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This study explores the relationship between adolescents' perceptions of epidemic risk and their emotions through three follow-up surveys during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic on February 11th (T1), 18th (T2), and 25th (T3), 2020. Three hundred and four adolescents in different academic stages (junior high middle school, senior high middle school, and university) participated in the online survey, and cross-lag analysis was used to examine the causal relationship between epidemic risk perceptions and positive and negative emotions. The results found that the individual's positive emotions were significantly higher than the negative emotions in T1, T2 and T3. Cross-lag analysis found that for positive emotions, T2 positive emotions could negatively predict T3 epidemic risk perceptions, and T2 epidemic risk perceptions could negatively predict the individual's T3 positive emotions. For negative emotions, risk perceptions at T1 could positively predict negative emotions at T2, and at the same time, negative emotions at T1 could also positively predict epidemic risk perceptions at T2. This indicates that during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a causal relationship between the perceptions of epidemic risk and the emotions of adolescents, and this relationship had high stability among groups of different genders and academic stages.

Thermal dispersion, which is similar to solute dispersion, results mainly from microscopic differences in pore‐scale water velocities in porous media. In this study, heat and Cl⁻ were used as tracers to perform a systematic and quantitative comparison of the characteristics of coupled heat and solute dispersion through three types of saturated packed media (a sand, silt loam and sandy clay loam soil). An inverse model was used to calculate the thermal dispersion coefficient (Dₕ) and solute dispersion coefficient (Dₛ) by fitting a heat and solute transport model to the measured temperature and solute breakthrough curves obtained using the thermo–time domain reflectometry (thermo–TDR) technique under the same experimental conditions. Results showed that Dₛ and Dₕ were both described by a power function of water flux. Most importantly, heat and solute dispersivities had the same dimensions of length , the magnitudes of which were maintained almost unchanged with water flux densities and depended considerably on soil texture. Fine‐textured soil had a greater dispersivity than did coarse‐textured soil, and solute dispersivity was 220% greater than heat dispersivity in sandy clay loam, about 92% greater in silt loam soil and 36% greater in sand. We suggest that the magnitude and dimension of heat dispersion were essentially comparable to those of solute dispersion, which provides a better understanding of the relation between heat and solute dispersion. It has also been shown to be advantageous in practice for using heat dispersion to quantify easily solute dispersion approximately (or vice versa). HIGHLIGHTS: Thermal and solute dispersion coefficients were power functions of water fluxes. Heat and solute dispersivities had the same length and order of magnitude. Thermal dispersion was experimentally comparable to solute dispersion. Solute dispersion may be predicted quantitatively by heat dispersion values (or vice versa).

Background The ongoing pandemic of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is challenging the global public health system. Sex differences in infectious diseases are a common but neglected problem. Methods We used the national surveillance database of COVID-19 in mainland China to compare gender differences in attack rate (AR), proportion of severe and critical cases (PSCC), and case fatality rate (CFR) in relation to age, affected province, and onset-to-diagnosis interval. Results The overall AR was significantly higher in females than in males (63.9 vs 60.5 per 1 million persons; P ˂ .001). In contrast, PSCC and CFR were significantly lower among females (16.9% and 4.0%) than among males (19.5% and 7.2%), with odds ratios of 0.87 and 0.57, respectively (both P ˂ .001). The female-to-male differences were age dependent, and were significant among people aged 50–69 years for AR and in patients aged 30 years or older for both PSCC and CFR (all P ≤ .001). The AR, PSCC, and CFR varied greatly from province to province. However, female-to-male differences in AR, PSCC, and CFR were significant in the epicenter, Hubei province, where 82.2% confirmed cases and 97.4% deaths occurred. After adjusting for age, affected province, and onset-to-diagnosis interval, the female-to-male difference in AR, PSCC, and CFR remained significant in multivariate logistic regression analyses. Conclusions We elucidate an age-dependent gender dimorphism for COVID-19, in which females have higher susceptibility but lower severity and fatality. Further epidemiological and biological investigations are required to better understand the sex-specific differences for effective interventions.

Background: The ongoing outbreak of COVID-19 is challenging the Chinese public health response system We aim to understand the epidemic dynamics and underlying

Traditional glucose-lowering chemical agents, including various types of insulin and insulin secretagogues, insulin sensitizers, gliptins, etc., are based on diabetic pathogenesis of insulin resistance (IR) and islet insufficiency. Numerous evidence-based medical studies have shown that these traditional hypoglycemic chemical agents do not provide cardiovascular benefit to patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and may even increase the risk of all-cause mortality. Based on research evidence published to date, these studies show that overload of energy could increase the incidence and prevalence of T2DM, and reduction in the heat load can significantly reduce the incidence of T2DM. Therefore, the essence of T2DM is heat overload, meaning heat overload is the etiology of obese T2DM. At the same time, results of numerous studies show that heat overloading is the cause of IR. IR and islet dysfunction are protective factors in intervening with heat overload. These drugs, which are based on the mechanisms of IR and islet insufficiency, increase caloric reserve and cause or worsen obesity, which is equivalent to exacerbating the basic etiology and the cardiovascular risk factor of T2DM. Thus, a reasonable strategy for prevention and treatment of obese T2DM appears to promote the negative balance of calories and the elimination of caloric reserves. Chinese herbal medicines can promote negative balance of heat in many aspects, which can bring new hope for prevention and treatment of T2DM.

