Search

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), the eighth most prevalent cancer in the world, arises from the interaction of multiple factors including tobacco, alcohol consumption, and betel quid. Chemotherapeutic agents such as cisplatin, 5‐fluorouracil, and paclitaxel have now become the first‐line options for OSCC patients. Nevertheless, most OSCC patients eventually acquire drug resistance, leading to poor prognosis. With the discovery and identification of non‐coding RNAs (ncRNAs), the functions of dysregulated ncRNAs in OSCC development and drug resistance are gradually being widely recognized. The mechanisms of drug resistance of OSCC are intricate and involve drug efflux, epithelial‐mesenchymal transition, DNA damage repair, and autophagy. At present, strategies to explore the reversal of drug resistance of OSCC need to be urgently developed. Nano‐delivery and self‐cellular drug delivery platforms are considered as effective strategies to overcome drug resistance due to their tumor targeting, controlled release, and consistent pharmacokinetic profiles. In particular, the combined application of new technologies (including CRISPR systems) opened up new horizons for the treatment of drug resistance of OSCC. Hence, this review explored emerging regulatory functions of ncRNAs in drug resistance of OSCC, elucidated multiple ncRNA‐meditated mechanisms of drug resistance of OSCC, and discussed the potential value of drug delivery platforms using nanoparticles and self‐cells as carriers in drug resistance of OSCC., The mechanisms of drug resistance are intricate and involve drug efflux, epithelial mesenchymal transition, DNA damage repair, and autophagy. Nano‐delivery and self‐cellular drug delivery platforms have a broad prospective for alleviating OSCC drug resistance. In particular, the combined application of new technologies (including CRISPR systems) opens up new horizons for treatment of OSCC drug resistance.

Prediabetes risk assessment models derived from large sample sizes are scarce.To establish a robust assessment model for prediabetes and to validate the model in different populations.The China National Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders Study (CNDMDS) collected information from 47325 participants aged at least 20 years across China from 2007 to 2008. The Thyroid Disorders, Iodine Status and Diabetes Epidemiological Survey (TIDE) study collected data from 66108 participants aged at least 18 years across China from 2015 to 2017. A logistic model with stepwise selection was performed to identify significant risk factors for prediabetes and was internally validated by bootstrapping in the CNDMDS. External validations were performed in diverse populations, including populations of Hispanic (Mexican American, other Hispanic) and non-Hispanic (White, Black and Asian) participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) in the United States and 66108 participants in the TIDE study in China. C statistics and calibration plots were adopted to evaluate the model's discrimination and calibration performance.A set of easily measured indicators (age, education, family history of diabetes, waist circumference, body mass index, and systolic blood pressure) were selected as significant risk factors. A risk assessment model was established for prediabetes with a C statistic of 0.6998 (95%CI: 0.6933 to 0.7063) and a calibration slope of 1.0002. When externally validated in the NHANES and TIDE studies, the model showed increased C statistics in Mexican American, other Hispanic, Non-Hispanic Black, Asian and Chinese populations but a slightly decreased C statistic in non-Hispanic White individuals. Applying the risk assessment model to the TIDE population, we obtained a C statistic of 0.7308 (95%CI: 0.7260 to 0.7357) and a calibration slope of 1.1137. A risk score was derived to assess prediabetes. Individuals with scores ≥ 7 points were at high risk of prediabetes, with a sensitivity of 60.19% and specificity of 67.59%.An easy-to-use assessment model for prediabetes was established and was internally and externally validated in different populations. The model had a satisfactory performance and could screen individuals with a high risk of prediabetes.

Periodontitis is a progressive and inflammatory oral disease and results in the damage of the supporting tissues of teeth. Peroxiredoxin 6 (PRDX6) is an antioxidant enzyme identified as a regulator in ferroptosis. This study aimed to investigate whether PRDX6 could protect human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs) from lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation and its mechanisms.Both inflamed and non-inflamed human gingival tissues were collected to assess the expression of PRDX6 and nuclear factor erythropoietin 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) by Immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. Furthermore, the molecular mechanisms of PRDX6 have been clarified in PRDX6 silenced cells. The inflammatory cytokines in HGFs were measured by RT-qPCR and ELISA. The lipid hydroperoxide (LOOH) was detected by C11-BODIPY.The expression of PRDX6 and NRF2 were decreased in gingival tissues of severe periodontitis patients. The increased LPS-induced LOOH and inflammatory cytokines were found in PRDX6 knockdown HGFs. Besides, the inhibition of ferroptosis or PRDX6 phospholipase A2 activity (PLA2) alleviated LPS-induced inflammatory cytokines and LOOH. However, inhibiting NRF2 signalling upregulated those in HGFs.Therefore, this study provided a new mechanistic insight that PRDX6, regulated by the NRF2 signalling, alleviates LPS-induced inflammation and ferroptosis in human gingival fibroblasts.

Purpose: Periodontitis is a progressive and inflammatory oral disease and results in the damage of the supporting tissues of teeth. Peroxiredoxin 6 (PRDX6) is an antioxidant enzyme identified as a redox balance regulator. This study aimed to investigate whether PRDX6 could protect human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs) from lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced inflammation and its mechanisms.Methods: Both inflamed and non-inflamed human gingival tissues were collected to assess the expression of PRDX6 and NRF2 by Immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. Furthermore, HGFs were stimulated with LPS, MJ33 (PRDX6 phospholipase A2 inhibitor), or ML385 (NRF2 inhibitor). The expression levels of inflammatory cytokines were measured by RT-qPCR and ELISA, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) were detected using DCFH-DA.Results: PRDX6 was downregulated in inflamed gingival tissues. In HGFs, LPS induced inflammatory cytokines and ROS was upregulated in PRDX6 knockdown cells. Furthermore, co-treatment with MJ33 alleviated LPS-induced inflammatory cytokines and ROS while inhibiting NRF2 upregulated those in HGFs.Conclusion: Therefore, this study provided a new mechanistic insight that PRDX6, regulated by the NRF2 signaling, alleviates LPS-induced periodontitis in human gingival fibroblasts.

