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Objective This study aimed to examine the latest prevalence of abdominal obesity in China based on nationally representative data. Methods A stratified, multistage, random sampling method was used to obtain a nationally representative sample of residents aged ≥ 18 years from 31 provinces in mainland China from October 2012 to December 2015. Abdominal obesity was defined as a waist circumference ≥ 90 cm for men and a waist circumference ≥ 85 cm for women. Results The data of 441,306 participants were analyzed. The prevalence of abdominal obesity was 29.1% (28.6% in men and 29.6% in women); the number of adults with abdominal obesity was estimated to be 277.8 million (approximately 140.1 million in men and 137.7 million in women). The prevalence of abdominal obesity varied considerably among provinces. In general, the prevalence of abdominal obesity was higher in the northern, lower in the southern, higher in the western, and lower in the eastern areas of China. Besides the regional disparities, the prevalence of abdominal obesity varied greatly among different population subgroups. Conclusions Abdominal obesity is highly prevalent among Chinese adults. National and provincial obesity control and prevention strategies should be public health priorities in China. To better control obesity, the underlying reasons for the regional disparities need to be addressed.

Objective Activation of osteoclastogenesis at the bone site in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is well established. The mechanisms by which circulating osteoclast precursors contribute are still unclear. Peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor γ coactivator 1β (PGC‐1β) is implicated in transcriptional regulation of osteoclastogenesis in mouse models. This study was undertaken to investigate the contribution of PGC‐1β to circulating osteoclast precursors and its link to bone destruction in RA. Methods PGC‐1β expression in RA peripheral blood CD14+ monocytes was increased and showed correlation with joint destruction shown on radiographs. Cells from RA patients or healthy controls were transfected with a lentivirus vector for PGC‐1β gene silencing or overexpression and cultured with macrophage colony‐stimulating factor and RANKL. Bone resorption activity, bone‐degrading enzymes, and signaling molecules were measured in these mature osteoclasts. Results Increased nuclear accumulation of PGC‐1β was observed in RA peripheral blood CD14+ monocytes, and these cells had stronger osteoclastogenesis than in healthy controls. PGC‐1β protein expression was positively correlated with radiographic joint destruction (r = 0.396–0.413; all P < 0.05). PGC‐1β knockdown suppressed (51–82% reduction) the expression of cathepsin K, tartrate‐resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP), and matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP‐9), as well as osteoclast differentiation and bone resorption activity. Conversely, PGC‐1β overexpression increased these markers (by 1.5–1.8‐fold) and osteoclastogenesis. VIVIT, an inhibitor of NFATc1 activation, inhibited the effect of overexpressed PGC‐1β by reducing cathepsin K, TRAP, and MMP‐9 expression. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay and dual‐luciferase reporter gene assay showed PGC‐1β bound to NFATc1 promoter, leading to transcriptional activation. Conclusion Activation of the PGC‐1β/NFATc1 pathway in circulating osteoclast precursors was associated with bone destruction in RA. This may represent a new treatment target.

Preoperative elevation of serum C-reactive protein (CRP) is reportedly associated with poor prognosis in several types of cancer. This study investigated the role of serum CRP as a prognostic factor in early-stage esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). The preoperative serum CRP levels were measured in 156 newly diagnosed pT1–2N0M0 patients using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Correlations between serum CRP levels and other clinical parameters were analyzed. Multivariate analyses were performed to find prognostic markers using Cox's proportional hazards model. CRP concentrations were within the normal range in 117 (75%) individuals, but were elevated in 39 (25%) patients. Serum CRP levels were significantly correlated with the tumor length ( p = 0.032), depth (T classification, p = 0.0157), or histologic grade ( p = 0.034). The overall 5-year survival rates were 76.3% and 50.2% in the low- and high-CRP groups, respectively ( p = 0.005). By multivariate analyses, the elevated serum CRP level was found to be an independent prognostic factor for poor survival (hazard ratio = 2.131; p = 0.007), regardless of tumor classification or other prognostic factors. In conclusion, preoperative, high serum CRP is an independent determinant of poor prognosis in early-stage ESCC.

Background Few studies have investigated the epidemiology and disease burden of childhood pneumonia in Taiwan, a middle-income country. Methods Using Taiwan's National Health Insurance database, we analyzed the annual population-based incidence and mortality rate of hospitalizations due to pneumonia in children under 18 years old from 1997 to 2004 in Taiwan. Results The average annual incidence of hospitalized pneumonia was 1,240 episodes per 100,000 children in those below 18 years old. For children under 5 years old and for infants, the incidence was 3,965 and 4,984 out of 100,000, respectively. Boys were more likely to be affected than girls (male to female risk ratio 1.27, P

The bionomics of Campoletis chlorideae and the regularity of its seasonal fluctuations were studied in Changsha district, Hunan province. Field investigation indicated that there were ten generations of C. chlorideae a year, of which seven occurred in cotton fields. Three peaks of cotton bollworm parasitization by C. chlorideae were observed, early May to late June, mid August to early September, mid September to mid October respectively. One peak occurred in tomato and tobacco fields, the other two in cotton fields. The parasitization rate ranged from 25. 1 % -63. 1 %. The total development time from egg to adult ranged from 13. O days at 32°C to 75. 5 days at 11. 6 °C. Each wasp could parasitize the 5–23 second instar larvae of tobacco caterpillar. C. chlorideae could parasitize the cotton bollworm, beet armyworm and tobacco caterpillar, but preferred the cotton bollworm larvae. C. chlorideae could parasitized 1st- 3rd instar larvae of the tobacco caterpillar, but seldom parasitzed 4th - 6th instar larvae. Moreover, C. chlorideae preferred second instar larvae. Theoretical models for developmental speed, adult longevity and the influence of temperature were proposed. The overwintering of C. chlorideae Uchida was also discussed. Moreover, methods for utilization of C. chlorideae Uchida in crop protection were presented and the bionomics of Curyoletis chlorideae in both the Yangtze River Valley and Yellow River Valley were compared.

gene and she was diagnosed as having FAD. Significant [C-11]PiB PET uptake was observed bilaterally in frontal, parietal, and temporal lobes, as well as in the basal ganglia, but not in the cerebellum. By histopathology, Ab immunoreactive deposits were severe in all gray matter structures of cerebrum and cerebellum. Cerebral cortical Ab deposits consisted of cored, diffuse, and cotton wool plaques (CWP). 6-CN-PiB signal was strong in cored plaques, weak-to-moderate in diffuse plaques, and absent in CWPs. In the cerebellum, Ab IHC detected a heavy burden of diffuse deposits in the parenchyma and in blood vessels, while 6-CN-PiB fluorescence was detected only in the leptomeningeal and parenchymal vessels and infrequently in small compact Ab plaques. Conclusions: As progress in imaging techniques allows us to use new tracers for misfolded proteins accumulating in neurodegenerative disease, neuropathology becomes more relevant for defining the efficiency of tracers in identifying specific lesions. The relative contribution of different Ab plaque types to [C-11]PiB PET retention in vivo is currently being investigated. Funding sources: P30AG010133, P01AG025204, U19AG032438.

Based on dual-rail spatial coding, in this article a self-programming optical logic concept is proposed. The self-programming is formulated by different coding of input images. Thus all 16 binary logic operations can be realized optically in parallel. Experimental results are demonstrated.