Socioeconomic inequalities in cancer incidence and mortality: An analysis of GLOBOCAN 2022.

BACKGROUND: Given the recent updates in cancer burden estimates by GLOBOCAN 2022, this study was undertaken to provide pertinent perspectives within the context of the Human Development Index (HDI) and major world economies. METHODS: Datasets sourced from GLOBOCAN encompassed cancer cases and deaths across all cancer types in 2022, alongside projections up to 2050. Cancer incidences and deaths of the top 10 cancers within China and four distinct HDI-classified regions were compared using descriptive analyses. Age-standardized incidence rates (ASIRs) and mortality rates (ASMRs) worldwide for the most prevalent cancers in 2022 across ten largest economies and four-tier HDIs were examined. The top five cancer types concerning both incidence and mortality in China were delineated by sex and age group. RESULTS: In males, prostate cancer predominated in countries with low, high (except China), and very high HDI. Prostate and liver cancers were prominent causes of death in countries with low HDI. In females, breast and cervical cancers predominated in countries with low-to-medium HDI. Lung and colorectal cancer incidence and deaths increased with high HDI for both sexes. ASIRs and ASMRs for breast, prostate, lung, and colorectal cancers in the top 10 economies were higher than the global average. However, liver, stomach, and cervical cancers in most Western countries exhibited lower rates. In China, hematologic malignancies (43%) were prevalent among children aged 0-14 years, whereas thyroid cancer led among adolescents and young adults aged 15-39 years. Regarding incidence and mortality, lung cancer predominated for individuals over 40 years, except for females aged 40-59 years, in whom breast cancer predominated. Projected trends indicated substantial increases in new cancer cases (76.6%) and deaths (89.7%) over the next three decades. CONCLUSIONS: Infection- and poverty-related cancer burdens are offset by increased prostate, breast, colorectal, and lung cancer incidence associated with rapid societal and economic transitions. Cancer incidence and mortality patterns in China feature characteristics of developed and developing countries, necessitating tailored, evidence-based, and comprehensive strategies for effective cancer prevention and control.

[Assessment of the current invasive situation of alien plants in semi-arid area of Northeast China]. / ä¸œåŒ—åŠå¹²æ—±åŒºå¤–æ¥æ¤ç‰©å ¥ä¾µçŽ°çŠ¶è¯„ä¼°.

Alien invasive plants have been found in the semi-arid region of Northeast China for a long time, but the overall invasion situation is rarely reported. In this study, we established a database of alien invasive plants in the semi-arid area of Northeast China through field investigation, specimen collection, research of specimen online information platform and literature. The results showed that there were 34 species of alien invasive plants belonging to 26 genera and 10 families in the semi-arid area of Northeast China, among which the Composite family had the largest number of richness, with 9 genera (34.6%) and 11 species (32.4%). There were 15 species (44.1%) in 11 genera (42.3%) of Legumes, Solanaceae and Gramineae. In all the alien invasive plants, 33 species were herbaceous plants, being overwhelmingly dominant (97.1%). There were both 7 species of countrywide invasive plants with invasive grade 1 and 2, each accounting for 20.6% of the total. The number of species with invasive grade 4 was the largest, 17 species, accounting for 50% of the total. The invasive plants originated in North America and Europe was the most, accounting for 64.7%, while those from South America, Asia and Africa accounted for 35.3%. Totally, 44.1% of all the invasive alien plants were intentionally introduced, while 55.9% were unintentionally introduced. In the semi-arid area of Northeast China, 81.3% of the counties (cities) had the distribution of alien invasive plants, and the invasion situation was very serious.

