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Abstract The Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB) was formed by the aggregation and collage of numerous Paleozoic subduction‐accretion assemblages and Precambrian microcontinental blocks. However, the tectonic nature of the southeastern CAOB remains controversial, which complicates the reconstruction of the Paleo‐Asian Ocean. To address this issue, a deep seismic reflection survey was initiated across the southeastern CAOB and reveals broad gentle sub‐horizontal reflectors in the middle‐lower crust and a relatively transparent zone in the upper crust. Combining with the Precambrian geological outcrops and other geophysical features, we support a microcontinental block, the Xilinhot Block, existed in the Paleo‐Asian domain. Thus, the Paleo‐Asian Ocean was separated into two branches that underwent north‐dipping and double‐dipping oceanic plate subduction, respectively, to form the Hegenshan‐Heihe and Solonker sutures. Multiple relics beneath Hegenshan‐Heihe Suture indicate that multiple sets of unidirectional oceanic subduction‐accretion and magmatism were important mechanisms of continental growth.

ObjectiveObesity is a major risk factor for non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which has been the leading cause of death nowadays. The aim of this study is to examine the association between total changes in body mass index (BMI) across adulthood and the risk of obesity-related complex multimorbidity in elderly, characterizing the capacity of BMI waves in predicting major chronic diseases.MethodsIn this retrospective study, 15,520 participants were analyzed from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 1999 and 2018. BMI was categorized as obesity (≥30.0 kg/m²), overweight (25.0–29.9 kg/m²), normal weight (18.5–24.9 kg/m²), and underweight (

BackgroundPrevious findings about lean body mass (LBM) and cognitive function remain unclear. We aimed to examine this association by using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).MethodsUsing data from the NHANES 2011-2014, we conducted logistic regression models to investigate the relation between the predicted LBM and domain-specific cognitive function assessed by Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST), Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease Word Learning test (CERAD-WL) and Delayed Recall test (CERAD-DR), and Animal Fluency (AF) for information processing speed, memory, and executive function, respectively. Cognitive impairment was defined as the lowest quartile of each cognitive test in the total population. Sex-stratified analysis was further made.ResultsA total of 2955 participants aged 60 and above (mean [SD] age, 69.17[0.20] years; 1511 female [51.13%]) were included in the study. After being adjusted for social economic factors, anthropometric parameters, and diseases, we found a positive association between predicted LBM and information processing speed (Odds ratio of DSST impairment= 0.95, 95%CI= 0.91 to 0.99) regardless of body mass index and sex. Compared with patients in the first quartile of predicted LBM, those in the fourth quartile had an odds ratio of 0.355 (95% confidence interval 0.153-0.822) for DSST impairment. No significant relation in other cognitive tests and predicted LBM was found whether stratified by sex or not.ConclusionOur findings point to the association between predicted lean body mass and cognitive dysfunction in information processing speed, which could be used for early detection and prevention of deterioration of cognitive function among older adults.

