Aligning Semantic in Brain and Language: A Curriculum Contrastive Method for Electroencephalography-to-Text Generation.

Electroencephalography-to-Text generation (EEG-to-Text), which aims to directly generate natural text from EEG signals has drawn increasing attention in recent years due to the enormous potential for Brain-computer interfaces. However, the remarkable discrepancy between the subject-dependent EEG representation and the semantic-dependent text representation poses a great challenge to this task. To mitigate this, we devise a Curriculum Semantic-aware Contrastive Learning strategy (C- SCL), which effectively recalibrates the subject-dependent EEG representation to the semantic-dependent EEG representation, thereby reducing the discrepancy.

High-normal free thyroxine level is related with decreased bone mineral density in nonobese male patients with type 2 diabetes over 50 years old.

Background: The prevalence of 'low bone mineral density (BMD)' in Type 2 diabetes (T2DM), especially stratified by body mass index, is seldom reported. The relation of the euthyroid range and low BMD in T2DM remains to be further elucidated.

Objectives: We aim to investigate the thyroid hormones' impact on BMD among euthyroid patients with T2DM.

Novel SLC12A3 gene mutations and clinical characteristics in two pedigrees with Gitelman syndrome.

Objective: Gitelman syndrome (GS) is an autosomal recessive tubulopathy resulting from inactivating mutations in the SLC12A3 gene that encodes the thiazide-sensitive sodium-chloride cotransporter (NCC). To date, more than 500 mutations have been identified in the SLC12A3 gene. In this study, we identified two new mutations in the SLC12A3 gene in two Chinese GS pedigrees.

CT radiomics signature: a potential biomarker for fibroblast activation protein expression in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Purpose: To develop and validate a radiomics model to predict fibroblast activation protein (FAP) expression in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).

Methods: This retrospective study included consecutive 152 patients with PDAC who underwent MDCT scan and surgical resection from January 2017 to December 2017 (training set) and from January 2018 to April 2018 (validation set). In the training set, 1409 portal radiomic features were extracted from each patient's preoperative imaging.

PS-341 alleviates chronic low-grade inflammation and improves insulin sensitivity through the inhibition of TM4 (UBAC2) degradation.

Background: The TM4 (UBAC2) protein, which contains 4 transmembrane domains and one ubiquitin binding domain, is mainly expressed in cell and nuclear membranes. The current research aimed to explore the role of TM4 in metabolic inflammation and to examine whether the ubiquitin-proteasome inhibitor PS-341 could regulate the function of TM4.

Methods: The metabolic phenotypes of TM4 knockout (KO) mice were studied.

Icariin modulates the sirtuin/NF‑κB pathway and exerts anti‑aging effects in human lung fibroblasts.

Icariin (ICA) has been used as a promising anti‑aging drug; however, its underlying molecular mechanism is yet to be elucidated. The present study aimed to determine the anti‑aging molecular mechanisms of ICA. D‑galactose (D‑gal) was used to generate a cell aging model.

Long noncoding RNA small nucleolar RNA host gene 12 promotes papillary thyroid carcinoma cell growth and invasion by targeting miR-16-5p.

Emerging evidence has shown that long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) plays an important role in various types of malignant cancer. Small nucleolar RNA host gene 12 (SNHG12) was found to be upregulated and to act as an oncogene in several cancers. However, the function and regulatory mechanism of SNHG12 remain unclear in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC).

Prevalence of macro- and microvascular complications in patients with type 2 diabetes and kidney disease with or without albuminuria in a single Chinese Diabetes Centre.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between diabetic retinopathy, neuropathy and low ankle-brachial index in mild-to-moderate chronic kidney disease of type 2 diabetic patients.

Methods: We enrolled 875 type 2 diabetic patients who were divided into two phenotypes (with or without albuminuria) and stratified into three groups (stage 1 with estimated glomerular filtration rate ⩾ 90 mL/min/1.73 m(2), stage 2 with estimated glomerular filtration rate of 60-89, stage 3 with estimated glomerular filtration rate of 30-59).

Low ankle-brachial index is associated with early-stage chronic kidney disease in type 2 diabetic patients independent of albuminuria.

Aims: The role of low ankle-brachial index (ABI) in early-stage chronic kidney disease (CKD) is not fully known. This study was designed to investigate the prevalence of low ABI in early-stage CKD defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) between 60-89 ml/min/1.73 m2 of type 2 diabetic patients without albuminuria and to determine the association between the low ABI and mildly decreased eGFR.

Aspirin reduces the apoptotic effect of etoposide via Akt activation and up-regulation of p21(cip).

Previous studies on the apoptotic effect of aspirin mainly focus on colorectal cancer and breast carcinoma. Few studies have been designed to explore the effect of aspirin on hepatocellular carcinoma. In the present study, we observed that aspirin caused G0/G1 phase cell cycle arrest and reduced etoposide induced caspase-3 activation in hepatocellular carcinoma G2 (HepG2) cells.

Insulin resistance in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes is associated with C-reactive protein independent of abdominal obesity.

Background: There is debate as to whether the association between C-reactive protein (CRP) and insulin resistance is independent of body fatness, particularly central obesity. Therefore, the association among CRP, insulin resistance and obesity was analyzed in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes.

Methods: The study included 520 Chinese patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes with CRP levels not exceeding 10 mg/L.

Elevated serum chemokine CXC ligand 5 levels are associated with hypercholesterolemia but not a worsening of insulin resistance in Chinese people.

Objective: Recent study showed high chemokine CXC ligand 5 (CXCL5) is thought to be associated with insulin resistance in humans. However, evidence from large-scale populations about the relationship between serum CXCL5 level and metabolic phenotypes is scarce. Here we sought to evaluate serum CXCL5 distribution and its association with metabolic phenotypes among middle-aged and older Chinese.

Depletion of tubulin polymerization promoting protein family member 3 suppresses HeLa cell proliferation.

Microtubules (MTs) play an important role in cell division, and their functions are regulated by a set of microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs). Tubulin polymerization promoting protein family member 3 (TPPP3), also known as p20, is a new member of the tubulin polymerization promoting protein (TPPP) family. Previous studies have demonstrated that TPPP3 specifically binds to MTs and positively regulates MTs assembly, which leads to significant ultrastructural alterations of the MTs network.

Involvement of the role of Chk1 in lithium-induced G2/M phase cell cycle arrest in hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

Lithium, a therapeutic agent for bipolar disorder, can induce G2/M arrest in various cells, but the mechanism is unclear. In this article, we demonstrated that lithium arrested hepatocellular carcinoma cell SMMC-7721 at G2/M checkpoint by inducing the phosphorylation of cdc2 (Tyr-15). This effect was p53 independent and not concerned with the inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase-3 and inositol monophosphatase, two well-documented targets of lithium.