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Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) is the gold standard for measuring infarct size (IS). However, this method is expensive and requires a specially trained technologist to administer. We therefore sought to quantify the IS using machine learning (ML) based analysis on clinical features, which is a convenient and cost-effective alternative to CMR.We included 315 STEMI patients with CMR examined one week after morbidity in final analysis. After feature selection by XGBoost on fifty-six clinical features, we used five ML algorithms (random forest (RF), light gradient boosting decision machine, deep forest, deep neural network, and stacking) to predict IS with 26 (selected by XGBoost with information gain greater than average level of 56 features) and the top 10 features, during which 5-fold cross-validation were used to train and optimize models. We then evaluated the value of actual and ML-IS for the prediction of adverse remodeling. Our finding indicates that MLs outperform the linear regression in predicting IS. Specifically, the RF with five predictors identified by the exhaustive method performed better than linear regression (LR) with 10 indicators (RML-based methods can predict IS with widely available clinical features, which provide a proof-of-concept tool to quantitatively assess acute phase IS.

Tidal disruption events (TDEs) occur when a star passes too close to a supermassive black hole and is destroyed by tidal gravitational forces. Radio observations of TDEs trace synchrotron emission from outflowing material that may be ejected from the inner regions of the accretion flow around the SMBH or by the tidal debris stream. Radio detections of tidal disruption events are rare, but provide crucial information about the launching of jets and outflows from supermassive black holes and the circumnuclear environment in galaxies. Here we present the radio detection of the TDE AT2020opy, including three epochs of radio observations taken with the Karl G. Jansky's Very Large Array (VLA), MeerKAT, and upgraded Giant Metrewave Radio telescope. AT2020opy is the most distant thermal TDE with radio emission reported to date, and from modelling the evolving synchrotron spectra we deduce that the host galaxy has a more dense circumnuclear medium than other thermal TDEs detected in the radio band. Based on an equipartition analysis of the synchrotron spectral properties of the event, we conclude that the radio-emitting outflow was likely launched approximately at the time of, or just after, the initial optical flare. We find no evidence for relativistic motion of the outflow. The high luminosity of this event supports that a dense circumnuclear medium of the host galaxy produces brighter radio emission that rises to a peak more quickly than in galaxies with lower central densities., Comment: 8 pages, submitted to MNRAS

BACKGROUND Health professionals’ commitment is needed to address disparities in hypertension control by ancestry, but their perceptions regarding these disparities are understudied. METHODS Cross-sectional mixed methods study in a universal healthcare setting in the Netherlands. Snowball sampling was used to include professionals practicing in a large multicity conglomerate including the capital city. Online surveys were collected, and survey participants were randomly selected for in-depth interviews. We used quantitative and qualitative methods to analyze health professionals’ awareness, beliefs, and possible interventions regarding these disparities. RESULTS We analyzed questionnaire data of 77 health professionals (medical doctors n = 70, nurses = 7), whereas 13 were interviewed. Most professionals were women (59%), general practitioners (81%); and White-European (77%), with 79% caring for patients of diverse ancestry. Disparities in hypertension control by ancestry were perceived to exist nationally (83% [95% CI, 75;91]), but less so in health professionals’ own clinics (62% [52;73]), or among their own patients (56% [45;67]). Survey respondents emphasized patient rather than provider-level factors as mediators of poor hypertension control by ancestry. The collection of data on patients’ ancestry, updating guidelines, and professional training were considered helpful to reduce disparities. Interviewees further emphasized patient-level factors, but also the need to better educate health professionals and increase their awareness. CONCLUSIONS This explorative study finds that health professionals predominantly attribute disparities in hypertension control to patient-level factors. Awareness of disparities was lower for more proximate healthcare settings. These data emphasize the need to consider health professionals’ perceptions when addressing disparities in hypertension control.

