The distinguishable-particle lattice model of glasses in three dimensions.

The nature of glassy states in realistic finite dimensions is still under fierce debate. Lattice models can offer valuable insights and facilitate deeper theoretical understanding. Recently, a disordered-interacting lattice model with distinguishable particles in two dimensions (2D) has been shown to produce a wide range of dynamical properties of structural glasses, including the slow and heterogeneous characteristics of the glassy dynamics, various fragility behaviors of glasses, and so on. These findings support the usefulness of this model for modeling structural glasses. An important question is whether such properties still hold in the more realistic three dimensions. In this study, we aim to extend the distinguishable-particle lattice model (DPLM) to three dimensions (3D) and explore the corresponding glassy dynamics. Through extensive kinetic Monte Carlo simulations, we found that the 3D DPLM exhibits many typical glassy behaviors, such as plateaus in the mean square displacement of particles and the self-intermediate scattering function, dynamic heterogeneity, variability of glass fragilities, and so on, validating the effectiveness of the DPLM in a broader realistic setting. The observed glassy behaviors of the 3D DPLM appear similar to those of its 2D counterpart, in accordance with recent findings in molecular models of glasses. We further investigate the role of void-induced motions in dynamical relaxations and discuss their relation to dynamic facilitation. As lattice models tend to keep the minimal but important modeling elements, they are typically much more amenable to analysis. Therefore, we envisage that the DPLM will benefit future theoretical developments, such as the configuration tree theory, towards a more comprehensive understanding of structural glasses.

Surface mobility gradient and emergent facilitation in glassy films.

Confining glassy polymers into films can substantially modify their local and film-averaged properties. We present a lattice model of film geometry with void-mediated facilitation behaviors but free from any elasticity effect. We analyze the spatially varying viscosity to delineate the transport properties of glassy films. The film mobility measurements reported by Yang et al., Science, 2010, 328, 1676 are successfully reproduced. The flow exhibits a crossover from a simple viscous flow to a surface-dominated regime as the temperature decreases. The propagation of a highly mobile front induced by the free surface is visualized in real space. Our approach provides a microscopic treatment of the observed glassy phenomena.

Correction: Surface mobility gradient and emergent facilitation in glassy films.

Correction for 'Surface mobility gradient and emergent facilitation in glassy films' by Qiang Zhai et al., Soft Matter, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1039/D4SM00221K.

Spatial-temporal distribution of preterm birth in China, 1990-2020: A systematic review and modelling analysis.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the long-term trends of preterm birth rates in China and their geographic variation by province. OBJECTIVES: To estimate the annual spatial-temporal distribution of preterm birth rates in China by province from 1990 to 2020. DATA SOURCES: We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, CNKI, WANFANG and VIP from January 1990 to September 2023. STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION: Studies that provided data on preterm births in China after 1990 were included. Data were extracted following the Guidelines for Accurate and Transparent Health Estimates Reporting. SYNTHESIS: We assessed the quality of each survey using a 9-point checklist. We estimated the annual preterm birth risk by province using Bayesian multilevel logistic regression models considering potential socioeconomic, environmental, and sanitary predictors. RESULTS: Based on 634 survey data from 343 included studies, we found a gradual increase in the preterm birth risk in most provinces in China since 1990, with an average annual increase of 0.7% nationally. However, the preterm birth rates in Inner Mongolia, Hubei, and Fujian Province showed a decline, while those in Sichuan were quite stable since 1990. In 2020, the estimates of preterm birth rates ranged from 2.9% (95% Bayesian credible interval [BCI] 2.1, 3.8) in Inner Mongolia to 8.5% (95% BCI 6.6, 10.9) in Jiangxi, with the national estimate of 5.9% (95% BCI 4.3, 8.1). Specifically, some provinces were identified as high-risk provinces for either consistently high preterm birth rates (e.g. Jiangxi) or relatively large increases (e.g. Shanxi) since 1990. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides annual information on the preterm birth risk in China since 1990 and identifies high-risk provinces to assist in targeted control and intervention for this health issue.

Insulin resistance is associated with the presence and severity of retinopathy in patients with type 2 diabetes.

