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This study aimed to investigate the association between long-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) and its constituents (black carbon (BC), ammonium (NH 4 + ), nitrate (NO 3 - ), organic matter (OM), inorganic sulfate (SO 4 2- )) and incident female breast cancer in Beijing, China. Data from a prospective cohort comprising 85,504 women enrolled in the National Urban Cancer Screening Program in Beijing (2013-2019) and the Tracking Air Pollution in China dataset are used. Monthly exposures were aggregated to calculate 5-year average concentrations to indicate long-term exposure. Cox models and mixture exposure models (weighted quantile sum, quantile-based g-computation, and explanatory machine learning model) were employed to analyze the associations. Findings indicated increased levels of PM 2.5 and its constituents were associated with higher breast cancer risk, with hazard ratios per 1-μg/m 3 increase of 1.02 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01, 1.03), 1.39 (95% CI: 1.16, 1.65), 1.28 (95% CI: 1.12, 1.46), 1.15 (95% CI: 1.05, 1.24), 1.05 (95% CI: 1.02, 1.08), and 1.15 (95% CI: 1.07, 1.23) for PM 2.5 , BC, NH 4 + , NO 3 - , OM, and SO 4 2- , respectively. Exposure-response curves demonstrated a monotonic risk increase without an evident threshold. Mixture exposure models highlighted BC and SO 4 2- as key factors, underscoring the importance of reducing emissions of these pollutants., 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 © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: The incidence of neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) is rising rapidly worldwide. However, there are few reports on these heterogeneous diseases in China. Our study aimed to explore the epidemiological characteristics of NENs in Beijing., Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using population-based cancer surveillance data in Beijing, China. All data were extracted from the Beijing Cancer Registry with incidence dates from 1 January 1998 to 31 December 2018; the follow-up period was through 31 December 2021. Segi's world standard population was used to estimate the age-standardized rate. Survival was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method., Results: From 1998 to 2018, the incidence of NENs in Beijing initially showed a significant increasing trend, from 1.07/100,000 to 3.53/100,000; this began to plateau after 2013. The age-specific incidence rate increased with age and peaked in the age group 70-74 years. The incidence in men was significantly higher than that in women (4.41/100,000 vs. 1.69/100,000). The most common sites of NENs were the lung (2.38/100,000) and rectum (0.14/100,000). Most NENs were diagnosed at a late stage. We found that NENs originating from the lung had worse overall survival than extrapulmonary NENs, and male patients had worse survival than female patients., Conclusions: This study retrospectively analyzed the epidemiological characteristics of NENs in Beijing from 1998 to 2018. Our findings provide a reference regarding the epidemiological statistics of NENs in Beijing to contribute to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of these specific tumors., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Daidzein (DAN) is an isoflavone, and it is often found in its natural form in soybean and food supplements. DAN has poor bioavailability owing to its extremely low water solubility and first-pass metabolism. Herein, we hypothesized that a bioactivatable natural amino acid-bearing carbamate prodrug strategy could increase the water solubility and metabolic stability of DAN. To test our hypothesis, nine amino acid prodrugs of DAN were designed and synthesized. Compared with DAN, the optimal prodrug (daidzein-4'- O -CO- N -isoleucine, D-4'-I) demonstrated enhanced water solubility and improved phase II metabolic stability and activation to DAN in plasma. In addition, unlike the passive transport of DAN, D-4'-I maintained high permeability via organic anion-transporting polypeptide 2B1 (OATP2B1)-mediated transport. Importantly, D-4'-I increased the oral bioavailability by 15.5-fold, reduced the gender difference, and extended the linear absorption capacity in the pharmacokinetics of DAN in rats. Furthermore, D-4'-I exhibited dose-dependent protection against liver injury. Thus, the natural amino acid-bearing carbamate prodrug strategy shows potential in increasing water solubility and improving phase II metabolic stability to enhance the oral bioavailability of DAN.

Floating marine debris (FMD) is a pervasive problem in marginal seas worldwide. Driven by the nearshore waves, the FMD gradually accumulates shoreward and has a large chance of being beached, posing a direct threat to the coastal environment. Thus, investigating the nearshore drifting and beaching process of the FMD is of paramount importance. In this article, the trajectories of the FMD on a sloping beach are simulated by the Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) method, which is pre-verified through laboratory experiments. A series of sensitivity tests are conducted numerically on the influence of attributes of FMD as well as varied wave height (H 0 ), and wave period (T 0 ) on its beaching process. It is found that the beaching process of the FMD can be divided into three steps: drifting in front of surf zones, surfing and leaping with plunging waves, and advancing via wave runup. The density of the FMD combined with wave steepness determines whether the FMD can enter into the surf zone where it has a large chance to beach. Finally, this article proposed a semi-analytical model with improved Morison's equations considering the second-order Lagrangian transport on a sloping beach. This semi-analytical model is much faster and is comparable in computational accuracy to the high-resolution SPH model. It has the potential to be incorporated into the existing marine models and replace the stochastic process assumed for the FMD's tracking in the nearshore, in order to achieve more accurate assessment on the stranded FMD., 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 © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: We aimed to assess the performance of the risk assessment questionnaire and fecal immunochemical test (FIT) in a population-based colorectal cancer (CRC) screening program to provide timely evidence for tailored screening strategies in China., Methods: This analysis was conducted using data from Beijing Cancer Screening Prospective Cohort Study (BCSPCS). A risk assessment questionnaire and FIT were selected as the primary screening methods, and participants with any positive results were referred to undergo a diagnostic colonoscopy., Results: From 2015 to 2020, 148,636 Beijing residents aged 40-69 years were invited from designated communities, with 147,807 finishing the risk assessment questionnaire and 115,606 (78.2%) completing the FIT. Among the 42,969 (29.1%) high-risk CRC participants, 23,824 (55.4%) underwent colonoscopy. One year after enrollment, all subjects were linked to the Beijing Cancer Registry (BCR) database and 241 cases of CRC were confirmed. The CRC incidence rate was 58.2/100,000 for the low-risk arm and 418.9/100,000 for the high-risk arm. For participants who underwent colonoscopy, 91 CRC cases were detected, with a detection rate of 91.9% and 63.7% of them were early-stage cases. Furthermore, the sensitivities of utilizing the risk assessment questionnaire alone, FIT alone, combined risk assessment questionnaire and FIT were 75.7%, 50.1%, and 95.1%, and the specificities were 75.3%, 87.3%, and 70.7%, respectively., Conclusion: The Beijing CRC screening program can effectively detect early-onset CRC; however, the compliance with colonoscopy still needs to be improved., (© 2023. BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.)

