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Exposure to air pollution has been associated with increased risk for a range of adverse mental health conditions. Less is known about whether air pollution is also associated with increases in the utilization of mental health services, especially outpatient mental health service utilization. This study aimed to examine the association between the number of daily outpatient visits at the psychological disease departments of two major hospitals (PSYC) and daily average concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 in a heavily polluted city in China, Nanjing, from 2013/7/1 to 2019/2/28, using generalized additive models with a quasi-Poisson regression. Results showed that each 10 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 concentration on lag0 day was associated with a 0.40% increase (95% CI: 0.07-0.72) in PSYC visits, and each 10 μg/m3 increase in PM10 concentration on the same day a 0.31% increase (95% CI: 0.09-0.54) in PSYC visits. Exposure-response curves suggested linear relationships between PM concentration and daily PSYC outpatient visits, without evidence of a threshold. Associations remained positive, but were non-significant, with adjustment for co-pollutants, SO2, NO2 and CO. Significantly larger effects were found for older and male participants, vs. their counterparts. These findings add to the growing literature linking air pollution to mental health service utilization, demonstrating the critical need for both air pollution mitigation measures and increased capacity of the mental health system in China.

Previous epidemiological studies primarily examined the temperature-related mortality burden of all-cause or cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and respiratory diseases. However, evidence on the heat- and cold-attributable mortality burden from other specific causes is limited. This paper aimed to systematically examine the association of heat and cold with a comprehensive spectrum of plausible temperature-related diseases, and to estimate the mortality burdens attributable to heat and cold. In the time-series study of 11 cities in Jiangsu, China, distributed lag non-linear models were applied to estimate city-specific temperature-mortality associations, and then meta-analysis was conducted to pool the estimates. A total of 1,368,648 cases of death were included in this study. Both extreme heat and cold were associated with increased mortality risks from all-cause, CVD, respiratory diseases, nervous diseases, and external causes. Short-term exposures to heat and cold were associated with excess burden of mortality for several specific diseases, accounting for 16.38% (95% eCI, 7.27-22.31%) for myocardial infarction (MI), 12.41% (95% eCI, 8.81-15.07%) for stroke, 27.97% (95% eCI, 18.42-33.35%) for hypertensive heart disease, 25.18% (95% eCI, 18.42-29.63%) for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and 28.46% (95% eCI: 4.93-33.57%) for Alzheimer's and dementia. Diabetes was only associated with extreme heat, with 4.61% (95% eCI, 0.13-7.13%) of diabetes mortality attributable to heat. In total, 11.98% (95% eCI, 10.46-13.08%) of mortality was attributable to heat and cold, with 3.49% (95% eCI, 2.87-4.00%) attributable to heat and 8.48% (95% eCI, 7.31-9.49%) attributable to cold, and about 64% of this overall temperature-related mortality burden was found in 6 aforementioned specific causes and about 10% of mortality burden in external causes. Extreme heat and/or cold are associated with increased risks of mortality from a wide range of causes, including previously identified causes in cardiorespiratory diseases and under-studied causes such as diabetes and Alzheimer's and dementia. Future research is needed to confirm the substantial mortality burden of heat and cold.

We examine the spillovers and dependencies between iron ore prices, bond yields of mechanical equipment, infrastructure construction and housing, and car industries, and steel prices by using the spillover index and copula model over the period 2011–2021. Our results show that compared with bond yields, iron ore prices are primary contributors of price spillovers and highly comparable with China's steel prices. Notably, the magnitudes of correlations and risk transmissions from bond yields of related industries to steel prices shifts over the period before the implementation of China's policy to cut overcapacity in steelmaking, after the policy implementation and before the outbreak of coronavirus, and after the outbreak of coronavirus. Because of high price spillovers from iron ore to steel prices and iron ore-steel relationship, policymakers in the steel industry should consider more supply-side policies to mitigate market risks. Meanwhile, risk-averse investors should increase the share of bonds of related industries.

We have examined the time-varying price spillovers and dependencies between iron ore, scrap steel, carbon emissions, seaborne transportation, and China's steel stock by using price spillover and copula models to cover the period 2011–2020. More specifically, the Platts, the MBIOI, and the Chinese Iron Ore spot prices (CIOPI) are analyzed and compared. Our results show that of the three iron ore price indexes, the Platts is a primary contributor of price spillover and highly comparable with China's steel stock prices. The scrap steel, seaborne transportation, and carbon emission prices incur relatively low price spillovers and moderately link with China's steel stock prices. In addition, the time-varying price spillovers and links are sensitive to economic shocks stemming from China's policy implementation to cut overcapacity in steelmaking and the spread of coronavirus. Our results may suggest that the Platts is still the benchmark spot price in determining China's steel stock prices. The results might also guide market investors to hedge the financial risks in the commodity market and help policymakers design appropriate financialization policies for the iron ore and steel markets.

