Search

Aims: The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) versus self‐monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) in maintaining glycaemic control among people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Materials and Methods: The protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42023387583). PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE and OVID databases were searched from 1 January 2000 until 31 December 2022 for randomized controlled trials comparing CGM with SMBG in glycaemic control among the outpatients with T2DM. The primary endpoint was glycated haemoglobin, while the secondary endpoints included time in range, time below range and time above range. Both traditional and network meta‐analyses were conducted to explore the efficacy of CGM on glycaemic control in T2DM. Results: Eleven high‐quality studies, involving 1425 individuals with T2DM, were identified. Traditional meta‐analysis revealed that CGM exhibited a significantly decreased [mean difference (MD): −0.31, 95% confidence interval (CI) (−0.45, −0.18)], time above range [MD: −9.06%, 95% CI (−16.00, −2.11)], time below range [MD: −0.30%, 95% CI (−0.49, −0.12)] and a significantly increased time in range [MD: 8.49%, 95% CI (3.96, 13.02)] compared with SMBG. The network meta‐analysis showed that real‐time CGM can improve the glycaemic control of patients with T2DM to the most extent. Conclusions: CGM could provide T2DM with greater benefits in glycaemic management compared with SMBG, particularly in patients using real‐time CGM. These findings provide an updated perspective on previous research and offer guidance for CGM use in T2DM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of the supersonic separator on the condensation characteristics and fluid separation efficiency is not clear, and the structure of the liquid separation device still has room for optimization. Therefore, based on the rear-swirl type supersonic separator, three kinds of drainage ports and three kinds of liquid collection tank structures were proposed. The supersonic flow and separation process was studied numerically under nine different combination structures. The influence of the drainage port's length and width and the inclination of the liquid collection tank on the liquefaction and separation process were analyzed. The separation trajectory of condensation droplets and the influence of particle size on the separation efficiency were clarified. The results show that the liquid separation device structure of the Em-Attached wall type can take condensation and separation efficiency into account, and its separation effect is the best. The optimal size of the key components was obtained: the length of the drainage port is 150 mm, the width of the drainage port is 3 mm, and the inclination of the liquid collection tank is 14 °. The particle size of the condensation droplets is in the range of 2 μm to 6 μm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the difference in the reaction rate of different groups of urea‐formaldehyde resins and isocyanate resins, this study designed two different urea‐formaldehyde resins: a normal urea‐formaldehyde resin (UF) and one with high mono‐hydroxymethylurea content (UF*) to react with polymeric methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (pMDI) resin. The difference in mono‐ and di‐hydroxymethyl urea content between UF and UF* resins was analyzed by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and results showed that the mono‐hydroxymethyl urea content of the UF* resin was much higher than that of the conventional UF resin. The fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR) analysis of differences between UF* and UF resin showed that the UF* process did not change the main structure of the conventional urea formaldehyde resin. Differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) analysis showed that the curing temperature of the hybrid UF*‐pMDI resin was reduced 27.3°C compared to that of the UF‐pMDI resin. When these hybrid resins were used to bond plywood respectively, test results showed that the UF*‐pMDI resin improved the dry and wet bonding strength by 2.6% and 3.9%, respectively, compared with the UF‐pMDI resin under the condition of hot pressing time (3 min) and temperature (140°C), meeting the requirement of Chinese standard of GB/T 9846–2015 for Class III board. This study provides a new path for further improving the performance and design of hybrid resins based on isocyanate and urea‐formaldehyde resin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Huff‐n‐puff (HnF) is a crucial technology for effectively enhancing the oil recovery (EOR) of tight oil reservoirs. Soaking period is the primary platform for injection medium interacting with formation fluid and reservoir rock in HnF. Elucidating the micro‐percolation mechanism of the soaking period is immensely significant for guiding oilfield production practices. The present study established a