Subjective social status, health and well-being among older adults in China and South Korea: a cross-sectional analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Social status, which encompasses various psychosocial dimensions, such as income, education and social relationships, can have a significant impact on physical and mental health outcomes. The study aims to explore the association among subjective social status, health and well-being among individuals aged 55 years and older in China and South Korea. PARTICIPANTS: Sample population included individuals aged 55 years and older: China (n=1779) and South Korea (n=421). OUTCOME MEASURES: Outcome measures included self-reported health status and well-being which were assessed by life satisfaction and general happiness. RESULTS: The percentage of participants who reported a 'very good' health condition was higher in South Korea (14.5%) than in China (11.0%). The percentage of participants who reported feeling very satisfied (14.7%) with their life was lower in South Korea (11.8%). In China, 6.7% of the respondents reported their health as 'very bad' (rating 5), while in South Korea, this percentage was higher at 18.1%. Regression analysis revealed an inverse association among higher social status and poorer health, lower life satisfaction and lower happiness levels. For example, individuals who placed themselves in the highest social status category had 0.26 times lower odds (95% CI=0.13 to 0.55) of reporting poorer self-rated health status than those in the lowest category. Similarly, compared with individuals who place themselves in the lowest social status category, those who place themselves in the highest social status category have 0.03 times lower odds of reporting lower life satisfaction (95% CI=0.02 to 0.07). CONCLUSION: Overall, the results highlight a significant association among social status, subjective health, life satisfaction and general happiness in both the countries. Health policymakers should identify effective strategies to promote healthy ageing and reduce disparities in health and well-being outcomes among older adults from different social backgrounds.

Coupling coordination and interactive effects of new urbanization efficiency and eco-efficiency-A case study of Fujian Province.

(1) BACKGROUND: This study explores the coupling and coordinated development of new urbanization and eco-efficiency and their interaction mechanisms from the perspective of efficiency, and it has significant implications for promoting high-quality development and surpassing in China's regional development. (2) OBJECTIVE: The study aims to investigate the spatiotemporal distribution pattern of new urbanization efficiency and eco-efficiency and its coupling and coordinated development relationship. (3) METHODS: Using panel data from 2010 to 2020 for nine cities in Fujian Province, this study employs the undesired super-efficiency SBM model to measure the efficiency of new urbanization and eco-efficiency. Additionally, a spatial panel Durbin model is constructed to analyze the interaction effect between the two efficiencies. (4) RESULTS: During the study period, both new urbanization efficiency and eco-efficiency in Fujian Province showed a fluctuating upward trend, with higher efficiency in the southeast than the northwest, exhibiting significant spatial agglomeration effects. Despite high double efficiency coupling, coordinated development was low, evolving from near-disorder to barely coordinated. The high coupling and coordination areas were mainly concentrated in the southeast, with gaps between different regions gradually narrowing. There was positive interaction between dual efficiency in the same region, with new urbanization efficiency showing a positive spatial spillover effect on eco-efficiency. Conversely, the spatial spillover effect of eco-efficiency on new urbanization efficiency was not significant.

[Exposure characteristics and health risk assessment of 97 typical chemical pollutants in human serum].