The heat-pulse technique (HPT) shows good potentials for in situ determinations of soil water flux (J), but its applications are limited because of J underestimates. This study aims to experimentally investigate the influences of thermal dispersion on J estimates using HPT in packed sand, silt loam, and sandy clay loam with one-dimensional saturated water flow, hypothesizing that J underestimates are caused by neglecting heat dispersion in heat transport model that arises from the heterogeneity of water velocities within and between water-filled soil pores. The results indicated that J estimates exhibited good linearity with the measurements (R2 > 0.95). However, they were biased toward underestimates. The thermal dispersion's dependence on J was described by a power function. When heat dispersion was considered in the traditional heat conduction–advection model, the traditional ratio method yielded a higher accuracy with relative errors reduced by 45.0–74.3%, the bias reduced by 47.1–74.0% and the root mean square error reduced by 48.0–68.8%. In terms of the range of J herein, the maximum Keith Jirka Jan (KJJ) numbers obtained were 6.8%, 10.4%, and 13.4% for sand, silt loam, and sandy clay loam, respectively. Moreover, their corresponding J thresholds were 41.7, 21.1, and 12.3 μm s−1, respectively.

Paper is a widely used support for use in devices for point-of-care testing (POCT) in clinical diagnosis, food safety monitoring and environmental pollution. Paper is inexpensive, biocompatible, biodegradable and allows a sample fluid to flow by capillary force. Numerous method have been developed recently for chemical modification of papers in order to introduce different functionalities. This review (with 148 refs.) summarizes the recent progress in paper-based POCT devices. The introduction summarizes the state of the art of paper-based POCT devices and the physicochemical properties of existing unmodified materials (including cellulose, cellulose-based composites, cotton fibers, glass fibers, nitrocellulose, thread). Methods for paper modification for sample pretreatment are summarized next, with subsections on sample storage and collection, sample separation, nucleic acid extraction and sample preconcentration. Another main section covers approaches for paper modification for improving POCTs, with subsections on assays for proteins, nucleic acids, drugs, ion and organic molecules. The advantages and disadvantages of these approaches are compared. Several tables are presented that summarize the various modification techniques. A concluding section summarizes the current status, addresses challenges and gives an outlook on future perspectives of POCTs. Graphical abstract This review summarizes the progress that has been made in paper based point-of-care testing (POCT) and lateral flow assays (LFAs), quite often by using advanced nanomaterials for paper modification.

Heat-pulse technique (HPT) has shown promise for predicting soil water flux (Jw). This study evaluated the accuracy of HPT in predicting Jw in packed saturated columns of quartz, sand, silt loam, and sandy clay loam. Jw was predicted using the maximum dimensionless temperature differences (MDTD), ratio of downstream to upstream temperature increases (Td/Tu), and an improved Td/Tu method. Results indicated that Jw predictions had a good linear relationship with measurements (R2 > 0.93). The HPT underestimated Jw to varying degrees, and the underestimations increased as Jw increased and soil texture became fine. The Td/Tu method outperformed the MDTD and the improved Td /Tu because of its higher accuracy, fewer parameters, and simpler calculations. The MDTD exhibited the poorest performance. In coarse-textured soil materials (e.g. quartz and sand), Jw predictions by the Td/Tu method were most accurate, and even with high Jw (up to 72.4 μm s−1), relative errors still remained within 9.8%. However, in...

Low extracellular enzyme activity in desert soil can be recovered during the succession of re-vegetation, especially in soils forming under shrubs (microsite soil), which closely reflects desert restoration conditions. However, not much is known about the restoration of soil enzyme activity at these microsites. By using the space-for-time substitution method, soils on moving sand dunes that had been stabilized at different dates over a fifty year period at the southeastern fringe of the Tengger Desert were selected to investigate the enzyme activities in the surface soil crust and three other soil depths at microsites to demonstrate the evolution of enzymatic activity at different stages from bare soil to complex vegetation over a fifty year sequence. The results showed that organic C and total and available N, P, and enzyme activities (dehydrogenase, catalase, α- and β-glucosidase, protease, and phosphatase) were progressively enhanced in each microsite soil in the 50-year chronosequence and had effect down to 35 cm depth. Soil enzyme activities of the crust and the 0–5 cm soil layer were higher than in deeper soil layers. The observed increase over time of the values of the measured soil properties, such as organic C, total and available N, was much larger in the crust and the 0–5 cm soil layer in comparison to the deeper layers. The improvement of desert soil quality indicated that desertification can be mitigated to a certain extent under human controls.

