Experimental Limits on Solar Reflected Dark Matter with a New Approach on Accelerated-Dark-Matter-Electron Analysis in Semiconductors.

Recently a dark matter-electron (DM-electron) paradigm has drawn much attention. Models beyond the standard halo model describing DM accelerated by high energy celestial bodies are under intense examination as well. In this Letter, a velocity components analysis (VCA) method dedicated to swift analysis of accelerated DM-electron interactions via semiconductor detectors is proposed and the first HPGe detector-based accelerated DM-electron analysis is realized. Utilizing the method, the first germanium based constraint on sub-GeV solar reflected DM-electron interaction is presented with the 205.4 kg·day dataset from the CDEX-10 experiment. In the heavy mediator scenario, our result excels in the mass range of 5-15 keV/c^{2}, achieving a 3 orders of magnitude improvement comparing with previous semiconductor experiments. In the light mediator scenario, the strongest laboratory constraint for DM lighter than 0.1 MeV/c^{2} is presented. The result proves the feasibility and demonstrates the vast potential of the VCA technique in future accelerated DM-electron analyses with semiconductor detectors.

Current management of subarachnoid hemorrhage in a northern urban Chinese population: a multi-center surveillance study.

OBJECTIVE: The current management of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) in the urban Chinese population remains unclear and the relevant literature is still lacking. Therefore, this work aimed to investigate the recent clinical practice in the management of spontaneous SAH in an urban population-based setting. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From 2009 to 2011, the China Epidemiology Research In Subarachnoid Hemorrhage (CHERISH) project, which was a two-year prospective, multi-center, population-based, case-control study, was performed in the northern urban Chinese population. SAH cases were described in terms of their features, clinical management, and in-hospital outcomes. RESULTS: Totally of 226 cases were enrolled with a final diagnosis of primary spontaneous SAH (65% of females; mean age, 58.5±13.2 years; range, 20-87 years). Among them, 92% of these patients received nimodipine, while 93% took mannitol. Meanwhile, 40% of them received traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), while 43% took neuroprotective agents. Endovascular coiling was applied in 26% of 98 angiography-confirmed intracranial aneurysms (IA) cases, while neurosurgical clipping was in 5% of them. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings on the management of SAH in the northern metropolitan Chinese population reveal that nimodipine is an effective medical therapy with a high rate of use. There is also a high utilization rate of alternative medical interventions. Endovascular coiling occlusion is more common than neurosurgical clipping. Therefore, regionally traditional therapy may be a key factor for the difference in the treatment of SAH between northern and southern China.

Constraints on Sub-GeV Dark Matter-Electron Scattering from the CDEX-10 Experiment.

We present improved germanium-based constraints on sub-GeV dark matter via dark matter-electron (χ-e) scattering using the 205.4 kg·day dataset from the CDEX-10 experiment. Using a novel calculation technique, we attain predicted χ-e scattering spectra observable in high-purity germanium detectors. In the heavy mediator scenario, our results achieve 3 orders of magnitude of improvement for m_{χ} larger than 80 MeV/c^{2} compared to previous germanium-based χ-e results. We also present the most stringent χ-e cross-section limit to date among experiments using solid-state detectors for m_{χ} larger than 90 MeV/c^{2} with heavy mediators and m_{χ} larger than 100 MeV/c^{2} with electric dipole coupling. The result proves the feasibility and demonstrates the vast potential of a new χ-e detection method with high-purity germanium detectors in ultralow radioactive background.

Exotic Dark Matter Search with the CDEX-10 Experiment at China's Jinping Underground Laboratory.

A search for exotic dark matter (DM) in the sub-GeV mass range has been conducted using 205 kg day data taken from a p-type point contact germanium detector of the CDEX-10 experiment at China's Jinping underground laboratory. New low-mass dark matter searching channels, neutral current fermionic DM absorption (χ+A→ν+A) and DM-nucleus 3→2 scattering (χ+χ+A→ϕ+A), have been analyzed with an energy threshold of 160 eVee. No significant signal was found; thus new limits on the DM-nucleon interaction cross section are set for both models at the sub-GeV DM mass region. A cross section limit for the fermionic DM absorption is set to be 2.5×10^{-46} cm^{2} (90% C.L.) at DM mass of 10 MeV/c^{2}. For the DM-nucleus 3→2 scattering scenario, limits are extended to DM mass of 5 and 14 MeV/c^{2} for the massless dark photon and bound DM final state, respectively.

[Study on prevalence of physical activity in rural residents in four counties (districts) of Shanxi and Chongqing].

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of physical activity and its influencing factors in rural residents in Shanxi and Chongqing. Methods: In four counties (districts) of Shanxi and Chongqing, local residents aged ≥18 who lived there for more than one year and had no plan to migrate to other areas in 2 years were surveyed through face to face questionnaire interviews to collect the information about their daily physical activity time, sedentary time, related knowledge and attitude, and others. Results: The physical inactivity rate of the residents was 14.9%, and 88.7% of residents never took daily physical activity. The average sedentary time was (3.91±2.06) hours. The results of multivariate analysis showed that education level, per capita monthly income and activity degree were the factors influencing physical inactivity. Conclusion: The proportion of people who never took daily physical activity in the survey area was higher than the average level in rural areas in China, so measures should be taken to improve the overall rate of physical activity. For people who have exercise willingness, but have no practice, and those who have already increased their physical activities, targeted guidance is needed on the basis of strengthened health education.

Effects of propofol and etomidate pretreatment on glucocorticoid receptor expression following induction of sepsis in rats.

