The configurations of C-20 in derivatives of novel 5α-adynerin type,co-existing glycoside in pair,were identified with the calculated chemical shifts of carbon at the B3LYP/6-311＋G（2d,p）level.These glycosides are ...The configurations of C-20 in derivatives of novel 5α-adynerin type,co-existing glycoside in pair,were identified with the calculated chemical shifts of carbon at the B3LYP/6-311＋G（2d,p）level.These glycosides are unusual cardic aglycones without the common olefin bond in ring E.展开更多
Spermatogenesis is a sophisticated biological process by which spermatogonial stem cells(SSCs)undergo self-renewal and differentiation into spermatozoa.Molecular mechanisms underlying fate determinations of human SSCs...Spermatogenesis is a sophisticated biological process by which spermatogonial stem cells(SSCs)undergo self-renewal and differentiation into spermatozoa.Molecular mechanisms underlying fate determinations of human SSCs by key genes and signaling pathways remain elusive.Here,we report for the first time that Yes1-associated transcriptional regulator(YAP1)is required for fate determinations of SSCs and male fertility by interacting with RAD21 and targeting NEDD4 in humans and mice.YAP1 was mainly located at cell nuclei of human SSCs.YAP1 silencing resulted in the decreases in proliferation and DNA synthesis as well as an enhancement in apoptosis of human SSCs both in vivo and in vitro.RNA sequencing and real-time polymerase chain reaction assays identified NEDD4 as a target of YAP1,and NEDD4 knockdown inhibited the proliferation of human SSCs and increased their apoptosis.Furthermore,YAP1 interacted with RAD21 to regulate NEDD4 transcription in human SSCs.Importantly,YAP1 abnormalities were found to be associated with non-obstructive azoospermia(NOA)as manifested as lower expression level of YAP1 in testicular tissues of NOA patients and YAP1 single-nucleotide variants(SNVs)in 777 NOA patients.Finally,Yap1 germline conditional knockout(cKO)mice assumed mitotic arrest,low sperm count,and motility.Collectively,these results highlight a critical role of YAP1 in determining the fate determinations of human SSCs and male infertility through the YAP1/RAD21/NEDD4 pathway.This study provides new insights into the genetic regulatory mechanisms underlying human spermatogenesis and the pathogenesis of NOA,and it offers new targets for gene therapy of male infertility.展开更多
Eight hundred and ten pedigree members of 110 patients with Graves' disease were studied. In 700 first-egree relatives, inquiry of medical history, physical examination (including eyes, thyroid, heart rate, etc), ...Eight hundred and ten pedigree members of 110 patients with Graves' disease were studied. In 700 first-egree relatives, inquiry of medical history, physical examination (including eyes, thyroid, heart rate, etc), thyroid function tests (serum T3, T4 and TSH levels), determinations of thyroglobulin antibodies (TgAb) and thyroid microsomal antibodies (TmAb) were performed. For male (female) probands, the incidence of Graves' disease in male (female) first-degree relatives were investigated and their serum TgAb and TmAb were analysed. The incidence of these two kinds of autoantibodies in the male (female) first-egree relatives of familial and nonfamilial Graves' disease were analysed. Eighteen persons with positive TgAb and TmAb from 5 pedigrees had been followed up one year after initial determinations. Our results suggest that the positive rates of TgAb and TmAb in the first-egree relatives of Graves' disease were coincident with the incidence of Graves' disease, and the positive results of TgAb and TmAb in the first-egree relatives of Graves' disease may be an indicator of pre-raves' disease or pre-utoimmune thyroid diseases.展开更多
An image processing and deep learning method for identifying different types of rock images was proposed.Preprocessing,such as rock image acquisition,gray scaling,Gaussian blurring,and feature dimensionality reduction...An image processing and deep learning method for identifying different types of rock images was proposed.Preprocessing,such as rock image acquisition,gray scaling,Gaussian blurring,and feature dimensionality reduction,was conducted to extract useful feature information and recognize and classify rock images using Tensor Flow-based convolutional neural network(CNN)and Py Qt5.A rock image dataset was established and separated into workouts,confirmation sets,and test sets.The framework was subsequently compiled and trained.The categorization approach was evaluated using image data from the validation and test datasets,and key metrics,such as accuracy,precision,and recall,were analyzed.Finally,the classification model conducted a probabilistic analysis of the measured data to determine the equivalent lithological type for each image.The experimental results indicated that the method combining deep learning,Tensor Flow-based CNN,and Py Qt5 to recognize and classify rock images has an accuracy rate of up to 98.8%,and can be successfully utilized for rock image recognition.The system can be extended to geological exploration,mine engineering,and other rock and mineral resource development to more efficiently and accurately recognize rock samples.Moreover,it can match them with the intelligent support design system to effectively improve the reliability and economy of the support scheme.The system can serve as a reference for supporting the design of other mining and underground space projects.展开更多
Simultaneous determination of several elements （U, Ta, Mn, Zr and W） with inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry （ICP-AES） in the presence of spectral interference was performed using chemometrics...Simultaneous determination of several elements （U, Ta, Mn, Zr and W） with inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry （ICP-AES） in the presence of spectral interference was performed using chemometrics methods. True comparison between artificial neural network （ANN） and partial least squares regression （PLS） for simultaneous determination in different degrees of overlap was investigated. The emission spectra were recorded at uranium analytical line （263.553 nm） with a 0.06 nm spectral window by ICP-AES. Principal component analysis was applied to data and scores on 5 dominant principal components were subjected to ANN. A 5-5-5 （input, hidden and output neurons） network was used with linear transfer function after both hidden and output layers. The PI,S model was trained with five latent variables and 20 samples in calibration set. The relative errors of predictions （REP） in test set were 3.75% and 3.56% for ANN and PLS respectively.展开更多
Forster resonance energy transfer （FRET） techniques have been widely used in biological studies in vitro andin vivo and are powerful tools for elucidating protein interactions in many regulatory cascades. FRET occur...Forster resonance energy transfer （FRET） techniques have been widely used in biological studies in vitro andin vivo and are powerful tools for elucidating protein interactions in many regulatory cascades. FRET occurs between oscillating dipoles of two fluorophores with overlapping emission and excitation wavelengths and is dependent on the spectroscopic and geometric properties of the donor-acceptor pair. Various efforts have been made to develop quantitative FRET methods to accurately determine the interaction affinity and kinetics parameters. SUMOylation is an important post-translational protein modification with key roles in multiple biological processes. Conjugating SUMO to substrates requires an enzymatic cascade. Sentrin/SUMO-specific proteases （SENP） act as endopeptidases to process the pre-SUMO or an isopeptidase to deconjugate SUMO from its substrate. Here we also summarize recent developments of theoretical and experimental procedures for determining the protein interaction dissociation constant, Kd, and protease kinetics parameters, kcat and Kin, in the SUMOylation pathway. The general principles of these quantitative FRET-based measurements can be applied to other protein interactions and proteases.展开更多
