Background/Aims: Low educational attainment is a well-established risk factor for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in developed areas. However, the association between educational attainment and the risk of NAFLD is less clear in China. Methods: A cross-sectional study including over 200,000 Chinese adults across mainland China was conducted. Information on education level and lifestyle factors were obtained through standard questionnaires, while NAFLD and advanced fibrosis were diagnosed using validated formulas. Outcomes included the risk of NAFLD in the general population and high probability of fibrosis among patients with NAFLD. Logistic regression analysis was employed to estimate the risk of NAFLD and fibrosis across education levels. A causal mediation model was used to explore the potential mediators. Results: Comparing with those receiving primary school education, the multi-adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for NAFLD were 1.28 (1.16 to 1.41) for men and 0.94 (0.89 to 0.99) for women with college education after accounting for body mass index. When considering waist circumference, the odds ratios (95% CIs) were 0.94 (0.86 to 1.04) for men and 0.88 (0.80 to 0.97) for women, respectively. The proportions mediated by general and central obesity were 51.00% and 68.04% for men, while for women the proportions were 48.58% and 32.58%, respectively. Furthermore, NAFLD patients with lower educational attainment showed an incremental increased risk of advanced fibrosis in both genders. Conclusions In China, a low education level was associated with a higher risk of prevalent NAFLD in women, as well as high probability of fibrosis in both genders.

Objective: The relationship between serum uric acid (SUA) levels and glycemic indices, including plasma glucose (FPG), 2-hour postload glucose (2h-PG), and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), remains inconclusive. We aimed to explore the associations between glycemic indices and SUA levels in the general Chinese population. Methods: The current study was a cross-sectional analysis using the first follow-up survey data from The China Cardiometabolic Disease and Cancer Cohort Study. A total of 105,922 community-dwelling adults aged ≥ 40 years underwent the oral glucose tolerance test and uric acid assessment. The nonlinear relationships between glycemic indices and SUA levels were explored using generalized additive models. Results: A total of 30,941 men and 62,361 women were eligible for the current analysis. Generalized additive models verified the inverted U-shaped association between glycemic indices and SUA levels, but with different inflection points in men and women. The thresholds for FPG, 2h-PG, and HbA1c for men and women were 6.5/8.0 mmol/L, 11.0/14.0 mmol/L, and 6.1/6.5, respectively (SUA levels increased with increasing glycemic indices before the inflection points and then eventually decreased with further increases in the glycemic indices). Conclusion An inverted U-shaped association was observed between major glycemic indices and uric acid levels in both sexes, while the inflection points were reached earlier in men than in women.
Aged ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Blood Glucose/analysis* ; China/epidemiology* ; Cohort Studies ; Diabetes Mellitus/blood* ; Female ; Glucose Tolerance Test ; Glycated Hemoglobin A/analysis* ; Glycemic Index ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Uric Acid/blood*

Objective:To explore the change of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] and prediction for outcome of acute ischemic stroke in emergency. Methods:From October, 2017 to September, 2019, 224 patients with acute ischemic stroke in emergency and 240 healthy controls were detected serum 25(OH)D within 24 hours after enrollment. The patients were assessed with National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 (NRS2002), and measured biochemics within 24 hours after admission. They were assessed with modified Rankin Scale (mRS) 180 days after stroke, and divided into favourable group (mRS ≤ 2, n = 106) and unfavourable group (mRS > 2, n = 118). The factors related with the outcome were analyzed with Logistic regression, and the prediction of 25(OH)D for the outcome were analyzed with receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve. Results:Serum 25(OH)D was less in the patients than in the controls (Z = 4.296, P < 0.001), and less in the unfavourable group than in the favourable group (Z = 5.876, P < 0.001). Serum 25(OH)D (OR = 0.925, P < 0.05) was related with the outcome even controlling the impacts of age, sex, nutritional risk, infarct volume, scores of NIHSS, etc. The area under curve for serum 25(OH)D predicting outcome was 0.795 (P < 0.001). The cut-off point of prediction was 13.17 ng/ml, with the Yoden index of 0.548, which yielded a sensitivity of 0.746 and a specificity of 0.802. Conclusion:Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D may predict the outcome 180 days after acute ischemic stroke, which may help for risk stratification in emergency.

