Prevalence and influencing factors of anaemia among pregnant women in rural areas of Northwestern China

OBJECTIVES

Anaemia during pregnancy is a significant public health problem that adversely impacts both the mother and foetus. However, the factors influencing maternal anaemia in deprived areas of Northwestern China have not yet been thoroughly investigated. This study aimed to describe the prevalence and potential influencing factors of anaemia among expectant mothers in rural areas of Northwestern China.

STUDY DESIGN

This was a cross-sectional survey.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey of 586 expectant mothers was conducted to investigate the prevalence of anaemia, prenatal healthcare coverage, dietary diversity and nutrient supplementation intake. The study population was selected from the sample areas using a random sampling method. Data were collected through a questionnaire, and haemoglobin concentrations were measured by a capillary blood test.

RESULTS

The results show that 34.8% of the study population were anaemic, with 13% having moderate-to-severe anaemia. The results of the regression analysis showed that diet was not significantly associated with haemoglobin concentrations or the prevalence of anaemia. However, regular prenatal healthcare attendance was found to be an important influencing factor for both haemoglobin concentration (β = 3.67, P = 0.002) and the prevalence of anaemia (odds ratio = 0.59, P = 0.011).

CONCLUSIONS

Pregnant women receiving regular prenatal care were less likely to be anaemic; thus, it is essential to implement strategies to improve attendance at maternal public health services to reduce the prevalence of maternal anaemia.

RENEB Inter-Laboratory Comparison 2021: The Gene Expression Assay

Early and high-throughput individual dose estimates are essential following large-scale radiation exposure events. In the context of the Running the European Network for Biodosimetry and Physical Dosimetry (RENEB) 2021 exercise, gene expression assays were conducted and their corresponding performance for dose-assessment is presented in this publication. Three blinded, coded whole blood samples from healthy donors were exposed to 0, 1.2 and 3.5 Gy X-ray doses (240 kVp, 1 Gy/min) using the X-ray source Yxlon. These exposures correspond to clinically relevant groups of unexposed, low dose (no severe acute health effects expected) and high dose exposed individuals (requiring early intensive medical health care). Samples were sent to eight teams for dose estimation and identification of clinically relevant groups. For quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and microarray analyses, samples were lysed, stored at 20°C and shipped on wet ice. RNA isolations and assays were run in each laboratory according to locally established protocols. The time-to-result for both rough early and more precise later reports has been documented where possible. Accuracy of dose estimates was calculated as the difference between estimated and reference doses for all doses (summed absolute difference, SAD) and by determining the number of correctly reported dose estimates that were defined as ±0.5 Gy for reference doses <2.5 Gy and ±1.0 Gy for reference doses >3 Gy, as recommended for triage dosimetry. We also examined the allocation of dose estimates to clinically/diagnostically relevant exposure groups. Altogether, 105 dose estimates were reported by the eight teams, and the earliest report times on dose categories and estimates were 5 h and 9 h, respectively. The coefficient of variation for 85% of all 436 qRT-PCR measurements did not exceed 10%. One team reported dose estimates that systematically deviated several-fold from reported dose estimates, and these outliers were excluded from further analysis. Teams employing a combination of several genes generated about two-times lower median SADs (0.8 Gy) compared to dose estimates based on single genes only (1.7 Gy). When considering the uncertainty intervals for triage dosimetry, dose estimates of all teams together were correctly reported in 100% of the 0 Gy, 50% of the 1.2 Gy and 50% of the 3.5 Gy exposed samples. The order of dose estimates (from lowest to highest) corresponding to three dose categories (unexposed, low dose and highest exposure) were correctly reported by all teams and all chosen genes or gene combinations. Furthermore, if teams reported no exposure or an exposure >3.5 Gy, it was always correctly allocated to the unexposed and the highly exposed group, while low exposed (1.2 Gy) samples sometimes could not be discriminated from highly (3.5 Gy) exposed samples. All teams used FDXR and 78.1% of correct dose estimates used FDXR as one of the predictors. Still, the accuracy of reported dose estimates based on FDXR differed considerably among teams with one team's SAD (0.5 Gy) being comparable to the dose accuracy employing a combination of genes. Using the workflow of this reference team, we performed additional experiments after the exercise on residual RNA and cDNA sent by six teams to the reference team. All samples were processed similarly with the intention to improve the accuracy of dose estimates when employing the same workflow. Re-evaluated dose estimates improved for half of the samples and worsened for the others. In conclusion, this inter-laboratory comparison exercise enabled (1) identification of technical problems and corrections in preparations for future events, (2) confirmed the early and high-throughput capabilities of gene expression, (3) emphasized different biodosimetry approaches using either only FDXR or a gene combination, (4) indicated some improvements in dose estimation with FDXR when employing a similar methodology, which requires further research for the final conclusion and (5) underlined the applicability of gene expression for identification of unexposed and highly exposed samples, supporting medical management in radiological or nuclear scenarios.

Rehybridization dynamics into the pericyclic minimum of an electrocyclic reaction imaged in real-time

Electrocyclic reactions are characterized by the concerted formation and cleavage of both σ and π bonds through a cyclic structure. This structure is known as a pericyclic transition state for thermal reactions and a pericyclic minimum in the excited state for photochemical reactions. However, the structure of the pericyclic geometry has yet to be observed experimentally. We use a combination of ultrafast electron diffraction and excited state wavepacket simulations to image structural dynamics through the pericyclic minimum of a photochemical electrocyclic ring-opening reaction in the molecule α-terpinene. The structural motion into the pericyclic minimum is dominated by rehybridization of two carbon atoms, which is required for the transformation from two to three conjugated π bonds. The σ bond dissociation largely happens after internal conversion from the pericyclic minimum to the electronic ground state. These findings may be transferrable to electrocyclic reactions in general.

Characteristics of atmospheric ice nucleating particles over East Antarctica retrieved from the surface snow

The concentration of ice nucleating particles (INPs) in the atmosphere is critical for understanding cloud microphysics and predicting the climate system. In this study, we collected surface snow samples along a traverse route from the coastal to the inland of East Antarctica to analyze INP concentration and identify its spatial variations using a droplet freezing device. The overall concentration of INPs was found to be considerably low along the route, averaging at 0.8 ± 0.8 × 10⁵ L^-1 in water and 4.2 ± 4.8 × 10^-3 L^-1 in air at -20 °C. Although coastal areas had higher levels of sea salt species compared to inland regions, the concentration of INPs remained consistent along the route suggesting less important origination of INPs from the around ocean. Additionally, the heating experiment revealed the important contribution of proteinaceous INPs indicating the presence of biological INPs (bio-INPs). The fraction of bio-INPs was 0.52 on average at -20 °C and ranged from 0.1 to 0.7 from -30 °C to -15 °C. Finally, we parameterize the atmospheric INP concentrations as a function of freezing temperature which can be useful for modeling INP concentrations in this region.