Obsessive-compulsive symptoms are frequently observed in various psychiatric disorders, including obsessive-compulsive disorder, schizophrenia, depression, and anxiety. However, the underlying anatomical basis of these symptoms remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the mechanism of schizophrenia with obsessive-compulsive symptoms by using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)-based structural brain connectivity analysis to assess the network differences between patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), patients with schizophrenia showing obsessive-compulsive symptoms (SCH), schizophrenia patients with obsessive-compulsive symptoms due to clozapine (LDP), and healthy controls (CN). We included 21 patients with OCD, 20 patients with SCH, 12 patients with LDP, and 25 CN. All subjects underwent MRI scanning, and structural brain connections were estimated using diffusion tensor imaging for further analysis of brain connectivity. The topology and efficiency of the network and the characteristics of various brain regions were investigated. We assessed baseline YALE-BROWN OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE SCALE (Y-BOCS), Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), and 24-item Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD-24) scores. Our results showed significant differences among the SCH, OCD, and CN groups ( p  < 0.05) in the MRI-measured degree of the following nodes: the superior orbitofrontal gyrus (25Frontal&#95;Med&#95;Orb&#95;L), lingual gyrus (47Lingual&#95;L), postcentral gyrus (58Postcentral&#95;R), and inferior temporal gyrus (90Temporal&#95;Inf&#95;R). Additionally, we found significant differences in the degree of the brain regions 02Precentral&#95;R, 47Lingual&#95;L, 58Postcentral&#95;R, and 90Temporal&#95;Inf&#95;R between the CN, OCD, SCH, and LDP groups ( p  < 0.05). These findings suggest that alterations in the degree of nodes might be the mechanism behind obsessive-compulsive symptoms in schizophrenia., 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 Hu, Xu, Luo, Li, Li, Guo and Liu.)

Background: Depression is one of the most common neuropsychiatric symptoms of Alzheimer's disease (AD) which decreases the life quality of both patients and caregivers. There are currently no effective drugs. It is therefore important to explore the pathogenesis of depression in AD patients., Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the characteristics of the entorhinal cortex (EC) functional connectivity (FC) in the whole brain neural network of AD patients with depression (D-AD)., Methods: Twenty-four D-AD patients, 14 AD patients without depression (nD-AD), and 20 healthy controls underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. We set the EC as the seed and used FC analysis. One-way analysis of variance was used to examine FC differences among the three groups., Results: Using the left EC as the seed point, there were FC differences among the three groups in the left EC-inferior occipital gyrus. Using the right EC as the seed point, there were FC differences among the three groups in the right EC-middle frontal gyrus, -superior parietal gyrus, -superior medial frontal gyrus, and -precentral gyrus. Compared with the nD-AD group, the D-AD group had increased FC between the right EC and right postcentral gyrus., Conclusion: Asymmetry of FC in the EC and increased FC between the EC and right postcentral gyrus may be important in the pathogenesis of depression in AD., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Introduction: Long-term exposure to ambient fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) has been linked to increases in the incidence of lung cancer. However, more evidence is needed to conclude its effects on lung cancer survival., Objectives: The study aimed to explore the relationship between long-term PM 2.5 exposure and lung cancer survival and evaluated the benefits of clean air actions in Beijing., Methods: A whole-population cohort study was conducted on lung cancer patients diagnosed between 2001 and 2017. An atmospheric chemical transport model was used to estimate exposure under a counterfactual scenario without the policy and then quantified the effect of the policy. Cox regression models were used with the seasonality-adjusted PM 2.5 as the main effect., Results: A 10 μg/m 3 increase in PM 2.5 was estimated to be with a 6.5 % (95 % CI: 4.8 %, 8.2 %) increase in the mortality rates. The association was heterogeneous and modified by individual-level characteristics. The clean air actions were estimated to have prevented 3548 (95 % CI: 3280, 3825) premature deaths and to have prolonged survival time by 4.29 months (95 % CI: 0.01, 25.11)., Conclusion: Our findings suggest that PM 2.5 exposure lowers the survival rate for lung cancer. The clean air actions implemented in Beijing can protect lung cancer patients by increasing their survival time., Synopsis: Long-term exposure to PM 2.5 can lower lung patients' survival rates whereas the clean air actions in Beijing have prolonged these patients' survival time by reducing PM 2.5 level., 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 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Many studies have found that chromatin regulators (CRs) are correlated with tumorigenesis and disease prognosis. Here, we attempted to build a new CR-related gene model to predict breast cancer (BC) survival status., Methods: First, the CR-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened in normal and tumor breast tissues, and the potential mechanism of CR-related DEGs was determined by function analysis. Based on the prognostic DEGs, the Cox regression model was applied to build a signature for BC. Then, survival and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were performed to validate the signature's efficacy and identify its independent prognostic value. The CIBERSORT and tumor immune dysfunction and exclusion (TIDE) algorithms were used to assess the immune cells infiltration and immunotherapy efficacy for this signature, respectively. Additionally, a novel nomogram was also built for clinical decisions., Results: We identified 98 CR-related DEGs in breast tissues and constructed a novel 6 CR-related gene signature (ARID5A, ASCL1, IKZF3, KDM4B, PRDM11, and TFF1) to predict the outcome of BC patients. The prognostic value of this CR-related gene signature was validated with outstanding predictive performance. The TIDE analysis revealed that the high-risk group patients had a better response to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy., Conclusion: A new CR-related gene signature was built, and this signature could provide the independent predictive capability of prognosis and immunotherapy efficacy for BC patients., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Dongxu Feng et al.)

Soil microbial communities influence soil biogeochemical cycling by affecting the production of extracellular enzymes and the release of carbon dioxide. Changes in litter input or stand density due to thinning can affect soil microbial communities and their function by altering soil biochemical properties. However, it is unclear how or to what extent different amounts of litter input affect soil microbial communities and their function in forest stands with different densities. Therefore, we simulated litter removal, 50 % litter reduction, normal litter input, and double litter increase under field conditions by applying different amounts of litter to soils with different stand densities in the laboratory. We then measured soil biochemical properties, microbial communities, enzyme activity, and respiration rate. Our results revealed that the responses of soil dissolved organic carbon and total nitrogen to litter input were more pronounced in the high-density forest stand with poor soil than in the low-density forest stand with nutrient-rich soil, which was mainly reflected in that the addition of litter significantly decreased the concentration of dissolved organic carbon while increasing the content of total nitrogen in the soil of the high-density forest stand. In comparison to the soil carbon component, the nitrogen component of the soil was more affected by stand density. The responses of soil fungal and bacterial communities to leaf litter treatment varied with stand density, as reflected primarily in changes in the relative abundances of Ascomycota, unclassified&#95;K&#95;fungi, and Proteobacteria, and changes in the relative abundances of their functional groups (ectomycorrhizal fungi, saprophytic fungi, pathogens, parasites, and bacteria involved in the nitrogen cycle). Soil fungal community responses to changes in litter input are more sensitive in the high-density forest with nutrient-poor soil than in the low-density forest stand. Furthermore, litter input inhibited the activities of soil β-glucuronidase, N-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase, and acid phosphatase more strongly in the low-density forest stand. Litter manipulation primarily affected enzymatic activity in the high-density forest stand by changing the diversity and composition of the soil fungal community. However, in the low-density forest stand, litter treatment affected soil enzyme activity, primarily through changes in soil bacterial and fungal community composition, as well as soil respiration through changes in bacterial richness (Chao 1) and community composition. We conclude that how the change in litter input impacts the soil microbial community and its function, or the magnitude of the effects, is largely dependent on soil quality. Relationships among soil variables, microbial communities, and function differ between stand densities. Our study contributes to an enhanced understanding of the impact of changes in litter input due to climate change or anthropogenic activities on soil biogeochemical cycles and can also guide rationally formulating forest management approaches to improve microbial function under climate change., 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.)