To compare the frequency of stone-related events among patients receiving thiazides, alkali citrate, and allopurinol without prior 24 h urine testing. It is unknown whether 1 preventative pharmacological therapy (PPT) medication class is more beneficial for reducing kidney stone recurrence when prescribed empirically.Using medical claims data from working-age adults with kidney stone disease diagnoses (2008-2018), we identified those prescribed thiazides, alkali citrate, or allopurinol. We excluded those who received 24 h urine testing prior to initiating PPT and those with less than 3 years of follow-up. We fit multivariable regression models to estimate the association between the occurrence of a stone-related event (emergency department visit, hospitalization, or surgery for stones) and PPT medication class.Our cohort consisted of 1834 (60%), 654 (21%), and 558 (18%) patients empirically prescribed thiazides, alkali citrate, or allopurinol, respectively. After controlling for patient factors including medication adherence and concomitant conditions that increase recurrence risk, the adjusted rate of any stone event was lowest for the thiazide group (14.8%) compared to alkali citrate (20.4%) or allopurinol (20.4%) (each P.001). Thiazides, compared to allopurinol, were associated with 32% lower odds of a subsequent stone event by 3 years (OR 0.68, 95% CI 0.53-0.88). No such association was observed when comparing alkali citrate to allopurinol (OR 1.00, 95% CI 0.75-1.34).Empiric PPT with thiazides is associated with significantly lower odds of subsequent stone-related events. When 24 h urine testing is unavailable, thiazides may be preferred over alkali citrate or allopurinol for empiric PPT.

Hydrogels have attracted much attention in biomedical applications. A central focus of research has been advancing multicomponent hydrogels and engineering them into various forms and structures to yield desirable features for use in bio-related scenarios. 3D printing has served as a universal technology for processing hydrogels in a customized manner, which particularly suits the fabrication of multicomponent materials and heterogeneous structures. In this chapter, we overview the state-of-the-art of multicomponent hydrogels and their 3D printing for biomedical purposes, covering 3D printing technologies, multicomponent hydrogel materials, and biomedical applications. We have reviewed these aspects with careful classification, illustrated the progress with recent examples, and highlighted prominent trends in the field. This chapter aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the related topics and inspire researchers interested in this multidisciplinary field.

Background The burden of chronic conditions associated with sugary beverages is increasing but little is known about the role of different types of sugary beverages in the co-occurrence of multiple chronic conditions (‘multimorbidity’). To inform future sugar-reduction guidelines, we aimed to examine the associations of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB), artificially sweetened beverages (ASB) and natural juices (NJ) with multimorbidity. Methods This prospective cohort study included 184 093 UK Biobank participants aged 40–69 years at baseline who completed at least one occasion of 24-h dietary recall between 2009 and 2012. Daily consumptions of SSB, ASB and NJ were assessed using 24-h dietary recall. Participants were followed from the first 24-h assessment until the onset of two or more new chronic conditions, or the end of follow-up (31 March 2017), whichever occurred first. Logistic regression models, Cox proportional hazard models and quasi-Poisson mixed effects models were used to estimate the association of beverages intakes with chronic conditions and multimorbidity. Results A total of 19 057 participants had multimorbidity at baseline and 19 968 participants developed at least two chronic conditions during follow-up. We observed dose–response relationships of SSB and ASB consumptions with the prevalence and incidence of multimorbidity. For example, the adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs of the incidence of developing at least two chronic conditions ranged from 1.08 (1.01–1.14) for SSB intake of 1.1–2 units/day to 1.23 (1.14–1.32) for >2 units/day compared with 0 units/day. Also, the adjusted HRs (95% CIs) of ASB consumption ranged from 1.08 (1.03–1.13) for 0.1–1 unit/day to 1.28 (1.17–1.40) for >2 units/day compared with non-consumers. Conversely, moderate consumption of NJ was associated with a smaller risk of the prevalence and incidence of multimorbidity. Moreover, higher intakes of SSB and ASB were positively associated whereas moderate intake of NJ was inversely associated with increased number of new-onset chronic conditions during follow-up. Conclusions Higher SSB and ASB intakes were positively associated whereas moderate NJ intake was inversely associated with the higher risk of multimorbidity and increased number of chronic conditions. Current and intended policy options to decrease the burden of chronic conditions and multimorbidity need a formulation of SSB and ASB reduction strategies.

