An Approach for Personalized Dynamic Assessment of Chronic Kidney Disease Progression Using Joint Model.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) poses significant challenges to public health and healthcare systems, demanding a comprehensive understanding of its progressive nature. Prior methods have often fallen short in capturing the dynamic and individual variability of renal function. This study aims to address this gap by introducing a novel approach for the individualized assessment of CKD progression. A cohort of 1042 patients, comprising 700 with stage 3a and 342 with stage 3b to stage 5 CKD, treated at a veteran general hospital in Taiwan from 2006 to 2019, was included in the study. A comprehensive dataset spanning 12 years, consisting of clinical measurements, was collected and analyzed using joint models to predict the progression to hemodialysis treatment. The study reveals that the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) can be considered an endogenous factor influenced by innate biochemical markers. Serum creatinine, blood pressure, and urinary protein excretion emerged as valuable factors for predicting CKD progression. The joint model, combining longitudinal and survival analyses, demonstrated predictive versatility across various CKD severities. This innovative approach enhances conventional models by concurrently incorporating both longitudinal and survival analyses and provides a nuanced understanding of the variables influencing renal function in CKD patients. This personalized model enables a more precise assessment of renal failure risk, tailored to each patient's unique clinical profile. The findings contribute to improving the management of CKD patients and provide a foundation for personalized healthcare interventions in the context of renal diseases.

Correlations between geomagnetic field and global occurrence of cardiovascular diseases: evidence from 204 territories in different latitude.

BACKGROUND: The correlation between stable geomagnetic fields and unstable geomagnetic activities with mortality, incidence, and prevalence of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remains ambiguous. METHOD: To investigate the correlations between geomagnetic field (GMF) intensity and geomagnetic disturbance (GMD) and CVDs events in global, long-period scale, global and 204 countries and territories were included on the base of 2019 Global Burden of Disease study (GBD 2019). Data of GMF intensity, GMD frequency, CVDs events, weather and health economic indicators from 1996 to 2019 of included locations were collected. Linear regression and panel data modelling were conducted to identify the correlations between GMF intensity and CVDs events, multi-factor panel data analysis was also generated to adjust the effect of confounding factors. RESULTS: For the average data during 1996-2019, linear regression model revealed consistent positive correlations between total GMF (tGMF) intensity and mortality of total CVDs [coef = 0.009, (0.006,0.011 95%CI)], whereas negative correlations were found between horizonal GMF (hGMF) intensity and total CVD mortality [coef = -0.010 (-0.013, -0.007 95%CI)]. When considering the time trend, panel data analysis still demonstrated positive correlation between tGMF and total CVDs mortality [coef = 0.009, (0.008,0.009 95%CI)]. Concurrently, the hGMF negatively correlated with total CVDs mortality [coef = -0.008, (-0.009, -0.007 95%CI)]. When the panel models were adjusted for confounding factors, no reverse of correlation tendency was found between tGMF, hGMF and CVDs events. In high-income territories, positive correlation was found between geomagnetic storm (GMS) frequency and mortality of total CVDs [coef = 14.007,(2.785, 25.229 95%CI)], however, this positive trend faded away gradually with the latitude decreasing from polar to equator. CONCLUSIONS: Stable and long-term horizontal component of GMF may be beneficial to cardiac health. Unstable and short-term GMF called GMD could be a hazard to cardiac health. Our results suggest the importance of regular GMF in maintaining cardio-health state and the adverse impacts of GMD on cardiac health.

Sex difference and risk factors in burden of urogenital congenital anomalies from 1990 to 2019.

Urogenital congenital anomalies (UCAs) is defined as "any live-birth with a urinary or genital condition" and affects millions of men and women worldwide. However, sex differences and related environmental risk factors in UCAs burden on a global scale have not been assessed. Using data from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019, we estimated prevalence, incidence, mortality and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) of UCAs from 1990 to 2019 by sex, region, and socio-demographic Index (SDI) in 204 countries and territories. The disease burden of UCAs was also estimated attributable to each risk factor were estimated according to risk exposure. In 2019, UCAs caused 10,200 all-ages deaths (95% UI 7550-13,400). The combined global incidence rate was 8.38 per 1000 (95% UI 5.88-12.0) live births. The ASIR increased slightly, while the ASDR decreased from 1990 to 2019.The UCAs burden varies greatly depending on the development level and geographical location. The UCAs burden was significantly higher in men than in women, and the sex differences showed an enlarging trend. Health risks and issues, including pollution, child and maternal malnutrition, diet habits, unsafe sanitation and water source, were detected to be positively related to UCAs burden. Albeit the age-standardised prevalence, mortality, incidence, and DALYs of UCAs have decreased, they still cause a public health challenge worldwide. The high deaths and DALYs rates in low and low-middle SDI countries highlight the urgent need for improved preventive, diagnostic, and therapeutic measures. Global strategies for enhancing water safety, reducing pollution, and healthy diets are crucial steps in reducing the burden of UCAs.

