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A New Baseline Surface Radiation (NBSR) system was established at the Shangdianzi (SDZ) regional Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) station in 2013 to observe nine broadband radiation components, i.e., the global-, direct-, diffuse-, and upwelling-shortwave irradiance (GSWI, DSWI, DifSWI, and UpSWI) as well as the photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), ultraviolet irradiance (UVAI; UVBI), down- and up-welling long-wave irradiance (DnLWI; UpLWI). To test the 1-min raw radiometric data, a Hybrid Algorithm for Radiation Data Quality Control (HARDQC) is presented in this study based on well-established methods together with the solar irradiance dataset and the spectral features of the instrument bands. Subsequently, an NBSR dataset, which consists of multi-time scale (i.e. 1-min, hourly, daily, monthly, monthly average hourly, and monthly average daily) radiation datasets over 2013-2022, is established and evaluated. Results show that more than 98.7% of all radiation components passed the physical possibility test. The percentages passed the extremely rare test are greater than 98.6% for all radiation components except for the DnLWI (97.1%). The percentages passed the comparison test are greater than 83.3% (GSWI), 78.3% (DSWI), 81.7% (DifSWI), 93.1% (UpSWI), 88.9% (PARI), 95.6% (UVAI), 96.3% (UVBI), 99.8% (DnLWI), and 99.7% (UpLWI), respectively. Due to data logger faults, removal of the instruments for calibration, and lightning strokes, some apparent data gaps in the upwelling radiation components (January 2015-August 2017) and all radiation components (December 2018; July to September 2021) were detected. Despite the existence of a few imperfections in the NBSR dataset, it is still reliable to apply in many fields such as the validation of satellite products and numerical models, investigation of relationships between radiation and atmospheric composition, and the detection of changes in the surface fluxes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the performance of two different principles of HPV testing in primary cervical cancer screening and ASC-US triage in rural areas. Methods: 3,328 and 3,913 women were enrolled in Shanxi, China in 2017 and 2018, respectively, and screened using liquid-based cytology and different HPV tests with a 4-year follow-up. Different screening methods commonly used in clinical practice were evaluated. Results: In the HPV PCR test cohort, the prevalence of HPV infection was 14.90%. A total of 38 cases of CIN2+ were identified at baseline, 2 of which were in the HPV-negative cohort and the rest in the HPV-positive cohort (2 = 186.85, p < 0.001). Fifty-three cases of CIN2+ were accumulated over 4 years. The HPV infection rate in the HPV DNA chip test cohort was 21.10%. A total of 26 CIN2+ cases were identified at baseline, all in the HPV-positive population (2 = 92.96, p < 0.001). 54 CIN2+ cases were cumulative over 4 years. At 4-year follow-up, HPV-negative results were significantly more protective against cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or worse (CIN2+) than normal cytologic results at baseline. HPV screening was more sensitive and specific than cytologic screening (using ASC-US as the threshold) and performed better on the HPV DNA microarray test. In addition, compared with HPV 16/18 testing, sensitivity increases and specificity decreases when using HPV testing for cytologic ASC-US triage, regardless of which HPV test is used. Conclusion: In the rural areas where we implemented the study, HPV tests performed well for screening than LBC and HPV DNA chip testing performed better than HPV PCR testing in the screening cohort. Optimal screening was achieved technically when used in combination with LBC for ASC-US population triage, without thinking the feasibility for resource availability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the clinical features of multicentric reticulohistiocytosis (MRH).Methods: The clinical manifestations, laboratory examination results and histologic characteristics of eleven patients with MRH were collected and compared with those of 33 patients with rheumatoid arthritis.Results: In total, 72.7% of the MRH patients were women. The median age was 46 years (range 33-84 years). Diagnosed by specific pathologic features, all MRH patients exhibited cutaneous involvement. The dorsa of the hands, arms, face and auricle were the most commonly affected areas. Nodules were also located on the legs, scalp, trunk, neck, and even the hypoglossis and buccal mucosa. Ten MRH patients (90.9%) had symmetric polyarthritis. Compared with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, MRH patients were more likely to have distal interphalangeal joint (DIP) involvement (63.6% vs 24.2%, P = 0.017) and less likely to have elbow (36.4% vs 72.7%, P = 0.003), ankle (45.5% vs 93.9%, P < 0.001) and metacarpophalangeal joint (MCP) (36.4% vs 78.8%, P = 0.009) involvement. Positivity for rheumatoid factor (RF) (36.4% vs 84.6%, P = 0.001) and anti-CCP antibody (9.1% vs 81.8%, P = 0.000), as well as the median RF titer [43.8 (31.7-61.0) vs 175.4 (21.3-940.3), P = 0.021], in MRH patients was lower than in RA patients. Elevation of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was also less common in MRH patients than in RA patients (36.4% vs 72.7%, P = 0.030). After treatment with median- to large-dose corticosteroids and disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, 8 patients achieved complete remission and 2 patients partial remission (skin lesions ameliorated, joint lesions not ameliorated).Conclusion: Always pathologically diagnosed, MRH is a systemic disease involving RA-like erosive polyarthritis and a specific distribution of skin nodules characterized by "coral beads". More DIP involvement and less elbow, ankle and MCP involvement are seen in MRH than in RA. In addition, less positivity and lower-titer RF, uncommon presence of anti-CCP antibodies and ESR elevation may be helpful to distinguish MRH from RA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A number of studies have demonstrated a J-shaped curve between blood pressure (BP) and all-cause mortality, but few studies have used longitudinal change in BP to study mortality in the Chinese population.Methods: We performed a 30-year follow-up study to examine the association between BP (at baseline and longitudinal change) and risk of mortality in the Linxian General Population Trial Cohort. At baseline, a total of 29 584 healthy adults were enrolled in the Linxian General Population Trial in 1985 and followed through to the end of 2014. The final analysis was restricted to 29 439 participants (55% women) after exclusion of outliers. We also examined the potential effects of BP trajectory patterns during the period of 1985-1999 on sequent risk of mortality. Adjusted Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate HRs and 95% CIs.Results: Compared with participants with normal BP, patients with prehypertension, stage 1, stage 2 or stage 3 hypertension had an increased risk of all-cause mortality, with HRs of 1.09 (95% CI 1.05 to 1.14), 1.34 (95% CI 1.28 to 1.40), 1.69 (95% CI 1.60 to 1.79) and 2.14 (95% CI 2.01 to 2.28), respectively. Relative to stable BP of normotension, having a rise in BP from normotension to hypertension or from prehypertension to hypertension both conferred an increased risk of total and cardiovascular disease and stroke mortality (total: HRs 1.22 (95% CI 1.12 to 1.34) and 1.36 (95% CI 1.23 to 1.51); cardiovascular disease: HRs 1.42 (95% CI 1.17 to 1.73) and 1.55 (95% CI 1.24 to 1.93); stroke: HRs 2.29 (95% CI 1.88 to 2.80) and 2.61 (95% CI 2.11 to 3.24), respectively).Conclusions: These findings emphasise that development of incident hypertension in middle age could increase the risk of total, cardiovascular disease and stroke mortality, and suggest that current BP targets could be revised.Trial Registration Number: NCT00342654;Post-results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: New oral treatments with very high cure rates have the potential to revolutionize global management of hepatitis C virus (HCV), but population-based data on HCV infection are missing in many low and middle-income countries (LMIC). Methods: Between 2004 and 2009, dried blood spots were collected from age-stratified female