The purpose of the study is to examine the safety and effectiveness of topical autologous platelet-rich gel (APG) application on facilitating the healing of diabetic chronic refractory cutaneous ulcers. The study was designed as a prospective, randomized controlled trial between January 1, 2007 and December 31, 2011. Eligible inpatients at the Diabetic Foot Care Center of West China Hospital, Sichuan University (China) were randomly prescribed with a 12-week standard treatment of ulcers (the control group) or standard treatment plus topical application APG (the APG group). The wound healing grades (primary endpoint), time to complete healing, and healing velocity within 12 weeks were monitored as short-term effectiveness measurements, while side effects were documented safety endpoints. The rates of survival and recurrence within the follow up were recorded as long-term effectiveness endpoints. Analysis on total diabetic ulcers (DUs) (n = 117) and subgroup analysis on diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) (n = 103) were both conducted. Standard treatment plus APG treatment was statistically more effective than standard treatment (p 0.05). This study shows that topical APG application plus standard treatment is safe and quite effective on diabetic chronic refractory cutaneous ulcers, compared with standard treatment.

The prevalence of diabetes in China has surged from 0.67% before 1980 to 11.6% currently. It is even higher than the prevalence in the United States. Certainly, China's economic open-ups, improving living standard, and modernization have propagated the surge. From a traditional public-health point of view, increased food intake and decreased exercise were the main contributors. A new knowledge of colon microbiota could be applied to provide a second harvest of food energy; for example, large molecules of carbohydrates, which are undigested by the stomach and small intestine, produce by-products that the body can absorb in the colon. Colon microbiota can ferment these carbohydrates to the short-chain fatty acid butyrate. This is an energy source that may even cause nonalcoholic fatty liver. How these colon microbiota contribute to the surge of diabetes and whether this new knowledge can be used to control diabetes and metabolic syndrome are questions for future scientific studies. Clinically, however, colon microbiota have had immediate applications; fecal microbiota have been transplanted from healthy persons to treat recurrent Clostridium difficile infection at Mayo Clinic. In addition, a stool biobank of healthy persons was established at Mayo Clinic for future clinical applications.

Summary Objective Glycemic variability is poorly studied in the nondiabetic individuals and newly diagnosed patients with type 2 diabetes. The aim of the study is to investigate the characteristics of glucose fluctuations in subjects with normal glucose tolerance (NGT), impaired glucose regulation (IGR) and newly diagnosed, drug-naive type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM-2). Design and patients This is a cross-sectional study of three groups including 53 subjects with IGR, 56 DM-2 patients and 53 NGT individuals. Monitoring by a continuous glucose monitoring system (CGMS® System Gold™) was performed for three consecutive days. Measurements Mean blood glucose (MBG), standard deviation of MBG (SDBG), largest amplitude of glycemic excursions (LAGE) and mean amplitude of glycemic excursions (MAGE) were calculated to estimate intraday blood glucose variability. Interday variability of glucose was evaluated by absolute means of daily differences (MODD). Postprandial glucose excursion (PPGE) was calculated to assess the influence of meals on glucose fluctuation. Results Twenty-two percentage of NGT and 33·9% of IGR individuals experienced blood glucose ≥11·1 mmol/l; 49·1% of NGT, 50·9% of IGR and 30·8% of DM-2 participants had hypoglycemic episodes (CGM values

The setting goals of process lubrication were not all-inclusive in the previous manufacturer of double cold reduction. Strip shape, surface quality, the fuel consumption of unit and rolling stability could not be considered comprehensively. Aimed at the equipment and production craft characters of double cold reduction unit, at the basis of putting forward the comprehensive control index of a strip-shaped fuel consumption cleanliness for the first time, ensuring the shape quality of strip, lowering the oil residue on strip surface, improving the cleanliness of strip surface and reducing fuel consumption were defined as control targets; besides, the control of slip and heat-scratches were defined as constraints. A complete comprehensive optimization technology of process lubrication regime was established and has been applied to a 1220 double cold reduction unit belonging to Baosteel in China. Rolling speed, surface quality and strip shape quality are improved effectively, and oil consumption is reduced, meanwhile, the productivity and rolling yield of unit are ensured. This technology has created economic benefits for domestic steel makers and has further extended application value.

The objective of this study was to provide reliable basis for decision making for national food security and layout and structure adjustment of grain production in the northeastern China. The data of mean daily air temperature of 1961–2009 from 106 meteorological stations in the northeastern China were chosen in this study. Using statistical methods and isoline method, the spatio-temporal changes of various decadal ≥ 10°C accumulated temperature and the climatic means of ≥ 10°C accumulated temperature were studied in this paper. The results showed that 1) The geographical distribution of ≥ 10°C accumulated temperature in the northeastern China could be influenced directly by the latitude, longitude and altitude. If latitude moved one degree northward, the average decrease amplitude of the climatic means was 101.9°C in the study area. 2) The means of decadal ≥ 10°C accumulated temperature rose since the 1980s, and their increase amplitudes became larger in the 1990s and the 2010s obviously. Compared with those of the 1980s, ≥ 10°C accumulated temperature increased by about 100°C in the mountainous and plain areas in the 1990s; compared with those of the 1990s, ≥ 10°C accumulated temperature increased by about 200°C in the Hulun Buir High Plain and the Songnen Plain, and 100°C in the Sanjiang Plain and the Liaohe Plain in the 2010s. 3) The means of the decadal ≥ 10°C accumulated temperature for 106 meteorological stations in the northeastern China increased with the rate of 145.57°C/10yr in 1961–2009. 4) The climatic means of ≥ 10°C accumulated temperature increased from 1961–1990 to 1971–2000 and 1981–2009. Compared with the climatic mean of 1971–2000, that of 1981–2009 had increased by above 50°C in most of the study area, even up to 156°C. Compared with the climatic mean of 1961–1990, that of 1981–2009 increased by above 100°C in most parts of the study area, even up to 200°C. 5) The maximum northward shift, eastward and westward extension amplitudes of 3100°C, 3300°C and 3500°C isolines were larger among all isolines for the climatic means of the three phases. Compared with the positions of the isolines of 1961–1990, those amplitudes of 3100°C isoline of 1981–2009 were 145 km, 109 km and 64 km, respectively; those of 3300°C isoline were 154 km, 54 km and 64 km, respectively; and the maximum northward shift of 3500°C isoline was about 100 km.

