Feature fusion method for pulmonary tuberculosis patient detection based on cough sound.

Since the COVID-19, cough sounds have been widely used for screening purposes. Intelligent analysis techniques have proven to be effective in detecting respiratory diseases. In 2021, there were up to 10 million TB-infected patients worldwide, with an annual growth rate of 4.5%. Most of the patients were from economically underdeveloped regions and countries. The PPD test, a common screening method in the community, has a sensitivity of as low as 77%. Although IGRA and Xpert MTB/RIF offer high specificity and sensitivity, their cost makes them less accessible. In this study, we proposed a feature fusion model-based cough sound classification method for primary TB screening in communities. Data were collected from hospitals using smart phones, including 230 cough sounds from 70 patients with TB and 226 cough sounds from 74 healthy subjects. We employed Bi-LSTM and Bi-GRU recurrent neural networks to analyze five traditional feature sets including the Mel frequency cepstrum coefficient (MFCC), zero-crossing rate (ZCR), short-time energy, root mean square, and chroma_cens. The incorporation of features extracted from the speech spectrogram by 2D convolution training into the Bi-LSTM model enhanced the classification results. With traditional futures, the best TB patient detection result was achieved with the Bi-LSTM model, with 93.99% accuracy, 93.93% specificity, and 92.39% sensitivity. When combined with a speech spectrogram, the classification results showed 96.33% accuracy, 94.99% specificity, and 98.13% sensitivity. Our findings underscore that traditional features and deep features have good complementarity when fused using Bi LSTM modelling, which outperforms existing PPD detection methods in terms of both efficiency and accuracy.

Fabrication of a MXene-based shape-memory hydrogel and its application in the wound repair of skin.

Wound dressings can generally complete hemostasis and provide temporary protection after skin damage. Herein, a MXene-based hydrogel was prepared from MXene, gelatin, poly(ethylene glycol)diacrylate (PEGDA) and N,N'-methylenebis(acrylamide) (HEAA) to prepare wound-dressing hydrogels for skin repair. HEAA and PEGDA crosslink polymerization formed the first layer of the network. Hydrogen bonds between MXene, PHEAA, and gelatin formed the second layer of the network. To make the hydrogel more suitable for skin repair, the mechanical properties of the hybrid hydrogel were adjusted. The MXene-based hydrogel could recover its original shape in 16 s upon immersion in water or for a few minutes under light irradiation. The obtained hydrogel showed good photothermal properties upon light irradiation (808 nm, 1 W cm-2) for 20 s, and its temperature on the surface could reach 86.4 °C. Due to its good photothermal properties, this MXene-based hydrogel was suitable for skin repair.

Naringenin relieves paclitaxel-induced pain by suppressing calcitonin gene-related peptide signalling and enhances the anti-tumour action of paclitaxel.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) commonly causes neuropathic pain, but its pathogenesis remains unclear, and effective therapies are lacking. Naringenin, a natural dihydroflavonoid compound, has anti-inflammatory, anti-nociceptive and anti-tumour activities. However, the effects of naringenin on chemotherapy-induced pain and chemotherapy effectiveness remain unexplored. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: Female and male mouse models of chemotherapy-induced pain were established using paclitaxel. Effects of naringenin were assessed on pain induced by paclitaxel or calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and on CGRP expression in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and spinal cord tissue. Additionally, we examined peripheral macrophage infiltration, glial activation, c-fos expression, DRG neuron excitability, microglial M1/M2 polarization, and phosphorylation of spinal NF-κB. Furthermore, we investigated the synergic effect and related mechanisms of naringenin and paclitaxel on cell survival of cancer cells in vitro. KEY RESULTS: Systemic administration of naringenin attenuated paclitaxel-induced pain in both sexes. Naringenin reduced paclitaxel-enhanced CGRP expression in DRGs and the spinal cord, and alleviated CGRP-induced pain in naïve mice of both sexes. Naringenin mitigated macrophage infiltration and reversed paclitaxel-elevated c-fos expression and DRG neuron excitability. Naringenin decreased spinal glial activation and NF-κB phosphorylation in both sexes but influenced microglial M1/M2 polarization only in females. Co-administration of naringenin with paclitaxel enhanced paclitaxel's anti-tumour effect, impeded by an apoptosis inhibitor. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Naringenin's anti-nociceptive mechanism involves CGRP signalling and neuroimmunoregulation. Furthermore, naringenin facilitates paclitaxel's anti-tumour action, possibly involving apoptosis. This study demonstrates naringenin's potential as a supplementary treatment in cancer therapy by mitigating side effects and potentiating efficacy of chemotherapy.