Quantitative aortography for assessment of aortic regurgitation in the era of percutaneous aortic valve replacement.

Paravalvular leak (PVL) is a shortcoming that can erode the clinical benefits of transcatheter valve replacement (TAVR) and therefore a readily applicable method (aortography) to quantitate PVL objectively and accurately in the interventional suite is appealing to all operators. The ratio between the areas of the time-density curves in the aorta and left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT-AR) defines the regurgitation fraction (RF). This technique has been validated in a mock circulation; a single injection in diastole was further tested in porcine and ovine models. In the clinical setting, LVOT-AR was compared with trans-thoracic and trans-oesophageal echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. LVOT-AR > 17% discriminates mild from moderate aortic regurgitation on echocardiography and confers a poor prognosis in multiple registries, and justifies balloon post-dilatation. The LVOT-AR differentiates the individual performances of many old and novel devices and is being used in ongoing randomized trials and registries.

Pyrethroid Resistance and Fitness Cost Conferred by the super-kdr Mutation M918L in Rhopalosiphum padi (Hemiptera: Aphididae).

Pyrethroid insecticides have been widely utilized for insect pest control. Target-site resistance is one of the major mechanisms explaining pest resistance to pyrethroids. This study quantified pyrethroid resistance and fitness cost conferred by the voltage-gated sodium channel (VGSC) M918L mutation in Rhopalosiphum padi. Six s-kdr-SS and six s-kdr-RS parthenogenetic lineages were established from the same field population and were reared in the laboratory without exposure to pesticides for more than one year. Enzyme activity analysis demonstrated that metabolic resistance had no impact on these lineages. Bioassays showed that the M918L mutation strongly affected pyrethroid efficiency, conferring moderate resistance to bifenthrin (type I) (39.0-fold) and high resistance to lambda-cyhalothrin (type II) (194.7-fold). Compared with the life table of s-kdr-SS lineages, s-kdr-RS lineages exhibited a relative fitness cost with significant decreases in longevity and fecundity. Meanwhile, competitive fitness was measured by blending various ratios of s-kdr-SS and s-kdr-SS aphids. The results indicated that M918L-mediated resistance showed a significant fitness cost in the presence of wild aphids without insecticide pressure. The fitness cost strongly correlated with the initial resistance allele frequency. This work characterized the novel s-kdr M918L mutation in R. padi, defined its function in resistance to different types of pyrethroids, and documented that the M918L-mediated resistance has a significant fitness cost.

Understanding the predictive value and methods of risk assessment based on coronary computed tomographic angiography in populations with coronary artery disease: a review.

Risk assessment in coronary artery disease plays an essential role in the early identification of high-risk patients. However, conventional invasive imaging procedures all require long intraprocedural times and high costs. The rapid development of coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) and related image processing technology has facilitated the formulation of noninvasive approaches to perform comprehensive evaluations. Evidence has shown that CCTA has outstanding performance in identifying the degree of stenosis, plaque features, and functional reserve. Moreover, advancements in radiomics and machine learning allow more comprehensive interpretations of CCTA images. This paper reviews conventional as well as novel diagnostic and risk assessment tools based on CCTA.

A low-cost and high-loading viologen-based organic electrode for rechargeable lithium batteries.

