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Due to human activities, the overabundance of regional nitrogen/phosphorus (N/P) has a huge impact on ecological environment worldwide. It is necessary to comprehensively understand the human‐induced N/P input and spatiotemporal variations of nutrients in a river. As the adjustment to the spatial structure of Beijing, the Beijing's subcenter is an important strategic position in promoting the coordinated development of Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei. In this study, the dynamic changes of ammonia nitrogen (NH3‐N) and total phosphorus (TP) from 2012 to 2022 were analyzed, then the net anthropogenic N input (NANI) and net anthropogenic P input (NAPI) was estimated in the Beijing's subcenter. The results showed that both NH3‐N and TP had an overall downward trend with a three‐stage pattern. The NANI and NAPI declined from 5.68 × 104 and 0.95 × 104 to 0.78 × 104 and 0.15 × 104 kg km−2 per year, respectively. The chemical fertilizers input accounted for the largest part at 53–81% of NANI and 49–80% of NAPI. There were high values of N and P input in the southeast of Tongzhou, and the fluxes of N and P were positively correlated with the input of anthropogenic N and P in the Chaobai River Basin (Tongzhou District) and the Beiyun River Basin (Tongzhou District). This study would provide the foundation for setting priorities and enacting more targeted N/P management strategies in the Beijing's subcenter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Airborne pollen is a crucial risk factor in allergic rhinitis (AR). The severity of AR symptoms can vary based on pollen type and concentration. This study aimed to estimate the association between exposure to different pollen types and AR risk. Methods: We obtained data from patients admitted to the Beijing Tongren Hospital for AR, and data on pollen concentration, meteorological factors, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) from 13 districts in Beijing from 2016 to 2019. We used a time‐stratified case‐crossover study design and calculated odds ratios (ORs) related to the risk of AR associated with a 10 grain/1000 mm2 increase in total pollen concentrations for specific pollen types. A stratified analysis was conducted to assess whether the associations were varied by age and sex. Results: The OR of AR associated with a 10 grain/1000 mm2 increase in the 7‐day average pollen concentration was 1.014 (95% CI: 1.014, 1.015), 1.076 (95% CI: 1.070, 1.082), 1.024 (95% CI: 1.023, 1.025), 1.042 (95% CI: 1.039, 1.045), 1.142 (95% CI: 1.137, 1.147), 1.092 (95% CI: 1.088, 1.097), 1.046 (95% CI: 1.035, 1.058), and 1.026 (95% CI: 1.024, 1.028) for total pollen, Ulmus, Cupressaceae, Populus, Fraxinus, Pinus, Betula, and Artemisia, respectively. Both tree pollen (Ulmus, Cupressaceae, Populus, Fraxinus, Betula, and Pinus) and weed pollen (Artemisia, Chenopodium, and Humulus) were correlated with an increased risk of AR. These associations remained consistent across distinct subgroups defined by both age and sex. Conclusion: Exposure to pollen from trees and weeds might be associated with an increased risk of AR. This research provides valuable scientific support for both clinical practitioners and patients with AR regarding the hazards of pollen exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Adrenal hemorrhage (AH) is a rare condition and severe cases can lead to acute adrenal insufficiency with potentially life-threatening consequences. AH can be caused by a variety of etiologic factors, including systemic lupus erythematosus and antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). The early identification and treatment of these patients improves their prognosis. Objective: The aims of this study were to analyze and summarize the clinical characteristics of systemic lupus erythematosus patients with AH. Methods: The clinical characteristics of 6 systemic lupus erythematosus patients complicated with AH admitted to Peking Union Medical College Hospital and Beijing Shijitan Hospital from May 2004 to April 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Results: The diagnosis of AH was based on computed tomography (CT) findings. Two patients had bilateral lesions, and the other 4 patients had unilateral lesions. The symptoms of adrenal insufficiency were observed in 2 patients. The frequent presenting symptoms were abdominal pain, lower abdominal distension, vomiting, weakness, fever, arthrodynia, and skin rash. Four patients had APS. Five patients (4 patients with APS and 1 patient without APS) had thromboembolic events. All patients received glucocorticoid and immunosuppressant therapy. Five patients were treated with anticoagulant therapy. Follow-up imaging examinations showed a partial or total regression of the lesions after treatment. Conclusions: In the proper clinical setting, having high clinical suspicion for AH, early diagnosis and timely management is crucial to avoid life-threatening adrenal insufficiency. Key Points • AH is a rare condition and severe cases may lead to death. It can be caused by a variety of etiologic factors, including SLE. • In patients with SLE, especially combined with APS, if they complain of abdominal pain, particularly when common gastrointestinal involvement is difficult to explain, a high index of clinical suspicion is needed for the diagnosis of AH. • Early identification of AH in SLE patients can improve their prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As urban development accelerates and natural disasters occur more frequently, the urgency of developing effective emergency shelter planning strategies intensifies. The shelter location selection method under the traditional multi-criteria decision-making framework suffers from issues such as strong subjectivity and insufficient data support. Artificial intelligence offers a robust data-driven approach for site selection; however, many methods neglect the spatial relationships of site selection targets within geographical space. This paper introduces an emergency shelter site selection model that combines a variational graph autoencoder (VGAE) with a random forest (RF), namely VGAE-RF. In the constructed urban spatial topological graph, based on network geographic information, this model captures both the latent features of geographic unit coupling and integrates explicit and latent features to forecast the likelihood of emergency shelters in the construction area. This study takes Beijing, China, as the experimental area and evaluates the reliability of different model methods using a confusion matrix, Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve, and Imbalance Index of spatial distribution as evaluation indicators. The experimental results indicate that the proposed VGAE-RF model method, which considers spatial semantic associations, displays the best reliability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Jing-Mi Diversion Canal is a large-scale water diversion project in Beijing. Routine monitoring is crucial for the reliability and stability of urban water supply. Compared with traditional monitoring methods, interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) has the advantages of large scale and high accuracy. Based on the small baseline subset InSAR, 187 ascending and 102 descending SAR images obtained from Sentinel-1 were used to detect the deformation along the diversion canal from 2017 to 2023. The results show that there was a sinking trend along the diversion canal. The subsidence was serious in the first half of the canal, and continued to sink from 2019 to 2020. The subsidence was alleviated in 2023. Combined with leveling measurements, the InSAR deformation monitoring results of important pumping station buildings were verified. The measurement accuracy of InSAR can reach the millimeter level. We extracted the groundwater level time series and subsidence for risky canal segments. Through pixel-by-pixel comparison, it was found that fluctuations in groundwater level would have some impact on surface deformation. Severe local subsidence or uplift deformation occasionally occurred. To ensure the safety of water diversion, the monitoring and maintenance of relevant pump station buildings in risky areas should be increased in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Our objective was to investigate the basic information of the personnel and facilities of nuclear medicine in Beijing. Methods This survey was performed by the Beijing Quality Control Center in 2018. The investigation included personnel, equipment, and clinical applications, and data were then compared with previous surveys. The paper questionnaires were used for the survey, which required information about the personnel, devices, and clinical applications. Results About 38 nuclear medicine departments in Beijing were involved in the survey. The number of nuclear medicine staff was 531 in 2018, showing an increase of 58.7% over the past decade. Positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT), single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), and single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) represented the main nuclear medicine facilities, and the total number of surveyed departments was 18, 24, and 34, respectively. The quality control results showed significant improvement from the 2005 levels. The total number of scintigraphy procedures was estimated at 199,607 (153,185 SPECT and 46,422 PET/CT). The estimated annual number of scintigraphy images was 8.9 per 1,000 population for SPECT and 2.7 per 1,000 population for PET/CT during 2018. The most frequent radioiodine-targeted therapy was 131 I-targeted therapy for hyperthyroidism in 2018. Conclusion Nuclear medicine has experienced rapid growth in the past 10 years in Beijing, either in personnel, equipment, and scintigraphy. Future efforts will focus on the use of new isotopes in the diagnosis, implementing quality strategy, and enhancing training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ventilation may lead to a deterioration in indoor air quality in urban environments located close to roads. Understanding the differences in the chemical compositions of size-resolved particulate matter (PM) in indoor air and outdoor air could aid in assessing the health impacts of air in these settings and establishing relevant regulation policies. In this study, indoor and outdoor size-resolved PM was collected from an office in Beijing in summer (between 5 and 25 July 2020) and winter (between 5 and 31 January 2021). Its chemical components, including sulfate, nitrate, ammonium, chlorine, organic matter (OM), elemental carbon (EC), crustal materials (CM), and heavy metals (HM), were analyzed. The mean levels of indoor and outdoor PM2.1 and PM9 were found to be much higher than those in the guidelines for