Overview of road traffic injuries among migrant workers in Guangzhou, China, from 2017 to 2021.

INTRODUCTION: There are many migrant workers in China's first-tier cities, but little is known about road safety. This paper systematically analysed road traffic injuries and risk factors among migrant workers in Guangzhou, China. METHODS: Road traffic crash data from 2017 to 2021 were obtained from the Guangzhou Public Security Traffic Management Integrated System. We plotted the crash network of road users in road traffic crashes and used logistic regression to analyse the risk factors for migrant workers of motorcycle and four-wheeled vehicle crashes. Moreover, the roles of migrant workers and control individuals as perpetrators in road traffic crashes were also analysed. RESULTS: Between 2017 and 2021, 76% of road traffic injuries were migrant workers in Guangzhou. Migrant workers who were motorcyclist drivers most commonly experienced road traffic injuries. Crashes between motorcyclists and car occupants were the most common. The illegal behaviours of migrant worker motorcyclists were closely related to casualties, with driving without a licence only and driving without a licence and drunk driving accounting for the greatest number. Migrant workers were responsible for many injuries of other road users. Motorcycle drivers have a higher proportion of drunk driving. DISCUSSION: Migrant workers play an important role in road traffic safety. They were both the leading source of road traffic injuries and the main perpetrators of road traffic crashes. Measures such as strict requirements for migrant workers to drive motorcycles with licences, prohibit drunk driving, greater publicity of road safety regulations, and combining compulsory education with punishment for illegal behaviours.

Pulmonary fat embolism: a potentially new fatal complication of SARS-CoV-2 infection. A case report.

BACKGROUND: So far, there have been more than 761 million confirmed cases of SARS-CoV-2 worldwide, with more than 6.8 million deaths. The most common direct causes of death for COVID-19 are diffuse alveolar injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Autopsy results have shown that 80-100% of COVID-19 patients have microthrombi which is 9 times higher than in patients with influenza. There are reported cases of fat embolism associated with Covid-19, but relevant epidemiological investigations and fatal cases of pulmonary fat embolism are lacking. In this report, we describe the first COVID-19 patient to die from pulmonary fat embolism. CASE PRESENTATION: A 54-year-old woman suddenly felt unwell while at work. She had difficulty breathing for 40 min and lost consciousness for 20 min before being taken to the hospital. On admission, her temperature was 36 ℃, but her respiration, heart rate, and blood pressure were undetectable. Laboratory examination revealed C-reactive protein, 26.55 mg/L; D-dimer, 11,400 µg/L; and procalcitonin, 0.21 ng/mL. She was declared clinically dead 2 h after admission due to ineffective rescue efforts. At autopsy, both lungs were highly oedematous with partial alveolar haemorrhage. The presence of microthrombi and pulmonary fat embolism in small interstitial pulmonary vessels was confirmed by phosphotungstic acid haematoxylin staining and oil red O staining. The immunohistochemical results of spike protein and nucleocapsid protein in laryngeal epithelial cells confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. CONCLUSIONS: Pulmonary fat embolism may be another fatal complication of COVID-19 infection, and clinicians should pay more attention to it.

Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis in allergic asthma: Efforts to make early diagnosis possible.

Background: Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) is a rare autoimmune disease that can affect multiple organ systems in the body. A majority of patients with EGPA present with asthma-like symptoms and may be misdiagnosed with refractory asthma. It is necessary to distinguish EGPA from asthma and provide a theoretical basis for effective future prevention and treatment. Objective: This study aimed to compare the clinical features of EGPA and the clinical features of allergic asthma in an effort to make an early diagnosis possible. Methods: We reviewed the basic information, test results, pre-onset conditions, and prognosis of 44 adult patients with EGPA who were admitted to our hospital between January 2013 and June 2021, and conducted a 1:1 matched case-control study to compare patients with EGPA and patients with allergic asthma. Results: The 44 patients with EGPA were older than those with allergic asthma, but more than half of the patients with EGPA had been diagnosed with bronchial asthma, with a history of 10 months to 40 years, and had previously used inhalers or systemic steroids. The proportion of male-to-female cases was ∼1:1, with seven antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) positive cases (15.9%), 20 limited EGPA cases (45.45%), and 24 systemic EGPA cases (54.55%). Although the peripheral blood eosinophil count and percentage were lower in the male patients than in the female patients, male patients with higher five-factor scores might indicate worse prognosis. The fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) level, eosinophil percentage and count, and total immunoglobulin E (IgE) level were higher in the EGPA group than in the allergic asthma group. Unlike in allergic asthma, the FeNO level is not correlated with the blood eosinophil count or percentage in EGPA. Seven patients received cardiac emission computed tomography (ECT) tests, with abnormalities suggested in six patients. Results of an electrocardiogram, color-Doppler echocardiography, myocardial enzyme level, and troponin level suggested no obvious abnormality. Conclusion: The proportion of patients with EGPA who tested positive for ANCA is not high, and patients with high eosinophil counts should be alert to the possibility of having EGPA. For patients with infiltration of eosinophils into the airway, a diagnosis should not be based on peripheral blood eosinophil counts. It is recommended that the FeNO level and pulmonary function should also be monitored for patients who present with symptoms in other body systems. The sensitivity of cardiac ECT tests is higher than routine tests, so timely screening by cardiac ECT is recommended for all patients with EGPA.

