[Efficacy and safety of ultra rapid lispro in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus: a randomized controlled clinical trial].

Objective: To evaluate and compare the efficacy and safety of ultra-rapid lispro insulin (URLi) and humalog lispro (HL) in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methods: This was an international multicenter, double-blind, randomized controlled study. From May 2019 to January 2021, a total of 481 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, who had been using insulin for at least 90 days and had poor glycemic control, were included. These patients were recruited from 34 research centers in China, including Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital. They were assigned to either the URLi group (319 patients) or the HL group (162 patients) using stratified blocked randomization. The primary endpoint was the change in hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) relative to baseline after 26 weeks of treatment. Secondary endpoints included the proportion of patients who achieved HbA1c<7.0% and ≤6.5% after 26 weeks of treatment, 1-h postprandial glucose (1hPG) or 2-h postprandial glucose (2hPG) excursions during a mixed meal tolerance test at week 26, as well as safety parameters. Continuous variables were compared using mixed model repeated measures or analysis of covariance, and categorical variables were compared using logistic regression or Fisher's exact test. Results: Data based on the Chinese subgroup showed that there were no statistically significant differences between the URLi and HL groups in terms of male percentage [56.1% (179/319) vs. 56.2% (91/162); P=0.990], age [(59.5±8.4) vs. (59.6±9.3) years; P=0.839] and other baseline characteristics. Regarding the change in HbA1c relative to baseline, the URLi group was non-inferior to the HL group (-0.59%±0.05% vs. -0.66%±0.06%; P=0.312). There were no statistically significant differences between the URLi and HL groups in proportion of patients who achieved HbA1c<7.0% [47.3% (138/292) vs. 45.2% (70/155); P=0.907] and≤6.5% [27.7% (81/292) vs. 27.7% (43/155); P=0.816]. The excursions in 1hPG [(6.20±0.21) vs. (6.90±0.25) mmol/L; P=0.001] and 2hPG [(8.10±0.27) vs. (9.30±0.31) mmol/L; P<0.001] were lower in the URLi group than the HL group, with statistically significant differences. In terms of safety, there were no statistically significant differences in the percentage of subjects who reported treatment-emergent adverse events between the URLi and HL groups [49.8% (159/319) vs. 50.0% (81/162); P=1.000]. The event rate of nocturnal hypoglycemia was lower in the URLi group than the HL group, with statistically significant differences [(0.53±0.10) vs. (0.89±0.16) events per patient-year; P=0.040]. Conclusions: With good glycemic control, URLi showed non-inferiority for HbA1c improvement versus HL and was superior to HL for postprandial glucose excursion control. Meanwhile the rate and incidence of nocturnal hypoglycemia were lower in the URLi group than the HL group.

Sun-like light source design considering non-visual performance to improve working efficiency.

With the discovery of intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells, we have a better understanding of the non-visual effects of lighting. In this study, the optimum spectral power distribution in sunlight of different color temperatures is calculated by MATLAB software. At the same time, the ratio of the non-visual effect and visual effect (K e,α ) at different color temperatures is calculated according to the sunlight spectrum to evaluate the non-visual and visual effects of white LEDs at the corresponding color temperature. Then based on the characteristics of monochromatic LED spectra, the joint-density-of-states model is used as a mathematical model, and the optimal solution is calculated for its database. According to the calculated combination scheme, Light Tools software is used to optimize and simulate the expected light source parameters. The final color temperature is 7525 K, the color coordinate is (0.2959, 0.3255), and the color rendering index reaches 92. The high efficiency light source has not only the function of lighting, but also the effect of improving work efficiency with lower blue light hazard efficiency of radiation than normal LEDs.

Large-Scale Surveys of Blackleg of Oilseed Rape (Leptosphaeria biglobosa) Revealed New Insights into Epidemics of This Disease in China.