population samples of 9 countries: China, Mongolia, Poland, Guinea, Nepal, Pakistan, Algeria, Georgia and Iran. HCV antibodies were detected by a multiplex serology assay using bead-based technology. Results: Crude HCV prevalence ranged from 17.4% in Mongolia to 0.0% in Iran. In a pooled model adjusted by age and country, in which associations with risk factors were not statistically heterogeneous across countries, the only significant determinants of HCV positivity were age (prevalence ratio for ≥45 versus <35 years = 2.84, 95%CI 2.18-3.71) and parity (parous versus nulliparous= 1.73, 95%CI 1.02-2.93). Statistically significant increases in HCV positivity by age, but not parity, were seen in each of the three countries with the highest number of HCV infections: Mongolia, Pakistan, China. There were no associations with sexual partners nor HPV infection. HCV prevalence in women aged ≥45 years correlated well with recent estimates of female HCV-related liver cancer incidence, with the slight exception of Pakistan, which showed a higher HCV prevalence (5.2%) than expected. Conclusions: HCV prevalence varies enormously in women worldwide. Medical interventions/hospitalizations linked to childbirth may have represented a route of HCV transmission, but not sexual intercourse. Combining dried blood spot collection with high-throughput HCV assays can facilitate seroepidemiological studies in LMIC where data is otherwise scarce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, Cu2+ was doped into ZnAl hydrotalcite by one-step urea homogeneous hydrolysis to produce ZnAlCu ternary hydrotalcite (ZnAlCu-1%-LDH). After that, it was roasted to obtain ZnAlCu layered trimetallic oxide (ZnAlCu-1%-LDO). The Jahn-Teller effect of Cu2+ is able to distort the ZnAlCu, thus increasing the hydrotalcite layer spacing and specific surface area. The influence of Cu2+ doping on phosphate adsorption was investigated, and adsorption mechanism was also analyzed. XRD proved that Cu2+ doping increased the interlayer spacing of adsorbent. The optimum copper doping amount of ZnAlCu-1%-LDO was 1% of the total metal molarity. The ZnAlCu-1%-LDO obtained the phosphate adsorption capacity of 199.28 mg P/g, which was 4.6 and 2.9 times higher than that of ZnAl-LDH and ZnAlCu-1%-LDH (phosphate concentration of 200 mg P/L, adsorbent dosage of 0.4 g/L), respectively. Experimental characterizations revealed that the phosphate adsorption mechanisms of ZnAlCu-1%-LDO were memory effect, electrostatic attraction, ligand exchange and surface precipitation. In addition, the phosphate removal efficiency of ZnAlCu-1%-LDO in the actual wastewater (3.43 mg P/L initial concentration) was also investigated, and the residual concentration after adsorption was 0.0664 mg P/L, which reached the A-level standard of phosphate effluent in China (0.5 mg P/L). The experiment provided a universal solution for other layered double hydroxides (LDHs) to improve their phosphate adsorption performance. • The hydrotalcite layer spacing and specific surface area are increased by Cu2+ doped. • The excellent performance of ZnAlCu-LDO is due to four adsorption mechanisms. • High performance of phosphate removal was observed in the real actual wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Oesophageal cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in China where essentially all cases are histologically oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Agnostic pathway-based analyses of genome-wide association study (GWAS) data combined with tissue-specific expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) analysis and publicly available functional data can identify biological pathways and/or genes enriched with functionally-relevant disease-associated variants.Method: We used the adaptive multilocus joint test to analyse 1827 pathways containing 6060 genes using GWAS data from 1942 ESCC cases and 2111 controls with Chinese ancestry. We examined the function of risk alleles using in silico and eQTL analyses in oesophageal tissues.Results: Associations with ESCC risk were observed for 36 pathways predominantly involved in apoptosis, cell cycle regulation and DNA repair and containing known GWAS-associated genes. After excluding genes with previous GWAS signals, candidate pathways (and genes) for ESCC risk included taste transduction (KEGG_hsa04742; TAS2R13, TAS2R42, TAS2R14, TAS2R46,TAS2R50), long-patch base excision repair (Reactome_pid; POLD2) and the metabolics pathway (KEGG_hsa01100; MTAP, GAPDH, DCTD, POLD2, AMDHD1). We identified and validated CASP8 rs13016963 and IDH2 rs11630814 as eQTLs, and CASP8 rs3769823 and IDH2 rs4561444 as the potential functional variants in high-linkage disequilibrium with these single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), respectively. Further, IDH2 mRNA levels were down-regulated in ESCC (tumour:normal-fold change = 0.69, P =  .75E-14).Conclusion: Agnostic pathway-based analyses and integration of multiple types of functional data provide new evidence for the contribution of genes in taste transduction and metabolism to ESCC susceptibility, and for the functionality of both established and new ESCC risk-related SNPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Populations in north central China are at high risk for oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and gastric cancer (GC), and genetic variation in epigenetic machinery genes and pathways may contribute to this risk.Methods: We used the adaptive multilocus joint test to analyse 192 epigenetic genes involved in chromatin remodelling, DNA methylation and microRNA biosynthesis in 1942 ESCC and 1758 GC cases [1126 cardia (GCA) and 632 non-cardia adenocarcinoma (GNCA)] and 2111 controls with Chinese ancestry. We examined potential function of risk alleles using in silico and expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) analyses.Results: Suggestive pathway-based associations were observed for the overall epigenetic (P-value(PATH) = 0.034) and chromatin remodelling (P-value(PATH) = 0.039) pathways with risk of GCA, but not GC, GNCA or ESCC. Overall, 37 different epigenetic machinery genes were associated with risk of one or more upper gastrointestinal (UGI) cancer sites (P-value(GENE )< 0.05), including 14 chromatin remodelling genes whose products are involved in the regulation of HOX genes. We identified a gastric eQTL (rs12724079; rho = 0.37; P = 0.0006) which regulates mRNA expression of ASH1L. Several suggestive eQTLs were also found in oesophageal (rs10898459 in EED), gastric cardia (rs7157322 in DICER1; rs8179271 in ASH1L), and gastric non-cardia (rs1790733 in PPP1CA) tissues.Conclusions: Results of our analyses provide limited but suggestive evidence for a role of epigenetic gene variation in the aetiology of UGI cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background In China, high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) prevalence is unexpectedly high in older women, but the possible reasons have not been well studied yet. This study investigated the age trends of HR-HPV infection in a prospective study. Methods A total of 7397 women aged 25-65 years without cervical precancer or cancer were evaluated during 2010-2011 with a stratified sample of 2791 women re-evaluated after one year. Test results for careHPV and careHPV16/18/45 were used to describe the HR-HPV prevalence, incidence and clearance. Risk factors associated with HR-HPV infections were explored using a logistic regression model. Results The overall HR-HPV prevalence was 13.1% at baseline, with a peak of 19.3% in women aged 55-59 years. The prevalence of HR-HPV (p for trends < 0.001), HPV16/18/45 (p for trends = 0.002), and HR-HPV other than HPV16/18/45 (p for trends = 0.002) generally increased with increasing age. Number of infections that cleared was generally greater than number of incident infections within age groups. One-year clearance rate decreased with increasing age (p for trends < 0.001), however, incidence rate was unrelated to age (p for trends = 0.159). Risk factors that associated with HR-HPV infection differed between younger and older women. Conclusions The greater HR-HPV prevalence in older versus younger women in rural China may be explained by a cohort effect, higher than expected incidence, and/or poorer clearance at older age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: China has some