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Summary: Data related to the counting of elements of variable character are frequently encountered in time series studies. This paper brings forward a new class of k$$ k $$th‐order dependence‐driven random coefficient mixed thinning integer‐valued autoregressive time series model (DDRCMTINAR(k$$ k $$)) to deal with such data. Stationarity and ergodicity properties of the proposed model are derived in detail. The unknown parameters are estimated by conditional least squares, and modified quasi‐likelihood and asymptotic normality of the obtained parameter estimators is established. The performances of the adopted estimate methods are checked via simulations, which present that modified quasi‐likelihood estimators perform better than the conditional least squares considering the proportion of within‐Ω$$ \Omega $$ estimates in certain regions of the parameter space. The validity and practical utility of the model are investigated by epileptic seizure data and COVID‐19 data of suspected cases in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To examine whether and how interleukin (IL)-1α is involved in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP). Methods: Nasal polyp (NP) and control tissues were collected from CRSwNP patients and control subjects. The expression of IL-1α and other proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-8 and IL-13, etc.), as well as neutrophil and eosinophil accumulation, were examined in sinonasal tissues using immunohistochemical (IHC), immunofluorescent (IF) staining, qPCR, and Luminex, respectively. Moreover, the regulation of IL-1α expression and its effects on other proinflammatory cytokines were evaluated in cultured nasal epithelial cells (NECs). Results: The mRNA and protein levels of IL-1α were significantly higher in NP tissues compared to that in control tissues. IL-1α in polyp tissues was mainly located in epithelial cells and neutrophils. Polyps IL-1α level was significantly associated with IL-8, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-4 and IL-13 production, as well as tissue neutrophil infiltration. Moreover, poly (I:C), lipopolysaccharides, Flagellin, R848 and cytokines (IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13) significantly increased the expression of IL-1α in cultured NECs in vitro, and recombinant IL-1α significantly promoted production of IL-8 and CXCL1 in cultured NECs. Conclusions: These findings provided the evidence that IL-1α were significantly increased in NP tissues, which may contribute to tissue neutrophilia in CRSwNP patients in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a malignant epithelial tumor of the nasopharyngeal mucosa with a high incidence rate in southern China and Southeast Asia and an evident ethnic and geographical distribution. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are single‐stranded noncoding RNAs with covalent, closed‐loop structures. They are characterized by high stability and abundance, are evolutionarily conserved, and exhibit tissue/developmental stage specificity. Previous studies have shown that circRNAs are associated with the occurrence and development of various malignant tumors. However, the expression patterns and clinical significance of circRNAs in NPC remain ambiguous. Hence, the present review focuses on the biogenesis and regulation of circRNAs, and the functional roles of abnormally expressed circRNAs in NPC. In addition, the current review discusses the possibility of utilizing circRNAs as potential clinical biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of NPC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To the Editor, As an international health problem, allergic rhinitis (AR) currently affects 10%-40% of the global population.1 Multicenter studies conducted in Europe and America have revealed the clinical features of pediatric, adolescent, and adult patients with AR, including the subtype percentages, common sensitizing allergens, frequent comorbidities, and methods of treatment2,3; however, few studies have reported such information for children or the general population in the cities or provinces of China.4,5 Therefore, there remains an unmet need to acquire more reliable data concerning the manifestations of AR in China and the characteristics of Chinese AR patients. Consequently, AR patients with a lower education level were more likely to have ever or be currently receiving allergen immunotherapy than were patients with a higher educational degree ( I X i SP 2 sp = 14.30, I P i < .01, Figure S5). A multinomial logistic regression analysis (Table 1) showed that PM, IMS, and PMS AR patients were less likely to suffer from coronary heart disease than were IM patients. Finally, when compared with IM patients, the IMS patients more often had a family history of allergy (OR: 1.35, 95% CI: 1.06-1.71), and PMS patients were less likely to be nonsmokers and more likely to have a drug allergy (OR: 1.19, 95% CI: 1.03-1.38; OR: 1.39, 95% CI: 1.03-1.88, respectively). [Extracted from the article]

