Assessment of serum vitamin D levels in children aged 0-17 years old in a Chinese population: a comprehensive study.

Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency pose global public health challenges, yet research on serum vitamin D levels in the 0-17-year-old age group in southeastern China remains limited. This study aimed to fill this gap by investigating serum 25(OH)D levels in children in the region aged 0-17 years, contributing crucial data for understanding vitamin D nutritional status. Liquid chromatography‒mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC‒MS/MS) technology was used. Vitamin D testing was integrated into routine diagnostic procedures for 11,116 children in Wujiang District, Suzhou City. Among the 0-17-year age group, comprising 6348 boys and 4768 girls, the prevalence of serum 25(OH)D deficiency and insufficiency was 21.4% and 31.0%, respectively. The median serum 25(OH)D concentration was 29.72 ng/mL (21.84-39.84 ng/mL) in boys compared to 28.48 ng/mL (20.65-39.23 ng/mL) in girls. Seasonal variations were observed, with median serum 25(OH)D concentrations of 29.02 ng/mL (20.73-39.72 ng/mL) in spring, 28.79 ng/mL (21.53-39.37 ng/mL) in summer, 30.12 ng/mL (22.00-39.70 ng/mL) in autumn, and 28.58 ng/mL (19.97-39.46 ng/mL) in winter. Statistically significant differences were noted in the serum 25(OH)D levels during autumn and winter. In conclusion, the rate of adequate vitamin D levels in local children was 47.5%, revealing a relatively high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (21.4%) and insufficiency (31.0%), especially during the post-preschool period. Advocating for vitamin D supplementation in children is crucial for ensuring adequate vitamin D support.

Spatio-temporal heterogeneity and coupling effect of mining economy, social governance and environmental conservation: Evidence from Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China.

In order to solve the problem of coordinated development among mining economy, social governance and environmental conservation in global resource-based cities, we choose Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region as the research area. The advantage of resource endowment and resource industry was measured by location quotient and input-output method. The panel data related to mining governance from 2010 to 2021 were selected to build the evaluation and coupling analysis model between mining economic, social governance and environmental conservation, and the spatial-temporal heterogeneity and coupling effect of them were analyzed by comprehensive empowerment evaluation, spatial autocorrelation analysis and barrier degree methods. The results show that: (1) Except for the overall upward trend of social governance, the development level of mining economy and environmental conservation are basically stable; (2) The resource-rich areas have obvious mining economic advantages, and the central cities have good social governance capabilities, and the environmental conservation effectiveness is uncertain; (3) The coupling effect between mining economy and social governance is stronger than that between mining economy and environment conservation, and the synergistic coupling effect of the three is relatively random. Finally, we put forward some policy response strategies to Guangxi, and theoretical and practical reference would be provided for resource-based cities around the world.

The cost-effectiveness of syphilis screening in pregnant women: a systematic literature review.

Introduction: The cost-effectiveness study of syphilis screening in pregnant women has not been synthesized. This study aimed to synthesize the economic evidence on the cost-effectiveness of syphilis screening in pregnant women that might contribute to making recommendations on the future direction of syphilis screening approaches. Methods: We systematically searched MEDLINE, PubMed, and Web of Science databases for relevant studies published before 19 January 2023 and identified the cost-effectiveness analyses for syphilis screening in pregnant women. The methodological design quality was appraised by the Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards (CHEERS) 2022 checklist. Results: In total, 17 literature met the eligibility criteria for a full review. Of the 17 studies, four evaluated interventions using different screening methods, seven assessed a combination of syphilis testing and treatment interventions, three focused on repeat screening intervention, and four evaluated the interventions that integrated syphilis and HIV testing. The most cost-effective strategy appeared to be rapid syphilis testing with high treatment rates in pregnant women who were positive. Discussion: The cost-effectiveness of syphilis screening for pregnancy has been widely demonstrated. It is very essential to improve the compliance with maternal screening and the treatment rates for positive pregnant women while implementing screening.

Considering microplastic characteristics in ecological risk assessment: A case study for China.