PM2.5 and PM10 outlined by the National Ambient Air Quality Standard. Moreover, the levels of PM2.1 and PM2.1–9 mass were higher outdoors than they were indoors. The size distributions of mass concentrations were shown to be bimodal, peaking at 0.43–0.65 μm and 4.7–5.8 μm, respectively. The most abundant chemicals were OM, nitrate, and sulfate for PM2.1 and OM, CM, and nitrate for PM2.1–9. We found higher percentages of sulfate, nitrate, ammonium, EC, and HM in smaller-size fractions of PM. Additionally, positive matrix factorization showed that biomass burning, secondary inorganic aerosol, coal combustion, dust, traffic, and industrial pollution were the main sources of PM during the study period. The greatest non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic hazards were found at 0.43–0.65 μm in summer and 2.1–3.3 μm in winter. Our results indicate that size-resolved PM of ambient origin may infiltrate buildings near roads to varying degrees, resulting in negative health effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the urban water environmental management, a fast and effective method for water quality analysis should be established with the rapid urbanization. In this study, the Beijing's sub-center was chosen as a case study, and long short-term memory (LSTM) and back propagation (BP) models were built, then a transfer learning model was proposed and applied to optimize the two models on the base of the upstream and downstream relationships in the rivers. The results indicated that the proposed deep learning model could improve NSE by 7% and 9% for LSTM and BP at the Dongguan Bridge gauge, respectively. At the Xugezhuang gauge in the Liangshui River, NSE was improved by 11% and 17%, respectively. At the Yulinzhuang gauge, it was improved by 16% and 13%, respectively. Because the upstream and downstream relationships were considered in the learning model, the model performance was obviously better. In brief, this method would provide an idea for the effective water quality model construction in the ungauged basins or regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The built environment's impact on human activities has been a hot issue in urban research. Compared to motorized spaces, the built environment of pedestrian and cycling street spaces dramatically influences people's travel experience and travel mode choice. The streets' built environment data play a vital role in urban design and management. However, the multi-source, heterogeneous, and massive data acquisition methods and tools for the built environment have become obstacles for urban design and management. To better realize the data acquisition and for deeper understanding of the urban built environment, this study develops a new portable, low-cost Arduino-based multi-sensor array integrated into a single portable unit for built environment measurements of street cycling spaces. The system consists of five sensors and an Arduino Mega board, aimed at measuring the characteristics of the street cycling space. It takes air quality, human sensation, road quality, and greenery as the detection objects. An integrated particulate matter laser sensor, a light intensity sensor, a temperature and humidity sensor, noise sensors, and an 8K panoramic camera are used for multi-source data acquisition in the street. The device has a mobile power supply display and a secure digital card to improve its portability. The study took Beijing as a sample case. A total of 127.97 G of video data and 4794 Kb of txt records were acquired in 36 working hours using the street built environment data acquisition device. The efficiency rose to 8474.21% compared to last year. As an alternative to conventional hardware used for this similar purpose, the device avoids the need to carry multiple types and models of sensing devices, making it possible to target multi-sensor data-based street built environment research. Second, the device's power and storage capabilities make it portable, independent, and scalable, accelerating self-motivated development. Third, it dramatically reduces the cost. The device provides a methodological and technological basis for conceptualizing new research scenarios and potential applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dashiling Gully, located in Miyun District, Beijing, exhibits a high susceptibility to debris flow due to its unique geological and topographical characteristics. The area is characterized by well-developed rock joints and fissures, intense weathering, a steep gradient, and a constricted gully morphology. These factors contribute to the accumulation of surface water and loose sediment, significantly increasing the risk of debris flow events. Following a comprehensive field geological investigation of Dashiling Gully, key parameters for simulation were obtained, including fluid weight, volume concentration, and rainfall. The formation and development conditions of potential mudslides were analyzed, and numerical simulations were conducted using FLO-2D software (version 2009) to assess scenarios with rainfall probabilities of 1 in 30, 50, and 100 years. The simulations accurately reconstructed the movement velocity, deposition depth, and other critical movement characteristics of mudslides under each rainfall scenario. Using ArcGIS, pre- and post-treatment hazard zoning maps were generated for Dashiling Gully. Furthermore, the efficacy of implementing a retaining wall as a mitigation measure was evaluated through additional numerical simulations. The results indicated that mudslide velocities ranged from 0 to 3 m/s, with deposition depths primarily between 0 and 3 m. The maximum recorded velocity reached 3.5 m/s, corresponding to a peak deposition depth of 4.31 m. Following the implementation of the retaining wall, the maximum deposition depth significantly decreased to 1.9 m, and high-risk zones were eliminated, demonstrating the intervention's effectiveness. This study provides a rigorous evaluation of mudslide movement characteristics and the impact of mitigation measures within Dashiling Gully. The findings offer valuable insights and serve as a reference for forecasting and mitigating similar mudslide events triggered by heavy rainfall in gully mudslides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Despite refinements in balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA), total occlusion remains a challenge in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). Owing to their low success and high complication rates, most interventional cardiologists are reluctant to address total occlusion, and there is a paucity of literature on BPA performance in total occlusion. We aimed to classify total occlusion according to morphology and present an illustrative approach for devising a tailored treatment strategy for each distinct type of total occlusion. Methods and results: All patients diagnosed with CTEPH who underwent BPA between May 2018 and May 2022 at Fuwai Hospital in Beijing, China, were included retrospectively. A total of 204 patients with CTEPH who underwent BPA were included in this study. Among these, 38 occluded lesions were addressed in 33 patients. Based on the morphology, we categorized the lesions into three groups: pointed‐head, round‐head, and orifice occlusions. Pointed‐head occlusion could be successfully addressed using soft‐tip wire, round‐head occlusion warranted hard‐tip wire and stronger backup, and orifice occlusion warranted the strongest backup force. The success rates for each group were as follows: pointed‐head (95.45%), round‐head (46.15%), and orifice occlusion (33.33%), with orifice occlusion having the highest complication rate (50%). The classification of occlusion was associated with BPA success (round‐head occlusion vs. pointed‐head occlusion, OR 24.500, 95% CI 2.498–240.318, P = 0.006; orifice occlusion vs. pointed‐head occlusion, OR 42.000, 95% CI 3.034–581.434, P = 0.005). Conclusions: Occlusion morphology has a significant impact on BPA success and complication rates. A treatment strategy tailored to each specific occlusive lesion, as outlined in the present study, has the potential to serve as a valuable guide for clinical practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water-soluble components have significant contribution to the oxidative potential (OP) of atmospheric fine particles, while our understanding of their relationship is still limited. In this study, the water-soluble OP levels in wintertime PM2.5 in the south and north of Beijing, representing the difference in sources, were measured with dithiothreitol (DTT) assay. The volume normalized DTT (DTTv) in the north (3.5 ± 1.2 nmol min-1 m-3) was comparable to that in the south (3.9 ± 0.9 nmol min-1 m-3), while the mass normalized DTT (DTTm) in the north (65.3 ± 27.6 pmol min-1 μg-3) was almost twice that in the south (36.1 ± 14.5 pmol min-1 μg-3). In both the south and north of Beijing, DTTv was better correlated with soluble elements instead of total elements. In the north, soluble elements (mainly Mn, Co, Ni, Zn, As, Cd and Pb) and water-soluble organic compounds, especially light-absorbing compounds (also known as brown carbon), had positive correlations with DTTv. However, in the south, the DTTv was mainly related to soluble As, Fe and Pb. The sources of DTTv were further resolved using the positive matrix factorization (PMF) model. Traffic-related emissions (39.1 %) and biomass burning (25.2 %) were the main sources of DTTv in the south, and traffic-related emissions (> 50 %) contributed the most of DTTv in the north. Our results indicate that vehicle emission was the important contributor to OP in Beijing ambient PM2.5 and suggest that more study is needed to understand the intrinsic relationship between OP and light absorbing organic compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intensification of global heat wave events is seriously affecting residents' emotional health. Based on social media big data, our research explored the spatial pattern of residents' sentiments during heat waves (SDHW). Besides, their association with urban functional areas (UFAs) was analyzed using the Apriori algorithm of association rule mining. It was found that SDHW in Beijing were characterized by obvious spatial clustering, with hot spots predominately dispersed in urban areas and far suburbs, and cold spots mainly clustered in near suburbs. As for the associations with urban function areas, green space and park areas had significant effects on the positive sentiment in the study area, while a higher percentage of industrial areas had a greater impact on negative SDHW. When it comes to combined UFAs, our results revealed that the green space and park area combined with other functional areas was more closely related to positive SDHW, indicating the significance of promoting positive sentiment. Subdistricts