This study aims to explore the prevalence and determinations of physical inactivity among hospital employees in Shanghai, China. A cross-sectional study of 4612 employees aged 19 to 68years was conducted through strat...This study aims to explore the prevalence and determinations of physical inactivity among hospital employees in Shanghai, China. A cross-sectional study of 4612 employees aged 19 to 68years was conducted through stratified cluster sampling from different classes of Shanghai hospitals in 2011. The total physical activity was evaluated using the metabolic equivalent according to the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire. Among the participants, 38.5%, 32.3%, and 64.6% of the employees are inactive at work, commuting, and taking leisure time, respectively. Up to 41.8% of the men and 37.8% of the women （P = 0.012） are physically inactive. When the age and educational level are adjusted, male doctors and medical technicians show a higher percentage of physical inactivity than male workers in logistics （P = 0.001）. Among females, employees who are working in second- and third-class hospitals show a higher proportion of physical inactivity than those who are working in community health care centers. Logistic regression analyses show that the odds ratios （ORs） of leisure-time physical inactivity associated with the intensity of physical activity at work are 2.259, 2.897, and 4.266 for men （P 〈 0.001） and 2.456, 3.259, and 3.587 for women （P 〈 0.001）, respectively. The time during commuting activities is significantly associated with leisure-time physical inactivity in either sex （OR = 2.116 for men and 2.173 for women, P 〈 0.001）. Hospital employees, particularly doctors and medical technicians, show a higher proportion of physical inactivity than other inhabitants in Shanghai. The time and intensity of activity at work and commuting are associated with leisure-time activities.展开更多
Reliable estimation of the ventilation rate(VR)in intensive livestock buildings is necessary for studying building environmental control strategies and predicting indoor air quality and air emissions.As direct air exc...Reliable estimation of the ventilation rate(VR)in intensive livestock buildings is necessary for studying building environmental control strategies and predicting indoor air quality and air emissions.As direct air exchange measurements are time-consuming and expensive,it is environmentally inefficient to measure livestock building VR continuously in practice.Hence,indirect VR estimation methods have been widely used in modelling environmental control and air emissions,and also to measure airflow in the field.The accuracy of indirect measurement methods needs to be evaluated by comparing with direct measurements.In this study,the direct and indirect methods of determining hourly and daily mean VRs were applied to a mechanically-ventilated dairy free stall barn monitored by the 24-month National Air Emissions Monitoring Study.The direct method was used to continuously monitor fan rotational speeds,and differential static pressures,coupled with periodic in-situ fan performance assessments,to calculate the VR.The indirect method consisted of estimating the VR using CO2 concentration measurements and the CO2 mass balance method.The average daily and hourly means(mean±SD)of directly measured barn ventilation rates for two years were(246±73)m3/s and(245±77)m3/s,respectively.The average daily and hourly means(mean±SD)of barn ventilation rates estimated by the CO2 mass balance method were(287±93.4)m3/s and(287±118)m3/s,respectively.Correlation analyses showed a strong correlation between the indirect CO2 mass balance method and direct measurement methods(r=0.93 for daily means and r=0.85 for hourly means).展开更多
Although inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry(ICP-MS) retains high sensitivity and has been intensively used for the measurement of ^(99)Tc, it usually suffers from tedious, expensive, and timeconsuming sample...Although inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry(ICP-MS) retains high sensitivity and has been intensively used for the measurement of ^(99)Tc, it usually suffers from tedious, expensive, and timeconsuming sample pretreatments due to the isobaric interferences from ^(99)Ru and ^(98)Mo^(1)H. Herein, capillary electrophoresis(CE) was applied as sample introduction system for the sensitive, and interferencefree determination of ^(99)TcO_(4)^(-) from RuO_(4)^(-), and MoO_(4)^(2-) by ICP-MS with a simple sample treatment. Compared to the conventional methods, the hyphenated CE-ICP-MS avoids the use of expensive separation resins and reduces the consumption of mineral acid, representing a simpler, more efficient and environmentally benign approach. Moreover, the proposed method exhibits higher accuracy compared with the mathematical correction method using the natural isotope ratio of ^(99)Ru and ^(101)Ru, and significantly reduces sample consumption and the amount of waste, thus remarkably alleviating the radioactive exposure to operators and the pressure of radioactive waste treatment. Under the optimized conditions, the detection limits of 25 μg/L and 0.06 μg/L were obtained for RuO_(4)^(-) and ReO_(4)^(-)(Tc was replaced by Re), respectively, with relative standard deviation(RSD) lower than 5%. In addition, efficient recoveries of RuO_(4)^(-),ReO_(4)^(-),and ^(99)TcO_(4)^(-) from simulated Hanford site groundwater were achieved. The method is expected to be a promising candidate for sensitive and accurate analysis of ^(99)Tc from contaminated environmental samples.展开更多
The reaction rate constant is a crucial kinetic parameter that governs the charge and discharge performance of batteries,particularly in high-rate and thick-electrode applications.However,conventional estimation or fi...The reaction rate constant is a crucial kinetic parameter that governs the charge and discharge performance of batteries,particularly in high-rate and thick-electrode applications.However,conventional estimation or fitting methods often overestimate the charge transfer overpotential,leading to substantial errors in reaction rate constant measurements.These inaccuracies hinder the accurate prediction of voltage profiles and overall cell performance.In this study,we propose the characteristic time-decomposed overpotential(CTDO)method,which employs a single-layer particle electrode(SLPE)structure to eliminate interference overpotentials.By leveraging the distribution of relaxation times(DRT),our method effectively isolates the characteristic time of the charge transfer process,enabling a more precise determination of the reaction rate constant.Simulation results indicate that our approach reduces measurement errors to below 2%,closely aligning with theoretical values.Furthermore,experimental validation demonstrates an 80% reduction in error compared to the conventional galvanostatic intermittent titration technique(GITT)method.Overall,this study provides a novel voltage-based approach for determining the reaction rate constant,enhancing the applicability of theoretical analysis in electrode structural design and facilitating rapid battery optimization.展开更多
