Crown Ether Copolymerized Polyimide Film: Enhanced Mechanical, Thermal Properties and Low Dielectric Constant under High Frequency.

Polymer materials with a low dielectric constant and low dielectric loss have the potential to be applied to high-frequency signal transmissions, such as mobile phone antennas and millimeter wave radars. Two types of diamines, 4,4'-diamino-p-tetraphenyl (DPT) and crown ether diamine (CED), were prepared for ternary copolymerization with BPDA in this study. Cross-links with molecular chains were formed, increasing molecular chain distance by utilizing rings of CED. The MPI films exhibit a good thermal performance with the increase in CED addition, with Tg > 380 °C and CTE from -4 × 10-6 K-1 to 5 × 10-6 K-1. The Young's modulus can reach 8.6 GPa, and the tensile strength is above 200 MPa when 5% and 7% CED are introduced. These MPI films exhibit good mechanical performances. The dielectric constant of PI-10% film can go as low as 3.17. Meanwhile, the relationship between dielectric properties and molecular structure has been demonstrated by Molecular Simulation (MS). PI molecules are separated by low dielectric groups, resulting in a decrease in the dielectric constant.

Remediation of 2,4-dichlorophenol-contaminated soil by electrokinetic delivery of persulfate technology.

2,4-Dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) is difficult to degrade rapidly in the environment due to its stable chemical properties, so it was easy to lead to serious chlorophenol pollution in soil. Consequently, a remediation method which is efficient, safe, and economical is required. In this study, electrokinetic (EK) remediation was used to transfer sodium persulfate (Na2S2O8) into soil to degrade 2,4-DCP, and the effect of several factors (including the addition location of Na2S2O8, applied voltage, and running time) on the remediation efficiency was explored. The concentration of Na2S2O8, residual efficiency of 2,4-DCP and distribution characteristics of pH, and electrical conductivity were analyzed. The results showed that the cathode was the optimal position to add Na2S2O8. Under this condition, Na2S2O8 was uniformly distributed in the whole soil column through electromigration. The optimal removal efficiency of 2,4-DCP in soil by adding Na2S2O8 was approximately 26% when the voltage gradient was 1.0 V/cm and the operating time was 9 days, which was mainly due to the degradation of S2O82-.

Famine exposure in early life and type 2 diabetes in adulthood: findings from prospective studies in China.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: This study examined the relationship between famine exposure in early life and the risk of type 2 diabetes in adulthood during the 1959-1961 Chinese Famine. SUBJECTS/METHODS: A total of 3,418 individuals aged 35-74 years free of diabetes from two studies in 2006 and 2009 were followed up prospectively in 2009 and 2012, respectively. Famine exposure was classified as unexposed (individuals born in 1962-1978), fetal exposed (individuals born in 1959-1961), child exposed (individuals born in 1949-1958), and adolescent/adult exposed (born in 1931-1948). A logistic regression model was used to assess the relationship between famine exposure and diabetes after adjustment for potential covariates. RESULTS: During a three-year follow-up, the age-adjusted incidence rates of type 2 diabetes were 5.7%, 14.5%, 12.7%, and 17.8% in unexposed, fetal-exposed, child-exposed, and adolescent/adult-exposed groups, respectively (P < 0.01). Relative to the unexposed group, the relative risks (95% confidence interval) for diabetes were 2.15 (1.29-3.60), 1.53 (0.93-2.51), and 1.65 (0.75-3.63) in the fetal-exposed, child-exposed, and adolescent/adult-exposed groups, after controlling for potential covariates. The interactions between famine exposure and obesity, education level, and family history of diabetes were not observed, except for the urbanization type. Individuals living in rural areas with fetal and childhood famine exposure were at a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, with relative risks of 8.79 (1.82-42.54) and 2.33 (1.17-4.65), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that famine exposure in early life is an independent predictor of type 2 diabetes, particularly in women. Early identification and intervention may help prevent diabetes in later life. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01053195.

A New Framework of Swarm Learning Consolidating Knowledge From Multi-Center Non-IID Data for Medical Image Segmentation.

