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[Display omitted] Limited evidence exists on the effect of submicronic particulate matter (PM 1) on hypertension hospitalization. Evidence based on causal inference and large cohorts is even more scarce. In 2015, 36,271 participants were enrolled in South China and followed up through 2020. Each participant was assigned single-year, lag0–1, and lag0–2 moving average concentration of PM 1 and fine inhalable particulate matter (PM 2.5) simulated based on satellite data at a 1-km resolution. We used an inverse probability weighting approach to balance confounders and utilized a marginal structural Cox model to evaluate the underlying causal links between PM 1 exposure and hypertension hospitalization, with PM 2.5 -hypertension association for comparison. Several sensitivity studies and the analyses of effect modification were also conducted. We found that a higher hospitalization risk from both overall (HR : 1.13, 95% CI : 1.05–1.22) and essential hypertension (HR : 1.15, 95% CI : 1.06–1.25) was linked to each 1 µg/m3 increase in the yearly average PM 1 concentration. At lag0–1 and lag0–2, we observed a 17%–21% higher risk of hypertension associated with PM 1. The effect of PM 1 was 6%–11% higher compared with PM 2.5. Linear concentration-exposure associations between PM 1 exposure and hypertension were identified, without safety thresholds. Women and participants that engaged in physical exercise exhibited higher susceptibility, with 4%–22% greater risk than their counterparts. This large cohort study identified a detrimental relationship between chronic PM 1 exposure and hypertension hospitalization, which was more pronounced compared with PM 2.5 and among certain groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Studies have revealed the effects of childhood adversity, anxiety, and negative coping on sleep quality in older adults, but few studies have focused on the association between childhood adversity and sleep quality in rural older adults and the potential mechanisms of this influence. In this study, we aim to evaluate sleep quality in rural older adults, analyze the impact of adverse early experiences on their sleep quality, and explore whether anxiety and negative coping mediate this relationship. Methods: Data were derived from a large cross-sectional study conducted in Deyang City, China, which recruited 6,318 people aged 65 years and older. After excluding non-agricultural household registration and lack of key information, a total of 3,873 rural older adults were included in the analysis. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to analyze the relationship between childhood adversity and sleep quality, and the mediating role of anxiety and negative coping. Results: Approximately 48.15% of rural older adults had poor sleep quality, and older adults who were women, less educated, widowed, or living alone or had chronic illnesses had poorer sleep quality. Through structural equation model fitting, the total effect value of childhood adversity on sleep quality was 0.208 (95% CI: 0.146, 0.270), with a direct effect value of 0.066 (95% CI: 0.006, 0.130), accounting for 31.73% of the total effect; the total indirect effect value was 0.142 (95% CI: 0.119, 0.170), accounting for 68.27% of the total effect. The mediating effects of childhood adversity on sleep quality through anxiety and negative coping were significant, with effect values of 0.096 (95% CI: 0.078, 0.119) and 0.024 (95% CI: 0.014, 0.037), respectively. The chain mediating effect of anxiety and negative coping between childhood adversity and sleep quality was also significant, with an effect value of 0.022 (95% CI: 0.017, 0.028). Conclusions: Anxiety and negative coping were important mediating factors for rural older adult's childhood adversity and sleep quality. This suggests that managing anxiety and negative coping in older adults may mitigate the negative effects of childhood adversity on sleep quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence on the potential causal links of long‐term air pollution exposure with lung cancer incidence (reflected by mortality and hospital admission) was limited, especially based on large cohorts. We examined the relationship between lung cancer and long‐term exposure to particulate matter (PM, including PM2.5, PM10 and PM10‐2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) among a large cohort of general Chinese adults using causal inference approaches. The study included 575 592 participants who were followed up for an average of 8.2 years. The yearly exposure of PM and NO2 was estimated through satellite‐based random forest approaches and the ordinary kriging method, respectively. Marginal structural Cox models were used to examine hazard ratios (HRs) of mortality and hospital admission due to lung cancer following air pollution exposure, adjusting for potential confounders. The HRs of mortality due to lung cancer were 1.042 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.033‐1.052), 1.032 (95% CI:1.024‐1.041) and 1.052 (95% CI:1.041‐1.063) for each 1 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5, PM10 and NO2, respectively. In addition, we observed statistically significant effects of PMs on hospital admission due to lung cancer. The HRs (95%CI) were 1.110 (1.027‐1.201), 1.067 (1.020‐1.115) and 1.079 (1.010‐1.153) for every 1 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5, PM10, PM10‐2.5, respectively. Furthermore, we found larger effect estimates among the elderly and those who exercised more frequently. We provided the most comprehensive evidence of the potential causal links between two outcomes of lung cancer and long‐term air pollution exposure. Relevant policies should be developed, with special attention to protecting the vulnerable groups of the population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence of a potential causal link between long-term exposure to particulate matter (PM) and all-site cancer mortality from large population cohorts remained limited and suffered from residual confounding issues with traditional statistical methods. We aimed to examine the potential causal relationship between long-term PM exposure and all-site cancer mortality in South China using causal inference methods. We used a cohort in southern China that recruited 580,757 participants from 2009 through 2015 and tracked until 2020. Annual averages of PM 1 , PM 2.5, and PM 10 concentrations were generated with validated spatiotemporal models. We employed a causal inference approach, the Marginal Structural Cox model, based on observational data to evaluate the association between long-term exposure to PM and all-site cancer mortality. With an increase of 1 µg/m³ in PM 1 , PM 2.5, and PM 10 , the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for all-site cancer were 1.033 (95% CI : 1.025–1.041), 1.032 (95% CI : 1.027–1.038), and 1.020 (95% CI : 1.016–1.025), respectively. The HRs (95% CI) for digestive system and respiratory system cancer mortality associated with each 1 µg/m³ increase in PM 1 were 1.022 (1.009–1.035) and 1.053 (1.038–1.068), respectively. In addition, inactive participants, who never smoked, or who lived in areas of low surrounding greenness were more susceptible to the effects of PM exposure, the HRs (95% CI) for all-site cancer mortality were 1.042 (1.031–1.053), 1.041 (1.032–1.050), and 1.0473 (1.025–1.070) for every 1 µg/m³ increase in PM 1 , respectively. The effect of PM 1 tended to be more pronounced in the low-exposure group than in the general population, and multiple sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of the results. This study provided evidence that long-term exposure to PM may elevate the risk of all-site cancer mortality, emphasizing the potential health benefits of improving air quality for cancer prevention. [Display omitted] • All-site cancer mortality was elevated by 3.3% following each 1 µg/m³ increase in PM 1 exposure. • Cancer mortality risk for PM 1 and PM 2.5 were generally higher than that for PM 10. • Non-smokers, those inactive or with less residential greenness were more vulnerable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Coronary heart disease (CHD), the leading cause of death globally, might be developed or exacerbated by air pollution, resulting high burden to patients. To date, limited studies have estimated the relations between short-term exposure to air pollution and CHD disease burden in China, with inconsistent results. Hence, we aimed to estimate the short-term impact and burden of ambient PM pollutants on hospitalizations of CHD and specific CHD.Methods: PM10 and PM2.5 were measured at 82 monitoring stations in 9 cities in Sichuan Province, China during 2017-2018. Based on the time-stratified case-crossover design, the effects of short-term exposure to particle matter (PM) pollution on coronary heart disease (CHD) hospital admissions were estimated. Meanwhile, the linked burden of CHD owing to ambient PM pollution were estimated.Results: A total of 104,779 CHD records were derived from 153 hospitals from these 9 cities. There were significant effects of PM pollution on hospital admissions (HAs) for CHD and specific CHD in Sichuan Province. A 10 μg/m3 increase of PM10 and PM2.5 was linked with a 0.46% (95% CI: 0.08, 0.84%), and 0.57% (95% CI: 0.05, 1.09%) increments in HAs for CHD at lag7, respectively. The health effects of air pollutants were comparable modified by age, season and gender, showing old (≥ 65 years) and in cold season being more vulnerable to the effects of ambient air pollution, while gender-specific effects is positive but not conclusive. Involving the WHO's air quality guidelines as the reference, 1784 and 2847 total cases of HAs for CHD could be attributable to PM10 and PM2.5, separately. The total medical cost that could be attributable to exceeding PM10 and PM2.5 were 42.04 and 67.25 million CNY from 2017 to 2018, respectively.Conclusions: This study suggested that the short-term exposure to air pollutants were associated with increased HAs for CHD in Sichuan Province, which could be implications for local environment improvement and policy reference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence of the potential causal links between long-term exposure