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A research-style laboratory experiment composed of the synthesis of MOF-74 materials, related structural characterization, and the cutting-edge application of electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) has been designed toward advanced undergraduates at East China University of Technology (ECUT). The desired monometallic MOF-74 (Ni-MOF-74 and Co-MOF-74) and bimetallic NiCo-MOF-74 were synthesized by students using cheap raw materials under mild reaction conditions. Students operated the modern instruments to perform powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) applied extensively in chemical research to explore whether the materials were successfully synthesized and the thermal stability under the guidance of the instructor. The electrocatalytic OER activity of bimetallic NiCo-MOF-74 was compared with monometallic Ni-MOF-74 and Co-MOF-74 to explore and understand the bimetallic synergy effect in MOFs materials. This experiment not only enabled students to master the solvothermal method for MOFs synthesis but also provided students the chance to operate several common chemical instruments and master their functions, realizing the application of theoretical knowledge to practice. Most importantly, this experiment helped students realize the importance of MOFs in the electrochemical energy fields and established a sense of teamwork by analyzing and discussing the bimetallic synergy effect in NiCo-MOF-74 for OER catalysis.

In the realm of acute respiratory infections, coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), poses a global public health challenge. The application of corticosteroids (CSs) in COVID-19 remains a contentious topic among researchers. Accordingly, our team performed a comprehensive meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to meticulously evaluate the safety and efficacy of CSs in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. To explore efficacy of CSs in the treatment of COVID-19 patients, we meticulously screened RCTs across key databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, ClinicalTrials.gov, as well as China's CNKI and Wanfang Data. We focused on assessing the 28 days mortality rates. We evaluated the data heterogeneity using the Chi-square test and I2 values, setting significance at 0.1 and 50%. Data from 21 RCTs involving 5721 participants were analyzed. The analysis did not demonstrate a significant association between CSs intervention and the 28 days mortality risk in hospitalized COVID-19 patients (relative risk [RR] = 0.93; 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 0.84–1.03; P = 0.15). However, subgroup analysis revealed a significant reduction in 28 days mortality among patients with moderate-to-severe COVID-19 (RR at 0.85; 95% CI: 0.76–0.95; P = 0.004). Specifically, short-term CS administration (≤ 3 days) was associated with a substantial improvement in clinical outcomes (RR = 0.24; 95% CI: 0.09–0.63; P = 0.004), as was longer-term use (≥ 8 days) (RR = 0.88; 95% CI: 0.77–0.99; P = 0.04). Additionally, in patients with moderate-to-severe COVID-19, the administration of dexamethasone increased the number of 28 days ventilator-free days (Mean Difference = 1.92; 95% CI: 0.44–3.40; P = 0.01). Methylprednisolone also demonstrated significant benefits in improving clinical outcomes (RR = 0.24; 95% CI: 0.09–0.63; P = 0.004). Our meta-analysis demonstrated that although there is no significant difference in 28 days mortality rates among hospitalized COVID-19 patients, the use of CSs may be beneficial in improving clinical outcomes in moderate or severe COVID-19 patients. There was no significant increase in the occurrence of adverse events associated with the use of CSs. Our meta-analysis provides evidence that while CSs may not be suitable for all COVID-19 patients, they could be effective and safe in severely ill COVID-19 patients. Consequently, it is recommended to administer CSs for personalized treatments in COVID-19 cases to improve the clinical outcomes while minimizing adverse events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate fatigue, mental workload, and burnout among health care workers (HCWs) and explore the possible underlying factors. Materials and methods: An online cross-sectional survey design was used to collect data from HCWs in Chongqing, China. The online survey included the Fatigue Severity Scale, NASA Task Load Index, and Chinese version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey to assess fatigue, mental workload, and burnout, respectively, and was conducted from February 1 to March 1, 2023. Results: In this study, the incidence of fatigue and burnout among HCWs was 76.40% and 89.14%, respectively, and the incidence of moderate to intolerable mental workloads was 90.26%. Work–family conflict, current symptoms, number of days of COVID-19 positivity, mental workload, burnout and reduced personal accomplishment were significantly associated with fatigue. Mental workload was affected by fatigue and reduced personal accomplishment. Furthermore, burnout was influenced by marital status and fatigue. Moreover, there was a correlation among mental workload, fatigue, and burnout. Conclusions: Fatigue, mental workload and burnout had a high incidence and were influenced by multiple factors during COVID-19 public emergencies in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the background of educational commodification, the premium price phenomenon of school district houses (SDH) is prevalent and the comprehensive livability of SDH warrants further exploration. The comprehensive livability of SDH should consider the objective livability and the subjective satisfaction of residents. This paper evaluates the objective livability of SDH from four aspects (i.e., safety of living space, convenience of public facilities, convenience of transportation, comfort of living environment) and the residents' satisfaction of SDH from five dimensions (i.e., living environment, architecture design, spatial planning, infrastructure, and community service). The entropy method is used to determine the weight of each index. To assess the comprehensive livability, the coupling coordination degree model between objective livability and residents' satisfaction of SDH is constructed. Furthermore, the matching degree among comprehensive livability, housing price, and educational resources is discussed. The results show that the distribution pattern of objective livability is high in the center and low in the periphery. The SDHs with high residents' satisfaction are mostly distributed in Xincheng District and Saihai District, and the residents' satisfaction of new SDHs is higher than that of the old one. Saihan District and Xincheng District, characterized by better economic development and well-established infrastructure, exhibit a greater number of SDHs with high comprehensive livability. Conversely, Yuquan District and Huimin District, marked by lower economic development and relatively inadequate facilities, have fewer SDHs with high comprehensive livability. These findings can provide decision-making basis for the construction of livable city and the balance of the high-quality educational resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to investigate the clinicopathological features and prognostic indicators of primary pulmonary adenoid cystic carcinoma (PACC). Methods: Clinical data were collected from 64 primary PACC patients and analyzed retrospectively at the Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, the West China Hospital of Sichuan University, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, and the Bishan Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from January 2003 to August 2023. The 64 patients (28 males and 36 females) were aged from 20 to 73 years, with a median age of 49 years and an average age of 49.3 years. Results: Immunohistochemical staining showed that the tumors expressed CK7, S‐100 protein, CK5/6, CD117, and p63. Seven patients underwent fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) testing and three were found to have myeloblastosis (MYB) gene translocation. In total, 53 patients underwent surgery, among whom 31 received only surgery and 22 received both surgery and postoperative chemoradiotherapy. In addition, 10 patients received chemoradiotherapy only, while one patient underwent treatment with traditional Chinese medicine. The overall survival rates in the first, third, and fifth years were 98.4%, 95.3%, and 87.5%, respectively. Conclusion: Prognostic analysis revealed that age, tumor size, lymph node metastasis status, margin status, and choice of treatment modality significantly influenced the patients' prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Esophageal cancer has a high incidence in China. Many patients also have a heavy psychological burden due to clinical features such as wasting and choking on food. This study analyzed the risk factors of negative emotions in esophageal cancer patients during the peri-radiotherapy period and its effects on malnutrition.Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 339 patients with esophageal cancer during the peri-radiotherapy who received treatment at our hospital from April 2017 to April 2020, and followed up for 3 years. t test and Chi-square test were used to analyze the relationship between patients' negative emotions and clinical data. Binary logistics regression was performed to analyze the independent risk factors for the occurrence of negative mood and malnutrition in the patients. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were used to analyze survival rates.Results: Our results showed that 18.3% of patients undergoing radiotherapy for esophageal cancer had negative emotions, and 41.9% suffered from malnutrition. The results of the binary logistic regression analysis showed that monthly household income (OR =  0.470, P =  0.022), the TNM stage (OR =  2.030, P =  0.044), concomitant gastrointestinal symptoms (OR =  2.071, P =  0.024), sleep status (OR =  2.540, P =  0.003), swallowing disorders (OR =  1.919, P = 0.048), and post-radiotherapy complications were independent risk factors for the development of negative emotions in patients. Negative emotions (OR =  2.547, P =  0.038) were also a risk factor for malnutrition in patients with esophageal cancer.Conclusion: Many patients with esophageal cancer suffer from anxiety and depression in the peri-radiotherapy period, which might lead to complications such as malnutrition or aggravate and affect the prognosis of patients. Therefore, psychological care should be provided based on conventional care to effectively relieve their psychological pressure, and improve their prognosis and quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To evaluate the effects of the alveolar ridge split (ARS) technique on gained horizontal width of the alveolar ridge and implant survival rate. Materials and methods: Electronic searching was performed in six electronic databases (Pubmed, Embase, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and SIGLE) from January 1, 2010, to November 1, 2023. Two authors performed study selection, data extraction, and study qualities (ROBINS-I and RoB 2.0) independently. Meta-analysis was performed by Comprehensive meta-analysis 3.0. Results: 24 included studies were observational, and 1 study was a randomized controlled trial (RCT). 