How much organic carbon could the soil store? The carbon sequestration potential of Australian soil.

Soil is a huge carbon (C) reservoir, but where and how much extra C can be stored is unknown. Current methods to estimate the maximum amount of mineral-associated organic carbon (MAOC) stabilized in the fine fraction (clay + silt, < 20 µm $$ <20\;\upmu \mathrm{m} $$ ) fit through the MAOC versus clay + silt relationship, not their maxima, making their estimates more uncertain and unreliable. We need a function that 'envelopes' that relationship. Here, using 5089 observations, we estimated that the uppermost 30 cm of Australian soil holds 13 Gt (10-18 Gt) of MAOC. We then fitted frontier lines, by soil type, to the relationship between MAOC and the percentage of clay + silt to estimate the maximum amounts of MAOC that Australian soils could store in their current environments, and calculated the MAOC deficit, or C sequestration potential. We propagated the uncertainties from the frontier line fitting and mapped the estimates of these values over Australia using machine learning and kriging with external drift. The maps show regions where the soil is more in MAOC deficit and has greater sequestration potential. The modelling shows that the variation over the whole continent is determined mainly by climate, linked to vegetation and soil mineralogy. We find that the MAOC deficit in Australian soil is 40 Gt (25-60 Gt). The deficit in the vast rangelands is 20.84 Gt (13.97-29.70 Gt) and the deficit in cropping soil is 1.63 Gt (1.12-2.32 Gt). Management could increase C sequestration in these regions if the climate allowed it. Our findings provide new information on the C sequestration potential of Australian soils and highlight priority regions for soil management. Australia could benefit environmentally, socially and economically by unlocking even a tiny portion of its soil's C sequestration potential.

Abnormal Bifurcation of the Double Binding Energy Differences and Proton-Neutron Pairing: Nuclei Close to N=Z Line from Ni to Rb.

The recently observed abnormal bifurcation of the double binding energy differences δV_{pn} between the odd-odd and even-even nuclei along the N=Z line from Ni to Rb has challenged the nuclear theories. To solve this problem, a shell-model-like approach based on the relativistic density functional theory is established, by treating simultaneously the neutron-neutron, proton-neutron, and proton-proton pairing correlations both microscopically and self-consistently. Without any ad hoc parameters, the calculated results well reproduce the observations, and the mechanism for this abnormal bifurcation is found to be due to the enhanced proton-neutron pairing correlations in the odd-odd N=Z nuclei, compared with the even-even ones. The present results provide an excellent interpretation for the abnormal δV_{pn} bifurcation, and provide a clear signal for the existence of the proton-neutron pairing correlations for nuclei close to the N=Z line.

Can serum IgE or blood eosinophil count predict postoperative oral corticosteroid response in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps?

BACKGROUND: Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) is characterised by inflammatory mucosa and polyp formation in the paranasal sinuses. The study's primary objective was to evaluate the outcomes of postoperative oral corticosteroid (OCS) in treating patients with bilateral CRSwNP. The secondary objective was to determine whether preoperative serum IgE levels (sIgE)and/or blood eosinophil count (BEC) correlate with postoperative outcomes following OCS use. METHODS: Patients with bilateral CRSwNP (n=236) who underwent endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) were randomly assigned to receive 15 mg OCS twice daily or a placebo for 2 weeks. We investigated the treatment effects based on the subjective visual analogue scale (VAS), Sino-Nasal Outcome Test 22 (SNOT-22), and objective Lund-Kennedy Endoscopy Score (LKES) over 6 months; subgroups were stratified preoperatively as follows: sIgE <150 IU/mL, sIgE>=150 IU/mL, BEC <0.39x10(9) cells/L, and BEC>=0.39x10(9) cells/L. RESULTS: A total of 193 participants completed the study up to the 6-month follow-up; no apparent linear relationship was noted between sIgE and BEC. No significant differences in scores were noted upon assessment of the VAS, SNOT-22, and LKES among the follow-up timepoints in the primary analysis. However, in the primary or subgroup analyses with sIgE or BEC, significant differences in the longitudinal scores of sleep dysfunction were observed at the 1-month follow-up. CONCLUSION: Postoperative OCS did not significantly affect bilateral CRSwNP outcomes. sIgE levels and BEC may not be surrogate predictive biomarkers to assess the role of postoperative OCS use. OCS may increase the risk of transient sleep disturbance.