Introduction: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide. Due to a lack of reliable markers, HNSCC patients are usually diagnosed at a late stage, which will lead to a worse outcome. Therefore, it is critical to improve the clinical management of cancer patients. Nowadays, the development of liquid biopsy enables a minimally invasive manner to extract molecular information from HNSCCs. Thus, this review aims to outline the clinical value of liquid biopsy in early detection, real-time monitoring, and prognostic evaluation of HNSCC. Areas covered: This comprehensive review focused on the characteristics as well as clinical applications of three liquid biopsy markers (CTCs, ctDNA, and exosomes) in HNSCC. What is more, it is promising to incorporate machine learning and 3D organoid models in the liquid biopsy of HNSCC. Expert opinion: Liquid biopsy provides a noninvasive technique to reflect the inter and intra-lesional heterogeneity through the detection of tumor cells or materials released from the primary and secondary tumors. Recently, some evolving technologies have the potential to combine with liquid biopsy to improve clinical management of HNSCC patients.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are ancient and ubiquitous soil microorganisms, which can form mutually beneficial association with most terrestrial plants. Within the symbiotic relationship, AMF helps their host plants to absorb nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus while obtains carbon from the hosts. AMF plays an important role in agricultural ecosystem, including promoting plant growth, improving crop quality, increasing plant stress resistance, stabilizing soil structure, keeping ecological balance, and maintaining a sustainable agricultural development. We summarized the research advances of AMF in terrestrial agro-ecosystem in recent years, by focusing on AMF species diversity, spatial and temporal distribution, and influence factors of AMF biodiversity in terrestrial agro-ecosystem of China. Further research works were also prospected.丛枝菌根真菌(AMF)是一种古老的、在自然界中普遍存在的土壤微生物,能与大部分陆生植物形成互惠互利的菌根共生体.在这种共生关系中,AMF从植物获取自身生长所需碳源的同时,帮助宿主吸收氮、磷等营养物质.AMF在农业生态系统中具有重要作用,能够促进植物生长、改善作物品质、提高植物抗逆性、稳定土壤结构、维护生态平衡和维持农业可持续发展.本文总结了近几年来陆地农业生态系统AMF的研究进展,着重从我国陆地农业生态系统AMF物种多样性、AMF生物多样性时空分布特征及影响AMF多样性的因素等几个方面,综述了陆地农业生态系统AMF的物种多样性,并对以后的研究进行了展望.

An online experiment to acquire the interior noise of a China Railways High-speed (CRH) train showed that it was mainly composed of middle-low frequency components and could not be described properly by linear or A-weighted sound pressure level (SPL). Thus, the appropriate way to evaluate the high-speed train interior noise is to use sound quality parameters, and the most important is loudness. To overcome the disadvantages of the existing loudness algorithms, a novel signal-adaptive Moore loudness algorithm (AMLA) based on the equivalent rectangular bandwidth (ERB) spectrum was introduced. The validation reveals that AMLA can obtain higher accuracy and efficiency, and the simulated dark red noise conforms best to the high-speed train interior noise by loudness and auditory assessment. The main loudness component of the interior noise is below 27.6 ERB rate (erbr), and the sound quality of the interior noise is relatively stable between 300–350 km/h. The specific loudness components among 12–15 erbr stay invariable throughout the acceleration or deceleration process while components among 20–27 erbr are evidently speed related. The unusual random noise is effectively identified, which indicates that AMLA is an appropriate method for sound quality assessment of the high-speed train under both steady and transient conditions.

The in-cylinder pressure oscillation during combustion process in multi-injection (MI) DI diesel engine is researched in this paper. The in-cylinder pressure testing is conducted under different operating conditions and different injection parameters. The high-frequency pressure oscillation signal and the oscillation energy are extracted from the in-cylinder pressure signal. The time-frequency characteristics of the pressure oscillation in each combustion stage are analyzed using AGST. The effects of engine speed, load and injection parameters on pressure oscillation are investigated. Results show that for DI diesel engine with pilot-main injection strategy, the amplitude of pressure oscillation in pilot injection combustion (PIC) is the maximum and the oscillation energy in PIC is pretty high. Moreover, the pilot injection also shows important influences on pressure oscillation in main injection combustion. Generally, high engine speed and high load lead to drastic pressure oscillation. However, the pressure oscillation decreases when the engine speed rises above 2200 r/min due to the influence of injection parameters. Under the same engine speed and load, the main injection advance angle and the pilot injection interval time show great influences on the amplitude, oscillation energy and time-frequency characteristics of pressure oscillation in each combustion stage, while the pilot injection quantity has less effects on the pressure oscillation when it varies in a narrow range. Based on the conclusions above, the potential methods to reduce the pressure oscillation are also discussed.

A novel partially-coupled modal contribution assumption is presented in this paper. The partially-coupled assumption is theoretically presented, and it is proved to be more reasonable according to the law of conservation of energy compared with the traditional decoupled and coupled assumptions. The proposed method is applied to analyze a complex engineering structure. Based on the partially-coupled assumption, the dominant noise-contribution mode (DNCM) is identified at each frequency. The DNCM method is more effective in determining the most significant mode which makes the noise control more precise.

Background The present post hoc analysis investigated whether changes in endogenous glucagon-like peptide-1 (∆GLP-1) levels are associated with weight loss in newly diagnosed diabetes patients. Methods In all, 784 subjects from the Metformin and AcaRbose in Chinese as initial Hypoglycemic treatment (MARCH) study were stratified according to ∆GLP-1. Changes in clinical and physiological parameters were evaluated across ∆GLP-1 subgroups (low, medium, and high) to assess correlations between ∆GLP-1 and weight loss in acarbose- versus metformin-treated groups. Results After 24 weeks treatment, greater ∆GLP-1 was associated with significantly greater weight loss (−2 vs −1 kg in the medium/high vs low ∆GLP-1 groups, respectively) and reduction in body mass index (BMI; −0.88, −0.83, and −0.69 kg/m2 in the high, medium, and low ∆GLP-1 groups, respectively). In the acarbose-treated group, there was a significant association between ∆GLP-1 and BMI reductions, and greater ∆GLP-1 across the high, medium, and low ∆GLP-1 groups was correlated with greater weight loss (−2.8, −2.1, and −1.9 kg, respectively) and reductions in fasting plasma glucose (−1.57, −1.28, and −1.02 mmol/L, respectively) at Week 24. No significant differences were found across ∆GLP-1 subgroups in metformin-treated patients (P > 0.05). Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that gender, baseline BMI, and ∆GLP-1 at Week 24 were associated with weight loss. Baseline BMI and ∆GLP-1 in the acarbose-treated group and baseline BMI in the metformin-treated group predicted weight loss at Week 24. Conclusion Changes in GLP-1 levels are associated with weight loss in newly diagnosed Chinese diabetes patients receiving acarbose.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the pathogen of 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), is currently spreading around the world. The WHO declared on January 31 that the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 was a public health emergency. SARS-Cov-2 is a member of highly pathogenic coronavirus group that also consists of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV). Although respiratory tract lesions were regarded as main manifestation of SARS-Cov-2 infection, gastrointestinal lesions were also reported. Similarly, patients with SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV were also observed. Common gastrointestinal symptoms of patients mainly included diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal pain. Gastrointestinal lesions could be used as basis for early diagnosis of patients, and at the same time, controlling gastrointestinal lesions better facilitated to cut off the route of fecal-oral transmission. Hence, this review summarizes the characteristics and mechanism of gastrointestinal lesions caused by three highly pathogenic human coronavirus infections including SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, as well as SARS-CoV-2. Furthermore, it is expected to gain experience from gastrointestinal lesions caused by SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV infections in order to be able to better relieve SARS-CoV-2 epidemic. Targetin gut microbiota to regulate the process of SARS-CoV-2 infection should be a concern. Especially, the application of nanotechnology may provide help for further controlling COVID-19., Graphical abstract Image 1, Highlights • Gastrointestinal lesions are caused by three coronaviruses, especially SARS-CoV-2. • The mechanism is similar by which three coronaviruses cause gastrointestinal lesions. • Experience could be applicated to relieve gastrointestinal symptoms in COVID-19 patients. • Gut microbiota and nanotechnology facilitate to end the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic.

