Eligibility for Substance Use Clinical Trials Among Emergency Psychiatry Patients: The Impact of Exclusion Criteria.

Objective: The first objective was to identify common exclusion criteria used in clinical trials. The second objective was to quantify the degree to which these criteria exclude emergency psychiatry patients. Methods: Qualitative Content Analysis was used for the first objective, identifying common exclusion criteria used in recent high-impact substance use clinical trials. A retrospective record review was used for the second objective, which examined the frequency of these exclusion criteria in a 1-month sample of adults receiving psychiatric evaluation in an emergency department. Results: Most trials had exclusions for co-occurring psychiatric problems (76.6%), medical problems (74.0%), prior or current treatment (72.7%), motivation for change (61.1%), pregnancy or lactation (57.1%), or using other specified substances of abuse (54.6%). In the clinical sample, exclusions for co-occurring psychiatric problems would make 94.7% of patients ineligible. Other exclusions had a combined effect of making 76% of patients ineligible. Conclusions: Clinical trials using typical exclusion criteria exclude nearly all emergency psychiatry patients with substance use problems.

Clinical Trials Studying Suicide Risk Reduction: Who is Excluded From Participation.

OBJECTIVE: The use of exclusion criteria in clinical trials can cause research participants to differ markedly from clinical populations, which negatively impacts generalizability of results. This study identifies and quantifies common and recurring exclusion criteria in clinical trials studying suicide risk reduction, and estimates their impact on eligibility among a clinical sample of adults in an emergency department with high suicide risk. METHOD: Recent trials were identified by searching PubMed (terms suicide, efficacy, effectiveness, limited to clinical trials in prior 5 years). Common exclusion criteria were identified using Qualitative Content Analysis. A retrospective chart review examined a one-month sample of all adults receiving psychiatric evaluation in a large urban academic emergency department. RESULTS: The search yielded 27 unique clinical trials studying suicide risk reduction as a primary or secondary outcome. After research fundamentals (e.g. informed consent, language fluency), the most common exclusion criteria involved psychosis (77.8%), cognitive problems (66.7%), and substance use (63.0%). In the clinical sample of adults with high suicide risk (N = 232), psychosis exclusions would exclude 53.0% of patients and substance use exclusions would exclude 67.2% of patients. Overall, 5.6% of emergency psychiatry patients would be eligible for clinical trials that use common exclusion criteria. CONCLUSIONS: Recent clinical trials studying suicide risk reduction have low generalizability to emergency psychiatry patients with high suicide risk. Trials enrolling persons with psychosis and substance use in particular are needed to improve generalizability to this clinical population.

Exclusion criteria limit who can enroll in trials studying suicide risk reduction.Trials most frequently exclude psychosis, cognitive problems, and substance use.Trials have poor generalizability to emergency psychiatry patients.

Spatiotemporal variation in heatwaves and elderly population exposure across China.

Heatwaves have been intensified worldwide due to climate change, posing great health risks, especially to elderly populations. However, in China, limited studies have employed the heat index to decipher the spatiotemporal trends of heatwaves and their impacts on the elderly population. By comparing the three heatwave definitions, this study aimed to evaluate the long-term spatiotemporal variations in heatwaves from 1964 to 2022 across China using the Excess Heat Factor (EHF). We took advantage of high-resolution reanalysis temperature data on the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform to efficiently calculate the heatwaves. Our results revealed that the frequency and duration of heatwaves increased significantly in approximately 77 % of China's total area, with South China experiencing the most frequent and prolonged heatwaves. Conversely, in most areas, no significant trend was discerned in the growth of the maximum and average heatwave intensities. The total number of elderly people affected by heatwaves surged from approximately 11.96 million in 2001 to over 30.31 million in 2020, with an estimated additional 1.12 million older adults exposed to heatwaves annually across the nation (R2 = 0.60, p < 0.05). The population factor exhibited largest effect on the exposure of heatwaves, followed by climate effects and combined factors, with the corresponding explanatory power about 42.84 %, 34.85 % and 22.31 %, respectively. These individuals predominantly resided in the Northeast China, Southwest China, and South China. We also found geographical variations in heatwave exposure along elevations and land use types. These insights underscore the pressing necessity for formulating strategic interventions to mitigate the health threats presented by mounting heatwave exposure, especially for susceptible groups like the elderly in China.