Objects: The aim of this study is to explore the epidemiological characteristics of peripheral T-cell lymphoma in Beijing., Methods:  All data were extracted from the Beijing Cancer Registry database from January 1, 2007, to December 31, 2018. Segi's World Standard Population was used to estimate the age-standardized rate (ASR). Changes in trends were examined using joinpoint regression analysis. The observed survival was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Relative survival was calculated using Ederer II and standardized using the Brenner method and International Cancer Survival Standard (ICSS) group 1 age structure. Stratified by gender, area, and histological type, incidence, mortality, and age of onset trends were observed in Beijing., Results:  In Beijing, there were 801 new cases and 463 deaths of T-cell lymphoma from 2007 to 2018. Peripheral T-cell lymphoma not otherwise specified (PTCL-NOS) was the most prevalent subtype (37.45%), followed by angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL; 20.35%), NK/T-cell lymphoma (NK/TCL; 17.60%), and anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL; 10.24%). The crude incidence and mortality rates were 0.52 and 0.30 per 100,000 person-years, respectively, whereas the age-standardized incidence and mortality rates (ASIR and ASMR) were 0.35 and 0.18 per 100,000 person-years, respectively. Both ASIR and ASMR were more prevalent in men (0.48 and 0.24 per 100,000) and urban area (0.38 and 0.19 per 100,000) than in women (0.22 and 0.11 per 100,000) and rural area (0.30 and 0.15 per 100,000). The average annual percentage change (AAPC) of ASIR and ASMR was 5.72% (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.79%-9.81%) and 4.35% (95% CI: -0.09%-8.99%), respectively. The age-specific incidence rate increased with age and peaked at the age groups of 10-14 and 80-84. The mean and median age of onset increased between 2007 and 2018. In addition, it decreased after the age of onset was age standardization ( β = -0.41 , P = 0.26 ). The 5-year age-standardized relative survival was 39.02% for all patients, 58.14% for NK/TCL, 57.60% for ALCL, 31.38% for AITL, and 29.18% for PTCL-NOS., Conclusions:  T-cell lymphoma incidence was rising, but survival was dismal in Beijing, indicating the need for improved early diagnosis and standardized treatment., 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 © 2022 Liu, Liu, Li, Yang, Song, Zhang, Cheng, Li, Li, Wang, Zhu and Ji.)

Background: Mammography-based breast cancer screening has been widely implemented in many developed countries. Evidence was needed on participation and diagnostic performance of population-based breast cancer screening using ultrasound in China., Methods: We used data from the Cancer Screening Program in Urban China in Beijing from 2014 to 2019 and was followed up until July 2020 by matching with the Beijing Cancer Registry database. Eligible women between the ages of 45 and 69 years were recruited from six districts and assessed their risk of breast cancer through an established risk scoring system. Women evaluated to be at high risk of breast cancer were invited to undergo both ultrasound and mammography. Participation rates were calculated, and their associated factors were explored. In addition, the performance of five different breast cancer screening modalities was evaluated in this study., Results: A total of 49,161 eligible women were recruited in this study. Among them, 15,550 women were assessed as high risk for breast cancer, and 7,500 women underwent ultrasound and/or mammography as recommended, with a participation rate of 48.2%. The sensitivity of mammography alone, ultrasound alone, combined of ultrasound and mammography, ultrasound for primary screening followed by mammography for triage, and mammography for preliminary screening followed by ultrasound for triage were19.2%, 38.5%, 50.0%, 46.2%, and 19.2%, and the specificity were 96.1%, 98.6%, 94.7%, 97.6%, 95.7%, respectively. The sensitivity of combined ultrasound and mammography, ultrasound for primary screening followed by mammography for triage, was significantly higher than mammography alone (p=0.008 and p=0.039). Additionally, ultrasound alone (48,323 RMB ($7,550)) and ultrasound for primary screening followed by mammography for triage (55,927 RMB ($8,739)) were the most cost-effective methods for breast cancer screening than other modalities., Conclusions: Ultrasound alone and ultrasound for primary screening and mammography are superior to mammography for breast cancer screening in high-risk Chinese women., 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 © 2021 Zhang, Yang, Liu, Li, Li, Cheng, Wang and Ji.)

In this paper, we investigate the classification of microscopic tumours using full digital mammography images. Firstly, to address the shortcomings of traditional image segmentation methods, two different deep learning methods are designed to achieve the segmentation of uterine fibroids. The deep lab model is used to optimize the lesion edge detailed information by using the void convolution algorithm and fully connected CRF, and the two semantic segmentation networks are compared to obtain the best results. The Mask RCNN case segmentation model is used to effectively extract features through the ResNet structure, combined with the RPN network to achieve effective use and fusion of features, and continuously optimize the network training to achieve a fine segmentation of the lesion area, and demonstrate the accuracy and feasibility of the two models in medical image segmentation. Histopathology was used to obtain ER, PR, HER scores, and Ki-67 percentage values for all patients. The Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival estimation, the Log-rank test was used for single-factor analysis, and Cox proportional risk regression was used for multifactor analysis. The prognostic value of each factor was calculated, as well as the factors affecting progression-free survival. This study was done to compare the imaging characteristics and diagnostic value of mammography and colour Doppler ultrasonography in nonspecific mastitis, improve the understanding of the imaging characteristics of nonspecific mastitis in these two examinations, improve the accuracy of the diagnosis of this type of disease, improve the ability of distinguishing it from breast cancer, and reduce the rate of misdiagnosis., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interest or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Jingjing Yang et al.)

