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Background Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have caused substantial public health burdens and global health threats. Understanding the superspreading potentials of these viruses are important for characterizing transmission patterns and informing strategic decision-making in disease control. This systematic review aimed to summarize the existing evidence on superspreading features and to compare the heterogeneity in transmission within and among various betacoronavirus epidemics of SARS, MERS and COVID-19. Methods PubMed, MEDLINE, and Embase databases were extensively searched for original studies on the transmission heterogeneity of SARS, MERS, and COVID-19 published in English between January 1, 2003, and February 10, 2021. After screening the articles, we extracted data pertaining to the estimated dispersion parameter (k) which has been a commonly-used measurement for superspreading potential. Findings We included a total of 60 estimates of transmission heterogeneity from 26 studies on outbreaks in 22 regions. The majority (90%) of the k estimates were small, with values less than 1, indicating an over-dispersed transmission pattern. The point estimates of k for SARS and MERS ranged from 0.12 to 0.20 and from 0.06 to 2.94, respectively. Among 45 estimates of individual-level transmission heterogeneity for COVID-19 from 17 articles, 91% were derived from Asian regions. The point estimates of k for COVID-19 ranged between 0.1 and 5.0. Conclusions We detected a substantial over-dispersed transmission pattern in all three coronaviruses, while the k estimates varied by differences in study design and public health capacity. Our findings suggested that even with a reduced R value, the epidemic still has a high resurgence potential due to transmission heterogeneity.

Four MoO3 samples with the Zn element doped mole ratio of 0%, 3%, 6% and 9% were prepared by applying a convenient one-step hydrothermal synthesis method, and the samples presented three-dimensional microflower-like structures assembled by nanosheets. The systematic analysis results indicate that the 6 mol% Zn-doped sample had the most amazing detection characteristics for 50 ppm CO, with a response of 31.23 (4 times of the pure MoO3) at a lower temperature (240 °C). The large specific surface area, big pore size and tiny particle size were proved to be beneficial to the gas sensitivity, which promotes gases transfer and provides more gases landing points during the gas-sensitive reaction. Besides, based on the density functional theory (DFT), the facilitation effect of doped Zn on the adsorption ability of MoO3 to CO molecule was verified from the perspective of electronic properties. The excellent gas-sensing performances indicate that the 6 mol% Zn-doped MoO3 has potential to be applied as a reliable CO sensor.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common form of malignant primary brain tumor with a dismal prognosis. Currently, the standard treatments for GBM rarely achieve satisfactory results, which means that current treatments are not individualized and precise enough. In this study, a multiomics-based GBM classification was established and three subclasses (GPA, GPB, and GPC) were identified, which have different molecular features both in bulk samples and at single-cell resolution. A robust GBM poor prognostic signature (GPS) score model was then developed using machine learning method, manifesting an excellent ability to predict the survival of GBM. NVP-BEZ235, GDC-0980, dasatinib and XL765 were ultimately identified to have subclass-specific efficacy targeting patients with a high risk of poor prognosis. Furthermore, the GBM classification and GPS score model could be considered as potential biomarkers for immunotherapy response. In summary, an integrative genomic analysis was conducted to advance individual-based therapies in GBM.

The detection of oil-dissolved gases (such as CO, CH4 and H2) in transformers on-line is an important technology to predict and judge the operating status of transformers. Microstructure and gas sensing performance of Au-MoS2 microspheres synthesized by hydrothermal method were investigated in the present research. The results indicated Au-MoS2 based gas sensor has excellent response to CO, CH4 and H2 gases with maximum responses of 25.48, 16.75 and 8.48 at 30 ppm in their optimum working temperature (150 °C, 150 °C, 175 °C). In addition, First-principle calculation was carried out to expound the sensing mechanism in detail. The conclusions of this study suggest that Au-MoS2 monolayer exhibits a promising applicable future in sensor detecting of oil-dissolved gases in power transformer.

Oil storage tanks play a very important role in economic and social development; however, there are numerous cases of damage caused by wind and earthquake. Considering fluid-structure interaction, wind interference and material nonlinearity, firstly, wind fields are S^#simulated by computational fluid dynamics and solved by SIMPLEC method under the conditions of single tank and double tanks; second, the wind pressures in the two cases are obtained and applied to the oil storage tanks, 3-D numerical calculation model is established. Wind disturbance effect on dynamic responses is discussed, and influence of storage ratio and seismic wave type on dynamic responses under wind-earthquake action is further investigated. Results show that wind disturbance effect has a great influence on the dynamic responses of liquid storage tank, especially in the empty state. When the liquid storage ratio is large, traditional oil storage tank is easy to be damaged under the action of wind-strong earthquake. Wind interference effect should be considered in the design and application of oil storage tanks, at the same time, shock absorption and strengthening measures should be taken for oil storage tanks under wind-strong earthquake.

