Forecasting groundwater level of karst aquifer in a large mining area using partial mutual information and NARX hybrid model.

Predicting the groundwater level of karst aquifers in North China Coalfield is essential for early warning of mine water hazards and regional water resources management. However, the dynamic changes of strata structure and hydrogeological parameters driven by coal mining activity cause challenges to the process-oriented groundwater model. In order to achieve accurate prediction of groundwater level in large mining areas, this study was the first to use the data-driven Nonlinear Autoregressive with External Input (NARX) model to predict the groundwater level of six karst aquifer observation wells in Pingshuo Mining Area. Three variable input scenarios were set up, solely considering meteorological factors, anthropogenic disturbance factors, and considering both meteorological and anthropogenic disturbance factors. The novel partial mutual information (PMI) screening algorithm was adopted to determine optimized input variables in each scenario. The input and feedback delay coefficients of NARX model were determined by using Seasonal-trend Decomposition Procedure Based on Loess (STL) algorithm and auto- and cross-correlation functions. The results showed that PMI algorithm can effectively screen out the optimal input variables for predicting groundwater level, the NSE coefficients of the PMI-NARX models under the three scenarios were 38.81%, 4.26% and 41.46% higher than those of the corresponding control experiments, respectively. In addition, the prediction performance of the PMI-NARX built on the basis of meteorological factors is poor (NSE <0.63). However, in scenarios which solely use anthropogenic disturbance factors and both use meteorological and anthropogenic disturbance factors, the PMI-NARX coupling models exhibit good prediction performance (NSE and R2 are all greater than 0.8). Especially under solely considering anthropogenic disturbance factors scenario, the model still exhibited good prediction accuracy with a negligible number of input variables. The results can provide technical and theoretical support for the prediction of groundwater level in other mining areas.

Post-COVID-19 Epidemic: Allostatic Load among Medical and Nonmedical Workers in China.

BACKGROUND: As the fight against the COVID-19 epidemic continues, medical workers may have allostatic load. OBJECTIVE: During the reopening of society, medical and nonmedical workers were compared in terms of allostatic load. METHODS: An online study was performed; 3,590 Chinese subjects were analyzed. Socio-demographic variables, allostatic load, stress, abnormal illness behavior, global well-being, mental status, and social support were assessed. RESULTS: There was no difference in allostatic load in medical workers compared to nonmedical workers (15.8 vs. 17.8%; p = 0.22). Multivariate conditional logistic regression revealed that anxiety (OR = 1.24; 95% CI 1.18-1.31; p < 0.01), depression (OR = 1.23; 95% CI 1.17-1.29; p < 0.01), somatization (OR = 1.20; 95% CI 1.14-1.25; p < 0.01), hostility (OR = 1.24; 95% CI 1.18-1.30; p < 0.01), and abnormal illness behavior (OR = 1.49; 95% CI 1.34-1.66; p < 0.01) were positively associated with allostatic load, while objective support (OR = 0.84; 95% CI 0.78-0.89; p < 0.01), subjective support (OR = 0.84; 95% CI 0.80-0.88; p < 0.01), utilization of support (OR = 0.80; 95% CI 0.72-0.88; p < 0.01), social support (OR = 0.90; 95% CI 0.87-0.93; p < 0.01), and global well-being (OR = 0.30; 95% CI 0.22-0.41; p < 0.01) were negatively associated. CONCLUSIONS: In the post-COVID-19 epidemic time, medical and nonmedical workers had similar allostatic load. Psychological distress and abnormal illness behavior were risk factors for it, while social support could relieve it.

Mental Health and Psychosocial Problems of Medical Health Workers during the COVID-19 Epidemic in China.

