Search

Based on the purpose of improving the communication power of the computational intelligence short videos of China Communist Youth League, this paper takes six typical computational intelligence short video IDs and their popular computational intelligence short videos of the Communist Youth League at the provincial level as the research object investigates the characteristics along with the influencing factors of communication power from four aspects: expression form, content presentation, title text, and local characteristics through content analysis of Communist Youth League computational intelligence short videos. China communist youth league is the organization of young people between the ages of 14-28 which is run by chinese communist party with the purpose of training upcoming party members as well as officials. These six specific IDs of Communist youth league are selected as these accounts have consistently excellent performance in the ranking of government affairs TikTok accounts, and they have certain typicality and research significance. The novelty of this paper is an empirical analysis of Computational Intelligence short video communication. The methodologies that are included in this research are Release frequency that describes video update frequency, word frequency analysis that describes the keywords to follow in the short videos and statistical analysis of coding strategies. These Analysis were carried out through content and case study which was done using python 3.0's pandas, snownlp and other functional packages. The criterias which are used to evaluate the videos are views, likes, content, video format, form of expression, title form, local specialities show the engagement of the viewers in content as well as it helps in reaching the audience. Through the research, it is found that the computational intelligence short videos' communication power of the provincial Communist Youth League is related to video duration, expression form, video content, title text, local characteristics, and audience psychological behavior, but has no obvious positive correlation with title form. The advantage of computational intelligence short videos of the provincial Communist Youth League is that the party media has clear positioning, rich content, and innovative forms, but at the same time, there are some problems, such as unclear "youth" features, lack of local characteristics and audience interaction. This paper refines the characteristics of excellent computational intelligence in short videos of the Communist Youth League and puts forward countermeasures and suggestions for the shortcomings.

Purpose: To explore the feasibility of peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) in patients with achalasia and hiatal hernia. Materials and methods: We performed a retrospective review of 2136 patients with achalasia between January 2016 and December 2022. Patients with achalasia and hiatal hernia were assigned into study group, and matched patients with achalasia but no hiatal hernia were assigned into control group. The preoperative baseline information, procedure-related adverse events (AEs) and follow-up data were compared between the two groups. Results: Hiatal hernia was identified in 56/1564 (3.6%) patients with achalasia. All of these patients underwent POEM with success. The preoperative baseline characteristics were similar between the study and control group. The study group presented with a similar rate of mucosal injury (12.5% vs 16.1, P = 0.589), pneumothorax (3.6% vs 1.8%, P = 1.000), pleural effusion (8.9% vs 12.5%, P = 0.541) and major AEs (1.8% vs 1.8%, P = 1.000) compared with the control group. As for the follow-up data, no significant differences were observed in clinical success (96.4% vs 92.9%, P = 0.679; 93.6% vs 94.0%, P = 1.000; 86.5% vs 91.4%, P = 0.711) clinical reflux (25.0% vs 19.6%, P = 0.496; 31.9% vs 26.0%, P = 0.521; 35.1% vs 31.4%, P = 0.739) and proton pump inhibitor usage (17.9% vs 16.1%, P = 0.801; 29.8% vs 24.0%, P = 0.520; 32.4% vs 25.7%, P = 0.531) between the study group and control group at 1-year, 2-year and 3-year follow-ups. Conclusions: POEM is a safe and effective treatment for achalasia combined with hiatal hernia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Confronted with the concurrent challenges of economic advancement and environmental management, this study explores whether implementing Intellectual Property Demonstration Policies (IPDP) can be a covert force in enhancing carbon emission efficiency. Utilizing panel data from 280 prefecture-level cities in China over the period 2007–2019, we employ a quasi-natural experimental design, incorporating multiple-period difference-in-differences models, mediation effect models, and spatial Durbin difference-in-differences models to assess the impacts of IPDP on carbon emission efficiency, its mechanisms of action, and its spatial spillover effects. The regression results of the multi-period difference-in-differences model reveal a statistically significant enhancement in carbon emission efficiency due to IPDP, with an impact coefficient of 0.044. Through heterogeneity tests, it is observed that the influence of IPDP on carbon emission efficiency varies based on regional characteristics, carbon emission levels, and the extent of marketization. The mediation effect model demonstrates that IPDP enhances carbon emission efficiency by fostering green technological innovation and facilitating the transformation of industrial structures. Furthermore, the spatial Durbin difference-in-differences model illustrates that IPDP positively influences the carbon emission efficiency of neighboring regions, indicating favorable spatial spillover effects. Notably, the indirect effect coefficients in the geographical distance matrix, economic distance matrix, and economic-geographical nested matrix are calculated as 0.673, 0.250, and 0.386, respectively. These findings offer compelling theoretical and empirical support for strengthening the intellectual property framework to optimize its environmental impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

STUDY QUESTION Can exposure to palmitic acid (PA), a common saturated fatty acid, modulate autophagy in both human and mouse trophoblast cells through the regulation of acyl-coenzyme A-binding protein (ACBP)? SUMMARY ANSWER PA exposure before and during pregnancy impairs placental development through mechanisms involving placental autophagy and ACBP expression. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY High-fat diets, including PA, have been implicated in adverse effects on human placental and fetal development. Despite this recognition, the precise molecular mechanisms underlying these effects are not fully understood. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION Extravillous trophoblast (EVT) cell line HTR-8/SVneo and human trophoblast stem cell (hTSC)-derived EVT (hTSCs-EVT) were exposed to PA or vehicle control for 24 h. Female wild-type C57BL/6 mice were divided into PA and control groups (n = 10 per group) and subjected to a 12-week dietary intervention. Afterward, they were mated with male wild-type C57BL/6 mice and euthanized on Day 14 of gestation. Female ACBPflox/flox mice were also randomly assigned to control and PA-exposed groups (each with 10 mice), undergoing the same dietary intervention and mating with ACBPflox/floxELF5-Cre male mice, followed by euthanasia on Day 14 of gestation. The study assessed the effects of PA on mouse embryonic development and placental autophagy. Additionally, the role of ACBP in the pathogenesis of PA-induced placental toxicity was investigated. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS The findings were validated using real-time PCR, Western blot, immunofluorescence, transmission electron microscopy, and shRNA knockdown approaches. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE Exposure to PA-upregulated ACBP expression in both human HTR-8/SVneo cells and hTSCs-EVT, as well as in mouse placenta. PA exposure also induced autophagic dysfunction in HTR-8/SVneo cells, hTSCs-EVT, and mouse placenta. Through studies on ACBP placental conditional knockout mice and ACBP knockdown human trophoblast cells, it was revealed that reduced ACBP expression led to trophoblast malfunction and affected the expression of autophagy-related proteins LC3B-II and P62, thereby impacting embryonic development. Conversely, ACBP knockdown partially mitigated PA-induced impairment of placental trophoblast autophagy, observed both in vitro in human trophoblast cells and in vivo in mice. LARGE SCALE DATA N/A. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION Primary EVT cells from early pregnancy are fragile, limiting research use. Maintaining their viability is tough, affecting data reliability. The study lacks depth to explore PA diet cessation effects after 12 weeks. Without follow-up, understanding postdiet impacts on pregnancy stages is incomplete. Placental abnormalities linked to elevated PA diet in embryos lack confirmation due to absence of control groups. Clarifying if issues stem solely from PA exposure is difficult without proper controls. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS Consuming a high-fat diet before and during pregnancy may result in complications or challenges in successfully carrying the pregnancy to term. It suggests that such dietary habits can have detrimental effects on the health of both the mother and the developing fetus. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) This work was supported in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (82171664, 82301909) and the Natural Science Foundation of Chongqing Municipality of China (CSTB2022NS·CQ-LZX0062, cstc2019jcyj-msxmX0749, and cstc2021jcyj-msxmX0236). The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER N/A. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Advances in Atmospheric Sciences is the property of Springer Nature 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.)

