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Toona ciliata Roem is an important timber species in the Toona genus of the Meliaceae family and an endangered species due to over-cutting and a low rate of natural regeneration in China. Although molecular markers have been applied to studying population genetic diversity, the absence of a reliable reference genome limits in-depth genetic conservation and evolutionary studies of this species. Here, we reported a high-quality assembly of the whole genome sequence of T. ciliata. The total assembled genome has 520.64 Mb in length anchored on 28 chromosomes (contig N50 = 4.48 Mb). A total of 42,159 genes were predicted after the ab initio, homology-based, and transcriptome analyses. A total of 41,284 protein-encoding genes (97.92%) were functionally annotated and 1,246 non-coding RNAs were identified in the T. ciliata genome. Phylogenomic analysis showed that T. ciliata was divergent at 15.06 (6–25) Ma from T. sinensis of the same genus Toona. This whole genome sequence provides a valuable resource to study the genetic conservation and molecular evolution of T. ciliata in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During COVID-19 pandemic, people experienced lockdown and associated distress. As face-to-face intervention was unfeasible, an 8-week Strength-based Online Community Intervention (SOCI) was developed and evaluated with a quasi-experimental design in Hubei Province, China from February to April 2020. Participants (N = 150) self-elected to join either the SOCI group or a casual discussion control group. Pre-/post-measures on post-traumatic stress, positive and negative affect, resilience, and spirituality were taken. Multivariate ANOVA revealed a significant combined effect with a medium effect size (partial eta squared = 0.11). Specifically, significant group × time interaction effects were revealed for resilience, spirituality, and positive affect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To systematically assess the quality of reports of clinical trials of stem cell for heart diseases published in Chinese. Methods: The quality of reports was assessed according to the CONSORT statement and the Jadad score. The association between the CONSORT scores and the reported therapeutic effects was evaluated. Results: A total of 36 randomized clinical trials were identified, and 1552 patients were included. The mean CONSORT score was 7.06 (SD = 2.99). The proportion of reports with a Jadad score of 3 was 8.33%. The improvement of left ventricular function, myocardial perfusion area, left ventricular diastolic diameter, and cardiac output decreased with the increase in the CONSORT score. Conclusions: The percentages of high‐quality reports published in Chinese on stem cell therapy for heart diseases are low. Although stem cell transplantation seems promising for heart diseases, high‐quality studies are needed to verify the conclusions． [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the prediction precision of grain yield, the grey system theory and the fuzzy neutral network are combined to construct the combined prediction model, which is applied in predicting the grain yield. Firstly, the basic theory of the grey system theory is analyzed. Secondly, the mathematical model of fuzzy neutral network is studied, and the corresponding algorithm procedure is designed. Finally, the grain yields in China are used as the researching object, and the corresponding prediction analysis is carried out, and the prediction results of grain yield are agreed with real values, results show that the combined prediction model can be applied in predicting the grain yield effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This prospective study examined the longitudinal effects of psychological resilience on depression in a Chinese sample of left-behind children. A total of 386 left-behind children completed both a baseline and a 1-year follow-up survey. The prevalence of depression at the baseline and 1-year follow-up was 12.7 and 8.5 per cent, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that older age and baseline depressive symptoms were positively associated with follow-up depression, while psychological resilience and quality of life were negatively related to follow-up depression. Our findings provided preliminary evidence that higher psychological resilience was a significantly protective factor of developing depression among left-behind children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitryl chloride (ClNO2) is a dominant source of chlorine radical in polluted environment, and can significantly affect the atmospheric oxidative chemistry. However, the abundance of ClNO2 and its exact role are not fully understood under different environmental conditions. During the summer of 2014, we deployed a chemical ionization mass spectrometer to measure ClNO2 and dinitrogen pentoxide (N2O5) at a rural site in the polluted North China Plain. Elevated mixing ratios of ClNO2 (> 350 pptv) were observed at most of the nights with low levels of N2O5 (< 200 pptv). The highest ClNO2 mixing ratio of 2070 pptv (1 min average) was observed in a plume from a megacity (Tianjin), and was characterized with a faster N2O5 heterogeneous loss rate and ClNO2 production rate compared to average conditions. The abundant ClNO2 concentration kept increasing even after sunrise, and reached a peak 4 h later. Such highly sustained ClNO2 peaks after sunrise are discrepant from the previously observed typical diurnal pattern. Meteorological and chemical analysis shows that the sustained ClNO2 morning peaks are caused by significant ClNO2 production in the residual layer at night followed by downward mixing after breakup of the nocturnal inversion layer in the morning. We estimated that ~1.7-4.0 ppbv of ClNO2 would exist in the residual layer in order to maintain the observed morning ClNO2 peaks at the surface site. Observation-based box model analysis show that photolysis of ClNO2 produced chlorine radical with a rate up to 1.12 ppbv h-1, accounting for 10-30% of primary ROx production in the morning hours. The perturbation in total radical production leads to an increase of integrated daytime net ozone production by 3% (4.3 ppbv) on average, and with a larger increase of 13% (11 ppbv) in megacity outflow that was characterized with higher ClNO2 and a relatively lower oxygenated hydrocarbon (OVOC) to non-methane hydrocarbon (NMHC) ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There have been numerous studies concerning the associations of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene insertion/deletion (I/D), angiotensin II receptor 1 (AT1R) gene A1166C, and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) gene 4b/a polymorphisms with risk of pregnancy hypertensive disorders (PHDs). However, the results are inconsistent. A total of 83 eligible studies (10,354/18,446 cases/controls) were included in this meta-analysis. Pooled odds ratios with corresponding 95% confidence intervals were used to calculate these associations. The effects of ethnicity and types of PHDs were also considered. Results showed significant associations between the ACE gene polymorphism and PHDs in all of the populations except that in Africa. The associations also existed in AT1R, eNOS gene polymorphism and PHDs in part of the gene models in the overall population. These results indicated the ACE gene polymorphism was associated with an increased risk of PHDs, whereas the eNOS and AT1R gene polymorphism only have increased susceptibility to PHDs in part of the gene models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Childhood has been targeted as an especially important period for self-esteem formation. The aim of this study is to examine the change and associated factors of self-esteem among children in rural China. A two-year longitudinal study was conducted with a general elementary and secondary school population in Anhui Province, China including 816 children aged between 7 and 16 years. Generalized estimating equation (GEE) was used to examine relationships between low self-esteem and socio-demographic, family environment, and psychosocial factors. On average, self-esteem level among children was increased across three assessments. Multivariable analysis (GEE) showed that low self-esteem in children was clearly associated with male gender (OR = 1.45, 95%CI = 1.12–1.89), moderate and severe family dysfunction (OR = 1.88, 95%CI = 1.40–2.51; OR = 1.88, 95%CI = 1.25–2.83, respectively), quality of life (OR = .97, 95%CI = .96–.98), depression (OR = 1.89, 95%CI = 1.32–2.70), anxiety (OR = 2.05, 95%CI = 1.51–2.77), positive coping styles (OR = .91, 95%CI = .89–.94), and negative coping styles (OR = 1.05, 95%CI = 1.03–1.07). Self-esteem is a dynamic rather than a static construct during childhood. Low self-esteem among children was associated with a number of socio-demographic, family environment, and psychosocial factors. Further studies exploring the pathways and mechanisms by which the effect of these factors impact on self-esteem among children are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