The influence of transition metal (TM) atoms (Au, Ag) doping on the structure parameters and electronic properties of MoS2 monolayer was studied based on DFT calculations. In order to realize the adsorption mechanism, the adsorption structures, adsorption energy, charge transfer, density of states (DOS), and electron density difference of water (H2O) molecule absorbed on two kinds of doped-MoS2 monolayer were analyzed. The results show that the electronic properties of TM (Au, Ag) doped-MoS2 monolayer have significantly changes and the chemical activity is obviously enhanced compared with the MoS2 monolayer. Moreover, Au or Ag doped-MoS2 monolayer both exhibits excellent adsorption capacity to H2O molecule and the processes of absorption both are chemical.

In this paper, the adsorption models of three SF6 decomposition gas (SO2, SOF2, SO2F2) on the Ni-doped ZnO (100) surface were established based on density functional theory (DFT). The structural and electronic properties of intrinsic and Ni-doped ZnO (100) surface after gas adsorption were analyzed to clarify the adsorption capacity and sensing mechanism. In addition, the adsorption parameters of Ni-doped ZnO (100) surface and intrinsic ZnO (100) surface were compared. The results show that Ni-doped ZnO (100) surface has a strong chemical adsorption effect on SO2 and SO2F2, while exhibits weaker physical adsorption to SOF2. Compared with intrinsic ZnO (100) surface, the adsorption capacity of three gas molecules were obviously enhanced after Ni doping, implying Ni dopant can significantly improve the sensitivity and selectivity of ZnO materials to SO2, SOF2, SO2F2 gases. Meanwhile, gas sensing experiment of intrinsic and Ni-doped ZnO materials towards SO2, SOF2, and SO2F2 was carried out. All results lay a solid foundation for exploring high-performance ZnO based sensors to detect SF6 decomposition components for GIS partial discharge defect diagnose.

In this work, we reported the successful synthesis of a novel two-dimensional porous NiO nanosheet via a one-step hydrothermal route and subsequent calcination. It was surprise found that such NiO nanosheet exhibits a superior gas response towards H2. The enhanced sensing ability may be benefited from the porous nanostructure, resulting in more sufficient pathways for gas diffusion and larger surface for chemical reaction. We hoped our findings could be in favor of further investigations on the fabrication of perfect two dimensional architectures.

Vitamin D deficiency, a growing public health problem, is associated with elevated serum pro-inflammatory cytokines and gut microbial dysbiosis. Lactoferrin (LF), a strongly cationic glycoprotein, is an multifunctional components of milk. We explored the effects of oral administratation with LF (100 mg/kg and 1000 mg/kg) on intestine of vitamin D deficient mice. Our results showed that LF reduced the abundance of Oscillibacter, increased the proportion of Lachnospiraceae, Faecalibaculum and Lactobacillus. In addition, LF alleviated the elevated serum LBP, TNF-α, IL-6 and TGF-β induced by vitamin D deficiency. Notably, we found the expression of vitamin D receptor significantly increased after LF supplement in colon of vitamin D deficient mice. At the same time, LF reduced the expression of TLR-4, inhibited the activity of NF-κB P65 and enhanced the expression of intestinal barrier proteins, including ZO-1, occludin, claudin-1 as well as E-cadherin in the colon of vitamin D deficient mice.

In this study, multi-walled carbon nanotubes modified by magnesium (Mg@CNT) was prepared as a novel adsorbent to recover phosphate from wastewater. Mg@CNT with the mass ratio of 0.48 (Mg versus MWCNTs) was the most efficient for phosphate adsorption and the maximum experimental adsorption capacity was up to 198 mg P/g. The Mg@CNT characterization was done by Field emission scanning electron microscope coupled with energy-dispersive spectroscopy detector (FESEM-EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), surface area analyzer (BET), Transmission electron microscope coupled with energy-dispersive spectroscopy detector (TEM-EDS). The MgO nanoflakes spread on the surface of multi-walled carbon nanotubes and reacted with phosphate to generate Mg3(PO4)2·10H2O as the end product. Phosphate adsorption on Mg@CNT was chemisorption onto heterogeneous surface according to the kinetic model and isotherm model fitting results. Several common co-existing ions, e.g., Cl−, NO3− and humic acid, had no obvious negative impact on the phosphate adsorption capacity; while SO42− and CO32− expressed stronger negative impacts and led to 13.2% and 39.5% decrease in phosphate adsorption capacity, respectively. After five adsorption-desorption cycles, Mg@CNT still maintained more than 80% adsorption capacity of the initial and high phosphate desorbability. These results implied that Mg@CNT possessed great application potential in phosphate recovery.