IntroductionSecondary prevention of stroke is a leading challenge globally and only a few strategies have been tested to be effective in supporting stroke survivors. The system-integrated and technology-enabled model of care (SINEMA) intervention, a primary care-based and technology-enabled model of care, has been proven effective in strengthening the secondary prevention of stroke in rural China. The aim of this protocol is to outline the methods for the cost-effectiveness evaluation of the SINEMA intervention to better understand its potential economic benefits.MethodsThe economic evaluation will be a nested study based on the SINEMA trial; a cluster-randomized controlled trial implemented in 50 villages in rural China. The effectiveness of the intervention will be estimated using quality-adjusted life years for the cost-utility analysis and reduction in systolic blood pressure for the cost-effectiveness analysis. Health resource and service use and program costs will be identified, measured, and valued at the individual level based on medication use, hospital visits, and inpatients' records. The economic evaluation will be conducted from the perspective of the healthcare system.ConclusionThe economic evaluation will be used to establish the value of the SINEMA intervention in the Chinese rural setting, which has great potential to be adapted and implemented in other resource-limited settings.

X-ray bursts are among the brightest stellar objects frequently observed in the sky by space-based telescopes. A type-I X-ray burst is understood as a violent thermonuclear explosion on the surface of a neutron star, accreting matter from a companion star in a binary system. The bursts are powered by a nuclear reaction sequence known as the rapid proton capture process (rp process), which involves hundreds of exotic neutron-deficient nuclides. At so-called waiting-point nuclides, the process stalls until a slower β+ decay enables a bypass. One of the handful of rp process waiting-point nuclides is 64Ge, which plays a decisive role in matter flow and therefore the produced X-ray flux. Here we report precision measurements of the masses of 63Ge, 64,65As and 66,67Se—the relevant nuclear masses around the waiting-point 64Ge—and use them as inputs for X-ray burst model calculations. We obtain the X-ray burst light curve to constrain the neutron-star compactness, and suggest that the distance to the X-ray burster GS 1826–24 needs to be increased by about 6.5% to match astronomical observations. The nucleosynthesis results affect the thermal structure of accreting neutron stars, which will subsequently modify the calculations of associated observables.

Turbulent plasma motion is common in the universe and invoked in solar flares to drive effective acceleration leading to high-energy electrons. Unresolved mass motions are frequently detected in flares from extreme ultraviolet (EUV) observations, which are often regarded as turbulence. However, how this plasma turbulence forms during the flare is still largely a mystery. Here we successfully reproduce observed turbulence in our 3D magnetohydrodynamic simulation where the magnetic reconnection process is included. The turbulence forms as a result of an intricate nonlinear interaction between the reconnection outflows and the magnetic arcades below the reconnection site, in which the shear-flow-driven Kelvin–Helmholtz instability (KHI) plays a key role in generating turbulent vortices. The turbulence is produced above high-density flare loops and then propagates to chromospheric footpoints along the magnetic field as Alfvénic perturbations. High turbulent velocities above 200 km s−1 can be found around the termination shock, while the low atmosphere reaches turbulent velocities of 10 km s−1 at a layer where the number density is about 1011 cm−3. The turbulent region with maximum nonthermal velocity coincides with the region where the observed high-energy electrons are concentrated, demonstrating the potential role of turbulence in acceleration. Synthetic views in EUV and fitted Hinode-EUV Imaging Spectrometer spectra show excellent agreement with observational results. An energy analysis demonstrates that more than 10% of the reconnection-downflow kinetic energy can be converted to turbulent energy via KHI.

Background There has been considerable progress in developing global health education and research in China. Nevertheless, evidence of the progress of Chinese universities’ contributions to global health research is limited. More efforts are needed to depict the progress Chinese universities have collectively made in advancing the field of global health. This study aimed to examine Chinese universities’ collective contributions to global health research by describing the longitudinal trends in global health research publications, uncovering research themes in global health, and exploring collaboration patterns. Methods A comprehensive bibliometric analysis was conducted for original research studies of the ten founding members of the China Consortium of Universities for Global Health, one of the largest networks of global health research and education in China. Results We found that (1) the number of research publications in the field of global health has steadily increased from 2014 to 2020, (2) non-communicable disease was the most popular research topic, accounting for over one-third of total publications, followed by maternal and child health and neurological and mental disorders and diseases, (3) less than one-fifth of papers involved primary data collection, with the majority of the study populations from low-income and lower-middle-income countries in Asia and Africa, and (4) a sizable collaboration network has been established with co-authors from over 200 oversea universities or organizations, with about one third from the US. Conclusions Despite a variety of challenges and barriers, Chinese universities have been playing an increasingly important role in global health research as assessed by peer-reviewed publications over the last decade. More concerted efforts by multiple stakeholders, including government, private sectors, funding agencies, academic institutions, and researchers, are needed to advance the development of global health research in China.

