Assessment of soil quality in an arid and barren mountainous of Shandong province, China.

Forest soils are important components of forest ecosystems, and soil quality assessment as a decision-making tool to understand forest soil quality and maintain soil productivity is essential. Various methods of soil quality assessment have been developed, which have occasionally generated inconsistent assessment results between soil types. We assessed the soil quality of five communities (herb, shrub, Quercus acutissima, Pinus thunbergii, and Q. acutissima-P. thunbergii mixed plantation) using two common methods of dry and barren mountains in the Yimeng Mountain area, China. Sixteen soil physical, chemical and biological properties were analysed. The soil quality index was determined using the established minimum data set based on the selection results of principal component analysis and Pearson analysis. Silt, soil total phosphorus (P), soil total nitrogen (N), L-leucine aminopeptidase, acid phosphatase and vector length were identified as the most representative indicators for the minimum data set. Linear regression analysis showed that the minimum data set can adequately represent the total data set to quantify the impact of different communities on soil quality (P < 0.001). The results of linear and non-linear methods of soil quality assessment showed that the higher soil quality index was Pinus forest (0.59 and 0.54), and the soil quality index of mixed plantation (0.41 and 0.45) was lower, which was similar to the herb community (0.37 and 0.44). Soil quality was mostly affected by soil chemical properties and extracellular enzyme activities of different communities, and the different reasons for the low soil quality of mixed plantations were affected by soil organic carbon (C) and total C. Overall, we demonstrate that the soil quality index based on the minimum data set method could be a useful tool to indicate the soil quality of forest systems. Mixed plantations can improve soil quality by increasing soil C, which is crucial in ecosystem balance.

Telehealth utilization in U.S. medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years and older during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has become a serious public health concern for older adults and amplified the value of deploying telehealth solutions. The purpose of this study was to investigate telehealth offered by providers among U.S. Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years and older during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: This cross-sectional study analyzed Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years and older using data from the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey, Winter 2021 COVID-19 Supplement ([Formula: see text]). We identified variables that were associated with telehealth offered by primary care physicians and beneficiaries' access to the Internet through a multivariate classification analysis utilizing Random Forest machine learning techniques. FINDINGS: For study participants interviewed by telephone, 81.06% of primary care providers provided telehealth services, and 84.62% of the Medicare beneficiaries had access to the Internet. The survey response rates for each outcome were 74.86% and 99.55% respectively. The two outcomes were positively correlated ([Formula: see text]). The Our machine learning model predicted the outcomes accurately utilizing 44 variables. Residing area and race/ethnicity were most informative for predicting telehealth coverage, and Medicare-Medicaid dual eligibility and income were most informative for predicting Internet access. Other strong correlates included age, ability to access basic needs and certain mental and physical health conditions. Interactions were found among statuses of residing area, age, Medicare Advantage and heart conditions that intensified the disparity of outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: We found that telehealth offered by providers likely increased during the COVID-19 pandemic for older beneficiaries, providing important access to care for certain subgroups. Policymakers must continue to identify effective means of delivering telehealth services, modernize the framework of regulatory, accreditation and reimbursement, and address disparities in access to telehealth with a particular focus on underserved communities.

Cost-Effectiveness of Sugammadex Versus Neostigmine to Reverse Neuromuscular Blockade in a University Hospital in Taiwan: A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis.

Sugammadex has several pharmacological advantages over neostigmine, including faster reversal of neuromuscular blockade and fewer adverse effects. However, the economic impact of sugammadex remains controversial due to the considerable heterogeneity of study designs and clinical settings in previous studies. In a post-hoc analysis of a randomized controlled trial, we evaluated patients who underwent elective surgeries and general anesthesia with endotracheal intubation in a medical center in Taiwan between March 2020 and August 2020. Patients were divided into either the sugammadex or neostigmine group based on the neuromuscular blocking drug used. Propensity score matching was used to balance the baseline patient characteristics between the two groups. The patient's recovery from anesthesia and the putative cost-effectiveness of sugammadex versus neostigmine was assessed. Derived cost-effectiveness using personnel costs in the operating room and the post-anesthesia care unit was estimated using multiple linear regression models. A total of 2587 and 1784 patients were included before and after matching, respectively. Time to endotracheal extubation was significantly shorter in the sugammadex group (mean 6.0 ± standard deviation 5.3 min) compared with the neostigmine group (6.6 ± 6.3 min; p = 0.0032). In addition, the incidence of bradycardia was significantly lower in the sugammadex group (10.2%) compared with the neostigmine group (16.9%; p < 0.001). However, the total costs were significantly lower in the neostigmine group (50.6 ± 21.4 United States dollars) compared with the sugammadex group (212.0 ± 49.5 United States dollars). Despite improving postoperative recovery, the benefits of sugammadex did not outweigh its higher costs compared with neostigmine, possibly due to the low costs of labor in Taiwan's healthcare system.

