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Laminin is a major component of the basement membrane of cardiomyocytes and has been found at a high level in patients with heart failure. However, detailed information on the relationship between disease management and progression in patients with acute heart failure (AHF) remains lacking. We focused on the levels of laminin (LN) before and after admission to the hospital in AHF patients. One hundred twelve AHF patients who were hospitalized in the Affiliated Hospital 2 of Nantong University from January 2020 to February 2021 were selected as the main subjects of the study. The control group consisted of 137 hospitalized patients in New York Heart Association (NYHA) classes I-II during the same time period. Serum laminin levels were measured at baseline in all patients. Besides, laminin levels of AHF patients were measured again 1 week after admission. The serum laminin levels at admission were significantly higher in AHF patients than those in the patients of NYHA classes I-II [73.79 (41.04, 129.75) ng/mL versus 27.98 (20.75, 37.49) ng/mL, respectively, P0.001]. After 1 week of treatment, laminin levels in AHF patients were 41.56 (27.92, 78.67) ng/mL, which was significantly lower than before treatment (Z = -6.357, P0.001). Bivariate linear correlation analysis showed that LN was associated with NT-proBNP both in the acute phase and after treatment. Laminin levels were significantly higher in AHF patients who had atrial fibrillation (AF) than in those without AF. As a result, we speculated that laminin reflected improved heart function and the occurrence of myocardial fibrosis.

Our previous study found that the combination of halofuginone (HF) and artemisinin (ATS) synergistically arrest colorectal cancer (CRC) cells at the G1/G0 phase of the cell cycle; however, it remains unclear whether HF-ATS induces cell death. Here we report that HF-ATS synergistically induced caspase-dependent apoptosis in CRC cells. Specifically, both in vitro and in vivo experiments showed that HF or HF-ATS induces apoptosis via activation of caspase-9 and caspase-8 while only caspase-9 is involved in ATS-induced apoptosis. Furthermore, we found HF or HF-ATS induces autophagy; ATS can't induce autophagy until caspase-9 is blocked. Further analyzing the crosstalk between autophagic and caspase activation in CRC cells, we found autophagy is essential for activation of caspase-8, and ATS switches to activate capase-8 via induction of autophagy when caspase-9 is inhibited. When apoptosis is totally blocked, HF-ATS switches to induce autophagic cell death. This scenario was then confirmed in studies of chemoresistance CRC cells with defective apoptosis. Our results indicate that HF-ATS induces cell death via interaction between apoptosis and autophagy in CRC cells. These results highlight the value of continued investigation into the potential use of this combination in cancer therapy.

While many studies are focused on international students from the main source countries in China, few studies have addressed how minority groups experience acculturation. Therefore, an interpretive phenomenology was used to explore the acculturation experiences of international students from Sao Tome and Principe (STP) studying in China. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight STP students, while analyzing the interview data using the Colaizzi method. Finally, the data yielded a total of four themes that were emerged as follows: 1. surprising explorers, 2. temporary mutes, 3. confused newcomers, and 4. elite pioneers. The findings provide insights into how the acculturation process is experienced and the strategies STP students in China followed toward it and are even consistent with existing theories and literature. International students from STP and other minority groups may benefit a lot from this study and enrich their experience of the acculturation process in a more targeted way.

Polymer matrix is vulnerable to fire hazards and needs to add flame retardants to enhance its performance and make its application scenarios more extensive. At this stage, it is more necessary to add multiple flame-retardant elements and build a multi-component synergistic system. Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) have been studied for nearly three decades since their introduction. MOFs are known for their structural advantages but have only been applied to flame-retardant polymers for a relatively short period of time. In this paper, we review the development of MOFs utilized as flame retardants and analyze the flame-retardant mechanisms in the gas phase and condensed phase from the original MOF materials, modified MOF composites, and MOF-derived composites as flame retardants, respectively. The effects of carbon-based materials, phosphorus-based materials, nitrogen-based materials, and biomass on the flame-retardant properties of polymers are discussed in the context of MOFs. The construction of MOF multi-structured flame retardants is also introduced, and a variety of MOF-based flame retardants with different morphologies are shown to broaden the ideas for subsequent research.

