Gate-tunable subband degeneracy in semiconductor nanowires.

Degeneracy and symmetry have a profound relation in quantum systems. Here, we report gate-tunable subband degeneracy in PbTe nanowires with a nearly symmetric cross-sectional shape. The degeneracy is revealed in electron transport by the absence of a quantized plateau. Utilizing a dual gate design, we can apply an electric field to lift the degeneracy, reflected as emergence of the plateau. This degeneracy and its tunable lifting were challenging to observe in previous nanowire experiments, possibly due to disorder. Numerical simulations can qualitatively capture our observation, shedding light on device parameters for future applications.

Selective-Area-Grown PbTe-Pb Planar Josephson Junctions for Quantum Devices.

Planar Josephson junctions are predicted to host Majorana zero modes. The material platforms in previous studies are two-dimensional electron gases (InAs, InSb, InAsSb, and HgTe) coupled to a superconductor such as Al or Nb. Here, we introduce a new material platform for planar JJs, the PbTe-Pb hybrid. The semiconductor, PbTe, was grown as a thin film via selective area epitaxy. The Josephson junction was defined by a shadow wall during the deposition of superconductor Pb. Scanning transmission electron microscopy reveals a sharp semiconductor-superconductor interface. Gate-tunable supercurrents and multiple Andreev reflections are observed. A perpendicular magnetic field causes interference patterns of the switching current, exhibiting Fraunhofer-like and SQUID-like behaviors. We further demonstrate a prototype device for Majorana detection wherein phase bias and tunneling spectroscopy are applicable.

What are people's attitudes toward medical insurance fraud whistleblowers? a study from China.

PURPOSE: Medical insurance fraud has caused huge losses to countries around the world, and public reporting has become an important means to combat medical insurance fraud. The attitude of medical insurance fraud whistleblowers affects people's reporting behavior, and understanding people's attitude toward medical insurance fraud whistleblowers provides a basis for further improving the system and policy of public participation in medical insurance fund supervision. METHODS: We adopted the questionnaire method to conduct a national cross-sectional survey of the Chinese public and analyzed the data using Chi-square tests, Fisher's exact tests, and binary logistic regression models. RESULTS: A total of 837 respondents were included, and 81.8% of the population had a supportive attitude toward medical insurance fraud whistleblowers, with gender, whether they had used medical insurance reimbursement, and present life satisfaction being statistically significant (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The public is generally supportive of medical insurance fraud whistleblowers, and women, those who have used medical insurance for reimbursement, and those who are satisfied with their lives are more likely to be supportive of medical insurance fraud whistleblowers.

What influences the public's willingness to report health insurance fraud in familiar or unfamiliar healthcare settings? a cross-sectional study of the young and middle-aged people in China.

INTRODUCTION: Young and middle-aged people are important participants in the fight against health insurance fraud. The study aims to investigate the differences in their willingness to report health insurance fraud and the factors influencing it when it occurs in familiar or unfamiliar healthcare settings. METHODS: Data were obtained from a validated questionnaire from 828 young and middle-aged people. McNemar's test was used to compare the public's willingness to report under the two scenarios. Chi-square tests and multiple logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the determinants of individuals' willingness to report health insurance fraud in different scenarios. RESULTS: Young and middle-aged people were more likely to report health insurance fraud in a familiar healthcare setting than in an unfamiliar one (McNemar's χ²=26.51, P < 0.05). Their sense of responsibility for maintaining the security of the health insurance fund, the government's openness about fraud cases, and the perception of their ability to report had significant positive effects on the public's willingness to report in both settings (P < 0.05). In a familiar healthcare setting, the more satisfied the public is with government measures to protect whistleblowers, the more likely they are to report (OR = 1.44, P = 0.025). Those who perceive the consequences of health insurance fraud to be serious are more likely to report than those who perceive the consequences to be less serious (OR = 1.61, P = 0.042). CONCLUSION: Individuals are more likely to report health insurance fraud in familiar healthcare settings than in unfamiliar ones, in which their awareness of the severity of the consequences of health insurance fraud and their perceived risk after reporting it play an important role. The government's publicizing of fraud cases and enhancing the public's sense of responsibility and ability to maintain the safety of the health insurance fund may be a way to increase their willingness to report, regardless of whether they are familiar with the healthcare setting or not.