Rapid industrial and agricultural developments in China have led to the wide use and discharge of chemical products and pesticides, resulting in extensive residues in environmental media. These residues can enter the human body through various pathways, leading to high exposure risks and health hazards. Because the human body is exposed to a variety of chemical pollutants, accurately quantifying the exposure levels of these pollutants in the human body and evaluating their health risks are of great importance. In this study, the serum concentrations of 97 typical chemical pollutants of 60 adults in central China were simultaneously determined using solid-phase extraction coupled with gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (SPE-GC-MS/MS). In this method, 200 µL of a serum sample was mixed with 10 µL of an isotope-labeled internal standard solution. The sample was vortexed and refrigerated overnight at 4 ℃. Each sample was then deproteinized by the addition of 200 µL of 15% formic acid aqueous solution and vortexed. The serum sample was loaded into a preconditioned Oasis® PRiME HLB SPE cartridge and rinsed with 3 mL of methanol-water (6∶1, v/v). The SPE cartridge was subsequently vacuumed. The analytes were eluted with 3 mL of dichloromethane followed by 3 mL of n-hexane. The eluent was concentrated to near dryness under a gentle nitrogen stream and reconstituted with 100 µL of acetone. The samples were determined by GC-MS/MS and separated on a DB-5MS capillary column (30 m×0.25 mm×0.25 µm) with temperature programming. The column temperature was maintained at 70 ℃ for 2 min, increased at a rate of 25 ℃/min to 150 ℃, increased at a rate of 3 ℃/min to 200 ℃, and then held for 2 min. Finally, the column temperature was increased at a rate of 8 ℃/min to 300 ℃ and maintained at this temperature for 8 min. The samples were detected in multiple-reaction monitoring (MRM) mode and quantitatively analyzed using the internal standard method. Multiple linear regression models were used to analyze the effects of demographic characteristics, lifestyle habits, and diet on the concentrations of the chemical pollutants in the serum samples, and known biomonitoring equivalents (BEs) and human biomonitoring (HBM) values were combined to compute hazard quotients (HQs) and hazard indices (HIs) and evaluate the health risks of single and cumulative exposures to the chemical pollutants. The results showed that the main pollutants detected in human serum were organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The detection rates of eight pollutants, including hexachlorobenzene (HCB) (100%), pentachlorophenol (PCP) (100%), p,p'-dichlorodiphenylene (p,p'-DDE) (100%), PCB-138 (100%), PCB-153 (98.3%), ß-hexachlorocyclohexane (ß-HCH) (91.7%), fluorene (Flu) (85.0%), and anthracene (Ant) (75.0%), were greater than 70%. The serum levels of ß-HCH were higher in females than in males, and age was positively correlated with exposure to p,p'-DDE, PCB-138, PCB-153, and ß-HCH. Increased exposure levels to p,p'-DDE and ß-HCH may be associated with a high frequency of meat intake, whereas increased exposure level to PCP may be associated with a high frequency of vegetable intake. The serum HQ of PCP was greater than 1 in 6.7% of the samples, and no risk was observed for HCB and p,p'-DDE exposure in the study population. Approximately 28.3% of the study subjects had HI values greater than 1. Overall, the general adult population in this region is widely exposed to a wide range of chemical pollutants, and gender, age, and diet are likely to be the main factors influencing the concentration of chemical pollutants. The health risk of single and compound exposures to chemical pollutants should not be ignored.

Prevalence and risk factors of low birth weight in the United States: An analysis of 2016-2021 data.

BACKGROUND: Low birthweight (LBW), infants weighing less than 2,500 g, is a global health concern associated with high infant morbidity and mortality rates. This study investigates LBW prevalence and its relation to maternal sociodemographic characteristics and lifestyle behaviors factors in the United States (US). METHODS: This analysis used the National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH) data from 2016 to 2021, including n = 225,443 children aged 0-17 years. 18,131 had LBW (<2,500 g), and 2810 had very LBW (VLBW) (<1,500 g). Logistic regression calculated odds ratios (OR) using LBW as the dependent variable, adjusting for various factors. RESULTS: Between 2016 and 2021 in the United States, LBW prevalence averaged 9.31%, with VLBW at 1.50%. Mothers aged 18-35, White, had the lowest LBW (7.63%) and VLBW (1.17%) rates. Mothers aged ≤18 years, black, had the highest LBW (15.45%) and VLBW infants (4.70%). Maternal age emerged as a significant LBW factor, with an OR of 1.27 for ≤18 and 1.19 for >35. Children in poor health had the highest OR (2.87). Race/ethnicity and other disparities were observed. CONCLUSION: Our study highlights LBW risk among non-White mothers with specific criteria, emphasizing the need for continued exploration of intersectional targets for change that are exacerbating LBW disparities among marginalized populations which may be artificially attributed to biologic determinants and individual-level risk factors. In-depth analysis of repressive structures at the root of inequalities demand continued research on macro levels of influence. Customized healthcare reform holds the greatest potential to disrupt the patterns contributing to poor health outcomes among LBW children, and will ultimately maximize the reach and effectiveness of health promotion strategies and clinical practices aimed to improve universal maternal and infant health.