An objective and multi-perspective evaluation of academic impact might provide a more complete understanding of the recent evolution of Chinese medical journals. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the academic impact of these journals using citation data from the JCR database. We collected data on Chinese medical journals for the analysis, including journal title, ISSN, language, publisher, frequency, impact factor, median impact factor (category), citable items, total cites, self cites, immediacy index, and aggregate immediacy index (category). We found most indicators of the Chinese medical journals were in middle-low position or low position. This indicated that the quality and impact of these journals was comparatively low. Based on the above finding, efforts need to be made to improve the quality and impact of Chinese medical journals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From January to July 2012, we looked for evidence of subclinical A (H1N1) pdm09 and seasonal human influenza viruses infections in healthy dogs in China. Sera from a total of 1920 dogs were collected from Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian and Jiangxi provinces. We also examined archived sera from 66 dogs and cats that were collected during 2008 from these provinces. Using hemagglutination inhibition (HI) and microneutralization (MN) assays, we found that only the dogs sampled in 2012 had elevated antibodies (≥1:32) against A(H1N1)pdm09 virus and seasonal human influenza viruses: Of the 1920 dog sera, 20.5 % (n = 393) had elevated antibodies against influenza A(H1N1) pdm09 by the HI assay, 1.1 % (n = 22), and 4.7 % (n = 91) of the 1920 dogs sera had elevated antibodies against human seasonal H1N1 influenza virus and human seasonal H3N2 influenza virus by the HI assay. Compared with dogs that were raised on farms, dogs that were raised as pets were more likely to have elevated antibodies against A(H1N1)pdm09 and seasonal human influenza viruses. Seropositivity was highest among pet dogs, which likely had more diverse and frequent exposures to humans than farm dogs. These findings will help us better understand which influenza A viruses are present in dogs and will contribute to the prevention and control of influenza A virus. Moreover, further in-depth study is necessary for us to understand what roles dogs play in the ecology of influenza A. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Influenza A virus has a wide range of hosts. It has not only infected human, but also been reported interspecies transmission from humans to other animals, such as pigs, poultry, dogs and cats. However, prevalence of A (H1N1) pdm09 influenza virus infections in cats in northeastern China is unknown. Therefore, the prevalence of A (H1N1) pdm09 influenza virus infections was performed among cats in northeastern China in this study. Findings: Of all samples in this study, the overall seroprevalence of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 infection in cats was 21% (240/1140). It also showed a higher prevalence rate of pandemic(H1N1) 2009 infection in pet cats (30.6%) than roaming cats (11%) based on NT. In addition, the results also showed a trend of difference in term of species of cats and it was statistically significant. Conclusions: This is the first survey on the seroprevalence of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 infection among cats in northeastern China. This study has observed a relatively high seroprevalence of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 among different cat populations in northeastern China, similar seroprevalence studies should be conducted elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The open-access (OA) journals among the 1003 journals sponsored by the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) were identified. Information about the following aspects of the journals were collected and analysed: when each journal was established, its publication cycle, its system model, its region, its discipline, the time between an issue's publication and the posting of the online version, the number of issues that have been made OA, and length of time that it has had an OA policy. On the basis of these results, problems associated with OA journals sponsored by CAST were found and relevant approaches that can promote OA publication in China were recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the opportunity and perspective of developing Chinese oil carrier fleet and to rationalize the size and composition of the fleet, a series of mathematical models and methods for fleet allocation and planning have been studied, strategic planning of developing the fleet for importing and exporting crude oil for China has been systematically investigated, and the strategic development planning from 2000 to 2010 of Chinese crude oil fleet has been worked out. After eleven years of practice in the planning horizon, this paper presents the methodology and outcomes produced then and compares the outcomes with the corresponding facts of Chinese crude oil fleet development in the period from 2000 to 2010. Results show that the mathematical models and methods employed in the case study are of rationality and practicability, study on fleet allocation and planning with modern systems analysis technology is of special strategic significance to fleet investment and development of big shipping companies. Finally, experiences in planning a fleet for a country or for a big company are summarized and suggestions for doing better in this regard are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The assessment of quality in scientific research is a complex problem. The use of more objective scientometric indices in research evaluation emerged in the 1960s and 1970s. These scientometric indicators, among which the most common one is probably the journal impact factor (IF), are increasingly employed to evaluate the quality of scientific research performed by individual scientists, research groups, or institutes. In China, the IF is used not only to measure a journal's scientific influence, but has become increasingly important as a basis for recruitment or promotion, awards of research funding, grants, and authors' academic advancement. But in fact, the assessment of research mainly based on the IF will cause much academic 'froth', so it is necessary for universities and research institutions to reset the academic assessment system in China. In the assessment of scientific research, more research activities, like the organization of conferences and seminars, the coordination of research groups, and the participation to conferences, should be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, Chinese scientific journals are facing more severe internal and external problems than ever before, including increased competition from a growing number of similar journals, interspersed distribution, low impact, difficulty in management, low competitive strength, and outflow of papers. However, Chinese scientific journals will be better in the future if they can have a better sense of competition, a shorter review and publishing period, more customized services, better digital publishing, and more convenient access to papers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: We compared the patterns of medically attended injuries between children with and without disabilities and explored the residential environment risks in five counties of Hubei Province in the People's Republic of China by a 1:1 matched case-control study based on the biopsychosocial model of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health - ICF. Methods: 1201 children aged 1-14 with disabilities and 1201 their healthy counterparts matched as having the same gender, same age, and lived in the same neighborhood were recruited in our study. Characteristics of injuries in the past 12 months were compared between children with and without disabilities. The associations among disability status, home environment factors and injuries were examined in logistic regression analysis taking into account sociodemographic factors. Results: Children with disabilities had a significantly higher prevalence of injury than children without disabilities (10.2% vs. 4.4%; P<.001). The two groups differed significantly in terms of number of injury episodes, injury place and activity at time of injury. Falls were the leading mechanism of injury regardless of disability status. Most of the injury events happened inside the home and leisure activities were the most reported activity when injured for both groups. The univariate OR for injury was 4.46 (2.57-7.74) for the disabled children compared with the non-disabled children. Disabled children whose family raised cat/dog(s) were 76% more likely to be injured during the last 12 months (OR = 1.76; 95% CI = 1.02, 3.02),comparing with those whose family did not have any cat/dog. And for children without disabilities, those whose family had cat/dog(s) were over 3 times more likely to having injuries comparing with those whose family did not have any cat/ dog. Conclusions: Children with disabilities had a significantly increased risk for injury. Interventions to prevent residential injury are an important public health priority in children with disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study on the spread of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Chinese women. It states that CVD is the leading cause of death among women in China. The proliferation of this disease in China has reached an alarming stage. This study aims to document the issues affecting the increase rate of CVD among Chinese women and identify the etiological factors and possible strategies to decrease the burden of this disease.

