The relationship between BSP mRNA expression and 25(OH)D/OPG in peripheral blood of newly diagnosed T2DM patients with different bone mass

Introduction: The objective of the study was to detect the levels of osteoprotegerin (OPG) and 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], as well as the expression of bone sialoprotein (BSP) mRNA, in the peripheral blood of patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) under different bone mass conditions, and to explore its role and significance in the development process of T2DM combined with osteoporosis (OP). Material and methods: A total of 225 patients hospitalised in the Endocrinology Department and General Department from May 2017 to May 2018 were enrolled and categorised into five groups: the pure T2DM group (group A, 45 patients), the bone mass reduction group (group B, 45 patients), the T2DM + bone mass reduction group (group C, 45 patients), the OP group (group D, 45 patients), and the T2DM + OP group (group E, 45 patients); meanwhile, age-matched healthy subjects undergoing physical examination in our hospital were collected as the normal control group (group NC, 45 cases). Logistic regression analysis was used to analyse the influencing factors of bone mass in patients with T2DM. Results: Compared with group B, the expression levels of glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), 25(OH)D, N-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen (PINP), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), fasting plasma insulin (FINS), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and BSP mRNA were significantly increased while OPG and b-collagen degradation products (b-CTX) were significantly decreased in group A. Conclusion: The expression of BSP mRNA and the decrease of 25(OH)D and OPG in peripheral blood may participate in the development of diabetes and osteoporosis

Analysis and Introduction of Effective Permeability with Additional Air-Gaps on Wireless Power Transfer Coils for Electric Vehicle based on SAE J2954 Recommended Practice

The wireless power transfer (WPT) method for electric vehicles (EVs) is becoming more popular, and to ensure the interoperability of WPT systems, the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) established the J2954 recommended practice (RP). It includes powering frequency, electrical parameters, specifications, testing procedures, and other contents for EV WPT. Specifically, it describes the ranges of self-inductances of the transmitting coil, the receiving coil, and coupling coefficient (k), as well as the impedance matching values of the WPT system. Following the electrical parameters listed in SAE J2954 RP is crucial to ensure the EV wireless charging system is interoperable. This paper introduces a method for adjusting the effective permeability of the ferrite blocks in the standard model, to tune the self-inductance of the coils as well as the coupling coefficient. To guarantee the given values of the self-inductance of the coil and coupling coefficient matched those in the standard, we slightly modified the air-gap between the ferrite tiles in a specific region. Based on this method, it was possible to successfully tune the self-inductance of the transmitting coil and receiving coil as well as the coupling coefficient. The proposed method was verified by simulation and experimental measurements

The effect of the interaction of sleep onset latency and age on ischemic stroke severity via inflammatory chemokines

ObjectiveProlonged sleep onset latency (PSOL) and age have been linked to ischemic stroke (IS) severity and the production of chemokines and inflammation, both of which contribute to IS development. This study aimed to explore the relationship between chemokines, inflammation, and the interplay between sleep onset latency (SOL) and age in influencing stroke severity.MethodsA cohort of 281 participants with mild to moderate IS was enrolled. Stroke severity was assessed using the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), and SOL was recorded. Serum levels of macrophage inflammatory protein-1alpha (MIP-1α), macrophage inflammatory protein-1beta (MIP-1β), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were measured.ResultsNIHSS scores of middle-aged participants with PSOL were significantly higher than those with normal sleep onset latency (NSOL) (p = 0.046). This difference was also observed when compared to both the elderly with NSOL (p = 0.022), and PSOL (p < 0.001). Among middle-aged adults with PSOL, MIP-1β exhibited a protective effect on NIHSS scores (β = −0.01, t = −2.11, p = 0.039, R2 = 0.13). MIP-1α demonstrated a protective effect on NIHSS scores in the elderly with NSOL (β = −0.03, t = −2.27, p = 0.027, R2 = 0.12).ConclusionThis study reveals a hitherto undocumented association between PSOL and IS severity, along with the potential protective effects of MIP-1β in mitigating stroke severity, especially among middle-aged patients

