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AimTo investigate multiple risk factor target attainment in adults with diabetes mellitus (DM) for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) prevention and the predictors of such attainment in a contemporary DM registry.MethodsIn the US Diabetes Collaborative Registry we identified patients who were at target for glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c; < 53 mmol/mol (7%) or < 64 mmol/mol (8%) if with ASCVD), LDL cholesterol (< 2.6 mmol/L (100 mg/dL) or < 1.8 mmol/L (70 mg/dL) 1.8 if with ASCVD) and blood pressure (BP;

Introduction: Osthole, a naturally occurring coumarin derivative, has been isolated from the traditional Chinese medicinal herb Cnidium monnieri. This compound exhibits a range of pharmacological properties, including anticancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory effects. The objective of this study was to investigate the role of osthole in tissue remodeling in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyp (CRSwNP). Methods: The effects of osthole on nasal polyp (NP) formation were examined within a mouse model of NPs induced by cigarette smoke (CS). The detection of polypoid changes and goblet cell metaplasia was achieved through the use of hematoxylin-eosin and periodic acid-Schiff staining, respectively. The levels of TGF-β1, matrix metalloproteinases 2, 7, 9, and 12 (MMP2, MMP7, MMP9, MMP12), as well as tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) in nasal lavage fluid were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Western blotting was employed to ascertain the expression of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers (E-cadherin, ZO-1, α-SMA, and vimentin), as well as the activity of the PI3K/AKT/NF-κB pathway. The expression of E-cadherin in nasal epithelium was determined through immunohistochemistry. Results: In the OVA+SEB or CS-exposed NP mouse model, osthole was observed to reduce the incidence of polypoid changes and goblet cells, while simultaneously increasing the expression of E-cadherin in the epithelium when compared to the CS-treated group. After treatment with osthole, the levels of TGF-β1, MMP2, MMP7, MMP9, and MMP12 in nasal lavage fluid were observed to decrease, while the levels of TIMP-1 were found to increase. In vitro, cigarette smoke extract was observed to downregulate the expression of E-cadherin and ZO-1, while simultaneously upregulating the expression of α-SMA and vimentin. Moreover, osthole upregulated the expression of E-cadherin and ZO-1 while downregulating the expression of α-SMA and vimentin. This effect of osthole was reversed by PI3K/AKT/NF-κB pathway agonists. Conclusion: Osthole attenuates CS exposure-induced EMT via the PI3K/AKT/NF-κB pathway, providing a theoretical and experimental basis for its clinical application in the treatment of CRSwNP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is suggested to pose a severe risk to the kidneys by inducing functional degradation and chronic kidney diseases (CKD). This study aims to explore the nephrotoxicity of PM2.5 exposure and the underlying mechanism. Herein, based on the UK Biobank, it is found that per interquartile range (IQR) increase in PM2.5 is associated with a 6% (95% CI: 1%–11%), 7% (95% CI: 3%–11%), 9% (95% CI: 4%–13%), 11% (95% CI: 9%–13%), and 10% (95% CI: 8%–12%) increase in the risk of nephritis, hydronephrosis, kidney stone, acute renal failure, and CKD, respectively. In experimental study, noticeable kidney injury, which is the initiation of kidney diseases, is observed with PM2.5 exposure in C57BL/6N mice (n = 8), accompanied with oxidative stress, autophagy and pyroptosis. In vitro, HK‐2 cells with PM2.5‐stimulation exhibit tubulopathy, increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and activated pyroptosis and autophagy. All changes are abolished by ROS scavenger of N‐acetyl‐L‐cysteine (NAC) both in vivo and in vitro. In conclusion, the study provides evidence showing that PM2.5 exposure is associated with 5 kinds of kidney diseases by directly inducing nephrotoxicity, in which ROS may be the potential target by triggering autophagy and pyroptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction (eNRR) is a crucial process for the sustainable production of ammonia (NH3) for energy and agriculture applications. However, the reaction's efficiency is highly dependent on the activation of the inert N≡N bond, which is hindered by the electron back‐donation to the π* orbitals of the N≡N bond, resulting in low eNRR capacity. Herein, we report a main‐group metal‐nonmetal (O−In−S) eNRR catalyst featuring a dynamic proton bridge, with In−S serving as the polarization pair and O functioning as the dynamic electron pool. In situ spectroscopic analysis and theoretical calculations reveal that the In−S polarization pair acts as asymmetric dual‐sites, polarizing the N≡N bond by concurrently back‐donating electrons to both the πx* and πy* orbitals of N2, thereby overcoming the significant band gap limitations, while inhibiting the competitive hydrogen evolution reaction. Meanwhile, the O dynamic electron pool acts as a "repository" for electron storage and donation to the In−S polarization pair. As a result, the O−In−S dynamic proton bridge exhibits exceptional NH3 yield rates and Faradaic efficiencies (FEs) across a wide potential window of 0.3 V, with an optimal NH3 yield rate of 80.07±4.25 μg h−1 mg−1 and an FE of 38.01±2.02 %, outperforming most previously reported catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NiFe-based oxyhydroxides are promising electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline media, but further enhancing their OER performance remains a significant challenge. Herein, we in situ incorporated polyoxometalates into NiFe oxyhydroxides to form a homogeneous/heterogeneous hybrid material, which induces the electronic interaction between Ni, Fe and Mo sites, as revealed by a variety of characterization experiments and theoretical calculations. The resulting hybrid electrocatalyst delivers a low overpotential of 203 mV at 10 mA cm−2 and a TOF of 2.34 s−1 at 1.53 V in alkaline media. This work presents a critical step towards developing high-performance OER catalysts by constructing metal–POM hybrids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As China shifts from urbanization to rural revitalization within its rural governance strategy, devising appropriate governance programs becomes crucial for the effective implementation of overarching strategies. This paper explores the policy pathway of the rural