Search

Currently, PRRSV-1 causes a large number of clinical infections in Chinese swine herds, and the prevalence of new strains has presented great challenges. In this study, the novel PRRSV-1 strain SL-01 was isolated, with a genome length of 14,978 bp, and genetic evolution analysis revealed that it belonged to a new subtype branch. Sequence homology analysis showed that the strain was only 82.2%–86.7% identical to the current classical PRRSV-1 strains. In particular, the novel strain exhibited a unique deletion pattern in Nsp2. In addition, GP3 and GP4 of the SL-01 strain showed four consecutive amino acid deletions in the highly variable regions at amino acids 243–248 and 63–68, respectively. Further challenges in piglet and pregnant sow demonstrated that the SL-01 strain could cause the piglet fever and death but less pathogenic to pregnant sow. Overall, the characterization and pathogenicity of a novel PRRSV-1 strain were first explored and provide a prevention for pig farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. The global impact of coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) has raised concerns about the management of psoriasis patients, especially among those using biologics. Methods. We conducted a survey-based research among Omicron-infected (confirmed, probable, and suspected ones) psoriasis patients in the department of dermatology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, from January 9th to January 22nd, 2023. We collected demographic and clinical information (psoriasis- and COVID-19-related) and conducted statistics analysis. Results. Of the 240 patients enrolled, they were classified by the psoriatic treatment, as biologics (n = 138), nonbiological systematic treatment (n = 52), and topical treatment or without pharmacological treatment (n = 50). This study showed the characteristics of Omicron-related symptoms and cutaneous signs in patients. We observed that patients who received topical treatment or without pharmacological treatment had a lower risk of presenting with COVID-19 symptoms in the fully adjusted logistic model (OR = 0.40, 95% CI: 0.18–0.90, and P = 0.025). Moreover, in the model for skin manifestations, nonbiological systematic treatment (OR = 2.15, 95% CI: 1.08–4.27, and P = 0.029) and high BMI (OR = 1.10, 95% CI: 1.00–1.20, and P = 0.042) were correlative factors. Conclusions. Our data suggested that differential psoriatic treatment might be a correlative factor in developing symptomatic or asymptomatic Omicron infection and presenting cutaneous signs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, percutaneous nephrolithotomy has become an option for hospitals increasingly to treat calculus. However, due to the certain risk of percutaneous nephrolithotomy, it may lead to postoperative complications. Analyzing the preoperative factors of septic shock after percutaneous nephrolithotomy can provide guidance for reducing the incidence of septic shock after PCNL. This article establishes a logistic regression model based on preoperative factors, uses statistical methods, and uses the professional statistical software SPSS to create a database and analyze the data. The method of classification data analysis was used to determine various influencing factors including patient factors, stone factor, and preoperative factors and combined B-ultrasound guidance and percutaneous nephrolithotomy to reduce the risk of surgery. The experimental results found that the percutaneous nephroscope laser lithotripsy guided by the smart Internet of Things can effectively perform lithotripsy; in this paper, the preoperative data of different complications are obtained, and the risk of surgery is closely related to the operation time. The operation time exceeds 90 minutes and causes the risk of severe bleeding after PCNL. It is twice the operation time of less than 90 minutes and 5 times the operation time of less than 60 minutes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic matter (OM) and carbonate are the important organic and inorganic components, respectively, in the shales of the upper fourth member of the Eocene Shahejie Formation, Dongying Depression, Eastern China. Their enrichment affects the hydrocarbon generation capacity and reservoir development of shales. The development mechanism of sequence stratigraphy and the influence of sequence stratigraphy on OM enrichment and carbonate deposition are investigated in this study. Based on the petrological, mineralogical, and geochemical analyses, a third-order sequence is recognized, including the lowstand systems tract (LST), transgressive systems tract (TST), and highstand systems tract (HST). The total organic carbon (TOC) content is 0.11–9.05 wt% (average 2.2 wt%), and the carbonate content is 3–95 wt% (average 51 wt%). Organic matter and carbonate are enriched in TST and gradually reduced in HST and LST. The decrease in the relative lake level in LST results in the deposition of abundant siltstone, leading to both poor OM preservation and carbonate precipitation. The rapid rise in the relative lake level in TST may be triggered by marine transgression, promoting OM enrichment in terms of both production and preservation. Seawater input brought abundant Ca2+ and Mg2+, which facilitated the precipitation of carbonates. The enrichment of OM and carbonate improves the capacity of hydrocarbon generation and reservoir performance of shales in the TST. The decrease in the relative lake level in HST causes a slight increase in the terrigenous clastic content, which, on the one hand, accelerates the sedimentation rate and OM deposition and, on the other hand, reduces carbonate precipitation. This study not only explains the differential distribution of OM and carbonate but also helps to improve the accuracy of the evaluation of shale oil sweet spots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Connotative development of higher education is of great significance in China. To promote this endeavor, this paper has established a connotative teaching system based on the Kano model and has applied it in the teaching of statistics. Guided by the fundamental demands of students, this system is built from the four perspectives, including students, third-party evaluation institutions, schools, and morality and law. It also takes the advantages of the Kano model, featuring the three dimensions of essential demand quality, expected demand quality, and charismatic demand quality. The paper also describes a two-year experiment to test the effect of the Kano-model-based connotative teaching system. It has collected more than 200 effective samples and compared the performance of students in private colleges. The results are as follows: the connotative teaching of