Gastric cancer (GC) is a global health problem, with more than 1 million people newly diagnosed with GC worldwide each year. GC is more prevalent in less developed countries than in more developed countries. About half of all GC cases worldwide occur in East Asia, notably China. Globally, overall incidence rates of GC are declining, which is potentially attributed to a decrease in Helicobacter pylori ( H. pylori ) infection and the use of refrigeration to preserve foods rather than salt. GC is a multifactorial disease, and its occurrence and development were impacted by environmental and genetic factors. H. pylori infection is the primary risk factor for GC, especially for non-cardia. The prognosis of GC is poor due to stages at the first diagnosis. The 5-year survival rate is less than 10% when patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage, but the rate is as high as 85% if patients are detected at an earlier stage. Endoscopic screening can potentially prevent GC by early diagnosis and early treatment and has been widely adopted in screening programs in East Asian countries, such as Japan and Korea. This review summarizes updated epidemiological aspects, risk factors, and prevention strategies of GC in recent years to help researchers determine the most effective intervention strategies for reducing risk of GC., (Copyright © 2020 Chinese Journal of Cancer Research. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To evaluate the effects of health insurance status on long-term cancer-specific survival of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in Beijing, China, using a population-based cancer registry data., Methods: Information on NSCLC patients diagnosed in 2008 was derived from the Beijing Cancer Registry. The medical records of 1,134 cases were sampled and re-surveyed to obtain information on potential risk factors. Poorly-insured status was defined as Uninsured and New Rural Cooperative Medical Insurance Scheme (NRCMS), while well-insured included Urban Employees Basic Medical Insurance (UEBMI) and Free Medical Care (FMC). To estimate survival outcomes, individuals were followed-up until December 31, 2018. Cancer-specific survival probabilities at 5 and 10 years after diagnosis were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Log-rank test was used to compare long-term survival with different characteristics. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression model was used to examine the relative effect of insurance status on cancer-specific mortality., Results: Well-insured NSCLC patients have longer cancer-specific survival than poorly-insured individuals [hazard ratio (HR)=0.81; 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 0.67-0.97), even after adjusting for age, gender, cancer stage, smoking status, family history and residential area. Older age and rural residence were associated with a higher risk of cancer-specific mortality (HR=1.03; 95% CI: 1.02-1.03 and HR=1.25; 95% CI: 1.07-1.46, respectively). Smoking individuals had a 41% higher long-term cancer-specific mortality risk than non-smoking ones (HR=1.41; 95% CI: 1.20-1.66)., Conclusions: NSCLC patients with good insurance status had better survival rates than those with poor insurance. An association was significant even after 10 years. Large population-based studies are needed to validate that high reimbursement insurance status can lead to the improvement of long-term cancer prognosis in China., (Copyright © 2020 Chinese Journal of Cancer Research. All rights reserved.)

Objective: We aimed to establish a representative exposure response function between PM 2.5 and lung cancer to evaluate the impact on lung cancer burden and the benefits gained in association with the environmental policy change in Beijing, China., Methods: Based on population-based cancer registration data during 2001-2016, using a spatiotemporal Poisson regression model, long-term concentrations of PM 2.5 were linked to sex-age adjusted incidence rates of total lung cancer and its pathological subtypes. We calculated the health and monetary benefits associated with air quality improvement using the cost of illness method., Results: In the constructed regression model, a 10 μg/m 3 increment of PM 2.5 was associated with increases of 6.0% (95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 4.3%, 7.7%), 14.8% (10.3%, 19.4%), and 6.5% (3.3%, 9.8%) in the incidence of total lung cancer, squamous cell carcinoma, and adenocarcinoma, respectively. The estimated associations indicate that long-term exposure to PM 2.5 contributed 1947 to 3059 incident cases of lung cancer per year among the residents in Beijing during the study period. Clean air actions saved 4978 (95% CI: 2711, 7417) lung cancer cases, which brought a savings of 218 (118, 324) million RMB (~31 [17, 46] million US dollars) in direct inpatient medical expenditures. If air quality had met national standards of long-term PM 2.5 (35 μg/m 3 ) in 2014-2016, 10,003 (95% CI: 9325, 10,650) lung cancer cases could have been prevented and direct inpatient medical expenditures of 438 (409, 466) million RMB (~63 [58, 67] million US dollars) could have been saved., Conclusions: This study enriches epidemiological study, confirming the association between exposure to PM 2.5 and lung cancer or its subtypes, and provides novel evidence for the notable reduction in lung cancer burden and medical expenditure savings that were achieved through air quality improvements in Beijing from 2014 to 2016., 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 © 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background and Objectives: This study aimed to assess right ventricular (RV) diastolic dysfunction in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) using velocity vector imaging (VVI) and to evaluate the application of VVI technology., Methods: According to the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), 69 patients with OSAS were divided into three groups: mild, moderate, and severe. A total of 35 cases of healthy subjects were enrolled as the control group. Digital images of apex four-chamber views were acquired to measure the peak early diastolic strain rate (RV-SRe), late diastolic strain rate(RV-SRa), and RV-SRe/RV-SRa using VVI., Results: RV-SRe, RV-Sra, and RV-SRe/RV-SRa were decreasing along with the disease severity. RV-SRe, RV-SRe/RV-SRa in moderate and severe OSAS group showed lower than control and mild OSAS groups. RV-SRa in severe OSAS group showed lower than control group. RV-SRe had the best correlation with AHI than other parameters., Conclusions: Right ventricular diastolic dysfunction starts before the development of heart failure and pulmonary hypertension in patients with OSAS. RV-SRe was the parameter that may reflect subclinical myocardial dysfunction and can better reflect RV diastolic dysfunction., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

