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The Ångström–Prescott formula is commonly used in climatological calculation methods of solar radiation simulation. Aiming at the characteristics of a vast area, few meteorological stations, and uneven distribution in the tropical regions of China, in order to obtain the optimal parameters of the global solar radiation calculation model, this study proposes a suitable monthly global solar radiation model based on the single-station approach and the between-groups linkage of the A–P model, which utilizes monthly measured meteorological data from 80 meteorological stations spanning the period from 1996 to 2016 in the tropical zone of China, considering the similarity in changes of monthly sunshine percentage between stations. The applicability and accuracy of the correction parameters (a and b coefficients) were tested and evaluated, and then the modified parameters were extended to conventional meteorological stations through Thiessen polygons. Finally, the spatial distribution of solar radiation in the tropical region of China was simulated by kriging, IDW, and spline interpolation techniques. The results show the following: (1) The single-station model exhibited the highest accuracy in simulating the average annual global solar radiation, followed by the model based on the between-groups linkage. After optimizing the a and b coefficients, the simulation accuracy of the average annual global solar radiation increased by 5.3%, 8.1%, and 4.4% for the whole year, dry season, and wet season, respectively. (2) Through cross-validation, the most suitable spatial interpolation methods for the whole year, dry season, and wet season in the tropical zone of China were IDW, Kriging, and Spline, respectively. This research has positive implications for improving the accuracy of solar radiation prediction and guiding regional agricultural production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under potent policy support, China's photovoltaic (PV) and wind power industries have scored remarkable achievements. However, the mechanism of how the policy remains controversial. Based on the data of 62 listed companies from 2007 to 2020, this study constructs fixed-effect models and PSM models to investigate the effect of government subsidies and tax incentives on the technical efficiency of China's PV and wind power companies, as well as the role of R&D investment and operation efficiency. The results indicate that government support policies have a different impact on the companies' technical efficiency. Subsidies have significant inhibitory effects on technical efficiency by squeezing out private R&D investment. Meanwhile, tax incentives boost technical efficiency and operation efficiency recur to a mediating role. Based on these results, some valuable suggestions for improving the government policy mechanism of the photovoltaic and wind power industry are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2-m temperature is one of the important meteorological elements, and improving the accuracy of medium- and long-term forecasts of the 2-m temperature is important. The similarity forecasting method is widely used as a calibration technique in the statistical postprocessing of numerical weather prediction (NWP). In this study, the analogue ensemble averaging method is used to correct the deterministic forecast of the 2-m temperature with a forecast lead time from 180 h to 348 h using the CMA-GEPS model. The bias, mean absolute error (MAE), and root mean square error (RMSE) are used as the evaluation metrics. In comparison with NWP, the systematic error of the model for 2-m temperature is effectively reduced during each forecast period when using the analogue ensemble averaging method. In addition, the differences in forecast errors between regions are reduced, and the accuracy of 2-m temperature forecasts over complex terrain, especially in Southwest China, Northwest China, and North China, is improved using this method. In the future, there is certainly potential to apply the analogue ensemble averaging method to the bias correction of medium- and long-term forecasts of more meteorological elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lenvatinib is a novel oral angiogenesis inhibitor approved in China for the treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) without prior systemic treatment. We described the population pharmacokinetics of lenvatinib in Chinese patients with advanced HCC and explore the potential patient characteristics associated with lenvatinib pharmacokinetics using real‐world data. A total of 266 samples, provided by 127 Chinese patients with advanced HCC, were analyzed by nonlinear mixed‐effects modeling. Monte Carlo simulation was conducted to assess impact of covariates on the exposure to lenvatinib. The clearance of lenvatinib in Chinese patients with advanced HCC was 5.3 L/h, and alkaline phosphatase, total bilirubin, and sex were identified as important covariates associated with it. The clearance of Child‐Pugh class B patients (4.82L/h) was significantly lower than that of Child‐Pugh class A patients (5.53 L/h), and the systemic exposure increased with the increase of alkaline phosphatase and total bilirubin. There were sex differences in the pharmacokinetic characteristics of lenvatinib. The clearance of women was significantly lower than that of men (4.61 vs 5.6 L/h; P <.001), and the area under the plasma concentration–time curve of women was ≈20% higher than that of men. In this study, a population pharmacokinetic model of lenvatinib was established, which can be used to simulate clinical trials or various dosing scenarios. Our findings provide important new insights for optimizing the use of lenvatinib in patients with advanced HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diverging runways are receiving considerable attention as replacements for parallel runways when constructing three or more runways in China. This has been prompted by the limitations associated with a single-direction airspace and associated regulations when using parallel runways. However, the operating efficiency of diverging runways is still greatly constrained by the separation standard for departing aircraft in CCAR-93TM-R5 and Decree of CAAC NO.123. To address these problems, an improved runway operation capacity model for a V-open multirunway airport is proposed to reduce the separation standard based on the equivalent lateral separation operation (ELSO) standard. A collision risk module is first proposed to assess the feasibility and safety of the proposed policy. Also, a novel runway capacity model for V-open multiple runways is then built to improve the operating efficiency for diverging runway. A series of comparative experiments based on actual flight data from Chengdu Tianfu International Airport demonstrated that reducing the divergence angle from 15° to 10° improved the runway operation capacity by about 8% based on the proposed improved policy. These research results could play a major role in facilitating appropriate amendments to the associated CAAC operation regulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emotions are generally considered to be important elements of consumer behavior, but little research has investigated the link between emotions and consumers' adoption behavior relating to electric vehicles (EVs). To address this gap, this study examines the roles of emotions in EV adoption intention by focusing on pride and guilt and explores the impact of perceived value on these causal processes. We proposed a research model and empirically tested it using 405 survey responses collected from China. The structural equation modeling analysis results indicate that both pride and guilt significantly affect EV adoption intention, and the effect of pride is stronger than that of guilt. Perceived value mediates the relationships between emotions and EV adoption behavior. We also found differences between men and women. The findings of this study contribute to a better understanding of the role of emotions in consumers' EV adoption behavior, and provide recommendations for the promotion of EVs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to clarify what specific behaviors are involved in consumers' partial switching in mobile application (app) usage, and, second, to explore the common and differential motivations of these behaviors. Design/methodology/approach: This paper specified two behaviors in consumers' partial switching in mobile app