Multi-Scale Risk Connectedness Between Economic Policy Uncertainty of China and Global Oil Prices in Time-Frequency Domains.

With a sample of monthly data from January 2000 to July 2021, this paper investigates the risk connectedness relationship between different kinds of China's EPU and global oil prices in both time and frequency domains. To achieve that, a research framework mainly consists of wavelet transform method and spillover index approach is established. The results show that EPU of China receives the risk spillover from global oil prices in most cases. Moreover, we find fiscal policy uncertainty and trade policy uncertainty are generally the recipients of risk spillover on most time scales, except that monetary policy uncertainty primarily serves as the risk transmitter. Lastly, the risk role of exchange rate policy uncertainty in China has the most frequent change among four kinds of EPU. This paper provides valuable policy implications for policymakers, investors and risk managers in the energy market.

The asymmetric and multi-scale volatility correlation between global oil price and economic policy uncertainty of China.

With the monthly data of WTI oil price and economic policy uncertainty (EPU) of China from January 2000 to August 2020, this paper detailedly investigates the asymmetric volatility correlations between two types of EPU of China and global oil price in different time scales. The empirical results demonstrate that the volatility correlation between EPU of China and West Texas Intermediate (WTI) oil price is mainly reflected in the monetary policy uncertainty (MPU), while that of fiscal policy uncertainty (FPU) is much weaker. Specifically speaking, the volatility correlation between MPU of China and downward WTI oil price is significantly negative in the short-middle term (4-8 months) and changes to positive in the middle-long term (8-16 months), while that of upward WTI oil price is only significantly positive in the long term (16-32 months). Our findings provide a deeper understanding of the oil price-EPU correlation in China, and can be valuable guidance for diversified market participants such as government policy-makers and global investors.

Impact of COVID-19 outbreak on multi-scale asymmetric spillovers between food and oil prices.

This paper analyzes the time-frequency spillover effects between food and crude oil markets, two particularly important commodity markets, under the impact of the pandemic. Using the BK frequency domain spillover index and the rolling window method, we explore the spillover effects between the food and crude oil markets under the influence of COVID-19, and compare the changes of spillover effects in each market before and during the pandemic. Based the network connectedness method and the Bayesian structural time series method, we further reveal the changes of the pairwise spillover effects between markets on different time scales. Our study shows that the food-oil market system has the strongest spillover effect in the short term, and the spillovers during the pandemic are significantly weaker than that under the financial crisis. In addition, the pandemic has significantly increased the impact of corn on the crude oil market, but reduced its spillovers on soybeans and rice. Finally, during the COVID-19 period, the wheat market is likely to receive more spillovers from other markets, particularly corn and soybeans. These findings are of great significance for market participants with different horizons to understand the spillover effects of food and oil markets under the impact of the pandemic and to avoid the risk transmission across markets or assets.

Human development index in a context of human development: Review on the western Balkans countries.

INTRODUCTION: The Human Development Index (HDI), as one of the more complex composite indicators of the level of human potential and quality of life, is a combination of three dimensions (indicators, factors): life expectancy at birth, the middle number of years of education and the expected number of years of schooling combined into a single education index and economic benefits expressed by production, or GDP (gross domestic product) according to purchasing power (PPP US $). METHODS: The same measures and average achievements in the field of health, education, and living standards are presented. The HDI was first developed in 1990 under the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and is published as Human Development Reports (HDR). At present, it has become the most widely used complex indicator suitable for international comparisons and assessments of the achieved development level of a particular country or region. RESULTS: The paper deals specifically with the more perspective view of human development in the Western Balkans, with a series of socio-economic implications for the development policy of the countries under observation. CONCLUSION: The particular significance of the conducted research stems from the fact that in the countries of the Western Balkans are identified factors at the beginning of the transition period were often marginalized in the creation of macroeconomic policies, but in recent years there have been more positive developments in that regard.

