Intelligent microneedle patch based on functionalized alginate and chitosan for long-term self-regulated insulin delivery.

Severely diabetic patients need insulin input to maintain the body's glycemic balance. However, traditional injection methods are often associated with poor adherence and an increased risk of hypoglycemia. Microneedle technology offers a promising solution by minimizing pain and trauma during insulin administration.

Electrostatic-Interaction-Aided Microneedle Patch for Enhanced Glucose-Responsive Insulin Delivery and Three-Meal-Per-Day Blood-Glucose Regulation.

The phenylborate-ester-cross-linked hydrogel microneedle patch (MNP) was promising in the diabetic field for the glucose-responsive insulin-delivering property and simple fabrication process. However, the unfit design of the charging microneedle network limited the improvement of blood-glucose regulating performances. In this work, insulin-loaded phenylborate-ester-cross-linked MNPs, with the polyzwitterion property, were constructed based on the modified ε-polylysine and poly(vinyl alcohol).

Medical service pricing and pharmaceutical supply chain coordination contracts under the zero-markup drug policy.

To implement state policies of zero-markup drug policy and medical service fee adjustment for public hospitals, this study constructed game models of the pharmaceutical supply chain, consisting of a drug supplier and a public hospital. The study obtained the optimal medical service level and pricing under the new state drug policies. In addition, it analyzed the impacts of the degree of public benefit of hospitals on the medical service level, the medical service price, and the drug price.

Pathways for regions to achieve carbon emission peak: New insights from the four economic growth poles in China.

Regional synergy is critical to achieving High Quality Development (HQD) and reducing emissions in China. Economic growth poles (EGPS), namely Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, the Yangtze River Delta, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao, and Cheng-Yu, are typical examples of regional synergy in China. It is critical to explore whether the pulling power of the EGPS to other regions can accelerate China's carbon peaking.

Molecular Docking-Guided Design on Glucose-Responsive Nanoparticles for Microneedle Fabrication and "Three-Meal-per-Day" Blood-Glucose Regulation.

It was greatly significant, but difficult, to develop stimulus-responsive polymeric nanoparticles with efficient protein-loading and protein-delivering properties. Crucial obstacles were the ambiguous protein/nanoparticle-interacting mechanisms and the corresponding inefficient trial-and-error strategies, which brought large quantities of experiments in design and optimization. In this work, a molecular docking-guided universal "segment-functional group-polymer" process was proposed to simplify the previous laborious experimental step.

Uncertainty quantification of CO emissions from China's civil aviation industry to 2050.

To mitigate aviation's carbon emissions of the aviation industry, the following steps are vital: accurately quantifying the carbon emission path by considering uncertainty factors, including transportation demand in the post-COVID-19 pandemic period; identifying gaps between this path and emission reduction targets; and providing mitigation measures. Some mitigation measures that can be employed by China's civil aviation industry include the gradual realization of large-scale production of sustainable aviation fuels and transition to 100% sustainable and low-carbon sources of energy. This study identified the key driving factors of carbon emissions by using the Delphi Method and set scenarios that consider uncertainty, such as aviation development and emission reduction policies.

Adoption of mobile health services using the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology model: Self-efficacy and privacy concerns.

Mobile health (mHealth) services have been widely used in medical services and health management through mobile devices and multiple channels, such as smartphones, wearable equipment, healthcare applications (Apps), and medical platforms. However, the number of the users who are currently receiving the mHealth services is small. In China, more than 70% of internet users have never used mHealth services.

Detection of Chromosomal Segments Introgressed from Wild Species of Carrot into Cultivars: Quantitative Trait Loci Mapping for Morphological Features in Backcross Inbred Lines.

Cultivated carrot is thought to have been domesticated from a wild species, and various phenotypes developed through human domestication and selection over the past several centuries. Little is known about the genomic contribution of wild species to the phenotypes of present-day cultivars, although several studies have focused on identifying genetic loci that contribute to the morphology of storage roots. A backcross inbred line (BIL) population derived from a cross between the wild species ssp.

Cross-Linking-Density-Changeable Microneedle Patch Prepared from a Glucose-Responsive Hydrogel for Insulin Delivery.

To simplify the preparation process of a glucose-responsive microneedle patch, a cross-linking-density changeable microneedle patch was designed. The microneedle patch was made up of a hydrogel formed by phenylboronic acid-grafted polyallylamine and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA). The gel was cross-linked by boronate ester bonds between phenylboronic acid groups and PVA.

Is diabetes mellitus a risk factor for low bone density: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: This systematic review aimed to investigate whether diabetes mellitus is a risk factor for low bone density, as this might be important and necessary for doctors specialized in treating patients with low bone density.

Methods: PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, and SciELO were searched for cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional studies that investigated the effects of diabetes mellitus on bone mineral density till January 2020. Data screening and extraction are done independently, whereas the methodological quality of the studies was assessed according to the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS).

Chitosan reinforced hydrogels with swelling-shrinking behaviors in response to glucose concentration.

Different hydrogels of poly(acrylamide-co-3-acrylamido phenylboronic acid-co-chitosan grafted maleic acid) (P(AM-co-AAPBA-co-CSMA)s) were synthesized using poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) as a crosslinker to serve for glucose sensing and insulin delivery. The structure and morphology of the hydrogels, named as CSPBA were studied by FTIR and SEM, while the mechanical properties were tested using dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and universal testing machine. The prepared hydrogels shrinked at low glucose concentration due to the 2:1 boronate-glucose binding, and swelled at high glucose concentration because of 1:1 boronate-glucose complexation.

Isolated Langerhans cell histiocytosis in the hypothalamic-pituitary region: a case report.