Large training datasets are important for deep learning-based methods. For medical image segmentation, it could be however difficult to obtain large number of labeled training images solely from one center. Distributed learning, such as swarm learning, has the potential to use multi-center data without breaching data privacy. However, data distributions across centers can vary a lot due to the diverse imaging protocols and vendors (known as feature skew). Also, the regions of interest to be segmented could be different, leading to inhomogeneous label distributions (referred to as label skew). With such non-independently and identically distributed (Non-IID) data, the distributed learning could result in degraded models. In this work, we propose a novel swarm learning approach, which assembles local knowledge from each center while at the same time overcomes forgetting of global knowledge during local training. Specifically, the approach first leverages a label skew-awared loss to preserve the global label knowledge, and then aligns local feature distributions to consolidate global knowledge against local feature skew. We validated our method in three Non-IID scenarios using four public datasets, including the Multi-Centre, Multi-Vendor and Multi-Disease Cardiac Segmentation (M&Ms) dataset, the Federated Tumor Segmentation (FeTS) dataset, the Multi-Modality Whole Heart Segmentation (MMWHS) dataset and the Multi-Site Prostate T2-weighted MRI segmentation (MSProsMRI) dataset. Results show that our method could achieve superior performance over existing methods. Code will be released via https://zmiclab.github.io/projects.html once the paper gets accepted.

Efficacy and safety of alogliptin versus acarbose in Chinese type 2 diabetes patients with high cardiovascular risk or coronary heart disease treated with aspirin and inadequately controlled with metformin monotherapy or drug-naive: A multicentre, randomized, open-label, prospective study (ACADEMIC).

AIMS: To demonstrate the noninferiority of alogliptin to acarbose, in terms of antidiabetic efficacy, in Chinese people with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes (T2D) and high cardiovascular risk. MATERIALS AND METHODS: ACADEMIC (NCT03794336) was a randomized, open-label, phase IV study conducted at 46 sites in China. Antidiabetic treatment-naive or metformin-treated adults with uncontrolled T2D (glycated haemoglobin [HbA1c] 58.0-97.0 mmol/mol) were randomized 2:1 to alogliptin 25 mg once daily or acarbose 100 mg three times daily for 16 weeks. All participants had a documented history of coronary heart disease or high cardiovascular risk at screening and received aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) 100 mg daily throughout the trial. The primary endpoints were change in HbA1c versus baseline, and the incidence of gastrointestinal adverse events (AEs). Safety and tolerability were also assessed. RESULTS: A total of 1088 participants were randomized. Alogliptin was noninferior to acarbose for the change in Week-16 HbA1c (least-squares mean change [standard error] -11.9 [0.4] vs. -11.4 [0.5] mmol/mol, respectively; difference between arms -0.5 [0.7] mmol/mol; 95% confidence interval -1.9 to 0.8 mmol/mol), and was associated with a lower incidence of gastrointestinal AEs (8.9% vs. 33.6%, respectively; P < 0.0001). More alogliptin than acarbose recipients achieved HbA1c <53.0 mmol/mol without gastrointestinal AEs (48.0% vs. 32.7%; P < 0.0001). Discontinuations due to treatment-related AEs were less frequent with alogliptin than acarbose (0.3% vs. 2.5%). CONCLUSIONS: Glycaemic control was comparable between alogliptin and acarbose, but the gastrointestinal tolerability of alogliptin was better. More patients achieved target HbA1c without gastrointestinal AEs with alogliptin, suggesting that this agent may be preferred in clinical practice.

Hyperdynamics simulations with ab initio forces.

By applying the locally optimal rotation method to deal with the lowest eigenvalue of a Hessian matrix, we have efficiently incorporated the hyperdynamics method into the ab initio scheme. In the present method, we only need to calculate the first derivative of the potential and several more force calls in each molecular dynamics (MD) step, which makes hyperdynamics simulation applicable in ab initio MD simulations. With this implementation, we are able to simulate defect diffusion in silicon with boost factors up to 105. We utilized both direct MD and the hyperdynamics method to investigate diffusion of lithium atoms and silicon vacancies in silicon. We identified the complex diffusion process. The obtained diffusion coefficients of Li atoms and Si vacancies are in good agreement with the direct MD results.