Binary code, a flexible tool for diagnostic metabolite sequencing of medicinal plants.

The principle of chromatographic fingerprint is that certain diagnostic metabolites should be always distributed in a given plant and currently, it has been widely accepted as a promising means for medicinal plant authentication. Moreover, the chemical profile is the only evidence to clarify the ingredients of those consumable plant products, e.g. traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescriptions. Herein, efforts were made to describe the diagnostic metabolome of medicinal plant or TCM prescription using a binary code sequence. Forty-five well-known medicinal plants along with six relevant prescriptions were employed for concept illustration and proof. Each plant was subjected to chemical characterization, and diagnostic metabolites of all plants were gathered into a chemical pool containing 595 compounds. A robust method enabling the detection of all 595 constituents was then developed using LC coupled to scheduled multiple reaction monitoring. Analyst™ software was responsible for automatically judging the presence (defined as "1") or absence (defined as "0") of each analyte with a defined signal-to-noise threshold (S/N > 100). After converting each medicinal plant to a binary sequence consisting of 595 codes, an in-house database was built by involving all sequences. The potentials of sequence library retrieval towards plant authentication, preliminary chemical characterization, and deformulation of TCM prescriptions were demonstrated after that the diagnostic metabolome of each test sample was translated to a binary code sequence. Above all, binary code is a flexible tool for diagnostic metabolite sequencing of medicinal plants, and it should be an alternative tool of DNA barcoding towards plant authentication.

Identification and Antibiotic Resistance Assessment of Ensifer adhaerens YX1, a Vitamin B12 -Producing Strain Used as a Food and Feed Additive.

This study provides phenotypic and molecular analyses of the antibiotic resistance of Ensifer adhaerens strain YX1 (CICC 11008s), a strain that was identified using a polyphasic taxonomy approach. The antibiotic resistance profile of E. adhaerens YX1 was assessed using the Clinical & Laboratory Standards Inst. (CLSI) method. The strain was susceptible to ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, norfloxacin, ofloxacin, gentamicin, tobramycin, chloramphenicol, tetracycline, imipenem, and ceftazidime, and resistant to kanamycin, streptomycin, fosfomycin, and nitrofurantoin. The antibiotic resistance genes nsfA, nsfB, fosA, aph, and aadA1 were not detected in E. adhaerens YX1 via PCR using gene-specific primers. Subsequently, the genome sequence of E. adhaerens was screened for antibiotic genes. Although no antibiotic resistance genes were identified using the ResFinder database, five genes copies of one resistance gene, adeF, were detected using the Comprehensive Antibiotic Resistance Database (CARD). The results of this study will be useful for understanding the phenotypic and genotypic aspects of E. adhaerens antibiotic resistance. No safety issues were identified for E. adhaerens YX1 in terms of antibiotic resistance. Performing similar studies will be conducive to the safety assessment and control of the use of E. adhaerens in the food and feed industry. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Few relevant reports are currently available regarding antibiotic resistance assessments or other safety evaluations for Ensifer adhaerens. Because of a lack of relevant information on the safety of this bacterium, including the genetic basis of antibiotic resistance in the production strain, it has not been recommended for use in the "qualified presumption of safety" (QPS) list and subsequent updated lists. The current study shows no safety issue of E. adhaerens YX1 in terms of its antibiotic resistance. These results are important as they provide an initial basis for an understanding of the antibiotic resistance/susceptibility of E. adhaerens YX1 (CICC 11008s), which produces vitamin B12 and is widely used in the food and feed industry.

Disease burden attributable to endocrine-disrupting chemicals exposure in China: A case study of phthalates.