of the highest incidence rates for gastric adenocarcinoma (GA) and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in the world. Prospective studies suggested that vitamin C may reduce risks; however, associations are unclear because of limited sample size. Objective: The objective was to examine the relation between prediagnostic plasma vitamin C and the risk of GA and ESCC. Design: A case-cohort study was used to assess the association between prediagnostic plasma vitamin C and incidence of GA (n = 467) and ESCC (n = 618) in the General Population Nutrition Intervention Trial. With the use of multivariate Cox proportional hazards models, we estimated the HRs and 95% CIs. We also conducted a meta-analysis of the literature up to 1 October 2012 on the relation between circulating vitamin C and gastric cancer incidence. Two cohort studies and the current study were included to assess the body of evidence. Results: For GA, each 20-µmol/L increase in plasma vitamin C was associated with a 14% decrease in risk (HR: 0.86; 95% CI: 0.76, 0.96). Compared with individuals with low plasma vitamin C concentrations (≤28 µmol/L), those with normal concentrations (> 28 µmol/L) had a 27% reduced risk of GA (HR: 0.73; 95% CI: 0.56, 0.94). No association between vitamin C concentrations and ESCC was seen. Meta-analysis showed that the risk of incident GA among those with the highest concentration of plasma vitamin C was 31% lower (random-effects-pooled-odds ratio 0.69; 95% CI: 0.54, 0.89) than those in the lowest category. Conclusion: Our data provide evidence that higher circulating vitamin C was associated with a reduced risk of incident GA, but no association was seen for ESCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To assess the acceptability of using self-collection as a method of sampling for human papilloma virus testing in rural China. Methods 174 women from the national cervical cancer screening programme in Xiangyuan County, China, were enrolled in our study and underwent self-collection, clinician collection, colposcopy examination and were administered questionnaire. The questionnaire assessed the patients' preference and acceptability of collection method. Results The mean overall acceptability score for self-collection, although significantly less than the overall score for clinician collection (p<0.01), still is well above 4 (4.33 of 5), indicating high acceptability. The acceptability scores for self-collection and clinician collection were not significantly different on scales measuring comfort and convenience (p>0.05). The scores were significantly lower for self-collection on scales measuring trust, ability to collect specimen and perceived effects of testing compared with clinician collection (p<0.01). 74% of participants preferred clinician collection, and of these participants, 86% preferred it because they thought the results were more accurate. Conclusions The study shows that self-collection was highly acceptable and that self-collection and clinician collection were equally comfortable and convenient; however, the participants still preferred clinician collection because of lack of trust in the results of self-collection. This indicates that self-collection is an acceptable potential method for screening but education programmes about the validity of self-collection that target general population may be needed prior to implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To estimate the contribution of tobacco smoking, alcohol drinking, low vegetable intake and low fruit intake to esophageal cancer mortality and incidence in China. Methodology/Principal Findings: We calculated the proportion of esophageal cancer attributable to four known modifiable risk factors [population attributable fraction (PAF)]. Exposure data was taken from meta-analyses and large-scale national surveys of representative samples of the Chinese population. Data on relative risks were also from meta-analyses and large-scale prospective studies. Esophageal cancer mortality and incidence came from the 3rd national death cause survey and population-based cancer registries in China. We estimated that 87,065 esophageal cancer deaths (men 67,686; women: 19,379) and 108,206 cases (men: 83,968, women: 24,238) were attributable to tobacco smoking, alcohol drinking, low vegetable intake and low fruit intake in China in 2005. About 17.9% of esophageal cancer deaths among men and 1.9% among women were attributable to tobacco smoking. About 15.2% of esophageal cancer deaths in men and 1.3% in women were caused by alcohol drinking. Low vegetable intake was responsible for 4.3% esophageal cancer deaths in men and 4.1% in women. The fraction of esophageal cancer deaths attributable to low fruit intake was 27.1% in men and 28.0% in women. Overall, 46% of esophageal cancers (51% in men and 33% in women) were attributable to these four modifiable risk factors. Conclusions/Significance: Tobacco smoking, alcohol drinking, low vegetable intake and low fruit intake were responsible for 46% of esophageal cancer mortality and incidence in China in 2005. These findings provide useful data for developing guidelines for esophageal cancer prevention and control in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) seroprevalence data have not previously been reported for differentgeographical regions of China. This study investigated the cross-sectional seroprevalence of antibodies to HPV 6, 11,16, and 18 virus-like particles in Chinese women.Methods: Population-based samples of women were enrolled from 2006 to 2007 in 3 rural and 2 urban areas of China. Each consenting woman completed a questionnaire and provided a blood sample. Serum antibodies were detected using a competitive Luminex immunoassay that measures antibodies to type-specific, neutralizing epitopes on the virus-like particles.Results: A total of 4,731 women (median age 35, age range 14-54) were included, of which 4,211 were sexually active women (median age 37) and 520 virgins (median age 18). Low risk HPV 6 was the most common serotype detected (7.3%), followed by HPV 16 (5.6%), HPV 11 (2.9%), and HPV 18 (1.9%). Overall HPV seroprevalence to any type was significantly higher among sexually active women (15.8%) than virgins (2.5%) (P = 0.005). Overallseroprevalence among sexually active women gradually increased with age. Women from rural regions had significantly lower overall seroprevalence (Odds Ratio (OR) = 0.7; 95% CI: 0.6-0.9, versus metropolitan regions,P<0.001). With increasing number of sexual partners, women were at higher risk of seropositivity of any type(OR = 2.6; 95% CI: 1.7-3.9 for > = 4 partners versus 1 partner, P<0.001). Wives were at higher risk of seropositivity for HPV 16/18/6/11 when reporting having a husband who had an extramarital sexual relationship (OR = 2.0; 95% CI:1.6-2.5, versus those whose husbands having no such relationship, P<0.001). There was a strong association between HPV 16 seropositivity and presence of high-grade cervical lesions (OR = 6.5; 95% CI: 3.7-11.4, versus normal cervix, P<0.001).Conclusions: HPV seroprevalence differed significantly by age, geography, and sexual behavior within China, which all should be considered when implementing an optimal prophylactic HPV vaccination program in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cost estimation is a central feature of health economic analyses. The aim of this study was to use a micro-costing approach and a societal perspective to estimate aggregated costs associated with cervical cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment in rural China. Methods: We assumed that future screening programs will be organized at a county level (population ~250,000), and related treatments will be performed at county or prefecture hospitals; therefore, this study was conducted in a county and a prefecture hospital in Shanxi during 2008-9. Direct medical costs were estimated by gathering information on quantities and prices of drugs, supplies, equipment and labour. Direct non-medical costs were estimated via structured patient interviews and expert opinion. Results: Under the base case assumption of a high-volume screening initiative (11,475 women screened annually per county), the aggregated direct medical costs of visual inspection, self-sampled careHPV (Qiagen USA) screening, clinician-sampled careHPV, colposcopy and biopsy were estimated as