Combining fecal immunochemical testing and questionnaire-based risk assessment in selecting participants for colonoscopy screening in the Chinese National Colorectal Cancer Screening Programs: A population-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Screening reduces colorectal cancer (CRC) burden by allowing early resection of precancerous and cancerous lesions. An adequate selection of high-risk individuals and a high uptake rate for colonoscopy screening are critical to identifying people more likely to benefit from screening and allocating healthcare resources properly. We evaluated whether combining a questionnaire-based interview for risk factors with fecal immunochemical test (FIT) outcomes for high-risk assessment is more efficient and economical than a questionnaire-based interview-only strategy. METHODS AND FINDINGS: In this multicenter, population-based, prospective cohort study, we enrolled community residents aged 40 to 74 years in 29 provinces across China. From 2016 to 2020, a total of 1,526,824 eligible participants were consecutively enrolled in the Cancer Screening Program in Urban China (CanSPUC) cohort, and 940,605 were enrolled in the Whole Life Cycle of Cancer Screening Program (WHOLE) cohort, with follow-up to December 31, 2022. The mean ages were 56.89 and 58.61 years in CanSPUC and WHOLE, respectively. In the WHOLE cohort, high-risk individuals were identified by combining questionnaire-based interviews to collect data on risk factors (demographics, diet history, family history of CRC, etc.) with FIT outcomes (RF-FIT strategy), whereas in the CanSPUC cohort, high-risk individuals were identified using only interview-based data on risk factors (RF strategy). The primary outcomes were participation rate and yield (detection rate of advanced neoplasm, early-stage detection rate of CRCs [stage I/II], screening yield per 10,000 invitees), which were reported for the entire population and for different gender and age groups. The secondary outcome was the cost per case detected. In total, 71,967 (7.65%) and 281,985 (18.47%) individuals were identified as high-risk and were invited to undergo colonoscopy in the RF-FIT group and RF group, respectively. The colonoscopy participation rate in the RF-FIT group was 26.50% (19,071 of 71,967) and in the RF group was 19.54% (55,106 of 281,985; chi-squared test, p < 0.001). A total of 102 (0.53%) CRCs and 2,074 (10.88%) advanced adenomas were detected by the RF-FIT, versus 90 (0.16%) and 3,593 (6.52%) by the RF strategy (chi-squared test, both p < 0.001). The early-stage detection rate using the RF-FIT strategy was significantly higher than that by the RF strategy (67.05% versus 47.95%, Fisher's exact test, p = 0.016). The cost per CRC detected was $24,849 by the RF-FIT strategy versus $55,846 by the RF strategy. A limitation of the study was lack of balance between groups with regard to family history of CRC (3.5% versus 0.7%). CONCLUSIONS: Colonoscopy participation and screening yield were better with the RF-FIT strategy. The association with CRC incidence and mortality reduction should be evaluated after long-term follow-up.

[Effects of branched-chain amino acid supplementation on skeletal muscle proteolytic pathways after exercise-induced muscle injury in rats].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the role of branched-chain amino acid(BCAA) supplementation on muscle damage and the regulation of Krüppel-like factor 15(KLF15) and nuclear factor kappa B(NF-κB) mediated proteolytic pathways after an acute eccentric exercise. METHODS: Male SD rats were divided into placebo group(PLA) and BCAA group(BCAA) randomly, 32 rats per group. Both group were then placed into subgroups: placebo and pre-exercise group(PC), placebo and immediately after exercise group(PE), placebo and 6 h after exercise group(PE6), placebo and 12 h after exercise group(PE12), BCAA and pre-exercise group(BC), BCAA and immediately after exercise group(BE), BCAA and 6 h after exercise group(BE6), BCAA and 12 h after exercise group(BE12), 8 rats per group. Rats in BCAA groups were supplied with BCAA(1 g/(kg·d·BW), 3 days) before the exercise day and placebo groups with equal volume of distilled water. The exercised groups performed a 2 h eccentric exercise on treadmill(16 m/min, -16° slope). Blood and gastrocnemius were collected according to the time points. RT-qPCR was used to measure the mRNA expression of KLF15, NF-κB, FoxO1, Atrogin-1 and MuRF1 in gastrocnemius. RESULTS: (1) No damage was found in myocytes of BC and PC group. The process of morphological damage in BCAA group was relatively faster. (2) The mRNA expression levels of KLF15, FoXO1, Atrogin-1 and MuRF1 in PE were higher than those in PC(P<0.05, P<0.01), NF-κB and Atrogin-1 in PE12 were higher than those in PC(P<0.05). The mRNA expression levels of FoXO1 in BE were higher than those in BC(P<0.05). Compared with PE, the mRNA expression levels of KLF15, Atrogin-1 and MuRF1 in BE were lower(P<0.05, P<0.01), NF-κB and Atrogin-1 in BE12 were lower than those in PE12(P<0.05). The level of serum 3-MH in PE12 group was higher than that in PC group(P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The proteolysis of skeletal muscle after high-intensity eccentric exercise is mediated by two different pathways: KLF15 and NF-κB, whose activation is time-dependent. BCAA may reduce skeletal muscle proteolysis by lowering the level of gene transcription in the KLF15 and NF-κB related protein degradation pathway, which occurs immediately after exercise.