Access to care through telehealth among U.S. Medicare beneficiaries in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health emergency has amplified the potential value of deploying telehealth solutions. Less is known about how trends in access to care through telehealth changed over time. Objectives: To investigate trends in forgone care and telehealth coverage among Medicare beneficiaries during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was used to analyze the outcomes of 31,907 Medicare beneficiaries using data from three waves of survey data from the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey COVID-19 Supplement (Summer 2020, Fall 2020, and Winter 2021). We identified informative variables through a multivariate classification analysis utilizing Random Forest machine learning techniques. Findings: The rate of reported forgone medical care because of COVID-19 decreased largely (22.89-3.31%) with a small increase in telehealth coverage (56.24-61.84%) from the week of June 7, 2020, to the week of April 4 to 25, 2021. Overall, there were 21.97% of respondents did not know whether their primary care providers offered telehealth services; the rates of forgone care and telehealth coverage were 11.68 and 59.52% (11.73 and 81.18% from yes and no responses). Our machine learning model predicted the outcomes accurately utilizing 43 variables. Informative factors included Medicare beneficiaries' age, Medicare-Medicaid dual eligibility, ability to access basic needs, certain mental and physical health conditions, and interview date. Conclusions: This cross-sectional survey study found proliferation and utilization of telehealth services in certain subgroups during the COVID-19 pandemic, providing important access to care. There is a need to confront traditional barriers to the proliferation of telehealth. Policymakers must continue to identify effective means of maintaining continuity of care and growth of telehealth services.

Preinvasion Assessment of Exotic Bark Beetle-Vectored Fungi to Detect Tree-Killing Pathogens.

Exotic diseases and pests of trees have caused continental-scale disturbances in forest ecosystems and industries, and their invasions are considered largely unpredictable. We tested the concept of preinvasion assessment of not yet invasive organisms, which enables empirical risk assessment of potential invasion and impact. Our example assesses fungi associated with Old World bark and ambrosia beetles and their potential to impact North American trees. We selected 55 Asian and European scolytine beetle species using host use, economic, and regulatory criteria. We isolated 111 of their most consistent fungal associates and tested their effect on four important southeastern American pine and oak species. Our test dataset found no highly virulent pathogens that should be classified as an imminent threat. Twenty-two fungal species were minor pathogens, which may require context-dependent response for their vectors at North American borders, while most of the tested fungi displayed no significant impact. Our results are significant in three ways; they ease the concerns over multiple overseas fungus vectors suspected of heightened potential risk, they provide a basis for the focus on the prevention of introduction and establishment of species that may be of consequence, and they demonstrate that preinvasion assessment, if scaled up, can support practical risk assessment of exotic pathogens.

A 90-day Sub-chronic Oral Toxicity Assessment of Mulberry Extract in Sprague Dawley Rats.

Mulberry extract from Fructus Mori contains an anthocyanin pigment and has been widely used as a food additive in China and other Eastern Asian countries. Only few research has been done on toxicological profiling of mulberry extract for its safety evaluation; however, the data is inconclusive. In the current study, mulberry extract of 4200, 1400, or 466 mg/kg were orally administrated to Sprague Dawley rats for 90 consecutive days followed by a recovery period of 28 days. No abnormalities were detected in body weights, food intake, ophthalmological, hematological, coagulation, clinical chemistry, and organ weights parameters. Discoloration of urine (red, purple, and brown) and feces (black), along with bedding material (purple) were observed in the 4200 mg/kg group. Further, microscopic examination revealed brown granules in the renal tubular cells for rats in 4200 and 1400 mg/kg groups. Since these changes were associated with excretory effect of the extract, the No Observed Adverse Effect Level was determined to be 4200 mg/kg, which was equivalent to the 1058.5 mg/kg of anthocyanin.