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a common cause of dementia, characterised by cerebral amyloid-ß deposition, pathological tau and neurodegeneration. The prodromal stage of AD (pAD) refers to patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and evidence of AD's pathology. At this stage, disease-modifying interventions should be used to prevent the progression to dementia. Given the inherent heterogeneity of MCI, more specific biomarkers are needed to elucidate the underlying AD's pathology. Although the uses of cerebrospinal fluid and positron emission tomography are widely accepted Methods for detecting AD's pathology, their clinical applications are limited by their high costs and invasiveness, particularly in low-income areas in China. Therefore, to improve the early detection of Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology through cost-effective screening methods, a panel of 45 neurologists, psychiatrists and gerontologists was invited to establish a formal consensus on the screening of pAD in China. The supportive evidence and grades of recommendations are based on a systematic literature review and focus group discussion. National meetings were held to allow participants to review, vote and provide their expert opinions to reach a consensus. A majority (two-thirds) decision was used for questions for which consensus could not be reached. Recommended screening Methods are presented in this publication, including neuropsychological assessment, peripheral biomarkers and brain imaging. In addition, a general workflow for screening pAD in China is established, which will help clinicians identify individuals at high risk and determine therapeutic targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Buildings near direct current transmission lines are sensitive to the electromagnetic environment, and the measurement of the electric field above them is important in engineering design and environmental assessment in China. The models of buildings and probes in the ion flow field were established to explore the accurate measurement method of the electric field above the building. Based on the upstream finite element method and the predictor–corrector method, the influence of whether the probe was grounded or not above the building was studied. On this basis, simulation experiments and real‐type experiments were carried out. The results show that when the electrical conductivity of the building was greater than 10−10 S/m, being grounded or not would not change the results. When the building conductivity was between 10−11 and 10−12 S/m, the electric field measurement results would be increased by 30% to 120% after grounding. In the real‐type experiments on the platform with a plywood roof, the relative error in the electric field when grounded or not was only 2.6%. This proved the reliability of the calculated results. In this paper, the measuring method of the DC space charge‐modified electric field above buildings was analyzed first, and the conclusion that ground wire can be cancelled above buildings with general materials was presented. The research results can provide a technical basis for the accurate measurement of the electric field above the buildings near DC transmission lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Craniosynostosis (CRS) is a disease with prematurely fused cranial sutures. In the last decade, the whole-exome sequencing (WES) was widely used in Caucasian populations. The WES largely contributed in genetic diagnosis and exploration on new genetic mechanisms of CRS. In this study, we enrolled 264 CRS patients in China. After a 17-gene-panel sequencing designed in the previous study, 139 patients were identified with pathogenic/likely pathogenic (P/LP) variants according to the ACMG guideline as positive genetic diagnosis. WES was then performed on 102 patients with negative genetic diagnosis by panel. Ten P/LP variants were additionally identified in ten patients, increasing the genetic diagnostic yield by 3.8% (10/264). The novel variants in ANKH, H1-4, EIF5A, SOX6, and ARID1B expanded the mutation spectra of CRS. Then we designed a compatible research pipeline (RP) for further exploration. The RP could detect all seven P/LP SNVs and InDels identified above, in addition to 15 candidate variants found in 13 patients with worthy of further study. In sum, the 17-gene panel and WES identified positive genetic diagnosis for 56.4% patients (149/264) in 16 genes. At last, in our estimation, the genetic testing strategy of "Panel-first" saves 24.3% of the cost compared with "WES only", suggesting the "Panel-first" is an economical strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the continuous promotion of urbanization, the generation of construction and demolition waste (CDW) is increasing. The environmental problems and safety hazards caused as a result need to be resolved. In this paper, based on the system dynamics (SD) theory, the modeling, the cost, and the environmental benefit of CDW resource management under the life cycle assessment (LCA) are proposed. Specifically, we propose a combined policy derived through three variables, namely, fines, subsidies, and charges. The target is to reduce illegal dumping behavior and landfill volume and to improve the recycling volume and environmental benefits. The model is constructed with the help of the software VENSIM, and the validity and feasibility of the model are demonstrated with data from Nantong City. The results show that a single policy cannot simultaneously improve environmental benefits, illegal dumping, recycling, and landfill behavior. A combined policy combines the advantages of three single policies, fines, subsidies, and charges, which not only can effectively curb illegal dumping and landfill disposal under the premise of prioritizing environmental benefits, but can also promote the recycling of CDW. The reasonable range for the fine is 300–350 CNY/ton; the rational range for subsidies is 30–40 CNY/ton; and the flexible range for treatment charge is 40–80 CNY/ton. The model can be used for the quantitative assessment of urban CDW management costs and environmental benefits and can also provide a theoretical basis for the government. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: As common retinopathy is observed in low-birth infants, the characteristics of ROP in twins are worth exploring. The present study tried to demonstrate the risk factors of treatment for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in twins both diagnosed with ROP. Methods: A retrospective, institution-based cohort study of 62 premature ROP twin pairs with a mean gestational age (GA) younger than 35 weeks and a birth weight (BW) lower than 2500 g. Only infants with a follow-up period longer than 6 months and complete treatment records were included. The demographic data, treatment requirements and further rescue treatments were all collected and analyzed for all infants according to whether they accepted treatments. Moreover, all twin infants were divided into small and large twin groups according to birth weight, and they were also categorized as three groups according to the treatment requirement including both twins receiving treatment (BT group), one of the twins receiving treatment (ST group) and none of the twins receiving treatment (NT group). Comparisons of demographic data, treatment requirements and further rescue treatments were all conducted according to the different grouping methods. Results: The mean GA of the enrolled infants was (29.29 ± 2.45) weeks with a mean BW of (1335.77 ± 390.36) grams. Among them, 110 infants were mechanically ventilated. Fifty-one of the infants did not receive any treatment and 73 infants received laser or intravitreal injection of anti-VEGF agents. In total, 64 infants only underwent intravitreal injection of anti-VEGF agents or laser treatment, while the other nine infants received scleral buckling or vitrectomy as a necessary treatment when the retinal detachment was observed. No significantly different mechanical ventilation or treatment requirements could be observed between the small twin group and the large twin group (p = 0.73, 0.94). The twins in the BT groups showed the lowest BW, while the NT group infants had the highest BW. The GA for the BT, ST and NT groups were (27.86 ± 1.87) weeks, (29.60 ± 1.52) weeks and (31.33 ± 2.39) weeks, respectively, and showed significant differences as well (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Being a small twin in twin-paired ROP without a high BW discordant will not increase the risk for treatment requirement or additional surgery necessity with a much more severe stage of ROP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After the resumption of work and production following the COVID-19 pandemic, many cities entered a "transition phase", characterized by the gradual recovery of emission levels from various sources. Although the overall PM 2.5 emission trends have recovered, the specific changes in different sources of PM 2.5 remain unclear. Here, we investigated the changes in source contributions and the evolution pattern of pollution episodes (PE) in Wuhan during the "transition period" and compared them with the same period during the COVID-19 lockdown. We found that vehicle emissions, industrial processes, and road dust exhibited significant recoveries during the transition period, increasing by 5.4%, 4.8%, and 3.9%, respectively, during the PE. As primary emissions increased, secondary formation slightly declined, but it still played a predominant role (accounting for 39.1∼ 43.0% of secondary nitrate). The reduction in industrial activities was partially offset by residential burning. The evolution characteristics of PE exhibited significant differences between the two periods, with PM 2.5 concentration persisting at a high level during the transition period. The differences in the evolution patterns of the two periods were also reflected in their change rates at each stage, which mostly depend on the pre-PE concentration level. The transition period shows a significantly higher value (8.4 μg m–3 h–1) compared with the lockdown period, almost double the amount. In addition to local emissions, regional transport should be a key consideration in pollution mitigation strategies, especially in areas adjacent to Wuhan. Our study quantifies the variations in sources between the two periods, providing valuable insights for optimizing environmental planning to achieve established goals. [Display omitted] • Emission-related trends was the dominant contributor to the long-term trend of PM 2.5. • DN-PMF could accurately capture the diurnal variation in the emission contribution of the subsource. • The evolution pattern during the transitional pollution episodes were abstracted and characterized. • The contribution of vehicles and dust increased by 5.4% and 3.9% compared with the lockdown period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to determine the standardized ileal digestible amino acids (SID AA) and nitrogen-corrected apparent metabolizable energy (AMEn) contents of 6 wheats from different origins in China and incidentally to investigate the effects of exogenous xylanase addition on SID AA and AMEn determination in broiler chicks. A total of 480 chicks were divided into 48 cages of 10 birds each balanced for body weight and fed 8 types of diets in a completely randomized design (6 replicated cages per diet) from 21 to 26 d of age. The individual wheat constituted the only source of crude protein in a semi-purified experimental diet. A nitrogen-free diet was designed to estimate basal endogenous AA loss and determine the SID AA. Titanium oxide (0.3%) was used as an indigestibility marker, and nutrient digestibility and retention were determined by the substitution method. From day 24 to 26, excreta samples were collected for AMEn determination. On day 26, the birds were euthanized, and ileum contents were obtained for AA digestibility determination. Wheat from Gansu had greater (P < 0.05) SID AA contents except Lys, Thr, Phe, and Cys, with a higher (P < 0.001) AMEn (11.83 MJ/kg) than the other wheats. The SID content of mean indispensable amino acids and dispensable amino acids were 87.35% and 88.17%, respectively, and the average AMEn value of 6 wheats was 11.14 MJ/kg. Compared with the diet without xylanase, the added xylanase resulted in higher (P < 0.05) SID contents of Met, Lys, Trp, Arg, Ile, Leu, Val, Gly, Asp, Glu, Pro, and Ala; the SID AA values were raised by 1.96% (mean of all AA); and the AMEn content was significantly increased (+0.87 MJ/kg) (P < 0.05). In conclusion, origins of wheats have significant effects on SID AA and AMEn values which were positively correlated with crude protein content of wheat; exogenous xylanase addition to a wheat-based poultry diet could significantly improve SID AA and AMEn contents for broilers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: There is no consensus regarding the association between hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and risk of meningioma so far. We conducted the first study among Chinese female patients to investigate the influence of HRT use on the risk of meningioma. Methods: We retrospectively collected records of diagnosis of meningioma for women aged 50 years and above during 2011–2016 and dispense of HRT prior to meningioma diagnosis in three tertiary hospitals in China. Meningioma cases were matched with controls at a ratio of 1:2 by using nearest neighbor propensity scores matching in order to balance the baseline characteristics between groups, which generated a total of 629 cases with 1258 controls. Results: We observed prior use of HRT associated with increased risk of meningioma (odds ratio [OR], 1.2; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.0–1.4) and the association was more prominent among women having multiple HRT dispenses and longer term exposure (OR, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.1–1.6), among those with combination therapy of estrogens and progestogens (OR, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.1–1.7) than monotherapy, and among progestogen users than estrogen users as for monotherapy. Furthermore, vaginal, subcutaneous implant seems to be associated with a higher risk of meningioma compared with oral administration although no significance had been reached. Conclusion: This case–control study provides evidence that hormone use for an HRT purpose might constitute the development and growth of meningioma as an independent risk factor, especially for combination therapy and/or long‐term users, which supports that meningioma might be a hormone‐sensitive tumor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. In recent decades, the prevalence rate of myopia has markedly increased, especially among teenagers. Our purpose was to determine the incidence of myopia and identify the related risk factors among schoolchildren in the experimental classes of the Air Force in China. Methods. In May 2015, this 3-year prospective cohort study enrolled 522 boys (age, 14–16 years) attending grade 10 in 16 high schools in 15 cities in China. Cycloplegic refraction was examined using retinoscopy in both eyes at the baseline and follow-up (3 years). A detailed questionnaire was completed by the students at the 3-year follow-up and included questions on parental myopia and on the total time spent doing near work and outdoor activities each week. Results. The incidence of myopia at the 3-year follow-up was 27.01% (141/522, 95% confidence interval (CI): 23.38% to 30.98%). The refractive change was −0.46 D (95% CI: −0.49 to −0.42 D). More hyperopic or less myopic baseline refraction, outdoor activity time per week ≥14 h (odds ratio (OR) = 0.464, 95% CI: 0.227 to 0.950), and reading/writing distance ≥ 30 cm (OR = 0.505, 95% CI: 0.270 to 0.944) were significant protective factors against incident myopia. Near-work time ≥28 h per week was a significant risk factor (OR = 2.579, 95% CI: 1.314 to 5.061). Parental myopia, age at the start of primary school, continuous reading/writing for ≥1 h, sleep duration per week <49 h, and one or more dietary biases were not significant risk factors (P>0.05). Conclusion. A more hyperopic baseline refraction, more time spent outdoors, and longer writing/reading distance were protected against myopia onset, while more near-work time was a risk factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, shallow lakes have suffered from excessive nitrogen (N) loading due to increased human activities in catchments, resulting in water quality degradation and aquatic biodiversity loss. Sediment denitrification, which reduces nitrate (NO 3 − ) to N gaseous products, is the most important mechanism for permanent N removal in freshwater lakes. However, the relative contribution of abiotic and biotic factors to the sediment denitrification is highly variable. Here, we determined the unamended denitrification rate and nitrous oxide (N 2 O) production rate of 74 sediment samples from 22 eutrophic lakes in the Yangtze River basin. We also quantified the diversity and abundance of denitrifying communities using nirK and nirS genes. The results of variance partitioning analyses showed that water physicochemical properties (e.g., dissolved oxygen) and nutrients (e.g., NO 3 − concentration) but not denitrifier communities and submerged vegetation were the major factor groups predicting denitrification and N 2 O production rates. Path analyses further revealed that water physicochemical properties and nutrients could affect denitrification and N 2 O production rates both directly and indirectly, and the direct effects were considerably higher than the indirect effects mediated through changes in sediment characteristics, denitrifier communities and submerged vegetation. These findings suggest that the dominant N removal process in Yangtze lakes is largely regulated by abiotic factors rather than diversity and abundance of denitrifiers and submerged macrophytes. Additionally, the findings in this study are helpful in developing a targeted strategy to assess and enhance the N removal capability of eutrophic lakes in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In light of the relationship and the current disconnection between science & technology (S&T) innovation and industrial innovation in China, it is necessary to put forward and emphasize the concept of industrialized innovation. Industrialized innovation is the bridge and intermediation between S&T innovation and industrial innovation, which is not only a concept, but also a mechanism and combination force. There are two ways to achieve industrialized innovation: through industry-university-research coordination and through technology entrepreneurship. The meaning of industry-university-research coordination is not about coordination among industry, university and research sectors in an institutional sense; rather it is about the coordination of the functions of cultivation and development in new industries, new technologies, and new talents of industrialized innovation. The incentive mechanism for industrialized innovation should motivate not only innovation but also coordination. Technology entrepreneurship is the industrialization of new technology through business start-ups, which occurs beyond the stage of incubation and development of new technology. The capital of technology entrepreneurship is the set consisting of knowledge capital manifested through technological innovation, human capital manifested through entrepreneurs, and physical capital in the form of venture capital. While physical capital is indispensable, knowledge capital and human capital play the decisive role in technology entrepreneurship. The industrialization of technological innovation involves two requirements: one is to enable the new technology industry to achieve a large scale rapidly, and the other is to fully realize the potential value of the new technology. Both requirements are reliant on effective innovation in business models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Formyl peptide receptor 2-lipoxin receptor (FPR2/ALX) modulates the anti-inflammatory response and therefore may be a target for treating sepsis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between genetic variants of the FPR2/ALX gene and sepsis after severe trauma as well as to further analyze the functions of sepsis-related genetic polymorphisms.Methods: Three tag single-nucleotide polymorphisms (tag SNPs) that captured all common alleles across the FPR2/ALX genomic region were genotyped using pyrosequencing in an initial sample consisting of 275 patients with severe trauma. The rs11666254 polymorphism, which had statistical significance, was genotyped in an additional 371 patients, and logistic regression analysis was performed to determine associations between the FPR2/ALX gene polymorphism and sepsis susceptibility after severe trauma. The messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein levels of FPR2/ALX in the lipopolysaccharide-stimulated white blood cells of trauma patients were determined by performing quantitative polymerase chain reactions and Western blot analysis. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α production was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The effects of the promoter polymorphism rs11666254 on the transcription activity of FPR2/ALX were analyzed using a luciferase reporter assay.Results: Among the three tag SNPs, only the rs11666254 polymorphism was found to be significantly associated with sepsis in trauma patients, and this association persisted after a pooled analysis of all 646 trauma patients, which showed that patients who carried the A allele of rs11666254 had a significantly higher risk of developing sepsis than individuals who carried the G allele. This SNP was also significantly associated with lower FPR2/ALX mRNA and protein expression as well as higher TNF-α production from the peripheral blood leukocyte response to bacterial lipoprotein stimulation. In addition, the rs11666254 polymorphism could significantly decrease the promoter activity of the FPR2/ALX gene.Conclusions: The rs11666254 polymorphism in the FPR2/ALX gene is a functional SNP that increases sepsis susceptibility in patients after traumatic injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the educational status of temporary migrant children in China, using a unique data set specifically designed to study this population across a wide range of migration destinations. The determinants of migrant children's schooling at both the micro-level (child- and family-level) and macro-level (city-level) were examined using multiple measures of schooling to provide a more complete picture. Emphasis has been placed on gender gap and city-level variations. Results show that household composition, family size and economic conditions are all strong predictors of migrant children's schooling. Based on contrasting children pairs within households using fixed-effect models, the study found no gender gap in migrant children's schooling, despite the persistent son preference in the rural areas where migrants came from. Importantly, variations across city-specific contexts are evident: migrant children in more coastal regions and in destinations with high levels of development and high concentration of migrants are especially disadvantaged, presumably due to the more restrictive migration controls in such areas. Results are shown to be robust to outliers, potential confounders as well as different proxy measures of migration controls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China has great potential for engaging in global actions on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) control. This study aims to summarize the process of global AMR governance and provide relevant policy recommendations on how China could take more initiative in the global AMR governance. We searched for academic articles and official document published or issued before December 2020 in e-journal databases, official websites of major organizations, and the relevant national ministries. This review revealed that global action on AMR control has experienced three stages: (1) The beginning stage (1980s and 1990s) when actions were mainly sponsored by high-income countries and AMR surveillance was focused on hospitals; (2) The rapid development stage (2000–2010) when global AMR governance began to concentrate on joint actions in multi-sectors, and developing countries were gradually involved in global actions; (3) The comprehensive stage (2011 to present) when global actions on AMR have covered various fields in different countries. China's AMR governance has fallen behind at the beginning but recently began to catch up with the global trend. The central government should take a far-fetched view, act decisively and positively towards the global efforts of addressing AMR to play a more active and greater role on the international stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on carbon dioxide (CO2) geological and biogeochemical cycles in the ocean is important to support the geoscience study. Continuous in-situ measurement of dissolved CO2 is critically needed. However, the time and spatial resolution are being restricted due to the challenges of very high submarine pressure and quite low efficiency in water-gas separation, which, therefore, are emerging the main barriers to deep sea investigation. We develop a fiber-integrated sensor based on cavity ring-down spectroscopy for in-situ CO2 measurement. Furthermore, a fast concentration retrieval model using exponential fit is proposed at non-equilibrium condition. The in-situ dissolved CO2 measurement achieves 10 times faster than conventional methods, where an equilibrium condition is needed. As a proof of principle, near-coast in-situ CO2 measurement was implemented in Sanya City, Haina, China, obtaining an effective dissolved CO2 concentration of ~950 ppm. The experimental results prove the feasibly for fast dissolved gas measurement, which would benefit the ocean investigation with more detailed scientific data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyzed micro-Raman spectra of carbonaceous materials (CM) in natural and experimentally deformed fault rocks from Longmenshan fault zone that caused the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, to characterize degree of disordering of CM in a fault zone. Raman spectral parameters for 12 samples from a fault zone in Shenxigou, Sichuan, China, all show low-grade structures with no graphite. Low crystallinity and δ 13 C values (−24‰ to −25‰) suggest that CM in fault zone originated from host rocks (Late Triassic Xujiahe Formation). Full width at half maximum values of main spectral bands (D1 and D2), and relative intensities of two subbands (D3 and D4) of CM were variable with sample locations. However, Raman parameters of measured fault rocks fall on established trends of graphitization in sedimentary and metamorphic rocks. An empirical geothermometer gives temperatures of 160–230 °C for fault rocks in Shenxigou, and these temperatures were lower for highly sheared gouge than those for less deformed fault breccia at inner parts of the fault zone. The lower temperature and less crystallinity of CM in gouge might have been caused by the mechanical destruction of CM by severe shearing deformation, or may be due to mixing of host rocks on the footwall. CM in gouge deformed in high-velocity experiments exhibits slight changes towards graphitization characterized by reduction of D3 and D4 intensities. Thus low crystallinity of CM in natural gouge cannot be explained by our experimental results. Graphite formation during seismic fault motion is extremely local or did not occur in the study area, and the CM crystallinity from shallow to deep fault zones may be predicted as a first approximation from the graphitization trend in sedimentary and metamorphic rocks. If that case, graphite may lower the friction of shear zones at temperatures above ~ 300 °C, deeper than the lower part of seismogenic zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the impact of HIV-related stigma on families living with HIV/ AIDS in China. In-depth, semistructured interviews were conducted with 30 people living with HIV/AIDS and with 15 of their family members, including spouses, parents, and siblings. Findings show that HIV-related stigma is associated with bringing shame to the family, losing family "face," and damaging within-family relations and broader family social networks. HIV/AIDS stigma was reported to have major impacts on family identity and interactions. In order to cope with these pressures, families reported joining self-support programs, educating family members, and helping other families. This study illustrates that HIV-related stigma is an issue faced by entire families in China, points to specific aspects of family life in which these impacts take place, and suggests the importance of including families in HIV/AIDS and stigma reduction interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Despite of very rare, breast cancer patients with double heterozygosity (DH) variants in BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes have been identified in other ethnic groups and seem to be associated with distinctive phenotypes. However, little is known about the frequency and clinical characteristics of Chinese breast cancer patients with BRCA1/2 DH variants., Methods: Four hundred and eleven unrelated patients with BRCA1 or BRCA2 pathogenic variants (PVs) were identified in a large series of unselected breast cancer patients. Another two siblings with metachronous bilateral breast cancer were referred for genetic counseling, after which BRCA1/2 DH variants were detected., Results: Four unrelated breast cancer patients with BRCA1/2 DH were identified in the cohort of 411 patients with BRCA1 or BRCA2 PVs, the frequency of BRCA1/2 DH was 0.97%. In total, six BRCA1/2 DH patients from five families were found in this study. In two families, the hereditary pattern of DH was speculated to have originated from both sides of the family. BRCA1/2 DH patients were more likely to have a family history of breast cancer than patients with a BRCA1 (100% vs. 29.2%, P = 0.004) or BRCA2 (100% vs. 29.6%, P = 0.004) single PV. BRCA1/2 DH patients were more likely to be triple-negative breast tumors than patients with single BRCA2 PVs (66.7% vs. 14.1%, P = 0.020), which was comparable to the findings in patients with single BRCA1 PVs (66.7% vs. 56.9%, P = 1.00)., Conclusion: Chinese patients with BRCA1/2 DH exhibit a high percentage of family history of breast cancer. The tumor pathological features of BRCA1/2 DH carriers are similar to those of BRCA1 PV carriers., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