An open source remote monitoring system is designed and built to address the needs of researchers to provide basic illuminated visual indication of laser operation for university research laboratories that are equipped with multiple types of high-powered lasers and have limited financial resources. The 3D printed remote monitoring system selectively monitors either the total current running through a laser or a TTL shutter signal to wirelessly indicate at the laboratory entrances that a laser is in use. Several lasers can be monitored in a single room and each room entrance can have its own wireless laser activity indicator. The wireless feature eliminates the expense of in-wall wiring for the system. An emergency shut off switch is included as an optional attachment. This article describes the design of the readily deployed open source laser monitoring system, including how it was built and tested for integration into a microscopy research laboratory.

Lu Cao,1,* Qian Chen,1,* Li-Bo Jiang,1,* Xiao-Fan Yin,1,2 Chong Bian,1 Hui-Ren Wang,1 Yi-Qun Ma,1 Xiang-Qian Li,1 Xi-Lei Li,1 Jian Dong1 1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, 2Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China *These authors contributed equally tothis work Study design: This is an experimental animal study.Objective: The objective of this study was to compare an anterior cervical discectomy and interbody fusion of a novel polylactide/nano-sized β-tricalcium phosphate (PLA/nβ-TCP) bioabsorbable self-retaining cervical fusion cage (BCFC) with an autologous bone graft and polyetheretherketone (PEEK) cages.Background: Although PLA cervical cages have potential advantages compared with traditional materials, they are not currently routinely used in spine surgery because of undesirable effects such as the lack of osteoconductivity and osteolysis around the implant. This study involved the manufacturing of a bioabsorbable cage from PLA/nβ-TCP that was then used as a device for anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) on a goat cervical spine fusion model.Materials and methods: Eighteen goats underwent C3/C4 discectomy and were randomly divided into three groups based on the following methods: Group A (n=6), an autologous bone graft; GroupB (n=6), PEEK cage filled with an autologous graft; and Group C (n=6), BCFC filled with an autologous iliac bone. Radiography was performed preoperatively and postoperatively and at 1, 4, 8, and 12 weeks after the operation. Disc space height (DSH) was measured at the same time. After 12 weeks, the fused segments were harvested and evaluated with functional radiographic views, biomechanical testing, and histological analyses.Results: Over a 12-week period, the BCFC and PEEK cage groups exhibited significantly higher DSH values than the bone graft group. Additionally, the BCFC group yielded a significantly lower range of motion in axial rotation than both the autologous bone graft and PEEK cage groups. A histologic evaluation revealed an increased intervertebral bone volume/total volume ratio and better interbody fusion in the BCFC group than in the other groups.Conclusion: The BCFC device exhibited better results than the autologous bone graft and PEEK cages in single-level ACDF models in vivo. This device may be a potential alternative to the current PEEK cages. Keywords: goat, cervical spine cages, bioabsorbable, PLA, β-TCP, self-retaining&nbsp

We examine the sensitivity of China's steel price movements to iron ore, scrap steel, carbon emission allowance, and seaborne transportation prices over the period 2010–2020. More specifically, the price spillover, the dependence structure, and the spillover risk between iron ore, scrap steel, carbon emission allowance, seaborne transportation, and China's steel prices are analyzed in a multivariate framework, vine copula, and conditional risk setup. Our results demonstrate that before and after the implementation of China's policy to cut overcapacity in steelmaking, China's steel prices are mainly subject to iron ore prices. Our results have potential implications for policymakers to exploit market incentives to regulate steelmakers' investments and capacity in steelmaking.