Ballistic PbTe Nanowire Devices.

Disorder is the primary obstacle in the current Majorana nanowire experiments. Reducing disorder or achieving ballistic transport is thus of paramount importance. In clean and ballistic nanowire devices, quantized conductance is expected, with plateau quality serving as a benchmark for disorder assessment. Here, we introduce ballistic PbTe nanowire devices grown by using the selective-area-growth (SAG) technique. Quantized conductance plateaus in units of 2e2/h are observed at zero magnetic field. This observation represents an advancement in diminishing disorder within SAG nanowires as most of the previously studied SAG nanowires (InSb or InAs) have not exhibited zero-field ballistic transport. Notably, the plateau values indicate that the ubiquitous valley degeneracy in PbTe is lifted in nanowire devices. This degeneracy lifting addresses an additional concern in the pursuit of Majorana realization. Moreover, these ballistic PbTe nanowires may enable the search for clean signatures of the spin-orbit helical gap in future devices.

Comparison of One-Year Outcome of Intravitreal Aflibercept with or without Photodynamic Therapy for Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy.

Background and Objectives: Our study compared the visual and anatomical outcomes of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) patients receiving intravitreal aflibercept (IVA) with or without photodynamic therapy (PDT) over 12 months. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study was performed for 60 eyes from 60 patients with treatment-naïve PCV. Thirty eyes were treated using IVA monotherapy (IVA group), and thirty eyes were treated using a combination of IVA with PDT (IVA/PDT group). The baseline characteristics, treatment outcomes, and retreatment rates were compared between the two groups over a one-year follow-up period. Results: The best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was found to have improved significantly in the IVA/PDT group at every 3-month visit. However, no significant BCVA improvement was observed in the IVA group. A significantly lower retreatment rate and higher dry macula rate were found in the IVA/PDT group than that in the IVA group. In the entire population of the study, a better baseline vision and younger age were associated with better final visual outcomes. Retreatment was associated with poor baseline BCVA and IVA monotherapy. Conclusions: The combination of IVA and PDT may offer superior visual improvement and a higher dry macula rate compared to IVA monotherapy in the treatment of PCV patients while requiring fewer retreatments over 12 months.

Horizontal inequity trends of health care utilization in rural China after the medicine and healthcare system reform: based on longitudinal data from 2010 to 2018.

BACKGROUND: To assess the effectiveness of China's medicine and health care reform in promoting equity in health care utilization among rural residents, it is necessary to analyze temporal trends in equity in health care utilization among rural residents in China. This study is the first to assess horizontal inequity trends in health care utilization among rural Chinese residents from 2010 to 2018 and provides evidence for improving government health policies. METHODS: Longitudinal data obtained from China Family Panel Studies from 2010 to 2018 were used to determine trends in outpatient and inpatient utilization. Concentration index, concentration curve, and horizontal inequity index were calculated to measure inequalities. Decomposition analysis was applied to measure the contribution of need and non-need factors to the unfairness. RESULTS: From 2010 to 2018, outpatient utilization among rural residents increased by 35.10%, while inpatient utilization increased by 80.68%. Concentration indices for health care utilization were negative in all years. In 2012, there was an increase in the concentration index for outpatient utilization (CI = -0.0219). The concentration index for inpatient utilization decreased from -0.0478 in 2010 to -0.0888 in 2018. Except for outpatient utilization in 2012 (HI = 0.0214), horizontal inequity indices for outpatient utilization were negative in all years. The horizontal inequity index for inpatient utilization was highest in 2010 (HI = -0.0068) and lowest in 2018 (HI = -0.0303). The contribution of need factors to the inequity exceeded 50% in all years. CONCLUSIONS: Between 2010 and 2018, low-income groups in rural China used more health services. This seemingly pro-poor income-related inequality was due in large part to the greater health care need among low-income groups. Government policies aimed at increasing access to health services, particularly primary health care had helped to make health care utilization in rural China more equitable. It is necessary to design better health policies for disadvantaged groups to reduce future inequities in the use of health services by rural populations.

