[Spatial-temporal Distribution and Source Analysis of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in the Sediments of Poyang Lake].

The concentrations, spatial-temporal distribution, and influencing factors of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the sediments of Poyang Lake were studied, and a quantitative source analysis of PAHs in different areas of the lake was conducted. PAHs were widespread within the sediments. The concentrations of ∑16PAHs in the surface sediments of all sites ranged from 203 to 2 318 µg·kg-1. The concentrations of PAHs in the surface sediments of the lake body were higher than those in the surface sediments of the inlet rivers. The ratio of PAHs in Poyang Lake was 4 rings > 5 rings > 6 rings > 3 rings > 2 rings; the composition of 4-ring PAHs was dominant, and its content accounted for 86.11% of ∑16PAHs. The 2- and 3-ring and some 4-ring PAHs, including Flua and Pyr, were more susceptible to SOM, and the 4 through 6-ring PAHs were more susceptible to ORP and heavy metals and other environmental factors. Spatially, the higher concentration of ∑16PAHs occurred in the area of the lake adjacent to Duchang County and Poyang County, where the terrain was relatively closed, and the water exchange with the surrounding area was less than that in other sections, which was not conducive to the migration, transformation, and degradation of pollutants. In the temporal distribution, the changes in PAHs concentration level and the development of GDP in Jiangxi Province showed high consistency, and the influence of economic development and human activities might have been the main reason for the increasing PAHs concentration level. The main sources of PAHs in surface sediments of Poyang Lake included petroleum pollution and oil and coal and biomass combustion sources, and there were some spatial differences in PAHs sources in different regions. This study can provide a reference for PAHs pollution in surface sediments of Poyang Lake, which is important for the ecological environmental protection and management of Poyang Lake.

Analysis of hospital and payer costs of care: aggressive warming versus routine warming in abdominal major surgery.

Background: Hypothermia is common and active warming is recommended in major surgery. The potential effect on hospitals and payer costs of aggressive warming to a core temperature target of 37°C is poorly understood. Methods: In this sub-analysis of the PROTECT trial (clinicaltrials.gov, NCT03111875), we included patients who underwent radical procedures of colorectal cancer and were randomly assigned to aggressive warming or routine warming. Perioperative outcomes, operation room (OR) scheduling process, internal cost accounting data from the China Statistical yearbook (2022), and price lists of medical and health institutions in Beijing were examined. A discrete event simulation (DES) model was established to compare OR efficiency using aggressive warming or routine warming in 3 months. We report base-case net costs and sensitivity analyses of intraoperative aggressive warming compared with routine warming. Costs were calculated in 2022 using US dollars (USD). Results: Data from 309 patients were analyzed. The aggressive warming group comprised 161 patients and the routine warming group comprised 148 patients. Compared to routine warming, there were no differences in the incidence of postoperative complications and total hospitalization costs of patients with aggressive warming. The potential benefit of aggressive warming was in the reduced extubation time (7.96 ± 4.33 min vs. 10.33 ± 5.87 min, p < 0.001), lower incidence of prolonged extubation (5.6% vs. 13.9%, p = 0.017), and decreased staff costs. In the DES model, there is no add-on or cancelation of operations performed within 3 months. The net hospital costs related to aggressive warming were higher than those related to routine warming in one operation (138.11 USD vs. 72.34 USD). Aggressive warming will have an economic benefit when the OR staff cost is higher than 2.37 USD/min/person, or the cost of disposable forced-air warming (FAW) is less than 12.88 USD/piece. Conclusion: Despite improving OR efficiency, the economic benefits of aggressive warming are influenced by staff costs and the cost of FAW, which vary from different regions and countries. Clinical trial registration: clinicaltrials.gov, identifier (NCT03111875).

Assessment of Purity, Stability, and Pharmacokinetics of NGP-1, a Novel Prodrug of GS441254 with Potential Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Activity, Using Liquid Chromatography.

SARS-CoV-2 is a highly contagious and pathogenic virus that first appeared in late December 2019 and caused a global pandemic in a short period. The virus is a single-stranded RNA virus belonging to the Coronaviridae family. Numerous treatments have been developed and tested in response to the pandemic, particularly antiviral drugs. Among them, GS441524 (GS441), a nucleoside antiviral drug, has demonstrated promising results in inhibiting SARS-CoV-2. Nevertheless, the limited oral bioavailability of GS441 restricts its application to patients with the virus. In this study, a novel prodrug of GS441 (NGP-1) with an isobutyl ester and cyclic carbonate structure was designed and synthesized. Its purity and the stability in different artificial digestive juices of NGP-1 was determined with HPLC-DAD methods. The pharmacokinetics of NGP-1 and GS441 were studied in rats via gavage administration. A new LC-MS/MS method was developed to quantitatively analyze GS441 in plasma samples. The results showed that the ka, Cmax, and MRT of converted GS441 from NGP-1 were 5.9, 3, and 2.5 times greater than those of GS441 alone. The Frel of NGP-1 was approximately four-fold that of GS441, with an AUC0-∞ of 9716.3 h·ng mL-1. As a prodrug of GS441, NGP-1 increased its lipophilicity, absorption, and bioavailability, indicating that it holds promise in improving the clinical efficacy of anti-SARS-CoV-2 medications.

