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The medical field is prone to research misconduct, with serious cases exposed in China in recent years. In compliance with the guidelines from the Ministry of Education requiring higher education institutions to establish dedicated websites for research integrity, this study conducted online statistics on 466 universities to investigate the status of research integrity in Chinese universities with medical programs. Analysis of the data collected from official websites revealed progress in research integrity construction, but numerous issues persist, including scattered information, infrequent publication of warning cases or advanced deeds, lack of dedicated research integrity personnel, and limited disclosure of contact, whistleblowing channels and annual reports. Therefore, this paper proposes four improvement recommendations and provides incentive measures to ensure their implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been found that people with disabilities remain at the margin as far as the different aspects of their lives are concerned. This paper tests the hypothesis that disability leads to lower quality of life among older adults in low and middle-income countries. The data from the Study on Global Ageing and Adult Health (SAGE) was used in this study which was conducted in Ghana, China, India, Russia, South Africa and Mexico. The disability scores have been made utilising Item Response Theory, Partial Credit Model and are centered on eight functioning and health areas. Bivariate analysis, binary logistic regression and pooled regression analysis have been used to fulfil the objectives of the paper. The findings reveal that disability acts as a hindrance in attaining a high quality of life (HQOL) amongst the older adults in the above mentioned low and middle-income countries. The older adults with disability are as much as 60% less likely to enjoy an HQOL with respect to the older adults without disability. Better socio-economic development like improved health care for disabled older adults with disability enhanced living standards for both abled and disabled, efficient pension schemes for older adults with disability and effective social service schemes would be very much essential to improve overall QOL among older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's rise, along with deepening Sino-European economic relations, seems to have a strong impact on the diplomatic outlook of actors in Europe. An interesting phenomenon is that, while several major European states have become strategic partners of China, they remain US allies at the same time. In the context of trade tensions and a possible decoupling between China and the USA, what are the diplomatic effects of the close economic relations between Europe and China? To find the answer, this study builds models on the functions of trade and partnerships with China with respect to voting choice of China's partners, including those in Europe, in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). After making a statistical analysis and presenting detailed analysis on France, Germany, the UK, and Poland, this paper finds that the close economic and trade ties do indeed enhance voting similarity between China and major states in Europe in the UNGA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of the international mineral statistics are limited to production, import and export figures only. However, such statistics are not sufficient to identify possible market trends or supply risks. The political restructuring in Europe and China's rapidly increasing demand for mineral raw materials since the turn of the millennium has led to imbalances in the demand and supply of raw materials in many countries. In the present work, the importance of a more in-depth exploratory data analysis is explained. The paper also deals with the need to record raw material exploration projects. While most statistics are limited to the production figures and thus only allow a retrospect into the past only, information about the resources verified in exploration projects would also allow a glimpse into the future. Despite this need, many institutions that have compiled such statistics in the past have discontinued them meanwhile. Reduced budget and staff shortages are some of the reasons for this. For this reason, close cooperation between the few remaining organizations is urgently required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Though a continued increase in life expectancy is a significant public health achievement, keeping older adults active and maintaining their well-being is challenging. Active aging requires physical health, mental health, functional independence, economic stability, social participation, and spiritual identification. Among all these factors, social cohesion has significant importance, but there is a dearth of studies focusing on older adults' social cohesion. Thus, the present study focuses on the level of social cohesion among older adults and its variation among the different economic classes. This article uses data from the Study on Global AGEing and Adult Health (SAGE) conducted in China, Ghana, India, Mexico, Russia, and South Africa during 2007–10. Social cohesion scores have been constructed