The influence of AI on the economic growth of different regions in China.

High-quality development plays a crucial role in China's economic progress in the new era. It represents a new concept of advancement and mirrors the increasing aspirations of the populace for an improved standard of living. In this context, the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in promoting sustainable development cannot be overemphasized. This paper explores how AI technologies can drive the transition to a green, low-carbon and circular economy. We have established an index system to measure the development level of the artificial intelligence industry and the high-quality development of the economy, which is relevant to the current state of the artificial intelligence industry and the advancement of the economy. Panel data from 2008 to 2017 has been utilized for this purpose. Global principal component analysis method and entropy value method are employed in the evaluation. Through in-depth analysis of the application of artificial intelligence and environmental protection in various provinces and cities, we clarify that artificial intelligence promotes innovation, saves resources, and is conducive to the development of green economy in the new era.

Congenital Heart Disease in Local and Migrant Elementary Schoolchildren in Dongguan, China.

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and treated status of congenital heart disease (CHD) in elementary schoolchildren and facilitate the long-term planning of health care, resource allocation, and development of targeted primary prevention strategies. From November 2011 to November 2012, 540,574 schoolchildren from 449 elementary schools were screened for CHD by trained doctors in Dongguan City. The schoolchildren who were suspected to have CHD were referred to a pediatric cardiologist and/or an echocardiographist for complete evaluation. Of them, 214,634 (39.7%) were local children and 325,940 (60.3%) were migrant children. The total prevalence of CHD was 2.14‰, and there was a significant difference (p <0.05) of the CHD prevalence between local (1.97‰) and migrant children (2.26‰). The treatment rates of CHD in local children and in migrant children were 63.51% and 47.21%, respectively (p <0.01). The commonest CHD was ventricular septal defect (43.13%), followed by atrial septal defect (25.84%) and patent ductus arteriosus (12.79%). With respect to gender, CHD was equally distributed between men and women. In conclusion, social, economic, and environmental risk factors that affect health of migrant children with CHD call for more attention from health policy makers and researchers in contemporary China. Efforts should be made to increase public health investment, establish health care manage system for children from migrant families, and increase the parents' awareness of preventing the CHD.

6-Month Follow-Up of a Novel Biodegradable Drug-Eluting Stent Composed of Poly-L-Lactic Acid and Amorphous Calcium Phosphate Nanoparticles in Porcine Coronary Artery.

RATIONALE: We reported previously, in porcine coronary arteries, that the novel biodegradable PowerStent Absorb paclitaxel-eluting stent had improved and sustained structural strength and functional performance at one month post-implantation. OBJECTIVE: To report the stent performance at 6-month follow-up. METHODS AND RESULTS: Six PowerStent Absorb and six TAXUS stents were randomly implanted in the left anterior descending and right coronary arteries of six Tibet miniature pigs. Quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) images were obtained at the time of implantation (T0) and at 6 months (T6). Two animals were sacrificed at T6 for histopathological evaluation. At T6, QCA showed that the mean luminal vascular diameter (mLD) between the PowerStent and the TAXUS stents were similar (2.36 ± 0.38 vs. 2.61 ± 0.31, respectively). Based on the IVUS analysis, the mLD and the mean lumen cross-sectional area (mCSA) in the PowerStent-treated arteries were similar between T0 and T6 (mLD: 2.74 ± 0.13 vs. 2.70 ± 0.20 and mCSA: 6.81 ± 0.62 mm2 vs. 6.68 ± 0.94 mm2). Histopathology showed that the PowerStent stents were well apposed to the vessel wall with no recoil, strut fracture and thrombus formation. The stents were fully covered with a layer of endothelial cells. CONCLUSIONS: At six-month post-implantation, the PowerStent Absorb stents maintained their structural strength and functional performance. The development of restenosis was controlled, no stent thrombosis was observed and the stents were fully re-endothelialized. These results suggest the PowerStent Absorb stent is safe and effective for up to 6 months when implanted in porcine coronary arteries.

Screening for pectus excavatum among primary students and establishment of a pectus excavatum screening program in Dongguan, China.

