Evaluation method for the color preference of lighting traditional Chinese paintings in museum based on light source spectral analysis.

To evaluate the lighting color preference on traditional Chinese paintings based on the spectral power distributions (SPDs) of light sources, an experiment to examine the color preference of 40 representative SPDs illuminating two typical traditional Chinese paintings was performed in a 1:1 simulated exhibition hall. By decomposing the data, the influence trend from the different narrowband spectra on the color preference was obtained, and two key spectra with a significant influence on the color preference were determined (WLP = 425 nm with FWHM = 20 nm and WLP = 525 nm with FWHM = 30 nm). With an evaluation model using the relative spectral areas of S425 and S525, the calculation of the lighting color preference for traditional Chinese painting illumination based on SPD was achieved. Our results could provide a mathematical tool for the comparison and selection of light sources for the illumination of traditional Chinese paintings and the development and design of specific light sources.

The association between Chinese visceral adiposity index and cardiometabolic multimorbidity among Chinese middle-aged and older adults: a national cohort study.

Objective: This study aimed to explore the association between the Chinese visceral adiposity index (CVAI) and cardiometabolic multimorbidity in middle-aged and older Chinese adults. Methods: The data used in this study were obtained from a national cohort, the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS, 2011-2018 wave). The CVAI was measured using previously validated biomarker estimation formulas, which included sex, age, body mass index, waist circumference, triglycerides, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. The presence of two or more of these cardiometabolic diseases (diabetes, heart disease, and stroke) is considered as cardiometabolic multimorbidity. We used Cox proportional hazard regression models to examine the association between CVAI and cardiometabolic multimorbidity, adjusting for a set of covariates. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to show the strength of the associations. We also conducted a subgroup analysis between age and sex, as well as two sensitivity analyses. Receiver operator characteristic curves (ROC) were used to test the predictive capabilities and cutoff value of the CVAI for cardiometabolic multimorbidity. Results: A total of 9028 participants were included in the final analysis, with a mean age of 59.3 years (standard deviation: 9.3) and women accounting for 53.7% of the sample population. In the fully-adjusted model, compared with participants in the Q1 of CVAI, the Q3 (HR = 2.203, 95% CI = 1.039 - 3.774) and Q4 of CVAI (HR = 3.547, 95% CI = 2.100 - 5.992) were associated with an increased risk of cardiometabolic multimorbidity. There was no evidence of an interaction between the CVAI quartiles and sex or age in association with cardiometabolic multimorbidity (P >0.05). The results of both sensitivity analyses suggested that the association between CVAI and cardiometabolic multimorbidity was robust. In addition, the area under ROC and ideal cutoff value for CVAI prediction of cardiometabolic multimorbidity were 0.685 (95% CI = 0.649-0.722) and 121.388. Conclusion: The CVAI is a valid biomarker with good predictive capability for cardiometabolic multimorbidity and can be used by primary healthcare organizations in the future for early warning, prevention, and intervention with regard to cardiometabolic multimorbidity.

Ir-Doped CuPd Single-Crystalline Mesoporous Nanotetrahedrons for Ethylene Glycol Oxidation Electrocatalysis: Enhanced Selective Cleavage of C-C Bond.

The development of highly efficient electrocatalysts for complete oxidation of ethylene glycol (EG) in direct EG fuel cells is of decisive importance to hold higher energy efficiency. Despite some achievements, their progress, especially electrocatalytic selectivity to complete oxidated C1 products, is remarkably slower than expected. In this work, we developed a facile aqueous synthesis of Ir-doped CuPd single-crystalline mesoporous nanotetrahedrons (Ir-CuPd SMTs) as high-performance electrocatalyst for promoting oxidation cleavage of C-C bond in alkaline EG oxidation reaction (EGOR) electrocatalysis. The synthesis relied on precise reduction/co-nucleation and epitaxial growth of Ir, Cu and Pd precursors with cetyltrimethylammonium chloride as the mesopore-forming surfactant and extra Br- as the facet-selective agent under ambient conditions. The products featured concave nanotetrahedron morphology enclosed by well-defined (111) facets, single-crystalline and mesoporous structure radiated from the center, and uniform elemental composition without any phase separation. Ir-CuPd SMTs disclosed remarkably enhanced electrocatalytic activity and excellent stability as well as superior selectivity of C1 products for alkaline EGOR electrocatalysis. Detailed mechanism studies demonstrated that performance improvement came from structural and compositional synergies, which kinetically accelerated transports of electrons/reactants within active sites of penetrated mesopores and facilitated oxidation cleavage of high-energy-barrier C-C bond of EG for desired C1 products. More interestingly, Ir-CuPd SMTs performed well in coupled electrocatalysis of anode EGOR and cathode nitrate reduction, highlighting its high potential as bifunctional electrocatalyst in various applications.

