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What exactly is the contribution of the South-to-North Water Transfer Project (SNWTP)? This is a subject of much debate. There are concerns about the possible effects on the macroeconomy. Most previous studies have tried to answer this question. In order to answer this question quantitatively, it is necessary to separate the effect of SNWTP from many influencing factors. A computable general equilibrium model (SICGE) was built to estimate the economic effect of the South-to-North Water Transfer Project on Beijing. This CGE model was modified by joining the subdivided water substitution module, the total water constraints module, and the water-capital substitution module. Two scenarios were set: one with SNWTP and one without SNWTP. The what-if scenario (without SNWTP) indicates that the water reduction poses a direct threat to economic growth. Employment, capital, and GDP are lower, largely due to water shortages suffered by many industries by comparative analysis with or without SNWTP. The water utilization for the water-intensive industry will decrease the most, and its output will also decrease the most. Without SNWTP, groundwater extraction will increase, which suggests that SNWTP water will tentatively replace groundwater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding how landscape pattern changes impact forest biodiversity conservation and ecosystem management is crucial. This study evaluated the biodiversity maintenance capacity (BMC) of forest landscapes in Beijing, China from 2005 to 2020 based on habitat quality and carbon sink. For this, the moving window method was employed to compute landscape indices that depict variations in landscape patterns, including intermixing, connectivity, diversity, and compactness. Lastly, the relationship between landscape pattern changes and the BMC of forest landscapes was investigated using a combination of spatial correlation analysis and geographic weighted regression measurement models. The results showed the following. (1) The average BMC increased from 0.798 to 0.822. Spatially, 84.14% of the areas experienced an improvement, mainly in the mountainous region. In contrast, a decrease was observed in 4.03% of the areas, primarily concentrated in the transition zone between mountains and suburban plain. (2) The landscape pattern changed dramatically from 2005 to 2020. Landscape intermixing and compactness decreased slightly by 11.45% and 7.82%, while landscape connectivity and diversity increased significantly by 64.28% and 55.44%, respectively. (3) The BMC's global Moran's I values in 2005 and 2020 were 0.711 and 0.782, respectively, signifying a spatial bipolar agglomeration pattern. (4) Among the four selected landscape indices, the compactness was found to be the most critical factor. It attained a positive contribution to forests with high BMC, but had a negative impact on forests with low BMC. The results could provide a reference for planners coordinating forest management and biodiversity conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Secondary central nervous system (SCNS) involvement is an infrequent but universally fatal event in diffused large B‐cell lymphoma. The occurrence rate of SCNS involvement is approximately 5% but comes with a poor prognosis ever after. However, existing risk models to predict the incidence and prognosis of these patients with SCNS involvement lack both efficiency and accuracy. Controversy has also been reported regarding which risk factor may best identify the population with a high CNS relapse rate. In this study, we retrospectively analyzed 831 patients with diffused large B‐cell lymphoma, diagnosed between March 2008 and June 2018 in Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Beijing Cancer Hospital, and Cancer Hospital of The University of Chinese Academy of Science. Risk factors and nomogram were identified and established based on Fine and Gray's competing risk analysis. Among these patients, 55 (6.6%) of them eventually developed SCNS involvement. The 1‐ and 2‐year incidence for SCNS involvement were 3.9% and 4.7%, respectively. The median time from de novo diagnosis to CNS relapse was 8 months, and the median overall survival of these patients was 28 months. Considering the competing mortality before SCNS involvement, Fine and Gray's competing risk model was performed to analyze the characteristics related to SCNS involvement, and identified risk factors as the multiple extranodal involvements, elevated LDH and AMC level, and the involvement of breast, adrenal gland/kidney, pulmonary and bone. Corresponding factors were integrated into the competing nomogram for SCNS involvement (c‐index = 0.778). In conclusion, we present the first predictive nomogram to evaluate the risk to develop SCNS involvement in de novo DLBCL patients, which may help in both prognostic evaluation and clinical decision for this subgroup. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to rapid urban expansion, urban agglomerations face enormous challenges on their way to carbon neutrality. Regarding China's urban agglomerations, 25% of the land contains 75% of the population, and all types of land are used efficiently and intensively. However, few studies have explored the spatiotemporal link between changes in land use and land cover (LULC) and carbon storage. In this work, the carbon storage changes from 1990 to 2020 were estimated using the InVEST model in China's Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) region. By coupling the Future Land Use Simulation (FLUS) model and InVEST model, the LULC and carbon storage changes in the BTH region in 2035 and 2050 under the natural evolution scenario (NES), economic priority scenario (EPS), ecological conservation scenario (ECS), and coordinated development scenario (CDS). Finally, the spatial autocorrelation analysis of regional carbon storage was developed for future zoning management. The results revealed the following: (1) the carbon storage in the BTH region exhibited a cumulative loss of 3.5 × 107 Mg from 1990 to 2020, and the carbon loss was serious between 2000 and 2010 due to rapid urbanization. (2) Excluding the ECS, the other three scenarios showed continued expansion of construction land. Under the EPS, the carbon storage was found to have the lowest value, which decreased to 16.05 × 108 Mg in 2035 and only 15.38 × 108 Mg in 2050; under the ECS, the carbon storage was predicted to reach the highest value, 18.22 × 108 Mg and 19.00 × 108 Mg, respectively; the CDS exhibited a similar trend as the NES, but the carbon storage was found to increase. (3) The carbon storage under the four scenarios was found to have a certain degree of similarity in terms of its spatial distribution; the high-value areas were found to be clustered in the northwestern part of Beijing and the northern and western parts of Hebei. As for the number of areas with high carbon storage, the ECS was found to be the most abundant, followed by the CDS, and the EPS was found to be the least. The findings of this study can help the BTH region implement the "dual carbon" target and provide a leading example for other urban agglomerations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The prognosis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with central nervous system (CNS) metastasis is poor. The treatment for CNS metastasis could prolong the overall survival of NSCLC patients. We aimed to investigate the prognostic factors of Chinese NSCLC patients with CNS metastasis and the survival benefits of various treatments for CNS metastasis in NSCLC patients with or without driver genes. Methods: Based on the CAPTRA-Lung database, NSCLC patients with CNS metastasis admitted at the Peking Union Medical College Hospital between January 2010 and October 2018 were enrolled in the study. The prognostic factors were analyzed using univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses. Results: Overall, 418 patients were enrolled in the study. A total of 206 patients (49.3%) had CNS metastasis with positive driver genes, while 97 patients (23.2%) had negative driver genes. The median survival time after CNS metastasis was 20.8 months. In the multivariable analysis, an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of ≥2 (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.750, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.184-2.588, P=0.005), number of CNS metastases ≥5 (HR: 1.448, 95% CI: 1.084 -1.934, P=0.012), and CNS metastasis developed during treatment (HR: 1.619, 95% CI: 1.232-2.129, P=0.001) were independent risk factors for poor survival. Lung adenocarcinoma (HR: 0.490, 95% CI: 0.279-0.861, P=0.013) and driver gene positivity (HR: 0.464, 95% CI: 0.302-0.715, P=0.001) were independent predictors of prolonged survival. Radiotherapy for CNS metastasis showed a survival benefit in NSCLC patients in the entire groups (HR: 0.472, 95% CI: 0.360-0.619, P <0.001), and in patients with positive driver genes. Conclusion: Performance status, number of CNS metastases, timing of CNS metastasis, histological subtype, and driver gene status are prognostic factors for NSCLC patients with CNS metastasis. Furthermore, radiotherapy improved the survival in NSCLC patients with CNS metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients treated with immunotherapy in the real-world may have significantly different responses to those meeting inclusion criteria for random controlled clinical studies. There is a partial overlap in approved indications for the use of the different immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) currently available. A comprehensive assessment of the efficacy, safety and economic effects of various ICIs is a problem that clinicians need to address. Methods: Analyzed real-world data was collected from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients who were treated with ICIs from hospitalized patients in the Lung Cancer Center of Peking Union Medical College Hospital between 2018 and 2021. The objectives were to evaluate the efficacy and safety of different ICIs for the treatment of NSCLC in China and to investigate the factors affecting their curative effects. Results: Overall, 351 patients were included in the retrospective study. The median PFS for the NSCLC patient cohort treated with medication regimens that included ICIs was 9.5 months, with an ORR of 47.3%. There were no significant discrepancies in efficacy and safety between the different ICIs administered. Factors that had the greatest impact on the efficacy of ICIs were the disease stage, ECOG-PS scores and treatment lines. Gender, age, smoking history, PD-L1 TPS expression, history of targeted therapy and irAEs all had a degree of influence on patient prognosis. Conclusions: The study reports the experience of real-world usage of ICIs for the treatment of NSCLC patients in China. The results were generally consistent with those of clinical trials, while the efficacy and safety of different ICIs exhibited no statistically