statistics guided by the Kano model can meet the demands of students in private colleges and improve their comprehensive scores. This model shows remarkable performance and will promote the reform on connotative teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acacetin (5,7-dihydroxy-4′-methoxyflavone) is the major bioactive component of the traditional Chinese medicine "Snow lotus". As a natural flavonoid compound, it has been shown to have good pharmacological effects such as anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and anti-obesity. Among them, its prominent role in cardiovascular diseases (CVD) has received extensive attention from scholars in recent years. In this review, the protective effects of acacetin on a variety of cardiovascular diseases, as well as the existing problems and prospects, are discussed and summarized. This review also highlights the great potential of acacetin, a natural-derived Chinese medicine, as a cardiovascular agent candidate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High dietary protein input in aquaculture leads to suboptimal growth and increased production costs. Limited knowledge on dietary protein requirements of Procambarus clarkii in pond culture has hindered the scientific expansion of optimum feeding strategies. We evaluated the effects of reduced dietary protein levels (from 30% to 26%) on the growth performance (weight, length, GSI, HSI, SGRw, SGRL and muscle weight) and muscle composition (crude protein, lipid, ash and moisture) of juveniles in eight concrete ponds cultured with Hydrilla verticillata. No significant differences were observed in the growth performance between the two treatments. P. clarkii fed a diet containing 26% protein had significantly higher crude protein and ash contents, whereas no significant differences existed in the lipid contents. The δ13C and δ15N values of P. clarkii and its food resources were not significantly affected by dietary protein levels. However, the Bayesian mixing model identified the mean contribution of H. verticillata in P. clarkii growth increased from 37.34% to 41.93% when dietary protein levels decreased from 30% to 26%. Considering the significant contribution of natural foods, we encourage the reduction in dietary protein levels from 30% to 26% in ponds to further reduce the production costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Navigation control system is an important navigation building of inland-river in China. Because of its special semiclosed structure, when the efficiency of the mutation control system is low, the ship system cannot identify the ship, which may endanger the life safety of the crew and cause water traffic accidents. Based on catastrophe control and intelligent sensor, this paper studies the spatial distribution and fluctuation mechanism of risk in the ship traffic system, constructs a catastrophe control model, and combines with intelligent sensors to identify the spatial distribution and fluctuation of risk in ship traffic. In this paper, a typical navigation control system of inland-river is selected as the research object, and the three-dimensional calculation model of the ship traffic system is established. The numerical simulation of catastrophe control and intelligent sensor in ship traffic systems under different ventilation conditions and the navigation water level is carried out by using computational fluid dynamics method, and the spatial distribution and fluctuation mechanism of ship traffic systems are analyzed. The results show that the maximum variation of sensitivity decreases monotonously with the decrease of the plate angle. When the other design parameters of the sensor remain unchanged, the maximum variation of sensitivity reaches the minimum when the plate angle is 10° which indicates that a small plate angle is helpful to reduce the eccentricity error. When the pitch increases from 56.32 mm to 98 mm, the maximum change of sensitivity decreases fastest, and the decrease trend of the maximum change of sensitivity slows down. In the range of 380 mm pitch, the maximum change of sensitivity decreases monotonously with the increase of pitch, which indicates that increasing the properly pitch is helpful to reduce the eccentricity error. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. Preeclampsia (PE) is a severe complication in pregnancy and a leading cause of maternal and infant mortality. However, the exact underlying etiology of PE remains unknown. Emerging evidence indicates that the cause of PE is associated with genetic factors. Therefore, the aim of this study is to identify susceptibility genes to PE. Materials and Methods. Human Exome BeadChip assays were conducted using 370 cases and 482 controls and 21 loci were discovered. A further independent set of 958 cases and 1007 controls were recruited for genotyping to determine whether the genes of interest ROS1 and PTPRK are associated with PE. Immunohistochemistry was used for localization. Both qPCR and Western blotting were utilized to investigate the levels of PTPRK in placentas of 20 PE and 20 normal pregnancies. Results. The allele frequency of PTPRK rs3190930 differed significantly between PE and controls and was particularly significant in severe PE subgroup and early-onset PE subgroup. PTPRK is primarily localized in placental trophoblast cells. The mRNA and protein levels of PTPRK in PE were significantly higher than those in controls. Conclusion. These results suggest that PTPRK appears to be a previously unrecognized susceptibility gene for PE in Han Chinese women, and its expression is also associated with PE, while ROS1 rs9489124 has no apparent correlation with PE risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In view of the current situation of musical education and the need for reform in China, we adopt two different methods, i.e., literature method and interview method in this research work. From these methods, we read a lot of musical education, multimedia technology, and modern teaching and reform. This research work is divided into two main phases. Firstly, the article mainly discusses the characteristics of college musical education compared with other cultural courses and the feasibility of multimedia technology and the auxiliary function of musical education that is applied in school's musical education. Secondly, brain computing attempts to analyze things by simulating the structure and information processing of biological neural networks. The intelligent learning characteristic of a deep learning algorithm is proposed to monitor the process of musical education teaching and analyze the process quality. Finally, we introduced the design and production of network multimedia courseware which will help in theoretical guidance and reference to the application of multimedia technology in college musical education in China. Moreover, the outcome of the proposed model can play a role in solving and answering questions in the current multimedia application process and Chinese college music workers will apply multimedia technology more effectively and skillfully. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To retrospectively analyze the off‐label prescriptions at a plastic surgery hospital in China and conduct a literature review. The prescriptions in outpatient department from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018 were collected and compared with the related drug instructions in indications, dosage, frequency and route of administration to identify the off‐label prescriptions. According to related literatures, guidelines, and MICROMEDEX, the rationality of off‐label drug uses was evaluated. A total of 39 836 prescriptions were screened and 3395 (8.52%) off‐label prescriptions were identified. It involved 23 items off‐label medication uses. 20 items were off‐label used in indication and three items were in indication and administration route. These off‐label prescriptions involved 19 medicines and 12 indications and the dermatology related drug usage accounted for the largest proportion (91.3%). Additionally, five items (21.7%) were Chinese patent medicine related. Of the 23 items, seven (30.4%) have been recommended by guidelines and two (8.7%) by Thomson Grading System of Micromedex. All of them have been proved by literature evidence of level 1 to 4, in which 19 (82.6%) by Level 1 evidence, 21 (91.3%) by Level 1 to 2 evidence and 2 (8.7%) only by level 3 to 4 evidence. This can provide a theoretical basis to clinicians in prescribing. Our next work is to perfect some details about evidence assessment to improve the reliability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metro tunnel sections in China can generally be divided into two types, those in granite formations (D = 6.0 m) and those in soft soils (D = 6.2 m), to which the same shield tunnel machine cannot be applied. The consequent low rate of machine utilization needs to be addressed. One solution is to modify shield machines which tend to tunnel granite strata with varying degrees of weathering (D = 6.0 m) into those applicable in soft soils (D = 6.2 m). Shield tunneling is a complex operation accompanied by potential risks, and accordingly it is demanded in risk evaluation and management. Hence, according to the construction features of modified shield machines in soft soil areas, this paper identifies relevant risks before establishing a specific model of risk evaluation by virtue of a fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method. This model weighs risk factors by triangular fuzzy numbers, and the membership function included is of L-R type that is frequently used in engineering. This risk evaluation model is applied to one section tunnel (Binhai New Town-Lianhua) of Metro Line 6 in Fuzhou City. Tunneling tests in the field uncover problems of the modified shield machine, including inappropriate tunneling parameters, segment dislocation, segment damage, and inadequate grouting. The result conforms to that produced by the risk evaluation model, which in turn proves the reliability of this model. Field data are also analyzed to address existing problems and to determine the appropriate tunneling parameters. The validity of these tunneling parameters is verified when surface settlement is measured. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. The rise of zoonotic diseases has become a global health issue around the world. The present study is aimed at assessing the global status and the trends in scrub typhus (ST) research. Methods. Publications related to ST studies from 1945 to 21st July 2020 were retrieved from the Scopus database. The search for the ST literature was conducted using the entry terms of the MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) database. Full research articles and reviews were included in the analysis, and no limitation to the language was specified. Key bibliometric indicator analysis was performed using Microsoft Excel, Bibliometrix (an R package), GraphPad Prism 5, and VOSviewer (version 1.6.6). Results. A total of 1567 publications were retrieved. The results revealed a significant increase in the number of ST publications over time. The documents received an average of 11.22 citations per document. Mahidol University in Thailand (258, 16.46%) was the most productive institution, while the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene published the most ST articles (88, 5.62%). Korea (195, 12.44%) was the most productive country, followed by India (178, 11.36%) and China (106, 6.76%). Richards AL was the most productive author with 36 articles. Conclusions. The study findings provide useful insights into the global efforts and works related to the progress of ST research, which can be used to identify future research areas, such as vaccine development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The exploration of deeply buried hydrocarbon is still a challenge for the petroleum geology. The Shunbei area is a newly discovered oil fields, located in the center of the Tarim Basin. The oil is mainly yielded from the Middle–Lower Ordovician carbonate reservoirs with depth > 7000 m in the Shunbei No. 1 and No. 5 fault zones. Calcite cements filled in vugs (v-calcite) and fractures (f-calcite) are identified in limestones and dolostones of the carbonate reservoirs. F-calcites in the Shunbei No. 1 fault zone trap secondary inclusions in trails, which comprise liquid-dominated biphase aqueous inclusions, liquid-dominated biphase oil inclusions, and/or oil-bearing triphase inclusions. F-calcite and v-calcite in the No. 5 fault zone trap secondary inclusions in trails, which consist of liquid-only monophase aqueous inclusions, liquid-dominated biphase aqueous inclusions, liquid-dominated biphase oil inclusions, liquid-only monophase oil inclusions, and/or oil-bearing triphase inclusions. The ranges of the homogenization temperature ( T h ) and ice-melting temperature ( T m − ice ) in the Shunbei No. 1 fault zone are, respectively, 130–150°C and -2.1–-1.5°C. The coexistence of liquid-only and liquid-dominated aqueous inclusions in the Shunbei No. 5 fault zone indicates that the aqueous inclusions are trapped at low temperatures. The aqueous inclusions in the Shunbei No. 5 fault zone show a range from -0.4 to -0.2°C in T m − ice which is very close to the meteoric fluid. In the context of the burial-thermal history and the Cambrian source rock evolution, the charging process of hydrocarbon in the Shunbei No. 1 and No. 5 