Objective To observe the effect of fructose(Fru),glucose (Glc)and exogenous nitric oxide donor sodium nitroprusside(SNP)on the germination of Psychotria rubra(Lour.)Poir. seeds under drought stress,and to explore the optimal concentration for clearing the drought stress. Methods We established the drought stress model of Psychotria rubra(Lour.)Poir. seeds with 15％(volume fraction)PEG6000 and 0.4 mol/L D-mannitol, measured the germination rate and germination index of Psychotria rubra (Lour.)Poir. seeds under drought stress combined treatment with different concentrations of Fru (0,300,500 μmol/L),Glc (0,300,500 μmol/L) and SNP(0 , 100 , 200 μmol/L). Results The germination process of Psychotria rubra(Lour .) Poir . seeds was significantly suppressed by drought stress. Fru,Glc and SNP could significantly promote the germination of Psychotria rubra (Lour.) Poir. seeds under drought stress. The optimal condition for clearing drought stress induced by 15％ PEG6000 was Fru 300 μmol/L, Glc 500 μmol/Land SNP 200 μmol/L, and the germination rate was 95％ under the optimal condition . The optimal condition for clearing drought stress induced by D-Mannitol was Fru 500 μmol/L, Glc 500 μmol/L and SNP 100 μmol/L, and the germination rate arrived to100％. Conclusion Fru,Glc and SNP can significantly alleviate the negative impact induced by drought stress for the Psychotria rubra(Lour.)Poir. seed germination,improve the drought-resistant ability of the seeds.

To optimize the purification process of gynostemma pentaphyllum saponins (GPS) based on "adjoint marker" online control technology with GPS as the testing index. UPLC-QTOF-MS technology was used for qualitative analysis. "Adjoint marker" online control results showed that the end point of load sample was that the UV absorbance of effluent liquid was equal to half of that of load sample solution, and the absorbance was basically stable when the end point was stable. In UPLC-QTOF-MS qualitative analysis, 16 saponins were identified from GPS, including 13 known gynostemma saponins and 3 new saponins. This optimized method was proved to be simple, scientific, reasonable, easy for online determination, real-time record, and can be better applied to the mass production and automation of production. The results of qualitative analysis indicated that the "adjoint marker" online control technology can well retain main efficacy components of medicinal materials, and provide analysis tools for the process control and quality traceability.

Peanut yield and quality are seriously affected by pod rot pathogens worldwide, especially in China in recent years. The goals of this study are to analyze the structure of fungal communities of peanut pod rot in soil in three peanut cultivars and the correlation of pod rot with environmental variables using 454 pyrosequencing. A total of 46,723 internal transcribed spacer high-quality sequences were obtained and grouped into 1,706 operational taxonomic units at the 97% similarity cut-off level. The coverage, rank abundance, and the Chao 1 and Shannon diversity indices of the operational taxonomic units were analyzed. Members of the phylum Ascomycota were dominant, such as Fusarium, Chaetomium, Alternaria, and Sordariomycetes, followed by Basidiomycota. The results of the heatmap and redundancy analysis revealed significant variation in the composition of the fungal community among the three cultivar samples. The environmental conditions in different peanut cultivars may also influence on the structure of the fungal community. The results of this study suggest that the causal agent of peanut pod rot may be more complex, and cultivars and environmental conditions are both important contributors to the community structure of peanut pod rot fungi.
Alternaria ; Arachis* ; Ascomycota ; Basidiomycota ; Chaetomium ; China* ; Fungi* ; Fusarium ; Soil*