usage, trialing and combining behaviors, and conceptualized them as different types of variety seeking behaviors. A theoretical model contrasting intrinsic motivations and extrinsic motivations on the two behaviors was developed and tested with a sample of 561 mobile app users in China. Findings: The findings showed that both trialing and combining behaviors could be motivated by intrinsic individual-related and extrinsic technology-related factors. Besides, intrinsic individual-related factors were more effective in motivating trialing behavior, whereas extrinsic technology-related factors were more effective in motivating combining behavior. All these findings are applicable and consistent in both hedonic and utilitarian apps. Originality/value: This study extends and advances the literature on information technology switching by investigating consumer use behaviors from a new perspective of partial switching and multiple competing apps usage. This study also contributes to variety seeking literature by extending the understanding of variety seeking to the context of mobile app usage. Finally, by investigating the associations and distinctions of trialing and combining behavior, this study not only helps to fully understand the partial switching but also enriches the understanding of different types of variety seeking behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: With the effective prevention and control of COVID‐19 in China, the number of cured cases has increased significantly. Further monitoring of the disease prognosis and effective control of the "relapse" of the epidemic has become the next focus of work. This study analysed the clinical prognosis of discharged COVID‐19 patients by monitoring their SAR‐CoV‐2 nucleic acid status, which provided a theoretical basis for medical institutions to formulate discharge standards and follow‐up management for COVID‐19 patients. Methods: We included 13 discharged COVID‐19 patients who were quarantined for 4 weeks at home. The patient's daily clinical signs were recorded and sputum and faecal specimens were regularly sent for detection of SARS‐CoV‐2 nucleic acid. Results: The time between initial symptoms and meeting discharge criteria was 18 to 44 days with an average of 25 ± 6 days. The faecal samples of two patients still tested positive after meeting the discharge criteria and the sputum samples of four patients returned positive 5 to 14 days after discharge. The rate of the recurring positive test result in samples from the respiratory system was 31% (4/13). Conclusion: Under the present discharge criteria, the high presence of SARS‐CoV‐2 nucleic acid in faecal and respiratory samples of discharged COVID‐19 patients indicates potential infectivity. Therefore, we suggest that faecal virus nucleic acid should be tested as a routine monitoring index for COVID‐19 and a negative result be added to the criteria. Simultaneously, we should strengthen the regular follow‐up of discharged patients with continuous monitoring of the recurrence of viral nucleic acid. Highlights: The positive rate of SARS‐CoV‐2 nucleic acid in faeces and respiratory tract of discharged COVID‐19 patients both were high, which indicate potential infectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The global numbers of confirmed cases and deceased critically ill patients with COVID-19 are increasing. However, the clinical course, and the 60-day mortality and its predictors in critically ill patients have not been fully elucidated. The aim of this study is to identify the clinical course, and 60-day mortality and its predictors in critically ill patients with COVID-19.Methods: Critically ill adult patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) from 3 hospitals in Wuhan, China, were included. Data on demographic information, preexisting comorbidities, laboratory findings at ICU admission, treatments, clinical outcomes, and results of SARS-CoV-2 RNA tests and of serum SARS-CoV-2 IgM were collected including the duration between symptom onset and negative conversion of SARS-CoV-2 RNA.Results: Of 1748 patients with COVID-19, 239 (13.7%) critically ill patients were included. Complications included acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in 164 (68.6%) patients, coagulopathy in 150 (62.7%) patients, acute cardiac injury in 103 (43.1%) patients, and acute kidney injury (AKI) in 119 (49.8%) patients, which occurred 15.5 days, 17 days, 18.5 days, and 19 days after the symptom onset, respectively. The median duration of the negative conversion of SARS-CoV-2 RNA was 30 (range 6-81) days in 49 critically ill survivors that were identified. A total of 147 (61.5%) patients deceased by 60 days after ICU admission. The median duration between ICU admission and decease was 12 (range 3-36). Cox proportional-hazards regression analysis revealed that age older than 65 years, thrombocytopenia at ICU admission, ARDS, and AKI independently predicted the 60-day mortality.Conclusions: Severe complications are common and the 60-day mortality of critically ill patients with COVID-19 is considerably high. The duration of the negative conversion of SARS-CoV-2 RNA and its association with the severity of critically ill patients with COVID-19 should be seriously considered and further studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore a new algorithm and strategy for rhythm analysis during chest compressions (CCs), and to improve the efficiency of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) by minimizing interruptions. The clinical data and ECG of patients with sudden cardiac arrest (CA) from three hospitals in China were collected with Philips MRx monitor/defibrillators. The length of each analyzed ECG segment was 23 s, the first 11.5 s was selected to contain CPR compressions, the next 5 s had no compressions, and the last 6.5 s had no requirement. Three experienced emergency doctors annotated the ECG segments without compression artifacts. A two-step analysis through CPR (ATC) algorithm was applied to the selected data. The first step was analysis during chest compressions. If a shockable rhythm was not detected, compression-free analysis followed. The results of the ATC algorithm were compared with the annotations by the physicians, to determine the sensitivity and specificity of the algorithm. In total 166 CA patients were included with 100 out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients and 66 in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) patients. A total of 1578 ECG segments were analyzed, including 115 (7.3%) shockable rhythms, 1278 (81.0%) non-shockable rhythms, and 185 (11.7%) intermediate/unknown rhythms. The specificity of all non-shockable rhythms was 99.8% at the end of chest compressions, and 99.5% after analysis without compression artifact. 70.5% of ventricular fibrillation (VF) rhythms were detected by the end of chest compressions. After the CC-free analysis, 93.6% of VF was identified. The ATC algorithm achieved sensitivity of 93.6% and specificity of 99.5% after the two-step analysis, and 70.5% of the patients with shockable rhythms did not require CC-free analysis. Such an approach has the potential to substantially reduce CC interruptions when identifying shockable rhythms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photovoltaic (PV) development provides an excellent opportunity for China's energy transformation and carbon emission mitigation. However, there is still a lack of systematic evaluation of the economic and environmental benefits of PV penetration. This study explores the impact of PV growth on the power system and the macroeconomy, examines the abatement costs of PV based on the learning effect, and further discusses the economic feasibility range of PV development. The results indicate that: (1) From July 2011 to April 2022, for every 1% increase in the PV installed capacity, the cost will drop by 0.3238%. (2) The impact of PV development on the economy presents a "U shape". The high cost in the early stage of PV will inflict a negative impact on capital stock and GDP, and the low cost in the later can promote economic growth. (3) The CO 2 mitigation cost of PV adoption is marginally decreasing. During 2012-2020, the CO 2 mitigation cost of PV is as high as 894.21 CNY/kWh. But in the long run, an increase in PV penetration can bring both environmental and economic benefits. (4) Sufficient market capacity might be a prerequisite for PV to achieve economic viability, and countries' mutual opening of the PV market is a key path to realizing