14 studies investigated the gained width of the horizontal alveolar ridge, and 17 examined the implants' survival rate. For assessment of risk of bias, nine studies were high risk of bias and 16 studies were moderate risk of bias. Meta-analysis demonstrated that the pooled gained alveolar ridge width was 3.348 mm (95%CI: 4.163 mm, 2.533 mm), and the implant survival rate was 98.1% (95%CI: 98.9%, 96.9%). Seven studies showed seven different complications including exposure, infection, bad split, dehiscence, fracture, paresthesia and soft tissue retraction. Conclusion: Recent ARS technique seems to be an effective method of bone augmentation with enough gained width and a high implant survival rate. Further long-term and RCTs research remains needed to enhance the study quality. Clinical relevance: The ARS technique could generate sufficient bone volume, and implants had a high-level survival rate. Therefore, ARS has been proposed to be a reliable horizontal bone augmentation technique that creates good conditions for the implantation of narrow alveolar crests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rural settlements are developing in the direction of functional diversification, driven by rapid urbanization, but also leading to a decline in their vitality as a result of the rapid concentration of rural population in cities. Therefore, this study proposed a theoretical framework to refine the optimization approach for rural settlements from the perspective of "production–living–ecological" functions (PLEF) and vitality. Taking a town in the farming–pastoral ecotone in northern China as a case, we evaluated the level of the PLEF of rural settlements. After exploring the functional requirements of villagers, we revealed the vitality of rural settlements based on social network analysis. The Tapio decoupling model was used to identify the optimization type of rural settlements considering the PLEF and vitality. The results showed that the PLEF of rural settlements was higher in areas with flat terrain, convenient transportation, and rich economies. Rural settlements closer to the central town were stronger in vitality. The PLEF of rural settlements was generally correlated with vitality, which means that rural settlements with a higher level of PLEF also had a stronger vitality. Rural settlements were classified into five types: suburban integration, characteristics protection, agglomeration and upgrading, general survival, relocation, and merger, according to the characteristics of a combination of PLEF and vitality. This study contributes to a deeper comprehension of the functional and structural characteristics of rural settlements and will be beneficial in guiding rural spatial reconstruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hate crimes and hateful rhetoric targeting individuals of Asian descent have increased since the outbreak of COVID-19. These troubling trends have heightened concerns about the role of the Internet in facilitating radicalization. This article explores the existence of three warning signs of radicalization—fixation, group identification, and energy bursts—using data from Twitter and Reddit. Data were collected before and after the outbreak of COVID-19 to assess the role of the pandemic in affecting social media behavior. Using computational social science and Natural Language Processing techniques, we looked for signs of radicalization targeting China or Chinese individuals. Results show that fixation on the terms China and Chinese increased on Twitter and Reddit after the pandemic began. Moreover, tweets and posts containing either of these terms became more hateful, offensive, and negative after the outbreak. We also found evidence of individuals identifying more closely with a particular group, or adopting an "us vs. them" mentality, after the outbreak of COVID-19. These findings were especially prominent in subreddits catering to self-identified Republicans and Conservatives. Finally, we detected bursts of activity on Twitter and Reddit following the start of the pandemic. These warning signs suggest COVID-19 may have had a radicalizing effect on some social media users. This work is important because it not only shows the potential radicalizing effect of the pandemic, but also demonstrates the ability to detect warning signs of radicalization on social media. This is critical, as detecting warning signs of radicalization can potentially help curb hate-fueled violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How to maintain the momentum of sustained economic growth has always been an important issue of concern to all countries in the world. Using a three-level progressive analysis framework, the article provides an in-depth analysis of the evolution of supply-side economic growth drivers in China from 2003 to 2021 and the magnitude of their roles. The results show that in terms of the composition of growth drivers, total factor productivity makes the largest contribution to economic growth, while the contributions of capital scale and labor scale rank second and third, respectively; in terms of the industrial dimension, the changes in the contributions of each factor to GDP growth mainly originate from the influence of secondary and tertiary industries. From the decomposition of total factor productivity growth, industrial capital productivity and capital allocation structure both play a positive pulling effect on overall capital productivity, but have a weak downward trend. Industrial labor productivity and labor allocation structure both play a slight negative pulling effect on overall labor productivity; from the deep decomposition of growth momentum, industrial factor productivity and industrial factor allocation structure play a major positive pushing effect and a weak negative pushing effect on economic growth, respectively. The conclusion of this paper provides a valuable reference for developing countries on how to maintain the momentum of economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The market scale of electric shavers in China has reached ¥ 26.3 billion in 2021. Consumers currently place an increasing emphasis on the Kansei image conveyed by products rather than just concerning with functional satisfaction. To meet consumers' expectations, the emotional message conveyed by product design is essential under multisensory channels. This research first collected 230 electric shavers samples and 135 pairs of consumers' Kansei words, then reduced them into 34 representative samples using multidimensional scale and clustering analysis, with 4 groups of representative Kansei words selected via the expert group. Moreover, consumers' Kansei images were evaluated via questionnaire using the semantic differential scales, with 416 valid samples acquired in total. Meanwhile, design elements of the samples (including item and category) were classified by ways of morphological analysis and audio software. At last, the prediction models of the electric shavers were established between the overall design elements and user's Kansei evaluation under the multisensory channel of visual model and auditory audio taking advantage of Quantification Theory Type I , back propagation neural network, and genetic algorithm-based BPNN. The proposed models can provide defined design indexes and references in multisensory design, facilitating designers to design in a logical and scientific manner rather than designing as per experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electric shaver market in China reach 26.3 billion RMB by 2021. Nowadays, in addition to functional satisfaction, consumers are increasingly focused on the emotional imagery conveyed by products with multiple-senses, and electric shavers are not only shaped to attract consumers, but their product sound also conveys a unique emotional imagery. Based on Kansei engineering and artificial neural networks, this research explored the emotional imagery conveyed by the sound of electric shavers. First, we collected a wide sample of electric shavers in the market (230 types) and obtained the consumers' perceptual vocabulary (85,710 items) through a web crawler. The multidimensional scaling method and cluster analysis were used to condense the sample into 34 representative samples and 3 groups of representative Kansei words; then, the semantic differential method was used to assess the users' emotional evaluation values. The sound design elements (including item and category) of the samples were collected and classified using Heardrec Devices and ArtemiS 13.6 software, and, finally, multiple linear and non-linear correlation prediction models (four types) between the sound design elements of the electric shaver and the users' emotional evaluation values were established by the quantification theory type I, general regression neural network, back propagation neural network, and genetic algorithm-based BPNN. The models were validated by paired-sample t-test, and all of them had good reliability, among which the genetic algorithm-based BPNN had the best accuracy. In this research, four linear and non-linear Kansei prediction models were constructed. The aim was to apply higher accuracy prediction models to the prediction of electric shaver sound imagery, while giving specific and accurate sound design metrics and references. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As haze pollution intensifies, its impact on tourism is becoming increasingly obvious. However, limited studies have analyzed the impacts of haze pollution on tourism. To explore the contribution rate and impact of PM2.5 pollution on tourism flows, panel data on 341 prefecture-level cities in China from 2001 to 2015 were used. The results illustrated that the changes in PM2.5 pollution and domestic tourism flows showed a similar partial-most anti-phase main spatial pattern in space, as well as other spatial patterns of PM2.5. From a regional perspective, the contribution rate of PM2.5 to domestic tourism flows was less than that of traditional factors, such as GDP, GDP_500, and 45A, but larger than that of the Airport factor. The contribution rate of the interaction between PM2.5 and 45A on domestic tourism flows was the largest. From a local perspective, PM2.5 pollution had a negative impact on domestic tourism flows in northern China, while it had a positive impact in other regions. The classic environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis showed applicability to the Chinese tourism industry, and the is of great significance for comprehensively understanding the impact of PM2.5 pollution on tourism flows and for promoting the sustainable development of domestic tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mystery of China's economic growth has been widely concerned by the world. However, little attention has been paid to the transformation of the economic growth momentum of Guangdong Province, which has long occupied the top in China's economic growth. This paper analyzes the evolution and the transformation of the momentum source of economic growth in Guangdong Province from 1979 to 2019, using Total Factor Productivity Growth Decomposition method. The results show that capital investment contributes the most to economic growth, the contributions of total factor productivity, and labor input rank second and third, respectively; the change of the contribution of each momentum source to GDP growth mainly comes from the impact of the secondary industry. Both industrial capital productivity and capital allocation structure play a negative role in driving the overall capital productivity, and both industrial labor productivity and labor allocation structure play a positive role in driving the overall labor productivity. Industrial factor productivity and industrial factor allocation structure play a major positive role and a weak negative role in promoting economic growth, respectively. Our findings provide some ideas on how to maintain economic growth in the new era especially for the developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fully mechanized caving mining in extrathick coal seams is currently the most efficient mining method. To figure out the mining-induced stress in extrathick coal seams which is significantly different from the normal ones is essential for mining safety. This research is based on the No. 3106 working face of Lu-Zi-Gou coal mine in China, which extracts extrathick coal seams by using the comprehensive mechanized top-coal caving method. According to the elastoplastic theory, a multiforce superposition mining-induced stress model is constructed in this research. In this model, the mining-induced stress is generated by the side coal seam of the stope, including the load formed by the broken roof blocks in the caving zone, the unbroken rock layers in the side of the goaf, and the rock layers in the bending zone. To verify the model, electromagnetic wave CT detection and borehole endoscopy are used to test the coal's electromagnetic wave attenuation and internal joints. The results indicate that the mining of extrathick coal seams forms internal and external stress fields in the side coal seams of the stope. As the depth increases, the mining-induced stress first increases and then decreases within the two areas. According to the above conclusions, the width of coal pillars and the location of roadways between adjacent working faces can be reasonably determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mining of multiple coal seams and sections is the main method adopted by the vast majority of coal mines in China at present. However, because of multiple mining, the damage and deformation of surrounding rock increases a lot when comparing with single coal seam mining. Moreover, the normal production and safety of coal mine may also get affected. In multiple coal seam mining, the distribution and alteration of mining induced stress are the main reasons of the above problems. In this study, based on the geological conditions and mining design of Weijiagou Coal Mine, the mining induced stress under multiple mining conditions were studied. According to the failure state, the surrounding rock was divided into the damaged zone, plastic zone and elastic zone. The distribution and range of mining stress in different areas were calculated by utilizing Strain Softening Model. Based on FLAC3D numerical simulation, the distribution and change of mining induced stress along the strike and dip direction of coal seam were obtained. By using the Logarithmic function and the Fourier function, the empirical formula of the relationship between the maximum mining stress in front of the working face and the advancing distance of the working face is obtained. This study provides a reference for the design of roadway support and mining face under multiple mining conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The failure of waste slag is a disaster that impacting both environment and lives. In China, there are many waste slags after the engineering projects such as the construction of railway and road. Although the treatment of the waste slags obeys the regulations that the government have established, some accidents still happened. In order to ascertain the reason for the unexpected failure, the inverse analysis is needed to check the initial stability status and the level of potential damage of slag sites. The conventional failure probability of waste slag site is analyzed based on relevant factors that have considerable uncertainty and are difficult to quantify. Therefore, assuming that the failure of slag sites will occur under extreme scenarios, a methodological procedure of risk post-assessment and management under extreme scenarios is proposed in the paper, which indicates that risk management is necessary during the procedure of design, operation, and maintenance of the slag site. In this method, the Tsunami-Squares method was used to simulate the movement process of tailings sand due to the dam failure and generate hazard mapping with the intensity parameters (flow path and thickness). The integrated risk of economic loss, fatalities, and contamination to children and adults was considered in the paper. Following the As Low As Reasonably Possible principle, the F–N diagram was divided into five domains to represent four different risk acceptable conditions, and accordingly, the risk treatment measures were proposed respectively for waste slag sites. A risk management mode of "risk-sharing community" was presented that sparkplugged the representatives of multi-stakeholder to participate in the risk management. The proposed methodological procedure of risk analysis and management could provide effective supports to the decision-making of the design factors and the implementation of stabilization and monitoring of waste slag sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: China faces issues associated with urban‐rural health inequities. This study explores functions of village health centres through a community perspective. Four research questions were asked, including: (a) What are the functions of village health centres? (b) How is medication administered in village health centres? (c) What are the roles of village doctors? (d) What are the evaluation mechanisms of village health centres? Design: In‐depth interviews and field observations are used in the study. Setting: Nine rural villages in two provinces in Northern and Central China. Participants: A total of 93 people across were interviewed. Results: Village health centres are primarily responsible for providing public health services and essential medical care. In addition, village health centres also function as a social venue of a rural community. A centralised medication scheme augments these processes through supplying health centres with affordable medications. Village doctors are expected to take the needs and preferences of their patients into consideration when creating care plans, and must establish trusting rapport with patients by upholding their unique values. This results in care that is convenient, accessible, and person‐centred. Village health centres are evaluated through a 2‐step process which has direct effects on the amount of government subsidy received. Conclusion: Village health centres have multi‐faceted functions in rural Chinese communities. Overall, the benefits of village health centres include convenient and timely access to care for rural residents. Improvements can be made in certain areas, such as streamlining provincial medication schemes and adopting a strengths‐based model of evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: To investigate molecular characterization of streptococcus pyogenes isolates involved in an outbreak of scarlet fever in China in 2011. Methods: Seventy-four Streptococcal pyogenes involved in an outbreak of scarlet fever were isolated from pediatric patients in the areas with high incidence in China from May to August of 2011. Emm genotyping, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), superantigen (SAg) genes and antimicrobial susceptibility profiling were analyzed for these isolates. Results: A total of 4 different emm types were identified. Emm12 was the most prevalent type which contained four predominating PFGE patterns corresponding to four different virulence and superantigen profiles. Emm12 (79.7%) and emm1 (14.9%) accounted for approximately 94% of all the isolates. The speA gene was all negative in emm12 isolates and positive in emm1 isolates. All strains were resistant to erythromycin, and 89.4% of them were resistant to erythromycin, tracycline, and clindamycin simultaneously. Conclusion: Several highly diversified clones with a high macrolide resistance rate comprise a predominant proportion of circulating strains, though no new emm type was found in this outbreak. The data provide a baseline for further surveillance of scarlet fever, which may contribute to the explanation of the outbreak and development of a GAS vaccine in China. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background Vascular normalization is an emerging concept in cancer treatment, but its precise mechanisms are not completely understood. The polarization of tumor-associated macrophages ( TAMs) is important in tumor angiogenesis and metastasis. However, little is known about the effect of anti-angiogenic agents on the polarization of tumor-associated macrophages. Therefore, we explore the changes of TAMs polarization in the development of tumor vascular normalization induced by endostatin. Methods A murine xenograft model of lung cancer was treated with endostatin for 10 days. The morphology and function of tumor vasculature was examined using various techniques. Flow cytometry was carried out to assess the TAMs, and immunofluorescence was used to examine Tie-2-expressing monocytes ( TEMs) in tumors. Levels of the histidine-rich glycoprotein ( HRG) in tumors were measured by immunohistochemistry and Western blot. Results Tumor vessels became more normal and mature on day six in the endostatin-treated mice. During vascular normalization, the number of M2-like TAMs and TEMs in the tumors was significantly reduced, whereas the number of M1-like TAMs showed an increase on day six after endostatin treatment, although the latter was not statistically significant. The HRG in the tumors accumulated at an early stage after endostatin administration. Conclusions The polarization of TAMs is associated with tumor vascular normalization induced by endostatin. These observations may be useful in the exploration of new strategies for anti-angiogenic treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the author aims to develop a macro level understanding of home education and its research in China. The author analyzes the background, the reasons of revival, special features, and major contents of home education research in the late 70's and early 80's of the 20th century, and explores the development in the succeeding three decades, 1980s, the 90's and the beginning of the 21st century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduces a series of articles on home education in China.