using Item Response Theory Partial Credit Model. Also, bivariate analysis, concentration curves, concentration indices, and multivariate regressions have been used for the analysis presented in this paper. This study confirms the strong predictive power of age, wealth, education, and working status of older adults on their social cohesion across the countries. Higher social non-cohesion is found among the economically poor older adults in Mexico, Russia, India, and China. In contrast, it is just opposite in the case of older adults in South Africa. Governments should develop policies to foster a society with a high level of social inclusion, social capital, and social diversity, to achieve further advancement in social cohesion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To translate Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis-Specific Quality of Life-Short Form (ALSSQOL-SF) and test its reliability and validity, so that explore feasibility in Chinese mainland and make up the gap of specific tools for measuring quality of life of patients with ALS. Methods: This was a cross-sectional design. The Brislin translation model was used to translate ALSSQOL-SF, and the Chinese version of ALSSQOL-SF (C-ALSSQOL-SF) was revised through cultural adaptation and pre-test. The convenience sampling method was used to investigate 138 patients with ALS in Tianjin to test the reliability and validity of the C-ALSSQOL-SF. Results: The C-ALSSQOL-SF included 20 items, covering 6 dimensions: physical symptoms, bulbar function, negative emotion, interaction with people and the environment, religiosity and intimacy. The scale-level content validity index (S-CVI) of C-ALSSQOL-SF was 0.964, and the item-level content validity index (I-CVI) was between 0.857 to 1.000. The results of Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) showed that CMIN/DF = 1.161, RMSEA = 0.034, GFI = 0.892, IFI = 0.976, TLI = 0.969, CFI = 0.975, and the 6-factor model fitted well. The scores of C-ALSSQOL-SF and WHOQOL-BREF were positively correlated (r = 0.745). The Cronbach's α coefficient of the scale was 0.85, the Cronbach's α coefficient of each dimension was between 0.59 to 0.86, and the split-half reliability was 0.78. Conclusion: The Chinese version of ALSSQOL-SF has good reliability and validity, and can be used as a tool to evaluate the quality of life of patients with ALS in Chinese mainland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: High-dose cytarabine (HDAC) is commonly used for consolidation therapy in young acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients, but the dosage of cytarabine is still controversial in the clinic due to its obvious post-chemotherapy adverse effects. The aim of this study was to contrast the efficacy in different dose groups of cytarabine after consolidation therapy in Chinese AML patients. Methods: AML patients treated with cytarabine consolidation at Qilu Hospital, Shandong University from January 2010 to September 2022 were retrospectively analyzed, from which 346 AML patients with relatively complete follow-up data were selected for this study. We compared the patients' overall survival (OS) rate, relapse-free survival (RFS) rate, and hematologic adverse events in terms of their general characteristics, cytarabine consolidation therapy dose, consolidation course, 2022 European Leukemia Net (ELN) risk stratification, and transplantation. Results: In AML patients under 60 years of age, the 5-year RFS rate with high-dose cytarabine consolidation therapy was superior to that of small-dose cytarabine (P = 0.024), while the 5-year RFS rate was comparable in the high-dose and intermediate-dose groups, and there was no obvious difference among the three groups in the 5-year OS rate (P > 0.05). OS and RFS of those given more than 3 courses of cytarabine consolidation therapy were better than those in the 1–2 courses group (P = 0.060, P = 0.040). OS and RFS were better in patients with cumulative dose of cytarabine ≥ 36g than in patients with cumulative dose < 36g (P < 0.05), but cumulative dose ≥ 54g was comparable in OS and RFS with ≥ 36–< 54g group (P > 0.05). There was no significant difference in hematologic adverse effects among the three treatment groups. In the latest ELN risk stratification favorable-risk group, the cumulative dose of cytarabine ≥ 36g had a better 5-year RFS rate than the < 36g group (P = 0.038), and in the intermediate-risk group the 5-year OS rate and RFS rate were better in the ≥ 36g group than the < 36g group (P = 0.012, 0.025). In addition, the prognosis of transplanted patients was better than that of non-transplanted patients, whereas in non-transplanted patients, consolidation therapy with ≥ 36g cytarabine can effectively improve outcomes. Multivariate analysis indicated that age, fibrinogen (FIB) and the cumulative dose of cytarabine of ≥ 36–< 54g were predictors of OS, while age, white blood cell (WBC) and HDAC were predictors of RFS. Conclusion: The results of the study showed that consolidation therapy with cytarabine up to a cumulative dose of ≥ 36–< 54g in AML patients who did not undergo transplantation significantly improved patient prognosis. In the latest ELN risk stratification, cumulative doses of cytarabine ≥ 36g had a better prognosis in favorable and intermediate-risk patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose : Treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) improves the prognoses of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) but is ineffective in some patients. The lung immune prognostic index (LIPI) can predict response to ICIs treatment in European patients with NSCLC. This study assessed the correlation of LIPI score with outcomes in Chinese patients with advanced NSCLC receiving ICIs. Methods: A total of 305 Chinese patients with advanced NSCLC who received ICIs were ultimately included. LIPI score was determined by a high derived neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (dNLR > 3) and elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and classified as "good" (0), "intermediate" (1), or "poor" (2). The effects of baseline LIPI on overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), disease control rate (DCR), and overall response rate (ORR) were analyzed. Results: The good LIPI group had better OS (26.0 months, P < 0.0001) and PFS (10.5 months, P < 0.0001) than the other two groups, but the three groups had similar ORR (P = 0.222). DCR was 79%, 65%, and 47% in the good, intermediate, and poor LIPI groups, respectively (P = 0.002). Multivariate analysis indicated that an intermediate LIPI score (HR = 1.56, P = 0.005) and a poor LIPI score (HR = 2.68, P < 0.001) were independent predictors of poor OS. The findings were similar for PFS. DCR had a significant negative correlation with the LIPI score (P = 0.045). Conclusion: Our results confirmed that a good LIPI score was related to prolonged survival and better response to ICIs in Chinese patients with advanced NSCLC. The LIPI score might be useful for selecting patients most likely to benefit from ICIs treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The relationship between preoperative frailty and pulmonary complications after cardiac surgery in elderly patients is unclear. This study was designed to evaluate the relationship between frailty and postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) in elderly patients undergoing cardiac surgery and to provide a basis for their prevention and treatment. Aims: This study aimed to investigate the predictive value of preoperative frailty on pulmonary complications after cardiac surgery in elderly patients. Methods: Frailty was assessed using the CAF. The diagnosis of PPCs was based on the criteria defined by Hulzebos et al., and patients were classified into a PPCs group and a non-PPCs group. Factors with clinical significance and P < 0.05 in univariate regression analysis were included in multivariate logistic regression analysis to determine the relationship between preoperative frailty and PPCs. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) was used to compare the predictive effects of the CAF, EuroSCORE II, and ASA + age on the occurrence of PPCs. Results: A total of 205 patients were enrolled in this study, 31.7% of whom developed PPCs. Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that frailty, ASA grade, EuroSCORE II, hemoglobin concentration, FVC, time of operation, and postoperative AKI were associated with the development of PPCs. However, after adjustments for all possible confounding factors, multivariate logistic regression results showed that frailty, prolonged operation time, and postoperative AKI were risk factors for PPCs, and the risk of postoperative PPCs in frail patients was approximately 4.37 times that in nonfrail patients (OR = 4.37, 95%CI: 1.6–11.94, P < 0.05). The predictive efficacy of the traditional perioperative risk assessment tools EuroSCORE II and ASA + age was lower than that of CAF. Conclusions: Frailty before surgery, prolonged operation time, and postoperative AKI were independent risk factors for pulmonary complications after heart surgery in elderly individuals, and CAF was more effective than the traditional risk predictors EuroSCORE II and ASA + age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to predict the probability of postoperative pulmonary infection in elderly patients with hip fractures by developing and validating a precise model. Methods: The clinical data of 1008 elderly hip fracture patients undergoing surgical treatment in Shanghai Tenth Peoples' Hospital were retrospectively selected. A univariate analysis and multivariate regression were used to analyze the independent risk factors for postoperative pulmonary infection in elderly patients with hip fractures. A risk prediction model was established, and a nomogram was drawn. The area under the ROC curve and Hosmer‒Lemeshow test were used to evaluate the predictive effect of the model. Results: The multivariate regression analysis indicated that age > 73, time from fracture to surgery (d) > 4 days, smoking, ASA ≥ III level, COPD, hypoproteinemia, red cell distribution width > 14.8%, mechanical ventilation time > 180 min, and stay in the ICU were independent risk factors for postoperative pulmonary infection in elderly patients. The AUCs of the model were 0.891 and 0.881, 0.843, respectively, in the two verification groups. For the Hosmer‒Lemeshow test, the P values were 0.726 in the modeling group and 0.497 and 0.231 in the verification group (P > 0.05). Conclusion: Overall, this study uncovered different