Background:. Twin pregnancies continue to increase worldwide; however, the current clinical prenatal evaluation for the intrauterine growth of twins still relies on the growth standards of singletons. We attempted to establish a set of fetal biometric references for Chinese twin pregnancies, stratified by chorionicity and conception mode as spontaneously conceived monochorionic diamniotic (SC-MCDA), spontaneously conceived dichorionic diamniotic (SC-DCDA), and assisted reproductive technology dichorionic diamniotic (ART-DCDA) twins. Methods:. From 2016 to 2019, the ultrasonographic fetal biometric measurements were longitudinally collected in pregnant women, including fetal weight, biparietal diameter, head circumference, abdominal circumference, femur length, and humerus length. The linear mixed models were used to test the difference of growth patterns between groups, and the growth curve of each biometric parameter was modeled by a generalized additive model for location scale and shape. Results:. A total of 929 twin pregnant women and 2019 singleton pregnant women, met the inclusion criteria. Among twin pregnancies, 148 were SC-MCDA, 215 were SC-DCDA, and 566 were ART-DCDA twins. Overall, SC-DCDA twins grew faster than SC-MCDA twins, while slower than ART-DCDA twins (all P

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to analyze the interest conflicts and strategy evolution process of various stakeholders in the process of homestead withdrawal, to reveal which key factors can balance the interests of all parties.Design/methodology/approachThe authors developed an evolutionary game theoretical framework for homestead withdrawal in Yujiang District, Jiangxi Province, China. The authors compared the dynamic process of strategy change in different situations based on system dynamics.FindingsCompared with indirect external factors, direct economic factors, such as increasing compensation standards or increasing fines, are more likely to encourage peasants to withdraw from their homesteads. The dynamic subsidy strategy can increase the probability of peasants withdrawing from their homestead. Additionally, awarding officials with promotions can effectively encourage local governments during the process.Originality/valuePrevious studies have conceptualized farmers' willingness to withdraw from their homestead as a static process, ignoring the underlying dynamism. This paper analyzes the game mechanism among the stakeholders of the homestead withdrawal process from a dynamic perspective, to provide efficient suggestions regarding policymaking for homestead withdrawal.

To investigate the effectiveness and safety of low concentration dithiothreitol (DTT) in removing the interference of monoclonal anti-CD38 on transfusion compatibility testing, and develop a reasonable clinical transfusion strategy.The blood type, direct antiglobulin testing (DAT) and antibody screening were tested according to standard methods. Antibody screening cells and donor's red blood cells were treated by DTT 0.2, 0.1, 0.05, 0.02, 0.01 and 0.005 mol/L, and antibody screening and cross-matching of serums after monoclonal anti-CD38 treatment were performed by anti-human globulin card.The 0.01 mol/L DTT at 37℃ for 30 minutes could remove the effect of monoclonal anti-CD38 on antibody screening and cross-matching, meanwhile retain their effectiveness in detecting anti-K, anti-LW, anti-JMH, anti-LuThe 0.01 mol/L DTT is a safe and effective method for removing the interference of monoclonal anti-CD38 with transfusion compatibility testing, while retaining the ability to detect most alloantibodies.低浓度二硫苏糖醇去除CD38单抗干扰输血相容性检测的评估.探讨低浓度二硫苏糖醇（DTT）去除CD38单抗对输血相容性检测干扰的有效性和安全性，制定合理的临床输血策略。.按照标准方法进行血型表型、直接抗人球蛋白试验及抗体筛查，分别用0.2、0.1、0.05、0.02、0.01和0.005 mol/L的DTT处理抗筛细胞及供者红细胞，用抗人球蛋白卡式法对CD38单抗治疗后血清进行抗体筛查及交叉配血。.DTT 0.01 mol/L 37 ℃处理检测红细胞30 min可以去除CD38单抗对抗体筛查及交叉配血的影响，同时保留其对抗-K、抗-LW、抗-JMH、抗-Lu0.01 mol/L DTT在去除CD38单抗对输血相容性检测干扰的同时保留了对大多数同种抗体的检测能力，该方法安全有效。.