In this paper, the adsorption properties of Cr modified InN (Cr-InN) and GaN (Cr-GaN) monolayers to SF6 decomposed components were investigated based on the density functional theory (DFT). Results reveal that these two graphene-like materials exhibit strong adsorption capacity for the three decomposed species SO2, SOF2 and SO2F2. Remarkable adsorption energy, significant charge transfer and molecular deformation indicate the occurrence of chemisorption. The hybridization of atomic electron orbitals in the density of states calculation verifies the strong chemical interaction between the gases and two monolayers. According to this strong adsorption capacity, Cr-InN and Cr-GaN monolayers demonstrate their potential as gas Scavenger for removing SF6 decomposition products in the insulation equipment. Besides, the significant change in conductivity of the monolayer caused by gas adsorption makes it possible to explore gas sensors based on Cr-InN and Cr-GaN monolayer. This paper indicates that Cr-doped InN and GaN monolayers can be used as adsorbents and sensors to guard the operation status of SF6 insulation devices by detecting and scavenging SF6 decomposed components.

To investigate the relationship between tamoxifen-associated nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and survival outcomes in patients with breast cancer.Patients with early-stage invasive breast cancer after curative resection from January 2009 to June 2011 were selected. A total of 646 patients who were treated with tamoxifen were included. Patients diagnosed with NAFLD on ultrasonography were classified into the NAFLD and non-NAFLD groups.The NAFLD group included 221 patients, and the non-NAFLD group included 425 patients. Patients in the NAFLD group had significantly higher body mass index than those in the non-NAFLD group (P .001). Disease-free survival was significantly longer in the non-NAFLD group than the NAFLD group (P = .006). However, there were no significant statistical differences between these 2 groups on overall survival (P = .387). With regard to body mass index, total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, alanine aminotransferase, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, the optimal cutoff points were 21.06, 4.28, 1.22, 3.13, 27.50 and 1.29, respectively, which can be identified as risk factors for distinguishing patients who developed NAFLD from those who did not (P .05). Moreover, a risk score ≥ 3 indicated a high risk of development of NAFLD (odds ratio, 3.03; 95% confidence interval, 1.11-8.28; P = .037).NAFLD development had a negative effect on survival outcomes of patients with breast cancer. The risk score created ≥ 3 had a high-level risk of developing NAFLD, and it might be used for physicians to evaluate each patient and give instructive advice for further treatment.

The multi-scale model which combined the fiber beam element with the fine element was used to investigate the progressive collapse performance of steel beam to concrete-filled steel tubular (CFST) column connections. By using the nonlinear static analysis method and taking into account the influence of the adjacent framework of joints, the resistance of progressive collapse, the failure modes and the stress distribution revealed the resistance mechanism of these joints during the process of progressive collapse. And the vertical displacement time history curves of joints which displayed the progressive collapse resistance demands of these joints were obtained by using the nonlinear dynamic analysis method. The relationship between resistance capacity and resistance demand of these joints were obtained by analyzing the nonlinear static analysis results and the nonlinear dynamic analysis results. These analysis results showed that the frame structure with these joints which enabled to form the resistance mechanism and new alternate path of unbalanced loads can prevent the occurrence of progressive collapse after the failure of column connected to joints. And the adjacent framework can improve the ability of anti-progressive collapse of these joints.

In this paper, an experimental study was carried out on the bolted angle connection under uniaxial tension. The design parameters of the tested connections include angle thickness, bolt hole distribution, bolt diameter and bolt preload. In total 20 specimens were tested with five different kinds of failure modes observed. The experimental results showed that angle thickness, horizontal bolt pitch and vertical bolt pitch all affect the failure modes of the connections and are positively correlated with their ultimate bearing capacity. Significant plastic deformation appeared in both the horizontal and vertical legs of the angle. Based on the experimental results and the corresponding theoretical analysis, a mechanical model of bolted angle connection is proposed to predict its initial stiffness, ultimate bearing capacity and ultimate deformation and verified against the tested results and other mechanical models, in terms of uniaxial tensile load-displacement curves. The proposed model fits with the tested results better than other models.

A mild hydrothermal method to functionalize diatomite with Fe0/iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe0/FeOx-DE) was attempted and its performance as a new magnetic adsorbent to recover phosphorus from water was investigated in batch studies. The method effectively improved the dispersion of nanoparticles, and the adsorption capacity increased from 3.51 mg P/g for raw diatomite to 37.0 mg P/g for Fe0/FeOx-DE. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed that Fe0/FeOx nanoparticles had been successfully loaded onto the diatomite. Solution pH largely affected phosphorus recovery efficiency, it had a better effect around pH 7–9. Data of adsorption experiments were fitted well to Langmuir isotherm model and pseudo-second-order kinetic model, and the process was spontaneous and endothermic at thermodynamic study. After Fe0/FeOx-DE was regenerated three times by NaOH solution, the phosphorus binding percentage remained at 66.8%. Fe0/FeOx-DE also displayed an excellent selectivity for P in examination of coexisting anions except SO42-. The adsorption mechanism was interpreted by electrostatic attraction, chemical precipitation and ligand exchange. This study on immobilising Fe0/iron oxide particles onto diatomite opens a new avenue for the practical application of iron-loaded compounds and the phosphate-loaded composites can be used as a fertilizer or soil amendment directly to achieve phosphorus recovery.

