS concentration was measured by radioimmunoassay. Results . (1) In the Kazak population, IR was correlated with hyperglycemia; high levels of TC, TG, and LDL-C; and low levels of HDL-C and abdominal obesity (all P < 0.05). (2) In the Uygur population, the influence of IR on hyperglycemia and abdominal obesity was the greatest. In the Kazak population, IR was associated with hyperglycemia most closely. In the Han population, IR may have had an impact on the incidence of low HDL-C levels. (3) After adjusting for sex, age, smoking status, and alcohol consumption, IR was still associated with anomalies in the metabolism of the Uygur, Kazak, and Han populations. Conclusion . IR was involved in the process of glucose and lipid metabolism, and its degree of involvement differed among the ethnicities studied. We could consider reducing the occurrence of abnormal glucose and lipid metabolism by controlling IR and aiming to reduce the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and related diseases., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there are no competing interests regarding the publication of this paper.

The aim of this study was to assess the association between three FTO polymorphisms (rs9939609, rs8057044, and rs1421085) and metabolic syndrome (MS)-related outcomes in the low-income, rural, nomadic minority Khazakh population in far western China. A total of 489 subjects (245 MS patients, 244 controls) were included in the study and DNA samples were genotyped for the three polymorphisms by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry. The frequencies of the rs1421085 and rs9939609 genotypes and alleles did not differ significantly between MS patients and control, while the frequencies of rs8057044 G alleles and GG genotypes were higher in MS patients (P < 0.05) than in control subjects (G: 61.16 vs 53.53%, GG: 39.07 vs 29.05%) and the frequencies of rs8057044 A genotypes and alleles were lower (P < 0.05) in MS patients compared with controls (AA: 17.36 vs 21.99%, A: 38.84 vs 46.47%). Risk analysis of the rs8057044 polymorphism revealed individuals with GA and GG genotypes to have 1.112 and 1.731 times higher risks of developing MS than those with the AA genotype, respectively, while the G allele was found to be associated with a 1.367 times higher risk of developing MS compared with the A allele. These apparent correlations, however, did not hold true when adjusted for BMI. Weight, WC, HC, and BMI differed significantly between rs8057044 GG and AA+GA genotypes (P < 0.05).