BACKGROUND: To assess the relationship between novel insulin resistance (IR) indices and the presence and severity of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study involving 2211 patients. The study outcomes were DR events. The study exposures were IR indices including estimated glucose disposal rate (eGDR), natural logarithm of glucose disposal rate (lnGDR), metabolic insulin resistance score (METS-IR), triglyceride glucose index-body mass index (TyG-BMI), triglyceride glucose index-waist-to-hip ratio (TyG-WHR), and triglyceride/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(TG/HDL-c ratio). We used binary and multivariate ordered logistic regression models to estimate the association between different IR indices and the presence and severity of DR. Subject work characteristic curves were used to assess the predictive power of different IR indices for DR. RESULTS: DR was present in 25.4% of participants. After adjusting for all covariates, per standard deviation (SD) increases in eGDR (ratio [OR] 0.38 [95% CI 0.32-0.44]), lnGDR (0.34 [0.27-0.42]) were negatively associated with the presence of DR. In contrast, per SD increases in METS-IR (1.97 [1.70-2.28]), TyG-BMI (1.94 [1.68-2.25]), TyG-WHR (2.34 [2.01-2.72]) and TG/HDL-c ratio (1.21 [1.08-1.36]) were positively associated with the presence of DR. eGDR was strongly associated with severity of DR. Of all variables, eGDR had the strongest diagnostic value for DR (AUC = 0.757). CONCLUSIONS: Of the six IR indices, eGDR was significantly associated with the presence and severity of DR in patients with type 2 diabetes. eGDR has a good predictive value for DR. Thus, eGDR maybe a stronger marker of DR.

Temperature-Dependent Contact of Weakly Interacting Single-Component Fermi Gases and Loss Rate of Degenerate Polar Molecules.

Motivated by the experimental realization of single-component degenerate Fermi gases of polar ground state KRb molecules with intrinsic two-body losses [L. De Marco et al., A degenerate Fermi gas of polar molecules, Science 363, 853 (2019).SCIEAS0036-807510.1126/science.aau7230], this work studies the finite-temperature loss rate of single-component Fermi gases with weak interactions. First, we establish a relationship between the two-body loss rate and the p-wave contact. Second, we evaluate the contact of the homogeneous system in the low-temperature regime using p-wave Fermi liquid theory and in the high-temperature regime using the second-order virial expansion. Third, conjecturing that there are no phase transitions between the two temperature regimes, we smoothly interpolate the results to intermediate temperatures. It is found that the contact is constant at temperatures close to zero and increases first quadratically with increasing temperature and finally-in agreement with the Bethe-Wigner threshold law-linearly at high temperatures. Fourth, applying the local-density approximation, we obtain the loss-rate coefficient for the harmonically trapped system, reproducing the experimental KRb loss measurements within a unified theoretical framework over a wide temperature regime without fitting parameters. Our results for the contact are not only applicable to molecular p-wave gases but also to atomic single-component Fermi gases, such as ^{40}K and ^{6}Li.

Association between the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio and mild cognitive impairment in patients with type 2 diabetes.

AIM: Evidence indicates that type 2 diabetes (T2D) is associated with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Inflammation is a recognized sign of many neurodegenerative diseases. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a novel and inexpensive marker of inflammation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the NLR and MCI in patients with T2D. METHODS: The sample for this study comprised 787 patients with T2D, including 411 patients with normal cognitive function and 376 patients with MCI. Blood biochemical parameters and routine blood indicators were determined by an automatic analyzer. The NLR was calculated as the neutrophil count divided by the lymphocyte count. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the MCI group was older and had a higher NLR but a lower education level and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score (p < 0.05). Spearman correlation and multiple linear regression analyses confirmed that the MoCA score was negatively associated with the NLR (p < 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that the NLR was an independent risk factor for MCI in patients with T2D (p < 0.001). After adjusting for confounding factors, the risk of MCI for those in the third tertile of the NLR was 2.907 times higher than that of those in the first tertile of the NLR (OR = 2.907, 95%CI = 1.978-4.272, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: An elevated NLR is associated with MCI in patients with T2D.

Diffusion-Coefficient Power Laws and Defect-Driven Glassy Dynamics in Swap Acceleration.

Particle swaps can drastically accelerate dynamics in glass. The mechanism is expected to be vital for a fundamental understanding of glassy dynamics. To extract defining features, we propose a partial swap model with a fraction ϕ_{s} of swap-initiating particles, which can only swap locally with each other or with regular particles. We focus on the swap-dominating regime. At all temperatures studied, particle diffusion coefficients scale with ϕ_{s} in unexpected power laws with temperature-dependent exponents, consistent with the kinetic picture of glassy dynamics. At small ϕ_{s}, swap initiators, becoming defect particles, induce remarkably typical glassy dynamics of regular particles. This supports defect models of glass.

Exosomal ncRNAs: Novel therapeutic target and biomarker for diabetic complications.