Microplastics (MPs) pose a significant global concern, requiring a multifaceted approach to their risk assessment procedures, especially concerning their characteristics in the environment. The Horqin Left Middle Banner in Northeast China was chosen for the research region to investigate the abundance, composition, distribution, and ecological impact of MPs in surface agricultural soils. The concentrations of MPs ranged from 300 to 12800 items/kg, with a median concentration of 1550 items/kg (average = 1994 items/kg). The normal-sized MPs (500-5000 µm) had a higher relative abundance than small MPs (<500 µm). MPs were mainly derived from textiles and packaging and were affected by atmospheric transportation. Rayon and PET fibers were the main polymers identified. Furthermore, the potential environmental risks posed by the fundamental characteristics (abundance, chemical composition, and size) of MPs were quantified using multiple risk assessment models. The conditional fragmentation model indicated a propensity for MPs to degrade into smaller particles. Ecological risk assessments using pollution load index, pollution hazard index, and potential ecological risk index models revealed varying levels of risk. This study conducted a comprehensive assessment of the ecological risks of MPs based on their environmental characteristics, emphasizing the importance of considering multiple factors in the risk assessment process. ENVIRONMENT IMPLICATION: This study investigates the occurrence, distribution, and ecological risk of microplastics (MPs) in agricultural soils of the Northeast Plain of China, a major food production area. MPs are persistent organic pollutants that can pose threats to soil health, crop quality, and food security. By analyzing the composition, size, and source of MPs, as well as their fragmentation and stability in soil, this study provides valuable data for assessing the environmental risk of MPs in agricultural regions. The study also suggests strategies for mitigating MPs pollution and protecting soil ecosystems.

Corrigendum: Therapy by physician-pharmacist combination and economic returns for cancer pain management in China: a cost-effectiveness analysis.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1073939.].

Economical Production of Phenazine-1-carboxylic Acid from Glycerol by Pseudomonas chlororaphis Using Cost-Effective Minimal Medium.

Phenazine compounds are widely used in agricultural control and the medicine industry due to their high inhibitory activity against pathogens and antitumor activity. The green and sustainable method of synthesizing phenazine compounds through microbial fermentation often requires a complex culture medium containing tryptone and yeast extract, and its cost is relatively high, which greatly limits the large-scale industrial production of phenazine compounds by fermentation. The aim of this study was to develop a cost-effective minimal medium for the efficient synthesis of phenazine compounds by Pseudomonas chlororaphis. Through testing the minimum medium commonly used by Pseudomonas, an ME medium for P. chlororaphis with a high production of phenazine compounds was obtained. Then, the components of the ME medium and the other medium were compared and replaced to verify the beneficial promoting effect of Fe2+ and NH4+ on phenazine compounds. A cost-effective general defined medium (GDM) using glycerol as the sole carbon source was obtained by optimizing the composition of the ME medium. Using the GDM, the production of phenazine compounds by P. chlororaphis reached 1073.5 mg/L, which was 1.3 times that achieved using a complex medium, while the cost of the GDM was only 10% that of a complex medium (e.g., the KB medium). Finally, by engineering the glycerol metabolic pathway, the titer of phenazine-1-carboxylic acid reached the highest level achieved using a minimum medium so far. This work demonstrates how we systematically analyzed and optimized the composition of the medium and integrated a metabolic engineering method to obtain the most cost-effective fermentation strategy.

Valuing bioeconomic impacts of regulation on nutrient loads mediated by invasive mussels in Lake Michigan.

Current calls to correct the perturbed ecosystems and nutrient imbalances of the Laurentian Great Lakes focus on setting target nutrient levels that will be met by environmental and economic regulations to reduce the flow of excess nutrients into the lakes. While these standard types of regulations have been successful in the past, it is unclear whether they will achieve similar ecological and economic successes now amid possible ecosystem regime shifts triggered by invasive mussels. We compute the bioeconomic costs and benefits of hypothetical regulations designed to target nutrient loads in present-day Lake Michigan through agricultural operations, which are known to be nonpoint source polluters of the aquatic ecosystem network. Our results show how reducing nutrient loads may exacerbate spatially disparate ecosystem issues that generate overall economic losses. Conversely, and counterintuitively, allowing for more nutrient loading could generate economic gains over our assessment timeframe. We determine that implementation of standard nutrient target policies are costly and likely inadequate for current dreissenid-affected aquatic ecosystems experiencing nutrient imbalances because they disregard the interactive role of invasive mussels in nutrient cycling.

