Objective:To investigate the correlation between the variability of blood uric acid level and the progression of type 2 diabetic nephropathy and retinopathy.Methods:A total of 240 patients with type 2 diabetic nephropathy were selected from a cohort established in Pinggu District Hospital of Beijing in 2015 for retrospective analysis. The blood uric acid level of the patients was measured, the variability of uric acid level was calculated, and the patients were divided into group A, group B, group C and group D according to the quartile of uric acid variability, with 60 cases in each group. The subjects were followed up, and their general information, biochemical indicators, diabetic nephropathy and diabetic retinopathy were collected. According to the diabetic nephropathy and retinopathy during follow-up, the subjects were divided into progressive group and non-progressive group, so as to further clarify the correlation between the variability of blood uric acid level and the progression of diabetic nephropathy and retinopathy.Results:Up to the last follow-up date in July 2022, a total of 24 cases were lost to follow-up in group A, 27 cases in group B, 20 cases in group C, and 22 cases in group D. Finally, 36 cases were included in group A, 33 cases in group B, 40 cases in group C, and 38 cases in group D. There was no significant difference in age, gender, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, cholesterol, triglyceride, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, fasting blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin and serum creatinine among four groups ( P>0.05). Univariate analysis showed that the incidence of diabetic nephropathy and retinopathy progression increased with the increase of the quartile of uric acid variability in patients with type 2 diabetes (the incidences of progression in A, B, C and D groups were 16%, 49%, 63% and 79%, F = 0.95, P<0.05). Pearson correlation analysis showed that blood uric acid variability was positively correlated with the progression of diabetic nephropathy and retinopathy ( r = 0.482 and 0.501, P<0.05). Logistics regression analysis showed that with the increase of the quartile of uric acid variability, the progression risk of diabetic nephropathy ( OR = 3.521, 5.226 and 6.548; P<0.05) and retinopathy ( OR = 3.733, 4.844 and 5.872; P<0.05) in type 2 diabetes patients increased gradually. Conclusions:The variability of blood uric acid level is positively correlated with the progression of type 2 diabetic nephropathy and retinopathy. The higher the risk of progression of diabetic nephropathy and retinopathy with the increase of quartile of blood uric acid level variability, the more important it is to regularly monitor the blood uric acid level of type 2 diabetic patients.

Objective:To investigate the effect and mechanism of vitamin K2 on vascular calcification in a type 2 diabetes rat model.Methods:Thirty male Wistar rats,6 weeks old,were acclimatized for 7 days.Ten rats were randomly selected as the negative control group,fed a normal diet,and injected with an equal amount of citrate buffer.The remaining rats were fed a high-fat and high-sugar diet for 4 weeks,and then type 2 diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin.After successful induction of the diabetes model,the diabetic rats were numbered by body weight and divided into the diabetes group and the diabetes+vitamin K2 group according to the principle of stratified random grouping.These two groups were fed a high-fat diet and a high-fat diet containing vitamin K2,respectively,while the control group continued to be fed a normal diet.After 13 weeks of feeding,the rats were sacrificed for sample collection,and blood glucose and vascular calcium concentration were measured.Von Kossa staining was used for histopathological detection.The relative expression levels of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α(HIF-1α),pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4(PDK4),matrix Gla protein(MGP),and bone morphogenetic protein-2(BMP-2)mRNA and proteins were measured by qRT-PCR and Western blot,respectively.Results:Compared with the control group,blood glucose levels in the diabetes group and diabetes+vitamin K2 group were significantly elevated(P＜0.01),but there was no significant difference between the two groups.There was no significant difference in vascular calcium concentration among the three groups(P＞0.05).Von Kossa staining showed that the control group exhibited normal vascular structures,while the diabetes group showed a large number of brown-black calcification plaques between elastic fibers in the vascular media.The diabetes+vitamin K2 group had either no calcification plaques or only a few brown-black calcification plaques.Compared with the control group,the expression levels of PDK4,MGP,and BMP-2 mRNA and proteins were higher in the diabetes group(P＜0.05),but there was no significant difference in the expression level of HIF-1α.Only the expression level of PKD4 protein had significance between the control group and diabetes+vitamin K2 group(P＜0.05).There was no significant difference in the above indexes between the diabetic group and diabetic+vitamin K2 group(P＞0.05).Conclusions:Type 2 diabetes mellitus may cause vascular calcification by increasing the expression of PDK4,which in turn leads to increased expression of BMP-2 and MGP.Vitamin K2 can inhibit vascular calcification in diabetes.