Afforestation changed the fungal functional community of paddy fields and dry farmlands differently.

Afforestation currently makes a great contribution to carbon uptake in terrestrial ecosystems, while dramatically affects soil ecosystem functions too. Little is known, however, about the changes in soil fungal functional groups and their interactions following afforestation. Here, based on high-throughput sequencing and FUNGuild annotation, we investigated the functional characteristics of soil fungi as well as environmental factors in a watershed where paddy field and dry farmland were changed to eucalyptus plantation. The results showed that afforestation on paddy field resulted in greater changes in diversity, community structure and taxon interactions of fungal functional groups than afforestation on dry farmland. The most complex and distinctive community structure was found in eucalyptus plantation, as well as the greatest taxon interactions, and the lowest alpha-diversity of functional guilds of symbiotrophic fungi because of the dominant ectomycorrhizal fungi. Paddy field exhibited the highest proportion of saprotrophic fungi, but the lowest taxonomic diversity of saprotrophic and pathotrophic fungi. The taxonomic diversity of undefined saprotrophic fungi shaped the differences in community structure and network complexity between eucalyptus plantation and cropland. Limited cooperation within dominant fungi was the main reason for the establishment of a loose co-occurrence network in paddy field. From croplands to artificial forests, reduced soil pH boosted the taxonomic diversity of fungal functional groups. All of these findings suggested that afforestation may lead to an increase in the taxonomic diversity of soil fungal functional groups, which would further intensify the taxon interactions.

Eligibility of emergency psychiatry patients for clinical trials studying depression.

BACKGROUND: Differences often exist between people with depression who are eligible for clinical trials and those seen in clinical practice. The impact of exclusion criteria on eligibility has been previously reported for inpatients and outpatients, but has not been assessed for emergency psychiatry patients; a group that overlaps with inpatients and outpatients but also has important distinctives. Understanding the frequencies of commonly used exclusion criteria in this population could inform interpretation of existing data (generalizability) and highlight opportunities/needs for future trials. METHODS: We reviewed 67 clinical trials studying depression using Qualitative Content Analysis to identify common and recurring exclusion criteria. We examined the frequency of these exclusion criteria among a clinical sample of emergency psychiatry patients. RESULTS: Most clinical trials had exclusions for basic research requirements, age, symptom severity, psychosis, and substance use. Applying 9 commonly used exclusion criteria to the clinical population resulted in a 3.3 % eligibility rate (95 % CI 1.2 %-7.0 %). Exclusions for psychosis (85.1 % of trials), substance use (83.6 % of trials), and suicide risk (65.7 % of trials) would likely exclude 93 % of emergency psychiatry patients. The prevalence of psychosis, substance use, and suicide risk was much higher among emergency psychiatry patients than among previously studied populations. LIMITATIONS: Some eligibility criteria could not be measured. The Qualitative Content Analysis consolidated similar exclusion criteria, losing potentially important nuances in wordings. CONCLUSIONS: Exclusion criteria commonly used in contemporary clinical trials of depression limit generalizability to emergency psychiatry patients, due in large part to exclusions for psychosis, substance use, and suicide risk.

Metagenomics reveals taxon-specific responses of soil nitrogen cycling under different fertilization regimes in heavy metal contaminated soil.