Integrating environmental carry capacity based on pesticide risk assessment in soil management: A case study for China.

Pesticides are widely used in agriculture and can pose risks to soil health and environmental quality. This study assessed the occurrence, distribution, ecological risk, and environmental carrying capacity of 56 currently used pesticides and three metabolites in agricultural soils of Horqin Left Middle Banner, a typical Northeast China agricultural area. 29 pesticides were detected, with atrazine, clothianidin, and propiconazole the most common. Clothianidin and difenoconazole were high-risk to non-target organisms according to risk-toxicity exposure ratio and risk quotient approaches. This study provides a comprehensive and improvement framework for pesticide soil environmental carrying capacity (SECC) assessment and soil quality protection early warning. The SECC model showed no pesticides surpassed the soil carrying capacity threshold under the current application pattern. Five pesticides (clothianidin, difenoconazole, propiconazole, atrazine, and imidacloprid) may reach the threshold within 10 years, requiring pesticide reduction and soil quality monitoring. An early warning system based on SECC values and cumulative amounts of pesticides predicted that clothianidin may exceed the threshold within 0.1 years. These pesticides should be prioritized for management and regulation to prevent soil environmental degradation. The findings can help inform policymakers and stakeholders on pesticide management and sustainable agricultural development in Horqin Left Middle Banner and similar regions.

Therapy by physician-pharmacist combination and economic returns for cancer pain management in China: a cost-effectiveness analysis.

Objective: To examine whether joint management of cancer pain by physicians and pharmacists in clinics provides economic advantages from the perspective of the Chinese healthcare system. Methods: From February 2018 to March 2020, 100 patients who visited the joint cancer pain clinic at the Xiangya Hospital of Central South University were included. These patients were randomly assigned to either the control or intervention groups. The control group received regular outpatient services from a physician, while the intervention group received regular outpatient services from a physician and medication education provided by a pharmacist. The study considered various direct costs, including drug expenses, physician-pharmacist outpatient services, adverse event management, consultations, examinations, and readmissions. The outcome indicators considered were the cancer pain control rate and the reduction in pain scores. Decision tree modeling, single-factor sensitivity analysis, and probabilistic sensitivity analysis were performed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of joint physician-pharmacist outpatient services compared to physician-alone outpatient services. Results: The intervention group showed a significantly higher cancer pain control rate than the control group (0.69 vs. 0.39, p = 0.03). In the decision tree model, the intervention group had a significantly lower pain score than the control group (0.23 vs. 0.14). The cost per person in the intervention group was $165.39, while it was $191.1 per person in the control group. The univariate sensitivity analysis showed that the cost of self-management for patients in the control group was identified as the primary sensitivity factor. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis indicated that the joint clinic group had a favorable incremental cost-effectiveness compared to the physician clinic group. In addition, the probabilistic sensitivity analysis demonstrated an absolute advantage in the incremental cost-effectiveness of the joint clinic group over the outpatient physician group. Conclusion: The participation of pharmacists in joint cancer pain clinic services led to improved pain management for patients, demonstrating a clear advantage in terms of cost-effectiveness.

Valuation of Ecosystem Services for the Sustainable Development of Hani Terraces: A Rice-Fish-Duck Integrated Farming Model.

As a complementary and symbiotic agro-ecological cycle system, a nature-based integrated rice-fish-duck farming ecosystem was developed in the Honghe Hani Rice Terraces. The main research objective was to evaluate the ecosystem services based on case studies of the Hani integrated rice-fish-duck terraced farming system and determine its potential and its importance as an ecological asset. We developed a valuation model to assess the value of the integrated farming system based on the three aspects of provisioning, regulation and maintenance, and cultural services; we selected eight groups and 10 indictors to evaluate the ecosystem services of the integrated ecosystem in Honghe Hani Rice Terraces was 3.316 billion CNY, of which the provisioning service value was 1.76 billion CNY, the regulation and maintenance service value was 1.32 billion CNY, and the cultural services value was 230.85 million CNY. The evaluation will be useful as a theoretical reference for poverty alleviation policy makers in similar poverty-stricken areas, enabling them to better protect and promote this mode of farming and further promote the protection of the natural environment and cultural heritage alongside the sustainable development of natural resources and human well-being.