In order to further study the blast mitigation performance of polyurea and to investigate the protection mechanism and damage characteristics of polyurea-protected structures under contact explosion loads, based on earlier work, this paper investigated the response and energy absorption performance of polyurea under various frequency loads. Qtech T26 blast mitigation polyurea (T26 polyurea) was adopted to protect the reinforced concrete (RC) slab and damage analysis of the post-explosion specimens was carried out at micro and macro levels. The response and energy absorption capacity of the material towards different frequency loads were investigated by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). Protective performance of T26 polyurea on RC slab was examined with a 10 kg TNT contact explosion test. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was employed to analyze the microscopic fracture morphology of the typical areas of the coating after the explosion. The chemical structure changes of the blast-face coating before and after the explosion were compared by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The results show that the glass transition region of T26 polyurea is −40 °C to 10 °C, which is a large temperature range, and the microphase separation of T26 polyurea is low. It is significantly influenced by the ambient temperature and loading frequency. The energy absorption of T26 polyurea is realized through the interaction between the hard and soft segments. When the frequency is between 102 Hz and 106 Hz, the loss factor of T26 polyurea is between 0.20 and 0.31, which exhibits a good energy dissipation performance. In the contact explosion of 10 kg TNT, the fragmentation rate of the coated specimen decreased significantly compared with that of the unprotected specimen, realizing the zero fragmentation protection effect on the back-blast face. The maximum deformation area and the main energy absorption area of T26 polyurea under contact explosion is the ring area outside the longitudinal deformation area. The chemical structure of T26 polyurea changed significantly after the explosion; typically the N-H bonds, etc., were broken and the percentage of hydrogen bonding was reduced. T26 polyurea has realized the protection effect of zero fragmentation of large-equivalent contact explosion, which has a high application value for blast mitigation and blast-fragmentation prevention in actual engineering.

As important functional materials for absorbing and attenuating incident electromagnetic waves, microwave absorption (MA) materials have found a wide range of applications in civil and military fields. In addition to the study of the compositions, the structural design of the MA materials is also a research hotspot in the field. Among the various structures, the one-dimensional (1D) structure has drawn wide attention because of the unique shape anisotropy and spatial confinement effect. Electrospinning technology has become one of the main ways to prepare continuous 1D micro-nano fibers due to the advantages of many types of spinnable materials, low spinning cost, and high controllability of process parameters. This review involves an introduction and a classification of the research progresses achieved in electrospinning technology concerning MA nanofibers from the perspective of compositions, as well as the list of their minimum reflection loss (RLmin) and effective absorption bandwidth (EAB).

Autophagy is a highly conserved intracellular degradation pathway by which misfolded proteins or damaged organelles are delivered in a double-membrane vacuolar vesicle and finally degraded by lysosomes. The risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) is high, and there is growing evidence that autophagy plays a critical role in regulating the initiation and metastasis of CRC; however, whether autophagy promotes or suppresses tumor progression is still controversial. Many natural compounds have been reported to exert anticancer effects or enhance current clinical therapies by modulating autophagy. Here, we discuss recent advancements in the molecular mechanisms of autophagy in regulating CRC. We also highlight the research on natural compounds that are particularly promising autophagy modulators for CRC treatment with clinical evidence. Overall, this review illustrates the importance of autophagy in CRC and provides perspectives for these natural autophagy regulators as new therapeutic candidates for CRC drug development.

Effluents from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is the main source of pollution in rivers in developing countries. In this case study, three bypass ecological treatment systems along urban rivers achieved high removal efficiencies for chemical oxygen demand (COD; 55.7-64.0%), ammonium N (NH

Cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms are a worldwide problem with substantial adverse effects on the aquatic environment as well as human health. Among the multiple physicochemical and biotic approaches, algicidal bacterium is one of the most promising and eco-friendly ways to control bloom expansion. In this study, Stenotrophomonas sp. KT48 isolated from the pond where cyanobacterial blooms occurred exhibited a strong inhibitory effect on Microcystis aeruginosa. However, the algicidal performance and mechanisms of Stenotrophomonas sp. remain under-documented. To explore the algicidal performance and physiological response againt M. aeruginosa, further works were implemented here. Our results indicated that the algicidal rate of strain KT48 cultured in 1/8 LB medium supplemented with 0.3% starch or glucose was about 30% higher than that in 1/8 LB medium. Strain KT48 culture, cell-free filtrate, and cells re-suspended were inoculated into the M. aeruginosa culture, and the Chl-a content was determined. Those results indicated that the algicidal activity of cells re-suspended was far higher than that of cell-free filtrate and culture. Thus, strain KT48 exhibited algicidal activity mainly through direct attacking M. aeruginosa rather than excretion of algicides. Furthermore, strain KT48 led to an increase in cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and caused lipid peroxidation as supported by the increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. The ROS and MDA levels in algal cells treated with strain KT48 cells re-suspended were about 3.23-fold and 2.80-fold higher than those of untreated algal cells on day 11. And a further inhibition to the antioxidant system is suggested by a sharp decrease in the superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POD) activities. In addition, we also observed that the morphology of most algal cells changed from integrity to break. This study not only indicated strain KT48 with strong algicidal activity, but also explored the underlying algicidal mechanisms to provide a source of bacterial agent for the biocontrol of cyanobacterial blooms. KEY POINTS: • Strain KT48 exhibited strong algicidal activity mainly through direct attacking M. aeruginosa. • The addition of glucose could enhance the algicidal rate of strain KT48 by about 30%. • Strain KT48 led to an increase in cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level that causes membrane damage as supported by the increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) levels.

Pulpal and periapical diseases are the most common dental diseases. The traditional treatment is root canal therapy, which achieves satisfactory therapeutic outcomes—especially for mature permanent teeth. Apexification, pulpotomy, and pulp revascularization are common techniques used for immature permanent teeth to accelerate the development of the root. However, there are obstacles to achieving functional pulp regeneration. Recently, two methods have been proposed based on tissue engineering: stem cell transplantation, and cell homing. One of the goals of functional pulp regeneration is to achieve innervation. Nerves play a vital role in dentin formation, nutrition, sensation, and defense in the pulp. Successful neural regeneration faces tough challenges in both animal studies and clinical trials. Investigation of the regeneration and repair of the nerves in the pulp has become a serious undertaking. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of the key stem cells, signaling molecules, and biomaterials that could promote neural regeneration as part of pulp regeneration. We also discuss the challenges in preclinical or clinical neural regeneration applications to guide deep research in the future.

Pregnant women are susceptible to adverse health effects associated with phthalate acid esters (PAEs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and diet is a significant exposure source. Little is known about the contributions of dietary patterns during pregnancy to the exposure variability of these environmental contaminants.To identify dietary patterns in relation to PAEs and PAHs exposure in the Chinese pregnant population.Dietary data and urinary concentrations of environmental pollutants were obtained from 1190 pregnant women in the Tongji Birth Cohort (TJBC). PAEs and PAHs were measured in spot urine samples. Food intake was assessed using a food-frequency questionnaire. Dietary patterns were constructed by principal component analysis (PCA). Through PCA, we also extracted three chemical mixture scores that represent different co-exposure patterns of PAEs and PAHs. Multiple linear regression models were adopted to identify predictors of PAEs and PAHs exposure.Four dietary patterns were identified by PCA that explained 44.9 % of the total variance of food intake. We found egg-dairy products pattern, whole grain-tuber crop pattern, and meat-aquatic products pattern were positively associated with specific pollutants exposure. In contrast, fruit-nut-vegetable pattern was negatively correlated with PAEs and PAHs exposure. Every SD increase in this pattern score was associated with 14.36 % reduced mono(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (MEOHP) (95 % CI: -24.50 ~ -2.96, p-trend = 0.01), 10.86 % reduced 2-hydroxynaphthalene (2-OHNap) (95 % CI: -20.07 ~ -0.60, p-trend = 0.04), 19.35 % reduced 9-hydroxyphenanthrene (9-OHPhe) (95 % CI: -34.49 ~ -0.70, p-trend = 0.01), and 8.33 % reduced scores of PAHs group (95 % CI: -15.97 ~ -0.10, p-trend = 0.02). In addition, disposable tableware usage and passive smoking were suggested as potentially modifiable sources of PAEs and PAHs exposure, respectively.Adhering to egg-dairy products pattern, whole grain-tuber crop pattern, and meat-aquatic products pattern may be related to increased PAEs and PAHs exposure, while following fruit-nut-vegetable pattern seems to correlate with a lower burden of such exposure.

