Macrophage KLF15 prevents foam cell formation and atherosclerosis via transcriptional suppression of OLR-1.

BACKGROUND: Macrophage-derived foam cells are a hallmark of atherosclerosis. Scavenger receptors, including lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor-1 (OLR-1), are the principal receptors responsible for the uptake and modification of LDL, facilitating macrophage lipid load and the uptake of oxidized LDL by arterial wall cells. Krüppel-like factor 15 (KLF15) is a transcription factor that regulates the expression of genes by binding to the promoter during transcription. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the precise role of macrophage KLF15 in atherogenesis. METHODS: We used two murine models of atherosclerosis: mice injected with an adeno-associated virus (AAV) encoding the Asp374-to-Tyr mutant version of human PCSK9, followed by 12 weeks on a high-fat diet (HFD), and ApoE-/-- mice on a HFD. We subsequently injected mice with AAV-KLF15 and AAV-LacZ to assess the role of KLF15 in the development of atherosclerosis in vivo. Oil Red O, H&E, and Masson's trichome staining were used to evaluate atherosclerotic lesions. Western blots and RT-qPCR were used to assess protein and mRNA levels, respectively. RESULTS: We determined that KLF15 expression was downregulated during atherosclerosis formation, and KLF15 overexpression prevented atherosclerosis progression. KLF15 expression levels did not affect body weight or serum lipid levels in mice. However, KLF15 overexpression in macrophages prevented foam cell formation by reducing OLR-1-meditated lipid uptake. KLF15 directly targeted and transcriptionally downregulated OLR-1 levels. Restoration of OLR-1 reversed the beneficial effects of KLF15 in atherosclerosis. CONCLUSION: Macrophage KLF15 transcriptionally downregulated OLR-1 expression to reduce lipid uptake, thereby preventing foam cell formation and atherosclerosis. Thus, our results suggest that KLF15 is a potential therapeutic target for atherosclerosis.

Prevalence, contemporary trends and associated factors of potentially inappropriate prescription of edoxaban in real-world clinical practice: A subanalysis of the SUNSHINE registry.

AIM: As the direct oral anticoagulant most recently approved in China, data pertaining to clinical edoxaban use are still scarce. This study investigated the prevalence of and contemporary trends in edoxaban prescription among Chinese patients as well as factors associated with its inappropriate use in a multicentre registry of patients treated in real-world clinical practice. METHODS: This real-world, prospective, multicentre and non-interventional study included 1005 inpatients treated with edoxaban. According to National Medical Products Administration and European Heart Rhythm Association guidelines, edoxaban therapy was determined to be appropriate or inappropriate in each case. RESULTS: The median patient age was 70.0 years (interquartile range 61.0-78.0 years) and 46.3% were women. Overall, 456 (45.4%) patients received inappropriate edoxaban therapy, and common issues included an inappropriately low dosage (183, 18.2%) or wrong drug selection (109, 10.8%), high dosage (73, 7.3%), unreasonable off-label use (49, 4.9%), contraindicated medication combinations (27, 2.7%) and incorrect administration timing (16, 1.6%). Several factors, such as age ≥75 years (odds ratio [OR] = 1.921, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.355-2.723, P < 0.001), weight >60 kg (OR = 2.657, 95%CI 1.970-3.583, P < 0.001), severe renal insufficiency (OR = 1.988, 95% CI 1.043-3.790, P = 0.037), current anaemia (OR = 1.556, 95% CI 1.151-2.102, P = 0.004) and history of bleeding (OR = 2.931, 95% CI 1.605-5.351, P < 0.001) were associated with an increased risk of inappropriate edoxaban therapy, whereas factors associated with cardiovascular specialties, such as admission to a cardiovascular department (OR = 0.637, 95% CI 0.464-0.873, P = 0.005), dronedarone use (OR = 0.065, 95% CI 0.026-0.165, P < 0.001) and amiodarone use (OR = 0.365, 95% CI 0.209-0.637, P < 0.001) decreased this risk. CONCLUSION: In this real-world study, 45.4% of patients received an inappropriate treatment with edoxaban. Multiple clinical characteristics can help identify patients who should receive edoxaban. Further development and implantation of educational activities and management strategies are needed to ensure the correct use of edoxaban.