Death from Pulmonary Embolism Caused by Vaginal Injection of Hyaluronic Acid: a Case Report and a Literature Review.

A 40-year-old woman underwent vaginoplasty with intramural injection of fillers from an illegal medical practitioner. Approximately 2 h after the injection, she developed lower abdominal pain. The patient was taken to the hospital approximately 5 h later due to worsening pain. When the patient was admitted for physical examination, she suddenly experienced cardiac and respiratory arrest. She was resuscitated but remained in a coma. Unfortunately, the patient died approximately 12 h after being admitted to the hospital. The forensic autopsy revealed extensive amorphous basophilic emboli in the small interstitial vascular lumen of both lungs, and a large amount of the same type of substances were also found in the vaginal wall. Hyaluronidase digestion and Alcian blue staining confirmed that most components of the injection were hyaluronic acid (HA). HA is widely used as a cosmetic filler in the field of plastic surgery and is generally considered to have few adverse effects. This paper reports the first anatomical case of fatal pulmonary embolism caused by vaginal injection of HA. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE V: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

The interaction between long non-coding RNA LINC01564 and POU2F1 promotes the proliferation and metastasis of gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: An increasing number of studies have demonstrated that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) serve as key regulators in tumor development and progression. However, only a few lncRNAs have been functionally characterized in gastric cancer (GC). METHODS: Bioinformatics analysis was conducted to find lncRNAs that are associated with GC metastasis. RNA FISH, RIP, and RNA pull down assays were used to study the complementary binding of LINC01564 complementary to the 3'UTR of transcription factor POU2F1. The transcription activation of LINC01564 by POU2F1 as a transcription factor was examined by ChIP assay. In vitro assays such as MTT, cell invasion assay, and clonogenic assay were conducted to examined the impacts of LINC01564 and POU2F1 on GC cell proliferation and invasion. Experiments in vivo were performed to access the impacts of LINC01564 and POU2F1 on GC metastasis. RESULTS: The results showed that LINC01564 complementary bound to the 3'UTR of POU2F1 to form an RNA duplex, whereby stabilizing POU2F1 mRNA and increasing the enrichment in cells. The level of LINC01564 was also increased by POU2F1 through transcription activation. In vitro assays showed that LINC01564 promoted the proliferation, invasion and migration of GC cells through increasing POU2F1. In vivo experiments indicate the promotion of GC proliferation and metastasis by the interaction between LINC01564 and POU2F1. CONCLUSION: Taken together, our results indicate that the interaction between LINC01564 and POU2F1 promotes the proliferation, migration and invasion of GC cells.

Functional CYP3A variants affecting tacrolimus trough blood concentrations in Chinese renal transplant recipients.

The aim of this study was to identify novel genetic variants affecting tacrolimus trough blood concentrations. We analyzed the association between 58 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) across the CYP3A gene cluster and the log-transformed tacrolimus concentration/dose ratio (log (C0/D)) in 819 renal transplant recipients (Discovery cohort). Multivariate linear regression was used to test for associations between tacrolimus log (C0/D) and clinical factors. Luciferase reporter gene assays were used to evaluate the functions of select SNPs. Associations of putative functional SNPs with log (C0/D) were further tested in 631 renal transplant recipients (Replication cohort). Nine SNPs were significantly associated with tacrolimus log (C0/D) after adjustment for CYP3A5*3 and clinical factors. Dual luciferase reporter assays indicated that the rs4646450 G allele and rs3823812 T allele were significantly associated with increased normalized luciferase activity ratios (p < 0.01). Moreover, CYP3A7*2 was associated with higher TAC log(C0/D) in the group of CYP3A5 expressers. Age, serum creatinine and hematocrit were significantly associated with tacrolimus log (C0/D). CYP3A7*2, rs4646450, and rs3823812 are proposed as functional SNPs affecting tacrolimus trough blood concentrations in Chinese renal transplant recipients. Clinical factors also significantly affect tacrolimus metabolism.