Geographic disparities in trends of thyroid cancer incidence and mortality from 1990 to 2019 and a projection to 2030 across income-classified countries and territories.

Background: The rising incidence of thyroid cancer (TC) has generated growing concern globally; yet there are no studies examining whether this incidence was followed by a rise in related mortality. We aimed to comprehensively quantify current trends and future projections of TC incidence and mortality, and to explore the association between the TC burden and socioeconomic inequality in different income strata. Methods: We obtained incidence and mortality data on TC and population from the 2019 Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study and the United Nations' World Population Prospects 2022. We applied an age-period-cohort (APC) model to estimate the overall annual percentage change (net drift) and age, period, and cohort effects from 1990 to 2019, and also constructed a Bayesian APC model to predict the TC burden through 2030. Results: Over a third of global TC cases belonged to the high-income group. From 1990 to 2019, net drifts of TC incidence were >0 in all income groups, while a modest reduction (net drift <0) in mortality was observed in most income groups, except for the lower-middle-income group. Unfavourable age, period, and cohort effects were most notable in Vietnam, China, and Korea. The age-standardised incidence rate (ASIR) is predicted to increase whereas the age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) is expected to decrease globally between 2020 and 2030, with geographic heterogeneity being detected across income groups. We observed a positive correlation between ASIR and universal health coverage index and health worker density, but a negative one between ASMR and the two indicators, primarily in upper-middle-income and high-income countries. Conclusions: Opposite patterns in incidence and mortality of TC raise concerns about overdiagnosis, particularly in upper-middle-income and high-income countries. Discrepancies in the distribution of health service accessibility, including diagnostic techniques and therapeutic care, should be addressed by narrowing health inequalities in the TC burden across countries.

Quantifying the effect of socio-economic-geo drivers on the change of municipal waste disposal in China by an integrated TWFE-PRF-SDM methodology.

Municipal solid waste management and disposal in China have significantly evolved since 2000. Due to China's vast land area and significant socioeconomic and geographic disparities, nationwide waste management strategies need to be further evaluated. This study quantified the effect of social, economic, and geographic drivers on municipal waste disposal activities in 31 provincial-level administrative regions from 2003 to 2020, by establishing a methodology integrated by two-way fixed effects regression model, panel random forest, and spatial Durbin model. The results showed, in the past two decades, socio-economic-geo indicators significantly co-decided the landfill and incineration activities. In particular, the explanatory ability of GDP per capita was above 45%, while land resources and city size also showed great significance. Spatial autocorrelation analysis showed that the relationship between landfill/incineration rates and socio-economic-geo drivers changed notably from unobvious to significant with economic growth. Furthermore, the local economy and land resources displayed more impact than those of the neighboring regions, while sci-tech and education showed clear spatial spillover effects. Chinese government would carefully assess the full-scale promotion policy of incineration plants, landfill is still hold as a reasonable option for regions with specific socio-economic-geo conditions.

Quantitative assessment of renal functions using 68Ga-EDTA dynamic PET imaging in renal injury in mice of different origins.

