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Introduction: Preoperative α-adrenergic blockade is thought to decrease perioperative risks and mortality in surgeries for adrenal pheochromocytoma. However, there are limited data on the efficacy of α-blockers in surgeries for retroperitoneal paragangliomas. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the preoperative α-adrenergic blockade on outcomes in patients undergoing surgery for extra-adrenal retroperitoneal paraganglioma. Methods: We searched the clinical database for patients diagnosed with extra-adrenal retroperitoneal paraganglioma by postoperative histopathology in the General Hospital of People's Liberation Army in China from 2000 to 2017. We compared the preoperative status of patients, preoperative examination, preoperative preparation, intraoperative and postoperative cardiovascular events, intake and output, length of stay in the intensive care unit, length of hospital stays, and short-term outcomes between patients who received preoperative treatment with α-adrenergic blockade and those who did not. Results: Of the 167 patients enrolled in the study, 61 received preoperative α-adrenergic blockade therapy. Intraoperative heart rate elevation and highest heart rate were higher in patients undergoing tumor manipulation with preoperative α-adrenergic blockade than those who did not (p < 0.05). However, there were no significant differences between these 2 groups in terms of intraoperative blood pressure elevation and systolic blood pressure decrease following tumorectomy (p > 0.05). Moreover, there were no significant differences in postoperative complications and outcomes (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Under the current medical practice, resection of extra-adrenal retroperitoneal paraganglioma can be successfully carried out with or without preoperative α-adrenergic blockade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. Using the AMSTAR tool, this study evaluated the quality of systematic reviews (SRs) that assessed the efficacy of bariatric surgery in diabetic patients. We aimed to identify studies that can be used as clinical references. Methods. Medline (via PubMed), EMBASE, Epistemonikos, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, CBM, CNKI, and Wanfang Data were systematically searched from inception to December 31, 2017. Two reviewers independently selected SRs and extracted data. Disagreements were solved by discussions or through consultation with a third reviewer. Reviewers extracted data (characteristics of included SRs, e.g., publication year, language, and number of authors) into the predefined tables in the Microsoft Excel 2013 sheet. Data were visualized using the forest plot in RevMan 5.3 software. Results. A total of 64 SRs were included. The average AMSTAR score was 7.4±1.7. AMSTAR scores of 7 (n=21, 32.8%) and 8 (n=14, 28.1%) were most common. The AMSTAR scores of SRs published before 2016 (n=46, 71.9%) were compared with SRs published after 2016 (n=18, 28.1%), and no significant differences were observed (MD=−0.79, 95% confidence interval (CI) -1.65-0.07, P=0.07). For SRs published in Chinese (n=17, 26.6%) compared to those published in English (n=47, 73.4%), the AMSTAR scores significantly differed (MD=0.21, 95% CI (-0.55, 0.97), P=0.59). For SRs published in China (n=33, 51.6%) compared to those published outside of China (n=31, 48.4%), significant differences in the AMSTAR scores were observed (MD=1.10, 95% CI (0.29, 1.91), P=0.008). For SRs with an author number≤6 (n=31, 48.4%) compared to SRs with authors≥6 (n=33, 51.6%), no significant differences were observed (MD=−0.36, 95% CI (-1.22, 0.50), P=0.41). For high-quality SRs published after 2016 (n=11, 17.2%) compared to other SRs (n=53, 82.8%), statistically significant differences were noted (MD=1.75, 95% CI (1.01, 2.49), P<0.00001). Conclusions. The number of SRs assessing the efficacy of bariatric surgery in diabetic patients is increasing by year, but only a small number meet the criteria to support guideline recommendations. Study protocols not being registered, grey literature not retrieved, incorporation of grey literature as exclusion criteria, and failure to evaluate publication bias and report a conflict of interest were the main causes of low AMSTAR scores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. In patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and poor glycemic control receiving metformin (MET), glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) are recommended as the adjunctive therapy. However, there are only a few studies involving the comparative