Abstract: This case study is a citation analysis of 56 PhD theses submitted in 2005 at Wuhan University (www.whu.edu.cn) in China. The authors analyzed 10,222 citations in theses in Library and Information Science, Biology, Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, and Stomatology and reviewed and compared the characteristics of the literature cited in the four disciplines. The results revealed that in Biology and Stomatology mainly English language publications were cited whereas in the field of Library and Information Science, the cited literature came primarily from Chinese sources. In Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, citations were almost evenly split between English and Chinese sources. An appendix with tables of the journal titles cited most frequently may be used to evaluate serial holdings and to serve as a guide for students preparing their theses. In addition, the implications for library collection development policies and other technical services are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• The larger and faster bed-level changes occurred in extremely shallow waters. • Extremely shallow waters stages have an important influence on the bed-level changes. • Extremely shallow waters stages have an important control on sediment dynamics. Intertidal flats are shallow-water environments that undergo cyclical variations in water depth, leading to a frequent occurrence of extremely shallow water stages (ESWS; water depths <0.2 m). However, relatively little is known about the hydrodynamic conditions and erosion–accretion processes during ESWS, because the water depth is too shallow to measure in situ sediment dynamic processes using traditional methods. To address this gap, based on in situ measurements with four advanced instruments, we quantified the hydrodynamic conditions, erosion and accretion during ESWS in calm weather conditions on a highly turbid intertidal flat in Jiangsu coast, China. Our results revealed that marked erosion and accretion occurred during ESWS at the flood and ebb tidal stages, respectively. The resulting bed-level changes were three times greater during ESWS than relatively deep water stages (RDWS; water depths >0.2 m), and the rate of change was an order of magnitude faster than during RDWS. This larger and faster bed-level change occurred even though the ESWS duration only accounted for 10% of the entire tidal cycle. This result occurred because the bed shear stress due to combined current–wave action during ESWS, was, on average, two times higher than during RDWS at the flood stage causing more extensive erosion. Whereas during the ebb stage, this shear stress during ESWS was only half of that during RDWS resulting in greater accretion. The main implications of these results are that, because ESWS occur frequently (twice every tide) and are associated with large bed shear stress and bed-level changes, these conditions are likely to play an important role in morphological changes of intertidal flats. Our study shows that ESWS have a key influence on intertidal flat hydrodynamics and sediment dynamics. Thus our results are the basis for an improved understanding of the coastal morphodynamic processes on intertidal flats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rural settlements are spatial carriers of rural social and economic activities. The optimization of rural settlements is of great significance to comprehensively promote rural revitalization. Considering that the optimization of rural settlements is a systematic engineering of the optimal allocation of rural revitalization elements and a social engineering of rural residents' willingness, this paper explores the optimization of rural settlements based on the elements of rural revitalization and rural residents' social mobility. After constructing the theoretical framework of the internal relationship among rural revitalization, rural residents' social mobility and optimization of rural settlements, we evaluate the development vitality of rural settlements from the perspectives of industry, talent, culture, organization and ecology, and measure the network centrality of rural settlements based on rural residents' social mobility. Moreover, we measure the coordination level of development vitality and network centrality to identify rural settlements' optimization types. The level of the talent element is the lowest among the five revitalization elements. The rural settlements with high development vitality and network centrality are mainly distributed around the central town and near the traffic trunk lines. The rural settlements within the boundary of the expansion of urban construction land are classified as suburban integration, and the rural settlements with the characteristics of cultural relics or ethnic minorities are determined as characteristic protection. The remaining rural settlements are classified into three types (i.e., agglomeration and upgrading (high coordination), maintaining status quo (basic coordination), relocation and evacuation (endangered coordination)) according to the coordination level. Relocation and evacuation rural settlements are not suitable for villagers' production and living and we encourage these villagers migrate to rural settlements that are more strongly connected in the residents' social mobility network. Based on these findings, this paper provides a decision-making basis for rural planning and proposes an analytical framework for the optimization of rural settlements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Model captures main mechanisms underlying sediment sorting and bedding dynamics. • Storms bring coarser sediment to upper flats, forming sand-dominated layers (SDLs). • Stronger and longer storms cause thicker SDLs with more sand fraction. • Storms occurring during spring tide generate thicker SDLs than that during neap. • Impact of clustered storms is more significant than the sum of individual storms. Field studies suggest that storms can considerably affect the morphology, sedimentology and bedding structure of tidal flat wetlands because of their high-energy, while numerical modeling studies unravelling the underlying mechanisms remain rare. With a tidal flat of the Changjiang Delta, China as a reference site, this study explores the role of storms on sediment sorting and bedding behaviors using a biomorphodynamic model that couples hydrodynamics, sediment transport, marsh dynamics and morphological change. Model results indicate that storms can leave clear signatures on tidal flats in both horizontal and vertical sedimentary features, in agreement with field observations. The high bed shear stress induced by storms can initiate the motion of relatively coarse sediment which can be brought shoreward during the flood and settle on the upper tidal flats (or saltmarshes), altering the typically observed cross-shore "landward fining" phenomenon. The storm-entrained coarse sediment on the higher flat is usually hard to be brought offshore during calm weather, and hence leaving an evident sand-dominated layer (SDL) within neighboring mud-dominated layers (MDL). Storms can also destroy tidal rhythmites formed under calm weather. With the increase in storm intensity and duration, the thickness and the sand fraction of the SDL increase accordingly. The SDL thickness generated by a weaker storm during the spring tide is larger than that of a stronger storm during the neap tide. Storm chronology also plays an important role. In particular, the impact of two overlapping or temporally close storms is larger than the sum of the two individual storms. Overall, this study results in a more in-depth mechanistic understanding of storm impacts on tidal flat biomorphodynamics, providing a scientific facet to make sustainable management strategies for coastal wetlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As haze pollution intensifies, its impact on tourism is becoming increasingly obvious. However, limited studies have analyzed the impacts of haze pollution on tourism. To explore the contribution rate and impact of PM2.5 pollution on tourism flows, panel data on 341 prefecture-level cities in China from 2001 to 2015 were used. The results illustrated that the changes in PM2.5 pollution and domestic tourism flows showed a similar partial-most anti-phase main spatial pattern in space, as well as other spatial patterns of PM2.5. From a regional perspective, the contribution rate of PM2.5 to domestic tourism flows was less than that of traditional factors, such as GDP, GDP&#95;500, and 45A, but larger than that of the Airport factor. The contribution rate of the interaction between PM2.5 and 45A on domestic tourism flows was the largest. From a local perspective, PM2.5 pollution had a negative impact on domestic tourism flows in northern China, while it had a positive impact in other regions. The classic environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis showed applicability to the Chinese tourism industry, and the is of great significance for comprehensively understanding the impact of PM2.5 pollution on tourism flows and for promoting the sustainable development of domestic tourism., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