Background: Early detection of kidney diseases can be challenging as conventional methods such as blood tests or imaging techniques (computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or ultrasonography) may be insufficient to assess renal function. A single-photon emission CT (SPECT) renal scan provides a means of measuring glomerular filtration rates (GFRs), but its diagnostic accuracy is limited due to its planar imaging modality and semi-quantification property. In this study, we aimed to improve the accuracy of GFR measurement by preparing a positron emission tonometry (PET) tracer 68Ga-Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (68Ga-EDTA) and comprehensively evaluating its performance in healthy mice and murine models of renal dysfunction. Methods: Dynamic PET scans were performed in healthy C57BL/6 mice and in models of renal injury, including acute kidney injury (AKI) and unilateral ureter obstruction (UUO) using 68Ga-EDTA. In a 30-min dynamic scan, PET images and time-activity curves (TACs) were acquired. Renal function and GFR values were measured using renograms and validated through serum renal function parameters, biodistribution results, and pathological staining. Results: 68Ga-EDTA dynamic PET imaging quantitatively captured the tracer elimination process. The calculated GFR values were 0.25 ± 0.02 ml/min in healthy mice, 0.01 ± 0.00 ml/min in AKI mice, and 0.25 ± 0.04, 0.29 ± 0.03 and 0.24 ± 0.01 ml/min in UUO mice, respectively. Furthermore, 68Ga-EDTA dynamic PET imaging and GFRPET were able to differentiate mild renal impairment before serum parameters indicated any changes. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that 68Ga-EDTA dynamic PET provides a reliable and precise means of evaluating renal function in two murine models of renal injury. These results hold promise for the widespread clinical application of 68Ga-EDTA dynamic PET in the near future.

A systematic bibliometric review of clean energy transition: Implications for low-carbon development.

More voices are calling for a quicker transition towards clean energy. The exploration and exploitation of clean energy such as wind energy and solar energy are effective means to optimise energy structure and improve energy efficiency. To provide in-depth understanding of clean energy transition, this paper utilises a combination of multiple bibliometric mapping techniques, including HistCite, CiteSpace and R Bibliometrix, to conduct a systematic review on 2,191 clean energy related articles obtained from Web of Science (WoS). We identify five current main research streams in the clean energy field, including Energy Transition, Clean Energy and Carbon Emission Policy, Impact of Oil Price on Alternative Energy Stocks, Clean Energy and Economics, and Venture Capital Investments in Clean Energy. Clearly, the effectiveness of policy-driven and market-driven energy transition is an important ongoing debate. Emerging research topics are also discussed and classified into six areas: Clean Energy Conversion Technology and Biomass Energy Utilisation, Optimisation of Energy Generation Technology, Policy-Making in Clean Energy Transition, Impact of Clean Energy Use and Economic Development on Carbon Emissions, Household Use of Clean Energy, and Clean Energy Stock Markets. Accordingly, more and more research attention has been paid to how to improve energy efficiency through advanced clean energy technology, and how to make targeted policies for clean energy transition and energy market development. This article moves beyond the traditional literature review methods and delineates a systematic research agenda for clean energy research, providing research directions for achieving low-carbon development through the clean energy transition.

Post relocation of industrial sites for decades: Ascertain sources and human risk assessment of soil polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

As a persistent organic pollutant, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) may still residually pollute industrial sites after relocation. This study investigated the contamination status of PAHs in the topsoils of three industrial legacy sites (the Shougang industrial ruins, the original Beijing coking plant area, and an abandoned gas station) that relocated more than 10 years ago from downtown Beijing. The sources of PAHs in the soil were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed, and health risks were evaluated for different groups of people. The total concentration of 16 PAHs in the study area ranged from 371.1 ng g-1 to 4073.9 ng g-1. The pollution levels of the three study areas were abandoned gas station > Beijing coking plant > Shougang ruins. In terms of composition, low-ring aromatics accounted for the majority of the detected PAHs, and in the dry season, low-ring aromatics accounted for a higher proportion in the three areas than in the wet season. The comparison of the PAH diagnostic ratio and PMF model verification showed that the sources of PAHs in the Shougang ruins and the Beijing coking plant area were mainly those of biomass and coal combustion, accounting for 66.3% and 56.1% of the total detected PAHs, respectively; the PAH sources of the abandoned gas station storage tank area were largely that of petrol (33.9%) and diesel combustion (23.8%). Since these industrial sites were located in urban centers, this study also conducted a health risk assessment of the topsoil. The total carcinogenic risk range of the three contaminated sites was 1.41E-06 to 2.47E-05. Abandoned industrial sites have potential carcinogenic risks to human health. The government needs to conduct comprehensive risk assessments and remedial measures on soils of industrial legacy sites to achieve land reuse.