Objective:To investigate the impact of serum vitamin A levels on all-cause mortality risk in diabetes patients.Methods:Diabetes patients aged 20 years and above who participated in the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey during 2003-2004 and 2005-2006 were enrolled as the study population,with death data up to 2019 as the endpoint.Cox proportional hazards regression models were employed to calculate the hazard ratios of all-cause mortality in diabetes patients with different serum vitamin A levels,both unadjusted and adjusted for confounders.Restricted cubic spline methods were used to analyze the dose-response relationship between serum vitamin A levels and all-cause mortality risk in diabetes patients.Results:A total of 484 diabetes patients were included,with a median follow-up period of 13.7 years,during which 211 deaths occurred.Cox proportional hazards analysis showed that compared to the lowest quartile of serum vitamin A,higher quartiles of serum vitamin A were not associated with all-cause mortality risk in diabetes patients without adjusting for confounders.However,after adjusting for confounders,higher quartiles of serum vitamin A significantly reduced the all-cause mortality risk.The dose-response analysis indicated a significantly increased risk of all-cause mortality in diabetes patients with lower serum vitamin A levels.As the vitamin A levels increased,the mortality risk gradually decreased.A significant reduction in all-cause mortality risk was observed when serum vitamin A levels were between 2.17 and 2.50 μmol/L.Beyond this range,there was a tendency for increased all-cause mortality risk with further increases in vitamin A levels.Conclusion:Lower serum vitamin A levels increase the all-cause mortality risk in diabetes patients,while moderate serum vitamin A levels help reduce the all-cause mortality risk in diabetes patients.

Objective:To analyze the current situation of middle-level cadres in functional departments of scientific research institutes and to construct a job competency model for middle-level cadre.Methods:A cluster random sampling method was used to conduct a questionnaire survey in March 2022 on the satisfaction level of middle-level cadres in the functional departments of the Institute of Blood Transfusion of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences,a mid-level cadre competency questionnaire survey was conducted to collect data among functional department personnel of scientific research institutes affiliated to the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College.The principal component analysis method was used to extract factors,and the maximum variance rotation method was used to conduct exploratory factor analysis to construct a competency model.Results:The Middle-level cadres in scientific research institutes had problems such as old age,traditional management style,etc.The competency model of middle-level cadres in functional departments of scientific research institutes included 3 main competencies:responsibility taking ability,communication ability and learning execution ability,and 34 competency factors.Conclusion:The competency model of middle-level cadres in functional departments of scientific research institutes can provide basis and reference for the selection and appointment,education and training,performance management and career planning of middle-level cadres in scientific research institutes.

At present, the incidence and mortality of tumors are increasing, and the treatment of tumors has attracted much attention. Radiotherapy is a key method for tumor treatment; however, its effectiveness is often constrained by radioresistance. During tumor radiotherapy, DNA damage response (DDR) is a key factor in the radioresistance of tumor cells. Research has shown that the radiosensitivity of tumor cells can be effectively improved by regulating the expression of key proteins in the DDR pathway. Targeting the DDR signaling pathway has become an effective strategy to reduce tumor radioresistance. This article focuses on the mechanisms, clinical research status, limitations, and current challenges associated with the key DDR proteins DNA-PKcs, ATM, ATR, and PARP as therapeutic targets for tumor radiotherapy sensitization, in order to provide a reference for the development of radiotherapy sensitization agents.