Long-term oral administration of Kelisha capsule does not cause hepatorenal toxicity in rats.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Kelisha capsules (KLS) are often used to treat acute diarrhoea, bacillary dysentery, heat stroke, and other diseases. One of its components, Asarum, contains aristolochic acid I which is both nephrotoxic and carcinogenic. However, the aristolochic acid (AA) content in KLS and its toxicity remain unclear. AIM OF THE STUDY: The aims of this study were to quantitatively determine the contents of five aristolochic acid analogues (AAAs) in Asarum and KLS, and systematically evaluate the in vivo toxicity of KLS in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) was used to determine the content of the five AAAs in Asarum and KLS. Sprague-Dawley rats were administered KLS at 0, 0.75, 1.5, and 3.0 g/kg respectively, and then sacrificed after 4 weeks of administration or after an additional 2 weeks of recovery. The endpoints assessed included body weight measurements, serum biochemistry and haematology indices, and clinical and histopathological observations. RESULTS: The AAAs content in Asarum sieboldii Miq. (HB-ESBJ) were much lower than those of the other Asarums. The contents of AA I, AA IVa, and aristolactam I in KLS were in the ranges of 0.03-0.06 µg/g, 1.89-2.16 µg/g, and 0.55-1.60 µg/g, respectively, whereas AA II and AA IIIa were not detected. None of the rats showed symptoms of toxic reactions and KLS was well tolerated throughout the study. Compared to the control group, the activated partial thromboplastin time values of rats in the 1.5 and 3.0 g/kg groups significantly reduced after administration (P < 0.05). In addition, the serum triglycerides of male rats in the 0.75 and 1.5 g/kg groups after administration, and the 0.75, 1.5, 3.0 g/kg groups after recovery were significantly decreased (P < 0.01 or P < 0.001). No significant drug-related toxicological changes were observed in other serum biochemical indices, haematology, or histopathology. CONCLUSIONS: The AA I content in KLS met the limit requirements (<0.001%) of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. Therefore, it is safe to use KLS in the short-term. However, for safety considerations, attention should be paid to the effects of long-term KLS administration on coagulation function and triglyceride metabolism.

Buffer Chain Model for Understanding Crystallization Competition in Conjugated Polymers.

It remains challenging to comprehensively understand the packing models of conjugated polymers, in which side chains play extremely critical roles. The side chains are typically flexible and non-conductive and are widely used to improve the polymer solubility in organic solutions. Herein, a buffer chain model is proposed to describe link between conjugated backbone and side chains for understanding the relationship of crystallization competition of conductive conjugated backbones and non-conductive side chains. A longer buffer chain is beneficial for alleviating such crystallization competition and further promoting the spontaneous packing of conjugated backbones, resulting in enhanced charge transport properties. Our results provide a novel concept for designing conjugated polymers towards ordered organization and enhanced electronic properties and highlight the importance of balancing the competitive interactions between different parts of conjugated polymers.

On-device phase engineering.