[Hypercapnia under controlled mechanical ventilation in patients with high-risk acute pulmonary thromboembolism]

Objective: To evaluate the variation of arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO₂) in patients with high-risk pulmonary embolism under mechanical ventilation. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the cases of high-risk pulmonary embolism who underwent intravenous thrombolysis in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 1, 2012, to May 1, 2022. The enrolled patients were divided into a mechanical-ventilated group and an active-breathing group according to whether they received invasive mechanical ventilation or not. The level of PaCO₂ under active breathing between the two groups, the changes in PaCO₂ before intubation, after intubation and after thrombolysis in the mechanical-ventilated group were compared. The 14-day all-cause mortality of the two groups was calculated and compared. Results: A total of 49 patients with high-risk pulmonary embolism were enrolled, including 22 patients in the mechanical-ventilated group and 27 patients in the active-breathing group. Before intubation, PaCO₂ in both groups was lower than normal without statistically significant difference between the two groups. After effective thrombolysis therapy, PaCO₂ in both groups recovered to the normal range. In the mechanical-ventilated group, PaCO₂ significantly increased 11-147 min after intubation and returned to the normal range after thrombolysis therapy. The 14-day mortality in the mechanical-ventilated group was 54.5%, while all patients in the active-breathing group survived. Conclusions: Under mechanical controlled ventilation, patients with high-risk pulmonary embolism could represent hypercapnia which resolved after effective thrombolytic therapy. In mechanical ventilated patients with sudden-onset hypoxemia and hypercapnia, the possibility of high-risk pulmonary embolism should be considered.

[HIV self-testing and related factors in men who have sex with men in Shijiazhuang]

Objective: To understand HIV self-testing and related factors in men who have sex with men (MSM) in Shijiazhuang. Methods: From August to September 2020, convenient sampling was used to recruit MSM in Shijiazhuang. Online questionnaires were used to collect information about their demographic characteristics, sexual behaviors and HIV self-testing. logistic regression model was used to analyze the related factors associated with HIV self-testing. Results: In the 304 MSM respondents, 52.3% (159/304) had HIV self-testing in the past 6 months, and 95.0% (151/159) used fingertip blood HIV detection reagent. Self-purchase was the main way to obtain HIV testing reagents (45.9%, 73/159), followed by supply from MSM social organization (44.7%, 71/159). The reasons for having HIV self-testing were non-specific testing time (67.9%, 108/159) and privacy protection (62.9%,100/159), the reasons for having no HIV self-testing included inability of using (32.4%, 47/145), being unaware of HIV self-testing reagent (24.1%, 35/145), and worry about inaccurate self-testing results (19.3%, 28/145). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that being 18-29 years old (aOR=2.68, 95%CI: 1.20-5.94), obtaining free HIV self-testing kits in recent 6 months (aOR=8.61, 95%CI: 4.09-18.11) and making friends through Internet and social software (aOR=2.68, 95%CI: 1.48-4.88) were positive factors for having HIV self-testing. Conclusion: HIV self-testing is a more flexible and convenient way to detect HIV in MSM, and the promotion of HIV self-testing in MSM should be strengthened to further increase the HIV detection rate in this population.

Enhanced bromine fixation and tar lightweighting in co-pyrolysis of non-metallic fractions of waste printed circuit boards with Bayer red mud

A co-pyrolysis process for non-metallic fractions (NMFs) from WPCBs with Bayer red mud (RM) is proposed to upgrade pyrolysis products in this study. High bromine fixation efficiency was realized, and higher content of lightweight pyrolysis tar was obtained. The mechanism of catalytic pyrolysis and simultaneous bromine fixation of NMFs by RM was investigated by experiments and theoretical calculations. The three inorganic components of Fe₂O₃, CaCO₃ and Al₂O₃ in RM played key roles in the catalytic pyrolysis of NMFs, and their order of catalytic debromination effect was CaCO₃ > Fe₂O₃ > Al₂O₃. By adding 15 wt% RM, the pyrolysis solid residue could fix 89.55 wt% bromine, compared with 35.42 wt% of NMFs without adding RM, due to the formation of FeBr₂ and CaBr₂ from Fe₂O₃ and CaCO₃ in RM, respectively. Tar lightweighting was realized by reducing the energy barrier of the direct decomposition of tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) in NMFs. The order of effect of the three key components on the tar lightweighting was Fe₂O₃ > Al₂O₃ > CaCO₃. The content of lightweight tar in the tar obtained by catalytic pyrolysis of NMFs with 15 wt% RM was 44.29% higher than that in the tar obtained by direct pyrolysis of NMFs. This work provides a theoretical guidance for the low-cost and eco-friendly recycling of e-wastes by co-pyrolysis with RM.

DWI-Based Radiomics Predicts the Functional Outcome of Endovascular Treatment in Acute Basilar Artery Occlusion

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Endovascular treatment is a reference treatment for acute basilar artery occlusion (ABAO). However, no established and specific methods are available for the preoperative screening of patients with ABAO suitable for endovascular treatment. This study explores the potential value of DWI-based radiomics in predicting the functional outcomes of endovascular treatment in ABAO.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Patients with ABAO treated with endovascular treatment from the BASILAR registry (91 patients in the training cohort) and the hospitals in the Northwest of China (31 patients for the external testing cohort) were included in this study. The Mann-Whitney U test, random forests algorithm, and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator were used to reduce the feature dimension. A machine learning model was developed on the basis of the training cohort to predict the prognosis of endovascular treatment. The performance of the model was evaluated on the independent external testing cohort.

RESULTS

A subset of radiomics features (n = 6) was used to predict the functional outcomes in patients with ABAO. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the radiomics model were 0.870 and 0.781 in the training cohort and testing cohort, respectively. The accuracy of the radiomics model was 77.4%, with a sensitivity of 78.9%, specificity of 75%, positive predictive value of 83.3%, and negative predictive value of 69.2% in the testing cohort.

CONCLUSIONS

DWI-based radiomics can predict the prognosis of endovascular treatment in patients with ABAO, hence allowing a potentially better selection of patients who are most likely to benefit from this treatment.

Anti-inflammatory effect of Irisin on LPS-stimulated macrophages through inhibition of MAPK pathway

This study aimed to investigate the effect of irisin on LPS-induced inflammation in RAW 264.7 macrophages through inhibition of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. A network pharmacology-based approach, combined with molecular docking and in vitro validation were performed to identify the biological activity, key targets, and potential pharmacological mechanisms of irisin against LPS-induced inflammation. By matching 100 potential genes of irisin with 1893 ulcerative colitis (UC) related genes, 51 common genes were obtained. Using protein-protein interaction networks (PPI) and component-target network analysis,10 core genes of irisin on UC were further identified. The results of gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis showed that the molecular mechanisms of irisin on UC were mainly related to major enrichment in the categories of response to xenobiotic stimulus, response to the drug, and negative regulation of gene expression. Molecular docking results showed good binding activity for almost all core component targets. More importantly, MTT assay and flow cytometry results showed that LPS-induced cytotoxicity was reversed by irisin, after coincubation with irisin, the level of IL-12 and IL-23 decreased in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages. Irisin pretreatment significantly inhibited the phosphorylation of ERK and AKT and increased the expression of PPAR alpha and PPAR gamma. LPS-induced enhancement of phagocytosis and cell clearance were reversed by irisin pretreatment. Irisin ameliorated LPS-induced inflammation by inhibiting cytotoxicity and apoptosis, and this protective effect may be mediated through the MAPK pathway. These findings confirmed our prediction that irisin plays an anti-inflammatory role in LPS-induced inflammation via the MAPK pathway.