The location choice and livelihoods of rural-urban migrants are critical to the sustainable development of cities. By using data from the China Migrants Dynamic Survey (CMDS) in 2017, this paper extant the Rosen-Roback's model by adding factors of urban social network and air pollution to the function of the individual utility of migrants. Both the Probit Model and IV estimates imply evidence of an inverse U-shaped pattern of city size and migrants' permanent settlement in urban China. This view proves that Chinese migrants like to settle permanently in large cities, but not mega-cities, such as Beijing and Shanghai. The internal mechanism is explained by the agglomeration economies and the crowing effect brought by city size. In mega-cities, the attractiveness of the city caused by wage premium cannot offset the combined repulsive force caused by the high housing price, bad urban social network, air pollution, and health deterioration. It is worth noting that air pollution has a significant negative impact on the settlement intention of migrants, such as health conditions and precipitation. Besides, there is heterogeneity among high-skilled migrants and low-skilled migrants in different city sizes. Our findings enhance the understanding of "Escape from megacities" in China and have implications for the reform of the housing security system and the exploration of the urbanization path.

Interleukin (IL)-36α, a newly recognized IL-1 family member, has been previously reported to play a pivotal role in autoimmunity diseases and acute inflammatory reactions. Recently, several studies have indicated that IL-36α has potential anticancer effects against certain types of cancer. However, the expression pattern and functional role of IL-36α in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have not been elucidated. Here, we report that the mRNA and protein levels of IL-36α are significantly reduced in NSCLC tissues. Low levels of intratumoral IL-36α are correlated with higher tumor status, advanced TNM stage, increased vascular invasion and shorter overall survival (OS). Intratumoral IL-36α expression is an independent prognostic factor for OS (hazard ratio = 3.081; P = 0.012) in patients with NSCLC. Overexpression of IL-36α in lung cancer cells did not disturb cell proliferation, apoptosis or cell-cycle distribution in vitro, but markedly inhibited tumor growth in vivo. Mechanistically, IL-36α reduced the expression and secretion of vascular endothelial growth factor A through inhibiting hypoxia-inducible factor 1α expression. Finally, decreased IL-36α expression was associated with high microvessel density and vascular endothelial growth factor A in patients with NSCLC. Together, our findings suggest that IL-36α expression is a valuable marker indicating poor prognosis in patients with NSCLC., (© 2021 The Authors. FEBS Open Bio published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Federation of European Biochemical Societies.)

Background: There is limited information on the difference in epidemiology, clinical characteristics and outcomes of the initial outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Wuhan (the epicenter) and Sichuan (the peripheral area) in the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study was conducted to investigate the differences in the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of patients with COVID-19 between the epicenter and peripheral areas of pandemic and thereby generate information that would be potentially helpful in formulating clinical practice recommendations to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic., Methods: The Sichuan & Wuhan Collaboration Research Group for COVID-19 established two retrospective cohorts that separately reflect the epicenter and peripheral area during the early pandemic. The epidemiology, clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients in the two groups were compared. Multivariate regression analyses were used to estimate the adjusted odds ratios (aOR) with regard to the outcomes., Results: The Wuhan (epicenter) cohort included 710 randomly selected patients, and the peripheral (Sichuan) cohort included 474 consecutive patients. A higher proportion of patients from the periphery had upper airway symptoms, whereas a lower proportion of patients in the epicenter had lower airway symptoms and comorbidities. Patients in the epicenter had a higher risk of death (aOR=7.64), intensive care unit (ICU) admission (aOR=1.66), delayed time from illness onset to hospital and ICU admission (aOR=6.29 and aOR=8.03, respectively), and prolonged duration of viral shedding (aOR=1.64)., Conclusions: The worse outcomes in the epicenter could be explained by the prolonged time from illness onset to hospital and ICU admission. This could potentially have been associated with elevated systemic inflammation secondary to organ dysfunction and prolonged duration of virus shedding independent of age and comorbidities. Thus, early supportive care could achieve better clinical outcomes.