Background: Previous findings have indicated that the tumor, nodes, and metastases (TNM) staging system is not sufficient to accurately predict survival outcomes in patients with non-small lung carcinoma (NSCLC). Thus, this study aims to identify a long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) signature for predicting survival in patients with NSCLC and to provide additional prognostic information to TNM staging system.Methods: Patients with NSCLC were recruited from a hospital and divided into a discovery cohort (n = 194) and validation cohort (n = 172), and detected using a custom lncRNA microarray. Another 73 NSCLC cases obtained from a different hospital (an independent validation cohort) were examined with qRT-PCR. Differentially expressed lncRNAs were determined with the Significance Analysis of Microarrays program, from which lncRNAs associated with survival were identified using Cox regression in the discovery cohort. These prognostic lncRNAs were employed to construct a prognostic signature with a risk-score method. Then, the utility of the prognostic signature was confirmed using the validation cohort and the independent cohort.Results: In the discovery cohort, we identified 305 lncRNAs that were differentially expressed between the NSCLC tissues and matched, adjacent normal lung tissues, of which 15 are associated with survival; a 4-lncRNA prognostic signature was identified from the 15 survival lncRNAs, which was significantly correlated with survivals of NSCLC patients. This signature was further validated in the validation cohort and independent validation cohort. Moreover, multivariate Cox analysis demonstrates that the 4-lncRNA signature is an independent survival predictor. Then we established a new risk-score model by combining 4-lncRNA signature and TNM staging stage. The receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve indicates that the prognostic value of the combined model is significantly higher than that of the TNM stage alone, in all the cohorts.Conclusions: In this study, we identified a 4-lncRNA signature that may be a powerful prognosis biomarker and can provide additional survival information to the TNM staging system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mud crab (Scylla paramamosain) is an important economic breeding species along the southeast coast of China. As a crustacean, molting is critical for growth and reproduction. At each molting, a new external cuticle of mud crab is inherently regenerated, but along with molting the crabs are easily susceptible to pathogenic infection that might result in a low survival rate particularly at juvenile stages. To elucidate the potential response mechanism of juvenile mud crabs infected with bacteria in the molting process, integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic techniques were applied and the hormones, associated-hormone genes or immune genes modulated by challenge with Staphylococcus aureus or Vibrio alginolyticus were analyzed. The omic analysis showed that S. aureus or V. alginolyticus infection caused decreases in steroid hormones (cortisol, cortodoxone, cortisone, deoxycorticosterone) and fatty acid-derived hormones (prostaglandin A2, Δ17–6-keto prostaglandin F1α, 13,14-Dihydro-15-keto-tetranor prostaglandin F1α, prostaglandin B2, 2,3-Dinor-11β-prostaglandin F2α, thromboxane B2, and 11-Dehydro thromboxane B2). Correspondingly, transcriptomic analysis revealed that both S. aureus and V. alginolyticus infection downregulated the expression levels of fatty acid-derived hormone synthases. In addition, both bacterial infections caused upregulation in Toll, IMD, the Jak/Stat pathway, antimicrobial peptide, and the prophenoloxidase system. The study provides a new insight into the effects of bacteria on the juvenile crab molting process in vivo that lead to the modulation of both immune-associated genes and hormones. • Bacterial infection upregulated many immune genes during the molting process. • Steroid hormones and fatty acid-derived hormones were reduced during the molting process with bacterial infection. • Cortisol were significantly reduced after infection with both S. aureus and V. alginolyticus. • Many peptide hormones of mud crab were upregulated after bacterial infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess the clinical benefit of device therapy on controlling the symptoms of Meniere's disease (MD). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We searched PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Internet, and Wanfang Data before January 13, 2018. We selected randomized controlled clinical trials, case-controlled studies, and cohort studies that dealt with outcomes of device therapy for the treatment of MD. RESULTS: Sixteen trials met our inclusion criteria. The use of device therapy resulted in improved vertigo control, which was described as a reduction in the number of vertigo days by month (weighted mean difference [WMD]: 3.15, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.00-4.31), in the number of vertigo episodes by month (WMD: 7.37, 95% CI: 2.40-12.35), and in the vertigo visual analog score (WMD: 41.51, 95% CI: 34.68-48.34). In addition, the overall complete vertigo control (class A) rate was 50% (95% CI: 37%-64%). The device therapy also reduced the number of sick days by month (WMD: 4.56, 95% CI: 2.15-6.97), and the functional level improved (WMD: 2.66, 95% CI: 2.15-3.17). The electrocochleographic parameters decreased. The device therapy proved beneficial for hearing changes (WMD: 3.19, 95% CI: 0.66-5.71). No publication bias was found in the funnel plot and the results of Egger's test. CONCLUSION: This study showed that the device therapy might reduce vertigo attacks and sick days in patients with MD. Additionally, the function level and hearing level may improve after the device therapy. In addition, the decrease in electrocochleographic parameters showed that inner ear electrophysiology improved after device therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract A sub-catchment of the Haihe River basin goes through the Beijing-Tianjin region with a population of 26 million, therefore, the use and release of home and personal care product ingredients (HPCPs) to the river catchment could be potentially substantial. Many HPCPs have been shown to be toxic to human and animals. So, it is essential to know the exposure level of HPCPs in the river basin. The average concentrations of five preservatives, three disinfectants and an antioxidant were found to be 398, 352 and 77.7 ng L−1, respectively, in the dry season. The chemical concentrations in the effluents of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and untreated wastewater discharge were respectively ca. 1.3–2.2 and 1.6–7.5 times higher than those in river water. The mass flux of ∑HPCPs has been estimated to be 8.7 g/h at the outfall of the Shahe Reservoir and 181 g/h and 214 g/h at the estuary of the Haihe River and Yongdingxin River to Bohai Bay, respectively. The attenuation of ∑HPCPs was over 79% along the Wenyu River. By using the backward method, the estimated average loadings to WWTPs ranged from 0.51 to 2.0 mg/day/cap for the various individual compounds. They were 1–3 orders of magnitude higher than the estimation from the forward calculation for parabens. This indicates the possible underestimation of chemical usage and human exposure levels by the current published studies or the probably additional industrial release to the target catchment. Such a study provides useful information for the development of chemical management approaches and indicates that further research is needed to improve the estimation of HPCPs usage and emissions to aquatic environment. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • The concentration of individual HPCPs is at a level of ng L−1. • The predominant HPCPs are OPP, TCS, TCC and MEP in the Haihe River Basin. • Significant attenuation of HPCPs is found along the catchment. • WWTP effluents are possibly major contributors to HPCPs in the catchment. • The backward-calculation method is used to estimate usage and emission of HPCPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to explore the change and associated risk and protective factors of social anxiety symptoms among Chinese children. A 2-year longitudinal study was performed in a general primary and secondary school population in Anhui Province, China including 816 children in grades 3, 4, and 7. Children's social anxiety symptoms were assessed using the Social Anxiety Scales for Children (SASC) at three assessments. The overall prevalence of children's elevated social anxiety symptoms ranged from 15.2% to 16.4% across three assessments. Children's overall mean SASC scores were 5.6 (SD =3.7), 5.3 (SD =3.8), and 5.3 (SD =4.1) at three assessments, respectively, but the difference was not statistically significant. However, children's social anxiety symptom levels and change among different subgroups was not stable across 2-year follow-up. Multivariable logistic regression analysis indicated that age, severe family dysfunction, quality of life, positive coping, negative