effects of exenatide twice a day (EXBID) and exenatide once weekly (EXQW) on HOMA-β. This meta assessed the comparative effects of EXQW and EXBID on HOMA-β among T2DM patients. Materials and Methods. PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Embase databases were searched to collect randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Network meta-analysis was performed, and network diagrams were constructed to evaluate the effects. The primary outcome is HOMA-β, and the secondary outcomes are fasting blood glycose (FBG), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and weight loss. Results. A total of 8 studies with 3506 subjects were included. Compared with other antidiabetic agents, EXQW has a greater improvement in HOMA-β than EXBID (weight mean difference WMD=‐0.46, 95% confidence interval (CI) [-0.64, -0.28], P=0.001). The effect of EXQW on HbA1c is superior to that of sitagliptin (SITA) (WMD=0.51, 95% CI [0.03, 0.99], P=0.037). The significant reduction of weight was detected for EXBID in comparison with EXQW (WMD=‐0.73, 95% CI [-1.13, -0.33], P=0.001), and no significant difference was found between EXQW and MET. Conclusions. EXQW shows a greater improvement in HOMA-β than EXBID. Moreover, the efficacy of EXQW on glycemic control is similar to other antidiabetic agents including EXBID. It is an advisable treatment for diabetic patients to improve HOMA-β and has an advantage of fewer number of injections compared with EXBID, to increase patients' adherence and quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. In general population, resting heart rate (RHR) is associated with cardiovascular disease. However, its relation to chronic kidney disease (CKD) is debated. We therefore investigated the relationship between RHR and urinary albumin/creatinine ratio (UACR, an indicator of early kidney injury) in general population at different levels of blood pressure and blood glucose. Methods. We screened out 32,885 subjects from the REACTION study after excluding the subjects with primary kidney disease, heart disease, tumor history, related drug application, and important data loss. The whole group was divided into four groups (Q1: RHR≤71, Q2: 72≤RHR≤78, Q3: 79≤RHR≤86, and Q4: 87≤RHR) according to the quartile of average resting heart rate. The renal function was evaluated by UACR (divided by quartiles of all data in the center to which the subject belonged). Ordinary logistic regression was carried out to explore the association between RHR and UACR at diverse blood pressure and blood glucose levels. Results. The subjects with higher RHR quartile tend to have a higher UACR, even multifactors were adjusted. After stratifying the subjects according to blood pressure and blood glucose, the positive relationship between RHR and UACR remained in the subjects with normal blood pressure and normal glucose tolerance, while in the hypertension (SBP≥140 mmHg and/or DBP≥90 mmHg) group and the diabetic mellitus (FPG≥7.0 mmol/L and/or PPG≥11.1 mmol/L) group, the relationship disappeared. In the subjects without hypertension, compared with the Q1 group, the UACR is significant higher in the Q3 group (OR: 1.11) and the Q4 group (OR: 1.22). In the subjects with normal glucose tolerance (NGT), compared with the Q1 group, the UACR is significantly higher in the Q3 group (OR: 1.13) and the Q4 group (OR: 1.19). Conclusions. The population with higher RHR tend to have a higher UACR in the normal blood pressure group and the normal glucose tolerance group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aging‐associated renal dysfunction promotes the pathogenesis of chronic kidney disease. Mitochondrial dysfunction in renal tubular epithelial cells is a hallmark of senescence and leads to accelerated progression of renal disorders. Dysregulated calcium profiles in mitochondria contribute to aging‐associated disorders, but the detailed mechanism of this process is not clear. In this study, modulation of the sirtuin 1/angiotensin II type 1 receptor (Sirt1/AT1R) pathway partially attenuated renal glomerular sclerosis, tubular atrophy, and interstitial fibrosis in D‐galactose (D‐gal)‐induced accelerated aging mice. Moreover, modulation of the Sirt1/AT1R pathway improved mitochondrial dysfunction induced by D‐gal treatment. Transient receptor potential channel, subtype C, member 3 (TRPC3) upregulation mediated dysregulated cellular and mitochondrial calcium homeostasis during aging. Furthermore, knockdown or knockout (KO) of Trpc3 in mice ameliorated D‐gal‐induced mitochondrial reactive oxygen species production, membrane potential deterioration, and energy metabolism