with a lower percentage of residential and traffic areas may have a more negative sentiment. There were two main combined UFAs that have greater impacts on SDHW: the combination of residential and industrial areas, and the combination of residential and public areas. This study contributes to the understanding of improving community planning and governance when heat waves increase, building healthy cities, and enhancing urban emergency management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in size-resolved particles emitted from diverse sources are required for quantification to reduce the emissions in order to protect public health. Twenty-four PAHs in size-segregated particles in the roadside environment of Beijing were observed from 1 October 2021 to 30 September 2022. The size distributions of PAHs were bimodal, with peak concentrations ranging from size fractions of 0.43 to 0.65 μm and 4.7 to 5.8 μm in all four seasons, respectively. The highest concentration of PAHs in fine particles (PM2.1) was 35.3 ng m−3 in winter, followed by 16.0 ng m−3 in autumn, 15.3 ng m−3 in spring, and 6.5 ng m−3 in summer. Conversely, the concentration of PAHs in coarse particles (PM2.1–9) ranged from 6.8 ng m−3 (summer) to 20.5 ng m−3 (winter) from low to high. The size fractions of 0.43–2.1 μm PAHs increased most from clear to polluted days, which could be ascribed to the heterogeneous reactions. Source apportionment using positive matrix factorization showed that four sources, namely biomass combustion, coal combustion, diesel vehicles, and gasoline vehicles accounted for PAHs with the estimation of 17.4%, 22.1%, 26.4%, and 23.2% to PAHs in PM2.1; and 19.6%, 24.3%, 23.6%, and 20.1% in PM2.1–9, respectively. Furthermore, we used the human alveolar epithelial cell (BEAS-2B) to assess the toxicological effects of size-resolved atmospheric PAHs. The results showed that the cell survival rate caused by fine particles was lower than that of coarse particles with the same concentrations of PAHs, which is mainly related to the higher content of highly toxic PAHs in fine particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, China's advanced light sources have entered a period of rapid construction and development. As modern X-ray detectors and data acquisition technologies advance, these facilities are expected to generate massive volumes of data annually, presenting significant challenges in data management and utilization. These challenges encompass data storage, metadata handling, data transfer and user data access. In response, the Data Organization Management Access Software (DOMAS) has been designed as a framework to address these issues. DOMAS encapsulates four fundamental modules of data management software, including metadata catalogue, metadata acquisition, data transfer and data service. For light source facilities, building a data management system only requires parameter configuration and minimal code development within DOMAS. This paper firstly discusses the development of advanced light sources in China and the associated demands and challenges in data management, prompting a reconsideration of data management software framework design. It then outlines the architecture of the framework, detailing its components and functions. Lastly, it highlights the application progress and effectiveness of DOMAS when deployed for the High Energy Photon Source (HEPS) and Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility (BSRF). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dust events are concerning due to their potential to cause environmental pollution and health issues by carrying numerous particles from various regions. However, the risks of airborne bacteria from dust have not yet been thoroughly investigated. This study aimed to reveal the particle size distribution, antibiotic resistance, microbial community structure, and diversity of airborne bacteria by using culture methods, and assess the potential health risks by calculating the dose expectation (d ¯) , daily short-term intake (STI), and Hazard Index (HI) during an extreme dust event in urban Beijing (China). Airborne bacteria were sampled before, during, and the day after a severe dust event in March 2021 in Beijing using the six-stage impactor. The major findings were as follows: (1) airborne bacterial concentration increased during the dust event, and inhalable bacteria account for 67.93%. The Hazard Index (HI) of cultivable and inhalable airborne bacteria in men, women, and children exposed to dust events was up to 1.42 and 1.54 times higher than that in individuals who were not exposed, respectively. HI was 1.52 times higher in children than in men when exposed to the dust event. (2) The percentage of Gram-positive bacteria (GPB) resistant to different antibiotics was altered. The abundance of ciprofloxacin-resistant bacteria increased by 24.51%, while that of clindamycin-resistant bacteria decreased by 34.64%. The d ¯ , STI, and HI of antibiotic-resistant bacteria per breath for men, women, and children after the dust event were 14 times greater than those before the dust event. (3) The diversity of airborne bacteria increased throughout the dust event. Opportunistic bacteria were found after the dust event. From a health perspective, airborne bacteria during extreme dust events should be further studied for their sources, changes, human exposure, and so forth. Government-scale measures are necessary to control dust dissemination. Highlights: Airborne bacterial concentration reached 27,611.31 CFU/m3 during dust event Health risk of inhalable bacteria exposed to dust increased to 1.54 times Risk of antibiotic-resistant bacterial exposure increased to 14 times after dust Staphylococcus hominis and Kocuria rosea were discovered [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The energy inside the Earth can not only be released outward through earthquakes and volcanoes but also can be used by humans in the form of geothermal energy. Is there a correlation between different forms of energy release? In this contribution, we perform detailed seismic and geothermal research in the Beijing area. The results show that the geothermal resources in Beijing belong to typical medium-low temperature geothermal resources of the sedimentary basin, and some areas are controlled by deep fault activities (e.g., Xiji geothermal well (No. 17)). The heat sources are upper mantle heat, radioactive heat in granite, and residual heat from magma cooling. The high overlap of earthquakes and geothermal field locations and the positive correlation between the injection water and earthquakes indicate that the exploitation and injection water will promote the release of the earth's energy. The energy releases are partitioned into multiple microearthquakes, avoiding damaging earthquakes (ML ≥ 5) due to excessive energy accumulation. Therefore, the exploitation of geothermal resources may be one way to reduce destructive earthquakes. Furthermore, the use of geothermal resources can also reduce the burning of fossil energy, which is of great significance in dealing with global warming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban landscape has important effects on urban climate, and the local climate zone (LCZ) framework has been widely applied in related studies. However, few studies have compared the relative contributions of LCZ on the urban thermal environment across different cities. Therefore, Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen in China were selected to conduct a comparative study to explore the relationship between LCZ and land surface temperature (LST). The results showed that (1) both the composition and spatial configuration of LCZ had obvious differences among the three cities. Beijing had a higher area proportion of compact mid-rise and low-rise LCZ types. The spatial pattern of LCZ in Shenzhen was especially quite different from those of Beijing and Shanghai. (2) Shenzhen had the strongest summer surface urban heat island (UHI) intensity and the largest UHI region area. However, the proportion of urban cooling island areas was still the highest in Shenzhen. (3) Different LCZs showed significant LST differences. The largest LST difference between the LCZs reached 5.57 °C, 4.50 °C, and 12.08 °C in Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen, respectively. Built-up LCZs had higher LSTs than other LCZ types. (4) The dominant driving LCZs on LST were different among these cities. The LST in Beijing was easily influenced by built-up LCZ types, while the cooling effects generated by LCZ G(water) were much stronger than built-up LCZs' warming effects in Shanghai. These results indicated that the effect of the LCZ on LST had significant differences among LCZ types and across cities, and the dominant LCZs should be given more priority in future urban planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Triglyceride glucose index (TyG index) was related with both type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and hypertension (HTN). Prospective studies linking the TyG index to the incidence of T2DM and HTN comorbidity remain unclear. This study aimed to to explore the longitudinal association between TyG and new-onset T2DM with HTN. Methods: 4,434 subjects (1249 males and 3185 females) without initial T2DM and HTN were followed up for 7 years. This study was conducted from November 2011 to August 2018 in the Gucheng, Laoshan and Jinding communities of Beijing. The incidence of T2DM with HTN during the 7-year follow-up was identified as the endpoint. The TyG index was divided into four quartiles: the < 25% level, the 25–50% level, the 50–75% level and the ≥ 75% level. The relationships between the TyG index and T2DM with HTN were evaluated by Cox proportional hazards regression models. Results: During 7 years, the augmented trend of T2DM with HTN was observed in the participants. After adjusting for all confounding factors, compared with those in the lowest quartile of TyG index, the population in the highest quartile of TyG index had a higher risk of T2DM with HTN (hazard ratio (HR), 2.878; 95% confidence intervals (95% CI), 1.230–6.731, P = 0.015), however, the association remained significant only in the female population (HR 2.753, 95% CI, 1.061–7.139, p = 0.037). The TyG had superior predictive ability of increased risk of T2DM with HTN for the populations of older age (≥ 65 years) (HR 2.694, 95% CI 1.212–5.989, p = 0.015), higher eGFR (≥ 90 mL/(min·1.73 m2)) (HR 2.603, 95% CI 1.164–5.818, p = 0.020) or obesity (BMI ≥ 28 kg/m2) (HR 2.547, 95% CI 1.001–6.478, p = 0.020). Conclusion: A population with a higher TyG index level was more likely to have an enhanced incidence of T2DM and HTN comorbidity. TyG index could have the significance of clinical in early protection against T2DM with HTN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taking