Background: To investigate the effects of different body positions and head elevation angles on regional cerebral oxygen saturation in premature infants using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS)., Methods: This was a prospective study of premature infants hospitalized. The position was changed each feeding cycle (2-3 h), in order: 15° prone, 15° supine, 0° prone, and 0° supine position. Regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rSO 2 ) was measured after each position period using NIRS, over 7 days., Findings: Thirty-three premature infants were included in the analysis. Among them, 22 (66.7%) were male, and 11 (33.3%) were female. When placing the premature infants in the prone position, the regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rSO 2 ) values were higher at head elevation 15° compared with 0° (main effect P < 0.001). When placing the premature infants in the supine position, rSO2 was higher at a head elevation of 15° compared with that at 0° (main effect P < 0.001). When placing the premature infants with a head elevation of 15°, rSO2 in the prone position was higher than that of the supine position (main effect P < 0.001). There was no difference between the prone and supine positions when placing the premature infants with the head elevation at 0° (P > 0.05)., Discussion: Higher cerebral rSO2 can be achieved when placing premature infants in the prone or supine position, with a 15° head elevation angle., Application to Practice: Using a specific body position and head angle could improve the regional cerebral oxygen saturation of premature infants., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Flower medicinal materials usually refer to Chinese medicinal materials with a complete flower,inflorescence,or part of a flower as the different medicinal parts,they have an important share in the Chinese herbal medicine market and appeared frequently in Chinese medicine prescriptions. Firstly,the species and regional distribution of the flower medicinal materials resources in China were briefly summarized. Secondly,the characteristics,yield,producing area and origin distribution of the main flower medicinal materials in Henan province were discussed. Finally,the present situation and the main problems of the flower medicinal materials industry in Henan province were comprehensively analyzed,and the corresponding industrial development countermeasures were put forward.This research was intended to provide decision-making demonstration and scientific basis for the rational exploitation and utilization of resources,breeding of new varieties,planting division,production layout and the healthy and sustainable development of the flower medicinal materials industry in Henan province.

Objective To investigate the importance of controlling confounding factors during binary logistic regression analysis. Methods Male coronary heart disease (CHD) patients (n = 664) and healthy control subjects (n = 400) were enrolled. Fourteen indexes were collected: age, uric acid, cholesterol, triglyceride, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, apolipoprotein A1, apolipoprotein B100, lipoprotein a, homocysteine, total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, indirect bilirubin, and γ-glutamyl transferase. Associations between these indexes and CHD were assessed by logistic regression, and results were compared by using different analysis strategies. Results 1) Without controlling for confounding factors, 14 indexes were directly inputted in the analysis process, and 11 indexes were finally retained. A model was obtained with conflicting results. 2) According to the application conditions for logistic regression analysis, all 14 indexes were weighed according to their variances and the results of correlation analysis. Seven indexes were finally included in the model. The model was verified by receiver operating characteristic curve, with an area under the curve of 0.927. Conclusions When binary logistic regression analysis is used to evaluate the complex relationships between risk factors and CHD, strict control of confounding factors can improve the reliability and validity of the analysis.

Objectives: To determine the value of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) in diagnosing lung or mediastinal lymph node cancer and tuberculosis., Methods: Clinical and pathological data of 553 patients who underwent EBUS-TBNA from January 2013 to September 2016 in West China Hospital of Sichuan University were reviewed. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of EBUS-TBNA for diagnosing lymph node tumor and tuberculosis of hilar and mediastinal lymph nodes were calculated., Results: The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of EBUS-TBNA in diagnosing hilar and mediastinal lymph node cancer were 89.2% (263/295), 100% (247/247) and 94.1% (510/542), respectively, compared with 70% (76/117), 97.2% (385/396) and 89.9% (461/513), respectively, for diagnosing tuberculosis identified though granulomatous biopsy. In the 102 cases with acid fast staining and TB-PCR, 63.7% accuracy (58/91), 90.9% (10/11) sensitivity and 66.7% (68/102) specificity were found for any positive findings from acid fast bacilli or TB-DNA., Conclusions: EBUS-TBNA has high sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing hilar and mediastinal tumor, which can be used in combination with acid fast staining and TB-PCR for diagnosing tuberculosis.

Background: The gastrointestinal tract is the most common primary site of extranodal lymphomas, whereas gastrointestinal natural killer/T-cell (GINKT) lymphomas are relatively rare. To date, neither the prognostic characteristics nor the clinical features or optimal therapeutic approach for GINKT has yet been defined., Patients and Methods: In this study, a retrospective analysis was carried out on clinical data obtained from 47 patients diagnosed with GINKT lymphoma between May 1999 and August 2011 at West China Hospital., Results: Patients had a median age of 37 years. Thirty-five of the patients were men (74.5%). The common clinical manifestations included fever (78.7%) and abdominal pain (76.6%). Seventeen patients had intestinal perforation (36.2%). All patients showed ulcerative lesions; the most common site of involvement was the colon (27/47; 57.4%), followed by the jejunoileum and ileocecum (14/47; 29.8%). The median survival period was 2.83 (95% confidence interval, 0.27-29) months. Age, perforation, B syndrome, staging according to Lugano system, and surgery were independent prognostic risk factors for GINKT lymphoma., Conclusions: This study concluded that GINKT lymphoma is prone to perforation, hemorrhage, and other complications; moreover, the prognosis is very poor. The Lugano staging is a relatively suitable staging system. Surgery before perforation is a key therapy factor that affected prognosis. Although the roles played by chemotherapy and radiotherapy are unclear, combination therapy is necessary.

The 2009 influenza A(H1N1) pandemic strain was for the first time included in the 2010-2011 seasonal trivalent influenza vaccine (TIV). We conducted a double-blind, randomized trial in Chinese population to assess the immunogenicity and safety of the 2010-2011 TIV manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline and compared it with the counterpart vaccines manufactured by Sanofi Pasteur and Sinovac Biotech. Healthy toddlers (6-36 mo), children (6-12 y) and older adults (≥60 y) with 300 participants in each age group were enrolled to randomly receive two doses (toddlers, 28 d apart) or one dose (children and older adults). The immunogenicity was assessed by hemagglutination-inhibition (HI) assay. The solicited injection-site and systemic adverse events (AEs) were collected within 7 d after vaccination. All the three TIVs were well-tolerated with 15.1% of participants reporting AEs, most of which were mild. No serious AEs and unusual AEs were reported. Fever and pain were the most common systemic and injection-site AEs, respectively. The three TIVs showed good immunogenicity. The seroprotection rates against both H1N1 and H3N2 strains were more than 87% in toddlers after two doses and more than 95% in children and more than 86% in older adults after one dose. The seroprotection rates against B strain were 68-71% in toddlers after two doses, 70-74% in children and 69-72% in older adults after one dose. In conclusion, the three 2010-2011 TIVs had good immunogenicity and safety in Chinese toddlers, children and older adults and were generally comparable in immunogenicity and reactogenicity.