global carbon abatement. • PV's cost will drop by 0.3238% for every 1% increase in the installed capacity. • High penetration PV has lower emission abatement costs in the long term. • Sufficient market capacity is a prerequisite for PV to enter economic viability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thirty-seven lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains were isolated from traditional dry sausages collected from Northeast China, including Latilactobacillus sakei (29 strains), Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (4 strains), Latilactobacillus curvatus (2 strains), Weissella hellenica (1 strain), and Lactococcus lactis (1 strain). Some LAB strains had tolerance to high concentrations of sodium chloride (6%), sodium nitrite (150 mg/L NaNO 2), and acid (pH 4.0). They showed good growth and acidification properties and antimicrobial activity. Among them, five LAB strains that exhibited the best technological properties were selected and inoculated in the sausage model to explore their roles in flavor development. The contents of total free amino acids (FAAs) decreased ranging from 109.11 mg/g to 58.06 mg/g. A total of 46 volatile compounds were identified and the contents of volatile compounds increased in the sausage model during fermentation. Partial least squares regression analysis showed that Lb. sakei HRB10, Lb. plantarum MDJ2, W. hellenica HRB6, and Lc. lactis HRB0 promoted the generation of FAAs and volatile compounds in the sausage model. These findings demonstrated that the autochthonous LAB species are promising for the production of sausage with better flavor and fermentation performance. [Display omitted] • Thirty-seven LAB strains were isolated from traditional dry fermented sausages. • The selected strains exhibited high tolerance to salt, sodium nitrite, and acid. • LAB inoculation promoted free amino acid (FAA) and flavor generation. • The FAAs were responsible for the differences in the flavor of sausage models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traditional dry sausage is highly appreciated in China because of its unique flavor characteristics. This study aimed to characterize and compare the flavor profile of traditional dry sausage, inoculated with lactic acid bacteria (LAB), including Lactobacillus plantarum MDJ2, Lactobacillus sakei HRB10, Lactobacillus curvatus SYS29, Weissella hellenica HRB6, and Lactococcus lactis HRB0 using headspace solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry coupled with electronic nose (E-nose). The control (non-inoculated) sausage presented higher water activity and moisture content compared to the inoculated sausages whereas, the inoculation led to decreased pH values and increased LAB counts during fermentation of dry sausages. Inoculation with LAB increased volatile compound contents and decreased total contents of free amino acids of sausages. E-nose and sensory analysis confirmed that inoculation with LAB, especially W. hellenica HRB6, Lb. sakei HRB10, and Lb. curvatus SYS29 enriched the pleasant odors of dry sausage. Correlation analysis demonstrated that sausages inoculated with W. hellenica HRB6 and Lb. sakei HRB10 showed a correlation with most of the key volatile compounds. In conclusion, W. hellenica HRB6 and Lb. sakei HRB10 are promising starter cultures to enhance the flavor characteristics of dry sausages. • Seventy-four volatile compounds were detected in dry sausages. • The discrimination of E-nose corresponded well to the sensory results. • Sensory characteristics correlated with the key volatile compounds. • Most of the key volatile compounds were positively associated with phenylalanine. • Lb. sakei HRB10 and W. hellenica HRB6 could improve the flavor of dry sausage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traditional dry sausage is highly appreciated in China because of its unique quality characteristics, but it contains high salt content. Hence, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) comprising Lactobacillus sakei (LS), Lactobacillus curvatus (LC), Lactobacillus plantarum (LP), and Weissella hellenica (WH) on the quality attributes of the reduced-salt dry fermented sausages. The results indicated that the LP sausage showed higher (P < 0.05) shear force value compared to the other sausages, while the LP, LC, and WH sausages had higher (P < 0.05) lightness values than the control sausages. Seventy-six volatile compounds were detected, and nine compounds were identified as the key differential volatile compounds among the sausages based on partial least squares discriminant analysis. Clustering analysis of electronic nose results corresponded well to the volatile compound results. The sensory evaluation confirmed that the inoculation with LC and LP had a positive impact on the aroma, color, and hardness attributes of the reduced-salt sausages. Besides, partial least squares regression analysis further indicated that L. curvatus and L. plantarum could be used as the potential starter cultures to manufacture reduced-salt dry fermented sausage having improved texture, color, and flavor. [Display omitted] • The LP sausage shows higher shear force value compared to the other sausages. • The LP, LC, and WH sausages have higher lightness values than the control sausages. • Seventy-six volatile compounds are detected in dry fermented sausage. • Sensory attributes correlate with the key volatile compounds using PLSR analysis. • L. curvatus and L. plantarum can improve the quality of reduced-salt dry sausage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An investigation on the effect of various microbes on degradation was carried out as part of the study on bioremediation of oil-polluted wetland at LiaoDong Bay in northeast China. The method used involved direct inoculation of selected bacteria, which were capable of degrading oil, to the soil samples. The combination of various bacteria showed better results in terms of oil degradation than any single ones due to their synergetic effects. The operation conditions [pH 8.0, 25°C, C/N/P (40:5.6:1)] for these bacteria to degrade the oil content in the soil samples were also studied and optimized. Addition of appropriate surfactants was helpful for bacteria growth, thus favoring the oil degradation. For instance, after adding Tween 80 (300 mg/kg) for 8 days, the number of bacteria was amplified 6.22 times and the rate of oil degradation increased by 20%. Adequate amount of H2O2 was also beneficial for microbes to decompose oil. However, overdosage may cause the death of the bacteria. The addition of 400 mg/l H2O2 each time was suitable. Seven thousand milligrams of H2O2 was added entirely in 11 days, and the rate of oil degradation increased significantly from 27% (without H2O2) up to 67%. The study clearly demonstrated that the direct soil inoculation was an effective method for environmental bioremediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electricity cross-subsidy poses a challenge to the reform of China's electricity system in terms of marketization. This paper measures the size of electricity cross-subsidy in China and examines the impact of eliminating it using the CGE model. In addition, we calculate a compensation variance so that household welfare is not affected. The results show the sum of cross-subsidy was 392.34 billion CNY, of which the subsidies from secondary and tertiary industries were 308.73 and 83.61 billion CNY. If the cross-subsidy were eliminated, GDP, exports, interest rates, and most sectors' output would increase, but the price level would also rise. • The scale of cross-subsidies is estimated based on a two-part pricing model. • A CGE model is adopted to explore the impact of eliminating cross-subsidies. • Compensating variance to maintain the household's utility is evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Distributions, influencing factors and sea-to-air flux of dissolved methane (CH 4) in the North Yellow Sea near the Yalu River estuary were investigated using a field survey conducted in October 2022. The dissolved CH 4 concentration and degree saturation ranged from 3.4 to 34.2 nmol/L and 120%–1059%, respectively. The highest dissolved CH 4 concentrations were observed in the northeast inshore areas, especially the area near the Yalu River estuary, and the CH 4 concentrations were seen to decrease sharply from inshore to offshore areas. The processes controlling the variability of dissolved CH4 were identified using the two-end-member mixing model and factor analysis. The high dissolved CH4 