In order to investigate the impact bending behaviors of parallel bamboo strand lumbers (PBSLs), low-velocity-impact experiments were carried out on six kinds of PBSL beams with fiber orientations varying from 15° to 90° under the condition of impact velocity changing from 2 m/s to 10 m/s. Dynamic anisotropic characterization and velocity effect of the PBSL beam were revealed and quantitatively expressed. PBSL beams have excellent anti-impact ability when the fiber is along the beam axis or the included angle is below 45°. The impact force and the energy absorption increase with the increase of the impact velocity. Failure pattern transforming from tensile failure to shear failure can explain the decrease of the anti-impact ability. In shear failure, increasing impact velocity results in much more energy absorption as the number of fracture zones increases from one to three.

Background & Aims We studied incidence and mortality trends of colorectal cancer (CRC) in 39 countries according to age, sex, and anatomic location (colon vs rectum). Methods We retrieved incidence data from registries from 36 countries. The registries included the following: Cancer Incidence in 5 Continents volumes I to XI; the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program of the National Cancer Institute; and the Nordic Cancer Registries from Europe. We obtained mortality data from 39 countries of the World Health Organization database. We evaluated average annual percentage changes in CRC incidence and mortality in the past decade using joinpoint regression analysis. Results From 2007 to 2016, 2006 to 2015, or 2005 to 2014, depending on the availability of the data, the incidence of colon cancer increased in 10 of 36 countries analyzed (all in Asia or Europe); India had the greatest increase, followed by Poland. All 10 of these countries have medium to high Human Development Index (HDI) scores. Six countries had a decrease in colon cancer incidence; these countries had the highest HDI scores; the United States had the greatest decrease, followed by Israel. Seven countries (including all countries from Northern America) had a decrease in incidence among persons older than 50 years. Eight countries had an increase in colon cancer incidence among persons younger than 50 years, including the United Kingdom and India. Countries with a decreased or stable incidence among persons 50 years or older but a significant increase in persons younger than 50 years, included Germany, Australia, the United States, Sweden, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Only Italy had a decrease in CRC incidence among persons younger than 50 years. Among women, 12 of 36 countries (all from Asia and Europe) had an increase in colon cancer incidence and 7 countries had a decrease; India had the greatest increase followed by Slovenia. Five of 36 countries had an increase in incidence of rectal cancer and 8 countries had a decrease; Ecuador and Thailand had the greatest increases in incidence. The incidence of rectal cancer among persons younger than 50 years increased significantly in Finland, Australia, Canada, the United States, and The Netherlands. Four countries had an increase in the incidence of rectal cancer in women; Ecuador had the greatest increase followed by Thailand. The incidence of rectal cancer in women decreased in 8 countries. Among women younger than 50 years, rectal cancer incidence increased, despite a decrease in women older than 50 years, in Costa Rica, Slovenia, Japan, Slovakia, Canada, and the United States there was an increase in incidence, although their elder population had a stable or decreased incidence. Twenty-four countries reported a reduction in CRC mortality, including North America, Oceania, and most European countries. Nevertheless, some countries from Asia, Latin America, and Southern Europe had significant increases in CRC mortality. Conclusions In an analysis of incidence and mortality databases from 39 countries, we found that the incidence of colon and rectal cancers has continued to increase in countries with medium to high HDI and in younger populations. Preventive strategies are needed for countries with increasing CRC and rectal cancer incidence and mortality.

In this paper, based on density functional theory (DFT), the possibility of intrinsic and Cr doped SnP3 (Cr-SnP3) monolayer as candidate materials for detecting SF6 decomposed gases SO2, SOF2 and SO2F2 was discussed. The adsorption energy, adsorption distance, charge transfer and density of states of adsorption systems were calculated and analyzed. Results reveal that the Cr-SnP3 monolayer has higher chemical affinity to SO2, SOF2 and SO2F2 molecules than intrinsic SnP3. Larger adsorption energy, obvious charge transfer and significant molecular structural deformation can be observed, indicating the strong interaction between gas molecule and Cr-SnP3 caused by chemisorption, which can effectively excite electrical signals for gas detection. Therefore, Cr-SnP3 monolayer gas sensor may be recommended in the field of SF6 decomposition characteristics products detection.