Pesticide screening and health risk assessment of residential dust in a rural region of the North China Plain.

Pesticides that have accumulated in arable soil could be easily transported by wind erosion, thereby potentially threating air quality and human health in surrounding areas. The risks this poses to farmers exposed to pesticide-associated dust is still unknown, especially in rural areas of China. In this study, we screened pesticide residues in dust (indoor and outdoor) collected from the homes and yards of pesticide sprayers (21 participants) and farm workers (14 participants) living in Quzhou County located in the North China Plain to assess health risks by exposed to pesticide-contaminated dust. The results showed that multiple pesticide residues were detected in the dust samples and more than 90% of the samples contained over 10 pesticide residues. The maximum detected number of residues was 23, out of the 25 pesticides currently used in the farming area. There was a wide range of pesticide concentrations with the geometric mean values measuring between 0.03 and 0.86 mg kg-1. More residues and higher concentrations of pesticides were detected in indoor dust compared to outdoor dust. Over the monitoring period, the pesticide application has not caused significant pesticide accumulation in dust. The measured concentrations of carbendazim, dimethomorph, dimethomorph and pendimethalin paired indoor-outdoor dust samples were significantly correlated (p < 0.05). The health risks were assessed using the hazard index (HI) and highest HI was found for children under indoor exposure (HI = 0.82). In addition, based on the survey and statistics, pesticide preparation in the home was significantly correlated with the pesticide indoor exposure level. Therefore, farmers should take measures, such as preparing pesticides outside of the house or in the open fields with protection, in order to avoid the exposure risk of pesticides associated with dust.

An electrochemical biosensor for the assessment of tumor immunotherapy based on the detection of immune checkpoint protein programmed death ligand-1.

Although immunotherapy is now well established in cancer management, not every patient responds. Existing methods for assessing tumor immunotherapy responses, such as immunohistochemistry of the immune checkpoint protein programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1), require destructive tissue analysis; furthermore, real-time in vivo monitoring would be beneficial for assessing tumor responses. Here we establish an electrochemical biosensor which was developed based on molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) and multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) used to modify the electrode and PD-L1 antibody-quantum dot (QD) conjugate as a dual optical and electrochemical label. The compositions, electrochemical performance, specificity of nanocomposite and probe were characterized. Paving the way for clinical application, the prepared biosensor detects differences in PD-L1 levels in diverse tumor cell types, tumors derived from mice or cancer patients, and it is reproducible and selective in both phosphate-buffered saline and serum. This study demonstrates that electrochemical sensing is a desirable technology for the in-situ and dynamic determination of biomarkers on the cellular level of for the assessment of tumor immunotherapy.

Effect of income and energy efficiency on natural capital demand.

This study explores the driving forces of natural capital demand to help solve the new problems faced by China's regional sustainable development and formulate relevant policies on resource utilization, ecological compensation, and energy structural adjustment. We find a significant and inverted U-shaped relationship between income and natural capital demand. Both economic development and environmental protection can only be improved beyond the inflection point. Energy efficiency is also closely related to natural capital demand, and its continuous improvement can slow down the rise in natural capital demand. This research provides important implications for the spread and allocation of natural capital regionally. It recommends the national allocation of natural capital, formulation of differentiated environmental policies, and improvement in energy efficiency by improving scale, technology, and structure.

Comparative profiling and natural variation of polymethoxylated flavones in various citrus germplasms.

