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The demand for healthy old-age care is growing rapidly in China. The traditional old-age care model can no longer meet elderly patients' demands for medical care and old-age care. To promote the development of medical care-integrated old-age care, a solution covering multiple aspects is necessary. In the context of the global development of healthy aging, China recently issued many policies to integrate old-age care with medical care, establishing protection for a large number of disabled elderly people. The Integrated Care of Older People (ICOPE) project is an international program developed by the World Health Organization. This paper reviews China's medical and old-age care integration model and the opportunities and challenges in implementing the ICOPE in the context of healthy aging in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study evaluated the bioequivalence of China-manufactured biosimilar, HLX02, to reference China (CN)- and European Union (EU)-sourced trastuzumab.Methods: This was a two-part Phase 1 study conducted in healthy Chinese males. Part 1 evaluated the safety of different doses of HLX02 (2, 4, 6 or 8 mg/kg; intravenous infusion over 90 min, n = 3 per group). Part 2, a randomized, double-blind study, investigated the pharmacokinetics (PK), safety and immunogenicity of study drugs (HLX02 [n = 37], CN-trastuzumab [n = 35] or EU-trastuzumab [n = 37] at the dose suggested by Part 1 results). The primary PK endpoint was the area under the serum concentration-time curve from time 0 to infinity (AUCinf). Equivalence was concluded if the 90% confidence interval (CI) for the geometric least squares mean ratio (GLSMR) fell in the equivalence criteria of 0.80-1.25.Results: In Part 1, all doses of HLX02 were well tolerated and 6 mg/kg was suggested for Part 2. The GLSMRs and 90% CIs for AUCinf were: 0.950 (0.891-1.013), 0.914 (0.858-0.973) and 0.962 (0.902-1.025) for HLX02 versus CN-trastuzumab, HLX02 versus EU-trastuzumab and CN-trastuzumab versus EU-trastuzumab, respectively. Secondary endpoints comparisons also fell in the equivalence criteria. Treatment-emergent adverse events were reported in 75.7, 86.5 and 70.3% of the subjects in HLX02, CN-trastuzumab, and EU-trastuzumab groups, respectively. No serious adverse events or deaths occurred. No treatment-related anti-drug antibodies were detected.Conclusion: This study demonstrated comparable safety profiles and PK bioequivalence among HLX02, CN-trastuzumab and EU-trastuzumab in healthy Chinese male subjects.Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02581748, registered at October 19, 2015. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Given the increasing prevalence of osteoporosis and the important role dynamic balanced plays in the assessment of muscle function, we aimed to examine the joint and separate effects of osteoporosis and poor dynamic balance on the incidence of sarcopenia in Chinese elderly individuals. Design: This study was conducted on 658 (44.4% male) Chinese suburban-dwelling participants with a mean age of 68.42 ± 5.43 years who initially had no sarcopenia and were aged >60 years. A quantitative ultrasound scan of each participant's calcaneus with a T score less than −2.5 was used to identify the prevalence of osteoporosis. Sarcopenia was diagnosed according to the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia criteria. We assessed dynamic balance using the Timed Up and Go Test (TUGT). Participants who scored in the top 20% on the TUGT were defined as having poor dynamic balance. Results: After a follow-up of three years, the incidence of sarcopenia in the general population was 8.1% (9.6% in males, 6.8% in females). The incidence of sarcopenia was progressively greater in people suffering from both osteoporosis and poor dynamic balance (OR=2.416, 95%CI=1.124–5.195) compared to those who only had osteoporosis (OR=0.797, 95%CI=0.378–1.682) or poor dynamic balance (OR=1.226, 95%CI=0.447–3.363) in models without adjustments. Even after adjusting for potential confounders, the result still held true (OR=2.431, 95%CI=1.053–5.614). Conclusions: In our study, we found individuals who suffered from both osteoporosis and poor dynamic balance simultaneously had a significantly higher incidence of sarcopenia than those who suffered from either one or the other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Our previous study suggested that mitochondrial haplogroup F (mtDNA F) was a longevity-associated biomarker, but the effect of mitochondrial haplogroup F on longevity individuals with metabolic syndrome (MetS) was not clear. Thus we explored the association between mtDNA F and MetS among longevity and control population in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China.Method: A total of 793 individuals consisting of 307 long-lived participants and 486 local healthy controls were involved in this study. Genotypes of mtDNA F were amplified by polymerase chain reaction and Sanger sequenced. MetS was defined according to the revised National Cholesterol Education Program’s Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP ATPIII ) criteria.Results: The prevalence of MetS in longevity group (28.0%) was higher than that (18.5%) in control group (P=0.002). Through the case-control stratify analysis, the prevalence of MetS in mtDNA F+ longevity individuals (29.8%) was 4.6 fold higher than that (5.3%) in local control group (P<0.001). However, after further longevity-only analysis, no association between MetS and mtDNA F+ in longevity group was observed (P=0.167). Following same analysis of two variables in control group, we found that the prevalence of MetS in mtDNA F- (95.8%) was higher than that in mtDNA F+ (5.3%); conversely, the prevalence of non-metabolic syndrome (NMetS) in mtDNA F+ (94.7%) was markedly higher than that in mtDNA F- (4.2%) (P<0.001).Conclusion: We demonstrated that mtDNA F+, as a molecuar biomarker, might not only confer beneficial effect to resistance against MetS but also function as a positive factor for long-life span among the population in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We applied the Hilbert-Huang transform (HHT) method to extract the infrasound generated by the 2013 Lushan earthquake and its following aftershocks in China from a nearly continuous infrasound recode made 130 km from the earthquake epicenter. An improved STA/LTA algorithm was adopted for detecting the ambient infrasonic events from the data record. A powerful processing technique for non-stationary signal, the HHT, was applied to extract the significant intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) of the infrasonic signal associated with the earthquakes. The features of the extracted IMFs, such as the dominant frequency, the maximum amplitude and the spectral entropy, were investigated using Hilbert spectral analysis. Regression analysis between the maximum amplitude in the infrasound spectra and the magnitudes of the earthquakes was carried out to verify the source of the infrasound events detected. The results demonstrated that the HHT method could successfully identify the infrasound related to the earthquakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common malignancies in China. B-cell translocation gene 3 (BTG3) has been identified as a tumor suppressor in several tumors, but its role in GC remains unknown. This study aimed to detect the expression of BTG3 and its prognostic value in GC tissues and determine its function in the progression of GC. Methodology: The expression of BTG3 was detected in GC cell lines and tissues by real-time RT-PCR, Western blot or immunohistochemistry. A series of in vitro and in vivo assays were performed to evaluate the effect of BTG3 on proliferation, migration and invasion of GC cells. Results: B-cell translocation gene 3 was obviously down-regulated in GC tissues. Its expression was positively correlated with distant metastasis ( P < 0.05). Patients with lower BTG3 expression had shorter overall survival time ( P = 0.015). BTG3 suppressed the proliferation of GC cells in vitro and in vivo. It also inhibited migration and invasion of GC cells in vitro. Conclusion: Down-regulation of BTG3 is closely associated with proliferation, migration and invasion in GC. It may be a novel prognostic biomarker for GC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landslide dams in mountainous areas are quite common. Typically, intense rainfalls can induce upstream flows along the sloping channel, which greatly affects the stability and failure modes of landslide dams. If a series of landslide dams are sequentially collapsed by an incoming mountain torrent (induced by intense rainfall), large debris flows can be formed in a short period of time. This also amplifies the magnitude of the debris flows along the flow direction. The catastrophic debris flows, which occurred in Zhouqu, China on August 8, 2010, were indeed caused by intense rainfall and the upstream cascading failure of landslide dams along the gullies. Experimental tests were conducted in a sloping channel to understand the dynamic process of cascading landslide dam failures and their effect on flow scale amplification. Similar to the Zhouqu conditions, the modeled landslide dams were distributed along a sloping channel and breached by different upstream flows. For each experiment, the front flows were sampled, the entrained grain sizes were analyzed, and the front discharge along the channel was measured. The results of these experiments show that landslide dams occurring along