The dynamics of phase separation in H–He binary systems within gas giants such as Jupiter and Saturn exhibit remarkable complexity, yet lack systematic investigation. Through large-scale machine-learning-accelerated ...The dynamics of phase separation in H–He binary systems within gas giants such as Jupiter and Saturn exhibit remarkable complexity, yet lack systematic investigation. Through large-scale machine-learning-accelerated molecular dynamics simulations spanning broad temperature-pressure-composition(2000–10000 K, 1–7 Mbar,pure H to pure He) regimes, we systematically determine self and mutual diffusion coefficients in H–He systems and establish a six-dimensional framework correlating temperature, pressure, helium abundance, phase separation degree, diffusion coefficients, and anisotropy. Key findings reveal that hydrogen exhibits active directional migration with pronounced diffusion anisotropy, whereas helium passively aggregates in response. While the conventional mixing rule underestimates mutual diffusion coefficients by neglecting velocity cross-correlations,the assumption of an ideal thermodynamic factor(Q = 1) overestimates them due to unaccounted non-ideal thermodynamic effects—both particularly pronounced in strongly phase-separated regimes. Notably, hydrogen's dual role, anisotropic diffusion and bond stabilization via helium doping, modulates demixing kinetics. Large-scale simulations(216,000 atoms) propose novel phase-separation paradigms, such as “hydrogen bubble/wisp” formation, challenging the classical “helium rain” scenario, striving to bridge atomic-scale dynamics to planetary-scale phase evolution.展开更多
The Internet of Things(IoT)has orchestrated various domains in numerous applications,contributing significantly to the growth of the smart world,even in regions with low literacy rates,boosting socio-economic developm...The Internet of Things(IoT)has orchestrated various domains in numerous applications,contributing significantly to the growth of the smart world,even in regions with low literacy rates,boosting socio-economic development.This study provides valuable insights into optimizing wireless communication,paving the way for a more connected and productive future in the mining industry.The IoT revolution is advancing across industries,but harsh geometric environments,including open-pit mines,pose unique challenges for reliable communication.The advent of IoT in the mining industry has significantly improved communication for critical operations through the use of Radio Frequency(RF)protocols such as Bluetooth,Wi-Fi,GSM/GPRS,Narrow Band(NB)-IoT,SigFox,ZigBee,and Long Range Wireless Area Network(LoRaWAN).This study addresses the optimization of network implementations by comparing two leading free-spreading IoT-based RF protocols such as ZigBee and LoRaWAN.Intensive field tests are conducted in various opencast mines to investigate coverage potential and signal attenuation.ZigBee is tested in the Tadicherla open-cast coal mine in India.Similarly,LoRaWAN field tests are conducted at one of the associated cement companies(ACC)in the limestone mine in Bargarh,India,covering both Indoor-toOutdoor(I2O)and Outdoor-to-Outdoor(O2O)environments.A robust framework of path-loss models,referred to as Free space,Egli,Okumura-Hata,Cost231-Hata and Ericsson models,combined with key performance metrics,is employed to evaluate the patterns of signal attenuation.Extensive field testing and careful data analysis revealed that the Egli model is the most consistent path-loss model for the ZigBee protocol in an I2O environment,with a coefficient of determination(R^(2))of 0.907,balanced error metrics such as Normalized Root Mean Square Error(NRMSE)of 0.030,Mean Square Error(MSE)of 4.950,Mean Absolute Percentage Error(MAPE)of 0.249 and Scatter Index(SI)of 2.723.In the O2O scenario,the Ericsson model showed superior performance,with the highest R^(2)value of 0.959,supported by strong correlation metrics:NRMSE of 0.026,MSE of 8.685,MAPE of 0.685,Mean Absolute Deviation(MAD)of 20.839 and SI of 2.194.For the LoRaWAN protocol,the Cost-231 model achieved the highest R^(2)value of 0.921 in the I2O scenario,complemented by the lowest metrics:NRMSE of 0.018,MSE of 1.324,MAPE of 0.217,MAD of 9.218 and SI of 1.238.In the O2O environment,the Okumura-Hata model achieved the highest R^(2)value of 0.978,indicating a strong fit with metrics NRMSE of 0.047,MSE of 27.807,MAPE of 27.494,MAD of 37.287 and SI of 3.927.This advancement in reliable communication networks promises to transform the opencast landscape into networked signal attenuation.These results support decision-making for mining needs and ensure reliable communications even in the face of formidable obstacles.展开更多
Objectives:This scoping review aims to methodically identify and analyse the determinants which influence maternal mortality and healthcare utilization in women of childbearing years in Nigeria.The review specifically...Objectives:This scoping review aims to methodically identify and analyse the determinants which influence maternal mortality and healthcare utilization in women of childbearing years in Nigeria.The review specifically addresses the difficulties faced in assessing medical care,and the ongoing initiatives to lower the maternal mortality ratio.Methods:Primary studies(published after year 2000)focused on maternal mortality,health determinants,and the utilization of maternal healthcare services in Nigeria were retrieved following a systematic search across multiple databases,including Scopus,PubMed,Google Scholar,and Web of Science.These were screened using defined inclusion and exclusion criteria.Data from these studies were extracted and thematically analysed to identify common themes and trends.Results:A total of 21 publications were included in this review comprising 2 qualitative,17 quantitative,and2 mixed study designs.Major health determinants identified in these studies include hypertensive disorders of pregnancy,haemorrhage,and sepsis/septicaemia,contributing as much as 29%,24%,and 14.2%of maternal deaths respectively in over 10%of the reviewed studies.Similarly,social-economic determinants including poverty,maternal education,health system issues and culture significantly impacted the utilization of maternal healthcare services,inadvertently impacting maternal mortality.Despite various maternal health interventions such as the"Abiye"Safe Motherhood Initiative,the Integrated Maternal,Newborn,and Child Health Strategy and strengthening emergency obstetric care by governmental and non-governmental agencies,early childbearing,unemployment,large family sizes,and dependence on male spouses continued to result in suboptimal utilization of services and adverse maternal outcomes.Conclusion:This scoping review comprehensively integrated existing data from published studies to provide a detailed picture of maternal mortality,its health determinants,and factors influencing care utilization among women of childbearing age in Nigeria and approaches to reduce maternal mortality in the country and possibly in the West African sub-region.展开更多
AlphaPanda(AlphaFold2[1]inspired protein-specific antibody design in a diffusional manner)is an advanced algorithm for designing complementary determining regions(CDRs)of the antibody targeted the specific epitope,com...AlphaPanda(AlphaFold2[1]inspired protein-specific antibody design in a diffusional manner)is an advanced algorithm for designing complementary determining regions(CDRs)of the antibody targeted the specific epitope,combining transformer[2]models,3DCNN[3],and diffusion[4]generative models.展开更多