to particulate matters (PM, i.e., PM 1 , PM 2.5 , and PM 1–2.5) and T2DM mortality based on large cohorts is limited. In contrast, the existing evidence usually suffers from inherent bias with the traditional a ssociation assessment. A prospective cohort of 580,757 participants in the southern region of China were recruited during 2009 and 2015 and followed up through December 2020. PM exposure at each residential address was estimated by linking to the well-established high-resolution simulation dataset. Hazard ratios (HR s) were calculated using time-varying marginal structural Cox models, an established causal inference approach, after adjusting for potential confounders. During follow-up, a total of 717 subjects died from T2DM. For every 1 μg/m3 increase in PM 2.5 , the adjusted HRs and 95% confidence interval (CI) for T2DM mortality was 1.036 (1.019–1.053). Similarly, for every 1 μg/m3 increase in PM 1 and PM 1–2.5 , the adjusted HR s and 95% CI s were 1.032 (1.003–1.062) and 1.085 (1.054–1.116), respectively. Additionally, we observed a generally more pronounced impact among individuals with lower levels of education or lower residential greenness which as measured by the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). We identified substantial interactions between NDVI and PM 1 (P -interaction = 0.003), NDVI and PM 2.5 (P -interaction = 0.019), as well as education levels and PM 1 (P -interaction = 0.049). The study emphasizes the need to consider environmental and socio-economic factors in strategies to reduce T2DM mortality. We found that PM 1 , PM 2.5 , and PM 1–2.5 heighten the peril of T2DM mortality, with education and green space exposure roles in modifying it. • PM 1 , PM 2.5 , and PM 1–2.5 may significantly impact the mortality rate of T2DM. • We applied causal inference to explore the association between PM and T2DM mortality. • People with less education or less residential greenness are at a higher risk. • This is the first large cohort study in China on PM 1 and T2DM mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypertension, a major risk factor of many severe chronic diseases and leading cause of global disease burden, is reported to be associated with long-term exposure to PM2.5. China's high PM2.5 pollution level has become a major public health issue. However, existing studies from China have got inconsistent results with very limited investigation into the multi-ethnic peoples. This study adds multi-ethnic evidence from Sichuan Province, southwestern China, and assesses ethnic differences of PM2.5 exposure effect on hypertension. We pooled large cross-sectional data from two surveys conducted in 2013 and 2018 to examine the association of long-term exposure to PM2.5 on prevalence of hypertension in adults aged 30 years old and above. Community-specified annual PM2.5 concentration was estimated using satellite data. Thirty-one thousand four hundred sixty-two participants with average exposure concentration of 32.8 μg/m3 were included. The proportions of the Han, the Tibetan, the Yi, and other ethnic people were 89.2%, 7.3%, 3.2%, and 0.3%, respectively. The adjusted odds ratio (OR) was 1.08 (95% CI, 1.04–1.12) for a 10 μg/m3 PM2.5 concentration increment. The adjusted ORs for the Han, the Tibetan, and the Yi were 1.08 (95% CI, 1.04–1.12), 0.03 (95% CI, 0.00–0.27), and 1.75 (95% CI, 1.28–2.38) for a 10 μg/m3 PM2.5 concentration increment, respectively. Stratification analysis found stronger associations in participants with chronic diseases and Yi minority population. The results showed that long-term exposure to PM2.5 may increase the risk of hypertension prevalence in Chinese multi-ethnic adults. The associations were different among ethnicities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel actinomycete, designated strain LAM7112T, was isolated from soil sample collected from a birch forest in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China. The new isolate was found to be able to grow at 20–45 °C (optimum: 35 °C), pH 5.0–10.0 (optimum: 7.0) and in the presence of 0–10.0% (optimum: 3.0%) (w/v) NaCl. The isolate formed very scantily irregular sporangia containing motile spores on the substrate mycelium. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that the new isolate was closely related to members of the family Micromonosporaceae, with highest similarites to Actinoplanes ferrugineus X-14695T (97.4%), Micromonospora zamorensis DSM 45600T (97.3%) and Micromonospora aurantiaca ATCC 27029T (97.3%). In the phylogenetic trees, strain LAM7112T formed a stable phylogenetic subclade within the genus Actinoplanes. The genomic DNA G + C content was 70.0 mol%. The major fatty acids (> 10%) were determined to be iso-C16:0, anteiso-C15:0 and anteiso-C17:0. The predominant menaquinones were identified as MK-9 (H2), MK-9 (H4) and MK-9 (H6). The major polar lipids were found to be diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylethanolamine. The diagnostic amino acid of the cell wall peptidoglycan was determined to be meso-diaminopimelic acid. The diagnostic sugars in cell hydrolysates were determined to be glucose and ribose. On the basis of its phenotypic, phylogenetic and chemotaxonomic characteristics, strain LAM7112T (= CGMCC 4.7580T = JCM 32512T) is proposed to represent the type strain of a novel species of the genus Actinoplanes, for which the name Actinoplanes solisilvae is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial Intelligence (AI), as the core driving force of industrial and technological innovation, has brought technological advances that profoundly affect energy conservation and carbon emission reduction in China. This study constructs a dynamic spatial Durbin model to empirically analyze AI's mechanism path using Chinese inter-provincial panel data as a sample. The findings show the following: (1) Spatial and temporal variations exist in AI development levels and energy conservation and carbon emission reduction. (2) AI has a significant negative impact on energy consumption efficiency and a significant negative spatial spillover effect on carbon emission efficiency, and the effects of AI development level on energy conservation and carbon emission reduction are mainly dominated short term. (3) Green technological progress on both the input and output sides has not played a determinant role in the effects of AI on energy conservation and carbon emission reduction. (4) Given the moderating effect of the degree of factor market development, the improvement of green technological advances can play a positive role in the impact of AI on energy and carbon reduction. These findings suggest the need to provide policy support for energy conservation and carbon emission reduction by improving the spatial and regional linkage mechanism to narrow spatial and temporal differences in development levels, formulating AI policies addressing regional heterogeneity to promote the full transformation of AI's short-term effects into long-term effects as well as emphasizing the negative role of green technological advances and accelerating the transformation of green technological achievements, among other measures. [Display omitted] • A dynamic indicator system for regional AI development in China is constructed. • AI effects on energy conservation and emission reduction are explored. • A dynamic spatial Durbin model shows regional and temporal heterogeneity. • Green technological progress has negative effects that should be emphasized. • Mature market element development can realize the positive green effects of AI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A doubly robust approach combined with a multiple mediation analysis method. • Urban greenness exposure was inversely associated with lung cancer mortality risk. • Particulate matter, temperature, and physical activity may mediate greenness association. • Greenness mainly protects against lung cancer mortality by reducing particulate matter. Urban greenness, as a vital component of the urban environment, plays a critical role in mitigating the adverse effects of rapid urbanization and supporting urban sustainability. However, the causal links between urban greenness and lung cancer mortality and its potential causal pathway remain poorly understood. Based on a prospective community-based cohort with 581,785 adult participants in southern China, we applied a doubly robust Cox proportional hazard model to estimate the causal associations between urban greenness exposure and lung cancer mortality. A general multiple mediation analysis method was utilized to further assess the potential mediating roles of various factors including particulate matter (PM 1 , PM 2.5–1 , and PM 10–2.5), temperature, physical activity, and body mass index (BMI). We observed that each interquartile range (IQR: 0.06) increment in greenness exposure was inversely associated with lung cancer mortality, with a hazard ratio (HR) of 0.89 (95 %CI: 0.83, 0.96). The relationship between greenness and lung cancer mortality might be partially mediated by particulate matter, temperature, and physical activity, yielding a total indirect effect of 0.826 (95 % CI: 0.769, 0.887) for each IQR increase in greenness exposure. Notably, the protective effect of greenness against lung cancer mortality could be achieved primarily by reducing the particulate matter concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With limited evidence on the neurological impact of particulate matter (PM) exposure in China, particularly for PM 1 which is smaller but more toxic, we conducted a large Chinese cohort study using causal inference approaches to comprehensively clarify such impact. A total of 36,271 participants in southern China were recruited in 2015 and followed up through 2020. We obtained the neurological hospitalizations records by linking the cohort data to the electronic reports from 418 medical institutions across the study area. By using high-resolution PM concentrations from satellite-based spatiotemporal models and the cohort data, we performed marginal structural Cox models under causal assumptions to assess the potential causal links between time-varying PM exposure and neurological hospitalizations. Our findings indicated that increasing PM 1 , PM 2.5 , and PM 10 concentrations by 1 μg/m³ were associated with higher overall neurological hospitalization risks, with hazard ratios (HRs) of 1.10 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.04–1.16), 1.09 (95% CI 1.04–1.14), and 1.03 (95% CI 1.00–1.06), respectively. PM 1 appeared to have a stronger effect on neurological hospitalization, with a 1% and 7% higher impact compared to PM 2.5 and PM 10 , respectively. Additionally, each 1-μg/m3 increase in the annual PM 1 concentration was associated with an elevated risk of hospitalizations for ischemic stroke (HR : 1.15; 95% CI , 1.06–1.26), which tended to be larger than the estimates for PM 2.5 (HR : 1.13, 95% CI , 1.04–1.23) and PM 10 (HR : 1.05, 95% CI , 1.00–1.09). Furthermore, never-married or female individuals tended be at a greater risk compared with their counterparts. Our study provides important insights into the health impact of particles, particularly smaller particles, on neurological hospitalization risk and highlights the need for clean-air policies that specifically target these particles. [Display omitted] • Long-term exposure to PMs increased the risk of neurological hospitalizations. • The hazard ratio for PM 1 tends to be greater on neurological hospitalization. • Long-term exposure to PMs enhanced the risk of ischemic stroke hospitalization. • Unmarried residents might be more vulnerable than their counterparts. • Causal inference models with time-varying exposure minimized confounding bias. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Daily mean concentrations of air pollutants have been widely used as exposure indicators to estimate the short-term mortality effects of outdoor air pollution. However, daily mean concentrations might insufficiently represent the true exposure level because of the diurnal variations of air pollutants and various human activity patterns. Daytime or rush-hour concentrations may lead to better estimations. Objective Our study aimed to imitate the true exposure level under assumptions about human activity patterns and to examine the short-term mortality effects of the exposure to air pollution during a) the morning-evening rush hours (ME), b) the morning-lunch-evening rush hours (MLE), and c) the whole daytime (WDT) in Chengdu, Sichuan Basin, China. Methods We investigated the diurnal variations of PM 2.5 , SO 2 , and O 3 and examined the associations between the three pollutants and nonaccidental mortality, cardiovascular mortality, respiratory mortality using generalized additive model. Three novel exposure indicators (ME , MLE , and WDT) were employed to imitate the most probable exposure levels. Relative change of excess risk (ER) was used to compare effects estimated from models with different exposure indicators. Results In the relationship of PM 2.5 and mortality, ERs estimated from the novel-indicator models decreased by 4.88%–11.89% in comparison with ERs from the daily-indicator models. All the three novel indicators of SO 2 offered lower ERs of respiratory mortality than the daily indicator did. Significant associations were observed in O 3 -nonaccidental mortality at lag0 in both winter and spring, and O 3 -cardiovascular mortality at lag0 in winter. Overall, majority of effect estimates based on rush-hour or daytime indicators were lower than the estimates based on daily mean concentrations. Conclusion The use of daily mean concentrations may bias exposure assessment and thus inflating effect estimates. This study highlights the importance of rush-hour and daytime exposure and provides alternative indicators for estimating acute effects of air pollution. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • This work provides alternative strategies in assessing air pollution exposure. • First work on the mortality effect of rush hour and daytime air pollution exposure. • The mortality effect may be overestimated with daily mean concentration. Majority of effect estimates based on rush-hour or daytime indicators were lower than the estimates based on daily mean concentrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biochar application is an effective strategy for improving soil degradation and productivity. However, the effects of the combination of biochar and other fertilizers to improve seedling growth in abiotic stress-affected soils remains unknown. We investigate the effect of biochar derived from reed straw (RBC) and waste seaweed liquid fertilizer (SLF) on tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) seedling growth in an acid-affected soil of Jiaodong Peninsula, China. The results revealed RBC, SLF, and the combination of RBC with SLF (RBC+SLF) significantly elevated the dry weight of tomatoes by 23.33 %, 29.93 %, and 63.66 %, respectively. The malondialdehyde content in the tomato seedling roots, stems, and leaves was significantly lower in the RBC+SLF treatment, which might be related to the enhanced contents of proline, soluble sugar, and soluble protein. The synthesis and accumulation of zeatin riboside, indole-3-acetic acid, and gibberellic acid 3 in tomato under RBC+SLF amendment may be attributed to the enhanced plant growth. Moreover, RBC, SLF, and RBC+SLF improved the soil status (including ammonium nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, laccase, and urease) in the acid-affected soil. Biochar and waste seaweed liquid fertilizer significantly increased the relative abundance of Pseudomonas and Azospira (beneficial bacteria) in tomato rhizosphere. The microbial amino acid metabolism was associated with changes in soil properties and enzyme activities. Consequently, biochar and waste seaweed liquid fertilizer are viable soil conditioners for acid-affected soil. [Display omitted] • Biochar and seaweed liquid fertilizer (RBC+SLF) on tomato in acid soils were compared. • RBC+SLF affected phytohormones, protective enzyme activities, soil nutrient status. • Correlations between soil properties, enzyme activities and microbes were evaluated. • Biochar and seaweed liquid fertilizer can be used as a potential soil conditioner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cohort studies conducted in North America and Europe have linked cerebrovascular mortality to long-term exposure to particulate matter (PM). However, limited evidence from large cohorts in high-exposure areas and the traditional approach of association assessment may cause residual confounding issues. In this study, we aimed to investigate the causal links between cerebrovascular mortality and long-term exposure to PM 2.5 , PM 10 , and PM 2.5-10 in an ongoing cohort study with 580,757 participants in southern China. Using satellite-based estimates of PM concentration at a 1-km2 spatial resolution, we assigned exposure levels to each participant and used the marginal structural Cox model to assess the association between PM exposure and cerebrovascular mortality while accounting for time-varying covariates. We also explored the potential modification effects of sociodemographic and behavioral factors on the PM-health associations. Adjusted hazard ratios (HR) for overall cerebrovascular mortality were 1.041 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.034–1.049) and 1.032 (95% CI : 1.026–1.038) for each 1 μg/m3 increase in PM 2.5 , and PM 10 , respectively. Similar trends were observed in the mortality risk from stroke and ischemic stroke, with HRs ranging from 1.040 to 1.069 and 1.025 to 1.052, respectively, across 2 p.m. exposures. The impact of PM exposure was generally more apparent among women, participants with primary school diplomas and below, and the subgroup under low-exposure. Multiple sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of the results. In conclusion, this sizable prospective cohort study hypothesizes causal links between long-term PM exposure and cerebrovascular mortality, particularly among vulnerable participants, supporting the rationale for reducing PM concentration in China to reduce cerebrovascular mortality. [Display omitted] • Cerebrovascular disease mortality increased with long-term PM exposures. • The hazard ratios of PM 2.5 are 0.01 greater than that of PM 10 in cerebrovascular mortality. • The low-exposure group was more sensitive to PM exposure than the general population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality is associated with long-term particulate matter (PM) exposure. However, evidence from large, highly-exposed population cohort and observational-data-based causal inference approaches remains limited. We examined the potential causal links between PM exposure and the CVD mortality in South China. 580,757 participants were recruited during 2009–2015 and followed up through 2020. Satellite-based annual concentrations of PM 2.5 , PM 10 , and PM coarse (i.e., PM 10 - PM 2.5) at 1 km2 spatial resolution were estimated and assigned to each participant. Marginal structural Cox models with time-varying covariates, adjusted using inverse probability weighting, were developed to evaluate the association between prolonged PM exposure and CVD mortality. For overall CVD mortality, the hazard ratios and 95% confidence interval for each 1 μg/m3 increase in the annual average concentration of PM 2.5 , PM 10 , and PM coarse were 1.033 (1.028–1.037), 1.028 (1.024–1.032), and 1.022 (1.012–1.033), respectively. All three PMs were linked to a higher mortality risk for myocardial infarction and ischemic heart disease (IHD). The mortality risk of chronic IHD and hypertension was linked to PM 2.5 and PM 10. Significant association between PM coarse and other heart disease mortality was also observed. The older, women, less-educated participants, or inactive participants exhibited particularly higher susceptibility. Participants who were generally exposed to PM 10 concentrations below 70 μg/m3 were more vulnerable to PM 2.5 -, PM 10 - and PM coarse -CVD mortality risks. This large cohort study provides evidence for the potential causal links between increased CVD mortality and ambient PM exposure, as well as socio-demographics linked to the highest vulnerability. [Display omitted] • CVD mortality elevated by 1.4–6.1% following each 1 μg/m3 increase in PM exposure. • The older, female, less educated and inactive ones tended to be more vulnerable. • CVD mortality risk from PM 2.5 was generally 0.2–1.3% higher than that from PM 10. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• • Seaweed compost and Pseudomonas koreensis on tomato in saline soils were compared. • • SC + HCH2-3 affected the rhizosphere soil properties and enzyme activities. • • SC + HCH2-3 had significant effects on Pseudomonas , Bacillus and Azospira abundances. • • Seaweed compost and Pseudomonas koreensis can be used as a potential soil conditioner. This study investigated the effects of waste seaweed compost and rhizosphere bacteria Pseudomonas koreensis HCH2-3 on the tomato seedlings growth in coastal saline soils and chemical properties, enzyme activities, microbial communities of rhizosphere soil. Microcosmic experiment showed that the seaweed compost and rhizosphere bacteria (SC + HCH2-3) significantly alleviated the negative effects of salinity on the growth of tomato seedlings. SC + HCH2-3 amendment significantly increased the plant height and root fresh biomass of tomato seedling by 105.59% and 55.60% in the coastal saline soils, respectively. The soil properties and enzyme activities were also dramatically increased, indicating that the nutrient status of coastal saline soil was improved by SC + HCH2-3 amendment. In addition, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteriota and Firmicutes were the dominant phyla in the rhizosphere soil after adding seaweed compost and rhizosphere bacteria P. koreensis HCH2-3. The relative abundances of Massilia , Azospira , Pseudomonas and Bacillus increased in treatment SC + HCH2-3. Especially, the beneficial bacteria genera, such as Pseudomonas , Bacillus and Azospira , were significantly correlated with the increases of contents of total nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen and ammonium nitrogen in tomato rhizosphere soil samples. Consequently, adding waste seaweed compost and rhizosphere bacteria P. koreensis HCH2-3 into coastal saline soil was suggested as an effective method to relieve salt stress of tomato plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many environmental phenols, such as bisphenols, benzophenones and parabens, are known as endocrine disruptors and can adversely affect human health. However, the knowledge of human exposure to common environmental phenols in Chinese rural areas is insufficient. In this context, 181 urine samples were collected from participants in a rural area in Northwest China and were analyzed for nine bisphenols, three benzophenones and four parabens. Bisphenol A (BPA), bisphenol S, benzophenone-1 (BP-1), benzophenone-3 (BP-3), 4-hydroxybenzophenone, methylparaben (MeP), ethylparaben and propylparaben (PrP) were detected in more than 50% of the urine samples, with median concentrations of 0.938 ng/mL, 0.0111 ng/mL, 0.191 ng/mL, 1.30 ng/mL, 0.0320 ng/mL, 25.9 ng/mL, 4.31 ng/mL and 1.94 ng/mL, respectively. A significant positive correlation was observed between BP-1 and BP-3, as well as between MeP and PrP, indicating metabolic transformation and combined use, respectively. The concentrations of MeP and PrP in females were significantly higher than those in males, suggesting that females were exposed to more MeP and PrP than males. Urinary concentrations of BPA, BP-3, MeP and PrP could be influenced by age. Other demographic information, such as annual household income, education and occupation was not associated with the exposure level of the targeted phenols in adults. The estimated daily intakes of the analytes except BPA were all below their respective tolerable/acceptable daily intake levels. This study profiles the demographic differences in the exposure to environmental phenols in general populations from rural areas and provides information on risk assessments. [Display omitted] • Eight phenols were detected in more than half of the urine samples. • BP-1 and BP-3 as well as MeP and PrP were separately positively correlated. • Females were observed to expose more MeP and PrP than males. • Exposure to BPA, BP-3, MeP and PrP varied among age groups. • EDI of the analytes expect BPA were below the tolerable daily intake levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although abdominal adiposity is associated with an altered cardiometabolic risk profile, the specific contribution of abdominal adipose tissue distribution remains not fully understood. Computed tomography (CT) is a well-established and precise method to measure abdominal adipose tissue distribution. The present study investigated abdominal adiposity assessed by CT in a large-scale Chinese population. A total of 59,429 adults who underwent a low dose chest CT for lung cancer screening at one of 13 health checkup centers throughout China were evaluated. Abdominal visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) areas were measured at the center of the 2nd lumbar vertebra with Mindways quantitative CT software using the existing CT dataset without any additional radiation exposure. The ratio of visceral to total adipose tissue (TAT) areas (VAT/TAT ratio) was calculated and expressed as a percentage. Anthropometric indices including body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference were also obtained. BMI, waist circumference, VAT area, SAT area, and the VAT/TAT ratio were 25.0 ± 3.0 kg/m2, 90 ± 8 cm, 194 ± 77 cm2, 85 ± 41 cm2, and 69.5 ± 9.1%, respectively, in men and 23.3 ± 3.1 kg/m2, 79 ± 8 cm, 120 ± 57 cm2, 123 ± 53 cm2, and 48.9 ± 9.7% in women. With increasing age, VAT area and the VAT/TAT ratio increased in both sexes whereas SAT area decreased in men (P < 0.001 for all). After adjustment for BMI and waist circumference, older individuals showed higher VAT area and higher VAT/TAT ratio than younger subjects (P < 0.001 for all). Adjusted VAT areas in participants aged 75 or older was 45 cm2 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 41 cm2, 50 cm2) higher in men and 43 cm2 (95% CI: 37 cm2, 49 cm2) higher in women compared with participants aged 31–44 years. Additionally, differences in VAT area across age groups increased as BMI or waist circumference increased. VAT and SAT areas, but not the VAT/TAT ratio, were positively associated with BMI and waist circumference in every age group. In a nationwide study conducted in China, distributions of CT-derived measures of visceral and subcutaneous adiposity were found to vary significantly between sex and age groups. Our study also revealed that the proportion of VAT (an important driver of cardiometabolic risk) could not be predicted from BMI in a Chinese population. • A key finding was that variation in the proportion of visceral adipose tissue was not predicted by the differences in BMI. • There is a heterogenous distribution of abdominal fat among sexes and age groups. • Age differences in superficial adipose tissue were independent of BMI and waist circumference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Higher all-cause mortality was attributed to greater PM 1 , PM 2.5 and PM 10 exposure. • The risk from PM 1 tends to be 1.1% and 1.3% greater than that from PM 2.5 and PM 10. • The elderly, unmarried and less educated ones were more vulnerable to the impact of PMs. • Participants generally at low PM exposures were more susceptible than others. The association between long-term particulate matter (PM) exposure and all-cause mortality has been well-documented. However, evidence is still limited from high-exposed cohorts, especially for PM 1 which is smaller while more toxic than other commonly investigated particles. We aimed to examine the potential casual links of long-term PMs exposure with all-cause mortality in high-exposed areas. A total of 580,757 participants in southern China were enrolled during 2009–2015 and followed up to 2020. The annual average concentration of PM 1 , PM 2.5 , and PM 10 at 1 km2 spatial resolution was assessed for each residential address through validated spatiotemporal models. We used marginal structural Cox models to estimate the PM-mortality associations which were further stratified by sociodemographic, lifestyle factors and general exposure levels. 37,578 deaths were totally identified during averagely 8.0 years of follow-up. Increased exposure to all 3 PM size fractions were significantly associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality, with hazard ratios (HRs) of 1.042 (95 % confidence interval (CI): 1.037–1.046), 1.031 (95 % CI: 1.028–1.033), and 1.029 (95 % CI: 1.027–1.031) per 1 μg/m3 increase in PM 1 , PM 2.5 , and PM 10 concentrations, respectively. We observed greater effect estimates among the elderly (age ≥ 65 years), unmarried participants, and those with low education attainment. Additionally, the effect of PM 1 , PM 2.5 , and PM 10 tend to be higher in the low-exposure group than in the general population. We provided comprehensive evidence for the potential causal links between long-term PM exposure and all-cause mortality, and suggested stronger links for PM 1 compared to large particles and among certain vulnerable subgroups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Short-term exposure to air pollution is associated with hospitalization for ischemic stroke (IS); however, evidence of the impact of the exposure on IS in highly polluted developing regions is limited. This study aimed to assess the relationships between air pollutants and IS hospitalization, as well as economic burden attributable to the hospitalization in Sichuan, China. Records from 160,555 IS hospitalizations were collected from medical institutions in nine cities in Sichuan from 2017 to 2019, along with simultaneous meteorological and air pollution data. Generalized additive model (GAM) was used to analyze the relationship between air pollutants and IS hospitalizations. The economic burden due to air pollutants exposure were further assessed using a cost-of-illness (COI) method. All p values were corrected for multiple comparisons. The single pollutant model showed that the effects of each interquartile range (IQR) increase in PM 2.5 , PM 10 , O 3 , and CO, on IS hospitalization peaked on lag 07, with relative risk values of 1.057(95% CI: 1.030–1.085), 1.060(95% CI:1.032–1.090), 1.110(95% CI:1.043–1.181), and 1.096 (95% CI:1.060–1.132), respectively. Stratified analysis shows that older people are more susceptible to the impact of air pollutants, and compared to the warm season, IS hospitalization in the