In situ tailoring of two-dimensional materials' phases under external stimulus facilitates the manipulation of their properties for electronic, quantum and energy applications. However, current methods are mainly limited to the transitions among phases with unchanged chemical stoichiometry. Here we propose on-device phase engineering that allows us to realize various lattice phases with distinct chemical stoichiometries. Using palladium and selenide as a model system, we show that a PdSe2 channel with prepatterned Pd electrodes can be transformed into Pd17Se15 and Pd4Se by thermally tailoring the chemical composition ratio of the channel. Different phase configurations can be obtained by precisely controlling the thickness and spacing of the electrodes. The device can be thus engineered to implement versatile functions in situ, such as exhibiting superconducting behaviour and achieving ultralow-contact resistance, as well as customizing the synthesis of electrocatalysts. The proposed on-device phase engineering approach exhibits a universal mechanism and can be expanded to 29 element combinations between a metal and chalcogen. Our work highlights on-device phase engineering as a promising research approach through which to exploit fundamental properties as well as their applications.

Quantifying depressive symptoms on incidence of common chronic diseases and multimorbidity patterns in middle-aged and elderly Chinese adults.

BACKGROUND: Depressive symptoms are highly prevalent and increase risks of various morbidities. However, the extent to which depressive symptoms could account for incidence of these chronic conditions, in particular multimorbidity patterns, remains to be examined and quantified. METHODS: For this cohort analysis, we included 9024-14,093 participants aged 45 years and older from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the longitudinal associations between depressive symptoms and 13 common chronic diseases and 4 multimorbidity patterns. Population attributable fractions (PAFs) combining the information on both exposure prevalence and risk association were estimated to quantify the magnitude of the burden of these conditions attributable to depressive symptoms. RESULTS: Depressive symptoms were associated with increased risks of liver disease, stroke, heart problem, asthma, diabetes, arthritis, kidney disease, chronic lung disease, digestive disease, dyslipidemia, and memory-related disease, and the adjusted HRs (95% CIs) and PAFs (95% CIs) ranged from 1.15 (1.05-1.26) to 1.64 (1.38-1.96) and 5% (0-10%) to 17% (6-28%), respectively. In addition, individuals with depressive symptoms had elevated risks of the cardiometabolic-cancer pattern, the cerebrovascular-memory pattern, the articular-visceral organ pattern, and the respiratory pattern, with respective HRs (95% CIs) of 1.26 (1.11-1.42), 1.34 (1.07-1.69), 1.45 (1.29-1.63), and 2.01 (1.36-2.96), and respective PAFs (95% CIs) of 5% (0-10%), 8% (-4-21%), 12% (7-17%), and 20% (5-35%). CONCLUSION: Depressive symptoms contribute substantially to the burden across a broad range of chronic diseases as well as different multimorbidity patterns in middle-aged and older Chinese.

Development of a Risk Prediction Model for Infection After Kidney Transplantation Transmitted from Bacterial Contaminated Preservation Solution.

Background: The risk of transplant recipient infection is unknown when the preservation solution culture is positive. Methods: We developed a prediction model to evaluate the infection in kidney transplant recipients within microbial contaminated preservation solution. Univariate logistic regression was utilized to identify risk factors for infection. Both stepwise selection with Akaike information criterion (AIC) was used to identify variables for multivariate logistic regression. Selected variables were incorporated in the nomograms to predict the probability of infection for kidney transplant recipients with microbial contaminated preservation solution. Results: Age, preoperative creatinine, ESKAPE, PCT, hemofiltration, and sirolimus had a strongest association with infection risk, and a nomogram was established with an AUC value of 0.72 (95% confidence interval, 0.64-0.80) and Brier index 0.20 (95% confidence interval, 0.18-0.23). Finally, we found that when the infection probability was between 20% and 80%, the model oriented antibiotic strategy should have higher net benefits than the default strategy using decision curve analysis. Conclusion: Our study developed and validated a risk prediction model for evaluating the infection of microbial contaminated preservation solutions in kidney transplant recipients and demonstrated good net benefits when the total infection probability was between 20% and 80%.