Survival Disparities in Multiple Myeloma by Health Insurance Status among US Non-Elderly Adults: A SEER-Based Comparative Analysis.

BACKGROUND/AIM: The impacts of health insurance status on survival outcomes in multiple myeloma (MM) have not been addressed in depth. The present study was conducted to identify definite relationships of cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS) with health insurance status in MM patients. METHODS: MM patients aged 18-64 years and with complete insurance records between January 1, 2007, and December 31, 2016, were identified from 18 Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Database registries. Health insurance condition was categorized as uninsured, any Medicaid, insured, and insured (no specifics). Relationships of health insurance condition with OS/CSS were identified through Kaplan-Meier, and uni-/multivariate Cox regressions using the hazard ratio and 95% confidence interval. Potential baseline confounding was adjusted using multiple propensity score (mPS). RESULTS: Totally 17,981 patients were included, including 68.3% with private insurance and only 4.9% with uninsurance. Log-rank test uncovered significant difference between health insurance status and OS/CSS among MM patients. Patients with non-insurance or Medicaid coverage in comparison with private insurance tended to present poorer OS/CSS both in multivariate Cox regression and in mPS-adjusted model (non-insurance vs. private insurance [OS/CSS]: 1.33 [1.20-1.48]/1.13 [1.00-1.28] and 1.45 [1.25-1.69]/1.18 [1.04-1.33], respectively; Medicaid coverage vs. private insurance [OS/CSS]: 1.67 [1.56-1.78]/1.25 [1.16-1.36] and 1.76 [1.62-1.90]/1.23 [1.13-1.35], respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Our observational study of exposure-outcome associations suggests that insufficient or no insurance is moderately linked with OS among MM patients aged 18-64 years. Wide insurance coverage and health-care availability may strengthen some disparate outcomes. In the future, prospective cohort research is needed to further clarify concrete risks with insurance type, owing to the lack of definite division of insurance data in SEER.

Multicenter evaluation of two chemiluminescence and three lateral flow immunoassays for the diagnosis of COVID-19 and assessment of antibody dynamic responses to SARS-CoV-2 in Taiwan.

This multicenter, retrospective study included 346 serum samples from 74 patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and 194 serum samples from non-COVID-19 patients to evaluate the performance of five anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibody tests, i.e. two chemiluminescence immunoassays (CLIAs): Roche Elecsys® Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Test (Roche Test) and Abbott SARS-CoV-2 IgG (Abbott Test), and three lateral flow immunoassays (LFIAs): Wondfo SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Test (Wondfo Test), ASK COVID-19 IgG/IgM Rapid Test (ASK Test), and Dynamiker 2019-nCoV IgG/IgM Rapid Test (Dynamiker Test). We found high diagnostic sensitivities (%, 95% confidence interval [CI]) for the Roche Test (97.4%, 93.4-99.0%), Abbott Test (94.0%, 89.1-96.8%), Wondfo Test (91.4%, 85.8-94.9%), ASK Test (97.4%, 93.4-99.0%), and Dynamiker Test (90.1%, 84.3-94.0%) after >21 days of symptom onset. Meanwhile, the diagnostic specificity was 99.0% (95% CI, 96.3-99.7%) for the Roche Test, 97.9% (95% CI, 94.8-99.2%) for the Abbott Test, and 100.0% (95% CI, 98.1-100.0%) for the three LFIAs. Cross-reactivity was observed in sera containing anti-cytomegalovirus (CMV) IgG/IgM antibodies and autoantibodies. No difference was observed in the time to seroconversion detection of the five serological tests. Specimens from patients with COVID-19 pneumonia demonstrated a shorter seroconversion time and higher chemiluminescent signal than those without pneumonia. Our data suggested that understanding the dynamic antibody response after COVID-19 infection and performance characteristics of different serological test are crucial for the appropriate interpretation of serological test result for the diagnosis and risk assessment of patient with COVID-19 infection.

