Simulating the impact of optimized prevention and control measures on the transmission of monkeypox in the United States: A model-based study.

This study aimed to develop a modified susceptible-exposed-infected-recovered (SEIR) model to evaluate monkeypox epidemics in the United States and explore more optimized prevention and control measures. To further assess the impact of public health measures on the transmission of monkeypox, different intervention scenarios were developed based on the classic SEIR model, considering reducing contact, enhancing vaccination, diagnosis delay, and environmental transmission risk, respectively. We evaluated the impact of different measures by simulating their spread in different scenarios. During the simulation period, 8709 people were infected with monkeypox. The simulation analysis showed that: (1) the most effective measures to control monkeypox transmission during the early stage of the epidemic were reducing contact and enhancing vaccination, with cumulative infections at 51.20% and 41.90% of baseline levels, respectively; (2) shortening diagnosis time would delay the peak time of the epidemic by 96 days; and (3) the risk of environmental transmission of monkeypox virus was relatively low. This study indirectly proved the effectiveness of the prevention and control measures, such as reducing contact, enhancing vaccination, shortening diagnosis time, and low risk of environmental transmission, which also provided an important reference and containment experience for nonepidemic countries.

Interaction between home and community-based services and PM2.5 on cognition: A prospective cohort study of Chinese elderly.

PM2.5 and home and community-based services (HCBSs) had been shown to affect cognition, but the evidence on their joint effects was limited. Aimed to study the joint effects of HCBSs and PM2.5 on cognition, we utilized the follow-up data of participants in the Chinese Longitudinal Health Longevity Survey (CLHLS) who were 65 years of age or older and had normal cognitive function at baseline for the 2008-2018, 2011-2018, and 2014-2018 waves. 16,954, 9,765, and 7192 participants from each of these three waves were initially recruited, respectively. The PM2.5 concentration data of each province in China from 2008 to 2018 was obtained from the Atmospheric Composition Analysis Group. Participants were asked what kind of HCBSs were available in their community. The cognitive status of the participants was evaluated by the Chinese version of Mini-Mental State Examination (CMMSE). We applied the Cox proportional hazard regression model to investigate the joint effects of HCBSs and PM2.5 on cognition and further stratified the analysis according to HCBSs. Hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were calculated based on Cox models. During a median follow-up period of 5.2 years, 911 (8.8%) participants with normal baseline cognitive function developed cognitive impairment. Compared to participants without HCBSs and exposed to the highest level of PM2.5, those with HCBSs and exposed to the lowest level of PM2.5 had a significantly reduced risk of developing cognitive impairment (HR = 0.428, 95% CI: 0.303-0.605). The results from the stratified analysis revealed that the detrimental effect of PM2.5 on cognition was more pronounced in participants without HCBSs (HR = 3.44, 95% CI: 2.18-5.41) compared with those with HCBSs (HR = 1.42, 95% CI: 0.77-2.61). HCBSs may attenuate the harmful impact of PM2.5 on cognitive status in the elderly Chinese and the government should further promote the application of HCBSs.

Traffic-related air pollution, adherence to healthy lifestyles, and risk of cognitive impairment: A nationwide population-based study.

BACKGROUND: Traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) is a risk factor for cognitive function, whereas healthy lifestyles are associated with better cognition. We aimed to examine their joint effects on cognition among the Chinese elderly. METHODS: The data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey was used. Participants' cognitive performance was assessed by the Chinese version of the mini-mental state examination. Residential proximity to major roadways was obtained through self-report and categorized into five categories: > 300 m, 201-300 m, 101-200 m, 50-100 m, and < 50 m, serving as a surrogate for TRAP. Six lifestyle behaviors (smoking, drinking, exercise, body mass index, sleep duration, and dietary diversity) were taken into account to calculate healthy lifestyle scores. The scores ranged from zero to six and were then divided into three groups: healthy (5-6), intermediate (2-4), and unhealthy (0-1). Logistic regression models were applied to investigate the joint effects of TRAP and healthy lifestyle scores on cognition. RESULTS: Compared to participants living < 50 m from major roadways and adopting an unhealthy lifestyle, those living > 300 m from major roadways and adopting a healthy lifestyle had a significantly decreased risk of cognitive impairment. Stratified analysis indicated that the associations between TRAP and cognitive impairment were more pronounced among participants adopting an unhealthy lifestyle compared to the participants adopting a healthy lifestyle. CONCLUSIONS: TRAP may impair cognitive function, and its detrimental impacts may be lessened by healthy lifestyles.

[Antiarrhythmic active components in traditional Chinese medicine acting on potassium channels].