coping, depressive symptoms and self-esteem were predictive factors for childhood elevated social anxiety symptoms. The findings suggested that the overall social anxiety symptoms showed a relatively stable pattern over time. The identified risk and protective factors may provide scientific evidence for school, family, and health authorities to conduct necessary intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing studies reported higher altitudes reduce the COVID-19 infection rate in the United States, Colombia, and Peru. However, the underlying reasons for this phenomenon remain unclear. In this study, regression analysis and mediating effect model were used in a combination to explore the altitudes relation with the pattern of transmission under their correlation factors. The preliminary linear regression analysis indicated a negative correlation between altitudes and COVID-19 infection in China. In contrast to environmental factors from low-altitude regions (<1500 m), high-altitude regions (>1500 m) exhibited lower PM2.5, average temperature (AT), and mobility, accompanied by high SO 2 and absolute humidity (AH). Non-linear regression analysis further revealed that COVID-19 confirmed cases had a positive correlation with mobility, AH, and AT, whereas negatively correlated with SO 2 , CO, and DTR. Subsequent mediating effect model with altitude-correlated factors, such as mobility, AT, AH, DTR and SO 2 , suffice to discriminate the COVID-19 infection rate between low- and high-altitude regions. The mentioned evidence advance our understanding of the altitude-mediated COVID-19 transmission mechanism. [Display omitted] • High altitudes reduce the COVID-19 infection. • Altitude changes the levels of MSI, DTR, AH, AT, and SO 2. • Multiple mediating model confirmed altitude-dependent COVID-19 infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we sought to examine whether evidence existed suggesting that pigs were being infected with the novel H7N9 avian influenza virus. From November 2012 to November 2013, blood was drawn from 1560 pigs from 100 large farms in 4 provinces of eastern China. Many of these pigs were in close proximity to wild birds or poultry. Swine sera were studied using hemagglutinin inhibition (HI) assays and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) against the H7 antigen derived from the emergent H7N9 avian influenza virus (AIV). Only 29 of the 1560 samples had HI titers of 1:20 when using the H7N9 AIV antigens, and none of the 29 (H7N9 AIV) HI-positive samples were positive when using ELISA, indicating that no samples were positive for H7N9. The negative results were also verified using a novel competitive HA-ELISA. As pigs have been shown to be infected with other avian influenza viruses and as the prevalence of novel influenza A viruses (e.g., H7N9 AIV) may be increasing among poultry in China, similar seroepidemiological studies of pigs should be periodically conducted in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• E2, E3 and EE2 were the dominant estrogens in river waters. • Annual emission of estrogens was 1.8 tonnes to the Bohai Bay. • Estrogen levels may induce high risks of adverse effects to fish locally. • EE2 contributed over 90 % of the environmental risks. • Effects of restricted DES use in human were recognized. The potentially high release of estrogens to surface waters due to high population density and local livestock production in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region may pose adverse effects on reproductive systems of aquatic organisms. This study found that total measured concentrations of estrone (E1), 17β-estradiol (E2), estriol (E3), 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) and diethylstilbestrol (DES) were 468 ± 27 ng/L in treated wastewater and 219 ± 23 ng/L in river waters in this region. E2, E3 and EE2 were the predominant estrogens in river waters. The restriction of DES for human use should have been enforced, however concentrations of DES were relatively high compared to other studies. Haihe and Yongdingxin Rivers delivered approximately 1.8 tonnes of estrogens to the Bohai Bay annually. Concentrations of individual estrogens were significantly higher in river waters in the dry season, however, mass loadings were significantly higher in the wet season. The average E2-equivalent concentrations reached 1.2 ± 0.2 and 0.64 ± 0.08 μg-E2/L following long-term and short-term exposure estimates, respectively, in river waters with an EE2 contribution of over 90 %. This could give rise to high risks to fish. Estrogens in river waters largely derived from human excretion. Field studies on estrogenic effects on fish reproductive systems are required locally considering high estrogen contamination levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concentrations of widely used antibiotics were predicted to be the highest in the Haihe River Catchment across China previously, potentially resulting in high ecotoxicological risks in this region. As a result of growing usage and regulation of antibiotic use in animals, the pattern of use may have altered temporally for different antibiotics. It is important to monitor the occurrence of antibiotics within different categories for understanding their mass loading to the catchment and the potential ecotoxicological risks involved. This study investigated the seasonal occurrence and spatial variation of 15 antibiotics in the Haihe River Catchment during 2016–2017. The investigated compounds included veterinary antibiotics, human-use antibiotics, and those intended for both human and animal use. Measurements reported from previous studies were compared with the results of this study and indicated that the use of veterinary antibiotics is probably increasing around the catchment. The ∑antibiotics concentration (i.e. the summed concentration of the 15 target antibiotics) ranged from 414 to 1951 ng/L, with an average of 821 ng/L. Discharges from wastewater treatment plants were the main sources of these compounds. The mass loading of antibiotics to the river waters was higher during wet seasons than during dry seasons. The mass fluxes of the antibiotics continuously increased towards the lower reaches of the rivers. The total annual input of the antibiotics from the Haihe River and Yongdingxin River into the Bohai Bay was 5008 kg/yr. Ofloxacin, trimethoprim, leucomycin, anhydro erythromycin and florfenicol were the predominant antibiotics, whilst amoxicillin, anhydro erythromycin, ofloxacin, norfloxacin and enrofloxacin may pose high ecotoxicological risks to the investigated aquatic ecosystem. Several antibiotics selected in this study were reported for the first time in this catchment. This study provides important information for chemical management and indicates that further monitoring is needed on the more harmful and veterinary antibiotics in the catchment. Unlabelled Image • Total concentrations of 15 antibiotics ranged 414–1951 ng/L with an average of 821 ng/L • Usage of certain veterinary antibiotics may be increasing around the catchment • The antibiotic concentration was higher during the dry season • The mass loading of antibiotics to rivers was higher during the wet season • AMOX, OFX, ETM-H 2 O, NFX and EFX may pose high adverse ecotoxicological risks to aquatic organisms [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gastric cancer (GC) is the most common malignant tumor and ranks third for cancer-related deaths among the worldwide. The disease poses a serious public health problem in China, ranking fifth for incidence and third for mortality. Knowledge of the invasive depth of the tumor is vital to treatment decisions., Aim: To evaluate the diagnostic performance of double contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (DCEUS) for preoperative T staging in patients with GC by comparing with multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT)., Methods: This single prospective study enrolled patients with GC confirmed by preoperative gastroscopy from July 2021 to March 2023. Patients underwent DCEUS, including ultrasonography (US) and intravenous contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS), and MDCT examinations for the assessment of preoperative T staging. Features of GC were identified on DCEUS and criteria developed to evaluate T staging according to the 8 th edition of AJCC cancer staging manual. The diagnostic performance of DCEUS was evaluated by comparing it with that of MDCT and surgical-pathological findings were considered as the gold standard., Results: A total of 229 patients with GC (80 T1, 33 T2, 59 T3 and 57 T4) were included. Overall accuracies were 86.9% for DCEUS and 61.1% for MDCT ( P < 0.001). DCEUS was superior to MDCT for T1 (92.5% vs 70.0%, P < 0.001), T2 (72.7% vs 51.5%, P = 0.041), T3 (86.4% vs 45.8%, P < 0.001) and T4 (87.7% vs 70.2%, P = 0.022) staging of GC., Conclusion: DCEUS improved the diagnostic accuracy of preoperative T staging in patients with GC compared with MDCT, and constitutes a promising imaging modality for preoperative evaluation of GC to aid individualized treatment