Objective To evaluate the clinical screening value of the Epworth sleepiness scale(ESS)for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)and obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome(OSAHS).Methods A total of 399 hospitalized T2DM patients were selected for portable monitoring(PM)and ESS assessment.Based on the presence or absence of OSAHS,the study was divided into a simple T2DM group(T2DM,n=143)and a group with comorbid OSAHS(OSAHS,n=256).According to the apnea-hypopnea index(AHI),the study participants were categorized into a normal group(AHI<5 times/h,n=143),a mild OSAHS group(AHI 5～15 times/h,n=147),a moderate OSAHS group(AHI>15～30 times/h,n=69),and a severe OSAHS group(AHI>30 times/h,n=40).Differences in ESS scores across various OSAHS severity groups were compared.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis was conducted to evaluate the screening value of ESS for OSAHS.Results Body mass index,proportion of obesity,proportion of central obesity,serum creatinine and fasting C-peptide were significantly higher the OSAHS group compared to the non-OSAHS group(P<0.05).Significant statistical differences in ESS scores were observed between the severe and mild OSAHS groups(P=0.006).When an ESS score of≥9 was used as the threshold for screening OSAHS,the concordance rate with PM diagnosis was 40.6%.ROC curve analysis revealed that the area under the curve(AUC)for ESS screening for OSAHS,moderate-to-severe OSAHS,and severe OSAHS,and their respective optimal thresholds(95%CI),were as follows 0.518(95%CI 0.459～0.577,P=0.545),0.571(95%CI 0.507～0.635,P=0.029)and 0.624(95%CI 0.531～0.718,P=0.010),with cutoffs of≥2 points,≥3 points,and≥4 points,respectively.Conclusions An increased ESS score in T2DM patients significantly indicates the likelihood of severe OSAHS.Using an ESS score of≥9 as a threshold to screen for OSAHS is ineffective,whereas an ESS score of≥3 for screening moderate-to-severe OSAHS and≥4 for severe OSAHS has some reference value.

Objective:To evaluate the effect of ionizing radiation on chromosome aberration of peripheral blood lymphocytes in children with vascular interventional procedure.Methods:The chromosome aberration of peripheral blood lymphocytes was analyzed before and after vascular interventional procedure to assess the effect of low-dose ionizing radiation on chromosomes. Peripheral blood (PB) was collected using heparin as an anticoagulant from 26 patients before and after (within 10 minutes) vascular interventional surgery. Informed consent was obtained from the patients′ parents.Results:Dicentric + centric ring (dic+ r) formation increased significantly ( U=647, P<0.01) in peripheral blood lymphocytes of children after interventional operation. No correlation was observed between the rate of dic+ r and the cumulative dose (CD), dose area product (DAP), age, body weight, gender and the estimated effective dose E ( P>0.05). There was no significant difference in dic+ r rate of children between different genders, ages and lesion sites ( P>0.05). The dic+ r rate after interventional operation exceeded 40×10 -3 in 4 of 26 cases with the highest of 95.83×10 -3. Conclusions:The ionizing radiation during children′s vascular interventional procedure might lead to the increase of chromosome aberration of peripheral blood lymphocytes and some children are abnormally sensitive. Great attention should be paid to the justification and radiation protection during interventional procedure for children.

Objective:To explore the feasibility of ultrasound screening and diagnosis of fetal cleft palate in early pregnancy, analyze and summarize the imaging technology and image characteristics of two-dimensional and three-dimensional ultrasound in normal fetus and cleft palate fetus.Methods:A total of 10 519 pregnant women participated in the early pregnancy were included from January 2016 to June 2020 in Shenzhen Hospital, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences. The palatal line on the standard section of fetal nuchal translucency (NT) measurement was used as a screening marker for routine observation. For fetuses with abnormal palatine line, posterior nasal triangle of coronal plane and axial plane of maxillary alveolar arch of two-dimensional ultrasound were added as the diagnostic sections, and three-dimensional volume data of fetal face were collected, and three dimensional multimodal imaging technology was used to analyze the volume data off-line to determine or exclude fetal severe cleft palate. All fetuses were followed up during the second trimester for deformity scanning and post natal (or induced labor) assessment.Results:Of the 10 519 fetuses, the standard NT plane was obtained and the palatal line was observed in 10 204 cases(97.01%), with normal palatal line in 10 169 cases.In 35 suspected cases, 13 cases were confirmed cleft lip and palate by two and three dimensions ultrasound, and were confirmed by induced labor. There were 7 cases in unilateral side, 3 cases in bilateral, 2 cases in median cleft lip and palate, 1 cases in irregular cleft lip and palate, and no false positive results were reported. Twenty-two suspicious cases were excluded by increasing the two-dimensional sectional and three-dimensional volumetric off-line analysis, and screening after the second trimester and after birth. There was 1 case of missed diagnosis of simple cleft palate.Conclusions:Palatal line is a good screening marker for fetal cleft palate in early pregnancy. For fetuses with abnormal palatine line, the adding of posterior nasal triangle and the axial plane of maxillary alveolar arch, and combining three-dimensional volume data for off-line analysis can determine or exclude severe cleft palate. This study is of great significance for early screening and diagnosis of severe fetal cleft palate, prenatal genetic counseling and prevention birth defect.

