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Background. The aim of our study was to evaluate the prevalence of myopia in elementary school students and to assess the risk factors for myopia. Methods. This school-based cross-sectional study was performed on students from two elementary schools in Jiaojiang, Taizhou City, China. A total of 556 students, whose age ranged from 9 to 12 years, were included. The uncorrected visual acuity and noncycloplegic refractive error tests were performed to determine the myopia. Each student was asked to fulfill the questionnaire about the possible factors associated with myopia. Multivariate logistic analyses of risk factors were conducted. Results. The overall prevalence of myopia among those students was 63.7%, ranged from 53.4% in grade 4 to 72.5% in grade 6. Multivariate logistic analysis showed that adjusting the height of desks and chairs according to the changing height and the presence of myopia in parents were significantly associated with myopia in these students, respectively. Conclusions. Our results showed that myopia among elementary school students was associated with environmental and hereditary factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Colonization dynamics in community functioning showed different models among four depths. • Temporal variations in functional distinctness showed different trends among four depths. • The homogeneity of mature samples showed a decreasing trend from depths 1 to 5 m. • The functional distinctness is a useful tool to determine the homogeneity of ciliate communities. • The approach is needed to make an optimal sampling strategy for ciliate colonization surveys. Abstract Functional diversity/distinctness, as important biodiversity parameters of a community, have proved to be a feasible tool to summarize ecosystem functions and community structures both ecological research and monitoring program. For determining the homogeneity in community functioning of periphytic ciliates during colonization process, a 1-month baseline survey was conducted at four depths of 1, 2, 3.5 and 5 m in coastal waters of the Yellow Sea, northern China. The colonization dynamics in functional trait distribution of periphytic ciliates generally showed different temporal variations during colonization period at four depths. The functional diversity (Δ χ), functional distinctness (Δ* χ), average functional distinctness (Δ χ +) and variation in functional distinctness (Λ χ +) indices generally represented different models within colonization process at four depths. Ellipse test on the paired functional distinctness measures (Δ χ + - Λ χ +) revealed that the mature samples (14–28 days) were inside the expected patterns of community functioning at only one water depth (1 m), although the 14-day communities were fallen into the contours of 10 sub-list size at the other two water layers (2 and 3.5 m). These findings suggest that the functional distinctness measures might be a useful indicator to determine the optimal sampling strategy with high homogeneity of community functioning in colonization surveys for marine bioassessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fusariumspecies, which can produce mycotoxins, are the predominant pathogens causing maize ear rot, a disease that results in severe economic losses and serves as a potential health risk for humans and animals. A survey was conducted in 2012 to investigate the contamination of maize byFusariumspecies and fumonisins B1and B2. A total of 250 maize samples were randomly collected from nine provinces (Hebei, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Yunnan, Sichuan, Guizhou, Heilongjiang, Liaoning and Ningxia) in China.Fusariumspecies were isolated and identified using morphological (electron microscope) and molecular methods (polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing). Fumonisins B1and B2were analysed using high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD) with OPA (2-Mercaptoethanol, o-phthaldialdehyde) post-column derivatisation. A total of 2321Fusariumisolates (20.7%) were obtained from all the samples. These isolates included nineFusariumspecies, namely,F. graminearum,F. verticillioides,F. subglutinans,F. proliferatum,F. temperatum,F. oxysporum,F. equiseti,F. meridionaleandF. chlamydosporum. The incidence of occurrence ofFusariumspecies in Guizhou was the highest, while in Inner Mongolia it was the lowest.F. verticillioideswas the dominant species of maize ear rot in Liaoning, Sichuan, Hebei and Ningxia.F. graminearumwas the dominant species in Yunnan, Guizhou and Shanxi.F. subglutinanswas the dominant species in Heilongjiang.F. verticillioidesandF. graminearumpercentages were the same in Inner Mongolia. The incidence of fumonisins in Liaoning was high (up to 81.0%) and in Heilongjiang low (up to 10.3%). Except Shanxi, more than 50% of maize samples from other provinces were contaminated with fumonisins, with concentrations less than 500 ng g−1. About 33% of maize samples from Yunnan were contaminated with high levels of fumonisins, and average of fumonisin levels were 5191 ng g−1.Fusariumspecies causing maize ear rot in different areas in China were highly diverse and such areas with exposure to high levels of fumonisin contamination have a potential health risk for human and animals. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objectives: To evaluate the effect of Yugengtongyu granules on reducing the incidence of adverse cardiovascular events and improving quality of life (QOL) in patients with stable coronary artery disease (SCAD). Methods: A double-blind randomized controlled trial was conducted among SCAD population. One hundred fourteen patients were randomly assigned to experimental group (n = 57) and control group (n = 57) following randomized block design. Combined with the basis of standard treatment of SCAD, the experimental group and control group received Yugengtongyu granules or placebo, respectively, twice daily for 6 months and were followed for another 1 year (18 months in total from enrollment). Major outcomes (any occurrence of cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, or coronary revascularization), minor outcomes (any occurrence of all-cause death, ischemic stroke, readmission due to unstable angina, heart failure, or malignant arrhythmia), and composite outcomes (union of major and minor outcomes) were used to evaluate prognosis; Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ) was applied to evaluate QOL, and levels of low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) and high sensitive C reacting protein (HS-CRP) in serum were tested. Results: The incidence of composite outcomes in the experimental group was significantly lower than that in the control group (3 [5.2%] vs. 11 [19.2%], hazard ratio: 0.273, 95% confidence interval: 0.080–0.926, p = 0.022); major outcomes, minor outcomes, and independent events such as nonfatal myocardial infarction showed lowering trend in experimental group. Experimental group scored significantly higher than control group in four dimensions of SAQ: physical limitation, angina frequency, treatment satisfaction, and disease perception at the third- and sixth-month follow-up; there was no significant difference in serum level of LDL or HS-CRP at all scheduled timepoints. Conclusion: The addition of Yugengtongyu granules based on current standard treatment reduced the incidence of composite outcomes and improved QOL in patients with SCAD. The trial was registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR-TRC-13004370). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To evaluate the effects of TRAF6 and NLRX1 polymorphisms and their interactions with environmental factors on the susceptibility of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) vascular complications in a southern Han Chinese population.Methods: Five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were genotyped in a case-control study to estimate risk factors of T2DM vascular complications. Gene-gene and gene-environment interactions and haplotype associations were also estimated.Results: The CA genotype of the NLRX1 rs4245191 was identified as a risk factor for T2DM macrovascular complications and diabetic cerebral infarction (OR=2.88, 95% CI=1.15-7.22, P=0.024; OR=4.00, 95% CI=1.04-15.38, P=0.043, respectively). A significantly lower T allele frequency in the TRAF6 rs16928973 was observed in T2DM patients with both microvascular and macrovascular complications compared with patients without any complication under the allelic model (T vs. C: OR=0.36, 95% CI=0.14-0.98, P=0.038). No significant differences in haplotypes, gene-gene interactions and gene-environment interactions were observed among T2DM vascular subgroup patients.Conclusions: Our study provides evidence that the NLRX1 rs4245191 polymorphisms influence the risk of T2DM macrovascular complications and diabetic cerebral infarction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]