The Implication of Elevated Serum Myoglobin Level in Acute Diabetic Complications of Ketoacidosis and Hyperglycemic Hyperosmolar State: A Real-World Study.

Objective: To investigate the implications of elevated myoglobin (MYO) in acute diabetic conditions of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state (HHS). Materials and methods: This study integrates in-patient data from Shanghai Pudong Hospital from 2019 to 2023. Laboratory data were compared between stable T2D patients (without acute diabetic complications), DKA, and HHS patients. The multilinear regression explored variables relevant to the elevated MYO in DKA and HHS. The dynamics of MYO, the survival rate, and associated risk factors in HHS were determined. Results: Except for triglyceride, procalcitonin, low-density lipoprotein, islet cell autoimmune antibodies, N-terminal Pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-ProBNP), and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), there were significant differences in age, gender distribution, duration of diabetes, type of diabetes, and other referred laboratory data (p<0.05). The age, gender, creatine kinase (CK), estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and free triiodothyronine (FT3) in DKA, whereas osmolar, uric acid (UA), and cardiac troponin I (cTNI) in the HHS, were significant determinants of elevated MYO, respectively (p<0.05). The dynamic of MYO in HHS was in line with the survival trend, where the percentage of death was 29.73%, and aging with higher procalcitonin levels was a key risk factor. Besides, the cumulative survival rates between patients with or without bone fracture or muscle injury were substantially different. Conclusion: This real-world study demonstrated DKA and HHS potentially have unique causes for increased MYO. By utilizing the appropriate regression parameters, we could forecast the progression of increased MYO in groups of DKA and HHS, while based on risk factors of aging, severity of infection, and different MYO sources, we could predict the prognosis of HHS.

GPAT3 is a potential therapeutic target to overcome sorafenib resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Sorafenib is the standard treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but acquired resistance during the treatment greatly limits its clinical efficiency. Lipid metabolic disorder plays an important role in hepatocarcinogenesis. However, whether and how lipid metabolic reprogramming regulates sorafenib resistance of HCC cells remains vague. Methods: Sorafenib resistant HCC cells were established by continuous induction. UHPLC-MS/MS, proteomics, and flow cytometry were used to assess the lipid metabolism. ChIP and western blot were used to reflect the interaction of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) with glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase 3 (GPAT3). Gain- and loss-of function studies were applied to explore the mechanism driving sorafenib resistance of HCC. Flow cytometry and CCK8 in vitro, and tumor size in vivo were used to evaluate the sorafenib sensitivity of HCC cells. Results: Our metabolome data revealed a significant enrichment of triglycerides in sorafenib-resistant HCC cells. Further analysis using proteomics and genomics techniques demonstrated a significant increase in the expression of GPAT3 in the sorafenib-resistant groups, which was found to be dependent on the activation of STAT3. The restoration of GPAT3 resensitized HCC cells to sorafenib, while overexpression of GPAT3 led to insensitivity to sorafenib. Mechanistically, GPAT3 upregulation increased triglyceride synthesis, which in turn stimulated the NF-κB/Bcl2 signaling pathway, resulting in apoptosis tolerance upon sorafenib treatment. Furthermore, our in vitro and in vivo studies revealed that pan-GPAT inhibitors effectively reversed sorafenib resistance in HCC cells. Conclusions: Our data demonstrate that GPAT3 elevation in HCC cells reprograms triglyceride metabolism which contributes to acquired resistance to sorafenib, which suggests GPAT3 as a potential target for enhancing the sensitivity of HCC to sorafenib.

The Evolution of the Bone Turnover Marker in Patients Following Recovery from Diabetic Ketoacidosis.