To elucidate the characteristics of VOCs chemical components during heavy pollution episodes, hourly online VOCs data derived from 11 heavy pollution events in Tianjin from 2019 to 2020 were employed. The positive matrix factorization （PMF） and conditional bivariate probability function （CBPF） were employed to analyze the sources of VOCs during heavy pollution episodes. The results indicated that the average VOCs volume fraction during these episodes was recorded at 35.7×10 -9 . Furthermore, it was observed that during the winter emergency response period, there was a discernible increase in the volume fraction of VOCs when compared to that during the autumn season. Specifically, there was a notable upswing of 48% in the olefins category, whereas alkanes registered a 4% increase. Additionally, the VOCs component structure changed significantly during the heavy pollution episodes. During the orange warning period, the proportion of alkanes increased by 36%, and the proportion of acetylene decreased by 32%. During the yellow warning period, the proportion of alkanes increased by 14%, and the proportion of acetylene decreased by 5%. During the emergency response period, motor vehicle emission sources, natural gas evaporative sources, and solvent use sources were the main contributors of VOCs in environmental receptors, contributing 17.5%, 15.4%, and 15.2%, respectively. Compared with that during the period antecedent to the emergency response, the contribution of vehicle emission sources and diesel volatile sources to VOCs in environmental receptors decreased by 2.0% to 5.5% and 2.1% to 6.6%, respectively, and the contribution of solvent use sources decreased by 0.2% to 2.4% during the yellow warning period. During the orange warning period, the contribution of motor vehicle emission sources was reduced by 0.1% to 8.3%, and the contribution of solvent use sources was reduced by 0.5% to 6.2%.