The aim of this study was to study the role of Th1/Th2 cell-associated chemokines in the formation of hypertrophic scars in rabbit ears. Twenty-six New Zealand white rabbits were used to establish the hypertrophic scar model of rabbit ear and the normal scar model of rabbit's back. Two rabbits were sacrificed on days 0 and 21, 28, 35, 42, 49, 56, and 63 after operation. The specimens were stained with haematoxylin-eosin (HE). Scar elevation index (SEI) was used to detect the expression of 10 chemokines related to Th1/Th2 cells in both scar formation expressions. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) results showed that two chemokines (CXCL10, CXCL12) were highly expressed during the formation of normal scar, and there was almost no expression during the formation of hypertrophic scar (*P < 0.05). The chemokines (CCL2, CCL3, CCL4, CCL5, CCL7, CCL13, CX3CL1) were almost non-expressed in the formation of normal scars but were expressed for a long time in the formation of hypertrophic scars. The four chemokines, CCL2, CCL4, CCL5, and CX3CL1, maintained a long-term high expression level during the formation of hypertrophic scars (P < 0.01). There were also three chemokines (CCL14, CCL19, CCL21) that were almost undetectable in normal scarring, but there was transiently low-level expression (P < 0.05) only during the peak proliferative phase in proliferative scarring. Th1/Th2 cell-associated chemokines are different in the type, quantity and expression, and maintenance time of rabbit ear hypertrophic scars., (© 2019 Medicalhelplines.com Inc and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Immunological factors play important roles in the occurrence of hypertrophic scars. Imiquimod can be used as an immunosuppressive agent to regulate the function of T-helper (Th) cell subsets Th1 and Th2. In this article, we explored the impact of imiquimod on scar hyperplasia through Th cells. A rabbit ear hypertrophic scar model was built. Four round wounds were cut in each rabbit's ears ventrally with a diameter of 1 cm and bilateral symmetry. All the right ear wounds were treated with 5% imiquimod cream. The blank control group contained all the left ear wounds, which were treated with Vaseline ointment at the same time. Haematoxylin and eosin and Masson staining showed that imiquimod collagen deposition was significantly reduced compared with the control group, scar index (SEI) showed that the proliferative degree reached its peak on the 28th day after operation in blank group, and the degree of hyperplasia was significantly higher than that of the imiquimod group (P < .05). Real-time Polymerase chain reaction results showed that the imiquimod induced the expression of Th2 cell-related chemokines CCL2, CCL3, CCL5, CCL7, and CCL13 at each time point, which were significantly lower than that of the blank control group, and the expressions of Th1 cell-associated chemokines CXCL10 and CXCL12 at each time point was significantly higher than the blank control group (P < .05). Imiquimod can be used to regulate the expression of Th1 and Th2 cell-associated chemokines to control scar hyperplasia., (© 2019 Medicalhelplines.com Inc and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objective: The objective of this study was to characterize secular trends in the sex-specific, age-standardized incidence of lung cancer by histological type in Beijing, China, from 2000 to 2016 based on data from a population-based cancer registry., Methods: Data on the incidence of cancer from 2000 to 2016 were obtained from the Beijing Cancer Registry. We examined trends in the sex-specific, age-standardized incidence of lung cancer by histological type using a Joinpoint regression model., Results: A total of 117,409 cases of lung cancer were diagnosed from 2000 to 2016. Overall, 73,062 (62.23%) patients were males. The most common histological type among both sexes was adenocarcinoma; however, the proportion of adenocarcinoma differed significantly between males and females (45.36% vs . 77.14%, respectively, P<0.0001). The age-standardized incidence of total lung cancer increased from 2000 to 2010 with an annual percent change (APC) of 2.2% [95% confidence interval (95% CI), 1.5% to 2.9%] and stabilized thereafter. Among males, the incidence of total lung cancer peaked in 2008 and then decreased slightly, with an APC of -1.1% (95% CI, -2.1% to -0.1%). Among females, the incidence increased continuously during the study period, with an APC of 1.4% (95% CI, 0.9% to 1.9%). The incidence of squamous cell carcinoma decreased significantly in recent years among both sexes, with APCs of -2.6% (95% CI, -4.5% to -0.6%) from 2007 to 2016 for males and -5.4% (95% CI, -7.2% to -3.6%) from 2004 to 2016 for females. In contrast, the incidence of adenocarcinoma increased continuously throughout the study period, by APCs of 4.0% (95% CI, 2.6% to 5.4%) for males and 6.2% (95% CI, 4.8% to 7.6%) for females. The incidence of small cell carcinoma peaked in 2007 and stabilized thereafter among males, whereas it peaked in 2012 and then decreased with an APC of -14.7% (95% CI, -25.3% to -2.6%) among females. The incidence of large cell carcinoma and other specified malignant neoplasm did not change much, whereas the incidence of unspecified type decreased among both sexes during the study period., Conclusions: Although the incidence of squamous cell carcinoma decreased significantly among both sexes in recent years in Beijing, China, adenocarcinoma increased continuously throughout the study period among both sexes. Knowledge of differences in trends is useful for surveillance and control of lung cancer. However, the reason for the increase in adenocarcinoma remains unclear and warrants investigation.

Objective: In this study, we aimed to estimate the updated incidence and mortality rate of stomach cancer based on the cancer registration data in 2014, collected by the National Central Cancer Registry of China (NCCRC)., Methods: In 2017, 339 registries' data were qualified based on the criteria of data quality control of the NCCRC. Cases of stomach cancer were retrieved from the national database. We estimated numbers of stomach cancer cases and deaths in China using age-specific rates and corresponding national population stratified by area, sex, age-group (0, 1-4, 5-9, 10-14, …, 85+). Chinese standard population in 2000 and Segi's world population were applied for age-standardized incidence and mortality rates., Results: In 2014, 410,400 new stomach cancer cases and 293,800 cancer-associated deaths were estimated to have occurred in China. The crude incidence rate of stomach cancer was 30.00/100,000, age-standardized incidence rates by Chinese standard population (ASIRC) and by world standard population (ASIRW) were 19.62/100,000 and 19.51/100,000, respectively. The crude mortality rate of stomach cancer was 21.48/100,000, age-standardized mortality rates by Chinese (ASMRC) and by world standard population (ASMRW) were 13.44/100,000 and 13.30/100,000, respectively. Incidence and mortality rates in rural areas were both higher than that in urban areas. Stomach cancer has a strong relationship with gender and age. The disease has occurred more frequently among men than women with a male to female ratio of 2.4 for ASIRC. After age group of 40-44 years, incidence rates are substantially higher in men than in women, same pattern was seen for age-specific mortality rates., Conclusions: There is still a heavy burden of stomach cancer in China. The incidence and mortality patterns of stomach cancer show substantial gender and regional disparities. Great effort is needed to provide more accessible health services, sufficient financial resources, and adequate cancer-care infrastructure for the Chinese population, especially for people living in rural areas.

Objective: To analyze cancer incidence data in Beijing in 2014 and temporal trends for selected common cancers during 2005 and 2014., Methods: A total of 144 secondary and tertiary hospitals reported newly diagnosed cancer cases to Beijing Cancer Registry, which covers 13 million residents in Beijing. The cancer incidence rate was calculated in strata by cancer type, sex, age group and area. The population composition of China in 1982 and Segi's population structure were used to calculate age-standardized rates. Extensive procedures were used to assure the quality of the data., Results: The overall data quality indicators of the percentage of morphology verification (MV) (%), the percentage of death certificate-only (DCO) (%) and the mortality to incidence ratio (M/I) were 72.15%, 0.94% and 0.54 respectively. A total of 45,300 new cancer cases were diagnosed in Beijing in 2014. The incidence rate was 341.92/100,000 (343.50/100,000 in males, 340.33/100,000 in females), and the age-standardized incidence rates by Chinese standard population (ASIRC) and by world standard population (ASIRW) were 143.48/100,000 and 182.99/100,000, respectively. The cumulative incidence rate for cancer before 75 years was 20.61%. Cancers of lung, colorectum, liver, stomach and prostate were the top five common cancer types for males, while cancers of breast, lung, thyroid, colorectum and uterus were the top five common cancer types for females. The different patterns were also observed between rural and urban areas. Regarding temporal trends, the incidence of thyroid cancer has the fastest growth between 2005 and 2014. The incidence of liver cancer decreased, and stomach and esophageal cancer also decreased significantly for males in the last decade. Incidence rate for lung cancer was relatively stable during that period of time., Conclusions: With more than 45,000 new cases in Beijing in 2014, cancer remains an important public health problem. Actions should be taken to diminish total cancer incidence in Beijing.