An engine noise prediction method based on both the measured and calculated in-cylinder pressure was presented in this paper. The measured in-cylinder pressure and radiation noise signals were obtained through engine bench tests. The combustion process of a multiple fuel injection diesel engine was calculated with the CFD (computational fluid dynamics) method, and the calculated in-cylinder pressure was acquired. And then, the engine noise was predicted with the attenuation curve method based on measured and calculated pressure, respectively. It was found that there were large differences between them. The urgency of developing a new noise prediction method was revealed. Through the contrastive analysis of the measured in-cylinder pressure and radiation noise signals, it was found that the combustion noise played a significant role in engine noise. The engine noise is closely related to the process of combustion in both time domain and frequency domain. The correlation analysis between combustion process indices and engine noise was carried out afterwards. Among the combustion process indices, the CPI (combustion pressure index) and MSRPR (maximum second-order rate of pressure rise) have the best correlation with the engine noise, and they are selected as the parameters to predict the engine noise. Finally, the engine noise prediction model was established through the multiple linear regression (MLR) method, and the coefficients of determination at each engine speed were all above 0.9. This engine noise prediction method can be utilized based on not only the measured in-cylinder pressure, but also the calculated one with the CFD model.

The influence of the cooling water on the vibration mode and damping characteristics of an engine was evaluated through experimental and simulation methods. The wet mode method of the fluid–structure interaction field was applied in numerical analysis, which led to several significant conclusions. Several additional fluid related modes were present when the effect of cooling water was considered. Meanwhile, the frequencies of other modes were almost the same. On the other hand, the damping characteristics of an engine were changed while the cooling water was used. For Rayleigh damping, the cooling water effect has made the mass matrix scale factor α nearly double and the stiffness matrix scale factor β almost unchanged. The engine surface vibration acceleration magnitude was calculated by means of the multi-body dynamic analysis. It was shown that the calculated vibration acceleration magnitude was close to the measured one when the cooling water was taken into account. Furthermore, acoustic simulation results were estimated by Boundary Element Method, which revealed that the sound power level of the radiation noise of most engine components was lower than that with the fluid structure interaction model being applied in the engine block modeling. The overall sound power level of the whole engine radiation noise was increased by 3.6 dB when the effect of the cooling water was considered, which demonstrated that the effect of the cooling water on the engine vibro-acoustic characteristics should not be neglected during the computation. This paper has disclosed the influences of the cooling water on the engine structural modes, damping, sound power level of the engine radiation noise and a systematic approach for evaluation of the influences.

Combustion noise takes large proportion in diesel engine noise and the studies of its influence factors play an important role in noise reduction. Engine noise and cylinder pressure measurement experiments were carried out. And the improved attenuation curves were obtained, by which the engine noise was predicted. The effect of fuel injection parameters in combustion noise was investigated during the combustion process. At last, the method combining single variable optimization and multivariate combination was introduced to online optimize the combustion noise. The results show that injection parameters can affect the cylinder pressure rise rate and heat release rate, and consequently affect the cylinder pressure load and pressure oscillation to influence the combustion noise. Among these parameters, main injection advance angle has the greatest influence on the combustion noise, while the pilot injection interval time takes the second place, and the pilot injection quantity is of minimal impact. After the optimal design of the combustion noise, the average sound pressure level of the engine is distinctly reduced by 1.0 dB(A) generally. Meanwhile, the power, emission and economy performances are ensured.

Objective: MARCH study(Metformin and AcaRbose in Chinese as the initial Hypoglycaemic treatment) was a nationwide, multicenter, randomized controlled trial in China (Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, number ChiCTR-TRC-08000231), and confirmed that Acarbose was non-inferior to Metformin in terms of hypoglycemic effectiveness among Chinese patients with newly-diagnosed type 2 diabetes. The purpose of this paper was to understand the association between the efficacy of Acarbose and Metformin and the parameters reflected body weight. Method: A total of 788 participants from MARCH database were included in this analysis. The participants were divided into four BMI groups(BMI 19-23.9, 24-25.9, 26-27.9, and 28-30kg/m2) and four weight loss groups according to quartile of weight change from the baseline, and two central obesity groups according to IDF criteria(i.e., waist circumference >=90cm in male, >=80cm in female), respectively. ANCOVA was used to assess the association of the above obesity categories with the changes of HbA1c from baseline in Acarbose group and Metformin group respectively, with treatment and center as factors, and baseline HbA1c as a covariate. Result: There was no significant difference in change from baseline HbA1c within the acarbose group (0.98%,0.95%,1.20%,1.14%,p=0.1476) as well as the metformin group (1.08%,1.12%,1.20%,1.32%,p=0.2918) when patients were stratified by BMI quartile. The reduction in HbA1c was greater in patients with central obesity than those without in Metformin treatment group[1.26%(95% CI:1.15%-1.37%) vs.0.98%(95% CI:0.81%-1.15%),p=0.0059], but there was no significant difference among patients with and without central obesity for HbA1c reduction in acarbose treatment group[1.10%(95% CI:0.98%-1.21%) vs. 0.97%(95% CI:0.81%-1.13%),p=0.2037]. Conclusion: The hypoglycemic efficacy of acarbose is not associated with the obesity status. In contrast, Metformin was more effective in patients with central obesity. Disclosure Z. Yang: None. X. Wang: None. N. Wang: None. X. Jin: None. J. Zhang: None. X. Zhang: None. W. Yang: None.

The present post hoc analysis investigated whether changes in endogenous glucagon-like peptide-1 (∆GLP-1) levels are associated with weight loss in newly diagnosed diabetes patients.In all, 784 subjects from the Metformin and AcaRbose in Chinese as initial Hypoglycemic treatment (MARCH) study were stratified according to ∆GLP-1. Changes in clinical and physiological parameters were evaluated across ∆GLP-1 subgroups (low, medium, and high) to assess correlations between ∆GLP-1 and weight loss in acarbose- versus metformin-treated groups.After 24 weeks treatment, greater ∆GLP-1 was associated with significantly greater weight loss (-2 vs -1 kg in the medium/high vs low ∆GLP-1 groups, respectively) and reduction in body mass index (BMI; -0.88, -0.83, and -0.69 kg/mChanges in GLP-1 levels are associated with weight loss in newly diagnosed Chinese diabetes patients receiving acarbose.