This study investigated the association between ambient air quality and sedentary time in Chinese adults. The participants were 3270 Chinese users (2021 men and 1249 women) of wrist-worn activity trackers. The data of participants&rsquo, daily activities were collected from July 2015 to October 2015. A novel algorithm based on raw accelerometer data was employed to determine sedentary time. Personal data, including sex, age, weight and height, were self-reported by the participants. Data of air quality, ambient temperature and weather were collected from the data released by the China National Environmental Monitoring Centre and the China Central Meteorological Observatory and matched in accordance with the Global Positioning System and time information. Multilevel regression analyses were conducted to investigate the association between air quality and sedentary time and adjusted for gender, age, region, body mass index, weather, temperature, weekday/weekend and monitored wake time per day. Better air quality index levels and lower concentrations of fine particulate matter were significantly associated with approximately 20 and 45 min reduction in sedentary time, respectively. Poor air quality appears to be an independent factor associated with prolonged sedentary time in Chinese adults.

We investigate the dependence structures between prices of crude oil, natural gas, steam coal, and iron ore, the Australian dollar, and the Chinese RMB exchange rates. Dependence structures are analyzed and compared using copula models. Our evidence shows that the increases in the commodity prices coincide with an increase in the Australian dollar and a decrease in the Chinese RMB. For the period 2010–2015, a relatively high correlation between oil prices, the Australian dollar, and the Chinese RMB was evident. For the period 2015–2018, the strength of the relationship between oil prices, the Australian dollar, and the Chinese RMB decreased. Simultaneously, the weak association between the steam coal prices and the Chinese RMB was observed, accompanied by a prominent relation between gas prices and the Chinese RMB. Our results may clarify the impact of the China's national policies to adjust its resource demand on commodity prices and help policymakers hedge the financial risks of the commodity market.

To investigate the safety and therapeutic effects of mono-segmental pedicle instrumentation (MSPI) in treating thoracolumbar burst fracture (AO classification: A3.1 and A3.2).A retrospective analysis was conducted on 60 cases with thoracolumbar burst fracture (AO classification: A3.1 and A3.2) between April 2005 and February 2010. Half of the 60 inpatients were treated with MSPI, and the other half was treated with short-segment pedicle instrumentation (SSPI). The mean operation time, blood loss, visual analog scale (VAS) and vertebral kyphotic angle before and after surgery were compared.In the MSPI group, the mean operation time was 90 ± 25 min, and the blood loss at operation was 180 ± 62 ml. The vertebral kyphotic angles were 17.3° ± 9.3° before surgery, 6.5° ± 6.5° one week after surgery, and 9.5° ± 6.4° for the latest follow-up. The VAS scores were 7.5 ± 1.4 before surgery, 2.5 ± 0.7 one week after surgery, and 1.4 ± 0.8 for the latest follow-up. In the SSPI group, the mean operation time was 101 ± 28 min, and the blood loss at operation was 203 ± 88 ml. The follow-up duration was 12-64 months. The vertebral kyphotic angles were 16.5° ± 9.1° before surgery, 7.1° ± 6.9° one week after surgery, and 7.5° ± 5.2° for the latest follow-up. The VAS scores were 6.7 ± 1.5 before surgery, 3.0 ± 0.4 one week after surgery, and 1.1 ± 0.6 for the latest follow-up. There were no statistically significant differences between these two groups in the operation time, blood loss at operation, VAS score and vertebral kyphotic angle before and after surgery (p 0.05). The post-surgical VAS scores and vertebral kyphotic angles were significantly decreased in both groups, compared to before surgery (p 0.05).It is safe and effective to treat thoracolumbar burst fractures (AO 3.1 and AO 3.2) with MSPI. The mean operation time, blood loss at operation, post-surgical VAS and vertebral kyphotic angle of the MSPI group are similar, compared to the SSPI group. Further research is needed to find out whether therapeutic effects of MSPI are better than those of conservative treatment in these cases.

Anterior cervical plating is regarded as standard practice after multilevel anterior cervical discectomy and fusion. However, plate implantation in the anterior cervical spine poses a substantial risk of hardware-related complications. We retrospectively analyzed the efficacy and outcomes of 15 consecutive patients treated with a 3-level anterior cervical fusion using self-locking stand-alone polyetheretherketone (PEEK) cages. Patients were evaluated preoperatively and postoperatively using the Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) scale scores and radiographs. Clinical results were assessed using Odom's criteria. The mean JOA score (± standard deviation) improved significantly from 7.3 ± 1.5 points to 14.1 ± 1.3 points (p0.05) at the final follow-up. The outcomes were excellent for four patients (26.7%), good for nine patients (60%) and fair for two patients (13.3%). None of the patients experienced a poor clinical outcome. Thirteen patients achieved a solid fusion, after an average time of 5.7 months. The radiographic fusion rate of this procedure was 93.3%. Of 45 cages inserted in total, only four (8.89%) cages, in three patients, were found to have subsided. The degree of spinal curvature before surgery differed significantly from that immediately after surgery, and from that at the final follow-up examination (p0.05). Self-locking stand-alone PEEK cages packed with excised local osteophytes and calcium sulfate are safe and effective. This procedure can effectively restore cervical lordosis, obviate the complications related to graft harvest and screw-plate fixation, and lead to satisfactory outcomes.