Radiation tolerance of La-doped nanocrystalline steel under heavy-ion irradiation at different temperatures.

Nanostructured materials have great potential for use as structural materials in advanced nuclear reactors due to the high density of grain boundaries that can serve as sinks to absorb irradiation-induced defects. In the present study, the irradiation tolerance of a La-doped nanocrystalline 304 austenitic stainless steel (NC-La) with a grain size of about 40 nm was investigated under an irradiation of 6 MeV Au ions to 1.5 × 1016 ions cm-2 at 600 °C and room temperature. Compared to its coarse-grained counterpart, in La-doped nanocrystalline steel no visible voids were observed at high-temperature irradiation, and no significant difference in extended defects, such as irradiation-induced dislocation loops or clusters, were found between irradiated and unirradiated areas at room temperature irradiation. Furthermore, the nano grain remains stable under irradiation, and no significant grain growth occurs at both irradiation temperatures. The excellent irradiation tolerance of the La-doped nanocrystalline alloys is attributed to the abundant grain boundaries and enhanced stability of nano grains induced by the Zener pinning effect and La segregation on grain boundaries. This study therefore demonstrates the superior irradiation tolerance of the La-doped nanocrystalline steel.

Evaluating segmental liver function using T1 mapping on Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI with a 3.0 Tesla.

BACKGROUND: Assessing the liver function provides valuable information to evaluate surgical risk and plan accordingly. Current studies focus on whole liver function evaluation. However, assessment of segmental liver function is equally important in the clinical practice. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI can evaluate the liver function of each segment by using T1 mapping at 3 Tesla MRI. METHODS: One hundred three patients were classified into one of 4 groups: a normal liver function (NLF) group (n = 38), a liver cirrhosis with Child-Pugh A (LCA) group (n = 33), a liver cirrhosis with Child-Pugh B (LCB) group (n = 21), and a liver cirrhosis with Child-Pugh C (LCC) group (n = 11). All patients underwent Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI scans. T1 relaxation times were measured on the liver superimposing T1 mapping images. Reduction rate (△%) of T1 relaxation time of the liver parenchyma were calculated. RESULTS: After 20 min of Gd-EOB-DTPA enhancement, the T1 relaxation time of all liver segments in the LCC group were different from those in all the other groups, and more liver segments from the LCB and LCA groups different from the NLF group (p < 0.05). For the LCB group, the areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) of different liver segments for hepatobiliary phase (HBP) were 0.654-0.904 on T1 relaxation time, and 0.709-0.905 on △%. For the LCC group, the AUCs of different liver segments for HBP were 0.842-0.997 on T1 relaxation time, and 0.887-0.990 on △%. CONCLUSIONS: For LCB patients, segmental liver function evaluation is possible using Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI T1 mapping. For LCC patients, all liver segments can be used to evaluate liver function and both T1 relaxation time and the △% of T1 relaxation time have good diagnostic performance.

Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI T1 mapping for assessment of liver function in rabbit fibrosis model: comparison of hepatobiliary phase images obtained at 10 and 20 min.

OBJECTIVES: To compare hepatobiliary phase (HBP) images obtained at 10 and 20 min after Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI for assessment of liver function in rabbit fibrosis model on 3.0 T MR imaging. METHODS: 34 animals were separated into three groups: 5 for a control group, 14 for a mild fibrosis group, and 15 for a severe fibrosis group based on pathological proof. T1 relaxation times (T1rt) were measured on T1 mapping and reduction rates of T1rt (rrT1rt) were calculated. HBP images were obtained at 10 and 20 min after Gd-EOB-DTPA enhancement. Indocyanine green retention rates at 15 min (ICG R15) were performed for all animals. RESULTS: T1rt on pre-enhancement imaging showed no significant difference (p > 0.05) among all groups. T1rt on 10 min HBP and 20 min HBP showed significant difference (p < 0.05) among all groups. T1rt and rrT1rt in three groups showed no-significant difference (p > 0.05) between 10 min HBP and 20 min HBP. T1rt on both 10 and 20 min HBP showed significant correlation with ICG R15 (p < 0.05); rrT1rt on both 10 min HBP and 20 min HBP showed significant inverse correlation with ICG R15 (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Comparing 10 min HBP and 20 min HBP T1 mapping after Gd-EOB-DTPA enhancement, our results suggest that 10 min HBP T1 mapping is feasible for quantitatively assessing liver function.