Anti-inflammatory effect of Irisin on LPS-stimulated macrophages through inhibition of MAPK pathway

This study aimed to investigate the effect of irisin on LPS-induced inflammation in RAW 264.7 macrophages through inhibition of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. A network pharmacology-based approach, combined with molecular docking and in vitro validation were performed to identify the biological activity, key targets, and potential pharmacological mechanisms of irisin against LPS-induced inflammation. By matching 100 potential genes of irisin with 1893 ulcerative colitis (UC) related genes, 51 common genes were obtained. Using protein-protein interaction networks (PPI) and component-target network analysis,10 core genes of irisin on UC were further identified. The results of gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis showed that the molecular mechanisms of irisin on UC were mainly related to major enrichment in the categories of response to xenobiotic stimulus, response to the drug, and negative regulation of gene expression. Molecular docking results showed good binding activity for almost all core component targets. More importantly, MTT assay and flow cytometry results showed that LPS-induced cytotoxicity was reversed by irisin, after coincubation with irisin, the level of IL-12 and IL-23 decreased in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages. Irisin pretreatment significantly inhibited the phosphorylation of ERK and AKT and increased the expression of PPAR alpha and PPAR gamma. LPS-induced enhancement of phagocytosis and cell clearance were reversed by irisin pretreatment. Irisin ameliorated LPS-induced inflammation by inhibiting cytotoxicity and apoptosis, and this protective effect may be mediated through the MAPK pathway. These findings confirmed our prediction that irisin plays an anti-inflammatory role in LPS-induced inflammation via the MAPK pathway.

Peroxymonosulfate activated by natural porphyrin derivatives for rapid degradation of organic pollutants via singlet oxygen and high-valent iron-oxo species

The activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) by sodium ferric chlorophyllin (SFC), a natural porphyrin derivative extracted from chlorophyll-rich substances, was systematically investigated for facile degradation of bisphenol A (BPA). SFC/PMS is capable of degrading 97.5% of BPA in the first 10 min with the initial BPA concentration of 20 mg/L and pH = 3, whereas conventional Fe²⁺/PMS could only remove 22.6% of BPA under identical conditions. It demonstrates a prominent flexibility to a broad pH range of 3-11 with complete pollutant degradation. A remarkable tolerance toward concomitant high concentration of inorganic anions (100 mM) was also observed, among which (bi)carbonates can even accelerate the degradation. The nonradical oxidation species, including high-valent iron-oxo porphyrin species and ¹O₂, are identified as dominant species. Particularly, the generation and participation of ¹O₂ in the reaction is evidenced by experimental and theoretical methods, which is vastly different from the previous study. The specific activation mechanism is unveiled by density functional theory (DFT) calculations and ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations. The results shed light on effective PMS activation by iron (III) porphyrin and the proposed natural porphyrin derivative would be a promising candidate for efficient abatement of recalcitrant pollutants toward complicated aqueous media in wastewater treatment.

[Analysis on the trends of incidence and age change for global female breast cancer]

Objective: To analyze the trends of incidence and age change for global female breast cancer in different regions of the world according to the database from Cancer Incidence in Five Continents Time Trends (CI5plus) published by the International Association of Cancer Registries (IACR). Methods: The recorded annual female breast cancer (ICD-10: C50) incidence data and corresponding population at-risk data (1998-2012) were extracted from CI5plus published by IACR. The annual change percentage and average annual change percentage (AAPC) were calculated to examine the trends of incidence. The age-standardized mean age at diagnosis and proportion of incidence cases by age were calculated to analyze the relationship between incidence and age. Results: For crude incidence, except in Northern America, all other regions showed an upward trend, with Asia showing the most obvious upward trend (AAPC: 4.1%, 95% CI: 3.9%, 4.3%). For age-standardized incidence, in Asia, Latin America and Europe, the rising trends had slowed down, in Oceania and Africa, the trends began to be stable, and in Northern America, the trend showed a downward trend (APPC: -0.6%; 95% CI: -1.0%, -0.1%). The mean age at diagnosis were increased from 1998 to 2012 in Asia, Latin America, Oceania and Europe, with an annual increase of 0.12 years, 0.09 years, 0.04 years and 0.03 years, respectively. But after age-standardized, only Europe still kept increasing year by year, with an annual increase of 0.02 years, while Northern America showed a decreasing trend, with an annual decrease of about 0.03 years. Conclusions: From 1998 to 2012, the trends of incidence and age change for global female breast cancer vary in different regions of the world, and the global population aging is widespread, which affects the trend of the actual age change. Prevention and control strategies should be targeted at different age groups in different regions.

Novel PbO@C composite material directly derived from spent lead-acid batteries by one-step spray pyrolysis process

A one-step spray pyrolysis process is investigated for the first time in the field of spent lead-acid batteries (LABs) recycling. The spent lead paste that derived from spent LAB is desulfurized and then leached to generate the lead acetate (Pb(Ac)₂) solution, which is then sprayed directly into a tube furnace to prepare the lead oxide (PbO) product by pyrolysis. The low-impurity lead oxide product (9 mg/kg Fe and 1 mg/kg Ba) is obtained under the optimized conditions (the temperature of 700 °C, the pumping rate of 50 L/h, and the spray rate of 0.5 mL/min). The major crystalline phases of the synthesized products are identified to be α-PbO and β-PbO. In the spray pyrolysis process, Pb(Ac)₂ droplets are sequentially transformed into various intermediate products: H₂O(g)@Pb(Ac)₂ solution, Pb(Ac)₂ crystals@PbO, and the final PbO@C product. Owning its carbon skeleton structure, the recovered PbO@C product (carbon content of 0.14%) shows better performance than the commercial ball-milled lead oxide powder in battery tests, with higher initial capacity and better cycling stability. This study could provide a strategy for the short-route recovery of spent LABs.

[Activation of JAK/STAT in ovarian high-grade serous cancers and its prognostic significance]

OBJECTIVE

The activation of Janus kinase (JAK) and signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) plays an important role in the prognosis and targeted therapy of ovarian high-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC). Utilizing simple and practicable technique, this study aimed to evaluate the activation of JAK/STAT signaling pathway in ovarian HGSC patients, and investigated the correlation between the activation of JAK/STAT signaling pathway and the prognosis of the HGSC patients.

METHODS

We performed immunohistochemistry of phosphorylated STAT3 (pSTAT3) and phosphorylated STAT5 (pSTAT5) on paraffin imbedded slides of 73 ovarian HGSC patients, and evaluated the expression level and range of both markers. According to the grading score of the immunostaining of pSTAT3 and pSTAT5, we divided the 73 ovarian HGSC cases into STAT3 low/high expression and STAT5 low/high expression groups, and analyzed the prognosis of the patients in different groups, in order to explore the relationship between the expression of pSTAT3 and pSTAT5 proteins and the prognosis of the HGSC patients.