Soil deficiency, cyclic erosion, and heavy metal pollution have led to fertility loss and ecological function decline in mining areas. Fertilization is an important way to rapidly replenish soil nutrients, which have a major influence on the soil nitrogen cycling process, but different fertilization regimes have different impacts on soil properties and microbial functional potentials. Here, metagenomic sequencing was used to investigate the different responses of key functional genes of microbial nitrogen cycling to fertilization regimes and explore the potential effects of soil physicochemical properties on the key functional genes. The results indicated that AC-HH (ammonium chloride-high frequency and concentration) treatment significantly increased the gene abundance of norC (13.40-fold), nirK (5.46-fold), and napA (5.37-fold). U-HH (urea-high frequency and concentration) treatment significantly increased the gene abundance of hao (6.24-fold), pmoA-amoA (4.32-fold) norC (7.00-fold), nosZ (3.69-fold), and nirK (6.88-fold). Functional genes were distributed differently among the 10 dominant phyla. The nifH and nifK genes were distributed only in Proteobacteria. The hao gene was distributed in Gemmatimonadetes, Nitrospirae and Proteobacteria. Fertilization regimes caused changes in functional redundancy in soil, and nirK and nirB, which are involved in denitrification, were present in different genera. Fertilization regimes with high frequency and high concentration were more likely to increase the gene abundance at the genus level. In summary, this study provides insights into the taxon-specific response of soil nitrogen cycling under different fertilization regimes, where changes in fertilization regimes affect microbial nitrogen cycling by altering soil physicochemical properties in a complex dynamic environment.

Potential impact of polyethylene microplastics on the growth of water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica F.): Endophyte and rhizosphere effects.

Microplastic contamination has received much attention, especially in agroecosystems. However, since edible crops with different genetic backgrounds may present different responses to microplastics, more research should be conducted and focused on more edible crops. In the current study, pot experiments were conducted to investigate the potential impact of polyethylene microplastic (PE) (particle sizes: 0.5 µm and 1.0 µm, addition levels: 0 (control), 0.5% and 1.0% (w/w)) addition on the physiological and biochemical variations of I. aquatica F.. The results indicated that PE addition caused an increase in the soil pH and NH4+-N and soil organic matter contents, which increased by 10.1%, 29.9% and 50.1% when PE addition at A10P0.5 level (10 g (PE) kg-1 soil, particle size: 0.5 µm). While, PE exposure resulted in a decrease in soil available phosphorus and total phosphorus contents, which decreased by 53.9% and 10.5% when PE addition at A10P0.5 level. In addition, PE addition altered the soil enzyme activities. Two-way ANOVA indicated that particle size had a greater impact on the variations in soil properties and enzyme activities than the addition level. PE addition had a strong impact on the rhizosphere microbial and root endophyte community diversity and structure of I. aquatica F.. Two-way ANOVA results indicated that the particle size and addition level significantly altered the α-diversity indices of both rhizosphere microbial and root endophyte (P < 0.05, P < 0.01 or P < 0.001). Moreover, PE was adsorbed by I. aquatica F., which was clearly observed in the transverse roots and significantly increased the H2O2, ·O2-, malondialdehyde and ascorbic acid contents in both the roots and aerial parts of I. aquatica F., leading to a decrease in I. aquatica F. biomass. Overall, the current study enriches the understanding of the effect of microplastics on edible crops.

Characterizing the spatiotemporal distribution of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the Yongding River Basin: Insights from flow regulation.

Artificial flow regulation is an important measure to alleviate water shortages and improve the ecological quality of river basins. Dissolved organic matter (DOM) plays a crucial role in the carbon cycle and regulates biogeochemical and ecological processes in aquatic systems. Among the numerous studies on the effects of anthropogenic activities on the quality and quantity of river DOM, few studies have focused on the influence of different artificially regulated flow on the composition, source, and fate of fluvial DOM. This study aims to elucidate the impact of different artificial regulation modes of river flows on the source, migration, and transformation of DOM. The optical properties of DOM were used to explore the temporal and spatial distribution characteristics of DOM in the Yongding River Basin, where artificial regulation of river flows by cross-basin and inner-basin water transfers were implemented. Excitation-emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy coupled with parallel factor analysis revealed four fluorescent substances of DOM in the water: one microbial humic-like (C1), one terrestrial humic-like (C2), one non-point source pollution humic-like (C4), and one tryptophan-like (C3) substance. Due to cross-basin water transfer from the Yellow River, the flow is the highest (21.79 m3/s) during spring, which was the reason that the signal of C2 was stronger during spring (71.45 QSU) compared to summer (57.12 QSU) and autumn (51.78 QSU). Due to inner-basin water transfer from upstream reservoirs, C3 derived from autochthonous sources were higher during autumn (130.81 QSU) than during spring (77.17 QSU) and summer (93.16 QSU). With no water transfer, more C1 were present at higher temperatures during summer (141.51 QSU) than during spring (126.73 QSU) and autumn (128.8 QSU). Moreover, C4 originating from urban and/or agricultural non-point source runoff increased during summer (57.07 QSU) than during spring (33.29 QSU) and autumn (52.27 QSU) because of increased rainfall. The different modes of artificial regulation of river flows changed the hydrological characteristics of the basin, which in turn altered the temporal and spatial distribution characteristics of the quantity and quality of DOM. The finding of this study can help promote the development of appropriate management strategies for artificial regulation of river flows in the basin. Furthermore, this study provides a basis for investigating the effects of different artificial flow regulations on the carbon cycles and ecological risks of rivers in the basin.