Lispro Mix 25% insulin lispro/75% insulin lispro protamine (LM25) and Lispro Mix 50% insulin lispro/50% insulin lispro protamine (LM50) were compared as starter insulins in East Asian patients with type 2 diabetes.Phase 4, open-label, randomized trial conducted in China, Japan, Korea, and Turkey. Subjects received twice-daily LM25 (n = 207) or LM50 (n = 196) for 26 weeks. The primary outcome was the HbAThe least squares mean changes from baseline in HbALM25 and LM50 were noninferior to each other in improving glycemic control in Asian patients with type 2 diabetes. In addition, LM50 was more efficacious than LM25 with respect to the percentage of subjects reaching target HbA

Premixed insulins are recommended starter insulins in Chinese patients after oral antihyperglycemic medication (OAM) failure. In the present study, we compared the efficacy and safety of insulin lispro mix 25 (LM25) twice daily (b.i.d.) and insulin lispro mix 50 (LM50) b.i.d. as a starter insulin regimen in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) who had inadequate glycemic control with OAMs.The primary efficacy outcome in the present open-label parallel randomized clinical trial was change in HbA1c from baseline to 26 weeks. Patients were randomized in a ratio of 1: 1 to LM25 (n = 80) or LM50 (n = 76). A mixed-effects model with repeated measures was used to analyze continuous variables. The Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel test with stratification factor was used to analyze categorical variables.At the end of the study, LM50 was more efficacious than LM25 in reducing mean HbA1c levels (least-squares [LS] mean difference 0.48; 95 % confidence interval [CI] 0.22, 0.74; P 0.001). More subjects in the LM50 than LM25 group achieved HbA1c targets of7.0 % (72.4 % vs 45.0 %; P = 0.001) or ≤6.5 % (52.6 % vs 20.0 %; P 0.001). Furthermore, LM50 was more effective than LM25 at reducing HbA1c in patients with baseline HbA1c, blood glucose excursion, and postprandial glucose greater than or equal to median levels (P ≤ 0.001). The rate and incidence of hypoglycemic episodes and increase in weight at the end of the study were similar between treatment groups.In Chinese patients with T2DM, LM50 was more efficacious than LM25 as a starter insulin.

Since the online market has been growing rapidly over the past several years, electronic marketing activities have drawn a lot of attention. Many companies generated customer loyalty by improving electronic service quality (e-service quality) but the effects needed to be further examined. The first purpose of the study is to integrate relevant literature and develop a comprehensive research model of electronic commerce to identify its antecedent and consequential research variables. This study tests the interrelationships among the perception of e-service quality, customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. The second purpose of this study is to examine the moderating effect of customer perceived value on the relationship between customer satisfaction and loyalty. Through a questionnaire survey, the results of this study indicated that e-service quality has influence on customer satisfaction and then generates customer loyalty, which is consistent with Bagozzi's appraisal→emotional response→behaviour fram...

Soil labile organic carbon and soil enzymes play important roles in the carbon cycle of coastal wetlands that have high organic carbon accumulation rates. Soils under three vegetations (Phragmites australis, Spartina alterniflora, and Scirpusm mariqueter) as well as bare mudflat in Hangzhou Bay wetland of China were collected seasonally. Seasonal dynamics and correlations of soil labile organic carbon fractions and soil enzyme activities were analyzed. The results showed that there were significant differences among vegetation types in the contents of soil organic carbon (SOC) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC), excepting for that of microbial biomass carbon (MBC). The P. australis soil was with the highest content of both SOC (7.86 g kg-1) and DOC (306 mg kg-1), while the S. mariqueter soil was with the lowest content of SOC (6.83 g kg-1), and the bare mudflat was with the lowest content of DOC (270 mg kg-1). Soil enzyme activities were significantly different among vegetation types except for urease. The P. australis had the highest annual average activity of alkaline phosphomonoesterase (21.4 mg kg-1 h-1), and the S. alterniflora had the highest annual average activities of β-glycosidase (4.10 mg kg-1 h-1) and invertase (9.81 mg g-1 24h-1); however, the bare mudflat had the lowest activities of alkaline phosphomonoesterase (16.2 mg kg-1 h-1), β-glycosidase (2.87 mg kg-1 h-1), and invertase (8.02 mg g-1 24h-1). Analysis also showed that the soil labile organic carbon fractions and soil enzyme activities had distinct seasonal dynamics. In addition, the soil MBC content was significantly correlated with the activities of urease and β-glucosidase. The DOC content was significantly correlated with the activities of urease, alkaline phosphomonoesterase, and invertase. The results indicated that vegetation type is an important factor influencing the spatial-temporal variation of soil enzyme activities and labile organic carbon in coastal wetlands.

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the therapeutic efficacy of acarbose and metformin is correlated with baseline HbA1c levels in Chinese patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).Data for 711 subjects were retrieved from the MARCH (Metformin and AcaRbose in Chinese as initial Hypoglycemic treatment) trial database and reviewed retrospectively. Patients were grouped according to baseline HbA1c levels (7%, 7%-8%, and8%) and the results for these three groups were compared between acarbose and metformin treatments.Acarbose and metformin treatment significantly improved T2DM-associated parameters (weight, fasting plasma glucose [FPG], postprandial glucose [PPG], glucagon-like peptide-1 [GLP-1], HOMA-IR, and total cholesterol) across all HbA1c levels. Acarbose decreased PPG and HOMA-β significantly more than metformin, but only in subjects with lower baseline HbA1c (PPG in the7% and 7%-8%, HOMA-β in the7% groups; all P0.05). Acarbose decreased triglyceride (TG) levels, and the areas under the curve (AUC) for insulin and glucagon more than metformin at all HbA1c levels (P0.05). After 24 weeks treatment, metformin decreased FPG levels significantly more than acarbose for all baseline HbA1c groups (all P0.001). With the exception of FPG, PPG, and TG levels, differences between the two treatment groups observed at 24 weeks were not detected at 48 weeks.Acarbose decreased PPG and TG and spared the AUC for insulin more effectively in patients with low-to-moderate baseline HbA1c levels, whereas metformin induced greater reductions in FPG. These results may help guide selection of initial therapy based on baseline HbA1c.