Associations between anthropometric parameters (body mass index, waist circumference and waist to hip ratio) and newly diagnosed hyperuricemia in adults in Qingdao, China: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the association between anthropometric parameter of obesity and newly diagnosed hyperuricemia (HUA) in a general Chinese population. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: A population- based cross-sectional survey included 9 615 participants (3777 men and 5838 women) aged 35-74 years in 2006 and 2009 in Qingdao, China. The multivariate linear regression was used to assess the linear associations between anthropometric parameter of obesity [body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR)] and serum uric acid. The logistic regression model was performed to estimate the associations between BMI, WC, WHR and newly diagnosed HUA. RESULTS: The prevalence of newly diagnosed HUA was higher in men than in women (19.46% vs 11.34%, p<0.05). Multivariate liner regression showed that BMI, WC and WHR were positively correlated with serum uric acid. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that being overweight [men, odds ratios (OR): 1.69, 95% confidence intervals (95% CI): 1.37-2.08; women, OR: 1.67, 95% CI: 1.34-2.09] and obese (men, OR: 3.01, 95% CI: 2.38-3.79; women, OR: 2.91, 95% CI: 2.31-3.67) were significantly associated with a higher risk of newly diagnosed HUA. Abdominal obesity (WC: men, OR: 2.26, 95% CI: 1.88-2.73; women, OR: 1.96, 95% CI: 1.61-2.39; WHR: men, OR: 1.91, 95% CI: 1.61-2.26; women, OR: 1.39, 95% CI: 1.16-1.67) were associated with an increased risk of newly diagnosed HUA. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that BMI, WC and WHR were positively correlated with serum uric acid in both genders. Meanwhile, overweight, obese and abdominal obesity were associated with increased risk of newly diagnosed HUA.

Catalysis of hydrogen peroxide with Cu layered double hydrotalcite for the degradation of ethylbenzene.

A high catalytic system using Cu layered double hydrotalcite (Cu(II)-Mg(II)-Fe(III)LDHs) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) was developed for the degradation of ethylbenzene. It was identified that the degradation efficiency of ethylbenzene (0.08 mmol L-1) and TOC removal were 96.1% and 39.7% respectively in the presence of 0.1 g L-1 Cu(II)-Mg(II)-Fe(III)LDHs with (Cu2+ + Mg2+)/Fe3+ molar ratio of 5.0 and 0.16 mmol L-1 H2O2 in 6.0 h. Based on ESR and XPS data, hydroxyl radicals (•OH) were the predominant free radical specials generated from the catalytic decomposition of H2O2 for the degradation of ethylbenzene. The redox of Cu(II)/Cu(III) on the layered Cu(II)-Mg(II)-Fe(III)LDHs surface active sites accounted for the formation of •OH radicals and the cycle of Cu(II) in the Cu(II)-Mg(II)-Fe(III)LDHs/H2O2 system were proposed.

A Propensity Score Matched Comparison of Brand and Biosimilar Basal Insulin in Non-Critical Hospitalized Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

INTRODUCTION: Comparisons between brand and biosimilar basal insulin in hospitalized patients are lacking. We aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of brand insulin glargine vs. biosimilar insulin glargine in non-critical hospitalized patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). METHODS: This retrospective study was conducted using the electronic medical records of 194,006 patients at the Qingdao Endocrine and Diabetes Hospital between January 2006 and December 2017. A total of 476 patients diagnosed with T2DM, hospitalized, and treated with subcutaneous insulin glargine were included. After propensity score matching (1:3), patients who received biosimilar insulin glargine (Basalin) (n = 34) were compared to a matched group of patients who received brand insulin glargine (Lantus) (n = 101). Outcome measures were changes in fasting blood glucose (FBG), the incidence of hypoglycemia, and insulin dose. RESULTS: Compared to patients who received Basalin, patients who received Lantus achieved more reduction in FBG during insulin treatment (- 1.24 mmol/L vs. - 2.20 mmol/L; p = 0.04) and had a lower mean FBG at the end of treatment (8.20 mmol/L vs. 7.26 mmol/L; p = 0.12). Patients in Basalin and Lantus groups had a comparable mean daily dose of basal insulin at initiation (0.19 vs. 0.18 IU/kg; p = 0.30) and end of treatment (0.21 vs. 0.21 IU/kg; p = 0.99), and a similar duration of basal insulin treatment (16.4 vs. 15.3 days; p = 0.74). Hypoglycemia was infrequent in both Basalin and Lantus treatment (one vs. four patients, respectively; p = 1.00) and no severe hypoglycemic events were reported. CONCLUSION: In a non-critical hospital setting, subcutaneous treatment with Lantus brought significant FBG improvement without increased hypoglycemic risk.