the megacity of Beijing as an example, a short‐time Fourier transform (STFT) method was employed to extract the multi‐timescale evolution pattern of the canopy urban heat island intensity (CUHII) during 2000–2020. The STFT of CUHII showed a close relationship between the evolution of the CUHII in Beijing and the background meteorological forcing at intra‐annual, weather and intra‐daily scales. The intra‐annual‐scale spectrum of CUHII exhibited an increasing trend with obvious seasonal variation of the canopy urban heat island (CUHI). The intra‐daily‐scale spectrum of CUHII showed an increasing trend with the nighttime CUHI developing faster. Increasing Western Pacific Subtropical High intensity can enhance the seasonal and diurnal fluctuations of CUHII. The weather‐scale spectrum of CUHII is controlled by weather system evolution, showing that the frequency of cold/heat waves (CWs/HWs) in Beijing was significantly negatively correlated with the weather‐scale spectral intensity of the CUHII. CWs and HWs can increase the CUHII for a long duration. Plain Language Summary: The canopy urban heat island (CUHI) phenomenon can affect human health and the ecological environment, and its multi‐timescale variability brings great uncertainty to the study of urban climates worldwide. In this study, taking the megacity of Beijing as an example, a novel short‐time Fourier transform (STFT) method was used to extract the multi‐timescale pattern of the CUHI intensity (CUHII) during 2000–2020. The STFT of CUHII showed a close relationship between the CUHI and the background meteorological forcing at intra‐annual, weather and intra‐daily scales. The intra‐annual spectrum of CUHII showed an increasing trend with a V‐shaped mode. The local climatic backgrounds of different cities can lead to differences in the seasonal development of the CUHI. The intra‐daily spectrum of CUHII showed an increasing trend due to the asymmetry in the day/night development of the CUHI. Increasing Western Pacific Subtropical High Intensity can enhance the seasonal and diurnal fluctuations of CUHII. The weather‐scale spectrum of CUHII was mainly controlled by weather system evolution, showing that cold waves and heat waves can increase the CUHII over a long duration. Our findings indicate that the evolution of CUHII is a nonlinear and complex process that is directly related to multi‐timescale background climate forcing. Key Points: Using a short‐time Fourier transform to study the multi‐timescale evolution of the canopy urban heat island intensity (CUHII)Close relationships existed between CUHII and the background meteorological forcing at intra‐annual, intra‐daily, and weather scalesThe frequency of cold/heat waves in Beijing showed a significant negative correlation with the weather‐scale spectral intensity of the CUHII [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To investigate whether stratifying participants with prediabetes according to their diabetes progression risks (PR) could affect their responses to interventions. Methods: We developed a machine learning‐based model to predict the 1‐year diabetes PR (ML‐PR) with the least predictors. The model was developed and internally validated in participants with prediabetes in the Pinggu Study (a prospective population‐based survey in suburban Beijing; n = 622). Patients from the Beijing Prediabetes Reversion Program cohort (a multicentre randomized control trial to evaluate the efficacy of lifestyle and/or pioglitazone on prediabetes reversion; n = 1936) were stratified to low‐, medium‐ and high‐risk groups using ML‐PR. Different effect of four interventions within subgroups on prediabetes reversal and diabetes progression was assessed. Results: Using least predictors including fasting plasma glucose, 2‐h postprandial glucose after 75 g glucose administration, glycated haemoglobin, high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides, and the ML algorithm XGBoost, ML‐PR successfully predicted the 1‐year progression of participants with prediabetes in the Pinggu study [internal area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic curve 0.80 (0.72–0.89)] and Beijing Prediabetes Reversion Program [external area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic curve 0.80 (0.74–0.86)]. In the high‐risk group pioglitazone plus intensive lifestyle therapy significantly reduced diabetes progression by about 50% at year l and the end of the trial in the high‐risk group compared with conventional lifestyle therapy with placebo. In the medium‐ or low‐risk group, intensified lifestyle therapy, pioglitazone or their combination did not show any benefit on diabetes progression and prediabetes reversion. Conclusions: This study suggests personalized treatment for prediabetes according to their PR is necessary. ML‐PR model with simple clinical variables may facilitate personal treatment strategies in participants with prediabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of the global decline in the capacity of ecosystem services (ESs) to meet increasing human demands, assessing and quantifying ESs is crucial for ecological policy formulation. To address this, our study employs an adjusted land-use matrix method and the patch-generating land-use simulation (PLUS) model for a quantitative analysis of the ES balance in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei–Inner Mongolia (JJJM) region from 2000 to 2020, projecting to 2040. Focusing on the JJJM region, a focal area for ecological policy exhibits significant socioeconomic disparities, revealing a synergistic interplay in the ESs balance. Areas with high vegetation cover, like forests and grasslands, demonstrate an elevated ESs balance, with Inner Mongolia having the highest total ESs balance at 71.40. Conversely, highly urbanized areas, such as Beijing and Tianjin, face deficits in the ESs balance, with Tianjin recording the lowest at 17.83. Our results show an upward trend in total ESs balance in the JJJM region (slope: 0.08 year−1). In particular, regulating services are declining (slope: −0.04 year−1), cultural services are increasing (slope: 0.08 year−1), and provisioning services remain relatively stable. Projecting to 2040, our analysis indicates a slight decline in ESs balance, attributed to Inner Mongolia's urban expansion. This emphasizes the need for industrial transfers and proactive urbanization promotion to enhance ESs balance and support sustainable management and ecological civilization development in the JJJM region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article uses 43 Sentinel-1A image datasets covering Beijing to obtain time series surface deformation information in the study area from January 2022 to October 2023. It analyzes the causes of land subsidence by integrating precipitation and urban construction. The main research results are as follows: (1) Three distinct subsidence areas are identified in the eastern part of Chaoyang District in Beijing (Subsidence Area A), the northwestern part of Tongzhou District in Beijing (Subsidence Area B), and Yanjiao Town in Hebei Province (Subsidence Area B), which is adjacent to Beijing. Subsidence Areas A and B exhibit a dispersed pattern, with maximum land subsidence rates exceeding −30 mm/year. In contrast, Subsidence Areas C displays a funnel-shaped subsidence, where the majority of areas experience land subsidence rates exceeding −25 mm/year, with a maximum rate reaching −45 mm/year. (2) Precipitation has a significant impact on surface deformation in the study area, and there is a strong correlation between precipitation and land subsidence, with correlation values of 0.77, 0.77, and 0.74, respectively. (3) Urban construction has a certain impact on land subsidence, but the degree of impact varies in different regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Grassroots medical institutions are the primary "battlefield" of hypertension management based on hierarchical diagnosis and treatment policies in China. There is a considerable difference in the insured population and reimbursement ratio between different medical insurance programs. The management of hypertension directly affects the development trend of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Methods: To understand the difference between different medical insurance programs regarding the management of older hypertensive patients, all outpatients aged 60 and above with hypertension in the basic medical insurance database of Beijing, China, from April 1, 2019, to January 31, 2020, were included. Medical behaviours included patients' choice of hospital level, type of hospital, number of hospitals visited, grassroots medical institutions and cross-district visits. Medication adherence was evaluated by calculating the medication possession ratio of antihypertensive medications. First, we adopted a statistical description for medical behaviours and medication adherence. Then, multivariate logistic regression was used to analyse the influencing factors of medication adherence. Results: This study included 1.29 million patients with Urban Employee Basic Medical Insurance (UEBMI) and 0.31 million patients with Urban‒Rural Resident Basic Medical Insurance (URRBMI). The proportions of patients with UEBMI who chose tertiary hospitals, comprehensive hospitals, grassroots medical institutions and cross-district visits were 25.84%, 56.09%, 57.34% and 39.32%, respectively, while those of patients with URRBMI were 11.14%, 60.59%, 81.28% and 6.07%, respectively. The medication adherence rates of men and women taking one medication were 61.04% and 55.86%, respectively. UEBMI patients who took their medication accounted for 62.36%, while only 40.27% of URRBMI patients adhered to their medication. The percentages of young-old, old-old and oldest-old patients who took their antihypertensive medications were 58.05%, 59.09% and 56.78%, respectively. The adherence to taking ≥ 2 medications (35.47%) was lower than that to taking one medication (58.33%). The medication adherence rates of patients with UEBMI and URRBMI for taking ≥ 2 medications were 37.21% and 27.45%, respectively. Conclusions: Patients with UEBMI were more inclined to choose tertiary hospitals and cross-district visits than patients with URRBMI. The adherence of patients with UEBMI was better than that of patients with URRBMI in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some of Beijing’s recent assertive actions in the South China Sea can be understood as a manifestation of what Chinese analysts call “independent development”. The concept is conceived as a responsive measure to what Beijing views as other claimants’ unilateral hydrocarbon development activities in the South China Sea and as a means to pressure other claimants into engaging in joint development with China and to compensate for what Beijing perceives