To investigate the anti-impact behavior and loading rate sensitivity of bamboo fiber reinforced composite (BFRC) beams, low-velocity-impact flexural experiments were performed under impact velocity changing from 2 m/s to 10 m/s. Quasi-static flexural tests were carried out under the same conditions to supply a quasi-static reference to the dynamic performance. Velocity-dependent effects of the impact force, the velocity, the impulse, the displacement and the absorbed energy were revealed by the weight-dropping experiments. The impact force, the energy absorption and the impact toughness increase nearly linearly to the impact velocity. These rate sensitivities of the BFRC beam were expressed quantitively by linear fitting equations, providing a basis to design shock and explosion resistant BFRC structures.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to evaluate the differences in stage upon diagnosis, adherence to adjuvant treatment, and recurrence between rural and urban patients with early breast cancer. Methods This retrospective study included 3640 patients with primary breast cancer recruited from 2000 to 2009. Patients who developed recurrence or metastasis were verified by adequate diagnostic imaging modalities and pathology. The χ 2 test was used to compare groups with respect to variables (recurrence and clinicopathologic features). A multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression model was used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for breast cancer recurrence risk. Results Compared with tumors in urban patients, those in rural patients showed higher histologic grade, larger size, more lymphatic metastasis, and higher Ki-67 index; therapy adherence was strongly associated with recurrence in both. Compared with urban patients, the female rural patients had a higher recurrence rate. However, no significant difference in recurrence rates was observed between urban and rural patients following guideline adherence. Conclusions The results of our study suggest that the later stage upon diagnosis and nonadherence to treatment contribute toward worse breast cancer outcomes among rural patients with breast cancer. Adherence to needed adjuvant therapy could decrease recurrence rates for rural patients with early breast cancer.

Large-sized spherical mesoporous silica (LMS > 3 mm) has been synthesized through a pseudomorphic transformation method. For this, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) was selected as a templating agent and commercial silica spheres were used as the parent silica material. The effects of synthesis parameters, such as NaOH:SiO2 molar ratio, reaction time, and ethanol:H2O volume ratio, have been quantitatively investigated. The structure and morphology of the spheres have been investigated by N2 sorption–desorption, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses. The pore structure of LMS obtained from a molar ratio of 140H2O:0.1NaOH:0.27CTAB after 48 h was examined with the addition of ethanol, and the optimal volume ratio of ethanol:H2O was identified as 0.252. Under the optimum conditions, high-quality mesoporous silica spheres were synthesized with a high specific surface area (about 1078.19 m2/g) after post-hydrothermal treatment. The ordered pore structure was maintained over four cycles in recyclability experiments on the reaction solution. The large-sized particles showed improved capacity for Pb2+ removal, suggesting that they might be applied as a basic material for heavy metal adsorption in treating industrial or natural waste water.

To investigate the anisotropic behavior of parallel bamboo strand lumbers (PBSLs), flexural properties of seven kinds of PBSL beams with different fiber orientations were tested. It is found that the bending strength and stiffness decreases with the increase of the angle between the fibers and the beam axis. When the fibers are not parallel to the beam axis, the PBSL beam has an interfacial failure judged from the crack evolution. To reveal the coupling effect between the shear deformation and the axial tension/compression deformation induced by the anisotropy, first-order anisotropic beam model is proposed. Based on the tensile-shear failure of fibers or matrix, composite failure criteria for PBSLs were proposed to predict the ultimate load. The research also suggests a method to get material properties of PBSLs based on flexural experiments and failure analyses.

To investigate the anisotropic mechanical behaviors of the parallel bamboo strand lumbers (PBSLs), seven kinds of PBSL specimens with fiber orientation changing from 0° to 9° at an interval of 15° were tested in tension, compression and shearing, respectively. It is found that the failure of the PBSL is essentially along the bamboo fibers. It is a typical interfacial failure as the cracks develop along the fiber direction induced by shearing or splitting. Fiber fracture is mainly observed in tension along the fiber direction. A nonlinear constitutive model is proposed on the basis of analyzing the stress-strain curves of PBSLs at different fiber angles. Classical strength failure criteria for unidirectional composite materials are contrasted based on failure analysis and anisotropic strength prediction. It is found that both the Norris criterion and the Hill-Tsai theory can consistently predict the strength anisotropy of the PBSL.

In this study SO2 adsorption on intrinsic graphene (IG), Ni-doped graphene (NiG) and Pd-doped graphene (PdG) has been analyzed and studied using density functional theory (DFT) based on first principles. By analyzing the adsorption energy, bond length, bond angle, charge transfer, DOS, PDOS and frontier molecular orbitals, it can be proved that NiG and PdG have excellent SO2 adsorption performance than IG. PdG has better SO2 adsorption performance than NiG thanks to the strong overlapping of peaks in PDOS and the obvious reduction of energy gap. In particular, the stable adsorption of double SO2 on NiG and PdG means that Ni or Pd doping has practical value. Therefore, the study in this paper provides a feasible direction to the detection of SO2.