disorder. Mechanistically, activation of the AT1R/PKA pathway promoted CREB phosphorylation and nucleation of CRE2 binding to the Trpc3 promoter (−1659 to −1648 bp) to enhance transcription. Trpc3 KO significantly improved the renal disorder and cell senescence in D‐gal‐induced mice. Taken together, these results indicate that TRPC3 upregulation mediates age‐related renal disorder and is associated with mitochondrial calcium overload and dysfunction. TRPC3 is a promising therapeutic target for aging‐associated renal disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. To investigate the effect of preoperative HbA1c levels on the postoperative outcomes of coronary artery disease surgery in diabetic and nondiabetic patients. Methods and Results. The MEDLINE (via PubMed), Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Embase, Wanfang Data, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Chinese Biology Medicine (CBM) databases were used to search the effects of different preoperative HbA1c levels on the postoperative outcomes of coronary artery disease surgical treatment in diabetic and nondiabetic patients from inception to December 2018. Two review authors worked in an independent and duplicate manner to select eligible studies, extract data, and assess the risk of bias of the included studies. We used a meta-analysis to synthesize data and analyze subgroups, sensitivity, and publication bias as well as the GRADE methodology if appropriate. The literature search retrieved 886 records initially, and 23 cohort studies were included in the meta-analysis. In this meta-analysis, we found that there was a reduced incidence of surgical site infections (OR = 2.94 , 95% CI 2.18-3.98), renal failure events (OR = 1.63 , 95% CI 1.13-2.33), and myocardial infarction events (OR = 1.69 , 95% CI 1.16-2.47), as well as a shortened hospital stay (MD = 1.08 , 95% CI 0.46-1.71), in diabetic patients after coronary artery disease surgical treatment with lower preoperative HbA1c levels. For nondiabetic patients, a higher preoperative HbA1c level resulted in an increase in the incidence of mortality (OR = 2.23 , 95% CI 1.01-4.90) and renal failure (OR = 2.33 , 95% CI 1.32-4.12). No significant difference was found between higher and lower preoperative HbA1c levels in the incidence of mortality (OR = 1.06 , 95% CI 0.88-1.26), stroke (OR = 1.49 , 95% CI 0.94-2.37), or atrial fibrillation (OR = 0.94 , 95% CI 0.67-1.33); the length of ICU stay (MD = 0.20 , 95% CI -0.14-0.55); or sepsis incidence (OR = 2.49 , 95% CI 0.99-6.25) for diabetic patients or for myocardial infarction events (OR = 1.32 , 95% CI 0.27-6.31) or atrial fibrillation events (OR = 0.99 , 95% CI 0.74-1.33) for nondiabetic patients. The certainty of evidence was judged to be moderate or low. Conclusion. This meta-analysis showed that higher preoperative HbA1c levels may potentially increase the risk of surgical site infections, renal failure, and myocardial infarction and reduce the length of hospital stay in diabetic subjects after coronary artery disease surgical treatment and increase the risk of mortality and renal failure in nondiabetic patients. However, there was great inconsistency in defining higher preoperative HbA1c levels in the studies included; we still need high-quality RCTs with a sufficiently large sample size to further investigate this issue in the future. This trial is registered with CRD42019121531. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temperature is an important environmental factor affecting the growth and development of silkworm (Bombyx mori). To analyze the effect of intestinal microbes on silkworm in response to a high-temperature environment, this study used a combination of high throughput sequencing and biochemical assays to detect silkworm intestinal microbes treated with high temperature for 72 h. The results show that high temperature affects the intestinal microbes of silkworm and that there are sex differences, specifically, females were more sensitive. The changes in the metabolism and transport ability of silkworm intestinal tissues under high temperature are related to the intestinal microbes. High temperatures may affect the intestinal microbes of silkworms, regulating the activity of related digestive enzymes and substance transport in the intestine, thereby affecting the silkworm's digestion and absorption of nutrients, and ultimately affecting growth and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This is the first study of biological age in large-scale centenarians, it success bulid the biological age model in centenarian. • BA models were constructed using traditional methods