Assessment of Plant Growth Promoting and Abiotic Stress Tolerance Properties of Wheat Endophytic Fungi.

The aims of the present work were to isolate and characterize fungal endophytic communities associated with healthy wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) plants, collected from the North China. Segregated endophytes were screened for their PGP traits, abiotic stresses (heavy metals, salinity, drought, and temperature), and antibiotic sensitivity. A total of 16 endophytic fungi were isolated using the culture-dependent approach from different tissue parts of wheat plants. Based upon their internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rDNA gene sequencing, 15 out of 16 isolates were selected for further analysis. In the contemporary investigation, a number of the tested endophytes exhibited fairly good 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid deaminase (ACCD) (0.03±0.011 to 1.43±0.01 µmol α-KB mg-1 protein hr-1), indole acetic acid (IAA) (1.125±0.04 to36.12±0.004µgml-1), and phosphate solubilizing index (PSI) (2.08±0.03to5.16±0.36) activities. More than 30% isolates gave positive result for siderophore and ammonia tests, whereas all exhibited catalase activity but only 2 (582PDA1 and 582PDA11) produced hydrogen cyanide. Trichoderma strains showed salt, heavy metals, and drought tolerance at high levels and also exhibited resistance to all the tested antibiotics. Strain 582PDA4 was found to be the most temperature (55°C) tolerant isolate. The findings of this study indicated that the microbial endophytes isolated from wheat plants possessing a crucial function to improve plant growth could be utilized as biofertilizers or bioagents to establish a sustainable crop production system.

Combination of Grid Laser Photocoagulation and a Single Intravitreal Ranibizumab as an Efficient and Cost-Effective Treatment Option for Macular Edema Secondary to Branch Retinal Vein Occlusion.

Our prospective comparative study of 60 patients aimed to compare the efficacy and feasibility of a single injection ranibizumab versus a single grid laser photocoagulation and versus a combined treatment in macular edema secondary to branch retinal vein occlusion in Asian population. Patients were randomized 1:1:1 (n = 20/group) into grid laser (LAS), the ranibizumab (RAN), and the combination (COM) group. Outcomes were measured as best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central macular thickness (CMT). There were significant differences in mean BCVA between the three groups at 1 week and 1 month (p < 0.05) and in mean CMT at 1 week and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months (p < 0.05). Overall, best results were observed in the combination group. However, the RAN and COM groups achieved very similar results. At 12 months, the CMT in all three groups was decreased compared with baseline (p < 0.05). Our results allow to conclude that the effect of early treatment with a single injection of intravitreal ranibizumab (cost reduction) and the stabilizing effect of grid laser photocoagulation is indeed an effective, feasible, and safe regiment for macular edema secondary to BRVO in Chinese patients, allowing to obviate the need for repeated intravitreal injections and thus reduce the adverse events, therapy duration, patients' malcompliance, and adverse events. A single ranibizumab therapy however is a comparable alternative.

Changes in the Sociodemographic Factors of Tobacco and Alcohol Consumption in Chinese Adolescents from 2004 to 2011.