While it has been acknowledged that exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) is associated with human diseases, the overall disease burden attributable to the exposure to a specific EDC has rarely been evaluated. Based on existing models for assessing probabilities of causation and a comprehensive review of available data, we analyzed the burden of three diseases, i.e., male infertility, adult obesity, and diabetes, among the general Chinese population resulting from exposure to phthalates. Our estimation indicates that exposure to phthalates is associated with ~2.50 million cases of the three diseases across China in 2010, causing ~57.2 billion Chinese Yuan (equivalent to ~9 billion US dollars) of health care costs in a year. Male infertility has the largest number of cases, followed by adult obesity and diabetes. Based on these phthalate-specific estimates, we further estimated that the total disease cost due to exposure to the overall EDCs amounted to ~429.43 billion Chinese Yuan in China in 2010, accounting for 1.07% of nationwide gross domestic product (GDP). When comparing our results with an earlier estimate for the European Union (EU) member countries, we find that exposure to phthalates leads to quite a similar disease burden per unit of GDP in both regions. Our study illustrates the considerable socio-economic impact of EDC exposure on human society, implying the imperative need for global risk reduction actions on EDCs, especially in view of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

Does acupuncture ameliorate motor impairment after stroke? An assessment using the CatWalk gait system.

The effect of acupuncture on gait deficits after stroke is uncertain. This animal study was designed to determine whether acupuncture improves gait impairment following experimentally induced ischemic stroke. Ischemic stroke was induced by permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in rats. After 7 days' of acupuncture treatment, assessment of gait changes using the CatWalk automated gait analysis system was performed. Comparison of the CatWalk gait parameters among the groups showed that gait function was impaired after ischemic stroke and acupuncture treatment was effective in improving a variety of gait parameters including intensity, stance and swing time, swing speed and stride length at postoperative day 8. This study demonstrates a beneficial effect of acupuncture on gait impairment in rats following ischemic stroke. Further studies aimed to investigate the effects of acupuncture at different stages during stroke using the CatWalk system are required.

An integrated exposure assessment of phthalates for the general population in China based on both exposure scenario and biomonitoring estimation approaches.

The representativeness of available studies on integrated exposure assessment of phthalates for the general population in China is lacking. Based on an exhaustive review of the extensive monitoring data available for China, this study presents a large-scale estimation of exposure levels to three typical phthalates, di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) and diisobutyl phthalate (DiBP), by applying both exposure scenario and biomonitoring estimation approaches. The respective median exposure levels from the exposure scenario and biomonitoring estimation approaches were 3.80, 3.02 and 1.00 µg/kg bw/day and 3.38, 3.21 and 3.32 µg/kg bw/day for DEHP, DBP and DiBP, which are acceptable levels of exposure with respect to current international guidelines. Evaluation results from the two approaches showed both similarities and differences among the different phthalates, making the exposure assessment comparable and more comprehensive. In terms of sources of exposure, food intake was the largest contributor, while indoor air exposure had greater contribution to the estimated daily intakes (EDIs) of DiBP than that of the other phthalates. Moreover, more attention should be paid to the higher exposure levels of phthalates in several intensively industrialized and urbanized areas, and the causes of the different exposure levels in the different regions need to be further explored.

Acoustic sequences in non-human animals: a tutorial review and prospectus.