Purpose The processing of the round ligament of uterus in laparoscopic transabdominal preperitoneal (TAPP) repair of inguinal hernia in women has contended. This study aimed to explore whether there is any difference in the surgical outcome and postoperative complications between the two processing modalities, preservation, and transection of the round ligament of uterus, in adult female inguinal hernia patients undergoing TAPP. Methods Retrospective analysis of 84 female patients (117 sides) who underwent TAPP in XXX Hospital from July 2013 to August 2022. Patient characteristics and technical details of the surgical procedure were collected and divided into two groups according to whether the round ligament of uterus was severed intraoperatively or not. There were 52 cases (77 sides) in the group with preservation of the round ligament of uterus and 32 cases (40 sides) in the group with transection of the round ligament of uterus, comparing the general condition, surgical condition, and the occurrence of postoperative related complications between the 2 groups. Results The operative time for unilateral primary inguinal hernia was (129.2 ± 35.1) and (89.5 ± 42.6) minutes in the preservation and transection groups, respectively. There were no statistical differences between the two groups in terms of age, length of hospital stay, ASA, BMI, history of lower abdominal surgery, type and side of hernia, intraoperative bleeding, and time to surgery for primary bilateral hernia (P > 0.05). In addition, there was likewise no statistical difference in the occurrence of postoperative Clavien–Dindo classification, VAS, seroma, mesh infection, labia majora edema, chronic pain or abnormal sensation in the inguinal region, and hernia recurrence in the two groups as well (P > 0.05). Conclusion There is no evidence that the transection of the round ligament of the uterus during TAPP has an impact on postoperative complications in patients. However, given the important role of the uterine round ligament in the surgical management of patients with uterine prolapse and the high incidence of uterine prolapse in older women, hernia surgeons should also be aware of the need to protect the round ligament of uterus in older women.

Background Myocardial infarction (MI) is a significant clinical and public health problem worldwide. However, little research has assessed the interplay between genetic susceptibility and social environment in the development of MI. Methods and Results Data were from the HRS (Health and Retirement Study). The polygenic risk score and polysocial score for MI were classified as low, intermediate, and high. Using Cox regression models, we assessed the race‐specific association of polygenic score and polysocial score with MI and examined the association between polysocial score and MI in each polygenic risk score category. We also examined the joint effect of genetic (low, intermediate, and high) and social environmental risks (low/intermediate, high) on MI. A total of 612 Black and 4795 White adults aged ≥65 years initially free of MI were included. We found a risk gradient of MI across the polygenic risk score and polysocial score among White participants; no significant risk gradient across the polygenic risk score was found among Black participants. A disadvantaged social environment was associated with a higher risk of incident MI among older White adults with intermediate and high genetic risk but not those with low genetic risk. We revealed the joint effect of genetics and social environment in the development of MI among White participants. Conclusions Living in a favorable social environment is particularly important for people with intermediate and high genetic risk for MI. It is critical to developing tailored interventions to improve social environment for disease prevention, especially among adults with a relatively high genetic risk.

We report a search for a dark photon using $14.9$~fb$^{-1}$ of $e^+e^-$ annihilation data taken at center-of-mass energies from 4.13 to 4.60~GeV with the BESIII detector operated at the BEPCII storage ring. The dark photon is assumed to be produced in the radiative annihilation process of $e^+e^-$ and to predominantly decay into light dark matter particles, which escape from the detector undetected. The mass range from 1.5 to 2.9~GeV is scanned for the dark photon candidate, and no significant signal is observed. The mass dependent upper limits at the 90$\%$ confidence level on the coupling strength parameter $\epsilon$ for a dark photon coupling with an ordinary photon vary between $1.6\times 10^{-3}$ and $5.7\times10^{-3}$., Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures

Male sexual aggression towards females is a form of sexual conflict that can result in increased fitness for males through forced copulations (FCs) or coercive matings at the cost of female lifetime fitness. We used male fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) as a model system to uncover the genomic contributions to variation in FC, both due to standing variation in a wild population, and due to plastic changes associated with variation in social experience. We used RNAseq to analyse whole-transcriptome differential expression (DE) in male head tissue associated with evolved changes in FC from lineages previously selected for high and low FC rate and in male flies with varying FC rates due to social experience. We identified hundreds of genes associated with evolved and plastic variation in FC, however only a small proportion (27 genes) showed consistent DE due to both modes of variation. We confirmed this trend of low concordance in gene expression effects across broader sets of genes significant in either the evolved or plastic analyses using multivariate approaches. The gene ontology terms neuropeptide hormone activity and serotonin receptor activity were significantly enriched in the set of significant genes. Of seven genes chosen for RNAi knockdown validation tests, knockdown of four genes showed the expected effect on FC behaviours. Taken together, our results provide important information about the apparently independent genetic architectures that underlie natural variation in sexual aggression due to evolution and plasticity.