Gate-Tunable Surface States in Topological Insulator ß-Ag2Te with High Mobility.

Stimulated by novel properties in topological insulators, experimentally realizing quantum phases of matter and employing control over their properties have become a central goal in condensed matter physics. ß-silver telluride (Ag2Te) is predicted to be a new type narrow-gap topological insulator. While enormous efforts have been plunged into the topological nature in silver chalcogenides, sophisticated research on low-dimensional nanostructures remains unexplored. Here, we report the record-high bulk carrier mobility of 298 600 cm2/(V s) in high-quality Ag2Te nanoplates and the coexistence of the surface and bulk state from systematic Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations measurements. By tuning the correlation between the top and bottom surfaces, we can effectively enhance the contribution of the surface to the total conductance up to 87% at 130 V. These results are instrumental to the high-mobility physics study and even suitable to explore exotic topological phenomena in this material system.

Comparison of efficacy of intravitreal ranibizumab between non-vitrectomized and vitrectomized eyes with diabetic macular edema.

PURPOSE: To compare the efficacy of intravitreal ranibizumab between non-vitrectomized and vitrectomized eyes with diabetic macular edema (DME). STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective, nonrandomized, and comparative study. METHODS: From May 2013 to March 2016, 148 eyes of 148 patients with treatment-naïve center-involving DME were reviewed in one institution. Forty-six eyes underwent prior vitrectomy at least 3 months ago, and 102 eyes did not receive any vitrectomy. Three monthly then PRN intravitreal ranibizumab treatments were performed in all the patients with monthly follow-up for 6 months. Primary outcome measures included change in central foveal thickness (CFT) and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at month 6. RESULTS: The CFT significantly reduced, and the BCVA significantly improved 6 months after ranibizumab injections in either vitrectomized or non-vitrectomized groups (p < 0.05). There was no difference between vitrectomized and non-vitrectomized eyes in baseline characteristics. Significantly better final BCVA and visual gain were found in non-vitrectomized eyes than in vitrectomized eyes (p = 0.01 and 0.03, respectively). Final CFT and CFT decrease were significantly greater in non-vitrectomized group than in vitrectomized group (p = 0.02 and 0.006, respectively). Injection number of ranibizumab was 4.12 ± 0.58 in non-vitrectomized eyes, significantly less than that in vitrectomized eyes (5.05 ± 0.71) during 6-month period (p < 0.001). There were no severe systemic/ocular adverse effects in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Intravitreal ranibizumab was helpful for either vitrectomized or non-vitrectomized eyes with DME in short-term follow-up. Anatomical and functional improvements were greater in non-vitrectomized patients than in vitrectomized cases.

Three-Dimensional Quantitative Analysis of Internal Limiting Membrane Peeling Related Structural Changes in Retinal Detachment Repair.