Animal acoustic communication often takes the form of complex sequences, made up of multiple distinct acoustic units. Apart from the well-known example of birdsong, other animals such as insects, amphibians, and mammals (including bats, rodents, primates, and cetaceans) also generate complex acoustic sequences. Occasionally, such as with birdsong, the adaptive role of these sequences seems clear (e.g. mate attraction and territorial defence). More often however, researchers have only begun to characterise - let alone understand - the significance and meaning of acoustic sequences. Hypotheses abound, but there is little agreement as to how sequences should be defined and analysed. Our review aims to outline suitable methods for testing these hypotheses, and to describe the major limitations to our current and near-future knowledge on questions of acoustic sequences. This review and prospectus is the result of a collaborative effort between 43 scientists from the fields of animal behaviour, ecology and evolution, signal processing, machine learning, quantitative linguistics, and information theory, who gathered for a 2013 workshop entitled, 'Analysing vocal sequences in animals'. Our goal is to present not just a review of the state of the art, but to propose a methodological framework that summarises what we suggest are the best practices for research in this field, across taxa and across disciplines. We also provide a tutorial-style introduction to some of the most promising algorithmic approaches for analysing sequences. We divide our review into three sections: identifying the distinct units of an acoustic sequence, describing the different ways that information can be contained within a sequence, and analysing the structure of that sequence. Each of these sections is further subdivided to address the key questions and approaches in that area. We propose a uniform, systematic, and comprehensive approach to studying sequences, with the goal of clarifying research terms used in different fields, and facilitating collaboration and comparative studies. Allowing greater interdisciplinary collaboration will facilitate the investigation of many important questions in the evolution of communication and sociality.

[Status Quo, Uncertainties and Trends Analysis of Environmental Risk Assessment for PFASs].

This study systematically combed the definition and change of terms, category and application of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in international academic, focusing on the environmental risk and exposure assessment of PFASs, to comprehensively analyze the current status, uncertainties and trends of PFASs' environmental risk assessment. Overall, the risk assessment of PFASs is facing a complicated situation involving complex substance pedigrees, various types, complex derivative relations, confidential business information and risk uncertainties. Although the environmental risk of long-chain PFASs has been widely recognized, the short-chain PFASs and short-chain fluorotelomers as their alternatives still have many research gaps and uncertainties in environmental hazards, environmental fate and exposure risk. The scope of risk control of PFASs in the international community is still worth discussing. Due to trade secrets and market competition, the chemical structure and risk information of PFASs' alternatives are generally lack of openness and transparency. The environmental risk of most fluorinated and non-fluorinated alternatives is not clear. In total, the international research on PFASs risk assessment gradually transfer from long-chain perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) represented by perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) to short-chain PFAAs, and then extends to other PFASs. The main problems to be solved urgently and researched continuously are: the environmental hazardous assessment indexes, such as bioaccumulation and environmental migration, optimization method, the environmental release and multimedia environmental fate of short-chain PFASs; the environmental fate of neutral PFASs and the transformation and contribution as precursors of short-chain PFASs; the risk identification and assessment of fluorinated and non-fluorinated alternatives of PFASs.

Application of the GREAT-ER model for environmental risk assessment of nonylphenol and nonylphenol ethoxylates in China.

The environmental risk presented by "down-the-drain" chemicals to receiving rivers in large urban areas has received increasing attention in recent years. Geo-referenced Regional Environmental Assessment Tool for European Rivers (GREAT-ER) is a typical river catchment model that has been specifically developed for the risk assessment of these chemicals and applied in many European rivers. By utilizing the new version of the model, GREAT-ER 3.0, which is the first completely open source software for worldwide application, this study represents the first attempt to conduct an application of GREAT-ER in the Wenyu River of China. Aquatic exposure simulation and an environmental risk assessment of nonylphenol (NP) and its environmental precursor nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEOs) were conducted effectively by GREAT-ER model, since NP is one of typical endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and its environmental precursor NPEOs as a "down-the-drain" chemical are extensively used in China. In the result, the predicted environmental concentrations (PECs) of NP and NPEOs in the water of Wenyu River were 538 and 4320 ng/L, respectively, at the regional scale, and 1210 and 8990 ng/L, respectively, at the local scale. From the results profile of the RCR, the combination of high emissions from large STPs with insufficient dilution of the river caused the high RCR. The PECs of NP in the sediment were in the range of 216.8-8218.3 ng/g (dry weight), which was consistent with the available monitoring data. The study showed the worldwide applicability and reliability of GREAT-ER as a river catchment model for the risk assessment of these chemicals and also revealed the general environmental risks presented by NP and NPEOs in the Wenyu River catchment in Beijing due to the extensive use of these chemicals. The results suggest that specific control or treatment measures are probably warranted for these chemicals to reduce their discharge in major cities.