Blackleg of oilseed rape caused by Leptosphaeria maculans/L. biglobosa is a worldwide important disease. L. maculans is more virulent than L. biglobosa, so it causes a great concern for oilseed rape production. In China, blackleg (L. biglobosa) of oilseed rape was reported in the 2000s, but epidemiological features of blackleg have not been well elucidated. Moreover, whether L. maculans exists in China is still an open question. Therefore, a 5-year survey was done in China to collect blackleg-occurrence data for characterizing the features of blackleg epidemics and to identify the blackleg pathogens for assessing the risk of L. maculans invasion. The results showed that all the 19 surveyed provinces had blackleg on oilseed rape, and the most frequently occurring provinces are Gansu, Qinghai, Shaanxi, and Hubei. Phoma stem canker was the most common symptom, which was associated with stem cracks on winter oilseed rape and with stem-weevil activities on spring oilseed rape. Temperature and rainfall were the main factors for blackleg epidemics on winter oilseed rape, whereas rainfall was the main factor for blackleg epidemics on spring oilseed rape. Brassica campestris and B. juncea oilseed rapes were more susceptible than B. napus to blackleg. Oilseed rapes cultivated under the continuous dry land-cropping pattern were more prone to blackleg than those cultivated under the paddy land/dry land-cropping pattern. All 6,015 fungal isolates from blackleg plant tissues belonged to L. biglobosa. These results are helpful for understanding the blackleg epidemics of oilseed rapes and for management of this disease in China.

[Study on the willingness to quit smoking and its influencing factors among current smokers in rural areas in China].

Objective: To study the willingness of current smokers to quit smoking in rural areas and related factors to provide a reference for tobacco control. Methods: The data were collected from the China Chronic Disease and Risk Factor Surveillance in 2018. A multi-stage stratified cluster sampling was used to select 184 509 residents (≥18 years old); among the residents, 10 241 current smokers in rural areas were included in the study. χ2/F test was used to analyze the factors such as willingness to quit smoking and demographic information, tobacco use, cognition of tobacco-related hazard knowledge, the prevalence of chronic diseases, and other factors. Unconditional multifactor logistic regression analysis was used in multivariate analysis. Results: A total of 3 453 (37.46%) considered quitting smoking in the next 12 months. Logistic regression analysis showed that occasional smokers were more willing to quit smoking than daily smokers (OR=0.693, 95%CI: 0.494-0.971), and those who smoked less than 1 pack per day were more willing to quit than those who smoked 1 pack or more per day (OR=0.628,95%CI: 0.511-0.771), those who had quit smoking within 12 months were more willing to quit than those who had not quit within 12 months (OR=0.438, 95%CI: 0.357-0.537), and those with high awareness of tobacco hazards were more willing to quit smoking (OR=1.056, 95%CI: 1.028-1.086). The differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusions: The willingness of current smokers in rural areas to quit smoking is related to the smoking situation, smoking intensity, previous smoking cession experience, and knowledge of the specific health effects of smoking. It suggests that health education should be strengthened through more efficient health communication methods in rural areas and provide brief smoking cessation interventions to improve rural smokers' willingness to quit smoking.

A fast radio burst source at a complex magnetized site in a barred galaxy.

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are highly dispersed, millisecond-duration radio bursts1-3. Recent observations of a Galactic FRB4-8 suggest that at least some FRBs originate from magnetars, but the origin of cosmological FRBs is still not settled. Here we report the detection of 1,863 bursts in 82 h over 54 days from the repeating source FRB 20201124A (ref. 9). These observations show irregular short-time variation of the Faraday rotation measure (RM), which scrutinizes the density-weighted line-of-sight magnetic field strength, of individual bursts during the first 36 days, followed by a constant RM. We detected circular polarization in more than half of the burst sample, including one burst reaching a high fractional circular polarization of 75%. Oscillations in fractional linear and circular polarizations, as well as polarization angle as a function of wavelength, were detected. All of these features provide evidence for a complicated, dynamically evolving, magnetized immediate environment within about an astronomical unit (AU; Earth-Sun distance) of the source. Our optical observations of its Milky-Way-sized, metal-rich host galaxy10-12 show a barred spiral, with the FRB source residing in a low-stellar-density interarm region at an intermediate galactocentric distance. This environment is inconsistent with a young magnetar engine formed during an extreme explosion of a massive star that resulted in a long gamma-ray burst or superluminous supernova.