Role of EZH2 protein expression in gastric carcinogenesis among Asians: a meta-analysis.

The present meta-analysis aggregated the results of relevant studies to identify the role of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) expression in gastric carcinogenesis among Asians. Related articles were found by searching the following electronic databases without language restrictions: PubMed, SpringerLink, Karger Medical and Scientific Publishers, Chinese Biomedical Database (CBM), Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Google Scholar. Meta-analysis was performed using STATA statistical software. Crude odds ratios (ORs) or hazard ratios (HRs) with their corresponding 95 % confidence interval (95 % CI) were calculated. Ten relevant studies, which enrolled a total of 872 gastric cancer patients, were selected for statistical analysis. The most important findings of our meta-analysis was that cancer tissues exhibited higher expression levels of EZH2 protein than normal, adjacent and benign tissues (cancer tissues vs normal tissues: OR = 32.15, 95 % CI 22.58 ~ 45.79, P < 0.001; cancer tissues vs adjacent tissues: OR = 16.10, 95 % CI 11.35 ~ 22.84, P < 0.001; cancer tissues vs benign tissues: OR = 2.66, 95 % CI 1.89 ~ 3.75, P < 0.001; respectively). Furthermore, we observed positive correlations between EZH2 expression and the TNM stage (OR = 2.86, 95 % CI 1.72 ~ 4.75, P < 0.001) as well as lymph node metastasis (OR = 3.02, 95 % CI 2.01 ~ 4.53, P < 0.001) of patients with gastric carcinoma. The correlation between EZH2 expression and gastric cancer prognosis was also evaluated in the meta-analysis. Statistical analysis demonstrated that the overall survival (OS) of EZH2-negative patients was shorter than that of patients with positive expressions of EZH2 (HR = 0.54, 95 % CI = 0.05 ~ 1.03, P = 0.032). Our meta-analysis confirmed the view that EZH2 expression might participate in the development of gastric carcinogenesis. Thus, EZH2 protein may be a valuable biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of gastric cancer.

Analysis of the Association Between Changes in the GGT/HDL-C Ratio and the Risk of Diabetes Mellitus Based on a Latent Class Growth Mixed Modeling: A Longitudinal Cohort Study of Adults in China.

Objective: Longitudinal cohort analysis was performed to identify the association between changes in the gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT)/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio trajectory and the risk of developing diabetes mellitus. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study. We analyzed the latent trajectory classes of changes in the GGT/HDL-C ratio by applying a latent class mixture model with healthy individuals who underwent medical checkups from January 2017 to December 2021 as the study subjects. To analyze the effect of the GGT/HDL-C ratio trajectory classes on new-onset diabetes mellitus, we then applied a multivariate Cox proportional risk regression model. Statistical analysis was performed using the R-software with the LCMM package. Results: The study cohort comprised 3410 participants. All participants were followed up for 5 years, and 95 developed diabetes (4-year incidence of 2.78%). By applying the latent class mixed model, we categorized participants into three trajectory groups: low-stability group (n = 2253), medium-increase group (n = 941), and high-increase group (n = 216). The Cox proportional risk regression model analysis showed that the hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) for the incidence of diabetes mellitus was 1.73 (1.04-2.87) in the medium-increase group and 3.96 (2.11-7.44) in the high-increase group. Moreover, we calculated the estimated model-based levels and linear slopes of the GGT/HDL-C ratios for each age group between 26 and 85 years at 10-year intervals, respectively. The results indicated the strongest correlation between the GGT/HDL-C ratio slope and diabetes in the 46-55 year age group, with an odds ratio of 1.51 (1.25-1.83). Conclusion: A large increase in the GGT/HDL-C ratio was highly associated with the risk of developing diabetes mellitus. This result suggests that vigilance for changes in the GGT/HDL-C ratio trajectory during community health screening can help identify potential patients with diabetes, enabling early intervention and treatment.