AlCu sputtering is widely used for IC BEOL interconnection. In manufacturing, wafer sticking is a major issue, which serious impacts the mean-time-between-fail (MTBF) of AlCu sputtering system. Also, during high power plasma sputtering, wafers can be easily stuck onto the chamber process kits, which leads to the yield loss or even wafer scrap. This paper studies the factors of wafer sticking and summarizes the methods including process and hardware optimization to improve MTBF by reducing the wafer sticking hit rate.

In recent years, the double cold reduction material (DR material) was developed rapidly with the increase of industry market of computer, mobile telephone, household electrical appliances and pop canning and so on. The DR material has its characteristics such as very thin specification, strong intensity, high flatness and surface quality. In China, only Baosteel has ability to produce with the double cold reduction (DCR) technology. In this paper,based on the five years research and production Practice since 2004, the experimental study, production commissioning and product performance optimization methods in Baosteel have been discussed, such as the mode choice, roll gap lubrication system as well as the control method, the actual production operation and technology parameter set and so on ,so as to promote the development and progress of DR material production. It offers beneficial reference for the technologist on the spot.

Background: Insulin therapy is essential for type 1 and inadequately controlled type 2 diabetic patients. Insulin allergies have become less common since the introduction of highly purified human recombinant insulin. There are rare reports of severe insulin allergic reactions after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) in patients with type 2 diabetes who had no previous allergic reactions. To better understand the causes and presentation of this rare acute reaction, we present the following observed case. Case summary: A 63-year-old Chinese man (height, 172 cm; weight, 68.5 kg) with a 17-year history of type 2 diabetes and hypertension was first admitted to the West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Sichuan, People's Republic of China, for uncontrolled type 2 diabetes. He used regular human insulin, neutral protamine Hagedorn insulin, or premixed insulin without any allergic reactions. Four months later, PTCA was performed because of an acute myocardial infarction. The patient was administered 50 mg of protamine after active abdominal bleeding due to a right external iliac artery rupture. Three months later, recurrent raised, pruritic erythema occurred at the insulin injection site immediately after injection. Four weeks later, he experienced an attack of generalized urticaria at multiple previous injection sites (abdomen, upper arms, thighs) after injecting premixed insulin. It was accompanied by dizziness and palpitations. During the following 3 months, the symptoms recurred 3 times; one time, the patient reported losing consciousness for 2 to 3 minutes. The results of a skin prick test found that he was allergic to human recombinant insulin and insulin lispro. The allergy was resolved by changing his treatment regimen from insulin to oral hypoglycemic agents. A Naranjo score of 10 suggested a definite relationship (score ≥9) between the adverse drug reaction and the insulin administration. Conclusions: We present a definite case of allergy associated with insulin and insulin lispro administration. The patient had not experienced anaphylactic reactions prior to PTCA and protamine administration.

The aim of this preliminary study is to investigate contributions of basal glucose (BG) and postprandial glucose (PPG) increments to overall hyperglycemia in newly diagnosed patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).We evaluated the relative contributions of BG and PPG to overall hyperglycemia in 59 newly diagnosed T2DM patients according to BG baseline value of 6.1 mmol/L and 24-h glucose profiles of normal glucose tolerance (NGT) subjects obtained by continuous glucose monitoring as baseline, respectively.When the baseline was 24-h glucose profiles of the NGT subjects, the relative contributions of PPG in the T2DM patients with hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels of ≤ 7.0%, 7.0-9.0%, and9.0% were 57.58%, 44.69%, and 21.56%, respectively. When the baseline value was equal to 6.1 mmol/L, the relative contributions of PPG in the T2DM patients with HbA1c levels of ≤ 7.0%, 7.0-9.0%, and9.0% were 77.23%, 53.43%, and 22.78%, respectively. Compared with the 24-h glucose profiles of the NGT subjects as the baseline, the relative contribution of PPG was overestimated by about 10-20% in the T2DM patients with HbA1c levels of ≤ 9.0% when 6.1 mmol/L was chosen as the baseline.In the newly diagnosed T2DM patients with mild hyperglycemia, PPG is a predominant contributor, whereas the relative contributions of BG gradually increase from mild to severe hyperglycemia and obviously exceed PPG in the T2DM patients with HbA1c levels of9.0%. This finding implies that the initial pharmacotherapy may target PPG in those patients with mild hyperglycemia and target BG in those patients with severe hyperglycemia.