Response of soil microbial communities to petroleum hydrocarbons at a multi-contaminated industrial site in Lanzhou, China.

Total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) contamination poses threats to ecological systems and human health. Many studies have reported its negative impacts on soil microbes, but limited information is known about microbial change and response to multiple TPH contamination events. In this study, we investigated TPH contamination level, microbial community structure and functional genes at a multi-contaminated industrial site in Lanzhou, where a benzene spill accident caused the drinking water crisis in 2014. TPHs distribution in soils and groundwater indicated multiple TPH contamination events in history, and identified the spill location where high TPH level (6549 mg kg-1) and high ratio of low-molecular-weight TPHs (>80%) were observed. In contrast, TPH level was moderate (349 mg kg-1) and the proportion of low-molecular-weight TPHs was 44% in soils with a long TPH contamination history. After the spill accident, soil bacterial communities became significant diverse (p = 0.047), but the dominant microbes remained the same as Pseudomonadaceae and Comamonadaceae. The abundance of hydrocarbon-degradation related genes increased by 10-1000 folds at the site where the spill accident occurred in multi-contaminated areas and was significantly related to 2-ring PAHs. Such changes of microbial community and hydrocarbon-degradation related genes together indicated the resilience of soil indigenous microbes toward multiple contamination events. Our results proved the significant change of bacterial community and huge shift of hydrocarbon-degradation related genes after the spill accident (multiple contamination events), and provided a deep insight into microbial response at industrial sites with a long period of contamination history.

Shift of soil fungal communities under afforestation in Nanliu River Basin, southwest China.

Although soil fungi play a pivotal role in determining soil ecosystematic feedbacks to afforestation, there remains a big knowledge gap in the effects of afforestation on soil fungal communities, especially at a watershed scale. In this study, the variations of soil fungal diversity and community structures under afforestation were investigated in Nanliu River Basin, where paddy field and dry farmland were converted to eucalyptus plantation at an unprecedented speed. Spatial distance along the upper, middle and lower reaches of the Basin were also considered to analyze the dominant sources of the variations. The results demonstrated that eucalyptus afforestation had little effect on soil fungal diversity but could significantly influence fungal community structures. As paddy field and dry farmland converted to eucalyptus plantation, dominant fungal phylum shifted from Ascomycota to Ascomycota and Basidiomycota. Compared with afforestation from dry farmland, much bigger variation of fungal community structures was found in afforestation from paddy field. In addition, the significant change of fungal community structures exhibited in the upper reaches was from dry farmland, while presented in the middle reaches was from paddy field. However, afforestation comprised a larger source of variation than spatial distance within the soil fungal community structures, and Fusarium, Westerdykella,Zopfiella and Scleroderma were the most sensitive genera affected by afforestation. These results showed that afforestation did not always cause soil fungal diversity change and the heterogeneity of fungal community structures under afforestation was mainly controlled by original land use practices, while spatial distance partly decided the results.

The Exploration of Poor Ovarian Response-Related Risk Factors: A Potential Role of Growth Differentiation Factor 8 in Predicting Ovarian Response in IVF-ET Patient.

Controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) is the most common therapeutic protocol to obtain a considerable number of oocytes in IVF-ET cycles. To date, the risk factors affecting COH outcomes remain elusive. Growth differentiation factor 8 (GDF-8), a member of transforming growth factor ß (TGF-ß) superfamily, has been long discerned as a crucial growth factor in folliculogenesis, and the aberrant expression of GDF-8 is closely correlated with the reproductive diseases. However, less is known about the level of GDF-8 in IVF-ET patients with different ovarian response. In the present study, the potential risk factors correlated with ovarian response were explored using logistic regression analysis methods. Meanwhile, the expression changes of GDF-8 and its responsible cellular receptors in various ovarian response patients were determined. Our results showed that several factors were intensely related to poor ovarian response (POR), including aging, obesity, endometriosis, surgery history, and IVF treatment, while irregular menstrual cycles and PCOS contribute to hyperovarian response (HOR). Furthermore, POR patients exhibited a decrease in numbers of MII oocytes and available embryos, thereby manifesting a lower clinical pregnancy rate. The levels of GDF-8, ALK5, and ACVR2B in POR patients were higher compared with those in control groups, whereas the expression level of ACVR2A decreased in poor ovarian response patients. In addition, clinical correlation analysis results showed that the concentration of GDF-8 was negatively correlated with LH and estradiol concentration and antral follicle count. Collectively, our observations provide a novel insight of ovarian response-associated risk factors, highlighting the potential role of GDF-8 levels in ovarian response during COH process.

Sedimentary evolution of PAHs, POPs and ECs: Historical sedimentary deposition and evolution of persistent and emerging organic pollutants in sediments in a typical karstic river basin.

Knowledge on the occurrence and distributions of organic compounds, especially PAHs, POPs and ECs, in karstic river basins is limited. This study aims to determine the depositional history and sources of PAHs, PCBs, OCPs, antibiotics, EDCs and phenolic compounds and the ecological risk they have in the Panyang River Basin, an area with a typical karstic landscape and a high-longevity population. Sediment core analysis was adopted, correlation and principal component analyses were conducted to analyze pollution sources, and lead isotope technology was implemented for dating analysis. The sediment core covered 108 years. PCBs were detected with concentrations ranging from 3.80 to 16.18 µg/kg in the core with two concentration peaks in 1950 and 2005 that were related to anthropogenic effects. Eight of the 20 targeted phenolic compounds were detected, with concentrations ranging from 0.42 to 1.10 mg/kg. All PAHs were detected in the cores, with concentrations from 12.91 to 37.80 µg/kg. They were mainly related to natural diagenetic processes and domestic and agricultural sources. The concentrations of different OCP compounds ranged from undetected to 213.43 µg/kg and were mainly related to agricultural activities and long-range transportation. These key findings can assist environmental planning and management in this river basin.

Cadmium source identification in soils and high-risk regions predicted by geographical detector method.

Cadmium (Cd) contamination in soils has become a serious and widespread environmental problem, especially in areas with high natural background Cd values, but the mechanism of Cd enrichment in these areas is still unclear. This study uses the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (Guangxi), a typical area with a high background Cd level and Cd pollution related to mining activities, as an example to explore the source and predict areas with high Cd risk in soils based on the geographical detector method. The areas with high Cd in Guangxi soils were classified into non-mining areas and mining areas according to their potential Cd sources. The results show that the rich Cd content in the soils from the non-mining area of Guangxi was mainly derived from the soil type (q = 0.34), geological age (q = 0.27), rock type (q = 0.26) and geomorphic type (q = 0.20). Specifically, the Cd content was derived from the weathering and deposition processes of carbonatite from the Carboniferous system in the karst area. The high Cd content in the soils of the mining area of Guangxi was mainly derived from the area mined for mineral resources (q = 0.08) and rock type (q = 0.05). Specifically, the Cd content was derived from the mining of lead-zinc ores. The areas in Guangxi with a high risk of Cd soil pollution are mostly concentrated in karst areas, such as Hechi, Laibin, Chongzuo, southern Liuzhou and Baise, northern Nanning city and northeastern Guilin city, and some mining areas. These results indicated that the high Cd concentration in the soils of large areas of Guangxi is probably due to natural sources, while the high Cd concentration around mining areas is due to anthropogenic sources. The results will be useful for soil restoration and locating and controlling contaminated agricultural land.

Relationship between Air Pollution and Regional Longevity in Guangxi, China.