Exosomes are discoid vesicles with a diameter of 40-160 nm. They are mainly derived from the multivesicular body formed by the invagination of lysosomal particles in the cell, which are released into the extracellular matrix after the fusion of the outer membrane. Exosomes are widespread and distributed in various body fluids, they are rich in nucleic acids (microRNA, lncRNA, circRNA, mRNA, tRNA, etc.), proteins, lipids, etc. As an important mediator of cellular communication, exosomes carry and transmit important signaling molecules and are widely involved in intercellular material transport and information transfer, they regulate cellular physiological activities and are closely related to the occurrence and course of various diseases. In recent years, with the deepening of exosome-related research, we discovered that exosomal non-coding RNAs are associated with diabetic complications such as diabetic retinopathy, diabetic nephropathy, diabetic foot ulcer. This article reviews the new findings of exosomal non-coding RNAs (mainly microRNAs, lncRNAs, circRNAs) in diabetic complications, and analyzes the potential of exosomal ncRNA as new biomarkers and new cell-free therapies in the diagnosis and treatment of diabetic complications, hoping to provide new ideas for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diabetic complications.

Emergence of two-level systems in glass formers: a kinetic Monte Carlo study.

Using a distinguishable-particle lattice model based on void-induced dynamics, we successfully reproduce the well-known linear relation between heat capacity and temperature at very low temperatures. The heat capacity is dominated by two-level systems formed due to the strong localization of voids to two neighboring sites, and can be exactly calculated in the limit of ultrastable glasses. Similar but weaker localization at higher temperatures accounts for glass transition. The result supports the conventional two-level tunneling picture by revealing how two-level systems emerge from random particle interactions, which also cause glass transition. Our approach provides a unified framework for relating microscopic dynamics of glasses at room and cryogenic temperatures.

Retinal microglia polarization in diabetic retinopathy.

Microglia, the main immune cell of the central nervous system (CNS), categorized into M1-like phenotype and M2-like phenotype, play important roles in phagocytosis, cell migration, antigen presentation, and cytokine production. As a part of CNS, retinal microglial cells (RMC) play an important role in retinal diseases. Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the most common complications of diabetes. Recent studies have demonstrated that DR is not only a microvascular disease but also retinal neurodegeneration. RMC was regarded as a central role in neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation. Therefore, in this review, we will discuss RMC polarization and its possible regulatory factors in early DR, which will provide new targets and insights for early intervention of DR.

MicroRNAs: Potential Targets in Diabetic Retinopathy.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR), a serious microvascular complication of diabetes, is a leading cause of blindness in adults. The pathogenesis of DR involves a variety of tissues and complex mechanisms, such as inflammation, oxidative stress, optic neurodegeneration, and autophagy. Nowadays, microRNAs (miRNAs), a novel group of non-coding small RNAs, have been extensively studied and recognized to play a key role in the pathogenesis of DR through aforementioned pathways. Furthermore, some miRNAs have been proposed as biomarkers that may be utilized to screen for DR. Also, miRNAs are a new therapy for DR. In this review, we summarize several miRNAs and, their roles in the pathogenesis of DR. miRNAs, as potential pharmacological targets for the diabetic retinopathy, may provide new insights for the treatment of DR.

Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α: A promising therapeutic target for vasculopathy in diabetic retinopathy.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a serious condition that can cause blindness in diabetic patients. It is a neurovascular disease, but the pathogenesis leading to the onset of this disease is still not completely understood. However, hypoxia with subsequent neovascularization is a characteristic phenomenon observed with DR. Cellular response to hypoxia is mediated by the transcriptional regulator hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF). Long-term research has shown that one isotype of HIF, HIF-1α, may play a pivotal role under hypoxic conditions, and an increasing number of studies have shown that HIF-1α and its target genes contribute to retinal neovascularization. Therefore, targeting HIF-1α may lead to more effective DR treatments. This review describes the possible mechanisms of HIF-1α in neovascularization of DR. Furthermore, various inhibitors of HIF-1α that may have viable potential in the treatment of DR are also discussed.

