Sex and age disparities in multi-metal mixture exposure and cognitive impairment in urban elderly individuals: The mediation effect and biological function of metabolites.

Studies on the relationships between metal mixtures exposure and cognitive impairment in elderly individuals are limited, particularly the mechanism with metabolite. Few studies are available on the potential sex and age specific associations between metal exposure, metabolites and cognitive impairment. We examined plasma metal and blood metabolite concentrations among 1068 urban elderly participants. Statistical analysis included a battery of variable selection approaches, logistic regression for metal/metabolite associations, and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) to identify mixed effects of metals/metabolites on cognitive impairment risk. Our results showed that As was positively associated with cognitive impairment in the female (OR 95 % CI = 2.21 (1.36, 3.57)) and 60- to 70-year-old (OR 95 % CI = 2.60 (1.54, 4.41)) groups, Cr was positively associated with cognitive impairment in the male (OR 95 % CI = 2.15 (1.27, 3.63)) and 60- to 70-year-old (OR 95 % CI = 2.10 (1.24, 3.57)) groups, and Zn was negatively associated with cognitive impairment, especially in the female (OR 95 % CI = 0.46 (0.25, 0.84)), 60- to 70-year-old (OR 95 % CI =0.24 (0.12, 0.45)) and ≥ 80-year-old (OR 95 % CI = 0.19 (0.04, 0.86)) groups. Positive associations were observed between combined metals (Cr, Cu and As) and cognitive impairment, but Zn alleviated this tendency, especially in elderly individuals aged ≥80 years. Negative associations were observed between metabolites and cognitive impairment, especially in male, female and 60-70 years old groups. The mediation effects of metabolites on the association between metal exposure and cognitive impairment were observed, and the percentages of these effects were 15.60 % (Glu-Cr), 23.00 % (C5:1-Cu) and 16.36 % (Glu-Zn). Cr, Cu, and Zn could increase cognitive impairment risk through the "Malate-Aspartate Shuttle", "Glucose-Alanine Cycle", etc., pathways. Overall, we hypothesize that metabolites have mediation effects on the relationship between multi-metal exposure and cognitive impairment and that there are sex and age differences.

Problems and Countermeasures of China's Greenway Economic Development from the Perspective of Computer Internet.

Given the advantages of urban greenways (UGCs) to urban populations' health and well-being, the growing usage of UGCs has gotten a lot of attention. However, most studies on UGCs have been undertaken in Western nations, but the understanding of greenway usage in underdeveloped countries is scarce. China's current environmental change in urban enhancement has been emphasized by a rush of urban green projects. The greenway is a kind of green infrastructure that has lately been the focus of many municipal governments. The federal government's new, ecologically friendly approach to urbanization is the subject of this article, which offers a preliminary assessment of the role played by greenways in that strategy. UGCs are green landscape routes designed for walkers and bicycles in cities, according to landscape design. A growing number of regions and cities in China are participating in the development of UGC, with some projects meeting their goals on an annual basis. UGCs are being built in China; however, a number of challenges exist, including a lack of legal basis, the public's incorrect understanding of UGCs, and insufficient scientific investigation. According to research on UGC construction and analysis of the peculiarities of various urban developments, the article highlighted current challenges in China's UGC construction and provided corresponding remedies in order to enhance China's UGC construction. In this survey, we performed statistical analysis using the chi-square test as well as the ANOVA test.

Epidemiology and disease burden of androgenetic alopecia in college freshmen in China: A population-based study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the epidemiology and disease burden of androgenetic alopecia (AGA) in college freshmen in China. METHODS: This population-based cross-sectional survey was carried out among 9227 freshmen of two comprehensive universities in two cities of China (Changsha and Xiamen) from September 2018 to October 2018. Questionnaires covering basic issues, surrounding demographic information, history of diseases, living habits, comorbidities, etc. were completed online in a self-reported manner Dermatological examination was performed by certified dermatologists. The disease burden of AGA, which includes health-related quality of life, symptoms of anxiety, symptoms of depression and quality of sleep, was measured by EQ-5D-3L, PHQ-2, GAD-2 and PSQI, respectively. RESULTS: The prevalence of AGA in college freshmen in China was 5.3/1000. Male was significantly associated with higher prevalence of AGA (7.9/1000, P<0.01) while female with lower risk of AGA (OR = 0.29, P = 0.002). There was no significant association between BMI and AGA, nor predilection of AGA in the Han nationality or the other ethnic minorities. Annual household income or parental highest educational level exerted no significant influence on the prevalence of AGA. Rosacea (OR = 3.22, P = 0.019) was significantly associated with higher prevalence of AGA while acne seemed not to be related to AGA. The scores of EQ-5D, GAD-2, PHQ-2 and PSQI were not significantly different between students with and without AGA. CONCLUSION: The onset of AGA in Chinese college freshmen differ between genders and was significantly associated with rosacea.

