Prevalence and associated factors of suicidal ideation among college students during the COVID-19 pandemic in China: a 3-wave repeated survey.

OBJECTIVE: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, a major public health crisis, harms individuals' mental health. This 3-wave repeated survey aimed to examine the prevalence and correlates of suicidal ideation at different stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in a large sample of college students in China. METHODS: Using a repeated cross-sectional survey design, we conducted 3 online surveys of college students during the COVID-19 pandemic at 22 universities in Guandong, China. The 3 surveys were conducted during the outbreak period (T1: 3 February to 10 February 2020, N = 164,101), remission period (T2: 24 March to 3 April 2020, N = 148,384), and normalized prevention and control period (T3: 1 June to 15 June 2020, N = 159,187). Suicidal ideation was measured by the ninth item of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. A range of suicide-related factors was assessed, including sociodemographic characteristics, depression, anxiety, insomnia, pre-existing mental health problems, and COVID-19-related factors. RESULTS: The prevalence of suicidal ideation was 8.5%, 11.0% and 12.6% at T1, T2, and T3, respectively. Male sex (aOR: 1.35-1.44, Ps < 0.001), poor self-perceived mental health (aOR: 2.25-2.81, Ps < 0.001), mental diseases (aOR: 1.52-2.09, P < 0.001), prior psychological counseling (aOR: 1.23-1.37, Ps < 0.01), negative perception of the risk of the COVID-19 epidemic (aOR: 1.14-1.36, Ps < 0.001), depressive symptoms (aOR: 2.51-303, Ps < 0.001) and anxiety symptoms (aOR: 1.62-101.11, Ps < 0.001) were associated with an increased risk of suicidal ideation. CONCLUSION: Suicidal ideation appeared to increase during the COVID-19 pandemic remission period among college students in China. Multiple factors, especially mental health problems, are associated with suicidal ideation. Psychosocial interventions should be implemented during and after the COVID-19 pandemic to reduce suicide risk among college students.

Novel Bacillus strains from the human gut exert anticancer effects on a broad range of malignancy types.

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, but effective therapies remain the topic of many research activities. Many recent studies have thus focused on particular gut microbiota due to their important roles in treating cancers, but very few microbes of therapeutic value have been reported. In this study, we isolated four bacterial strains, BY38, BY40, BY43 and BY45, from the fecal specimens of healthy individuals and cancer patients. The treatment of cancer cells with the products of these cultured bacteria induced significant inhibitory effects on the proliferation of ovarian cancer cells and colorectal cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner. A phylogenetic analysis showed that the four anticancer strains belong to the genus Bacillus, and flow cytometry assays indicated that the inhibitory effects might be achieved through the induction of cell apoptosis. These results suggest that these bacteria could be novel and promising anticancer agents against cancers.

The Chemosensory Pleasure Scale: A New Assessment for Measuring Hedonic Smell and Taste Capacities.

Anhedonia, or the inability to experience pleasure, is a key clinical feature of many mental disorders such as depression and schizophrenia. Although various valid measurements of anhedonia and pleasure experience exist, no scales exist that quantify smell and taste pleasure experiences. The Chemosensory Pleasure Scale (CPS) was therefore designed to assess the hedonic capacity for smell and taste pleasure. We examined the reliability and validity of the CPS in our study. First, we conducted exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to identify and examine the structure of the CPS. Second, the CPS's validity and test-retest stability were investigated. The CPS was correlated with other measurements of anhedonia and pleasure experience. Furthermore, the empirical validity of CPS was also examined in our study. The results indicated that the CPS is a reliable and valid measure for assessing an individual's hedonic capacity for smell and taste pleasure in nonclinical samples. Further application of the CPS for various populations is also discussed herein, especially for patients with mental disorders such as depression, schizophrenia, and autism.

Integrated butanol recovery for an advanced biofuel: current state and prospects.

