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Background It is difficult to prevent and control drug-resistant tuberculosis. The difficulty of containment will be increased if tuberculosis is accompanied with diabetes. There is no clear conclusion on whether diabetes affects phenotypic drug resistance in tuberculosis. Objective To assess the association of diabetes with phenotypic drug resistance and gene mutation in mycobacterium tuberculosis. Methods A total of 357 culture-positive tuberculosis patients were recruited from the People's Hospital of Jianyang City from 2018 to 2020, including 216 with pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) , and 141 with PTB and diabetes (DM-PTB) . Early morning sputum samples were tested with drug sensitivity test for mycobacterium tuberculosis. And 62 patients in the PTB group and 61 patients in the DM-PTB group were chosen to undergo test for mutations in drug resistance genes. Results The resistance rates to rifampicin, ethambutol and streptomycin were similar in the two groups (P>0.05) . Isoniazid resistance rate in DM-PTB group was significantly higher than that in PTB group (P0.05) . The multidrug resistance rate in DM-PTB group was higher than that of PTB group (P0.05) . Conclusion Diabetes will increase the rates of resistance to isoniazid and multidrugs in tuberculosis patients. So attention should be given to the screening of both tuberculosis and diabetes.

Soil salinization, a significant global challenge, threatens sustainable development. This study explores the potential of magnetized ionized water irrigation and Bacillus subtilis application to mitigate this issue. The former method is hypothesized to enhance soil salt leaching, while the latter is expected to improve soil nutrient availability, thereby increasing microbial diversity. To address the unclear impact of these interventions on soil quality and cotton productivity, this study employs four different experimental methods: magnetized ionized water irrigation (M), application of 45 kg ha−1 B. subtilis (B), a combination of 45 kg ha−1 B. subtilis with magnetized ionized water irrigation (MB), and a control treatment with no intervention (CK). This study aims to clarify the effects of these treatments on soil bulk density (BD), field capacity (FC), salinity and alkalinity, nutrient content, microbial activity, and cotton crop yield and quality. Additionally, it aims to evaluate the efficacy of these methods in improving saline soil conditions by developing a soil quality index. The results showed that using magnetized ionized water for irrigation and applying B. subtilis, either alone or together, can effectively lower soil pH and salt levels, enhance microbial diversity and abundance, and improve the yield and quality of cotton. Notably, B. subtilis application significantly decreased BD and enhanced FC and nutrient content (p < 0.05). A correlation was found where soil nutrient content decreased as pH and salt content increased. Furthermore, a strong correlation was observed between the major soil bacteria and fungi with BD, FC, and salt content. Comparatively, M, B, and MB significantly boosted (p < 0.01) the soil quality index by 0.21, 0.52, and 0.69 units, respectively, and increased (p < 0.05) cotton yield by 5.7%, 14.8%, and 20.1% compared to CK. Therefore, this research offers eco-friendly and efficient methods to enhance cotton production capacity in saline soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine that examines the prescription patterns of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) in the United States. GLP-1RAs are medications used to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity. The study found that there has been a significant increase in GLP-1RA prescriptions, leading to a shortage of the medication. The analysis also revealed a shift in prescription patterns, with a decrease in users with type 2 diabetes and an increase in users without diabetes but with obesity-related conditions. The study emphasizes the need for strategies to address the growing demand for GLP-1RAs and ensure equitable access. [Extracted from the article]

Background: During the pandemic, a notable increase in diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state (HHS), conditions that warrant emergent management, was reported. We aimed to investigate the trend of DKA‐ and HHS‐related mortality and excess deaths during the pandemic. Methods: Annual age‐standardized mortality rates related to DKA and HHS between 2006 and 2021 were estimated using a nationwide database. Forecast analyses based on prepandemic data were conducted to predict the mortality rates during the pandemic. Excess mortality rates were calculated by comparing the observed versus predicted mortality rates. Subgroup analyses of demographic factors were performed. Results: There were 71 575 DKA‐related deaths and 8618 HHS‐related deaths documented during 