PURPOSE: To assess macular microstructural changes associated with internal limiting membrane peeling (ILMP) using 3-dimensional optical coherence tomography (3D-OCT) in primary macula-off rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) repairs with vitrectomy and silicone oil (SO) tamponade. DESIGN: Retrospective, consecutive, interventional case series. METHODS: Setting: Institutional practice. PATIENT POPULATION: Patients who received primary RRD repair by a single experienced surgeon between January 2017 and December 2021. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: In the qualitative comparative analysis, the presence of macular changes among patients who underwent primary RRD repair with (21 eyes) or without ILMP (20 eyes) were observed. Subsequently, a detailed quantitative analysis of ILMP-related microstructural changes in 56 eyes using both 3D and 2D-OCT images were performed. RESULTS: In the qualitative comparative analysis, macular microstructural changes were observed in 95% of ILMP eyes and 5% of non-ILMP eyes (p < .001). In the quantitative analysis, 4 major macular microstructural changes were detected: dimple (75%), dissociated nerve fiber layer (DONFL) (55%), ILM peeling edge thinning (IPET) (64%), and temporal macular groove (TMG) (23%). Dimples (n = 251, average 4.5 ± 5.8 per eye) could be further classified into type I (confined to the inner plexiform layer [IPL]; 73%) and type II (beyond IPL, 27%). The average depth of the deepest dimples was 58 ± 18 µm. The extent of IPET was 6.0 ± 3.7 clock hours. The average length of TMG was 1.8 ± 0.4 mm. Comparing to unoperated fellow eyes, the eyes after ILMP showed decreased inner temporal over nasal retinal thickness ratio (0.86 ± 0.07 versus 0.96 ± 0.03, p < .001), shorter disc-fovea distance (4.61 ± 0.32 µm versus 4.78 ± 0.37 µm, p = .041), and wider retinal vein trajectories (c' = 2.48 ± 0.84 vs 3.39 ± 1.61, p = .002). CONCLUSIONS: Macular microstructural changes are common after ILMP in RRD repair, encompassing both focal changes (dimples, DONFL) and zonal changes (IPET, TMG). DONFL and dimples may be part of a continuum of findings stemming from the same mechanism. IPET and TMG are the results of macular tissue shift due to contracture of the optic disc and neurovascular bundle.

The effect of physical therapy and mechanical stimulation on dysfunction of lower extremities after total pelvic exenteration in cervical carcinoma patient with rectovesicovaginal fistula induced by radiotherapy: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Total pelvic exenteration is the ultimate solution for rectovesicovaginal fistula caused by radiation therapy, yet total pelvic exenteration frequently causes intraoperative complications and postoperative complications. These complications are responsible for the dysfunction of lower extremities, impaired quality of life, and even the high long-term morbidity rate, thus multidisciplinary cooperation and early intervention for prevention of complications are necessary. Physical therapy was found to reduce the postoperative complications and promote rehabilitation, yet the effect on how physiotherapy prevents and treats complications after total pelvic exenteration and pelvic lymphadenectomy remains unclear. CASE PRESENTATION: A 50-year-old Chinese woman gradually developed perianal and pelvic floor pain and discomfort, right lower limb numbness, and involuntary vaginal discharge owing to recurrence and metastasis of cervical cancer more than half a year ago. Diagnosed as rectovesicovaginal fistula caused by radiation, she received total pelvic exenteration and subsequently developed severe lower limb edema, swelling pain, obturator nerve injury, and motor dysfunction. The patient was referred to a physiotherapist who performed rehabilitation evaluation and found edema in both lower extremities, right inguinal region pain (numeric pain rate scale 5/10), decreased temperature sensation and light touch in the medial thigh of the right lower limb, decreased right hip adductor muscle strength (manual muscle test 1/5) and right hip flexor muscle strength (manual muscle test 1/5), inability actively to adduct and flex the right hip with knee extension, low de Morton mobility Index score (0/100), and low Modified Barthel Index score (35/100). Routine physiotherapy was performed in 2 weeks, including therapeutic exercises, mechanical stimulation and electrical stimulation as well as manual therapy. The outcomes showed that physiotherapy significantly reduced lower limb pain and swelling, and improved hip range of motion, motor function, and activities of daily living, but still did not prevent thrombosis. CONCLUSION: Standardized physical therapy demonstrates the effect on postoperative complications after total pelvic exenteration and pelvic lymphadenectomy. This supports the necessity of multidisciplinary cooperation and early physiotherapy intervention. Further research is needed to determine the causes of thrombosis after standardized intervention, and more randomized controlled trials are needed to investigate the efficacy of physical therapy after total pelvic exenteration.