Butanol has recently gained increasing interest due to escalating prices in petroleum fuels and concerns on the energy crisis. However, the butanol production cost with conventional acetone-butanol-ethanol fermentation by Clostridium spp. was higher than that of petrochemical processes due to the low butanol titer, yield, and productivity in bioprocesses. In particular, a low butanol titer usually leads to an extremely high recovery cost. Conventional biobutanol recovery by distillation is an energy-intensive process, which has largely restricted the economic production of biobutanol. This article thus reviews the latest studies on butanol recovery techniques including gas stripping, liquid-liquid extraction, adsorption, and membrane-based techniques, which can be used for in situ recovery of inhibitory products to enhance butanol production. The productivity of the fermentation system is improved efficiently using the in situ recovery technology; however, the recovered butanol titer remains low due to the limitations from each one of these recovery technologies, especially when the feed butanol concentration is lower than 1 % (w/v). Therefore, several innovative multi-stage hybrid processes have been proposed and are discussed in this review. These hybrid processes including two-stage gas stripping and multi-stage pervaporation have high butanol selectivity, considerably higher energy and production efficiency, and should outperform the conventional processes using single separation step or method. The development of these new integrated processes will give a momentum for the sustainable production of industrial biobutanol.

[Inhibitory effects of doxycycline on argyrophilic nucleolar organizing regions and a-smooth muscle actin expression in proliferative bovine corneal myofibroblasts in vitro].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of doxycycline on the nucleolar organizing regions and a-smooth muscle actin expression in bovine corneal myofibroblasts in vitro and assess its contribution to ocular surface repair mechanisms. METHODS: Cell culture and identification: bovine corneal fibroblasts were cultured after the stroma was incubated in 1.0 and 2.0 g/L type I collagenase in two stages.Isolated cells were plated at mantaryay culture flask in 10% of BSA RPMI-1640. Vimentin and alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) organization were evaluated by immunocytochemistry. The cells staining positive for Vimentin and α-SMA indicated the presence of corneal myofibroblasts. Bovine corneal myofibroblasts were treated with different concentrations of doxycycline (10, 20, 40, 60, 80 mg/L) , a bland control group and the dexamethasone group (120 mg/L) were set up, each group had 30 cases. The argyrophilic nucleolar organizing regions (AgNOR) staining and the immunohistochemistry for α-SMA were performed when the cells were treated for 24 hours and 48 hours. The AgNOR count (Ag-c), AgNOR area (Ag-a) and the expression of α-SMA in the bovine corneal myofibroblasts among each experiment group and control group were compared using one-way ANOVA, further pairwise comparisons using Independent-Samples t test. RESULTS: Cell culture techniques were successfully used to establish a method for the isolation and culture of bovine corneal myofibroblasts. Microscopic examination and immunohistochemical staining confirmed that the cells cultured were bovine corneal myofibroblasts. The Ag-c and Ag-a of bovine corneal myofibroblasts progressively decreased as the concentrations of doxycycline was increase. 24 h:bland control group Ag-c was 6.40 ± 0.6, 60 mg/L doxycycline group Ag-c was 2.23 ± 0.43;bland control group Ag-a was (34.80 ± 2.36) µm(2), 60 mg/L doxycycline hormone group Ag-a was (19.91 ± 2.15) µm(2). 48 h: bland control group Ag-c was 7.27 ± 0.6,60 mg/L doxycycline hormone group Ag-c was 2.80 ± 0.76, bland control group Ag-a was (36.27 ± 1.99) µm(2), 60 mg/L doxycycline group Ag-a was (13.75 ± 2.09) µm(2). The differences were statistically significant: in the same time intervention (FAg-c 24 h = 252.55, FAg-a 24 h = 202.16, P < 0.05, FAg-c 48 h = 169.38, FAg-a 48 h = 853.23, P < 0.05), in the same concentrations intervention (tAg-c = 6.98, tAg-a = 11.62, P < 0.05). And 60 mg/L of doxycycline had an obviously inhibitory action as 120 mg/L dexamethasone in the same treated hours (dexamethasone group Ag-a 24 h = 30.56 ± 3.66, dexamethasone group Ag-a 48 h = 28.35 ± 1.23 ),the differences were not statistically significant (tAg-a 24h = 1.182, P = 0.242,tAg-a 48 h = 0.21, P = 0.832). As the concentrations investigated, doxycycline can inhibit the expression of α-SMA in the bovine corneal myofibroblasts (189.90 ± 7.48, 140.20 ± 7.79, 113.20 ± 8.98, 98.00 ± 3.50, 85.50 ± 4.99), the difference was statistically significant (F = 761.79, P = 0.00). While dexamethasone had no significant role in the expression of α-SMA (bland control group was 225.10 ± 6.74, the dexamethasone group was 228.50 ± 7.12), and the statistically difference was not obvious (t = 1.096, P = 0.287). CONCLUSIONS: As the concentrations of doxycycline was increased from 10 mg/L to 80 mg/L, the AgNOR count and AgNOR area of bovine corneal myofibroblasts can be significantly reduced in vitro. Compared with dexamethasone, doxycycline significantly suppressed the expression of α-SMA in bovine corneal myofibroblasts in a dose-dependent positive trend.