Air pollution has become a global environmental challenge and poses major threats to human health, particularly for the aging population. However, few studies have investigated the effects of air pollutants on human longevity, especially based on the total regional quantities and sources. Based on investigation of the spatiotemporal variations of three air pollutants (PM10, SO2, and NOx) and three longevity indicators (centenarian ratio, centenarity index, and aging tendency), this study aims to identify the relationship between air pollution and regional longevity in Guangxi Province. Air pollutant and population data from 109 counties and areas of Guangxi were collected from environmental research reports and statistical yearbooks. Cluster and outlier analysis was used to detect the regions with high and low clusters of the longevity indicators and air pollutants. Geographically weighted regression analyses were performed to determine the relationship between longevity and air pollutants. A negative relationship between the air pollutants PM10, SO2, and NOx on the aged population was observed. From a provincial level, industrial sources from the urban areas of cities located in the central province, including Liuzhou, Nanning, Laibing, Guigang and Yulin, were important contributors to the air pollutants PM10, SO2, and NOx, and thus could contribute to negative impacts on regional longevity. The key findings from this study will provide a case for management of air pollutants based on public health policies in China as well as other developing communities.

General Predictors and Moderators of Depression Remission: A VAST-D Report.

OBJECTIVE: Almost two-thirds of patients with major depressive disorder do not achieve remission with initial treatments. Thus, identifying and providing effective, feasible, and safe "next-step" treatments are clinical imperatives. This study explores patient baseline features that might help clinicians select between commonly used next-step treatments. METHODS: The authors used data from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Augmentation and Switching Treatments for Improving Depression Outcomes (VAST-D) study, a multisite, randomized, single-blind trial of 1,522 Veterans Health Administration patients who did not have an adequate response to at least one course of antidepressant treatment meeting minimal standards for dosage and duration. For 12 weeks, participants received one of three possible next-step treatments: switch to another antidepressant-sustained-release bupropion; combination with another antidepressant-sustained-release bupropion; or augmentation with an antipsychotic-aripiprazole. Life table regression models were used to identify baseline characteristics associated with remission overall (general predictors) and their interaction with remission among the three treatment groups (moderators). RESULTS: Remission was more likely for individuals who were employed, less severely and chronically depressed, less anxious, not experiencing complicated grief symptoms, did not experience childhood adversity, and had better quality of life and positive mental health. Two features suggested specific next-step treatment selections: age ≥65 years (for whom augmentation with aripiprazole was more effective than switch to bupropion) and severe mixed hypomanic symptoms (for which augmentation with aripiprazole and combination with bupropion were more effective than switch to bupropion). CONCLUSIONS: If replicated, these preliminary findings could help clinicians determine which patients with depression requiring next-step treatment will benefit most from a specific augmentation, combination, or switching strategy.

Use of the Normalized Difference Road Landside Index (NDRLI)-based method for the quick delineation of road-induced landslides.

Recognition and classification of road-related landslides are a critical requirement in pre- and post-disaster hazard analysis. They are primarily done through field mapping or manual image interpretation from commercial satellites images. This paper developed a Normalized Difference Road Landside Index (NDRLI)-based method to delineate road-induced landslides and enhance their presence in remotely sensed digital imagery based on free Landsat Operational Land Imager (OLI) sources. The NDRLI-based method includes NDRLI, Shape Index of Spectral Curve (SISC), and other optimizing steps such as deleting shadow and slope <20° area to recognise landslides. The test results show that the NDRLI-based method is effective in extracting road-induced landslide information, although the Kappa coefficient should be further improved.

Understanding the Association between Environmental Factors and Longevity in Hechi, China: A Drinking Water and Soil Quality Perspective.

The aging population is a big challenge all over the world. However, there are few studies to date investigating the effects of trace element and mineral levels in drinking water and soil (especially in karst areas) on longevity. This study aims to examine temporal and spatial variations in longevity in Hechi (which is recognized as a longevity city) and to investigate relationships between longevity and trace element and mineral levels in drinking water and soils in this city (the karst landscape). Population data were collected from relevant literature and four national population censuses in 1982, 1990, 2000 and 2010. Drinking water and soil samples from Hechi were collected and analyzed. The results demonstrated an obvious clustered distribution for the longevity population in Hechi that has existed stably for decades. The longevity index tended to be significantly positively correlated with H2SiO3, Ca and Fe in drinking water and significantly negatively correlated with Sr in soil, indicating that drinking water characteristics contributed significantly to the observed regional longevity. The karst landscape is responsible for abundant trace elements in underground rivers in Hechi, which are beneficial to human health when consumed as drinking water. Good quality and slightly alkaline drinking water rich in trace elements such as H2SiO3, Ca, Fe, Na, Mg and low in heavy metals such as Pb and Cd might be an important factor contributing to the longevity phenomenon in Hechi.