Simultaneous Determination of 108 Pesticide Residues in Three Traditional Chinese Medicines Using a Modified QuEChERS Mixed Sample Preparation Method and HPLC-MS/MS.

A rapid, efficient, simple, and high-throughput method for the simultaneous determination of 108 pesticide residues in three traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) was established, comprising an improved QuEChERS method in combination with HPLC-MS/MS based on mixed samples. A quantity of 10 mL of acetonitrile was used as extraction solvent, and 10 mg of amino-modified multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs-NH2) and 150 mg of anhydrous magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) were selected as sorbents for dispersive solid phase extraction. The performance of the method was verified according to the analytical quality control standards of SANTE/11813/2017 guidelines. With good linearity (R2 > 0.9984) in the range of 2−200 µg/L for all pesticides in the selected matrices, and good accuracy, precision, and high sensitivity, the recoveries were in the range of 70−120% for more than 95% of the pesticides, with a relative standard deviation (RSD) of less than 16.82% for all. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) of the method were 0.01−3.87 µg/kg and 0.07−12.90 µg/kg, respectively, for Fritillaria thunbergii Miq (F. thunbergii), Chrysanthemum Morifolium Ramat (C. morifolium), and Dendrobium officinale Kimura et Migo (D. officinale). The method was successfully applied to 60 batches of actual samples from different regions.

Combination of puerarin and tanshinone IIA alleviates ischaemic stroke injury in rats via activating the Nrf2/ARE signalling pathway.

CONTEXT: Puerarin (Pue) and tanshinone IIA (Tan IIA) are often used in combination in the treatment of cerebrovascular diseases. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the neuroprotective effect and synergic mechanism of Pue-Tan IIA on the treatment of ischaemic stroke (IS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: IS was induced in rats by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Rats were intraperitoneally injected with Pue (36 mg/kg), Tan IIA (7.2 mg/kg), or Pue-Tan IIA (36 and 7.2 mg/kg) for five times [30 min before ischaemia, immediately after reperfusion (0 h), 24, 48, and 72 h after reperfusion]. After administration, neurological function assessment and histological changes in the brain were performed. S-100ß and NSE levels were measured to determine the severity of brain injury. Oxidative stress parameters and inflammatory mediators were measured. The proteins involved in Nrf2/ARE signalling pathway were determined by qRT-PCR and western blot. RESULTS: After administration, the neurological function scores, infarct volume, S-100ß, and NSE levels were significantly reduced in MCAO rats, especially with Pue-Tan IIA treatment (p < 0.05). All treatments increased T-AOC, CAT, SOD, and GSH activities and reduced GSSG activity and MDA, TNF-α, IL-6, ICAM-1, and COX-2 levels in MCAO rats. Pue-Tan IIA significantly increased Nrf2 expression in the nucleus (1.81-fold) and decreased its expression in the cytoplasm (0.60-fold). Pue-Tan IIA significantly increased the expressions of HO-1 (1.87-fold) and NQO1 (1.76-fold) and decreased Keap1 expression (0.39-fold). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: The combination of Pue and Tan IIA could alleviate ischaemic brain injury by activating Nrf2/ARE signalling pathway, providing an experimental basis for clinical applications.

microRNA-132 inhibits cardiomyocyte apoptosis and myocardial remodeling in myocardial infarction by targeting IL-1ß.

The patients suffering from myocardial infarction (MI) undergo cardiac remodeling with the features of expanded myocardial infarct size and dilated left ventricle. Multiple microRNAs (miRNAs) are emerged as crucial modulators to participate in the remodeling process. This study is mainly intended to clarify the regulatory mechanism of miR-132 in the MI-induced myocardial remodeling. miR-132 low expression, while interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) high expression was determined in MI by reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction and ELISA assays. MI rats showed decreased cardiac function and increased cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Moreover, miR-132 and IL-1ß levels were altered in cardiomyocytes to explore their role in MI, with levels of proapoptotic or antiapoptotic proteins in MI together with cardiac function indexes observed. In addition, upregulation of miR-132, decreased levels of Bax and Cleaved Caspase-3, increased left ventricular ejection fraction, left ventricular fractional shortening, the maximum rate of rise or decrease of left ventricular pressure (±dp/dtmax ), and Bcl-2 level, which could be reversed by overexpressing IL-1ß. All in all, miR-132 inhibits cardiomyocyte apoptosis so as to ameliorate myocardial remodeling in rats with MI through IL-1ß downregulation. Thus, miR-132 is a potential candidate for the MI treatment.