BACKGROUND: Spontaneous isolated superior mesenteric artery (SMA) dissection (SISMAD) is a rare cause of abdominal pain. The aim of the study is to investigate the role of a new parameter, the ratio of the SMA diameter to the superior mesenteric vein (SMV) diameter (SMA/SMV) based on non-enhanced computed tomography (CT), in the early diagnosis of SISMAD. METHODS: In a registry study from December 2013 to June 2021, 97 abdominal pain SISMAD patients (SISMAD group) admitted to our hospital were enrolled. Meanwhile, the matched sex and age abdominal pain non-SISMAD patients at 1:2 were collected in reverse chronological order as the control group. Student’s t-test, Wilcoxon rank-sum test, and Chi-square test were used to compare differences between the SISMAD and control groups. MedCalc was used to generate receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. RESULTS: A total of 291 abdominal pain patients, including 97 SISMAD patients and 194 non-SISMAD patients, were included in the current study. The maximum SMA diameter, perivascular exudation, and SMA/SMV based on non-enhanced CT were significant between the two groups (all P

International students in China are facing difficulties while adapting their Chinese culture, and their life is influenced by the widespread of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), and caring for their mental health is currently challenging. As a result, our aim is to explore the current mental health care of this minority in China and to provide useful suggestions for future research and institutes. We used the systematic review method, and it was conducted on 11 existing pieces of literature. Our results confirm the unsatisfying psychological situation of international students and the lack of research in this area. We focus on the causes and symptoms of mental problems and explore the effectiveness of methods.

Excessive discharge of phosphorus into the water bodies is the key factor to cause eutrophication. The fruit and vegetable wastewater contains large amounts of phosphorus, and it may be directly discharged into water bodies, which has a great burden on the municipal sewage pipe network. Therefore, coagulation was used to remove phosphorus, recovered the phosphorus from the wastewater into the precipitate, and then the precipitate was pyrolyzed as an efficient adsorbent for phosphate removal. By comparing the adsorption effects of adsorbents (XT-300, XT-400, and XT-500) with pyrolysis temperatures of 300 °C, 400 °C, and 500 °C on phosphate in actual phosphorus-containing wastewater and simulated phosphorus-containing wastewater at different adsorbent dosage (4 g/L, 7 g/L, and 10 g/L), it was found that XT-300 had the best performance of adsorption, and the adsorption of phosphate was endothermic and obeyed the Langmuir isotherms and Elovich kinetics. The influence of pH, coexisting anions, and the structure of XT-300 revealed that the removal of phosphate was associated with electrostatic attraction, pore filling, but could not be determined whether it was related to surface precipitation. This study provides a way and method for the recovery and utilization of phosphorus in fruit and vegetable wastewater and proves that the synthetic adsorbent was an efficient phosphorus adsorbent. In the long term, we can try to use the adsorbent after phosphorus adsorption to promote plant growth in agricultural systems.