Water-conserving membrane is a new material of improving sandy soil. It is based on the rule that a compound with organic and inorganic components can produce colloid after its integrating with Ca2+ in soil. The water-conserving membrane will obstruct capillary and increase viscidity of sandy soil, so as to decrease leakage and evaporation in sandy soil. The water-conserving membrane contains polyacrylic acid (PAA) and bentonite. When PAA concentration and pH of solution are different, water-conserving membrane can be made in different depth of soil. This experiment shows that the solution with 0.2% PAA does not harm and poison the crops, on the contrary, promotes crop germination. The solution with 0.2% or 0.4% PAA can accelerate corn growth. Accordingly, different crops need the application of the different PAA concentrations in the cultivation. Therefore, on the basis of different vadose coefficient in sandy soil, the solution with different PAA concentration can improve sandy soil and increase its water-conserving competence very well. The solution can be used to improve sandy soil and control desert enlargement in arid, semi-arid and semi-humid areas.

Jilin province is one of the main dryland grain production areas in China. Recently, limited supplemental irrigation, using groundwater in the semi-arid western area of the province, has developed rapidly to improve the low grain productivity caused by rainfall variability. Research was conducted to estimate the actual crop water requirements and identify the timing and magnitude of water deficits of the main crops such as corn (Zea mays L.), soybean (Glycine max L.) and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.). Using the guidelines for computing crop water requirements in FAO Irrigation and Drainage paper 56 and historical rainfall distributions, the crop water requirements, ETc and the crop water deficits of corn, soybean and sorghum were calculated. Based on the water deficit analysis, a recommended average supplemental irrigation schedule was developed. Crop production was compared to full irrigation and to a rainfed control in a field experiment. On average, compared to the rainfed control, the full irrigation and the average supplemental irrigation treatments of corn, increased yields 49.0 and 43.9%, respectively; soybean yields of those treatments increased by 41.0 and 34.7%, and sorghum yields of those treatments increased by 55.5 and 46.3%. A supplemental irrigation schedule can be used in the semi-arid western Jilin province to improve crop yields.

In order to accurately explore the soil respiration dynamics and its controlling factors of typical vegetation types in the western Songnen Plain, soil respiration rates of Chloris virgata, Puccinellia distans, Phragmites australis and Leymus chinensis communities were measured. The results showed that the diurnal curves of soil respiration rates of the four vegetation communities had simple peak values, which appeared at 11:00-15:00, and the valley values occurred at 21:00-1:00 or 3:00-5:00. The seasonal dynamic patterns of their soil respiration rates were similar, with the maximum (3.21-4.84 micromol CO2 x m(-2) x s(-1)) occurring in July and August and the minimum (0.46-1.51 micromol CO2 x m(-2) x s(-1)) in October. The soil respiration rates of the four vegetation communities had significant exponential correlations with ambient air temperature and soil temperature. Soil moisture, however, only played an important role in affecting the soil respiration rate of C. virgata community while air humidity near the soil surface was significantly correlated with the soil respiration rates of P. australis and L. chinensis communities. The soil salt contents seriously constrained the CO2 dioxide emission, and the soil pH, electrical conductivity (EC), exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) could explain 87%-91% spatial variations of the soil respiration rate.

AIM: To investigate the role of P115 in the proliferation of gastric cancer cells and the mechanism involved. METHODS: The RNA and protein level of P115 and macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) in gastric cancer and normal gastric tissue/cells were measured and the effect of P115 on cell proliferation was assessed. The role of P115 in cell cycle checkpoints was investigated and the related proteins and signaling pathways, such as cyclin D1, Mcm2, p53, PCNA as well as the MAPK signaling pathway were determined. The interaction between P115 and MIF and the effect of P115 on MIF secretion were examined. The data were analyzed via one-way ANOVA comparisons between groups and P < 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: P115 and MIF were both specifically expressed in gastric cancer tissues compared with normal gastric mucosa (both P < 0.01). The mRNA and protein levels of P115 and MIF in gastric cancer cell lines MKN-28 and BGC-823 were higher than in the human gastric epithelial cell line GES-1 (both P < 0.01). In MKN-28 and BGC-823 cell lines, P115 promoted cell proliferation and G0-G1 to S phase transition. In addition, several cell cycle-related regulators, including cyclin D1, Mcm2, PCNA, pERK1/2 and p53 were up-regulated by P115. Furthermore, the interaction between P115 and MIF was confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation assay. ELISA showed that P115 stimulated the secretion of MIF into the culture supernatant (P < 0.01) and the compensative expression of MIF in cells was observed by Western blotting. CONCLUSION: P115 promotes proliferation of gastric cancer cells through an interaction with MIF.

