Search

Objectives Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) imposes a great burden on healthcare systems, and these patients experience higher long-term risks for developing end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Managing diabetic nephropathy becomes more challenging when kidney function starts declining. Therefore, developing predictive models for the risk of developing ESRD in newly diagnosed T2DM patients may be helpful in clinical settings. Methods We established machine learning models constructed from a subset of clinical features collected from 53,477 newly diagnosed T2DM patients from January 2008 to December 2018 and then selected the best model. The cohort was divided, with 70% and 30% of patients randomly assigned to the training and testing sets, respectively. Results The discriminative ability of our machine learning models, including logistic regression, extra tree classifier, random forest, gradient boosting decision tree (GBDT), extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), and light gradient boosting machine were evaluated across the cohort. XGBoost yielded the highest area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.953, followed by extra tree and GBDT, with AUC values of 0.952 and 0.938 on the testing dataset. The SHapley Additive explanation summary plot in the XGBoost model illustrated that the top five important features included baseline serum creatinine, mean serum creatine within 1 year before the diagnosis of T2DM, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, spot urine protein-to-creatinine ratio and female gender. Conclusions Because our machine learning prediction models were based on routinely collected clinical features, they can be used as risk assessment tools for developing ESRD. By identifying high-risk patients, intervention strategies may be provided at an early stage.

Background Triclosan, an antimicrobial agent in personal care products, could be absorbed into the human body through the digestive tract. This animal experiment aimed to clarify the effects of triclosan exposure on the microbiome and intestinal immune functions in healthy and ulcerative colitis models. Methods Balb/c mice were maintained on an AIN-93G diet containing 80ppm triclosan dissolved in polyethylene as vehicle or vehicle alone for 1 week or 4 weeks. In the end, the mice were sacrificed, blood samples and colon tissues were collected for analysis of inflammation, and fecal samples were collected for 16 S rRNA sequencing of gut microbiota. To establish ulcerative colitis mice model, at the beginning of the 4th week, mice maintained on the diet with or without triclosan were treated with 2% Dextran sulfate sodium(DSS) in drinking water for 1 week. Then mice were sacrificed for analysis of colitis and gut microbiota. Results Triclosan exposure to common mice enhanced the levels of p-NF-κb and Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), and decreased the Occludin in the colon. Triclosan exposure to DSS-induced mice increased the level of inflammatory cytokines, reduced the levels of Occludin, and exacerbated the degree of damage to intestinal mucosa and crypt, infiltration of inflammatory cells and atypia of glandular cells. Low-grade intraepithelial neoplasia appeared. Both in common and DSS-induced mice, triclosan exposure changed the diversity and composition of gut microbiota. Fecal samples showed higher enrichment of sulfate-reducing bacteria and Bacteroides, and less butyrate-producing bacteria. Conclusion Triclosan exposure induced disturbance of gut microbiota and exaggerated experimental colitis in mice. And changes in the composition of gut microbiota were characterized by the increase of harmful bacteria, including sulfate-reducing bacteria and Bacteroides, and the reduction of protective probiotics, butyrate-producing bacteria.

Maternal health is a major concern in Africa especially due to high level of maternal mortality in the region. A significant cause of high mortality is the unavailability of health facilities and preference for home-based delivery often carried out by unskilled health attendants. Reports reveal that 69% of young women in Nigeria opt for home-based delivery in Nigeria and some of these mothers lose their lives as a result of childbirth complications that are not properly attended to. This trend calls for urgent concern in the nation’s health system. Against this backdrop, this study examined the determinants of non-institutional delivery among women of reproductive age in Nigeria using the country’s National Demographic Health Survey [NDHS] (2018. Demographic health survey data. NPC and ICF, Abuja, Nigeria and Rockville. MD, USA) The data for this study include 12,567 of women of childbearing-age contained in the NDHS data. To analyse the data, the multilevel binary logistic regression was used to examine the determinants of non-institutional delivery among the women of childbearing-age. The results were presented using adjusted odds ratios (AOR) with 95% confidence interval. The result revealed that 56.8% of women preferred to have their children outside health institutions. The findings further revealed that educated women including urban dwellers, women with some level of formal education, high exposure to news media, high level of income and women with significant level of autonomy were less likely to deliver their babies outside health institutions. Based on the findings of the study, that there is the need to expand educational opportunities for Nigerian women, enhance and strengthen advocacy, and utilise focused group discussions, family outreach programmes and peer education to educate mothers on the benefits of using healthcare facilities during childbirth.

