Associations between remnant cholesterol levels and mortality in patients with diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Dyslipidemia is frequently present in patients with diabetes. The associations of remnant cholesterol and mortality remains unclear in patients with diabetes. AIM: To explore the associations of remnant cholesterol with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in patients with diabetes. METHODS: This prospective cohort study included 4740 patients with diabetes who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 1999 through 2018. Remnant cholesterol was used as the exposure variable, and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality were considered outcome events. Outcome data were obtained from the National Death Index, and all participants were followed from the interview date until death or December 31, 2019. Multivariate proportional Cox regression models were used to explore the associations between exposure and outcomes, in which remnant cholesterol was modeled as both a categorical and a continuous variable. Restricted cubic splines (RCSs) were calculated to assess the nonlinearity of associations. Subgroup (stratified by sex, age, body mass index, and duration of diabetes) and a series of sensitivity analyses were performed to evaluate the robustness of the associations. RESULTS: During a median follow-up duration of 83 months, 1370 all-cause deaths and 389 cardiovascular deaths were documented. Patients with remnant cholesterol levels in the third quartile had a reduced risk of all-cause mortality [hazard ratio (HR) 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.66 (0.52-0.85)]; however, when remnant cholesterol was modeled as a continuous variable, it was associated with increased risks of all-cause [HR (95%CI): 1.12 (1.02-1.21) per SD] and cardiovascular [HR (95%CI): 1.16 (1.01-1.32), per SD] mortality. The RCS demonstrated nonlinear associations of remnant cholesterol with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses did not reveal significant differences from the above results. CONCLUSION: In patients with diabetes, higher remnant cholesterol was associated with increased risks of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, and diabetes patients with slightly higher remnant cholesterol (0.68-1.04 mmol/L) had a lower risk of all-cause mortality.

Ex vivo IL-15 replenishment augments bone marrow precursor cell-mediated adaptive immunity via PI3K-Akt pathway.

This study tested the hypothesis that PI3K-Akt activity contributes to the superior immune function of IL-15-administrated bone marrow precursor cells (BMPC). Our previous studies revealed that PI3K-Akt play vital role in dendritic cells (DCs) cross-presentation and DC-based CTL priming. Despite the fact that IL-15 serves multiple functions in its therapeutic potential for the induction and maintenance of T cell response, the exact role of PI3K-Akt in IL-15 increased adaptive immunity is still poorly understood. In this study, we demonstrated that ex vivo IL-15 administration increased BMPC capability of antigen uptake and the expression of costimulatory molecules (such as CD80 and 4-1BB(CD137) ligand [4-1BBL]) and MHC class I molecule via PI3K-Akt pathway. Importantly, PI3K-Akt activity was not only necessary for IL-15 augmented BMPC cross-presentation and CTL priming, but also facilitated IL-15 increased therapeutic potential of the cytolytic capacity and maintenance of BMPC-activated T cells. Thus, these data suggested that PI3K-Akt activity contribute to the superior immune function of IL-15-administrated BMPC and thereby might be therapeutic potential for adaptive immunity.

Managing the water-energy-food nexus in China by adjusting critical final demands and supply chains: An input-output analysis.

The rapid population growth in China has increased the demand for limited water, energy and food resources. Because the resource supply is constrained by future uncertainties such as climate change, it is necessary to examine the connections among water, energy and food resources from the perspective of the relevant final demands. Based on an input-output model and structural path analysis, this study aims to explore the hidden connections among water, energy and food resources by identifying important final demands and examine how these resources are embodied in upstream production and downstream consumption processes along the supply chain. The water-energy-food nexus approach in this research identifies where and how these resources intersect in economic sectors. By simultaneously considering the water, energy and food footprints, synergistic effects can be maximized among these resource systems. The results reveal that urban household consumption and fixed capital formation have large impacts on water-energy-food resources. Besides, agriculture, construction and service sectors have the largest water-energy-food footprints. For each resource, we rank the top-20 supply chain paths from the final demands to the upstream production sectors, and six critical supply chain paths are identified as important contributors to the consumption of all these resources. Compared with independent approach to manage water, energy and food resources, the nexus approach identifies the critical linkages of the water, energy and food systems and helps to formulate integrated policies to effectively manage these resources across sectors and actors. Synergistic strategies for conserving water, energy, and food resources can be achieved through avoiding unnecessary waste in end uses and improving resource use efficiency along critical supply chains. This research can help consumers, industries and the government make responsible consumption and production decisions to conserve water, energy and food resources.

[Toxic effects of chloride tributyltin on the predominant phytoplankton species of China coastal sea].

Toxic effects of tributyltin (TBT) on the growth, peak diameter and photosynthetic activity (F(v)/F(m)) of fifteen predominant phytoplankton species in China coastal sea of Leptocylindru danicus, Skeletonema marinoi, Asterionella japonica, Bacilaria paxillifera, Chaetoceros debilis, Chaetoceros socialis, Thalassiosira, Amphidinium carterae, Karenia mikimotoi, Prorocentrum minimum, Gymnodinium sp., Scrippsiella trochoidea, Gymnodinium simplex, Prorocentrum triestinum and Heterosigma akashiwo were systematically studied. 96 h-EC50 of TBT were 136.42, 3.55, 3.15, 2.95, 1.90, 1.08, 0.70, 21.60, 7.71, 4.77, 3.81, 2.04, 0.53, 0.51, 1.76 microg/L, respectively. The no detectation effect concentration were 112.62, 1.19, 1.17, 3.70, 0.95, 1.07, 0.80, 6.28, 1.84, 0.99, 3.73, 1.63, 0.23, 0.16, 1.76 microg/L, respectively. The results indicated that the toxic effects of TBT were very different among different phytoplankton species and the resistance of Leptocylindru danicus was stronger than those of other microalgae. The TBT not only inhibited the growth of phytoplankton, but also changed the peak diameter and decreased the photosynthetic activity (F(v)/F(m)). Besides that, we infer that there may have a relationship between the toxicity of TBT and the composition of predominant phytoplankton population in harbour.