The aim of the study was to investigate whether the biomarkers for bone turnover could rapidly recover during the period of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). Bone turnover biomarkers, including 25-hydroxyvitamin D3, N-terminal middle molecular fragment of osteocalcin (NMID), and ß-C terminal cross-linking telopeptide of type 1 collagen were evaluated using in-patient data (n=627) from Shanghai Pudong Hospital from 2018-2022. The comparison was performed between type 2 diabetes (T2D only) (n=602) and DKA (n=25), in which we checked the bone turnover markers at pre-treatment and recovery. After matching by body mass index (BMI), we found that except for 25-OH-VitD3, the age difference, indices of glucose metabolism, and bone turnover were significant between the 2 groups (p<0.05). We found only a significant restoration of NMID (p<0.001). NMID and ß-CTX, when compared with T2D, showed overt distinction between recovery and T2D (p<0.05). In addition, the investigations demonstrated a substantial difference between 25-OH-VitD3 in males and NMID in females, regardless of age (p<0.05). Multilinear regression analysis revealed that 2 hours postprandial plasma C-peptide was an independent predictor of the NMID in both pre-treatment (ß=0.58, p=0.003) and recovery (ß=0.447, p=0.025), although sex was significant in pre-treatment (ß=-0.444, p=0.020). Finally, we found that only age variation affected DKA's fasting plasma glucose level (p<0.05). The study revealed that the bone turnover of DKA is significantly different in pre-treatment and recovery; however, NMID might recover quickly if the patients received appropriate treatment. Importantly, pancreatic function plays a critical role in changing bone turnover biomarkers.

Functionalized Fe-Doped Carbon Dots Exhibiting Dual Glutathione Consumption to Amplify Ferroptosis for Enhanced Cancer Therapy.

Nonapoptotic ferroptosis is a promising cancer treatment which offers a solution to the multidrug resistance of conventional apoptosis-induced programmed cancer cell death therapies. Reducing intracellular glutathione (GSH) is essential for inducing excess ROS and has been considered a crucial process to trigger ferroptosis. However, treatments reducing GSH alone have not produced satisfactory effects due to their restricted target. In this regard, FeCDs (Fe3+-modified l-histidine -sourced carbon dots) with dual GSH-consumption capabilities were constructed to engineer ferroptosis by self-amplifying intratumoral oxidative stress. Carbon dots have the ability to consume GSH, and the introduction of Fe3+ can amplify the GSH-consuming ability of CDs, reacting with excess H2O2 in the tumor microenvironment to generate highly oxidized •OH. This is a novel strategy through synergistic self-amplification therapy combining Fe3+ and CDs with GSH-consuming activity. The acid-triggered degradation material (FeCDs@PAE-PEG) was prepared by encapsulating FeCDs in an oil-in-water manner. Compared with other ferroptosis-triggering nanoparticles, the established FeCDs@PAE-PEG is targeted and significantly enhances the consumption efficiency of GSH and accumulation of excess iron without the involvement of infrared light and ultrasound. This synergistic strategy exhibits excellent ferroptosis-inducing ability and antitumor efficacy both in vitro and in vivo and offers great potential for clinical translation of ferroptosis.

The Rapid Changes in Bodyweight and Glycemic Control Are Determined by Pre-status After Bariatric Surgery in Both Genders in Young Chinese Individuals.

PURPOSES: The primary aim of this clinical study is to identify the factors associated with rapid glycemic, bodyweight, and lipid profile remission in young obese patients following bariatric surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a total of 131 Chinese in-patients at Shanghai Pudong Hospital, China, we retrospectively analyzed in-patient data of metabolic parameters, including BMI, waist circumference, blood pressure (BP), and blood laboratory tests, such as plasma lipids and lipoprotein, hemoglobulin A1c (HbA1c), and oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTT) before bariatric surgery. We followed up these indices at the first month, third months, half-year, and one year later. RESULTS: The results showed that bodyweight, BP, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), HbA1c, and triglyceride (TG) levels decreased significantly in one to three months following surgery in both male and female patients (p<0.05). We demonstrated that age (male: ß=-0.181; female: ß=-0.292) and the pre-operation HbA1c levels (male: ß=0.935; female: ß=0.919) were independent predictors of HbA1c reduction in both young obese male and female patients in three months after surgery. For body weight loss, age (ß=-0.229) and pre-operation bodyweight (ß=0.735) are the predictors in females, but only pre-operation body weight (ß=0.798) is the independent predictor in obese young male patients. CONCLUSION:  This study discovered that changes in bodyweight were determined by age, pre-operation status of bodyweight, and HbA1C in obese young Chinese.

The Metabolic Characteristics of Patients at the Risk for Diabetic Foot Ulcer: A Comparative Study of Diabetic Patients with and without Diabetic Foot.