as the disadvantages it faces being a latecomer to the energy development race in the region. In attempting to conduct independent development, China has mostly targeted areas of the South China Sea that overlap with Vietnam’s designated oil and gas development blocks. By contrast, when dealing with the Philippines, especially during the presidency of Rodrigo Duterte (2016–22), China has adopted the more loosely defined concept of “cooperative development” to minimize potential legal and political barriers that Philippine leaders may face domestically. With Malaysia, China has traditionally been ambivalent to the prospect of joint development but may increasingly utilize independent development to nudge Malaysia into starting a serious discussion on joint development. However, pursuing independent development does not portend China’s abandonment of joint or cooperative development. Indeed, there remains hope for regional collaboration in hydrocarbon development in the South China Sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ureaplasma species are common pathogens of the urogenital tract and can cause a range of diseases. Unfortunately, there is still a scarcity of large-scale and cross-sectional studies on the prevalence of Ureaplasma species in China to clarify their epidemic patterns. Methods: This study retrospectively analyzed the data of 18667 patients who visited Peking Union Medical College Hospital for showing various symptoms of (suspected) Ureaplasma species infection during the period 2013–2022. The overall prevalence of Ureaplasma species was calculated, and subgroup analyses were conducted in view of gender, age, specimen types, and diagnosis in every year within the period studied. Furthermore, previous literature that reported on the prevalence of Ureaplasma species in various regions of China was searched and summarized. Results: The overall positive rate of Ureaplasma species in this study reached 42.1% (7861/18667). Specifically, the prevalence of Ureaplasma species was significantly higher in female patients, while the highest detection rate was found in the 21–50 age group. From 2013 to 2022, there were no significant differences in positive rates of Ureaplasma species among years. However, the detection rate of Ureaplasma species was decreased in COVID-19 period (2020–2022) compared to pre-COVID-19 period (2017–2019). In view of the distribution of patients, outpatients predominated, but the detection rate was lower than inpatients. Urine was the most common specimen type, while cervical swabs had the highest detection rate of Ureaplasma species. When grouped by diagnosis, the highest positive rate of Ureaplasma species was seen in patients with adverse pregnancy outcomes and the lowest rate in patients with prostate disease. The previous literature, although heterogeneous, collectively suggested a high prevalence of Ureaplasma species in China. Conclusions: Our study has shown that Ureaplasma species have reached a significant prevalence in China and demands adequate attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the molecular epidemiological characteristics and genetic variations of human adenovirus (HAdV) in acute respiratory tract infections in Beijing. Whole‐genome sequencing and phylogenetic analyses were performed for 83 strains of HAdV with different types in Beijing from 2014 to 2019. The clinical characteristics of HAdV infection were analyzed statistically. HAdV‐B was divided into four genotypes, including B3 (n = 11), B7 (n = 13), B14 (n = 4), and B55 (n = 2). HAdV‐C was divided into three genotypes, including C1 (n = 14), C2 (n = 13), and C5 (n = 10). In HAdV‐C, nine recombinant adenovirus strains were identified in type 1, and seven recombinant strains were found in type 2. In type 1, we found three newly emerged intraspecific recombinant strains (A47, A48, and A52) collected in 2017, 2018, and 2019, respectively. In addition, the previously reported recombinant strains of HAdV‐C1 showed more severe disease than other strains of HAdV‐C, causing severe community‐acquired pneumonia in both the elderly and children. Continuous population‐wide molecular epidemiological surveillance of HAdV is essential for the prevention and control of respiratory infectious diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The identification of commuters' home and work locations is crucial for urban and transport planning because it enables a better understanding of the urban spatial structure and commuting flow. Various methods have been developed for home and job location identification; however, the accuracy, reliability, and sensitivity of these methods have not been thoroughly examined. This study aimed to compare three commonly used approaches—the staying time method, the trip frequency method, and the hidden Markov chain method (HMM)—in terms of their adaptability and sensitivity to different scales of data, advantages and disadvantages by using smart card data of Beijing in 5 weeks of 2016. Our results showed significant differences among the three methods in identifying actual commuters. The staying time method had the largest error, while HMM was more intelligent in the recognition result due to its combination with historical inbound and outbound passenger flow rules. Although the staying time method was simple and easy to implement, it was unable to fully reflect the data's characteristics. For larger amounts of sample data, the trip frequency method demonstrated faster processing efficiency; however, missing data had a significant impact on the results. Finally, the machine learning method was able to identify locations more intelligently than the other two approaches, although its algorithm's time complexity and resource consumption were very high. These findings provided new insights into the application of big data in urban spatial research and offered suggestions for selecting the most appropriate identification method based on data and scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, monoclonal gammopathy, and skin changes (POEMS) syndrome is a rare multisystemic clonal plasma cell disorder. Pulmonary involvement is frequently found in patients with POEMS syndrome, manifesting various clinical features. Therefore, to improve diagnostic accuracy and provide treatment strategies, a comprehensive analysis of pulmonary manifestations of POEMS syndrome is needed. Methods: This retrospective study included patients with POEMS syndrome at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, a major referral medical center in China, between June 1, 2013, and June 1, 2023. Demographic data, laboratory findings, pulmonary function test results, echocardiograms, and chest imaging data were extracted. Continuous variables were compared using the t-test or Mann–Whitney method. Pearson's chi-square test or Fisher's exact test was conducted to compare categorical data. Results: Overall, 282 individuals diagnosed with POEMS syndrome were included in this study, of which 56% were male with an average age of 48.7 years. Respiratory symptoms were found in 40.1% of the patients, with dyspnea as the most common symptom (34.4%). Chest computed tomography and echocardiography findings showed that 56.4% of patients exhibited pleural effusion, 62.8% displayed mediastinal or hilar lymphadenopathy, 46.5% presented pleural thickening, 27.3% demonstrated bone lesions of the ribs or thoracic vertebra, 7.8% showed lung interstitial abnormalities, and 35.5% had pulmonary hypertension. Decreased diffuse capacity and restrictive ventilatory patterns were identified in 85.2% (115 cases) and 47.4% (64 cases) of patients, respectively. Patients with respiratory symptoms exhibited higher declined lung function measures than those having no respiratory symptoms. High-risk patients with poor prognosis showed more pulmonary function abnormalities. Conclusion: Abnormalities in pulmonary manifestations constitute the significant features of POEMS syndrome. Several patients with POEMS syndrome presented with respiratory symptoms at the initial evaluation. These findings underscore the importance of early identification and accurate diagnosis of POEMS syndrome by clinicians, particularly in cases involving lung and multisystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Obesity in patients undergoing hemodialysis is common. However, there is limited information on the relationship between obesity types defined by the combined body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) classification criteria and all-cause mortality in Chinese hemodialysis patients. Our objective was to determine the association between obesity types and all-cause mortality in hemodialysis patients. Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study including patients from 11 hemodialysis centers in Beijing. According to the World Health Organization's standards, patients were classified into 2 categories with WC and 4 categories with BMI and then followed up for 1 year. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to compare the difference in the cumulative survival rate in different BMI and WC groups. A multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to determine the association between different types of obesity and all-cause mortality. Results: A total of 613 patients were enrolled, the mean age was 63.8 ± 7.1 years old, and 42.1% were women. Based on the baseline BMI, there were 303 (49.4%) patients with normal weight, 227 (37.0%) with overweight, 37(6.0%) with obesity, and 46 (7.5%) with underweight. Based on the baseline WC, 346 (56.4%) patients had abdominal obesity. During a median follow-up of 52 weeks, 69 deaths occurred. Kaplan-Meier plots demonstrated a significant association of BMI categories (log-rank χ2 = 18.574, p<0.001) and WC categories (log-rank χ2 = 5.698, p=0.017) with all-cause death. With normal BMI and non-abdominal obesity as a reference, multivariate Cox regression analysis results showed that obesity (HR 5.36, 95% CI, 2.09-13.76, p<0.001), underweight (HR, 5.29, 95% CI, 2.32-12.07, p<0.001), normal weight combined with abdominal obesity (HR 2.61, 95% CI, 1.20-5.66, p=0.016), and overweight combined with abdominal obesity (HR 1.79, 95% CI, 1.03-3.73, p=0.031, respectively) were significantly associated with higher risks of all-cause mortality. Conclusion: Our study indicated that abdominal obesity is common and associated with all-cause mortality among Chinese hemodialysis patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration was used to construct a comprehensive evaluation index system for urban waterlogging prevention and control resilience from five aspects: social resilience, economic resilience, ecological resilience, infrastructure resilience, and institutional resilience. The fuzzy VIKOR method was used to evaluate urban waterlogging prevention and control