This study aims to analyze the role of health, education, energy and pollution in affecting productivity in selected emerging economies. Industrial share to GDP, trade openness and Information Communication and Technology (ICT) are used as control variables. Various dimensions of health and education are explored that include malnutrition, access to clean water, HIV, life expectancy and years of schooling at several levels. A set of Fixed Effect models provide evidence that all of the variables of health and education are critical for productivity. Further, the negative effect of trade openness calls for attention of the policy makers to work out the possibility of technology transfer through integration of economies so that productivity may be enhanced. Another dimension is to revisit the energy mix because the positive effect of energy use is offset by an increase in pollution. Public policy makers should understand the importance of public investment in necessary provisions for improving productivity, economic growth and ultimately the welfare of society, then it can make a difference.

Geochemical studies of crude oil and source rock play an important role in future exploration in Zhanhua Depression. In this study, thirty-one oil samples collected from Shahejie Formation in Zhanhua Depression, Bohai Bay Basin, NE China have been geochemically analyzed and their organic geochemical characteristics have been applied to differentiate groups of oils. These oil samples can be classified into two families based on multiple biomarker proxies and stable carbon isotopic values. Family I is characterized by a low ratio of pristane over phytane (Pr/Ph

Graphite may store lithium or potassium, but not sodium, in its interlayer space under ambient conditions. It is, however, unclear whether binary alkali alloys of Li-Na, Li-K, and Na-K may substitute pure Li or K to form binary alkali alloy-graphite intercalation compounds. We investigate thermodynamics of the binary alloy-graphite intercalation compounds using density functional theory with van der Waals density functionals. We find Li-rich co-intercalation compounds and K-rich ones are associated with negative formation energies, and the Na-K alloy has the broadest domain of co-intercalation (approximately up to 36% Na). Because of convexity of the formation-energy functions, these compounds are metastable and tend to decompose even when formation energies are negative. Na metal is among the decomposition products. Binary Li-K alloys in graphite form segregated phases of LiC6 and KC8, and this allows one to fabricate Li-K mixed-ion batteries using graphite anodes, whereas Li-Na and Na-K alloys are thermodynamically unfavorable. The study highlights the importance of convexity of formation-energy functions in thermodynamics of alloy-graphite intercalation compounds.

Higher education policy fails to meet the requirement of rapidly changing society and employers’ expectation in Taiwan, resulting in a great gap between university education and employment. This study aims to explore the relationship among students’ social capital, international mindsets, learning outcomes, and student employability in higher education institutions (HEIs) via analyzing a purposely sample size of 801 undergraduates from 16 Taiwanese HEIs with structural equation model. The results show that the influences of students’ social capital and international mindsets on student employability are evident. Furthermore, male and female students do have different routes to the development of employability. The findings suggest that college student learning outcomes plays a critical role in developing the important employability. These results call for additional scholarly investigation into gender influence on college impact and gender-dependent activities during college; moreover, they encourage institutions of higher education to adopt more gender-specific approaches to relevant institutional policies and practices. Based on the findings, specific implications for HEIs are provided.

The Huhehu Sag is one of the most important oil and gas depressions in the Hailar Basin. However, the origin of Huhehu oil is still controversial. Previous studies on source rocks have mainly focused on the Nantun Formation (K1n); a few studies have investigated the Damoguaihe Formation (K1d). Based on the Rock–Eval pyrolysis parameters, 172 drill cutting samples from the Huhehu Sag were analyzed to evaluate their geochemical characteristics. Based on the Rock–Eval data, the mudstones from the first member of the Damoguaihe Formation (K1d1) and the second member of the Nantun Formation (K1n2) have moderate to high hydrocarbon generation potential, while mudstones from the first member of the Nantun Formation (K1n1) have poor to good hydrocarbon generation potential. Additionally, both the K1n1 and K1n2 coal members have poor to fair hydrocarbon generation potential, but the K1n2 coal member has a better generative potential. Fifteen Huhehu oils were collected for molecular geochemical analyses to classify the oils into genetic families and to identify the source rock for each oil using chemometric methods. The Huhehu oils were classified into three groups with different maturity levels using hierarchical cluster analysis and principal component analysis. Group A oils (high maturity) are characterized by relatively moderate ratios of Pr/Ph, Pr/n-C17, and Ph/n-C18, as well as an abundance of C29 steranes, mainly derived from the K1n2 and K1n1 mudstone members. In comparison, group B oils (moderate maturity) have relatively low Pr/Ph ratios, moderate Pr/n-C17 and Ph/n-C18 ratios, and low concentrations of C29 steranes. Group C oils (low maturity) show relatively high ratios of Pr/Ph, Pr/n-C17, and Ph/n-C18, as well as high concentrations of C29 steranes. Furthermore, group B oils derived from the K1d1 mudstone member and group C oils derived from the K1n2 coal member were also identified by principal component analysis score plots. Correlation studies suggest a major contribution from the K1n mudstone Formation and the K1d1 mudstone member to the oils of the Huhehu Sag. So, the Nantun Formation and relatively shallow strata of the Damoguaihe Formation (e.g., the K1d1 member) represent important targets for future oil-reservoir exploration in the Huhehu Sag.