[Progress in research of 2019-nCoV infection in children and adolescents].

As 2019-nCoV vaccine is widely used in the adult population, children and adolescents have gradually become an important susceptible population to 2019-nCoV due to their low coverage of the vaccine and high contact degree. Understanding the characteristics of 2019-nCoV infection in minors is vital. This paper summarized the progress in the research of 2019-nCoV in minors by using the data from the retrieval of recently published literature. Furthermore, the key characteristics of 2019-nCoV infection in minors, including the susceptibility, transmissibility, prognosis and immune response were analyzed and the progress in child and adolescent vaccine development was introduced.

[Changes of serum lipid profiles and the correlation analysis in clinic-pathological features of pancreatic cancer patients].

Objective: To examine the characteristics of blood lipid profile and the correlation with clinic-pathological features of pancreatic cancer patients. Methods: The clinical and pathological data of 265 pancreatic cancer patients who received radical surgical treatment at Department of General Surgery,Qilu Hospital,Shandong University from January 2013 to September 2020 were collected and analyzed retrospectively. Among the 265 pancreatic cancer patients,there were 170 males and 95 females,with age of (61.0±9.6)years(range:28 to 86 years). General information,lipid indicators and clinic-pathological information were collected from electronic medical record system,and follow-up information gained by telephone. According to level of serum lipid in pancreatic cancer patients,265 patients were divided into dyslipidemia group(n=115) and normal lipid group(n=150). Pearson χ2,Student's t tests, variance analysis or univariate Logistic regression was used to analyze the correlation between dyslipidemia and clinico-pathological characteristics of pancreatic cancer,respectively. Kaplan-Meier survival curve was used to assessed the influence of dyslipidemia on prognosis of pancreatic cancer patients. Results: In 265 pancreatic cancer patients,115(43.4%)of them had dyslipidemias,and the most common form was increase of triglyceride(TG)(72.2%). In pancreatic cancer with dyslipidemias group,patients with body mass index ≥25 kg/m2 had higher proportion than normal lipid group(36.1%(26/72) vs. 21.2%(21/99),χ²=4.643,P=0.031); The proportion of carcinoma located at head of pancreas(83.5%(96/115) vs. 40.7%(61/150),χ²=49.412,P<0.01), staging of T1/T2(79.1%(91/115) vs. 60.7%(91/150),χ²=10.316,P<0.01) and lymphatic metastasis(36.5%(42/115) vs. 22.7%(34/150),χ²=6.007,P<0.01) were higher. In patients of pancreatic cancer, dyslipidemias were closely associated with tumor location(OR=10.529,P<0.01)and body mass index(OR=3.671,P=0.008). Serum lipid profile results showed that TG,total cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein(HDL) disorders were associated with tumor location(P<0.05). TG disorder had association with body mass index(P<0.05), and HDL disorder had association with tumor stage(P<0.05). Moreover, the result of survival analysis showed that dyslipidemia was not a factor to impact the prognosis of pancreatic cancer patients underwent surgery(P>0.05). Conclusions: In pancreatic cancer patients,TG disorder was the most common type of dyslipidemia. Dyslipidemia has closely association with clinicopathologic features,including tumor location,body mass index,tumor stage. However,dyslipidemia had little effect on prognosis of pancreatic cancer patients.