[Objectives]To establish an HPLC method for the quantitative determination of multiple phenolic acid components in Tetracera asiatica medicinal material,providing a basis for establishing its quality standards.[Method...[Objectives]To establish an HPLC method for the quantitative determination of multiple phenolic acid components in Tetracera asiatica medicinal material,providing a basis for establishing its quality standards.[Methods]An Inertsil ODS-C 18 column(250 mm×4.6 mm,5μm)was used.The mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile-0.2% phosphoric acid solution(10:90).The flow rate was 1.0 mL/min.The detection wavelength was 274 nm.The column temperature was 25℃.The injection volume was 10μL.The content of three components,gallic acid,protocatechuic acid,and protocatechualdehyde,was determined in 13 batches of T.asiatica.[Results]Gallic acid showed good linearity within the range of 0.020-6.400μg/mL,protocatechuic acid within 0.201-6.432μg/mL,and protocatechualdehyde within 0.202-6.464μg/mL(r>0.9990).The average recovery rates ranged from 98.61%to 101.17%,with RSD s between 1.21%and 2.69%.[Conclusions]The quantitative determination method established in this study is simple and feasible,and can provide a basis for the quality evaluation of T.asiatica.展开更多
Fenton/Fenton-like reactions have gained popularity for their remarkable proficiency in decomposing organic pollutants,especially when enhanced by reductants addition for accel-erating the Fe2+regeneration.Nevertheles...Fenton/Fenton-like reactions have gained popularity for their remarkable proficiency in decomposing organic pollutants,especially when enhanced by reductants addition for accel-erating the Fe2+regeneration.Nevertheless,these works predominantly centered on the formation and utilization of hydroxyl radicals(•OH)in the process,neglecting the evolution of oxidant and reductant due to the difficulty in the simultaneous determination of these two components.By employing the quenching-iodometric method,we could simultaneously determine the concentrations of HSO_(3)-and peroxydisulfate(PDS).This method first employed an excess of peroxymonosulfate(PMS)to effectively quench HSO_(3)-,and then used the iodometric spectrophotometry to simultaneously determine the concentrations of PMS and PDS in the reaction system.Finally,through precise stoichiometric relationships,we could accurately calculate the concentration of HSO_(3)-.Based on this method,we achieved concentration measurements that,upon linear fitting,yielded a correlation coefficient(R^(2))surpassing 0.99,unequivocally affirming the method’s accuracy and trustworthiness.In this work,an innovation approach for determining the concentrations of HSO_(3)-(reductant)and PDS(oxidant)was explored.Additionally,the resilience of the method was verified across different pH levels and in the presence of diverse impurity ions.The results ensured precise concentration measure-ments in the real wastewater.This method was characterized by its simplicity,rapid analysis,and environmental friendliness,offering a newanalytical strategy for the determination of PDS and HSO_(3)-in environmental samples.The method enables more meticulous monitoring of chemical usage in water treatment,facilitating optimized dosing strategies and assessments of reductant-enhanced Fenton or Fenton-like system in water purification.展开更多
IN his video speech to the United Nations Climate Summit held in New York on September 24,Chinese President Xi Jinping announced China’s new Nationally Determined Contributions(NDC)—the efforts taken by each country...IN his video speech to the United Nations Climate Summit held in New York on September 24,Chinese President Xi Jinping announced China’s new Nationally Determined Contributions(NDC)—the efforts taken by each country to reduce their emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change.展开更多
In paleoseismic research,defining the age of an event is relatively straightforward,but pinpointing its magnitude with precision is challenging.This difficulty primarily arises because physical parameters,such as rupt...In paleoseismic research,defining the age of an event is relatively straightforward,but pinpointing its magnitude with precision is challenging.This difficulty primarily arises because physical parameters,such as rupture area and displacement,which are intimately linked to the seismic moment,are hard to derive from paleoseismic studies.Our preceding study identified two earthquake sites in Huoshan and Guzhen,Anhui Province.While we qualitatively described the timing of these occurrences and the characteristics of sand veins,dislocations,and earthquake-induced cracks,we did not provide quantitative estimates of their magnitude or seismogenic faults.Consequently,these findings were insufficient for assessing regional seismic risks or determining the potential magnitude of specific faults.This study employs two empirical relationships:one between the farthest distribution distance based on liquefaction from earthquake-induced events and magnitude,and the other concerning the intensityepicenter distance-magnitude relationship.Through these relationships,we analyze the sandy soil liquefaction and earthquake-induced cracks quantitatively.The analysis includes magnitude estimation and seismogenic fault evaluation for the sandy soil liquefaction and crack remnants of the Huoshan Daijiayuan earthquake,as well as the dislocation and crack remnants of the Guzhen Gaixia earthquake.The findings indicate that the Huoshan Daijiayuan site records two paleoseismic events.The first event transpired after 850 BC,and the second after 550 BC,with a gap of approximately 300 years between them;both had a seismic magnitude(M_(S))of around 6.0.The likely seismogenic fault for the Huoshan Daijiayuan earthquake is the Luoerling-Tudiling fault.Meanwhile,the paleoseismic site in Guzhen Gaixia documents two seismic events occurring during 2350-2050 BC,both with a seismic magnitude(MS)of approximately 6½.The Tancheng-Lujiang fault zone is likely the seismogenic fault associated with the Guzhen Gaixia earthquake site.展开更多
Background: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common, bothersome and relatively under diagnosed complication of diabetes mellitus. This study was aimed to determine the prevalence of erectile dysfunction and its determin...Background: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common, bothersome and relatively under diagnosed complication of diabetes mellitus. This study was aimed to determine the prevalence of erectile dysfunction and its determinants. Methods: A cross-sectional hospital-based study was carried out in the Diabetology Units of the Buea and Limbe Regional Hospitals involving 332 male patients with diabetes and aged over 21 years. Data was analyzed using Stata and R version 3.5.3. Results: The mean age of the participants was 55years. Most participants (64.46%) were married. About half (50.60%) of the participants actively consumed alcohol, 11.45% were smokers and 57.83% were sedentary. 18 participants (5.42%) recorded high risk sexual behaviour. 54.32% of participants had a comorbidity and 43.90% were overweight. The prevalence of diabetic ED was 78.92%. Age, Fasting Blood Sugar and Glycated hemoglobin were found to be positive determinants of diabetic ED (odds ratio (OR) = 0.77, 95% CI −0.1 - 0.07). Conclusion: The prevalence of diabetic ED in this hospital population study is high, and both physician and patient—initiated measures are needed to reduce this prevalence and improve awareness, recognition and care of this condition.展开更多
基金Supported by the Hundred Talents Program of Chinese Academic of Sciences the Science and Technology Committee ofYunnan Province,China.