To study the effectiveness of waist circumference cut-off values in predicting the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and risk factors in adults in China.A cross-sectional survey was condcuted in 14 provinces (autonomous region, municipality) in China. A total of 47,325 adults aged⋝20 years were selected by multistage stratified sampling, and questionnaire survey and physical and clinical examination were conducted among them. MetS was defined according to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria and modified IDF criteria.The age-standardized prevalence of MetS was 24.2% (22.1% in men and 25.8% in women) and 19.5% (22.1% in men and 18.0% in women) according to the IDF criteria and modified IDF criteria respectively. The age-standardized prevalence of pre-MetS was 8.1% (8.6% in men and 7.8% in women) according to the modified IDF criteria. The prevalence of MetS was higher in urban residents than rural residents and in northern China residents than in southern China residents. The prevalence of central obesity was about 30% in both men and women according to the ethnicity-specific cut-off values of waist circumference for central obesity (90 cm for men and 85 cm for women). Multivariate regression analysis revealed no significant difference in risk factors between the two MetS definitions.Using both the modified IDF criteria and ethnicity-specific cut-off values of waist circumference can provide more useful information about the prevalence of MetS in China. Conclusion Using both the modified IDF criteria and ethnicity-specific cut-off values of waist circumference can provide more useful information about the prevalence of MetS in China.

Salt marshes perform important ecosystem functions in carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus recycling. The plant biomass, content and pools of C, N and P were measured seasonally in three marsh species Phragmites australis, Spartina alterniflora and Scirpus mariquezer in Hangzhou Bay coastal wetland for the dynamics of C, N and P storage. The results showed that seasonal variation of aboveground biomass displayed a unimodal curve. The seasonal variability of plant OC content in the aboveground part of the plants was not significant, while the TN and TP content decreased significantly from spring to winter. The seasonal variability of plant C, N and P pools was significant. And there was a significant relationship between plant C/N/P pools and biomass. The pools among plant species were significantly different. S. mariqueter had the lowest C/N/P pools. TN pool in the aboveground part of P. australis was higher than that of S. aterniflora, but its TP pool was lower than that of S. alterniflora, and there was no significant difference for OC pools between P. australis and S. alterniflora. C fixation of the three marsh species was 380%, 376% and 55.5% of the average C fixation of terrestrial vegetations in China, and 463%, 458% and 67.7% of the average C fixation of terrestrial vegetations of the world. Considering the purification capacity of N and P, July would be the best harvest time of the study area for three plants. And the harvest of S. alterniflora could remove the biggest amount of P, since P was a limiting nutrient for phytoplankton growth. In conclusion, the marsh plants had strong C fixation and N/P purification ability.

The association between IGF2BP2 and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has been repeatedly confirmed among different ethnic populations. However, in several genome-wide association studies (GWAS) from the Chinese Han population, the gene IGF2BP2 has not been replicated. The results of relevant studies for the association between IGF2BP2 and T2DM showed controversy in Chinese Han population. It is necessary to systematically evaluate the contribution of common variants in IGF2BP2 to T2DM in Chinese Han population.Two single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs, rs4402960 and rs1470579) in IGF2BP2 were genotyped in Chinese Han population (3807 controls/4531 T2DM cases) by Illumina GoldenGate Indexing assay. The association between SNPs and T2DM was evaluated by multiple Logistic Regression analysis. A meta-analysis was used to estimate the effects of IGF2BP2 in 20854 Chinese Han individuals.rs1470579 and rs4402960 were confirmed to have strong association with T2DM in the Chinese Han population (rs1470579 P = 1.80×10(-7), OR (95% CI) = 1.22 (1.14-1.32), rs4402960 P = 7.46×10(-9), OR (95% CI) = 1.26 (1.17-1.37), respectively). Moreover, 11 studies for rs4402960 were included in the meta-analysis and 7 studies for rs1470579. The meta-analysis also showed the association between T2DM and IGF2BP2 (rs1470579 OR of 1.15 (95% CI = 1.10-1.19), P0.0001 under an additive model and rs4402960 OR of 1.14 (95% CI = 1.10-1.18), P0.0001 under an additive model).IGF2BP2 was strongly associated with the risk of T2DM in Chinese Han population.

Keywords: crystal formation, cyanuric acid, kruppel-like factor5, melamine, macrophageABSTRACTBackground. Melamine and cyanuric acid (M/CA), whenorally administered together to rats, can induce crystal for-mation within renal tubules and cause acute kidney injury.Methods. To investigate the pathomechanism of crystal-induced nephritis, melamine and/or cyanuric acid were admi-nistered to 3-week-old (young) and 8-week-old (adult) rats,respectively.Results. Crystal formation, blood urea nitrogen elevation,tubular cell injury and macrophage infiltration were noted inrats fed with M/CA, but not in rats fed with vehicle, melamineor CA alone. These parameters were significantly higher inyoung rats than those in adult rats fed with M/CA 200 mg/kgbody weight (BW) for 3 days. Kruppel-like factor 5 (KLF5)was expressed on distal tubule cells, especially when crystalsdeposited within the lumens. Both mRNA and protein levelswere higher in young rats than those in adult rats fed with M/CA (200 mg/kg BW). KLF5 expression has been shown tomodulate renal tissue cytokine production, and we found thatproinflammatory cytokines like monocyte chemoattractantprotein-1 and interlukin-6 were increased in kidney tissues ofyoung rats fed with M/CA for 3 days. In contrast, interlukin-10,an anti-inflammatory cytokine, was upregulated in kidneys ofadult ratsfedwithM/CAfor3days.Conclusions. Crystals are prone to deposition in distal tubulesof young rats fed with M/CA. M/CA Crystal-related nephritismight be induced by the KLF5 expression, which modulatedmacrophage recruitment and proinflammatory cytokine pro-duction, subsequently leading to renal tubular injury and in-terstitial inflammation.INTRODUCTIONAdulteration of a powdered formula with melamine led to aglobal panic in 2008 [1], and the kidneys of infants and chil-dren were severely injured [2–4] but rarely harmed in adults[5]. It has been studied that consumption of melamine withcyanuric acid (M/CA) in animals led to renal calculi and ob-structive nephropathy. Investigators also found that acute ne-phritis, characterized by intratubular crystal depositions andtubular epithelial cell necrosis occurred following adminis-tration of M/CA to fish, pigs, dogs, cats and mice [6–9].Although the pathomechanism of M/CA-related nephritis

To characterize the baseline status of Chinese diabetic patients based on data derived from Chinese cohort from SOLVE(TM) study.Patients with type 2 diabetes initiating basal insulin detemir at the decision of the physician were eligible for the study. Data on demographics, medical history, glycemic profile and treatment regimen at baseline were collected by physicians.A total of 3272 patients [female 42%, male 58%, mean age (56.2 ± 10.8) years] were included in the study. Their BMI was (25.3 ± 3.3) kg/m(2). The duration of diabetes was 4.0 (0.1 - 27.0) years, and the duration of treatment with oral antidiabetic drugs (OADs) was 3.0 (0.0 - 20.2) years. The proportions of subjects with diabetic macro- and micro-vascular complications were 15.8% (515 cases) and 27.1% (866 cases), respectively. The hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) at baseline was (8.33 ± 1.70)%, and the fasting blood glucose (FPG) was (9.5 ± 2.6) mmol/L.A large proportion of patients with type 2 diabetes remain in poor glycemic control, and the prevalence of diabetic complications is high, which requires optimal therapeutic strategy for the patients with suboptimal glycemic control.