US$2.64,$7.49,$7.95,$3.90 and $5.76, respectively. Screening costs were robust to screening volume (<5% variation if 2,000 women screened annually), but costs of colposcopy/biopsy tripled at the lower volume. Direct medical costs of Loop Excision, Cold-Knife Conization and Simple and Radical Hysterectomy varied from $61-544, depending on the procedure and whether conducted at county or prefecture level. Direct non-medical expenditure varied from $0.68-$3.09 for screening/ diagnosis and $83-$494 for pre-cancer/cancer treatment. Conclusions: Diagnostic costs were comparable to screening costs for high-volume screening but were greatly increased in lower-volume situations, which is a key consideration for the scale-up phase of new programs. The study's findings will facilitate cost-effectiveness evaluation and budget planning for cervical cancer prevention initiatives in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: More than 50% of the worldwide cases of hepatocellular carcinoma occur in China, and this malignancy currently represents the country's second leading cause of cancer death in cities and the leading cause in rural areas. Despite recent advances in the control and management of hepatocellular carcinoma within China, this disease remains a major health care issue. The global HCC BRIDGE study, designed to assess patterns of hepatocellular carcinoma therapy use and associated outcomes across real-world clinical practice, has recently been expanded as a national study in China, allowing a detailed analysis of hepatocellular carcinoma in this important country.Methods/design: The global HCC BRIDGE study is a multiregional longitudinal cohort trial including patients newly diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma between January 1, 2005, and June 30, 2011, who are receiving treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma via sites in the Asia-Pacific, European, and North American regions. The HCC BRIDGE China national study comprises the portion of the global HCC BRIDGE study conducted within mainland China. Patients will be followed from time of diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (post-January 1, 2005) to time of death or December 31, 2011, whichever comes first. Data will be collected on demographic/clinical characteristics, relevant laboratory values, hepatocellular carcinoma/underlying liver disease treatment, tumor response, adverse events, hospitalizations, and overall survival. The primary study end point is overall survival; secondary end points are disease progression, treatment-limiting adverse events, and treatment failure.Results: At the time of writing, 15 sites have selected for participation across all 7 traditional regions of China (North, North-East, East, South, South-West, North-West, and Central). The anticipated study population from the China national study is approximately 9000 patients.Discussion: Findings from the HCC BRIDGE China national study, the first geographically representative study of hepatocellular carcinoma in China, will contribute to the understanding of patterns of therapy use and related clinical outcomes and will provide further information on continuing unmet needs for hepatocellular carcinoma throughout this important country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A new lower-cost rapid-throughput human papillomavirus (HPV) test (careHPV, Qiagen, Gaithersburg, USA) has been shown to have high sensitivity for the detection of high grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. Methods: We assessed the outcomes and cost-effectiveness of careHPV screening in rural China, compared to visual inspection with acetic acid, when used alone (VIA) or in combination with Lugol's iodine (VIA/VILI). Using data on sexual behaviour, test accuracy, diagnostic practices and costs from studies performed in rural China, we estimated the cost-effectiveness ratio (CER) and associated lifetime outcomes for once-lifetime and twice-lifetime screening strategies, and for routine screening at 5-yearly, 10-yearly and IARC-recommended intervals. The optimal age range for once-lifetime screening was also assessed. Results: For all strategies, the relative ordering of test technologies in reducing cervical cancer incidence and mortality was VIA (least effective); VIA/VILI; careHPV@1.0 pg/ml and careHPV@0.5 pg/ml (most effective). For oncelifetime strategies, maximum effectiveness was achieved if screening occurred between 35-50 years. Assuming a participation rate of ~70%, once-lifetime screening at age 35 years would reduce cancer mortality by 8% (for VIA) to 12% (for careHPV@0.5) over the long term, with a CER of US$557 (for VIA) to $959 (for careHPV@1.0) per life year saved (LYS) compared to no intervention; referenced to a 2008 GDP per capita in Shanxi Province of $2,975. Correspondingly, regular screening with an age-standardised participation rate of 62% (which has been shown to be achievable in this setting) would reduce cervical cancer mortality by 19-28% (for 10-yearly screening) to 43-54% (using IARC-recommended intervals), with corresponding CERs ranging from $665 (for 10-yearly VIA) to $2,269 (for IARC-recommended intervals using careHPV@1.0) per LYS. Conclusions: This modelled analysis suggests that primary careHPV screening compares favourably to visual inspection screening methodologies in rural China, particularly if used as part of a regular screening program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted a genome-wide association study of gastric cancer and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in ethnic Chinese subjects in which we genotyped 551,152 SNPs. We report a combined analysis of 2,240 gastric cancer cases, 2,115 ESCC cases and 3,302 controls drawn from five studies. In logistic regression models adjusted for age, sex and study, multiple variants at 10q23 had genome-wide significance for gastric cancer and ESCC independently. A notable signal was rs2274223, a nonsynonymous SNP located in PLCE1, for gastric cancer (P = 8.40 × 10−9; per-allele odds ratio (OR) = 1.31) and ESCC (P = 3.85 × 10−9; OR = 1.34). The association with gastric cancer differed by anatomic subsite. For tumors in the cardia the association was stronger (P = 4.19 × 10−15; OR = 1.57), and for those in the noncardia stomach it was absent (P = 0.44; OR = 1.05). Our findings at 10q23 could provide insight into the high incidence of both cancers in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-term follow-up evaluations of cervical screening approaches are limited in low-resource areas. This prospective study assessed the risk of future cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or worse (CIN2+) associated with baseline human papillomavirus (HPV) and cytologic status. In rural China, 1,997 women were screened with 6 screening tests, including colposcopic evaluations, and underwent biopsies in 1999. In December 2005, 1,612 women with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 1 or less at baseline were rescreened by visual inspection, liquid-based cytology, and HPV-DNA testing. All women underwent colposcopy at follow-up, with biopsies taken from women with visually apparent lesions or cytologic abnormalities. Twenty women developed incident CIN2+. The crude relative risk of CIN2+ for baseline HPV-positive women was 52 (95% confidence interval: 12.1, 222.5). The crude relative risk of CIN2+ was 167 (95% confidence interval: 21.9, 1,265) for baseline and follow-up repeatedly HPV-positive women compared with repeatedly HPV-negative women. Among 1,374 baseline HPV-negative women, 2 and no incident CIN2+ cases were detected in baseline cytologically normal and abnormal subgroups, respectively. Among 238 baseline HPV-positive women, 6 of 18 incident cases of CIN2+ developed in the cytologically normal group. This study demonstrates that a single oncogenic HPV-DNA test is more effective than cytology in predicting future CIN2+ status. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article examines the association between sputum atypia and lung cancer risk among patients in Yunnan Sheng, China. Methodology-wise, researchers conducted a prospective cohort study among occupational tin miners in the country based on an annual lung cancer screening program. Based on the results, they concluded that sputum atypia is associated with an increased risk of lung cancer.