Backgrounds and Objective: Diabetic foot is a relatively severe complication in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D), with peripheral neuropathy and angiopathy frequently serving as risk factors. However, it is unknown how the other major systemic metabolic factors impacted the profile of these patients, besides glucose management. Thus, we investigated the distinct characteristics of patients with diabetic foot ulcers and their relationships with angiopathy. Materials and Methods: We obtained the laboratory data of 334 diabetic patients at Shanghai Pudong Hospital from 2020 to 2023. The comparisons were performed between the groups with or without diabetic foot, including glucose metabolism, lipids profile, liver and kidney function, thyroid function, and serum iron. The association between metabolic factors and lower extremity computed tomography angiography (CTA) was analyzed. Results: We found significant disparities between groups in relation to age, serum protein content, liver transferase, serum creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), serum uric acid (UA), small dense low-density lipoprotein (sdLDL), lipoprotein A (LP(a)), apolipoprotein A1 (APOA1), thyroid function, serum iron, and hemoglobin (Hb) (p<0.05). The Spearman correlational analyses showed that the severity of CTA, categorized by the unilateral or bilateral plaque or occlusion, was positively significantly correlated with UA (r=0.499), triglyceride (TG) (r=0.751), whereas inversely correlated with serum albumin (r=-0.510), alanine aminotransferase (r=-0.523), direct bilirubin (DBil) (r=-0.494), total bilirubin (TBil) (r=-0.550), Hb (r=-0.646). Conclusion: This cross-section investigation showed that compared to T2D only, the patients with diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) might display similar glucose metabolic control context but adverse metabolic profiles, and this profile is associated with macrovascular angiopathy characteristics and their severity.

Reforming the Uniformity of Solid Electrolyte Interphase by Nanoscale Structure Regulation for Stable Lithium Metal Batteries.

The stability of high-energy-density lithium metal batteries depends on the uniformity of solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) on lithium metal anodes. Rationally improving SEI uniformity is hindered by poorly understanding the effect of structure and components of SEI on its uniformity. Herein, a bilayer structure of SEI formed by isosorbide dinitrate (ISDN) additives in localized high-concentration electrolytes was demonstrated to improve SEI uniformity. In the bilayer SEI, LiNx Oy generated by ISDN occupies top layer and LiF dominates bottom layer next to anode. The uniformity of lithium deposition is remarkably improved with the bilayer SEI, mitigating the consumption rate of active lithium and electrolytes. The cycle life of lithium metal batteries with bilayer SEI is three times as that with common anion-derived SEI under practical conditions. A prototype lithium metal pouch cell of 430 Wh kg-1 undergoes 173 cycles. This work demonstrates the effect of a reasonable structure of SEI on reforming SEI uniformity.

The Effects of Obesity on Bone Turnover Markers in Diabetic Patients with Diabetic Ketosis or Ketoacidosis.

PURPOSE: Despite the fact that diabetes individuals are often associated with a higher risk of bone fracture, our previous research demonstrated that Diabetic ketosis (DK) or ketoacidosis (DKA) induced significant alterations in bone biomarkers. It is unknown whether there is a difference in bone metabolism between obese and non-obese diabetic populations while they are in DK or DKA; hence the current study will investigate this further to aid in the prognosis and prediction of bone fracture risk in patients with different BMIs. METHODS: We categorized patients into four groups based on their BMI utilizing data from our hospital's medical record system from 2018 to 2020 in the Department of Endocrinology: obese DK or DKA patients (OB+DK/DKA, n = 41), non-obese DK or DKA patients (DK/DKA, n = 201), obese type 2 diabetes patients without DK or DKA (OB+T2D, n = 93), and patients with type 2 diabetes only (T2D only, n = 304). The comparisons were made on glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), body mass index (BMI), fasting plasma C-peptide (FPCP), and plasma lipids, in addition to bone metabolism indicators such as total 25-OH-VitD3 (25-OH-VitD3), N-terminal middle molecular fragment of osteocalcin (NMID), -C terminal cross-linking telopeptide of type 1 collagen (-CTX), parathyroid hormone (PTH), and blood calcium (Ca2+). RESULTS: The OB+DK/DKA group had a lower average age (p < 0.05) than the DK/DKA group, while the DK/DKA group had a significantly lower FPCP (p < 0.05). The 25-OH-VitD3 levels of DK/DKA patients were considerably lower than those of the T2D-only group (p < 0.05). In contrast, NMID and Ca2+ levels were significantly lower than those of non-ketosis or acidosis patients (p < 0.05), and PTH levels in the DK/DKA group were significantly lower than those of OB+ T2D patients (p < 0.05). In contrast, the ß-CTX of the DK or DKA group (OB+DK/DKA and DK+DKA) was significantly greater than that of the non-DK or DKA group (p < 0.05), although there was no significant difference in blood phosphorus between OB+DK/DKA and DK/ DKA (p > 0.05). The levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and free T4 (FT4) did not differ significantly among the four groups (p > 0.05); however, the levels of total T3 (TT3), T4 (TT4), and free T3 (FT3) were significantly lower in the DK/DKA group (p < 0.05); the ratio of TT3 to TT4 (TT3/TT4) was significantly decreased in the DK/DKA group, whereas the ratio of FT3/FT4 was significantly lower (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Obese patients with DK or DKA have a younger onset age, superior pancreatic function, and better blood glucose management than non-obese patients with DK/DKA. Despite having higher bone absorption signals than non-DK/DKA patients, OB+DK/DKA patients have stronger bone formation markers than non-obese DK/DKA patients, according to a recent study. Changes in markers of bone metabolism may be linked to non-thyroidal illness syndrome in cases of DK or DKA.