Acquisition of a full-resolution image and aliasing reduction for a spatially modulated imaging polarimeter with two snapshots.

A snapshot imaging polarimeter using spatial modulation can encode four Stokes parameters allowing instantaneous polarization measurement from a single interferogram. However, the reconstructed polarization images could suffer a severe aliasing signal if the high-frequency component of the intensity image is prominent and occurs in the polarization channels, and the reconstructed intensity image also suffers reduction of spatial resolution due to low-pass filtering. In this work, a method using two anti-phase snapshots is proposed to address the two problems simultaneously. The full-resolution target image and the pure interference fringes can be obtained from the sum and the difference of the two anti-phase interferograms, respectively. The polarization information reconstructed from the pure interference fringes does not contain the aliasing signal from the high-frequency component of the object intensity image. The principles of the method are derived and its feasibility is tested by both computer simulation and a verification experiment. This work provides a novel method for spatially modulated imaging polarization technology with two snapshots to simultaneously reconstruct a full-resolution object intensity image and high-quality polarization components.

Racial Differences in Four Leukemia Subtypes: Comprehensive Descriptive Epidemiology.

Leukemia is a malignant progressive disease and has four major subtypes. Different racial groups differ significantly in multiple aspects. Our goal is to systematically and comprehensively quantify racial differences in leukemia. The SEER database is analyzed, and comprehensive descriptive analysis is provided for the four major subtypes, namely ALL (acute lymphoblastic leukemia), CLL (chronic lymphoblastic leukemia), AML (acute myeloid leukemia), and CML (chronic myeloid leukemia), and for two age groups (≤14 and >14) separately. The racial groups studied include NHW (non-Hispanic White), HW (Hispanic White), BL (Black), and API (Asian and Pacific Islander). Univariate and multivariate analyses are conducted to quantify racial differences in patients' characteristics, incidence, and survival. For patients' characteristics, significant racial differences are observed in gender, age at diagnosis, diagnosis era, using radiation for treatment, registry, cancer history, and histology type. For incidence, significant racial differences are observed, and the patterns vary across subtypes, gender, and age groups. For most of the subtypes and gender and age groups, Blacks have the worst five-year survival, and significant racial differences exist. This study provides a comprehensive epidemiologic description of racial differences for the four major leukemia subtypes in the U.S.

Differences exist across insurance schemes in China post-consolidation.

BACKGROUND: In China, the basic insurance system consists of three schemes: the UEBMI (Urban Employee Basic Medical Insurance), URBMI (Urban Resident Basic Medical Insurance), and NCMS (New Cooperative Medical Scheme), across which significant differences have been observed. Since 2009, the central government has been experimenting with consolidating these schemes in selected areas. This study examines whether differences still exist across schemes after the consolidation. METHODS: A survey was conducted in the city of Suzhou, collecting data on subjects 45 years old and above with at least one inpatient or outpatient treatment during a period of twelve months. Analysis on 583 subjects was performed comparing subjects' characteristics across insurance schemes. A resampling-based method was applied to compute the predicted gross medical cost, OOP (out-of-pocket) cost, and insurance reimbursement rate. RESULTS: Subjects under different insurance schemes differ in multiple aspects. For inpatient treatments, subjects under the URBMI have the highest observed and predicted gross and OOP costs, while those under the UEBMI have the lowest. For outpatient treatments, subjects under the UEBMI and URBMI have comparable costs, while those under the NCMS have much lower costs. Subjects under the NCMS also have a much lower reimbursement rate. CONCLUSIONS: Differences still exist across schemes in medical costs and insurance reimbursement rate post-consolidation. Further investigations are needed to identify the causes, and interventions are needed to eliminate such differences.