ZJ01, a Small Molecule Inhibitor of the Kelch-Like ECH-Associated Protein 1-Nuclear Factor Erythroid 2-Related Factor 2 (Keap1-Nrf2) Protein-Protein Interaction, Reduces Hyperoxic Acute Lung Injury in a Mouse Model.

BACKGROUND Hyperoxic acute lung injury (ALI) is a complication of ventilation in patients with respiratory failure. Nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) has an important role in ALI. Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1) binds to Nrf2. ZJ01 is a small molecule inhibitor of Keap1-Nrf2 protein-protein interaction (PPI) that can reduce Keap1-induced inhibition of Nrf2. This study aimed to investigate the effects of ZJ01 and the heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) inhibitor, zinc protoporphyrin IX (ZnPP IX), in a mouse model of hyperoxic ALI. MATERIAL AND METHODS C57BL/6J mice included five study groups: the room air+vehicle-treated group; the room air+ZJ01 group; the hyperoxia+vehicle-treated group; the hyperoxia+ZJ01 group; and the hyperoxia+ZJ01+ZnPP IX group. ZJ01, ZnPP IX, or vehicle were given 1 h after the hyperoxia challenge. The lungs from the mice were harvested at 72 h following the hyperoxia challenge. RESULTS Hyperoxia exposure for 72 h increased the activity of myeloperoxidase, the lung water content, the levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), and matrix metalloprotease-9 (MMP-9) in the vehicle-treated mice. ZJ01 treatment reduced hyperoxia-induced inflammation and increased the activation of Nrf2 and HO-1 compared with the vehicle-treated mice. Histology of the lungs showed that ZJ01 treatment reduced the changes of hyperoxia-induced ALI. Pretreatment with ZnPP IX reversed the beneficial effect of ZJ01. CONCLUSIONS ZJ01, a Keap1-Nrf2 PPI inhibitor, reduced hyperoxic ALI in a mouse model through the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway.

Searching for Near-Horizon Quantum Structures in the Binary Black-Hole Stochastic Gravitational-Wave Background.

Quantum gravity corrections have been speculated to lead to modifications to space-time geometry near black-hole horizons. Such structures may reflect gravitational waves, causing echoes that follow the main gravitational waves from binary black-hole coalescence. By studying two phenomenological models of the near-horizon structures under the Schwarzschild approximation, we show that such echoes, if they exist, will give rise to a stochastic gravitational-wave background, which is very substantial if the near-horizon structure has a near-unity reflectivity for gravitational waves, readily detectable by Advanced LIGO. In case the reflectivity is much less than unity, the background will mainly be arising from the first echo, with a level proportional to the power reflectivity of the near-horizon structure, but robust against uncertainties in the location and the shape of the structure-as long as it is localized and close to the horizon. Sensitivity of third-generation detectors allows the detection of a background that corresponds to power reflectivity ∼3×10^{-3}, if uncertainties in the binary black-hole merger rate can be removed. We note that the echoes do alter the f^{2/3} power law of the background spectra at low frequencies, which is rather robust against uncertainties.

Impact of Atorvastatin Combined with Ezetimibe for the Treatment of Carotid Atherosclerosis in Patients with Coronary Heart Disease.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the impact of atorvastatin (Ato) combined with ezetimibe (Eze) for the treatment of carotid atherosclerosis in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). METHODS: One hundred and forty-eight CHD patients with carotid atherosclerosis were divided into the control (Ato alone) and combination (Ato and Eze) groups. The treatment course was 12 months; patient blood lipids, carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), and carotid plaque area were measured before and after treatment. RESULTS: Twelve months after treatment, there was a decrease in the CIMT, and the horizontal and vertical axes of the carotid plaque areas in both groups, compared to pretreatment values. The serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels were significantly decreased (p < 0.05). There were statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) in the LDL-C (2.12 ± 0.58 mmol/L vs. 2.63 ± 0.56 mmol/L) and CIMT (1.06 ± 0.12 mm vs. 1.13 ± 0.11 mm) levels between the combination and the control groups after treatment. Compared to the control group, the horizontal (0.18 ± 0.06 cm2 vs. 0.19 ± 0.05 cm2) and vertical carotid arterial plaque areas (0.40 ± 0.15 cm2 vs. 0.41 ± 0.17 cm2) of the combination group were reduced after treatment. However, the difference was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The combination of Ato and Eze further reduces LDL-C levels and CIMT, and affect the progression of carotid atherosclerosis in CHD patients with hypercholesterolemia.

