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Background: Several methods can assist in detecting early esophageal cancer (EEC) and staging esophageal cancer (EC) invasion depth. Objective: To evaluate the accuracy of magnifying endoscopy with narrow-band imaging (ME-NBI) plus endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) for diagnosing EC. Methods: We searched the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases for relevant studies. The Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies 2 (QADAS2) was used to assess the studies' methodological quality. The sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood (LR+), negative likelihood (LR−), and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) were calculated, and the summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curves were drawn to evaluate the diagnostic performance. Results: Seven studies were included. The meta-analysis suggested that the pooled sensitivity, specificity, LR+, LR−, and DOR of ME-NBI plus EUS for diagnosing EC were 0.947 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.901–0.975), 0.894 (95% CI, 0.847–0.931), 7.989 (95% CI, 4.264–14.970), 0.066 (95% CI, 0.035–0.124), and 137.96 (95% CI, 60.369–315.27), respectively. Those values for staging the invasive depth were 0.791 (95% CI, 0.674–0.881), 0.943 (95% CI, 0.906–0.968), 13.087 (95% CI, 7.559–22.657), 0.226 (95% CI, 0.142–0.360), and 61.332 (95% CI, 27.343–137.57). The areas under the curves (AUCs) for diagnosis and staging were 0.97 and 0.95, respectively. Conclusions: ME-NBI plus EUS might be an adequate diagnostic and staging modality for EC. Due to the study limitations, more large-scale, high-quality studies are needed to confirm the diagnostic accuracy of ME-NBI plus EUS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A future Circular Electron Positron Collider (CEPC) has been proposed by China with the main goal of studying the Higgs boson. Its baseline design, chosen on the basis of its performance, is a double ring scheme; an alternative design is a partial double ring scheme which reduces the budget while maintaining an adequate performance. This paper will present the collider ring lattice design for the double ring scheme. The CEPC will also work as a W and a Z factory. For the W and Z modes, except in the RF region, compatible lattices were obtained by scaling down the magnet strength with energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The CEPC is a future Circular Electron and Positron Collider proposed by China to mainly study the Higgs boson. Its baseline design is a double ring scheme and an alternative design is a partial double ring scheme. This paper will present the optics design for the main ring of the double ring scheme. The CEPC will also work as a W and Z factory. Compatible optics designs for a W and a Z modes will be presented as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Artemia resting eggs are well-known to be extremely tolerant to harsh conditions. However, eggs from some hypersaline waters in Qinghai–Xizang Plateau (Q-XP) have recently been reported to be very sensitive to high temperatures. Thus, the thermotolerant capacity of Artemia eggs from four hypersaline waters [(Gai Hai (GH), Aqqikkol Hu (AQK), Xizang (XZ), Jingyu Hu (JYH)] in Q-XP were studied by comparing their structure, biochemical composition and physiology. Thermotolerance was markedly different among eggs of the four sites. GH eggs were found to be more thermotolerant than AQK eggs. Both eggs were much more tolerant than those from JYH and XZ. Water content had significant effect on heat resistance of “dry” eggs. Rate of water loss of GH eggs was markedly slower than that of AQK eggs; the latter slower than XZ and JYH eggs. The water loss from inner embryo (and the first embryonic cuticle) appeared not to be related to the nature of the tertiary envelope. Volatile factor(s) releasing from (or/and entering into) the eggs might play crucial role on the viability of encysted embryos under thermal stress. The thermotolerant capacity of Artemia eggs is likely to be negatively related to the permeability of egg shell/underlying membranes. The hypoplastic outer cuticular membrane (OCM) found in some eggs from Q-XP might be responsible for their thermal sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study on the incidence, prognosis factors and treatment results of lung cancer patients between the age of 15 and 44 living in Shanghai, China. Demographic data including age and sex of patients with pathologically diagnosed lung cancer were taken from a Shanghai population-based cancer registry. The study showed that the survival of the middle-aged group is longer than the survival of the younger and older groups.