Benefits of exenatide on obesity and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease with elevated liver enzymes in patients with type 2 diabetes.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the advantages of exenatide treatment on obesity and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) with elevated liver enzymes in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). METHODS: A total of 60 newly diagnosed patients with obesity, NAFLD with elevated liver enzymes and T2D were included in the study. The patients were randomly divided into two groups. The exenatide treatment group (n = 30) were treated with exenatide and insulin glargine, and the intensive insulin therapy group (n = 30) were treated with insulin aspart and insulin glargine for 12 weeks. Selected clinical characteristics were determined, and ultrasonography was performed at both baseline and 12 weeks following treatment. RESULTS: At baseline, the clinical characteristics were matched between the two groups. After 12 weeks, fasting blood glucose (FBG), postprandial blood glucose (PBG), glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG) and total bilirubin levels were significantly decreased in the two groups (p < 0.001). Body weight and waist circumference were significantly decreased in the exenatide group but increased in the intensive insulin group (p < 0.001). The levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (γGGT) in the exenatide group were significantly lower than in the intensive insulin group (p < 0.001). The mean body weight change correlated with the levels of ALT, AST and γGGT change (ALT, r = 0.761; AST, r = 0.733; γGGT, r = 0.752; p < 0.001). Moreover, the reversal rate of fatty liver was significantly higher in the exenatide group (93.3%) than the intensive insulin group (66.7%) (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Exenatide has a better hepatic-protective effect than intensive insulin therapy and perhaps represents a unique option for adjunctive therapy for patients with obesity, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease with elevated liver enzymes and T2D.

Decreased gastric body mucosa obestatin expression in abdominal obesity patients with normal body mass index.

The aim of the study was to investigate whether the expression of obestatin in gastric body mucosa in abdominal obesity patients with normal body mass index (BMI) is different compared with healthy controls. Twenty abdominal obesity patients with normal BMI and twenty healthy controls were included in the study. The number of obestatin-positive cells in gastric body mucosa was significantly lower in abdominal obesity patients with normal BMI than that in healthy subjects. There was a positive correlation between the numbers of obestatin-positive cells in the gastric body mucosa and plasma obestatin levels in abdominal obesity subjects and control group.

Relating fragile-to-strong transition to fragile glass via lattice model simulations.

Glass formers are, in general, classified as strong or fragile depending on whether their relaxation rates follow Arrhenius or super-Arrhenius temperature dependence. There are, however, notable exceptions, such as water, which exhibit a fragile-to-strong (FTS) transition and behave as fragile and strong, respectively, at high and low temperatures. In this work, the FTS transition is studied using a distinguishable-particle lattice model previously demonstrated to be capable of simulating both strong and fragile glasses [C.-S. Lee, M. Lulli, L.-H. Zhang, H.-Y. Deng, and C.-H. Lam, Phys. Rev. Lett. 125, 265703 (2020)0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.125.265703]. Starting with a bimodal pair-interaction distribution appropriate for fragile glasses, we show that by narrowing down the energy dispersion in the low-energy component of the distribution, a FTS transition is observed. The transition occurs at a temperature at which the stretching exponent of the relaxation is minimized, in agreement with previous molecular dynamics simulations.

RAAS in diabetic retinopathy: mechanisms and therapies.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a complication of diabetes with a complex pathophysiology and multiple factors involved. Recently, it has been found that the upregulation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) leads to overexpression of angiotensin II (Ang II), which induces oxidative stress, inflammation, and angiogenesis in the retina. Therefore, RAAS may be a promising therapeutic target in DR. Notably, RAAS inhibitors are often used in the treatment of hypertension. Still, the potential role and mechanism of DR must be further studied. In this review, we discuss and summarize the pathology and potential therapeutic goals of RAAS in DR.

Uric acid index is a risk for mild cognitive impairment in type 2 diabetes.

BACKGROUND: A new uric acid (UA) index has recently been proposed, while serum uric acid (SUA), fasting triglyceride, and fasting blood glucose levels in the index are shown to affect cognitive function. This study aims to investigate the clinical value of the UA index for assessing mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients. METHODS: This was an observational cross-sectional study with 616 participants. A generalized additive model was used to determine a linear or curvilinear relationship between cognitive performance and the UA index. Logistic regression and random forest models were both developed. A receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was delineated and the area under the curve (AUC) was calculated. RESULTS: MCI was diagnosed in 313 participants (50.81%). Compared with the T2D-normal cognitive function group, MCI subjects had higher UA indexes, lower cognitive scores, and lower education levels (p < 0.001). Generalized additive models showed the UA index and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score to be decreased linearly (p < 0.001). The UA index AUC was 0.751 (95% CI = 0.713-0.789, p < 0.001). The optimal cut-off point for the identification of MCI based on the UA index was 11.26 (sensitivity: 62.3%, specificity: 75.9%). Results for females in the cohort yielded an AUC change of + 2.5%, the less-educated population (AUC change of + 4.7%), and the hypertensive population (AUC change of + 1.1%). The AUCs were 0.791 (95% CI = 0.720-0.863) for the random forest model and 0.804 (95% CI = 0.770-0.837) for the logistic regression model, and no statistical significance was found (p = 0.758). CONCLUSION: This study showed that the increased UA index was independently associated with MCI in patients with T2D, especially among female, less-educated, and hypertensive patients. It could be a potential indicator of MCI in T2D patients.