Two novel hierarchical WO3/NiO microspheres with porous and rough surface have been prepared through a simple one-stop hydrothermal method. Interestingly, it is a surprise that the introduction of different amounts of WO3 plays a critical role in the growth and self-assembly of nanosheets and then the morphology of microsphere. Further gas sensing experiment demonstrates that the sensor based on porous microsphere possesses prominent performance towards 100 ppm ethanol at the optimal working temperature of 300 °C compared with that of rough microsphere. It is believed that the enhanced gas sensing properties benefit from the porous structure on the surface with abundant active sites and gas passages for sufficient gas adsorption and diffusion.

Based on the density functional theory (DFT), the adsorption capabilities and electronic properties of Ag–MoS2 monolayer were discussed to fully discover the gas sensing performance to transformer oil decomposed gases (H2, CO, CH4, C2H6, C2H4 and C2H2). Specifically, the adsorption structure, adsorption energy, Mulliken charge analysis, deformation charge density, density of state (DOS), frontier molecular orbital analysis and band structure were explored. The analysis results illustrate that the adsorption to CO, C2H4 and C2H2 is strong, which is superior to the adsorption of H2, CH4 and C2H6. The narrower band gaps and increased electrical conductivity in all adsorption structures indicate that Ag–MoS2 monolayer is promising for the detection of studied gases. Therefore, the present study proposes an effective gas-sensing material to estimate the working state and insulation level of power transformers.

Background & Aims Most colorectal cancers (CRC) arise from colorectal adenomas, yet there is not enough information on global prevalence to inform health care policy. We examined the prevalence of any type of adenomas, advanced adenomas (AADs), and CRC according to age, sex, ethnicity, geographic regions, and anatomic location (proximal vs distal). Methods MEDLINE and Embase were searched from their inception through May 1, 2018, to identify population-based, observational studies that reported the prevalence of colorectal neoplasia. Studies on participants 15 years or older, with a sample size of 500 persons or more, were included. Metaprop (College Station, TX) was used to model within-study variability by binomial distribution and Freeman–Tukey Double Arcsine Transformation to stabilize the variances. The prevalence figures were presented by proportions and their 95% CIs using random-effects models. Results Our meta-analysis included 70 studies involving 637,414 individuals. The overall prevalence rates of adenoma (23.9%; 95% CI, 22.2%–25.8%), AAD (4.6%; 95% CI, 3.8%–5.5%), and CRC (0.4%, 95% CI, 0.3%–0.5%) were calculated. Subgroup analysis indicated that prevalence values (adenomas, AADs, and CRCs) were higher among men (29.7%, 6.5%, and 0.8%, respectively) than women (19.3%, 3.8% and 0.4%, respectively), among older adults (25.9%, 5.2%, and 0.6%, respectively) than younger adults (14.6%, 1.6%, and 0.1%, respectively), among Caucasians (23.7%, 6.6%, and 0.5%, respectively) than other ethnicities, in European countries (25.9%, 8.4%, and 0.8%, respectively) than other countries, and among patients with proximal (25.9%, 5.3%, and 0.1%, respectively) vs distal neoplasia. Conclusions In a systematic review and meta-analysis, we found a high prevalence of colorectal neoplasia among some populations. This indicates a need to expand CRC screening programs for these groups. The pooled prevalence estimates can be used as quality indicators for established CRC screening programs.

Herein, we successfully prepared the Nickel oxide (NiO) nanomaterials with the structure of two-dimensional (2D) honeycomb-like nanoplates assembled by nanosheet arrays through the hydrothermal synthesis. In addition, the growth mechanism of this unusual nanostructure was proposed. Surprisingly, such NiO nanoplates exhibits superior gas-sensing properties to CO, which is mainly attributed to the hollow structure produced by the arrangement of nanosheets, contributing not only enough gases diffusion pathways but sufficient reaction sites during the gas sensing processes.

Background Colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer mortality globally. Colorectal adenomas are recognised as precursors in most new cases of colorectal cancer. However, few studies reported the prevalence of different types of colorectal neoplasia among the Chinese population. This systematic review and meta-analysis estimated the prevalence of any type of adenomas, advanced adenomas, and colorectal cancer according to age and gender among average-risk Chinese populations. Methods We did a PRISMA-compliant search in MEDLINE, Embase, CNKI, and Wanfang Database to identify studies reporting the prevalence of colorectal neoplasia among asymptomatic Chinese individuals receiving direct colonoscopy for colorectal cancer screening, from database inception until May 29, 2019, including studies published in English and Chinese. Metaprop was used to model within-study variability by binomial distribution and Freeman-Tukey Double Arcsine Transformation to stabilise the variances in the meta-analysis. Heterogeneity was measure by I2 statistic. The prevalence data were presented by proportions and their 95% CIs using random-effects models. Findings This meta-analysis included 16 studies reporting on a total of 81 262 people between 1996 and 2015. The overall prevalence of adenomas was 8699 people (21·1% [95% CI 17·3–25·1]), 1855 people (4·0% [3·1–5·1]) for advanced adenomas, and 210 (0·4% [0·2–0·6]) for colorectal cancer. Subgroup analysis indicated prevalence of adenomas, advanced adenomas, and colorectal cancer was higher among men (25·0%, 4·3%, and 0·1%, respectively) than women (15·5% [p=0·14], 2·7% [p Interpretation The high prevalence of colorectal neoplasia among Chinese men and older adults highlighted the need to expand colorectal cancer screening programmes for these groups. The pooled prevalence estimates can be used as quality indicators for established colorectal cancer screening programmes. Future research should investigate its time-trend prevalence that could provide important data to inform health policy making. Funding None.