[Exploration of the method and efficacy of treatments for intractable pelvic pain caused by rectal or bladder fistula].

Objective: To explore the causes and therapeutic effects of pelvic pain caused by rectal fistula or bladder fistula after comprehensive treatment of cervical cancer and rectal cancer (radiotherapy, surgery, chemotherapy, and other treatments). Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical and pathological data of patients with pelvic tumors admitted to the First People's Hospital of Yinchuan City, Ningxia and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University from June 2016 to June 2022. The causes of persistent pelvic pain in patients after comprehensive treatment was investigated, and the corresponding therapeutic effects after clinical treatment was observed. Results: Thirty-two tumor patients experienced persistent pain after comprehensive treatment, including 22 cases of cervical cancer and 10 cases of rectal cancer. The preoperative pain of the entire group of patients was evaluated using the digital grading method, with a pain score of (7.88±1.31) points. Among the 32 patients, there were 16 cases of rectovaginal fistula or ileovaginal fistula, 9 cases of vesicovaginal fistula, 5 cases of rectoperineal fistula, and 2 cases of vesicovaginorectal fistula. Thirty-two patients were initially treated with medication to relieve pain, and according to the ruptured organs, a fistula was made to the corresponding proximal intestinal canal and renal pelvis to intercept the intestinal contents and urine. However, the pain did not significantly be improved. The pain score of treatment with the above methods for one week was (8.13±1.13) points, and there was no statistically significant difference compared to preoperative treatment (P=0.417). In the later stage, based on a comprehensive evaluation of whether the tumor had recurred, the value of organ preservation, the benefits of surgery, the balance between survival time and improving quality of life, pathological organ resection or repair was performed. The surgical methods included repair of leaks, local debridement combined with irrigation of proximal intestinal fluid, distal closure of the sigmoid colon combined with proximal ostomy, posterior pelvic organ resection, anterior pelvic organ resection, and total pelvic organ resection. One week after surgery, the patients' pain completely relieved or disappeared, with the pain score of (1.72±1.37) points, which was significantly divergent from the preoperative and initial surgical treatments (P＜0.001). Conclusions: Palliative pyelostomy and proximal enterostomy cannot effectively alleviate persistent pelvic floor pain. The fundamental way to alleviate pain is complete blocking of the inflammatory erosion of the intestinal fluid and urine.

[Adolescent female reproductive system dysplasia: a clinical study of 356 cases].

Objective: To explore the age of onset and consultation, the main clinical manifestations, common types of combined malformations, the relationship of endometriosis, surgical prognosis and different types of proportion of adolescent female reproductive system dysplasia. Methods: The medical records of 356 patients (aged 10-19) with female reproductive system dysplasia in Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University from January 2003 to August 2018 were collected and retrospectively analyzed. Results: (1) Among the 356 adolescent dysplasia patients, uterine dysplasia (23.6%, 84/356), oblique vaginal septum syndrome (OVSS; 22.5%, 80/356) and vaginal dysplasia (21.6%, 77/356) were the most frequent ones, followed by multi-sectional dysplasia (16.0%, 57/356), other types of developmental abnormalities like external genitaliaand urogenital fistula (13.5%, 48/356) and Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome (MRKH syndrome; 2.8%, 10/356). (2) There were significant differences between the median age of onset and the age of consultation of patients with OVSS and other types of abnormalities except hymen atresia (both P<0.05). In contrast, there were no significant differences between the age of onset and the age of consultation of the patients of uterine dysplasia, vaginal dysplasia, hymen atresia, MRKH syndrome and multi-sectional dysplasia (all P>0.05). (3) The clinical manifestations were lack of specificity, and mainly abnormal finding was lower abdominal pain. (4) After admission, the majority of patients underwent comprehensive cardiopulmonary examination (71.3%, 254/356) and urinary system examination (63.5%, 226/356). Only 18.3% (65/356) of patients had completed abdominal organ examination, and 5.9% (21/356) skeletal system examination. About other systemic malformations, urological malformations were the most common (27.5%, 98/356), followed by anorectal malformation (0.6%, 2/356), heart malformations (0.3%, 1/356), and spinal malformations (0.3%, 1/356). 46.4% (84/181) of the surgical patients were diagnosed with combined endometriosis. Patients with obstructive genital tract malformations were more likely to combine with endometriosis than non-obstructive ones [50.3% (74/147) vs 29.4% (10/34); P<0.05]. However, there was no significant difference between the severity of endometriosis of those two kinds (P>0.05). (5) Totally 308 patients were followed up successfully with a median of 25.0 years old, and 20 cases were treated again; 12.0% (37/308) of them were suffering from menstrual disorder and 33.1% (102/308) of them with dysmenorrhea. Totally 130 patients had sexually active reported no sexual problems. Conclusions: Uterine dysplasia, OVSS and vaginal dysplasia are the most common syndromes in adolescent female reproductive system dysplasia along with frequent cases of coexisting urinary malformations and increasing risks of endometriosis. Meanwhile, the lack of specificity of clinical manifestations might delay the timely diagnosis and treatment after the onset of symptoms. Nonetheless, most patients could achieve good surgical outcomes.