Copyright of Acta Oto-Laryngologica is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Acta Oto-Laryngologica is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Conclusion: This work demonstrated that juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibromas (JNAs) express high levels of hormone receptors and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) compared with normal nasal mucosa. The interaction between hormone receptors and VEGF may be involved in the initiation and growth of JNA. Objectives: JNA is a rare benign tumor that occurs almost exclusively in male adolescents. Although generally regarded as a hormone-dependent tumor, this has not been proven in previous studies. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of hormone receptors in JNA and the relationship with clinical characteristics. Methods: Standard immunohistochemical microarray analysis was performed on 70 JNA samples and 10 turbinate tissue samples. Specific antibodies for androgen receptor (AR), estrogen receptor-α (ER-α), estrogen receptor-β (ER-β), progesterone receptor (PR), and VEGF were examined, and the relationships of receptor expression with age, tumor stage, and bleeding were evaluated. Results: Results showed that JNA expressed ER-α (92.9%), ER-β (91.4%), AR (65.7%), PR (12.8%), and VEGF (95.7%) at different levels. High level of VEGF was linked to elevated ER-α and ER-β. There was no significant relationship between hormonal receptors and age at diagnosis, tumor stage or bleeding. However, overexpression of ER-α was found to be an indicator of poor prognosis ( p = 0.031). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The chronic rhinosinusitis patient-reported outcome (CRS-PRO) is a recently published disease-specific questionnaire designed for CRS patients, with fewer entries and ease of completion. This study aimed to translate the CRS-PRO questionnaire into Chinese and assess its reliability, validity, and responsiveness to provide Chinese patients with a more concise and efficient subjective assessment instrument., Methods: The Chinese version of the CRS-PRO was created through forward-backward translations and cultural adaptation. Here, 168 CRS patients (118 patients CRS with nasal polyps [CRSwNP] and 50 patients with CRS without nasal polyps [CRSsNP]) and 43 healthy individuals were enrolled. All participants completed the CRS-PRO, 22-item Sinonasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22), and EuroQol five dimensions questionnaire (EQ-5D) questionnaires preoperatively as well as 3 and 6 months after surgery., Results: The Chinese version of the CRS-PRO demonstrated good internal consistency, with a Cronbach's α of 0.813. It also exhibited a higher criterion validity (r = 0.65, p < 0.05) than the SNOT-22. A moderate association was found between the CRS-PRO and objective indicators such as the Lund-Mackay and endoscopic scores. Furthermore, the CRS-PRO, like the SNOT-22, could clearly distinguish CRS patients from healthy subjects (p < 0.01), as well as between the CRSwNP and CRSsNP subtypes (p < 0.01). Additionally, changes in the CRS-PRO exhibited a larger effect size compared to changes in the SNOT-22 (Cohen's d = 1.05 and 0.93 vs. 0.71 and 0.90 for 3 and 6 months, respectively, all p < 0.01)., Conclusions: The Chinese version of the CRS-PRO is a concise, reliable, and responsive instrument that can be utilized as a novel subjective evaluation tool for future clinical practice., (© 2023 ARS‐AAOA, LLC.)

In order to analyze what factors may affect the role of carbon trading pilot in promoting total factor productivity, this paper constructs DID model combining information of listed companies with city and industry characteristics. The moderating effect model is used to research the influence of firms' induced behavior. The results show that (1) the characteristics of a city can influence the impact of carbon trading pilot, which is associated with the city's dominant industry, resource endowment, and geographical location; (2) the effect of carbon trading pilot is heterogeneous, primarily indicating a stronger effect on high-emission industries, while having no significant impact on high-pollution industries; and (3) the induced behavior of businesses, such as increasing green innovation and environmental protection expenditure, potentially "crowding out" the effects of the carbon trading pilot., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: This study evaluates the efficacy and safety of a pollen blocker cream in treatment of perennial allergic rhinitis (PAR) in a Chinese population., Methods: A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled, crossover trial was conducted in the Outpatient Department of the Eye, Ear, Nose, and Throat Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China. Patients diagnosed with PAR were randomly assigned to receive pollen blocker cream or placebo, which was applied and evenly distributed to the lower internal nose region three times daily for a total of 30 days. The primary outcome measures for efficacy were nasal symptom scores (NSSs) and quality of life scores (QoLSs). Medication scores and adverse events were also monitored., Results: After application of pollen blocker, the mean NSS fell from 23.1 to 12.4 points, and the QoLSs fell from 83.9 to 53.2 points (p < 0.001). The decrease in NSSs of pollen blocker (10.7) was highly significant compared with the placebo (3.6; p < 0.001). The decrease in QoLSs of pollen blocker was 30.7 compared with 7.1 in the placebo group, and the difference was also significant (p < 0.05). Interestingly, the mean NSS of the placebo group also decreased from 23.7 to 20.1 (p < 0.05). Additionally, the efficacy of pollen blocker was superior to the placebo both in adults and in children. However, there was no significant difference for individual symptoms of rhinorrhea, nasal itching, sneezing, and nasal congestion between the pollen blocker group and placebo group (p > 0.05). Only one mild epistaxis was reported., Conclusion: The pollen blocker was significantly more effective than the placebo in relieving allergy symptoms and improving life quality of PAR in 30 Chinese people.