Although growing evidence has shown that ginsenosides from stems and leaves of Panax ginseng (GSLS) exercise a protective impact on the central nervous system, in the model of memory damage induced by scopolamine, it is still rarely reported. Thus, the mechanism of action needs to be further explored. This study was to investigate the effect of GSLS on scopolamine (SCOP)-induced memory damage and the underlying mechanism. Male ICR mice were treated with SCOP (3 mg/kg) for 7 days, with or without GSLS (75 and 150 mg/kg) treatment for 14 days. After GSLS treatment, the memory damage induced by SCOP was significantly ameliorated as shown by the improvement of cholinergic function (AChE and ChAT), brain tissue hippocampus morphology (H&E staining), and oxidative stress (MDA, GSH, and NO). Meanwhile, immunohistochemical assay suggested that GSLS increased the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and Tyrosine Kinase receptor B (TrkB). Further mechanism research indicated that GSLS inhibited the Tau hyperphosphorylation and cell apoptosis by regulating the PI3K/AKT pathway and inhibited neuroinflammation by regulating the NF-κB pathway, thereby exerting a cognitive impairment improvement effect. This work suggested that GSLS could protect against SCOP-induced memory defects possibly through inhibiting oxidative stress, inhibiting neuroinflammation and cell apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is a common nutritional disease worldwide. Iron supplementation is an efficient method for treating patients with IDA. Polysaccharide iron complex is an oral iron supplement that is associated with generally good tolerability and good bioavailability. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the bioequivalence of 2 branded formulations of polysaccharide iron complex in healthy adult male Chinese volunteers by determining the pharmacokinetic parameters after single-dose oral admi ni strati on. Methods:This sequence-randomized, double-blind, 2-way crossover study was carried out in the Affiliated Hospital, Institute of Medical Sciences of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China. Healthy adult male Chinese volunteers were enrolled and evenly randomized to receive 1 of 2 formulations on day 1. Subjects received an oral dose of 150 mg (1 capsule) of polysaccharide iron complex with 150 mL of warm water in the morning. Capsules were of similar size, shape, and color to ensure blinding. Four hours after administration, the subjects were given standardized meals. After a 1-week washout period, the subjects were crossed over to receive the other formulation in a similar manner. The serum iron concentration 12 hours after study drug administration was determined using atomic-absorption spectrometry. The pharmacokinetic parameters Cmax, Tmax, AUC0−t, and AUC0−∞ were obtained and analyzed using the Schuir mann 2 one-sided t test. The 2 formulations were considered bioequi valent if the test/reference ratios of Cmax, AUC0−t, and their 90% CIs were within the range of 70% to 143% for Cmax and within 80% to 125% for AUC0−t. Tolerability was monitored by inquiring whether the subjects had experienced adverse events (AEs), with a focus on gastrointestinal AEs, during the clinic visits during the 24-hour period after drag administration and subsequently via telephone throughout the study. Results: Thirty adult male Chinese volunteers were assessed for inclusion. Twenty healthy male volunteers (10 in each group) (mean [SD] age, 21.5 [2.9] years [range, 19–23 years]; weight, 66.2 [5–8] kg [range, 56–80 kg]; height, 172.5 [5.1] cm [range, 162–180 cm]) were enrolled and completed the study. The pharmacokinetic parameters of the test and reference formulations were as follows: AUCO−t, 6.58 (2.09) and 6.58 (1.91) μg/mL · h−1; Cmax, 1.10 (0.28) and 1.07 (0.25) μg/mL; Tmax, 3.93 (0.37) and 3–93 (0.37) hours; t½, 8.33 (0.36) and 8.38 (0.41) hours; and AUC0−∞, 6.93 (2.23) and 6.95 (2.13) μg/mL · h−1, respectively. There were no statistically significant differences in AUC0−∞ or Tmax by formulation, period, or subject between the test and reference formulations. Similarly, there were no statistically significant differences in Cmax by period; however, a significant difference was found in Cmax by formulation (P = 0.012). No clinically significant AEs were reported with either formulation. Conclusions: In these healthy adult male Chinese volunteers, the test formulation of polysaccharide iron complex was found to be bioequivalent to the reference formulation according to the Chinese regulatory definition. A significant difference by formulation was found in Cmax. The sample size was smaller than that recommended by the US Food and Drug Administration for a bioequivalence study, and additional studies with larger sample sizes are needed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

As a typical semiarid farming-pastoral ecotone sensitive to the environmennt, the Plain of West Liaohe Basin (WLBP) is currently experiencing drastic environmental changes. To identify how environmental change affect vegetation in the WLBP, we analysed spatiotemporal variation characteristics of Ecological environment factors based on monthly and annual air temperature (T), precipitation (P) and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) from 1982 to 2015. And the correlations between them were investigated by correlation analysis (Simple correlation, partial correlation and complex correlation) at temporal and spatial scale. The results showed that: (1) the vegetation growth of the WLBP showed ameliorated trend, with a change rate of 0.004/yr.; (2) P was more sensitive to NDVI than T; (3) and the influence of hydrothermal changes on vegetation growth was more significant than that of the change of single climate factors at time scales; (4) the effects of anthropogenic factors on vegetation change were 75.07% (1982–1993) and 98.08% (1994–2015), respectively. At the temp-special scales, P&T and land use type change (LUCC) were the main climatic and anthropogenic factors that affect vegetation changes, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salvia mltiorrhiza Bunge (SMB) is native to China, whose dried root has been used as medicine. A few chromatographic- or spectrometric-based methods have already been used to analyze the lipid-soluble components in SMB. However, the methodology of qNMR on the extracts of fresh SMB root has not been verified so far. The purpose of this study was to establish a fast and simple method to quantify the tanshinone I, tanshinone IIA, dihydrotanshinone, and cryptotanshinone in fresh Salvia Miltiorrhiza Bunge root without any pre-purification steps using 1H-NMR spectroscopy. The process is as follows: first, 70% methanol aqueous extracts of fresh Salvia Miltiorrhiza Bunge roots were quantitatively analyzed for tanshinone I, tanshinone IIA, dihydrotanshinone, and cryptotanshinone using 1H-NMR spectroscopy. Different internal standards were tested and the validated method was compared with HPLC. 3,4,5-trichloropyridine was chosen as the internal standard. Twelve samples of Salvia Miltiorrhiza Bunge were quantitatively analyzed by qNMR and HPLC respectively. Then, the results were analyzed by chemometric approaches. This NMR method offers a fast, stable, and accurate analysis of four ketones: tanshinone I, tanshinone IIA, dihydrotanshinone, and cryptotanshinone in fresh roots of Salvia Miltiorrhiza Bunge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]