Angelicin: A leading culprit involved in fructus Psoraleae liver injury via inhibition of VKORC1.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The adverse effects of Fructus Psoraleae (FP), especially liver injury, have attracted wide attention in recent years. AIM OF THE STUDY: To establish a system to explore potential hepatotoxic targets and the chief culprit of liver injury based on clinical experience, network pharmacological method, molecular docking, and in vitro and in vivo experiments. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Clinical applications and adverse reactions to FP were obtained from public literatures. Components absorbed in the blood were selected as candidates to search for potential active targets (PATs) of FP. Subsequently, potential pharmacological core targets (PPCTs) were screened through the "drug targets-disease targets" network. Non-drug active targets (NPATs) were obtained by subtracting the PPCTs from the PATs. The potential hepatotoxic targets (PHTs) of FP were the intersection targets obtained from Venn analysis using NPATs, hepatotoxic targets, and adverse drug reaction (ADR) targets provided by the databases. Then, potential hepatotoxic components and targets were obtained using the "NPATS-component" network relationship. Molecular docking and in vitro and in vivo hepatotoxicity experiments were performed to verify the targets and related components. RESULTS: Overall, 234 NPATs were acquired from our analysis, and 6 targets were identified as PHTs. Results from molecular docking and in vitro and in vivo experiments showed that angelicin is the leading cause of liver injury in FP, and VKORC1 plays an important role. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that six targets, especially VKORC1, are associated with the PHTs of FP, and angelicin is the leading culprit involved in FP liver injury via inhibition of VKORC1.

Cost-effectiveness of screening for amblyopia among kindergarten children in China.

Objective: Current cost-effectiveness analyses of amblyopia screening are mainly from western countries. It remains unclear whether it is cost-effective to implement a preschool amblyopia screening programme in China. Our study aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of a hypothetical kindergarten-based amblyopia screening versus non-screening among 3-year-old children. Methods: We developed a decision tree combined with a Markov model to compare the cost and effectiveness of screening versus non-screening for 3-year-old children from a third-party payment perspective. The primary outcomes were quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER). Costs were obtained from expert opinions in different regions of China. Transition probabilities and health utilities were mainly based on published literature and open sources. Sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the impact of parameters' uncertainty on results. Results: Base-case analysis demonstrated that the ICER of screening versus non-screening was $17,466/QALY, well below the WTP threshold ($38,223/QALY) for China. One-way sensitivity analysis showed that the prevalence of amblyopia, the transition probability per year from untreated amblyopia to healthy, and the discount rate were the top three factors. The likelihood of cost-effectiveness of screening compared with non-screening was 92.56%, according to probabilistic sensitivity analysis. Scenario analysis also indicated that ICER was lower than the WTP threshold even if the time horizon was shortened or the screening was delayed to the age of 4 or 5. Conclusions: Amblyopia screening could be considered a cost-effective strategy compared to non-screening for 3-year-old children in China. Screening for children at the age of 4 or 5 may even yield better results.

Dry eye symptoms and health-related quality of life among Chinese individuals: a national-based study.

AIMS: To assess the impact of dry eye symptoms (DESs) on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among Chinese residents. METHODS: A total of 21 916 participants were involved in this nationwide cross-sectional study. All of them completed the Ocular Surface Disease Index-6 and the five-level European Quality of Life 5-Dimensional (EQ-5D) Questionnaire to assess the severity of DES and HRQOL, respectively. Multiple linear regression models were used to explore the associations of DES with EQ-5D health utility score (HUS) and visual analogue scale (VAS) score. We used logistic regression models to assess the relationships between DES and self-reported problems in the EQ-5D dimensions. RESULTS: Overall, 43.6% of participants reported DESs. Of them, 2511 (11.5%) were with mild symptoms, 2762 (12.6%) were with moderate symptoms and 4288 (19.6%) were with severe symptoms. Both EQ-5D HUS and VAS score were significantly negatively associated with the severity of DES. The difference in HUS between patients with no symptoms and severe symptoms (0.085) was larger than the minimally clinical important difference for EQ-5D. The loss in HRQOL was greater for patients with severe DES than those just with other comorbidities. Participants with DES had a significantly higher risk of reporting problems in all five EQ-5D dimensions, especially in pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression for patients with mild or moderate symptoms and in mobility, self-care and usual activities for severe patients. CONCLUSION: Patients with more severe DES tend to have lower HRQOL. Effective interventions targeted at different HRQOL dimensions should be taken according to the severity of DES.