fault zones corresponds to the Silurian and Middle Ordovician, respectively. Results of fluid inclusions indicate a tightly coupling relationship between the hydrocarbon charging process and fault system evolution in the Shunbei area. This study reveals the application of fluid inclusion under the systemically petrographic constraints to decipher the charging history of hydrocarbon, especially for the deeply buried reservoirs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The 5‐hydroxytryptamine‐3 receptor antagonist palonosetron (PALO) is approved (United States/Europe) as an oral formulation for prevention of chemotherapy‐induced nausea and vomiting in adult cancer patients undergoing moderately emetogenic chemotherapy (MEC) for the acute phase only, in the United States, or as intravenous (IV) formulation in patients undergoing MEC or highly emetogenic chemotherapy. This phase III study compares the efficacy/safety of oral versus IV PALO in Chinese patients. Methods: Chemotherapy‐naive patients with solid tumours scheduled for MEC received oral PALO 0.50 mg or IV PALO 0.25 mg. The primary objective was to demonstrate non‐inferiority in terms of patients with complete response in the acute phase (0–24 hr post‐chemotherapy). Results: Complete response rates (acute phase), evaluated in 318/320 randomised patients, were 84.6% and 85.9% for oral and IV PALO respectively. Non‐inferiority was demonstrated; the two formulations showed similar efficacy/safety. Conclusion: Non‐inferiority of oral versus IV PALO in the acute phase was demonstrated in Chinese patients. Clinical trial registration: CTR20140711. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the coal seam mining under the condition of thick soil layer, the mechanical mining subsidence process under the condition of thick soil layer was analyzed. Combined with the results of core drilling and laboratory test in the mining area, the mechanical analysis of the special transition strata of "hard soil-soft rock" at the bottom of the soil layer was carried out. Additionally, the characteristics of the shallow buried soil layer were compared and analyzed. Furthermore, the significance of this transitional font to the surface subsidence law was proposed. By using the numerical simulation software of FLAC3D and choosing the thickness of "hard soil-soft rock" transitional font as the influencing factor, a model was established and the surface subsidence characteristics of different stratum combinations were numerically simulated. The research results show that the transitional font is the special strata indicating that the hard soil is transiting to the soft rock, having a significant effect on the ground movement and deformation induced by coal mining. It cannot be designated into the loose strata. Also, it cannot be regarded as the bed rock to study the influence of it on the surface subsidence. The "hard soil-soft rock" transitional font has the support effect on the overlying strata during coal seam mining, which can restrict the surface subsidence. Furthermore, the larger the thickness of the transitional font is, the more obvious the restricting effect of it on the surface subsidence is. Meantime, this restricting effect will not be changed with the variation of the proportion between the loss bed and the bed rock thickness. Only the restricting extent is a little different. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Evidence regarding the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and 1-year unplanned readmission was limited. Therefore, the objective of this research is to investigate whether BMI was independently related to 1-year unplanned readmission in Chinese patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) after percutaneous transluminal coronary intervention (PCI) after adjusting for other covariates. Methods. The present study was a cohort study. A total of 214 participants with AMI after PCI were involved in a hospital in China from 1st January 2017 to 1st January 2018. The target independent variable and the dependent variable were BMI measured at baseline and 1-year unplanned readmission, respectively. Covariates involved in this study included age, gender, TC, triglyceride, HDL-C, LDL-C, PT, APTT, INR, creatinine, HGB, LVEF, discharge medication, marital status, educational level, COPD, diabetes mellitus, heart failure, history of ischemic stroke, history of hemorrhagic stroke, arrhythmia, and hypertension. Results. The average age of 172 selected participants was 60.2 ± 10.8 years old, and about 68.6% of them was male. The rate of readmission in patients with AMI was 26.14%. The result of fully adjusted binary logistic regression showed BMI was negatively associated with risk of readmission after adjusting confounders (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.1, 95% CI 0.93–1.29). Nonlinear relationship was detected between BMI and 1-year unplanned readmission, whose point was 29.3. The effect sizes and the confidence intervals of the left and right sides of inflection point were 0.9 (0.7–1.2, P for nonlinearity = 0.530) and 2.8 (1.3–5.8, P for nonlinearity = 0.008), respectively. Conclusion. BMI has a nonlinear relationship with 1-year unplanned readmission in patients with myocardial infarction. The 1-year unplanned readmission rate of overweight patients (BMI > 29.3 kg/m2) has increased significantly. Obesity paradox does not exist in terms of readmission of Chinese patients with myocardial infarction after PCI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diagnosis of multiple system atrophy (MSA) remains a challenge, due to the complexity and overlapping of its symptoms with other Parkinsonian disorders. The critical role of alpha-synuclein (α-syn) in the pathogenesis of MSA makes it an ideal biomarker for the diagnosis of MSA. Although α-syn alterations in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood plasma have been extensively assessed for the utility in diagnosing MSA, inconsistent results have been obtained, presumably due to the contamination by hemolysis and other confounding factors. In this study, levels of serine 129-phosphorylated α-syn (pS-α-syn), a major pathologic form of α-syn, in red blood cells (RBCs), were measured using ELISA in a Chinese cohort consisting of 107 MSA patients and 220 healthy controls. A significant increase in the levels of pS-α-syn in RBCs (pS-α-syn-RBC) was observed in MSA patients than in healthy controls (14.02 ± 4.02 ng/mg versus 11.89 ± 3.57 ng/mg; p < 0.0001). Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) indicated that pS-α-syn-RBC discriminated the patients well from the controls with a sensitivity of 80.37% (95% confidence interval (CI): 71.58%–87.42%), a specificity of 88.64% (95% CI: 83.68%–92.51%), and an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.91 (95% CI: 0.87–0.94). The levels of pS-α-syn-RBC were negatively correlated with RBD-HK scores and differed between MSA-P and MSA-C subtypes (13.27 ± 1.91 versus 12.19 ± 3.04; p = 0.025). The difference between subtypes was seen at Hoehn and Yahr stages 3 and 4, and the age at onset (AAO) between 60 and 69 years (p = 0.016). The results suggest that pS-α-syn-RBC is increased in MSA patients and can be used as a potential diagnostic biomarker for MSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Damage to mine shafts located below thick loose aquifers, caused by coal seam mining, can seriously affect the operational safety of mines. In view of such a problem, the comprehensive weight method and the fuzzy matter-element analysis method were used to analyze and evaluate the stability of mine shafts below thick, loose aquifers. Based on data relating to shaft structure parameters collected from fifteen damaged shafts in coal mines in East China, a comprehensive analysis was performed. The results showed that (1) the two indexes of surface subsidence velocity and water level drop value at the bottom of a loose aquifer have a large influence on the stability of shafts below thick loose aquifers, and (2) the predicted results of thirteen sets of samples were the same as the results measured during actual production; the accuracy of the model was 86.67%. The comprehensive weight method and the fuzzy matter-element analysis model both show good reliability for evaluating the stability of mine shafts below thick loose aquifers and can provide a scientific reference for the analysis of the stability of mine shafts in areas with thick loose strata, as well as for the design of comprehensive control plans that could subsequently be implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tunnel settlement commonly occurs during the tunnel construction processes in large cities. Existing forecasting methods for tunnel settlements include model-based approaches and artificial intelligence (AI) enhanced approaches. Compared with traditional forecasting methods, artificial neural networks can be easily implemented, with high performance efficiency and forecasting accuracy. In this study, an extended machine learning framework is proposed combining particle swarm optimization (PSO) with support vector regression (SVR), back-propagation neural network (BPNN), and extreme learning machine (ELM) to forecast the surface settlement for tunnel construction in two large cities of China P.R. Based on real-world data verification, the PSO-SVR method shows the highest forecasting accuracy among the three proposed forecasting algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this retrospective study, charts of inpatients with spinal tuberculosis (STB) treated in large-scale general hospitals in Changsha, Hunan, China, between 2007 and 2016 were reviewed to investigate their clinical characteristics. Demographic, epidemiological and clinical features, imaging findings, treatment methods, and prognosis were summarized and analyzed. There were 1378 patients, 805 males and 573 females, with a mean age of 43.7 years. The mean interval between symptom onset and diagnosis was 16.0 months (range 15 days–240 months). The incidence of back pain, radicular pain and symptoms of systemic toxicity was 92.5%, 40.1%, and 32.1%, respectively. The rate of neurological impairment was 49.9 %. STB was present in two or more vertebrae in 91.1% of patients, with two adjacent vertebrae being involved in 67.9% of them. The lumbar segment (38.2%) was the most frequently affected, followed by the thoracic spine (35.7%). The sacrococcygeal area was the least frequently involved (0.8%). Abscesses were detected in 65.5% of patients. One thousand patients (72.6%) were managed with surgery and 378 (27.4%) with anti-TB drugs only. Cure was achieved in 1215 patients (88.2%), whereas 49 (3.5 %) had relapses. Concomitant pulmonary TB (PTB) was diagnosed in 366 patients (26.6%) and 63 (4.6%) had concomitant diabetes. Compared with the previous five years, the number of older patients, urban patients, and medical staff with STB had increased by 6.1%, 5.2%, and 1.3%, respectively in the five years studied. STB remains a severe public health problem that cannot be ignored. Most of the patients ignored early symptoms and therefore received untimely treatment. Thus, surveillance for and treatment of STB in South-central China requires strengthening. In addition to the current China-wide database of patients with PTB, a China-wide database of patients with STB should also be set up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lynch syndrome is a genetically and clinically heterogeneous disorder; it is caused by a germline mutation in DNA mismatch repair (MMR) genes. Individuals with a heterozygous mutation in MLH1 have an increased risk for developing colorectal cancer. Here we described a 5-generation Chinese Lynch syndrome family with different severity and onset age. A novel heterozygous germline mutation (c.3G>T, p.Met1Ile) in MLH1 gene was discovered by next generation sequencing. Our study also revealed by qPCR that the MLH1 mRNA expression in peripheral blood of patients in this family was remarkably lower than that of the unaffected carriers and non-carriers. The research results indicated that the mRNA expression level may provide predictive suggestions of treatment and management for carriers with the initiation codon mutation of MLH1 in this family. Further studies are undertaken in this family as well as other families with Lynch syndrome to interrogate the exact reasons affecting the MLH1 mRNA expression level and whether mRNA expression in peripheral blood could be a significant factor for early diagnosis and surveillance of Lynch syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To evaluate the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of a new surgical method of U-shaped myometrial excavation and modified suture approach with uterus preservation for diffuse adenomyosis. Methods. From January 2012 to December 2014, 198 patients with diffuse adenomyosis were surgically treated using this novel procedure in Zhengzhou Hua-Shan Hospital. Degree of dysmenorrhea, menstrual blood volume, serum CA 125, and uterine size before and at 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months, and 24 months after surgery were compared. Results. Postoperatively, VAS score of dysmenorrhea, menstrual blood volume, serum CA 125 level, and uterine size significantly decreased at 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months, and 24 months from presurgical levels (all p < .001), but there were no differences at the