Forkhead Box O 3 (FOXO3) genotype is strongly associated with human longevity and may be protective against neurodegeneration. Air pollution is a risk factor for cognitive decline and dementia. We aimed to study the individual and combined effects of FOXO3 and air pollution on cognitive function in a large prospective cohort with up to 14 years of follow-up. We measured cognitive function and impairment using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). We used tagging SNPs rs2253310, rs2802292, and rs4946936 to identify the FOXO3 gene, of which roughly half of the population had the longevity-associated polymorphism. We matched annual average fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations within a 1 km2 grid. We conducted cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses using multivariable linear and logistic regression models and generalized estimating equations. At baseline, carriers of the longevity-associated homozygous minor alleles of FOXO3 SNPs had a higher MMSE score than the carriers of homozygous major alleles. In the longitudinal follow-up, carriers of FOXO3 homozygous minor alleles had lower odds of cognitive impairment compared with noncarriers. Higher PM2.5 was associated with a lower MMSE score and higher odds of cognitive impairment. The positive effects of FOXO3 were the strongest in females, older people, and residents in areas with lower air pollution.

Background: Studies on whether lifestyle factors could explain urban-rural differences in mortality risks among Chinese adults 65 years or older are limited. We aim to assess whether and to what extent individual-level lifestyle factors contribute to urban-rural disparity in mortality among older Chinese adults. Methods: Our study included a total of 37,083 adults 65 years or older residents (8,522 city, 8,022 urban and 20,539 rural) from seven waves of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (1998-2014), with follow-up to the latest wave (2018). Five lifestyle factors were examined: smoking, drinking, physical activity, diet and leisure activities. All-cause mortality was ascertained through death registry and information from next of kin. We conducted multivariable Cox proportional hazard models to examine mortality risks and used two measures to estimate the contributions to urban-rural mortality disparity from lifestyle factors, PERM (percentage excess risk mediated) calculated by the change of hazard ratio of the different models divided by the hazard ratio of the adjusted demographics model and AUC (area under the receiver-operating curve). Results: During a median follow-up of 3.24 years, 23,576 death cases were recorded. Report crude differences (death rates by the 3 groups city, town, rural) before adjusting for any vars. After adjusting for demographics, the hazards for town and rural residents were 8.8% and 17.2% higher than city residents, respectively (Table 1, Model 1). Adjustment for leisure activities made the largest difference in explaining the urban-rural disparities (Model 6). Adjustment for all five lifestyle factors explained 36.6% of city-town and 26.1% of city-rural differences (Model 7). AUCs for all models were > 0.7. Conclusion: Lifestyle factors, especially leisure activities, physical activities and diet, contributed substantially to the urban-rural disparity in all-cause mortality of adults aged 65 years or older in China.

Background: Association between an individual modifiable lifestyle with mortality is well established. However, influences of combined lifestyles on mortality risks remain inconclusive among adults aged 80 years or older (“oldest-old”). We investigated the association of time-varying healthy lifestyle profile (HLP) with mortality among Chinese oldest-old adults. Methods: We pooled 36,021 oldest-old adults from first seven waves of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (1998-2014), with follow-up to latest wave (2018) (range 0-21.04 years). Lifestyle information was collected at each wave. Nonsmoking, no regular alcohol intake, regular exercise, and simplified healthy eating index of 11-18 were defined as healthy lifestyle. We assigned a score of 1 for healthy and 0 for nonhealthy lifestyle and summed the four scores to a HLP index ranging 0-5 (representing least to most healthy) to reflect joint lifestyle measurements. We used both a continuous time-to-event data set up with study enrollment as time origin (SE model) and a discrete time-to-event data set up with age 80 as time origin. We used Cox proportional hazard model with time-varying covariates and complementary log-log regression to examine hazard ratios (HRs) of mortality, adjusting for demographics, self-reported diseases, activities of daily living, and cognitive function. Results: During 110897.40 person-years of follow-up, 25,511 deaths were recorded. Median death age was 5 years older in most versus least healthy group. In SE model with least healthy group as reference, HRs (95% CIs) for mortality were 0.90 (0.86-0.95), 0.83 (0.79-0.87), 0.74 (0.70-0.78), 0.54 (0.49-0.58), respectively for HLP of 1-4 groups (p-trendTable ). Dose-response relationships were consistent for HRs of mortality over age since 80. Conclusion: Healthier lifestyle profiles were associated with significant reductions in all-cause mortality risks among Chinese oldest-old, suggesting the importance of life-long adherence to HLP into advanced old age.