concentrations in the North Yellow Sea, especially the northeast inshore areas, are ascribed to the input of river-diluted water, while the invasions of the North Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass and Warm Current are important sources of the dissolved CH 4 in the bottom water in the southwest offshore area. Overall, the study area is a net source of atmospheric CH 4 , at a rate of 2.9–133.8 μmol/(m2·day), while the flux in the inshore area are significantly higher than in the offshore area. It is, therefore, the CH 4 release from the estuary and marginal seas, which are impacted by human activities, that are a target hot-spot for CH 4 emission reduction. • Surface water dissolved CH 4 decreased sharply from inshore to offshore area in the North Yellow Sea. • River-diluted water input led to high dissolved CH 4 concentrations in the inshore areas. • Multidisciplinary efforts are required to assess air-sea CH 4 fluxes in the estuary and marginal seas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract A gas tank is an important storage facility in chemical enterprises. When an explosion occurs, it can easily cause mass injury and death. This paper takes a 50,000 m3 gas tank as an example to analyze the consequences of an accident. First, a TNT-equivalent explosion model, quantitative risk analysis and FLACS software are used to quantitatively analyze the explosion consequences. The range of casualties caused by the vapor cloud explosion is obtained. The simulation results are then compared with the actual damage range of a gas tank explosion, and the accuracy of the simulation results is verified. Next, the personal and social risks of a gas tank are identified according to China's national standards, and it is concluded that the individual risk can be tolerated, the social risk is within the tolerable range and its area has been reduced as far as possible, and it is necessary to minimize the overall risk as much as possible. Finally, a qualitative analysis of the gas tank explosion accident is carried out and the causes of the accident are analyzed. These analyses can be used to guide practices and effectively prevent the occurrence of similar accidents. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • Obtain the range of casualties caused by the vapor cloud explosion. • The actual damage range is verified by simulation results for the first time. • Personal and social risks of a gas tank explosion are identified. • Guide practices and effectively prevent the occurrence of similar accidents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distribution of lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] has not been well-studied in a large population in China. The relationship between Lp(a) and carotid atherosclerosis remains undefined. In this study, we aimed to investigate the distribution of Lp(a) levels and to assess their association with carotid arteriopathy in China. In this cross-sectional study, 411,634 adults with Lp(a) measurements from 22 health check-up centers were used to investigate Lp(a) distribution in China. Among participants with Lp(a) data, carotid ultrasound was performed routinely at seven health check-up centers covering 75,305 subjects. Carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) and carotid plaque were used as surrogate biomarkers of carotid arteriopathy. The multivariate logistic regression model was applied to evaluate the association of increased Lp(a) levels with carotid arteriopathy. The distribution of Lp(a) concentrations was right-skewed, with a median concentration of 10.60 mg/dL. The proportions of Lp(a) levels ≥30 mg/dL and ≥50 mg/dL were 16.75% and 7.10%, respectively. The median Lp(a) level was higher in females individuals in northern China, and increased with age. Spearman's analysis revealed weak correlations between the Lp(a) concentration as a continuous variable and other lipid profiles. The multiple logistic regression analysis showed that participants with Lp(a) levels ≥50 mg/dL had an increased risk of cIMT ≥1.0 mm (OR = 1.138, 95% CI, 1.071–1.208) and carotid plaque (OR = 1.296, 95% CI, 1.219–1.377) compared with those with Lp(a) levels <50 mg/dL. This is the first study of the Lp(a) distribution in a large population in China. Our findings revealed a positive association between elevated Lp(a) levels (≥50 mg/dL) and increased prevalence of carotid atherosclerosis, which implies an increased risk of cardiovascular disease in the future. [Display omitted] • Lp(a) distribution is evaluated for the first time in large-scale Chinese adults. • Lp(a) ≥ 50 mg/dL is associated with carotid arteriopathy in a health check-up population. • The association between Lp(a) and arteriopathy is independent of LDL-C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There are few thorough studies assessing predictors of severe encephalitis, despite the poor prognosis and high mortality associated with severe encephalitis. The study aims to evaluate the clinical predictors of mortality and poor outcomes at hospital discharge in patients with severe infectious encephalitis in intensive care units., Method: In two Chinese hospitals, a retrospective cohort study comprising 209 patients in intensive care units suffering from severe infectious encephalitis was carried out. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify the factors predicting mortality in all patients and poor outcomes in all survivors with severe infectious encephalitis., Results: In our cohort of 209 patients with severe encephalitis, 22 patients died, yielding a mortality rate of 10.5%. Cerebrospinal fluid pressure ≥ 400mmH 2 O (OR = 7.43), abnormal imaging (OR = 3.51), abnormal electroencephalogram (OR = 7.14), and number of rescues (OR = 1.12) were significantly associated with an increased risk of mortality in severe infectious encephalitis patients. Among the 187 survivors, 122 (65.2%) had favorable outcomes, defined as the modified Rankine Scale (mRS) score (0 ~ 3), and 65(34.8%) had poor outcomes (mRS scores 4 ~ 5). Age (OR = 1.02), number of rescues (OR = 1.43), and tubercular infection (OR = 10.77) were independent factors associated with poor outcomes at discharge in all survivors with severe infectious encephalitis., Conclusions: Multiple clinical, radiologic, and electrophysiological variables are independent predictive indicators for mortality and poor outcomes in patients with severe encephalitis in intensive care units. Identifying these outcome predictors early in patients with severe encephalitis may enable the implementation of appropriate medical treatment and help reduce mortality rates., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Contezolid acefosamil (also known as MRX-4), a prodrug of contezolid, is under development for treatment of multidrug-resistant Gram-positive bacterial infections. A phase I single ascending dose (SAD) and multiple-dose placebo-controlled study was conducted to assess the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics (PK) of contezolid acefosamil in healthy Chinese subjects following intravenous (IV) and oral administration. Adverse events (AEs) and PK parameters were assessed appropriately. All subjects ( n = 70) completed the trial. Overall, 67 cases of treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were observed in 49.1% (27 of 55) of the subjects receiving contezolid acefosamil. All TEAEs were mild in severity. No serious AEs or deaths were reported. After IV SAD (500-2,000 mg), the corresponding C max of the active drug contezolid increased from 1.95 ± 0.57 to 15.61 ± 4.88 mg/L, AUC 0-inf from 40.25 ± 10.12 to 129.41 ± 38.30 h·mg/L, median T max from 2.00 to 2.75 h, and mean t 1/2 from 13.33 to 16.74 h. Plasma contezolid reached steady state on day 6 after multiple IV doses, with an accumulation ratio of 2.20-2.96. Oral SAD of 500 and 1,500 mg resulted in contezolid C max of 8.66 ± 2.60 and 37.10 ± 8.66 mg/L, AUC 0-inf of 30.44 ± 7.33 and 162.36 ± 47.08 h·mg/L, and median T max of 2.50 and 2.98 h. Contezolid reached steady state on day 5 after multiple oral doses of 1,500 mg without significant accumulation. Contezolid C max and AUC 0-inf increased with the dose of contezolid acefosamil. The good safety and PK profiles in this SAD and multiple-dose study can support further clinical development of contezolid acefosamil., Competing Interests: Hailin Wang, Hong Yuan and Huahui Yang are full-time employees of Shanghai MicuRx Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Other authors declare no competing interests.