decision-making., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Appraisal of cancer survival is essential for cancer control, but studies related to gynecological cancer are scarce. Using cancer registration data, we conducted an in-depth survival analysis of cervical, uterine corpus, and ovarian cancers in an urban district of Shanghai during 2002-2013., Materials and Methods: The follow-up data of gynecological cancer from the Changning District of Shanghai, China, were used to estimate the 1-5-year observed survival rate (OSR) and relative survival rate (RSR) by time periods and age groups during 2002-2013. Age-standardized relative survival rates estimated by the international cancer survival standards were calculated during 2002-2013 to describe the prognosis of cervical, uterine corpus, and ovarian cancers among women in the district., Results: In total, 1307 gynecological cancer cases were included in the survival analysis in the district during 2002-2013. Among gynecological cancers, the 5-year OSRs and RSRs of uterine corpus cancer were highest (5-year OSR 84.40%, 5-year RSR 87.67%), followed by those of cervical cancer (5-year OSR 73.58%, 5-year RSR 75.91%), and those of ovarian cancer (5-year OSR 53.89%, 5-year RSR 55.90%). After age adjustment, the 5-year relative survival rates of three gynecological cancers were 71.23%, 80.11%, and 43.27%, respectively., Conclusion: The 5-year relative survival rate did not show a systematic temporal trend in cervical cancer, uterine cancer, or ovarian cancer. The prognosis in elderly patients was not optimistic, and this needs a more advanced strategy for early diagnosis and treatment. The age structure of gynecological cancer patients in the district tended to be younger than the standardized age, which implies that more attention to the guidance and health education for the younger generation is needed., Competing Interests: Competing interests The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background and Aims: Current practice on Helicobacter pylori infection mostly focuses on individual-based care in the community, but family-based H. pylori management has recently been suggested as a better strategy for infection control. However, the family-based H. pylori infection status, risk factors and transmission pattern remain to be elucidated., Methods: From September 2021 to December 2021, 10 735 families (31 098 individuals) were enrolled from 29 of 31 provinces in mainland China to examine family-based H. pylori infection, related factors and transmission pattern. All family members were required to answer questionnaires and test for H. pylori infection., Results: Among all participants, the average individual-based H. pylori infection rate was 40.66%, with 43.45% for adults and 20.55% for children and adolescents. Family-based infection rates ranged from 50.27% to 85.06% among the 29 provinces, with an average rate of 71.21%. In 28.87% (3099/10 735) of enrolled families, there were no infections; the remaining 71.13% (7636/10 735) of families had 1-7 infected members, and in 19.70% (1504/7636), all members were infected. Among 7961 enrolled couples, 33.21% had no infection, but in 22.99%, both were infected. Childhood infection was significantly associated with parental infection. Independent risk factors for household infection were infected family members (eg, five infected members: OR 2.72, 95% CI 1.86 to 4.00), living in highly infected areas (eg, northwest China: OR 1.83, 95% CI 1.57 to 2.13), and large families in a household (eg, family of three: OR 1.97, 95% CI 1.76 to 2.21). However, family members with higher education and income levels (OR 0.85, 95% CI 0.79 to 0.91), using serving spoons or chopsticks, more generations in a household (eg, three generations: OR 0.79, 95% CI 0.68 to 0.92), and who were younger (OR 0.57, 95% CI 0.46 to 0.70) had lower infection rates (p<0.05)., Conclusion: Familial H. pylori infection rate is high in general household in China. Exposure to infected family members is likely the major source of its spread. These results provide supporting evidence for the strategic changes from H. pylori individual-based treatment to family-based management, and the notion has important clinical and public health implications for infection control and related disease prevention., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Digestive tract cancers are the common cause of cancer deaths in both China and worldwide. This study aimed to describe the burden, recent trends and lifetime risks in the incidence and mortality of digestive tract cancers in an urban district of Shanghai, China. Our study extracted data on stomach, colon, rectum and liver cancers diagnosed in Changning District between 2010 and 2019 from the Shanghai Cancer Registry. We calculated age-standardized incidence and mortality rates, the risks of developing and dying from cancer, and the estimated annual percent changes. Between 2010 and 2019, 8619 new cases and 5775 deaths were registered with digestive tract cancers in the district. The age-standardized incidence rates (ASIRs) of liver cancer decreased steadily, whereas the ASIRs of stomach, colon and rectum cancers remained stable from 2010 to 2019. The age-standardized mortality rates (ASMRs) of stomach and liver cancers showed significant declining changes from 2010 to 2019 in both sexes, but that of colon and rectum cancers remained stable during the entire period. The risks of developing and dying from digestive tract cancers were substantially higher in men than women. The burden of digestive tract cancer and its disparities between sex and age group remain major public health challenges in urban Shanghai. To reduce the burden of digestive tract cancers, the government and researchers should develop and promote a healthy diet, organize a screening, and reduce the prevalence of smoking, alcohol drinking, and hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus infections., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

To evaluate whether the polygenic profile modifies the development of sporadic Alzheimer's disease (sAD) and pathological biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), 462 sAD patients and 463 age-matched cognitively normal (CN) controls were genotyped for 35 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that are significantly associated with sAD. Then, the alleles found to be associated with sAD were used to build polygenic risk score (PRS) models to represent the genetic risk. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses and the Cox proportional hazards model were used to evaluate the predictive value of PRS for the sAD risk and age at onset. We measured the CSF levels of Aβ42, Aβ42/Aβ40, total tau (T-tau), and phosphorylated tau (P-tau) in a subgroup (60 sAD and 200 CN participants), and analyzed their relationships with the PRSs. We found that 14 SNPs, including SNPs in the APOE, BIN1, CD33, EPHA1, SORL1, and TOMM40 genes, were associated with sAD risk in our cohort. The PRS models built with these SNPs showed potential for discriminating sAD patients from CN controls, and were able to predict the incidence rate of sAD and age at onset. Furthermore, the PRSs were correlated with the CSF levels of Aβ42, Aβ42/Aβ40, T-tau, and P-tau. Our study suggests that PRS models hold promise for assessing the genetic risk and development of AD. As genetic risk profiles vary among populations, large-scale genome-wide sequencing studies are urgently needed to identify the genetic risk loci of sAD in Chinese populations to build accurate PRS models for clinical practice.

Recent studies demonstrate that immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy has achieved success in many types of advanced cancers including advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, ICI therapy is beneficial in only some HCC patients, suggesting that immune-responses are highly variable in HCCs. Therefore, understanding the immune status in HCC microenvironment will facilitate ICI immunotherapy and guide patient selection for the therapy. In this study, we first analyzed the expression profile of immune-modulating genes and their relationship with survival of HCC patients using the data downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas - Liver Hepatocellular Carcinoma (TCGA-LIHC) database, and found that the higher expressions of CD276 (B7-H3) and CD47 were significantly associated with poor survival. Then we identified 4 immune subtypes of HCCs with different survivals by using the combination expression of B7-H3 (or CD47) and CD8. Patients with B7-H3 low /CD8 high or CD47 low /CD8 high have the best survival while ones with B7-H3 high /CD8 low or CD47 high /CD8 low have the worst survival. The 4 immune subtypes were validated in another 72 HCC patients obtained from South China. In conclusion, our findings suggest that HCC patient prognosis is associated with immunophenotypes by T cell infiltration (CD8 expression) and the expression of the adaptive immune resistance gene (B7-H3 or CD47), and this immune classification system will facilitate HCC patient selection for ICI immunotherapy.