RESULTS

Some of the ovarian HGSC cases showed high expression of pSTAT3 and pSTAT5 protein level, which was related to the poorer prognosis of the HGSC patients. There was a significant difference in the expression level of pSTAT3 and pSTAT5 between the patients with better prognosis (survival time ≥3 years) and poorer prognosis (survival time < 3 years). The patients with higher protein expression of pSTAT3, pSTAT5 or both markers might have poorer prognosis, with significant shorter progression-free survival time and overall survival time (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Immunostaining of pSTAT3 and pSTAT5 proteins might be helpful to evaluate and predict the prognosis of the ovarian HGSC patients, and to identify the patients who might have higher chances to respond to the STAT inhibitors and anti-angiogenesis therapy.

A sustainable strategy for recovery of phosphorus as vivianite from sewage sludge via alkali-activated pyrolysis, water leaching and crystallization

A sustainable strategy for P recovery from sewage sludge via alkali-activated pyrolysis, water leaching and crystallization was proposed, and a high value-added product of vivianite was recovered. Effects of the type and dose of alkali activator on P transformation during sludge pyrolysis were investigated. 50 wt% dose of KHCO₃ was determined as the alkali-activated pyrolysis condition. The content of water-soluble P (referred to as Water-P) in biochar derived from raw sludge (referred to as RS) and ferric sludge (Fenton's reagent conditioned sludge, referred to as FS) by KHCO₃-activated pyrolysis at different temperatures was compared. The Fe element in the Fenton's reagent enhanced the content of Fe-bound P in the dewatered sludge, which was readily transformed into potassium phosphate during KHCO₃-activated pyrolysis, thus increasing the Water-P content in the biochar derived from FS. The proportions of Water-P to total P in the biochar samples obtained by KHCO₃-activated pyrolysis of RS and FS at 600 °C were 72.5% and 96.2%, respectively, which were notably higher than those in the biochar samples obtained by direct pyrolysis of RS and FS (3.5% and 0.5%), respectively. The water leaching solution of biochar obtained by KHCO₃-activated pyrolysis of FS at 600 °C was purified to remove impurity elements, and vivianite with high purity was finally recovered by crystallization. A total P recovery efficiency of 88.08% was achieved throughout the process from sewage sludge to the final vivianite product. This study proposes a promising and sustainable approach for realizing the recovery of high value-added product vivianite from sewage sludge.

[The relationship between classroom environment and myopia]

Objective: Based on a cohort and intervention study of the Eastern Chinese Student Surveillance, Cohort and Intervention Study (ES-SCI), this research aims to explore the correlation between monitor of the school environment and longitudinal data on myopia and provide evidence for the government myopia intervention strategy. Methods: This survey adopts the stratified cluster sampling method with the school as the unit. Students from grade 1 to grade 3 were selected according to the whole class to monitor the school environment in the classroom. Students will use the full-automatic computer optometer (TOPCON RM800) to conduct optometry from 2019 to 2021 under the condition of mydriasis to perform refractive eye examinations. Meantime eye axis length monitoring was also conducted. Cox proportional risk regression model was used to explore the relationship between school environmental monitoring and the occurrence and development of students' myopia. Results: From 2019 to 2021, 2 670 students from 77 classrooms participated in the observation study. The students' diopter after right/left eye mydriasis decreased in varying degrees (P<0.001), and the axial length of the right/left eye increased in various degrees (P<0.001). The weighted qualified rate of per capita area of primary school classrooms increased from 18.0% in 2019 to 26.0% in 2021, the weighted average illuminance pass rate of blackboard surface increased from 23.8% in 2019 to 26.4% in 2021, and the weighted average illuminance pass rate of classroom table decreased from 86.7% in 2019 to 77.5% in 2021. The trend chi-square test was significant (P<0.05). Cox proportional risk regression showed that after correcting for the grade, gender, parental myopia, diet, sleep, near work (sitting posture, working time, electronic mobile equipment, eye exercises), and outdoor activities, the per capita area of 1.36- m² was the protective factor of eye axis length (HR=0.778, 95%CI: 0.659-0.918, P=0.003); The average reflection ratio of blackboard 0.15-0.19 was the protective factor of eye axis length (HR=0.685, 95%CI: 0.592-0.793, P<0.001); The average illumination of the blackboard 150-, 300-, 500- lx was the protective factor of the eye axis length (HR=0.456, 95%CI: 0.534-0.761, P<0.001; HR=0.794, 95%CI: 0.705-0.895, P<0.001; HR=0.690, 95%CI: 0.619-0.768, P<0.001). The blackboard evenness 0.40-0.59 was the risk factor of eye axis length (HR=1.528, 95%CI: 1.018-2.293, P=0.041), and the blackboard evenness 0.80- was the protection factor of eye axis length (HR=0.542, 95%CI: 0.404-0.726, P<0.001). The evenness of the desktop 0.40-0.59 was the protective factor of eye axis length (HR=0.820, 95%CI: 0.698-0.965, P=0.017). The average illuminance of 150-, 300-, 500- lx was the protective factor of a diopter (HR=0.638, 95%CI: 0.534-0.761, P<0.001; HR=0.911, 95%CI: 0.848-0.978, P=0.011; HR=0.750, 95%CI: 0.702-0.801, P<0.001). The average illumination of desktop 500- lx was a protective factor of a diopter (HR=0.855, 95%CI: 0.763-0.958, P=0.007). Conclusion: School environmental monitoring indicators, such as meeting per capita area standards, passing blackboard, and desk top-related indicators, all play protective effects on myopia development in students.

Microplastics in different water samples (seawater, freshwater, and wastewater): Removal efficiency of membrane treatment processes

The distribution and fate of microplastics in different water sources and their treatment plants (seawater, three municipal wastewaters, a pharmaceutical factory wastewater, and three drinking waters) in France were studied. Currently, research in this field is still under exploration since almost no relevant standards or policies have been introduced for the detection, the removal, or the discharge of microplastics. This study used an improved quantitative and qualitative analytical methodology for microplastic detection by μ-FTIR carried out with siMPle analytical software. By investigation, wastewater was determined to contain the most abundant microplastics in quantity (4,203-42,000 MP·L^-1), then followed by surface water/groundwater (153-19,836 MP·L^-1) and seawater (around 420 MP·L^-1). Polyethylene was the dominant material in almost all water types followed by polypropylene, polystyrene, and polyethylene terephthalate. Almost all treatment technologies could remove microplastics whatever the feed water types and concentration of microplastics, though some treatment processes or transport pipes could cause additional contamination from microplastics. The four WWTPs, three DWTPs, and SWTP in France provided, respectively, 87.8-99.8%, 82.3-99.9%, 69.0-96.0% removal/retention of MPs in quantity, and provided 97.3-100%, 91.9-99.9%, 92.2-98.1% removal/retention of MPs in surface area. Moreover, ultrafiltration was confirmed to be an effective technology for microplastic retention and control of dimensions of microplastics in smaller ranges both in field-scale and lab-scale experiments. The 200 kDa ultrafiltration membrane could retain 70-100% and 80-100% of microplastics in quantity and in surface area, respectively.