include multiple linear regression (MLR), principal component analysis (PCA), Klemera and Doubal method (KDM), and machine learning method include srandom forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), and light gradient boosting machine (lightGBM) methods. • The aging markers for construction and application including estimated glomerular filtration rate, albumin, pulse pressure, calf circumference, body surface area, fructosamine, and complement 4 cover multiple important organs and systems. Biological age (BA) has been used to assess individuals' aging conditions. However, few studies have evaluated BA models' applicability in centenarians. Important organ function examinations were performed in 1798 cases of the longevity population (80∼115 years old) in Hainan, China. Eighty indicators were selected that responded to nutritional status, cardiovascular function, liver and kidney function, bone metabolic function, endocrine system, hematological system, and immune system. BA models were constructed using multiple linear regression (MLR), principal component analysis (PCA), Klemera and Doubal method (KDM), random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), and light gradient boosting machine (lightGBM) methods. A tenfold crossover validated the efficacy of models. A total of 1398 participants were enrolled, of whom centenarians accounted for 49.21%. Seven aging markers were obtained, including estimated glomerular filtration rate, albumin, pulse pressure, calf circumference, body surface area, fructosamine, and complement 4. Eight BA models were successfully constructed, namely MLR, PCA, KDM1, KDM2, RF, SVM, XGBoost and lightGBM, which had the worst R2 of 0.45 and the best R2 of 0.92. The best R2 for cross-validation was KDM2 (0.89), followed by PCA (0.62). In this study, we successfully applied eight methods, including traditional methods and machine learning, to construct models of biological age, and the performance varied among the models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To predict the trend of AIDS in specific age groups and to determine the objective population for AIDS screening, this study explored the three transmission routes and characterized each patient group using the APC model based on the whole, local, and immigrant populations in Zhejiang, China.Methods: The data recruited in this paper was obtained from the national Comprehensive AIDS Prevention and Control Information System - Antiviral Therapy Management database and the Chinese Disease Prevention and Control Information System and the Statistical Yearbook of Zhejiang, China. An APC model was used to estimate the impact of age, period, and cohort on the incidence of AIDS, as well as to predict the AIDS incidence in specific age groups based on different sexes with different transmission routes.Results: The AIDS incidence peaked in males aged 20-35 years; the incidence of males was higher than that of females due to the impact of period; obvious cohort effect was observed among the immigrants. In the whole and local populations, the incidences of males in all age groups and females in both the 35-year-old group and the whole age group were predicted to increase sharply in 5 years. In the immigrant population, the AIDS incidences in both sexes in all age groups were expected to increase significantly in 5 years. Under the influence of period, the incidence of AIDS via homosexual transmission in the whole population and the local population increased and remained stable after 2015. At the same time, the incidence of AIDS transmitted by homosexual and heterosexual routes in the immigrants also showed an increasing trend.Conclusions: The results elucidate that there are sex differences in AIDS incidence, and the incidence of AIDS through various transmission routes in all groups is predicted to exhibit an upward trend in the 5 years to come. Effective intervention strategies should be developed and implemented by the public health departments in Zhejiang to control the epidemic of AIDS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Our previous cross-sectional study revealed the association between neck circumference (NC) and hyperuricemia. This study aimed to further investigate the longitudinal association between NC and hyperuricemia and to compare the strengths of longitudinal association of NC and waist circumference (WC) with hyperuricemia. Methods: A total of 4383 subjects without hyperuricemia at baseline were included. Multivariable linear regression was used to assess the association between baseline anthropometric indices and uric acid level at follow-up. Cox