The work of Chinese chronic conditions: adaptation and validation of the Distribution of Co-Care Activities Scale.

Purpose: The Distribution of Co-Care Activities Scale was adapted into Chinese for the purposes of this study, and then the psychometric characteristics of the Chinese version of the DoCCA scale were confirmed in chronic conditions. Methods: A total of 434 patients with chronic diseases were recruited from three Chinese cities. A cross-cultural adaptation procedure was used to translate the Distribution of Co-Care Activities Scale into Chinese. Cronbach's alpha coefficient, split-half reliability, and test-retest reliability were used to verify the scale's reliability. Content validity indices, exploratory factor analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis were used to confirm the scale's validity. Results: The Chinese DoCCA scale includes five domains: demands, unnecessary tasks, role clarity, needs support, and goal orientation. The S-CVI was 0.964. Exploratory factor analysis yielded a five-factor structure that explained 74.952% of the total variance. According to the confirmatory factor analysis results, the fit indices were within the range of the reference values. Convergent and discriminant validity both met the criteria. Also, the scale's Cronbach's alpha coefficient is 0.936, and the five dimensions' values range from 0.818 to 0.909. The split-half reliability was 0.848, and the test-retest reliability was 0.832. Conclusions: The Chinese version of the Distribution of Co-Care Activities Scale had high levels of validity and reliability for chronic conditions. The scale can assess how patients with chronic diseases feel about their service of care and provide data to optimize their personalized chronic disease self-management strategies.

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells deficient in cholesterol biosynthesis promote tumor immune evasion.

Cancer immunotherapy targeting myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) is one of the most promising anticancer strategies. Metabolic reprogramming is vital for MDSC activation, however, the regulatory mechanisms of cholesterol metabolic reprogramming in MDSCs remains largely unexplored. Using the receptor-interacting protein kinase 3 (RIPK3)-deficient MDSC model, a previously established tumor-infiltrating MDSC-like model, we found that the cholesterol accumulation was significantly decreased in these cells. Moreover, the phosphorylated AKT-mTORC1 signaling was reduced, and downstream SREBP2-HMGCR-mediated cholesterol synthesis was blunted. Interestingly, cholesterol deficiency profoundly elevated the immunosuppressive activity of MDSCs. Mechanistically, cholesterol elimination induced nuclear accumulation of LXRß, thereby promoting LXRß-RXRα heterodimer binding of a novel composite element in the promoter of Arg1. Furthermore, itraconazole enhanced the immunosuppressive activity of MDSCs to boost tumor growth by suppressing the RIPK3-AKT-mTORC1 pathway and impeding cholesterol synthesis. Our findings demonstrate that RIPK3 deficiency leads to cholesterol abrogation in MDSCs, which facilitates tumor-infiltrating MDSC activation, and highlight the therapeutic potential of targeting cholesterol synthesis to overcome tumor immune evasion.