Microplastics in different water samples (seawater, freshwater, and wastewater): Methodology approach for characterization using micro-FTIR spectroscopy

Microplastics of millimeter dimensions have been widely investigated in environmental compartments and today, studies are mainly focused on particles of smaller dimensions (< 500 µm). However, as there are no relevant standards or policies for the preparation and analysis of complex water samples containing such particles, the results may be questionable. Therefore, a methodological approach for 10 µm to 500 µm microplastic analysis was developed using μ-FTIR spectroscopy coupled with the siMPle analytical software. This was undertaken on different water samples (sea, fresh, and wastewater) taking into consideration rinsing water, digestion protocols, collection of microplastics, and sample characteristics. Ultrapure water was the optimal rinsing water and ethanol was also proposed with a mandatory previous filtration. Although water quality could give some guidelines for the selection of digestion protocols, it is not the only decisive factor. The methodology approach by μ-FTIR spectroscopy was finally assessed to be effective and reliable. This improved quantitative and qualitative analytical methodology for microplastic detection can then be used to assess the removal efficiency of conventional and membrane treatment processes in different water treatment plants.

Mild Fractionation for More Sustainable Food Ingredients

With the rising problems of food shortages, energy costs, and raw materials, the food industry must reduce its environmental impact. We present an overview of more resource-efficient processes to produce food ingredients, describing their environmental impact and the functional properties obtained. Extensive wet processing yields high purities but also has the highest environmental impact, mainly due to heating for protein precipitation and dehydration. Milder wet alternatives exclude, for example, low pH-driven separation and are based on salt precipitation or water only. Drying steps are omitted during dry fractionation using air classification or electrostatic separation. Benefits of milder methods are enhanced functional properties. Therefore, fractionation and formulation should be focused on the desired functionality instead of purity. Environmental impact is also strongly reduced by milder refining. Antinutritional factors and off-flavors remain challenges in more mildly produced ingredients. The benefits of less refining motivate the increasing trend toward mildly refined ingredients.

CXCR2 expression during melanoma tumorigenesis controls transcriptional programs that facilitate tumor growth

Background

Though the CXCR2 chemokine receptor is known to play a key role in cancer growth and response to therapy, a direct link between expression of CXCR2 in tumor progenitor cells during induction of tumorigenesis has not been established.

Methods

To characterize the role of CXCR2 during melanoma tumorigenesis, we generated tamoxifen-inducible tyrosinase-promoter driven Braf ^V600E /Pten ^-/- /Cxcr2 ^-/- and NRas ^Q61R /INK4a ^-/- /Cxcr2 ^-/- melanoma models. In addition, the effects of a CXCR1/CXCR2 antagonist, SX-682, on melanoma tumorigenesis were evaluated in Braf ^V600E /Pten ^-/- and NRas ^Q61R /INK4a ^-/- mice and in melanoma cell lines. Potential mechanisms by which Cxcr2 affects melanoma tumorigenesis in these murine models were explored using RNAseq, mMCP-counter, ChIPseq, and qRT-PCR; flow cytometry, and reverse phosphoprotein analysis (RPPA).

Results

Genetic loss of Cxcr2 or pharmacological inhibition of CXCR1/CXCR2 during melanoma tumor induction resulted in key changes in gene expression that reduced tumor incidence/growth and increased anti-tumor immunity. Interestingly, after Cxcr2 ablation, Tfcp2l1 , a key tumor suppressive transcription factor, was the only gene significantly induced with a log ₂ fold-change greater than 2 in these three different melanoma models.

Conclusions

Here, we provide novel mechanistic insight revealing how loss of Cxcr2 expression/activity in melanoma tumor progenitor cells results in reduced tumor burden and creation of an anti-tumor immune microenvironment. This mechanism entails an increase in expression of the tumor suppressive transcription factor, Tfcp2l1, along with alteration in the expression of genes involved in growth regulation, tumor suppression, stemness, differentiation, and immune modulation. These gene expression changes are coincident with reduction in the activation of key growth regulatory pathways, including AKT and mTOR.

Quercetin downregulates the expression of IL15 in cancer cells through DNA methylation

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate the effect of quercetin on cellular immunity (via IL15 expression) against cancer and to elucidate its regulatory mechanism.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

HeLa cells and A549 cells were cultured in vitro and were divided into control (DMSO treated) and experimental groups (treated with different concentrations of quercetin). Transcript levels of IL15 and DNA methyltransferase (DNMTS) were measured using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Genomic DNA was extracted, treated with bisulfite, and the promoter region of IL15 was cloned. Finally, Sanger sequencing was used to detect the degree of promoter methylation.

RESULTS

Following quercetin treatment, the expression of IL15 was significantly downregulated in HeLa and A549 cells. The methylation level of IL15 promoter in HeLa cells was about twice that of the control group, and the methylation level of IL15 promoter in A549 cells was about three times that of the control group.

CONCLUSIONS

Quercetin inhibits cancer cell proliferation while downregulating IL15 expression, and this regulation is achieved by increasing the methylation of the IL15 promoter.

The impact of the metabolic score for insulin resistance on cardiovascular disease: a 10-year follow-up cohort study

PURPOSE

To investigate whether the metabolic score for insulin resistance (METS-IR) is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD).

METHODS

A total of 6489 participants aged 35-70 years without a history of CVD were included in this prospective cohort study. The median follow-up time was 10.6 years. The METS-IR was calculated as ln [2 × FPG (mg/dL) + fasting TG (mg/dL)] × BMI (kg/m²)/ln [HDL-C (mg/dL)]. The primary outcome was CVD, defined as the composite of coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke.

RESULTS

During follow-up, 396 individuals developed CVD. Kaplan-Meier survival curves by quintiles of METS-IR showed statistically significant differences (log-rank test, P < 0.001). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that the hazard ratio [95% confidence interval (95% CI)] of CVD was 1.80 (1.24-2.61) in quintile 5 and 1.17 (1.05-1.31) for per standard deviation (SD) increase in METS-IR. In subgroup analysis, the significant association between METS-IR and CVD was mainly observed among females and subjects without diabetes mellitus. A significant interaction was found between gender and METS-IR (P-interaction = 0.001). Moreover, adding METS-IR to models with traditional risk factors yielded a significant improvement in discrimination and reclassification of incident CVD.

CONCLUSION

The elevated METS-IR was independently associated with incident CVD, suggesting that the METS-IR might be a valuable indicator for risk stratification and early intervention of CVD.