Riverine islands are widespread alluvium wetlands developed in large rivers, and bacterial communities are crucial to their ecological function, yet their assembly processes are rarely addressed. The ecosystem services provided by the middle and the lower Yangtze are primarily threatened by pollution discharge from agricultural land use, and resource overutilization (e.g., embankments), respectively. Here, we assessed bacterial community assembly processes and their drivers within riverine islands in the middle Yangtze River (MR islands) and those in the lower reach (LR islands). A significant distance-decay relationship was observed, although the turnover rate was lower than that of the terrestrial ecosystem with less connectivity. Deterministic and stochastic processes jointly shaped community patterns, and the influence of stochastic increased from 26% in MR islands to 59% for those in LR islands. Meanwhile, the bacterial community in MR islands was controlled more by inorganic nitrogen availability, whereas those in LR islands were governed by pH and EC, although those factors explained a limited fraction of variation in the bacterial community. Potential indicator taxa (affiliated with Nocardioides and Lysobacter ) characterized the waterway transport pollution. Overall, our study demonstrated that bacterial community dissimilarity and the importance of dispersal limitation increased concurrently along the flow direction, while distinct local factors further determined bacterial community compositions by selecting habitat-specificity taxa and particularly metabolism function. These findings enhanced our understanding of the mechanisms driving changes in bacterial communities of riverine islands subject to increased anthropogenic impacts.IMPORTANCERivers are among the most threatened ecosystems globally and face multiple stressors related to human activity. However, linkages between microbial diversity patterns and assembly processes in rivers remain unclear, especially in riverine islands developed in large rivers. Our findings reveal that distinct factors result in divergent bacterial community compositions and functional profiles in the riverine islands in the middle Yangtze and those in the lower Yangtze, with substantial differentiation in deterministic and stochastic processes that jointly contribute to bacterial community assemblages. Additionally, keystone species may play important metabolic roles in coping with human-related disturbances. This study provides an improved understanding of relationships between microbial diversity patterns and ecosystem functions under environmental changes in large river ecosystems., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