A Robust Adaptive Objective Power Allocation in Cognitive NOMA Networks.

Cognitive radio (CR) is a candidate for opportunistic spectrum implementation in wireless communications, allowing secondary users (SUs) to share the spectrum with primary users (PUs). In this paper, a robust adaptive target power allocation strategy for cognitive nonorthogonal multiple access (NOMA) networks is proposed, which involves the maximum transmission power of each SU and interference power threshold under PU constraints. By introducing the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) adjustment factor, the strategy enables single-station communication to achieve energy efficiency (EE) or high throughput (HT), thus making the target function more flexible. In the same communication scenario, different cognitive users can choose different communication targets that meet their needs. Different QoS can be selected by the same cognitive user at different times. In the case of imperfect channel state information (CSI), semi-infinite (SI) constraints with bounded uncertainty sets are transformed into an optimization problem under the worst case, which is solved by the dual decomposition method. Simulation results show that this strategy has good adaptive selectivity and robustness.

Psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the self-care scale for older adults undergoing hip fracture surgery: A translation and validation study.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to translate and verify the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the self-care scale for older adults undergoing hip fracture surgery. Methods: A total of 502 older adult/adults patients after hip fracture surgery were recruited from Liaoning, Shanxi, and Beijing, China. The reliability of the Chinese version of the scale was measured by internal consistency, split-half reliability, and retest reliability, and the validity was evaluated by the content validity index and structure validity index. Results: The Chinese version of the HFS-SC scale had a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.848, and the Cronbach's alpha coefficients for the five dimensions ranged from 0.719 to 0.780. The split-half reliability of the scale was 0.739, and the retest reliability was 0.759. The content validity index (S-CVI) was 0.932. The five-factor structure, supported by the eigenvalues, total variance explained, and the scree plot accounted for 66.666% of the total variance. In confirmatory factor analysis, the model fit results were as follows, X2/df = 1.847, GFI = 0.914, AGFI = 0.878, PGFI = 0.640, IFI = 0.932, TLI = 0.912, CFI = 0.931, RMSEA = 0.058, PNFI = 0.679. The indicators of the model's fit were within reasonable bounds. Conclusion: The Chinese version of the self-care scale for older adults undergoing hip fracture surgery has suitable reliability and validity. The scale can be used to assess the level of older adult/adults self-care in China following hip replacement surgery and serves as a useful benchmark for identifying potential intervention targets to raise the level of older adult/adults self-care following hip replacement surgery.

Polysaccharides from Chinese herbs as natural weapons against colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) ranks third and second among the most widespread cancers worldwide and the most common causes of human death due to cancer, respectively. Furthermore, for unknown reasons, numbers of young patients diagnosed with colon cancer has increased. Polysaccharides are important functional phytochemicals reported to have anti-CRC effects. Moreover, CRC development and progression is closely related to the gut microbiome. Although approaches for treating CRC have been the subject of some review papers, research into traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatments for CRC and the underlying mechanisms involving polysaccharides have not been reviewed. Here, we reviewed the mechanisms underlying treatment of CRC using TCM polysaccharides, based on the etiology of CRC, and common treatment methods applied. The relationship between intestinal microbes and CRC, the mechanism by which TCM polysaccharides induce CRC cell apoptosis, and how TCM polysaccharides promote immune responses are discussed, as well as TCM polysaccharide use in combination with chemotherapy. TCM polysaccharides provide options for CRC treatment, due to their advantages of having multiple targets, eliciting modest adverse reactions, and wide range of available sources.

An Overview of Flexible Sensors: Development, Application, and Challenges.

The emergence and advancement of flexible electronics have great potential to lead development trends in many fields, such as "smart electronic skin" and wearable electronics. By acting as intermediates to detect a variety of external stimuli or physiological parameters, flexible sensors are regarded as a core component of flexible electronic systems and have been extensively studied. Unlike conventional rigid sensors requiring costly instruments and complicated fabrication processes, flexible sensors can be manufactured by simple procedures with excellent production efficiency, reliable output performance, and superior adaptability to the irregular surface of the surroundings where they are applied. Here, recent studies on flexible sensors for sensing humidity and strain/pressure are outlined, emphasizing their sensory materials, working mechanisms, structures, fabrication methods, and particular applications. Furthermore, a conclusion, including future perspectives and a short overview of the market share in this field, is given for further advancing this field of research.