independent risk factors for postoperative pulmonary infection in patients with hip fractures. The nomogram can effectively predict the occurrence of postoperative pulmonary infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the seismic vulnerabilities and performances of typical bridges, data from a field investigation of 2134 bridges on 22 highway sections hit by the Wenchuan earthquake that occurred in China on May 12, 2008, were collected and processed. From the sample data of the empirical seismic-damage observations, 1409 simply supported girder bridges, 107 continuous girder bridges, and 612 arch bridges were selected. The latest version of the Chinese seismic intensity standard was utilized to evaluate the fragility of bridge samples in different macroseismic intensity zones, and the empirical vulnerability matrix and multidimensional regression comparison model of typical bridge clusters were developed. Taking the bridge length, the coordinate azimuth of the bridge location, the number of spans, the geometric form of the pier columns, and the type of bearings and foundations as the single factors influencing vulnerability and assuming (i) the line type and bridge length, (ii) the types of pier column and foundation, and (iii) the number of spans, the type of bearings, foundations, and linearity as the coupled factors influencing vulnerability, the aforementioned typical bridges were subjected to comparative vulnerability analysis. Innovative fragility regression and probability comparison models of typical bridges were developed considering the influence of multiple factor coupling. A novel vulnerability evaluation model was proposed based on the characteristic parameters and damage grade of bridge clusters in the umbrella earthquake area, and the model was optimized and verified by using the typical bridge database of the Wenchuan earthquake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This study revealed that there was no significant linear relationship between fasting C-peptide (FCP) level and bone mineral density (BMD) or fracture risk in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients. However, in the FCP ≤ 1.14 ng/ml group, FCP is positively correlated with whole body (WB), lumbar spine (LS), and femoral neck (FN) BMD and negatively correlated with fracture risk. Purpose: To explore the relationship between C-peptide and BMD and fracture risk in T2DM patients. Methods: 530 T2DM patients were enrolled and divided into three groups by FCP tertiles, and the clinical data were collected. BMD was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). The 10-year probability of major osteoporotic fractures (MOFs) and hip fractures (HFs) was evaluated by adjusted fracture risk assessment tool (FRAX). Results: In the FCP ≤ 1.14 ng/ml group, FCP level was positively correlated with WB, LS, and FN BMD, while FCP was negatively correlated with fracture risk and osteoporotic fracture history. However, FCP was not correlated with BMD and fracture risk and osteoporotic fracture history in the 1.14 < FCP ≤ 1.73 ng/ml and FCP > 1.73 ng/ml groups. The study has shown that FCP was an independent factor influencing BMD and fracture risk in the FCP ≤ 1.14 ng/ml group. Conclusions: There is no significant linear relationship between FCP level and BMD or fracture risk in T2DM patients. In the FCP ≤ 1.14 ng/ml group, FCP is positively correlated with WB, LS, and FN BMD and negatively correlated with fracture risk, and FCP is an independent influencing factor of BMD and fracture risk. The findings suggest that FCP may predict the risk of osteoporosis or fracture in some T2DM patients, which has a certain clinical value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcomes Score (KOOS) is a free clinical tool commonly used to evaluate the symptoms and functional status of patients with knee injury. For people who speak Chinese, the Hong Kong Chinese and Singapore Chinese versions are preferred. However, variations in the Chinese language and culture are influenced by the country's geography. KOOS for Mainland China has not been reported. Therefore, the current study was to cross-culturally translate the original English version into a simplified Chinese version and to investigate its psychometric properties. Methods: The simplified Chinese KOOS was obtained through forward-backward translation according to appropriate guidelines. A total of 158 individuals with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) were recruited from 13 hospitals in China to examine the psychometric properties. The test-retest questionnaire was performed at an interval of 5–7 days. Test-retest reliability and internal consistency were evaluated using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Cronbach's alpha, respectively. The data of the first test were used to analyse the construct validity of the simplified Chinese KOOS and Chinese SF-36 through convergent and discriminant validity using Spearman's correlation coefficient. Results: Cross-cultural translation exhibited minor cultural differences, and the questionnaire was well understood by the patients. The data from 128 patients, used for the test-retest reliability study, showed good to excellent reliability, with an ICC of 0.808–0.976 for all KOOS subscales. The Cronbach's alpha