OBJECTIVE: To carry out pectus excavatum (PEx) screening among primary school students in Dongguan, with an attempt to establish a PEx screening program and provide epidemiological evidences for developing guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment of PEx for young children. METHODS: A total of 479,402 primary school students who were already in school in 2012 or newly enrolled in 2013 from 422 primary schools in 32 towns in Dongguan, Guangdong Province were screened for PEx. Meanwhile, about 420 medical staff from the infirmaries of 422 primary schools were provided with a serial of training, with an attempt to establish a PEx screening program and network. RESULTS: Valid screening results were obtained from 477,627 pupils (99.62%) from 406 primary schools in 31 towns. These students aged 4-15 years (mean: 8.78 years), among whom there were 244,545 males (N1; mean age: 8.22 years) and 233,082 females (N2; mean age: 8.89 years). Totally 257 PEx patients were identified, yielding a prevalence of 0.583%, among whom there were 176 males (N3; mean age: 8.79 years) and 81 females (N4; mean age: 8.77 years). With the PEx patients as the PEx group and the healthy children as the control group, chi square test with gender as the dependent variable showed that the incidence of PEx was significantly different between male and female students (P=0.00) (N3:N4 =2.172:1). In addition, 410 medical staff from the school infirmaries were trained, and a PEx screening program and network was established. CONCLUSIONS: The screening for PEx was successfully performed among pupils who were already in school in 2012 or newly enrolled in 2013 from 422 primary schools in Dongguan, Guangdong Province. Statistical analysis showed that the incidence of PEx differed between male and female pupils. A stable effective PEx screening program was established, which will provide personal and technical supports for the early diagnosis and treatment of this condition.

Prevalence and clinical significance of cardiac murmurs in schoolchildren.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence and clinical significance of heart murmurs detected during heart disease screening among apparently healthy schoolchildren. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: 32 elementary schools in Dongguan City of China. PATIENTS: 81,213 schoolchildren aged 5-13 years from different elementary schools. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The prevalence and clinical significance of heart murmurs among schoolchildren. RESULTS: Murmurs were detected in 2193 schoolchildren (2.7%), of whom 215 had a structural heart disease (SHD). Of patients who had SHD, 198 children had congenital heart disease (CHD), 12 had mitral valve prolapse and 5 had rheumatic heart disease. In patients who had CHD, the most common diagnosis was a ventricular septal defect. With respect to sex, SHDs were equally distributed between males and females. Of the schoolchildren who had a murmur, 1797 (81.9%) had a murmur with the loudness of grade 1 or 2 and 396 (18.1%) had a murmur with the loudness of grades 3-6. The prevalence of SHD fell significantly with increasing age. CONCLUSIONS: The study suggested that apparently healthy schoolchildren with grade ≤2 cardiac murmurs are least likely to have underlying SHD, especially in those aged ≥10 years. However, echocardiography should be performed in younger schoolchildren with cardiac murmur grade ≥3.

The financial impact of the 'zero-markup policy for essential drugs' on patients in county hospitals in western rural China.

OBJECTIVE: With a quasi-experimental design, this study aims to assess whether the Zero-markup Policy for Essential Drugs (ZPED) reduces the medical expense for patients at county hospitals, the major healthcare provider in rural China. METHODS: Data from Ningshan county hospital and Zhenping county hospital, China, include 2014 outpatient records and 9239 inpatient records. Quantitative methods are employed to evaluate ZPED. Both hospital-data difference-in-differences and individual-data regressions are applied to analyze the data from inpatient and outpatient departments. RESULTS: In absolute terms, the total expense per visit reduced by 19.02 CNY (3.12 USD) for outpatient services and 399.6 CNY (65.60 USD) for inpatient services. In relative terms, the expense per visit was reduced by 11% for both outpatient and inpatient services. Due to the reduction of inpatient expense, the estimated reduction of outpatient visits is 2% among the general population and 3.39% among users of outpatient services. The drug expense per visit dropped by 27.20 CNY (4.47 USD) for outpatient services and 278.7 CNY (45.75 USD) for inpatient services. The proportion of drug expense out of total expense per visit dropped by 11.73 percentage points in outpatient visits and by 3.92 percentage points in inpatient visits. CONCLUSION: Implementation of ZPED is a benefit for patients in both absolute and relative terms. The absolute monetary reduction of the per-visit inpatient expense is 20 times of that in outpatient care. According to cross-price elasticity, the substitution between inpatient and outpatient due to the change in inpatient price is small. Furthermore, given that the relative reductions are the same for outpatient and inpatient visits, according to relative thinking theory, the incentive to utilize outpatient or inpatient care attributed to ZPED is equivalent, regardless of the 20-times price difference in absolute terms.

A novel biosensor-based microarray assay for the visualized detection of CYP2C19 *2, *3, *4 and *5 polymorphisms.