the channel can be destroyed by both high and low discharge flows, although the mechanisms are quite different for the two flow types. Regardless of flow type, the magnitude of the flows significantly increases after a cascading failure of landslide dams, resulting in an increase in both the diameter and the entrained coarse particles percentage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, the second nuclear internal transcribed spacer (ITS-2) rDNA of Schistosoma japonicum isolates in mainland China was amplified, sequenced, and assessed for inferring the intra- and inter-species phylogenetic relationships of trematodes in the order Strigeata. The fragment containing ITS-2 rDNA was obtained from 24 S. japonicum isolates from eight epidemic provinces in mainland China. The length polymorphisms were observed among these ITS-2 rDNA sequences, ranging from 343 to 346 bp, and the intra- and inter-population variations in ITS-2 sequence were 0.0-2.1 % among S. japonicum isolates in China. Phylogenetic analyses using the maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood methods revealed that the ITS-2 rDNA sequence is not a suitable marker for studying inter- and intra-population variation in S. japonicum. However, phylogenetic analysis of trematodes in the order Strigeata indicated that the ITS-2 rDNA sequence provides an effective molecular marker for studying inter-species phylogenetic relationships among trematodes in this order. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae has recently spread rapidly throughout China. In this study, we characterized a carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae isolate that produced both KPC-2 and IMP-4 type carbapenemases. A clinical isolate of K. pneumoniae, resistant to both meropenem and imipenem, was recovered from a urine sample. Antibiotic susceptibility was determined using the broth microdilution method and Etest (bioMérieux, France). Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) were used for gene type analysis. bla and the encoding genes of ESBLs and plasmid-mediated AmpC enzymes were polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplified and sequenced. Plasmids were analyzed by transformation, enzyme restriction and Southern blot. PCR analysis revealed that the isolate was simultaneously carrying bla, bla, bla, and bla genes. MLST assigned the isolate to a novel sequence type, ST476. bla-harbouring plasmids of the isolate and comparative strains had similar EcoRI and HindIII restriction maps, while IMP-4-harbouring plasmids had variable HindIII restriction maps. Coexistence of bla and bla was probably due to bla-harbouring plasmid transmission into KPC-2-producing K. pneumoniae (ST476). The concomitant presence of these genes is alarming and poses both therapeutic and infection control problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A range of Meiyu onset dates (MODs) have been presented but they are highly controversial. The problem is, however, crucial to local activities and meteorological service. The 1957–2001 MODs determined at several typical stations in the mid- and lower reaches of the Yangtze River valley (MLYRV) are employed to construct a regionally averaged index for quantifying the Meiyu onset time in the valley, and the ocean-atmospheric features in the extremely early and late Meiyu onset years are investigated, statistically. Results show that, typically, the Meiyu season starts in June at a regional mean level, and the MOD is of good relationship with the Meiyu duration that dominates the total precipitation during the Meiyu period, i.e., the earlier the Meiyu establishes, the longer it may persist, and thus the more the total rainfall might be. In June, at the lower troposphere the meridional temperature gradient is much larger over the MLYRV with the Meiyu front more northward in early than late onset years. Additionally, the early onset years are often accompanied in the upper troposphere by the extended South Asia High, western Pacific subtropical high more north-westward, East Asian summer monsoon and Walker circulation stronger in comparison to the late onset years. And viewed from sea surface temperature (SST) field for the early onset years, SST is lower in the central and eastern Pacific near the equator, maybe in association with the cool phase of ENSO, and considerably higher in the subtropical western North Pacific than for the late onset years. In addition, there are probably some abnormal precursory signals for the early (late) Meiyu onset years, such as SST being higher (lower) with respect to the mean around the western Pacific warm pool, the Intertropical Convergence Zone more (less) active and the local Hadley circulation stronger (weaker) in previous boreal winter. In northern spring, the