Background: Stroke is the leading cause of death in Linxian, China. Although there is evidence of DNA damage in experimental stroke, no data exist on DNA repair and stroke in human populations. Aim: To assess the risk of stroke conferred by polymorphisms in the DNA repair genes, XRCC1, XPD23 and APE/ref-i in a cohort of individuals originally assembled as subjects in two cancer prevention trials in Linxian, China. Methods: The subjects for this prospective study were sampled from a cohort of 4005 eligible subjects who were alive and cancer free in 1991 and had blood samples available for DNA extraction. Using real-time Taqman analyses, all incident cases of stroke (n = 118) that developed from May 1996, and an age- and a sex-stratified random sample (n = 454) drawn from all eligible subjects were genotyped. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate relative risks (RRs) and 95% CIs. Results: No association was observed between polymorphisms in APE/ref-1 codon 148 and XRCC1 ∗6 codon 194, and stroke. Polymorphisms in XRCC1 ∗10 codon 399 were associated with a significantly reduced risk of stroke (RR 0.59, 95% Cl 0.36 to 0.96, p = 0.033), whereas XPD23 codon 312 was associated with a significantly increased risk of stroke (RR 2.18, 95% Cl 1.14 to 4.17, p = 0.010). Conclusions: Polymorphisms in DNA repair genes may be important in the aetiology of stroke. These data should stimulate research on DNA damage and repair in stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: 1,1,1-Trichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethane (DDT) exposure has been demonstrated to cause liver tumors in laboratory rodents. DDT's persistent metabolite and environmental degradation product, 1,1-dichioro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethylene (DDE), has also been associated with liver tumors in laboratory animals. Whether DDT and DDE are associated with hepatocarcinogenesis in humans is not clear. Methods: We carried out a nested case-control study among the participants of the Nutritional Intervention Trials in Linxian, China. The case group included 168 individuals who developed liver cancer during the trials, and the control group included 385 individuals frequency-matched on age and sex who were alive and well at the end of the study. Serum concentrations of DDT and DDE were measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using multivariable analysis. Results: In multivariable-adjusted models, the risk of developing liver cancer increased with increased serum DDT concentration (OR for quintile 1 versus quintile 5 = 3.8, 95% CI = 1.7 to 8.6, Ptrend = .0024). In contrast, there was no statistically significant association between liver cancer and serum DDE concentration. The association between high serum DDT concentration and liver cancer was stronger among individuals with DDE concentrations below the median value (odds ratio for tertile 3 versus tertile 1 = 3.55, 95% CI = 1.45 to 8.74) than those with concentrations above the median (OR = 1.70, 95% CI = 0.97 to 2.98). A calculation of crude liver cancer risk found that there would be 26 liver cancers per 100000 persons per year in the lowest quintile of DDT exposure versus 46 liver cancers per 100000 persons per year in the highest quintile of DDT exposure. Conclusions: DDT may be a risk factor for liver cancer, particularly among persons with lower DDE concentrations. Risk may be particularly increased among persons exposed directly to DDT (resulting in a higher ratio of DDT to DDE) or, alternatively, risk may be associated with individual ability to metabolize DDT to DDE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bloodborne viruses may have spread in rural China during the past 25 years, but population-based prevalence estimates are lacking. We examined the frequency of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and HIV type 1 (HIV-1) among residents of Linxian, a rural community in Henan Province. In 2000, blood was collected from participants (> or = 55 years of age) who had enrolled in a population-based nutritional intervention trial in 1985. We randomly selected 500 participants for HCV testing and 200 participants for HIV-1 testing. For HCV, 48 (9.6%) of 500 participants were positive by enzyme immunoassay and recombinant immunoblot assay (95% confidence interval, 7.0%-12.2%), and prevalence was lowest in the most geographically isolated participants. Among the HCV-infected participants, 42 had a specimen available from 1985, of which 16 (38.1%) were positive for HCV. For HIV-1, 0/200 participants were positive. We conclude that HCV is now a common infection among older adults in Linxian, China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sphinganine and sphingosine, the two sphingoid base backbones of sphingolipids, are highly bioactive compounds that are of increasing interest to nutritionists because they occur in food and their metabolism can be altered by fungal toxins that contaminate some foods. Nonetheless, no studies of diet and sphinganine or sphingosine concentrations in serum have yet been reported. Here we describe a cross-sectional study of 265 residents of Linxian, People's Republic of China, which examines potential demographic, physiologic and dietary correlates of serum sphinganine and sphingosine in this population. Median concentrations of serum sphinganine and sphingosine were compared among strata for 29 different variables. For sphinganine, no significant differences were found. For sphingosine, significant differences were seen among strata of age, menstruation status, serum cholesterol, carotenoids, retinol, tocopherols, fresh and dried vegetable and fresh fruit consumption. Using multivariate linear regression with stepwise selection, we found that the significant predictors for serum sphingosine included total tocopherols, age, serum selenium and retinol, with a final R(2) = 0.22; for sphinganine, tooth loss was the sole correlate, with R(2) = 0.015. Analyses using ranked sphingolipid data or principal components analysis, to simplify the food variables, did not materially alter these results. This study represents the largest report of human serum sphingolipid concentrations to date and provides insight into potential explanatory variables that can be incorporated into future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the critical success factors of build-operate-transfer (BOT) projects in China. Criticalities of BOT projects; Effectivity of technology transfer on the transfer of BOT projects; Level of management control on the BOT project operation.