SPONTANEOUS CLOSURE OF MYOPIC MACULAR HOLE TWICE WITHOUT POSTERIOR VITREOUS DETACHMENT.

PURPOSE: To present a case of a myopic macular hole that spontaneously closed twice in the presence of a broadly adherent posterior hyaloid membrane. METHODS: Case report. RESULTS: A 49-year-old man with high myopia and pseudophakia had a full-thickness macular hole in the left eye. The hole spontaneously closed in all retinal layers before the elective surgery, but the macular hole recurred one month later. The hole started sealing again spontaneously after one month, leaving a defect in the outer retinal layers. Four months later, the outer layer defect sealed and a lamellar macular hole developed. Throughout the course, the posterior hyaloid membrane remained parallel to the macular surface. The macular morphology and the patient's vision remained stationary at the 2-year follow-up. CONCLUSION: This case demonstrated that myopic macular holes can form and seal repeatedly with a broadly adherent posterior hyaloid membrane. Although bridging phenomenon was the common sign indicating the initiation of the two hole closures, different patterns of tissue regeneration ensued.

How does functional division within urban agglomeration affect CO2 emissions? An empirical study.

With intensified urbanization, cities are becoming increasingly important units for addressing air pollution issues. From the perspective of urban agglomeration (UA), in this paper, the influence of functional division on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions is studied. To explore the spillover effect within UA, a spatial Durbin model is built. The mediating effects of economic growth, industrial structure, and technological progress are examined using the parallel multiple mediation model. An empirical study is carried out on the Yangtze River Delta in China. The results suggest that: at the UA level, functional division and CO2 emissions follows a positive "U-shaped" curve relationship. The level of functional division is located on the left side of this curve. This implies that when the functional division of the Yangtze River Delta improves, current CO2 emission levels will decrease. Within the UA, improving the level of functional division will minimize CO2 emissions of adjacent cities, exerting a significant spillover effect. Functional division imposes a significantly negative influence on CO2 emissions. Moreover, economic growth, industrial structure, and technological progress all exert a significant mediating effect on the influencing mechanism. Functional division within the UA can also significantly reduce CO2 by optimizing these three paths.

What has affected the governance effect of the whole population coverage of medical insurance in China in the past decade? Lessons for other countries.

Objective: This study aimed to explore the current state of governance of full population coverage of health insurance in China and its influencing factors to provide empirical references for countries with similar social backgrounds as China. Methods: A cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted nationwide between 22 January 2020 and 26 January 2020, with descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, and logistic regression models via SPSS 25.0 to analyze the effectiveness and influencing factors of the governance of full population coverage of health insurance in China. Results: The effectiveness of the governance relating to the total population coverage of health insurance was rated as good by 59% of the survey respondents. According to the statistical results, the governance of the public's ability to participate in insurance (OR = 1.516), the degree of information construction in the medical insurance sector (OR = 2.345), the government's governance capacity (OR = 4.284), and completeness of the government's governance tools (OR = 1.370) were all positively correlated (p < 0.05) on the governance effect of the whole population coverage of health insurance. Conclusions: The governance of Chinese health insurance relating to the total population coverage is effective. To effectively improve the effectiveness of the governance relating to the total population coverage of health insurance, health insurance information construction, governance capacity, and governance tools should be the focus of governance to further improve the accurate expansion of and increase the coverage of health insurance.

The Public's Self-Avoidance and Other-Reliance in the Reporting of Medical Insurance Fraud: A Cross-Sectional Survey in China.