Objective To explore the relationship and influencing factors between pre‐diabetes mellitus (pre‐DM) and hypertension, providing evidence for formulating strategies for cardiovascular disease prevention and control. Methods We conducted this study from June 2013 to September 2014. Using stratified multistage random sampling, participants were administered a questionnaire survey, their height, weight, waist circumference, hip circumference, other physical attributes, blood pressure and blood lipids were measured. They also underwent the 75‐g glucose tolerance test and other laboratory examinations. A logistic regression model was used to analyze the relationship between pre‐DM and hypertension and its influencing factors. Results A total of 4 002 participants completed the survey. Participants'mean age was 50.3 ± 11.8 years. Of the total participants, 1 962 (49.0%) were males, while 2 039 (51.0%) were females; 1 participant had missing gender data. Further, 2 188 participants had normal glucose metabolism, 1 066 had pre‐DM, and 748 had diabetes. The prevalence of hypertension in participants with normal glucose metabolism, impaired fasting glucose, impaired glucose tolerance, both impaired fasting glucose and impaired glucose tolerance, and DM was 28.3%, 46.5%, 46.3%, 62.0%, and 61.2%, respectively. The prevalence of hypertension varied among people with different glucose metabolism (χ2=306.672, P<0.001). The prevalence of hypertension in the pre‐DM population increased with the aggravation of abnormal glucose metabolism compared to the normal glucose metabolism population, with a linear trend (χ2=299.009, P<0.001). Among those with abnormal glucose metabolism, there were differences in age, cholesterol, triglycerides, low‐density lipoproteins, body mass index, and waist circumference compared to those without hypertension (P<0.05). The risk of hypertension in the pre‐diabetic population was 1.5 times higher than that in the normal glucose metabolism population (OR=2.510, 95% CI: 2.156-2.922, P<0.001). There was no difference in the correlation intensity between pre‐DM and hypertension when gender was taken into account. Age and lipid abnormalities slightly decreased the correlation intensity between abnormal glucose metabolism and hypertension. Considering body mass index and centripetal obesity, the correlation intensity between abnormal glucose metabolism and hypertension could be reduced by controlling these factors. Conclusion The prevalence of hypertension is high in people with pre‐DM. There is a correlation between pre‐DM and hypertension, even when considering factors such as age, dyslipidemia, body mass index, and centripetal obesity. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen the management of blood pressure in the pre‐diabetic population; improve early intervention for risk factors such as dyslipidemia, body mass index, and centripetal obesity; and reduce the occurrence of hypertension.

Most of the developed countries in the world have established a complete system of training of specialists consistent with their respective national circumstances.On the basis of continuously improving the training of clinical residencies in our country,we have started the formal training of pediatric neurologists.This article introduces the current status of pediatric specialists training in Children Hospital of Chongqing Medical University and the western region in China and puts forward relevant suggestions by comparing itself with that in North America,including:(1) establishing a perfect organizational structure and division of responsibilities of the training base,(2) standardizing the system of admission,(3) prolonging the training time and establishing a comprehensive training mode,(4) formulating strict assessment system and forming a standardized assessment model,(5) ensuring continuous and adequate financial support.