Willingness to pay for packaging cancer screening of Chinese rural residents.

BACKGROUND: This study examined the acceptance and willingness to pay (WTP) of rural residents toward packaging cancer screening (PCS) to provide a reference basis for promoting the screening sustainable development. METHODS: A face-to-face questionnaire survey was conducted among rural residents aged 40-69. The combination of double-bounded dichotomous choices and open-ended questions in the Contingent Valuation Method was used to guide participants' WTP. Logistic regression was used to explore the influencing factors of participants' screening acceptance, and Tobit model was used to analyze the associated factors of WTP. RESULTS: Of the 959 respondents, 89.36% were willing to accept PCS, but 10.64% stated unwillingness for the dominant reason that they did not attend clinics until symptom onset. Willingness to accept screening was significantly associated with region (Dongchangfu, OR = 0.251, 95%CI: 0.113~0.557; Linqu, OR = 0.150, 95%CI: 0.069~0.325), age with 60-69 (OR = 0.321, 95%CI: 0.126~0.816), annual income with 10,000-30,000 (OR = 1.632, 95%CI: 1.003~2.656) and having cancer-screening experience (OR = 0.581, 95%CI: 0.371~0.909). And 57.66% of participants were willing to pay part of the screening cost among those willing to accept PCS. The residents' average WTP was ¥622, accounting for 20.73% of the total cost (¥3000). Willingness to pay for PCS was positively correlated with male gender, self-employed occupation, residence in Feicheng (than Linqu), higher income, and having cancer-screening experience. CONCLUSIONS: Most rural residents were willing to accept free PCS, more than half of them were willing to pay part of the ¥3000 total cost, but their WTP-values were low. It is necessary to carry out PCS publicity activities to improve public awareness and participation in precancerous screening. Additionally, for expanding the coverage and sustainability of screening, the appropriate proportion of rural residents to pay for screening costs should be controlled at about 20%, and governments, insurance and other sources are encouraged to actively participate to cover the remaining costs.

Risk Assessment of Chlorothalonil as a Probable Human Carcinogen on Selected Vegetables in an Eastern China Province.

Objectives: This study aimed to provide an assessment of chlorothalonil's possible carcinogenic risk posed to the public. In combination and comparison with the non-carcinogenic risk, the results hopefully could provide useful insights, early warning, and references for policy formulation. Methods: This study firstly investigated the occurrence of chlorothalonil on selected key vegetables for different scenarios, and then conducted an exposure assessment with officially published data. Lastly, both the non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risk of chlorothalonil were calculated by using Monte-Carlo simulation. Results: Even though mean non-carcinogenic risks of chlorothalonil for all scenarios were below threshold value, the mean carcinogenic risks for maximum-risk scenario and most-likely risk scenario were mostly above threshold value. High probabilities of exceedance of threshold value existed for carcinogenic risk under all scenarios. Conclusion: Potential threat to public health existed for conventionally 'safe' pesticide if considering the possible carcinogenicity. Extra caution should be taken and the potential carcinogenic effects should be included into consideration for better protection of public health during the policy formulation process.

Health-Related Quality of Life and Utility Scores of Posttreatment Patients with Gastric Cancer at Different Pathological Stages: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is a key variable in the evaluation of health economics. We aimed to evaluate the HRQoL and utility scores of patients with gastric cancer and related precancerous lesions by assessing their quality of life using a single standardized health measurement instrument. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in six counties in Shangdong Province from November 2019 to March 2020. Subjects with precancerous lesions and gastric cancer (cardia and noncardia) were included and surveyed. Patients were divided into four groups: low-grade intraepithelial neoplasia (LGIN), high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia (HGIN), early gastric cancer (EGC), and advanced gastric cancer (AGC). All patients, except those with LGIN, received treatment. The five-level EQ-5D was used to assess HRQoL and generate utility scores using the Chinese-specific tariff published in 2017. Results: The study included 566 respondents. The average utility was 0.927 for precancerous lesions (LGIN: 0.930; HGIN: 0.926), 0.906 for early gastric cancer (EGC), and 0.756 for advanced gastric cancer (AGC). Visual analogue scale (VAS) means were 76.82 (LGIN: 78.08; HGIN: 74.81), 72.26, and 69.16 for precancerous lesions, EGC, and AGC, respectively. HRQoL was lower in women with AGC than in men (0.612 vs. 0.792, P = 0.035). AGC patients were more likely to report problems across all five dimensions than patients in other stages. The proportion of patients reporting pain/discomfort problems was highest across all gastric cancer stages (LGIN, 35.6%; HGIN, 34.4%; EGC, 35.6%; and AGC, 55.7%), followed by anxiety/depression (LGIN, 17.5%; HGIN, 18%; EGC, 22.8%; and AGC, 47.7%). Conclusions: HRQoL declined as cancer progressed, with the most dramatic decline observed in patients with AGC. A more advanced pathological stage was associated with a greater decrease in health utility. The obtained utilities for different pathological stages of gastric cancer were significant parameters for researchers to perform further cost-utility analysis. Pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression were problems that seriously affected the patients in all groups.