The variability of postprandial plasma glucose is an independent risk factor for diabetes. The type and amount of carbohydrate may be important determinants of glycemic control. The aim of the study was to compare the effects of different proportions of carbohydrate in breakfast on postprandial blood glucose fluctuations in impaired glucose regulation (IGR) and normal glucose tolerance (NGT) subjects.This is a cross-sectional study of two groups including 55 subjects with IGR and 78 individuals with NGT. Their recorded breakfast was sorted into low-carbohydrate (LC) (carbohydrate45%), medium-carbohydrate (MC) (carbohydrate 45-65%), and high-carbohydrate (HC) (carbohydrate65%) meals according to the proportion of carbohydrate. Glucose concentrations were continuously measured with a continuous glucose monitoring system, and parameters such as the incremental area under the curve (iAUC) of glucose and postprandial glucose excursion (PPGE) were calculated to evaluate postprandial glucose fluctuations.The postprandial fluctuations of glucose increased gradually with increased proportions of carbohydrate in breakfast in both IGR and NGT subjects. For the MC and HC meals, iAUC, PPGE, postprandial glucose spike (PGS), and mean blood glucose were significantly greater than those in the NGT group (P0.05), respectively. The median time to PGS and the time period in which glucose concentrations decreased to baseline after the MC and HC meals in the IGR group were significantly longer than those in the NGT group (P0.01), respectively. Compared with the NGT subjects for the HC meal, the IGR subjects consuming the MC meal had greater PGS, range of glucose concentrations, SD, and PPGE (P0.05).The proportion of carbohydrate in breakfast contributes to glucose excursions in the NGT and IGR subjects. In the IGR subjects, a HC meal should be avoided and a LC meal should be recommended to prevent development of diabetes.

To explore the spatial and temporal characteristics of measles patients younger than 1 year old in Shandong province.A total of 5309 cases of measles, whose patients were younger than 1 year old in Shandong province between year 1999 and 2008 were collected. The epidemic features of measles were described, and the annual infant incidence was calculated. Software ArcGIS9.3 was applied to draw the spatial map of the disease, and the software GeoDa0.95i-beta was adopted to analyze the spatial autocorrelation.The incidence among infants younger than 1 year old reported in Shandong province rose from 23.45/100 000 (206 cases) in 1999 to 269.60/100 000 (2791 cases) in 2008.5309 cases covered all month-aged infants under 1 year old, except 12 months old. Most patients (3494 cases) aged between 6 - 9 months old; especially the infants around 8 months old, accounting for 20.7% (1100/5309). The epidemic peak was between March and May, accounting for 45.5% (2414/5309). The spatial and temporal distribution features showed an up and down temporal trend and an increase from east to west in spatial trend. The global Moran's I values of measles incidence among infants in Shandong province were 0.346, 0.150, 0.396, 0.213, 0.477, 0.354 and 0.331 in year 1999, 2001 - 2002, 2005 - 2008 (P0.01) and 0.076 in year 2004 (P0.05). The local spatial autocorrelation analysis showed that southwest and northwest districts of Shandong were highly clustered districts of measles.In Shandong, the measles incidence among infants younger than 1 year old rose obviously; especially the infants aged between 6-9 months age. The epidemic peak was between March and May. A positive spatial correlation was found, the disease showed a distinct regional distribution feature, and a cluster district was found.

To investigate the dynamic changes of matrix metalloproteinase-1,-9 (MMP-1, MMP-9) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1 ) in the refractory diabetic dermal ulcers treated with autologous platelet-rich gel (APG).86 patients with nonhealing diabetic dermal ulcers were randomly assigned to two groups treated with standard procedures and APG (standard care plus topic application of autologous platelet-rich gel). The granulation tissues were collected at d0, d3, d6, d9, and d15 in patients in the APG group and at d0, d6, d15 in patients in the standard care group. The areas of ulcers were measured. The protein levels of MMP-1, MMP-9 and TIMP-1 in the tissues were determined with ELISA. The ratio of MMP-9/TIMP-1 and its relationship with the areas of ulcers were examined.The areas of ulcers of patients in the APG group decreased significantely (vs. do, P0.05). The concentrations of MMP-1 in the granulation tissues of patients treated with APG fluctuated and reached the lowest level at d15 (vs. d6, P0.05). The concentrations of MMP-9 in the patients treated with AGP decreased from d3 to d15, but without statistical significance compared with d0 (P0.05). The concentrations of TIMP-1 in the patients treated with AGP increased from d3 and reached the peak at d6 (P0.05). The ratio of MMP-9/TIMP-1 at both d6 and d15 decreased significantly compared with d0 (P0.05) in the patients treated with AGP. The areas of ulcers in the patients with standard care decreased significantly at d15 (vs. d6, P0.05). The concentrations of MMP-1 reached the peak at d6 (P0.05) and then decreased in the patients with standard care but was still higher than the patients treated with APG (P0.05). The concentrations of MMP-9 decreased significantly at d15 compared with d0 in the patients treated with standard care (P0.05), but the change of TIMP-1 was not significant. The ratio of MMP-9/TIMP-1 in the patients with standard care decreased at d15 compared with the d0 (P0.05). The ratio of MMP-9/TIMP-1 was positively correlated with the areas of ulcers (r = 0.353, P0.05).Topical application of APG might redress the proteolytic imbalance of refractory diabetic dermal ulcers by decreasing the concentration of MMPs and increasing that of TIMPs in granulation tissues. The ratio of MMP-9/TIMP-1 is a predictor of poor healing of refractory diabetic dermal ulcers.