significant differences. Therefore, physicians can make a comprehensive choice based on the indications and cost of different ICIs and the preferences of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objectives: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a connective tissue disorder (CTD) associated with an increased risk of malignancy including lung cancer (LC). Our objective was to provide a description of demographics and clinicopathological characteristics of LC patients with SSc. Methods: Lung cancer patients with SSc admitted to Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 2000 to August 2017 were reviewed. Demographic and clinicopathologic data were collected. Results: Of the 12 cases included in our study, all were female. No patients had a history of smoking. The most common histological type was adenocarcinoma, followed by squamous cell carcinoma and small‐cell carcinoma. No driver mutation was identified in the five patients undergoing genetic testing. Eight patients had interstitial lung disease (ILD). Six were manifested as nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP) and two as usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP). Four (33.3%) patients underwent surgical resection. Among them, two had ILD with a normal preoperative pulmonary function tests (PFT). Eight (66.7%) patients received chemotherapy. Radiotherapy was administered in only one (8.3%) patient. No grade 3/4 adverse events were documented. Conclusion: The predominance of female patients in our study is different from that reported in general lung cancer patients. A high proportion of patients has SSc‐ILD, including NSIP and UIP. Surgery or radiotherapy could still be considered in carefully selected patients with ILD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Postprandial distress syndrome (PDS) is the most common subtype of functional dyspepsia. Acupuncture is commonly used to treat PDS, but its effect is uncertain because of the poor quality of prior studies.Objective: To assess the efficacy of acupuncture versus sham acupuncture in patients with PDS.Design: Multicenter, 2-group, randomized clinical trial. (ISRCTN registry number: ISRCTN12511434).Setting: 5 tertiary hospitals in China.Participants: Chinese patients aged 18 to 65 years meeting Rome IV criteria for PDS.Intervention: 12 sessions of acupuncture or sham acupuncture over 4 weeks.Measurements: The 2 primary outcomes were the response rate based on overall treatment effect and the elimination rate of all 3 cardinal symptoms: postprandial fullness, upper abdominal bloating, and early satiation after 4 weeks of treatment. Participants were followed until week 16.Results: Among the 278 randomly assigned participants, 228 (82%) completed outcome measurements at week 16. The estimated response rate from generalized linear mixed models at week 4 was 83.0% in the acupuncture group versus 51.6% in the sham acupuncture group (difference, 31.4 percentage points [95% CI, 20.3 to 42.5 percentage points]; P < 0.001). The estimated elimination rate of all 3 cardinal symptoms was 27.8% in the acupuncture group versus 17.3% in the sham acupuncture group (difference, 10.5 percentage points [CI, 0.08 to 20.9 percentage points]; P = 0.034). The efficacy of acupuncture was maintained during the 12-week posttreatment follow-up. There were no serious adverse events.Limitation: Lack of objective outcomes and daily measurement, high dropout rate, and inability to blind acupuncturists.Conclusion: Among patients with PDS, acupuncture resulted in increased response rate and elimination rate of all 3 cardinal symptoms compared with sham acupuncture, with sustained efficacy over 12 weeks in patients who received thrice-weekly acupuncture for 4 weeks.Primary Funding Source: Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a supplementary tool in forensic cases, X chromosomal short tandem repeats (X-STRs) might bridge large pedigree gaps and bring inspiration to forensic practices for the special mode of inheritance. To standardize the application of X-STRs, the DNA Commission of the International Society for Forensic Genetics (ISFG) presented recommendations concentrating on biostatistical evaluations. Following this guideline, in this study, 1247 (655 females and 592 males) unrelated individuals and 770 families originating from a Han Chinese population of Beijing were investigated with 16 X-STRs. The combined PDF and PDM were 0.999999999999994 and 0.999999997, respectively. The combined MECKrüger, MECKishida, MECDesmarais, and MECDesmarais duo were 0.999972736708864, 0.999999975670766, 0.999999975720931, and 0.999993489709197, respectively. In addition, a population comparison demonstrated that genetic heterogeneity widely exists between the Han population of Beijing and other populations, especially southern Han Chinese, European, and West African populations. Additionally, the overall mutation rates of the paternal and maternal germlines of the 16 X-STRs were 0.0021 and 0.0003, respectively. Among them, HPRTB showed the highest paternal mutation rate of 0.0094. Finally, based on these forensic parameters, the likelihood ratios of four second-degree kinship cases were evaluated. Comparing with autosomal STR, X-STR showed significant advantages for hypothesis exclusion. Our study indicated that the 16 X-STR loci are highly polymorphic in the Han population of Beijing and could be a satisfactory complimentary tool for forensic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Base on the establishment of evaluation model of ecological carrying capacity in Beijing shallow mountain area, according to the local conditions of Beijing Changping District Pusalu village, analyze and discuss ecological system composition of Pusalu village, define the index layer and sub-index layer of ecological carrying capacity and ecological stress, lay the foundation for evaluating ecological carrying capacity of Pusalu village. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The main damage of architectural glazed ceramics in the Palace Museum was investigated and the photo resistance, thermal resistance of protective materials as well as the protected performance such as hydrophobicity, freeze-thaw resistance, bending and compressive strength of the polymer-applied ceramics was tested. The results showed the main damage of glazed ceramics was the shedding of glaze layer and the change of environmental water and temperature especially subzero was the main reason for the glaze shedding. The photo-resistant and thermal-resistant of protective materials fluorine resin and the compound materials composed mainly of the fluorine resin were better than Paraloid B72 and the compound materials composed mainly of Paraloid B72. The wrapping method was selected for the protection of glazed ceramics and the hydrophobicity, freeze-thaw resistance, bending and compressive strength of the polymer-applied ceramics were improved, especially protected by fluorine resin and the compound materials composed mainly of the fluorine resin. The optimum polymer could penetrate into the damaged seriously glazed ceramics and play a hydrophobic role in the protection. The report will be useful for the preservation of damaged seriously architectural glazed ceramics. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

[Display omitted] Trace elements have various physiochemical functions in humans and are associated with the occurrence of preterm birth (PB). However, their mixed effects on PB risk have rarely been studied. We aimed to investigate the associations between hair levels of trace elements and PB risk among pregnant women. A nested case-control study with a prospective cohort was conducted in Beijing City, China. We included 82 women who had a PB [total PB (tPB)] as cases [including 40 with a spontaneous PB (SPB)] and 415 who had a term delivery as controls. Hair levels of the concerned trace elements were measured including endocrine disrupting metal(loid)s [EDMs; lead, mercury (Hg), arsenic, and cadmium] and nutritional trace metal(loid)s [NTMs; zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), copper, and selenium]. Logistic regression analysis was performed to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) for PB. Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) was used to assess the associations between mixed exposure to the trace elements and PB risk. Significantly lower maternal hair concentrations of Zn and Fe were observed in the SPB cases than in the controls, whereas no differences for the other trace elements. Single-element modeling results suggested second-quartile Hg maternal hair concentrations, third-quartile Zn concentrations, and fourth-quartile Fe concentrations were associated with a reduced risk of tPB with adjusted ORs of 0.43 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.21–0.87], 0.38 (95% CI: 0.18–0.82), and 0.48 (95% CI: 0.24–0.98), respectively, compared to first-quartile values. Similar results were obtained for SPB. According to the BKMR models, hair NTMs were significantly, monotonously, and inversely associated with the risk of SPB, after controlling for covariates and levels of the four EDMs. Fe and Zn contributed the most strongly to the association. We concluded that maternal higher levels of NTMs, especially Fe and Zn, may reduce the risk of PB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The abnormal change in the global climate has increased the chance of urban rainstorm disasters, which greatly threatens people's daily lives, especially public travel. Timely and effective disaster data sources and analysis methods are essential for disaster reduction. With the popularity of mobile devices and the development of network facilities, social media has attracted widespread attention as a new source of disaster data. The characteristics of rich disaster information, near real-time transmission channels, and low-cost data production have been favored by many researchers. These researchers have used different methods to study disaster reduction based on the different dimensions of information contained in social media, including time, location and content. However, current research is not sufficient and rarely combines specific road condition information with public emotional information to detect traffic impact areas and assess the spatiotemporal influence of these areas. Thus, in this paper, we used various methods, including natural language processing and deep learning, to extract the fine-grained road condition information and public emotional information contained in social media text to comprehensively detect and analyze traffic impact areas during a rainstorm disaster. Furthermore, we proposed a model to evaluate the spatiotemporal influence of these detected traffic impact areas. The heavy rainstorm event in Beijing, China, in 2018 was selected as a case study to verify the validity of the disaster reduction method proposed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The above article was published online with incorrect author name. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Exposure to environmental endocrine disruptors may cause abnormal glucose metabolism. • Arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, and tin are part of persistent organic pollutants. • Mixed exposure to these five metals may promote the development of GDM. Exposure to environmental endocrine disruptors (EDCs) may lead to abnormal glucose metabolism and, potentially, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). We investigated the association between five endocrine-disrupting heavy metals (EDHMs), i.e., arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), and tin (Sn), in maternal hair and the risk of GDM. We conducted a nested case-control study including 335 GDM cases and 343 controls without GDM based on a prospective birth cohort established in Beijing, China. Concentrations of EDHMs were analyzed in maternal hair. Log-binomial regression and multiple linear regression were used to estimate the associations between the hair concentrations of single metals and the risk of GDM, while weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression for their mixed effects. The median concentrations of Hg (0.442 vs. 0.403 μg/g) and Sn (0.171 vs. 0.140 μg/g) in the case group were significantly higher than those in the control group. No differences were found between the two groups for the other three metals. After adjusting for confounders, the prevalence ratio (PR; highest vs. lowest tertile) of GDM risk for Hg was 1.27 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.05–1.54), while that for Sn was 1.26 (95% CI: 1.04–1.53). Among women with a body mass index < 24 kg/m2, the PR (highest vs. lowest tertile) of GDM for Sn was 1.38 (95% CI: 1.09–1.75). The effect of exposure to the five EDHMs on the risk of GDM was estimated by WQS regression: Sn and Hg made the largest contributions to the WQS index (40.9% and 40.3%, respectively). High maternal levels of EDHMs, particularly Sn and Hg, may promote the development of GDM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green space accessibility affects housing prices, which is an issue that has been underappreciated. This paper takes Beijing's central urban area as an example. First, the Gaussian-based two-step floating catchment area (G2SFCA) method is used to measure four levels (community green space, subdistrict green space, district green space, and municipal green space) of green space accessibility by multiple travel modes (walking, cycling and driving). Second, the spatial error model (SEM) is used to examine the factors influencing housing prices. Finally, the geographically weighted regression (GWR) model is introduced to explore the spatial relationship between green space accessibility by walking, cycling and driving and housing prices. The results show the following: (1) The SEM shows that only driving accessibility has a positive spatial spillover effect on housing prices, indicating that the spatial inequity of local community green spaces by driving will exacerbate surrounding spatial inequity. (2) The GWR model shows that from the perspective of walking and driving accessibility, most areas within the Second Ring Road show spatial equity in green spaces, while cycling accessibility shows that the spatial inequity of green space exists only outside the Second Ring Road. (3) We find that municipal green space and subdistrict green space most affect the spatial equity of green spaces. Community green space, which is not open to the public, plays a minimal role. Regarding walking and driving accessibility, municipal green space increases the spatial equity of green spaces. In contrast, this type of green space can promote the spatial equity of green spaces regarding cycling accessibility. This study can significantly improve the quality of urban settlements in the Global South and has important implications for policy-makers, planners, and stakeholders in other large cities worldwide to create green and liveable cities. • We investigated green space accessibility impact on housing prices • G2SFCA was used to measure green space accessibility for multiple travel modes • Driving accessibility had positive spatial spillover effect on housing prices • Driving and cycling green space accessibility had opposite effect on housing prices • Our results provided guidance and example for other developing countries megacities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study aims to perform an in vivo investigation evaluating the injury to the pancreas and adjacent tissue of swine resulting with high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) combined with radiotherapy (RT). The protocol was approved by the animal ethics committee at the Peking University First Hospital. A total of 12 domestic swine were divided into four groups: control, HIFU only, RT only and HIFU + RT. The injury to the pancreas, adjacent tissue and tissue within the acoustic path of the HIFU beam was assessed based on gross and histologic findings. For the targeted region of the pancreas, the score of the combined group was higher than that of the HIFU group and there was significant difference. For the acoustic path tissue, there was no significant difference except between the control group and the other groups. HIFU combined with RT increased the injury to the targeted pancreas, without increased injury to tissue outside of the targeted region. (E-mail: xsgao777@hotmail.com) [Copyright &y& Elsevier]