[Clinical management of thrombocytopenia in cirrhosis].

Thrombocytopenia is one of the common complications of cirrhotic patients, which can induce an increasing bleeding risk and closely correlate with bleeding following invasive procedures. Consequently, how to respond to thrombocytopenia is crucial for improving the prognosis of patients with cirrhosis. This article reviews the main mechanisms of cirrhosis concurrent with thrombocytopenia, as well as the corresponding clinical management strategies.

[Correlation analysis of anterior pituitary hormone and tumor size in patients with pituitary adenomas].

Objective: To summarize the correlation between anterior pituitary function and tumor size in patients with different hormone-secreting pituitary adenomas. Methods: This was a retrospective case series study. The clinical data of 1 946 patients with pituitary adenoma hospitalized in the First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital from January 1, 2005, to December 31, 2020, were collected. The correlation between tumor size and anterior pituitary hormone levels was analyzed using Spearman rank correlation analysis in different types of pituitary adenomas. Results: The median age of the 1 946 patients was 45.1 years, of which 857 (44.0%) were men. The maximum tumor diameter of the patients [M (Q1, Q3)] was 22 (14, 30) mm. Tumor size in nonfunctioning adenomas (n=1 191) was negatively correlated with adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) (r=-0.11, P<0.001), growth hormone (r=-0.13, P<0.001), and luteinizing hormone (men: r=-0.26, P<0.001, women: r=-0.31, all P<0.001). The tumor size of somatotropic adenomas (n=297) was positively correlated with growth hormone (r=0.46, P<0.001), but negatively correlated with male testosterone (r=-0.41, P<0.001). The tumor size of ACTH-secreting pituitary adenomas (n=155) was positively correlated with the ACTH level at 8∶00 AM (r=0.25, P<0.001); however, no correlation was found with cortisol at 8∶00 AM (P>0.05). The tumor size of prolactinomas (n=303) was positively correlated with the prolactin level (men: r=0.34, P=0.001; women: r=0.13, P=0.070). Conclusions: The correlation between the function of the anterior pituitary and size of the tumor depends on the cellular origin of the pituitary adenoma and specific type of hormone secretion. In somatotroph adenomas, ACTH-secreting pituitary adenomas, and prolactinomas, there is a positive correlation between tumor size and level of hormones secreted by the corresponding tumors. In patients with nonfunctioning adenomas, the tumor size was negatively correlated with the hormone levels of the pituitary-adrenal and pituitary-growth hormone axes.

[Early efficacy and safety of mini open (air/water medium) endoscopy assisted anterior cervical discectomy and fusion in the treatment of cervical spondylotic myelopathy].