[Associations of genetic variations in pyroptosis related genes with acute adverse events in postoperative rectal cancer patients receiving concurrent chemoradiotherapy]

Objective: This study aims to investigate the associations between genetic variations of pyroptosis pathway related key genes and adverse events (AEs) of postoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in patients with rectal cancer. Methods: DNA was extracted from the peripheral blood which was collected from 347 patients before CRT. Sequenom MassARRAY was used to detect the genotypes of 43 haplotype-tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (htSNPs) in eight pyroptosis genes, including absent in melanoma 2 (AIM2), caspase-1 (CASP1), caspase-4(CASP4), caspase-5 (CASP5), caspase-11 (CASP11), gasdermin D (GSDMD), gasdermin E (GSDME) and NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3). The associations between 43 htSNPs and AEs were evaluated by the odd ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) by unconditional logistic regression models, adjusted for sex, age, clinical stage, tumor grade, Karnofsky performance status (KPS), surgical procedure, and tumor location. Results: Among the 347 patients with rectal cancer underwent concurrent CRT with capecitabine after surgery, a total of 101(29.1%) occurred grade ≥ 2 leukopenia. rs11226565 (OR=0.41, 95% CI: 0.21-0.79, P=0.008), rs579408(OR=1.54, 95% CI: 1.03-2.29, P=0.034) and rs543923 (OR=0.63, 95% CI: 0.41-0.98, P=0.040) were significantly associated with the occurrence of grade ≥ 2 leukopenia. One hundred and fifty-six (45.0%) had grade ≥ 2 diarrhea, two SNPs were significantly associated with the occurrence of grade ≥ diarrhea, including CASP11 rs10880868 (OR=0.55, 95% CI: 0.33-0.91, P=0.020) and GSDME rs2954558 (OR=1.52, 95% CI: 1.01-2.31, P=0.050). In addition, sixty-six cases (19.0%) developed grade ≥2 dermatitis, three SNPs that significantly associated with the risk of grade ≥2 dermatitis included GSDME rs2237314 (OR=0.36, 95% CI: 0.16-0.83, P=0.017), GSDME rs12540919 (OR=0.52, 95% CI: 0.27-0.99, P=0.045) and NLRP3 rs3806268 (OR=1.51, 95% CI: 1.03-2.22, P=0.037). There was no significant difference in the association between other genetic variations and AEs of rectal cancer patients (all P>0.05). Surgical procedure and tumor location had great impacts on the occurrence of grade ≥2 diarrhea and dermatitis (all P<0.01). Conclusion: The genetic variants of CASP4, CASP11, GSDME and NLRP3 are associated with the occurrence of AEs in patients with rectal cancer who received postoperative CRT, suggesting they may be potential genetic markers in predicting the grade of AEs to achieve individualized treatment of rectal cancer.

Generation of high-valent iron-oxo porphyrin cation radicals on hemin loaded carbon nanotubes for efficient degradation of sulfathiazole

Hemin has attracted considerable interest as an efficient catalyst recently, however, its direct application is inefficient due to severe molecular aggregation. Immobilizing hemin on various supports is a feasible approach to address this issue. In this work, a CNTs-hemin catalyst was prepared by loading hemin onto multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) through ball milling. Compared with hemin, CNTs-hemin demonstrates remarkably enhanced performance in the peroxymonosulfate system, with a 650-fold improvement of apparent rate constant, reaching 97.8% degradation of sulfathiazole in 5 min. High-valent iron-oxo porphyrin cation ((Porp)^+•Fe^IV=O) radicals are proposed as the dominant reactive species in the CNTs-hemin/peroxymonosulfate system instead of sulfate radicals (SO₄^•-), hydroxyl radicals (•OH), superoxide radicals (O₂^•-) and singlet oxygen (¹O₂). More in-depth mechanisms reveal that the strong electron transfer between CNTs and hemin promotes the generation of (Porp)^+•Fe^IV=O radicals through a heterolysis pathway. This research enriches the understanding of the catalytic mechanism of supported biomimetic catalysts for PMS activation and provides a perspective on the role of support materials for catalytic activity.

Periocular pilomatrixoma in childhood: Clinical feature and differential diagnosis

PURPOSE

To explore the clinical characteristics, imaging features, and differential diagnosis of periocular pilomatrixoma in children and provide evidence for clinical diagnosis and treatment.

METHODS

Retrospective analysis of the clinical characteristics, preliminary diagnosis, imaging features, treatment, and follow-up of the cases of pediatric periocular pilomatrixoma treated at our hospital.

RESULTS

A total of 59 patients from 4 months to 13 years of age (median age 4 years) were collected; 18 cases (30.51%) were misdiagnosed as other diseases in preliminary diagnoses. Seven cases underwent computed tomography (CT) examination, with CT value ranging from 63.4 Hounsfield Units (HU) to 952.0 HU (median value 151.0 HU). Six cases underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination; two patients underwent an enhanced scan. The results showed that the rim of the lesion was enhanced, but the contents were not enhanced. All patients underwent surgical treatment. No recurrence was found from 1 month to 5 years of follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

Periocular pilomatrixoma is a relatively common tumor in children, which can easily be misdiagnosed clinically as other diseases, such as sebaceous and dermoid cysts. Although not generally recommended, CT can be of significant value in the diagnosis of pilomatrixoma. MRI is of little value in the diagnosis of this disease. If CT images show high or density, the possibility of pilomatrixoma should be considered.

Insights into leachate reduction in landfill with different ventilation Rates: Balance of Water, waste physicochemical Properties, and microbial community

Ventilation is an efficient approach employed for accelerating stabilization and reducing aftercare of landfill, but its effect on leachate reduction is still elusive. To fill this knowledge gap, five lab-scale landfill reactors with different ventilation rates were established in this study. Suitable ventilation (e.g. 0.25-0.5 L·min^-1·kg^-1 dry solid of waste (DS)) was beneficial to promoting the stabilization of landfill, which effectively accelerated the degradation of organic matter and reduced water content of landfilled waste. Based on the mass balance of water, the dominant input water was initial water of landfilled waste (more than 94 %), which was partially converted to leachate and evaporated water. Ventilation enhanced the intensity of biochemical reactions heat to increase evaporated water content from 0 to 0.29 t/t DS while reducing the leachate generation significantly from 0.69 to 0.49 t/t DS with the increase of ventilation rate. Besides, the hydrophilic substances, such as humic acid-like substances, in landfilled waste increased, and the surface of the landfilled waste converted from smooth to rough. The reduction of the bound water content has a significant correlation with the degradation of organic matter content (p less than 0.05), which reduced the water-holding capacity of waste. Actinobacteriota and Firmicutes were the key bacterial phyla in the degradation of organic matter to promote bio-heat and evaporation of water, thus reducing leachate production under suitable ventilation conditions. Carbohydrates and amino acids were the main energy metabolism sources of bacteria during the landfill process. This study deepens our understanding of the leachate reduction mechanism in the micro-aerobic landfill.