Fast-track multidisciplinary treatment versus conventional treatment for colorectal cancer: a multicenter, open-label randomized controlled study.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic surgery, fast-track perioperative treatment and XELOX chemotherapy are effective strategies for shortening the duration of hospital stay for cancer patients. This trial aimed to clarify the safety and efficacy of the fast-track multidisciplinary treatment (FTMDT) model compared to conventional surgery combined with chemotherapy in Chinese colorectal cancer patients. METHODS: This trial was a prospective randomized controlled study with a 2 × 2 balanced factorial design and was conducted at six hospitals. Patients in group 1 (FTMDT) received fast-track perioperative treatment and XELOX adjuvant chemotherapy. Patients in group 2 (conventional treatment) received conventional perioperative treatment and mFOLFOX6 adjuvant chemotherapy. Subgroups 1a and 2a had laparoscopic surgery and subgroups 1b and 2b had open surgery. The primary endpoint was total length of hospital stay during treatment. RESULTS: A total of 374 patients were randomly assigned to the four subgroups, and 342 patients were finally analyzed, including 87 patients in subgroup 1a, 85 in subgroup 1b, 86 in subgroup 2a, and 84 in subgroup 2b. The total hospital stay of group 1 was shorter than that of group 2 [13 days, (IQR, 11-17 days) vs. 23.5 days (IQR, 15-42 days), P = 0.0001]. Compared to group 2, group 1 had lower surgical costs, fewer in-hospital complications and faster recovery (all P < 0.05). Subgroup 1a showed faster surgical recovery than that of subgroup 1b (all P < 0.05). There was no difference in 5-year overall survival between groups 1 and 2 [87.1% (95% CI, 80.7-91.5%) vs. 87.1% (95% CI, 80.8-91.4%), P = 0.7420]. CONCLUSIONS: The FTMDT model, which integrates laparoscopic surgery, fast-track treatment, and XELOX chemotherapy, was the superior model for enhancing the recovery of Chinese patients with colorectal cancer. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01080547 , registered on March 4, 2010.

Comparative assessment of Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L.) genotypes for phytoremediation of Cd and Pb contaminated soils.

Heavy metal removal by phytoremediation bears a great potential to decontaminate soils and Brassica juncea L. (Indian mustard) seems to be a possible candidate species for this purpose. A field experiment was conducted to compare the efficiency of eighty Indian mustard cultivars for phytoextraction of cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) from bimetal contaminated soil. Our results indicated that total Cd and Pb concentrations in the shoots and roots were in the range of 2.43 ±â€¯0.00 to 0.31 ±â€¯0.02 mg/kg and 2.94 ±â€¯0.05 to 0.44 ±â€¯0.03 mg/kg and 5.33 ±â€¯0.76 to 0.47 ±â€¯0.20 mg/kg and 3.78 ±â€¯0.06 to 0.16 ±â€¯0.08 mg/kg. Significant differences based on the translocation factors indicated that root-to-shoot transfer is higher for Pb (3.87 ±â€¯0.12 to 0.48 ±â€¯0.03) than Cd (3.38 ±â€¯0.05 to 0.22 ±â€¯0.01). Furthermore, significant correlations between dry weights, Cd and Pb concentrations and uptake in both shoots and roots were observed, but translocation factor showed a negative correlation with roots, but not in shoots. Among 80 genotypes of Indian mustard IM-25, IM-13 and IM-65 for Cd and IM-79, IM-24 and IM-32 for Pb seems to perform well for phytoextraction. The results of the field experiment suggest that certain Brassica juncea L. cultivars are suitable for removal of Cd and Pb in low to moderately contaminated soils.

Family socioeconomic position and abnormal birth weight: evidence from a Chinese birth cohort.