Citrus fruits are the main dietary source of polymethoxylated flavones (PMFs) with significant effects on consumer health. In this study, eleven main PMFs were evaluated in the fruit flavedo or leaves of 116 citrus accessions via UPLC-DAD-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS combined with HPLC-DAD analysis, which revealed significant species-specific and spatiotemporal characteristics. All Citrus reticulata and their natural or artificial hybrids were found to have detectable PMFs, especially in the fruit flavedo of the wild or early-cultivated mandarins at early fruit development stages. However, PMFs were not detected in citrons, pummelos, kumquats, trifoliata oranges, papedas, Chinese box oranges and 'Mangshanyegan'. The results enlightened that PMF accumulation only in mandarins and mandarin hybrids is a phenotype inherited from mandarin ancestors. This study provides a comprehensive PMF profile in various citrus germplasms and will benefit future functional citrus breeding practices aimed at designing plants rich in total or specific PMFs for health benefits.

Dynamics and risk assessment of pesticides in cucumber through field experiments and model simulation.

Pesticides are often applied multiple times during cucumber cultivation in China. In order to obtain the residue concentrations and subsequently human health risk assessment after pesticide multiple applications, plenty of field trials have been conducted, consuming a lot of labor force and funds. The application of kinetic models can address this problem to some extent by predicting the residue values of pesticides in cucumber. In this study, a dynamic model (dynamiCROP) was applied in combination with field experiments to investigate the distribution, translocation, and dissipation after the one-time application of seven pesticides in a cucumber-soil environment. Moreover, the residue concentrations after the second and third applications of the seven pesticides were estimated through a "simple superposition method", i.e., superimposing the output results of dynamiCROP after each single pesticide application. The estimated residue concentrations show good agreement with that measured through field experiments with R2 = 0.865 and relative root mean squared error (RRMSE) = 13.2%. Meanwhile, the short- and long-term risks of each pesticide were assessed according to the concentrations estimated by the "simple superposition method" with the dynamiCROP model. It shows that the seven pesticides, applied multiple times during cucumber cultivation, pose a very low dietary risk to human health through cucumber intake. Our study presents a cost- and time-efficient way to investigate the dissipation of pesticides in the cucumber-soil environment, predicate the residue concentrations of pesticides after multiple applications and assess the dietary risk of pesticides to human health through cucumber intake.

The efficacy, safety, and cost benefits of splints for fractures of the distal radius in children: A systematic review and meta-analysis protocol.

BACKGROUND: Distal radius fractures (DRFs) is one of the most common bone injuries in children, which may lead to deformity and other complications if the treatment is not prompt or appropriate. Splints external fixation is a common conservative treatment for such fractures. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to explore the efficacy, safety and cost benefits of splints in the treatment of DRFs in children. METHODS: PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and ClinicalTrials.gov, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure Database (CNKI), Wanfang Database, and VIP Database were searched for eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The methodological quality of the included studies and the level of evidence for results were assessed, respectively, using the risk bias assessment tool of Cochrane and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) method. Statistical analysis was conducted with Revman 5.3. RESULTS: This study will analyze and integrate the existing evidence for effectiveness, safety and cost benefits of splints on DRFs in children. CONCLUSION: The conclusion of this study will provide evidence to effectiveness, safety and cost benefits of splints on DRFs in children, which can further guide the selection of appropriate interventions. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42019123429.

Systematic assessment of intrinsic factors influencing visual attention performances in air traffic control via clustering algorithm and statistical inference.

The intrinsic factors (IF) influencing visual attention performance (VAP) might cause potential human errors, such as "error/mistake", "forgetting" and "omission". It is a key issue to develop a systematic assessment of IF in order to distinguish the levels of VAP. Motivated by the Stimulus-Response (S-R) model, we take an interactive cancellation test-Neuron Type Test (NTT)-to explore the IF and present the corresponding systematic assessment. The main contributions of this work include three elements: a) modeling the IF on account of attention span, attention stability, distribution-shift of attention with measurable parameters by combining the psychological and statistical concepts; b) proposing quantitative analysis methods for assessing the IF via its computational representation-intrinsic qualities (IQ)-in the sense of computational model; and c) clustering the IQ of air traffic control (ATC) students in the feature space of interest. The response sequences of participants collected with the NTT system are characterized by three parameters: Hurst exponent, normalized number of decisions (NNoD) and error rate of decisions (ERD). The K-means clustering is applied to partition the feature space constructed from practical data of VAP. For the distinguishable clusters, the statistical inference is utilized to refine the assessment of IF. Our comprehensive analysis shows that the IQ can be classified into four levels, i.e., excellent, good, moderate and unqualified, which has a potential application in selecting air traffic controllers subject to reducing the risk of the inadequacy of attention performances in aviation safety management.