Since the Paleozoic, the tectonic evolution of northeastern Eurasia has been dominated by the Paleo-Asian Ocean and the Paleo-Pacific Ocean tectonic domains. However, the spatiotemporal framework and the timing of tectonic transition between these two oceanic domains remain enigmatic. To address this issue, we report petrological, geochronological, and geochemical data for eight sandstone samples deposited along the convergent margin between the Northeast China terranes and the North China craton in central Jilin Province, China. The results show that these sandstones are immature graywackes with a maximum depositional age of Early Triassic (248 ± 1 Ma), and their sediments were largely derived from coeval magmatic rocks in a juvenile continental arc. According to our new results and previous studies, we identified a sedimentary basin (most likely an intraarc or forearc basin) intimately associated with one or more continental arcs along the northeastern edge of the North China craton, and we suggest that the southwestward subduction of the Jilin-Heilongjiang Ocean in the early Mesozoic accounts for this continental arc setting. There is a distinct temporal gap between the closure of the Paleo-Asian Ocean (ca. 260 Ma) and the onset of Paleo-Pacific plate subduction (234-220 Ma), which is essentially coeval with the southwestward subduction of the Jilin-Heilongjiang Ocean between 256 Ma and 239 Ma, meaning the latter is a key link that marks the transition between these two tectonic domains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This study examined the association of anthropometric measurements [body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), percentage body fat (PBF), body roundness index (BRI) and A Body Shape Index (ABSI)] with pulmonary function using a United States national cohort. This cross-sectional study included 7346 participants. The association between anthropometric measurements and pulmonary function was assessed by multivariable linear regression. Where there was evidence of non-linearity, we applied a restricted cubic spline to explore the non-linear association. All analyses were weighted to represent the U.S. population and to account for the intricate survey design. After adjusting for age, race, education, smoking, and physical activity, both underweight and obesity were associated with reduced forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC). Furthermore, the associations between BMI and FEV1, as well as FVC, were reversed U-shape in both males and females. Similar non-linear association shape occurred in WC, PBF, BRI and ABSI. Conclusion: BMI, WC, PBF, BRI, ABSI are non-linearly associated with pulmonary function. Reduced pulmonary function is a risk factor for future all-cause mortality and cardiovascular events; thus, this nonlinearity may explain the U-shape or J-shape association of BMI with overall mortality and cardiovascular events.

AimThis observational study aimed to examine the association between the A Body Shape Index (ABSI) and/or sarcopenia and total, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality.MethodsThe associations of sarcopenia and ABSI with all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality were assessed in 4,488 participants from the 1999–2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) who were followed up until December 31, 2015. Models were analyzed separately for men and women and adjusted for age, race, and other confounding factors. ABSI was assessed as a continuous measurement by quartile for men and women. Population attributable fractions (PAFs) were calculated to assess mortality caused by sarcopenia and/or ABSI in the study population.ResultsWhen ABSI was assessed as a continuous variable, the ABSI quartile showed a linear trend for total (p = 0.0001), cardiovascular (p = 0.04), and cancer (p = 0.02) mortality in men and for total (p = 0.06) and cardiovascular (p = 0.06) mortality in women. The hazard ratios (HRs) of the fourth ABSI quartile were 1.51 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.20–1.89] in men and 1.23 (95% CI: 0.93–1.64) in women, compared with those in the first quartile. When ABSI was assessed by quartile, the appendicular skeletal mass index (ASMI) was lower in the groups with high ABSI. When high ABSI was combined with sarcopenia, the HRs of all-cause mortality were 2.05 (95% CI: 1.60–2.62) in men and 1.51 (95% CI: 1.19–1.92) in women. In the subpopulation (sarcopenia group or higher ABSI), the PAFs of mortality due to sarcopenia were 26.16% (95% CI: 12.68–37.56) in men and 21.89% (95% CI: 5.64–35.35) in women, and the PAF of mortality due to higher ABSI was 23.70% (95% CI: 12.11–33.77) in men.ConclusionThe ABSI value was significantly associated with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, and the co-existence of higher ABSI values and sarcopenia can contribute to a more significant death risk in comparison with high ABSI values or sarcopenia. Moreover, the ABSI values in combination with the ASMI can be used to preliminarily evaluate the content and distribution of fat and muscle and to predict the risk of death in obese and sarcopenic populations.

Thyroid hormone, as a modifiable risk factor for dementia, promo tes neurocognitive function and regulates metabolic processes. Various studies have defined different thyroid-stimulating hormone cutoffs, but the safest thyroid-stimulating hormone concentration was absent. A dose–response meta-analysis describing the overall functional relation and identifying exposure intervals associated with a higher or lower disease risk is thus desirable. Therefore, our current analysis was conducted to und erstand the influence of thyroid dysfunction on dementia risk. We searched PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science before May 1, 2020 for human studies published in English. Studies were considered for inclusion if they used a cohort study design to measure the ris k of dementia in different thyroid function status groups, diagnosed thyroid functional status and all-cause dementia, included participants aged >18 years, and provided quantitative measures of data. The analysis contained 17 articles with 344,248 individuals with a 7.8-year mean follow-up. Ten studies with 329,287 participants indicated that only subclinical hyperthyroidism was associated with an increased risk of dementia. In contrast, subclinical hypothyroidism, clinical hyperthyroidism, and clinical hypothyroidism did not a ffect dementia. In the dose– response meta-analysis with 46,417 samples from 11 studies, the association of thyroid-stimulating hormone with the risk of dementia exhibited a U-shaped curve. Our study indicated that subclinical hyperthyroidism was associated with the risk of dementia and the thyroid-stimulating hormone concentration at around 1.55–1.60 mU/L as the optimum range for the risk of dementia.