Relationship Between Index of Cardiac Electrophysiological Balance, Frontal QRS-T Angle and Retinopathy in People with Type 2 Diabetes.

Background: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is strongly associated with cardiovascular disease, which is a risk factor for sudden cardiac death (SCD). The index of cardiac electrophysiological balance (iCEB) and the frontal QRS-T angle are recommended to predict the risk of ventricular arrhythmias more than other ECG parameters. However, the relationships between these two markers and DR have not yet been explored. The aim of this study was to investigate the variation in the iCEB, corrected iCEB (iCEBc) and frontal QRS-T angle in different stages of DR and determine whether there are associations between these markers and DR. Methods: The sample comprised 665 patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) who were classified into three groups: no DR (NDR), mild to moderate non-proliferative DR (NPDR), and vision-threatening DR (VTDR). Twelve-lead ECG was performed and the QT, QTc, QRS duration, iCEB, iCEBc and frontal QRS-T angle were recorded and compared across the groups. Results: The VTDR group had a significantly higher iCEBc and frontal QRS-T angle than the NDR and NPDR groups. After controlling for confounding variables, the correlations between the iCEBc (OR=2.217, 95% CI=1.464-3.358, P<0.001), frontal QRS-T angle (OR=1.017, 95% CI=1.008-1.025, P<0.001) and DR risk remained (P<0.05). Subjects in the fourth iCEBc quartile (adjusted OR=2.612, 95% CI=1.411-4.834, p=0.002) had a much higher chance of developing DR compared to those in the first quartile. In comparison to the first frontal QRS-T angle quartile, subjects in the third (adjusted OR=1.998, 95% CI=1.167-3.422, P=0.012) and fourth (adjusted OR=2.430, 95% CI=1.420-4.160, P=0.001) frontal QRS-T angle quartiles had significantly greater risks of DR. Conclusion: With the progression of DR, the iCEBc and frontal QRS-T angle increase. An increased iCEBc and frontal QRS-T angle are associated with an increased risk of DR.

Impaired Sensitivity to Thyroid Hormones is Associated with Mild Cognitive Impairment in Euthyroid Patients with Type 2 Diabetes.

Purpose: The prevalence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) is rapidly increasing. Thyroid hormones are key regulators of cognitive function in adults. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between thyroid hormone sensitivity and MCI in euthyroid T2D patients. Patients and Methods: A total of 400 euthyroid T2D patients were enrolled in this cross-sectional study, including 218 patients with normal cognition and 182 MCI patients. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) was used to evaluate cognitive function. The free triiodothyronine to free thyroxine (FT3/FT4) ratio was calculated as a measure of peripheral sensitivity to thyroid hormones; the thyroid-stimulating hormone index (TSHI), thyrotrophic thyroxine resistance index (TT4RI) and thyroid feedback quantile-based index (TFQI) were calculated as measures of central sensitivity to thyroid hormones. Linear regression analysis and logistic regression analysis were performed to explore the relationships between these indices of thyroid hormone sensitivity and the MoCA score and MCI, respectively. Results: Compared with the normal cognitive function group, patients in the MCI group had higher TSHI, TT4RI and TFQI but a lower FT3/FT4 ratio (P<0.05). The MoCA score was positively correlated with the FT3/FT4 ratio but negatively correlated with TSHI, TT4RI and TFQI (P< 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that a low FT3/FT4 ratio and high TSHI, TT4RI and TFQI were independently associated with MCI (P<0.05). After adjustment for confounding factors, the odds ratio (OR) for the association between MCI and the highest tertile of the FT3/FT4 was 0.455 (95% CI: 0.264-0.785), for the highest tertile of TSHI, the OR was 2.380 (95% CI: 1.376-4.119), for the highest tertile of TT4RI, the OR was 2.342 (95% CI:1.353-4.054), and for the highest tertile of TFQI, the OR was 2.536 (95% CI: 1.466-4.387) (P< 0.05). Conclusion: Impaired sensitivity to thyroid hormones is associated with MCI in euthyroid T2D patients.