Experimental study on the aluminum aggregate property during the treatment of lightweight oil spills using electrocoagulation.

The properties of aggregates significantly affect the demulsification efficiency within the electrocoagulation reactor. This paper aims to explore aggregate properties including the particle size, strength factor (Fs), and recovery factor (Fr). The experiments were carried out using aluminum-aluminum electrodes. The experimental results indicate that breakage time did not change Fs much but was positively correlated with Fr. When the current was increased from 0.75 A to 1.0 A, Fs experienced a decrease of 12.42%, while Fr exhibited an increase of 19.38%. In comparison to pH 9.0, both Fs and Fr demonstrated an increase at pH levels of 2.0 and 10.0. The size of aggregates significantly decreases under rocking conditions simulating offshore environments, while the oil removal rate does not change much. This phenomenon can be attributed to the fact that different initial mean particle sizes have different Fs and Fr. The aggregates |Fs-Fr| were positively correlated with the initial average particle size of the electroflocculated aggregates. The present study offers a crucial theoretical foundation for the growth and regulation of aggregates formed during electrocoagulation treatment of oil spills on the sea surface.Synopsis: This paper is of great theoretical value for understanding the growth and control of EC aggregates to treat offshore light oil spills using the electrocoagulation process.

Effects of continuous glucose monitoring on glycaemic control in type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

AIMS: The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) versus self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) in maintaining glycaemic control among people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42023387583). PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE and OVID databases were searched from 1 January 2000 until 31 December 2022 for randomized controlled trials comparing CGM with SMBG in glycaemic control among the outpatients with T2DM. The primary endpoint was glycated haemoglobin, while the secondary endpoints included time in range, time below range and time above range. Both traditional and network meta-analyses were conducted to explore the efficacy of CGM on glycaemic control in T2DM. RESULTS: Eleven high-quality studies, involving 1425 individuals with T2DM, were identified. Traditional meta-analysis revealed that CGM exhibited a significantly decreased [mean difference (MD): -0.31, 95% confidence interval (CI) (-0.45, -0.18)], time above range [MD: -9.06%, 95% CI (-16.00, -2.11)], time below range [MD: -0.30%, 95% CI (-0.49, -0.12)] and a significantly increased time in range [MD: 8.49%, 95% CI (3.96, 13.02)] compared with SMBG. The network meta-analysis showed that real-time CGM can improve the glycaemic control of patients with T2DM to the most extent. CONCLUSIONS: CGM could provide T2DM with greater benefits in glycaemic management compared with SMBG, particularly in patients using real-time CGM. These findings provide an updated perspective on previous research and offer guidance for CGM use in T2DM.

Effect of beinaglutide combined with metformin versus aspart 30 with metformin on metabolic profiles and antidrug antibodies in patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomized clinical trial.

Objective: This prospective study aimed to evaluate the effect of beinaglutide combined with metformin versus aspart 30 with metformin on metabolic profiles and antidrug antibodies (ADAs) in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Methods: A total of 134 eligible participants were randomly assigned to the test group and the control group. Patients in the test group were treated with beinaglutide and metformin, whereas patients in the control group were randomly treated with aspart 30 and metformin, with a follow-up period of 6 months. The metabolic profiles and ADAs over 6 months were evaluated. Results: After 6 months, 101 (75.37%) patients completed the study. Compared with the control group, the beinaglutide group had significant reductions in 2-h postprandial blood glucose (2hBG) and low blood glucose index (LBGI). Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) decreased in both groups relative to baseline. In the test group, one had treatment-emergent beinaglutide ADAs. Significant reductions in triglycerides (TG), non-fasting TG, weight, waist circumference (WC), and body mass index (BMI) were observed. The values of insulin sensitivity index (HOMA-IR) were decreased to a statistically higher degree with beinaglutide treatment. Conclusion: Beinaglutide reduces metabolic dysfunction, LBGI, and weight in patients of T2D with a low risk of ADAs. Beinaglutide may offer the potential for a disease-modifying intervention in cardiovascular disease (CVD). Clinical trial registration: www.chictr.org.cn, identifier ChiCTR2200061003.

