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Background: Although the prevalence of gait disturbance is increasing with population aging, our understanding of its underlying neural basis is still limited. The precise brain regions linked to specific gait domains have not been well defined. In this study, we aim to investigate the associations of cortical thickness and different gait domains, and to explore whether these associations could be explained by cerebral small vessel disease. Methods: A total of 707 community‐dwelling participants from the Taizhou Imaging Study (mean age: 60.2 ± 3.0 years, 57.4% female) were involved. All participants underwent brain MRI and gait assessment. We obtained quantitative gait parameters using wearable devices and then summarized them into three independent gait domains through factor analysis. Cortical thickness was analyzed and visualized using FreeSurfer and Surfstat. Results: Three independent domains (pace, rhythm, and variability) were summarized from 12 gait parameters. Among gait domains, poorer pace was associated with the thinner cortical thickness of multiple regions, which included areas related with motor function (e.g., the primary motor cortex, premotor cortex, and supplementary motor area), sensory function (e.g., the postcentral gyrus and paracentral lobule), visuospatial attention (e.g., the lateral occipital cortex and lingual gyrus), and identification and cognition (e.g., the fusiform gyrus and entorhinal cortex). Such a relationship was only slightly attenuated after adjustment for cerebrovascular risk factors and cerebral small vessel disease. No statistically significant association was found between cortical thickness and the rhythm or variability domains. Conclusions: Poorer pace is independently associated with thinner cortical thickness in areas important for motor, sensory, cognitive function, and visuospatial attention. Our study emphasizes the importance of cortical thickness in gait control and adds value in investigating neural mechanisms of gait. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Innovation and entrepreneurship as the core development mode is the only way to continue my country's economic development. Therefore, research on the synergistic impact of innovation on China's economic development is of great significance. With the continuous development of sharing economy, Internet finance, and other fields, the digital economy is reshaping the entire social ecology and becoming an important part of the national economy. Aiming at China's digital economy, this article takes the Shanghai Composite Index and three listed stocks in the stock market as examples, collects the closing data of the Shanghai Composite Index and the stock market prices of three listed companies as sample data, uses the BP neural network prediction model and the optimized particle swarm optimization-neural networks (PSO-BP) neural network model predicts the future trends of the Shanghai Composite Index and the three stocks, respectively. Compared with other models, PSO-BP requires fewer parameters and draws more accurate conclusions. It is a model that is very suitable for digital economic forecasting. The experimental results show that the prediction effect of the PSO-BP neural network is higher than that of the BP neural network prediction model obtained by the two prediction models in the prediction process of the Shanghai Composite Index; the error rate of the BP neural network prediction model in the three listed stocks 6.37%, 3.01%, 9.85%; PSO-BP neural network prediction model predicts the future trend of the three listed stocks with error rates of 3.21%, 0.37%, and 0.89%. After comparing and analyzing the results of the forecast error value, it is concluded that the PSO-BP neural network forecast model has a more accurate forecast of stock prices and smaller errors, and the forecast of future trends is also consistent with actual trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global urbanization process requires solving the issues of rural and poverty, and research on the coupling patterns and correlational effects of rurality and regional poverty governance change can provide references for promoting regional urban-rural integration and rural revitalization. Based on the analysis of the conceptual relationship and interaction mechanism between rurality and poverty, this paper revealed the spatio-temporal pattern evolution characteristics and correlational effects of the rurality index (RI) and poverty governance level (PGL) in 91 counties of the rocky desertification area of Yunnan-Guangxi-Guizhou (RDAYGG) in China from 2005 to 2020 by using the multi-index comprehensive evaluation, Person correlation coefficient, and fixed effects model. The results showed that (1) there are similarities and differences between rurality and poverty. The logic of rurality affecting poverty governance is that the dynamic trade-offs between the share of positive and negative rurality in a region will come to alter the local capacity for urban-rural coordinated development, and the ideal process is manifested in the weakening of negative rurality and the enhancement of positive rurality. (2) From 2005 to 2020, the RI of counties within the RDAYGG showed a pattern of continuous weakening, while the PGL showed a trend of gradual increase in the whole region, and both were holistically characterized by reverse dynamic change. (3) The regional PGL is closely related to the change of rurality. When other influencing factors remain unchanged, for every 10% reduction in the RI, the PGL will increase by about 0.4%. Future research needs to focus on crucial propositions such as the mixed turn of rurality in the new era, the construction of poverty theory in the latest stage, and the spatial-temporal coupling of rural development and poverty governance. • Governance of rurality and poverty is key to promoting global urban-rural integration and regional development. • Index systems for measuring rurality and regional poverty governance were constructed. • Spatio-temporal pattern and correlation effects of rurality and poverty governance change in the RDAYGG were investigated. • Rurality changes are negatively correlated with regional poverty governance. • Incorporating the perspective of rurality into formulating regional poverty reduction policies is a key breakthrough. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individual cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) may cause cognitive decline. However, the association between total burden of CSVD and cognitive deterioration in the general population remains unclear. We aimed to determine whether total CSVD score is associated with cognitive performance change and incident dementia in the general population. In the longitudinal population-based Taizhou Imaging Study, 556 participants free of neurological disorders underwent brain MRI and neuropsychological testing at baseline. A total of 456 participants were followed up for cognitive performance for a mean (standard deviation) of 4.6 (0.6) years. Total CSVD score (range 0-4) was calculated by assigning 1 point for the presence of each of the following markers: lacune, white matter hyperintensity, cerebral microbleed, and perivascular space. Beta regression was used to evaluate the association between total CSVD burden and MMSE score change. The association of prevalent CSVD with incident dementia was studied using Fisher's exact test. CSVDs were present in 262 individuals (47.1%). The total CSVD score was significantly associated with MMSE score decline (p = 0.001). Compared to those with no CSVD, participants with 4 CSVD markers had a steeper decline in MMSE score (β: -0.53, 95% CI: -0.86 to -0.21; p = 0.001). A total of 15 participants developed dementia during follow-up. The presence of more than three CSVD markers at baseline was associated with a significantly higher risk of dementia (p = 0.020). Total CSVD burden appears to be associated with MMSE score decline and incident dementia in a general population in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the relationship between exposure to air pollutants and respiratory emergency room visits, a generalized additive model (GAM) was used to analyze the exposure-effect relationship between air pollutants and respiratory emergency room visits. The results showed that NO, SO, and PM have positive relationships with respiratory disease. Concentration increases of 10 μg/m in NO, SO, and PM corresponded to 3.90% (95%CI 3.56-4.25), 0.81% (95%CI −0.09-1.72), and 0.64% (95%CI 0.55-0.74) increases in respiratory emergency room visits. In addition, there is a strong synergic effect of PM and NO on respiratory diseases. The threshold values of the national standard grade II limits used in Beijing should be adjusted. An appropriate standard could effectively promote a significant decline in respiratory room visits and would eventually be beneficial to air quality management in residential areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rural issues, such as land fragmentation, eco-environment destruction, industrial lag and rural hollowing, can be seen as the external manifestation of the imbalance between the supply and demand of rural land use functions. Land consolidation, by virtue of its important role in regulating rural land use functions, has been proven to be multifunctional and endowed with the connotation of relieving rural issues and promoting rural development. This paper theoretically and practically explored the modes of rural development promoted by land consolidation from the perspective of land use multifunctionality for the first time and discussed its internal mechanisms. Results showed that by changing the type and intensity of rural land use functions, land consolidation can exert important influences on industrial structure, living conditions, ecological environment, and cultural construction, thereby contributing to rural development. Although the modes of rural vitalisation promoted by land consolidation from rural land use functions can be divided into intensity-adjustment mode and type-conversion mode, these two modes in practice often coexist or interconvert as the research scale changes. The intensity-adjustment mode in Jinzhuang Village that far from a megacity is largely influenced by the bottom-up forces and market demands, while the type-conversion mode in Dongheng Village that near to a megacity is largely the result of the joint effect of the position advantage, policy, and local industrial foundation. Lessons learned and policy recommendations were proposed in light of these two case studies. These findings will provide new insight into micro-level land use for other rural areas in China and even other developing countries to address rural issues and facilitate urban-rural development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives An altered microbiota, which can be described quantitatively, has been identified as playing a pivotal role in host vascular physiology, and it may contribute to various diseases. The aim of this study was to better understand the role of the gut microbiota in vascular physiology in a subclinical elderly population, and to investigate how lifestyle affects the composition of host gut