Objective: To investigate the efficacy and safety of mini open (air/water medium) endoscopy assisted anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (MOEA-ACDF) for the treatment of cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM). Methods: A follow-up study. The clinical data of 30 patients with CSM treated by MOEA-ACDF from January to December in 2021 in the Henan NO.3 Provincial People's Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. Of the patients, 20 were male and 10 were female, the mean age was (49.8±9.3) years (ranged 28-70 years). The CSM occurred at C3-4 level in 2 cases, at C4-5 level in 3 cases, at C5-6 level in 22 cases and at C6-7 level in 3 cases. Each case was compared at the moment of pre-operation and final follow-up by the Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score, C2-7 Cobb angle, and anterior column height of surgical segment. The postoperative complications were recorded. Prevertebral soft tissue edema and hydrops were assessed. The fusion rate was evaluated. The JOA improvement rate was computed at the final follow-up. Results: All the operations were successfully completed and all the patients received follow-up for (12.7±2.7) months (ranged 9-20 months). The mean operation time was (85.3±11.0) min (ranged 65-110 min). The postoperative drainage volume was (16.7±7.4) ml (ranged 5-35 ml). The JOA score and the C2-7 Cobb angle both improved at the final follow-up when compared with those before the operation (15.3±1.3 vs 12.2±2.3, 15.5°±6.1° vs 12.3°±6.0°, both P<0.001). The anterior column height of surgical segment at the final follow-up was (35.6±2.5) mm, and it was higher than that before the operation [(34.1±2.4) mm](P<0.001). No postoperative complications such as dysphagia, hoarseness, cerebrospinal fluid leakage, nerve injury, hematoma occurred. Postoperative review of cervical MRI revealed 3 cases of prevertebral soft tissue edema and hydrops without obvious symptoms. At the final follow-up, cervical spine X-ray or CT showed that all fusion segments met the criteria for osseous fusion, and the fusion rate was 100%. No complications such as neurological aggravation, internal fixation failure, fusion cage sinking, and adjacent segment degeneration was recorded at the final follow-up. At the final follow-up, the comprehensive efficacy evaluated by JOA improvement rate indicated the excellent and good rate was 90.0%(27/30): 19 cases got an excellent outcome, 8 cases got good and 3 cases got medium outcome. Conclusion: MOEA-ACDF combines the endoscopic system with ACDF technology in the treatment of CSM can achieve satisfactory clinical efficacy with high safety, and effectively restore the cervical intervertebral height and physiological curvature.

[The optimal examination duration for the detection of epileptiform discharge in outpatient video-electroencephalography].

Objective: To determine the optimal examination duration by evaluating the detection rate of epileptiform discharges (EDs) with different examination duration of video-electroencephalography (EEG) in outpatients. Methods: Patients with EDs who underwent 4-hour EEG examination from Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University from October 2020 to November 2021 were retrospectively enrolled, and the detection rates of EDs were calculated with examination duration of 0-0.5 h, 0-1 h, 0-2 h, 0-3 h, and 0-4 h (group A, B, C, D and E), respectively. For each patient, EDs in each hour (group H1, group H2, group H3, group H4) were counted, and the standardized amount of EDs was calculated. For each patient, EDs in wakefulness, drowsiness, non-rapid eye movement-Ⅰ (NREM-Ⅰ), NREM-Ⅱ and NREM-Ⅲ were counted, and the standardized amount of EDs in each state was calculated. Meanwhile, the sleep duration per hour of each patient was also counted (group H1', group H2', group H3', group H4'). The Wilcoxon paired test was used for intergroup comparison to determine the optimal examination duration. Results: A total of 80 patients were enrolled, and aged [M(Q1, Q3)]31 (21, 39) years (range: 5-68 years). There were 38 males and 42 females. The detection rate of EDs was 42.5% (34/80) in group A, 81.3% (65/80) in group B, and 100.0% (80/80) in group C, group D and group E, respectively. The standardized amount of EDs of H1, H2, H3 and H4 was 24.8% (7.8%, 44.2%), 41.5% (25.9%, 63.3%), 15.1% (1.3%, 27.8%) and 1.3% (0, 14.5%), respectively. The standardized amount of EDs of H2 was significantly higher than that of H1, H3 and H4 (all P<0.05). The standardized amount of EDs in wakefulness, drowsiness, NREM-Ⅰ, NREM-Ⅱ and NREM-Ⅲ were 9.6% (0, 28.2%), 3.6% (0, 16.9%), 3.3% (0, 11.8%), 47.3% (21.9%, 72.5%) and 0 (0, 11.5%), respectively. The standardized amount of EDs in NREM-Ⅱ was significantly higher than that in wakefulness, drowsiness, NREM-Ⅰ and NREM-Ⅲ (all P<0.05). The sleep duration in the group of the H1', H2', H3' and H4' was 13.6 (2.5, 23.6), 35.8 (16.5, 54.2), 14.5(0, 34.7) and 0 (0, 14.6) minutes, respectively. The sleep duration in the group of the H2' group was significantly longer than that in the group of H1', H3' and H4' (all P<0.05). Conclusion: The study recommends 2 hours video-EEG in outpatients, which not only ensures the detection rate of EDs, but also facilitates patient cooperation and optimizes the allocation of medical resources.