Epidemiology of cervical cancer in China Mortality data from the 1970s to the 1990s suggest that China suffers relatively high cervical cancer mortality, particularly in the rural mid-west. Wudu in Gansu province and Yangcheng in Shanxi had age-adjusted mortality rates of > 40/100 000 in 1990-1992. Better diagnosis and treatment have reduced deaths from cervical cancer, but the improvement is not uniform and mortality rates are unchanged in some counties. Status of cervical screening There are no national screening programmes for cancer in China. In the case of cervical cancer, limitations include the nationwide shortage of cytologists. In late 2003, a national cancer prevention and control strategy was finalised and endorsed by the Ministry of Health, following consensusmeetings for early detection and treatment across nine cancer types. Two demonstration centres for cervical cancer prevention and control have been established in Shenzhen (South-East China) for high resources settings and Xiangyuan (North-West China) for low resources settings [56]. A government recommendation that all women should have at least one screen between 35 and 65 years of age is still pending. Cervical cancer research in China The first Shanxi Province Cervical Cancer Screening Study (SPOCCS I) included 1997 women who underwent a cervical evaluation using HPV self-test, optical biopsy, liquid-based cytology (ThinPrep), VIA, direct testing for HPV, or colposcopy with biopsy [57]. A second study (SPOCCS II) included > 8000 women who submitted a self-sample for HPV at their village and subsequently visited the clinic for HPV Direct Test, LBC (AutoCyte), and VIA [58]. Those with abnormalities (n = 3252) underwent colposcopy and biopsy. Women with CIN 2+ lesions were treated; those with CIN 1 lesions will be followed up in 12 months. In both studies, women with cervical cancer or CIN 2+ lesions on biopsy were likely to be infected with HPV (> 95%). Even for women with CIN 1 lesions, the attributable risk of HPV is as high as 95%. The incidence of HPV among women with normal biopsies was < 15%. Persistent HPV infection was higher among women aged 50-54 years than younger women in Shanxi, but there were marked differences in the age-related curves for women in rural areas versus cities. Risk cofactors Extensive lifestyle data were collected covering sexual history, child bearing, occupation, health, bathing practices, age at menarche and menopause, education, and income. Lifestyle had a significant effect on HPV and cervical cancer prevalence in Shanxi. Risk factors that appeared to contribute to the likelihood of cervical cancer were subject promiscuity (OR = 1.42); husband's promiscuity (1.42); bathing at a public house (1.23); postmenopause (1.22); and current smoking (1.17). Surprisingly, education appeared to slightly raise the likelihood of HPV. When self-testing was compared with direct testing for HPV, specificity for CIN 2+ was identical (85.9%), while sensitivity was higher on direct testing (97.6%) than for self-testing (83.5%). Evaluation of screening tests In both trials, each screening test was compared with pathology to determine accuracy in detecting moderate-high-grade lesions (Table 4). Conclusions With high sensitivity (> 96%) and moderate specificity (86%), the HPV direct test could be used as a primary screening test for cervical cancer risk. Self-sampling is simple and less expensive; however, improvements in instructional leaflets will be needed. Combined HPV and VIA offers potential for screening in the mid-west regions of China, but for consistent results, VIA training will be essential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To estimate the burden of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and cervical disease among sexually active women in a sample of Chinese women. Methods: A multicenter, population-based study was conducted between May 2006 and April 2007. A total of 4215 sexually active women aged 17-54 years were surveyed from five geographical sites representing both urban and rural areas: Beijing, Shanghai, Shanxi, Henan and Xinjiang. Women were referred for colposcopy on the basis of results of Pap testing and HPV screening. HPV genotyping of the CIN1+ specimens was performed with INNO-LiPA. Attribution of HPV types to lesions was estimated using a fractional contribution approach. Results: 13.3% of the women (559/4215) were referred for colposcopy; 4.3% (183/4215) of these were diagnosed with CIN1+. Of the latter, 88.5% (162/183) were typed and 94.4% (153/162) were HPV- positive. HPV16 was the most prevalent type in lesions in both urban and rural settings. Combined, HPV16 and 18 were attributable to 71.4% of HPV-positive CIN2+ lesions. In addition, HPV31, 33, 52 and 58 were prevalent in CIN1+ lesions, with HPV33, 52, and 58 combined accounting for 24.1% CIN2+ lesions. Though prevalent, HPV31 always occurred as a co-infection with another HPV type and therefore was attributed minimal causality. Conclusions: HPV16 and 18 are associated with the majority of cervical lesions in Chinese women from which this population-based sample was drawn. In addition, other HPV types, such as 33, 52, and 58, also play an important role in cervical disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analyzes polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the dichloromethane extracts of soot deposits from coal-burning stoves in homes in Henan Province, China, where esophageal cancer rates are some of the highest in the world. Use of high-pressure liquid chromatography with ultraviolet visible diode-array detection; Component identities and mutagenicities.

The assessment of residue, absorption, conduction, and degradation of agricultural organosilicon surfactants in the environment is hindered by the lack of information on active ingredients and corresponding quantitative standards for organosilicon spray adjuvants. The spray adjuvant 'Jiexiaoli,' a primary organosilicon spray agent in China, was identified as hydroxy (polyethylene) propyl-heptamethyl trisiloxane (TSS-H) with 3-15 ethoxy (EO) groups. Purification of TSS-H was achieved through semi-preparative separation using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), resulting in TSS-H purity exceeding 96%. An accurate residual detection method for nine oligomers (4-12 EO) of TSS-H in rice roots, stems, leaves, and culture solution samples was developed using HPLC tandem high-resolution mass spectrometry (HPLC-HRMS). Recoveries for nine oligomers of TSS-H in the four matrices ranged from 80.22% to 104.01%. Foliar application experiments demonstrated that TSS-H did not transfer from the upper to the lower parts of the rice plant. The half-lives of each oligomer (4-12 EO) in leaves were less than 3.21 days. Root application experiments revealed a root concentration factor (RCF) ranging from 0.20 to 0.56, a biological enrichment factor (BCF) ranging from 0.36 to 0.68, a transpiration factor (TSCF) ranging from 0.069 to 0.086, and a transport factor (TF) ranging from 0.08 to 0.43. These results indicated that TSS-H could be absorbed by rice roots and conducted to the above-ground parts of rice plants. This study fills the data gap in the environmental risk and food safety assessment of agricultural silicone spray adjuvants. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the long-term survival, causes of death, and prognostic factors in Chinese patients with primary Sjögren syndrome (pSS)., Methods: We included patients with pSS registered in the Chinese Rheumatism Data Centre between May 2016 and December 2021, and collected baseline clinical, laboratory, and treatment data. Survival and standard mortality rates were calculated using general population mortality data. Factors related to mortality were identified using Cox proportional hazards regression., Results: Among the 8588 patients included, 274 died during a median follow-up of 4.0 years. The overall standardized mortality ratio was 1.61 (95% CI: 1.43-1.81). Overall survival rates were 98.2% at 5 years and 93.8% at 10 years. The predominant causes of death were comorbidities, including cardiovascular diseases, tumors, and infections, while the most frequent pSS-related causes of death were interstitial lung disease (ILD) and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Male sex, older age, ILD, PAH, and high EULAR Sjögren's syndrome disease activity index (ESSDAI), thrombocytopenia, anemia, high immunoglobulin A (IgA) level, and glucocorticoid treatment independently increased the mortality risk, while using hydroxychloroquine was a protective factor., Conclusion: Mortality rates have significantly increased in Chinese patients with pSS. Comorbidities, rather than pSS-related organ damage, were the main causes of death. All-cause mortality was associated with male sex, older age, ILD, PAH, high ESSDAI, thrombocytopenia, anemia, high IgA level, and glucocorticoid treatment, whereas hydroxychloroquine use might improve the long-term survival., (© 2024 Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

We examined the metabolic response of microbial respiration to glucose addition with the topsoil (0-10 cm) from five plantation types, including Quercus glauca , Castanopsis kawakamii , Pinus massoniana , Phoebe bournei , and Cinnamomum camphora plantations, in the Sanming Forest Ecosystem National Field Observation and Research Station in Fujian Province. The results showed that glucose addition significantly increased microbial respiration by 82.4%-349.5%, with significant difference among tree species. In the control, microbial respiration significantly correlated with microbial biomass carbon, soil organic carbon, and the fungi/bacteria ratio, indicating that microbial metabolism was regulated by soil organic carbon content and was associated with microbial biomass and community structure in the absence of labile carbon supply. In the glucose addition treatment, microbial respiration positively correlated with soil total nitrogen, dissolved organic nitrogen, and mineral nitrogen, indicating that microbial metabolism was mainly constrained by soil nitrogen content and its availability in the presence of adequate labile carbon supply. The metabolic response of microbial respiration, as indicated by the ratio of microbial respiration in the glucose addition treatment to that in the control, was primarily affected by soil carbon/nitrogen ratio, with a decrease in the ratio leading to an increase in the microbial metabolic response. Additionally, soil pH played an important role in mediating microbial metabolic response. The effect of the content and availability of soil carbon and nitrogen on microbial respiration depended on whether microbes were carbon-limited. Soil carbon content media-ted microbial respiration when microbes were carbon-limited, whereas soil nitrogen content and availability mediated microbial respiration after the alleviation of microbial carbon limitation.