Objective To identify the pharmacognosy features of Dichrocephala auriculata(Thunb.)Druce,and to summarize its identification characteristics,so as to lay a foundation for further study and development of the drug. Methods By original plant identification and microscopic identification methods,we observed the features of the whole plant of Dichrocephala auriculata(Thunb.)Druce. Results The morphological characteristics of the original plant showed as follows:the whole aerial part was covered with tomentum;roots belonged to taproot root system;the alternate leaves were long oval-shaped, pinnatipartite, or divided;flowers were small, presented as capitulum, arranging in umbrella-shape, with several outer layers of white flowers and several inner layers of yellow green flowers. Microstructure characteristics showed as follows:root vascular bundle was broad,and pericycle fiber bundles were found outside;stem vascular bundle had 8-25 cyclocytics,pericycle fibers were found outside, and the medulla was broad with myelinated fibers around;the upper and below epidermis of leaves had stomata and non-tentacle, and the main vein vascular of the leaf was collateral with vascula bundles upside and downside;the nonglandular hairs,starch grains,fibers,pollen grains,and tubes were shown in the powder of whole plant. Conclusion The above results are stable and reliable, and can be applied for pharmacognosy identification of Dichrocephala auriculata(Thunb.)Druce.

Objective To compare the pharmacognosy characteristics of aerial roots of Ficus microcarpa Linn.f. and Ficus elastica Roxb. ex Hornem.. Methods Fresh aerial roots were harvested and were used as the experimental samples. Stereoscopy was used for the observation of macroscopic appearance of Ficus microcarpa Linn.f. and Ficus elastica Roxb. ex Hornem.,and the microscope was used for the examination of their microscopic features of the velamen surface, cross section of root tip, cross section and longitudinal section of the posterior root, and powder. Results The appearance characteristics of the two species were as follows:the number of aerial roots of Ficus microcarpa Linn. f. was more,and the diameter was smaller than that of Ficus elastica Roxb. ex Hornem. The root tips of Ficus microcarpa Linn. f. aerial roots were light yellow turning to yellow-white, covered with gray or yellowish-white lenticels;the root tips of Ficus elastica Roxb. ex Hornem. aerial roots were light yellow or yellow, covered with gray lenticels. Microscopic identification results of the two plants were as follows:the primary xylems of transverse section of root tips and posterior roots of Ficus microcarpa Linn.f. and Ficus elastica Roxb. ex Hornem. were different,the former being five to seven heptarch,and the latter being six to eleven heptarch. Both of the two species had non-articulated unbranched laticifers in their longitudinal section of posterior root, and the diameter of Ficus. elastica Roxb. ex Hornem. was slightly larger than that of Ficus microcarpa Linn. f.. The powder of Ficus microcarpa Linn. f. was red brown,with spiral and pitted vessels;Ficus elastica Roxb. ex Hornem. was yellow brown,with single small and large pitted vessels,and the color of its fiber was shallow or nearly colorless or even transparent, with lines of cluster crystal. Conclusion The results will provide evidence for the identification , exploitation and utilization of Ficus microcarpa Linn . f . and Ficus elastica Roxb. ex Hornem.

In the present study, the effects of Pleurotus nebrodensis polysaccharide (PN-S) on the immune functions of immunosuppressed mice were determined. The immunosuppressed mouse model was established by treating the mice with cyclophosphamide (40 mg/kg/2d, CY) through intraperitoneal injection. The results showed that PN-S administration significantly reversed the CY-induced weight loss, increased the thymic and splenic indices, and promoted proliferation of T lymphocyte, B lymphocyte, and macrophages. PN-S also enhanced the activity of natural killer cells and increased the immunoglobulin M (IgM) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels in the serum. In addition, PN-S treatment significantly increased the phagocytic activity of mouse peritoneal macrophages. PN-S also increased the levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interferon-γ (INF-γ), and nitric oxide (NOS) in splenocytes. qRT-PCR results also indicated that PN-S increased the mRNA expression of IL-6, TNF-α, INF-γ, and nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in the splenocytes. These results suggest that PN-S treatment enhances the immune function of immunosuppressed mice. This study may provide a basis for the application of this fungus in adjacent immunopotentiating therapy against cancer and in the treatment of chemotherapy-induced immunosuppression.
Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating ; Biological Products ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Cell Line ; Cyclophosphamide ; Immunity ; drug effects ; Immunologic Factors ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Immunosuppression ; Interferon-gamma ; metabolism ; Interleukin-6 ; metabolism ; Macrophages ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Male ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; immunology ; Nitric Oxide ; metabolism ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II ; metabolism ; Phagocytosis ; drug effects ; Pleurotus ; chemistry ; Polysaccharides ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; metabolism