Arrhythmia is an external manifestation of cardiac electrophysiological disorder. It exists in healthy people and patients with various heart diseases, which is often associated with other cardiovascular diseases. The contraction and diastole of myocardium are inseparable from the movement of ions. There are many ion channels in the membrane and organelle membrane of myocardium. The dynamic balance of myocardial ions is vital in maintaining myocardial electrical homeostasis. Potassium ion channels that have a complex variety and a wide distribution are involved in the whole process of resting potential and action potential of cardiomyocytes. Potassium ion channels play a vital role in maintaining normal electrophysiological activity of myocardium and is one of the pathogenesis of arrhythmia. Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)has unique advantages in treating arrhythmia for its complex active components and diverse targets. A large number of TCM preparations have definite effect on treating arrhythmia-related diseases, whose antiarrhythmic mechanism may be related to the effect on potassium channel. This article mainly reviewed the relevant studies on the active components in TCM acting on different potassium channels to provide references for clinical drug use and development.

Analysis of Clinical Characteristics and Blood Cell in Adult Patients with Brucella Bloodstream Infection of Different Blood Groups.

The clinical manifestations and blood cell varied among patients with Brucella bloodstream infection. This study aimed to explore the clinical characteristics and blood cells of adult Brucella bloodstream infection patients with different ABO blood groups. This study retrospectively analyzed 77 adult Brucella bloodstream infection patients. Demographic characteristics, clinical manifestations, laboratory data, and blood cell differences of adult Brucella bloodstream infection patients were analyzed. For Brucella bloodstream infection patients, the blood group was distributed as: B > O > A > AB. The main symptoms of the patients were fever (94.81%), and 56 patients (72.70%) were complicated with liver injury. The highest proportion of liver injury was 93.33% in patients with blood group A and 52.38% in blood group O (P < 0.05). There were 19 cases (24.68%) with spondylitis, 30 cases (38.96%) with anemia, 28 (36.36%) with leukopenia, 16 (20.78%) with thrombocytopenia, without notable differences between different blood groups (P > 0.05). The proportion of lymphocytes in patients with the AB blood group was the highest (39.46 ± 11.21), and in patients with the B blood group was the lowest (28.00 ± 12.10), with significant difference between different blood groups (P < 0.05). Patients with Brucella bloodstream infection with blood group A were more prone to liver injury than those with blood group O. More attention should be paid to liver injury when receiving patients with blood group A. The proportion of lymphocytes in patients with blood group B and AB was different, suggesting that they may have different immune states.

Interaction between the animal-based dietary pattern and green space on cognitive function among Chinese older adults: A prospective cohort study.

Green space is associated with better cognition, while the animal-based dietary pattern can be a risk factor. We aimed to verify the associations and explore their interaction among the elderly. The China Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) cohort including 17,827 participants was used. The average green space coverage rate was used to measure green space exposure. The animal-based diet index (ADI) was scored based on the non-quantitative frequency questionnaire of ten types of food intake (three types of animal foods and seven types of plant foods). We used the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) to assess cognitive function. The Cox proportional hazard regression was applied to explore the correlations and interactions. In the models, we gradually adjusted for the potential risk factors. Compared with participants living in the area with the lowest green space, those living with the highest were associated with a 20% decrease in the risk of cognitive impairment (hazard ratio (HR): 0.80, 95% CI: 0.73, 0.89). As for ADI, the highest group was related to a 64% increase in the risk of cognitive impairment (HR: 1.64, 95% CI: 1.38, 1.95). The protective effect of the highest green space group on cognitive impairment was more evident among participants with low ADI (HR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.62, 0.83), compared to those with high ADI. Green space was positively associated with cognition, while the animal-based dietary pattern was a cognitive disadvantage. The animal-based dietary pattern may mitigate the beneficial effects of green space on cognition.

Associations of family income and healthy lifestyle with all-cause mortality.