Pharmacological effects and mechanisms of YiYiFuZi powder in chronic heart disease revealed by metabolomics and network pharmacology

Introduction: YiYiFuZi powder (YYFZ) is a classical formula in Chinese medicine, which is commonly used clinically for the treatment of Chronic Heart Disease (CHD), but it’s pharmacological effects and mechanism of action are currently unclear.Methods: An adriamycin-induced CHD model rat was established to evaluate the pharmacological effects of YYFZ on CHD by the results of inflammatory factor level, histopathology and echocardiography. Metabolomic studies were performed on rat plasma using UPLC-Q-TOF/MS to screen biomarkers and enrich metabolic pathways; network pharmacology analysis was also performed to obtain the potential targets and pathways of YYFZ for the treatment of CHD.Results: The results showed that YYFZ significantly reduced the levels of TNF-α and BNP in the serum of rats, alleviated the disorder of cardiomyocyte arrangement and inflammatory cell infiltration, and improved the cardiac function of rats with CHD. The metabolomic analysis identified a total of 19 metabolites, related to amino acid metabolism, fatty acid metabolism, and other metabolic pathways. Network pharmacology showed that YYFZ acts through PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway and Ras signaling pathway.Discussion: YYFZ treatment of CHD modulates blood metabolic pattern and several protein phosphorylation cascades but importance specific changes for therapeutic effect require further studies

In Vivo Near-Infrared Imaging of Fibrin Deposition in Thromboembolic Stroke in Mice

imaging of activated factor XIII (FXIIIa), an important mediator of thrombosis or fibrinolytic resistance. The present study was to investigate the fibrin deposition in a thromboembolic stroke mice model by FXIIIa–targeted near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging., which were correlated with histology after animal euthanasia. NIRF images and lesion volume.Non-invasive detection of fibrin deposition in ischemic mouse brain using NIRF imaging is feasible and this technique may provide an in vivo experimental tool in studying the role of fibrin in stroke

Moderated mediation with MIMIC models: SEM analysis of personal resources, perceived age-related loss, and aging satisfaction

Despite the usefulness of Multiple Indicators Multiple Causes (MIMIC) models, there has been little application of them in aging study. In this paper, we first justify the MIMIC model for personal resources using the tetrad test, and then apply this model to examine the mediation relationship between personal resources, perceived age-related loss and aging satisfaction with perceived age-related loss as the mediator and aging satisfaction as the outcome variable. Moreover, the effect of two binary moderators on the mediation effect, gender and age, are examined respectively. Results show that the MIMIC model is more appropriate than the common factor model for personal resources both substantively and statistically. The direct effect of personal resources on aging satisfaction accounts more than one third of the total effect, and the indirect effect accounts neatly two thirds of the total effect. In addition, although there is no moderated mediation effect of gender, there are significant differences between young adults and old adults on the mediation effect. Those findings support the usage of MIMIC models and call for our attention on the age differences in aging study

Estimating Subjective Probabilities of Bounded Continuous Distributions Using the Ratio Judgment and Scaling (RJS) Method

Subjective probabilities play a major role in many aspects of judgment and decision making research and in numerous decision analyses applications. There are many diverse methods to elicit subjective probability distributions of continuous variables. However, these methods are susceptible to multiple cognitive biases, such as representativeness, anchoring, confirmation, etc., and depend on the partition of the target variable (Fox & Clemen, 2005). I propose a new methodology for estimating subjective probability distributions of continuous variables that can reduce the impact of many of these biases. In this methodology – labeled Ratio Judgment and Scaling (RJS) – judges are asked to compare all pairs of possible outcomes and identify in each pair which is more likely, and by how much. These relative judgments are easier and more natural, and I hypothesize that they are less susceptible to many of the biases that plague the traditional methods. I did a series of studies to validate and test the RJS new procedure: (1) A simulation study that identified optimal ways of discretizing / binning a continuous distribution for the purpose of applications of the RJS methodology, and (2) two experimental studies contrasting the new RJS method with direct elicitation methods for various partitions. I found that the judges’ estimates of probabilities based on the RJS method were highly consistent, more accurate and less sensitive to the partition procedure than their counterparts based on direct estimates of the same variables. Moreover, the participants rated favorably the procedure. These results provide theoretical and empirical support for the feasibility and validity of the new method and demonstrate its superiority over standard methods. These results combined with the judges’ direct feedback suggest that the RJS methodology is a viable candidate for replacing standard elicitation methods