Characterization and Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in River Sediments on the Western Bank of Taihu Lake, China.

In this study, nine heavy metals (Cd, Cr, As, Hg, Pb, Cu, Ni, Be, and Sb) in the sediments of 17 typical rivers on the western bank of Taihu Lake were determined. Several statistical methods were applied to analyze the distribution, sources, pollution status, and potential ecological risk of these metals. The mean concentrations of heavy metals in sediments other than Be exceeded their local background values. Geoaccumulation index and potential ecological risk index analyses demonstrated that most sediment samples were contaminated and may pose ecological risks, especially those from the Taihu Lake estuary. In particular, Cd concentrations indicated moderate contamination and potentially serious to severe ecological risk. Principal component, cluster, and correlation analyses demonstrated that Ni, Sb, Cr, and Cu were derived from industrial sources, whereas the other metals had complex origins.

Use of Planning Training Courses and Activities to Enhance the Understanding of Eco-Community Planning Concepts in Participatory Planning Workshop Participants: A Case Study in Taiwan.

In recent years, in order to make community planning content closer to people's life needs and psychological expectations, and to obtain the support of the people, "citizen participatory planning" and "community-engagement" have become two important strategies of the community planning process. In this study, an indigenous people participatory planning workshop was conducted with the support of government funds, and pre-training and post-training questionnaires were completed by the participants of the planning training of the citizen participation planning. Through questionnaire analysis, this study obtained data of the participants' cognitive status related to community planning and analyzed the basic background of the participants in order to determine the effectiveness of the planning training. According to the results of this study, most of the participating citizens had a basic understanding of the "community environment", "the relationship between ecological knowledge and community planning", and "community identity" before the training. Moreover, the research results also confirm that planning training can effectively enhance participants' understanding of community planning, spatial planning, planning tools, planning laws, and the environment of the community. Additionally, planning training also contributes to the implementation of participatory decision-making and the promotion of public support for planning content. However, it is necessary to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of the needs of participants, and to make appropriate adjustments to the planning training courses and activities in order to obtain stable training effectiveness and build the basic ability of citizens with respect to participatory planning.

Application of biological age assessment of Chinese population in potential anti-ageing technology.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to construct a biological age assessment formula for the Chinese population and to explore the effectiveness of double filtration plasmapheresis for anti-ageing and longevity. METHODS: 915 subjects were recruited, including 584 (63.8%) males and 331 females (36.2%). Male age was 50.94±10.60 (mean±SD), and female age was 51.20±11.84 (mean±SD). 34 blood markers were detected in the laboratory. The ageing biomarkers were determined by statistical correlation analysis and redundancy analysis, and the biological age assessment formula was established by multiple linear regression analysis. Paired sample T test was used to analyse the elimination effect of double filtration plasmapheresis on aging biomarkers. RESULTS: Based on the comprehensive blood test and analysis, the ageing biomarkers were screened, and the male and female biological age assessment formulas were established. Then, the elimination of ageing biomarkers by double filtration plasmapheresis was examined. Double filtration plasmapheresis can eliminate ageing biomarkers, with an average of 4.47 years decrease in age for males and 8.36 years for females. CONCLUSION: So, biological age provides a scientific tool for assessing ageing, and double filtration plasmapheresis is safe and might be effective for anti-ageing and longevity. However, the effect of plasmapheresis is expected to be transient, so further studies are needed to plan the number and range of the plasmapheresis procedures necessary to consistently lower the parameters under study.

A rapid assessment for predicting drug-induced hepatotoxicity using zebrafish.