BACKGROUND: Birth weight is a strong determinant of infant short- and long-term health outcomes. Family socioeconomic position (SEP) is usually positively associated with birth weight. Whether this association extends to abnormal birth weight or there exists potential mediator is unclear. METHODS: We analyzed data from 14,984 mother-infant dyads from the Born in Guangzhou Cohort Study. We used multivariable logistic regression to assess the associations of a composite family SEP score quartile with macrosomia and low birth weight (LBW), and examined the potential mediation effect of maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) using causal mediation analysis. RESULTS: The prevalence of macrosomia and LBW was 2.62% (n = 392) and 4.26% (n = 638). Higher family SEP was associated with a higher risk of macrosomia (OR 1.30, 95% CI 0.93-1.82; OR 1.53, 95% CI 1.11-2.11; and OR 1.59, 95% CI 1.15-2.20 for the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th SEP quartile respectively) and a lower risk of LBW (OR 0.69, 95% CI 0.55-0.86; OR 0.76, 95% CI 0.61-0.94; and OR 0.61, 95% CI 0.48-0.77 for the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th SEP quartile respectively), compared to the 1st SEP quartile. We found that pre-pregnancy BMI did not mediate the associations of SEP with macrosomia and LBW. CONCLUSIONS: Socioeconomic disparities in fetal macrosomia and LBW exist in Southern China. Whether the results can be applied to other populations should be further investigated.

Assessment of 5-year overall survival in bladder cancer patients with incidental prostate cancer identified at radical cystoprostatectomy.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the oncological impact of incidental prostate cancer (iPCa) found during radical cystoprostatectomy (RCP) on overall survival (OS) prognosis of urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (BCa). PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 122 RCP cases resected between 2002 and 2012 at our center were included for study. Survival of BCa patient was compared using the Kaplan-Meier method and the log-rank test. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to analyze the impact of iPCa on the 5-year overall mortality of BCa patients after RCP. RESULTS: Among the 122 BCa cases that underwent RCP, 38 cases (31.1%) had iPCa, in which, 17 cases (44.7%) were identified as clinically significant iPCa (csPCa). BCa patients with iPCa were older (71 vs 64 years, p = 0.004) and had higher preoperative PSA level (3.1 ng/mL vs 1.4 ng/mL, p = 0.017) when compared to those without iPCa. Cases with iPCa showed a more favorable 5-year OS than cases without iPCa, although this difference did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.219). When excluding the higher risk cases with Gleason score (GS) ≥ 4 + 3 and/or preoperative PSA > 10 ng/mL, BCa patients with iPCa showed a significantly longer OS than cases without iPCa on univariate analysis (p = 0.044), but not on multivariate analysis (p = 0.125). CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrated that the frequent findings of low-risk iPCa in BCa patients could indicate the potential possibility of shared pathogenesis pathways between iPCa and BCa. Future study with a larger cohort is warranted to validate this result.

Increased diabetes risk and interaction with social and medical events in patients upon stroke: Two nationwide studies.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The relationship between stroke and diabetes is not completely understood. This study evaluated diabetes risk and post-diabetes adverse events in patients with stroke. METHODS: We identified 10,255 adults, newly diagnosed with stroke from 2000 to 2005, using the Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database. A comparison cohort of 41,020 adults without stroke was randomly selected from the same dataset, frequency matched by age and sex. Diabetes events from 2000 to 2013 were ascertained from medical claims. Adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs were calculated for diabetes associated with stroke. A nested cohort study of 33,437 patients with inpatient care for diabetes between 2008 and 2013 was conducted to calculate the adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs for adverse events after diabetes, in patients with and without stroke. RESULTS: During 489,561 person-years of follow-up, there were 10,742 newly diagnosed diabetes cases. The incidence of diabetes for people with and without stroke was 43.9 and 17.8 per 1000 person-years, respectively (p < 0.0001). Compared to that for people without stroke, the adjusted HR for diabetes was 2.69 (95% CI 2.56-2.82) for stroke patients. The ORs of post-diabetes pneumonia, urinary tract infection, and mortality associated with stroke were 1.35 (95% CI 1.17-1.55), 1.52 (95% CI 1.36-1.70), and 1.71 (95% CI 1.27-2.29), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: We provide evidence that the consequences of stroke are not limited to the neurological defect, but evoke diabetes and a plethora of associated medical, psychological and social impacts the physician must be strongly aware of if evaluating and treating stroke patients.