The aim of this study was to analyze the clinical data, discharge rate, and fatality rate of COVID-19 patients for clinical help. The clinical data of COVID-19 patients from December 2019 to February 2020 were retrieved from four databases. We statistically analyzed the clinical symptoms and laboratory results of COVID-19 patients and explained the discharge rate and fatality rate with a single-arm meta-analysis. The available data of 1994 patients in 10 literatures were included in our study. The main clinical symptoms of COVID-19 patients were fever (88.5%), cough (68.6%), myalgia or fatigue (35.8%), expectoration (28.2%), and dyspnea (21.9%). Minor symptoms include headache or dizziness (12.1%), diarrhea (4.8%), nausea and vomiting (3.9%). The results of the laboratory showed that the lymphocytopenia (64.5%), increase of C-reactive protein (44.3%), increase of lactic dehydrogenase (28.3%), and leukocytopenia (29.4%) were more common. The results of single-arm meta-analysis showed that the male took a larger percentage in the gender distribution of COVID-19 patients 60% (95% CI [0.54, 0.65]), the discharge rate of COVID-19 patients was 52% (95% CI [0.34,0.70]), and the fatality rate was 5% (95% CI [0.01,0.11])., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Background: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been reported to be prognostic biomarkers in many types of cancer. We aimed to identify a lncRNA signature that can predict the prognosis in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC)., Methods: Using a custom microarray, we retrospectively analyzed lncRNA expression profiles in 141 samples of ESCC and 81 paired non-cancer specimens from Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center (Guangzhou, China), which were used as a training cohort to identify a signature associated with clinical outcomes. Then we conducted quantitative RT-PCR in another 103 samples of ESCC from the same cancer center as an independent cohort to verify the signature., Results: Microarray analysis showed that there were 338 lncRNAs significantly differentially expressed between ESCC and non-cancer esophagus tissues in the training cohort. From these differentially expressed lncRNAs, we found 16 lncRNAs associated with overall survival (OS) of ESCC patients using Cox regression analysis. Then a 7-lncRNA signature for predicting survival was identified from the 16 lncRNAs, which classified ESCC patients into high-risk and low-risk groups. Patients with high-risk have shorter OS (HR: 3.555, 95% CI 2.195-5.757, p < 0.001) and disease-free survival (DFS) (HR: 2.537, 95% CI 1.646-3.909, p < 0.001) when compared with patients with low-risk in the training cohort. In the independent cohort, the 7 lncRNAs were detected by qRT-PCR and used to compute risk score for the patients. The result indicates that patients with high risk also have significantly worse OS (HR = 2.662, 95% CI 1.588-4.464, p < 0.001) and DFS (HR 2.389, 95% CI 1.447-3.946, p < 0.001). The univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses indicate that the signature is an independent factor for predicting survival of patients with ESCC. Combination of the signature and TNM staging was more powerful in predicting OS than TNM staging alone in both the training (AUC: 0.772 vs 0.681, p = 0.002) and independent cohorts (AUC: 0.772 vs 0.660, p = 0.003)., Conclusions: The 7-lncRNA signature is a potential prognostic biomarker in patients with ESCC and may help in treatment decision when combined with the TNM staging system.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disease characterized by neuronal loss in the substantia nigra. The p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR, encoded by NGFR) was found to play an important role in the selective neuronal death of dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra, as well as the pathogenesis and development of PD. To assess the association between NGFR gene polymorphism and the susceptibility of PD, this case-control study consisting of 414 PD patients and 623 age- and sex-matched controls in a Chinese Han cohort was conducted. Twelve tag-single nucleotide polymorphisms (tag-SNPs) were selected from the NGFR gene through the construction of linkage disequilibrium blocks. One tag-SNP from the ADAM17 gene was also selected owing to its function of encoding tumor necrosis factor α-converting enzyme, which is responsible for the shedding of the extracellular domain of p75NTR. A multiplex polymerase chain reaction-ligase detection reaction (PCR-LDR) method was applied for genotyping. The associations between tag-SNPs and the risk of PD with the adjustment for age and sex were analyzed by unconditional logistic regression, and five genetic models including codominant, dominant, recessive, over-dominant, and additive models were applied. The results showed that among the 13 tag-SNPs, rs741073 was associated with a reduced risk of PD in the codominant (OR = 0.71, 95% CI = 0.54-0.93, P = 0.037), dominant (OR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.58-0.98, P = 0.033), and over-dominant models (OR = 0.71, 95% CI = 0.54-0.92, P = 0.010), and rs1804011 was also associated with a reduced risk of PD in the codominant (OR = 0.69, 95% CI = 0.50-0.95, P = 0.049), dominant (OR = 0.69, 95% CI = 0.50-0.93, P = 0.014), over-dominant (OR = 0.70, 95% CI = 0.51-0.96, P = 0.025), and additive models (OR = 0.72, 95% CI = 0.54-0.94, P = 0.016). However, these associations did not retain after Bonferroni correction. Conclusively, our study failed to reveal the association between the selected tag-SNPs within NGFR, ADAM17, and the susceptibility of PD. The role of p75NTR and its gene polymorphisms in the pathogenesis of PD needs to be further studied.

The typhoon outbreaks of 1986 caused many gaps in the cold temperate coniferous forest and Betula errmanii forest on the western and southern slopes in the Changbai Mountain. In 2017, a research area at the 1600-1800 m altitude in Changbai Mountain was established to explore the damage and changes of forest vegetation disturbed by the typhoon in cold temperate zone and to reveal the regulation of damage on vegetation and post-disaster change as well as the driving factors. The remote sensing data were used to classify research area based on the degree of vegetation damage and post-disaster change. A total of 40 plots were set up for vegetation survey. According to the damage degree of forest structure, three levels of severity of damage to vegetation in the cold temperate zone of Changbai Mountain were classified including gently, moderately, and severely damaged, in which moderately damaged area was largest, followed by gently damaged area and severely damaged area. Tree damage significantly differed among three level areas, with 20%, 50% and 85% reduction of the abundance of dominant trees in gently, moderately and severely damaged areas, respectively. The wind resistance ability of B. errmanii was higher than that of Picea jezoensis. The wind resistance ability of B. errmanii with larger diameter grade was higher than that of those with smaller diameter grade. The severity of damage to vegetation was strongly correlated with slope, with lower severity on the steeper slop area. From 1987 to 2017, the vegetation of wind disaster area significantly changed. The study area could be classified into three levels based on the degree of changing: fast, medium, and slow, with largest area in medium changed, followed by slowly and fast changed. The degree of vegetation changes was strongly correlated with altitude, with slower change at higher altitude area. The recovery rate of trees was slow, with P. jezoensis recovering slightly quicker than B. errmanii. The vegetation change mainly occurred in shrub and herb layers. Shrub layer recovered better than the herb layer in the fast changed area, while herb layer recovered better than the shrub layer in the medium changed area. In the slowly changed area, herb layer was generally low and dense with varying shrub layer.

Immune dysregulation has been observed in the brain and blood of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, a convenient assay to evaluate peripheral immune dysregulation in AD has not been developed, partly due to the inconsistent observations from different studies. We hypothesized that peripheral immune dysregulation may only exist in a subpopulation of AD patients; therefore it may be valuable to identify this subpopulation with a convenient assay. Along this line, we selected 14 candidate genes based on our analysis of microarray data on peripheral blood of AD and other diseases. We used RT-qPCR to examine the expression of these 14 genes in a cohort of 288 subjects, including 74 patients with AD, 64 patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), 51 patients with vascular dementia (VaD), and 99 elderly controls with no cognitive dysfunction/impairment. Seven of these 14 genes displayed significant difference in group comparison. Switching from group comparison to individualized evaluation revealed more in-depth information. First, there existed a wide dynamic range for the expression of these immune genes in peripheral blood even within the control group. Second, for the vast majority of the patients (AD, VaD, and MCI patients), the expression of these genes fell within the dynamic range of the control group. Third, a small portion of outliers were observed in the patient groups, more so in the VaD group than that in the AD or MCI groups. This is our first attempt to conduct personalized evaluation of peripheral immune dysregulation in AD and VaD. These findings may be applicable to the identification of peripheral immune dysregulation in AD and VaD patients which may lead to tailored treatment toward those patients.