Finding ways to reduce tobacco and alcohol consumption among adolescents has been a major public health challenge in China. In relation to this issue, the current study evaluated the changes in the sociodemographic factors of tobacco and alcohol consumption among Chinese adolescents who are 12⁻18 years old. Trends in sociodemographic factors associated with tobacco and alcohol consumption were investigated based on the 2004⁻2011 China Health and Nutrition Survey data. Questionnaires that extracted data on tobacco and alcohol consumption (i.e., prior experience of smoking cigarettes and drinking alcoholic beverages) were distributed. Additional variables (e.g., age, residence, gender, etc.) were used in the analyses. Firth penalized logistic regression was conducted with drinking and smoking status variables as the dependent variables. Male adolescents were more inclined to smoke in 2004, 2006, 2009, and 2011 (p < 0.05 for all). Adolescents aged 15⁻16 years were more inclined to smoke compared with those aged 12⁻14 years in 2004, 2006, and 2011 (p < 0.05 for all). Among adolescents aged 15⁻18 years, older ones were more inclined to not smoke in 2004 (odds ratio (OR) = 0.531, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.343⁻0.821). Adolescents who did not attend school were more inclined to smoke in 2004, 2006, 2009, and 2011 (p < 0.05 for all). Adolescents who were drinkers were more inclined to smoke in 2004, 2006, 2009, and 2011 (p < 0.05 for all). Male adolescents were more likely to drink in 2004, 2006, and 2009 (p < 0.05 for all). In 2006 and 2009, adolescents aged 15⁻16 years were more inclined to drink compared with those aged 12⁻14 years (p < 0.05 for all). Among adolescents aged 15⁻18 years, older ones were less inclined to drink in 2004 (OR = 0.719, 95% CI 0.527⁻0.980) and 2006 (OR = 0.716, 95% CI 0.527⁻0.972). Adolescents who smoked were more likely to drink in 2004, 2006, 2009, and 2011 (p < 0.05 for all). The prevalence of tobacco and alcohol consumption among adolescents has not changed significantly. The current study identified adolescent high-risk groups for tobacco and alcohol consumption.

Occurrence of parent and substituted polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in typical wastewater treatment plants and effluent receiving rivers of Beijing, and risk assessment.

Sixteen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and some typical substituted polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (SPAHs) were investigated in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and effluent effluent-receiving rivers in order to indentify the elimination of these compounds in WWTPs, as well as the potantial potential risk in the effluent-receiving rivers. The concentrations of ΣPAHs in the total phase (combined dissolved and adsorbed phases) in influent were between 944.1 and 1246.5 ng·L-1, and ΣSPAHs, including methyl PAHs (MPAHs) and oxygenated PAHs (OPAHs), between 684.9 and 844.9 ng·L-1. Regarding the SPAHs, the concentrations of ΣOPAHs (312.3 ng·L-1) were higher than those of ΣMPAHs (271.8 ng·L-1). The total removal efficiencies of PAHs in the biological treatment processes were between 59% and 68%, and those of SPAHs were a little lower (58-65%). The removal efficiency in the adsorbed phase was higher than in the dissolved phase. The concentrations of PAHs and SPAHs in the effluent were a little higher than in the receiving river. According to a PAH risk assessment of the effluent, 7 carcinogenic PAHs accounted for a relatively high proportion. Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) and Dibenz[a,h]anthracene (DBA) were major contributors to the TEQs in the effluent of WWTPs, which should be taken into consideration.

Socio-economic status and time trends associated with early ART initiation following primary HIV infection in Montreal, Canada: 1996 to 2015.