Catalytic conversion of plastic wastes using cost-effective bauxite residue as catalyst into H2-rich syngas and magnetic nanocomposites for chrome(VI) detoxification.

Red mud (RM) as bauxite residue from aluminum plant was investigated as cost-effective catalyst for pyrolysis and ex-situ catalytic conversion of plastic wastes into H2-rich syngas and magnetic carbon nanocomposites. The results showed that the introduction of RM catalyst elevated gas yield from 23.8 to 60.3 wt% as a rise of catalytic temperature (700-850 °C), due to its high iron activity for scission of polymer chains. Furthermore, the endothermic nature of cracking reactions of hydrocarbons led to the maximum H2 production of 28.8 mmol gfeed-1 and 63 vol% at 850 °C. The carbon/RM nanocomposites were comprehensively evaluated by multiple characterizations. High-resolution TEM indicated considerable carbon nanotubes(CNTs) depositing on the RM surface that modified iron sites dispersion and diminished nanoparticle size of iron at higher temperature of ≥800 °C. XRD and XPS results confirmed that higher temperature provided carbon components surrounding iron species to form metallic iron. The carbon/RMs were initially applied to chromium(VI) removal in sewage. RM-800 delivered high-profile adsorption capacity of 193.8 mg g-1, mainly attributed to the synergistic effect of chemical reduction by sufficient Fe0 exposure and CNTs growth promoting electrostatic attraction and electron transfer capacity. Furthermore, the correlation mechanism between catalytic temperature and the evolution of products and was discussed.

Willingness-to-Pay and Benefit-Cost Analysis of IPL for Rosacea Treatment: A Cross-Sectional Study in China.

BACKGROUND: Intense pulsed light (IPL), as a therapeutic approach for rosacea, had advantage in removing erythema and telangiectasia and was gradually accepted by rosacea patients, but there have been few studies on economic evaluation of this therapy. PURPOSE: This study aimed to detect willingness-to-pay (WTP) of IPL treatment for rosacea and to conduct a benefit-cost analysis (BCA) among the Chinese population, so as to provide an economic reference for doctors to make treatment decisions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An observational, cross-sectional study assessed respondent's demographic characteristics and willingness-to-pay (WTP) of IPL and rosacea patients' clinical data and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). WTP was obtained by contingent valuation (CV) method. In brief, contrast figures of three cases treated with IPL (Case1, Case2, and Case3 represented the increasing severity of rosacea) were showed and WTP was inquired. The costs were obtained according the market and compared with WTP (benefits) to get a benefit-cost ratio (BCR). Predictors of cost-effective WTP were identified using the multivariable logistic regression model. RESULTS: A total of 303 rosacea patients and 202 controls were included in the study. The average cost of a single IPL treatment for rosacea was USD 208.04 in Changsha, China. The mean WTP for Case 1, Case 2, and Case 3 was USD 201.57, 214.64, and 221.74, respectively. WTP was statistically lower for Case 1 than that for Case 2 or Case 3 (P<0.05). The BCRs were 0.85, 1.03, and 1.06 for Case 1, Case 2, and Case 3, respectively. WTP is significantly associated with household monthly income, previous treatment cost, and DLQI after adjustments for demographic characteristics (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: IPL is an acceptable treatment for rosacea with moderate to severe erythema. For patients with relatively high income or severely impaired quality of life, IPL is an economically feasible therapy and deserves to be recommended.

A microfluidic based biosensor for rapid detection of Salmonella in food products.