for all subscales ranged from 0.757 to 0.970, indicating acceptable internal consistency. There was a low-to-high correlation between the five domains of the simplified Chinese version of the KOOS and all domains of the SF-36 in construct validity. Conclusion: The simplified Chinese KOOS demonstrated acceptable reliability and validity. In clinical practice and research, this version can help provide valuable information on health-related quality of life for Chinese individuals with KOA in mainland China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disclosure of HIV status offers potential benefits to individuals and is also good for public health. Limited studies have been conducted to gain insight into the current situation and associated factors of HIV disclosure among HIV-positive Chinese men who have sex with men (MSM) in the era of "treat all." We carried out a cross-sectional study among MSM receiving antiretroviral therapy from October 2020 to January 2021 at a hospital in Jinan, China. We used univariate and multivariable logistic regression to examine the factors associated with general disclosure and disclosure to family, friends, and sexual partners. Of the 585 participants recruited, 62.2% reported HIV disclosure, among which 25.3% had disclosed their status to family members, 25.3% had disclosed it to friends, and 28.4% had disclosed it to partners. The findings suggest that HIV disclosure is more likely to occur among individuals who are younger, married/cohabiting, and who self-identify as homosexual/bisexual. Participants with higher education levels or personal monthly incomes are less likely to disclose their HIV status. Furthermore, related factors of disclosure vary across the types of disclosure targets. Given the positive outcomes of disclosure, interventions and implementation research to facilitate it are urgently needed for MSM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the process of green and smart mine construction under the context of carbon neutrality, China's coal safety situation has been continuously improved in recent years. In order to recognize the development of coal production in China and prepare for future monitoring and prevention of safety incidents, this study mainly elaborated on the basic situation of coal resources and national mining accidents over the past five years (2017–2021), from four dimensions (accident level, type, region, and time), and then proposed the preventive measures based on accident statistical laws. The results show that the storage of coal resources has obvious geographic characteristics, mainly concentrated in the Midwest, with coal resources in Shanxi and Shaanxi accounting for about 49.4%. The proportion of coal consumption has dropped from 70.2% to 56% between 2011 and 2021, but still accounts for more than half of the all. Meanwhile, the accident-prone areas are positively correlated with the amount of coal production. Among different levels of coal mine accidents, general accidents had the highest number of accidents and deaths, with 692 accidents and 783 deaths, accounting for 87.6% and 54.64% respectively. The frequency of roof, gas, and transportation accidents is relatively high, and the number of single fatalities caused by gas accidents is the largest, about 4.18. In terms of geographical distribution of accidents, the safety situation in Shanxi Province is the most severe. From the time distribution of coal mine accidents, the accidents mainly occurred in July and August, and rarely occurred in February and December. Finally, the "4 + 4" safety management model is proposed, combining the statistical results with coal production in China. Based on the existing health and safety management systems, the managements are divided into four sub-categories, and more specific measures are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate location-based big data has a high resolution and a direct interaction with human activities, allowing for fine-scale population spatial data to be realized. We take the average of Tencent user location big data as a measure of ambient population. The county-level statistical population data in 2018 was used as the assigned input data. The log linear spatially weighted regression model was used to establish the relationship between location data and statistical data to allocate the latter to a 0.01° grid, and the ambient population data of mainland China was obtained. Extracting street-level (lower than county-level) statistics for accuracy testing, we found that POP2018 has the best fit with the actual permanent population (R2 = 0.91), and the error is the smallest (MSEPOP2018 = 22.48 WorldPop = 37.24 LandScan = 100.91). This research supplemented in the refined spatial distribution data of people between census years, as well as presenting the application technique of big data in ambient population estimation and zoning mapping. Measurement(s) population Technology Type(s) location-based big data Factor Type(s) spatial region Sample Characteristic - Environment spatial region Sample Characteristic - Location China [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Helicopter Parenting (HP) refers to parenting behaviors such as overinvolvement and developmentally inappropriate support during late adolescence and