The concentration of heavy metals (HMs) in aquaculture pond sediments significantly affects aquatic food safety and environmental quality. The contamination characteristics, drivers and potential sources of HMs in typical bulk freshwater aquaculture pond sediments in major provinces of China were systematically investigated using a variety of methods and models. Specifically, 130 surface sediment samples were collected from the study area, and the geoaccumulation index (I geo ) and potential ecological risk index (RI) were used to jointly evaluate the characteristics of the HMs. Spearman's correlation and redundancy analysis revealed the main drivers of the HMs. Additionally, the positive matrix factorization (PMF) model and absolute principal component score-multiple linear regression (APCS-MLR) model were used to identify the sources of HMs. The results revealed that the pond sediments were safe for fish culture in most of the study areas. Aquafeed protein content is an important driver of HM concentrations in sediments. The total organic carbon (TOC) content, percentage of clay particles, and pH of the aquaculture pond sediments determined the sediment HMs enrichment abilities as 13.6 %, 52 %, and 9.8 %, respectively. Cd, a significantly enriched pollutant, posed a greater ecological risk than the other five HMs (Cr, Cu, Zn, As, and Pb). Three sources of HMs were identified, including agricultural activity (e.g., aquafeeds, pesticides, and fertilizers), industrial production, and natural sources, with contributions of 44.29 %, 36.66 %, and 19.05 %, respectively. This study provides a scientific basis for minimizing the input and accumulation of HMs in freshwater aquaculture pond sediments, and this can provide insights into the prevention and control of the ecological risks posed by HMs., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no competing financial interests or personal relationships that may have influenced the work reported in this study., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) is a life-threatening complication in patients with severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS), yet SFTS-associated IPA (SAPA)'s risk factors remain undefined. A multicenter retrospective cohort study across Hubei and Anhui provinces (May 2013-September 2022) utilized least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression for variable selection. Multivariable logistic regression identified independent predictors of SAPA, Cox regression highlighted mortality-related risk factors. Of the 1775 screened SFTS patients, 1650 were included, with 169 developing IPA, leading to a 42-day mortality rate of 26.6% among SAPA patients. Multivariable logistic regression revealed SAPA risk factors including advanced age, petechia, hemoptysis, tremor, low albumin levels, elongated activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), intensive care unit (ICU) admission, glucocorticoid usage, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) and prolonged hospital stays. Cox regression identified predictors of 42-day mortality, including ecchymosis at venipuncture sites, absence of ICU admission, elongated prothrombin time (PT), vasopressor and glucocorticoid use, non-antifungals. Nomograms constructed on these predictors registered concordance indexes of 0.855 (95% CI: 0.826-0.884) and 0.778 (95% CI: 0.702-0.854) for SAPA onset and 42-day mortality, respectively. Lower survival rates for SAPA patients treated with glucocorticoids (p < 0.001) and improved 14-day survival with antifungal therapy (p = 0.036). Improving IPA management in SFTS-endemic areas is crucial, with effective predictive tool., (© 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Introduction: The application of technology supported by cyber infrastructure has emerged as a critical factor influencing city management. This study aims to investigate whether the development of cyber infrastructure can enhance cities' confidence in responding to potential epidemic threats in the context of COVID-19., Methods: China serves as a good example for both COVID-19 management and smart city construction. We take advantage of a special time point, the 2022 Chinese New Year, to observe cities' precautionary epidemic policies. We utilize choice models and data from 188 Chinese cities to examine the impact of internet coverage on the degree of policy relaxation., Results: We found that cities with higher internet coverage tend to adopt looser policies. In the benchmark regression, for every 1 percentage point increase in internet coverage, the likelihood of implementing loose measures increases by 0.9 percentage points. This result remains robust across different classifications of policies. We also addressed potential endogeneity issues by using the instrumental variables method., Discussion: Our study indicates that effective management of epidemics in the modern era requires not only the utilization of traditional medical resources but also the incorporation of new city features, such as information technology infrastructure., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Gao, Hu, Liao and Yao.)