cold season is more susceptible to exposure to O 3 and CO. It has been determined that during the study period, the number of IS hospitalizations attributable to PM 2.5 pollution was 5,157 and to PM 10 pollution was 3,650, with an economic cost of CNY 67, 966, 100 and 48, 107, 900, respectively. In this study, we found that short-term exposure to PM 2.5 , PM 10 , O 3 , and CO can lead to increased hospitalizations for stroke and a quantifiably greater economic burden. • Short-term exposure to PM 2.5 , PM 10 , O 3 , and CO can lead to increased hospitalizations for stroke. • Older people are more susceptible to air pollutants. • The IS hospitalization was more susceptible to O 3 and CO exposure during the cold season. • The burden of hospitalization for ischaemic stroke due to exposure to air pollutants is enormous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air pollution poses significant health risks to urban areas, with limited focus on the chronic association of PM 2.5 and its constituents on cerebrovascular diseases (CERs), especially regarding the joint associations. This study explores the individual and joint associations between PM 2.5 constituents and CER hospitalization risks through a cohort analysis of 36,271 adults in the Pearl River Delta, South China, from 2015 to 2020. Cox proportional hazards regression and quantile-based g-computation models were used to quantify the individual and joint associations of annual mean concentrations of PM 2.5 constituents with hospitalization for CERs. 1151 participants were hospitalized due to CERs during the five-year follow-up period. Joint associations analyses identified that one quartile increase in co-exposure may result in hazard ratios of 1.530 (1.441-1.623), 1.840 (1.710-1.980), and 1.609 (1.491-1.737) for CERs, total, and ischemic stroke hospitalization, respectively. The adverse effect was primarily driven by organic matter and chlorine. Men, those with a history of tobacco or alcohol use or with low residential greenness, were more susceptible to CERs hospitalization following PM 2.5 constituents co-exposure. Upcoming strategies should focus on monitoring and regulating PM 2.5 constituents, encouraging healthy lifestyles, and enhancing urban greenery., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: Limited attention has been paid to the health effects of long-term PM 1 exposure on stroke admission. Current investigations exploring the long-term PM exposure effect are largely based on observational studies, and PM generally is not allocated randomly to participants. Using traditional regression models might confuse messaging and hinder policy recommendations for pollution control and disease prevention policies., Methods: We conducted a cohort study among 36,271 adults from one of the largest cities in China in 2015 and followed up through 2020. Hazard ratios of stroke admissions following long-term PM 1 exposure were estimated via a causal inference approach, marginal structural time-varying Cox proportional hazard model, accounting for multiple confounders. Additionally, several sensitivity analyses and impact modification analyses were carried out., Results and Discussion: Associations with 1 μg/m 3 increase in long-term PM 1 were identified for total (HR, 1.079; 95 %CI, 1.012-1.151) and ischemic stroke admissions (HR, 1.092; 95 %CI, 1.018-1.171). The harmful associations varied with exposure duration, initially increasing and then decreasing. The 2-3 years cumulative exposure was associated with a 3.3-5.4 % raised risk for total stroke. For every 1 μg/m³ increase in long-term PM 1 exposure, females exhibited a higher risk of both total and ischemic stroke (13 % and 16 %) than men (4 % and 5 %). Low-exposure individuals (whose annual PM 1 concentrations were under the third quartile among the annual concentrations for all the participants) exhibited greater sensitivity to PM 1 effects (total stroke: 1.079 vs. 1.107; ischemic stroke: 1.092 vs. 1.116). The results underline the importance of safeguarding low-exposed people in highly polluted areas and suggest that long-term PM 1 exposure may increase stroke admission risk, warranting attention to vulnerable groups., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: The potential for residential greenness to improve cardiovascular health through both physical and psychological mechanisms is well recognized. However, evidence from rapidly urbanizing developing countries and cohort-based causal inference approaches, remains limited. We aim to examine the effect of residential greenness and time to cardiovascular mortality in South China., Methods: We utilized data from a community-based population survey involving 748,209 participants at baseline from 2009 to 2015, followed up until 2020. Residential greenness exposure was assessed by the annual Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) in the 500 m radius of each participant's residence. We used time-varying proportional hazard Cox models coupled with inverse probability weighting to fit marginal structural models and obtain hazard ratios (HRs) for cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality after adjusting for confounders. Multiple effect modifiers on both additive and multiplicative scales were further explored., Results: A total of 15,139 CVD-related deaths were identified during a median of 7.9 years of follow-up. A protective effect was found between higher greenness exposure and reduced CVD mortality, with a 9.3 % lower rate of total CVD mortality (HR 0.907, 95 % CI 0.859-0.957) based on a 0.1 increase in annual average NDVI. Demographic (age, marital status) and lifestyle factors (smoking, drinking status) were found to modify the association between residential greenness and CVD mortality (all P interaction values < 0.05 or 95 %CI for RERI excluded the value 0). Notably, this effect was more pronounced among older adults, married, and individuals having healthier lifestyles, indicating a greater benefit from greenness for these subgroups., Conclusions: Our findings support a causal link between increased residential greenness exposure and a reduced risk of CVD mortality in South China with marked heterogenous effects, which has public health implications for cultivating greener urban environments to mitigate the impact of CVD within the context of rapid urbanization., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: China has a serious air pollution problem and a high prevalence of obesity. The interaction between the two and its impact on all-cause mortality is a public health issue of great concern., Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the association between long-term exposure to particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter ≤ 1 μm (PM 1 ) and all-cause mortality, as well as the interaction effect of body mass index (BMI) in the association., Methods: A total of 33,087 participants from 162 counties in 25 provinces in China were included, with annual average PM 1 exposure being estimated based on the county address. The PM 1 -mortality relation was evaluated using the time-varying Cox proportional hazards models, with the dose-response relationship being fitted using the penalized splines. Besides, the potential interaction effect of BMI in the PM 1 -mortality relation was evaluated., Results: The incidence of all-cause deaths was 76.99 per 10,000 person-years over a median of 8.2 years of follow-up. After controlling for potential confounders, the PM 1 -mortality relation was approximately J-shaped. The full-adjustment analysis observed the hazard ratio (HR) of all-cause mortality was 1.114 [95 % confidence interval (CI): 1.017-1.220] corresponding to a 10 μg/m 3 rise in PM 1 concentration. Further stratified analyses suggested the adverse effects of PM 1 might be more pronounced among the underweight., Discussion: Higher PM 1 concentrations were associated with an increase in all-cause mortality. The BMI might further alter the relation, and the underweight population was the sensitive subgroup of the population that needed to be protected., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: This study aimed to explore the relationship between air pollution and hospital admissions for asthma in older adults, and to further assess the health and economic burden of asthma admissions attributable to air pollution., Methods: We collected information on asthma cases in people over 65 years of age from nine cities in Sichuan province, as well as air pollution and meteorological data. The relationship between short-term air pollutant exposure and daily asthma hospitalizations was analyzed using the generalized additive model (GAM), and stratified by gender, age, and season. In addition, we assessed the economic burden of hospitalization for air pollution-related asthma in older adults using the cost of disease approach., Results: The single pollutant model showed that every 1 mg/m 3 increase in CO was linked with an increase in daily hospitalizations for older adults with asthma, with relative risk values of 1.327 (95% CI: 1.116-1.577) at lag7. Each 10 μg/m 3 increase in NO 2 , O 3 , PM 10 , PM 2.5 and SO 2 , on asthma hospitalization, with relative risk values of 1.044 (95% CI: 1.011-1.078), 1.018 (95% CI: 1.002-1.034), 1.013 (95% CI: 1.004-1.022), 1.015 (95% CI: 1.003-1.028) and 1.13 (95% CI: 1.041-1.227), respectively. Stratified analysis shows that stronger associations between air pollution and asthma HAs among older adult in females, those aged 65-69 years, and in the warm season, although all of the differences between subgroups did not reach statistical significance. During the study period, the number of asthma hospitalizations attributable to PM 2.5 , PM 10 , and NO 2 pollution was 764, 581 and 95, respectively, which resulted in a total economic cost of 6.222 million CNY, 4.73 million CNY and 0.776 million CNY, respectively., Conclusion: This study suggests that short-term exposure to air pollutants is positively associated with an increase in numbers of asthma of people over 65 years of age in Sichuan province, and short-term exposure to excessive PM and NO 2 brings health and economic burden to individuals and society., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Zhang, Yang, Jiang, Gao, Yang, Feng and Yang.)