文摘The configurations of C-20 in derivatives of novel 5α-adynerin type,co-existing glycoside in pair,were identified with the calculated chemical shifts of carbon at the B3LYP/6-311＋G（2d,p）level.These glycosides are unusual cardic aglycones without the common olefin bond in ring E.
基金funded by the grants from National Nature Science Foundation of China(32470904 and 32170862)Major Scientific and Technological Projects for Collaborative Prevention and Control of Birth Defect in Hunan Province(2019SK1012)+3 种基金Key Grant of Research and Development in Hunan Province(2020DK2002)Developmental Biology and Breeding(2022XKQ0205)Shanghai Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine,Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province of China(2024JJ5284,2023JJ30424,and 2024JJ5282)Research Foundation of Education Bureau of Hunan Province for Outstanding Young(23B0064).
文摘Spermatogenesis is a sophisticated biological process by which spermatogonial stem cells(SSCs)undergo self-renewal and differentiation into spermatozoa.Molecular mechanisms underlying fate determinations of human SSCs by key genes and signaling pathways remain elusive.Here,we report for the first time that Yes1-associated transcriptional regulator(YAP1)is required for fate determinations of SSCs and male fertility by interacting with RAD21 and targeting NEDD4 in humans and mice.YAP1 was mainly located at cell nuclei of human SSCs.YAP1 silencing resulted in the decreases in proliferation and DNA synthesis as well as an enhancement in apoptosis of human SSCs both in vivo and in vitro.RNA sequencing and real-time polymerase chain reaction assays identified NEDD4 as a target of YAP1,and NEDD4 knockdown inhibited the proliferation of human SSCs and increased their apoptosis.Furthermore,YAP1 interacted with RAD21 to regulate NEDD4 transcription in human SSCs.Importantly,YAP1 abnormalities were found to be associated with non-obstructive azoospermia(NOA)as manifested as lower expression level of YAP1 in testicular tissues of NOA patients and YAP1 single-nucleotide variants(SNVs)in 777 NOA patients.Finally,Yap1 germline conditional knockout(cKO)mice assumed mitotic arrest,low sperm count,and motility.Collectively,these results highlight a critical role of YAP1 in determining the fate determinations of human SSCs and male infertility through the YAP1/RAD21/NEDD4 pathway.This study provides new insights into the genetic regulatory mechanisms underlying human spermatogenesis and the pathogenesis of NOA,and it offers new targets for gene therapy of male infertility.
文摘Eight hundred and ten pedigree members of 110 patients with Graves' disease were studied. In 700 first-egree relatives, inquiry of medical history, physical examination (including eyes, thyroid, heart rate, etc), thyroid function tests (serum T3, T4 and TSH levels), determinations of thyroglobulin antibodies (TgAb) and thyroid microsomal antibodies (TmAb) were performed. For male (female) probands, the incidence of Graves' disease in male (female) first-degree relatives were investigated and their serum TgAb and TmAb were analysed. The incidence of these two kinds of autoantibodies in the male (female) first-egree relatives of familial and nonfamilial Graves' disease were analysed. Eighteen persons with positive TgAb and TmAb from 5 pedigrees had been followed up one year after initial determinations. Our results suggest that the positive rates of TgAb and TmAb in the first-egree relatives of Graves' disease were coincident with the incidence of Graves' disease, and the positive results of TgAb and TmAb in the first-egree relatives of Graves' disease may be an indicator of pre-raves' disease or pre-utoimmune thyroid diseases.
基金financially supported by the National Science and Technology Major Project——Deep Earth Probe and Mineral Resources Exploration(No.2024ZD1003701)the National Key R&D Program of China(No.2022YFC2905004)。
文摘An image processing and deep learning method for identifying different types of rock images was proposed.Preprocessing,such as rock image acquisition,gray scaling,Gaussian blurring,and feature dimensionality reduction,was conducted to extract useful feature information and recognize and classify rock images using Tensor Flow-based convolutional neural network(CNN)and Py Qt5.A rock image dataset was established and separated into workouts,confirmation sets,and test sets.The framework was subsequently compiled and trained.The categorization approach was evaluated using image data from the validation and test datasets,and key metrics,such as accuracy,precision,and recall,were analyzed.Finally,the classification model conducted a probabilistic analysis of the measured data to determine the equivalent lithological type for each image.The experimental results indicated that the method combining deep learning,Tensor Flow-based CNN,and Py Qt5 to recognize and classify rock images has an accuracy rate of up to 98.8%,and can be successfully utilized for rock image recognition.The system can be extended to geological exploration,mine engineering,and other rock and mineral resource development to more efficiently and accurately recognize rock samples.Moreover,it can match them with the intelligent support design system to effectively improve the reliability and economy of the support scheme.The system can serve as a reference for supporting the design of other mining and underground space projects.
文摘Simultaneous determination of several elements （U, Ta, Mn, Zr and W） with inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry （ICP-AES） in the presence of spectral interference was performed using chemometrics methods. True comparison between artificial neural network （ANN） and partial least squares regression （PLS） for simultaneous determination in different degrees of overlap was investigated. The emission spectra were recorded at uranium analytical line （263.553 nm） with a 0.06 nm spectral window by ICP-AES. Principal component analysis was applied to data and scores on 5 dominant principal components were subjected to ANN. A 5-5-5 （input, hidden and output neurons） network was used with linear transfer function after both hidden and output layers. The PI,S model was trained with five latent variables and 20 samples in calibration set. The relative errors of predictions （REP） in test set were 3.75% and 3.56% for ANN and PLS respectively.