Particulate nitrate plays an increasingly important role in the formation of air pollution process, while the main mechanisms of nitrate concentration change are different in each stage, same as the driving factors. In this study, we proposed an episode-based analysis to illustrate the typical nitrate evolution patterns and identify the possible impacting factors in different evolution stages. Applying into twelve air pollution episodes, three typical patterns of nitrate evolution were abstracted, and the corresponding conceptual models were constructed. All the pollution episodes were grouped by their evolving shapes, which were driven by physical and chemical processes. Episodes started slowly typically arose from gradual pollutant accumulation, both locally and regionally, and chemical formation under high humidity. Type 1 ("hump-shaped type"), accounting for 66.3 % of the total episode durations, including two "peak" concentrations, displays a rapid growth rate which could up to 4.6 μg m -3 h -1 in average, mainly relying on the sharp drop in the planetary boundary layer height. Short scavenging processes and thoroughly dissipated stages of the pollution episodes always accompanied by strong north wind affected by Siberia-Mongolia cold current. Type 2 ("triangle-shaped type", 24.3 %) shows a gentle growth rate and short duration. Compared with Type 1, chemical process may be more important "source" for the increase of nitrate concentration during Type 2. Type 3 ("trapezoid-shaped type", 9.4 %) presents a long platform stage, during which high humidity (RH > 90 %) provides favorable conditions for wet removal and secondary production, and the updraft can carry pollutants to high altitude. The source and sink are roughly balanced for Type 3. Our study highlights the importance of pattern identification for understanding the nitrate evolution behavior, it may also provide insights for pollution prediction and scientific mitigation strategies., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Estimating the lifetime risk of ovarian cancer in Chinese women with BRCA1/2 germline pathogenic variants (PVs) is of great importance for the clinical management of BRCA1/2 carriers. This cohort study recruited 9903 unselected Chinese breast cancer patients whose BRCA1/2 status was determined. Of these, 3984 probands completed family history questionnaires, which investigated the health status of their relatives, including 11,997 female first-degree relatives. The ovarian cancer risk of BRCA1/2 germline pathogenic carriers was estimated using the ovarian cancer history of proband first-degree female relatives via the Kin-cohort method. Of the 3984 probands, 126 (3.2%) carried BRCA1 PVs, and 183 (4.6%) carried BRCA2 PVs. The estimated cumulative risks of ovarian cancer by age 70 were 15.3% (95% CI 8.4-18.6%) for BRCA1 carriers, 5.5% (95% CI 2.0-10.2%) for BRCA2 carriers, and 0.4% (95% CI 0.3-0.7%) for noncarriers. The cumulative risks of ovarian cancer were very low before the age of 40 for both BRCA1 and BRCA2 carriers and were an increase up to age 45. The cumulative ovarian cancer risk of BRCA1 carriers was approximately three times higher than that of BRCA2 carriers, and BRCA1 and BRCA2 carriers had 38- and 14-fold higher risks than non-BRCA carriers, respectively. The findings indicate that Chinese women with BRCA1/2 PVs have high risks of ovarian cancer in their lifetime, especially BRCA1 carriers. These results are useful for devising optimal strategies to reduce ovarian cancer risk in BRCA1/2 carriers., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to The Japan Society of Human Genetics.)

Introduction. Chlamydia psittaci is an important cause of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). The spectrum of CAP due to Chlamydia psittaci ranges from mild, self-limited to acute respiratory failure and the early identification of this disease can be challenging. Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid has the potential to improve the pathogen identification in severe CAP. Hypothesis/Gap Statement. Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid has the potential to rapidly identify pathogens in severe CAP. The early identification and appropriate use of antibiotics can improve the prognosis of severe CAP caused by Chlamydia psittaci . Aim. The aim of the study is to describe the clinical spectrum of severe psittacosis pneumonia to provide a better understanding of this disease and to demonstrate that mNGS is an effective method for pathogen detection. Methodology. Retrospective case analysis from November 2019 to November 2020 was performed. Sixteen cases of severe psittacosis pneumonia were diagnosed through mNGS. Clinical features, laboratory findings, imaging features, treatment and outcome were summarized. Results. Frequent symptoms included fever (16/16, 100%), dyspnoea (16/16, 100%), cough (12/16, 75%), sputum (11/16, 69%) and headache (9/16, 56%). The median leukocytosis was within the normal range, while C-reactive proteins, CK, LDH, AST, D-Dimer were significantly elevated. The feature of computed tomography included ground-glass opacity with consolidation and multiple lobar distributions. The total number of sequences of Chlamydia psittaci identified from bronchoalveolar lavage by mNGS varied from 58 to 57115. Five patients underwent noninvasive mechanical ventilation, four patients underwent high flow humidified oxygen therapy and one patient underwent invasive mechanical ventilation. Two patients had septic shock needing vasoactive medications. All of the sixteen patients experienced full recoveries. Conclusion . The symptoms of severe CAP caused by Chlamydia psittaci were not typical while laboratory results may have some clues. The mNGS technology can early detect of psittacosis, reduce unnecessary use of antibiotics and short the course of the disease.