regression was used to assess the relationship between baseline anthropometric indices and the risk of future hyperuricemia. A receiver-operating characteristic curve was used to compare the predictive ability of baseline anthropometric indices for future hyperuricemia. Results: Among women, only baseline NC was positively, linearly associated with uric acid level at follow-up (β = 1.75) and risk of future hyperuricemia (ptrend < 0.05); risk of hyperuricemia in the third and fourth quartile groups of baseline NC significantly increased, compared with the first quartile group of baseline NC (HR = 1.48 and 1.81, respectively). Among men, neither NC nor WC was associated with hyperuricemia after adjusting for confounder factors. The area under the curve of baseline NC and WC for hyperuricemia was comparable in both genders (0.606 for NC and 0.599 for WC in women, 0.578 for NC and 0.602 for WC in men). Conclusions: For women, only baseline NC is an independent risk factor of hyperuricemia within 3 years. NC and WC have a similar 3-year predictive ability for hyperuricemia in both genders. Key Points • This is the first study to assess the longitudinal association between neck circumference and hyperuricemia. • According to the results of this study, we propose for the first time that neck circumference is an independent risk factor for hyperuricemia in women in the future, rather than waist circumference. • We found for the first time that neck circumference and waist circumference have similar predictive ability for future hyperuricemia in both genders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. The aim of this study is to explore the association between the number of childbirths and the progress of atherosclerosis among Chinese women with hypertension or diabetes. Methods. In total, 1159 Chinese parous women from a community longitudinal survey conducted in the communities of Shijingshan district, Beijing, China, were included in our study. They were divided into three groups according to the number of childbirths, and the change in pulse wave velocity (PWV) was as an indicator of the progression of atherosclerosis because the increased PWV reflected the more serious atherosclerosis. After 3 years, we conducted follow-up visits to the subjects. Logistical regression analyses were applied to investigate the relationship between the number of childbirths and the progression of atherosclerotic stiffness and a stratification analysis was performed for history of hypertension and diabetes. Results. After 3-year follow-up, among women with diabetes, the OR of women with 2 childbirths was significant [3.5 (95% confidence interval 1.5, 7.9)] in model I, [3.1 (95% confidence interval 1.3, 7.2)] in model II, and the OR of women with ≥3 childbirths was significant [4.4 (95% confidence interval 1.3, 14.5)] in model I, [4.1 (95% confidence interval 1.2, 14.3)] in model II. Among women with hypertension, the risk of the progress of atherosclerosis was not significant. Conclusion. The increasing number of childbirths is associated with the progression of atherosclerotic stiffness among Chinese women with diabetes, independent of a variety of confounding factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the regulating effect of pericentrin (PCNT) on insulin secretion in the development of insulin resistance and to determine the underlying mechanism. PCNT expression was studied in different tissues of C57/B6 mice by reverse transcriptase-PCR and immunofluorescence. PCNT was highly expressed in organs involved in the regulation of metabolism, while cytoplasmic expression was only enriched in islet cells. PCNT expression was significantly lower in the central regions of insulin resistance (IR) mouse islets than in those of control mouse islets. PCNT expression was further studied in mouse MIN6 cells exposed to glucose stimulation, small interfering RNA (siRNA) against PCNT, and an ERK inhibitor (PD98095). The results revealed that PCNT expression in glucose-stimulated MIN6 cells reduced linearly with cytoplasmic insulin levels. MIN6 cells transfected with PCNT siRNA showed significantly decreased intracellular insulin and F-actin expression. The change in F-actin expression in MIN6 cells during PCNT siRNA interference showed a linear relationship with PCNT expression at different time points. The ERK inhibitor affected PCNT expression and F-actin expression linearly. The abnormal insulin secretion observed both in vivo and in vitro was associated with decreased PCNT expression, and F-actin was found to be the target of PCNT regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]