Comparative effects of different types of physical activity on health-related quality of life in breast cancer survivors: A systematic review, network meta-analysis, and meta-regression.

Background: Physical activity is associated with improved health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in breast cancer survivors (BCS); however, no studies have assessed optimal physical activity. Objective: We aimed to investigate the optimal types of physical activity for improving HRQoL in patients with BCS during and after cancer treatment. Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted in Medline, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library from inception to November 2023. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) reporting the effects of different physical activities on HRQoL in BCS. Two independent reviewers assessed the risk of bias using the Cochrane risk of bias tool for randomized trials (version 2.0). A network meta-analysis approach based on a frequentist framework was used to rank the effectiveness of different physical activities. Results: A total of 66 RCTs with 6464 participants were included. For all BCS, aerobic combined with resistance exercise (CE) (standardized mean difference [SMD] = 0.71; 95 % confidence interval [CI]: 0.40 to 1.10; P-score = 0.75; Grade: moderate) was the most effective physical activity to improve HRQoL. For participants in treatment, resistance exercise (RE) (SMD = 0.68; 95 % CI: 0.35 to 1.10; P-score = 0.84; Grade: moderate) was the most effective. However, after treatment, CE (SMD = 0.77; 95 % CI: 0.28 to 1.26; P-score = 0.74; Grade: very low) remained the most effective way to improve HRQoL in BCS. In addition, the regression analysis did not find any sources of heterogeneity. Conclusions: The findings of this study suggest that all physical activities improved HRQoL in BCS compared to the control group. CE may have the best effect on all survivors and post-treatment survivors, whereas RE has the best effect during treatment. In addition, the quality of the included studies was low, and there was some risk of bias, which may affect the interpretation of the findings.

A multi-omics approach to investigate characteristics of gut microbiota and metabolites in hypertension and diabetic nephropathy SPF rat models.

Background: Imbalance in intestinal microbiota caused by microbial species and proportions or metabolites derived from microbes are associated with hypertension, as well as diabetic nephropathy. However, the involvement of the intestinal microbiota and metabolites in hypertension and diabetic nephropathy comorbidities (HDN) remains to be elucidated. Methods: We investigated the effects of intestinal microbiota on HDN in a rat model and determined the abundance of the intestinal microbiota using 16S rRNA sequencing. Changes in fecal and serum metabolites were analyzed using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Results: The results showed abundance of Proteobacteria and Verrucomicrobia was substantially higher, whereas that of Bacteroidetes was significant lower in the HDN group than in the sham group. Akkermansia, Bacteroides, Blautia, Turicibacter, Lactobacillus, Romboutsia, and Fusicatenibacter were the most abundant, and Prevotella, Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group, and Prevotella_9 were the least abundant in the HDN group. Further analysis with bile acid metabolites in serum showed that Blautia was negatively correlated with taurochenodeoxycholic acid, taurocholic acid, positively correlated with cholic acid and glycocholic acid in serum. Conclusions: These findings suggest that the gut microbiota and metabolites in feces and serum substantially differed between the HDN and sham groups. The F/B ratio was higher in the HDN group than in the sham group. Blautia is potentially associated with HDN that correlated with differentially expressed bile acid metabolites, which might regulate the pathogenesis of HDN via the microorganism-gut-metabolite axis.

Fetal movement during delivery can lead to damage to the umbilical vessels and endanger the life of the fetus.

INTRODUCTION: Fetal umbilical cord hematoma has a low incidence but high mortality, and its cause during delivery is often unclear. We report an autopsy case in which it was concluded that umbilical cord hematoma resulted from fetal movements during childbirth. CASE PRESENTATION AND AUTOPSY FINDINGS: A 27-year-old primigravida at 39 + 2 weeks gestation with normal antenatal visits suffered a fetal heart rate decrease during active labor. Bedside ultrasound revealed fetal death in utero 22 min later. Forensic pathologists found that the umbilical vessels were torn and bleeding on almost the same plane, and the hematoma compressed both umbilical arteries, which is the cause of fetal stillness in utero. A total of 32 cases were reported, including 6 umbilical cord ruptures and 26 umbilical cord hematomas. The cause of hematoma was unknown in 77 % of cases, while dysplasia was present in 56.25 % of umbilical cords. DISCUSSION: This case indicates that fetal movements may cause umbilical cord vessel injury, particularly when oxytocin is used to induce labor. When fetal heart sounds decrease for no apparent reason, the possibility of cord injury should be considered, and cesarean delivery should be performed as soon as possible. Therefore, rigorous fetal heart tracing during active delivery is necessary.