Introduction: Evidence on the interaction of lifestyle and long-term ambient particle (PM) exposure on the prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, particularly their combined condition is limited. We investigate the associations between PM and these outcomes and whether the associations were modified by various lifestyles., Methods: This was a large population-based survey during 2019-2021 in Southern China. The concentrations of PM were interpolated and assigned to participants by the residential address. Hypertension and diabetes status were from questionnaires and confirmed with the community health centres. Logistic regression was applied to examine the associations, followed by a comprehensive set of stratified analyses by the lifestyles including diet, smoking, drinking, sleeping and exercise., Results: A total of 82 345 residents were included in the final analyses. For each 1 μg/m 3 increase in PM 2.5 , the adjusted OR for the prevalence of hypertension, diabetes and their combined condition were 1.05 (95% CI 1.05 to 1.06), 1.07 (95% CI 1.06 to 1.08) and 1.05 (95% CI 1.04 to 1.06), respectively. We observed that the association between PM 2.5 and the combined condition was greatest in the group with 4-8 unhealthy lifestyles (OR=1.09, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.13) followed by the group with 2-3 and those with 0-1 unhealthy lifestyle (P interaction =0.026). Similar results and trends were observed in PM 10 and/or in those with hypertension or diabetes. Individuals who consumed alcohol, had inadequate sleep duration or had poor quality sleep were more vulnerable., Conclusion: Long-term PM exposure was associated with increased prevalence of hypertension, diabetes and their combined condition, and those with unhealthy lifestyles suffered greater risks of these conditions., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: We aimed to estimate the causal impacts of long-term exposure to major PM 2.5 components - including black carbon, organic matter, sulfate, nitrate, and ammonium - on the incidence and mortality of tuberculosis in China., Methods: We collected annual and provincial-level tuberculosis incidence and mortality, concentrations of PM 2.5 components, and socioeconomic indicators from between 2004 and 2018 in mainland China. We used the difference-in-differences (DID) causal inference approach with a generalized weighted quantile sum (gWQS) regression model to estimate the long-term effects and relative contributions of PM 2.5 components' exposure on tuberculosis incidence and mortality., Results: We found that long-term multi-components exposure was significantly associated with tuberculosis incidence (WQS index IR%:8.34 %, 95 % CI:4.54 %-12.27 %) and mortality (WQS index IR%:19.49 %, 95 % CI: 9.72 %-30.13 %). Primary pollutants, black carbon and organic matter, contributed most of the overall mixture effect (over 85 %). Nitrate showed a critical role in tuberculosis burden in not-aging provinces and in regions at the Q3 stratum (i.e., the 3rd quartile) of GDP per capita and urbanization rate. Meanwhile the contribution of sulfate to tuberculosis burden in regions at the Q1 stratum of GDP per capita and urbanization rate was the largest among the effect of secondary pollutants (i.e., sulfate, nitrate, and ammonium)., Conclusion: The mitigation of black carbon and organic matter pollution may significantly reduce the tuberculosis burden in China. Controlling nitrate emissions and increasing clean energy (i.e., energy sources with limited pollution emissions, such as natural gas and clean coal) may also be effective in certain regions., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest All authors declare that they have no actual or potential competing financial interest., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Evidence of the association between long-term exposure to particulate matter (PM) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) mortality from large population-based cohort study is limited and often suffers from residual confounding issues with traditional statistical methods. We hereby assessed the casual relationship between long-term PM (PM 2.5 , PM 10 and PM 10 - 2.5 ) exposure and COPD mortality in a large cohort of Chinese adults using state-of-the-art causal inference approaches., Methods: A total of 580,757 participants in southern China were enrolled in a prospective cohort study from 2009 to 2015 and followed up until December 2020. Exposures to PM at each residential address were obtained from the Long-term Gap-free High-resolution Air Pollutant Concentration dataset. Marginal structural Cox models were used to investigate the association between COPD mortality and annual average exposure levels of PM exposure., Results: During an average follow-up of 8.0 years, 2250 COPD-related deaths occurred. Under a set of causal inference assumptions, the hazard ratio (HR) for COPD mortality was estimated to be 1.046 (95 % confidence interval: 1.034-1057), 1.037 (1.028-1.047), and 1.032 (1.006-1.058) for each 1-μg/m 3 increase in annual average concentrations of PM 2.5 , PM 10 , and PM 10 - 2.5 respectively. Additionally, the detrimental effects appeared to be more pronounced among the elderly (age ≥ 65) and inactive participants. The effect estimates of PM 2.5 , PM 10 , and PM 10 - 2.5 tend to be greater among participants who were generally exposed to PM 10 concentrations below 70 μg/m 3 than that among the general population., Conclusion: Our results support causal links between long-term PM exposure and COPD mortality, highlighting the urgency for more effective strategies to reduce PM exposure, with particular attention on protecting potentially vulnerable groups., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: To understand the magnitude and spatial-temporal distribution of the regional burden attributable to severe mental disorders is of great essential and high policy relevance. The study aimed to address the burden of severe mental disorders by evaluating the years of life lost, years lived with disability, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) in Guangdong, China., Methods: We undertook a longitudinal study based on a multicenter database established by the Health Commission of Guangdong, involving a total of 21 prefectures and four economic regions in the Guangdong province. A total of 520,731 medical records from patients with severe mental disorders were collected for 2010-2020. Data were analyzed via an integrated evaluation framework by synthesizing prevalence estimates, epidemiological adjustment as well as comorbidity assessment to develop internally consistent estimates of DALY. DALY changes during 2010-2020 were decomposed by population growth and aging and further grouped by Socio-demographic Index (SDI). DALYs were projected to 2030 by the weighted median annualized rate of change in 2010-2020., Results: In 2010-2020, the average DALYs for severe mental disorders reached 798,474 (95% uncertainty interval [UI]: 536,280-1,270,465) person-years (52.2% for males, and 47.8% for females). Severe mental disorders led to a great amount of disease burden, especially in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Foshan cities. Schizophrenia and mental retardation with mental disorders were the two leading sources of the burden ascribed to severe mental disorders. Population growth and aging could be accountable for the increasing burden of severe mental disorders. Economic regions with higher SDI carried a greater burden but had lower annualized rates of change in DALYs. The overall burden of severe mental disorders is projected to rise modestly over the next decade., Conclusions: The findings urge prioritization of initiatives focused on public mental health, prevention strategies, health resources reallocation, and active involvement of authorities to effectively address the anticipated needs., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Objectives: To determine the safety and efficacy of canagliflozin in comparison to metformin in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients with insulin resistance (IR)., Methods: A single-centre, prospective, randomized open-label (ratio 1:1) noninferiority trial was conducted at the Department of Endocrinology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, between July 2019 and April 2021. Women aged 18 to 45 years with PCOS and IR were enrolled and randomly assigned to either 100 mg (n = 33) canagliflozin daily or 1500 to 2000 mg metformin daily (n = 35) for 12 weeks. The primary outcome was changes in homeostatic model assessment (HOMA)-IR after 12 weeks of treatment. The secondary outcomes included changes in anthropometric measurements, menstrual frequency, sex hormone levels, metabolic variables and body fat distribution., Results: For lowering of HOMA-IR after 12 weeks of treatment, canagliflozin was found to be noninferior to metformin (least-squares mean difference -0.81% [95% confidence interval -2.13 to 0.51]). Both canagliflozin and metformin significantly improved menstrual pattern, reduced body weight and total fat mass, and decreased triglyceride levels. Compared with metformin, canagliflozin had significant advantages in reducing uric acid and dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate levels. Pruritus vulvae (9.09%) and gastrointestinal reaction (55.55%) were the main adverse events in the metformin group and canagliflozin group, respectively., Conclusion: This study demonstrates that canagliflozin was not inferior to metformin in PCOS patients with IR, which suggests that sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors should be considered as effective drugs in the treatment of PCOS patients with IR., (© 2021 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Coronary heart disease (CHD), the leading cause of death globally, might be developed or exacerbated by air pollution, resulting high burden to patients. To date, limited studies have estimated the relations between short-term exposure to air pollution and CHD disease burden in China, with inconsistent results. Hence, we aimed to estimate the short-term impact and burden of ambient PM pollutants on hospitalizations of CHD and specific CHD., Methods: PM 10 and PM 2.5 were measured at 82 monitoring stations in 9 cities in Sichuan Province, China during 2017-2018. Based on the time-stratified case-crossover design, the effects of short-term exposure to particle matter (PM) pollution on coronary heart disease (CHD) hospital admissions were estimated. Meanwhile, the linked burden of CHD owing to ambient PM pollution were estimated., Results: A total of 104,779 CHD records were derived from 153 hospitals from these 9 cities. There were significant effects of PM pollution on hospital admissions (HAs) for CHD and specific CHD in Sichuan Province. A 10 μg/m 3 increase of PM 10 and PM 2.5 was linked with a 0.46% (95% CI: 0.08, 0.84%), and 0.57% (95% CI: 0.05, 1.09%) increments in HAs for CHD at lag7, respectively. The health effects of air pollutants were comparable modified by age, season and gender, showing old (≥ 65 years) and in cold season being more vulnerable to the effects of ambient air pollution, while gender-specific effects is positive but not conclusive. Involving the WHO's air quality guidelines as the reference, 1784 and 2847 total cases of HAs for CHD could be attributable to PM 10 and PM 2.5 , separately. The total medical cost that could be attributable to exceeding PM 10 and PM 2.5 were 42.04 and 67.25 million CNY from 2017 to 2018, respectively., Conclusions: This study suggested that the short-term exposure to air pollutants were associated with increased HAs for CHD in Sichuan Province, which could be implications for local environment improvement and policy reference., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