Organic active materials are regarded as a very promising choice for lithium batteries because of several outstanding advantages such as low-cost, flexible tunability and pollution-free sources. Viologen compounds are attractive two-electron storage materials with low redox potentials, which are mainly used as anolytes in redox flow batteries (RFBs) considering their high solubility in electrolytes. However, due to their relatively large molecular weight and low density, it is difficult to prepare high-loading and stable-cycling electrodes for lithium battery application. In this research, by adopting 4,4'-bipyridine as the raw material and combining salification with a high-energy ball milling method, a low-solubility and high-stability viologen carbon-coated composite, ethyl viologen dihexafluorophosphate-Ketjen black (EV-KB), is synthesized. Then, by optimizing the electrode preparation process, a high-loading viologen-based electrode is successfully prepared. Salification effectively reduces the solubility of viologen compounds in the electrolyte so that the EV-KB composite can be used in lithium batteries. At the same time, it is pointed out that current collectors and slurry solvents play an important role in achieving the high-loading electrode. By deliberately selecting carbon paper as the current collector and ethanol as the solvent, the EV-KB composite organic electrode with a loading up to 1.5-9 mg cm-2 can achieve a specific capacity of 106-79 mA h g-1 for 400 stable cycles with a coulombic efficiency of 96% as well as a good rate capability. The synthesis method and electrode preparation optimization process introduced in this paper provide a reference for other types of organic active materials to be used in high-loading lithium batteries.

Economic fluctuations and cardiovascular diseases: A multiple-input time series analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Little is known about the gender and age differences associated with the effects of economic fluctuations on hospitalization for cardiovascular diseases. This paper investigates the impact of economic fluctuations on hospitalization for ischemic heart disease (IHD), stroke, and hypertension by age and gender between January 1996 and December 2012 in Taiwan. METHODS: We adopted a multiple-input time series analysis to examine the strength of the immediate and latent effects of the 17-year quarterly unemployment rates (UR), air pollution exposure (APE), gross domestic product (GDP), per capita consumption expenditure in cigarette and alcohol (ECA), and per capita healthcare expenditure (HE) on the adjusted quarterly incidence rate of hospitalization. The data used in this paper were retrieved from the National Health Insurance Research Database and the website of the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS), Executive Yuan. RESULTS: Our findings indicate that higher UR increased IHD hospitalization in young men and women and middle-aged women but reduced stroke hospitalization in young men. Higher APE increased IHD hospitalization in young men but reduced it for young women, increased stroke hospitalization in old men and middle-aged women but reduced it for young men, and increased hypertension hospitalization in middle-aged men and young women. Higher ECA reduced IHD hospitalization in middle-aged men, increased stoke hospitalization in middle-aged and old men and middle-aged women. Higher HE reduced IHD hospitalization in old men, young and old women, reduced stroke hospitalization in old women, and reduced hypertension hospitalization in young and middle-aged women. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, we found that the economic fluctuations caused increased harmful effects in certain population subgroups but also brought some soothing effects to some groups.

Influencing factors and health risk assessment of microcystins in the Yongjiang river (China) by Monte Carlo simulation.

The Yongjiang river is a large, shallow, hyper-trophic, freshwater river in Guangxi, China. To investigate the presence of microcystin-RR, microcystin-LR, and microcystin-YR (MC-RR, MC-LR, and MC-YR) in the Yongjiang river and describe their correlation with environmental factors, as well as, assess health risk using Monte Carlo simulation, 90 water samples were collected at three sample points from March to December 2017. Results showed that during the monitoring period, total concentrations of MC-RR (TMC-RR), MC-YR (TMC-YR), and MC-LR (TMC-LR) varied from 0.0224 to 0.3783 µg/L, 0.0329 to 0.1433 µg/L, and 0.0341 to 0.2663 µg/L, respectively. Total phosphorus (TP) content appeared to be related to TMC-LR and the total concentrations of microcystins (TMCs), while pH and total nitrogen (TN)/TP ratio appeared to be related to TMC-RR and TMC-YR, respectively. Using the professional health risk assessment software @Risk7.5, the risks of dietary intake of microcystins (MCs), including the carcinogenic risk and non-carcinogenic risk, were evaluated. It was found that the carcinogenic risk of MC-RR from drinking water was higher than MC-LR and MC-YR, and the presence of MCs would lead to high potential health risks, especially in children. The carcinogenic risk of MC-RR to children was >1 × 10-4, the maximum allowance level recommended by the US Environmental Protection Agency; as for adults, it was >5 × 10-5, the maximum allowance level recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection. The non-carcinogenic hazard index (HI) of MC-RR, MC-YR, and MC-LR increased successively, indicating that MC-LR was more hazardous to human health than MC-YR and MC-RR, but its HI was <1. This suggests that MCs pose less risk to health. However, it is necessary to strengthen the protection and monitoring of drinking water source for effective control of water pollution and safeguarding of human health.

Life Course Effects of Socioeconomic and Lifestyle Factors on Metabolic Syndrome and 10-Year Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: A Longitudinal Study in Taiwan Adults.