High-contrast reversible multiple color-tunable solid luminescent ionic polymers for dynamic multilevel anti-counterfeiting.

Dynamic color-tunable luminescent materials, which possess huge potential applications in advanced multilevel luminescence anti-counterfeiting, are of considerable interest. However, it remains challenging to develop simple high-contrast reversible multiple (triple or more than triple) color-tunable high-efficiency solid luminescent materials with low cost, facile synthesis, and good processability. Herein, by simply grafting charged multi-color AIEgen-based chromophores into polymers, a series of high-efficiency multiple color-tunable luminescent single ionic polymers are constructed through tuning feed ratios, counter anions and reaction solvents. Remarkably, some ionic polymers can not only achieve rare high-contrast reversible multiple color-tunable emission in solid states in response to different solvent stimuli, but also could realize excitation-dependent color-tunable emission. To the best of our knowledge, such charming multiple (triple or more than triple) color-tunable solid polymers responding to multiple external stimuli are still rare. Based on comparative studies of emission spectra, excitation spectra and fluorescence lifetimes before and after swelling, it could be inferred that solvent stimuli could induce microstructure changes of these ionic polymers and then change the aggregated-states of their corresponding AIE-active emission centers. Moreover, the different solvent stimuli could induce to produce different degrees of microstructure changes, resulting in their unique multiple color-tunable emission. More significantly, these smart color-tunable ionic polymers show great promise for applications in dynamic multilevel (three-level or even more than three-level) anti-counterfeiting.

The Relationship between Serum Iron and Thyroid Function in the Patients with Type 2 Diabetes.

PURPOSE: Our primary objective in this study is to determine the relationship between serum iron (Fe3+) and thyroid functions in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Glucose metabolic parameters, trace elements, such as Fe3+, and thyroid functions for 1657 type 2 diabetic patients treated at the Shanghai Pudong Hospital's Department of Endocrinology from 2018 to 2021 were assessed. RESULTS: Variations in free thyroid hormones (FTH) and total thyroid hormones (TTH) were insignificant; however, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels were markedly elevated in patients with positive thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb) and/or positive antithyroglobulin antibody (TgAb) (p<0.05). Additionally, gender disparities affected FTH levels (p<0.05) but not TTH and TSH levels. The female gender was significantly negatively correlated with serum Fe levels (r=-0.381, p<0.05). Serum Fe3+ deficiency also had an effect on FT3 in both genders, FT4 and TT4 in males (p<0.05), but not TSH (p>0.05). The multilinear regression model showed that TT3 (ß=0.702), eGFR (ß=0.109), Fe3+ (ß=0.003), female gender (ß=-0.061), and age (ß=-0.061) were the major determinants for FT3 change. Moreover, renal function, which was represented as the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), had no effects on Fe3+ and TSH levels but on the levels of FTH and TTH (p<0.05). FT3/FT4 exhibited correlations with Fe3+ (r=0.252) and eGFR (r=0.285). Finally, changes in Fe3+ levels had no significant impact on fasting plasma glucose (FPG), fasting C-peptide, HbA1c, and glycated albumin levels (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: In addition to age, gender, and renal functions, serum Fe3+ levels in T2DM patients have a significant relationship with thyroid functions.

In Situ Construction of Composite Artificial Solid Electrolyte Interphase for High-Performance Lithium Metal Batteries.

Lithium metal is considered as the most promising anode material for high energy density secondary batteries due to its high theoretical specific capacity and low redox potential. However, poor interfacial stability and uncontrollable dendrite growth seriously hinder the commercial application of Li metal anodes. Herein, we constructed a composite artificial solid-electrolyte interphase (ASEI) utilizing the in situ reaction between polyacrylic acid (PAA)/stannous fluoride (SnF2) and lithium metal, which spontaneously generates LiPAA, LiF, and Li5Sn2 alloys. The in situ formed LiPAA as a flexible matrix can accommodate the volume change of the lithium anode. Meanwhile, LiF and Li5Sn2 play the roles for improving the mechanical properties and boosting Li-ion flux in the interfacial layer, respectively. Benefiting from the ingenious design, the PAA-SnF2@Li anodes remain stable and dendrite-free morphology in symmetric cells for over 2000 h and exhibit excellent cycling stability in high-area loading (10.52 mg cm-2) Li||LiFePO4 full cells with a N/P of 1.68, which endures only 0.11% average capacity decay per cycle in 200 cycles. This simple and low-cost method supplies a route for the commercial application of lithium metal anodes with fresh eyes.