Importance: Adenomyosis is a common chronic gynecological disorder, and its treatment is an unmet need. New therapies need to be developed. Mifepristone is being tested for adenomyosis treatment., Objective: To determine whether mifepristone is effective and safe for adenomyosis treatment., Design, Setting, and Participants: This multicenter, placebo-controlled, double-blind randomized clinical trial was conducted in 10 hospitals in China. In total, 134 patients with adenomyosis pain symptoms were enrolled. Trial enrollment began in May 2018 and was completed in April 2019, and analyses were conducted from October 2019 to February 2020., Interventions: Participants were randomized 1:1 to receive mifepristone 10 mg or placebo orally once a day for 12 weeks., Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary end point was the change in adenomyosis-associated dysmenorrhea intensity, evaluated by the visual analog scale (VAS) after 12 weeks of treatment. Secondary end points included the change in menstrual blood loss, increased level of hemoglobin in patients with anemia, CA125 level, platelet count, and uterine volume after 12 weeks of treatment. Safety was assessed according to adverse events, vital signs, gynecological examinations, and laboratory evaluations., Results: In total, 134 patients with adenomyosis and dysmenorrhea were randomly assigned, and 126 patients were included in the efficacy analysis, including 61 patients (mean [SD] age, 40.2 [4.6] years) randomized to receive mifepristone and 65 patients (mean [SD] age, 41.7 [5.0] years) randomized to received the placebo. The characteristics of the included patients at baseline were similar between groups. The mean (SD) change in VAS score was -6.63 (1.92) in the mifepristone group and -0.95 (1.75) in the placebo group (P < .001). The total remission rates for dysmenorrhea in the mifepristone group were significantly better than those in the placebo group (effective remission: 56 patients [91.8%] vs 15 patients [23.1%]; complete remission: 54 patients [88.5%] vs 4 patients [6.2%]). All the secondary end points showed significant improvements after mifepristone treatment for menstrual blood loss, hemoglobin (mean [SD] change from baseline: 2.13 [1.38] g/dL vs 0.48 [0.97] g/dL; P < .001), CA125 (mean [SD] change from baseline: -62.23 [76.99] U/mL vs 26.89 [118.70] U/mL; P < .001), platelet count (mean [SD] change from baseline: -28.87 [54.30]×103/µL vs 2.06 [41.78]×103/µL; P < .001), and uterine volume (mean [SD] change from baseline: -29.32 [39.34] cm3 vs 18.39 [66.46] cm3; P < .001). Safety analysis revealed no significant difference between groups, and no serious adverse events were reported., Conclusions and Relevance: This randomized clinical trial showed that mifepristone could be a new option for treating patients with adenomyosis, based on its efficacy and acceptable tolerability., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03520439.

Few studies have evaluated the short-term association between hospital admissions and individual exposure to ambient particulate matter (PM 2.5 ). Particularly, no studies focused on hospital admissions for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) at the individual level. We assessed the short-term effects of PM 2.5 on hospitalization admissions for COPD in Guangzhou, China, during 2014-2015, based on satellite-derived estimates of ambient PM 2.5 concentrations at a 1-km resolution near the residential address as individual-level exposure for each patient. Around 40,002 patients with COPD admitted to 110 hospitals were included in this study. A time-stratified case-crossover design with conditional logistic regression models was applied to assess the effects of PM 2.5 based on a 1-km grid data of aerosol optical depth provided by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration on hospital admissions for COPD. Further, we performed stratified analyses by individual demographic characteristics and season of hospital admission. Around 10 μg/m 3 increase in individual-level PM 2.5 was associated with an increase of 1.6% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.6%, 2.7%) in hospitalization for COPD at a lag of 0-5 days. The impact of PM 2.5 on hospitalization for COPD was greater significantly in males and patients admitted in summer. Our study strengthened the evidence for the adverse effect of PM 2.5 based on satellite-based individual-level exposure data., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Fuzi, a well-known traditional Chinese medicine developed from the lateral roots of Aconitum carmichaelii Debx., has been widely used for the treatment of heart failure. In order to search for active compounds from Fuzi, a phytochemical study was performed, which resulted in the isolation of 14 aminoalcohol-diterpenoid alkaloids, including one new compound (1). Their cardioprotective effects against doxorubicin-induced toxicity in H9c2 cells were evaluated. All of the alkaloids showed cardioprotective effects in a nonmonotonic concentration-response manner, with the maximum protection rates ranging from 17.96 ± 2.93% to 98.31 ± 0.35%. Compound 5 exhibited the most potent cardioprotective activity. Taking the maximum protection rate as an indicator, the preliminary structure-activity relationship analysis indicated that the substitutions of C-1, C-13, C-15, C-16, and N and the configurations of OMe-6 and OH-15 are important structural features for the cardioprotective activities of the aminoalcohol-diterpenoid alkaloids., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Phosphorus (P) is an important nutrient for plant and microbial growth. Soil P availabi-lity is poor in subtropical areas. Long-term heavy nitrogen (N) deposition might further reduce P availability. The experiment was performed in a Phyllostachys pubescens forest in Daiyun Mountain. The effects of N application on soil basic physical and chemical properties, soil P fractions, microbial biomass, and acid phosphomonoesterase activity were analyzed after three years of N application. The results showed that N application significantly increased NO 3 - -N content and thus soil N availability, while it significantly reduced the percentage of decomposable organic P to total P, with the ratio of carbon (C) to organic P being over 200. The soil microbial biomass C, microbial biomass P, acid phosphomonoesterase, and the ratio of microbial biomass N to microbial biomass P and microbial biomass C to microbial biomass P were increased as the N application rate increased. There was a significant negative correlation between the percentage of decomposable organic P to total P and microbial biomass P. Consequently, N application enhanced soil P limitation and increased microbial P demand.