Layout-aware information extraction from semi-structured medical images.

Textual information embedded in the medical image contains rich structured information about the medical condition of a patient. This paper aims at extracting structured textual information from semi-structured medical images. Given the recognized text spans of an image preprocessed by optical character recognition (OCR), due to the spatial discontinuity of texts spans as well as potential errors brought by OCR, the structured information extraction becomes more challenging. In this paper, we propose a domain-specific language, called ODL, which allows users to describe the value and layout of text data contained in the images. Based on the value and spatial constraints described in ODL, the ODL parser associates values found in the image with the data structure in the ODL description, while conforming to the aforementioned constraints. We conduct experiments on a dataset consisting of real medical images, our ODL parser consistently outperforms existing approaches in terms of extraction accuracy, which shows the better tolerance of incorrectly recognized texts, and positional variances between images. This accuracy can be further improved by learning from a few manual corrections.

Cigarette Smoking and Secondhand Smoke Exposure Before and After a Tobacco-Free Olympic Policy Period: Qingdao, China.

INTRODUCTION: We explored the impact of a temporary tobacco-free public policy for the 2008 Summer Olympics on the smoking prevalence and secondhand smoke exposure among the population of a co-hosting city, Qingdao, China. METHODS: The Qingdao Diabetes Survey was analyzed for 2006 (n = 4599) and 2009 (n = 4680), which are survey years before and after the tobacco-free Olympics public policy period (July 2007 to January 2009). We analyzed the differences in self-reported smoking prevalence and exposure to secondhand smoke at home and/or workplace, and compared odds of smoking by survey year and of exposure to secondhand smoke among nonsmokers. RESULTS: From 2006 to 2009, the male smoking prevalence declined from 51.4% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 49.0% to 53.9%) to 42.6% (95% CI = 40.2% to 45.1%), and the proportion of lighter smokers decreased more. Among nonsmokers, the secondhand smoke exposure rate declined from 62.2% (95% CI = 60.5% to 63.9%) to 56.8% (95% CI = 55.1% to 58.6%). Regression analyses show 34% lower odds of men smoking after Olympics (OR = 0.66, 95% CI = 0.57% to 0.77%). Rural residents and individuals who are not retired were more likely to smoke. Female nonsmokers report 17% less exposure to secondhand smoke after Olympics (OR = 0.83, 95% CI = 0.70% to 0.98%). Urban nonsmokers were more likely to be exposed than their rural counterparts. CONCLUSIONS: Smoking prevalence among men and secondhand smoke exposure among women significantly decreased in Qingdao, China, after the tobacco-free Olympics public policy period. As only the proportion of lighter smokers decreased, this may help explain why urban nonsmokers reported increased exposure. Unintended increased secondhand smoke exposure and cessation support need to be addressed in large-scale policy campaigns. IMPLICATIONS: Hosting the Olympic Games can help to initiate large-scale tobacco-free public policies for hosting cities. Although previous studies have demonstrated reduction in nonsmoker exposure to secondhand smoke, the impact on the hosting city's smoking prevalence or exposure rates is unclear. After the Olympic Games in Qingdao, China, smoking prevalence among men significantly decreased, mostly due to light smokers. Secondhand smoke exposure at home and/or workplace significantly decreased among female nonsmokers. Urban nonsmokers had an unintended consequence of increased secondhand smoke exposure after the tobacco-free Olympic policy period. Concurrent promotion of cessation support for heavier smokers may be needed.

Switching from biosimilar (Basalin) to originator (Lantus) insulin glargine is effective in Chinese patients with diabetes mellitus: a retrospective chart review.