Background: Stage at diagnosis and molecular subtype are important clinical factors associated with breast cancer patient survival. However, subgroup survival data from a large study sample are limited in China. To estimate the survival differences among patients with different stages and various subtypes of breast cancer, we conducted a hospital-based multi-center study on breast cancer in Beijing, China., Methods: All resident patients diagnosed with primary, invasive breast cancer between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2010 from four selected hospitals in Beijing were included and followed up until December 31, 2015. Hospital-based data of stage at diagnosis, hormone receptor status, and selected clinical characteristics, including body mass index (BMI), menopausal status, histological grade, and histological type, were collected from the medical records of the study subjects. Overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) were estimated. Cox proportional hazards models were employed to evaluate the associations of stage at diagnosis and molecular subtype with patient survival., Results: The 5-year OS and CSS rates for all patients were 89.4% and 90.3%. Survival varied by stage and molecular subtype. The 5-year OS rates for patients with stage I, II, III, and IV diseases were 96.5%, 91.6%, 74.8%, and 40.7%, respectively, and the corresponding estimates of 5-year CSS rates were 97.1%, 92.6%, 75.6%, and 42.7%, respectively. The 5-year OS rates for patients with luminal A, luminal B, HER2, and triple-negative subtypes of breast cancer were 92.6%, 88.4%, 83.6%, and 82.9%, respectively, and the corresponding estimates of 5-year CSS rates were 93.2%, 89.1%, 85.4%, and 83.5%, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that stage at diagnosis and molecular subtype were important prognostic factors for breast cancer., Conclusions: Survival of breast cancer patients varied significantly by stage and molecular subtype. Cancer screening is encouraged for the early detection and early diagnosis of breast cancer. More advanced therapies and health care policies are needed on HER2 and triple-negative subtypes.

Benzoylcyclohexanedione herbicides work by inhibiting 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase which was the last new target site introduced for herbicides. In an attempt to find new 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase inhibitors with high efficacy and selectivity, a novel benzoylcyclohexanedione compound SYP-9121 was synthesized and studied in greenhouse and field. In the greenhouse, SYP-9121 showed broad spectrum herbicidal activity and good safety to maize. Its control of barnyard grass, crabgrass, redroot pigweed, purslane, dayflower and night shade was equivalent to that of the commercial herbicide mesotrione. Three field trials in summer maize showed that SYP-9121 could efficiently control both grass and broadleaf weeds with good selectivity. Herbicidal activity of SYP-9121 was comparable to that of mesotrione., (Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: Double eye-lid surgery is one of the most popular performed aesthetic procedures in young Asians. Reliable measurement of patient reported outcomes is crucial for facial aesthetics. The FACE-Q is a new patient-reported outcome tool (PRO) composed of numerous independently functioning scales and checklists designed to measure outcomes. Here we described FACE-Q scales for double eye-lid surgery with minor incision in young Asians., Methods: 200 patients (400 eyes) aged from 21 to 30 years-old were recruited from 2012 to 2014. They underwent minor incision procedure for double-eyelid blepharoplasty, epicanthic fold correction, excessive orbit fat removal and blepharoptosis correction simultaneously. An incision of 1 cm long in the middle of upper eyelid and modified Park's Z-plasty for epicanthus correction were designed. Three stitches were carried out in levator aponeurosis-inferior dermis procedure. By the middle incision in the upper eyelid, blepharoptosis correction and excessive orbit fat removal can be executed. Those patients were asked to complete anonymously the FACE-Q by e-mail. FACE-Q scores were assessed for each domain (range, 0 to 100), with higher scores indicating greater satisfaction with appearance or superior quality of life., Results: After a mean of 2 years' follow-up, postoperative complications included partial or complete loss of the double-eyelid fold in 8 and 0 cases, respectively, no hypertrophic scar formation, and asymmetric fold in four cases. One patient received re-operation on blepharoptosis correction. Except hematoma occurring in one female case, no obvious edema was observed. Patients demonstrated high levels of satisfaction with eye appearance overall (mean ± SD, 81.7 ± 18.3). Quality of Life Patients exhibited high levels of quality of life, including in social confidence (95.4 ± 12.6), psychological well-being (97.8 ± 10.3), and early life impact of the procedure (90.2 ± 13.4). Patients reported high satisfaction with the decision to undergo and the outcome of the procedure., Conclusions: Minimally invasive procedure is a reliable tool for correcting disfigurement in double-eyelid blepharoplasty. However, this method is not suitable for those cases whose upper eyelids are featured by relaxation. Excessive amount of skin must be removed. Patients who responded in this study were extremely satisfied with their decision to undergo double-eyelid surgery and the outcomes and quality of life following the procedure., (Copyright © 2017 British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The present paper reported an one-pot synthesis of Co nanoparticles doped amino-graphene nanocomposites (Co-amino-Gr), involving in situ generation of Co nanoparticles (NPs). The simultaneous reduction of graphene oxide (GO) and Co 2+ to produce Co-amino-Gr had been achieved under mild reaction conditions using an environmentally benign reducing agent, glycine. By combining the merits of amino-Gr and the Co NPs, a highly sensitive electrochemical sensor was erected to detect baicalin based on the Co-amino-Gr nanocomposites. Under optimum conditions, the response peak currents were linear related with baicalin concentrations in the range of 1.0×10 -8 -8.0×10 -7 molL -1 with a lower detection limit of 5.0×10 -9 molL -1 (S/N=3). Additionally, the proposed method was used to detect baicalin in the medicinal capsules with satisfactory results., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The nanocomposites of titanium dioxide nanoparticles decorated poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride)-functionalized graphene (TiO 2 -PDDA-Gr) were successfully synthesized via a facile and green strategy. The prepared nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-visible spectrophotometry (UV-vis), Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). By combining the merits of the PDDA-Gr and TiO 2 NPs, a highly sensitive electrochemical sensor was erected to detect esculetin based on the TiO 2 -PDDA-Gr nanocomposites. Under the optimized conditions, a lower detection limit of 4×10 -9 molL -1 (S/N=3) and a wide linear detection range from 1×10 -8 to 3.5×10 -6 molL -1 were achieved by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). Additionally, the proposed electroanalytical methodology was applied in Chinese herb Viola yedoensis Makino and Cortex Fraxini with satisfactory results, showing that fabricated sensor has potential to be applied., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Congenital hypothyroidism (CH) is a frequent neonatal endocrine disease with an incidence of about 1:2500 worldwide. Although thyroid dysgenesis (TD) is the most frequent cause of CH cases, its pathogenesis remains unclear. The aim of this study was to screen the hematopoietically-expressedhomeobox gene (HHEX) mutations in Chinese children with TD., Methods: Genomic deoxyribonucleic acid was extracted from peripheral blood leukocytes in 234 TD patients from Shandong Province. Mutations in all exons and nearby introns of HHEX were analyzed by direct sequencing after polymerase chain reaction amplification., Results: Sequencing analysis of HHEX indicated that no causative mutations were present in the coding regionof the TD patients. However, a genetic variant (IVS2+ 127 G/T, 10.26%) was observed in the intron 2 in HHEX., Conclusion: Our results indicate that the frequency of HHEX mutation is very low and may not be the main causative factor in Chinese TD patients. However, these results need to be replicated using larger datasets collected from different populations.