resilience. The results were analyzed at temporal and spatial scales to reveal regional differences and constraints in urban waterlogging prevention toughness and efficiently locate vulnerable urban areas. The resilience level in most of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region increased during 2015–2019, while that of Beijing, Tianjin, Qinhuangdao, and Handan slightly decreased, indicating that the capacity of these cities to manage waterlogging disasters needs strengthening. The spatial difference in urban waterlogging prevention toughness was significant: Beijing, Tianjin, Handan, Tangshan, Langfang, and Shijiazhuang showed medium and high levels of urban waterlogging prevention toughness; other cities showed low levels. How the expansion speed of the urban scale matches the construction speed of urban waterlogging prevention and control directly affects resilience at all levels. These results support urban waterlogging control and regional integration construction for Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fossils of Hamipterus tianshanensis (Wang et al. in Curr Biol 24:1323–1330, 2014) and their eggs have important scientific significance because they can provide unique information about the reproduction, development, and evolution of pterosaurs. The fossils and the rock surrounding them have, however, been weathered, which including powdering and flaking, since they were relocated from Xinjiang to Beijing. The high content of soluble salts is a significant factor in fossil deterioration because the dissolution–recrystallization process can generate tremendous pressure and lead to decreased mechanical strength. This study evaluated the electrokinetic desalination performance for the fossils, and two types of poultices employed including paper pulp from Bioline® and CKS121 (cellulose: kaolin: sand = 1:2:1, w/w). Mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), ion chromatography (IC), and other methods were applied to evaluate the desalination effect. The surface salt content reduction by applied direct current (DC) was about 70%, and the inner salt content reduction was about 80%. The experimental results suggest that the electrokinetic method is a promising way to desalinate fossils. Nonetheless, cracks appeared in the surrounding rock crack after electrokinetic desalination, which can be explained by the montmorillonite swelling-induced stresses. Pre-consolidation, especially for electro-chemical method may solve the cracking problem for the clay-rich sandstone desalination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land surface temperature (LST) is one of the most important parameters of the interface between the earth surface and the atmosphere, and it plays a significant role in many research fields, such as agriculture, climate, hydrology, and the environment. However, the thermal infrared band of remote sensors is easily affected by clouds and aerosols, leading to many data gaps in LST products, which restricts the subsequent application of these products. In this paper, Beijing, China, is selected as the study area, and the LST data retrieved from Fengyun 4A (FY-4A) Advanced Geosynchronous Radiation Imager (AGRI) are reconstructed based on the two-point machine learning method. Firstly, the two-point machine learning model is built to reconstruct the theoretical clear-sky LST from simulated and actual images, and the accuracy of the reconstruction results is evaluated compared with the random forest algorithm and the inverse distance weighted method. Secondly, the actual LST under the influence of clouds is reconstructed by using the ERA5 reanalysis LST data as the auxiliary data, and the reconstruction accuracy is then evaluated by the field measurement LST data. The experimental results show that (1) the prediction accuracy of the two-point machine learning method is higher than that of the random forest method in both simulated data and actual data experiments; (2) the R2 of reconstructed LST under theoretical clear-sky conditions is 0.6860 and the root mean square error (RMSE) is 2.9 K, while the R2 of the reconstructed accuracy of actual LST under clouds is 0.7275 and the RMSE is 2.6 K, i.e., the RMSE decreases by 10.34%; (3) the two-point machine method combined with the auxiliary ERA5 LST data can well reconstruct LST under cloudy conditions and present a reasonable LST distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Parathyroidectomy is the only curative treatment for primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT). Ultrasound (US) and technetium-99 m sestamibi (99mTc-MIBI) scintigraphy are recommended as the first-line localization imaging modalities for PHPT in adults, but the value of preoperative imaging in pediatric patients has not been reported. Objective: To evaluate the added value of 99mTc-MIBI scintigraphy in pediatric PHPT patients with positive ultrasound results. Materials and methods: Pediatric patients (≤18 years old) who were diagnosed with PHPT and underwent surgical treatment in Peking Union Medical College Hospital between January 2003 and January 2021 were included in this study. Demographic and clinical characteristics, preoperative localization US, 99mTc-MIBI scintigraphy and pathology results were collected. Preoperative localization results were evaluated by comparison with surgical and pathological findings. Results: There were 32 pediatric PHPT patients with median age of 14.7 ± 2.5 years who all proved to have single-gland disease without ectopic lesions. The median lesion size was 2.85 cm (range 1.0–5.8 cm). All patients underwent US and 99mTc-MIBI scintigraphy. Neck US demonstrated 100% sensitivity. Of 32 patients with a positive US, 99mTc-MIBI scintigraphy was concordant in 30 (93.8%). In 2 patients (6.3%), US reported suspected multigland disease, which was correctly diagnosed by 99mTc-MIBI scintigraphy as single lesions. Conclusion: In pediatric PHPT patients, US achieved high sensitivity for preoperative localization. 99mTc-MIBI scintigraphy for pediatric patients with positive US results would not increase the sensitivity. Implementation of 99mTc-MIBI scintigraphy could increase the specificity in pediatric patients with multigland disease suspected by US. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban resilience assessment is crucial to guarantee the safe and stable operation of our cities. Looking at the whole process of emergencies from the occurrence, development, causing disaster losses to taking emergency response measures, we combine the danger of urban accident and disaster, the capacity of disaster-bearing carriers, and the emergency management capacity as the influencing factors. Taking Beijing as an example, considering the completeness of the relevant indicators and the difficulty of obtaining data, TOPSIS is used to construct a multi-factor comprehensive assessment model of urban safety resilience; At the same time, the important factors constraining the improvement of safety resilience are further analyzed by using the obstacle degree model. The results show that: among the 16 districts in Beijing, Chaoyang and Haidian districts have the highest level of safety resilience; the level of the degree of disaster tolerance among the multi-factors has the greatest impact on the level of urban safety resilience in Beijing; and the multifactorial comprehensive assessment model of urban resilience is able to reflect the urban resilience distribution, discover the weaknesses that exist in the development of urban safety and provide decision-making aids for the relevant city managers to carry out urban resilience construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Physical fitness and fundamental motor skills are two important aspects for the healthy development of preschoolers. Despite the growing interest in clarifying their relationship, the scarcity of longitudinal studies prevents us from understanding causality. Method: This study employed a cross-lagged model with two time points to investigate the bidirectional relationship between these two aspects. A total of 174 preschoolers (54.0% girls) from 3 to 6 years old (M = 3.96 ± 0.47) were surveyed, they were recruited by convenience from two kindergartens in Beijing, China, and their physical fitness (via CNPFDSM-EC) and fundamental motor skills (via TGMD- 3) were tracked over a period of 6 months. Results: The findings revealed a bidirectional predictive effect. The predictive strength of flexibility was found to be lower than other physical fitness aspects, while locomotor skills demonstrated a higher predictive strength than object control skills. Conclusion: This study indicates that physical fitness and fundamental motor skills mutually enhance each other in young children, and both should be emphasized in preschool sports education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigating heavy metal(oid)s (HMs) in urban soils is vital to safeguarding human life and health. This study investigated HMs in soils in urban areas of Beijing, assessed their ecological and health risks, and combined principal component analysis, geostatistical analysis, and positive definite matrix factor decomposition models to analyze them retrospectively. Although the Cu, Zn, and Pb in the soils of the study area were all below national quality standards, the average levels were 1.55, 1.17, and 1.21 times higher than the background values for HMs in Beijing soils, respectively, indicating the presence of HMs enrichment in the surface soils. Neither of the nine HMs in this study caused ecological risk. The health risk assessment results show that the nine HMs in this study do not yet pose a non-carcinogenic risk. Ni and Cu have significant carcinogenic effects on humans, and children are more susceptible to carcinogenic risks, with direct ingestion being the main route of HMs exposure. The main sources of HMs pollution in soils are industrial activities, soil-forming matrices and historical sites, which account for 32.89%, 44.16%, and 22.95% of total HMs accumulation respectively. We have found that V, Mn, Co, As, Ni, and Cr are mainly from parent material, Zn and Pb are mainly from industrial emissions, and Cu is from historical remains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, China has implemented several measures to improve air quality. The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region is one area that has suffered from the most serious air pollution in China and has undergone huge changes in air quality in the past few years. How to scientifically assess these change processes remain the key issue in further improving the air quality over this region in the future. To evaluate the changes in major air pollutant emissions over this region, this paper employs ensemble Kalman filtering (EnKF) for integrating the national ground monitoring