Background: There is a lack of evidence on whether combined lifestyle factors mediate the association between family income and all-cause mortality, as well as the joint relations between family income and lifestyle factors with mortality. Methods: Using data on family income and lifestyle factors of participants in the US National Health Interview Survey 2016-2018, we performed multivariable logistic regression models to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association of all-cause mortality with said data. Results: We included 73 729 participants with a mean age of 47.1 years (standard deviation (SD) = 18.0), 51% of whom were women and 65% of whom were non-Hispanic Whites. There were 2284 deaths documented. After multivariable adjustment, middle-income participants had an OR of 0.73 (95% CI = 0.61-0.88) for mortality, while high-income participants had an OR of 0.47 (95% CI = 0.37-0.60) compared with low-income participants. We found that lower all-cause mortality was related to higher lifestyle scores. Adults from high-income families with lifestyle scores of 3 and 4 had an OR for mortality of 0.44 (95% CI = 0.30-0.65) compared to those from low-income families and lifestyle scores of 0 or 1. When comparing those in highest vs lowest income groups in the mediation analysis, 9.8% (95% CI = 7.4-13.0) of the relation for all-cause mortality was mediated by lifestyles. Adults from high-income families with lifestyle scores of 3 or 4 had an OR of 0.23 (95% CI = 0.17-0.33) for mortality compared with those from low-income families and lifestyle scores of 0 or 1. Conclusions: A lower risk of all-cause mortality was linked to higher family income and healthier lifestyles. Furthermore, lifestyle factors mediated a small proportion of the association between family income and mortality among US adults. Economic disparity in health may not be eliminated by changing only one's lifestyle. Therefore, besides promoting a healthy lifestyle, we should stress how family income inequality affects health outcomes.

Pulmonary Vascular Remodeling in Pulmonary Hypertension.

Pulmonary vascular remodeling is the critical structural alteration and pathological feature in pulmonary hypertension (PH) and involves changes in the intima, media and adventitia. Pulmonary vascular remodeling consists of the proliferation and phenotypic transformation of pulmonary artery endothelial cells (PAECs) and pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) of the middle membranous pulmonary artery, as well as complex interactions involving external layer pulmonary artery fibroblasts (PAFs) and extracellular matrix (ECM). Inflammatory mechanisms, apoptosis and other factors in the vascular wall are influenced by different mechanisms that likely act in concert to drive disease progression. This article reviews these pathological changes and highlights some pathogenetic mechanisms involved in the remodeling process.

A circadian clock gene-related signature for predicting prognosis and its association with sorafenib response in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), one of the highest causes of cancer-associated death, has effective treatments, especially for patients with advanced HCC. Circadian rhythm participates in several important physiological functions, and its chronic disruption results in many disordered diseases, including cancer. However, the role of circadian rhythm in the overall survival (OS) of patients with HCC remains unclear. Methods: We investigated the expression, copy number variation (CNV), and mutation profiles of core circadian clock genes in normal and tumor tissues. We developed and validated a messenger RNA signature (mRNASig) based on prognostic circadian clock genes. A set of bioinformatic tools were applied for functional annotation and tumor-associated microenvironment (TME) analysis. Results: Core circadian clock genes were disrupted in terms of the transcription and CNV of HCC samples. The mRNASig, including NPAS2, NR1D1, PER1, RORC, and TIMELESS, was constructed. We divided patients with HCC into high-risk group and low-risk group based on the median value of the risk score. The high-risk group had a poorer prognosis than the low-risk group. The high-risk group was associated with malignant processes (e.g., proliferation, oncogenic pathway, DNA repair), metabolism, and tumor mutational burden (TMB). Surprisingly, the low-risk group was associated with enriched angiogenesis and was linked to enhanced response to sorafenib. Moreover, the high-risk group showed poor infiltration of CD8 T cells and natural killer cells accompanied by higher expression of CTLA4, PDCD1, TIGIT, and TIM3. Additionally, the mRNASig was associated with TMB. Conclusions: The mRNASig based on core circadian clock genes is a potential prognostic signature and therapeutic strategy and is significantly associated with the malignant biology of HCC.

Shufeiya Recipe Improves Monocrotaline-Induced Pulmonary Hypertension in Rats by Regulating SIRT3/FOXO3a and Its Downstream Signaling Pathways.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a chronic and progressive disease caused by obstructions and functional changes of small pulmonary arteries. Current treatment options of PH are costly with patients needing long-term taking medicine. The traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) compound "Shufeiya Recipe" was used to intervene in monocrotaline- (MCT-) induced pulmonary hypertension in rats. The rats were randomly divided into the control group, model group, positive drug (Sildenafil) group, and Shufeiya Recipe low-, moderate-, and high-dose groups. The improvement effect of the Shufeiya Recipe on the mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) was assessed in PH rats, and pathological staining was used to observe the pathological changes of lung tissue. The impact of the Shufeiya Recipe on oxidative stress damage in rats with pulmonary hypertension and the regulation of SIRT3/FOXO3a and its downstream signaling pathways were determined. The results showed that Shufeiya Recipe could significantly downregulate mPAP and improve lung histopathological changes; downregulate serum levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS); upregulate the concentrations of COX-1 and COX-2 and the activity of Mn-SOD; inhibit oxidative response damage; promote the protein expression of SIRT3, FOXO3a, p-PI3K, p-AKT, and p-eNOS; increase the level of expression of NO, sGC, cGMP, and PKG; and downregulate the level of protein expression of Ras, p-MEK1/2, p-ERK1/2 and c-fos. These results indicate that Shufeiya Recipe can improve MCT-induced pulmonary hypertension in rats by regulating SIRT3/FOXO3a and its downstream PI3K/AKT/eNOS and Ras/ERK signaling pathways.