To investigate the relationship between blood glucose fluctuations and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) in type 2 diabetic patients.64 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in the Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, West China Hospital from July 2009 to March 2012 were recruited in this study. The CIMT were measured bilaterally with high-resolution ultrasonography. The glucose excursions were assessed by the following parameters obtained from the continuous glucose monitoring system (CGMS) for 72 h: mean blood glucose (MBG) and its standard deviation (SD), mean amplitude of glycemic excursion (MAGE), mean of daily differences (MODD). Glycosylated hemoglobin (HbAlc), triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) of the participants were also determined. According to the levels of CIMT, 64 diabetic patients were classified into two groups: diabetes mellitus without atherosclerosis (A group, n = 37) and diabetes mellitus with atherosclerosis (B group, n = 27). The relationship between the parameters of glycaemic variability and CIMT was examined.(1) There were no differences between A group and B group with regard to gender composition, course of diabetes, body mass index (BMI), diabetic chronic complications, family history of diabetes, smoking, alcohol drinking, diastolic blood pressure (DBP), TG, TC, HDL-c, SD and MAGE (P0.05). A group had younger age and lower levels of systolic blood pressure (SBP), LN(LDL-c) and LN (MODD) than B group (P0.05). (2) Pearson correlation analyses showed that CIMT was positively correlated with age (r = 0.370, P = 0.005), LN (LDL-c) (r = 0.325, P = 0.009), SD (r = 0.251, P = 0.045) and LN (MODD) (r = 0.346, P = 0.005). (3) Age, smoking, LN (LDL-c) and LN (MODD) were identified as predictors for CIMT in the multiple linear regression analysis.Glucose excursions may contribute to the development of atherosclerosis in patients with type 2 diabetes, which is independent from HbA1c levels.

To build the Geographical Information System (GIS) database for prevention and control of cholera programs as well as using management analysis and function demonstration to show the spatial attribute of cholera. Data from case reporting system regarding diarrhoea, vibrio cholerae, serotypes of vibrio cholerae at the surveillance spots and seafoods, as well as surveillance data on ambient environment and climate were collected. All the data were imported to system database to show the incidence of vibrio cholerae in different provinces, regions and counties to support the spatial analysis through the spatial analysis of GIS. The epidemic trends of cholera, seasonal characteristics of the cholera and the variation of the vibrio cholerae with times were better understood. Information on hotspots, regions and time of epidemics was collected, and helpful in providing risk prediction on the incidence of vibrio cholerae. The exploitation of the software can predict and simulate the spatio-temporal risks, so as to provide guidance for the prevention and control of the disease.

Glucagon, a hormone secreted from the alpha cell of the endocrine pancreas, is a major counterpart to insulin. After released into blood, glucagon will combine with its receptor in targeting tissues and form a compound, which then activates its signaling pathway, produces cAMP, promotes gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis and inventually increases blood glucose. Researches recently display that it will be an important addition to treatment method by inhibiting synthesis and secretion of glucagon, neutralizing circulating glucagon, using glucagon receptor antagonists and prohibiting gene expression of glucagon receptor.

To examine the association of the Thr394Thr polymorphism of PPARGC1A gene with type 2 diabetes (T2DM), insulin resistance (IR) and other metabolic disorders in a Chinese population.Three hundred and seven subjects including 151 T2DM patients and 156 normal glucose tolerant controls (NC) were enrolled in this study. The Thr394Thr G/A polymorphism was genotyped using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Glucose, insulin, lipids levels were determined in all subjects. Body mass index (BMI), waist circumferences, index of homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and blood pressure were also measured.The diabetic subjects had higher levels of BMI, waist circumferences, blood systolic pressure, triglycerides and lower levels of high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) compared with those of control subjects (P0.05). About 43.7% (66/151) of the T2DM subjects had the AG genotype, while 37.2% (58/156) in the NC group. The frequency of the A allele was 0.225 in T2DM, and 0.186 in the NC subjects. There were no significant differences either in genotype or allelic distribution of G/A polymorphism between the two groups. In the T2DM group, subjects with AA and GA genotypes had significantly higher levels of HOMA-IR, waist circumferences and lower levels of HDL-C (P0.05) than those carrying GG genotype. HOMA-IR in subjects with AA and AG were significantly higher than those with GG genotype in both groups.The A allele of the Thr394Thr (G--A) polymorphism of the PPARGC1A gene was associated with insulin resistance, and may be related to central obesity and decreased HDL-C levels in Chinese population. The relationship between this polymorphism and T2DM needs further investigation.