Abstract Background Although the relationship between obesity and incident gout has been clarified, the influence of weight changes during the transition from early adulthood to midlife and the different weight change patterns in specific age ranges on the incidence of gout in later life remain unknown. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the association between weight change patterns across adulthood and incident gout. Methods Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), we categorized individuals into four weight change patterns: those who remained obese (stable obese), those who moved from a non-obese body mass index (BMI) to an obese BMI (gaining), those who moved from an obese BMI to a non-obese BMI (losing), and those who remained non-obese (stable non-obese). Incident gout reflected its occurrence over the 10-year follow-up from the recalled midlife weight measure to the time of this survey. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals relating weight change patterns to incident gout over the 10-year follow-up period were calculated using Cox models adjusted for covariates. The hypothetical population attributable fraction (PAF) for the weight change patterns was calculated. Results Among our sample of adults aged 40–74 years at their midlife weight measure (n = 11,079), 320 developed gout. The highest risk of incident gout was found for participants with the stable obese pattern (HR 1.84; 1.08–3.14) and not for participants who remained stable non-obese during adulthood. Moreover, gaining weight was a significant risk factor for incident gout (HR 1.65; 1.19–2.29). No significant associations were found between losing weight change patterns and the risk of gout during the study period. If participants who gained weight had become non-obese during the 10-year follow-up, an estimated 3.2% (95% CI 0–6.3) of observed gout cases could have been averted. In addition, if the population had maintained a normal BMI, 32.9% (95% CI 18.2–44.9) cases could have been prevented during the 10 years. Conclusions Gaining weight over adulthood was associated with an increased risk of gout. These findings have highlighted that maintaining non-obese weight and weight loss across adulthood is essential for the prevention and treatment of gout in adult life.

BackgroundAccumulating evidence has shown that diabetes has an impact on bone metabolism with conflicting results. Furthermore, little is known about the relationship of prediabetes with bone mineral density (BMD). Therefore, we explored the association between BMD and glucometabolic status in adults in the US.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, we extracted and analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2005 to 2018. A total of 14610 subjects aged 40 ≥ years diagnosed with diabetes, prediabetes, or normal glucose regulation (NGR) and had available data on BMD were eligible.ResultsThe prevalence of prediabetes and diabetes in US adults aged 40 ≥ years were 39.2% and 26.4%, respectively. After multivariable adjustment, we found an increasing trend of BMD at the total hip, femoral neck, and lumbar spine with glucometabolic conditions from NGR and prediabetes to diabetes in adults aged ≥ 40 years in the US. This trend was more prominent in women than that in men. Fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and HbA1c levels were also positively correlated with BMD.ConclusionsGlucometabolic conditions were significantly associated with BMD values in US adults.