Diphenylamine derivatives have been reported with good fungicidal, insecticidal, acaricidal, rodenticidal and/or herbicidal activities. To find new lead compound of this kind, a series of novel diphenylamine derivatives were designed and synthesized by the approach of Intermediate Derivatization Methods. All compounds were identified by (1)H NMR and elemental analysis. Bioassays demonstrated that some compounds substituted at 2,4,6-positions or 2,4,5-positions of phenyl ring B exhibited excellent fungicidal activities. The optimal compounds P30 and P33 showed 80% and 85% control respectively against cucumber downy mildew at 12.5mgL(-1), both 100% control against rice blast at 0.3mgL(-1) and both 100% control against cucumber gray mold at 0.9mgL(-1). The relationship between structure and fungicidal activities was discussed as well., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Intensive competition of intellectual property, easy development of agrochemical resistance, and stricter regulations of environmental concerns make the successful rate for agrochemical discovery extremely lower using traditional agrochemical discovery methods. Therefore, there is an urgent need to find a novel approach to guide agrochemical discovery with high efficiency to quickly keep pace with the changing market. On the basis of these situations, here we summarize the intermediate derivatization method (IDM) between conventional methods in agrochemicals and novel ones in pharmaceuticals. This method is relatively efficient with short time in discovery phase, reduced cost, especially good innovated structure, and better performance. In this paper, we summarize and illustrate "what is the IDM" and "why to use" and "how to use" it to accelerate the discovery of new biologically active molecules, focusing on agrochemicals. Furthermore, we display several research projects in our novel agrochemical discovery programs with improved success rate under guidance of this strategy in recent years.

A simple, inexpensive and highly sensitive voltammetric method for the determination of tectoridin was developed using a poly(L-Arginine) modified electrode. The redox character of tectoridin at proposed electrode was studied systematically and some dynamic parameters were calculated for the first time. A reasonable reaction mechanism of tectoridin on the poly(L-Arginine)/GCE was also dicussed and proposed, which could be a reference for the pharmacological action of tectoridin in clinical study. And the electroanalytical method for determination of tectoridin was established by differential pulse voltammograms (DPV). Under optimum conditions, the response peak currents were linear relationship with tectoridin concentrations in the range of 5.0×10(-8)-2.0×10(-6) mol L(-1) with a detection limit of 4.0×10(-8) mol L(-1). Therefore, the high sensitivity for tectoridin sensing at the proposed electrode was achieved, and the proposed method could also be used to detect tectoridin in the Chinese medicinal herb Blackberrylily with satisfactory results., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Thyroid dysgenesis (TD) is the most frequent cause of congenital hypothyroidism (CH), but its pathogenesis remains unclear. As a thyroid transcription factor, paired box transcription factor 8 (PAX8) is essential for thyroid organogenesis and development., Aim: To screen PAX8 mutations and characterize the features of these mutations in Chinese TD patients., Materials and Methods: Blood samples were collected from 63 TD patients in Shandong Province, China, and genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood leukocytes. Exon 3~4 of PAX8 were analyzed by PCR and direct sequencing., Results: Direct sequencing of PAX8 revealed a heterozygous missense mutation (c.155G/C, P.Arg52Pro) in one child with agenesis. Genetic screening of the child's family revealed that the clinically unaffected parents do not carry the mutation, suggesting that the identified sequence change is a de novo mutation., Conclusion: We report a heterozygous missense de novo mutation in PAX8 in one out of 63 unrelated Chinese TD patients, showing that the PAX8 mutation rate is very low in TD patients in China. However, de novo mutation and epigenetic mechanisms need to be considered in the future study.

Objective: To analyze the incidence of cancer during 2008-2012 in Beijing, China, and compare the cancer spectrum with that during 1998-1999., Methods: Data from the Beijing Cancer Registry (BCR), which covered 12 million residents and 16 administrative regions in Beijing, were checked and evaluated on basis of the criteria of data quality from the National Central Cancer Registry (NCCR) of China. Incidences were calculated stratified by cancer type, sex, areas (urban/rural), and age. The Chinese census population in 1982 and the world Segi's population were used for calculating the age-standardized incidences., Results: A total of 177,101 new cancer cases were diagnosed in Beijing between 2008 and 2012. The crude incidence rate (CR) of all cancers was 282.64/100,000 (290.71/100,000 in males and 274.45/100,000 in females). The age-standardized rates by Chinese standard population (ASR-China) and by world standard population (ASR-world) were 124.46/100,000 and 161.18/100,000, respectively. Female breast cancer was the most common cancer, followed by lung cancer, colorectal cancer, liver cancer, and stomach cancer, with the CR of 59.87/100,000, 59.21/100,000, 32.49/100,000, 19.81/100,000 and 17.96/100,000, respectively. In urban areas, female breast cancer (68.50/100,000) was still the most common cancer, followed by lung cancer (61.23/100,000), colorectal cancer (37.23/100,000), prostate cancer (20.49/100,000) and stomach cancer (20.07/100,000). In rural areas, lung cancer (55.94/100,000) was the most common cancer, followed by female breast cancer (45.87/100,000), colorectal cancer (24.77/100,000), liver cancer (20.68/100,000) and stomach cancer (14.52/100,000). Great changes of the cancer spectrum were found from the period of 1998-1999 to the period of 2011-2012 in Beijing., Conclusions: The cancer burden in Beijing was heavier than the national average level. Cancer prevention and control strategies, especially for lung, colorectal, prostate and female thyroid cancers, should be enhanced.

Objective: To analyze the incidence trends and characteristics of lymphoma in Beijing, 1998-2010., Methods: Total of 9 763 new cases diagnosed as lymphoma in 1998-2010 were extracted from the population-based database of Beijing Cancer Registry, covering population of 151 601 066 person-years. Incidence, age-adjusted incidence, cumulative incidence, truncated incidence and annual percentage change (APC) were calculated. The gender-specific, age-specific and pathology-specific incidence trends were analyzed., Result: The incidence rate of lymphoma was 6.48/100 000 (9 763/150 720 187) during the period of 1998-2010, increased from 3.78/100 000 (410/10 850 626) in 1998 to 8.88/100 000 (1 111/12 518 114) in 2010 with an increasing rate of 136.17% (APC = 5.21%, P < 0.05). The incidence rate of Hodgkin lymphoma increased from 0.25/100 000 (27/10 850 626) in 1998 to 0.47/100 000 (59/12 518 114) in 2010 with an increasing rate of 88.00% (APC = 4.33%, P < 0.05). The incidence rate of non-Hodgkin lymphoma was increased from 2.89/100 000 (314/10 850 626) in 1998 to 5.93/100 000 (742/12 518 114) in 2010 with an increasing rate of 105.19% (APC = 4.19%, P < 0.05) . During the period of 1998-2010, the incidence of lymphoma was 7.78/100 000 (7 125/91 621 898) in urban areas and 4.47/100 000 (2 638/59 098 289) in rural areas, 7.40/100 000 (5 632/76 121 672) in males and 5.54/100 000 (4 131/74 598 518) in females., Conclusion: The incidence of lymphoma keeps increasing in 1998-2010, and the incidence was higher in males than females, urban areas than rural areas. The incidence patterns of Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma were different.