Purpose: To understand the public's self-willingness to report medical insurance fraud and their expectations on others, to provide a reference for the government to do a good job in medical insurance anti-fraud. Methods: Data were obtained from a questionnaire survey of 846 respondents in China. Descriptive statistical analyses and multinomial logistic regression were used to analyze the different subjective attitudes of the public toward different subjects when faced with medical insurance fraud and the influencing factors. Results: 511 (60.40%) respondents were willing to report medical insurance fraud, while 739 (87.35%) respondents expected others to report it. 485 (57.33%) respondents were willing and expected others to report medical insurance fraud, followed by those who were not willing but expected others to report it (254, 30.02%). Compared to those who were unwilling to report themselves and did not want others to report, those who believe their reporting is useless (OR=3.13, 95% CI=1.15-8.33) and those who fear for their safety after reporting (OR=2.96, 95% CI=1.66-5.26) were more likely to expect others to report. Self-reporting willingness was stronger among the public who were satisfied with the government's protective measures for the safety of whistleblowers (OR=4.43, 95% CI=1.38-14.17). The public who believe that both themselves and others have responsibilities to report medical insurance fraud were willing to report and expect others to do the same. Conclusion: The public had a "self-avoidance" and "other-reliance" mentality in medical insurance anti-fraud. The free-rider mentality, lack of empathy, concerns about own risk after reporting, and the interference of decentralized responsibility were important factors contributing to this public mentality. At this stage, the government should prevent the public's "collective indifference" in medical insurance anti-fraud efforts. Improving the safety and protection of whistleblowers and making everyone feel more responsible and valued may be effective incentives to enhance the public's willingness to report.

The status of TKI/acid-suppressant concomitant use in 44 hospitals in China: A cross-sectional descriptive study.

The irrational use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) has attracted increasing attention, especially because of drug-drug interactions. The objective of this study was to analyze TKI prescriptions and evaluate the rationality of concomitant use of TKIs and acid-suppressants. TKI prescriptions from 2016 to 2018 were collected from hospitals in Beijing, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, and Zhengzhou for 40 d/yr. Focusing on the data in 2018, we analyzed the pharmacoeconomic indicators of TKIs and the number and proportion of different coprescriptions. The evaluation criteria for coprescriptions were based on clinical literature and package inserts. A total of 41,738 TKI prescriptions were assessed. The total dose and sales of imatinib were the highest, the medication days and defined daily doses of gefitinib were the highest, and the highest defined daily cost was sunitinib. Meanwhile, there were 17 TKIs with drug utilization indices of ≤ 1.0. The irrational combination rate of prescriptions of non-cancer-related departments was high in 3 cities, but not Hangzhou. The irrational combination rate of prescription of inpatient prescriptions was > 23% in the 4 cities. The combined use of TKIs and acid-suppressants is common in China and may have a clear or potential impact on the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and adverse drug reactions of TKIs. Therefore, it is urgent to implement necessary interventions to stop such irrational use or if the combined use is necessary, to correct adverse consequences. The aims should be to achieve safe and effective use of TKIs and reduce unnecessary costs.

Clinical and Epidemiological Profiles of Retinal Vasculitis in Northern Taiwan.

PURPOSE: To investigate the epidemiological and clinical profiles in retinal vasculitis in an Asian cohort. METHODS: A 5-year retrospective study of 487 uveitis patients in a tertiary referral center at northern Taiwan. RESULTS: Overall, 18.5% of the cases were associated with retinal vasculitis (RV). Sarcoidosis and cytomegalovirus retinitis were two leading diagnoses. Cases with RV were younger (mean: 39.7 years), less unilateral (50%), and had more chorioretinal involvement (95.5%). Definite diagnosis was reached in 86.7% of RV cases, of which 38.5% had infectious uveitis. While sole arteritis was presented in 8.9% of cases, 63.3% showed phlebitis, and 27.8% involved both. Three distinctive patterns were associated with a higher likelihood of infection: nodular sheathing, continuous perivascular sheathing (OR 4.79), and continuous fluorescein leakage (OR 4.11). CONCLUSION: The presence of RV, especially arteritis, is highly suggestive of identifiable etiology. Distinctive clinical patterns help differentiation of infectious versus noninfectious causes.