INTRODUCTION: Zebrafish have been used as a model to access drug-induced hepatotoxicity. However, individual differences occur in the liver development of zebrafish. METHODS: We used a transgenic line of zebrafish that expressed enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) in the liver and then used a calculation of the liver index area, a potentially new endpoint of hepatotoxicity, to evaluate drug-induced liver injury. To further validate the reliability of the liver area index as a quick evaluation of zebrafish liver function damage, the liver area index level was correlated with hepatic transaminase activities using the Pearson correlation coefficient and confirmed by histopathology. RESULTS: Zebrafish larvae treated with high doses of the known mammalian hepatotoxic drugs carbaryl, isoniazide, and pyrazinamide showed significantly decreased liver area index levels, which are suggestive of liver injury and correspond with the higher alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST) activities and histological liver alterations. The results showed a significant negative correlation between the degree of liver injury and the liver area index level. DISCUSSION: Our data support the use of the liver area index as a reliable and comparable indicator to screen hepatotoxic agents using the zebrafish model.

[Impact of depression and anxiety assessment performed in gastrointestinal cancer patients on postoperative depression and anxiety symptom and mental health service visit].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of depression and anxiety assessment performed in gastrointestinal cancer patients on postoperative depression and anxiety symptom and mental health service visit. METHODS: A total of 254 gastrointestinal cancer patients who underwent surgical procedure were assigned into assessment group (n=121) and control group (n=133). Depression and anxiety assessment were performed with PHQ-9 and GAD-7 in assessment group on admission, discharge and at 3-month follow-up while in control group only at 3-month follow-up. The point prevalence of depression and anxiety were evaluated in assessment group with established cut-off reported by ASCO defining depression as a PHQ-9 score no less than 8 and anxiety as a GAD-7 score no less than 5. PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores at 3-month follow-up were compared using Mann-Whitney U test. RESULTS: According to the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 score, the prevalence of depression was 28.9%(35/121) and anxiety was 37.2%(45/121) in assessment group, and depression was found in 9.9%(12/121) with comorbid anxiety. During the 3-month follow-up, the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 score in assessment group (6.02±4.67 and 4.19±3.95) were both lower than those in control group (8.83±6.63 and 6.41±5.80) with statistically significant differences (all P<0.05). Patients in assessment group were more likely to seek for help in mental health service than those in control group [10.7%(13/121) vs. 3.0%(4/133), χ(2)=9.726, P=0.014] in 3-month follow-up after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of depression and anxiety is high in gastrointestinal cancer patients. Depression and anxiety assessment routinely performed for gastrointestinal cancer patients can enhance utilization of mental health service and reduce postoperative depression and anxiety symptom thus potentially improve quality of life.

Feasibility of the assessment of cholesterol crystals in human macrophages using micro optical coherence tomography.

The presence of cholesterol crystals is a hallmark of atherosclerosis, but until recently, such crystals have been considered to be passive components of necrotic plaque cores. Recent studies have demonstrated that phagocytosis of cholesterol crystals by macrophages may actively precipitate plaque progression via an inflammatory pathway, emphasizing the need for methods to study the interaction between macrophages and crystalline cholesterol. In this study, we demonstrate the feasibility of detecting cholesterol in macrophages in situ using Micro-Optical Coherence Tomography (µOCT), an imaging modality we have recently developed with 1-µm resolution. Macrophages containing cholesterol crystals frequently demonstrated highly scattering constituents in their cytoplasm on µOCT imaging, and µOCT was able to evaluate cholesterol crystals in cultured macrophage cells. Our results suggest that µOCT may be useful for the detection and characterization of inflammatory activity associated with cholesterol crystals in the coronary artery.

Short form 36-Item Health Survey test result on the empty nest elderly in China: a meta-analysis.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of life of the empty nest elderly in China using meta-analytic techniques. Electronic databases were searched for studies concerning the quality of life of the empty nest elderly published before December 2011. Pooled weighted mean difference (WMD) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were estimated with fixed and random effect models. Subgroup analyses, sensitivity analyses and publication bias were also performed. Ten studies (6948 empty nesters and 4560 non-empty nesters) were included in this meta-analysis. Vitality (WMD -1.946; 95% CI -3.183 to -0.708), role emotional (WMD -6.084; 95% CI -8.545 to -3.623) and mental health (WMD -2.606; 95% CI -3.964 to -1.249) were statistically significantly low in the empty nest elderly whereas physical functioning, role physical, bodily pain, general health, and social functioning showed no statistical significance. Subgroup analyses showed a statistical significance with WMD of role emotional and mental health in urban area, that of role physical, bodily pain, vitality, role emotional and mental health in rural area, and that of vitality, social functioning, role emotional and mental health in mix area. This meta-analysis indicated that among eight dimensions of the Short Form 36-Item Health Survey (SF-36), only vitality, role emotional and mental health (mental components) were statistically significantly low in the empty nest elderly. More studies are needed to confirm this finding.