Regulating the catalytic behaviour of iron oxyhydroxide by introducing Ni sites for facilitating polysulfide anchoring and conversion.

The sluggish conversion kinetics and notorious shuttle effect of polysulfides are critical hindrances to practical implementation of lithium-sulfur batteries. Herein, bimetallic oxyhydroxide (FeNiOOH) as a functional sulfur host is proposed to overcome these obstacles. The introduction of Ni sites can modulate the electronic structure of the active sites to implement strong soluble polysulfide species immobilization and accelerate the conversion reaction kinetics of polysulfides, resulting in improved sulfur utilization and reduced polarization during the electrochemical reaction process. Benefiting from these advantages, FeNiOOH enables the sulfur cathode to deliver superior rate capability and cycling stability.

Carbon footprints: Uncovering multilevel spatiotemporal changes of ship emissions during 2019-2021 in the U.S.

Quantifying and understanding changes in carbon emissions is essential for the U.S. shipping industry to reduce carbon emissions, especially after its return to the Paris Agreement. We estimated carbon emissions from 48,321 ships in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) using the power-based method based on 3.6 billion Automatic Identification System (AIS) reports. We explored the characterization of carbon emissions from the national, regional, and port levels during 2019-2021 by allocating emissions on a 1 km*1 km grid through an activity-weighted method. The results show: (1) Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, emissions within the EEZ show a temporal trend of decreased and then rebound, specifically from 32.628 Tg in 2019 to 30.741 Tg in 2020 and then bounced to 31.786 Tg in 2021. The spatial differences in emissions show significant heterogeneity; (2) There are significant differences in emissions by vessel type, flag, and operational mode for the four regions of the U.S. (Great Lakes, Gulf Coast, Pacific Coast, and Atlantic Coast). Thus, emissions in these regions show different variability patterns over three years. Notably, "port congestion" led to record high emissions on the Pacific Coast; (3) Containerized cargo contributes the most to port core area emissions, so most ports with higher throughputs have higher emissions, with Long Beach and Los Angeles having the highest. Emissions from coastal ports are high and volatile, while inland ports are low and stable. This study provides the U.S. with a high spatiotemporal resolution inventory of carbon emissions from ships, and the findings are expected to provide some reference for controlling ship emissions.

Analysis of road traffic accidents and casualties associated with electric bikes and bicycles in Guangzhou, China: A retrospective descriptive analysis.

Introduction: Electric bicycles (e-bikes) and bicycles in large Chinese cities have recently witnessed substantial growth in ridership. According to related accident trends, this study analyzed characteristics and spatial distribution in the period when e-bike-related accidents rapidly increased to propose priority measures to reduce accident casualties. Methods: For e-bike- and bicycle-related accident data from the Guangzhou Public Security Traffic Management Integrated System, linear regression was used to examine the trends in the number of accidents and age-adjusted road traffic casualties from 2011 to 2021. Then, for the period when e-bike-related accidents rapidly increased, descriptive statistics were computed regarding rider characteristics, illegal behaviors, road types, collision objects and their accident liability. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Bonferroni's multiple comparison test. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Finally, the density distribution of accidents was presented, and Moran's I (MI) was used for assessing spatial autocorrelation. Hotspots were identified based on an optimized hotspot analysis tool. Results: Between 2011 and 2021, the number of accidents and casualty rate (per 100,000 population) increased for e-bikes but decreased for bicycles. After 2018, e-bike-related accidents increased rapidly, and bicycle-related accidents plateaued. Accident hotspots were concentrated in central city areas and suburban areas close to the former. Three-quarters of accidents occurred in motorized vehicle lanes. Most occurred on roads without physically segregated nonmotorized vehicle lanes. More than three-fifths of the accidents involved motor vehicles with at least four wheels. The prevalence (per 100 people) of casualties among e-bike rider victims and cyclist victims accounted for 92.0 % and 96.5 %, respectively. A total of 71.6 % of e-bike-related accidents involved migrant workers. Riding in motorized vehicle lanes was the most common illegal behavior. Conclusions: Although e-bike-related and bicycle-related accidents presented similar characteristics, the sharp increase in e-bike-related accidents requires attention. To improve e-bike safety, governments should develop appropriate countermeasures to prevent riders from riding on motorways, such as improving road infrastructure, adjusting the driver's license system and addressing priority control areas.