The objective of the study was to explore the dynamic effects of socioeconomic status (SES) and lifestyle behaviors on the risks of metabolic syndrome (MS) or cardiovascular disease (CVD) in life course. The data of 12,825 subjects (6616 males and 6209 females) who underwent repeated examinations and answered repeated questionnaires from 2006 to 2014 at the Major Health Screening Center in Taiwan, was collected and analyzed. The trajectory of trends in the subjects' SES and lifestyle mobility over time was observed, and the effects of factors with potential impacts on health were tested and analyzed using multiple logistic regression and a generalized estimated equation model. A 10% increase in MS prevalence was observed over the nine-year period. The average Framingham CVD score for people with MS was estimated to be about 1.4% (SD = 1.5%). Except for middle-aged women, marriage was found to raise the risk of CVD, whereas increasing education and work promotions independently reduced CVD risk for the majority of subjects. However, the risk of CVD was raised by half for young men who had a job or lost a job in comparison to continuously unemployed young men. Physical activity was only found to be advantageous for disease prevention in those aged less than 40 years; increased exercise levels were useless for reducing CVD risk among older men. Alcohol drinking and betel chewing caused increased CVD risk in the old and young subjects, respectively, whereas vegetarian diets and vitamin C/E intake were helpful in preventing CVD, even if those habits were ceased in later life. For middle-aged women, getting sufficient sleep reduced CVD risk. We concluded that SES and lifestyle behaviors may have different effects on health over time, among various populations. Accordingly, suggestions can be provided to healthcare workers in designing health promotion courses for people at different life stages.

The impacts of the global financial crisis on hospitalizations due to depressive illnesses in Taiwan: A prospective nationwide population-based study.

BACKGROUND: In the third quarter of 2008, a major financial crisis hit many developed countries. Taiwan suffered its own share: a rise in unemployment and a severe decline in gross domestic product. This study is to address the health consequences of this crisis on different socioeconomic populations in Taiwan. METHODS: A sample of 6,225,766 men and 5,417,651 women, was obtained and their admissions data over 2007-2012 were retrieved. Stratified into three income levels, the sample was examined on the 147,921 episodes of hospitalization due to depressive illnesses (DIs) over that period by an interrupted time series analysis for monthly incidence rates of DI hospitalizations RESULTS: The adjusted incidence rates of hospitalization (AIRH) for DIs among the low income were 10 times that of the high income group. The AIRHs were generally higher in all of three female income groups than they were in the three male income groups. The low income men and women showed increases (of 18.0% and 14.2%, respectively) beginning in April 2008 that sustained for two years. The high income women exhibited a 5.0% monthly rise in the rate of DI hospitalizations. LIMITATIONS: Our time series models can control some confounding factors, but the ecological fallacy remained. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence that the economic recession resulted in increased rates of DI hospitalization in Taiwan, especially among the low income population. Women of higher incomes may have suffered a more enduring impact.

The Effects of the Global Economic Recession and a Reduced Alcohol Tax on Hospitalizations Due to Alcohol-Attributed Diseases in Taiwan.

This study is to assess the effects of the 2008 economic crisis and a 2009 alcohol tax reduction on alcohol-related morbidity for men of different socioeconomic statuses in Taiwan. Admissions data for the period from 2007 to 2012 for men aged 24-59 years in 2007 was retrieved from the National Health Insurance Research Database. With stratification over three income levels, an interrupted time-series analysis examining the effects of the crisis and taxation reduction on incidence rates of hospitalization for alcohol-attributed diseases (AADs) was employed. The low income group showed a significant (p < 0.05) change in the rate of AAD-related hospitalizations in July 2008; specifically, an abrupt 7.11% increase that was then sustained for several months thereafter. In contrast, while the middle income group exhibited a significant 22.9% decline in the rate of AAD-related hospitalizations over the course of the crisis, that downward trend was gradual. The reduction of the alcohol tax resulted in increased rates of AADs among both the low and high income groups. The economic recession and the reduction of the alcohol tax resulted in an increased rate of AAD among low income men.