Wetlands are highly productive ecosystem with great potential to store carbon (C) and retain nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in their soil. Changes in vegetation type and land use can affect organic matter inputs and soil properties. This work aimed to examine how these changes affected elemental stoichiometry and C-, N-, and P- associated enzyme activities and wetland soil organic C stock. We quantified organic C concentrations, and stoichiometric ratios of C, N, and P in total and microbial biomass pools, along with the activities and ratios of C-, N-, and P-associated enzymes for soils of natural coastal wetlands with different vegetation types, namely Melaleuca wetland (Melaleuca spp), mangrove forests (Bruguiera spp), and saline marsh (Eleocharis spp). We also compared these natural wetlands to an adjacent sugarcane plantation to understand the effects of vegetation types. Hypothesis-oriented path analysis was used to explore links between these variables and soil organic C stocks. Tidal forested soils (0-30 cm) had the highest organic C, N, and P contents and potential activities of C-, N-, P- acquiring enzymes, compared with other vegetation types. Mangroves soils had the highest total soil C:N and microbial biomass C:P ratios. Microbial biomass C:P ratios were significantly and positively related to total C:P, while microbial biomass N:P ratios were positively associated with total soil C:P and N:P ratios. Path analysis suggested that soil organic C stock was largely explained by total C:P ratio, microbial biomass N:P ratios, total P content, and the ratio of C- and P-associated enzymes. Different types of wetlands have different soil properties and enzymatic activities, implying their different capacity to store and process C and N. The resource quality and stoichiometry direct influence the organic C stock., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The spectrum and frequency of BRCA1/2 pathogenic variants may be ethnicity-specific. Whether high-frequency founder mutations are present in Chinese women remains largely unknown. In the current study, germline pathogenic variants in the BRCA1/2 genes were determined in 9,505 unselected Chinese Han breast cancer (BC) patients by next-generation and/ or Sanger sequencing. Four hundred and seventy-one (5.0%) BC patients carried BRCA1/2 pathogenic variants in this cohort. A total of 25 recurrent pathogenic variants (at least found in four unrelated patients) were identified in this cohort (8 BRCA1 and 17 BRCA2 recurrent pathogenic variants), 161 patients carried one of these recurrent pathogenic variants in this cohort of 9,505 patients. All of these 25 recurrent pathogenic variants were further explored whether they had founder effect through haplotype analysis. The most common pathogenic variant, BRCA1 c.5470&#95;5477del, was found in 30 BC patients from 29 unrelated families. Twenty-seven of these 29 unrelated patients who carried this BRCA1 c.5470&#95;5477del mutation shared an identical haplotype, indicating that BRCA1 c.5470&#95;5477del was a founder mutation in the Chinese Han population. Furthermore, BRCA1 c.5470&#95;5477del mutation carriers had a significantly worse survival than noncarriers (disease-free survival, p = 0.049; overall survival, p = 0.029). Taken together, our data suggested that BRCA1 c.5470&#95;5477del is a founder mutation in the Chinese Han population and BRCA1 c.5470&#95;5477del mutation carriers have a poor survival., (© 2020 UICC.)

Aim: There is no consensus regarding the association between hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and risk of meningioma so far. We conducted the first study among Chinese female patients to investigate the influence of HRT use on the risk of meningioma., Methods: We retrospectively collected records of diagnosis of meningioma for women aged 50 years and above during 2011-2016 and dispense of HRT prior to meningioma diagnosis in three tertiary hospitals in China. Meningioma cases were matched with controls at a ratio of 1:2 by using nearest neighbor propensity scores matching in order to balance the baseline characteristics between groups, which generated a total of 629 cases with 1258 controls., Results: We observed prior use of HRT associated with increased risk of meningioma (odds ratio [OR], 1.2; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.0-1.4) and the association was more prominent among women having multiple HRT dispenses and longer term exposure (OR, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.1-1.6), among those with combination therapy of estrogens and progestogens (OR, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.1-1.7) than monotherapy, and among progestogen users than estrogen users as for monotherapy. Furthermore, vaginal, subcutaneous implant seems to be associated with a higher risk of meningioma compared with oral administration although no significance had been reached., Conclusion: This case-control study provides evidence that hormone use for an HRT purpose might constitute the development and growth of meningioma as an independent risk factor, especially for combination therapy and/or long-term users, which supports that meningioma might be a hormone-sensitive tumor., (© 2019 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

Purpose: To evaluate the clinical characteristics, treatment outcomes, prognosis and potential risk factors of patients in East China with seizure secondary to autoimmune encephalitis., Methods: From February 2014 to June 2016, 113 patients diagnosed with autoimmune encephalitis in Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, were enrolled in our study. After at least two years of follow-up, we retrospectively analyzed the patients' clinical details, electroencephalograph performance, brain MRI findings, and the therapeutic outcome. Patients underwent clinical evaluation every 3 months. We compared the clinical characteristics and epileptic prognosis of autoimmune encephalitis per antibody type. The association of the epileptic prognosis and EEG abnormalities was evaluated. GTE (Grand Total EEG) Score was used to evaluate EEG abnormalities. Statistic methods included ANOVA, Bonferroni correction test., Results: Treatment outcomes were assessabled in 103 patients (10 patients died or withdrew), including anti-GABA B R encephalitis (11), anti-LGI1 encephalitis (16), anti-NMDAR encephalitis (73), Caspr2 antibody encephalitis (3). 83 patients had seizures, who underwent both immunotherapy and anti-epileptic drugs therapy. In terms of seizure type, 57 (68.7%) patients exhibited focal to bilateral tonic-clonic seizure (FBTCS), 51 (61.4%) patients exhibited focal-impaired awareness seizure (FIAS) or focal aware seizure (FAS). 18 (21.7%) patients developed to status epilepticus. 30 (36%) patients had multiple types of seizures. 39 (47%) patients had daily seizures. 80.7% (67/83) of patients with epilepsy had seizure remission. During the 24 months of follow-up, 11 (11%) patients had clinical relapses. GTE scores were significantly different between the group with seizure reduction < 75% and the group with seizure remission (p = 0.009). Imaging abnormalities existed in 53% of the patients in our cohort, but lacked specificity during the acute phase., Conclusion: Autoimmune encephalitis (AE) presents with large seizure burden with differing seizure semiology among different antibody types. Except for anti-GABAb receptor encephalitis, it may not be necessary for other AE types to apply long-term use of anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs). The GTE Score can be used to evaluate the EEG abnormalities and may be a predictor of seizure outcomes. MRI findings during the acute phase are non-specific. Long-term follow-up MRIs may be much more meaningful in evaluating prognosis., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To assess the incidence rate of myopia, refractive change, and the effects of influencing factors on a group of highly selected senior high school students in an Aviation Cadet prerecruitment class in China., Methods: A total of 800 nonmyopic, male, Grade 9 students aged 14- to 16-years old with cycloplegic refraction of -0.25 or greater diopters (D) to 1.75 D or less in both eyes were enrolled in May 2016. During their senior high school studies, students had one 20-minute physical training period a day, and they were encouraged to participate in outdoor activities during class recess without any time limits. The first follow-up was 8 months after enrollment when they were in Grade 10, and the second follow-up was 1 year after the first follow-up when they were in Grade 11. Comprehensive ocular examinations and a detailed questionnaire, which included questions about outdoor activity time, parental myopia, and near work, were completed at each follow-up., Results: The average spherical equivalent refraction (SER) of the right eyes was 0.39 ± 0.44 D at baseline, 0.16 ± 0.41 D at the first follow-up, and -0.10 ± 0.38 D at the second follow-up. The cumulative refractive change was -0.50 D (95% confidence interval [CI], -0.53 to -0.47). The cumulative incidence rate of myopia was 15.5% (124/800). Incident myopia was significantly associated with outdoor activity for more than 1 versus less than 0.5 hr/d (odds ratio [OR] = 0.272, 95% CI, 0.132-0.560), baseline refraction (OR = 0.079, 95% CI, 0.041-0.153), maternal myopia (OR = 2.251, 95% CI, 1.160-4.368), longer class time (OR =3.215, 95% CI, 1.088-9.499), frequent, continuous, and long time reading/writing (OR = 1.620, 95% CI, 1.022-2.570), and shorter reading/writing distance (OR = 1.828, 95% CI, 1.065-3.140). In multiple linear regression model, having outdoor activity for more than 1 hr/d was protective from cumulative SER decrease. A higher baseline refraction together with longer reading/writing time, frequent, continuous, and longtime reading/writing, and shorter reading/writing distance were risk factors for SER decrease., Conclusions: In this cohort of highly selected, nonmyopic students, longer outdoor activity time was a protective factor for both incident myopia and refractive change of myopic shift. The risk factors for incident myopia included lower hyperopic baseline refraction, more near work, and maternal myopia. The risk factors for refractive change of myopic shift included more hyperopic baseline refraction and more near work.