The debate over the use of intracorporeal bone graft in treating unstable thoracolumbar fractures continues. We compiled evidence for the effect of transpedicular intracorporeal bone grafting (TPG) on outcome in patients with traumatic thoracolumbar fractures. A systematic review was conducted to compare the outcomes of short segment fixation and posterolateral fusion (PLF) with or without TPG. We reviewed articles in PubMed, Ovid, and the Cochrane Database published between January 1995 and August 2011. The correction loss and hardware failure between TPG and TPG+PLF were compared. We assessed the methodological quality of the studies according to the inclusion criteria. We divided 19 papers, involving 22 series, into two groups: posterolateral fusion, and posterolateral fusion combined with intracorporeal bone graft. Meta-analysis regression revealed statistically significant differences in correction loss and hardware failure between the two groups. There were no statistically significant differences in average age, follow-up period, fracture levels, or application of orthosis rate between the two groups. PLF+TPG reduces hardware failure and correction loss compared with PLF alone. It also minimizes the likelihood of severe correction loss. For serious spinal injury cases, PLF+TPG was recommended to improve the prognosis. Further studies would be useful in determining the benefits of applying this method to the treatment of unstable thoracolumbar fractures.

The Bloch wave method has been widely used for interpreting reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED) patterns and the consistency between the theory and high energy electron reflection (HEER) experiments has been claimed by different authors. The recent rigorous investigation on the consistency between the Bloch wave method and the multislice approach due to Cowley and Moodie in the reflection case for Au(001) surface has also provided a clear theoretical proof for the validity of the Bloch wave method in reflection case. However, a severe deviation of the Bloch wave solution for the Au(110) surface in the reflection case from the stabilized solution of its multislicing via the multislice iteration has recently revealed by the BMCR method (Bloch wave + Multislice Combined for Reflection).Fig.1 shows the results calculated for the Au(110) surface using the BMCR method. The incident angle is 30mRad and the absorption is included by taking the imaginary potential as 10% of the real potential in both the Bloch wave and multislice calculation.

It is well recognized that RHEED patterns are very rich in information. However, due to the lack of a suitable dynamical theory for the interpretation of these patterns obtained from arbitrary surfaces, one important part of the information-the intensities of these patterns (instead of individual spot), has not been used for surface analysis. With newly developed EPMO method (Edge Patching method in Multislice-Only mode), dynamical simulations of RHEED patterns for arbitrary surfaces have become possible. The results of the simulations show that the intensities of RHEED patterns are highly sensitive to various surface structures, such as surface reconstruction, adsorption, surface relaxation, surface absorption and surface steps ect..Fig.1 shows the simulated RHEED patterns using the EPMO method for the 2×1 missing row reconstruction (a) and the 2×1 oxygen chemisorption (b) on the Au(001) surface and [010] zone. The incident energy is 100keV and the incident angle is 30mRad. The intensities of fractional spots corresponding the 2×1 oxygen chemisorption in (b) are perceivably weaker than those corresponding to the 2×1 reconstruction in (a), since the oxygen is a weak scatter, compared to the gold.

For a long time, the development of dynamical theory for HEER has been stagnated for several reasons. Although the Bloch wave method is powerful for the understanding of physical insights of electron diffraction, particularly electron transmission diffraction, it is not readily available for the simulation of various surface imperfection in electron reflection diffraction since it is basically a method for bulk materials and perfect surface. When the multislice method due to Cowley & Moodie is used for electron reflection, the “edge effects” stand firmly in the way of reaching a stationary solution for HEER. The multislice method due to Maksym & Beeby is valid only for an 2-D periodic surface.Now, a method for solving stationary solution of HEER for an arbitrary surface is available, which is called the Edge Patching method in Multislice-Only mode (the EPMO method). The analytical basis for this method can be attributed to two important characters of HEER: 1) 2-D dependence of the wave fields and 2) the Picard iteractionlike character of multislice calculation due to Cowley and Moodie in the Bragg case.