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of etomidate and propofol pretreatment on the expression of glucocorticoid receptor and the prognosis of sepsis. The sepsis rat was used as a model. During glucocorticoid treatment, etomidate and propofol were applied alone or together at different time points. Survival curves, glucocorticoid receptor expression in the rat adrenal cortex, and inflammation levels were determined. The outcome of sepsis in rats was evaluated based on the combined utilization of propofol and etomidate. The results indicated that the combined utilization of propofol and etomidate pretreatment could significantly improve the effects of glucocorticoids on rat sepsis. Etomidate was shown to enhance the expression of the glucocorticoid receptor, while propofol was shown to inhibit the inflammatory response. Etomidate was best used immediately after modeling, whereas propofol was most suitable for use during the peak inflammatory reaction. These results demonstrated that anesthetics had the ability to enhance the effect of glucocorticoids in the treatment of sepsis. Etomidate was indicated for use in the early stage of inflammation to enhance expression of the glucocorticoid receptor, while propofol application was indicated at the peak of the inflammatory reaction owing to its strong anti-inflammation effect.

The adjunctive use of platelet concentrates in the therapy of gingival recessions: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

This systematic review aims to evaluate the adjunctive efficacy of platelet concentrates in surgical treatment of gingival recessions. The MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched for entries up to January 2014. Only clinical randomised controlled trials (RCTs) with a follow-up ≥3 months that evaluated recession areas (Miller Class I or II) were included. Outcome variables include changes of recession depth (RD), keratinised tissue width (KTW), clinical attachment level (CAL) and wound healing index. Data were adjusted for a meta-analysis. Nine researches were included in meta-analysis. With the adjunctive use of platelet concentrates, there was statistically significant reduction in RD and KTW improvement while no significant effect was found in CAL. The adjunctive use of platelet concentrates also showed better healing in gingival recessions. Platelet concentrates might exert a positive effect on treatment of gingival recessions. It could accelerate early wound healing and reduce post-surgery complications in recession defects. However, more high-quality, long follow-up and large-scale RCTs are still needed in future.

The exclusion of never-married women from Chinese fertility surveys.

Never-married women have been regularly excluded in official national surveys of fertility in China, even in light of evidence of increasing premarital sexual activity. Likewise, never-married women in the United States were consistently excluded from national fertility surveys prior to 1982 because of the perceived sensitivity of questions about contraceptive use and sexual activities. Data on sexual and fertility behavior from all women of reproductive age, regardless of marital status, can provide direct measures of sexual activity and unintended pregnancies, as well as facilitate modeling of social networks underlying the sexual transmission of diseases. China's need for such information, however sensitive, will become more difficult to ignore given increasing pressures to attend to the health needs of their never-married but sexually active population.

PIP: It is argued that exclusion of the never married from Chinese fertility surveys eliminates consideration of unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and factors that might indicate future changes in fertility or contraceptive use. Never married persons are important as providers of information on sexual activity and sexually transmitted diseases. Asia may replace Africa as a major transmission site for HIV infection by the year 2000. Official Chinese reports indicated 2594 HIV-infected persons in 1995, but actual numbers could be as high as 100,000 persons. Information about social networks and sexual activity can be helpful in predicting the potential for spread of HIV. Economic reforms are expected to impact on patterns of marriage and sexual behavior. Although the 1982 One-per-thousand Population Fertility Sampling Survey included married and unmarried women, it excluded women aged 15-19 years. Reproductive histories were not collected from unmarried women. The 1985 and 1987 In-Depth Fertility Surveys only collected reproductive histories among ever married women aged 15-49. The 1992 National Sex Civilization Survey of sexual behavior was limited to the currently married. The only survey of sexual activity among the never married was conducted among college students in Shanghai, but six universities refused to participate. There is no nationally representative fertility survey of the Chinese population that includes the never married. 1990 Census findings indicate that 25% of population aged 15 years or older were never married. There were 194 million never married persons aged 15-30 years in 1990, or 95% of the 205 million never married persons. The proportion of those never married is likely to increase. Lessons from Taiwan and the US indicate the difficulties in measuring premarital sexual behavior, but there are compelling reasons to collect information on sexual behavior and reproductive health.

An exploration of life insurance among the elderly in Taiwan.

The burgeoning of the life insurance industry in Taiwan cannot be attributed solely to a rise in incomes, but also to increasing urbanization and industrialization, aggressive marketing strategies introduced by U.S. life insurance companies, and important changes in values that make it increasingly acceptable to own life insurance. The growing use of life insurance can be considered part of a transition from informal, familial care of the elderly to formal market mechanisms to protect the financial security of loved ones, including a widowed spouse, and as one component of the pattern of intergenerational relations. We use data from the 1991-92 Telephone Followup to the 1989 Survey of Health and Living Status of the Elderly in Taiwan to explore the extent to which familial resources and socioeconomic/demographic characteristics influence the propensity of elderly persons to own life insurance. We also consider motivations for and against the ownership of insurance, and if insurance is currently held, the relationship of the beneficiary to the respondent. We conclude with suggestions for additional data that can help resolve a number of issues raised in this exploratory study.

Division of family property in Taiwan.

Since property ownership affords the elderly some control over resources and perhaps even support and respect from potential caretakers, examination of the decision to transfer property to children can help us gain insight into the underlying dynamics of intergenerational exchanges between the elderly and their children. In this paper we use data from the 1989 Survey of Health and Living Status of the Elderly in Taiwan to explore the demographic and social characteristics associated with pre-mortem property division. From both bivariate and multivariate analyses, we find that the likelihood of property division is positively related to age, widowhood, natality in Taiwan, rural residence, and the number of living children, and negatively related to education. After controlling for other characteristics, our results show that widows are more than twice as likely as widowers to have divided all their property. These results lend statistical support to findings in the ethnographic literature on the Chinese family.