revitalization strategy via the lens of village relational governance. This paper builds a relational network of village governance using the Newtonian gravity model and proposes an effective relational governance policy by analyzing the impact of village cluster patterns under different policy rules. Empirical research was conducted in Guiyang County, Hunan Province, China. The findings of this paper are as follows. (1) Rural development in Guiyang County heavily relies on location advantages and natural resources, and there is an urgent need to reinvent the path of rural governance to foster potential rural clusters. (2) A comparative analysis of the relational networks shows that the assignment-based network has more high-clustering groups and fewer low-clustering clusters than the merit-based network, and it has more cluster types, resulting in a more balanced and diverse network structure. In contrast, the merit-based network has fewer cluster types and tends to have a centralized structure. (3) The assignment-type network has greater advantages in terms of agricultural productivity, preserving local culture, and protecting the environment. Simultaneously, its network path has the potential to boost the intrinsic vitality of rural areas and attract more groups to contribute to its development. This path is feasible due to the high level of organization within the Chinese villages. Consequently, this study recommends that the county government should actively decentralize power to villages and grant villages equal development rights to encourage villages to build network clusters with unique competitive advantages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A biomimetic nanoreactor that can mimick the chloroplasts in green plants is constructed through the self-assembly of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) bilayer on the surface of a gold nanorod (GNR) electrocatalyst. The CTAB bilayer of the nanoreactor imitates the chloroplast membrane to allow the selective transport of CO 2 and protons to the GNR core and the GNR core functions like Rubisco enzymes in chloroplast to catalyze CO 2 reduction reaction. Consequently, selective and efficient electrochemical reduction of CO 2 to CO is achieved on the chloroplast-like nanoreactor. Schematic structures of chloroplast and our chloroplast-mimicking nanoreactor for CO 2 reduction reaction (CO 2 RR). (a) The ingenious structure of chloroplast allows the selective transport of different species through phospholipid bilayer (chloroplast membrane) and subsequent photosynthetic CO 2 fixation via Rubisco enzyme catalysis occurring in chloroplast stroma. (b) Illustrations of our biomimetic design that employ cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) bilayer-modified gold nanorod catalysts for CO 2 RR in aqueous solution. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electrification of transportation is experiencing rapid development. Electric bicycles (e-bikes) are commonly employed as convenient modes of transportation. Thanks to the advantages of long life and high energy density, lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are widely used in e-bikes. In certain business models, e-bikes can utilize rental LIBs, which are centrally managed at charging stations. The low-temperature charging and discharging performance of the LIB system poses a significant challenge during usage. Among various heating methods, alternating current (AC) heating has garnered attention due to its high efficiency and has been applied to quickly warm up the LIB system. To address this issue, an AC heating model was established to determine the appropriate frequency and magnitude of the current, and a prototype AC heating system for the LIB modules used in e-bikes was designed. A full-bridge topology system model was established, and an experimental platform was constructed to test the effectiveness of the proposed AC heating topology and thermoelectric model under different AC heating frequencies and currents. The results show that the proposed AC heating system can heat an 18650 battery module within 20 min. Under an ambient temperature of −20 °C, using a 10 A, a 100 Hz excitation current achieves a heating rate of 1.3 °C per minute, with minimum power losses. The prototype also has a fast response time of only 70 ms. Finally, the strategies of LIB heating and insulation are proposed for the scenario of a battery swapping station. This research holds great significance in resolving the problem of low-temperature heating for e-bikes in cold regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ObjectiveThe prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) is increasing rapidly, particularly in Asia. Asian immigrants in Western countries are a fast-growing population who carry both intrinsic risks due to their genetic background and extrinsic risks associated with Western lifestyles. However, recent trends in diabetes prevalence and associated risk factors among Asian immigrants in the USA are not well understood.Research design and methodsWe examined adults aged 18 and older from the recent California Health Interview Survey data sets from 2003 to 2013 to determine prevalence of known DM among first-generation Asian immigrants and whites. The impact of various DM risk factors in Asian immigrants relative to whites was analyzed and multivariable regression models were constructed to obtain adjusted DM risk in Asian immigrants versus in whites.ResultsAcross the study span, we identified 2007 first-generation Asian immigrants and 14 668 whites as having known DM or prediabetes mellitus (pre-DM). From 2003 to 2013, the prevalence of DM and pre-DM combined rose from 6.8% to 12.4% in Asian immigrants and 5.5% to 6.9% in whites. Much of the increase could be attributed to pre-DM, which rose from 0.7% to 3.2% in Asian immigrants during the study period. The impacts of age and body mass index on DM risk were consistently greater in Asian immigrants than in whites. Non-DM Asian immigrants were found less likely to engage in physical activity than were non-DM whites. After adjustment of various associated factors, Asian immigrants were more likely than whites to have DM and this relative risk for DM gradually increased across the study period.ConclusionsA rising prevalence of known DM and particularly pre-DM among Asian immigrants in California was observed during the previous decade. To reduce the burden of diabetes and its complications, future strategies should consider specific risk factors for this ethnic group, including encouraging physical activity.