The detection rate and influencing factors of high-risk groups of cardiovascular disease in Anhui, China: A cross-sectional study of 99,821 residents.

Objective: To investigate the detection rate and influencing factors of high-risk population of cardiovascular disease in Anhui province. Methods: From March 2017 to August 2019, the residents aged 35-75 years old were selected using the multi-stage stratified cluster sampling method in 8 counties and districts of Anhui Province, and questionnaire survey, anthropometric measurement, and collection of biological samples were carried out among them. Results: A total of 99,821 residents in Anhui Province were finally investigated, and among them 21,426 residents were detected to be high-risk groups of cardiovascular disease. The detection rate of high-risk groups was 21.46%. According to the high-risk types, the high-risk groups can be clustered. 74.57% of them had only one high-risk type, 22.57% of them had two high-risk types, and 2.86% had three or more high-risk types. The results of Generalized Linear Mixed Model (GLMM) showed that male, age ≥45 years old, not married, occupation as a farmer, annual family income <25,000 yuan, drinking, overweight and obesity, pre-central obesity and central obesity, snoring, feeling fatigued, sleepiness, and self-reported history of diabetes were more likely to be risk factors of cardiovascular disease (all P value < 0.05). Conclusion: The detection rate of high-risk groups of cardiovascular disease in Anhui Province is relatively high. Individualized intervention measures as well as comprehensive prevention and control strategies should be adopted focusing on the distribution characteristics of risk factors of high-risk groups.

Ice-Templated Large-Scale Preparation of Two-Dimensional Sheets of Conjugated Polymers: Thickness-Independent Flexible Supercapacitance.

Two-dimensional (2D) organic materials hold great promise for use in a multitude of contemporary applications due to their outstanding chemical and physical properties. Herein, 2D sheets of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(4-styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) are prepared from a commercially available PEDOT:PSS suspension using ice as a template. The 2D PEDOT:PSS sheets grow in the boundaries of ice crystals as the polymers are "squeezed" out of the suspension when the water solidifies. The mechanical robustness of the sheets can be enhanced by incorporating WO3 nanowires, and the PSS component can be conveniently removed with a concentrated solution of H2SO4 to afford stable suspensions of PEDOT or WO3@PEDOT sheets, either of which can be converted into flexible films with tunable thicknesses via filtration. Swagelok- or pouch-type supercapacitor devices prepared from the WO3@PEDOT films exhibit outstanding energy-storage characteristics, including high rate capability, thickness-independent energy storage (e.g., 701 mF cm-2 is achieved with a 1-mm-thick film), high resistance toward mechanical deformation, and good cycling stability. Additionally, a high energy density of 0.083 mWh cm-2 is measured for a device prepared using a 1-mm-thick film at a high power density of 10 mW cm-2. The methodology described establishes an efficient and readily scalable approach for accessing 2D organic sheets.

Efficacy and Safety of Traditional Chinese Medicine Injections for Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction: A Bayesian Network Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Background: Heart failure as an important issue in global public health, has brought a heavy economic burden. Traditional Chinese medicine injections (TCMIs) have significant effects on heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). However, it is difficult for clinicians to identify the differences in clinical efficacy and safety of various TCMIs. The purpose of this study is to compare the efficacy and safety of various TCMIs for treating HFrEF by conducting a Bayesian network meta-analysis (NMA) and to further provide references for clinical decision-making. Methods: The clinical randomized controlled trials of TCMIs for treating HFrEF were searched in seven database from inception to August 3rd, 2021. The Cochrane collaboration's tool was used to assess the risk of bias. NMA was performed in a Bayesian hierarchical framework. The surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA), the multi-dimensional efficacy analysis, the comparison-adjusted funnel plot, and the node-splitting analysis were conducted using R software. Results: A total of 107 eligible RCTs involving 9,073 HFrEF patients and 6 TCMIs were included. TCMIs include Huangqi injection (HQ) also called Astragalus injection, Shenfu injection (SF), Shengmai injection (SGM), Shenmai injection (SM), Xinmailong injection (XML), and Yiqifumai lyophilized injection (YQFM). The results of NMA and SUCRA showed that with conventional treatment (CT) as a common control, in terms of clinical efficacy, CT + XML was most effective in New York Heart Association cardiac functional classification efficiency, brain natriuretic peptide, and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide; the CT + SM was most effective in 6-min walking test, left ventricular end-diastolic diameter, left ventricular end-systolic diameter and cardiac output; the CT + YQFM was most effective in left ventricular ejection fraction; the CT + HQ was most effective in stroke volume; the CT + SF was most effective in Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire. In terms of safety, there was no significant difference between CT + TCMIs and CT. Conclusion: This Bayesian network meta-analysis results show that the combination of qualified TCMIs and CT is more effective for HFrEF patients than CT alone, and CT + XML and CT + SM may be one of the potential optimal treatments. Also, the safety of these TCMIs needs to be further observed. However, due to some limitations, the conclusions need to be verified by more large-sample, double-blind, multi-center RCTs.