[Exposure level of neonicotinoid pesticides and their metabolites in pregnant women in the suburb of Shanghai].

In 2021, a total of 151 pregnant women were selected from the suburb of Shanghai. A questionnaire survey was conducted to obtain data about maternal age, gestational week, total annual household income, education level and passive smoking among pregnant women and one spot urine was collected. The concentrations of eight neonicotinoid pesticides and four metabolites in urine were measured by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The differences in detection frequencies and concentrations of neonicotinoid pesticides and their metabolites among pregnant women with different characteristics were compared, and the influencing factors of the detection of neonicotinoid pesticides in urine were analyzed. The results showed that at least one neonicotinoid pesticide was detected in 93.4% (141 samples) of urine samples. The detection frequencies of N-desmethyl-acetamiprid, clothianidin, thiamethoxam, and N-desmethyl-clothianidin were high, about 78.1% (118 samples), 75.5% (114 samples), 68.9% (104 samples), and 44.4% (67 samples), respectively. The median concentration of the sum of all neonicotinoid pesticides was 2.66 µg/g. N-desmethyl-acetamiprid had the highest detection concentration with a median concentration of 1.04 µg/g. A lower urinary detection frequency of imidacloprid and its metabolites was seen in pregnant women aged 30-44 years [OR (95%CI): 0.23 (0.07-0.77)]. A higher detection frequency of clothianidin and its metabolites was seen in pregnant women with per capita annual household income≥100 000 yuan [OR (95%CI): 6.15 (1.56-24.28)]. There was widespread exposure to neonicotinoid pesticides and their metabolites in pregnant women from the suburb of Shanghai, which might pose potential health risks to pregnant women, and maternal age and household income were potential influencing factors of the exposure to neonicotinoid pesticides.

[Evaluation of the performance of InnowaveDX MTB/RIF for the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex and rifampicin resistance].

Objective: To evaluate the performance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and rifampicin resistance mutation detection kit (InnowaveDX MTB/RIF, referred to as "InnowaveDX") in diagnosing tuberculosis and rifampicin resistance using sputum samples. Methods: From June 19, 2020 to May 16, 2022, patients with suspected tuberculosis were prospectively and consecutively enrolled in Hunan Provincial Tuberculosis Prevention and Control Institute, Henan Provincial Hospital of Infectious Diseases and Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital. A total of 1 328 patients with suspected tuberculosis were finally included. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 1 035 pulmonary tuberculosis patients (357 were confirmed tuberculosis cases and 678 were clinically diagnosed tuberculosis cases) and 180 non-tuberculosis patients were finally included. Sputum samples were collected from all patients for routine sputum smear acid-fastness tests, mycobacterial culture and drug susceptibility testing. Moreover, the diagnostic value of Xpert®MTB/RIF (referred to as "Xpert") and InnowaveDXin detecting tuberculosis and rifampicin resistance was evaluated. Clinical diagnosis and culture results of Mycobacterium tuberculosis were used as reference standards to assess tuberculosis diagnosis, and phenotypic drug sensitivity and Xpert were used as reference standards to assess rifampicin resistance. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of the two methods for tuberculosis diagnosis and rifampicin resistance were analyzed. The consistency of the two techniques was analyzed usingkappa test. Results: Taking clinical diagnosis as the reference standard, the detection sensitivity of InnowaveDX [58.0% (600/1 035)] was higher than that of Xpert [51.7% (535/1 035)] in 1035 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.001). In 270 pulmonary tuberculosis patients with culture-positive pulmonary tuberculosis identified as M.tuberculosis-complex, the positive rates of InnowaveDX and Xpert were both high [99.6%(269/270)and 98.2%(265/270), respectively] and there was no statistical difference. In culture-negative patients with pulmonary tuberculosis, the sensitivity of InnowaveDX was 38.8% (198/511), which was higher than that of Xpert (29.4%, 150/511), and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.001). Taking phenotypic drug-susceptibility testing (DST) as reference, the sensitivity of InnowaveDX to rifampicin resistance was 99.0% (95%CI: 94.7%-100.0%) and the specificity was 94.0%(95%CI: 88.5%-97.4%). With Xpert as the reference, the sensitivity and specificity of InnowaveDX were 97.1% (95%CI: 93.4%-99.1%) and 99.7% (95%CI: 98.4%-100.0%), respectively, and the kappa value was 0.97 (P<0.001). Conclusions: InnowaveDX show a high sensitivity for detecting Mycobacterium tuberculosis, especially in pulmonary tuberculosis patients with a clinical diagnosis and negative culture results. It also showed high sensitivity in detecting rifampicin resistance with DST and Xpert as reference respectively. InnowaveDX is an early and accurate diagnostic tool for TB and drug-resistant TB, particularly suitable for application in low- and middle-income countries.