Advanced oxidation protein products in predicting acute kidney injury following cardiac surgery.

To test the hypothesis whether serum advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP) are associated with increased acute kidney injury (AKI) after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and could serve as a biomarker in this aspect, we performed a prospective cohort study. Thirty-five (22.3%) patients developed AKI, and 32 age- and gender-matched patients without AKI were selected as control. Serum AOPP 1 h after CPB were significantly higher among AKI patients compared with non-AKI patients (81.8 ± 18.6 versus 67.4 ± 12.5 µmol/L, p < 0.001), with an area under the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve of 0.714. An optimal serum AOPP 1 h after CPB cutoff of 69.9 µmol/L had a sensitivity of 74%, specificity of 63% and a positive predictive value of 68% for predicting AKI. These results demonstrated that serum AOPP might be an early biomarker for AKI after CPB.

Education is critical for medication adherence in patients with coronary heart disease.

BACKGROUND: Although non-adherence to medications is associated with increased cardiovascular risks, very little information is focused on the relationship between knowledge and medication adherence among patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). AIM: The purposes were to assess the relationship between medication adherence and medication- or disease-related knowledge in patients with CHD, and to investigate whether educating patients would alter their medication adherence behaviour. METHODS: This study was carried out at the outpatient clinic of a public university teaching hospital in China.The primary outcome was the ability of patients to follow medication instructions, which was assessed by the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMSA-8). The Medication- or Disease-Related Knowledge Test (MDRKT) was used to assess patients'medication-related knowledge. We also explored patients'preferences for receiving education about medications and whether it is necessary for pharmacists to provide education. RESULTS: Among the 159 patients who completed the survey, approximately 38.4% were considered non-adherent (MMAS-8 score <6). Medication- or disease-related knowledge and concerns about adverse drug events were significantly associated with non-adherence. The MDRKT revealed that most participants had very little knowledge about their drug treatment. Specifically, 22 participants said that pharmacists were their primary source of information. Subsequently, 95.0% of participants expressed an interest in activities related to medication education. CONCLUSIONS: Knowledgeable patients with CHD are more likely to adhere to medication instructions. Many patients have difficulty acquiring medication information; thus, patients need increased access to education about their medication. Pharmacist services may be required to provide such information.

Numerical well testing interpretation model and applications in crossflow double-layer reservoirs by polymer flooding.

This work presents numerical well testing interpretation model and analysis techniques to evaluate formation by using pressure transient data acquired with logging tools in crossflow double-layer reservoirs by polymer flooding. A well testing model is established based on rheology experiments and by considering shear, diffusion, convection, inaccessible pore volume (IPV), permeability reduction, wellbore storage effect, and skin factors. The type curves were then developed based on this model, and parameter sensitivity is analyzed. Our research shows that the type curves have five segments with different flow status: (I) wellbore storage section, (II) intermediate flow section (transient section), (III) mid-radial flow section, (IV) crossflow section (from low permeability layer to high permeability layer), and (V) systematic radial flow section. The polymer flooding field tests prove that our model can accurately determine formation parameters in crossflow double-layer reservoirs by polymer flooding. Moreover, formation damage caused by polymer flooding can also be evaluated by comparison of the interpreted permeability with initial layered permeability before polymer flooding. Comparison of the analysis of numerical solution based on flow mechanism with observed polymer flooding field test data highlights the potential for the application of this interpretation method in formation evaluation and enhanced oil recovery (EOR).

Serum salusin-α levels are inversely correlated with the presence and severity of coronary artery disease.

We sought to measure serum salusin-α levels in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and to assess their correlation with the severity of the disease. We enrolled 172 patients with CAD and 91 controls. We assessed the angiographic severity of CAD by coronary atherosclerosis index (CAI) and detected serum salusin-α levels by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We demonstrated that CAD patients had significantly lower serum salusin-α levels compared to controls. Moreover, serum salusin-α levels were independently and negatively correlated with the presence and severity of CAD. These findings indicated that salusin-α might serve as a potential biomarker for predicting the development and progression of CAD.