emerging adulthood. To date, this construct has mainly been examined in Western cultures. This research developed and validated a multi-dimensional HP measure for mothers and late-adolescent children in Mainland China. Study 1 explored initial factor structure of HP with an online sample of Mainland Chinese mothers (N = 433; Mage = 43.63 years). Study 2 confirmed this structure with a new online sample of mothers (N = 461; Mage = 44.39 years), and assessed construct invariance between mothers of high school and college students. Study 3 confirmed this HP structure with mother-adolescent dyads (N = 248; Mothers: Mage = 44.29 years; Adolescents: Mage = 17.37 years) and assessed construct invariance and construct validity between dyad members. Across the three studies, results suggested a 16-item measure with four factors (advice/affect management, anticipatory problem solving, information-seeking, and emphasis on academic performance), which also loaded on a higher-order HP factor. The measure had good internal consistencies (αs ≥ 0.844). Fits for mother-reported high school and college student measurement invariance model, and mother-adolescent invariance model were acceptable when constraining all factor loadings. Mother and adolescent HP reports were modestly positively correlated. Within-respondent correlations in Studies 2 and 3 showed that the total HP scores were positively correlated with behavioral control and emotional support. However, mother-reported HP was negatively correlated with adolescent-reported emotional support, suggesting discrepant views about which parenting behaviors are helpful vs. overbearing. Mother- and adolescent-reported HP scores were not related to adolescent-reported psychological control or self-efficacy. This study offers a concise, multidimensional Chinese HP measure which is useful to examine Chinese mother-adolescent reporter discrepancies, as well as associations between Chinese HP and youth's psychological functioning. Highlights: This research developed a 16-item measure of HP, with four factors, that was invariant between mothers' and adolescents' reports in Mainland China. Results suggested that Chinese mothers and their adolescent children differed in views of the extent to which parenting behaviors were supportive vs. overbearing. In contrast to Western studies, HP was not associated with youth perceptions of psychological control or self-efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) approach has been widely used to detect the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). However, instead of using it alone, clinicians often prefer to diagnose the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) by utilizing a combination of clinical signs and symptoms, laboratory test, imaging measurement (e.g., chest computed tomography scan), and multivariable clinical prediction models, including the electronic nose. Here, we report on the development and use of a low cost, noninvasive method to rapidly sniff out COVID-19 based on a portable electronic nose (GeNose C19) integrating an array of metal oxide semiconductor gas sensors, optimized feature extraction, and machine learning models. This approach was evaluated in profiling tests involving a total of 615 breath samples composed of 333 positive and 282 negative samples. The samples were obtained from 43 positive and 40 negative COVID-19 patients, respectively, and confirmed with RT-qPCR at two hospitals located in the Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Four different machine learning algorithms (i.e., linear discriminant analysis, support vector machine, stacked multilayer perceptron, and deep neural network) were utilized to identify the top-performing pattern recognition methods and to obtain a high system detection accuracy (88–95%), sensitivity (86–94%), and specificity (88–95%) levels from the testing datasets. Our results suggest that GeNose C19 can be considered a highly potential breathalyzer for fast COVID-19 screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydro-morphological processes (HMPs) are some of the most destructive natural disasters. Understanding the spatiotemporal characteristics of HMPs across China is important for enabling better disaster estimation and prevention at the national scale. However, few studies have focused on the spatiotemporal HMP characterization under various geomorphic settings in China, which may shed light on their regional/national evolution. To bridge this research gap, we analysed the longest HMP time series available in China, which including 47,483 HMP records, to detect spatiotemporal patterns. Specifically, we run several tests namely, Mann–Kendall test, wavelet analysis, Monthly Frequency, and Index of Dispersion, with the objective of detecting the temporal evolution, trends, period, and clustering of HMPs in six geomorphological regions (geomorphic-regions): Eastern Plain, South Eastern Mountain (SEM), North Central Plateau, North Western Basin, South Western Mountain (SWM), and Tibetan Plateau. Our results show that in the last decades have been associated with a marked increase in HMPs and this should be accounted for, especially in those areas where we have retrieved high spatiotemporal clustering (e.g., SEM, SWM). Besides, the main periodicity of HMPs is