ATR limits Rad18-mediated PCNA monoubiquitination to preserve replication fork and telomerase-independent telomere stability.

Upon replication fork stalling, the RPA-coated single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) formed behind the fork activates the ataxia telangiectasia-mutated and Rad3-related (ATR) kinase, concomitantly initiating Rad18-dependent monoubiquitination of PCNA. However, whether crosstalk exists between these two events and the underlying physiological implications of this interplay remain elusive. In this study, we demonstrate that during replication stress, ATR phosphorylates human Rad18 at Ser403, an adjacent residue to a previously unidentified PIP motif (PCNA-interacting peptide) within Rad18. This phosphorylation event disrupts the interaction between Rad18 and PCNA, thereby restricting the extent of Rad18-mediated PCNA monoubiquitination. Consequently, excessive accumulation of the tumor suppressor protein SLX4, now characterized as a novel reader of ubiquitinated PCNA, at stalled forks is prevented, contributing to the prevention of stalled fork collapse. We further establish that ATR preserves telomere stability in alternative lengthening of telomere (ALT) cells by restricting Rad18-mediated PCNA monoubiquitination and excessive SLX4 accumulation at telomeres. These findings shed light on the complex interplay between ATR activation, Rad18-dependent PCNA monoubiquitination, and SLX4-associated stalled fork processing, emphasizing the critical role of ATR in preserving replication fork stability and facilitating telomerase-independent telomere maintenance.

Corneal Biomechanical Characteristics in Myopes and Emmetropes Measured by Corvis ST: A Meta-Analysis.

PURPOSE: To comprehensively identify the corneal biomechanical differences measured by Corvis ST between different degrees of myopia and emmetropia. DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS: Electronic databases, including PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science, were systematically searched for studies comparing the corneal biomechanics among various degrees of myopes and emmetropes using Corvis ST. The weighted mean differences and 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Meta-analysis was performed in high and nonhigh myopes and in myopes and emmetropes, respectively. RESULTS: Eleven studies were included in this study. The meta-analysis among myopes and emmetropes included 1947 myopes and 621 emmetropes, and 443 high myopes and 449 nonhigh myopes were included in the meta-analysis among high and nonhigh myopia. Myopes showed the cornea with significantly longer time at the first applanation (A1t) and lower length at the second applanation (A2L) than emmetropes. High myopes showed significantly greater A1t, velocity at the second applanation (A2v), deformation amplitude at the highest concavity (HC-DA), and peak distance at the highest concavity (HC-PD) and decreased time at the second applanation (A2t) and radius of the highest concavity (HC-R). CONCLUSIONS: Corneal biomechanics is different in myopia, especially in high myopia. Compared with nonhigh myopes, the corneas of high myopes deformed slower during the first applanation, faster during the second applanation, and showed greater deformation amplitude, indicating greater elasticity and viscidity.

Multimorbidity patterns and health-related quality of life among community-dwelling older adults: evidence from a rural town in Suzhou, China.