[The relationship between within-day drinking occasion and intake amount of water of primary and middle school students in four cities of China].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the number of drinking occasions per day and average amount consumed per drinking occasion of primary and middle school students in four cities of China, and understand the relationship among drinking occasion, average amount consumed per drinking occasion and total drinking water. METHODS: A total of 5914 primary and middle school students from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu were selected using multiple-stage random sampling method, and 5868 students completed the study from September to October in 2011. The detailed information of amounts and types of daily drinking water was recorded by subjects using a 24 hours measurement for seven consecutive days. Analysis of the relationship among drinking occasion, average amount consumed per drinking occasion and total drinking water was carried out. RESULTS: The daily total drinking water of subjects was (1089 ± 540) ml; the daily number of drinking occasions was (4.7 ± 1.8) times, with 79.1% (4639/5868) of subjects reporting 6 or less drinking occasions. The amount consumed per drinking occasion was (239 ± 96) ml, plain water (231 ± 112) ml, and beverages (237 ± 112) ml. The number of drinking occasions of subjects was positively correlated with total drinking water (r = 0.614, P < 0.05), and negatively correlated with the average amount consumed per drinking occasion (r = -0.211, P < 0.05). Total drinking water and the average amount consumed per drinking occasion was positively correlated (r = 0.598, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The number of drinking occasion of primary and middle school students more than 6 times was fewer in four cities of China, but the average amount of beverages consumed per drinking occasion was relatively more. With the increasing of drinking occasion, the average amount consumed per drinking occasion decreased, but total drinking water increased.

[Daily intake of plain water and beverages of primary and middle school students in four cities of China].

OBJECTIVE: To describe the daily consumption of plain water and beverages of primary and middle school students in four cities of China. METHODS: A total of 5914 students from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu were selected using multiple-stage random sampling method, and 5868 students completed the study from September to October 2011. The information on amounts and types of drinking water was recorded using a 24 hour measurement for seven consecutive days. The amount of plain water and beverages was analyzed for subjects in different gender, grades and cities. RESULTS: The daily consumption of plain water of subjects was (744 ± 484) ml (68.3% of total drinking water) with statistically significant difference among the Guangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu ((869 ± 528), (818 ± 518), (702 ± 471), and (573 ± 333) ml; F = 113.74, P < 0.05). The amount of plain water in boys (809 ± 534) ml was significantly higher than in girls (683 ± 436) ml (Z = 9.58, P < 0.05) while higher in urban (792 ± 531) ml than in rural (695 ± 427) ml (Z = -6.09, P < 0.05). The consumption of plain water in high school students was the highest (829 ± 513) ml, and that in primary students was the lowest (672 ± 426) ml (F = 55.23, P < 0.05). The average daily consumption of beverages was (345 ± 287) ml (31.7% of total drinking water) and the highest in Shanghai (424 ± 304) ml, then in Beijing (347 ± 303) ml and in Guangzhou (316 ± 267) ml, the lowest in Chengdu (293 ± 255) ml (F = 58.94, P < 0.05). The consumption of beverages for students in urban areas (394 ± 301) ml was higher than that in rural areas (296 ± 264) ml (Z = -14.48, P < 0.05), but no significant difference between boys (348 ± 306) ml and girls (342 ± 269) ml (Z = -1.44, P > 0.05). The consumption of beverages of high school students (356 ± 309) ml and middle school students (360 ± 301) ml were higher than primary school students (328 ± 263) ml (F = 8.37, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The major drinking water of primary and middle school students in four cities of China was plain water. The amounts of consumption of plain water and beverages varied in different cities, urban and rural and levels of education.