To detect the ABO / RhD blood type of infants younger than 6 months in different gestational age and month old with automatic microcolumn glass sphere and tube method, and compare the result of the two methods.The data of 896 samples of infants younger than 6 months from January 2018 to February 2019 was collected. The two methods were used to detect ABO/RhD blood type in all samples and compare the detection rate of ABO/RhD antigen and ABO reverse typing and agglutination intensity of the two methods.Three hundred and eight cases of type A (34.4%), 281 cases of type B (31.4%), 210 cases of type O (23.4%), 97 cases of type AB (10.8%), and 896 positive cases of RhD blood type were detected out by two methods. There were no significant differences of ABO/RhD antigen agglutination intensity between two methods (P0.05). Except for type AB, the detection rate of ABO reverse typing in infants with type B was significantly higher than that with type A and type O (P0.05). The agglutination intensity of type A reverse cell was higher than type B reverse cell (P0.05). The fully automatic microcolumn glass sphere method exhibited higher detection rate of ABO reverse typing in the samples of type A and type O group and agglutination intensity of ABO reverse typing in all types as compared with the tube method (P0.05). The detection rate and agglutination intensity of ABO reverse typing in term group were significantly higher than those in preterm group (P0.05). The fully automatic microcolumn glass sphere method exhibited higher detection rate of ABO reverse typing and agglutination intensity compared with the tube method between two groups (P0.05). The detection rate and agglutination intensity of ABO reverse typing in group IV (4-6 months old) were significantly higher than those in groups I, II and III (young than 3 months old) (P0.05). The fully automatic microcolumn glass sphere method exhibited higher detection rate of ABO reverse typing in I, II, III groups and agglutination intensity of ABO reverse typing in the 4 groups compared with the tube method (P0.05).ABO / RhD blood group antigen can be accurated detected in majority of infants, but the detection rate of ABO antibody is related to gestational age and month age of infants. The detection rate and agglutination intensity of the fully automatic microcolumn glass sphere method in ABO reverse typing are higher than those of the tube method, especially for premature infants and children within 3 months old.6月龄内婴幼儿ABO/RhD的血型结果及两种检测方法的对比分析.应用全自动微柱玻璃珠法与试管法检测不同胎龄和月龄的6月龄内婴幼儿ABO/RhD血型并对比结果的差异。.收集2018年1月-2019年2月患儿血标本896例，同时应用以上两种方法检测ABO/RhD血型抗原并进行ABO反定型抗体检出率和凝集强度并进行比较分析。.两种方法正定型均检出A型标本308例（34.4%），B型标本281例（31.4%），O型标本210例（23.4%），AB型标本97例（10.8%），RhD血型均为阳性，ABO/RhD血型抗原的凝集强度无明显差异（P0.05）；除AB型外，B型患儿反定型抗体检出率明显高于A型和O型，反定型A细胞凝集强度均明显高于B细胞（P0.05）。全自动微柱玻璃珠法检测A型和O型患儿的反定型抗体检出率及各血型患儿的反定型凝集强度均明显高于试管法（P0.05）。足月儿组的ABO反定型抗体检出率和凝集强度均明显高于早产儿组 （P0.05）。全自动微柱玻璃珠法检测两组患儿反定型抗体检出率以及凝集强度均明显高于试管法（P0.05）。不同月龄4组患儿中，IV组（4月龄至6月龄）患儿ABO反定型检出率和凝集强度均明显高于I、II、III组（3月龄以下，P0.05）。全自动微柱玻璃珠法检测I、II、III组患儿反定型抗体检出率及各组患儿反定型凝集强度均明显高于试管法（P0.05）。.大部分婴幼儿可以准确检测出ABO/RhD血型抗原，而ABO抗体检出率与胎龄和月龄相关。全自动微柱玻璃珠法对ABO血型的反定型抗体检出率及凝集强度均强于试管法，特别对于早产儿以及3月龄以内的患儿更为可靠和敏感。.

Parathyroid hormone (PTH) and parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) are two peptides that regulate mineral ion homeostasis, skeletal development, and bone turnover by activating parathyroid hormone 1 receptor (PTH1R). PTH1R signaling is of profound clinical interest for its potential to stimulate bone formation and regeneration. Recent pre-clinical animal studies and clinical trials have investigated the effects of PTH and PTHrP analogs in the orofacial region. Dental mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are targets of PTH1R signaling and have long been known as major factors in tissue repair and regeneration. Previous studies have begun to reveal important roles for PTH1R signaling in modulating the proliferation and differentiation of MSCs in the orofacial region. A better understanding of the molecular networks and underlying mechanisms for modulating MSCs in dental diseases will pave the way for the therapeutic applications of PTH and PTHrP in the future. Here we review recent studies involving dental MSCs, focusing on relationships with PTH1R. We also summarize recent basic and clinical observations of PTH and PTHrP treatment to help understand their use in MSCs-based dental and bone regeneration.