Background: Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a rare disease that mainly affects children, but this disease is significantly rarer in patients who are older than 15 years. In this disease, any organ can be involved. The skeleton, skin and lung are commonly affected, and isolated hypothalamic-pituitary (HP) involvement is relatively rare.

Hepatic steroid sulfatase critically determines estrogenic activities of conjugated equine estrogens in human cells and in mice.

Conjugated equine estrogens (CEEs), whose brand name is Premarin, are widely used as a hormone-replacement therapy (HRT) drug to manage postmenopausal symptoms in women. Extracted from pregnant mare urine, CEEs are composed of nearly a dozen estrogens existing in an inactive sulfated form. To determine whether the hepatic steroid sulfatase (STS) is a key contributor to the efficacy of CEEs in HRT, we performed estrogen-responsive element (ERE) reporter gene assay, real-time PCR, and UPLC-MS/MS to assess the STS-dependent and inflammation-responsive estrogenic activity of CEEs in HepG2 cells and human primary hepatocytes.

A rare case of pure testosterone-secreting adrenal adenoma in a postmenopausal elderly woman.

Background: Hyperandrogenemia is more common in puberty and reproductive age, but relatively rare in postmenopausal women. Postmenopausal virilization may result from androgen-producing tumors. Androgen-secreting adrenal tumors are rare in clinical practice and are diagnosed as adrenocortical carcinoma, most of which can co-secrete androgen and cortisol.

Preparation, properties and challenges of the microneedles-based insulin delivery system.

Microneedle technology relates to pharmacy, polymer chemistry and micromachining. Microneedle can effectively deliver insulin into systemic circulation across the skin. This process does not affect the activity of insulin.

An ovarian Leydig cell tumor of ultrasound negative in a postmenopausal woman with hirsutism and hyperandrogenism: A case report.

Rationale: The incidence of severe hyperandrogenism associated with masculinity in women is very low. While rare and difficult to diagnose, androgen secreting tumors should be suspected in women with hyperandrogenism and hirsutism, especially in the postmenopausal population. Herein we present one case of ovarian Leydig cell tumor (LCT) with markedly elevated serum testosterone levels and frank hirsutism.

Metabolic Profiling of Plasma in Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Using Liquid Chromatography and Q-TOF Mass Spectrometry.

Background: To delineate the metabolomic profiling and identify early diagnostic biomarkers in maternal plasma from the pregnant women who subsequently developed gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) using liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-Q-TOF MS).

Methods: Plasma samples were collected from GDM pregnant women (n = 30) and healthy controls (n = 30) at the 20th gestational week in Huzhou Central Hospital and Huzhou Maternal and Child Health Hospital. The principle component analysis (PCA), partial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), and orthogonal PLS (OPLS) were sequentially applied to discover the differential metabolites for GDM diagnosis.

Polymorphisms in TCF7L2 gene are associated with gestational diabetes mellitus in Chinese Han population.

This study aimed to investigate the possible association between diabetes susceptibility gene transcription factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in a Chinese Han population. A total of 556 GDM patients and 500 Non-GDM were included. Eighteen single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were evaluated.

Efficacy and safety of alogliptin in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A multicentre randomized double-blind placebo-controlled Phase 3 study in mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.

Background: This study determined the efficacy and safety of once-daily oral alogliptin in patients from mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Methods: In this Phase 3 multicenter double-blind placebo-controlled 16-week trial, 506 patients were randomized to receive once-daily alogliptin 25 mg or placebo: 185 in the monotherapy group, 197 in the add-on to metformin group, and 124 in the add-on to pioglitazone group. The primary efficacy variable was the change from baseline (CFB) in HbA1c at Week 16; other efficacy measures included CFB to Week 16 in fasting plasma glucose (FPG), incidence of marked hyperglycemia (FPG ≥11.

TCF7L2 involvement in estradiol- and progesterone-modulated islet and hepatic glucose homeostasis.

To evaluate the role of TCF7L2, a key regulator of glucose homeostasis, in estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4)-modulated glucose metabolism, mouse insulinoma cells (MIN6) and human liver cancer cells (hepG2 and HUH7) were treated with physiological concentrations of E2 or P4 in the up- and down-regulation of TCF7L2. Insulin/proinsulin secretion was measured in MIN6 cells, while glucose uptake and production were evaluated in liver cancer cells. E2 increased insulin/proinsulin secretion under both basal and stimulated conditions, whereas P4 increased insulin/proinsulin secretion only under glucose-stimulated conditions.

[Efficacy and safety of alogliptin in treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus: a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase III clinical trial in mainland China].

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of alogliptin in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM).

Methods: This was a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase III trial. A total of 491 subjects with T2DM were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive alogliptin (25 mg once daily) or placebo for 16 weeks.

Clinical and molecular genetic analysis of a Chinese family with congenital X-linked adrenal hypoplasia caused by novel mutation 1268delA in the DAX-1 gene.

Congenital X-linked adrenal hypoplasia (AHC) is a rare disease characterized by primary adrenal insufficiency before adolescence and by hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (HHG) during adolescence. In this paper, we present a Chinese family with AHC. Two brothers, misdiagnosed with adrenal insufficiency of unknown etiology at the age of 9, were correctly diagnosed with AHC when delayed puberty, HHG, and testicular defects were observed.

Efficacy and safety of avandamet or uptitrated metformin treatment in patients with type 2 diabetes inadequately controlled with metformin alone: a multicenter, randomized, controlled trial.

Background: At present, China has listed the compound tablet containing a fixed dose of rosiglitazone and metformin, Avandamet, which may improve patient compliance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Avandamet or uptitrated metformin treatment in patients with type 2 diabetes inadequately controlled with metformin alone.

Methods: This study was a 48-week, multicenter, randomized, open-labeled, active-controlled trial.