Fluticasone furoate nasal spray (FFNS) is a novel, enhanced-affinity intranasal corticosteroid administered for the management of allergic rhinitis (AR). Several studies have shown that FFNS at a dose of 110 μg once daily (o.p.d.) is effective in relieving nasal as well as ocular symptoms in adolescents and adults with AR. The primary objective of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of FFNS 110 micrograms o.p.d. with matching placebo nasal spray for 2 weeks in Chinese adult and adolescent subjects with intermittent AR (IAR) or persistent AR (PAR). In this multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study, patients (adults and adolescents aged ≥12 years with AR) received either FFNS 110 micrograms (n = 181) or placebo (n = 182) o.p.d. for 2 weeks. AR was defined according to Allergic Rhinitis and Its Impact on Asthma classification. Efficacy measures included reflective total nasal symptom score (rTNSS), rhinoscopy score, overall interference in activities of daily living (ADL) score, and reflective total ocular symptom score (rTOSS). FFNS significantly improved the mean change from baseline in daily rTNSS compared with placebo (treatment difference of -1.498, 95% confidence interval [-1.897, -1.099]; p < 0.0001). FFNS was also significantly more effective than placebo in decreasing rhinoscopy score (treatment difference of -1.3; p < 0.0001) and ADL score (treatment difference of -0.4; p < 0.0001). In patients with severe ocular symptoms, FFNS showed numerically better treatment effect in reducing daily rTOSS than placebo (treatment difference of -0.646; p = 0.0853). FFNS 110 micrograms o.p.d. was significantly more effective than placebo in improving nasal symptoms in Chinese patients with IAR and PAR. ClinicalTrials.gov registration number: NCT01231464.

Background: Pre-diabetes is a growing health concern where a large percentage of these patients develop full type 2 diabetes. Effective interventions on pre-diabetes can prevent or delay the occurrence or development of diabetes. Pharmacodynamics and pre-clinical of JinQi-Jiangtang tablets (JQJT) suggest that it could be benefit for pre-diabetes., Methods/design: Randomized controlled trial (RCT) is implemented in this study. The study term is 24 months (12 months for intervention and 12 months for follow up). Participants are recruited from four cities of China: Beijing, Tianjin, Xi'an and Nanning. Four hundred participants are randomized to treatment group (JQJT tablets) and control group (Placebo); two hundred participants each. People being included in this study must have been diagnosed as pre-diabetes via western medicine criteria and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) criteria. The end-point indexes include: incidence of diabetes mellitus and reversion rate. Primary outcome indexes include: oral glucose tolerance test; insulin releasing test; glycosylated hemoglobin (HA1c). Secondary outcome indexes include: score of the Short Form 36 Health Survey Questionnaire (SF-36); score of TCM symptoms; blood lipid test. Indexes of safety include: general medical examination; blood and urine regular test; electrocardiogram (ECG), liver function (ALT) and renal function (BUN, Creatinine) test; record of adverse event, such as headache, faint, etc. Qualitative control will be implemented and a number of standard operating processes (SOPs) will be formed throughout the study: laboratory quality control measures; compliance control for researchers and participants; researcher training before study; supervision; investigational drug management and others., Discussion: The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of JinQi JiangTang (JQJT) tablets for the treatment of patients with pre-diabetes., Trial Registration: Chinese clinical trials register ChiCTR-TRC-00000401.