PURPOSE: The high prevalence of multimorbidity in aging societies has posed tremendous challenges to the healthcare system. The aim of our study was to comprehensively assess the association of multimorbidity patterns and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among rural Chinese older adults. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study. Data from 4,579 community-dwelling older adults aged 60 years and above was collected by the clinical examination and questionnaire survey. Information on 10 chronic conditions was collected and the 3-Level EQ-5D (EQ-5D-3L) was adopted to measure the HRQOL of older adults. An exploratory factor analysis was performed to determine multimorbidity patterns. Regression models were fitted to explore the associations of multimorbidity patterns with specific health dimensions and overall HRQOL. RESULTS: A total of 2,503 (54.7%) participants suffered from multimorbidity, and they reported lower HRQOL compared to those without multimorbidity. Three kinds of multimorbidity patterns were identified including cardiovascular-metabolic diseases, psycho-cognitive diseases and organic diseases. The associations between psycho-cognitive diseases/organic diseases and overall HRQOL assessed by EQ-5D-3L index score were found to be significant (ß = - 0.097, 95% CI - 0.110, - 0.084; ß = - 0.030, 95% CI - 0.038, - 0.021, respectively), and psycho-cognitive diseases affected more health dimensions. The impact of cardiovascular-metabolic diseases on HRQOL was largely non-significant. CONCLUSION: Multimorbidity was negatively associated with HRQOL among older adults from rural China. The presence of the psycho-cognitive diseases pattern or the organic diseases pattern contributed to worse HRQOL. The remarkable negative impact of psycho-cognitive diseases on HRQOL necessiates more attention and relevant medical assistance to older rural adults.

Association of sleep traits with myopia in children and adolescents: A meta-analysis and Mendelian randomization study.

PURPOSE: The association between sleep and myopia in children and adolescents has been reported, yet it remains controversial and inconclusive. This study aimed to investigate the influence of different sleep traits on the risk of myopia using meta-analytical and Mendelian randomization (MR) techniques. METHODS: The literature search was performed in August 31, 2023 based on PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane library. The meta-analysis of observational studies reporting the relationship between sleep and myopia was conducted. MR analyses were carried out to assess the causal impact of genetic pre-disposition for sleep traits on myopia. RESULTS: The results of the meta-analysis indicated a significant association between the risk of myopia and both short sleep duration [odds ratio (OR) = 1.23, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.08-1.42, P = 0.003] and long sleep duration (OR = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.66-0.86, P < 0.001). MR analyses revealed no significant causal associations of genetically determined sleep traits with myopia, including chronotype, sleep duration, short sleep duration and long sleep duration (all P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: No evidence was found to support a causal relationship between sleep traits and myopia. While sleep may not independently predict the risk of myopia, the potential impact of sleep on the occurrence and development of myopia cannot be disregarded.

Corneal stress‒strain index in relation to retinal nerve fibre layer thickness among healthy young adults.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: To determine the relationship between corneal stress-strain index (SSI) and retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thickness. SUBJECTS/METHODS: 1645 healthy university students from a university-based study contributed to the analysis. The RNFL thickness was measured by high-definition optical coherence tomography (HD-OCT), axial length (AL) was measured by IOL Master, and corneal biomechanics including SSI, biomechanical corrected intraocular pressure (bIOP), and central corneal thickness (CCT) were measured by Corvis ST. Multivariate linear regression was performed to evaluate the relationship between the SSI and RNFL thickness after adjusting for potential covariates. RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 19.0[Formula: see text]0.9 years, and 1132 (68.8%) were women. Lower SSI was significantly associated with thinner RNFL thickness ([Formula: see text]=8.601, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.999-14.203, [Formula: see text] = 0.003) after adjusting for age, CCT, bIOP, and AL. No significant association between SSI and RNFL was found in men, while the association was significant in women in the fully adjusted model. The association was significant in the nonhigh myopic group ([Formula: see text] for trend = 0.021) but not in the highly myopic group. Eyes with greater bIOP and lower SSI had significantly thinner RNFL thickness. CONCLUSIONS: Eyes with lower SSI had thinner RNFL thickness after adjusting for potential covariates, especially those with higher bIOP. Our findings add novel evidence of the relationship between corneal biomechanics and retinal ganglion cell damage.