BackgroundThe prevalence of diabetes mellitus remains high in China, and more cardiovascular and cerebrovascular adverse events due to diabetes mellitus are likely to occur in the future.ObjectiveTo analyze the gap between the current pharmacotherapy management and the guidelines for inpatients with type 2 diabetes mellitus from the perspective of pharmacists so as to provide a reference for optimal pharmacotherapy management methods and models for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.MethodsThe study was a cross-sectional observational study. The study was conducted by investigating and analyzing the use of glucose-lowering drugs, adjustment of blood pressure management strategy, lipid management, weight management, and application of antiplatelet drugs in type 2 diabetes inpatients.ResultsA total of 1086 patients with type 2 diabetes were included. Metformin, glycosidase inhibitors, and basal insulin were the most used among type 2 diabetes inpatients. The use of SGLT-2, GLP-1 RAs, DPP-4, and metformin all showed significant increase. SGLT-2 inhibitors (SGLT-2i) showed the fastest increase from 2020 to 2021 (14.5% vs. 39.6%); However, the application rate of SGLT-2i was low among patients with combined ASCVD, renal insufficiency, and diabetic nephropathy (46.4%, 40.9%, and 45.8% respectively). For patients with substandard blood pressure at admission, the average rate of intervention by endocrinologists for adjusting the antihypertensive regimen during hospitalization was 55.6%, and the application rate of ACEI/ARB drugs reached 64.4%. The application rate of statins among patients with type 2 diabetes was still relatively high, at 78.8%. However, the overall intervention rate for patients with suboptimal LDL-c was only 24.1%. The application rate of antiplatelet agents for patients with ASCVD was 77.6%, which was higher than that for patients without ASCVD.ConclusionThere is still a gap between the practice of medication treatment management of Chinese inpatients with type 2 diabetes and the guidelines, especially in the application of GLP-1RAs and SGLT-2i in patients with concomitant ASCVD, diabetic nephropathy, and renal insufficiency. Meanwhile, physicians and pharmacists should pay more attention on achieving blood pressure and LDL-c standards in type 2 diabetic patients and provide timely interventions.

Abstract Background There is increasing evidence that the lung is a target organ of diabetes. This study aimed to examine in detail the association between diabetes mellitus and pulmonary function using a national cohort. We also aimed to explore the non-linear association between pulmonary function and blood glucose, insulin resistance, and C-reactive protein (CRP). Methods A total of 30,442 participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from the period between 2007 and 2012 were included. The cross-sectional association between diabetes mellitus and pulmonary function was assessed using multiple linear regression. Where there was evidence of non-linearity, we applied a restricted cubic spline with three knots to explore the non-linear association. Partial mediation analysis was performed to evaluate the underlying mechanism. All analyses were weighted to represent the US population and to account for the intricate survey design. Results A total of 8584 people were included in the final study population. We found that diabetes was significantly associated with reduced forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity. We further found L-shaped associations between hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and pulmonary function. There was a negative association between HbA1c and FEV1 in diabetes participants with good glucose control (HbA1c

AimWe performed a meta-analysis of observational studies to evaluate the association between the presence of sarcopenia and HbA1c, prediabetes, diabetes and diabetic complications.MethodThe PubMed, Embase, Cochrane and Web of Science databases were searched from inception to May 2021. We included full-text English language articles that reported the prevalence of sarcopenia in patients with and without diabetes. Quality assessment was performed according to the Newcastle- Ottawa scale for observational studies.ResultsSixteen studies were included in the meta-analysis. Three studies showed that high HbA1c levels lead to loss of muscle mass, and one study involving prediabetes showed that people with prediabetes had lower muscle mass, strength, and performance than non-diabetic population. Seven studies showed that people with diabetes had a higher risk of sarcopenia than those without diabetes (combined OR: 2.09, 95% CI:1.62-2.70). The remaining five studies suggested that diabetic complications increased the risk of sarcopenia (combined OR: 2.09,95% CI:1.62-2.70).ConclusionHigh HbA1c levels, prediabetes, diabetes and diabetes complications were associated with an increased risk of sarcopenia. Therapeutic strategies addressed to avoid the conversion of IGT to diabetes and to optimize glycemic control are warranted to prevent or arrest sarcopenia in the diabetic population