Objective: To investigate the characteristics and incidence trends of childhood cancer in Beijing, China, from 2000 to 2009., Methods: A total of 1,274 cases with childhood cancer in Beijing from 2000 to 2009 were included in the study. All rates were age-standardized using the direct method to the world standard population and expressed per million person-years. Incidence trends were characterized by calculating annual percent change (APC) using Joinpoint Regression Program., Results: The crude incidence rate was 106.47 per million [age-standardized rate (ASR) 113.34] between 2000 and 2009 in Beijing with the most common diagnoses, leukemia (N=505, 39.64%, ASR 45.20), followed by central nervous system (CNS) tumors (N=228, 17.90%, ASR 19.28) and lymphoma (N=91, 7.14%, ASR 6.97). The incidence for all childhood cancers combined has increased during the study period, with an APC of 5.84% [95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.0-10.9] after adjusted by world population. The ASR of all combined cancers in boys showed a slight, but no significant increase, with an APC of 5.33% (95% CI: -0.6-11.6); for girls, the trends increased significantly, with an APC of 6.54% (95% CI: 1.5-11.8)., Conclusions: The incidence rate of childhood cancer in Beijing was higher than the average level of China and lower than that of western countries. The incidence trends of childhood cancer, especially leukemia among girls showed a significantly increase from 2000 to 2009. While among boys, no substantially change was seen during the observed time period. Some sex-specific trends by subcategories and trends of major cancers in different age groups by cancer site merit further investigation.

The quantum spin Hall (QSH) effect is known to be unstable to perturbations violating time-reversal symmetry. We show that creating a narrow ferromagnetic region near the edge of a QSH sample can push one of the counterpropagating edge states to the inner boundary of the ferromagnetic region and leave the other at the outer boundary, without changing their spin polarizations and propagation directions. Since the two edge states are spatially separated into different "lanes," the QSH effect becomes robust against symmetry-breaking perturbations.

We propose a topological understanding of general characteristics of edge states in a quantum spin Hall phase without considering any symmetries. It follows from the requirement of gauge invariance that either the energy gap or the gap in the spectrum of the projected spin operator needs to close on the sample edges. Based upon the Kane-Mele model with a uniform Zeeman field and a smooth confining potential near the sample boundaries, we demonstrate the existence of gapless edge states in the absence of time-reversal symmetry and their robust properties against impurities. These gapless edge states are protected by the band topology alone, rather than any symmetries.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of the combined method of liposuction and semicircular periareolar incision glandular organ partial resection in the treatment of gynecomastia., Methods: From June 2004 to June 2006, 40 patients, aged 11-41 years old, were treated, with no-nodule (n = 10), nodule (n = 22) and female-breast-like with nodules (n = 8). Three patients were unilateral and 37 ones were bilateral. The levels of serum prolactin, luteinizing hormone, follicle stimulating hormone, estradiol, testosterone and cortisol were normal in 38 patients, while in the other 2 patients, the levels of serum prolactin, luteinizing hormone, follicle stimulating hormone and estradiol were higher than normal, and the testosterone level was lower. Liposuction alone was performed in 10 no-nodule patients (lipo-type), and combined liposuction and semicircular periareolar incision glandular organ partial resection were conducted in the other 30 patients (lipo-glandular type). RESULTS; Except for 2 cases in which hematoma and a small amount of effusion were found on the first and second day postoperatively and then obtained healing by first intention right after hematoma removal in time, all the other patients incisions obtained healing by first intention. Nipple numbness occurred in 3 cases on the first day postoperatively and no special treatment was conducted. There was still nipple hypesthesia in these 3 cases after 6-month follow-up. There were no complications such as hematoma, effusion, nipple and mammary areola necrosis, and nipple hypesthesia in other patients. All the 40 patients were followed up for 6-24 months (13 months on average). They were satisfied with their chest figures and no recurrence was observed., Conclusion: The combined method of liposuction and semicircular periareolar incision glandular organ partial resection in the treatment of gynecomastia has many advantages, such as safe, micro-scars, natural and beautiflhl male breast figures as well as high patients' satisfaction.

Objective: To explore the effects of tissue expansion on the anastomoses and the survival of the axial pattern flap with a crossing area supply so as to improve the survival of crossing area axial pattern flap and to provide a new idea for the development of original crossing area axial flap., Methods: The experiment included two parts. Experiment A was divided into expansion group and control group. Square flaps were randomly designed on own control bilaterally in each animal with a boundary of midline. Experiment B was divided into expansion group and delay group. The flaps were also randomly designed on own control bilaterally. Angiographic analysis and gross survival observation were carried on., Results: Experiment A: Angiography showed that there were abundant anastomoses with big caliber between deep iliac circumflex artery and superior epigastric artery in expansion group and there were only 3-4 anastomoses in control group. Experiment B: Angiography showed that there were abundant anastomoses with big caliber in expansion group and there were two arterial systems with relatively less anastomoses and smaller caliber in delay group. The survival rates in expansion group was significantly higher than that in the control group (90.16% +/- 3.61% vs 72.67% +/- 5.35%) in experiment A, and in experiment B the survival rate was 92.08% +/- 3.30% in the expansion group and 80.79% +/- 4.52% in the delay group, showing significant difference (P < 0.01)., Conclusion: Expansion prefabrication can and improve the survival of the crossing area supply axial pattern flap. The mechanism is the bridging effect.

Objective: To present a method for quantifying the anastomosis between two vessels based on angiograpy and provide a theoretical basis for vascular study in skin flap., Methods: Ten bilateral skin flaps of 20 cm x 20 cm based on deep iliac circumflex vessels were elevated from the abdominal wall including musculus rectus abdominis and deep superior epigastric vessels in 5 minipigs which were 100-115 cm in length and 25-35 kg in weight. One side was inserted an expander under the panniculus carnosus and was expanded regularly with 30-40 ml isotonic Na chloride injection (expanded group) and the other was unexpanded group which were without any treatment. A X-ray image of the flap vessles was obtained after a gelatin-lead oxide mixture was carotid arterially injected and 24 hours of cryopreservation of the body. Three parallel lines with equal interval perpendicular to long axis of the two vessels were designed at the communication area. Vessel anastomosis quantifying was determined by counting the number of marks derived from the intersections of the lines and the vessels and statistical analysis was carried out., Results: The mark of intersection in expanded group (81.20+/-10.33) was more than that in unexpanded group (22.40+/-5.41), showing significant difference (P<0.01)., Conclusion: The method for quantifying vessel anastomosis in skin flap is simple, reliable, and easy-to-perform. The principles of this procedure may also be applied to other experimental and clinical studies.