[A real-world study on the efficacy and safety analysis of paclitaxel liposome in advanced breast cancer]

Objective: To explore the application and efficacy of paclitaxel liposome in the treatment of advanced breast cancer among Chinese population in the real world. Methods: The clinical characteristics of patients with advanced breast cancer who received paclitaxel liposome as salvage treatment from January 1, 2016 to August 31, 2019 in 11 hospitals were collected and retrospectively analyzed. The primary outcome was progression free survival (PFS), and the secondary outcome included objective response rate (ORR) and safety. The survival curve was drawn by Kaplan-Meier analysis and the Cox regression model were used for the multivariate analysis. Results: Among 647 patients with advanced breast cancer who received paclitaxel liposome, the first-line treatment accounted for 43.3% (280/647), the second-line treatment accounted for 27.7% (179/647), and the third-line and above treatment accounted for 29.1% (188/647). The median dose of first-line and second-line treatment was 260 mg per cycle, and 240 mg in third line and above treatment. The median period of paclitaxel liposome alone and combined chemotherapy or targeted therapy is 4 cycles and 6 cycles, respectively. In the whole group, 167 patients (25.8%) were treated with paclitaxel liposome combined with capecitabine±trastuzumab (TX±H), 123 patients (19.0%) were treated with paclitaxel liposome alone (T), and 119 patients (18.4%) were treated with paclitaxel liposome combined with platinum ± trastuzumab (TP±H), 108 patients (16.7%) were treated with paclitaxel liposome combined with trastuzumab ± pertuzumab (TH±P). The median PFS of first-line and second-line patients (5.5 and 5.5 months, respectively) were longer than that of patients treated with third line and above (4.9 months, P<0.05); The ORR of the first line, second line, third line and above patients were 46.7%, 36.8% and 28.2%, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that event-free survival (EFS) and the number of treatment lines were independent prognostic factors for PFS. The common adverse events were myelosuppression, gastrointestinal reactions, hand foot syndrome and abnormal liver function. Conclusion: Paclitaxel liposomes is widely used and has promising efficacy in multi-subtype advanced breast cancer.

Microplastics contamination associated with low-value domestic source organic solid waste: A review

Waste activated sludge and food waste are two typical important domestic low-value organic solid wastes (LOSW). LOSW contains significant organic matter and water content resulting in the transboundary transfer of liquid-solid-gas and other multi-mediums, such that the complexity of microplastics (MPs) migration should be of greater concern. This article provides a review of the literature focusing on the separation and extraction methods of MPs from LOSW. The occurrence and source of MPs are discussed, and the output and impact of MPs on LOSW heat and biological treatments are summarized. The fate and co-effects of MPs and other pollutants in landfills and soils are reviewed. This review highlights the migration and transformation of MPs in domestic source LOSW, and future perspectives focused on the development of a unified extraction and analysis protocol. The objective of this review is to promote the technological development of decontamination of MPs in LOSW by sufficient understanding of the fate of MPs, their interaction with coexisting pollutants and the development of targeted preventive research strategies.

[Analysis on the allocation of human resources for chronic disease prevention and control in 664 district/county-level centers for disease control and prevention in China in 2020]

Objective: To analyze the allocation of human resources for chronic disease prevention and control of district/county-level centers for disease control and prevention(CDC) in China in 2020. Methods: Survey subjects were from National Chronic Noncommunicable Disease and Risk Factor Surveillance Sites and National Demonstration Areas for Chronic Noncommunicable Disease Prevention and Control (demonstration areas). A survey examining the allocation of human resources for chronic disease prevention and control at district/county-level CDC was conducted in December 2021 through the National Demonstration Areas Management Information System. The number and rate of allocation of human resources for chronic disease prevention and control in district/county-level CDC were analyzed and the Wilcoxon rank sum test was used to compare the difference between demonstration and non-demonstration areas and between urban and rural areas. The Kruskal-Wallis H test was used to compare the difference in east, central and west regions. The Gini coefficient and Theil index were used to evaluate the balance of human resource for chronic disease prevention and control. Results: A total of 678 districts/counties were investigated, and 664 districts/counties responded effectively, with an effective response rate of 97.9%. The establishment rate of district/county-level CDC was 98.34% (653/664), and the establishment rate of chronic disease prevention and control departments of district/county-level CDC was 96.02% (627/653). In 627 district/county-level CDC with departments for chronic disease prevention and control, the median number of full-time technical personnel for chronic disease prevention and control was 4, the median number of full-time technical personnel in demonstration areas (4 persons) was higher than in non-demonstration areas (3 persons), highest in the east region (5 persons) than in the middle region (4 persons) and the west region (4 persons), higher in urban areas (4 persons) than in rural areas (4 persons) (all P values<0.05). The allocation rate was 0.71 people/100 000, which was higher in demonstration areas (0.73 people/100 000) than in non-demonstration areas (0.67 people/100 000), highest in the west region (0.82 people/100 000) than in the middle region (0.71 people/100 000) and east region (0.67 people/100 000), higher in rural areas (0.77 people/100 000) than in urban areas (0.68 people/100 000) (all P values<0.05). The Gini coefficient for the allocation by population size was 0.352 9. The total Theil index for demonstration and non-demonstration areas, different regions, and urban-rural areas were 0.067 8, 0.076 3, and 0.000 2, with the intra-group contribution of 97.35%, 99.52%, and 98.80%, respectively. Conclusion: In 2020, the allocation of human resources for chronic disease prevention and control in district/county-level CDC is relatively balanced. The variation in the allocation of human resources for chronic disease prevention and control exist between demonstration and non-demonstration areas, urban and rural areas, and across regions.

Prognostic Value of Four Preimplantation Malnutrition Estimation Tools in Predicting Heart Failure Hospitalization of the Older Diabetic Patients with Right Ventricular Pacing

OBJECTIVES

The prognostic value of preimplantation nutritional status is not yet known for older diabetic patients that received right ventricular pacing (RVP). The study aimed to investigate the clinical value of the four malnutrition screening tools for the prediction of heart failure hospitalization (HFH) in older diabetic patients that received RVP.

DESIGN

Retrospective observational cohort study.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

This study was conducted between January 2017 and January 2018 at the Fuwai Hospital, Beijing, China, and included older (age ≥ 65 years) diabetic patients that received RVP for the first time Measurements: The Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI), Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI), Naples Prognostic Score (NPS), and the Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score were used to estimate the preimplantation nutritional status of the patients. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression analyses were performed to investigate the association between preimplantation malnutrition and HFH.

RESULTS

Overall, 231 older diabetic patients receiving RVP were included. The median follow-up period after RVP was 53 months. HFH was reported for 19.9% of the included patients. Our results showed preimplantation malnutrition for 18.2%, 15.2%, 86.6% and 66.2% of the included patients based on the PNI, GNRI, NPS, and CONUT score, respectively. The cumulative rate of HFH during follow-up period was significantly higher for patients in the preimplantation malnutrition group based on the PNI (log-rank = 13.0, P = 0.001), GNRI (log-rank = 8.5, P = 0.01), and NPS (log-rank = 15.7, P < 0.001) compared to the normal nutrition group, but was not statistically significant for those in the preimplantation malnutrition group based on the CONUT score (log-rank = 2.7, P = 0.3). As continuous variables, all the nutritional indices showed significant correlation with HFH (all P < 0.05). However, multivariate analysis showed that only GNRI was independently associated with HFH (HR = 0.97, 95% CI: 0.937-0.997, P = 0.032). As categorical variables, PNI, GNRI, and NPS showed significant correlation with HFH. After adjustment of confounding factors, moderate-to-severe degree of malnutrition was an independent predictor of HFH based on the PNI (HR = 4.66, 95% CI: 1.03-21.00, P = 0.045) and GNRI (HR = 3.02, 95% CI: 1.02-9.00, P = 0.047).