Background: Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS)-guided drainage has become the first-line therapy for late peri-pancreatic fluid collection (PFC). Double pigtail plastic stents (DPPS) and lumen-apposing metal stents (LAMS) are commonly used for PFC drainage. Recently, a multi-institutional consensus on PFC drainage has recommended that LAMS should be the standard care for patients with walled-off necrosis (WON). However, given the poor quality of evidence, we aim to perform a large-scale randomized controlled trial to determine whether LAMS is superior to DPPS for WON drainage., Methods/design: The study is an open-label, prospective, parallel-group, superiority, multicenter randomized controlled trial. Two hundred and fifty-six patients with WON who will attend 18 tertiary hospitals in China will be randomly allocated to the LAMS or DPPS group before the procedure. The primary endpoint is the clinical success at one month after drainage (reduction in the size of WON to < 2 cm). Secondary endpoints include technical success, operation time, recurrence, adverse events, and secondary interventions., Discussion: The LVPWON trial is designed to determine whether LAMS is effective, safe, and superior to DPPS for WON drainage., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03027895 . Registered on 14 January 2017.

This study aimed to examine the reproducibility and validity of a new food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) used in a birth cohort study to estimate the usual consumption frequencies of foods during pregnancy. The reference measure was the average of three inconsecutive 24 h diet recalls (24 HR) administrated between two FFQs, and the reproducibility was measured by repeating the first FFQ (FFQ1) approximately eight weeks later (FFQ2). A total of 210 pregnant women from the Born in Guangzhou Cohort Study (BIGCS) with full data were included in the analysis. The Spearman's correlation coefficients of FFQ1 and FFQ2 ranged from 0.33 to 0.71. The intraclass correlation coefficients of the two FFQs ranged from 0.22 to 0.71. The Spearman's correlation coefficients of the 24 HR and FFQ2 ranged from 0.23 to 0.62. Cross-classification analysis showed 65.1% of participants were classified into same and contiguous quintiles, while only 3.2% were misclassified into the distant quintiles. Bland-Altman methods showed good agreement for most food groups across the range of frequencies between FFQ1 and FFQ2. Our findings indicated that the reproducibility and validity of the FFQ used in BIGCS for assessing the usual consumption frequencies of foods during pregnancy were acceptable.

Since 1997, more and more cases of the infectious H5N1 avian influenza virus (AIV) in humans have been reported all over the world but the transmission of H5N1 avian influenza virus to stray cats has been little demonstrated. The objective of this pilot investigation was to determine the prevalence of H5N1 AIV antibodies in stray cats in eastern China where is the dominant enzootic H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HP AIV). A total of 1,020 nasal swab and 1,020 serum samples were collected and tested. Evidence of HPAI H5N1 virus antibodies was present in two of the 1,020 serum samples that were positive by HI assay and NT assay, respectively. The results imply little transmission and that the Clade 2.3.2 HPAIV H5N1 infections in poultry did not significantly affect the rural animal shelters or suburban environment in eastern China. In future studies, these results can be used as baseline seroepidemiological levels for H5N1 AIV among cats in China., (© 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Aim: Little is known about the long-term change in quality of life (QoL) among children in rural China. This study longitudinally examined changes and predictors of QoL among children in one rural county between 2009 and 2011., Methods: We interviewed 816 children from seven to 16 years of age in 2009 and 2011 using a range of QoL tools. Multivariate forward stepwise linear regression analysis was used to examine the relationships between follow-up QoL and socio-demographic, family environment and psychosocial factors., Results: Overall QoL scores improved significantly from 71.1 ± 14.6 to 72.8 ± 16.3 (p = 0.005). QoL was positively related to annual family income (β = 0.14, p < 0.001) and baseline QoL (β = 0.21, p < 0.001) and negatively related to older age (β = -0.19, p < 0.001), being female (β = -0.08, p = 0.011), being left in the care of family members by working parents (β = -0.09, p = 0.004), negative coping styles (β = -0.10, p = 0.005) and depression (β = -0.11, p = 0.006)., Conclusion: Quality of life significantly improved among children in rural China over a two-year period from 2009 to 2011. It was positively related to annual family income and baseline QoL and negatively related to older age, being female, being left in the care of family members by working parents, negative coping styles and depression., (©2015 Foundation Acta Paediatrica. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and factors associated with suicidal ideation among HIV-positive men who have sex with men (MSM) in Anhui, China. A cross-sectional study was conducted to recruit HIV-positive MSM in Anhui, China. A total of 184 HIV-positive MSM gave informed consent and completed the interview. Correlates of suicidal ideation were assessed using multivariable logistic regression. Fifty-seven (31%) of HIV-positive MSM had suicidal ideations within six months before the interview. Multivariable analyses showed that learning of their HIV status in the past 12 months (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 3.4, 95% CI = 1.6-7.3), perceived HIV stigma (AOR = 2.4, 95% CI = 1.1-5.2), depression symptoms (AOR = 2.6, 95% CI = 1.1-5.9) and anxiety symptoms (AOR = 2.7, 95% CI = 1.2-6.1) were significantly associated with the suicidal ideation among HIV-positive MSM. The results indicated that suicidal ideation was common among HIV-positive MSM in Anhui, China. There is an urgent need to establish psychological counselling services among HIV-positive MSM in China. Targeting of these potential risk factors could be an effective approach to reduce the suicide risk among this high-risk subgroup by the implementation of early intervention measurements., (© The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.)

Objective: To investigate the relationship between hormone sensitive lipase (HSL) gene polymorphism and aerobic endurance., Methods: The (CA)n repeats polymorphism genotypes in HSL intro 6 of 123 outstanding long distance runners and 127 controls of Han nationality in northern China were analyzed by PCR and Fluorescence labeled STR-genescan. Repeat polymorphisms were grouped according to segmentation point and alleles were divided into long or short chains. Chi-square test was used to analyze the frequency difference of allelic and genotypic between athlete and control groups., Results: (CA) n repeats polymorphism in HSL gene was total of 9 different repeat number of alleles, which composed of 25 different genotypes. The chi-square test result showed that when compared short and long chain alleles split by 4, there was a significant difference (P <0.05) of genotype distribution in 5/10 km group compared with control. Compared the rest groups with control, there was no significant difference., Conclusion: Compared short and long chain alleles split by 4, the LL genotype of (CA)n of HSL was associated with aerobic endurance and it might be a molecular marker of elite 5/10 km long distance runners.

