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Background Screening reduces colorectal cancer (CRC) burden by allowing early resection of precancerous and cancerous lesions. An adequate selection of high-risk individuals and a high uptake rate for colonoscopy screening are critical to identifying people more likely to benefit from screening and allocating healthcare resources properly. We evaluated whether combining a questionnaire-based interview for risk factors with fecal immunochemical test (FIT) outcomes for high-risk assessment is more efficient and economical than a questionnaire-based interview-only strategy. Methods and findings In this multicenter, population-based, prospective cohort study, we enrolled community residents aged 40 to 74 years in 29 provinces across China. From 2016 to 2020, a total of 1,526,824 eligible participants were consecutively enrolled in the Cancer Screening Program in Urban China (CanSPUC) cohort, and 940,605 were enrolled in the Whole Life Cycle of Cancer Screening Program (WHOLE) cohort, with follow-up to December 31, 2022. The mean ages were 56.89 and 58.61 years in CanSPUC and WHOLE, respectively. In the WHOLE cohort, high-risk individuals were identified by combining questionnaire-based interviews to collect data on risk factors (demographics, diet history, family history of CRC, etc.) with FIT outcomes (RF-FIT strategy), whereas in the CanSPUC cohort, high-risk individuals were identified using only interview-based data on risk factors (RF strategy). The primary outcomes were participation rate and yield (detection rate of advanced neoplasm, early-stage detection rate of CRCs [stage I/II], screening yield per 10,000 invitees), which were reported for the entire population and for different gender and age groups. The secondary outcome was the cost per case detected. In total, 71,967 (7.65%) and 281,985 (18.47%) individuals were identified as high-risk and were invited to undergo colonoscopy in the RF-FIT group and RF group, respectively. The colonoscopy participation rate in the RF-FIT group was 26.50% (19,071 of 71,967) and in the RF group was 19.54% (55,106 of 281,985; chi-squared test, p < 0.001). A total of 102 (0.53%) CRCs and 2,074 (10.88%) advanced adenomas were detected by the RF-FIT, versus 90 (0.16%) and 3,593 (6.52%) by the RF strategy (chi-squared test, both p < 0.001). The early-stage detection rate using the RF-FIT strategy was significantly higher than that by the RF strategy (67.05% versus 47.95%, Fisher's exact test, p = 0.016). The cost per CRC detected was $24,849 by the RF-FIT strategy versus $55,846 by the RF strategy. A limitation of the study was lack of balance between groups with regard to family history of CRC (3.5% versus 0.7%). Conclusions Colonoscopy participation and screening yield were better with the RF-FIT strategy. The association with CRC incidence and mortality reduction should be evaluated after long-term follow-up., Author(s): Xuesi Dong 1,2, Lingbin Du 3, Zilin Luo 1,2, Yongjie Xu 1,2, Chenran Wang 1,2, Fei Wang 1,2, Wei Cao 1,2, Liang Zhao 1,2, Yadi Zheng 1,2, Hongting Zhu [...]

Background The current recommended starting age for gastric cancer screening lacks unified guideline and individualized criteria. We aimed to determine the risk-stratified starting age for gastric cancer screening in China based on individuals' risk profiles and to develop an online calculator for clinical application. Methods In this multicenter, population-based, prospective study, we allocated participants enrolled between 2015 and 2017 (N = 59 771, aged 40-69 years) to screened and unscreened groups and observed them for primary endpoints: gastric cancer occurrence as well as all-cause and gastric cancer–specific death. Median follow-up was 6.07 years. To determine the reference starting age, the effectiveness of gastric cancer screening was assessed by age group after propensity score matching. Further, we categorized the calculated individual risk scores (using well-established risk factors) by quantile. Subsequently, we used age-specific, 10-year cumulative risk curves to estimate the risk-stratified starting age—that is, when the individual's risk level matches the reference starting age risk threshold. Results During follow-up, 475 gastric cancer case patients, 182 gastric cancer–related deaths, and 1860 all-cause deaths occurred. All-cause and gastric cancer–specific mortality decreased among screened individuals 45 years of age and older and 50 to 59 years of age, respectively. Thus, the average population (referent) starting age was set as 50 years. The 10-year cumulative risk of gastric cancer in the average population aged 50 years was 1.147%. We stratified the starting age using 8 risk factors and categorized participants as low-risk, medium-risk, and high-risk individuals whose risk-stratified starting age was 58, 50, and 46 years, respectively. Conclusion Although high-risk individuals warrant starting gastric cancer screening 3 to 5 years earlier than for the average population (aged 50 years), low-risk individuals can tolerate delayed screening. Our online, personalized starting age calculator will help with risk-adapted gastric cancer screening (https://web.consultech.com.cn/gastric/#/). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep sea water (DSW) is a globally utilized source of renewable energy and other resources. To understand the characteristics of DSW resources in the South China Sea, in July 2022, the Guangzhou Marine Geological Survey (GMGS) investigated temperature, salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), inorganic salts (DIN, PO43−-P, and SiO3-Si), heavy metals (Hg, Pb, As, and Cd), trace elements (Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn, Ni, Se, and Mo), and other related indicators. The results of this investigation elucidate the horizontal and vertical changes in the physical and chemical properties of deep sea water in the Xisha Sea. The surface seawater quality in Xisha was found to be excellent and to meet first-class seawater survey standards. However, the concentrations of various nutrient salts in the surface layer were relatively low. As the seawater depth increased, different trace elements and heavy metals exhibited variations, and the concentrations of various nutrients also gradually increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to achieve the goals of carbon neutrality and reduced carbon emissions, China is increasingly focusing on the development and utilization of renewable energy sources. Among these, ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) has the advantages of small periodic fluctuations and large potential reserves, making it an important research field. With the development of the "Maritime Silk Road", the Xisha Islands in the South China Sea will see a growing demand for electricity, providing the potential for OTEC development in this region. Optimal site selection of OTEC power plants is a prerequisite for developing thermal energy provision, affecting both the construction costs and future benefits of the power plants. This study establishes a scientific evaluation model based on the decision-making frameworks of geographic information systems (GISs) and multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods, specifically the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) for assigning weights, the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) to reclassify the factors, and weighted linear combination (WLC) to compute the suitability index. In addition to commonly considered factors such as temperature difference and marine usage status, this study innovatively incorporates geological conditions and maximum offshore distances of cold seawater based on cost control. The final evaluation identifies three suitable areas for OTEC development near the Xuande Atoll and the Yongle Atoll in the Xisha Sea Area, providing valuable insights for energy developers and policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]