Structural adaptation of arteries to weightlessness might lower the working ability or even threaten the physical health of astronauts, but the underlying mechanism is unclear. Acid sphingomyelinase (ASM) catalyzes ceramide (Cer) generation controlling arterial remodeling through multiple signaling pathways. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the contribution of ASM/Cer to the changes of common carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT) induced by simulated weightlessness. Hindlimb-unloaded tail-suspended (HU) rats were used to simulate the effect of weightlessness. Morphology of the carotid artery (CA) was examined by hematoxylin-eosin staining. Protein content of ASM or proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) was detected by Western blot. Cer level was measured by immunohistochemistry analysis. Apoptosis events were observed by transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining. During 4 weeks of tail suspension, CIMT was increased gradually in HU but not in their synchronous control rats (P

Using new flight hardware, a Chinese mission of space protein crystallization has been performed aboard the Chinese spacecraft SZ-3. Preliminary analyses of the experimental results have shown that a few proteins produced better crystals in space. At least, the crystals of cytochrome b5 mutant could diffract X-ray beyond the highest resolution reported so far for the same kind of crystals. In addition, some rules derived from our numerical studies of the liquid/liquid diffusion protein crystallization were proved by the crystallization of lysozyme as model protein in this space experiment, which also clearly showed the advantages and disadvantages of the gelation of the protein solution used in microgravity growth of protein crystals.

D,L-lactide was prepared from D,L-lactic acid by means of polymerization and depolymerization at low vacuum level. Morpholine-2,5-dione (MD) was synthesized from the cyclization of chloroacetyl glycine which was made from chloroacetyl chloride and glycine in the basic condition. A novel copolymer (PLAMD) with D,L-lactide (D,L-LA) and morpholine-2,5-dione (MD) was synthesized using stannous octoate as initiator, and characterized with FT-IR and 1HNMR. The biocompatibility of PLAMD and PLA was investigated by MTT and microscope. The results show that amino acid is introduced into PDLLA main chain. PLAMD has better cell affinity than PLA, so it is a promising biomaterial.

Reciprocal differences have been observed widely for given traits in fish breeding programs, but maternal and paternal effects and heritable extranuclear genetic effects have often been omitted in the evaluation of genetic variance. In this study, we have applied a mixed genetic model to conduct a complete diallel cross using three varieties of red common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.), namely, C.carpio. var. singuonensis, C. carpio var. wuyuanensis and C.carpio var. color. Parental and direct (additive and dominance) genetic effects for growth-related traits at 8 and 20 months post-hatch were analyzed. At 8 months post-hatch, only significant additive and dominance variances were observed, while maternal and paternal variances were low and non-significant in the traits evaluated: body weight, total length, standard length, pre-dorsal height, pre-dorsal width, caudal peduncle length, and caudal peduncle height. At 20 months post-hatch, with the exception of significant additive and/or dominance variances, maternal variances were significant for the traits of body weight, pre-dorsal height, pre-dorsal width, and caudal peduncle height, and the paternal variance was significant only for total length. The maternal effects in the common carp had greater genetic influence on offspring than the paternal effects. Female C. carpio var. wuyuanensis were more suitable as brooders than males, but both female and male C. carpio var. color can be used as brooders according to breeding programs of improved traits. Cyprinus carpio var. singuonensis was the worst brooder of the three varieties of common carp evaluated.

A genetically engineered Escherichia coli was developed as the source of enzyme for rapidly quantifying glutamine. E. coli BL21 (DE3) cells overexpressing a glutamine synthetase from Bacillus subtilis were prepared as tube aliquots and used in a small volume of nontoxic mixture. The current method was compared to high performance liquid chromatography analysis, Sigma kit (GLN-1) and Mecke method. The method is applicable to a wide range of glutamine concentrations (0.05-2.5 mM) and correlates well to the detection results obtained from high performance liquid chromatography (Pearson correlation is 0.978 at the 0.01 level). Moreover, the whole assay procedure takes less than 15 min and uses nontoxic reagents, so it can be applied to monitor glutamine production and utilization conveniently.