Decoding the genomic enigma: Approaches to studying extrachromosomal circular DNA.

Extrachromosomal circular DNA (eccDNA), a pervasive yet enigmatic component of the eukaryotic genome, exists autonomously from its chromosomal counterparts. Ubiquitous in eukaryotes, eccDNA plays a critical role in the orchestration of cellular processes and the etiology of diseases, particularly cancers. However, the full scope of its influence on health and disease remains elusive, presenting a rich vein of research yet to be mined. Unraveling the complexities of eccDNA necessitates a distillation of methodologies - from biogenesis to functional analysis - a landscape we overview in this study with precision and clarity. Here, we systematically outline cutting-edge methodologies from high-throughput sequencing and bioinformatics to experimental validations, showcasing the intricate world of eccDNAs. We combed through a treasure trove of auxiliary research resources and analytical tools. Moreover, we chart a course for future inquiry, illuminating the horizon with potential groundbreaking strategies for designing eccDNA research projects and pioneering new methodological frontiers.

A statistical study of postmortem heart weight in Chinese adults.

INTRODUCTION: Objective assessment of cardiac hypertrophy in forensic pathology practice is of great significance for forensic pathologists, for whom reference values for normal heart weights are needed. Developed regions such as Europe, the United States, and Japan recalculate the weight of human organs at regular intervals, but in China, there has been no systematic calculation of the weights of human organs since 2006. AIMS: To statistically analyse the heart weight of Chinese adults postmortem and obtain a reference range. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 4170 adult autopsy reports were collected from 12 forensic departments in 10 provinces in China. The causes of death were classified by sex, and heart weight and the heart weight/body height ratio reference values were further calculated according to different body mass index and body heights. Finally, the cutoff value of cardiac hypertrophy in Chinese adults was calculated. RESULTS: In the group of non-cardiovascular disease causes of death, the cardiac weight of the electric death group was higher, while the heart weight of the prolonged bed-rest group was significantly reduced. After the electric death and prolonged bed-rest groups were excluded, heart weight, the heart weight/body height ratio, and cutoff values for cardiac hypertrophy were further classified and analysed according to body mass index. The mean reference values for heart weight in men and women with normal weight status were 325.82 ± 41.60 g and 286.39 ± 44.84 g, and the heart weight/body height ratios were 1.95 ± 0.23 in men and 1.82 ± 0.27, respectively. The cutoff values for cardiac hypertrophy were 387.35 g for men and 346.80 g for women. CONCLUSION: The heart weight reference values of both sexes in this study were significantly higher than those in 2006, which is considered related to the development of China's economy and the improvement of people's living standards. This study also suggests the need for a new round of statistical surveys and updated data on the weight of other organs.

Characteristics of road traffic accident types and casualties in Guangzhou, China, from 2007 to 2020: A retrospective cohort study based on the general population.

Introduction: This study aimed to explore the trend and main influencing factors of road traffic accidents in Guangzhou, China, from 2007 to 2020 and to provide a reference and guidance for government decision-making. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was used to describe road traffic accidents in Guangzhou. According to the population types, all people with road traffic accidents were divided into migrant workers and the control population. We divided road users, administrative districts, motorcycle types and injury levels into subgroups to investigate the characteristics of road traffic accidents in Guangzhou. The road traffic accident data were derived from the Guangzhou Public Security Traffic Management Integrated System. Results: The incidence rate of road traffic accidents per 10,000 vehicles in Guangzhou decreased from 36.55 in 2007 to 10.07 in 2012, remained relatively stable at 9.47 in 2017, and finally rose to 11.12 in 2020. The injury rate showed the same trend as the incidence rate, while the mortality rate gradually decreased from 14.21 in 2007 to 5.19 in 2020. Vulnerable road users such as motorized two-to-three-wheeler drivers and migrant workers were casualties in more than 80% of the cases. The proportion of casualties involving mopeds and electric bicycles increased rapidly after 2018. Motor vehicle drivers frequently caused road traffic accidents and were most often uninjured. Conclusion: Road safety in Guangzhou has shown a clear trend of improvement, but casualties are uneven across administrative districts. More attention should be given to motorized two-to-three-wheelers, migrant workers, and road traffic violations by uninjured individuals.