A new isoiphionane sesquiterpene, named (3S, 5S, 7S, 10R)-3, 11-dihydroxyisoiphion-4-one (1), two new phloroglucinol glycosides, named eucalglobuside A (2) and eucalglobuside B (3), along with 15 known compounds were isolated from the leaves of Eucalyptus globulus. Their structures were elucidated based on extensive spectroscopic analysis and in comparison with literature data. The absolute configuration of compound 1 was determined by ECD calculation. All isolates were evaluated their inhibitory activities against the mushroom tyrosinase. As a result, three sesquiterpenoids, 1, 5β, 11-dihydroxy-iphionan-4-one (5), and (-)-globulol (8), exhibited the most potent activities with IC 50 values of 14.17 μM, 10.08 μM and 9.79 μM, respectively., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: There are no global screening recommendations for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Endoscopic screening has been investigated in areas of high incidence in China since the 1970s. This study aimed to evaluate whether an endoscopic screening and intervention program could reduce mortality caused by ESCC., Methods: Residents age 40 to 69 years were recruited from communities with high rates of ESCC. Fourteen villages were selected as the intervention communities. Ten villages not geographically adjacent to intervention villages were selected for comparison. Participants in the intervention group were screened once by endoscopy with Lugol's iodine staining, and those with dysplasia or occult cancer were treated. All intervention participants and a sample consisting of one tenth of the control group completed questionnaires. We compared cumulative ESCC incidence and mortality between the two groups., Results: Three thousand three hundred nineteen volunteers (48.62%) from an eligible population of 6,827 were screened in the intervention group. Seven hundred ninety-seven volunteers from an eligible population of 6,200 in the control group were interviewed. Six hundred fifty-two incident and 542 fatal ESCCs were identified during the 10-year follow-up. A reduction in cumulative mortality in the intervention group versus the control group was apparent (3.35% v 5.05%, respectively; P < .001). Furthermore, the intervention group had a significantly lower cumulative incidence of ESCC versus the control group (4.17% v 5.92%, respectively; P < .001)., Conclusion: We showed that endoscopic screening and intervention significantly reduced mortality caused by esophageal cancer. Detection and treatment of preneoplastic lesions also led to a reduction in the incidence of this highly fatal cancer., (© 2015 by American Society of Clinical Oncology.)

Aim: To explore whether routine biopsies at the high incidence spot of esophagogastric junction (EGJ) cancer are justified in endoscopic screening., Methods: This was a multicenter population-based study conducted in eight high-risk areas in China. A total of 37396 participants underwent endoscopic examination. Biopsies were obtained from visible mucosal abnormalities or from normal-appearing mucosa at the high incidence spot of esophagogastric junction cancer when no abnormality was detected. Specimens showing high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia (HIN) or higher grade lesions were deemed as pathologically "positive". The ratios of positive pathologic diagnosis between participants with abnormal and normal-appearing mucosa were compared using the Pearson χ(2) test. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals, adjusted for potential confounders, were calculated using logistic regression., Results: A total of 37520 individuals participated in this study and 37396 (99.7%) participants had full information and were suitable for analysis. During endoscopic examinations, 9.11% (3405/37396) participants were found to have visible mucosal lesions. Of the participants who had normal-appearing mucosa at the EGJ, only 0.28% (94/33991) were diagnosed with HIN or higher grade lesions, whereas 6.05% (206/3405) of participants with abnormalities at the EGJ had a positive pathologic result. After controlling for other variables, visible abnormal mucosa detected under endoscopy strongly predicted a positive pathologic result (OR = 32.51, 95%CI: 23.96-44.09). The proportion of participants with "positive" pathologic diagnoses increased as the total number of endoscopic examinations performed by the doctors increased (< 5000 cases vs 5000-10000 cases vs > 10000 cases, Z = -2.7207, P = 0.0065, Cochran Armiger trend test). The same trend was found between the proportion of participants with positive pathologic diagnoses and the total number of years the doctors performed endoscopy (< 5 years vs 5-10 years vs > 10 years, Z = -10.3222, P < 0.001, Cochran Armiger trend test)., Conclusion: Additional routine biopsies from the high incidence spot of EGJ cancer are of limited value and are unjustified.

Using a randomized multistage cluster sampling, we studied the factors associated with the prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of hypertension (defined as systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP) measurements ≥140 and 90 mm Hg, respectively, or current drug treatment for hypertension) in a representative sample of the urban Chinese population. The participants were 18-74 years of age and had lived for at least 5 years in an area comprising 33 communities in three cities (Shenyang, Anshan and Jinzhou) in China. A total of 28 830 people were selected; the overall response rate was 87.4% (25 196/28 830). The overall prevalence of hypertension was 28.7% (7237/25 196). Of those with hypertension, 42.9% (3107/7237) were aware of their condition, 28.2% (2042/7237) were receiving treatment and 3.7% (264/7237) were considered controlled. More than half (57.8%) of the hypertensives did not think that high BP would endanger their lives. Multivariate analysis revealed that age, gender, education, occupation, income, body mass index, waist circumference and a family history of hypertension correlated significantly with the prevalence of hypertension. Among all the hypertensives, higher awareness (determined by odds ratios; 95% confidence intervals) was noted for persons who were white-collar workers (1.29; 1.08, 1.53, respectively), overweight (1.48; 1.30, 1.69), obese (3.37; 2.76, 4.11) or had a family history of hypertension (3.07; 2.76, 3.42). Among the individuals aware of their hypertension, treatment was more common in those with a higher level of education and less common among individuals consuming ≥2 alcoholic drinks per day (0.65; 0.52, 0.83). Controlled hypertension was much less common among older persons, and participants who were former smokers (0.49; 0.26, 0.91). The results indicate that more attention is needed to improve the awareness of the potentially fatal nature of hypertension in urban China.

Objective: To assess the prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension and their associated factors in an urban Chinese population., Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in three cities in northeast China from 2009 to 2010, using a multistage cluster sampling method to select a representative sample. A total of 25 196 adults, aged 18-74 years, were examined in 33 communities. Hypertension was defined as a mean SBP of at least 140 mmHg, DBP at least 90 mmHg, and/or use of antihypertensive medications., Results: Overall, the prevalence of hypertension was 28.7% for urban residents, and 39.1% for middle-aged and elderly residents (aged ≥35 years). Among all the hypertensive patients examined in the study (n = 7237), 42.9% were aware of their condition, 28.2% were receiving treatment, and only 3.7% had their blood pressure adequately controlled. Female hypertensive patients had more effectively controlled blood pressure than their male counterparts. Among the study participants, 37.9% did not think that high blood pressure would endanger their lives. Among hypertensive patients aware of their conditions, the primary reason for not taking antihypertensive medication was a lack of money (34.8%). Age, sex, education, occupation, income, body mass, waist circumference, and family hypertension history significantly correlated with the prevalence of hypertension., Conclusion: Hypertension is highly prevalent in the urban population of China, and the effects of being overweight/obesity on hypertension were much larger than any other examined factors. The percentage of hypertensive patients aware of their condition, receiving proper treatment, and keeping their hypertension under control is unacceptably low.