Objective: To understand the dynamics of schistosome antibodies in population in mountainous schistosomiasis low endemic regions, China, so as to provide the evaluation reference for immunodiagnosis., Methods: The people who consecutively received the indirect heamagglutination assay (IHA) for schistosomiasis and Kato-Katz technique were enrolled in this study in Guixiang Village, Danling County, Sichuan Province from 2006 to 2011. The positive rates for schistosome antibodies, antibody titers and eggs per gram (EPG) were analyzed., Results: A total of 353 people were investigated in this study from 2006 to 2011. The positive rates for schistosome antibodies decreased from 20.73% to 13.67%, and the geometric mean reciprocal titer (GMRT) decreased from 1.63 to 1.06. The antibodies tended to be negative in most antibody-positive people and the GMRT decreased gradually. The antibodies remained negative in most antibody-negative people. After chemotherapy in parasitology confirmed patients, the positive rate for schistosome antibodies decreased from 100% to 20%, and the GMRT decreased from 34.29 to 1.58. There was a highly positive correlation between GMRT and EPG (r = 0.94, P < 0.05)., Conclusion: The positive rate for schistosome antibodies in population in mountainous schistosomiasis low endemic regions is relatively high (13.67%). The standardization of immunodiagnostic methods is necessary and the suitable diagnostic reagents should be developed in this region.

Objective: To study sexual behavioral characteristics, infection status of HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STDs) among women who have sex with women (WSW) in Beijing., Methods: A total of 150 WSWs were recruited by snowball sampling in several main types of activity sites of WSW (including NGOs, salons, bars, etc.) in Beijing during September 2010 to April 2011. Information on demographic factors, sexual behavioral characteristics, infection status of STDs, and use of medical care were collected by questionnaire investigation. Serum samples, vaginal and cervical swabs were taken for each subject to test HIV, hepatitis B (HBV), hepatitis C (HCV), syphilis, herpes simplex virus (HSV), neisseria gonorrhoeae, chlamydia trachoma, bacterial vaginosis, trichomonas vaginalis and mycotic vaginitis., Results: The age range of the subjects was from 19 to 46 years old. Approximately 82.67% (124/150) of them aged 20 to 29 years old, and 54.00% (81/150) were unmarried. Approximately 76.67% (115/150) had an education level of college degree or above, and 70.67% (106/150) were migrants. Approximately 66.66% (100/150) of the subjects considered themselves as homosexual, 28.00% (42/150) as bisexual. The age at first homosexual sex ranged from 11 to 30 years old. The median of number of female sex partners in last 1 year was 1, and 33.78% (50/148) of the subjects had 2 or more female sex partners. Approximately 20.27% (30/148) of the subjects applied sex instruments, of which 66.67% (20/30) never or seldom used condoms. Hand-clitoris and hand-vagina contacts were the main types of woman-to-woman sex, accounting for 91.22% (135/148). 12.00% (18/150) of the subjects had sex with men during last year. Among them, 50.00% (9/18) used condoms at last heterosexual sex, and 66.67% (12/18) never or seldom used condoms at last heterosexual sex in past 1 year. One subject provided paid sex service for men, and used condoms every time. In the past one year, 45.33% (68/150) of the subjects had symptoms of STDs, but only 36.76% (25/68) of them sought medical care. The infection rate of STDs was 34.67% (52/150). The infection rates of NG and GV were both 16.11% (24/149), and those of mycotic vaginitis, chlamydia trachoma, and TV were 8.72% (13/149), 4.03% (6/149), and 0.67% (1/150), respectively. The numbers of subjects tested positive for HBV, HCV, and syphilis were all 1. No subjects were found HIV positive or HSV-2 positive., Conclusion: Multiple sexual partners and heterosexual sex behavior were common among WSW in Beijing. More than 1/3 of the subjects were infected with STD.

Objective: To investigate the dynamic change and associated risk factors of HIV sero-conversion rate in Beijing., Methods: 809 sero-negative men who have sex with men (MSM) were recruited in the cohort from August to December in 2009. HIV sero-antibody, medicinal examination and behavior questionnaire interview were carried out every six months., Results: 962 MSM with overall baseline prevalence of HIV infection as 6.34% (61/962) together with 809 sero-negative MSM, were enrolled in the cohort. Of the 809 sero-negative participants, 95.1% (769/ 809), 85.5% (692/809) and 71.0% (574/809) of them were retained in the 6-month, 12-month and 18-month follow-up visits, with 19, 29 and 17 of them became HIV sero-conversion at 6-month, 12-month, and 18-month follow-up visits and the HIV incidence rates appeared to be 5.47, 12.37 and 6.86 per 100 person-years respectively. The HIV incidence was 7.59 per 100 person-years in the 18 months follow-up visit. Factors including: younger than 25-years old (HR = 2.32, 95%CI: 1.39 - 3.87), having more than 8 MSM partners (HR = 2.50, 95%CI: 1.49 - 4.20), less than 2000¥ every month income (HR = 1.76, 95%CI: 1.05 - 2.95), having more than 4 homosexual partners in the last six months (HR = 3.50, 95%CI: 2.11 - 5.81), showing phimosis and redundant prepuce (HR = 2.47, 95%CI: 1.50 - 4.07) as well as positive syphilis test (HR = 2.62, 95%CI: 1.53 - 4.49) etc., were significantly associated with HIV incidence., Conclusion: High HIV incidence was shown among MSM in Beijing and had spread fast in this population, calling for more favorable prevention measures to be taken.

Objective: To study the incidence and risk factors of HIV and syphilis seroconversion among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Beijing., Methods: A total of 550 MSM were recruited on the basis of community and followed up after 6 and 12 months in Beijing. Each subject was investigated by only one investigator at one time to collect information on demographics and behaviors. Blood samples were collected to test HIV and syphilis seroconversion. ELISA was used for screening test, west blotting (WB) and Particle agglutination were used for confirmatory test., Results: A total of 550 MSM investigated, among which 4.5% (25/550) were HIV-positive and 29.3% (161/550) were syphilis-positive. For 525 HIV-negative MSM, 87.0% (457/525) retained during the 12-month investigation. Seroincidence for HIV and syphilis were 3.37/100 person-years (95%CI = 1.66 - 5.08) and 9.32/100 person-years (95%CI = 5.87 - 12.77) respectively. HIV seroconversions for those who performed and did not perform rectal douching after homosexual anal intercourse in the past 3 months were 7.11/100 and 0.76/100 person-years respectively. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that rectal douching after homosexual anal intercourse in the past 3 months (HR = 9.23, 95%CI = 2.08 - 40.88) was significantly associated with HIV seroconversion. Syphilis seroconversions for those who met male sex partners in parks, public washrooms or bathhouses in the past 3 months were 41.77/100 and 7.97/100 person-years respectively. Syphilis seroconversions for those who performed and did not perform rectal douching after homosexual anal intercourse in the past 3 months were 16.17/100 and 4.92/100 person-years respectively. In the past 3 months, meeting male sex partners in parks, public washrooms or bathhouses (HR = 4.67, 95%CI = 1.77 - 12.34) and performing rectal douching after homosexual anal intercourse (HR = 3.09, 95%CI = 1.40 - 6.83) were significantly associated with syphilis seroconversion., Conclusion: The seroconversions of HIV and syphilis during the follow-up visits in this MSM cohort study in Beijing were very serious, and that the associated factors for seroconversions were rectal douching after homosexual anal intercourse and meeting male sex partners in parks, public washrooms or bathhouses.