The late Mesozoic destruction of the eastern North China Craton (NCC) resulted from intense crust-mantle interaction, culminating in the formation of world-class gold deposits in the Jiaodong Peninsula at ca. 120 Ma. We present zircon U-Pb geochronological data, Hf isotopic compositions, whole-rock major and trace element, and Sr-Nd-Pb isotopic compositions for two suites of granitoids: one (the Linglong suite) that hosts significant mineralization and the other (the Weideshan suite) that is largely unmineralized. The Linglong suite was emplaced in the Late Jurassic at 160 ± 3 Ma to 155 ± 3 Ma, whereas the Weideshan suite was emplaced in the Early Cretaceous at 121 ± 2 Ma to 118 ± 1 Ma, coeval with gold mineralization. Geochemical data indicate the Linglong suite was derived from the melting of thickened lower crust of the NCC, mixed with material from the Yangtze Craton (YC) and intervening Su-Lu Orogenic Belt, whereas the Weideshan suite was formed from the partial melting of lower continental crust, with the addition of enriched lithospheric mantle components. The Late Jurassic magmatism was associated with crustal growth resulting from the continental collision between the NCC and YC and subsequent subduction of the Paleo-Pacific Oceanic Plate (PPOP). In contrast, Early Cretaceous magmatism was triggered by rapid lithospheric thinning and asthenospheric upwelling resulting from slab roll-back and stagnation of the PPOP beneath the NCC. Lithospheric delamination induced the widespread development of secondary structures associated with the major Tan-Lu Fault, providing favorable loci for the accumulation of auriferous fluids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), a sight-threatening retinopathy, is the leading cause of irreversible blindness in adults. Despite strict control of systemic risk factors, a fraction of patients with diabetes develop PDR, suggesting the existence of other potential pathogenic factors underlying PDR. This study aimed to investigate the plasma metabotype of patients with PDR and to identify novel metabolite markers for PDR. Biomarkers identified from this study will provide scientific insight and new strategies for the early diagnosis and intervention of diabetic retinopathy. Methods A total of 1024 patients with type 2 diabetes were screened. To match clinical parameters between case and control subjects, patients with PDR (PDR, n = 21) or those with a duration of diabetes of ≥10 years but without diabetic retinopathy (NDR, n = 21) were assigned to the present case-control study. Distinct metabolite profiles of serum were examined using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Results The distinct metabolites between PDR and NDR groups were significantly enriched in 9 KEGG pathways (P 0.1), namely, alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism, caffeine metabolism, beta-alanine metabolism, purine metabolism, cysteine and methionine metabolism, sulfur metabolism, sphingosine metabolism, and arginine and proline metabolism. A total of 63 altered metabolites played important roles in these pathways. Finally, 4 metabolites were selected as candidate biomarkers for PDR, namely, fumaric acid, uridine, acetic acid, and cytidine. The area under the curve for these biomarkers were 0.96, 0.95, 1.0, and 0.95, respectively. Conclusions This study suggested that impairment in the metabolism of pyrimidines, arginine and proline were identified as metabolic dysregulation associated with PDR. And fumaric acid, uridine, acetic acid, and cytidine might be potential biomarkers for PDR. Fumaric acid was firstly reported as a novel metabolite marker with no prior reports of association with diabetes or diabetic retinopathy, which might provide insights into potential new pathogenic pathways for diabetic retinopathy.

Objectives: Urine neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) was found to increase in diabetic kidney disease (DKD). However, the clinical value of urine NGAL as diagnostic indicators in DKD remains to be clarified. Methods: Relevant studies were systematically retrieved from PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library. Stratified analyses and regression analyses were performed. Results: Fourteen studies with 1561 individuals were included in our analysis, including 1204 cross-sectional participants and 357 cohort participants. For the cross-sectional studies, the pooled sensitivity and specificity of NGAL in the diagnosis of DKD were 0.82 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.75–0.87) and 0.81 (95% CI: 0.68–0.90), respectively. The pooled diagnostic odds ratio was 19 (95% CI: 11–33), and the overall area under the curve was 0.88 (95% CI: 0.84–0.90). For the cohort studies, the pooled sensitivity and specificity of NGAL in the diagnosis of DKD were 0.96 (95% CI: 0.91–0.98) and 0.89 (95% CI: 0.84–0.92), respectively. The overall area under the curve was 0.98, indicating good discriminative ability of NGAL as biomarkers for DKD. Conclusions: Urine NGAL, as the early diagnostic marker of DKD, might have the high diagnostic value, especially in cohort studies.