follow-up time points. Two patients recurred at 18 months and 23 months after surgery, but both recovered after repeat surgery. Interestingly, 2 other patients recrudesced at 10 months and 12 months after surgery. In addition, only one patient was found to have a postoperative anaemia with fever, conservatively managed without surgery. Conclusion. U-shaped myometrial excavation and modified suture approach with uterus preservation is a safe and feasible surgical approach to treat diffuse adenomyosis, with favourable outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A natural analogue study in CO2-rich coalfield (Haishiwan, China) provides a strong support for safe, reliable, and long-term storage by analyzing the mechanism of CO2 migration, entrapment, and storage in coal reservoir. Thus, effects of geological tectonism on reservoir properties were investigated. Simultaneously, coal and oil shale samples before and after supercritical CO2 (SCCO2) treatment via geochemical reactor were collected to analyze changes in pore structure, functional group distributions, and SCCO2 extraction. Observations from in situ properties of coal seam indicate that there is a positive relationship with CH4 contents and F19 fault whereas CO2 and carbonate contents decrease as the distance from F19 increases. Analysis of pore properties reveals that SCCO2 enlarges the development of coal pore and facilitates the diffusion and seepage channel of coal reservoir, while no changes in larger pores are found in oil shale, which may restrain fluids from passing through. Then, oxygen-containing functional groups are mobilized by SCCO2 from oil shale, associated with a decrease in sorption sites. The sealing capacity of cap rock (oil shale) and geological tectonism (F19 fault), as the major contributors to CO2 enrichment and accumulation, provides insights into the suitable selection of CCGS site for long geological time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the fifth leading cause of cancer death and the fifth most commonly diagnosed cancer in China. Approximately, 25% of CRC was in the advanced stage as diagnosed, and 40% of patients with CRC progress to metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). RAS mutation status is now routinely used to select their therapy. But it is still a question whether RAS mutation status is a prognostic marker. In our study, we detected RAS mutation, immunoscore (IS), and PD-L1 expression in 60 Chinese mCRC patients who received palliative operation. The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that the overall survival (OS) in patients with RAS wild type was better than those with RAS mutated type. Moreover, in multivariate analysis, RAS mutation and PD-L1 expression were demonstrated to be the independent negative prognostic factors for OS (P=0.044, HR: 0.258, and 95% CI: 0.069–0.967; P=0.048, HR: 0.276, and 95% CI: 0.077–0,988). All results suggested that, combined with IS, PD-L1 expression and RAS status may be the prognostic indicators for mCRC patients with palliative operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To examine the relative impact of maternal prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) and glucose level at 24–28 gestational weeks on offspring’s overweight status from birth to 3 years of age in China. Methods. Health care records of 21,354 mother-child pairs were collected. The single and joint associations of maternal prepregnancy BMI and glucose level at 24–28 gestational weeks with 0–3-year-old offspring’s overweight status were assessed. Results. The odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) of offspring’s macrosomia at birth and overweight/obesity at the 12th month, 24th month, and 36th month were 1.12 (1.11–1.13), 1.05 (1.04–1.06), 1.07 (1.06–1.08), and 1.11 (1.10–1.12) for each 1-unit increase (km/m2) in maternal prepregnancy BMI and 1.13 (1.10–1.17), 1.01 (0.99–1.03), 0.99 (0.96–1.01), and 1.00 (0.97–1.02) for each 1-unit increase (mmol/L) in maternal glucose level at 24–28 gestational weeks, respectively. The positive association of maternal glucose level with macrosomia at birth was similar between prepregnancy normal weight (BMI < 24 kg/m2) and overweight (BMI ≥ 24 kg/m2); however, the positive association of high maternal glucose level with childhood overweight was only seen among prepregnancy normal weight mothers but not among overweight mothers. Conclusions. The impact of maternal gestational hyperglycemia on offspring’s overweight before 3 years of age can be modified by prepregnancy BMI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Lateral elbow pain is one of the most common musculoskeletal pains associated with the upper limb and has an estimated population incidence of 1–3%. Methods/Design. This study protocol is for a multisite randomised controlled study and is designed to evaluate the clinical efficacy of acupuncture in the treatment of chronic (over three months’ duration) lateral elbow pain. Four study sites, in the People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong, Italy, and Australia, will recruit 24 participants each. A total of 96 participants will be randomised to either an acupuncture group or a sham laser control group. The primary outcome measure will be the Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder, and Hand questionnaire with secondary outcome measures of Pain-Free Grip Strength Test, Muscle Tension Test, and a pain visual analogue scale. Discussion. Key features for conducting a multisite international acupuncture randomised clinical trial have been detailed in this protocol. Trial Registration. This trial is registered at Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry ACTRN12613001138774 on 11 October, 2013. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. To measure plasma levels of superoxide dismutases 1, 2, and 3 (SOD1, 2, 3) and determine whether SODs can function as biomarkers for coronary artery disease (CAD). Patients & Methods. Patient groups were as follows: patients with stable angina pectoris (SAP, n=33), patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS, n=49), and controls (n=42). Protein quantification was done using ELISA. Results. The concentrations of plasma SOD1 and SOD2 were higher in CAD than in healthy controls. No difference in SOD3 levels between CAD and control groups was found. Limited correlations were found between SODs and gender, age, and severity of coronary artery stenosis. Conclusions. Plasma levels of SOD1 and SOD2 were elevated in patients with CAD and might serve as surrogate biomarkers for CAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study consisted of a single centre randomised controlled trial with two parallel arms: an acupuncture group (n=20) with 27 affected eyes and a sham group (n=20) with 23 affected eyes. Participants in the acupuncture group received acupuncture treatment once daily, three times weekly for four weeks. Participants assigned to the control group received sham acupuncture, the same protocol as that used for the acupuncture group but without insertion of needles into the skin. The primary outcome measure was the cervical range of motion (CROM) score. Secondary outcome measures were the palpebral fissure size, response rate, and adverse events. All 40 participants completed the study. In the comparison of acupuncture and sham acupuncture, a significant difference was observed between acupuncture and sham acupuncture in CROM score (21.37±15.16 and 32.21±19.54, resp.) (P<0.05) and palpebral fissure size (7.19±2.94 and 5.41±2.45, resp.) (P<0.05). Response rate was also significantly different in the acupuncture group (P<0.05). No adverse events were reported in both groups in this study. In summary, it was demonstrated that acupuncture had a feasibility positive effect on oculomotor paralysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China’s transport sector is responsible for approximately 10% of national CO2 emissions. In the process of industrialization and urbanization of China, emissions from transport sector would continuously increase. In order to investigate the emissions and reduction potential and provide the policy guidance for policymakers in China’s transport sector, this study decomposed the CO2 emissions using the Kaya identity, calculated the contribution based on the Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) method to explore the underlying determinants of emissions change, and then constructed different scenarios to predict the emissions and estimate the potential of emission reduction in the future. Results indicated that carbon emissions in China’s transport sector have increased from 123.14 Mt in 1995 to 670.76 Mt in 2012. Income effect is the dominant factor that results in the increase of emissions while energy intensity effect is the main driving force to lower carbon emissions. The transportation modal shifting, transportation intensity change, and population growth have the positive but relatively minor impact on emissions. The accumulated emission reduction is expected to be 1825.97 Mt, which is 3 times more than the emissions in 2010. Policy recommendations are thus put forward for future emission reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We probe into the key factors that possess significant effects on China’s CO2 emissions during 1997–2012 on the basis of IPAT-LMDI model. Carbon dioxide emissions are specifically decomposed into CO2 emission intensity, energy structure, energy intensity, industrial structure, economic output, and population scale effects. Results indicate that the paramount driving factors that resulted in the growth of CO2 emissions are economic output, population scale, and energy structure. In contrast, energy intensity and industrial structure generally play an outstanding role in reducing emissions. This paper constructs a new weight assessment system by introducing “contribution value-significant factor-effect coefficient” to replace “contribution value-contribution rate” in the previous literature. According to the most significant positive effect and the most negative effect from the conclusion, we point out the effective policies that can not only accelerate the target of “China’s carbon emissions per unit of GDP could be cut down by 40–45% by 2020, from 2005 levels,” but also have crucial significance on the low-carbon economic development strategy of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. Wearable and wireless motion sensor devices have facilitated the automated computation of speed, amplitude, and rhythm of hand motion tasks. The aim of this study is to determine if there are any biological influences on these kinematic parameters. Methods. 80 healthy subjects performed hand motion tasks twice for each hand, with movements measured using a wireless motion sensor device (Kinesia, Cleveland Medical Devices Inc., Cleveland, OH). Multivariate analyses were performed with age, gender, and height added into the model. Results. Older subjects performed poorer in finger tapping (FT) speed (r=0.593, p<0.001), hand-grasp (HG) speed (r=0.517, p<0.001), and pronation-supination (PS) speed (r=0.485, p<0.001). Men performed better in FT rhythm p<0.02, HG speed p<0.02, HG amplitude p<0.02, and HG rhythm p<0.05. Taller subjects performed better in the speed and amplitude components of FT p<0.02 and HG tasks p<0.02. After multivariate analyses, only age and gender emerged as significant independent factors influencing the speed but not the amplitude and rhythm components of hand motion tasks. Gender exerted an independent influence only on HG speed, with better performance in men p<0.05. Conclusions. Age, gender, and height are not independent factors influencing the amplitude and rhythm components of hand motion tasks. The speed component is affected by age and gender differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute burn injuries are among the most devastating forms of trauma and lead to significant morbidity and mortality. Appropriate fluid resuscitation after severe burn, specifically during the first 48 hours following injury, is considered as the single most important therapeutic intervention in burn treatment. Although many formulas have been developed to estimate the required fluid amount in severe burn patients, many lines of evidence showed that patients still receive far more fluid than formulas recommend. Overresuscitation, which is known as “fluid creep,” has emerged as one of the most important problems during the initial period of burn care. If fluid titration can be personalized and automated during the resuscitation phase, more efficient burn care and outcome will be anticipated. In the present study, a dynamic urine output based infusion rate prediction model was developed and validated during the initial 48 hours in severe thermal burn adult patients. The experimental results demonstrated that the developed dynamic fluid resuscitation model might significantly reduce the total fluid volume by accurately predicting hourly urine output and has the potential to aid fluid administration in severe burn patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rises in the number of transit buses, bus routes, and overall traffic volume in China’s cities, coupled with interference from other transport modes, such as taxis loading and unloading passengers nearby, have led to increasing traffic delays at bus stops, which is considered one of the factors degrading service