Objective: To study the prevalence and risk factors of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Beijing., Methods: A sample of 550 MSM was recruited between March and June in 2008 in Beijing. Interviewer-administered interviews were conducted to collect information on demographics and behaviors. Blood samples were collected to test for HIV, syphilis, HBsAg and HCV infections. Chi-square test and logistic regression model were used to identify risk factors associated with HIV infection., Results: Of the 550 eligible MSM surveyed, HIV prevalence appeared to be 4.5% (25/550). Data from multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that factors as reporting unprotected anal intercourse with causal male sexual partners in the last month (chi(2) = 11.381, P = 0.001), rectal douching after homosexual anal intercourse in the past three months (chi(2) = 5.326, P = 0.021), feeling sad in the last month (chi(2) = 8.809, P = 0.003) were significantly associated with HIV infection., Conclusion: Health education on safer sex behavior and mental health care should be taken to hinder the speed of HIV transmission among MSM.

Objective: To analyse and find out the influence of varicella vaccine inoculation to varicella morbidity., Methods: The case-control study was conducted. During October 1st 2006 to July 31st 2007, 193 varicella cases were identified, and 342 control subjects were matched., Results: 1. The proportion of nonvaccinated in case group was higher than that of control group (odds ratio 1.49, 95% confidence interval 0.99-2.24, P=0.043). 2. The morbidity to the people who received one dose varicella vaccine was obviously higher than that of people who reiceived more than 2 dose (odds ratio 3.04, 95% confidence interval 1.25-7.72, P=0.007). 3. Significant differences were not observed between the domestic vaccine and the impoted vaccine (odds ratio 1.38, 95% confidence interval 0.53-3.71 P=0.483). 4. Clinical symptom of the vaccine was lighter than that of the unvaccinated, and rash was not typical., Conclusion: 1. Inoculation varicella vaccine was effective measures to prevent varicella. 2. The risk to get varicella of one-dose vaccinated was higher than that of more than 2-dose vaccinated. 3. The effectiveness of domestic varicella vaccine was as high as impoted vaccine. 4. The clinical symptom of varicella would be alleviated if the person had vaccinated.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of Supplementary Immunization Activities (SIAs) among the migrant preschool children in Chaoyang district of Beijing since 2005 to 2007, and to provide reference for formulating the strategies for Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI)., Methods: The descriptive epidemiology was used to analyze the data of SIAs among the migrant preschool children in Chaoyang district since 2005 to 2007., Results: The SIAs data demonstrated an increasing number of the floating preschool children in Chaoyang district from 2005 to 2007, and the increase rate of year-on-year in 2006 to 2007 was 12.67% and 4.60% respectively. The registration rates of immunization card and identification among the floating preschool children increased by years from 2005 to 2007. The zero-dose rates of Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV), Measles Vaccine (MV), Diphtheria-Pertus-sis-Tetaus vaccine (DPT), Meningococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine (MPV) and Japanese Encephalitis Vaccine (JEV) showed a decrease trends since 2005 to 2007. The age special incidence rate and proportion of vaccine-preventable diseases for the people who were 1- 4-years-old decreased., Conclusion: It is an effective management pattern that the government plays a dominated role in Supplementary Immunization Activities (SIAs).

Objective: To evaluate the immunity status on different hepatitis B vaccines currently being used in Beijing., Methods: College students who had not received hepatitis B vaccine and children who had received whole-course immunization at birth, were tested HBsAg, anti-HBs and anti-HBc. All the test-negative cases were served as research subjects. 3 doses recombinant hepatitis B vaccines were given to the college students, following the 0, 1, 6 months schedule. Among which, 140 cases received recombinant beer yeast hepatitis B vaccine (BY vaccine, 10 microg, 5 microg, 5 microg), and 140 cases with recombinant hansenula polymorpha hepatitis B vaccine (HP vaccine, 10 microg, 10 microg, 10 microg). 1 dose was given for boosting immunization to 98 children, in which 49 cases with BY vaccine (5 microg) and 49 cases with HP vaccine (10 microg). Anti-HBs was tested 1 month after., Results: The total positive (> or = 10 mIU/ ml) rate was lower among BY vaccine group than HP vaccine group for the college students (93.5 %, 99.3% , P<0.05), but no statistical difference on GMT(81.2 mIU/ml, 94.6 mIU/ml, P>0.05) was found. For males, the positive rate and GMT were lower in BY vaccine group than in HP vaccine group (85.7% ,100.0%, P<0.01)(56.6 mIU/ml, 98.6 mIU/ml, P<0.01), but with no statistical difference for females (98.8%, 98.5%, P> 0.05) (103.4 mIU/ml, 90.3 mlU/ml, P> 0.05). For the same vaccine, the positive rate and GMT were lower in males than in females when using BY vaccine (85.7% , 98.8%, P<0.01)(56.6 mIU/ml,103.4 mIU/ml, P< 0.01), but no statistical difference was found on HP vaccine(100.0%, 98.5%, P>0.05)(98.6 mIU/ml, 90.3 mIU/ml, P>0.05). The positive rate of anti-HBs was decreasing along with age among the children who had received a whole-course immunization at birth (P <0.01). 98.6 % of the 70 negative cases appeared positive conversion after receiving 1 dose and the GMT raised significantly by 15 times. No statistical difference was found between the two kinds of vaccines(100.0%, 97.4%, P>0.05)(80.5 mIU/ml, 68.5 mIU/ml, P>0.05)., Conclusions: The type of vaccine and sex were related to the effects, better with HP vaccine than BY vaccine in males but was the same for females in adults receiving basic immunization according to the conventional doses. Both kinds of vaccines were ideal when children receiving boosting immunization. The immune memory was good for persons who had received primary immunization with recombinant vaccine but antibody appeared negative conversion. It was not necessary to boost immunization within 6 years after a whole-course immunization with recombinant hepatitis B vaccine in infancy.

A series of isoforms of alpha-KT x 14 (short chain potassium channel scorpion toxins) were isolated from the venom of Buthus martensii Karsch by RACE and screening cDNA library methods. These isoforms adding BmKK1--3 and BmSKTx1--2 together shared high homology (more than 97%) with each other. The result of genomic sequence analysis showed that a length 79 bp intron is inserted Ala codes between the first and the second base at the 17th amino acid of signal peptide. The introns of these isoforms also share high homology with those of BmKK2 and BmSKT x 1 reported previously. Sequence analysis of many clones of cDNA and genomic DNA showed that a species population or individual polymorphism of alpha-KT x 14 genes took place in scorpion Buthus martensii Karsch and accelerated evolution played an important role in the forming process of alpha-KT x 14 scorpion toxins subfamily. The result of southern hybridization indicated that alpha-KT x 14 toxin genes existed in scorpion chromosome with multicopies. All findings maybe provided an important evidence for an extensive evolutionary process of the scorpion "pharmacological factory": at the early course of evolution, the ancestor toxic gene duplicated into a series of multicopy genes integrated at the different chromosome; at the late course of evolution, subsequent functional divergence of duplicate genes was generated by mutations, deletions and insertion., (IUBMB Life, 57: 513-521, 2005.)