BACKGROUND: A number of studies have indicated that the conversion of clopidogrel to its active metabolite is reduced in patients who carry the CYP2C19 *2, *3, *4 or *5 loss-of-function allele, resulting in decreased response of platelet to clopidogrel treatment and worse cardiovascular outcome. The aim of this study was to develop a novel biosensor-based microarray to visually detect CYP2C19 polymorphisms. METHODS: The target DNA was amplified from regions flanking the respective alleles using 5'-biotinylated reverse primer, and plasmids were prepared for the respective alleles. High stringency reversed hybridization, horseradish peroxidase-labeled streptavidin reaction, and color development, with multiple washes in different steps, were carried out and the results were recorded with an optical camera. The gene chips were tested for specificity, detection limit, intra- and inter-batch variations using the constructed plasmids. Finally, 88 clinical samples were assayed with this microarray as well as direct sequencing. RESULTS: The results could be seen with the naked eye. Concordance tests indicated that for alleles *2, *3, *4, and *5, the κ values between this assay and plasmids all reached 1.000. The detection limit was 5×10² cells/mL. Concordance test between direct sequencing and the microarray assay using 88 clinical samples gave rise to the κ value of 0.983, and p<0.01, indicating very high concordance. CONCLUSIONS: This novel biosensor-based microarray assay can amplify the signal in situ so that it can be detected by simple instruments or even the naked eyes. It is promising for clinical application in hospital laboratories.

A novel variation of GDF3 in Chinese Han children with a broad phenotypic spectrum of non-syndromic CHDs.

BACKGROUND: The GDF3 gene plays a fundamental role in embryonic morphogenesis. Recent studies have indicated that GDF3 plays a previously unrecognised role in cardiovascular system development. Non-syndromic CHDs might be a clinically isolated manifestation of GDF3 mutations. The purpose of the present study was to identify potential pathological mutations in the GDF3 gene in Chinese children with non-syndromic CHDs, and to gain insight into the aetiology of non-syndromic CHDs. METHODS: A total of 200 non-syndromic CHDs patients and 202 normal control patients were sampled. There were two exons of the human GDF3 gene amplified using polymerase chain reaction. The polymerase chain reaction products were purified and directly sequenced. RESULTS: One missense mutation (c.C635T, p.Ser212 Leu, phenotype: isolated muscular ventricular septal defect) was found that has not been reported previously. CONCLUSIONS: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the role of the GDF3 gene in non-syndromic CHDs. Our results expand the spectrum of mutations associated with CHDs and first suggest the potentially disease-related GDF3 gene variant in the pathogenesis of CHDs.

Novel biodegradable drug-eluting stent composed of poly-L-lactic acid and amorphous calcium phosphate nanoparticles demonstrates improved structural and functional performance for coronary artery disease.

Bioabsorbable drug-eluting stents (BDES) offer multiple advantages over a permanent bare metal stent (BMS) for coronary artery disease (CAD). However, current BDES remains two major issues: inferior radial strength and biocompatibility. PowerStent Absorb BDES, fabricated by co-formulating amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) nanoparticles with poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA/ACP, 98/2, w/w) and 2% Paclitaxel (PAX, w/w) was designed to address these issues. Two cohorts of 6 miniature pigs were each implanted with PLLA/PAX (control, 2% PAX, w/w) or PowerStent Absorb BDES. After 1 month in-vivo study, histological analyses showed significantly reduced restenosis in the PowerStent Absorb BDES cohort relative to the control cohort (44.49 +/- 410.49% vs. 64.47 +/- 16.2%, p < 0.05). Stent recoil (21.57 +/- 5.36% vs. 33.81 +/- 11.49, P < 0.05) and inflammation (3.01 +/- 0.62 vs. 4.07 +/- 0.86, P < 0.01) were also obviously decreased. From in-vitro studies, PLLA/ACP/PAX stent tube maintained significantly greater radial strength than control group during 6 months in-vitro degradation (PLLA/ACP/PAX vs. PLLA/PAX: before hydrolysis: 82.4 +/- 1.9 N vs.74.8 +/- 3.8 N; 6 weeks: 73.9 +/- 1.8 N vs. 68.0 +/- 5.3 N; 3 months: 73.5 +/- 3.4 N vs.67.2 +/- 3.8 N; 6 months: 56.3 +/- 8.1 N vs. 57.5 +/- 4.9 N). Moreover, ACP facilitated the hydrolytic degradation of PLLA compared with control one (62.6% vs. 49.8%), meanwhile, it also increased the crystallinity of PLLA (58.4% vs. 50.7%) at 6 months. From SEM observations, ACP created nanometer pores that enlarge gradually to a micrometer scale as degradation proceeds. The changes of the porosity may result in greatly promoting re-endothelialization.