Fluoroquinolones in the Wenyu River catchment, China: Occurrence simulation and risk assessment.

Concern is increasing regarding the environmental impact of the high usage rate and intensive release of antibiotics used for human and animal therapy in major urban areas of China. In the present study, regional environmental distribution simulations and risk assessments for 3 commonly used fluoroquinolones in the Wenyu River catchment were conducted using a typical catchment model widely used in Europe. The fluoroquinolone antibiotics investigated (ofloxacin, norfloxacin, and ciprofloxacin) are consumed at high levels for personal health care in China. These antibiotics were simulated in the aquatic environment of the Wenyu River catchment across the Beijing City area for annual average concentrations, with regional predicted environmental concentrations (PECs) of approximately 711 ng/L, 55.3 ng/L, and 22.2 ng/L and local PECs up to 1.8 µg/L, 116 ng/L, and 43 ng/L, respectively. Apart from hydrological conditions, the concentrations of fluoroquinolones were associated closely with the sewage treatment plants (STPs) and their serving population, as well as hospital distributions. The presence of these fluoroquinolones in the catchment area of the present study showed significant characteristics of the occurrence of pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment in an urban river, with typical "down-the-drain" chemicals. Significantly high concentrations of specific antibiotics indicated non-negligible risks caused by the intensive use in the local aquatic environment in a metropolitan area, particularly ofloxacin in upstream Shahe Reservoir, middle stream and downstream Qing River, and Liangma River to the Ba River segment. Specific treatment measures for these pharmaceuticals and personal care products in STPs are required for such metropolitan areas.

MRI assessment of cerebral oxygen metabolism in cocaine-addicted individuals: hypoactivity and dose dependence.

Long-term cocaine use is known to negatively impact neural and cerebrovascular systems. However, the use of imaging markers to separately assess these parameters remains challenging. The primary reason is that most functional imaging markers, such as cerebral blood flow, functional connectivity, and task-evoked functional MRI, are known to reflect a complex interplay between neural and vascular components, thus the interpretation of the results is not straightforward. The goal of the present study is to examine neural-activity-specific changes in cocaine addiction, using cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen (CMRO2) as a surrogate marker of aggregated neural activity. We applied a recently developed CMRO2 technique in 13 cocaine-addicted subjects and 13 age- and gender-matched control subjects, and examined the impact of long-term cocaine use on CMRO2. Our results showed that CMRO2 in cocaine-addicted subjects (152 ± 16 µmol/100 g/min) is significantly lower (p = 0.031) than that in controls (169 ± 20 µmol/100 g/min). Furthermore, the severity of this decreased metabolism is associated with lifetime cocaine use (p = 0.05). Additionally, the CMRO2 reduction was accompanied by a trend of decrease in cerebral blood flow (p = 0.058), but venous oxygenation was unaffected (p = 0.96), which suggested that the CMRO2 change may be attributed to a vascular deficiency in chronic cocaine users. To our knowledge, this is the first study to measure CMRO2 in cocaine-addicted individuals. Our findings suggest that CMRO2 may be a promising approach for assessing the long-term effects of cocaine use on the brain.

Computationally tractable stochastic image modeling based on symmetric Markov mesh random fields.

In this paper, the properties of a new class of causal Markov random fields, named symmetric Markov mesh random field, are initially discussed. It is shown that the symmetric Markov mesh random fields from the upper corners are equivalent to the symmetric Markov mesh random fields from the lower corners. Based on this new random field, a symmetric, corner-independent, and isotropic image model is then derived which incorporates the dependency of a pixel on all its neighbors. The introduced image model comprises the product of several local 1D density and 2D joint density functions of pixels in an image thus making it computationally tractable and practically feasible by allowing the use of histogram and joint histogram approximations to estimate the model parameters. An image restoration application is also presented to confirm the effectiveness of the model developed. The experimental results demonstrate that this new model provides an improved tool for image modeling purposes compared to the conventional Markov random field models.