A Robust Power Allocation Algorithm for Cognitive Radio Networks Based on Hybrid PSO.

The use of a cognitive radio power allocation algorithm is an effective method to improve spectral utilization. However, there are three problems with traditional cognitive radio power allocation algorithms: (1) based on the ideal channel model analysis, channel fluctuation is not considered; (2) they do not consider fairness among cognitive users; and (3) some algorithms are complex and locating the optimal power allocation scheme is not an easy task. For the above problems, this study establishes a robust model which adds the cognitive user transmission rate variance constraint to solve the maximum channel capacity time power allocation scheme by considering the worst-case channel transmission model, and finally solves this complex non-convex optimization problem by using the hybrid particle swarm algorithm. Simulation results show that the algorithm has good robustness, improves the fairness among the cognitive users, makes full use of the channel resources under the constraints, and has a simple algorithm, fast convergence, and good optimization results.

Relationship Between Sporadic Renal Cysts and Renal Function Detected by Isotope Renography in Type 2 Diabetes.

Purpose: This study aimed to reveal the relationship between the volume of sporadic renal cysts and renal function in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Materials and Methods: One hundred and seventy-one patients that underwent renal imaging and other routine examinations at the Shanghai Pudong Hospital were included in this study. The Gates' method of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was measured by 99mTc-DTPA renal dynamic imaging in addition to the eGFR, calculated by the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration equation (CKD-EPI). Results: Our results showed that BMI, total iGFR, and eGFR showed significant differences between patients with T2D with or without SRC (p < 0.05). Spearman correlation analysis showed that cyst volume was positively correlated with Scr and gender but not iGFR (p > 0.05). The total iGFR positively correlated with eGFR (r = 0.83, p < 0.0001) and negatively with Scr (r = -0.78, p < 0.0001), age (r = -0.43, p < 0.0001), duration of T2D (r = -0.25, p = 0.001), and BMI (r = -0.21, p = 0.006) but not gender (r = -0.03, p = 0.668). The multilinear regression model revealed that gender (ß = 0.346, p < 0.001), iGFR (ß = -0.705, p < 0.001), and serum uric acid (ß = 0.195, p = 0.032) were independent predictors of Scr. Moreover, we observed a significant increase in Scr in males (p < 0.05). Finally, we found that the split kidney function reflected by iGFR and related parameters such as time to peak (PTT) and half time of excretion (excrete t1/2) did not mutually distinguish from each other significantly whether they are measured in patients with renal cysts or in those without renal cysts (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Our preliminary results suggest that in T2D, SRCs may be a renal complication of diabetic nephropathy. Although we found that the patients with renal cysts may display reduced iGFR, the volume of simple cysts seems not to exacerbate renal insufficiency. Isotope renography is a useful tool to evaluate the split kidney functions in diabetic patients who acquire single-side cysts.

Inhibiting intercrystalline reactions of anode with electrolytes for long-cycling lithium batteries.

The life span of lithium batteries as energy storage devices is plagued by irreversible interfacial reactions between reactive anodes and electrolytes. Occurring on polycrystal surface, the reaction process is inevitably affected by the surface microstructure of anodes, of which the understanding is imperative but rarely touched. Here, the effect of grain boundary of lithium metal anodes on the reactions was investigated. The reactions preferentially occur at the grain boundary, resulting in intercrystalline reactions. An aluminum (Al)-based heteroatom-concentrated grain boundary (Al-HCGB), where Al atoms concentrate at grain boundary, was designed to inhibit the intercrystalline reactions. In particular, the scalable preparation of Al-HCGB was demonstrated, with which the cycling performance of a pouch cell (355 Wh kg-1) was significantly improved. This work opens a new avenue to explore the effect of the surface microstructure of anodes on the interfacial reaction process and provides an effective strategy to inhibit reactions between anodes and electrolytes for long-life-span practical lithium batteries.