approximately 12–25 years for most of China since the 1980s, which showed analogous patterns with precipitation anomalies. This study provides a preliminary reference for revealing the spatiotemporal characteristics of HMPs in the context of climate change; therefore, the information provided can be crucial to plan engineering applications with specific return period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to translate the Spiritual Perspectives Scale (SPS) into a Mandarin Chinese version (C-SPS) and evaluate its psychometric properties among 154 palliative care nurses from twelve community healthcare centres in Shanghai, China. Exploratory factor analysis suggested two factors (spiritually related activities and spiritual beliefs), accounting for 67.49% of the total variance. The Cronbach's α of the total C-SPS score was 0.89, and its split-half coefficient (Spearman-Brown reliability coefficient) was 0.72. The C-SPS showed consistently acceptable psychometric properties of reliability and validity. It can be used to evaluate the level of spiritual perspectives of nurses in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Copper is associated with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). However, there is a lack of relevant population studies with large sample sizes. Aims: This study used baseline data from a cohort study to determine the distribution characteristics of MCI in the elderly and to estimate the association between whole blood copper concentrations and MCI. Methods: MCI status was screened by the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scale and Activities of Daily Living (ADL) scale. The concentration of copper in whole blood was determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS). Results: A total of 1057 subjects with an average age of 71.82 ± 6.45 years were included in this study. There were 215 patients with MCI, and the prevalence of MCI was 20.34%. After adjusting for general demographic variables, logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of MCI in the elderly with high copper level was 1.354 times higher than that in the elderly with low copper level (OR 1.354, 95% CI 1.047–1.983, P = 0.034). Conclusion: In this study, it was found that the prevalence of MCI was different in gender, age, education level and other aspects, and a higher copper level in the elderly was significantly related to the occurrence of MCI. The association was stronger in older adults and men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Arrhythmia, pneumonia, cardiac insufficiency, a high leukocyte count, and low albumin concentrations were associated with increased 30-day mortality in elderly hip fracture patients after surgery. It is important to improve short-term survival rates by optimizing the respiratory and cardiac function of geriatric patients before they undergo surgery. Introduction: This study aims to investigate the 30-day mortality and related risk factors for elderly patients following surgery for hip fractures. Methods: This retrospective study examined chart reviews for evaluating associations of gender, age, fracture site, biochemical indicators, pre-surgery comorbidities, number of pre-surgery comorbidities, time to surgery and anesthesia and surgery methods with postoperative 30-day mortality in elderly hip fracture surgery patients. Results: A total of 1,004 patients were included in the study and 43 (4.3%) patients died within 30 days after surgery. Univariate analysis showed that patients in the non-survival group had a higher mean age, higher leukocyte counts, lower hemoglobin and albumin levels, a higher proportion of arrhythmias, pneumoniae and cardiac insufficiency and number of presurgical comorbidities than the survival group (all P-values < 0.05). Multivariate logistic analysis further confirmed that arrhythmia (OR = 2.033, P = 0.038), pneumonia (OR = 2.246, P = 0.041), cardiac insufficiency (OR = 2.833, P = 0.029), high leukocyte count (OR = 1.139, P = 0.009), and low albumin (OR = 0.925, P = 0.041) were all significant risk factors for mortality 30 days after surgery. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that arrhythmia, pneumonia, cardiac insufficiency, a high leukocyte count, and low albumin concentrations were associated with increased 30-day mortality in elderly hip fracture patients after surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Headache disorders are disabling, with major consequences for productivity, yet the literature is silent on the relationship between headache-attributed disability and lost productivity, often erroneously regarding the two as synonymous. We evaluated the relationship empirically, having earlier found that investment in structured headache services would be cost saving, not merely cost-effective, if reductions in headache-attributed disability led to > 20% pro rata recovery of lost productivity. Methods: We used individual participant data from Global Campaign population-based studies conducted in China, Ethiopia, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Russia, and from Eurolight in Lithuania, Luxembourg and Spain. We assessed relationships in migraine and probable medication-overuse headache (pMOH), the most disabling common headache disorders. Available symptom data included