2006–2021. DKA, which showed a steady increase before the pandemic, demonstrated a pronounced excess mortality during the pandemic (36.91% in 2020 and 46.58% in 2021) with an annual percentage change (APC) of 29.4% (95% CI: 16.0%–44.0%). Although HHS incurred a downward trend during 2006–2019, the excess deaths in 2020 (40.60%) and 2021 (56.64%) were profound. Pediatric decedents exhibited the highest excess mortality. More than half of the excess deaths due to DKA were coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) related (51.3% in 2020 and 63.4% in 2021), whereas only less than a quarter of excess deaths due to HHS were COVID‐19 related. A widened racial/ethnic disparity was observed, and females exhibited higher excess mortality than males. Conclusions: The DKA‐ and HHS‐related excess mortality during the pandemic and relevant disparities emphasize the urgent need for targeted strategies to mitigate the escalated risk in these populations during public health crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to their structural diversity and mesoporous construction, metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have been used as templates to prepare mesoporous metal oxides, which show excellent performance as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Co-ZnO/C and Co-Co3O4/C nanohybrids were successfully synthesized based on a precursor of Co-doped MOF-5 by accurately controlling the annealing temperature and atmosphere. Experimental data proved that their electrochemical performance was closely associated with the material phase, especially for Co-ZnO/C, indicating that carbon skeleton materials can maintain a good restoration rate of over 99% after undergoing high-current density cycling. Meanwhile, Co-Co3O4/C nanohybrids showed an exceedingly high reversible capacity of 898 mAh∙g−1 at a current density of 0.1 C after 100 cycles. Their improved coulombic efficiency and superior rate capability contribute to a mesoporous structure, which provides pathways allowing for rapid Li+ diffusion and regulates volume change during charge and discharge processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hematite (α-Fe2O3) has emerged as a promising candidate for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water oxidation. Modulating its composition is pivotal for obtaining highly efficient PEC performance. However, an oxygen-rich surface is formed from the FeOOH precursor, resulting in poor surface charge transfer. In this work, for the first time, Fe nanoparticles were deposited on the surface of α-Fe2O3 to increase the atomic ratio of Fe to O on the surface. Subsequently, oxygen vacancy (VO) and hydrogen (H) impurity defects were introduced to further control the chemical composition of Fe2O3. The introduction of VO can increase the charge carrier density, while the charge transport mobility is reduced due to the low hopping process of small polarons induced by VO. To address the problem, we show that shallow-level defects are created via H doping, which extracts the trapped electrons out of the VO-induced trap states. Due to the formation of homogeneous distribution of Fe and O, introduction of VO and incorporation of shallow-level defects by H impurity, charge separation efficiency was markedly improved. Consequently, the photocurrent density of the α-Fe2O3 photoanode was increased from 0.76 to 1.71 mA cm−2 at a potential of 1.23 V versus the reversible hydrogen electrode. Our work verifies the relationship between the PEC performance of the semiconductor photoanode and its composition and provides promising opportunities for further optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction of the photothermal effect into transition‐metal oxide photoanodes has been proven to be an effective method to improve the photoelectrochemical (PEC) water‐splitting performance. However, the precise role of the photothermal effect on the PEC performance of photoanodes is still not well understood. Herein, spinel‐structured ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles are deposited on the surface of hematite (Fe2O3), and the ZnFe2O4/Fe2O3 photoanode achieves a high photocurrent density of 3.17 mA cm−2 at 1.23 V versus a reversible hydrogen electrode (VRHE) due to the photothermal effect of ZnFe2O4. Considering that the hopping of electron small polarons induced by oxygen vacancies is thermally activated, we clarify that the main reason for the enhanced PEC performance via the photothermal effect is the promoted mobility of electron small polarons that are bound to positively charged oxygen vacancies. Under the synergistic effect of oxygen vacancies and the photothermal effect, the electron conductivity and PEC performance are significantly improved, which provide fundamental insights into the impact of the photothermal effect on the PEC performance of small polaron‐type semiconductor photoanodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]