OBJECTIVE: We explored whether medical health workers had more psychosocial problems than nonmedical health workers during the COVID-19 outbreak. METHODS: An online survey was run from February 19 to March 6, 2020; a total of 2,182 Chinese subjects participated. Mental health variables were assessed via the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), the Symptom Check List-revised (SCL-90-R), and the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4), which included a 2-item anxiety scale and a 2-item depression scale (PHQ-2). RESULTS: Compared with nonmedical health workers (n = 1,255), medical health workers (n = 927) had a higher prevalence of insomnia (38.4 vs. 30.5%, p < 0.01), anxiety (13.0 vs. 8.5%, p < 0.01), depression (12.2 vs. 9.5%; p< 0.04), somatization (1.6 vs. 0.4%; p < 0.01), and obsessive-compulsive symptoms (5.3 vs. 2.2%; p < 0.01). They also had higher total scores of ISI, GAD-2, PHQ-2, and SCL-90-R obsessive-compulsive symptoms (p ≤ 0.01). Among medical health workers, having organic disease was an independent factor for insomnia, anxiety, depression, somatization, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms (p < 0.05 or 0.01). Living in rural areas, being female, and being at risk of contact with COVID-19 patients were the most common risk factors for insomnia, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and depression (p < 0.01 or 0.05). Among nonmedical health workers, having organic disease was a risk factor for insomnia, depression, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms (p < 0.01 or 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: During the COVID-19 outbreak, medical health workers had psychosocial problems and risk factors for developing them. They were in need of attention and recovery programs.

Effect of Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation for the Treatment of Chronic Insomnia: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Parallel-Group, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial.

BACKGROUND: Not all adults with chronic insomnia respond to the recommended therapeutic options of cognitive behavioral therapy and approved hypnotic drugs. Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) may offer a novel potential treatment modality for insomnia. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to examine the efficacy and safety of tACS for treating adult patients with chronic insomnia. METHODS: Sixty-two participants with chronic primary insomnia received 20 daily 40-min, 77.5-Hz, 15-mA sessions of active or sham tACS targeting the forehead and both mastoid areas in the laboratory on weekdays for 4 consecutive weeks, followed by a 4-week follow-up period. The primary outcome was response rate measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) at week 8. Secondary outcomes were remission rate, insomnia severity, sleep onset latency (SOL), total sleep time (TST), sleep efficiency, sleep quality, daily disturbances, and adverse events at the end of the 4-week intervention and at the 4-week follow-up. RESULTS: Of 62 randomized patients, 60 completed the trial. During the 4-week intervention, 1 subject per group withdrew due to loss of interest and time restriction, respectively. Based on PSQI, at 4-week follow-up, the active group had a higher response rate compared to the sham group (53.4% [16/30] vs. 16.7% [5/30], p = 0.009), but remission rates were not different between groups. At the end of the 4-week intervention, the active group had higher response and remission rates than the sham group (p < 0.001 and p = 0.026, respectively). During the trial, compared with the sham group, the active group showed a statistically significant decrease in PSQI total score, a shortened SOL, an increased TST, improved sleep efficiency, and improved sleep quality (p < 0.05 or p < 0.001). Post hoc analysis revealed that, in comparison with the sham group, the active group had improved symptoms, except for daily disturbances, at the end of the 4-week intervention, and significant improvements in all symptoms at the 4-week follow-up. No adverse events or serious adverse responses occurred during the study. CONCLUSION: The findings show that the tACS applied in the present study has potential as an effective and safe intervention for chronic insomnia within 8 weeks.

Preparation of Cr-MnOx/Cordierite and Their Properties for Catalytic Oxidation of 1,2-Dichlorobenzene.

Cr-MnOx/cordierite composites were prepared by Sol-gel, Impregnation, Co-precipitation and Rheological phase reaction method. Various technologies including X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), thermogravimetry/differential scanning calorimetry (TG/DCS), and temperature-programmed reduction (TPR) were used to characterize the structure and morphology properties of the synthesized composites. The catalytic ability test of 1,2-dichlorobenzene (o-DCB) over the catalysts was conducted in a fixed-bed flow reactor with a gas hourly space velocity (GHSV) of 30,000 h-1 to investigate the catalytic performance of the prepared composites. The results indicated that the combined Cr2O3 and Mn2O3 phases supported on cordierite possessed a special ball-shaped and better redox property in the catalyst prepared by the Co-precipitation method with a Cr/Mn atomic ratio of 2∶5, which was conducive to the increase of the synergistic effect and subsequently enhancement of the catalytic performance. Furthermore, it exhibited better stability within 60 h, which indicates a good prospect for industrial applications.