Background Screening for colorectal cancer can reduce mortality, yet, participation rate is suboptimal in various countries. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a pilot programme for colorectal cancer screening on increasing the enabling factors of screening in a large Chinese population, and identified factors associated with its participation based on variables pertinent to the Health Belief Model. Methods We collected data from 3600 screening participants who were randomly selected using a telephone list for 2016, 2017, and 2018, from the government colorectal cancer screening programme. We also collected data from 3600 non-screening participants through a telephone survey via simple random sampling of telephone numbers in a territory-wide directory for the years 2016, 2017, and 2018. We collected sociodemographic factors, the enabling factors of screening (such as knowledge levels of colorectal cancer, perceptions of colorectal cancer screening, cues to actions), and barriers of screening. We constructed a logistic regression model to identify the association between these factors and participation in colorectal cancer screening adjusted for age, gender, educational level, and household income. The study was approved by the Joint Chinese University of Hong Kong − New Territories East Cluster Clinical Research Ethics Committee (reference number 2016.485). Verbal consent was obtained from the study participants. Findings The knowledge level of colorectal cancer screening tools (from 67·9% to 85·4%, p Interpretation These findings demonstrate the effectiveness of the screening programme on increasing the enabling factors and identify the target groups such as younger individuals, females, and more affluent people among whom more intensive educational initiatives are needed to enhance their participation. Funding Health and Medical Research Fund (No. 6904168), Food and Health Bureau, Hong Kong, China.

Amino-functional large-size mesoporous silica spheres (LMS-AP) were successfully synthesized through a one-step method with (3-aminopropyl) triethoxysilane (APTES) addition during the pseudomorphic transformation process. LMS-AP were characterized using thermogravimetry-differential thermal analysis, Nitrogen adsorption-desorption measurement, infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The study found that -NH2 was grafted into LMS, and the LMS-AP had a better thermal stability than other samples. The Pb2+ removal properties of LMS-AP were investigated using the static and dynamic experiments in simulated and real wastewater solutions. The kinetic and equilibrium experiments indicated that the adsorption process of LMS-AP fitted the Langmuir adsorption model and the pseudo-second-order kinetics model (R2 > 0.98), respectively. The maximum Qe (mg/g) was about 100 mg/g in the static adsorption condition. The adsorption mechanism of removal of Pb2+ was also investigated. In fix bed column experiments, LMS-AP exhibited excellent Pb2+ adsorption ability for simulated wastewater, with the maximum qe (mg/g) of 48.7 mg/g for particle size under 1–3 mm. Meanwhile in actual industrial wastewater treatment process, LMS-AP had a better Pb2+, Zn2+ and Cr (VI) removal efficiency of 80% and As (V) of 30–40% removal efficiency at initial pH 4, suggesting selective adsorption property for different heavy metal ions.

Acquired resistance to doxorubicin has become a serious obstacle in breast cancer treatment. The underlying mechanism responsible for this has not been completely elucidated. In this study, a doxorubicin-resistant MCF-7/Dox cell was developed to mimic the occurrence of acquired doxorubicin resistance. We next contrasted the expression profiles of ICBP90 and Topo IIα and tumor cell growth of different breast cancer cell lines to doxorubicin. Decreased expression levels of ICBP90 and Topo IIα were found in doxorubicin-resistant cells. To examine its function in chemoresistance, RNA interference (RNAi) and forskolin stimulation experiments further demonstrated that ICBP90 and Topo IIα were involved in the proliferation of cells that had acquired doxorubicin resistance. In MCF-7/Dox and ICBP90-siRNA cells, the cell growth wasn't inhibited by doxorubicin and preferentially arrested in G1 phase. However, after forskolin increased the Topo IIα expression, these breast cancer cells were again found to be inhibited by doxorubicin. Further, immunohistochemical assay breast cancer patients accepted EFC regimen showed ICBP90 was significantly associated with tumor cell proliferation, locally advanced disease and Topo IIα expression. In conclusion, down-regulation of ICBP90 induced the descended expression of Topo IIα protein which is the target enzyme of doxorubicin.