To analyze the combination of hypertension and the use of antihypertensive drugs by different glucose tolerance status.Matched case-control design was used to sample the subjects from the population for the prevalence of diabetes mellitus and metabolism syndrome from 2007 to 2008. There were 3 groups including normal glucose tolerance (NGT, n = 2124), impaired glucose regulation (IGR, n = 2162) and diabetes (DM, n = 2470). The matched factors were location, age and gender. All subjects were interviewed to describe the hypertension and antihypertensive drugs of these conditions.After adjusting for age, gender and location, the combination of hypertension in IGR and DM groups was higher than NGT (28.3%, 40.2% and 19.9%) and OR was 1.29 (1.08 - 1.53) and 1.99 (1.67 - 2.37) respectively. The percent of treatment, prescription compliance and the surveillance of hypertension in total subjects were 48.6%, 79.3% and 62.5%. And no difference was observed among 3 groups. The proportion of calcium channel blocker of DM groups was higher than NGT group. The uses of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) and angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) showed no difference among 3 groups.The combination of hypertension is higher in IGR and DM groups than that in NGT group. And the treatment rate of hypertension remains low. ACEI and ARB are under-utilized in IGR and DM groups.

To explore the efficacy and influencing factors of chromium picolinate (tianmaixiaoke tablet) in the treatment of newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus in China.A total of 84 outpatients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus visiting 4 hospitals in Beijing were randomly divided into two equal groups: study group receiving tianmaixiaoke tablet 240 mg bid for 24 weeks (n = 42) and control group sitagliptin 100 mg qd for 24 weeks (n = 42). The levels of fasting plasma glucose (FPG), plasma glucose 2 h after meal (PG2 h) and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) were detected before and 24 weeks after treatment. The serum levels of chromium and insulin were detected.Study was completed in 76 patients. The serum level of chromium was significantly lower in the diabetes group than in the normal group at baseline ((56 ± 28) µg/L vs (112 ± 21) µg/L, P = 0.00). At 24 weeks after treatment, the levels of HbA1c, FPG and PG2 h decreased while the serum level of chromium increased significantly in both groups. There were 11 patients with changed HbA1c from baseline (ΔHbA1c) ≥ 1% in the study group. At 24 weeks after treatment, HbA1c decreased by 1.61% (from 8.38% ± 0.72% to 6.77% ± 0.62%) and serum level of chromium increased by 35.14 µg/L in the ΔHbA1c ≥ 1% group with a low baseline serum level of chromium ((36.2 ± 18.0) µg/L). Both study group and control group were divided into three subgroups according to baseline serum level of chromium. ΔHbA1c reduced with the increase in baseline serum level of chromium in study group, while in control group, ΔHbA1c was unrelated with baseline serum level of chromium. At 24 weeks after treatment, insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) reduced, β cell function index (HOMA-β) and insulinogenic index (IGI) increased in both groups. Multiple linear regression showed that the variables significantly associated with ΔHbA1c were baseline HbA1c and the baseline serum level of chromium.Chromium is commonly deficient in the newly diagnosed type 2 diabetics in China. HbA1c decreases and serum chromium increases significantly after chromium supplementation in the patients with a low baseline serum level of chromium.

To explore the aging-related changes of insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity among normal glucose tolerance (NGT) individuals in China.A total of 34 293 individuals were recruited. All of them were described as NGT by 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (75 g OGTT) according to the diagnostic criterion of WHO, 1999. HOMA-β, ΔI(30)/ΔG(30), InsAuc30/GluAuc30, InsAuc120/GluAuc120 were calculated to estimate insulin secretion; HOMA-IR and Matsuda index measured to estimate insulin sensitivity; Disposition index: DI(30) and DI(120) were used to estimate β-cell function.HOMA-β, ΔI(30)/ΔG(30), InsAuc30/GluAuc30 and InsAuc120/GluAuc120 were all lower in the elder group then the younger group (P trend0.05). The mean HOMA-β dropped from 192 ± 16 (20 - 29 years) to 115 ± 7 (70 or elder) among men and from 162 ± 8 (20 - 29 years) to 120 ± 12 (70 or elder) among women. The mean ΔI(30)/ΔG(30) dropped from 20.0 ± 2.0 (20 - 29 years) to 8.6 ± 0.6 (70 or elder) among men and from 22.4 ± 1.6 (20 - 29 years) to 12.5 ± 1.7 (70 or elder) among women. The above index were negatively correlated with age in univariate linear regression (P0.05), the results among men and overall still existed after adjusted for BMI and waist circumference in multivariate linear regression, while the relation between HOMA-β and age disappeared among women. Matsuda Index was positively correlated with age (β = 0.02, P = 0.001) and HOMA-IR were negatively correlated with age (β = -0.01, P = 0.001) among men even after adjusted for BMI and waist circumference and the above correlation between Matsuda Index/HOMA-IR and ageing was not significant until adjusted for BMI and waist circumference in multivariate linear regression. Among women HOMA-IR (β = -0.01, P = 0.000), Matsuda index (β = 0.03, P = 0.000). DI(30) and DI(120) were negatively correlated with age in both univariate and multivariate linear regression.The basal, postchallenge insulin secretion and postchallenge islet compensatory function decreases with ageing, while insulin sensitivity does not deteriorate with ageing and its related change of body composition and weight gain.