Exposure to different air pollutants has been linked to type 2 diabetes mellitus, but the evidence for the association between air pollutants and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) has not been systematically evaluated. We systematically retrieved relevant studies from PubMed, Embase, and the Web of Science, and performed stratified analyses and regression analyses. Thirteen studies were analyzed, comprising 1 547 154 individuals from nine retrospective studies, three prospective studies, and one case–control study. Increased exposure to particulate matter ≤2.5 µm in diameter (PM2.5) was not associated with the increased risk of GDM (adjusted OR 1.03, 95% CI 0.99 to 1.06). However, subgroup analysis showed positive correlation of PM2.5 exposure in the second trimester with an increased risk of GDM (combined OR 1.07, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.13). Among pollutants other than PM2.5, significant association between GDM and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) (OR 1.05, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.10), nitrogen oxide (NOx) (OR 1.03, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.05), and sulfur dioxide (SO2) (OR 1.09, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.15) was noted. There was no significant association between exposure to black carbon or ozone or carbon monoxide or particulate matter ≤10 µm in diameter and GDM. Thus, systematic review of existing evidence demonstrated association of exposure to NO2, NOx, and SO2, and the second trimester exposure of PM2.5 with the increased risk of GDM. Caution may be exercised while deriving conclusions from existing evidence base because of the limited number and the observational nature of studies.

Objective To our knowledge, the independent association between central obesity, defined by waist circumference (WC) or waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and diabetic retinopathy (DR) remains unknown in Chinese individuals. Method The study was conducted in two stages. First, the relationship between WC or WHR and DR was estimated in a case-control set (DR vs. non-DR) for the whole population before and after propensity score matching. Subsequently, a systematic review and meta-analysis was performed on evidence from the literature to validate the relationship. Results Of 511 eligible patients, DR (N = 156) and non-DR (N = 156) patients with similar propensity scores were included in the propensity score matching analyses. Central obesity (defined by WC) was associated with risk of DR (odds ratio [OR] 1.07, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] (1.03–1.10). The meta-analysis showed that central obesity significantly increased the risk of DR by 12% (OR 1.12, 95% CI 1.02–1.22). Analysis of data from 18 studies showed a significant association between continuous body mass index and risk of proliferative DR (OR 0.95, 95% CI 0.93–0.98; I 2 = 50%). Conclusion Central obesity, particularly as defined by WC, is associated with the risk of DR in the Chinese population.

The bipotential theory allows us to describe nonassociated material laws. In this paper, we propose its application to the Drucker–Prager model. With a new description of the implicit flow rules, we propose dual constitutive cones as well as five forms of the bipotential function: the elastic stage in rate form, the plastic stage in rate form, the elastic stage in incremental form, the plastic stage in incremental form, and the elastoplastic stage in incremental form. By combining these with the finite element method, a numerical strategy that deals with the nonassociated Drucker–Prager model is obtained. Two examples are simulated to verify the accuracy, the stability, and the practicability of the algorithm in civil engineering.

Aims. Epistasis from gene set based on the function-related genes may confer to the susceptibility of type 2 diabetes (T2D). The Wnt pathway has been reported to play an important role in the pathogenesis of T2D. Here we applied tag SNPs to explore the association between epistasis among genes from Wnt and T2D in the Han Chinese population. Methods. Variants of fourteen genes selected from Wnt pathways were performed to analyze epistasis. Gene–gene interactions in case-control samples were identified by generalized multifactor dimensionality reduction (GMDR) method. We performed a case-controlled association analysis on a total of 1,026 individual with T2D and 1,157 controls via tag SNPs in Wnt pathway. Results. In single-locus analysis, SNPs in four genes were significantly associated with T2D adjusted for multiple testing (rs7903146C in TCF7L2, p = 3.21∗10−3, OR = 1.39, 95% CI [1.31–1.47], rs12904944G in SMAD3, p = 2.51∗10−3, OR = 1.39, 95% CI [1.31–1.47], rs2273368C in WNT2B, p = 4.46∗10−3, OR = 1.23, 95% CI [1.11–1.32], rs6902123C in PPARD, p = 1.14∗10−2, OR = 1.40, 95% CI [1.32–1.48]). The haplotype TGC constructed by TCF7L2 (rs7903146), DKK1 (rs2241529) and BTRC (rs4436485) showed a significant association with T2D (OR = 0.750, 95% CI [0.579–0.972], P = 0.03). For epistasis analysis, the optimized combination was the two locus model of WNT2B rs2273368 and TCF7L2rs7903146, which had the maximum cross-validation consistency. This was 9 out of 10 for the sign test at 0.0107 level. The best combination increased the risk of T2D by 1.47 times (95% CI [1.13–1.91], p = 0.0039). Conclusions. Epistasis between TCF7L2 and WNT2B is associated with the susceptibility of T2D in a Han Chinese population. Our results were compatible with the idea of the complex nature of T2D that would have been missed using conventional tools.