Creatine nitrate supplementation strengthens energy status and delays glycolysis of broiler muscle via inhibition of LKB1/AMPK pathway.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary creatine nitrate (CrN) on growth performance, meat quality, energy status, glycolysis, and related gene expression of liver kinase B1/AMP-activated protein kinase (LKB1/AMPK) pathway in Pectoralis major (PM) muscle of broilers. A total of 240 male Arbor Acres broilers (28-day-old) were randomly allocated to one of 5 dietary treatments: the basal diet (control group), and the basal diets supplemented with 600 mg/kg guanidinoacetic acid (GAA), 300, 600, or 900 mg/kg CrN (identified as GAA600, CrN300, CrN600, or CrN900, respectively). We found that dietary GAA and CrN supplementation for 14 d from d 28 to 42 did not affect broiler growth performance, carcass traits, and textural characteristics of breast muscle. GAA600, CrN600, and CrN900 treatments increased pH24h and decreased drip loss of PM muscle compared with the control (P < 0.05). The PM muscles of CrN600 and CrN900 groups showed higher glycogen concentration and lower lactic acid concentration accompanied by lower activities of phosphofructokinase (PFK), pyruvate kinase (PK), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (P < 0.05). Simultaneously, GAA600 and all CrN treatments increased concentration of muscle creatine, phosphocreatine (PCr) and ATP, and decreased AMP concentration and AMP/ATP ratio (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, the concentrations of muscle creatine, PCr, and ATP were increased linearly, while muscle AMP concentration and AMP/ATP ratio were decreased linearly and quadratic as the dose of CrN increased (P < 0.05). GAA600, CrN600, and CrN900 treatments upregulated mRNA expression of CreaT in PM muscle, and CrN600 and CrN900 treatments downregulated GAMT expression in liver and PM muscle compared with the control or GAA600 groups (P < 0.05). The mRNA expression of muscle LKB1, AMPKα1, and AMPKα2 was downregulated linearly in response to the increasing CrN level (P < 0.05). Overall, CrN showed better efficacy on strengthening muscle energy status and improve meat quality than GAA at the some dose. These results indicate that CrN may be a potential replacement for GAA as a new creatine supplement.

[24 hours urinary sodium and potassium excretion and association with blood pressure among people aged 18-75 years old in six Chinese provinces].

Objective: To analyze the level of sodium and potassium intake and their association with blood pressure among people aged 18 to 75 years old in six provinces. Methods: From October to December 2018, participants aged 18 to 75 years were selected from Hebei, Hunan, Sichuan, Jiangxi, Qinghai and Heilongjiang provinces by using cluster random sampling method. Demographic characteristics and lifestyle information were collected by using questionnaire survey. Physical measurement and 24-hour urine collection were also conducted. Results: A total of 2 636 subjects were finally included in the analysis. The average urine sodium, potassium and sodium-to-potassium molar ratio were(4 438.4±1 822.8)mg/d, (1 566.2±646.3)mg/d, and 5.2±2.2, respectively. According to World Health Organization standards, 94.5% and 98.7% of the respondents had excessive sodium intake and insufficient potassium intake. After adjusting for related factors, each 1 000 mg increase in sodium excretion was associated with increased systolic blood pressure (1.65 mmHg, 95%CI: 1.07, 2.22) and diastolic blood pressure (0.53 mmHg, 95%CI: 0.21, 0.84), and each 1 000 mg increase in potassium excretion was associated with decreased systolic blood pressure (3.02 mmHg, 95%CI:-4.25, -1.80) and diastolic blood pressure (1.27 mmHg, 95%CI:-2.05, -0.48). Conclusion: The sodium intake in Chinese population remains excessive and potassium intake is insufficient. Sodium and potassium could be associated with blood pressure and the intervention of reducing sodium and supplementing potassium should be conducted in the corresponding population.

[Genetics Analysis of patients with Dravet syndrome due to mosaicism variation of paternal SCN1A gene].

Genetic analysis was performed on a family of fraternal twins affected with Dravet syndrome by genetic tests whose parents were normal. To further analyze the cause of the disease, the fraternal twins were subjected to whole exome sequencing (WES), and the family was verified by Sanger sequencing, with the father semen and peripheral blood DNA were further analysed by target sequencing. The WES test identified a heterozygous c.5348C>T (p.Ala1783Val) variant of the SCN1A gene in the fraternal twins, which was predicted to be pathogenic and was detected in the father peripheral blood and semen, but not in the mother. So the mosaicism mutation of paternal SCN1A gene might be the genetic cause of Dravet syndrome in offspring.