[Assessment of Technology and Clinical Application of Hydrosurgery System].

This paper introduces the technical features of hydrosurgery system and evaluates it from three aspects:safety and effectiveness, economy and technology maturity. The evaluation results show that the safety and effectiveness are high, and the safety mainly involves the misuse of the system, which cause the adverse events. A large number of literatures have proved that the system is more suitable for the debridement of fine parts. It is estimated that hydrosurgery system has better economic performance, but the cost and patients' cost is also increased correspondingly. In the aspect of technology maturity assessment, this technology is a patented technology, and the number of published papers both at home and abroad is on the rise, indicating that the initial application of the technology is better and the technology is in infancy stage. Therefore, hydrosurgery system has certain advantages in all aspects. Hospitals need to allocate the equipment according to their own needs and clinical application, while a wider range of clinical trials is needed to provide evidence-based evidence for clinical applications and promotion.

Residue analysis and risk assessment of pyrethrins in open field and greenhouse turnips.

A sensitive and selective method was developed and validated for the determination of pyrethrin residues in turnips (turnip leaves, turnip tubers, and the whole of plant) and cultivated soil using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Six major components of pyrethrins (pyrethrin I and II, cinerin I and II, and jasmolin I and II) were separated and identified. The method involving solid-phase extraction (SPE) cleanup led to satisfactory average recoveries (88.1-104%) with limits of quantification (LOQs) of 0.05 mg/kg. The dissipation and final residue of pyrethrins in six provinces (among these places, two experiments were conducted in greenhouse and other four experiments in open filed) in China were studied. The trial results suggested that the half-lives of pyrethrins in the whole of turnips and soil were 0.5-1.6 and 1.0-1.3 days, respectively, and the degradation of pyrethrins in the greenhouse was quicker than that in open fields. The final residues of pyrethrins in turnip leaves and tubers were all below the maximum residue limit (MRL) established by the EU (1.0 mg/kg). A pre-harvest interval of 2 days and MRL of 1.0 mg/kg are recommended to ensure food safety standards for pyrethrins in turnips. Long-term risk assessment and short-term risk assessment of turnip tubers were evaluated. Hazard quotient (HQ) and acute hazard index (aHI) were significantly less than 100%, indicating negligible risk for consumption of turnip tubers.

Residue and risk assessment of fluopicolide and cyazofamid in grapes and soil using LC-MS/MS and modified QuEChERS.

The residue behavior of fluopicolide, cyazofamid and their metabolites (M-01, M-02 and CCIM) was evaluated in open field conditions. The dissipation and terminal residue of these five compounds were determined via a modified QuEChERS method, by adjusting the liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) conditions and optimizing the purification process. This led to a satisfactory average recovery of between 71.6% and 107.7%, as well as limit of quantitation (LOQ) values of 0.05 mg kg-1. The dissipation results recorded in two places in China illustrated that the half-life values of fluopicolide are 11.4 (Anhui, grape), 19.7 (Anhui, soil) and 21.8 (Hebei, grape), 21.2 (Hebei, soil) days, respectively. As for the dissipation of cyazofamid, it was found to have half-life values of 8.7 (Anhui, grape) and 20.1 (Hebei, grape) days. The final residues in grapes were found to be below the maximum residue limit (MRL) of 2 mg kg-1 for fluopicolide and 1 mg kg-1 for cyazofamid. Thus, a preharvest interval of 10 days and recommended MRLs from the Joint FAO/WHO Meeting on Pesticide Residues (JMPR) are appropriate to ensure the food safety of fluopicolide and cyazofamid in grapes. The hazard quotient (HQ) and acute hazard index (aHI) values were found to be below 100%, demonstrating negligible risk in consuming grapes, regardless of long or short-term exposure.