[Clinical efficacy of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt for gastrointestinal hemorrhage in patients with idiopathic noncirrhotic portal hypertension].

Objective: To explore the medium-long term efficacy of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) for gastrointestinal hemorrhage in patients with idiopathic non-cirrhotic portal hypertension (INCPH). Methods: From March 2013 to July 2018, clinical data of 13 INCPH patients, including 5 males, 8 females,with gastrointestinal hemorrhage were retrospectively analyzed, who were diagnosed at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Anyang Fifth People' s Hospital and Yuncheng Central Hospital. All patients received TIPS treatment. The general information, postoperative survival rate, the incidence of rebleeding, shunt dysfunction rate, and incidence of hepatic encephalopathy were analyzed. Results: All 13 patients with INCPH completed TIPS successfully with an average age of 45±8 (33 to 59) years. The hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) decreased from 20.0-26.0 (22.6±1.9) mmHg before procedure to 8.0-14.0 (9.4±3.2) mmHg after. The median follow-up time was 44±7 (31 to 53) months. One patient died of liver failure 27 months after TIPS. Hepatic encephalopathy occurred cumulatively in 1 case (1/13), 1 case (1/13) and 1 case (1/13) in 12, 24 and 36 months after TIPS. Stent restenosis occurred cumulatively in 2 cases (2/13), 3 cases (3/13) and 3 cases (3/13) in 12, 24 and 36 months after TIPS. Portal vein thrombosis occurred cumulatively in 2 cases (2/13), and no primary liver cancer developed. Conclusions: TIPS is safe and effective in the treatment of INCPH with gastrointestinal bleeding with favorable medium-long term outcome.

[Effects of menopause on depressive and anxiety symptoms in community women in Beijing].

Objective: To determine the effects of menopausal stage, age and other associated risk factors on symptoms of anxiety and depression among women in a community in Beijing. Methods: This study was a community-based prospective cohort. Participants who had transitioned through natural menopause, completed two or more depressive and anxiety symptoms evaluations, aged 35 to 64 years, and did not use hormone therapy were selected from the Peking Union Medical College Hospital aging longitudinal cohort of women in midlife to this analysis. The primary outcome variables were depressive and anxiety symptoms, assessed by hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS). The generalized estimation equation was used in the statistical analysis. Results: Followed up from 2006 to 2014, 430 women and 2 533 HADS assessments were retained in the cohort. Depressive symptoms were more common than anxiety symptoms during all menopausal stages. The incidences of depressive and anxiety symptoms were 14.5% (19/191) and 3.1% (4/191) in the premenopausal -3 stage, respectively. The incidence increased in both menopausal transition and postmenopausal stage, with the highest incidence in the +1c stage [20.6% (155/751) and 8.8% (66/751), respectively]. However, these differences were not statistically significant (all P>0.05). Depressive symptoms were highest in the ≥60-<65 age group [20.8% (74/355)], and anxiety symptoms were highest in the ≥50-<55 age group [8.2% (62/754)]; but there were no statistical significances between different age groups and depressive and anxiety symptoms (all P>0.05). Multivariable analysis showed that high body mass index, low education status, and poor health status were independently associated with depressive symptoms (all P<0.05), and that poor health status, trouble falling asleep, and early awakening were independently associated with anxiety symptoms (all P<0.01). Conclusions: Depressive and anxiety symptoms are more common during menopausal transition and postmenopausal stage compared with reproductive stage. Depressive symptoms are more common than anxiety symptoms. To screen and assess depressive and anxiety symptoms in perimenopausal women is essential, especially for women with high risk factors.

[Temporal trend of antibiotic use among primary school children in Shanghai, 2017-2020].