A Gram stain-negative, coccoid rod-shaped, motile by gliding, facultatively aerobic bacterium, designated W5, was isolated from Caenorhabditis elegans samples in Baotianman Natural Reserve (33° 27' 47'' N; 111° 48' 32'' E), Nanyang, China. The isolate was characterized taxonomically using a polyphasic approach. The 16S rRNA gene of strain W5 exhibited 98.1-99.7% similarity to the 16S rRNA genes of members of the genus Stenotrophomonas, and < 98.0% similarities to those of other bacterial species in the family Lysobacteraceae. The most closely related strains were Stenotrophomonas rhizophila JCM 13333 T (99.7%) and Stenotrophomonas bentonitica DSM 103927 T (99.2%). The predominant respiratory quinone of the isolate is Q-8. The major fatty acids are iso-C 15:0 (38.2%) and antesio-C 15:0 (16.6%). The draft genome of strain W5 had a length of 4,402,751 bp and a DNA G + C content of 67.3 mol%. The ANI values between the draft genomes of strain W5 and its closest phylogenetic neighbors S. rhizophila JCM 1333 T and S. bentonitica DSM 103927 T were 84.7% and 85.0%, respectively. The DDH value between W5 and S. rhizophila JCM 13333 T was 30.8%, which was the highest DDH level. We propose that strain W5 represents a novel bacterial species with the name Stenotrophomonas nematodicola sp. nov. and W5 as the type strain. The type strain is W5 (= CPCC 101271 T  = CGMCC 19401 T  = KCTC XXX T )., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Opportunistic screening for osteoporosis can be performed using low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) imaging obtained for other clinical indications. In this study we explored the CT-derived bone mineral density (BMD) and prevalence of osteoporosis from thoracic LDCT in a large population cohort of Chinese men and women. A total of 69,095 adults (40,733 men and 28,362 women) received a thoracic LDCT scan for the purpose of lung cancer screening between 2018 and 2019, and data were obtained for analysis from the China Biobank Project, a prospective nationwide multicenter population study. Lumbar spine (L 1 -L 2 ) trabecular volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) was derived from these scans using quantitative computed tomography (QCT) software and the American College of Radiology QCT diagnostic criteria for osteoporosis were applied. Geographic regional differences in the prevalence of osteoporosis were assessed and the age-standardized, population prevalence of osteoporosis in Chinese men and women was estimated from the 2010 China census. The prevalence of osteoporosis by QCT for the Chinese population aged >50 years was 29.0% for women and 13.5% for men, equating to 49.0 million and 22.8 million, respectively. In women, this rate is comparable to estimates from dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), but in men, the prevalence is double. Prevalence varied geographically across China, with higher rates in the southwest and lower rates in the northeast. Trabecular vBMD decreased with age in both men and women. Women had higher peak trabecular vBMD (185.4 mg/cm 3 ) than men (176.6 mg/cm 3 ) at age 30 to 34 years, but older women had lower trabecular vBMD (62.4 mg/cm 3 ) than men (92.1 mg/cm 3 ) at age 80 years. We show that LDCT-based opportunistic screening could identify large numbers of patients with low lumbar vBMD, and that future cohort studies are now required to evaluate the clinical utility of such screening in terms of fracture prevention and supporting national health economic analyses. © 2020 The Authors. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR).., (© 2020 The Authors. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR).)

Background: In China, secondary cytoreductive surgery (SCR) has been widely used in ovarian cancer (OC) over the past two decades. Although Gynecologic Oncology Group-0213 trial did not show its overall survival benefit in first relapsed patients, the questions on patient selection and effect of subsequent targeting therapy are still open. The preliminary data from our pre-SOC1 phase II study showed that selected patients with second relapse who never received SCR at recurrence may still benefit from surgery. Moreover, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPi) maintenance now has been a standard care for platinum sensitive relapsed OC. To our knowledge, no published or ongoing trial is trying to answer the question if patient can benefit from a potentially complete resection combined with PARPi maintenance in OC patients with secondary recurrence., Methods: SOC-3 is a multi-center, open, randomized, controlled, phase II trial of SCR followed by chemotherapy and niraparib maintenance vs chemotherapy and niraparib maintenance in patients with platinum-sensitive second relapsed OC who never received SCR at recurrence. To guarantee surgical quality, if the sites had no experience of participating in any OC-related surgical trials, the number of recurrent lesions evaluated by central-reviewed positron emission tomography-computed tomography image shouldn't be more than 3. Eligible patients are randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive either SCR followed by 6 cycles of platinum-based chemotherapy and niraparib maintenance or 6 cycles of platinum-based chemotherapy and niraparib maintenance alone. Patients who undergo at least 4 cycles of chemotherapy and must be, in the opinion of the investigator, without disease progression, will be assigned niraparib maintenance. Major inclusion criteria are secondary relapsed OC with a platinum-free interval of no less than 6 months and a possibly complete resection. Major exclusion criteria are borderline tumors and non-epithelial ovarian malignancies, received debulking surgery at recurrence and impossible to complete resection. The sample size is 96 patients. Primary endpoint is 12-month non-progression rate., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03983226., Competing Interests: No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported., (Copyright © 2020. Asian Society of Gynecologic Oncology, Korean Society of Gynecologic Oncology.)

A Gram-stain-positive, motile, rod-shaped bacterium, designated strain LAM7113 T , was isolated from soil sample collected from a birch forest in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, PR China. Strain LAM7113 T grew optimally at pH 8.0, 30 °C and in the presence of 1.0 % NaCl (w/v). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain LAM7113 T was closely related to members of the genus Paenibacillus , with the highest similarity to Paenibacillus baekrokdamisoli Back-11 T (96.2 %). The genomic DNA G+C content was 43.4 mol%. The values of average nucleotide identity and DNA-DNA hybridization were 66.1 and 27.0 %, respectively, by comparing the draft genome sequences of strain LAM7113 T and P. baekrokdamisoli Back-11 T . Anteiso-C 15 : 0 and iso-C 15 : 0 were identified as the major cellular fatty acids. Menaquinone-7 was detected as the predominant respiratory quinone. The major polar lipids were found to be diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol, three unidentified aminophospholipids, three unidentified glycolipids, one unidentified phospholipid and two unknown polar lipids. Based on its phenotypic, phylogenetic and chemotaxonomic characteristics, strain LAM7113 T is proposed to represent a novel species of the genus Paenibacillus with the name Paenibacillus solisilvae sp. nov. The type strain is LAM7113 T (=CGMCC 1.16619 T =JCM 32513 T ).

A Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, motile, rod-shaped bacterium, designated strain LAM9072 T , was isolated from a sample of a sulfonylurea herbicide-degrading consortium enriched with saline soil. The optimal temperature and pH for the growth of strain LAM9072 T were 35 °C and 7.0, respectively. Strain LAM9072 T could grow in the presence of NaCl up to 9 % (w/v). Comparative analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain LAM9072 T was closely related to members of the family Vibrionaceae , with the highest similarities to Photobacterium halotolerans MACL01 T (97.7 %) and Photobacterium galatheae S2753 T (97.7 %). Strain LAM9072 T formed a distinct phylogenetic subclade within the genus Photobacterium in the 16S rRNA gene phylogenetic trees. The results of multi-locus sequence analysis revealed a distinct lineage with P. halotolerans MACL01 T as its closest relative. The genomic G+C content was 50.2 mol%. The DNA-DNA hybridization values between strain LAM9072 T and P. halotolerans LMG 22194 T and P. galatheae LMG 28894 T were 41.6 and 22.2 %, respectively. The average nucleotide identity values were 90.9 and 78.8 %, respectively, by comparing the draft genome sequences of strain LAM9072 T and P. halotolerans LMG 22194 T and P. galatheae LMG 28894 T . The major fatty acids were summed feature 3 (C 16 : 1 ω6 c and/or C 16 : 1 ω7 c ), C 16 : 0 and summed feature 8 (C 18 : 1 ω7 c and/or C 18 : 1 ω6 c ). Ubiquinone 8 was detected as the predominant respiratory quinone. The main polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, aminophospholipid and four unidentified lipids. Based on its phenotypic characteristics and the results of genotypic analyses, we propose that strain LAM9072 T represents a novel species, for which the name Photobacteriumsalinisoli sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is LAM9072 T (=ACCC 19961 T =JCM 30852 T ).