文摘Forster resonance energy transfer （FRET） techniques have been widely used in biological studies in vitro andin vivo and are powerful tools for elucidating protein interactions in many regulatory cascades. FRET occurs between oscillating dipoles of two fluorophores with overlapping emission and excitation wavelengths and is dependent on the spectroscopic and geometric properties of the donor-acceptor pair. Various efforts have been made to develop quantitative FRET methods to accurately determine the interaction affinity and kinetics parameters. SUMOylation is an important post-translational protein modification with key roles in multiple biological processes. Conjugating SUMO to substrates requires an enzymatic cascade. Sentrin/SUMO-specific proteases （SENP） act as endopeptidases to process the pre-SUMO or an isopeptidase to deconjugate SUMO from its substrate. Here we also summarize recent developments of theoretical and experimental procedures for determining the protein interaction dissociation constant, Kd, and protease kinetics parameters, kcat and Kin, in the SUMOylation pathway. The general principles of these quantitative FRET-based measurements can be applied to other protein interactions and proteases.
文摘This study aims to explore the prevalence and determinations of physical inactivity among hospital employees in Shanghai, China. A cross-sectional study of 4612 employees aged 19 to 68years was conducted through stratified cluster sampling from different classes of Shanghai hospitals in 2011. The total physical activity was evaluated using the metabolic equivalent according to the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire. Among the participants, 38.5%, 32.3%, and 64.6% of the employees are inactive at work, commuting, and taking leisure time, respectively. Up to 41.8% of the men and 37.8% of the women （P = 0.012） are physically inactive. When the age and educational level are adjusted, male doctors and medical technicians show a higher percentage of physical inactivity than male workers in logistics （P = 0.001）. Among females, employees who are working in second- and third-class hospitals show a higher proportion of physical inactivity than those who are working in community health care centers. Logistic regression analyses show that the odds ratios （ORs） of leisure-time physical inactivity associated with the intensity of physical activity at work are 2.259, 2.897, and 4.266 for men （P 〈 0.001） and 2.456, 3.259, and 3.587 for women （P 〈 0.001）, respectively. The time during commuting activities is significantly associated with leisure-time physical inactivity in either sex （OR = 2.116 for men and 2.173 for women, P 〈 0.001）. Hospital employees, particularly doctors and medical technicians, show a higher proportion of physical inactivity than other inhabitants in Shanghai. The time and intensity of activity at work and commuting are associated with leisure-time activities.
文摘Reliable estimation of the ventilation rate(VR)in intensive livestock buildings is necessary for studying building environmental control strategies and predicting indoor air quality and air emissions.As direct air exchange measurements are time-consuming and expensive,it is environmentally inefficient to measure livestock building VR continuously in practice.Hence,indirect VR estimation methods have been widely used in modelling environmental control and air emissions,and also to measure airflow in the field.The accuracy of indirect measurement methods needs to be evaluated by comparing with direct measurements.In this study,the direct and indirect methods of determining hourly and daily mean VRs were applied to a mechanically-ventilated dairy free stall barn monitored by the 24-month National Air Emissions Monitoring Study.The direct method was used to continuously monitor fan rotational speeds,and differential static pressures,coupled with periodic in-situ fan performance assessments,to calculate the VR.The indirect method consisted of estimating the VR using CO2 concentration measurements and the CO2 mass balance method.The average daily and hourly means(mean±SD)of directly measured barn ventilation rates for two years were(246±73)m3/s and(245±77)m3/s,respectively.The average daily and hourly means(mean±SD)of barn ventilation rates estimated by the CO2 mass balance method were(287±93.4)m3/s and(287±118)m3/s,respectively.Correlation analyses showed a strong correlation between the indirect CO2 mass balance method and direct measurement methods(r=0.93 for daily means and r=0.85 for hourly means).
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. U1867205, 21622508, and 21575092)Study on Physical/Chemical Characteristics Related to the Migration of Key Nuclides under Simulated Disposal Conditions (Phase Ⅱ) (Contract No. KGES 2019(170), dated February 21, 2019.) for financial support。
文摘Although inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry(ICP-MS) retains high sensitivity and has been intensively used for the measurement of ^(99)Tc, it usually suffers from tedious, expensive, and timeconsuming sample pretreatments due to the isobaric interferences from ^(99)Ru and ^(98)Mo^(1)H. Herein, capillary electrophoresis(CE) was applied as sample introduction system for the sensitive, and interferencefree determination of ^(99)TcO_(4)^(-) from RuO_(4)^(-), and MoO_(4)^(2-) by ICP-MS with a simple sample treatment. Compared to the conventional methods, the hyphenated CE-ICP-MS avoids the use of expensive separation resins and reduces the consumption of mineral acid, representing a simpler, more efficient and environmentally benign approach. Moreover, the proposed method exhibits higher accuracy compared with the mathematical correction method using the natural isotope ratio of ^(99)Ru and ^(101)Ru, and significantly reduces sample consumption and the amount of waste, thus remarkably alleviating the radioactive exposure to operators and the pressure of radioactive waste treatment. Under the optimized conditions, the detection limits of 25 μg/L and 0.06 μg/L were obtained for RuO_(4)^(-) and ReO_(4)^(-)(Tc was replaced by Re), respectively, with relative standard deviation(RSD) lower than 5%. In addition, efficient recoveries of RuO_(4)^(-),ReO_(4)^(-),and ^(99)TcO_(4)^(-) from simulated Hanford site groundwater were achieved. The method is expected to be a promising candidate for sensitive and accurate analysis of ^(99)Tc from contaminated environmental samples.
基金supported by the National Key R&D Program of China 2022YFB2404300the National Natural Science Foundation of China U22B2069the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation 2024M761006。
文摘The reaction rate constant is a crucial kinetic parameter that governs the charge and discharge performance of batteries,particularly in high-rate and thick-electrode applications.However,conventional estimation or fitting methods often overestimate the charge transfer overpotential,leading to substantial errors in reaction rate constant measurements.These inaccuracies hinder the accurate prediction of voltage profiles and overall cell performance.In this study,we propose the characteristic time-decomposed overpotential(CTDO)method,which employs a single-layer particle electrode(SLPE)structure to eliminate interference overpotentials.By leveraging the distribution of relaxation times(DRT),our method effectively isolates the characteristic time of the charge transfer process,enabling a more precise determination of the reaction rate constant.Simulation results indicate that our approach reduces measurement errors to below 2%,closely aligning with theoretical values.Furthermore,experimental validation demonstrates an 80% reduction in error compared to the conventional galvanostatic intermittent titration technique(GITT)method.Overall,this study provides a novel voltage-based approach for determining the reaction rate constant,enhancing the applicability of theoretical analysis in electrode structural design and facilitating rapid battery optimization.