levels and traffic operations on urban roadways. This paper studies traffic characteristics at bus stops, investigates variations in delay from different types or designs of bus stops, and analyzes the impact of it on traffic capacity, the purpose of which is to propose a solution to predicting the feasibility of an integrated design of bus stops and taxi stands with the help of mathematical models and based on the objectives of optimal traffic operations and passenger transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although HAD is now rare due to HAART, the milder forms of HAND persist in HIV-infected patients. HIV-induced systemic and localized inflammation is considered to be one of the mechanisms of HAND. The levels of cytokines in CSF were associated with neurocognitive impairment in HIV infection. However, the changes of cytokines involved in cognition impairment in plasma have not been shown, and their relationships between CSF and plasma require to be addressed. We compared cytokine levels in paired CSF and plasma samples from HIV-infected individuals with or without neurocognitive impairment. Cytokine concentrations were measured by Luminex xMAP. In comparing the expression levels of cytokines in plasma and CSF, IFN-α2, IL-8, IP-10, and MCP-1 were significantly higher in CSF. Eotaxin was significantly higher in plasma, whereas G-CSF showed no difference between plasma and CSF. G-CSF (P=0.0079), IL-8 (P=0.0223), IP-10 (P=0.0109), and MCP-1 (P=0.0497) in CSF showed significant difference between HIV-CI and HIV-NC group, which may indicate their relationship to HIV associated neurocognitive impairment. In addition, G-CSF (P=0.0191) and IP-10 (P=0.0377) in plasma were significantly higher in HIV-CI than HIV-NC. The consistent changes of G-CSF and IP-10 in paired plasma and CSF samples might enhance their potential for predicting HAND. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent sporadic infections of humans in China with previously unrecognized avian influenza A virus of the H7N9 subtype (A(H7N9)) have caused concern. The aim is to find out the epidemiological and molecular analysis of the PB1-F2 proteins in H7N9 influenza viruses, in Jiangsu province. Sequences were obtained from GISAID database. Data were analyzed by using Molecular Evolutionary Genetics Analysis software and Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo method. From March 1, 2013, to May 31, 2014, 53 patients were confirmed to be infected with the H7N9 virus; one was a retrospective case in Jiangsu province. 38 sequences of PB1 in H7N9 of Jiangsu were obtained from the GISAID online and were then divided into three lineages. Of these sequences, 4 sequences and 3 sequences encode an N-terminally truncated PB1-F2 (52aa)polypeptide and C-terminally truncated PB1-F2 (76aa) polypeptide, respectively. The remaining sequences encode a full-length PB1-F2 (90aa). We estimated a mean evolutionary rate of 3.053 × 10−3 subs/site/year (95% HPD: 2.021 × 10−3–4.051 × 10−3). The site-by-site analysis of selection pressure analysis revealed positively and negatively (12, 3), respectively, selected sites. Influenza A (H7N9) virus adapting into new host, PB1-F2 of H7N9, might be faced with higher selection pressures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eclipta prostrata L. is one of the Chinese medicinal tonics which are usually used for treating loose teeth, dizziness, tinnitus, hemoptysis, hematuria, and uterine bleeding. However, quality control of this herbal medicine has been not satisfactory. This study reported its qualitative and quantitative analyses based on LC/MS method. UHPLC-DAD-Q-TOF-MS fingerprinting and MS fragmentation cleavage pathway were investigated for qualitative analysis. Furthermore, a method for simultaneous quantitative determination of nine compounds, luteolin 7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, ecliptasaponin C, luteolin, eclalbasaponin IV, apigenin, ecliptasaponin A, echinocystic acid 28-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, echinocystic acid, and 3-oxo-16 α -hydroxy-olean-12-en-28-oic acid in E. prostrata, was established. The method was validated for samples of E. prostrata from different habitats. The results showed good linear correlation, precision, accuracy, and repeatability that could be used for contents determination of the nine compounds in E. prostrata from different habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive memory loss and cognitive impairment. Cholinesterase inhibitors are widely used for the symptomatic treatment of Alzheimer's disease to enhance central cholinergic transmission. In this study, a bioactivity-oriented screening platform based on a modified Ellman's method and HPLC-QTOF MS technique was developed to rapidly screen active agents of Anemarrhena asphodeloides Bge. The 60% ethanol fraction from an ethyl acetate extract exhibited the most potential anticholinesterase activity. Fifteen steroid saponins were identified by the mass spectrum, standards and literature reports. Twenty-five compounds were isolated from the active fraction. The results showed that compounds with the C6-C3-C6 skeleton probably had both AChE and BuChE inhibitory activities. Xanthone and benzene derivatives exhibited no or little activity. Lignans showed weak BuChE inhibitory activity. The steroidal saponins demonstrated moderate or weak AChE inhibitory activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. With the technology of high-fidelity simulates developed, the clinical education route has changed. The nursing school pays attention on the use of high-fidelity simulations in nursing education. However, in China, only a few schools can afford the expensive teaching tools, including SimMom 3G and virtual reality (VR) devices, which also focus on "holistic nursing simulation." Objective. To explore the evaluation and development of a holistic nursing simulation session for nursing students based on an integrated nursing approach in obstetrics. Methods. This study was based in a rich Chinese nursing school under the medical university that value nursing education. This study is founded on 147 third-year nursing students in obstetrics classes. After the simulation teaching, the teaching effect of the questionnaire was investigated, and the total number of questionnaires was 124 students. Results. Students agreed that the holistic nursing simulation cultivated humanistic care literacy, clinical practice ability, and clinical thinking ability; enhanced teamwork ability; and reinforced professional knowledge. Conclusion. This simulation teaching method helps to cultivate students' enthusiasm and initiative and fosters their self-learning ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]