Background: This study investigated the effectiveness and safety of switching from Basalin® to Lantus® in Chinese patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). Methods:  A retrospective chart review conducted using the electronic medical records of patients hospitalized at the Qingdao Endocrine and Diabetes Hospital from 2005 to 2016. All patients were diagnosed with DM and underwent switching of insulin from Basalin to Lantus during hospitalization. Data collected included fasting (FBG), pre- and post-prandial whole blood glucose, insulin dose, reasons for insulin switching and hypoglycemia. Four study time points were defined as: hospital admission, Basalin initiation, insulin switching (date of final dose of Basalin), and hospital discharge. Blood glucose measurements were imputed as the values recorded closest to the dates of these four time points for each patient. Results: Data from 73 patients (70 patients with type 2 diabetes, 2 with type 1, and 1 undisclosed) were analyzed. At admission, mean glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and FBG were 8.9% (SD=1.75) and 9.98 (3.22) mmol/L, respectively. Between Basalin initiation and insulin switch, mean FBG decreased from 9.68 mmol/L to 8.03 mmol/L (p<0.0001), over a mean 10.8 (SD=6.85) days of Basalin treatment, and reduced further to 7.30 mmol/L at discharge (p=0.0116) following a mean 6.6 (7.36) days of Lantus. The final doses of Basalin and Lantus were similar (0.23 vs. 0.24 IU/kg/day; p=0.2409). Furthermore, reductions in pre- and post-prandial blood glucose were also observed between Basalin initiation, insulin switch and hospital discharge. The incidence of confirmed hypoglycemia was low during Basalin (2 [2.4%]) and Lantus (1 [1.2%]) treatment, with no cases of severe hypoglycemia. Conclusion: In this study population, switching from Basalin to Lantus was associated with further reductions in blood glucose, although the dose of insulin glargine did not increase. Further studies are required to verify these findings and determine the reason for this phenomenon.

Epidemiology, microbiology and treatment implications in adult patients hospitalized with pneumonia in different regions of China: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Data describing epidemiology, clinical outcomes and treatment patterns, of hospitalised patients with pneumonia in China are limited. We aimed to describe such information among adult pneumonia patients in southern and northern China. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed electronic medical records of pneumonia patients aged ≥18 years, hospitalized between 2008 and 2013 at Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine (n=3,636), southern China, and between 2010 and 2014 at Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing (n=1,689), northern China, in order to collect data on patient demographics, microbiology, clinical outcomes and treatment and resistance patterns. RESULTS: The mean (SD) age of patients was 60.0 (21.4) and 64.4 (18.4) years in Guangdong and Beijing, respectively. Mean length of hospital stay was 12.1 and 20.8 days, and overall mortality was 2.9% and 8.0%, respectively. Gram-negative bacilli were most frequently isolated, predominantly Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Infection with these bacteria was associated with unfavourable clinical outcomes, and the antibiotic resistance among these bacteria increased between 2008-2010 and 2011-2013 in both regions of China. The treatment and choice of antibiotics slightly varied between the two regions based on the susceptible pathogens identified among their populations. CONCLUSIONS: Of the pathogens identified, Staphylococcus aureus infection (particularly the methicillin-resistant S. aureus) was associated with poor clinical outcomes; however antibiotic resistance among S. aureus generally decreased during the study data collection periods. Also, disease severity was greater in Beijing as compared with Guangdong, and this may be associated with higher microbiological diagnosis rate and higher frequency of initial antibiotic modification among Beijing populations.

A 6-year study of complicated urinary tract infections in southern China: prevalence, antibiotic resistance, clinical and economic outcomes.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are common nosocomial infections. This study evaluated the prevalence, pathogens, antibiotic resistances, clinical outcomes, and hospitalization costs associated with complicated UTIs in southern China, and risk factors delaying patient discharge. We retrospectively reviewed electronic medical records of 4,284 (61.4% women) complicated UTI-related hospitalizations from 2008 to 2013. Average patient age was 61.1 years and median hospital stay was 11 days. Pathogens were isolated from 1,071 urine and 148 blood specimens. Gram-negative bacteria were the most frequent and included Escherichia coli (48.2%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (9.5%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (4.9%), and Proteus mirabilis (4.6%), while Enterococcus spp. (14.4%) was the most common Gram-positive bacteria causing UTIs. Both E. coli and K. pneumoniae showed high resistance rates (>45%) to wide-spectrum penicillins, cephalosporins, aztreonam, and ciprofloxacin. Resistances to beta-lactamase inhibitor/beta-lactam antibiotic combination were relatively lower. Imipenem, meropenem, and amikacin had the greatest activity against E.coli and K. pneumoniae. Recurrent infection was a risk factor for mortality. Age, sex, previous surgery, diabetes, and renal insufficiency were significant risk factors for delayed discharge (P<0.01). Response to initial treatment was associated with a lower cost. Initial empiric use of antibiotics least associated with resistance may reduce costs and medical resource usage.