基金supported by the National University of Defense Technology Research Fund Projectthe National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos. 12047561 and 12104507+1 种基金the NSAF under Grant No. U1830206the Science and Technology Innovation Program of Hunan Province under Grant No. 2021RC4026。
文摘The dynamics of phase separation in H–He binary systems within gas giants such as Jupiter and Saturn exhibit remarkable complexity, yet lack systematic investigation. Through large-scale machine-learning-accelerated molecular dynamics simulations spanning broad temperature-pressure-composition(2000–10000 K, 1–7 Mbar,pure H to pure He) regimes, we systematically determine self and mutual diffusion coefficients in H–He systems and establish a six-dimensional framework correlating temperature, pressure, helium abundance, phase separation degree, diffusion coefficients, and anisotropy. Key findings reveal that hydrogen exhibits active directional migration with pronounced diffusion anisotropy, whereas helium passively aggregates in response. While the conventional mixing rule underestimates mutual diffusion coefficients by neglecting velocity cross-correlations,the assumption of an ideal thermodynamic factor(Q = 1) overestimates them due to unaccounted non-ideal thermodynamic effects—both particularly pronounced in strongly phase-separated regimes. Notably, hydrogen's dual role, anisotropic diffusion and bond stabilization via helium doping, modulates demixing kinetics. Large-scale simulations(216,000 atoms) propose novel phase-separation paradigms, such as “hydrogen bubble/wisp” formation, challenging the classical “helium rain” scenario, striving to bridge atomic-scale dynamics to planetary-scale phase evolution.
文摘The Internet of Things(IoT)has orchestrated various domains in numerous applications,contributing significantly to the growth of the smart world,even in regions with low literacy rates,boosting socio-economic development.This study provides valuable insights into optimizing wireless communication,paving the way for a more connected and productive future in the mining industry.The IoT revolution is advancing across industries,but harsh geometric environments,including open-pit mines,pose unique challenges for reliable communication.The advent of IoT in the mining industry has significantly improved communication for critical operations through the use of Radio Frequency(RF)protocols such as Bluetooth,Wi-Fi,GSM/GPRS,Narrow Band(NB)-IoT,SigFox,ZigBee,and Long Range Wireless Area Network(LoRaWAN).This study addresses the optimization of network implementations by comparing two leading free-spreading IoT-based RF protocols such as ZigBee and LoRaWAN.Intensive field tests are conducted in various opencast mines to investigate coverage potential and signal attenuation.ZigBee is tested in the Tadicherla open-cast coal mine in India.Similarly,LoRaWAN field tests are conducted at one of the associated cement companies(ACC)in the limestone mine in Bargarh,India,covering both Indoor-toOutdoor(I2O)and Outdoor-to-Outdoor(O2O)environments.A robust framework of path-loss models,referred to as Free space,Egli,Okumura-Hata,Cost231-Hata and Ericsson models,combined with key performance metrics,is employed to evaluate the patterns of signal attenuation.Extensive field testing and careful data analysis revealed that the Egli model is the most consistent path-loss model for the ZigBee protocol in an I2O environment,with a coefficient of determination(R^(2))of 0.907,balanced error metrics such as Normalized Root Mean Square Error(NRMSE)of 0.030,Mean Square Error(MSE)of 4.950,Mean Absolute Percentage Error(MAPE)of 0.249 and Scatter Index(SI)of 2.723.In the O2O scenario,the Ericsson model showed superior performance,with the highest R^(2)value of 0.959,supported by strong correlation metrics:NRMSE of 0.026,MSE of 8.685,MAPE of 0.685,Mean Absolute Deviation(MAD)of 20.839 and SI of 2.194.For the LoRaWAN protocol,the Cost-231 model achieved the highest R^(2)value of 0.921 in the I2O scenario,complemented by the lowest metrics:NRMSE of 0.018,MSE of 1.324,MAPE of 0.217,MAD of 9.218 and SI of 1.238.In the O2O environment,the Okumura-Hata model achieved the highest R^(2)value of 0.978,indicating a strong fit with metrics NRMSE of 0.047,MSE of 27.807,MAPE of 27.494,MAD of 37.287 and SI of 3.927.This advancement in reliable communication networks promises to transform the opencast landscape into networked signal attenuation.These results support decision-making for mining needs and ensure reliable communications even in the face of formidable obstacles.
文摘Objectives:This scoping review aims to methodically identify and analyse the determinants which influence maternal mortality and healthcare utilization in women of childbearing years in Nigeria.The review specifically addresses the difficulties faced in assessing medical care,and the ongoing initiatives to lower the maternal mortality ratio.Methods:Primary studies(published after year 2000)focused on maternal mortality,health determinants,and the utilization of maternal healthcare services in Nigeria were retrieved following a systematic search across multiple databases,including Scopus,PubMed,Google Scholar,and Web of Science.These were screened using defined inclusion and exclusion criteria.Data from these studies were extracted and thematically analysed to identify common themes and trends.Results:A total of 21 publications were included in this review comprising 2 qualitative,17 quantitative,and2 mixed study designs.Major health determinants identified in these studies include hypertensive disorders of pregnancy,haemorrhage,and sepsis/septicaemia,contributing as much as 29%,24%,and 14.2%of maternal deaths respectively in over 10%of the reviewed studies.Similarly,social-economic determinants including poverty,maternal education,health system issues and culture significantly impacted the utilization of maternal healthcare services,inadvertently impacting maternal mortality.Despite various maternal health interventions such as the"Abiye"Safe Motherhood Initiative,the Integrated Maternal,Newborn,and Child Health Strategy and strengthening emergency obstetric care by governmental and non-governmental agencies,early childbearing,unemployment,large family sizes,and dependence on male spouses continued to result in suboptimal utilization of services and adverse maternal outcomes.Conclusion:This scoping review comprehensively integrated existing data from published studies to provide a detailed picture of maternal mortality,its health determinants,and factors influencing care utilization among women of childbearing age in Nigeria and approaches to reduce maternal mortality in the country and possibly in the West African sub-region.
基金supported by the Key Project of International Cooperation of Qilu University of Technology(Grant No.:QLUTGJHZ2018008)Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation Committee,China(Grant No.:ZR2016HB54)Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Engineering(SME).