To investigate the temporal trend of antibiotic use among children in Shanghai from 2017 to 2020. The stratified cluster sampling method was used to establish a dynamic cohort of healthy children based on primary schools in Changning District, Shanghai. In the cohort, there were 282 children from 2017, 287 children from 2018, 294 from 2019 and 301 from 2020. A total of 700 children aged 7-11 years were included in the study. The basic information and antibiotic use of children were investigated by questionnaire every year, and their height and weight were measured at the same time. Chi-square test was used to analyze the difference of antibiotic use rate in each year and generalized estimation equation was used to analyze the temporal trend of antibiotic use. The results showed that the use rates of all antibiotics, cephalosporins, azithromycin and other antibiotics (including penicillin, lincomycin, quinolones, etc.) of children between 2017 and 2020 were 15.6%, 10.5%, 2.7%, and 2.4%, respectively. In 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020, there were significant differences for the use rates of total antibiotics and other antibiotics in children (P=0.033, P=0.040), and there were no significant differences for the use rates of cephalosporins and azithromycin (P=0.274, P=0.455). After adjusting for children's basic characteristics, the generalized estimation equation showed that the annual use rate of all antibiotics, cephalosporins, and other antibiotics decreased over time.

The Developmental Chronnecto-Genomics (Dev-CoG) study: A multimodal study on the developing brain.

Brain development has largely been studied through unimodal analysis of neuroimaging data, providing independent results for structural and functional data. However, structure clearly impacts function and vice versa, pointing to the need for performing multimodal data collection and analysis to improve our understanding of brain development, and to further inform models of typical and atypical brain development across the lifespan. Ultimately, such models should also incorporate genetic and epigenetic mechanisms underlying brain structure and function, although currently this area is poorly specified. To this end, we are reporting here a multi-site, multi-modal dataset that captures cognitive function, brain structure and function, and genetic and epigenetic measures to better quantify the factors that influence brain development in children originally aged 9-14 years. Data collection for the Developmental Chronnecto-Genomics (Dev-CoG) study (http://devcog.mrn.org/) includes cognitive, emotional, and social performance scales, structural and functional MRI, diffusion MRI, magnetoencephalography (MEG), and saliva collection for DNA analysis of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and DNA methylation patterns. Across two sites (The Mind Research Network and the University of Nebraska Medical Center), data from over 200 participants were collected and these children were re-tested annually for at least 3 years. The data collection protocol, sample demographics, and data quality measures for the dataset are presented here. The sample will be made freely available through the collaborative informatics and neuroimaging suite (COINS) database at the conclusion of the study.

Topological Magnon Band Crossing in Y_{2}Ir_{2}O_{7}.

Topological magnonic materials have attracted much interest because of the potential for dissipationless spintronic applications. Pyrochlore iridates are theoretically regarded as good candidates for designing topological magnon bands. However, experimental identification of topological magnon bands in pyrochlore iridates remains elusive. We explored this possibility in Y_{2}Ir_{2}O_{7} using Raman spectroscopy to measure both the single-magnon excitations and anomalous phonon shifts. From the single-magnon energies and tight-binding model calculations concerning the phonons, we determined the key parameters in the spin Hamiltonian. These confirm that Y_{2}Ir_{2}O_{7} hosts a nontrivial magnon band topology distinct from other pyrochlore iridate compounds. Our work demonstrates that pyrochlore iridates constitute a system in which the magnon band topology can be tailored and that Raman spectroscopy is a powerful technique to explore magnon band topology.

The treatment of menopausal symptoms by traditional Chinese medicine in Asian countries.

Menopausal symptoms (or climacteric syndrome) refer to a series of symptoms that occur during the perimenopausal and early postmenopausal period. About 80% of women will have various degrees of menopausal symptoms, and most of them need associated treatment. Asian women are more inclined to choose traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in terms of therapeutic method, and menopausal hormone therapy has low acceptance because the women have been misinformed about the side effects of hormones. Therefore, TCM is used for menopausal symptoms in women in most Asian countries, including China, Japan, Vietnam, and South Korea. In the basic theory of TCM, the menopause is classified as the Kidney deficiency and imbalance of Yin and Yang; therefore, the treatment methods in either Chinese patent medicine or Chinese herbal medicine are aimed at supplementing the Kidney function and rebalancing Yin and Yang. It is believed that TCM treatment is suitable for patients with mild or moderate menopausal symptoms. The incidence rate of adverse reactions in terms of breast tenderness and irregular vaginal bleeding is lower than that of hormone therapy. However, there are few randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies on TCM treatment of menopausal syndrome. Future studies should be undertaken to confirm its merits.