Ocular inflammatory manifestations following COVID-19 vaccinations in Taiwan: A case series.

As a continuing demand for booster shots against SARS-CoV-2, ocular adverse events following the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) vaccines can cause significant visual impairment, and they warrant a high awareness and detailed documentation of possible ocular inflammatory manifestations. We present a case series of 11 patients presenting with ocular manifestations relevant to vaccine-associated autoimmune response within 6 weeks after the vaccination of the Oxford-AstraZeneca, the Moderna, and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines at the main tertiary referral center in the most populated and most vaccinated city in Taiwan. Their diagnosis included five acute anterior uveitis, two multiple evanescent white dot syndrome, one probable Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease, one anterior scleritis, one relapsed idiopathic panuveitis, and one autoantibody-related central retinal artery occlusion. This report presented a broad spectrum of the ocular inflammatory events following the vaccination of COVID-19. Early recognition of the clinical manifestations mentioned herein with prompt management is crucial in recovering the patients' vision.

Clinical Manifestations and Implications of Nonneoplastic Uveitis Masquerade Syndrome.

PURPOSE: To investigate the clinical manifestations and systemic and ocular implications of nonneoplastic uveitis masquerade syndrome (NNUMS). DESIGN: Retrospective case series. METHODS: The clinical data of 830 consecutive patients who presented with uveitis at a tertiary referral center in northern Taiwan between August 2013 and August 2020 were analyzed. The clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with NNUMS were evaluated. RESULTS: Overall, 3.7% of patients were determined to have uveitis masquerade syndrome. Among them, 24 patients (77%; 34 eyes) were diagnosed as having NNUMS. The main presenting anatomical location was posterior uveitis (58.8%). In the NNUMS group, a high chorioretinal involvement rate (94.1%) and delayed diagnosis from symptom onset (45.8% cases were diagnosed after more than 90 days) were found. Multimodal imaging was the major decisive diagnostic factor. Systemic condition alterations requiring urgent treatment were noted in 29.2% of cases. Ocular complications were noted in 58.8% of cases; 60% of those were observed on referral. Following appropriate treatment, visual acuity could be maintained in 88.3% of cases. The 5 major categories of NNUMS were retinal vascular disorders, rhegmatogenous retinal detachment, retinal dystrophy, central serous chorioretinopathy, and uveal effusion syndrome. CONCLUSION: NNUMS is a group of heterogeneous diseases with a complex diagnostic process and significant ocular and systemic effects. High awareness regarding common clinical manifestations is crucial for physicians to make the appropriate diagnosis and management.

Rural residents' willingness to participate in basic medical insurance and influential factors: A survey of three provinces in China.

Background: Rural residents' participation in medical insurance has a significant relationship to the affordability of their medical care. This study aims to investigate the willingness of rural residents to participate in basic medical insurance for urban and rural residents and its determinants so as to enhance their willingness to participate in medical insurance. Methods: Data were obtained from 1,077 validated questionnaires from rural residents. Chi-square test and multiple logistic regression analysis were adopted to analyze determinants of rural residents' willingness to participate in basic medical insurance for urban and rural residents. Results: 94.3% of respondents were willing to participate in basic medical insurance for urban and rural residents and this was associated with the familiarity with the medical insurance policies [OR = 2.136, 95% CI (1.143, 3.989)], the reasonability of medical insurance premiums [OR = 2.326, 95% CI (0.998, 5.418)], the normality of doctors' treatment behavior [OR = 3.245, 95% CI (1.339, 7.867)] and the medical insurance's effectiveness in reducing the economic burden of disease [OR = 5.630, 95% CI (2.861, 11.079)]. Conclusion: Even though most respondents were willing to participate in basic medical insurance for urban and rural residents, some aspects need to be improved. The focus should be on promoting and regulating the behavior of medical staff. Financing policies and reimbursement of treatment costs need to be more scientifically developed. A comprehensive basic healthcare system needs to be optimized around the core function of "hedging financial risks".