Telemedicine-assisted structured self-monitoring of blood glucose in management of T2DM results of a randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: This prospective study aimed to compare telemedicine-assisted structured self-monitoring of blood glucose(SMBG) with a traditional blood glucose meter (BGM) in adults of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). METHODS: Adult participants with T2DM were assigned to an intervention group or a control group. The patients in the intervention group received a connected BGM with real-time data submission as well as individual needs-based tele-coaching to address and improve motivation and daily diabetes self-management. The patients in the control group received a traditional BGM. Changes in glycated hemoglobin(HbA1c), low blood glucose index(LBGI), and diabetes self-management behaviors were analyzed. RESULTS: The study demonstrated the superiority of the telemedicine-assisted structured SMBG versus the traditional BGM for improving HbA1c. Additionally, the telemedicine-assisted SMBG reduced the risk of hypoglycemia and enhanced diabetes self-management behaviors, as differences in the LBGI and the Diabetes Self-Management Questionnaire(DSMQ) results between the groups after 6 months were found to be significant. CONCLUSIONS: Telemedicine-assisted structured SMBG helps physicians and patients to achieve a specific level of glycemic control and reduce hypoglycemia. The use of coaching applications and telemedicine-assisted SMBG indicated beneficial effects for T2DM self-management, which may help limit disease progression. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese Clinical Trail Registry No: ChiCTR2300072356 on 12/06/2023. Retrospectively registered.

Effect of Benaglutide on Gut Microbiota and Fecal Metabolites in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Objective: Benaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) that has been approved in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). It is known to lead to significant weight loss, and it is hypothesized that changes in gut microbiota may play a significant role in such weight loss. However, it is unclear how gut microbiota and metabolites change as a result of benaglutide treatment. Methods: Healthy participants and patients with T2DM were included in this study. They received differentiated treatments, and stool specimens were collected separately. These stool specimens were subjected to 16S ribosomal RNA amplicon and metagenomic sequencing to create fecal metabolomic profiles. The diversity of gut microbiota and metabolic products in the stools of each participant was analyzed. Results: The data showed that Faecalibacterium prausnitzii was abundant in the gut microbiota of the control group, which was entirely made up of healthy individuals; however, it showed a statistically significant decrease in patients with T2DM treated with metformin alone, while no significant decrease was observed in patients treated with metformin combined with benaglutide. A metagenomic analysis revealed that benaglutide could improve the fecal microbiota diversity in patients with T2DM. Furthermore, there was a statistically significant correlation between the changes in the metabolites of patients with T2DM and the changes in their gut microbiota (including F. prausnitzii) after treatment with metformin and benaglutide. Conclusion: These findings suggest that the weight-reducing effect of benaglutide is attributed to its ability to normalize the gut microbiota of patients with T2DM, particularly by increasing the abundance of F. prausnitzii.

Exogenous Insulin Antibody Syndrome in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes.

Background: Exogenous insulin antibody syndrome (EIAS) is an immunological disorder caused by circulating insulin antibodies (IAs), featuring hypersensitivity to exogenous insulin and insulin resistance. With the wide use of recombinant human insulin and insulin analogs, there has been a significant proliferation of EIAS. Case Report: We describe two cases of diabetes mellitus (DM) with hyperinsulinemia and high serum levels of IAs. They had never been exposed to methimazole, glutathione, lipoic acid, and other sulfhydryl drugs, but they all received insulin treatment. The patient in case 1 had recurrent hypoglycemia before hospitalization. A prolonged oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) showed hypoglycemia with inappropriately high insulin levels. The patient in case 2 was hospitalized for diabetic ketosis. An OGTT indicated hyperglycemia with hyperinsulinemia and low levels of C-peptide. IAs induced by exogenous insulin in the two patients with DM were positive at high titers, prompting a diagnosis of another condition-EIAS. Conclusion: We discussed the differences between these two cases of EIAS in clinical manifestations and treatment and summarized all patients of EIAS treated in our department to date.

Loss of SPRY2 contributes to cancer-associated fibroblasts activation and promotes breast cancer development.