To evaluate the effect of combination of liraglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 analogue and pioglitazone, an insulin sensitizer, on diabetic db/db mice.Thirty-five 8-week old male db/db mice were divided into control group (n = 8), pioglitazone group (n = 9), liraglutide group (n = 9) and combined therapeutic group (n = 9), which was given normal saline 0.1 ml, 2/d, pioglitazone 24 mg×kg(-1)×d(-1) (feed contained 0.02% pioglitazone) + normal saline 0.1 ml, 2/d, liraglutide 300 mg/kg, 2/d, and pioglitazone 20 mg×kg(-1)×d(-1) (feed contained 0.02% pioglitazone) + liraglutide 300 mg/kg, 2/d, respectively. Liraglutide were given at 8:00 and 16:00 via subcutaneous injection after having been diluted with sterilized normal saline. Effect on glucose, lipid metabolism and islet β-cell preservation were assessed after 4 weeks. Oneway ANOVA was adopted for statistical analysis.Combination therapy displayed promising anti-hyperglycemic [glycosylated hemoglobin A1c: (4.5 ± 0.6)% vs. (7.3 ± 0.4)%, P0.001]. Glucose tolerance were improved assessed by area under curve (AUC) of glucose by intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test (IPGTT) [(1814 ± 91) mmol×min×L(-1) vs. (4042 ± 183) mmol×min×L(-1), P0.001]; insulin release response to glucose were also preserved as AUC of insulin by IPGTT was higher [(1639 ± 372) µg×min×L(-1) vs.(834 ± 201) µg×min×L(-1)]. Combination therapy also reduced circulated free fatty acids and TG [(202.0 ± 20.4) µmol/L vs. (272.5 ± 21.7) µmol/L, (0.81 ± 0.28) mmol/L vs. (1.35 ± 0.21) mmol/L], and increased plasma adiponectin [(16.7 ± 2.0) mg/L vs. (10.2 ± 1.8) mg/L]. All P value0.05. Islet immunohistochemistry showed that combination therapy significantly increased insulin positive area were [(59.5 ± 1.5)% vs. (22.4 ± 1.5)%] and ratio of Brdu positive β-cells was three folds than vehicle-treated mice [(2.4 ± 0.5)% vs. (0.8 ± 0.3)%], both greater than each single treatment. Combined therapy significantly improved islet β cell/α cell distribution, which led to islet recovery.Combined therapy improves glucose and lipid metabolism, preserves islet β-cell function and stimulates β-cell proliferation, greater than either liraglutide or pioglitazone treatment alone.

Currently it is unclear whether lipid accumulation occurs in a particular sequence and its relationship with whole body insulin resistance (IR). This study aimed to answer this question.Male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were fed on a normal or a high-fat diet for 20 weeks. Serum triglycerides (TG), serum free fatty acids (FFA), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), and liver and skeletal muscle TG were measured. The glucose infusion rate (GIR) and mRNA levels of acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) and carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 (CPT-1) in the liver and skeletal muscle were determined at different stages.Compared with rats fed on the normal diet, serum FFA was not significantly increased in rats fed on the high-fat diet until 20 weeks. In contrast, liver TG was significantly increased by the high-fat diet by four weeks (20-fold; P0.01), and remained elevated until the end of the study. However, skeletal muscle TG was not significantly increased by the high-fat diet until 20 weeks (10.6-fold; P0.01), and neither was the FPG. The GIR was significantly reduced (1.6-fold; P0.01) by the high-fat diet after 8 weeks. The mRNA levels of ACC gradually increased over time and CPT-1 decreased over time, in both the liver and skeletal muscle in rats fed the high-fat diet.Lipid accumulation in the liver occurs earlier than lipid accumulation in the skeletal muscle. Fatty liver may be one of the early markers of whole body IR. Changes in the gene expression levels of ACC and CPT-1 may have important roles in the process of IR development.

In this paper, the soil organic carbon (SOC) content and its distribution pattern in the natural intertidal zones and reclaimed wetlands of Hangzhou Bay were studied, aimed to explore the effects of vegetation succession, exotic species invasion, and reclamation on the SOC in costal wetlands of the Bay. In intertidal zones, the surface SOC content ranged from 4.41 to 8.58 g x kg(-1), with an average of 6.45 g x kg(-1), and differed significantly under different vegetations, with a tendency of under Phragmites australis (8.56 +/- 0.04 g x kg(-1))Spartina alterniflora (7.31 +/- 0.08 g x kg(-1))Scirpus mariqueter (5.48 +/- 0.29 g x kg(-1))mudflats (4.47 +/- 0.09 g x kg(-1)); in reclaimed wetlands, the surface SOC content was 7.46 +/- 0.25 g x kg(-1) in the 1960s, 1.96 +/- 0.46 g x kg(-1) in the 1980s, and 5.12 +/- 0.16 g x kg(-1) in 2003, showing a trend of increased after an initial decrease with increasing reclamation year. The SOC in the profiles all showed a decreasing trend from the surface to the bottom. The SOC in intertidal zones and reclaimed wetlands was significantly negatively correlated with soil pH, and positively correlated with soil total nitrogen (TN), suggesting a large reserve of organic nitrogen in TN. The correlation between SOC and soil C/N ratio was not obvious in intertidal zones, but significantly positive in reclaimed wetlands, indicating that reclamation affected soil C/N ratio to a certain extent. This study showed that in the intertidal zones, soil carbon sequestration capacity increased gradually with plant community succession. However, the invasion of exotic species Spartina alternflora might decrease the capacity of carbon sequestration in intertidal zones. It was also found that the changes of soil moisture content, particle composition, vegetation coverage, and reclamation history were the main factors affecting the SOC distribution in reclaimed wetlands.

A field research was conducted on the photosynthesis and transpiration characteristics of dioecious Trichosanthes kirilowii individuals at four key development stages. At vegetative growth stage, the photosynthesis rate, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, and water use efficiency of male individuals were higher than those of female individuals, and hence, male individuals entered into reproductive growth stage 22 days earlier than female individuals. After entering into reproductive growth stage, male individuals had higher photosynthesis rate, transpiration rate, and stomatal conductance, but slightly lower water use efficiency than female individuals. As the female individuals started to reproductive growth, their photosynthesis rate and water use efficiency were significantly lower, while the transpiration rate and stomatal conductance were higher than those of the male individuals. The effects of climate factors on the growth and development of T. kirilowii mainly occurred at its vegetative growth and early reproductive growth stages, and weakened at later reproductive growth stages. Higher temperature and lower relative humidity benefited the growth and development of T. kirilowii, and illumination could enhance the photosynthesis rate of T. kirilowii, especially its male individuals. After entering into reproductive growth stage, the photosynthesis rate of male individuals increased significantly with increasing illumination, but that of female individuals only had a slight increase, and the transpiration rate of male individuals as well as the photosynthesis rate of female individuals all increased significantly with increasing temperature.

Uncoupling protein (UCP) 2 is related to the dysfunction of beta cells induced by fatty acids. However, whether UCP2 has similar effects on alpha cell is still not clear. This study aimed to investigate the effects of UCP2 and its possible mechanisms in lipotoxicity-induced dysfunction of pancreatic alpha cells.The alpha TC1-6 cells were used in this study to evaluate the effects of palmitate and/or UCP2 inhibit factors on the glucagon secretory function, glucagon content, the glucagon mRNA level and the nitrotyrosine level in the supernatant. Meantime, the expression levels of UCP2 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1 alpha (PGC-1 alpha) were measured by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blotting. Furthermore, the possible relationship between UCP2 and insulin signal transduction pathway was analyzed.Palmitate stimulated alpha cell glucagon secretion and the expression of UCP2 and PGC-1 alpha, which could be partially decreased by the inhibition of UCP2. Palmitate increased nitrotyrosine level and suppressed insulin signal transduction pathway in alpha cells. Inhibition of UCP2 influenced the effects of free fatty acid on alpha cells and may relate to glucagon secretion.UCP2 played an important role on alpha cell dysfunction induced by free fatty acid in vitro, which may be related to its effects on oxidative stress and insulin signal transduction pathway.