Introduction The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of vildagliptin as add-on therapy to short-term continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) with CSII monotherapy in hospitalized patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods A total of 200 hospitalized patients with inadequately controlled T2DM were randomized into groups, with one group receiving CSII monotherapy (CSII group, n =100) and the other group receiving CSII plus vildagliptin as add-on (CSII + Vig group, n = 100). Of these, 191 completed the 7-day trial (CSII group, n = 99; CSII + Vig group, n = 92) and included in the analysis. The glycemic control and variability of the patients were measured using all-day capillary blood glucose (BG) monitoring. Weight and fasting C-peptide levels were evaluated before and after the interventions. Results Mean BG concentrations during the whole treatment period were lower and the time to reach target BG was reduced in the CSII + Vig group compared with the CSII group (9.89 ± 3.37 vs. 9.46 ± 3.23 mmol/L, P

Chinese medicine (CM) has become a popular interventional treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, limited knowledge about general characteristics and long-term clinical outcomes hampers the development of CM for RA.The main objectives of the China Rheumatoid Arthritis Registry of Patients with Chinese Medicine (CERTAIN) were to describe the population of RA patients receiving CM treatment in multiple centers in China using different variables and compare these findings with internationally reported data.The CERTAIN is a prospective, multicenter, observational disease registry.Adult RA patients who fulfilled the 2010 American College of Rheumatology/ European League Against Rheumatism classification criteria for RA and received CM treatment were recruited into the CERTAIN by rheumatologists from 145 hospitals across 30 provinces in China. Data on demographics, disease characteristics, comorbidities, treatments, and adverse events, with a 2-year follow-up, were collected and documented using a predefined protocol.In the 2 years since the study began in September 2019, 11,764 patients have been enrolled (enrolment is ongoing), and 13.10% of participants have completed the 6-month follow-up. We present the baseline characteristics of the first 11,764 enrollees.The CERTAIN is the first nationwide registry to document comprehensive data on CM treatment in patients with RA. The development of the CERTAIN resource is a significant step forward for Chinese RA patients, herbal medicine users, and research communities and will deepen our understanding of CM for RA.The study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05219214).

In singleton pregnancies, maternal complications, such as preeclampsia and thyroid dysfunction are associated with small for gestational age (SGA). However, data on the association between SGA and maternal complications in twin pregnancies are limited and conflicting. Small sample size and the application of singleton birth weight reference (SBWR) to define SGA in twins may be reasons for the inconsistent conclusions. Purpose of this study was to define SGA in dichorionic diamniotic (DCDA) and monochorionic diamniotic (MCDA) twin pregnancies using both SBWR and twin birth weight reference (TBWR) and to determine whether certain maternal complications are associated with SGA in twin pregnancies.This retrospective cohort study included all twins delivered in a single tertiary center between 2013 and 2018. SGA was defined as a twin with birth weight10th centile for gestational age using either SBWR or TBWR. The association between SGA and maternal complications was analyzed separately for DCDA and MCDA twin pregnancies, expressed as odds ratio (OR) and adjusted odds ratio (aOR) with 95% confidence interval (95%-CI).A total of 2005 DCDA and 467 MCDA twin pregnancies were enrolled. In DCDA pregnancies, SGA was significantly associated with PE according to TBWR (22.73 vs. 14.56%, aOR 1.823, 95%-CI 1.137-2.922). This association was even more pronounced between SGA and severe PE (9.09 vs. 4.54%, aOR 2.234, 95%-CI 1.115-4.479). In turn, PE was associated with higher risk of SGA defined according to TBWR (8.31 vs. 4.99%, aOR 1.825, 95%-CI 1.139-2.925). No association was detected between SGA and other maternal complications. Using SBWR, no association was found between preeclampsia and SGA. In MCDA pregnancies, according to TBWR, SGA was associated only with severe PE (12.5 vs. 4.06%, aOR 3.470, 95%-CI 1.256-9.587) and lower risk of PROM (aOR 0.067, 95%-CI 0.014-0.322).PE was associated with SGA in DCDA pregnancies only when TBWR was used, suggesting that DCDA pregnancies complicated with PE should be closely monitored for signs of SGA and vice versa. In MCDA pregnancies, SGA defined according to TBWR was associated with only severe PE (but not with all PE) and lower risk of PROM. More basic experiments are needed to investigate the mechanisms underlying PE and SGA in DCDA and MCDA twin pregnancies respectively.