The communication between tumor cells and tumor microenvironment plays a critical role in cancer development. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are the major components of the tumor microenvironment and take part in breast cancer formation and progression. Here, by comparing the gene expression patterns in CAFs and normal fibroblasts, we found SPRY2 expression was significantly decreased in CAFs and decreased SPRY2 expression was correlated with worse prognosis in breast cancer patients. SPRY2 knockdown in fibroblasts promoted tumor growth and distant metastasis of breast cancer in mice. Loss of stromal SPRY2 expression promoted CAF activation dependent on glycolytic metabolism. Mechanically, SPRY2 suppressed Y10 phosphorylation of LDHA and LDHA activity by interfering with the interaction between LDHA and SRC. Functionally, SPRY2 knockdown in fibroblasts enhanced the stemness of tumor cell dependent on glycolysis in fibroblasts. Collectively, this work identified SPRY2 as a negative regulator of CAF activation, and SPRY2 in CAFs may potentially be therapeutically targeted in breast cancer treatment.

Embedded Host/Guest Alloy Aggregations Enable High-Performance Ternary Organic Photovoltaics.

The ternary strategy has been intensively studied to improve the power conversion efficiencies of organic photovoltaics. Thereinto, the location of the guest component plays a critical role, but few reports have been devoted to this concern. Hereon, the distribution of LA1 as a guest acceptor in a variety of ternary scenarios is reported and the dominating driving forces of managing the guest distribution and operating modes are outlined. Governed by the appropriate relationship of compatibility, crystallinity, and surface energies between host and guest acceptors, as well as interfacial interactions between donor and dual acceptors, most of the LA1 molecules permeate into the internal of host acceptor phases, forming embedded host/guest alloy-like aggregations. The characteristic distributions greatly optimize the morphologies, maximize energy transfer, and enhance exciton/charge behaviors. Particularly, PM6:IT-4F:LA1 ternary cells afford high efficiency of 15.27% with impressive fill factors (FF) over 81%. The popularization studies further verify the superiority of the LA1-involved alloy structures, and with the Y6-family acceptor as the host component, an outstanding efficiency of 19.17% is received. The results highlight the importance of guest distribution in ternary systems and shed light on the governing factors of distributing the guests in ternary cells.

Using Baidu Index Data to Improve Chickenpox Surveillance in Yunnan, China: Infodemiology Study.

BACKGROUND: Chickenpox is an old but easily neglected infectious disease. Although chickenpox is preventable by vaccines, vaccine breakthroughs often occur, and the chickenpox epidemic is on the rise. Chickenpox is not included in the list of regulated communicable diseases that must be reported and controlled by public and health departments; therefore, it is crucial to rapidly identify and report varicella outbreaks during the early stages. The Baidu index (BDI) can supplement the traditional surveillance system for infectious diseases, such as brucellosis and dengue, in China. The number of reported chickenpox cases and internet search data also showed a similar trend. BDI can be a useful tool to display the outbreak of infectious diseases. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to develop an efficient disease surveillance method that uses BDI to assist in traditional surveillance. METHODS: Chickenpox incidence data (weekly from January 2017 to June 2021) reported by the Yunnan Province Center for Disease Control and Prevention were obtained to evaluate the relationship between the incidence of chickenpox and BDI. We applied a support vector machine regression (SVR) model and a multiple regression prediction model with BDI to predict the incidence of chickenpox. In addition, we used the SVR model to predict the number of chickenpox cases from June 2021 to the first week of April 2022. RESULTS: The analysis showed that there was a close correlation between the weekly number of newly diagnosed cases and the BDI. In the search terms we collected, the highest Spearman correlation coefficient was 0.747. Most BDI search terms, such as "chickenpox," "chickenpox treatment," "treatment of chickenpox," "chickenpox symptoms," and "chickenpox virus," trend consistently. Some BDI search terms, such as "chickenpox pictures," "symptoms of chickenpox," "chickenpox vaccine," and "is chickenpox vaccine necessary," appeared earlier than the trend of "chickenpox virus." The 2 models were compared, the SVR model performed better in all the applied measurements: fitting effect, R2=0.9108, root mean square error (RMSE)=96.2995, and mean absolute error (MAE)=73.3988; and prediction effect, R2=0.548, RMSE=189.1807, and MAE=147.5412. In addition, we applied the SVR model to predict the number of reported cases weekly in Yunnan from June 2021 to April 2022 using the same period of the BDI. The results showed that the fluctuation of the time series from July 2021 to April 2022 was similar to that of the last year and a half with no change in the level of prevention and control. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicated that the BDI in Yunnan Province can predict the incidence of chickenpox in the same period. Thus, the BDI is a useful tool for monitoring the chickenpox epidemic and for complementing traditional monitoring systems.