To explore the epidemiological status of abnormal glucose metabolism and its influential factors among middle and aged population with hypertension in Chengdu area.In 2008, after adopting the methods of stratified cluster sampling, the authors investigated 4685 subjects of the middle and aged population between the age of 40 - 79 in Chengdu urban and rural area by checking blood pressure and oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Patients with previously known diabetes mellitus (DM) were only asked to perform fasting glucose and to carry out a questionnaire. Comparison of the prevalence rates of abnormal glucose metabolism in hypertensive and non-hypertensive subjects was carried out. The prevalence rates of isolated impaired glucose tolerance (I-IGT) and isolated postprandial hyperglycemia (IPH) among middle and aged subjects with hypertension were acquired and the influential factors of abnormal glucose metabolism among middle and aged subjects with hypertension were analyzed.The prevalence rate of abnormal glucose metabolism in the hypertensive subjects was obviously higher than that in the non-hypertensive subjects; without using OGTT, 72.9% of the pre-diabetic and 54.4% of the new diagnosed DM patients would remain undiagnosed if fasting plasma glucose detection was used alone. Age, diabetic history of first degree relatives, overweight or obesity were the risk factors for the development of abnormal glucose metabolism among middle and aged male subjects with hypertension in Chengdu area. Exercise training and high education level were the protective factors. Age, diabetic history of first degree relatives, abdominal obesity and hypertriglyceridemia were the risk factors for the development of abnormal glucose metabolism among middle and aged female subjects with hypertension in Chengdu area.More than 50% of middle and aged subjects with hypertension in Chengdu area has accompanying abnormal glucose metabolism. OGTT easily discloses the abnormal status and should be a routine procedure in the diagnosis of pre-diabetes or DM in such population. Appropriate exercise, learning diabetes-related knowledge to take reasonable lifestyle, and intervention of metabolic factors such as overweight or obesity are advised. Abdominal obesity and hypertriglyceridemia play important roles in leading to abnormal glucose metabolism among middle and aged population with hypertension.

To develop the evaluation tool for the risk level of abnormal glucose metabolism morbidity in the middle-aged and elder populations.By the stratified cluster sampling method, a survey was conducted in middle-aged and elder populations aged 40 - 70 years old in urban and rural areas of Chengdu during April-November 2008. The parameters included blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, blood glucose after oral administration of 75 g glucose, blood lipid, blood uric acid, height, body weight and waistline, etc. A total of 5205 valid copies of questionnaires were obtained. A discriminant analysis and a multifactorial logistic regression analysis were conducted. The quantitative scoring system was established and the ROC analysis conducted to screen the boundary point of the quantitative scoring system. The discriminant performance of simple scoring model was conducted in 336 subjects for physical examination.The accuracies of discriminant analysis in male and female models were 79.04% and 81.35% respectively. The simple male scoring mode included the following eight parameters: age, physical work intensity, parental history of diabetes mellitus, sibling's history of diabetes mellitus, BMI index, existing abdominal obesity and history of hypertension. The simple female scoring mode included the following eight parameters: age, physical work intensity, physical training, parental history of diabetes mellitus, sibling's history of diabetes mellitus, BMI index, existing abdominal obesity, history of hypertension, number of parturition and history of gestational diabetes mellitus. The ROC AUCs were 0.701 and 0.728 in male and female models respectively. During applications in other populations, the sensitivity and specificity of the male model were 86.86% and 65.12% while those of female model 88.89% and 72.97% respectively.The newly developed evaluation tool for the risk level of abnormal glucose metabolism morbidity in middle-aged and elder populations is both simple and practical. With an excellent practicability; it may be used to screen abnormal glucose metabolism in middle-aged and elder populations.

The niobium reagents NbCl3(DME) (1) and mer-(DME)Cl3NbNPh (6) serve as effective catalysts or precatalysts in imine metathesis reactions with a variety of aldimines. These reactions are particularl...

To investigate the effects of aging on the levels of free fatty acid (FFA), lipid profile, the expression of IRS-1 and its downstream signal Akt phosphorylation, so to explore the mechanisms of aging-associated glucose tolerance impairment.Three different age groups (6, 12, 20-24 months) of SD rats were used. After being fasted for 12-14 h, the rats were anesthetized with sodium pentobarbital (30 mg/kg BW, i.p.), then the samples of blood, liver and muscle were collected. Blood samples were used for the detection of fasting blood glucose, lipid profile and FFA. The expressions of IRS-1 and p-Akt in liver and muscle were measured by immunohistochemical staining method.1) The level of FFA in 20-24 months groups was significantly higher [(419.94 +/- 93.93) vs (256.22 +/- 73.93) mmol/L, P0.05] than that of younger group (6 months); 2) IRS-1 was expressed in liver and muscle cell of all groups. The level of IRS-1 showed no significant change in both liver and muscle. 3) p-Akt expression in liver significantly decreased in old rat when comparing to younger counterparts [2911.06 +/- 268.13 vs 4683.72 +/- 582.29 (12 months)4903.06 +/- 688.44 (6 months), P0.05], while no difference was found in muscle among three age groups.1) FFA was the initial metabolic change in natural aging SD rat, which might play an important role in age-related insulin resistance. 2) There was no significant difference of IRS-1 expression among three rat age groups. 3) PI3K/Akt pathway in liver of old rat is a critical signal defect of insulin dysfunction with aging. Liver might be main component organ involved to age-related insulin resistance.