pollutant observation data and the Nested Air Quality Prediction Modeling System (NAQPMS) simulation data to inversely estimate the emission rates of SO2, NOX, CO, and primary PM2.5 over BTH region in February from 2014 to 2019. The results show that SO2, NOX, CO, and primary PM2.5 emissions in the BTH region decreased in February from 2014 to 2019 by 83%, 37%, 41%, and 42%, while decreases in Beijing during this period were 86%, 67%, 59%, and 65%, respectively. Compared with the prior emission inventory, the inversion emission inventory reduces the uncertainty of multi-pollutant simulation in the BTH region, with simulated root mean square errors of the monthly average concentrations of SO2, NOX, PM2.5, and CO reduced by 41%, 30%, 31%, and 22%, respectively. The average uncertainties of SO2, NOX, PM2.5, and CO inversion emissions in 2014–19 are ±14.03% yr−1, ±28.91% yr−1, ±126.15% yr−1, and ±43.58% yr−1. Compared with the uncertainty of MEIC emission, the uncertainties of all species changed by +2% yr−1, −2% yr−1, −26% yr−1, and −4% yr−1, respectively. The spatial distribution results illustrate that air pollutant emissions are mainly distributed over the eastern and southern BTH regions. The spatial gap between the inversion emissions and MEIC emissions was further closed in 2019 compared to 2014. The results of this paper can provide a new reference for assessing changes in air pollution emissions over the BTH region in recent years and validating a bottom-up emission inventory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-term exposure to ambient particulate pollutants (PM2.5 and PM10) may increase the risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD), but the results of previous research were limited and inconsistent. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationships of PM2.5 and PM10 with CKD. This study was a cohort study based on the physical examination data of 2082 Beijing residents from 2013 to 2018 in the Beijing Health Management Cohort (BHMC). A land-use regression model was used to estimate the individual exposure concentration of air pollution based on the address provided by each participant. CKD events were identified based on self-report or medical evaluation (estimated glomerular filtration rate, eGFR less than 60 ml/min/1.73 m2). Finally, the associations of PM2.5 and PM10 with CKD were calculated using univariate and multivariate logistic regression models. During the research period, we collected potentially confounding information. After adjusting for confounders, each 10 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 and PM10 exposure was associated with an 84% (OR: 1.84; 95% CI: 1.45, 2.33) and 37% (OR: 1.37; 95% CI: 1.15, 1.63) increased risk of CKD. Adjusting for the four common gaseous air pollutants (CO, NO2, SO2, O3), the effect of PM2.5 and PM10 on CKD was significantly enhanced, but the effect of PM10 was no longer significant in the multi-pollutant model. The results of the stratified analysis showed that PM2.5 and PM10 were more significant in males, middle-aged and elderly people over 45 years old, smokers, drinkers, BMI ≥ 24 kg/m2, and abnormal metabolic components. In conclusion, long-term exposure to ambient PM2.5 and PM10 was associated with an increased risk of CKD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study is to investigate the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of the acute respiratory tract infections (ARTI) caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) among the population of all age categories in Beijing, China. Outpatients and inpatients with ARTI were enrolled from 35 sentinel hospitals in Beijing between March 2015 and February 2019. They were interviewed and their medical records were collected using a standardized form. Their respiratory specimens were collected and tested for the nucleic acid of RSV. The RSV-positive specimens were further genotyped into RSV-A and RSV-B groups. A total of 29,923 cases were included in this study. RSV was detected in 623 (2%, 623/29923) patients, with 391 (62.8%) genotypd as RSV-A, 126 (20.2%) as RSV-B, and 106 (17.0%) untyped. The RSV epidemic season usually occurred between October and March covering approximately 90% of annual RSV infections. The RSV-infected children aged < 5 years accounted for 52.2% of the total RSV infections with cough and fever as the most common manifestations. The RSV-infected elderly adults aged ≥ 60 years have the second largest proportion (25.2%) with dyspnea and lymphocytopenia as the most common manifestations and showed an elevated rate of hospitalization, an increased rate of ICU admission, an extended length of hospital stay, and an elevated mortality compared to the RSV-infected children. The RSV infections aged ≥ 60 years old, as the second largest population of the total annual RSV infections, usually developed worse outcomes than children and should be taken seriously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Obesity is the most serious global epidemic and body composition is the main indicator to evaluate obesity. This study aimed to investigate the changing trends of body composition by age and gender in Beijing adults aged 20–60 years and explore the distribution of obesity rates in different age groups of both sexes under different evaluation criteria. Methods: A total of 24,948 adults aged 20–60 years in Beijing, including 10,225 males and 14,192 females, were included, divided into four age groups (20–29, 30–39, 40–49, and ≥ 50 years) with each decade of age as an age group. Body composition indicators (BMI, fat mass, BF%, muscle mass, visceral fat area, and WHR) were measured in all subjects. Results: BMI and total fat mass peaked in males aged 40–49 years (BMI = 25.75 kg/m2, total fat mass = 17.70 kg). Female BMI, fat mass and BF% all increased significantly with age (p < 0.01). Total muscle peaked in males aged 30–39 years and decreased significantly thereafter (p < 0.0001). Visceral fat area and WHR increased significantly with age in both sexes (p < 0.0001). Age was significantly positively correlated with BMI, BF%, fat mass, WHR, and visceral fat area in both sexes (p < 0.0001), and age was negatively correlated with muscle mass in males (standard β = − 0.14, p < 0.0001) while positive in female (standard β = 0.05, p < 0.0001). Under the BMI criterion, the obesity rate peaked at 27.33% in males at the age of 20–29 years. Under the BF% criterion, the obesity rate peaked at 17.41% in males at the age of 30–39 years, and increased in females with age. The central obesity rate of both sexes increased with age under the criteria of WHR and visceral fat area. Conclusion: The results of this study reveal that age- and sex-related patterns of body composition and obesity change among Beijing adults aged 20–60 years may differ across age groups and that such patterns of change should be considered when developing public health strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For very-high-resolution (VHR) remote sensing images with complex objects and rich textural information, multi-difference image fusion has been proven as an effective method to improve the performance of change detection. However, errors are superimposed during this process and a single spectral feature cannot fully utilize the correlation between pixels, resulting in low robustness. To overcome these problems and optimize the performance of multi-difference image fusion in change detection, we propose a novel multi-difference image fusion change detection method based on a visual attention model (VA-MDCD). First, we construct difference images using change vector analysis (CVA) and spectral gradient difference (SGD). Second, we use the visual attention model to calculate multiple color, intensity and orientation features of the difference images to obtain the difference saliency images. Third, we use the wavelet transform fusion algorithm to fuse two saliency images. Finally, we execute the OTSU threshold segmentation algorithm (OTSU) to obtain the final change detection map. To validate the effectiveness of VA-MDCD on VHR images, two datasets of Jilin 1 and Beijing 2 are selected for experiments. Compared with classical methods, the proposed method has a better performance with fewer missed alarms (MA) and false alarms (FA), which proves that the method has a strong robustness and generalization ability. The F-measure of the two datasets is 0.6671 and 0.7313, respectively. In addition, the results of ablation experiments confirm that the three feature extraction modules of the model all play a positive role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Omicron BF.7 became the predominant SARS‐CoV‐2 variant in Beijing after the abolishment of Zero‐COVID policy in December 2022. The ability of antibodies elicited by BF.7 infection to cross‐react with SARS‐CoV‐2‐like viruses is unknown. This study aimed to investigate the cross‐reactive neutralizing antibodies against SARS‐CoV‐2‐related pangolin coronavirus GX_P2V in sera from vaccinated and/or SARS‐CoV‐2‐infected individuals. All vaccinated individuals who recovered from Omicron BF.7 breakthrough infections exhibited substantially higher levels of neutralizing antibodies against GX_P2V, compared to other subject groups, with a geometric mean titer (GMT) of 362. Uninfected individuals who received four‐mixed‐dose vaccines also demonstrated higher levels of neutralizing antibodies (GMT = 44) against GX_P2V than those uninfected individuals who received two‐ or three‐dose vaccines and those unvaccinated convalescents of wild‐type SARS‐CoV‐2. This study highlights the significance of prior vaccinations with wild‐type SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccines in generating potent cross‐protective immunity against future spillovers of SARS‐CoV‐2‐like viruses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food waste (FW) is an increasing concern worldwide, especially for its severe impacts on eco-environmental sustainability. However, the most recent interventions for reducing FW have still been focusing on slogans only, and the invisibility of the food-saving effect for new interventions such as small serving portions or intelligent catering systems, might weaken its application for investors. In this study, we used visual inspection, ecological footprints, and questionnaire survey to evaluate the food-saving potential by 1143 observations and 326 questionnaires at a university in Beijing, China. The results showed that using the new intervention of smaller serving portions coupled with an intelligent catering system, FW at canteens could decrease by 32.4% per year, that means it may reduce the original FW of 6.7 kt per year in Beijing, China. Correspondingly, this amount of reduced FW could equally reduce 24.7 kt of CO2-eq, 1.6 kt of nitrogen loss, 10.4 Mt of water wasted, and 2815.6 hm2 of land use. This study provided a promising alternative for soft persuasion, confirmed the potential of reducing FW and related eco-environmental loads, and increased the visibility of a new food-saving system for investors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The ability of lung cancer screening to manage pulmonary nodules was limited because of the high false‐positive rate in the current mainstream screening method, low‐dose computed tomography (LDCT). We aimed to reduce overdiagnosis in Chinese population. Methods: Lung cancer risk prediction models were constructed using data from a population‐based cohort in China. Independent clinical data from two programs performed in Beijing and Shandong, respectively, were used as the external validation set. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate the probability of lung cancer incidence in the whole population and in smokers and nonsmokers. Results: In our cohort, 1,016,740 participants were enrolled between 2013 and 2018. Of 79,581 who received LDCT screening, 5165 participants with suspected pulmonary nodules were allocated into the training set, of which, 149 lung cancer cases were diagnosed. In the validation set, 1815 patients were included, and 800 developed lung cancer. The ages of patients and radiologic factors of nodules (calcification, density, mean diameter, edge, and pleural involvement) were included in our model. The area under the curve (AUC) values of the model were 0.868 (95% CI: 0.839–0.894) in the training set and 0.751 (95% CI: 0.727–0.774) in the validation set. The sensitivity and specificity were 70.5% and 70.9%, respectively, which could reduce the 68.8% false‐positive rate in simulated LDCT screening. There was no substantial difference between smokers' and nonsmokers' prediction models. Conclusion: Our models could facilitate the diagnosis of suspected pulmonary nodules, effectively reducing the false‐positive rate of LDCT for lung cancer screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Artemisia pollen is the most prevalent outdoor aeroallergen causing respiratory allergies in Beijing, China. Pollen allergen concentrations have a direct impact on the quality of life of those suffering from allergies. Artemisia pollen deposition grading predictions can provide early warning for the protection and treatment of patients as well as provide a scientific basis for allergen specific clinical immunotherapy. Objective: To develop a model of Artemisia pollen grading to predict development in patients with pollen allergy. Methods: Artemisia pollen data from four pollen monitoring stations in Beijing as well as the number of Artemisia pollen allergen serum specific immunoglobulin E positive cases in Beijing Tongren Hospital from 2014 to 2016 were used to develop a statistical model of pollen deposition and provide optimised threshold values. Results: A logarithmic correlation existed between the number of patients with Artemisia pollen allergy and Artemisia pollen deposition, and the average pollen deposition for three consecutive days was most correlated with the number of allergic patients. Based on the threshold of the number of patients and the characteristics of Artemisia pollen, a five‐stage pollen deposition grading model was developed to predict the degree of pollen allergy. Conclusions: Graded prediction of pollen deposition may help pollen allergic populations benefit from preventive interventions before onset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The seasonal human coronaviruses (HCoVs) have zoonotic origins, repeated infections, and global transmission. The objectives of this study are to elaborate the epidemiological and evolutionary characteristics of HCoVs from patients with acute respiratory illness. We conducted a multicenter surveillance at 36 sentinel hospitals of Beijing Metropolis, China, during 2016–2019. Patients with influenza‐like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) were included, and submitted respiratory samples for screening HCoVs by multiplex real‐time reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction assays. All the positive samples were used for metatranscriptomic sequencing to get whole genomes of HCoVs for genetical and evolutionary analyses. Totally, 321 of 15 677 patients with ILI or SARI were found to be positive for HCoVs, with an infection rate of 2.0% (95% confidence interval, 1.8%–2.3%). HCoV‐229E, HCoV‐NL63, HCoV‐OC43, and HCoV‐HKU1 infections accounted for 18.7%, 38.3%, 40.5%, and 2.5%, respectively. In comparison to ILI cases, SARI cases were significantly older, more likely caused by HCoV‐229E and HCoV‐OC43, and more often co‐infected with other respiratory pathogens. A total of 179 full genome sequences of HCoVs were obtained from 321 positive patients. The phylogenetical analyses revealed that HCoV‐229E, HCoV‐NL63 and HCoV‐OC43 continuously yielded novel lineages, respectively. The nonsynonymous to synonymous ratio of all key genes in each HCoV was less than one, indicating that all four HCoVs were under negative selection pressure. Multiple substitution modes were observed in spike glycoprotein among the four HCoVs. Our findings highlight the importance of enhancing surveillance on HCoVs, and imply that more variants might occur in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The damage of expansion joints is a common problem of bridges, which adversely affects not only driving comfort and safety but also the durability of the structure. Jointless bridges can fundamentally solve this fragile problem. However, how to accurately assess its environmental and economic benefits has not been studied, specifically as climate change intensifies. To address these issues, this study first examines the effects of climate change on design expansion allowance of bridge expansion joints based on climate projections. Subsequently, the life-cycle environmental and economic benefits of two jointless bridges located in Beijing–Hong Kong–Macau Expressway are quantified under climate change scenarios. Moreover, uncertainty and random forest algorithm-based importance analyses are carried out to help decision-makers identify major environmental and economic factors and develop eco-friendly plans to facilitate jointless bridge construction. Results indicate the following: (1) the design expansion allowance of bridge expansion joints tends to increase with the time-dependent temperature and humidity; (2) the avoidance of traffic detours caused by the maintenance and replacement of expansion joints is a major source of life-cycle environmental and economic benefits; (3) traffic detour distance is the most important factor influencing the life-cycle environmental and economic benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Limited studies have examined the effect of prenatal exposure to particulate matter with diameter of <2.5 µm (PM2.5) and <1 μm (PM1) on fetal growth using ultrasound measurements with inconsistent results. No study has evaluated the joint effect of the indoor air pollution index and ambient particulate matter on fetal growth. Methods We conducted a prospective birth cohort study in Beijing, China in 2018, including 4319 pregnant women. We estimated prenatal PM2.5 and PM1 exposure using a machine-learning method and calculated the indoor air pollution index based on individual interviews. Gender- and gestational age-adjusted Z-score of the abdominal circumference (AC), head circumference (HC), femur length (FL) and estimated fetal weight (EFW) was calculated and then undergrowth was defined. A generalized estimating equation was used to evaluate the individual and joint effect of indoor air pollution index, PM2.5 and PM1 on fetal Z-score and undergrowth parameters. Results One unit increase in the indoor air pollution index was associated with −0.044 (95% CI: −0.087, −0.001) and −0.050 (95% CI: −0.094, −0.006) decrease in the AC and HC Z-scores, respectively. PM1 and PM2.5 were associated with decreased AC, HC, FL and EFW Z-scores, and higher risk of undergrowth. Compared with exposure to lower PM1 (≤ median) and no indoor air pollution, those exposed to higher PM1 (> median) and indoor air pollution had decreased EFW Z-scores (β = −0.152, 95% CI: −0.230, −0.073) and higher risk of EFW undergrowth (RR = 1.651, 95% CI: 1.106, 2.464). Indoor air pollution and ambient PM2.5 exposure had a similar joint effect on the Z-scores and undergrowth parameters of fetal growth. Conclusions This study suggested that indoor air pollution and ambient PM exposure had individual and joint negative effects on fetal growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Some clinicians used levothyroxine (LT4) treatment for mild subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) pregnant women (2.5 < thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) ≤ the pregnancy-specific reference range with normal free thyroxine (FT4) level) with thyroid peroxidase antibody negative (TPOAb−), although the recent clinical guideline did not recommend it. It is unknown whether LT4 treatment for pregnant women with mild SCH and TPOAb− have impact on fetal growth. Therefore, the aim of the study was to investigate the effect of LT4 treatment on fetal growth and birth weight among mild SCH pregnant women with TPOAb−. Methods: This was a birth cohort study including 14,609 pregnant women between 2016 and 2019 in Tongzhou Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Beijing, China. Pregnant women were divided into 3 groups as follows: Euthyroid (n = 14,285, 0.03 ≤ TSH ≤ 2.5mIU/L, normal FT4), TPOAb−; Untreated mild SCH with TPOAb− (n = 248, 2.5 < TSH ≤ 2.9mIU/L, normal FT4, without LT4 treatment); Treated mild SCH with TPOAb− (n = 76, 2.5 < TSH ≤ 2.9mIU/L, normal FT4, with LT4 treatment). The main outcome measures were Z-scores of fetal growth indicators (abdominal circumference (AC), biparietal diameter (BPD), femur length (FL), head circumference (HC), estimated fetal weight (EFW)), fetal growth restriction (FGR) and birth weight. Results: There was no difference in fetal growth indicators and birth weight between the untreated mild SCH women with TPOAb− and the euthyroid pregnant women. But the HC Z-score was lower in the LT4 treated mild SCH women with TPOAb−, compared with the euthyroid pregnant women (β = -0.223, 95%CI: -0.422, -0.023). The LT4 treated mild SCH women with TPOAb− had lower fetal HC Z-score (β = -0.236, 95%CI: -0.457, -0.015), compared with the untreated mild SCH women with TPOAb−. Conclusions: We observed that LT4 treatment for mild SCH with TPOAb− was associated with decreased fetal HC, which was not observed for untreated mild SCH women with TPOAb−. The adverse effect of LT4 treatment for mild SCH with TPOAb− provided new evidence for the recent clinical guideline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]