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Background: Recently, a simplified modified Rankin Scale (mRS) questionnaire (smRSq) showed good reliability but has not been tested for its validity by its original creators. Our study aimed to test its reliability and validity in Chinese stroke patients. Methods: Randomly chosen paired raters scored the smRSq, the conventional mRS, and the NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS) face-to-face in 150 hospitalized stroke patients. Inter-rater reliability and concurrent validity were assessed for this translated questionnaire. Results: For inter-rater reliability of the smRSq, the overall agreement among the raters was 84%, the κ was 0.79 (95% CI 0.72-0.87), and the κw was 0.91 (95% CI 0.88-0.94). For inter-rater reliability of the mRS, the overall agreement among the raters was 81%, the κ was 0.75 (95% CI 0.67-0.83), and the κw was 0.88 (95% CI 0.84-0.92). The agreement between the mRS and smRSq was 71%, κ = 0.63 (95% CI 0.54-0.71), and κw = 0.83 (95% CI 0.79-0.88). The correlation between the NIHSS and the smRSq (concurrent validity) was moderate (Spearman's correlation coefficient 0.70, p < 0.0001). Conclusions: Our results confirm the value of the smRSq in the assessment of stroke functional outcome in China. As this is a novel stroke tool, further validations are needed. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Performance-based contracting (PBC) is applied to Chinese industry for cleaner production, which is characterized by the payment made on measurable environmental outcome. Policy, technology, market, and capital are four elements that co-shape PBC where the synthesized effects are hard for intuition to tell. This study introduced an original interdisciplinary assessment model of PBC for SO 2 emission control in Chinese coal power plants that involves key environmental policies including command-and-control regulations, market-based approaches, and administrative measures, as well as technology, market, and capital variables. The evaluation showed that in key regions, both pollution levy programs 8 and 10 CNY/kg SO 2 (with the only penalty of concentration) could drive total emission amount close to regulatory targets. Interest expenses seem less relevant to SO 2 abatement cost in terms of the whole contract period; however, it can raise the SO 2 abatement cost similar to the service premium in the first few years. Fluctuation of power market is a business risk to PBC. As unitization hours of generator sets decrease from 4760 to 4115 h/y, the proportion of profits in the income decreased from 12.12 to 4.16%. Since payment is made on the basis of emission verification, economic benefits can represent both environmental and economic benefits. Profits and financial chain of the contractor depending on the synthesized effects of technology, capital, market, and tax policy. Sensitivity analysis quantitatively indicates technical factor as crucial; however, the buyer's business fluctuation is the real key to operational sustainability. The method was proved useful to integrated policy assessment at project level and PBC managerial decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To select potential molecules that can target viral spike proteins, which may potentially interrupt the interaction between the human angiotension-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor and viral spike protein by virtual screening., Methods: The three-dimensional (3D)-coordinate file of the receptor-binding domain (RBD)-ACE2 complex for searching a suitable docking pocket was firstly downloaded and prepared. Secondly, approximately 15,000 molecular candidates were prepared, including US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs from DrugBank and natural compounds from Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology (TCMSP), for the docking process. Then, virtual screening was performed and the binding energy in Autodock Vina was calculated. Finally, the top 20 molecules with high binding energy and their Chinese medicine (CM) herb sources were listed in this paper., Results: It was found that digitoxin, a cardiac glycoside in DrugBank and bisindigotin in TCMSP had the highest docking scores. Interestingly, two of the CM herbs containing the natural compounds that had relatively high binding scores, Forsythiae fructus and Isatidis radix, are components of Lianhua Qingwen (), a CM formula reportedly exerting activity against severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-Cov-2. Moreover, raltegravir, an HIV integrase inhibitor, was found to have a relatively high binding score., Conclusions: A class of compounds, which are from FDA-approved drugs and CM natural compounds, that had high binding energy with RBD of the viral spike protein. Our work provides potential candidates for other researchers to identify inhibitors to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection, and highlights the importance of CM and integrative application of CM and Western medicine on treating COVID-19.

Skin lesions are often associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, reflecting the immunocompromised status of the individual. We investigated the relationship between skin lesions and immune function in a retrospective study of 796 Chinese HIV patients with and without highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Of the 651 patients who had not received HAART, we found that 531 (81.6%) had apparent skin lesions. The incidence of infectious skin diseases (fungi, viruses, bacteria, spirochetes and parasites) and non-infectious skin diseases (excluding skin cancer) was 68.8% and 34.9%, respectively. Mean CD4(+) T-cell counts and CD4(+)/CD8(+) ratios were lower in patients with skin lesions than in patients without lesions (178 ± 96/µl vs. 306 ± 189/µl (p < 0.05) and 0.22 vs. 0.34 (p < 0.01), respectively). Candidiasis (25.8%), eczema (19.2%), nodular prurigo (13.8%), dermatophyte infections (10.6%) and herpes zoster (9.4%) were most common in Chinese patients with HIV. Among the 145 patients who had started HAART, there was a significantly lower prevalence of skin diseases (29.0%), although drug eruptions (12.4%) were more commonly observed. These findings indicate that HAART often reduces the incidence of infectious and non-infectious skin lesions in patients with HIV, but can itself be the cause of drug eruptions.