An impedance based microfluidic biosensor for simultaneous and rapid detection of Salmonella serotypes B and D in ready-to-eat (RTE) Turkey matrix has been presented. Detection of Salmonella at a concentration as low as 300 cells/ml with a total detection time of 1 hour has been achieved. The sensor has two sensing regions, with each formed from one interdigitated electrode array (IDE array) consisting of 50 finger pairs. First, Salmonella antibody type B and D were prepared and delivered to the sensor to functionalize each sensing region without causing any cross contamination. Then the RTE Turkey samples spiked with Salmonella types B and D were introduced into the biosensor via the antigen inlet. The response signal resulted from the binding between Salmonella and its specific antibody demonstrated the sensor's ability to detect a single type of pathogen, and multiple pathogens simultaneously. In addition, the biosensor's selectivity was tested using non-specific binding of E. coli O157 and E. coli DH5 Alpha while the IDE array was coated with the Salmonella antibody. The results also showed the sensor is capable to differentiate low concentration of live Salmonella cells from high concentration of dead Salmonella cells, and high concentration of E. coli cells. A detailed study on antibody immobilization that includes antibody concentration, antibody coating time (0.5-3 hours) and use of cross-linker has been performed. The study showed that Salmonella antibody to Salmonella antigen is not a factor of antibody concentration after electrodes were saturated with antibody, while the optimal coating time was found to be 1.5 hours, and the use of cross-linker has improved the signal response by 45-60%.

Assessment of hydrothermal carbonization and coupling washing with torrefaction of bamboo sawdust for biofuels production.

Two kinds of biofuels were produced and compared from hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) and coupling washing with torrefaction (CWT) processes of bamboo sawdust in this study. The mass and energy yields, mass energy density, fuel properties, structural characterizations, combustion behavior and ash behavior during combustion process were investigated. Significant increases in the carbon contents resulted in the improvement of mass energy density and fuel properties of biofuels obtained. Both HTC and CWT improved the safety of the biofuels during the process of handling, storing and transportation. The ash-related issues of the biofuels were significantly mitigated and combustion behavior was remarkably improved after HTC and CWT processes of bamboo sawdust. In general, both HTC and CWT processes are suitable to produce biofuels with high fuel quality from bamboo sawdust.

Assessment of the cardiac safety between cetuximab and panitumumab as single therapy in Chinese chemotherapy-refractory mCRC.

OBJECTIVE: The cardiac safety of cetuximab and panitumumab, particularly as single agents, has not been investigated extensively. This trial was designed to specifically evaluate the cardiac safety of cetuximab and panitumumab as single therapy in Chinese chemotherapy-refractory metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Sixty-one patients received cetuximab at an initial dose of 400 mg/m2 intravenously over 120 minutes on day 1 (week 1), followed by a maintenance dose of 250 mg/m2 intravenously over 60 minutes on day 1 of each 7-day cycle. Forty-three patients received panitumumab at a dose of 6 mg/kg intravenously every 14 days. Routine laboratory tests and electrocardiogram (ECG) were performed at baseline, during therapy and after the treatment (4th and 10th months). The incidence of elevation of troponin I ultra (TNI Ultra), abnormal ECGs, cardiac events and noncardiac adverse events (AEs) were recorded and analyzed. RESULTS: The incidence of elevation of TNI Ultra between the two groups had no significance (p=0.681), and TNI Ultra+ was observed more frequently in patients with metastases to more than three organs and they received fourth or above lines of chemotherapy. The most frequent abnormal ECG manifestations were nonspecific ST changes and QTc prolongation in the two groups. At 10 months after treatment, most of the abnormal ECG manifestations were reversed. The most common cardiac AEs of cetuximab and panitumumab included palpitations, dyspnea, chest pain and arrhythmias requiring treatment. Most of the events were mild and transient. The incidence of cardiac AEs had no significant difference between the two groups. Rash was still the most common noncardiac AE in both groups. CONCLUSION: Cetuximab and panitumumab showed favorable cardiac safety as single agents for Chinese chemotherapy-refractory mCRC patients. But monitoring for cardiac AEs is still necessary throughout the entire treatment process.