Age-stratified analysis of SARS-CoV-2 infection and case fatality rate in China, Italy, and South Korea.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to compare the characteristics of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in China, Italy, and South Korea. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Detailed national epidemiological information of COVID-19 was retracted from the latest statistics reports from China, Italy, and South Korea. Population-based analysis of the age distribution among confirmed cases was conducted and their crude case fatality ratio in each c RESULTS: The age distributions among COVID-19 cases were relatively similar between China and Italy with primarily elderly populations infected, which were considerably different from that in South Korea with primarily younger individuals infected. Most deaths occurred among elderly individuals who were older than 60 years in both Italy (98.0%) and South Korea (87.9%), consistent with the previous data from China (81.0%). CONCLUSIONS: Most deaths occurred among elderly individuals who were over 60 in China, Italy, and South Korea. South Korea's data suggest that younger individuals might be more susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection, which might be fully under detected in China and Italy.

No pulsed radio emission during a bursting phase of a Galactic magnetar.

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are millisecond-duration radio transients of unknown physical origin observed at extragalactic distances1-3. It has long been speculated that magnetars are the engine powering repeating bursts from FRB sources4-13, but no convincing evidence has been collected so far14. Recently, the Galactic magnetar SRG 1935+2154 entered an active phase by emitting intense soft γ-ray bursts15. One FRB-like event with two peaks (FRB 200428) and a luminosity slightly lower than the faintest extragalactic FRBs was detected from the source, in association with a soft γ-ray/hard-X-ray flare18-21. Here we report an eight-hour targeted radio observational campaign comprising four sessions and assisted by multi-wavelength (optical and hard-X-ray) data. During the third session, 29 soft-γ-ray repeater (SGR) bursts were detected in γ-ray energies. Throughout the observing period, we detected no single dispersed pulsed emission coincident with the arrivals of SGR bursts, but unfortunately we were not observing when the FRB was detected. The non-detection places a fluence upper limit that is eight orders of magnitude lower than the fluence of FRB 200428. Our results suggest that FRB-SGR burst associations are rare. FRBs may be highly relativistic and geometrically beamed, or FRB-like events associated with SGR bursts may have narrow spectra and characteristic frequencies outside the observed band. It is also possible that the physical conditions required to achieve coherent radiation in SGR bursts are difficult to satisfy, and that only under extreme conditions could an FRB be associated with an SGR burst.

The influence of oncolytic reovirus on the biological activities of umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of oncolytic reovirus on the biological activities of human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) as a novel virotherapy strategy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Cell Counting Kit-8 assay was used to detect the viability of hUC-MSCs infected with different multiplicities of infection (MOIs) of reoviruses. The biological activities (proliferation, marker expression, multipotency, and migration) of hUC-MSCs were verified by assaying osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation potential, flow cytometry, and electrical cell-substrate impedance sensing, respectively. RESULTS: The viability of hUC-MSCs slightly decreased by infection with low titers of reoviruses. A MOI of 1 had no effect on the viability of hUC-MSCs within 96 h. The biological activities (proliferation, marker expression, multipotency, and migration) of hUC-MSCs were not affected by reovirus infection at a MOI of 1. CONCLUSIONS: Reovirus at a MOI of 1 had no effect on the biological activities of hUC-MSCs.

FBW7 inhibits nucleus pulposus cells proliferation by downregulation of cyclin E in the intervertebral disc degeneration.

The article "FBW7 inhibits nucleus pulposus cells proliferation by downregulation of cyclin E in the intervertebral disc degeneration, by J.-W. Xu, J. Wang, K. Yang, S. Guo, C.-S. Feng, H.-Y. Chen, H.-P. Li, published in Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2020; 24(2):508-516. DOI: 10.26355/eurrev_202001_20026. PMID: 32016952" has been withdrawn from the authors. The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause.

Tuning interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions in thin amorphous ferrimagnetic alloys.