[Effect and Mechanism of Sulforaphane on G2/M Phase Arrest of Acute Myeloid Leukemia KG1a and KG1 Cells].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of sulforaphane (SFN) on G2/M phase arrest of acute myeloid leukemia cells and its molecular mechanism. METHODS: KG1a and KG1cells were treated by different concentrations of SFN for 48 h. Flow cytometry (FCM) was used to analyze the phase distribution of cell cycle. High-throughput sequencing was used to detect the effect of SFN on the expression of cell cycle related genes in KG1a cells. The mRNA expression of P53, P21, CDC2 and CyclinB1 were detected by qPCR. The protein expression of P53, CDC2, P-CDC2 and CyclinB1 were detected by Western blot. RESULTS: Cells in the G2/M phase were increased from 11.9% to 54.0% in KG1a cells and 18.5% to 83.3% in KG1 cells after treated by SFN (8 µ mol / L) for 48 hours（P<0.001）. KEGG analysis indicated that P53 pathway was enriched in KG1a cells after treated by SFN. The heat-map graph showed that SFN could change the relevant genes of the cell cycle in KG1a cells. After SFN treatment, the mRNA level of P53 and P21 were significantly increased in KG1 and KG1a cells（P<0.05 or P<0.01）. The mRNA level of CDC2 showed a decrease trend with the increasing dose of SFN. At the dosage of 8 µmol /L, the mRNA expression levels of CDC2 was significantly lower than that in control group（P<0.05）. At the same time, the protein level of P53 was significantly increased in KG1 and kG1a cells after treated by SFN（P<0.05）. The protein level of CDC2 showed a decrease trend with the increasing dose of SFN in a dose manner（r=0.9482 and r=0.8977）. The protein levels of CDC2 in SFN 8 and 12 µ mol/L groups were significantly lower than that in control group(P<0.05, P<0.01). The protein levels of P-CDC2 was increased. But the change of mRNA and protein level of CyclinB1 was not significant. CONCLUSION: SFN induces leukemia cells to block in G2/M phase by activating P53 signaling pathway, which can inhibit the expression of CDC2 and the activity of CDC2/cyclinB1.

[Hereditary gingival fibromatosis: a three-generation case report].

Hereditary gingival fibromatosis (HGF) is a familial hereditary disease; while it is rare and usually benign, it is also characterized by the slow and progressive development of gingival tissue. This paper reports on the clinical examina-tion and history of HGF in a family of patients.

Factors Influencing Administration, Recognition, and Compliance of Medicine among Community Residents from Jilin Province, China: A Questionnaire Study.

INTRODUCTION: To identify and analyze factors that influence administration, recognition, and compliance of medicine among community residents in Jilin Province, China. METHODS: A survey was carried out among 2417 community residents in Jilin Province, China, to study their administration (CRA), recognition (CRR), and compliance (CRC) of medicine. Multivariate logistic regression analyses and chi-squared tests were performed to assess factors influencing CRA, CRR, and CRC. RESULTS: Logistic analyses showed that gender, educational level, and occupation were influencing factors on CRA; age, educational level, smoking status, and health condition were influencing factors on CRR; and gender, age, occupation, and health condition were influencing factors on CRC. CONCLUSIONS: CRA, CRR, and CRC are associated with specific lifestyles and social economic statuses of community residents. Attention should be paid to influencing factors in order to facilitate community pharmaceutical care, promote the rational use of drugs, and ensure the safe use of medications. This study explores the type and extent of professional services provided through community pharmacies in Jilin Province, China, and provides evidence for optimizing the quality of community pharmacy services.

Protocol on transcranial alternating current stimulation for the treatment of major depressive disorder: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) offers a new approach for adult patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). The study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of tACS treating MDD. METHODS: This is an 8-week, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study. Ninety-two drug-naive patients with MDD aged 18 to 65 years will receive 20 daily 40-min, 77.5-Hz, 15-mA sessions of active or sham tACS targeting the forehead and both mastoid areas on weekdays for 4 consecutive weeks (week 4), following a 4-week observation period (week 8). The primary outcome is the remission rate defined as the 17-item Hamilton depression rating scale (HDRS-17) score ≤7 at week 8. Secondary outcomes are the rates of response at weeks 4 and 8 and rate of remission at week 4 based on HDRS-17, the proportion of participants having improvement in the clinical global impression-improvement, the change in HDRS-17 score (range, 0-52, with higher scores indicating more depression) over the study, and variations of brain imaging and neurocognition from baseline to week 4. Safety will be assessed by vital signs at weeks 4 and 8, and adverse events will be collected during the entire study. DISCUSSION: The tACS applied in this trial may have treatment effects on MDD with minimal side effects. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR1800016479; http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=22048.