Distribution and determinants of corneal volume among healthy young Chinese adults: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have previously reported the normal values of corneal volume (CV) in various populations, whereas little is known about the CV distribution in healthy young Chinese adults. Our study aimed to investigate the distribution of CV and its relationships with other ocular biometric parameters among healthy young Chinese adults. METHODS: A total of 1645 eyes from 1645 students at Dali University in Yunnan Province, China, were analyzed. Pentacam was used to measure CV. Central corneal thickness (CCT) and biomechanically corrected intraocular pressure (bIOP) were evaluated by Corvis-ST. Other biometrical parameters, including axial length (AL), keratometry, and white-to-white (WTW) distance, were measured using IOL Master. RESULTS: The mean age of the study population was 19.01 ± 0.92 years, and 68.81% of them were women. The CV was normally distributed in the whole sample, with a mean value of 61.23 ± 3.22 mm3. CV and CCT were significantly smaller in the Yi ethnic group than in the Han ethnic group (p < 0.01). CCT (coefficient: 0.085; p < 0.001) and keratometry (coefficient: 0.422; p < 0.001) were positively correlated with CV, while AL (coefficient: -0.204; p < 0.001), WTW distance (coefficient: -0.236; p < 0.001) and bIOP (coefficient: -0.06; p < 0.001) were inversely associated with CV. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides an age-specific distribution of CV among healthy young Chinese adults. CCT, keratometry, AL, WTW distance and bIOP were important factors associated with CV.

Effect modification of time spent outdoors on the association between early childhood overweight and myopia: a one-year follow-up study.

BACKGROUND: This study examined the moderating role of outdoor time on the relationship between overweight and myopia. METHODS: The data for this study was obtained from a prospective study in Shanghai, where non-myopic children wore wristwear and were followed up for 1 year. Eye examinations were performed at each visit. The modification effect was assessed on the additive scale using multivariable logistic regression, and relative excess risk due to interaction was used to calculate the modification effect. RESULTS: A total of 4683 non-myopic children were included with 32.20% being overweight at baseline. Following a 1-year period, 17.42% of children had myopia. When compared to those who spent <90 minutes outdoors, children who spent >120 had a relative risk of myopia onset that was reduced to 0.61. As time spent outdoors decreased, more risks of myopia onset were identified among overweight children than among normal children, the modification effect on the additive scale was -0.007, with ~70% of this effect attributed to the modifying influence of outdoor time. CONCLUSIONS: Increasing outdoor time can reduce myopia more among overweight children than normal. Future interventions should focus on outdoor activities among overweight children to reduce myopia risks.

Multi-scale structures of the mammalian radial spoke and divergence of axonemal complexes in ependymal cilia.

Radial spokes (RS) transmit mechanochemical signals between the central pair (CP) and axonemal dynein arms to coordinate ciliary motility. Atomic-resolution structures of metazoan RS and structures of axonemal complexes in ependymal cilia, whose rhythmic beating drives the circulation of cerebrospinal fluid, however, remain obscure. Here, we present near-atomic resolution cryo-EM structures of mouse RS head-neck complex in both monomer and dimer forms and reveal the intrinsic flexibility of the dimer. We also map the genetic mutations related to primary ciliary dyskinesia and asthenospermia on the head-neck complex. Moreover, we present the cryo-ET and sub-tomogram averaging map of mouse ependymal cilia and build the models for RS1-3, IDAs, and N-DRC. Contrary to the conserved RS structure, our cryo-ET map reveals the lack of IDA-b/c/e and the absence of Tektin filaments within the A-tubule of doublet microtubules in ependymal cilia compared with mammalian respiratory cilia and sperm flagella, further exemplifying the structural diversity of mammalian motile cilia. Our findings shed light on the stepwise mammalian RS assembly mechanism, the coordinated rigid and elastic RS-CP interaction modes beneficial for the regulation of asymmetric ciliary beating, and also facilitate understanding on the etiology of ciliary dyskinesia-related ciliopathies and on the ependymal cilia in the development of hydrocephalus.