INTRODUCTION: Guidelines regarding antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation in HIV infection have varied over time, with the 2015 World Health Organization recommendation suggesting ART initiation at the time of diagnosis regardless of CD4 T-cell counts. Herein, we investigated the influence of socio-demographic and clinical factors in addition to time trends on early ART initiation among participants of the Montreal Primary HIV Infection Study. METHODS: The Montreal Primary HIV Infection Study is a prospective cohort established in three community medical centres (CMCs) and two university medical centres (UMCs). Recently diagnosed HIV-infected adults were categorized as receiving early (vs. delayed) ART if ART was initiated within 180 days of the baseline visit. Associations between early ART initiation and socio-demographic, socio-economic and behavioural information were examined. Independent associations of factors linked with early ART initiation were determined using multivariable binary logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: A total of 348 participants had a documented date of HIV acquisition of <180 days. The median interquartile range (IQR) age of participants was 35 (28; 42) years and the majority were male (96%), having paid employment (63%), men who have sex with men (MSM) (78%) and one to four sexual partners in the last three months (70%). Participants presented with a median IQR HIV plasma viral load of 4.6 (3.7; 5.3) log10 copies/ml, CD4 count of 510 (387; 660) cells/µl and were recruited in CMCs (52%) or UMCs (48%). Early ART initiation was observed in 47% of the participants and the trend followed a V-shaped curve with peaks in 1996 to 1997 (89%) and 2013 to 2015 (88%) with a dip in 2007 to 2009 (22%). Multivariable analyses showed that having a paid employment adjusted odds ratio (aOR: 2.43; 95% CI: 1.19, 4.95), lower CD4 count (aOR per 50 cell increase: 0.93; 95% CI: 0.87, 0.99) and care at UMCs (aOR: 2.03; 95% CI: 1.06 to 3.90) were independently associated with early ART initiation. CONCLUSIONS: Early ART initiation during primary HIV infection was associated with diminished biological prognostic factors and calendar time mirroring evolution of treatment guidelines. In addition, socio-economic factors such as having a paid employment, contribute to early ART initiation in the context of universal access to care in Canada.

Development of a prediction system for tail-anchored proteins.

BACKGROUND: "Tail-anchored (TA) proteins" is a collective term for transmembrane proteins with a C-terminal transmembrane domain (TMD) and without an N-terminal signal sequence. TA proteins account for approximately 3-5 % of all transmembrane proteins that mediate membrane fusion, regulation of apoptosis, and vesicular transport. The combined use of TMD and signal sequence prediction tools is typically required to predict TA proteins. RESULTS: Here we developed a prediction system named TAPPM that predicted TA proteins solely from target amino acid sequences according to the knowledge of the sequence features of TMDs and the peripheral regions of TA proteins. Manually curated TA proteins were collected from published literature. We constructed hidden markov models of TA proteins as well as three different types of transmembrane proteins with similar structures and compared their likelihoods as TA proteins. CONCLUSIONS: Using the HMM models, we achieved high prediction accuracy; area under the receiver operator curve values reaching 0.963. A command line tool written in Python is available at https://github.com/davecao/tappm_cli .

Distribution, sources, and risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in surface water in industrial affected areas of the Three Gorges Reservoir, China.

Water samples were collected from wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), drain water (DW), major tributaries (MT), and main course of the Yangtze River (MY) in areas of three industrial parks (IPs) in Chongqing city in the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR). Sixteen EPA priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) pollutants were quantified to identify the effects of industrial activities on water quality of the TGR. The results showed that 11 individual PAHs were quantified and 5 PAHs (naphthalene (Nap), acenaphthylene (Acy), benzo[k]fluoranthene (BkF), indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene (InP), and benzo[g,h,i]perylene (BgP)) were under detection limits in all of the water samples. Three-ring and four-ring PAHs were the most detected PAHs. Concentrations of individual PAHs were in the range of not detected (nd) to 24.3 ng/L. Total PAH concentrations for each site ranged from nd to 42.9 ng/L and were lower compared to those in other studies. The mean PAH concentrations for sites WWTP, DW, MT, and MY showed as follows: DW (25.9 ng/L) > MY (15.5 ng/L) > MT (14.0 ng/L) > WWTP (9.3 ng/L), and DW contains the highest PAH concentrations. Source identification ratios showed that petroleum and combustion of biomass coal and petroleum were the main sources of PAHs. The results of potential ecosystem risk assessment indicated that, although PAH concentrations in MT and MY are likely harmless to ecosystem, contaminations of PAHs in DW were listed as middle levels and some management strategies and remediation actions, like strengthen clean production processes and banning illegal sewage discharging activities, etc., should be taken to lighten the ecosystem risk caused by PAHs especially risks caused by water discharging drains.

[Input Characteristics and Pollution Assessment of Nutrients Pollution in the Primary Pollution Source of the Daliao River].