Current evidence on digital health interventions is disproportionately concerned with high-income countries and hospital settings. This scoping review evaluates the extent of use and effectiveness of digital health interventions for non-communicable disease (NCD) management in primary healthcare settings of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and identifies factors influencing digital health interventions’ uptake. We use PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science search results from January 2010 to 2021. Of 8866 results, 52 met eligibility criteria (31 reviews, 21 trials). Benchmarked against World Health Organization’s digital health classifications, only 14 out of 28 digital health intervention categories are found, suggesting critical under-use and lagging innovation. Digital health interventions’ effectiveness vary across outcomes: clinical (mixed), behavioral (positively inclined), and service implementation outcomes (clear effectiveness). We further identify multiple factors influencing digital health intervention uptake, including political commitment, interactivity, user-centered design, and integration with existing systems, which points to future research and practices to invigorate digital health interventions for NCD management in primary health care of LMICs.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Chronic carotid artery occlusion remains a poorly understood risk factor for subsequent stroke, and potential revascularization is dependent on understanding the anatomy and nature of the occlusion. Luminal imaging cannot assess the nature of an occlusion, so the internal structure of the occlusion must be inferred. The present study examines the signal characteristics of symptomatic and asymptomatic carotid occlusion that may point to management differentiation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We prospectively recruited patients who were diagnosed with chronic carotid artery occlusion defined as longer than 4 weeks and confirmed by DSA. All patients underwent high-resolution MR vessel wall imaging examinations after enrollment. Baseline characteristics, vessel wall imaging features, and DSA features were collected and evaluated. The vessel wall imaging features included segment involvement, signal intensity, contrast enhancement, and vessel wall thickness. The symptomatic and asymptomatic chronic carotid artery occlusions were compared. RESULTS: A total of 44 patients with 48 lesions were included in this study from February 2020 to December 2020. Of the 48 lesions, 35 (72.9%) were symptomatic and 13 (27.1%) were asymptomatic. There was no difference in baseline and DSA features. On vessel wall imaging, C1 and C2 were the most commonly involved segments (91.7% and 68.8%, respectively). Compared with symptomatic lesions, asymptomatic lesions were more often isointense (69.2%) in the distal segment (P = .03). Both groups had diffuse wall thickening (80% and 100%). CONCLUSIONS: Signal characteristics between those with symptomatic and asymptomatic carotid artery occlusions differ in a statistically significant fashion, indicating a different structure of the occlusion.