Background: A considerable number of people suffered from mental disorders due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). As the virus mutated, the effect of COVID-19 changed. This study intends to compare the mental health between the medical staff and non-medical staff during the Omicron pandemic, and to analyze the relevant risk factors., Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted by a set of online questionnaires, 1246 medical staff and 1246 non-medical staff were selected after a 1:1 propensity score matching. The questionnaires included the demographic characteristics, the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS), the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), the Insomnia Severity Index Scale (ISI), and the Psychological Resilience Scale(CD-RISC)., Results: Compared with medical staff, non-medical staff scored higher on CAS and CES-D (both P < 0.001). Non-medical staff had higher prevalence of anxiety (55.0 % versus 47.3 %; adjusted OR = 1.45, 95 % CI = 1.23-1.70), depression (62.4 % versus 53.4 %; adjusted OR = 1.46, 95 % CI = 1.23-1.73) and insomnia (46.5 % versus 43.4 %; adjusted OR = 1.21, 95 % CI = 1.02-1.43). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that being female, being younger than 40 years, having an annual income of <50,000 yuan, paying attention to omicron, in the course of an infection and below bachelor degree influenced anxiety, depression and insomnia of the medical staff and non-medical staff to different degree., Limitations and Conclusions: This study only collected data through the network. Therefore, the validity was reduced to some extent. The outbreak of the Omicron epidemic posed a significant challenge to public mental health, with non-medical staff at the highest risk for mental health problems., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest All authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Aim: To date, PM 2.5 -associated vascular damage in metabolic abnormalities has remained controversial. We knew little about the vascular damage of PM 2.5 constituents. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between long-term exposure to PM 2.5 and its constituents and vascular damage in metabolic abnormalities., Methods: A total of 124,387 participants with metabolic abnormalities (defined as at least one metabolic disorder, such as obesity, elevated blood pressure, elevated triglyceride level, elevated fasting glucose level, or low HDL cholesterol level) were recruited in this study from 11 representative centers in China between January 2011 and December 2017. PM 2.5 and its constituents (black carbon [BC], organic matter [OM], sulfate [SO 4 2- ], nitrate [NO 3 - ], and ammonium salts [NH 4 ＋ ]) were extracted. Elevated brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) (≥ 1,400 cm/s) and declined ankle-brachial index (ABI) (＜0.9) indicated vascular damage. Multivariable logistic regression and Quantile g-Computation models were utilized to explore the impact on outcomes., Results: Of the 124,387 participants (median age, 49 years), 87,870 (70.64%) were men. One-year lag exposure to PM 2.5 and its constituents was significantly associated with vascular damage in single pollutant models. The adjusted odds ratios (OR) for each 1-µg/m 3 increase in PM 2.5 was 1.013 (95% CI, 1.012-1.015) and 1.031 (95% CI, 1.025-1.037) for elevated baPWV and decreased ABI, respectively. PM 2.5 constituents were also associated with vascular damage in multi-pollutant models. Among the PM 2.5 constituents, BC (47.17%), SO 4 2- (33.59%), and NH 4 ＋ (19.23%) have the highest contribution to elevated baPWV and NO 3 - (47.89%) and BC (23.50%) to declined ABI., Conclusion: Chronic exposure to PM 2.5 and PM 2.5 constituents was related to vascular damage in the abnormal metabolic population in China. The heterogeneous contribution of different PM 2.5 constituents to vessel bed damage is worthy of attention when developing targeted strategies.

Background: Previous animal studies have suggested that air pollution (AP) exposure may be a potential risk factor for obesity; however, there is limited epidemiological evidence available to describe the association of obesity with AP exposure., Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted on 11,766 participants across mainland China in 2015. Obesity was assessed using body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and visceral adiposity index (VAI). The space-time extremely randomized tree (STET) model was used to estimate the concentration of air pollutants, including SO 2 , NO 2 , O 3 , PM 1 , PM 2.5 , and PM 10 , matched to participants' residential addresses. Logistic regression models were employed to estimate the associations of obesity with outdoor AP exposure. Further stratified analysis was conducted to evaluate whether sociodemographics or lifestyles modified the effects., Results: Increased AP exposure was statistically associated with increased odds of obesity. The odds ratio (ORs) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of BMI-defined obesity were 1.21 (1.17, 1.26) for SO 2 , 1.33 (1.26, 1.40) for NO 2 , 1.15 (1.10, 1.21) for O 3 , 1.38 (1.29, 1.48) for PM 1 , 1.19 (1.15, 1.22) for PM 2.5 , and 1.11 (1.09, 1.13) for PM 10 per 10 μg/m 3 increase in concentration. Similar results were found for central obesity. Stratified analyses suggested that elderly participants experienced more adverse effects from all 6 air pollutants than middle-aged participants. Furthermore, notable multiplicative interactions were found between O 3 exposure and females as well as second-hand smokers in BMI-defined obesity., Conclusions: This study suggested that outdoor AP exposure had a significant association with the risk of obesity in the middle-aged and elderly Chinese population. Elderly individuals and women may be more vulnerable to AP exposure., 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 Pan, Wang, Hu, Lian, Cheng, Qin and Wan.)

Background: The decision for household cooking fuel choice is a complex and multi-dimensional process. This study aims to: 1) examine the trend of cooking fuel types during past decades; and 2) examine the association between switching from polluting to clean fuels for cooking and mortality risk., Methods: This analysis included data on 39,359 participants from 9 waves of the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) (1991-2015). Participants with consistent polluting fuel use and with the polluting-to-clean transition were identified. Generalized estimating equations were used to examine the trend of clean fuel use from 1991 to 2015. Propensity score matching was used to address the data imbalance and confounding factors and Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the association., Results: We found an increasing trend of clean fuel use after adjusting for potential confounders in the full sample (OR = 56.89, 95 % CI: 48.17, 67.19), which appeared to be more pronounced for those in rural areas and with low socioeconomic status. Switching from polluting to clean fuels was associated with a 75 % lower risk of mortality (HR = 0.25, 95 % CI: 0.11, 0.54). These associations became more pronounced during the lag period from 9 to 15 years., Conclusions: The transition from polluting to clean cooking fuels reduced excess deaths in China, particularly over a long period. Our findings support the increasing implementation of clean fuels and call for more efforts to improve its universal service, especially in rural and low socioeconomic status areas, to minimize health inequality., 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. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Objectives: Whether household air pollution is associated with dementia risk remains unknown. This study examined the associations between solid fuel use for cooking and heating (the main source of household air pollution) and dementia risk., Methods: This analysis included data on 11,352 participants (aged 45+ years) from the 2011 wave of China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, with follow-up to 2018. Dementia risk was assessed by a risk score using the Rotterdam Study Basic Dementia Risk Model (BDRM), which was subsequently standardized for analysis. Household fuel types of cooking and heating were categorized as solid (e.g., coal and crop residue) and clean (e.g., central heating and solar). Multivariable analyses were performed using generalized estimating equations. Moreover, we examined the joint associations of solid fuel use for cooking and heating with the BDRM score., Results: After adjusting for potential confounders, we found an independent and significant association of solid (vs. clean) fuel use for cooking and heating with a higher BDRM score (e.g., β = 0.17 for solid fuel for cooking; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.15-0.19). Participants who used solid (vs. clean) fuel for both cooking and heating had the highest BDRM score (β = 0.32; 95% CI: 0.29-0.36). Subgroup analysis suggested stronger associations in participants living in rural areas., Conclusions: Solid fuel use for cooking and heating was independently associated with increased dementia risk in Chinese middle-aged and older adults, particularly among those living in rural areas. Our findings call for more efforts to facilitate universal access to clean energy for dementia prevention., 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 Inc. All rights reserved.)

Traditional Chinese fermented foods are favored by consumers due to their unique flavor, texture and nutritional values. A large number of microorganisms participate in the process of fermentation, especially lactic acid bacteria (LAB), which are present in almost all fermented foods and contribute to flavor development. The formation process of flavor is complex and involves the biochemical conversion of various food components. It is very important to fully understand the conversion process to direct the flavor formation in foods. A comprehensive link between the LAB community and the flavor formation in traditional Chinese fermented foods is reviewed. The main mechanisms involved in the flavor formation dominated by LAB are carbohydrate metabolism, proteolysis and amino acid catabolism, and lipolysis and fatty acid metabolism. This review highlights some useful novel approaches for flavor enhancement, including the application of functional starter cultures and metabolic engineering, which may provide significant advances toward improving the flavor of fermented foods for a promising market.