physical simulation method combining HnF experiments with nuclear magnetic resonance to reveal the microscopic percolation mechanisms, including water, fracturing fluid, and surfactant. Furthermore, the impacts of soaking time, HnF cycles, wettability, and pore structure on oil recovery degree were quantified. The results demonstrate the crucial significance of wettability and pore structure in the soaking period. The dominant mechanism during water HnF in reservoirs characterized by well‐connected pore networks and minimal clay pores is micropore imbibition, while conversely, macropore displacement plays a predominant role. The oil recovery degree of fracturing fluid HnF primarily relies on mitigating solid‐fluid forces within macropores. The surfactant HnF in preferential water‐ and oil‐wet reservoirs is primarily governed by oil films stripped from macropore walls and micropore imbibition, respectively. Specifically, water and fracturing fluid HnF are suitable for shorter soaking time and fewer HnF cycles, whereas the surfactant HnF exhibits an inverse relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study explores the impact of leisure activity and the association between childhood starvation and the risk of diabetes in older Chinese adults., Design: Prospective cohort study based on the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Study (CLHLS), a nationwide cohort study in China., Setting and Participants: A total of 4637 older adults aged ≥65 years, all with documented diabetes history, experiences of childhood starvation, and participation in leisure activities were recruited., Methods: Childhood starvation exposure was assessed via self-reported responses from a structured questionnaire. The leisure activities were measured by 9 distinctive components and categorized into 3 distinct categories: productive activity, recreational activity, and sedentary activity. Diabetes status was determined by self-reported, physician-diagnosed cases during the follow-up period. Nonparametric survival models were employed for analysis., Results: Over an average follow-up period of 4.3 years, 215 of 4637 participants (4.6%) reported a confirmed diagnosis of diabetes. Nonparametric survival models showed that those reporting childhood starvation had a higher risk of late-life diabetes [hazard ratio (HR) 1.72, 95% CI 1.21-2.44]. Engaging in productive activity (HR 0.90, 95% CI 0.83-0.99) and recreational activity (HR 0.88, 95% CI 0.77-1.00) was linked with a reduced risk of late-life diabetes. Sedentary activity did not show a significant effect. Further analysis highlighted the interactions effects of leisure activities on diabetes risk across different demographic and historical exposure subgroups., Conclusions and Implications: Engaging in productive and recreational leisure activities was inversely associated with the risk of diabetes in older adults who experienced childhood starvation. Promoting such activities could be beneficial in mitigating long-term diabetes risk related to early-life nutritional deficiencies., Competing Interests: Disclosures The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

The development of highly efficient electrocatalysts for complete oxidation of ethylene glycol (EG) in direct EG fuel cells is of decisive importance to hold higher energy efficiency. Despite some achievements, their progress, especially electrocatalytic selectivity to complete oxidated C 1 products, is remarkably slower than expected. In this work, we developed a facile aqueous synthesis of Ir-doped CuPd single-crystalline mesoporous nanotetrahedrons (Ir-CuPd SMTs) as high-performance electrocatalyst for promoting oxidation cleavage of C-C bond in alkaline EG oxidation reaction (EGOR) electrocatalysis. The synthesis relied on precise reduction/co-nucleation and epitaxial growth of Ir, Cu and Pd precursors with cetyltrimethylammonium chloride as the mesopore-forming surfactant and extra Br - as the facet-selective agent under ambient conditions. The products featured concave nanotetrahedron morphology enclosed by well-defined (111) facets, single-crystalline and mesoporous structure radiated from the center, and uniform elemental composition without any phase separation. Ir-CuPd SMTs disclosed remarkably enhanced electrocatalytic activity and excellent stability as well as superior selectivity of C 1 products for alkaline EGOR electrocatalysis. Detailed mechanism studies demonstrated that performance improvement came from structural and compositional synergies, which kinetically accelerated transports of electrons/reactants within active sites of penetrated mesopores and facilitated oxidation cleavage of high-energy-barrier C-C bond of EG for desired C 1 products. More interestingly, Ir-CuPd SMTs performed well in coupled electrocatalysis of anode EGOR and cathode nitrate reduction, highlighting its high potential as bifunctional electrocatalyst in various applications., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)