[Water intake of primary and middle school students in four cities of China].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate total intake of drinking water of primary and middle school students in four cities of China, and to provide scientific evidence for developing standard of intake of drinking water for primary and middle school students in China. METHODS: A total of 5914 primary and middle school students were selected from Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu and Guangzhou using multi-stage random sampling method and 5868 subjects completed the survey. The information on the amounts of daily drinking water was recorded for seven consecutive days using a 24 hour measurement. The amounts of daily drinking water among different cities and ages and between boys and girls or urban and rural were analyzed. RESULTS: The average daily total drinking water of subjects was (1089 ± 540) ml, with significant differences among the four cities ((1165 ± 549), (1126 ± 544), (866 ± 421), (1185 ± 568) ml in Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu and Guangzhou, respectively; F = 114.28, P < 0.05). The average daily drinking water was significantly higher in boys (1157 ± 575) ml than in girls (1026 ± 498) ml (Z = 8.88, P < 0.05), and in urban (1185 ± 578) ml than in rural (991 ± 480) ml (Z = 13.94, P < 0.05). The difference among different ages was statistically significant (F = 91.53, P < 0.05) with ascending order in 7 - 10, 11 - 13 and 14 - 17 years old ((953 ± 483), (1134 ± 551) and (1170 ± 557) ml respectively). CONCLUSION: The daily consumption of total drinking water is different in primary and middle school students among different cities, regions, genders and ages.

[Drinking in different periods of a day of primary and middle school students in four cities of China].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate intake of water in different periods of a day of primary and middle school students in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu of China. METHODS: A total of 5914 primary and middle school students from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu were recruited using multiple-stage random sampling method from September to October 2011. Among them, 5868 students completed the survey. The information of amounts and types of drinking in 8 time periods, morning, afternoon, night as well as in meal and non-meal time in 24 hours of a day was recorded by subjects for seven consecutive days using a quantitative measurement. This information was analyzed by different periods. RESULTS: The amount of drinking water among 8 periods of a day was (99 ± 101), (130 ± 106), (191 ± 155), (96 ± 107), (246 ± 172), (90 ± 101), (188 ± 135) and (50 ± 81) ml, respectively for before breakfast, during breakfast, after breakfast, during lunch, after lunch, during dinner, after dinner, and midnight (F = 1679.77, P < 0.01). Based on three periods of a day, the amount of drinking water in the morning (420 ± 242) ml was the statistically significantly most, followed by afternoon (341 ± 199) ml, and the least in the evening (327 ± 195) ml (F = 325.23, P < 0.01). The distribution trend of plain water in three periods was the same as total drinking water, with (270 ± 209), (250 ± 179) and (224 ± 177) ml, respectively (F = 84.89, P < 0.01) ; but beverage consumption was the most in the morning(151 ± 133) ml, then in the evening (103 ± 122) ml, and the least in the afternoon (91 ± 199) ml (F = 373.56, P < 0.01). The daily plain water consumption in meal time was (316 ± 247) ml, while it in non-meal time was (773 ± 445) ml with statistically significant difference (Z = 65.2, P < 0.01). There was no significant difference in meal time between plain water (165 ± 194) ml and beverage (151 ± 152) ml (Z = 0.59, P = 0.56) whilst plain water (579 ± 408) ml in non-meal time was significantly higher than beverages (194 ± 204) ml (Z = 64.5, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The amount of drinking water of primary and middle school students in different periods of a day was different in four cities of China.

A review: The formation, prevention, and remediation of acid mine drainage.

In abandoned open-pit coal mines, surface water and groundwater form acidic waters with high concentrations of metal ions due to chemical interactions with ores such as pyrite, and the formation of acid mine drainage (AMD) is one of the major sources of pollution of world concern. For this reason, this paper reviews the formation mechanisms and influencing factors of AMD. It also describes the prediction, prevention, and remediation techniques for AMD, identifying key research gaps. It also discusses the current challenges and shortcomings faced globally in the management of AMD. The formation of AMD is mainly caused by the oxidation of pyrite in mines, but it is mainly influenced by history, climate, topography, and hydrogeology, making the formation mechanism of AMD extremely complex. Currently, the remediation technologies for AMD mainly include active treatment and passive treatment, which can effectively neutralize acidic wastewater. However, the prediction technology for AMD is blank, and the source treatment technology such as passivation and microencapsulation only stays in the experimental stage. This leads to the high cost of treatment technologies at this stage and the inability to identify potential risks in mines. Overall, this review provides remediation tools for AMD from predicting root causes to treatment. Geophysical technology is an effective method for predicting the motion path and pollution surface of AMD in the future, and resource recovery for AMD is a key point that must be paid attention to in the future. Finally, integrated treatment technologies that deserve further exploration need to be emphasized.