Purpose: This study aimed to describe the experiences of parents of self-poisoning in Wenzhou, China., Background: Self-poisoning by a child results in severe trauma, placing parents at great risk for psychological and physical problems. However, few studies have examined the experiences of parents following the attempted suicide of their child through self-poisoning, limiting the ability to guide effective services through empirical research., Methods: The study adopted a qualitative design and 11 parents whose children harmed themselves through self-poisoning were included. Semi-structure, face-to-face interviews were conducted and Colaizzi's analysis method was followed., Results: Colaizzi's method identified three key themes: against expectations, sense of guilt, and self-growth., Conclusions: The findings highlight the need to understand experiences of parents with self-poisoning children. Nursing staff play an important role in creating a pathway to connect parents with their children. There is a need to include the voices of parents so as to not only care for self-poisoning children but also understand their suicidal behavior., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Background: Thyroid diseases are highly prevalent worldwide, but their diagnosis remains a challenge. We established reference intervals (RIs) for thyroid-associated hormones and evaluated the prevalence of thyroid diseases in China., Methods: After excluding outliers based on the results of ultrasound screening, thyroid antibody tests, and the Tukey method, the medical records of 20,303 euthyroid adults, who visited the Department of Health Care at Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 2014 to December 2018, were analyzed. Thyroid-associated hormones were measured by the Siemens Advia Centaur XP analyzer. The RIs for thyroid-associated hormones were calculated according to the CLSI C28-A3 guidelines, and were compared with the RIs provided by Siemens. The prevalence of thyroid diseases over the five years was evaluated and compared using the chi-square test., Results: The RIs for thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine (FT4), free triiodothyronine (FT3), total thyroxine (TT4), and total triiodothyronine (TT3) were 0.71-4.92 mIU/L, 12.2-20.1 pmol/L, 3.9-6.0 pmol/L, 65.6-135.1 nmol/L, and 1.2-2.2 nmol/L, respectively. The RIs of all hormones except TT4 differed significantly between males and females. The RIs of TSH increased with increasing age. The prevalence of overt hypothyroidism, overt hyperthyroidism, subclinical hypothyroidism, and subclinical hyperthyroidism was 0.5% and 0.8%, 0.2% and 0.6%, 3.8% and 6.1%, and 3.3% and 4.7% in males and females, respectively, which differed from those provided by Siemens., Conclusions: Sex-specific RIs were established for thyroid-associated hormones, and the prevalence of thyroid diseases was determined in the Chinese population.

Background: Both thyroid-stimulating immunoglobulins immunoassay (TSI IA) and thyrotrophin receptor antibody immunoassay (TRAb IA) are commonly used for the diagnosis of Graves' disease (GD). The aim of the present study was to compare the clinical diagnostic performance of these two methods., Methods: Sera were obtained from 1103 subjects presenting a variety of clinical conditions from three centers: 100 subjects with untreated GD, 200 with treated GD, 62 with autoimmune thyroid disease(AIT), 216 with other thyroid diseases (OTHER-T), 214 with non-thyroid autoimmune diseases (NTAD), 191 with other diseases (OD), and 120 healthy subjects (HS). Both TSI and TRAb IAs were performed for all 1013 serum samples. Bioassay was performed for 86 samples whose TSI results were inconsistent the TRAb assay results., Results: Comparing untreated GD patients with the control groups (AIT, NTAD, OTHER-T, OD, and HS) resulted in an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.992 for the TSI IA and 0.989 for the TRAb IA with no statistically significant difference observed between these AUC values (P = 0.2733). The best TSI CDP (clinical decision point) value was 0.42 IU/L. The differences in sensitivity (100% vs. 95%, P = 0.7991) and specificity (97.1% vs. 97.6%, P = 0.9426) between the TSI and TRAb IA were not statistically significant. TSI IA had a higher agreement with the TSI bioassay than TRAb IA., Conclusion: The clinical diagnostic performance of the TSI IA for diagnosing Graves' disease was very similar to that of the TRAb IA. TSI IA can be used to diagnose GD in the Chinese.

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the relationship between daily weather and transmission rate of SARS-CoV-2, and to develop a generalised model for future prediction of the COVID-19 spreading rate for a certain area with meteorological factors., Design: A retrospective, qualitative study., Methods and Analysis: We collected 382 596 records of weather data with four meteorological factors, namely, average temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, and air visibility, and 15 192 records of epidemic data with daily new confirmed case counts (1 587 209 confirmed cases in total) in nearly 500 areas worldwide from 20 January 2020 to 9 April 2020. Epidemic data were modelled against weather data to find a model that could best predict the future outbreak., Results: Significant correlation of the daily new confirmed case count with the weather 3 to 7 days ago were found. SARS-CoV-2 is easy to spread under weather conditions of average temperature at 5 to 15°C, relative humidity at 70% to 80%, wind speed at 1.5 to 4.5 m/s and air visibility less than 10 statute miles. A short-term model with these four meteorological variables was derived to predict the daily increase in COVID-19 cases; and a long-term model using temperature to predict the pandemic in the next week to month was derived. Taken China as a discovery dataset, it was well validated with worldwide data. According to this model, there are five viral transmission patterns, 'restricted', 'controlled', 'natural', 'tropical' and 'southern'. This model's prediction performance correlates with actual observations best (over 0.9 correlation coefficient) under natural spread mode of SARS-CoV-2 when there is not much human interference such as epidemic control., Conclusions: This model can be used for prediction of the future outbreak, and illustrating the effect of epidemic control for a certain area., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2020. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

The objective of this study was to explore the correlation between bacterial communities and volatile compounds in traditional dry sausages from different regions in Northeast China. The bacterial community structure of dry sausages from five different regions as determined by high-throughput sequencing technology demonstrated that Firmicutes and Proteobacteria were the predominant phyla; Lactobacillus, Staphylococcus, Leuconostoc, Lactococcus and Weissella were the predominant genera; and Staphylococcus xylosus, Lactobacillus sakei, Weissella hellenica, Leuconostoc citreum, Lactococcus raffinolactis and Lactobacillus plantarum were the predominant species. Meanwhile, a total of 120 volatile compounds were detected in sausages from five different regions and mainly included alcohols, acids, aldehydes, ketones, esters and terpenes. Furthermore, the potential correlations between the core bacteria and major volatile compounds (64) were explored based on Spearman's correlation analysis. Positive correlations were found between W. hellenica, Lb. sakei, Lactococcus lactis, Lactobacillus alimentarius, Lb. plantarum and carboxylic acids and alcohols. Lc. lactis, Lb. alimentarius and Lb. plantarum were associated with the production of most esters, aldehydes and ketones. This study provides a deep insight into the relationship between the bacterial community and the volatile flavour profile of dry sausages, which may be helpful for the production of fermented dry sausages., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Thyroglobulin antibody (TG-Ab) and thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPO-Ab) are cornerstone biomarkers for autoimmune thyroid diseases, and establishment of appropriate thresholds is crucial for physicians to appropriately interpret test results. Therefore, we established the thresholds of TG-Ab and TPO-Ab in the Chinese population through analysis of real-world big data, and explored the influence of age, gender, and seasonal factors on their levels., Methods: The data of 35,869 subjects downloaded from electronic health records were analyzed after filtering based on exclusion criteria and outliers. The influence of each factor on antibody levels was analyzed by stratification. Thresholds of TG-Ab and TPO-Ab were established through Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute document C28-A3 and National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry (NACB) guidelines, respectively., Results: There were significant differences according to gender after age stratification; the level of TG-Ab gradually increased with age in females. There were significant differences in TG-Ab and TPO-Ab distributions