Gender Disparity in the Safety and Efficacy of Radial and Femoral Access for Coronary Intervention: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Our aim was to investigate the gender disparity in the safety and efficacy of transradial percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI; TRI) and transfemoral PCI (TFI) by a meta-analysis. MEDLINE, Embase, and CENTRAL were searched to identify studies on vascular access with sex-specific events available or studies on sex difference with the events reported by vascular access. Fifteen studies involving 3 921 848 participants were included. Transradial PCI significantly reduced the risk of bleeding complications in both sexes (TRI-versus-TFI odds ratio [OR]: 0.37 in females vs 0.47 in males) and major adverse cardiac events (MACE) in females (OR: 0.70, P < .001) but not in males (OR: 0.83, P = .15) compared to TFI. Transradial PCI diminished the sex difference in the incidence of bleeding complications (female-versus-male OR: 1.82 with TRI vs 2.39 with TFI; interaction P = .01) and MACE (female-versus-male OR: 1.21 with TRI vs 1.41 with TFI; interaction P = .003) compared to TFI. Females were associated with higher crossover rate in the TRI subgroup but not in the TFI subgroup (interaction P = .05). In conclusion, TRI may improve the safety and efficacy of outcomes in both sexes and be an effective means to cut down the gender difference in prognosis.

Identification, inheritance, and fitness costs of Cry2Ab2 resistance in a field-derived population of sugarcane borer, Diatraea saccharalis (F.) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae).

The sugarcane borer, Diatraea saccharalis (F.), is one of the major target pests of transgenic maize, Zea mays, expressing Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) proteins in South America and mid-southern region of the U.S. The MON89034 maize expresses Cry2Ab2 and Cry1A.105 Bt proteins and it was developed to provide better control of key lepidopteran pests of maize including D. saccharalis. The objectives of this study were to select and characterize the resistance of D. saccharalis to Cry2Ab2 using a non-commercial Cry2Ab2 single gene Bt maize line. A Cry2Ab2-resistant strain (Cry2Ab2-RR) of D. saccharalis was established from 28 two-parent families collected from fields in northeast Louisiana, U.S. The Cry2Ab2-RR showed a high level of resistance to Cry2Ab2 in both diet-incorporated and whole maize plant bioassays. The Cry2Ab2 resistance in D. saccharalis was likely inherited as a single or a few tightly linked autosomal genes. The resistance was non-recessive and not associated with fitness costs. The results should provide valuable information in resistance monitoring, assessing resistance risk, and developing effective management strategies for the sustainable use of Bt maize technology for managing maize stalk borers.

Geographical Inequalities in Alcohol-Related Mortality Rates in Taiwan due to Socio-Demographic Differences.

AIMS: To assess the relationships between alcohol-related mortality and socio-demography in Taiwan. METHODS: Using 2002-2006 data from the national death-diagnosis registration system, we calculated the alcohol-attributed disease mortality of those aged 15 and older in 348 townships in Taiwan. This study provides spatial clustering of alcohol-attributed disease mortality rates and area socio-demographic conditions across townships, examining the relationship between the two using a spatial autoregressive model. RESULTS: The relative risk of death due to alcohol-attributed diseases was estimated to increase by 2.1 and 0.9% as a result of a 1% increase in the percentage of men and aboriginal residents, respectively. The risk of death was estimated to decrease by 25% for every 1 year increase in education level. Industrialization and labor participation were also found to be predictors of the outcome measure in areas with differing levels of urbanization. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides significant evidence that township-level relationships between alcohol-related mortality and socioeconomic variables exist in Taiwan. Public health policymakers should better prioritize the specific areas in which comprehensive intervention should be undertaken accordingly.

Fitness costs and stability of Cry1Ab resistance in sugarcane borer, Diatraea saccharalis (F.).

The sugarcane borer, Diatraea saccharalis (F.), is a major target species of transgenic corn expressing Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) proteins in South America and the U.S. mid-south region. In this study, the fitness of seven insect genotypes of D. saccharalis were assayed on non-toxic diet, which included a Cry1Ab-susceptible strain (SS-2009), two Cry1Ab-resistant strains (RR-43A(BC), RR-L5B(BC)), and four F1 hybrids (F1-R43A(m)S(f), F1-R43A(f)S(m), F1-R5B(m)S(f), and F1-R5B(f)S(m)). The F1 hybrids were generated by reciprocal crosses of SS-2009 with RR-43ABC and RR-L5BBC, respectively. Biological parameters measured were neonate-to-pupa survivorship, neonate-to-pupa development time, pupal mass, pupa-to-adult emergence rate, and progeny (neonates) production. The overall performance of the two resistant strains and the four F1 genotypes was either similar or better than SS-2009 for all biological parameters measured, suggesting a lack of fitness costs associated with the Cry1Ab resistance traits in both RR-43A(BC) and RR-L5B(BC). In addition, resistance stability was evaluated by measuring the Cry1Ab susceptibility of RR-43A(BC) and RR-L5B(BC) in the absence of selection pressure. Laboratory bioassays showed that larval mortality of the two resistant strains did not significantly increase after selection pressure was removed for 16 generations across all Cry1Ab concentrations assayed. The results provide valuable information on assessing resistance risk and developing effective management strategies for the sustainable use of Bt corn technology.