headache frequency, usual duration and usual intensity. We used frequency and duration to estimate proportion of time in ictal state (pTIS). Disability, in the sense used by the Global Burden of Disease study, was measured as the product of pTIS and disability weight for the ictal state. Impairment was measured as pTIS * intensity. Lost productivity was measured as lost days (absence or < 50% productivity) from paid work and corresponding losses from household work over the preceding 3 months. We used Spearman correlation and linear regression analyses. Results: For migraine, in a linear model, we found positive associations with lost paid worktime, significant (p < 0.05) in many countries and highly significant (p < 0.001) in some despite low values of R2 (0–0.16) due to high variance. With lost household worktime and total lost productivity (paid + household), associations were highly significant in almost all countries, although still with low R2 (0.04–0.22). Applying the regression equations for each country to the population mean migraine-attributed disability, we found pro rata recoveries of lost productivity in the range 16–56% (> 20% in all countries but Pakistan). Analysing impairment rather than disability increased variability. For pMOH, with smaller numbers, associations were generally weaker, occasionally negative and mostly not significant. Conclusion: Relief of disability through effective treatment of migraine is expected, in most countries, to recover > 20% pro rata of lost productivity, above the threshold for investment in structured headache services to be cost saving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Studies have demonstrated improvements in hand hygiene (HH) compliance through interventions, noting the negative association of HH and healthcare associated infections (HAIs), but how to sustain long-term improvement is still unknown in the Chinese population. This study sought to determine the extent of change in HH compliance after multimodal HH interventions, and to evaluate the relationship between that change and HAI incidence. Methods: We conducted a longitudinal study in a general teaching hospital in China from 2017 to 2020. Trained investigators observed HH practices based on the World Health Organization's 5 moments for HH. We identified the incidence of HAIs using semi-automated constant surveillance software. We used the Cochran–Mantel–Haenszel test to assess the secular trend of HH compliance and HAIs. The Spearman correlation coefficient (rs) was used to evaluate the relationship between the incidence of HAIs and compliance with HH. Results: The study made 480,943 observations, where HH was occurring between 2017 and 2020. HH compliance increased from 68.90 to 91.76% during that period (Ptrend < 0.01), while the incidence of HAIs decreased from 1.10 to 0.91%. Compliance also increased for each moment type and for each healthcare worker (Ptrend < 0.01). Lower HH compliance was observed in before-patient contact and after contact with patient surroundings, and among interns and cleaners. We also observed a weak but statistically significant negative correlation between the monthly HH compliance and incidence of HAIs (rs = − 0.27; P = 0.037). Conclusions: The multimodal HH implementation delivered sustained improvement in HH compliance, and this change was associated with a decline in the incidence of HAIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Evidence of the association between marital status and cognitive function in Chinese older adults is limited. Aims: To examine the relationship between marital status and cognitive function and to explore the role of gender amongst older adults from three Chinese communities. Methods: A total of 1376 participants aged 60 years or over were included in this cross-sectional study. Cognitive function was assessed using the Chinese version of the mini-mental state examination (MMSE). Marital status and other variables were collected using a standardized questionnaire. Multiple linear regression models were used to examine associations between marital statuses and cognitive function amongst the target population. The moderating role of gender in these potential associations has also been explored. Results: In univariate linear regression models, compared to being married, both being widowed (β [95% CI]: −1.46[−2.78 to − 0.13]) and being single (β [95% CI]: − 4.88[−6.43 to − 3.38]) were associated with lower MMSE scores. After adjustment for confounding factors, the significant association of being widowed with MMSE scores disappeared (β [95% CI: − 0.08[− 1.04 to 0.86]), but the association of being single with MMSE scores still existed (β [95% CI]: − 1.87[− 3.17 to − 0.58]). Furthermore, the association of being single with MMSE scores was statistically significant in men (β [95% CI]: − 5.25[− 7.17 to − 3.33]) but not in women (β [95% CI: 0.88[− 0.87 to 2.64]). Discussion and conclusions: Being single was associated with poorer cognitive function compared with their married counterparts in older Chinese men but not in women. More preventive measurements should be implemented for single men to reduce or delay cognitive decline. This is particularly important in the context of an aging population in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]