To investigate the association between mean blood glucose (MBG) and glucose variability (GV) during hospitalization, and adverse in-hospital outcomes for patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS).This is a retrospective cohort study and conducted in 2 tertiary hospitals in Beijing, China. All data were collected from the medical records concerning ACS patients admitted to the hospital between January 2003 to December 2006. Hyperglycemia was related to clinical outcomes (including major adverse cardiovascular events [MACEs] and in-hospital death) using coefficient of variation of blood glucose (GluCV) or mean blood glucose (MBG). Total cohort was stratified by GluCV or MBG quartiles. Diabetic and non-diabetic subgroups were then separately analyzed. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the independent risk factor of in-hospital death.A total of 1756 cases were enrolled in this study. For total cohort or non-diabetic cohort, prevalence of adverse outcomes was higher in patients with higher MBG or GluCV (p for trend0.001). For diabetic ACS patients, MACEs were found more common in MBG or GluCV quartiles (p for trend0.001), in-hospital mortality increased across MBG (p for trend0.001), or GluCV quartiles (p for trend=0.004). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that GluCV (odds ratio: 1.29) was a stronger predictor of in-hospital death than MBG (odds ratios: 1.20).The GluCV is a better discriminator of in-hospital mortality than MBG in ACS patients.

To investigate the effect of beta cell lipoapoptosis after long term high-fat feeding in rats, and to investigate the relationship between oxidative stress, gene expression and beta cell lipoapoptosis.Forty-one SD male rats were randomly divided into 2 groups: high-fat diet group (HF group) and control group (NC group). At the end of 28 weeks, the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutamylcysteinylglycine (GSH) in plasma and pancreatic tissue,the early-phase insulin secretion in beta cells, the beta cell apoptosis (TUNEL technology) and the uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) gene expression in islets were measured.The concentrations of MDA both in plasma and pancreatic tissue were higher in HF group than those in NC group.In contrast, The contents of GSH both in plasma and pancreatic tissue were lower in HF group. Insulin secretion response to glucose load was significantly decreased in HF group (3.0 fold Compared with 5.7 fold, P0.01). Blood glucose levels at 3 min, 5 min and 10 min during IVGTT were significantly higher in HF group than those in NC group (P0.05). The frequency of beta cell apoptosis was increased by 40.0% in HF group (P0.01). The gene expression of UCP2 in islets was increased by 22.4% in HF group (P0.01).The frequency of beta cell apoptosis in high-fat feeding rats is affected by oxidative stress, which results in increasing UCP2 gene expression.

To set up the reference value of serum glycated albumin (GA) in Chinese for using in clinical practice through a multi-center clinical trial.Three hundred and eighty individuals with normal weight and normal glucose regulation, including 183 males and 197 females ranging from 20 to 69 years, were recruited from 10 hospitals in China Serum GA levels were measured with liquid enzymatic method.(1) The GA level of the 380 subjects was (14.5 +/- 1.9)%. When dividing these subjects by age into 3 subgroups, there was no difference in the GA levels among the 3 subgroups (P0.05). Compared with the women, the men had higher GA level in the first subgroup aging from 20 to 39 (P = 0.028). However, no significant difference was detected after adjusting with BMI as confounder. (2) When dividing those subjects by BMI into 3 subgroups, with BMI ranging from 18.5-20.9 kg/m2 21.0-22.9 kg/m2 and 23.0-24.9 kg/m2 respectively, we came to the following results: for men, there was no difference in the GA levels among the 3 subgroups (P0.05), but for women, the GA level of the first subgroup was higher than that of the second subgroup (P = 0.024). (3) The level of GA in the 2.5th to 97.5th percentile was 10.8%-17.1%. (4) Sixty normal subjects were chosen to repeat evaluation of GA levels after 2-3 weeks and the GA levels were of no difference (P0.05).The normal range of serum GA for the Chinese population could be suggested at 11%-17%.

The establishment of non-linear model of piezoelectric actuator is a key link of the nano-scale micro-displacement measurement and control. Due to the inherent nonlinearity and the influence of load pressure, piezoelectric actuator always causes position error in the open-loop system and instability in the closed-loop system. Based on the experiment of creep characteristics, the effect of driven voltage and load pressure on piezoelectric actuator output displacement has been researched in this paper. A non-linear model of piezoelectric actuator using orthogonal test and support vector regression (SVR) has been set up. And modeling experiments have been carried out. The experiments show that the predicted values agree well with the experimental results. The process of modeling is explicit, and the computation is simple.

To isolate and purify human islet according to the method established by Ricordi and to evaluate the function and safety of these isolated human islets.Six pancreases were obtained from human corpses. The islets were isolated by liberase digestion and purificated by Ficoll density gradient centrifugation. The numbers, purity and vitality of the islets were analyzed. The various endocrine cell composition and distribution of the islets were checked by immunofluorescence staining. The glucose-induced insulin secretion was detected by chemiluminescence method. The isolated islets were transplanted under the left renal capsules of 10 streptozocin-induced diabetic nude mice. Twenty days later the left kidneys with transplanted islets of 2 mice with normal blood sugar were resected, and then blood sugar level was observed. An isolated human islet was suspended in RPMI-1066 culture medium for 72 h, then culture of pathogenic micro-organisms, endotoxin and procoagulant activity were detected so as to evaluate the security of the islet products.The mean number of the isolated islets was (229 000 +/- 31 000) islet equivalents (IEQs)/pancreas or (4970 +/- 1620) IEQs/g pancreatic tissue, the mean purity was (59.0 +/- 8.9)%, and the mean vitality was (89 +/- 3)% for the purified islets. Immunofluorescence staining showed that there were 4 types of endocrine cells normally distributed in the islets. The mean insulin stimulation index was 8.1 +/- 4.0 (3.8 - 10.2). The glycemia found in the diabetic nude mice decreased to normal levels from the third day after islet transplantation and maintained normal for over 30 days. The parameters of security in these islet products were under the standard scope.Human islets obtained according to Ricordi's method reach the standard for clinical islet transplantation in number, purity, vitality, function, and security.

Spectrometer plays an important role, and is already an indispensable analytical instrumentation especially in biomedical, chemical and other fields. Instrument miniaturization will expand its application areas. And miniaturization design for all parts of optical path is the key to the whole task. This paper focuses on the research of the luminous source system design used in broad-band (200nm~1100nm) spectrometer. Considering the source wave band, a combination of deuterium lamp and tungsten lamp are chosen. According to the structure of the source, the main work concerns a collecting agglutinate lens and an elliptical reflector which acts as a light coupler. The optical design and the overall structure's optical path are simulated. On the basis of optical design and the selection as well as manufacture of the key components, the light source optical system of the project was analyzed experimentally and the results are satisfactory.