Over 19% Efficiency Organic Solar Cells by Regulating Multidimensional Intermolecular Interactions.

Research on organic solar cells (OSCs) has progressed through material innovation and device engineering. However, well-known and ubiquitous intermolecular interactions, and particularly their synergistic effects, have received little attention. Herein, the complicated relationship between photovoltaic conversion and multidimensional intermolecular interactions in the active layers is investigated. These interactions are dually regulated by side-chain isomerization and end-cap engineering of the acceptors. The phenylalkyl featured acceptors (LA-series) exhibit stronger crystallinity with preferential face-on interactions relative to the alkylphenyl attached isomers (ITIC-series). In addition, the PM6 and LA-series acceptors exhibit moderate donor/acceptor interactions compared to those of the strongly interacting PM6/ITIC-series pairs, which helps to enhance phase separation and charge transport. Consequently, the output efficiencies of all LA series acceptors are over 14%. Moreover, LA-series acceptors show appropriate compatibility, host/guest interactions, and crystallinity relationships with BTP-eC9, thereby leading to uniform and well-organized "alloy-like" mixed phases. In particular, the highly crystalline LA23 further optimizes multiple interactions and ternary microstructures, which results in a high efficiency of 19.12%. Thus, these results highlight the importance of multidimensional intermolecular interactions in the photovoltaic performance of OSCs.

Subtle Side Chain Triggers Unexpected Two-Channel Charge Transport Property Enabling 80% Fill Factors and Efficient Thick-Film Organic Photovoltaics.

To clearly show how important the impact of side chains on organic solar cells (OSCs) is, we designed three acceptors IDIC-CxPh (x = 4, 5, or 6) via subtle side-chain regulation. Despite this small change, significant distinctions were detected. IDIC-C4Ph devices achieve an optimal efficiency of 13.94% under thermal annealing, but thermal-assistant solvent-vapor annealing hugely suppresses the efficiencies to 10%. However, the C6Ph side chain endows extremely disordered stacking orientations, generating moderate efficiencies of ~12.50%. Excitingly, the IDIC-C5Ph affords an unexpected two-channel π-π charge transport (TCCT) property, boosting the fill factor (FF) by up to 80.02% and efficiency to 14.56%, ranking the best among five-ring fused-ladder-type acceptors. Impressively, the special TCCT behavior of IDIC-C5Ph enables 470 nm thick-film OSC with a high FF of up to 70.12% and efficiency of 13.01%, demonstrating the great promise in fabricating large-scale OSCs.

Epidemiological Characteristics and Spatiotemporal Trend Analysis of Human Brucellosis in China, 1950-2018.

The rate of brucellosis, a zoonotic disease, has rapidly increased in humans brucellosis(HB) in recent years. In 1950-2018, a total of 684,380 HB cases (median 2274/year (interquartile range (IQR) 966-8325)) were reported to the National Infectious Disease Surveillance System in mainland China. The incidence of HB peaked in 2014 (4.32/100,000), and then showed a downward trend; we predict that it will maintain a steady downward trend in 2019-2020. Since 2015, the incidence of HB has shown opposite trends in the north and south of China; rates in the north have fallen and rates in the south have increased. In 2004-2018, the most significant increases in incidence of HB were in Yunnan (IQR 0.002-0.463/100,000), Hubei (IQR 0.000-0.338/100,000), and Guangdong (IQR 0.015-0.350/100,000). The areas where HB occurs have little overlap with areas with high per capita GDP in China. The "high-high" clusters of HB are located in northeastern China (Inner Mongolia, Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Ningxia, Shanxi, and Gansu), and the "low-low" clusters of HB are located in southern China (Yunnan, Jiangxi, Shanghai, Guangxi, Guangdong, Zhejiang, Guizhou, and Hunan). In recent years, the incidence of HB in China has been controlled to some extent, but the incidence of HB has increased in southern China, and the disease has spread geographically in China from north to south. Further research is needed to address this change and to continue to explore the relationship between the incidence of HB and relevant factors.