Background Neuropsychiatric conditions have become the leading cause of disability in adolescents aged 11–24 globally. Higher neighbourhood economic status was found to be associated with lower incidence of neuropsychiatric conditions in children and adolescents in developed countries, but there is a lack of evidence in China. This study aims to examine the associations between neighbourhood poverty and psychological distress among adolescents in China. Methods We applied multilevel logistic regression to data from the 2014 China Family Panel Studies. 281 villages and 226 cities were randomly selected, and 1790 adolescents aged 11–15 were surveyed from 2178 households selected randomly. Severe psychological distress was defined as a score of 16 or over out of 24 in the K6 psychological disorder scale. Neighbourhood economic status was measured in two ways: using the log of median household monthly income within the community; and the percentage of residents receiving governmental subsistence allowance. Neighbourhood poverty was defined as more than 15% of residents receiving governmental subsistence allowance. We controlled for family-level economic conditions by ranking the households within each community by income. We also controlled for family structure and individual demographics. Rural and urban neighbourhoods were analysed separately. Findings Of the surveyed adolescents, 2·3% (41 of 1790) were at high risk of severe distress (a score of >16 out of 24). The percentages were substantially higher in villages (2·6%, 29 of 1107) than in cities (1·8%, 12 of 683). Multilevel regression demonstrated diverse risk factors of psychological distress between adolescents in rural and urban areas. In villages, neighbourhood poverty was a significant and positive predictor of psychological distress in adolescents (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 3·54, 95% CI 1·05–11·88, p=0·04), net of family-level and individual-level features. In cities, neighbourhood poverty had no significant effect on adolescents' mental health, but adolescents in families with higher income rankings within the community had a lower risk of psychological distress (0·81, 0·67–0·97, p=0·02). Median neighbourhood income and total household income were insignificant to adolescents' psychological distress in both rural and urban China. Interpretation Our findings highlight the serious issue of psychological distress in adolescents, and its influencing factors, in rural and urban China. The study focused on neighbourhood poverty. Further studies may consider other ecological characteristics. Funding No funding.

Background The prevalence of metabolic syndrome is increasing in China and globally. Studies show that metabolic syndrome is associated with risk of cancer, but this association in Chinese populations remains unclear. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the association between metabolic syndrome and cancer in Chinese populations. Methods We searched Embase, MEDLINE, PubMed, and WanFang databases for studies up to April 5, 2018. We included research that met the following criteria: (1) they investigated the association between metabolic syndrome and risk of cancers; (2) they were case-control or cohort studies; (3) they were conducted in Chinese individuals aged 20 years and over; (4) they contained information on the numbers of cases and controls. We adopted random-effects models in the meta-analysis to estimate the relative risk (RR) and 95% CIs. We also performed subgroup analysis by sex and cancer types. Findings We analysed 36 datasets from 22 articles, including 7273 cases of cancer (2429 with metabolic syndrome) and 49 987 controls (11 440 with metabolic syndrome). Overall, the presence of metabolic syndrome was associated with increased risk of cancer by almost two times (RR=1·96; 95% CI 1·63–2·35). The association was stronger in females (RR=2·18; 95% CI 1·67–2·86) than in males (RR=1·12; 95% CI 0·57–2·22). In females, the presence of metabolic syndrome was associated with ovarian (RR=3·42; 95% CI 2·84–4·11), endometrial (RR=2·53; 95% CI 1·56–4·08), cervical (RR=2·39; 95% CI 1·72–3·32), and breast cancers (RR=1·61; 95% CI 1·27–2·05). We did not identify an association with prostate cancer in males (RR=0·93; 95% CI 0·43–2·03). Interpretation This is the first systematic review of the association between metabolic syndrome and risk of cancer among Chinese populations. Our results indicate an increased risk of cancer for individuals with metabolic syndrome, especially females. Our findings also highlight the urgent need for preventive measures and therapeutic interventions of metabolic syndrome in female individuals because of the rapidly growing disease burden. Funding No funding.

Objectives Natural medicines derived from plants are drawing more and more interest in the prevention and treatment of diseases because of their unique characteristics, which include having fewer adverse effects and being more suitable for long-term use compared with synthesized chemicals. To explore the potentially health-promoting role of genistein, we used a rat model of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) induced by a subplantar injection of collagen. Methods In collagen-induced rheumatoid arthritis (CIA) rat model, their immunomodulatory activity on rat peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) was evaluated. Lymphocyte transformation was evaluated by MTT immunoassay, secretion of interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) and interleukin 4 (IL-4) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and expression of T-bet and GATA-3 by PCR. Results The results showed that genistein modulated a Th1-predominant immune response because they significantly suppressed the secretion of IFN-γ and augmented the IL-4 production, showed its immune modulation role of keeping the Th1/Th2 balance. Conclusion Accordingly, genistein could play a role in reducing RA-induced inflammation and affecting the immune system in powerful ways.