Heterogeneously catalyzed persulfate with a CuMgFe layered double hydroxide for the degradation of ethylbenzene.

CuMgFe layered double hydroxide (CuMgFe-LDH) was successfully synthesized and characterized as an efficient catalyst of persulfate (PS) for the degradation of ethylbenzene. Under the conditions of 0.2gL-1 CuMgFe-LDH and 4.0mmolL-1 persulfate at pH 7.6, the degradation efficiency of 0.08mmolL-1 ethylbenzene was 93.7% with TOC removal efficiency of 65.2% in 24h, and the concentration of Cu leached into the solution was as low as 0.095mgL-1 after the reaction. The reuse of CuMgFe-LDH showed that the catalyst was highly stable after 5 recycles. Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) test and free radical quenching experiment indicated that SO4- and OH radicals were the dominant species accounted for the degradation of ethylbenzene in the CuMgFe-LDH/persulfate system. Catalytic mechanism of the formation of a complex of Cu(II)O3SOOSO32- and the subsequent redox cycle of Cu(II)/Cu(III) accounted for the generation of radicals was proposed.

Cost-effectiveness of exenatide twice daily vs insulin glargine as add-on therapy to oral antidiabetic agents in patients with type 2 diabetes in China.

AIMS: To estimate the long-term cost-effectiveness of exenatide twice daily vs insulin glargine once daily as add-on therapy to oral antidiabetic agents (OADs) for Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). METHODS: The Cardiff Diabetes Model was used to simulate disease progression and estimate the long-term effects of exenatide twice daily vs insulin glargine once daily. Patient profiles and treatment effects required for the model were obtained from literature reviews (English and Chinese databases) and from a meta-analysis of 8 randomized controlled trials comparing exenatide twice daily with insulin glargine once daily add-on to OADs for T2DM in China. Medical expenditure data were collected from 639 patients with T2DM (aged ≥18 years) with and without complications incurred between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2015 from claims databases in Shandong, China. Costs (2014 Chinese Yuan [¥]) and benefits were estimated, from the payers' perspective, over 40 years at a discount rate of 3%. A series of sensitivity analyses were performed. RESULTS: Patients on exenatide twice daily + OAD had a lower predicted incidence of most cardiovascular and hypoglycaemic events and lower total costs compared with those on insulin glargine once daily + OAD. A greater number of quality-adjusted life years (QALYs; 1.94) at a cost saving of ¥117 706 gained was associated with exenatide twice daily vs insulin glargine once daily. (i.e. cost saving of ¥60 764/QALY) per patient. CONCLUSIONS: In Chinese patients with T2DM inadequately controlled by OADs, exenatide twice daily is a cost-effective add-on therapy alternative to insulin glargine once daily, and may address the problem of an excess of medical needs resulting from weight gain and hypoglycaemia in T2DM treatment.

Association between fruit, vegetable, seafood, and dairy intake and a reduction in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in Qingdao, China.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Fruit, vegetable, seafood, and dairy intake may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, but this relationship is unclear. We aimed to examine the associations between fruit, vegetable, seafood, and dairy intake and type 2 diabetes prevalence in a Chinese population. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: A total of 4,343 individuals aged 35-74 years participated in a population-based cross-sectional study in Qingdao, China. The frequency and quantity of fruit, vegetable, seafood, and dairy intake were determined using a standard food frequency questionnaire. Diabetes was classified according to the WHO/IDF 2006 criteria. Logistic regression analysis was employed to estimate odds ratio (OR) for type 2 diabetes in relation to fruit, vegetable, seafood, and dairy intake in a multivariable model. RESULTS: The multivariate-adjusted ORs (95% confidence interval) for the presence of type 2 diabetes were 0.68 (0.46-0.98), 0.50 (0.37-0.68), and 0.91 (0.66-1.25), respectively, for the highest versus the lowest groups regarding total fruit and vegetable, fruit or vegetable intake in women. The ORs for type 2 diabetes prevalence regarding the quantity of fruit and vegetable, fruit, and yogurt intake were 0.88 (0.78-0.99), 0.71 (0.61-0.82), and 0.56 (0.32-0.98) in women, but not in men. Seafood consumption was inversely associated with diabetes risk in men, but not in women; the corresponding figures were 0.58 (0.35-0.96) and 0.92 (0.63-1.36), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Fruit, vegetable, and yogurt intake in women and seafood intake in men were inversely associated with type 2 diabetes prevalence in this Chinese population. These findings require confirmation in a prospective study.

