Cross-modal conflict deficit in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

The difference between the audiovisual incongruent condition and the audiovisual congruent condition is known as cross-modal conflict, which is an important behavioral index to measure the conflict control function. Previous studies have found conflict control deficits in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but it is not clear whether and how cross-modal conflict occurs in children with ADHD at different processing levels. The current study adopted the cross-modal matching paradigm to recruit 25 children with ADHD (19 boys and 6 girls) and 24 TD children (17 boys and 7 girls), aiming to investigate the cross-modal conflict effect at the perception and response levels of children with ADHD. The results showed that both groups of children showed significant cross-modal conflict, and there was no significant difference between the ADHD and TD groups in the number of error trials and mean response time. However, the cross-modal conflict effect caused by auditory distractors was different between the ADHD and TD groups; the TD group had stronger auditory conflict at the response level, whereas the ADHD group had weaker auditory conflict. This indicates that the ADHD group had a deficit of auditory conflict at the response level.

A cross-sectional study on the impact of the prevention and control response of the COVID-19 pandemic on minor's orthopedic trauma in Shanghai.

BACKGROUND: The Chinese government has taken strong prevention and control measures against the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the pandemic is far from over, it has been effectively controlled in China. The outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic provides an opportunity to study the influence of governmental prevention and control response on orthopedic trauma in minors. METHODS: We collected and reviewed data and information on minor's orthopedic trauma from 1 January to 30 June of the past three year (2018, 2019 and 2020). The data were divided according to the time of prevention and control response level in 2020 (the first level response is from January 24 to March 22, the second level response is from March 23 to May 7, and the third level response is May 8 to now). By comparing the relevant data from orthopedic emergency and operating rooms from the past three years, the influence of governmental pandemic prevention measures on orthopedic trauma in minors was analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 36,301 minors were included in the study cohort. Before the prevention and control response, the data of the orthopedic emergency department of National Children Medical Center (Shanghai) in 2020 was the same as the previous two years. The condition of children undergoing surgery at the time of injury is significantly different under different levels of prevention and control response. Under the first-level response, the number of fractures, open injuries, radial head subluxation, and surgery were significantly reduced, and the severity of patients with surgery was also significantly reduced. Under the second-level response, the number of operations began to increase, and the severity of the disease also began to rise. Under the third-level response control, the number of fractures, open injuries, and operations have returned to the levels of the previous two years. The severity of the operation has also returned to its previous level. The number of subluxations of the radial head is still different from before. CONCLUSION: The prevention and control response for the pandemic of COVID-19 can reduce the incidence of orthopedic trauma in minors by strengthening the guardian's care and restricting children's outdoor activities. With the control of the pandemic, the amount of orthopedic trauma in minors will not be affected by low-level prevention and control.

A molecular-based method to estimate the risk associated with cyanotoxins and odor compounds in drinking water sources.

A biomolecular-based monitoring approach for the assessment of water quality hazards and risks associated with cyanobacteria was developed and validated in drinking reservoirs in Taiwan and the Philippines. The approach was based upon the measurement of gene abundances of toxigenic Microcystis and Cylindrospermopsis; for cyanotoxins; and for aesthetically offensive earthy-musty odor compounds. This was compared to conventional monitoring approaches, which included cell enumeration by microscopy, and toxin and odor compound analysis by instrumental analytical methods and immunoassays as appropriate for the metabolites. The validation involved samples from ten major reservoirs on Taiwan's main island, nineteen reservoirs on the offshore islands, and Laguna de Bay in the Philippines. The gene-based approach was successfully validated statistically and compared to conventional widely utilized risk assessment schemes which have employed 'Alert Levels' for toxic cyanobacteria. In this case a new integrated scheme of 'Response Levels' is proposed which incorporates odor metabolite hazards in addition to cyanotoxins and is based upon gene copy numbers to derive quantitative triggers. The comprehensive scheme evaluated from these locations is considered to be more precise and efficient for both monitoring and as a risk assessment diagnostic tool, given that it offers the capacity for analysis of the abundance of genes for cyanobacterial metabolites in large numbers of natural water samples in a significantly reduced period of time compared to the approaches of cell enumeration by microscopy or metabolite analytical techniques. This approach is the first time both the hazard and risk for both odors and cyanotoxins from cyanobacteria have been considered together in a monitoring scheme and offers an improved means for determining the Response Levels in the risk assessment process for cyanobacteria and their metabolites in drinking water sources.