Report on childhood obesity in China (9): sugar-sweetened beverages consumption and obesity.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the associations between sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption and obesity as well as obesity-related cardiometabolic disorders among children in China. METHODS: A total of 6974 (boys 3558, girls 3412) children aged 6-13 years participated in the study. Each participant's height, weight, waist circumference, fasting glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were measured. The type of beverage consumption was determined using a self-administered questionnaire. RESULTS: SSBs were consumed regularly by 46.1% of the children. The prevalence [adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence internal (CI)] of obesity was 7.6% [as the reference group (ref.)], 10.1% [1.36(1.07, 1.74)], and 11.6% [1.46(1.21, 1.75)], among children who regularly drank milk, other beverages and SSBs, respectively. Regularly drinking SSBs elevated the likelihood of abdominal obesity [adjusted odds ratio (95% CI): 1.36 (1.17, 1.59)]. The prevalence [adjusted odds ratio (95% CI)] of obesity among children who regularly drank sports/caloric beverages, carbonated beverages, sweet tea, and plant protein beverages was 16.8% [2.00(1.31, 3.07)], 12.7% [1.52(1.23, 1.88)], 11.5% [1.52(1.18, 1.95)], and 10.4% [1.41(1.03, 1.94)], respectively, which was higher than that of regular milk drinkers [7.6 % (ref.)]. The prevalence [adjusted odds ratio (95% CI)] of abdominal obesity among children who regularly drank sweet tea, fruit/vegetable juices, and carbonated beverages was 17.7% [1.55(1.26, 1.90)], 16.2% [1.36(1.09, 1.70)], and 15.3% [1.24(1.03, 1.50)], respectively, which was much higher than that of regular milk drinkers [12.8% (ref.)]. CONCLUSIONS: Regular SSB consumption was positively related to obesity and abdominal obesity. This relationship should be investigated further using a longitudinal study design.

Report on childhood obesity in China (10): association of sleep duration with obesity.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the association of sleep duration with obesity among children in urban areas of China. METHODS: A total of 6 576 children (3 293 boys and 3 283 girls) aged 7-11 years were randomly selected from 36 primary schools in 6 metropolitan cities in China. A 7-day Physical Activity Recall was used to assess the sleep duration and physical activity level. The height, weight, waist circumference (WC) and percentage of body fat (%BF, as determined by bioelectrical impedance analysis technique) were measured by following the standardized operation procedures. The information on demography, lifestyle and eating habits was collected with a self-administered questionnaire from participants and their parents. RESULTS: The average sleep duration per night in the children was 9.7 h with the decreasing trends along with the increase of age (P < 0.05). The sleep duration was negatively associated with body mass index (BMI) and WC in both boys and girls after adjustment for confounders (beta value -0.23 and -0.82 for boys, -0.24 and -0.91 for girls, respectively, P < 0.01). However, no significant association of sleep duration with %BF was found. Children who slept less than 9.0 h per night had a higher risk for overweight and obesity (OR = 1.29, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.64) and abdominal obesity (OR=1.38, 95% CI: 1.04, 1.83) as compared with those who slept for 10.0-10.9 h. CONCLUSIONS: Short sleep duration is associated with obesity. It is important to ensure adequate sleep duration of children and foster their healthy lifestyle at an early stage of life.

Clinical Application of Early Warning Scoring Based on BiLSTM-Attention in Emergency Obstetric Preexamination and Triage.

Maternity is a special category of population and the criteria for emergency prescreening cannot be directly applied to adults. Therefore, a set of criteria for grading maternal conditions should be established. In this paper, we have combined the semantic analysis technique of BiLSTM-Attention neural network and fuzzy defect risk assessment method, to develop a hybrid approach, to preprocess the text of emergency obstetric prescreening information. Furthermore, we have used word2vec to characterize the word embedding vector and highlight the features related to the degree of defects of emergency obstetric prescreening information through the attention mechanism and obtain the semantic feature vector of the warning information. BiLSTM-Attention neural network has the dual advantages of extracting bidirectional semantic information and giving weight to important judgment information which has effectively improved the semantic understanding accuracy. Experimental tests and application analysis show that the judgment model which is based on proposed method has accurately classified and graded the defects of emergency obstetric prescreening alerts. Additionally, the accuracy and microaverage value are used as evaluation indexes.