The study analyzes the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) of the informatization of parasitic disease prevention and control in China, and puts forward the development strategies, in order to provide the reference for accelerating the informatization of parasitic disease prevention and control.

We determined the prevalence and characteristics of BRCA1/2 germline mutations in a large cohort of Chinese women with breast cancer. A total of 5931 unselected Chinese women with breast cancer were enrolled in this study and underwent testing for BRCA1/2 mutations. Of these, 543 patients were familial breast cancer, 1033 were early-onset disease (≤40 years) without family history of breast cancer, and 4355 were sporadic breast cancer. In total, 232 patients (3.9 %) carried a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation (110 in BRCA1and 122 in BRCA2) in this cohort of 5931 patients. BRCA1/2 mutation rate was 16.9 % (92/543) in familial breast cancers, 5.2 % (54/1033) in early-onset breast cancers (≤40 years), and 2.0 % in sporadic breast cancers (>40 years), respectively. The BRCA1/2 mutation rate was 27.0 % in 111 familial breast cancers diagnosed at and before the age of 40. 41.4 % of mutations in this cohort were specific for Chinese population. Recurrent mutations accounted for 44.8 % of the entire mutations in 2382 cases that BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes were fully sequenced in this study. Both BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers were significantly more likely to be early-onset and bilateral breast cancers, high-grade cancer, and to have a family history of breast cancer compared with non-carriers. BRCA1 mutation carriers were more likely to be triple-negative cancer than BRCA2 mutation carriers and non-carriers. Our data provide guidelines for Chinese women with breast cancer who should undergo BRCA1/2 genetic testing; additionally, recurrent mutations account for nearly half of the mutations and some of them are specific for Chinese women.

BRCA1/2 mutations represent approximately 5 % of unselected Chinese women with breast cancer. However, the breast cancer risk of Chinese women with BRCA1/2 mutations is unknown. Therefore, the aim of this study was to estimate the age-specific cumulative risk of breast cancer in Chinese women who carry a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation. Our study included 1816 unselected Chinese women with breast cancer and 5549 female first-degree relatives of these probands. All probands were screened for BRCA1/2 mutation. The age-specific cumulative risks of BRCA1/2 carriers were estimated using the kin-cohort study by comparing the history of breast cancer in first-degree female relatives of BRCA1/2 carriers and non-carriers. Among the 1816 probands, 125 BRCA1/2 pathogenic mutations were identified (70 in the BRCA1 gene and 55 in the BRCA2 gene). The incidence of breast cancer in the first-degree female relatives of BRCA1/2 mutation carriers was significantly higher (3.7-fold and 4.4-fold for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers, respectively) than in non-carriers. The estimated cumulative risks of breast cancer by age 70 years were 37.9 % [95 % confidence interval (CI) 24.1-54.4 %] for BRCA1 mutation carriers and 36.5 % (95 % CI 26.7-51.8 %) for BRCA2 mutation carriers, respectively. Our study suggests that the breast cancer risk of Chinese women with BRCA1/2 mutations appears to be relatively high by the age of 70. Therefore, genetic counseling, enhanced surveillance, and individual preventive strategies should be provided for Chinese women who carry a BRCA1/2 mutation.

Objective: To understand the dynamic status of schistosomiasis epidemic situation and Oncomelania hupensis snail status before and after the schistosomiasis transmission interrupted in the mountainous areas of Yunnan Province., Methods: The data of schistosomiasis epidemic situation and snail status were collected and analyzed statistically in Jianchuan County from 10 years before the schistosomiasis transmission interrupted to 2008., Results: The schistosomiasis control began in Jianchuan County from 1954. In 1976, the criteria of schistosomiasis endemic controlled were reached, and the infection rate of population was 0.65% and the infection rate of snails was 0.40%. In 1981, the criteria of schistosomiasis transmission controlled were reached, and the infection rate of population was 0.34% and the infection rate of snails was 1.41%. In 1993, the criteria of schistosomiasis transmission interrupted were reached, and the infection rate of population was 0 and the infection rate of snails was 0. There was a fluctuation in the schistosomiasis epidemic situation and snail status during the whole control duration, but the trend was decreasing., Conclusion: The time from schistosomiasis endemic controlled to transmission controlled is relatively short, but the time from transmission controlled to transmission interrupted is relatively long. In the original schistosomiasis endemic areas, there might be some areas where there is no the disease bud there still are snails.

Background: The number of systematic reviews (SRs)/meta-analyses (MAs) has increased dramatically in China over the past decades. However, evaluation of quality of reporting of systematic reviews published has not been undertaken. The objective of this study is to evaluate the quality of reporting of SRs/MAs assessing efficacy and/or harms of clinical interventions published in "evidence-based" Chinese journals., Methods: Web-based database searches were conducted for the Chinese Journal of Evidence-based Medicine, the Journal of Evidence-Based Medicine, the Chinese Journal of Evidence Based Pediatrics, and the Chinese Journal of Evidence-Based Cardiovascular Medicine. SRs/MAs assessing efficacy and/or harms of clinical interventions were included. The cut-off was December 31st 2011. The PRISMA statement was applied to assess the quality of reporting. Each item was assessed as follows: 'Yes' for total compliance, scored '1'; 'partial' for partial compliance, scored '0.5'; and 'No' for non-compliance, scored '0'. The review was considered to have major flaws if it received a total score of ≤15.0, minor flaws if it received a total score of 15.5 to 21.0, and minimal flaws if it received a total score 21.5 to 27.0. Odds ratios were used for binary variables, and the mean difference was used for continuous variables. Analyses were performed using RevMan 5.0 software., Results: Overall, 487 SRs/MAs were identified and assessed. The included reviews had medium quality with minor flaws based on PRISMA total scores (range: 8.5-26.0; mean: 19.6 ± 3.3). The stratified analysis showed that SRs/MAs with more than 3 authors, from a university, hospital + university cooperation, multiple affiliations (≥2), and funding have significantly higher quality of reporting of SRs/MAs; 58% of the included reviews were considered to have minor flaws (total score of 15.6 to 21.0). Only 9.6% of reviews were considered to have major flaws. Specific areas needing improvement in reporting include the abstract, protocol and registration, and characteristics of the search., Conclusions: The reporting of SRs published in "evidence-based" Chinese journals is poor and needs to be improved in order for reviews to be useful. SR authors should use the PRISMA checklist to ensure complete and accurate accounts of their SRs.