Background: Current staging methods do not accurately predict the risk of disease recurrence and benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy for patients who have had surgery for stage II colon cancer. We postulated that expression patterns of multiple microRNAs (miRNAs) could, if combined into a single model, improve postoperative risk stratification and prediction of chemotherapy benefit for these patients., Method: Using miRNA microarrays, we analysed 40 paired stage II colon cancer tumours and adjacent normal mucosa tissues, and identified 35 miRNAs that were differentially expressed between tumours and normal tissue. Using paraffin-embedded specimens from a further 138 patients with stage II colon cancer, we confirmed differential expression of these miRNAs using qRT-PCR. We then built a six-miRNA-based classifier using the LASSO Cox regression model, based on the association between the expression of every miRNA and the duration of individual patients' disease-free survival. We validated the prognostic and predictive accuracy of this classifier in both the internal testing group of 138 patients, and an external independent group of 460 patients., Findings: Using the LASSO model, we built a classifier based on the six miRNAs: miR-21-5p, miR-20a-5p, miR-103a-3p, miR-106b-5p, miR-143-5p, and miR-215. Using this tool, we were able to classify patients between those at high risk of disease progression (high-risk group), and those at low risk of disease progression (low-risk group). Disease-free survival was significantly different between these groups in every set of patients. In the initial training group of patients, 5-year disease-free survival was 89% (95% CI 77·3-94·4) for the low-risk group, and 60% (46·3-71·0) for the high-risk group (hazard ratio [HR] 4·24, 95% CI 2·13-8·47; p<0·0001). In the internal testing set of patients, 5-year disease-free survival was 85% (95% CI 74·3-91·8) for the low-risk group, and 57% (42·8-68·5) for the high-risk group (HR 3·63, 1·86-7·01; p<0·0001), and in the independent validation set of patients, was 85% (79·6-89·0) for the low-risk group and 54% (46·4-61·1) for the high-risk group (HR 3·70, 2·56-5·35; p<0·0001). The six-miRNA-based classifier was an independent prognostic factor for, and had better prognostic value than, clinicopathological risk factors and mismatch repair status. In an ad-hoc analysis, the patients in the high-risk group were found to have a favourable response to adjuvant chemotherapy (HR 1·69, 1·17-2·45; p=0·0054). We developed two nomograms for clinical use that integrated the six-miRNA-based classifier and four clinicopathological risk factors to predict which patients might benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy after surgery for stage II colon cancer., Conclusion: Our six-miRNA-based classifier is a reliable prognostic and predictive tool for disease recurrence in patients with stage II colon cancer, and might be able to predict which patients benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy. It might facilitate patient counselling and individualise management of patients with this disease., Funding: Natural Science Foundation of China., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To study the prevalent characteristics and related factors of injuries caused by agricultural machinery in 3 provinces Shandong, Henan and Hebei in China., Methods: A total of 1621 agricultural machinery operators aged between 18 and 60 years old from Shandong, Henan and Hebei provinces were selected by purposive-cluster sampling method in 2009. Demographic characteristics, injury history caused by agricultural machinery in the last year and the related social and psychological factors were collected by self-designed questionnaire. We used statistical description to report the injury prevalence, and adopted the univariate and multivariate analysis to explore the risk factors., Results: The average incidence of injuries caused by agricultural machinery was 13.44% (213/1585) in the three provinces, of which 14.46% (202/1397) in males and 5.85% (11/188) in females (χ(2) = 10.56, P < 0.01). Most of injuries (155 cases, 72.77%) occurred between April and August. Being stuck by rolling starting handles (45 cases, 21.13%), being crushed by running or dropping machineries (32 cases, 15.02%), fall from machines (28 cases, 13.15%) ranked the top three causes of injuries. The main related machines were tractors and motor tricycles (133 cases, 62.44%). The leading types of injuries were scratch (115 cases, 53.99%), strain (68 cases, 31.92%) and fracture (37 cases, 17.37%)., Results: of multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that being male (OR = 3.18, 95%CI:1.65-6.15), educational level above high school(OR = 1.69, 95%CI:1.21-2.34), annual family income <2000 yuan (OR = 1.94, 95%CI:1.13-3.32), operating experience ≤ 5 years (OR = 1.70, 95%CI:1.13-2.55), daytime sleepiness (OR = 2.89, 95%CI:1.66-5.01), smoking during machinery operation (OR = 1.43, 95%CI:1.05-1.96), bearing debts (OR = 1.88, 95%CI:1.35-2.63) and suffering from other diseases (OR = 1.42, 95%CI:1.02-1.98) were risk factors of agricultural machinery injuries., Conclusion: The average incidence of injuries caused by agricultural machinery in the three provinces Shandong, Henan and Hebei, was rather high among agricultural machinery operators, especially in the males. Agricultural machinery injury has been an important issue endangering the health of rural labor force in recent years.

Background: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) can be used as prognostic biomarkers in many types of cancer. We aimed to identify miRNAs that were prognostic in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma., Methods: We retrospectively analysed miRNA expression profiles in 312 paraffin-embedded specimens of nasopharyngeal carcinoma from Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center (Guangzhou, China) and 18 specimens of non-cancer nasopharyngitis. Using an 873 probe microarray, we assessed associations between miRNA signatures and clinical outcome in a randomly selected 156 samples (training set) and validated findings in the remaining 156 samples (internal validation set). We confirmed the miRNAs signature using quantitative RT-PCR analysis in 156 samples from a second randomisation of the 312 samples, and validated the miRNA signature in 153 samples from the West China Hospital of Sichuan University in Chengdu, China (independent set). We used the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank tests to estimate correlations of the miRNA signature with disease-free survival (DFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), and overall survival., Findings: 41 miRNAs were differentially expressed between nasopharyngeal carcinoma and non-cancer nasopharyngitis tissues. A signature of five miRNAs, each significantly associated with DFS, was identified in the training set. We calculated a risk score from the signature and classified patients as high risk or low risk. Compared with patients with low-risk scores, patients with high risk scores in the training set had shorter DFS (hazard ratio [HR] 2·73, 95% CI 1·46-5·11; p=0·0019), DMFS (3·48, 1·57-7·75; p=0·0020), and overall survival (2·48, 1·24-4·96; p=0·010). We noted equivalent findings in the internal validation set for DFS (2·47, 1·32-4·61; p=0·0052), DMFS (2·28, 1·09-4·80; p=0·030), and overall survival (2·87, 1·38-5·96; p=0·0051) and in the independent set for DFS (3·16, 1·65-6·04; p=0·0011), DMFS (2·39, 1·05-5·42; p=0·037), and overall survival (3·07, 1·34-7·01; p=0·0082). The five-miRNA signature was an independent prognostic factor. A combination of this signature and TNM stage had better prognostic value than did TNM stage alone in the training set (area under receiver operating characteristics 0·68 [95% CI 0·60-0·76] vs 0·60 [0·52-0·67]; p=0·013), the internal validation set (0·70 [0·61-0·78] vs 0·61 [0·54-0·68]; p=0·012), and the independent set (0·70 [0·62-0·78] vs 0·63 [0·56-0·69]; p=0·032)., Interpretation: Identification of patients with the five-miRNA signature might add prognostic value to the TNM staging system and inform treatment decisions for patients at high risk of progression., Funding: Science Foundation of Chinese Ministry of Health, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Pearl River Scholar Funded Scheme, Guangdong Key Scientific and Technological Innovation Program, Guangdong Natural Science Foundation, Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To explore the risk factors on cases regarding work-related acute pesticide poisoning among farmers of Jiangsu province., Methods: A population-based, 1:2 matched case-control study was carried out, with 121 patients as case-group paired by 242 persons with same gender, district and age less then difference of 3 years, as controls. Cases were the ones who had suffered from work-related acute pesticide poisoning. A unified questionnaire was used. Data base was established by EpiData 3.1, and SPSS 16.0 was used for both data single factor and multi-conditional logistics regression analysis., Results: Results from the single factor logistic regression analysis showed that the related risk factors were: lack of safety guidance, lack of readable labels before praying pesticides, no regression during application, using hand to wipe sweat, using leaking knapsack, body contaminated during application and continuing to work when feeling ill after the contact of pesticides. Results from multi-conditional logistic regression analysis indicated that the lack of safety guidance (OR=2.25, 95%CI: 1.35-3.74), no readable labels before praying pesticides (OR=1.95, 95%CI: 1.19-3.18), wiping the sweat by hand during application (OR=1.97, 95%CI: 1.20-3.24) and using leaking knapsack during application (OR=1.82, 95%CI:1.10-3.01) were risk factors for the occurrence of work-related acute pesticide poisoning., Conclusion: The lack of safety guidance, no readable labels before praying pesticides, wiping the sweat by hand or using leaking knapsack during application were correlated to the occurrence of work-related acute pesticide poisoning.