The public performances of religion: Exploring religiosity in religious non-governmental organizations (NGOS)

This thesis explores the role of religiosity within religious non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in our global modern society. The aim of the study is to describe how religiosity is manifest in religious NGOs in order to understand religious performance in our modern global society and to evaluate propositions related to secularization theory. I apply Peter Beyer\u27s theoretical work on global religion, which considers religion as a functional system against the backdrop of globalization, to analyze a religious NGO, the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC). The study focuses on two empirical questions: whether there is a discourse shift through the development of AFSC in terms of its expression of religiosity and statement of mission, and how members of AFSC consider its Quaker roots as well as the impacts of AFSC\u27s Quakerism on its members. By searching for answers to those two questions from the perspective of Beyer\u27s claims about global religion, I re-examine the secularization debate. Two analyses are conducted in this study. The first is a quantitative analysis of AFSC\u27s annual reports from the year 1917 to the year 2011. The second is a qualitative interview study of AFSC. Both studies confirmed the discourse shifts of AFSC across years, but it cannot be served as evidence for the secularization of AFSC. It is more appropriate to consider those changes as AFSC\u27s adaptive transformation in the current social circumstance. In general, the study is helpful for pondering the ambiguous position of religion in our global modern society. And it supplies us certain concrete information to guide further research on how religion adapts itself in response to the changing social contexts brought about by globalization

Estimating Subjective Probabilities of Bounded Continuous Distributions Using the Ratio Judgment and Scaling (RJS) Method

Subjective probabilities play a major role in many aspects of judgment and decision making research and in numerous decision analyses applications. There are many diverse methods to elicit subjective probability distributions of continuous variables. However, these methods are susceptible to multiple cognitive biases, such as representativeness, anchoring, confirmation, etc., and depend on the partition of the target variable (Fox & Clemen, 2005). I propose a new methodology for estimating subjective probability distributions of continuous variables that can reduce the impact of many of these biases. In this methodology – labeled Ratio Judgment and Scaling (RJS) – judges are asked to compare all pairs of possible outcomes and identify in each pair which is more likely, and by how much. These relative judgments are easier and more natural, and I hypothesize that they are less susceptible to many of the biases that plague the traditional methods. I did a series of studies to validate and test the RJS new procedure: (1) A simulation study that identified optimal ways of discretizing / binning a continuous distribution for the purpose of applications of the RJS methodology, and (2) two experimental studies contrasting the new RJS method with direct elicitation methods for various partitions. I found that the judges’ estimates of probabilities based on the RJS method were highly consistent, more accurate and less sensitive to the partition procedure than their counterparts based on direct estimates of the same variables. Moreover, the participants rated favorably the procedure. These results provide theoretical and empirical support for the feasibility and validity of the new method and demonstrate its superiority over standard methods. These results combined with the judges’ direct feedback suggest that the RJS methodology is a viable candidate for replacing standard elicitation methods

The complete mitochondrial genome of Nothochrysa sinica (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae: Nothochrysinae) with a phylogenetic analysis of Chrysopoidea

The complete mitochondrial (mt) genome of Nothochrysa sinica Yang (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae: Nothochrysinae) is reported in this work. It represents the first complete mt genome of the subfamily Nothochrysinae. The whole mt genome is 16,166 bp long and contains 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA genes (tRNAs), 2 ribosomal RNA genes (rRNAs), and an AT-rich region. Most PCGs used the typical ATN as initiation codons. The AT-rich region is 1,271 bp long with 90.24% of A + T. The results show that N. sinica is closely related to N. californica. Chrysopidae was demonstrated monophyletic being the sister group to Hemerobiidae. Within Chrysopidae, the sister-group relationship between Nothochrysinae and Apochrysinae was supported and together being the sister group to Chrysopinae