CONCLUSION

Preimplantation malnutrition was highly prevalent in older diabetic patients that received RVP. The malnutrition prediction tools, PNI and GNRI, showed significant prognostic value in accurately predicting HFH in older diabetic patients with RVP.

Investigation on oral nursing of elderly patients and prognosis of patients

OBJECTIVE

To understand the oral care status of elderly inpatients in various departments, analyze the existing problems, and provide a basis for further improving the oral care practices and promoting the oral health of elderly patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This study intends to investigate the oral care status of patients in a tertiary hospital in Chongqing. This study was divided into two phases, the first phase was designed as a cross-sectional study. Our aim was to explore the implementation status of oral care in each department. The second phase of this study was to explore the correlation between patient oral care and patient outcomes.

RESULTS

We extracted a total of 9,164 cases of elderly discharged patients. Primary care patients were mainly distributed in various general wards, among which orthopedics was the most frequent, accounting for 30.19%. The oral care doctor order rate of the patients with premium care was 80.21%, and the rate of oral care orders of the primary care patients was only 2.10%. The study analysis found that among surgical and intensive care unit (ICU) patients, patients in high-frequency group and low-frequency group were significantly better than that of patients without oral care in terms of overall survival.

CONCLUSIONS

The oral care is still insufficient, and the frequency of use is relatively infrequent. This study also found that oral care can improve patient outcomes and reduce the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP).

Iron-calcium reinforced solidification of arsenic alkali residue in geopolymer composite: Wide pH stabilization and its mechanism

Arsenic-alkali residue (AAR) from antimony production can pose significant health and environmental hazards due to the risk of arsenic (As) leaching. In this study, geopolymer composite synthesized from fly ash (FA) was investigated for efficient stabilization of high-arsenic-containing AAR (As₂O₃ of 22.74 wt%). Two industrial wastes, e.g., granulated blast furnace slag (GBFS) with active calcium composition and water-quenched slag (WQS) from lead-zinc smelting with active iron composition, were investigated for the reinforcement of AAR geopolymer solidification. A wide pH stabilization (from pH = 3-pH = 12) of AAR with the geopolymer composite was successfully achieved, and As leaching concentration of geopolymer with the addition of 5 wt% AAR was significantly reduced from 2343.73 mg/L (AAR) to that below 0.18 mg/L, which successfully meet the regulatory limit of Chinese domestic waste landfill (GB, 18598-2019, 1.2 mg/L) and hazardous waste landfill (GB16889-2008, 0.3 mg/L). Johnbaumite (Ca₅(AsO₄)₃(OH)) was formed in geopolymer composite and leached samples with initial pH from 2.6 to 6 (final pH from 5.54 to 13.15). Magnetite and iron hydroxide phases with strong adsorption and/or As co-precipitation capability were also observed. As stabilization was also achieved with iron oxidation from As(III) to As(V). This study solves the problem of unstable As leaching at different pH for the solidification of arsenic-bearing solid waste, and provides a promising and practical strategy for efficient solidification/stabilization of AAR as well as other similar arsenic-bearing solid wastes with geopolymer composite.

A quasi-two-dimensional fluid experimental apparatus based on tank-in-tank configuration

The fluid tank is an essential facility for experimental research on fluid mechanics. However, owing to the hydrostatic fluid pressure, a fine uniformity of the narrow channel is difficult to be maintained in a tall narrow-channel tank. To address this issue, we proposed a quasi-two-dimensional fluid experimental apparatus based on a "tank-in-tank" configuration and built with an outer tank and an inner tank. The outer tank was cuboid-shaped and used to load the fluid medium, while the inner tank, consisting of two parallel glass plates, was embedded into the outer tank and served as the experimental channel. The hydrostatic pressure acting on the channel was balanced so that a high level of uniformity was maintained over the whole channel. The available height and width of the channel were 2800 and 1500 mm, respectively, while its gap distance could be adaptive from 0 to 120 mm. Experimental research on motion characteristics of circular disks falling in the quasi-2D channel was implemented to investigate the effects of the falling environment and disk geometry. Four distinct falling types were observed, and the wake flow fields of the falling disks were visualized. The Reynolds numbers of falling disks ranged from 400 to 63 000 presently. Chaotic motion and regular motion were demarcated at Re ≈ 30 000. An analytical model was established to predict the final average falling velocity and Reynolds number. Finally, potential directions for future research and improvements to the apparatus were suggested.

Identification of a linear epitope in the capsid protein of goose astrovirus with monoclonal antibody

Goose astrovirus (GoAstV) is a novel avastrovirus that typically causes gosling gout and results in 2 to 20% mortality. GoAstV capsid protein is the sole structural protein, which is responsible for viral attachment, assembly, maturation as well as eliciting host antibodies. However, the epitopes within capsid protein have not been well studied. In this study, a monoclonal antibody, named 1D7, was generated against GoAstV capsid protein by hybridoma technology. Western blot results showed that this MAb could react with recombinant capsid protein expressed in E. coli. Also, it recognized the precursor of capsid protein, VP90 and VP70, in GoAstV-infected cells. Besides, excellent specificity of MAb 1D7 was further demonstrated in indirect immunofluorescence assay and immunohistochemical analysis. Epitope mapping results revealed that MAb 1D7 recognized the epitope 33QKVY 36 within Cap protein. Sequence alignment indicated that 33QKVY 36 is a conserved epitope among the isolates of goose astrovirus type 2 (GoAstV-2), suggesting the potential for its use in GoAstV-2 specific diagnostic assay. These findings may provide some insight into a function of the GoAstV capsid protein and further contribute to the development of diagnostic methods for GoAstV infection.

Correlation between primary family caregiver identity and maternal depression risk in poor rural China

INTRODUCTION

Prenatal and postpartum depression are important public health challenges because of their long-term adverse impacts on maternal and neonatal health. This study investigated the risk of maternal depression among pregnant and postpartum women in poor rural China, along with the correlation between primary family caregiver identity and maternal depression risk.

METHODS

Pregnant women and new mothers were randomly selected from poor rural villages in the Qinba Mountains area in Shaanxi. Basic demographic information was collected regarding the women and their primary family caregivers. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale was used to identify women at risk of depression, and the Perceived Social Support Scale was used to evaluate perceived family support.

RESULTS

This study included 220 pregnant women and 473 new mothers. The mean proportions of women at risk of prenatal and postpartum depression were 19.5% and 18.6%, respectively. Regression analysis showed that identification of the baby's grandmother as the primary family caregiver was negatively correlated with maternal depression risk (β=-0.979, 95% confidence interval [CI]=-1.946 to -0.012, P=0.047). However, the husband's involvement in that role was not significantly correlated with maternal depression risk (β=-0.499, 95% CI=-1.579 to 0.581, P=0.363). Identification of the baby's grandmother as the primary family caregiver was positively correlated with family support score (β=0.967, 95% CI=-0.062 to 1.996, P=0.065).

CONCLUSION

Prenatal and postpartum depression are prevalent in poor rural China. The involvement of the baby's grandmother as the primary family caregiver may reduce maternal depression risk, but the husband's involvement in that role has no effect.