with respect to age after gender stratification. Moreover, differences were observed between seasons for TG-Ab and TPO-Ab. The thresholds of TG-Ab and TPO-Ab were 107 [90% confidence interval (CI):101-115] IU/mL and 29 (90% CI: 28-30) IU/mL, respectively, using C28-A3 guidelines, but were 84 (90% l CI: 50-126) IU/mL and 29 (90% CI: 27-34) IU/mL, respectively, using NACB guidelines., Conclusion: The levels of TG-Ab and TPO-Ab were significantly affected by gender, age, and season. The thresholds for TG-Ab and TPO-Ab for the Chinese population were established by big data analysis., (Copyright © 2019 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background Thyroid hormone levels are essential for diagnosing and monitoring thyroid diseases. However, their reference intervals (RIs) in elderly Chinese individuals remain unclear. We aimed to identify factors affecting thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free triiodothyronine (FT3), and free thyroxine (FT4) levels using clinical "big data" to establish hormone level RIs for elderly Chinese individuals. Methods We examined 6781, 6772, and 6524 subjects aged ≥65 years who underwent FT3, FT4, and TSH tests, respectively, at the Peking Union Medical College Hospital between September 1, 2013, and August 31, 2016. Hormones were measured using an automated immunoassay analyzer (ADVIA Centaur XP). RIs were established using the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute document C28-A3 guidelines. Results The median TSH was significantly higher in women than in men; the opposite was true for median FT3 and FT4 levels. No differences were observed in TSH or FT4 by age in either sex or overall; FT3 levels significantly decreased with age. Seasonal differences were observed in TSH and FT3 levels but not FT4 levels; the median TSH was the highest in winter and lowest in summer, whereas the median FT3 was the lowest in summer (albeit not significantly). RIs for TSH were 0.53-5.24 and 0.335-5.73 mIU/L for men and women, respectively; those for FT3 were 3.76-5.71, 3.60-5.42, and 3.36-5.27 pmol/L in 64- to 74-, 75- to 84-, and 85- to 96-year-old subjects, respectively. The RI for FT4 was 11.70-20.28 pmol/L. Conclusions RIs for TSH in elderly individuals were sex specific, whereas those for FT3 were age specific.

In past decades, China has experienced substantial economic growth and industrialization. However, the effects of vast development of China on Hg input to the nearby oceans are still unclear. In this study, four representative 210Pb-dated sediment cores were collected in the central and southern part of Bohai sea to investigate vertical changes of Hg contents and explore the relationship between the Hg deposition and pollution history in this region utilizing a large amount of information available. The results indicated that Hg median concentrations of sediment core B62, B66, JQ17 and HZ24 were 0.043 mg/kg, 0.054 mg/kg, 0.033 mg/kg and 0.018 mg/kg respectively, among which, B66 in Yellow river estuary and B62 in central part of Bohai Sea had higher concentrations and HZ24 in Bohai Strait had a lower concentration. 210Pb profile appeared as a three segments model in the core B62, but as many steps of decay with depth in B66. For HZ24, 210Pb activity only fluctuated with depth without any discernible trend. Sedimentary rates of these cores decreased as follows: B66＞B62＞JQ17＞HZ24. Vertical distributions of Hg concentrations in sediment cores were totally different from each other. Hg concentrations in sediment core B62 experienced an initial fluctuation followed by a decreasing trend, while sediment core HZ24 almost showed the uniform decreasing trends from the surface to the bottom. There were three segments of variation in sediment cores JQ17: initial fluctuation followed by an obviously decreasing tendency and then a converted variation from surface to bottom. Hg contents changes in core B62 might reflect the additive effects from atmospheric deposition at a larger scale and the river-delivered sediment accumulation, while Hg vertical changes in B66 mainly had a close relationship with the input of Yellow river. The converted variation at the bottom section in sediment cores JQ17 was inferred to have some relationship with the Chengbei platform construction in the corresponding periods., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Cough variant asthma (CVA), as one of bronchitis diseases, features with repeated cough. In clinics, CAV does not show significant abnormal signs, therefore antibiotic therapy can hardly achieve satisfactory treatment effect. With the development of scientific technologies, the correlation between mycoplasma pneumoniae infection and CVA has become a hot research topic in clinics. In clinics, mycoplasma pneumoniae is extensively regarded as major cause for CVA, with complex pathogenic mechanism. The symptoms of CVA is characterized by chronic non abnormal inflammation, normally accompanied with bronchospasm and intestinal infection. Clinical practices show that about 6% of CVA children mainly show continuous cough till midnight during onset period, which is easily to misdiagnosed as bronchitis. Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection is a common disease threatening Children's health in China. With the annual increase of incidence of infantile pneumonia in China, mycoplasma pneumoniae infection has become a major reason leading to the death of child in China. More such mycoplasma pneumoniae infection is a sporadic disease spreading in a small range, and can onset in four seasons, making great impact on living quality and health of children. On this basis, this paper analyzes the correlation between Children's CVA and mycoplasma pneumoniae infection, in the hope of providing valuable reference for clinical treatment.

Background: Bone formation marker procollagen I N-terminal peptide (PINP) and resorption marker C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (β-CTX) are useful biomarkers for differential diagnosis and therapeutic evaluation of osteoporosis, but reference values are required., Methods: The multi-center, cross-sectional Chinese Bone Turnover Marker Study included 3800 healthy volunteers in 5 Chinese cities. Serum PINP, β-CTX, parathyroid hormone (PTH) and 25OHD levels were measured by chemiluminescence assay. Lumbar spine and proximal femur BMD were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Serum PINP and β-CTX levels were assessed by age, gender, weight, recruitment latitude, levels of PTH and 25OHD., Results: Subjects (n = 1436, M:F, 500:936; mean age 50.6 ± 19.6 years) exhibited non-normally distributed PINP and β-CTX peaking between 15-19 years, gradually declining throughout adulthood, elevating within 10 years of postmenopause, and then declining by age 70. In women between the age of 30 and menopause, median PINP and β-CTX levels were 40.42 (95% CI: 17.10-102.15) and 0.26 (95% CI: 0.08-0.72) ng/mL, respectively. β-CTX and PINP were positively linearly correlated (r = 0.599, P<0.001). β-CTX correlated positively (r = 0.054 and 0.093) and PINP correlated negatively (r =  -0.012 and -0.053) with 25OHD and PTH (P<0.05)., Conclusions: We established Chinese reference ranges for PINP and CTX. Chinese individuals exhibited high serum PINP and β-CTX levels between 15 and 19 years of age and at menopause, which gradually declined after 70 years of age.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the distribution of the A986S and R990G polymorphisms of the calcium-sensing receptor (CASR) gene in the Chinese population and whether there is an association between genetic variants and the risk of developing primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) and its associated clinical phenotypes., Methods: A total of 164 Chinese Han PHPT patients (M/F: 51/113) and 230 healthy controls (M/F: 50/180) were enrolled. The common clinical parameters of PHPT patients including biochemical markers, bone mineral density (BMD), kidney stone occurrence, and pathology results were analyzed. Genotyping was conducted for both the patients and controls, and it was carried out using standard procedures., Results: The R990G variant was more frequently present than the A986S variant in this group of Chinese PHPT patients. The R allele increased the risk of PHPT (odds ratio=1.134, 95% CI: 1.008, 1.277, and P=0.036). Patients with either the RR or RG genotype had lower blood calcium levels and higher alkaline phosphate levels than patients with the GG genotype. The lumbar BMD T-score was -2.20 (-2.63, -0.32) in patients with the GG genotype, and it was significantly lower in patients with the RR+RG genotype (-2.53 (-3.70, -1.72) P=0.036). Patients with the R allele had a significantly higher incidence of hyperplasia (25.0%) and carcinomas (7.1%) than those with the GG genotype (5.3 and 0% respectively; P=0.025). The prevalence of osteoporosis and parathyroid carcinomas was higher in Chinese PHPT patients with the R allele., Conclusion: The R990G polymorphism is most frequently present in the Chinese population and among patients with PHPT. Additional studies in the Chinese population are needed to elaborate the relationship between genetics and PHPT.