Correlation Between Serum 25(OH)D and Abdominal Visceral Fat Area in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in the Context of different Bone Mass.

Objective: To investigate the correlation between serum levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D [25(OH)D] and the visceral fat area of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in the context of different bone mass. Materials and Methods: A total of 180 patients with T2DM were randomly selected for bone mineral density (BMD) examination. According to the results, they were divided into three groups: T2DM normal bone group (group A); T2DM bone mass reduction group (group B); T2DM osteoporosis group (group C). Result: Serum 25(OH)D levels in NC group, A group, B group and C group decreased in turn, and Visceral fat area (VFA) in group B and group C were significantly higher than those in group A and NC [(29.41±4.87) vs. (22.76±4.23) vs. (17.78±3.61) vs. (9.70±3.01), P<0.05], [(117.76±38.79), (125.08±37.90) vs. (89.79±26.51), (97.53±28.61), P<0.05]. Pearson correlation analysis showed that L1-L4 lumbar vertebrae bone density was positively correlated with 25(OH)D and VFA; left femoral neck bone density was positively correlated with 25(OH)D, and negatively correlated with VFA. Conclusion: Serum 25(OH)D and VFA may be associated with the development of T2DM combined with OP.

The factors associated with natural disease progression from HIV to AIDS in the absence of ART, a propensity score matching analysis.

This study aimed at comparing the factors associated with the natural progression between typical progressors (TPs) and rapid progressors (RPs) in HIV-infected individuals. A retrospective study was conducted on 2095 eligible HIV-infected individuals from 1995 to 2016 in a high-risk area of Henan Province, China. Propensity score matching was used to balance covariates, and the conditional logistic regression analyses were performed to explore the factors of natural disease progression among HIV infectors. A total of 379 pairs of RPs and TPs were matched. The standardised difference values of all covariates were less than 10%. HIV-infected individuals transmitted through sexual transmission (odds ratio (OR) 0.56, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.36-0.85) were more likely to progress to AIDS compared with those infected through contaminated blood. Older age at diagnosis of HIV-infected individuals (OR 0.72, 95% CI 0.58-0.89) exhibited a faster progression to AIDS. HIV-infected individuals identified through a unique survey (OR 7.01, 95% CI 2.99-16.44) were less likely to progress to AIDS compared with those identified through medical institutions. HIV-infected individuals who had higher baseline CD4+T cell counts (OR 3.37, 95% CI 2.59-4.38) had a slower progression to AIDS. These findings provide evidence for natural disease progression from HIV to AIDS between TPs and RPs.

Screening a Lactobacillus plantarum strain for good adaption in alfalfa ensiling and demonstrating its improvement of alfalfa silage quality.

AIM: To screen a lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strain for good adaption in alfalfa ensiling and to evaluate its effects on alfalfa ensiling. METHODS AND RESULTS: Lactobacillus plantarum (LP) strain ZZU203 was selected due to its superior ability to acidify structural carbohydrate metabolite and alfalfa powder. Alfalfa was ensiled with LP FG1 (from a commercial inoculant), LP ZZU203, or a no-additive control (CK) for 60 d. The two silages with LP additives significantly (P < 0·05) increased lactic acid (LA) and acetic acid (AA) concentrations compared to CK silage. The pH, ammonia nitrogen (NH3 -N) and cellulose concentrations, and the numbers of bacilli, coliform, aerobic bacteria and Clostridium decreased significantly (P < 0·05). The dry matter, LA, AA and water-soluble carbohydrate concentrations of ZZU203 silage were significantly (P < 0·05) higher, whereas the NH3 -N and the neutral detergent fibre concentrations, and the aerobic bacterial and Clostridium counts were significantly (P < 0·05) lower than in FG1 silage. CONCLUSION: ZZU203 obtained by the screening method of this study can improve the quality of alfalfa silage. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The screening method designed for alfalfa silage conditions can effectively screen out LAB with potential application value in alfalfa silage.