Assessment of carotid plaque neovascularization by contrast-enhanced ultrasound and high sensitivity C-reactive protein test in patients with acute cerebral infarction: a comparative study.

Vulnerable carotid plaque easily ruptures and causes cerebral infarction. Plaque inflammation and neovascularization have both been shown as important characteristics in vulnerable plaque. We assessed neovascularization within carotid plaque using contrast-enhanced ultrasound, and also assessed inflammation, using high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) testing, in acute cerebral infarction patients. A total of 106 patients with acute cerebral infarction and 40 controls were enrolled in the study. All subjects had been previously found to have carotid atherosclerotic plaques, and the plaques were classified as soft plaque, hard plaque, mixed plaque, and calcified plaque, using carotid artery ultrasound. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound was performed on the plaques for quantitative analysis and hs-CRP levels were measured. The results showed that plaque enhancement was present in 81.1 % of cerebral infarction patients and 40.0 % of controls. The contrast parameters for cerebral infarction patients were significantly different from controls. For cerebral infarction patients, soft plaque showed the highest enhanced percentage, 95.1 %, with contrast parameters significantly different to other types of plaque. The hs-CRP levels of enhanced cerebral infarction patients were higher than in non-enhanced patients. Correlation analysis in cerebral infarction patients showed that hs-CRP levels were closely related to the contrast parameters. Acute cerebral infarction patients showed intense contrast enhancement and inflammation in carotid plaque, and different types of plaque had various degrees of enhancement, suggesting that contrast-enhanced ultrasound and hs-CRP might be used for plaque risk stratification.

The 72-Hour Medicare Mandate After Total Joint Arthroplasty: Is This Medically Necessary?

INTRODUCTION: Currently, Medicare total joint arthroplasty patients are required to stay postoperatively 3 days in the hospital before discharge to a skilled nursing facility (SNF). We evaluated Medicare's mandated 3-night hospital stay rule to find out how many total joint arthroplastic patients are safe for discharge to SNFs on postoperative day 2 (POD2). METHODS: This is a retrospective case series analyzing Medicare primary total hip or total knee arthroplastic patients at a single hospital over 1 year. Patients meeting 15 separate criteria by POD2 were considered safe for discharge home rather than to a SNF. RESULTS: Of 259 patients, 47.88% met discharge criteria to SNF POD2. 31.66% did not meet 1, 13.13% did not meet 2, and 6.95% did not meet ≥3 criteria on POD2. Common criteria delaying discharge were blood pressure abnormalities, increasing or elevated white blood cell count, cardiac abnormalities, and fever. Thirty-day readmission rate for patients in the group safe for discharge POD2 was 1.75%. CONCLUSION: Of the total, 47.88% of patients required to stay by the Medicare 3-night stay rule were safe for discharge to SNF on POD2 without an increase in readmission rate at 30 days when compared to our institutional mean.

Assessment of left ventricular twist mechanics by speckle tracking echocardiography reveals association between LV twist and myocardial fibrosis in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

We aimed to investigate whether left ventricular (LV) twist analysis can detect the extent of myocardial fibrosis in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). This prospective case-control study recruited 81 consecutive patients with HCM examined between January 2012 and April 2013. Data of 76 patients were analyzed after excluding 5 patients whose echocardiographic images were of poor quality. Healthy volunteers (n = 46) served as controls. Both groups underwent comprehensive echocardiographic examination (i.e., Bas-Rotation, AP-Rotation, LVEF, LADs, IVST, LAVi, E/Em, LVMI, advanced LV-twist analysis by speckle tracking echocardiography) and magnetic resonance imaging. Between-group differences were analyzed by independent t test; logistic regression analysis was performed to identify effect factors. No significant differences were found between baseline characteristics of HCM and control groups (all p > 0.05). HCM patients had significantly higher Bas-Rotation, AP-Rotation, LV Twist, LVEF, LADs, IVST, LAVi, E/Em and LVMI than controls (all p < 0.0001) and significantly lower LVDd and E/A (both p < 0.001). Bas-Rotation, AP-Rotation, LV-Twist, LADs, IVST, LAVi, E/Em and LVMI were significantly higher in HCM patients with fibrosis than in those without fibrosis (p < 0.001), but no significant differences in other echocardiographic parameters were found between those with and without fibrosis. Age, Bas-Rotation, AP-Rotation, LV twist, LADs, IVST, LAVi, E/A, E/Em, and LVMI were significant effect factors for fibrosis. AUROC analysis showed that LV twist had high discriminatory power to detect extent of myocardial fibrosis (AUC 0.996, 95 % CI 0.989-1.004, p < 0.001). Left ventricular twist mechanics are associated with the extent of myocardial fibrosis. LV-twist assessment by STE may be clinically useful.