A total of 13 surface water samples were collected from sewage outfalls and 3 main tributaries ( Hunhe River, Taizi River and Haicheng River) of the Daliao River to clarify the pollution characteristics of various species of nitrogen and phosphorus in July 2013, respectively. The results showed that the concentrations of DON in the Hunhe River, NO3(-)-N in the Taizi River, NH4(+) -N, PO4(3-) -P and DOP in the Haicheng River were higher than others. In water samples from the 3 main tributaries of the Daliao River, the TN and TP contents were above the national environmental quality standards for surface water (GB 3838-2002, grade V) except for the TP that was classified as grade IV in the Taizi River. The percentages of various N species showed that NO3(-) -N was the major N species in the Taizi River and Haicheng River, meanwhile DON was the major N species in the Hunhe River. The percentages of various P species showed that TPP was the major P species in the Hunhe River and Taizi River, and DOP was the major P species in the Haicheng River. TN content was above the national environmental quality standards for surface water (GB 3838-2002, grade V) in sewage outfalls. But TP content was classified as grade IV to above grade V. And the concentrations of NH4(+) -N, TN and TP in sewage outfalls of Shachang and Gangjian were higher than those in other sewage outfalls. The percentages of various N species in sewage outfalls showed that DIN was the major N species in sewage outfalls. There were higher level of TN and TP content in the Daliao River than those of tribtaries, and NO3(-) -N and TPP were the major N and P species, respectively. In general, the nutrients analysis of tributaries, sewage outfalls and the Daliao River showed that nutrients of the Daliao River were affected by sewage outfalls. And the effect was significant and non-ignorable.

[Assessment on the changing conditions of ecosystems in key ecological function zones in China].

In this paper, the dynamics of ecosystem macrostructure, qualities and core services during 2000 and 2010 were analyzed for the key ecological function zones of China, which were classified into four types of water conservation, soil conservation, wind prevention and sand fixation, and biodiversity maintenance. In the water conservation ecological function zones, the areas of forest and grassland ecosystems were decreased whereas water bodies and wetland were increased in the past 11 years, and the water conservation volume of forest, grassland and wetland ecosystems increased by 2.9%. This region needs to reverse the decreasing trends of forest and grassland ecosystems. In the soil conservation ecological function zones, the area of farmland ecosystem was decreased, and the areas of forest, grassland, water bodies and wetland ecosystems were increased. The total amount of the soil erosion was reduced by 28.2%, however, the soil conservation amount of ecosystems increased by 38.1%. In the wind prevention and sand fixation ecological function zones, the areas of grassland, water bodies and wetland ecosystems were decreased, but forest and farmland ecosystems were increased. The unit amount of the soil. wind erosion was reduced and the sand fixation amount of ecosystems increased lightly. In this kind of region that is located in arid and semiarid areas, ecological conservation needs to reduce farmland area and give priority to the protection of the original ecological system. In the biodiversity maintenance ecological function zones, the areas of grassland and desert ecosystems were decreased and other types were increased. The human disturbances showed a weakly upward trend and needs to be reduced. The key ecological function zones should be aimed at the core services and the protecting objects, to assess quantitatively on the effectiveness of ecosystem conservation and improvement.

[Assessment on analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of Tongjingbao optimal formula and analysis on its active components].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of Tongjingbao optimal formula and analyze its active components. METHOD: Animals were divided into the model group, the Tongjingbao granule group and the Tongjingbao optimal formula group. The mice dysmenorrhea model was induced by oxytocin, and their content of blood calcium and MDA, NO, PGE2 in uterus were determined to assess the analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of different components in Tongjingbao optimal formula and their impacts. RESULT: All components of Tongjingbao optimal formula could extend the dysmenorrhea incubation period of mice with dysmenorrhea, reduce their average writhing time, increase the writhing inhibition rate, lessen the content of blood calcium and MDA, PGE2 in uterus, and enhance the content of NO in uterus. CONCLUSION: All components of Tongjingbao optimal formula have the analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects, and different components show a synergistic effect in treating dysmenorrheal in many links.