microbiota to further impact the pathogenesis of vascular diseases. Methods We performed a population-based faecal metagenomic study over 569 elderly asymptomatic subclinical individuals in rural China. An association network was built based on clinical measurements and detailed epidemiologic questionnaires, including blood chemistry, arterial stiffness, carotid ultrasonography, and metagenomic datasets. Results By analyzing the breadth, depth and impact of each node of the association network, we found carotid arterial atherosclerosis indices, including intima-media thickness (IMT), were essential in the network, and were significantly associated with living habits, socio-economic status, and diet. Using mediation analysis, we found that higher frequency of eating fresh fruits and vegetables, and more exercise significantly reduced carotid atherosclerosis in terms of IMT, peak systolic velocity and end-diastolic velocity values through the mediation of Alistepes , Oligella and Prevotella. Gut microbes explained 16.5% of the mediation effect of lifestyle on the pathogenesis of carotid atherosclerosis. After adjustment, Faecalicatena [odds ratio (OR) = 0.12 ∼0.65] was shown to be protective against the formation of carotid atherosclerosis, independently, while Libanicoccus (OR = 1.46 ∼4.20) was associated with increased carotid arterial IMT. KEGG/KO Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes/ KEGG Orthology (KEGG/KO) analyses revealed a loss of anti-inflammation function in IMT subjects. Conclusion Our study revealed a Chinese population–wide phenotype–metagenomic association network and a mediation effect of gut microbiota on carotid artery atherosclerosis, hinting at potential therapeutic and preventive uses for microbiota in vascular diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Predictions of primary liver cancer (PLC) incidence rates and case numbers are critical to understand and plan for PLC disease burden.Methods: Data on PLC incidence rates and case numbers from 1990 to 2017 were retrieved from the Global Burden of Disease database. The estimated average percentage change (EAPC) was calculated to quantify the trends of PLC age-standardized incidence rates (ASRs). Bayesian age-period-cohort models were constructed to project PLC incidence rates and case numbers through 2030.Results: Globally, the PLC case number doubled from 472 300 in 1990 to 953 100 in 2017. The case number will further increase to 1 571 200 in 2030, and the ASR will increase from 11.80 per 100 000 in 2018 to 14.08 per 100 000 in 2030. The most pronounced increases are observed in people afflicted by non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and in older people. The trends of PLC incidence rates between 1990 and 2030 are heterogeneous among countries and can be summarized as five scenarios: (i) 46 countries that have and will continue to experience a persistent increase (e.g. Australia); (ii) 21 countries that experienced an initial decrease (or remained stable) but are predicted to increase (e.g. China); (iii) 7 countries that experienced an initial increase but are predicted to remain stable (e.g. USA); (iv) 29 countries that experienced an initial increase but are predicted to decrease (e.g. Egypt); and (v) 82 countries that have and will continue to experience a persistent decrease (e.g. Japan).Conclusion: PLC incidence rates and case numbers are anticipated to increase at the global level through 2030. The increases in people afflicted by NASH and among older people suggest a dearth of attention for these populations in current prevention strategies and highlight their priority in future schedules for global control of PLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Liver cancer is a commonly diagnosed malignancy in China. The etiologies of liver cancer are widely known, although studies on temporal trends in liver cancer caused by specific etiologies are rare. Methods: Data on the incidence and mortality of liver cancer were retrieved from the Global Burden of Diseases Study 2017. The estimated annual percentage change (EAPC) was used to quantify temporal trends in the age‐standardized incidence rate (ASIR) and the age‐standardized mortality rate (ASMR) of liver cancer from 1990 to 2017. Results: Nationwide, the number of incident cases of liver cancer increased from 258 000 in 1990 to 515 900 in 2017. The ASIR decreased from 27.16 per 100 000 to 26.04 per 100 000 during this period, with an EAPC of −0.64 (95% confidence interval [CI] −0.84, −0.44). The number of deaths increased from 245 300 in 1990 to 418 200 in 2017, and the ASMR decreased from 26.72 to 21.30 (EAPC = −1.16, 95% CI −1.35, −0.97). The most pronounced decreases in the ASIR and ASMR were observed in liver cancer due to hepatitis B and in people aged 15‐49 years. Conclusions: Since the extensive efforts for prevention of hepatitis B virus infection, the incidence of liver cancer due to hepatitis B has significantly decreased. However, liver cancer due to hepatitis C, NASH, and other causes remains a major public health concern. Additional preventive strategies tailored to liver cancer are needed to further reduce its disease burden in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discuss the reciprocal effect of corporate effective tax, R&D and export on company’s productivity in China.Firstly, we find the imposition of corporate tax would have negative distorting effect on enterprise productivity. Second, corporate tax rates are positive with R&D and export interactions. Thirdly, the tax rate has nonlinear effect on the productivity of enterprises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]