Assessment of the association between hOGG1 C8069G polymorphism and colorectal cancer.

Human oxoguanine glycosylase 1 (hOGG1) is an important part in the base excision repair (BER) pathway of DNA repair. Numerous epidemiological studies were published to assess the association between hOGG1 C8069G polymorphism and risk of colorectal cancer, but they reported contradictory results. A meta-analysis was performed to clarify the effect of hOGG1 C8069G polymorphism on colorectal cancer. The association was assessed by calculating the pooled odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (95 %CI). Twenty-one studies with a total of 14,492 participants were finally included into the meta-analysis. Overall, there was an obvious association between hOGG1 C8069G polymorphism and increased risk of colorectal cancer under all four genetic models (G vs. C: OR = 1.17, 95%CI 1.05-1.30, P = 0.003; GG vs. CC: OR = 1.39, 95%CI 1.11-1.74, P = 0.004; GG/CG vs. CC: OR = 1.20, 95%CI 1.04-1.37, P = 0.010; GG vs. CC/CG: OR = 1.23, 95%CI 1.03-1.46, P = 0.020). Subgroup analysis based on ethnicity showed that there was an obvious association between hOGG1 C8069G polymorphism and increased risk of colorectal cancer in the Caucasian population but not in the Asian population. The findings from the meta-analysis suggest that there is an obvious association between hOGG1 C8069G polymorphism and increased risk of colorectal cancer, especially in the Caucasian population.

Red turpentine beetle: innocuous native becomes invasive tree killer in China.

The red turpentine beetle (RTB), Dendroctonus valens LeConte (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae), is a secondary pest of pines in its native range in North and Central America. Outbreaks and tree mortality attributed to RTB alone are rare in its native range. RTB was introduced into China in the early 1980s and spread rapidly from Shanxi Province to four adjacent provinces; it has infested over 500,000 ha of pine forest and has caused extensive tree mortality since 1999. We provide a historical background on RTB outbreaks, explanations for its invasive success, management options, and economic impacts of RTB in China. Genetic variation in RTB fungal associates, interactions between RTB and its associated fungi, behavioral differences in Chinese RTB, and other factors favoring RTB outbreaks are considered in an effort to explain the invasiveness of RTB in China. The promise of semiochemicals as a management tool is also discussed.

Turning point of age for semen quality: a population-based study in Chinese men.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship between age and semen quality in Chinese men. DESIGN: Population-based cross-sectional study. SETTING: The Department of Reproductive Epidemiology and Social Science, Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research, People's Republic of China. PATIENT(S): Healthy 20- to 60-year-old men. INTERVENTION(S): Standard World Health Organization procedures (3rd ed.) for semen analysis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Semen volume, sperm concentration, total sperm number, progressive motility, vitality, and sperm morphology. RESULT(S): Statistical analysis results of 998 subjects showed that age was negatively correlated with progressive motility, vitality, and percentage of normal sperm. No declining trend was found between age and parameters semen volume, sperm concentration, or total sperm number. Rapidly progressive motility and percentage of normal sperm began to decrease slowly at age 30 years, and progressive motility began to decrease at age 40 years. Compared with the 20- to 29-year age group, the values of the latter three parameters showed significant differences in men aged ≥35, ≥45, and ≥40 years. CONCLUSION(S): Increasing age mainly influences sperm motility, vitality, and normal morphology, but these parameters have turning points at different ages. Because of the large sample size, this information can be used to provide standard values for Chinese men, particularly in the age range 30-50 years. Further research would enroll a large sample of healthy 40- to 70-year olds to examine declining semen parameters in these age groups.