Alcohol tax policy in relation to hospitalization from alcohol-attributed diseases in Taiwan: a nationwide population analysis of data from 1996 to 2010.

BACKGROUND: The effects of alcohol taxes and prices on drinking and mortality are well established, but the effects of alcohol taxes on measures of alcohol-related morbidity from noninjury health outcomes have not been fully elucidated. We assess the 2 opposing effects of alcohol tax policy interventions (tax rate increase in 2002 and decrease in 2009) on alcohol-attributed diseases (AADs) in Taiwan. METHODS: Admissions data from 1996 to 2010 were retrieved from the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) claims file and analyzed in this study. Data on 430,388 men and 34,874 women aged 15 or above who had an admission due to an AAD were collected. An interrupted time series analysis examining the effects of the implementation of alcohol tax policy on quarterly age- and sex-specific incidence rates of hospitalization for AADs was employed. The same method was also used to analyze hospitalizations for alcoholic liver disease. RESULTS: The teen/adult groups all showed significant (p < 0.05) changes in the adjusted incidence rate of hospitalization (AIRH) for AADs and alcoholic liver disease in 2002. Men aged 15 to 64 years showed an abrupt decline in the rate of AADs (9.1%) and in the rate of alcoholic liver disease (10.3%). A 16% reduction in the AAD rate was found in teen/adult women after the alcohol tax increase. In contrast, a 17.4% increase in the same rate was seen in the first quarter of 2010 for this group. A similar pattern was presented for the AIRH for alcoholic liver disease among women. The effect of tax intervention was not significant among the elderly. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence that alcohol taxation in response to international trade liberalization has resulted in an immediate reduction of AADs in Taiwan. The policy of increasing alcohol tax rates may have favorable influences on the time trend for the rate of AADs, most notably among young and middle-aged men and women.

A time-series analysis of alcohol tax policy in relation to mortality from alcohol attributed causes in Taiwan.

It is known that taxation on alcohol products may effectively reduce the alcohol consumption. However, whether alcohol taxation may lead to a decrease in alcohol attributed disease mortality (ADM) has been inclusively. We conducted this time-series analysis to assess the effect of alcohol tax policy intervention in 2002 on rate of ADM in Taiwan. Mortality data were retrieved from Taiwan's Death Registry. We employed the autoregression integrated moving average technique to examine secular patterns of quarterly rate of ADM in residents aged 15 or above between 1991 and 2007, and to determine whether alcohol tax policy intervention, imposed in January 2002, had affected the time trend in rate of ADM in subsequent years. We observed a statistically significant reduction in the rate of ADM following the implementation of alcohol tax policy for all sex- and age-specific segments of population. Further analyses revealed that the effect was most obvious in men aged 15-64 years, who showed an abrupt decline in AMD rate (10.9%) in the first quarter of 2002. For elderly men and women, the tax intervention was followed by a gradually declining trend of ADM, with a magnitude ranging from 0.53% per season (elderly women) to 0.63% per season (elderly men). This study demonstrated that alcohol taxation policy may pose favorite influences on the time trend of ADM rate in Taiwan, and such influence was most noteworthy in young and middle aged men.

Insect-resistant genetically modified rice in China: from research to commercialization.

From the first insect-resistant genetically modified (IRGM) rice transformation in 1989 in China to October 2009 when the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture issued biosafety certificates for commercial production of two cry1Ab/Ac Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) lines, China made a great leap forward from IRGM rice basic research to potential commercialization of the world's first IRGM rice. Research has been conducted on developing IRGM rice, assessing its environmental and food safety impacts, and evaluating its socioeconomic consequences. Laboratory and field tests have confirmed that these two Bt rice lines can provide effective and economic control of the lepidopteran complex on rice with less risk to the environment than present practices. Commercializing these Bt plants, while developing other GM plants that address the broader complex of insects and other pests, will need to be done within a comprehensive integrated pest management program to ensure the food security of China and the world.