Pseudovitamin D-deficiency rickets (PDDR) is an autosomal recessive disorder resulting from a defect in renal 25-hydroxyvitamin D 1α-hydroxylase, the key enzyme in the pathway of vitamin D metabolism. We identified ten different mutations in the 1α-hydroxylase gene (CYP27B1) in eight Chinese families with PDDR by DNA-sequence analysis. Six of them are novel missense mutations: G57V, G73W, L333F, R432C, R459C, and R492W; three are novel deletion mutations: c48-60del, c1310delG, and c1446delA; and an insertion mutation c1325-1332insCCCACCC reported previously. Functional assay revealed that the missense mutants identified in this study retain 5.5-12.1% 1α-hydroxylase activity of the wild type. The study describes nine novel mutations in addition to 37 known mutations of CYP27B1 gene and shows the correlation between these mutations and the clinical findings of 1α-hydroxylase deficiency., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The Matrilin3 gene (MATN3) encodes an extracellular matrix protein, which modulates chondrocyte differentiation. The aim of this study was to test for association of MATN3 polymorphisms with bone mineral density (BMD), fracture, vertebral fracture, bone turnover or 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] in postmenopausal women. A community-based population of 1488 postmenopausal women was randomly selected in Beijing. The history of fracture and vertebral fracture was obtained via questionnaire and vertebral X-ray respectively. BMD of lumbar spine (2-4), femoral neck and total hip were measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. Serum N-terminal procollagen of type 1 collagen (P1NP), β-isomerized type I collagen C-telopeptide breakdown products (β-CTX) and 25(OH)D were quantified. Binary logistic regression revealed that Haplotype-4 was significantly associated with vertebral fracture risk in both additive model (p=0.023, OR=1.521) and dominant model (p=0.028, OR=1.623). The significance remained after 10,000 permutation tests to correct multiple testing (p=0.042). Re-selected age matched vertebral fracture case-control groups revealed similar associations in additive model (p=0.014, OR=1.927, 95%CI=1.142-3.253) and in dominant model (p=0.011, OR=2.231, 95%CI=1.200-4.148). However, no significant association was found between MATN3 polymorphisms and serum β-CTX, P1NP, 25(OH)D levels, or BMD. In linear regression, Haplotype-2 approached marginal significance in association with femoral neck BMD T-score (p=0.050), but this would account for only 0.2% of BMD variation in our sample. This study suggests that Haplotype-4 of MATN3 is associated with vertebral fracture risk independent of BMD in Chinese postmenopausal women. Efforts should be made to replicate our finding in other, similar and ethnically diverse, populations., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Autosomal dominant hypophosphatemic rickets (ADHR; MIM 193100) is a hereditary disorder characterized by isolated renal phosphate wasting, hypophosphatemia, and inappropriately normal 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) levels. Recent studies have shown that the fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) gene is responsible for this disease. FGF23 protein is a phosphaturic factor that is elevated in several diseases associated with hypophosphatemia and rickets but varies with disease status in ADHR. In the present study we observed a Chinese family of Han ethnic origin diagnosed with ADHR. The proband is a 30-year-old woman with no history of rickets but with multiple tooth abscesses as a young adult. She presented with progressive painful swelling of the left ankle after a blunt trauma at 26 years of age. She developed back pain, generalized weakness, and fatigue, and she could barely walk at age 27. She was found to have severe hypophosphatemia, low ratio of phosphorus tubule maximum (TmP) to glomerular filtration rate (GFR) (TmP/GFR), and elevated alkaline phosphatase at age 28. Her brother, 26 years old, presented with fatigue at 24 years of age and is normophosphatemic. The parents of this family had no history of rickets or hypophosphatemia. Direct sequence analysis of genomic DNA demonstrated a single heterozygous c.527G>A (p.R176Q) mutation in the FGF23 gene in three family members, including the proband, her brother, and their mother. Intact FGF23 assay of seven time points during the oral phosphate loading test showed no significant relationship between intact FGF23 and serum phosphorus levels of the subject with ADHR and a control. It is probably the first report of a Chinese family with ADHR.

X-linked dominant hypophosphatemia (XLH, OMIM307800), the most prevalent form of inherited rickets in humans, is a dominant disorder of phosphate homeostasis characterized by growth retardation, rachitic and osteomalacic bone disease, hypophosphatemia, and renal phosphate wasting. The gene responsible for XLH was identified by positional cloning and designated PHEX (formerly PEX) to depict a phosphate-regulating gene homologous with endopeptidases on the X chromosome. Recently, extensive mutation analysis of the PHEX gene has revealed a wide variety of gene defects in XLH. The ethnic distribution of the mutations is very widespread but only a few mutations in Chinese have been reported. To analyze the molecular basis in three unrelated Chinese families with XLH, we determined the nucleotide sequence of the PHEX gene and fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) gene of affected members. The serum FGF23 concentrations of these patients with XLH were also measured. Three different novel mutations were observed in these three families: one deletion mutation c.264delG causing p.W88 X; one missense mutation c.1673C>G causing p.P558A; one nonsense mutation c.1809G>A causing p.W603 X. Serum concentration of FGF23 in XLH patients of these three families was significantly higher than normal. The results suggest that PHEX gene mutations were responsible for XLH in these patients and these mutations may contribute to a higher serum FGF23 level.

The effects of chloramphenicol on microorganism in marine sediment were studied by spiked experiments in this paper. The results showed that high concentrations of chloramphenicol could inhibit the activities of microorganism in sediment, and that the growth of strains Pseudomons and Acinetobacter in sediment that can degrade organic matters were inhibited apparently. Furthermore, the resistance of heterotrophic bacteria in sediment had developed due to the use of antibacterials. Based on the above results potential environmental effects of antibacterials on microorganism in marine sediment were analyzed.