Skyrmions can be stabilized in magnetic systems with broken inversion symmetry and chiral interactions, such as Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions (DMI). Further, compensation of magnetic moments in ferrimagnetic materials can significantly reduce magnetic dipolar interactions, which tend to favor large skyrmions. Tuning DMI is essential to control skyrmion properties, with symmetry breaking at interfaces offering the greatest flexibility. However, in contrast to the ferromagnet case, few studies have investigated interfacial DMI in ferrimagnets. Here we present a systematic study of DMI in ferrimagnetic CoGd films by Brillouin light scattering. We demonstrate the ability to control DMI by the CoGd cap layer composition, the stack symmetry and the ferrimagnetic layer thickness. The DMI thickness dependence confirms its interfacial nature. In addition, magnetic force microscopy reveals the ability to tune DMI in a range that stabilizes sub-100 nm skyrmions at room temperature in zero field. Our work opens new paths for controlling interfacial DMI in ferrimagnets to nucleate and manipulate skyrmions.

[Research progress in major intrinsic protein genes of congenital cataract].

Congenital cataract is a common eye disease that seriously affects the visual development of infants and children. Nearly 30% of cases have cataract-linked, inherited mutations. With the development of molecular genetics, especially gentechnik, more and more genes, such as crystallin genes, membrane protein genes, transcription factors and cytoskeletal protein genes, have been confirmed to be associated with the onset of congenital cataract. There have been many studies on crystallin genes, but studies on the pathogenesis of membrane protein genes have gradually been emphasized as well in recent years. Furthermore, major intrinsic protein (MIP) genes belong to membrane protein genes, and the MIP translated by them accounts for about 50% of the total cell membrane proteins.It has been found that more than twenty mutations in MIP genes participate in the development of congenital cataract. How do these mutations further affect the cellular function and eventually lead to cataract? The recent progression about inherited congenital cataract related with MIP genes at the levels of genes and proteins is summarized in this review. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2020, 56: 386-392).

[Feasibility evaluation of estimating the 24-hour urinary sodium excretion in Chinese population with three spot urine methods].

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of three spot urine methods (Kawasaki, INTERSALT and Tanaka) for estimating the 24 h urinary sodium excretion in the Chinese population. Methods: In 2017, 1 499 participants aged 18 to 69 years old were selected from Yiwu City, Haining City, Taishun County, Yinzhou District of Ningbo City and Liandu District of Lishui City of Zhejiang Province by using the multistage random sampling method. Sociodemographic information of the subjects was collected with questionnaires and physical measurements were performed. 24 h urine was collected and urinary volume was recorded. The concentrations of urinary sodium, potassium and creatinine were also measured. Kawasaki, INTERSALT and Tanaka spot urine methods were applied to estimate the 24 h urinary sodium excretion and compared with actual values among 1 426 participants who passed urine integrity test. Results: The age of participants was (46.71±14.04) years old, including 700 males, accounting for 49.1%. The actual value of 24 h urinary sodium excretion was (167.10±74.70) mmol, but Kawasaki method overestimated it as (184.61±57.10) mmol, and INTERSALT and Tanaka methods underestimated it as(134.62±39.21) and (143.20±35.66) mmol. Estimated difference (95%CI) (mmol) from small to large was Kawasaki method [17.51 (13.54, 21.47)], Tanaka method [-23.90 (-27.60, -20.20)] and INTERSALT method [-32.48 (-36.29, -28.67)]. With the increase of 24 h sodium intake, all estimation methods changed from the overestimation to underestimation. In those with 24 h sodium intake <9.0 g, the estimated difference (95%CI) of the INTERSALT method was the smallest as 43.15 (37.73, 48.57) and 1.26 (-2.10, 4.63) mmol for <6.0 and 6.0-8.9 g groups, respectively. In those with 24 h sodium intake≥9.0 g, the Kawasaki method had the smallest estimated difference (95%CI) as -12.50 (-18.14, -6.86) and -53.73 (-61.25, -46.22) for 9.0-11.9 g and ≥ 12.0 g group, respectively. The consistency analysis of the Bland-Altman method showed that the Kawasaki method had the best consistency with actual measured value and it had the least number of points outside the range (69 points accounting for 4.84%). Conclusion: Among the three spot urine methods, the Kawasaki method has better applicability in predicting the excretion of 24 h urine sodium in the Chinese population.