Background: Succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase (SSADH) deficiency is a rare autosomal recessively-inherited defect of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) metabolism. The absence of SSADH, which is encoded by aldehyde dehydrogenase family 5 member A1 (ALDH5A1) gene, leads to the accumulation of GABA and γ-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB). Few cases with SSADH deficiency were reported in China., Case Presentation: In this study, four Chinese patients were diagnosed with SSADH deficiency in Tianjin Children's Hospital. We conducted a multidimensional analysis with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the head, semi quantitative detection of urine organic acid using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and analysis of ALDH5A1 gene mutations. Two of the patients were admitted to the hospital due to convulsions, and all patients were associated with developmental delay. Cerebral MRI showed symmetrical hyperintense signal of bilateral globus pallidus and basal ganglia in patient 1; hyperintensity of bilateral frontal-parietal lobe, widened ventricle and sulci in patient 2; and widened ventricle and sulci in patient 4. Electroencephalogram (EEG) revealed the background activity of epilepsy in patient 1 and the disappearance of sleep spindle in patient 2. Urine organic acid analysis revealed elevated GHB in all the patients. Mutational analysis, which was performed by sequencing the 10 exons and flanking the intronic regions of ALDH5A1 gene for all the patients, revealed mutations at five sites. Two cases had homozygous mutations with c.1529C > T and c.800 T > G respectively, whereas the remaining two had different compound heterozygous mutations including c.527G > A/c.691G > A and c.1344-2delA/c.1529C > T. Although these four mutations have been described previously, the homozygous mutation of c.800 T > G in ALDH5A1 gene is a novel discovery., Conclusion: SSADH deficiency is diagnosed based on the elevated GHB and 4, 5DHHA by urinary organic acid analysis. We describe a novel mutation p.V267G (c.800 T > G) located in the NAD binding domain, which is possibly crucial for this disease's severity. Our study expands the mutation spectrum of ALDH5A1 and highlights the importance of molecular genetic evaluation in patients with SSADH deficiency.

Objective: To explore the molecular etiology for a Chinese family affected with beta-ureidopropinoase deficiency., Methods: Genomic DNA was extracted from the peripheral blood samples of family members. All exons and flanking intron regions of the UPB1 gene were amplified by PCR and detected by direct sequencing. The pathogenicity of identified mutation was analyzed using Polyphen2 and SIFT software., Results: Compound heterozygous mutations of the UPB1 gene, including c.853G>A (p.A285T) and c.917-1G>A, were discovered in the proband, which were inherited respectively from his mother and father. Bioinformatics analysis suggested that this novel mutation was damaging., Conclusion: The compound heterozygous mutations of the UPB1 gene probably underlie the beta-ureidopropinoase deficiency in the infant. Discovery of c.853G>A also enriched the mutation spectrum of the UPB1 gene.

A taxonomic study was performed on strain LCB256 T , which was isolated from a saline-alkali soil sample taken from northwestern China. Cells of strain LCB256 T were Gram-stain-positive, aerobic, rod-shaped and grew at 3-17 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum 10-15 %), 10-52 °C (optimum 25-30 °C) and pH 7.0-9.0 (optimum 8.0). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain LCB256 T was most closely related to the two genera of Ornithinibacillus and Oceanobacillus, showing highest sequence similarity to Oceanobacillus limi KCTC 13823 T (97.8 %) and Ornithinibacillus bavariensis WSBC 24001 T (97.2 %). The peptidoglycan amino acid type was found to be A4β and the major respiratory quinone was determined to be MK-7. The polar lipid profile of strain LCB256 T contained diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, one unidentified phospholipid and two unidentified aminolipids. The dominant cellular fatty acids were anteiso-C15 : 0 and iso-C15 : 0. The G+C content of genomic DNA was 39.3 mol%. DNA-DNA relatedness values between strain LCB256 T and Ornithinibacillus halophilus KCTC 13822 T and Oceanobacillus limi KCTC 13823 T were 46.2 and 34.8 %, respectively. Based on this polyphasic taxonomic study, a novel species of the genus Ornithinibacillus, Ornithinibacillussalinisoli sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is LCB256 T (=CGMCC 1.15809 T =KCTC 33862 T ).

Objective: To detect potential mutation in a Chinese family affected with succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase deficiency., Methods: Genomic DNA was extracted from the peripheral blood samples of the proband, her family members and 100 healthy controls. All exons and flanking intronic regions of the ALDH5A1 gene were amplified by PCR and subjected to direct sequencing., Results: The proband was found to have compound heterozygous mutations of the ALDH5A1 gene, namely c.398&#95;399delAA (p.N134X) and c.638G>T (p.R213L), for which her parents were both heterozygous carriers. The same mutations were not found among the 100 healthy controls., Conclusion: The novel mutations of the ALDH5A1 gene probably underlie the pathogenesis of the disease in the infant, which also enriched the mutation spectrum of the ALDH5A1 gene.

A Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, rod-shaped, non-motile bacterial strain, designated SCU-B140T, was isolated from the insect Teleogryllus occipitalis. Phylogenetic analysis on the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence showed that strain SCU-B140T belonged to the genus Sphingobacterium. Sphingobacterium bambusae KCTC 22814T (97.87 %) was identified as the most closely related phylogenetic neighbour of strain SCU-B140T. The novel strain was able to grow at salt concentrations of 0-4 % (w/v), at temperatures of 10-40 °C, and at a pH of 6.0-9.0. The major cellular fatty acids were iso-C15 : 0, summed feature 3 (iso-C15 : 0 2-OH and/or C16 : 1ω7c), C16 : 0, C16 : 0 3-OH, C18 : 0 and C14 : 0. The major polar lipids consisted of phosphatidylethanolamine, three unknown aminophospholipids, an unknown glycolipid and three unknown polar lipids. MK-7 was the major isoprenoid quinone. The DNA G+C content was 41.2 mol%. The DNA-DNA relatedness value between SCU-B140T and S. bambusae KCTC 22814T was found to be 30.15 %. According to these results, strain SCU-B140T represents a novel species of the genus Sphingobacterium, for which the name Sphingobacterium griseoflavum sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is SCU-B140T ( = KCTC 42158T = CGMCC 1.12966T).

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to investigate mutations of the UPB1 gene in two Chinese families with β-ureidopropionase deficiency and the heterozygous carrier frequency in Chinese., Methods: Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood leukocytes from all available family members and 500 unrelated healthy controls. Then, all exons and flanking intron regions of the UPB1 gene were amplified by PCR and analyzed by direct sequencing in two patient-families. Finally, the carrier frequency of the c.977G>A (p.R326Q) mutation was identified by PCR restriction fragment length polymorphism in 500 healthy controls., Results: The two patients had the same homozygous missense mutation in exon 9 (c.977G>A; p.R326Q), and the carrier frequency of this mutation was 2.8 % in the Northern Chinese population, which suggests that about 1:5,102 Chinese are expected to suffer from UPB1 deficiency., Conclusions: The c.977G>A (p.R326Q) is the most common mutation of the UPB1 gene in Chinese. The predicted incidence indicates that β-ureidopropionase deficiency is significantly underdiagnosed in the Chinese population. It should be necessary to add β-ureidopropionase deficiency to high-risk screening for the symptomatic patients group.

In this study, 53 Chinese COPD moderate outpatients and 50 health controls, matched for age, family income and education level, were recruited to assess the prevalence of Alexithymia and its relationship to socio-demographic factors and pulmonary function. Alexithymia was measured with 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). The patients' socio-demographic variables and the forced expiratory volume in one second percentage of predicted (FEV(1)% predicted) were recorded. The results indicated that alexithymia was significantly more common in the Chinese COPD patients than in controls. Male patients presented higher TAS-20 total scores and externally oriented thinking (EOT) scores than the females. Elder age and higher family income were connected with the patients' lower TAS-20 indexes (except for difficulty identify feeling [DIF]). All the TAS-20 indexes were negatively associated with FEV(1)% predicted. These findings suggested that, in the management of COPD, alexithymia feature should not be ignored and the appropriate psychotherapeutic treatment for Alexithymia should be applied., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Five new streptothricin derivatives with a carbamoyl group substituted at C-12 (1-5) and three known analogues have been isolated from the culture broth of Streptomyces sp. I08A 1776 by ion exchange and hydrophilic interaction chromatographic techniques. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic and chemical methods. Compound 3 was a streptothricin derivative possessing a cis-streptolidine moiety. Its absolute configuration was defined by comparison of quantum chemical TDDFT calculated and experimental ECD spectra. Compound 5 and streptothricin E (6) displayed antibacterial and antifungal activity with MIC values in the range 1-64 μg/mL.