BACKGROUND The rapid advancement of electronic health (eHealth) and mobile health (mHealth) technologies has driven researchers to design and evaluate numerous technology-based interventions to promote smoking cessation. The evolving nature of cessation interventions emphasizes a strong need for knowledge syntheses. OBJECTIVE This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to (1) summarize recent evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) regarding the effectiveness of eHealth-based smoking cessation interventions in promoting abstinence; and (2) assess non-abstinence outcome indicators, such as cigarette consumption and user satisfaction, via narrative synthesis. METHODS We searched for studies published in English between 2017 to June 30, 2022 in four databases: PubMed (including MEDLINE), PsycINFO, Embase, and Cochrane Library. Two independent reviewers performed study screening, data extraction, and quality assessment based on the GRADE framework. We pooled comparable studies based on population, follow-up time, intervention, and control characteristics. Two researchers performed independent meta-analysis on smoking abstinence using the Sidik-Jonkman random-effects model and log Risk Ratio (log RR) as the effect measurement. For studies not included in the meta-analysis, the outcomes were synthesized narratively. RESULTS A total of 464 studies were identified through the initial database search after removing duplicates. Following screening and full-text assessments, we deemed 39 studies (n=37,341 participants) eligible for this review. Of these, 28 studies were shortlisted for the meta-analysis. According to the meta-analysis, SMS/App text messaging can significantly increase both short-term (3-month) abstinence (log RR=0.50, 95% CI 0.25 to 0.75, I2=0.72%) and long-term(6-month) abstinence (log RR=0.77, 95% CI 0.49 to 1.04, I2=8.65%), relative to minimal cessation support. The frequency of texting did not significantly influence treatment outcome. mHealth apps may significantly increase abstinence in short term (log RR=0.76, 95% CI 0.09 to 1.42, I2=88.02%) but not in long term (log RR=0.15, 95% CI -0.18 to 0.48, I2=80.06%) in contrast to less intensive cessation support. Additionally, personalized/interactive interventions showed a moderate increase in cessation for both the short-term (log RR= 0.62, 95% CI 0.30 to 0.94, I2= 66.50%) and long-term (log RR= 0.28, 95% CI 0.04 to 0.53, I2= 73.42%). In contrast, studies without any personalized or interactive feature found no significant impact. Finally, the treatment effect was similar between trials using biochemically verified or self-reported abstinence. Among studies reporting outcomes besides abstinence (n=20), a total of 11 studies reported significantly improved non-abstinence outcomes in cigarette consumption (3/14, 21.43%) or user satisfaction (8/19, 42.11%). CONCLUSIONS Our review of 39 RCTs found that recent eHealth interventions may promote smoking cessation, with mHealth being the dominant approach. Despite their success, the effectiveness of these interventions may diminish with time. The design of more personalized intervention designs could potentially benefit future studies. CLINICALTRIAL PROSPERO International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews CRD42022347104

Hypertension is the most prevalent chronic condition in China and is associated with an increased risk of comorbidity. This study aims to investigate health services use and expenditures among comm...

By analyzing 4.48 × 108 ψ(3686) events collected with the BESIII detector, we observe the decays χ cJ → nK S 0 Λ ¯ $$ {nK}_S^0\overline{\Lambda} $$ + c.c. (J = 0, 1, 2) for the first time, via the radiative transition ψ(3686) → γχ cJ . The branching fractions are determined to be (6.65 ± 0.26stat ± 0.41syst) × 10 −4, (1.66 ± 0.12stat ± 0.12syst) × 10 −4, and (3.58 ± 0.16stat ± 0.23syst) × 10 −4 for J = 0, 1, and 2, respectively.

Tail-biting convolutional codes (TBCCs) have become a research hotspot in the short-block-length regime due to the growing interest in strong short packet com-munications with low latency and ultra-reliability. TBCCs can maintain the decoding performance without rate loss caused by the tailed bits in the traditional convolutional encoder, which also have good rate compatibility with bet¬ter decoding performance than those of the iterative scheme for short block length codes. In this paper, a search algorithm is proposed to construct a set of rate-compatible TBCCs (RC-TBCCs) with consistent good frame error rate (FER) performance for fixed information length at various code rates. The algorithm considers the minimum distance profile of TBCCs. A set of RC-TBCCs is constructed for code rates from 1/3 to 1/8. The simulation results show that the proposed RC-TBCCs are superior to the LTE standard RC-TBCCs at different code rates.

A search for exotic dark matter (DM) in the sub-GeV mass range has been conducted using 205 kg$\cdot$day data taken from a p-type point contact germanium detector of CDEX-10 experiment at China Jinping underground laboratory. New low-mass dark matter searching channels, neutral current fermionic DM absorption ($\chi+A\rightarrow \nu+A$) and DM-nucleus 3$\rightarrow$2 scattering ($\chi+\chi+A\rightarrow \phi+A$), have been analyzed with an energy threshold of 160 eVee. No significant signal was found. Thus new limits on the DM-nucleon interaction cross section are set for both models at sub-GeV DM mass region. A cross section limit for the fermionic DM absorption is set to be $\rm 2.5\times 10^{-46} cm^2$(90\% C.L.) at DM mass of 10 MeV/c$^2$. For the DM-nucleus 3$\rightarrow$2 scattering scenario, limits are extended to DM mass of 5 MeV/c$^2$ and 14 MeV/c$^2$ for the massless dark photon and bound DM final state, respectively., Comment: 5 pages, 7 figures