convection is probably stronger (weaker) about the Philippines. The North Pacific SST at lower latitudes might be warmer (cooler) from previous April to May, and SST appears higher (lower) over the waters around Australia in proceeding boreal winter and spring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The health of near shore marine ecosystems has long been a concern because of its importance to coastal areas. Jiaozhou Bay (JZB) is one such marine ecosystem experiencing rapid water quality degradation in the last several decades. From the area surrounding the bay, the nutrients discharged into the bay through surface water and groundwater has been greatly changed. The thickness of the aquifers and the permeability is relatively high, the concentrations of nutrients in the groundwater are generally high, and so the groundwater discharged into JZB is very significant. However, no attempt has ever been made to evaluate the amount of nutrients discharged into the bay area via groundwater. In this study, the cross-section method and water balance method were used to estimate the amount of groundwater and nutrients discharged into JZB via the subsurface. Groundwater was monitored and sampled at aquifers surrounding the bay area, and some previously available data was also analyzed. The results indicated that groundwater from the Baisha Aquifer east of JZB now is the major source of nutrients (nitrate, dissolved SiO2) being discharged into the bay. The concentrations of nutrients in the groundwater have been increasing with intensive agricultural land use. However, Dagu Aquifer, the largest aquifer north of JZB, only provides limited nutrients to the bay area because of the construction of a low permeability subsurface dam. Historically, during the 1970s to the 1990s, the Baisha Aquifer experienced seawater intrusion due to excessive groundwater withdrawal. The same was true for the Dagu Aquifer from the 1980s to the 1990s. Because of this, no significant nutrients were discharged into the bay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tobacco vein banding mosaic virus (TVBMV) is of increasing importance in tobacco production on the Chinese mainland. The 3′-terminal genomic sequences (1624 nucleotides) of 12 TVBMV isolates from China were determined and compared to the sequences of only four TVBMV isolates available in databanks. The results revealed that TVBMV consists of several phylogenetically distinguishable strains that show a degree of correlation with the geographical origin. Two isolates from Yunnan had a unique putative NIb/CP proteolytic cleavage site of Q/N that is uncommon for potyviruses, whereas other TVBMV isolates had the more typical Q/G amino acids at that site. One isolate (ZB6) from Zibo, Shandong Province, was predicted to have experienced recombination within the characterized genomic region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The efficacy of 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose ( 18 F-FDG) Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography(PET/CT) in evaluating the neck status in clinically node-negative (cN0) oral squamous cell carcinoma(OSCC) patients was still unsatisfying. We tried to develop a prediction model for nodal metastasis in cN0 OSCC patients by using metabolic and pathological variables., Methods: Consecutive cN0 OSCC patients with preoperative 18 F-FDG PET/CT, subsequent surgical resection of primary tumor and neck dissection were included. Ninety-five patients who underwent PET/CT scanning in Shanghai ninth people's hospital were identified as training cohort, and another 46 patients who imaged in Shanghai Universal Medical Imaging Diagnostic Center were selected as validation cohort. Nodal-status-related variables in the training cohort were selected by multivariable regression after using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO). A nomogram was constructed with significant variables for the risk prediction of nodal metastasis. Finally, nomogram performance was determined by its discrimination, calibration, and clinical usefulness., Results: Nodal maximum standardized uptake value(nodal SUVmax) and pathological T stage were selected as significant variables. A prediction model incorporating the two variables was used to plot a nomogram. The area under the curve was 0.871(Standard Error [SE], 0.035; 95% Confidence Interval [CI], 0.787-0.931) in the training cohort, and 0.809(SE, 0.069; 95% CI, 0.666-0.910) in the validation cohort, with good calibration demonstrated., Conclusions: A prediction model incorporates metabolic and pathological variables has good performance for predicting nodal metastasis in cN0 OSCC patients. However, further studies with large populations are needed to verify our findings., (© 2023. The Author(s).)