文摘AlphaPanda(AlphaFold2[1]inspired protein-specific antibody design in a diffusional manner)is an advanced algorithm for designing complementary determining regions(CDRs)of the antibody targeted the specific epitope,combining transformer[2]models,3DCNN[3],and diffusion[4]generative models.
基金Supported by Regional Science Foundation of China,National Natural Science Foundation(No.82160820)General Program of Guizhou Provincial Natural Science Foundation[QianKeHe Foundation-ZK(2023)General153].
文摘[Objectives]To establish an HPLC method for the quantitative determination of multiple phenolic acid components in Tetracera asiatica medicinal material,providing a basis for establishing its quality standards.[Methods]An Inertsil ODS-C 18 column(250 mm×4.6 mm,5μm)was used.The mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile-0.2% phosphoric acid solution(10:90).The flow rate was 1.0 mL/min.The detection wavelength was 274 nm.The column temperature was 25℃.The injection volume was 10μL.The content of three components,gallic acid,protocatechuic acid,and protocatechualdehyde,was determined in 13 batches of T.asiatica.[Results]Gallic acid showed good linearity within the range of 0.020-6.400μg/mL,protocatechuic acid within 0.201-6.432μg/mL,and protocatechualdehyde within 0.202-6.464μg/mL(r>0.9990).The average recovery rates ranged from 98.61%to 101.17%,with RSD s between 1.21%and 2.69%.[Conclusions]The quantitative determination method established in this study is simple and feasible,and can provide a basis for the quality evaluation of T.asiatica.
基金supported by National Natural Scienc Foundation of China(No.52400097)the Nanqiang Young Talents Supporting Program from Xiamen University.
文摘Fenton/Fenton-like reactions have gained popularity for their remarkable proficiency in decomposing organic pollutants,especially when enhanced by reductants addition for accel-erating the Fe2+regeneration.Nevertheless,these works predominantly centered on the formation and utilization of hydroxyl radicals(•OH)in the process,neglecting the evolution of oxidant and reductant due to the difficulty in the simultaneous determination of these two components.By employing the quenching-iodometric method,we could simultaneously determine the concentrations of HSO_(3)-and peroxydisulfate(PDS).This method first employed an excess of peroxymonosulfate(PMS)to effectively quench HSO_(3)-,and then used the iodometric spectrophotometry to simultaneously determine the concentrations of PMS and PDS in the reaction system.Finally,through precise stoichiometric relationships,we could accurately calculate the concentration of HSO_(3)-.Based on this method,we achieved concentration measurements that,upon linear fitting,yielded a correlation coefficient(R^(2))surpassing 0.99,unequivocally affirming the method’s accuracy and trustworthiness.In this work,an innovation approach for determining the concentrations of HSO_(3)-(reductant)and PDS(oxidant)was explored.Additionally,the resilience of the method was verified across different pH levels and in the presence of diverse impurity ions.The results ensured precise concentration measure-ments in the real wastewater.This method was characterized by its simplicity,rapid analysis,and environmental friendliness,offering a newanalytical strategy for the determination of PDS and HSO_(3)-in environmental samples.The method enables more meticulous monitoring of chemical usage in water treatment,facilitating optimized dosing strategies and assessments of reductant-enhanced Fenton or Fenton-like system in water purification.
文摘IN his video speech to the United Nations Climate Summit held in New York on September 24,Chinese President Xi Jinping announced China’s new Nationally Determined Contributions(NDC)—the efforts taken by each country to reduce their emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change.
基金supported by the Spark Program of Earthquake Sciences(No.XH23020YA)Joint Open Fund of Mengcheng National Geophysical Observatory(No.MEMGO-202411)Hefei government special technology research project(2024BFFFD02048).
文摘In paleoseismic research,defining the age of an event is relatively straightforward,but pinpointing its magnitude with precision is challenging.This difficulty primarily arises because physical parameters,such as rupture area and displacement,which are intimately linked to the seismic moment,are hard to derive from paleoseismic studies.Our preceding study identified two earthquake sites in Huoshan and Guzhen,Anhui Province.While we qualitatively described the timing of these occurrences and the characteristics of sand veins,dislocations,and earthquake-induced cracks,we did not provide quantitative estimates of their magnitude or seismogenic faults.Consequently,these findings were insufficient for assessing regional seismic risks or determining the potential magnitude of specific faults.This study employs two empirical relationships:one between the farthest distribution distance based on liquefaction from earthquake-induced events and magnitude,and the other concerning the intensityepicenter distance-magnitude relationship.Through these relationships,we analyze the sandy soil liquefaction and earthquake-induced cracks quantitatively.The analysis includes magnitude estimation and seismogenic fault evaluation for the sandy soil liquefaction and crack remnants of the Huoshan Daijiayuan earthquake,as well as the dislocation and crack remnants of the Guzhen Gaixia earthquake.The findings indicate that the Huoshan Daijiayuan site records two paleoseismic events.The first event transpired after 850 BC,and the second after 550 BC,with a gap of approximately 300 years between them;both had a seismic magnitude(M_(S))of around 6.0.The likely seismogenic fault for the Huoshan Daijiayuan earthquake is the Luoerling-Tudiling fault.Meanwhile,the paleoseismic site in Guzhen Gaixia documents two seismic events occurring during 2350-2050 BC,both with a seismic magnitude(MS)of approximately 6½.The Tancheng-Lujiang fault zone is likely the seismogenic fault associated with the Guzhen Gaixia earthquake site.
文摘Background: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common, bothersome and relatively under diagnosed complication of diabetes mellitus. This study was aimed to determine the prevalence of erectile dysfunction and its determinants. Methods: A cross-sectional hospital-based study was carried out in the Diabetology Units of the Buea and Limbe Regional Hospitals involving 332 male patients with diabetes and aged over 21 years. Data was analyzed using Stata and R version 3.5.3. Results: The mean age of the participants was 55years. Most participants (64.46%) were married. About half (50.60%) of the participants actively consumed alcohol, 11.45% were smokers and 57.83% were sedentary. 18 participants (5.42%) recorded high risk sexual behaviour. 54.32% of participants had a comorbidity and 43.90% were overweight. The prevalence of diabetic ED was 78.92%. Age, Fasting Blood Sugar and Glycated hemoglobin were found to be positive determinants of diabetic ED (odds ratio (OR) = 0.77, 95% CI −0.1 - 0.07). Conclusion: The prevalence of diabetic ED in this hospital population study is high, and both physician and patient—initiated measures are needed to reduce this prevalence and improve awareness, recognition and care of this condition.