Assessing the methodological and reporting quality of network meta-analyses in Chinese medicine.

BACKGROUND: An increasing number of network meta-analyses (NMAs) in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) have been published recently, but the quality of them was lack of assessment. This study aims to evaluate the methodological and reporting quality of NMAs in TCM. METHODS: Six electronic databases, including PubMed, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM) from inception to January 2018, were searched. NMAs of TCM were included. A measurement tool to assess the methodological quality of systematic reviews (AMSTAR) and the PRISMA Extension Statement for Reporting of Systematic Reviews Incorporating Network Meta-analyses of Health Care Interventions (PRISMA-NMA) were used to assess the methodological and reporting quality of the included NMAs. RESULTS: A total of 40 NMAs, including 2535 randomized controlled trials (RCTs), were included. They were published between December 2012 and November 2017. The median score and interquartile range of methodological and reporting quality was 7 (6-8) and 22 (19.1-27.1). Serious methodological flaws existed in the following aspects: the status of publication (22.5%), a list of studies provided (0%), assessment of publication bias (37.5%), and conflicts of interest (12.5%). Several items need to be improved in reporting, especially for Protocol and registration (2.5%), Data items (22.5%), Risk of bias across studies (Methods section) (37.5%), Results of individual studies (27.5%), Risk of bias across studies (Results section) (40%), Results of additional analyses (35%), and Funding (15%). CONCLUSIONS: The methodological and reporting quality of NMAs in TCM is moderate. Identified shortcomings of published NMAs should be taken into consideration in further trainings of authors and editors of NMAs in TCM. Future researchers should be encouraged to apply PRISMA-NMA, and a recognized tool for the assessment of NMA methodology was wanted.

Experiment and simulation study on alkalis transfer characteristic during direct combustion utilization of bagasse.

Bagasse is utilized as fuel in the biggest biomass power plant of China, however, alkalis in the fuel created severe agglomeration and slagging problems. Alkalis transfer characteristic, agglomeration causes in engineering practice, additive improvement effects and mechanism during bagasse combustion were investigated via experiments and simulations. Only slight agglomeration occurs in ash higher than 800°C. Serious agglomeration in practical operation should be attributed to the gaseous alkalis evaporating at high temperature and condensing on the cooler grain surfaces in CFB. It can be speculated that ash caking can be avoided with temperature lower than 750°C and heating surface corrosion caused by alkali metal vapor can be alleviated with temperature lower than 850°C. Kaolin added into the bagasse has an apparent advantage over CaO additive both in enhancing ash fusion point and relieving alkali-chloride corrosion by locking alkalis in dystectic solid compounds over the whole temperature range.

Investigation on thermochemical behavior of co-pyrolysis between oil-palm solid wastes and paper sludge.

The pyrolysis characteristics of oil-palm solid wastes, paper sludge and their blends were studied via thermogravimetric analysis. Blends ranging from 10 wt.% to 90 wt.% on dosage ratio were prepared to investigate their co-pyrolysis behavior and kinetics. There was a synergistic interaction at low temperature during co-pyrolysis between oil-palm solid wastes and paper sludge. The synergistic interaction would improve thermochemical pyrolysis reactivity of the blends, which could be attributed to the hydrogenation role and the potential mineral catalytic effects on paper sludge pyrolysis. The value of average activation energy obtained by Starink and Friedmen methods did not gradually decline with the increasing proportion of oil-palm solid wastes in the blends. The lowest average activation energy was achieved when the percentage of oil-palm solid wastes was 70%, which was 152 kJ/mol by Starink and 149 kJ/mol by Friedmen, respectively.