To estimate the prevalence of HIV and syphilis, incidence of syphilis and to identify the correlates of syphilis infection among heterosexual male attendees of sexually transmitted infection (STI) clinics (MSC).A cohort study of one-year duration was conducted in Yangzhou and Changzhou cities in Jiangsu province of China. The baseline survey commenced in June 2009, recruited 1225 consenting adult MSCs (609 in Yangzhou and 617 in Changzhou) through STI-clinic based convenience sampling.Baseline HIV and syphilis prevalence were 0.49% and 17.29% respectively. Syphilis incidence rate was 7.22 per 100 person-years (6.53 in Yangzhou and 7.76 in Changzhou) during the 6-month follow-up with retention fractions of 27.38% and 35.15% for Yangzhou and Changzhou respectively. Majority of the participants were middle-aged, high school educated, married, living with partners and non-migrants. Very few subjects reported recent and consistent condom-use with regular partners. Although considerable number of MSCs reported recent sexual exposure with female sex workers (FSW) and non-FSW casual partners, the proportion of reported condom use was very low during those exposures. In multivariate analyses higher age, having recent sex with FSWs and being HIV-positive were associated with higher syphilis sero-positivity while higher education was protective. In bivariate analyses, being married, divorced/widowed, official residency of the study cities and non-use of condom with regular partners predicted higher risk.Considering the potential bridging role of MSCs between high and low-risk populations, effective intervention strategies among them targeting the correlates of syphilis infection are urgently called for in Jiangsu province of China.

Since the Paleozoic, the tectonic evolutionary process of eastern Eurasia has been affected by at least three paleo-ocean regimes: the Paleo-Asian Ocean, the Mongol-Okhotsk Ocean, and the Paleo-Pacific Ocean. However, the tectonic transition among these ocean regimes is not well understood. Recently, the Heilongjiang Ocean was proposed to play an important role during the transition from the Paleo-Asian Ocean regime to the Mongol-Okhotsk Ocean (and later the Paleo-Pacific Ocean) regime. Here we report on a new combined study of petrological, geochemical, and geochronological data of biotite-plagioclase gneisses from the Qinglongcun Complex in the west Jiamusi-Khanka Block to better understand the tectonic evolution during this transition period. The results show that the protoliths of these biotite-plagioclase gneisses are medium-K calcalkaline rhyolites that were derived from a volcanic island arc environment related to paleo-oceanic subduction that occurred at ca. 260 Ma. Integrated with previous studies of the Permian arc-affinity rocks within the Jiamusi-Khanka Block, we identified two island arc magmatic belts with ages of ca. 290 Ma and ca. 260 Ma at the east and west margins of Jiamusi-Khanka Block, respectively. The east island arc magmatic belt was related to subduction of the Mongol-Okhotsk Ocean during the Early-middle Permian, which provided a driving force for the opening of the Heilongjiang Ocean. Subduction of the Heilongjiang Ocean during the middle-Late Permian resulted in the west arc island magmatic belt. These two belts provide key evidence for understanding the tectonic transition from the Paleo-Asian Ocean to the Mongol-Okhotsk Ocean to the Paleo-Pacific Ocean during the late Paleozoic to early Mesozoic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]