Enhanced Fenton-like Degradation of Trichloroethylene by Hydrogen Peroxide Activated with Nanoscale Zero Valent Iron Loaded on Biochar.

Composite of nanoscale Zero Valent Iron (nZVI) loaded on Biochar (BC) was prepared and characterized as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) activator for the degradation of trichloroethylene (TCE). nZVI is homogeneously loaded on lamellarly structured BC surfaces to form nZVI/BC with specific surface area (SBET) of 184.91 m2 g-1, which can efficiently activate H2O2 to achieve TCE degradation efficiency of 98.9% with TOC removal of 78.2% within 30 min under the conditions of 0.10 mmol L-1 TCE, 1.13 g L-1 nZVI/BC and 1.50 mmol L-1 H2O2. Test results from the Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) measurement and coumarin based fluorescent probe technology indicated that ∙OH radicals were the dominant species responsible for the degradation of TCE within the nZVI/BC-H2O2 system. Activation mechanism of the redox action of Fe2+/Fe3+ generated under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions from nZVI and single electron transfer process from BC surface bound C-OH to H2O2 promoted decomposition of H2O2 into ∙OH radicals was proposed.

Patient characteristics related to metabolic disorders and chronic complications in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients hospitalized at the Qingdao Endocrine and Diabetes Hospital from 2006 to 2012 in China.

OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical characteristics related to metabolic disorders and complications in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients hospitalized in the Qingdao Endocrine and Diabetes Hospital from 2006 to 2012 in Qingdao, China. PATIENT POPULATION AND METHODS: Data from 14,289 (51% males) type 2 diabetes mellitus patients hospitalized between 2006 and 2012 were collected and analysed. Information on patients' demographic, anthropometric, laboratory and disease histories were extracted from electronic medical records. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 60.5 years, with median diabetes duration of 9.0 years. Mean haemoglobin A1c was 8.4%, where <30.0% of patients had haemoglobin A1c <7.0%. In all, 34.5% of patients had low-density lipoprotein cholesterol lower than 2.6 mmol/L and 31.9% had hypertriglyceridaemia. Retinopathy was diagnosed in 51.1% of patients, nephropathy in 21.6%, neuropathy in 50.4%, hypertension in 77.4%, coronary heart disease in 27.6% and peripheral vascular disease in 58.6%. Once hospitalized, 71.1% of patients underwent insulin injection treatments, either mono-therapy or combined with other anti-diabetic drugs. Metformin was prescribed to 36.9% of patients, followed by acarbose 29.9%, thiazolidinediones 18.1%, meglitinides 14.8% and sulfonylureas 10.7%. CONCLUSION: Inadequate control of hyperglycaemia, poor metabolic profiles and diabetic complications were common challenges for long-term diabetes management in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Diagnosis and treatment pattern among rural and urban breast cancer patients in Southwest China from 2005 to 2009.

The incidence of all cancers in China is generally higher in urban areas; however, the mortality risk for affected patients is considerably higher in rural areas. We present a subanalysis investigating the differences in patient and disease characteristics, treatment patterns, and outcomes between rural and urban patients who were diagnosed with breast cancer at West China Hospital between 2005-2009. Baseline patient and disease characteristics were recorded, and patients were followed up for a minimum of 3 years, or until death. For this subanalysis, patients were stratified by their residential status (rural or urban). Of the 2252 patients in the cohort, 76.3% were from urban areas and 22.1% were from rural areas. Significant differences were observed in the prevalence of luminal A and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive breast cancers among rural and urban patients. Estrogen receptor (ER)-positive patients were less likely to receive anti-ER therapy if they were from rural areas compared with urban areas; the use of aromatase inhibitors was also significantly lower for rural patients than urban patients. Univariate, multivariate, and Kaplan-Meier analyses all demonstrated that overall survival and progression-free survival were significantly lower for rural patients than urban patients.