Prevalence and risk factors for dementia in the Tibetan region: A population-based cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: As China's population ages, the nationwide prevalence of dementia is increasing. However, the epidemiology of dementia among the Tibetan population remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 9116 participants aged >50 years in the Tibetan population to investigate the risk factors and prevalence of dementia among this population. Permanent residents of the region were invited to participate, and the response rate was 90.7 %. METHODS: The participants underwent neuropsychological testing and clinical assessments, from which physical measurements (e.g., body mass index, blood pressure), demographic information (e.g., gender, age), and lifestyle details (e.g., family living arrangement, smoking, alcohol arrangement) were recorded. Dementia diagnoses were made using the standard consensus diagnostic criteria. The risk factors of dementia were identified using stepwise multiple logistic regression. RESULTS: The average age of the participants was 63.71 (standard deviation = 9.36), and there were 44.86 % males. The prevalence of dementia was 4.66 %. The multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that older age, unmarried status, lower education level, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, coronary heart disease, cerebral vascular disease, and HAPC were independently and positively associated with dementia (P < 0.05). However, no association was found between the frequency of religious activities and the prevalence of dementia in this population (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: There exist a number of contributory risk factors for dementia in the Tibetan population, with variations associated with high altitude, religious activities (i.e., scripture turning, chanting, spinning Buddhist beads, and bowing), and dietary habits. These findings suggest that social activities, such as religious activities, are protective factors for dementia.

Impact of pancreatic margin status and lymph node metastases on recurrence after resection for invasive and noninvasive intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms of the pancreas: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Accurate information is currently lacking regarding the values of positive margins (M(+)) and lymph node (LN) metastases as independent predictors of postoperative recurrence in invasive and noninvasive intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) of the pancreas. METHODS: A comprehensive online literature search identified all types of primary studies that included M(+) and LN metastases as risk factors and defined recurrence as an outcome in patients with IPMNs. Suitable articles were also identified by manually researching references in qualifying articles. A meta-analysis of the result was performed using a random effects model. RESULTS: The recurrence rate in noninvasive IPMNs was 3.72% in patients with negative margin (M(-)) versus 9.56% in those with M(+) (odds ratio, OR = 0.37, 95% confidence interval, 95% CI: 0.17-0.78, p = 0.010). The recurrence rate in invasive M(-) IPMNs in was 33.85% compared to 53.66% in M(+) IPMNs (OR = 0.47, 95% CI: 0.25-0.88, p = 0.020). The recurrence rate in invasive IPMNs with positive LN was 76.92% compared to 30.86% with negative LN; OR = 0.15, 95% CI: 0.06-0.37, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: M(+) were associated with disease recurrence in all patients with IPMN, and nodal metastases were significantly associated with recurrence in invasive IPMN.

Protective Effect of Tangshen Formula () on Interstitial Cells of Cajal in Colon of Diabetic Rats.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of Tangshen Formula (, TSF), a Chinese herbal medicine, on interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) in the colon of diabetic rats. METHODS: Fifty-four male Wistar rats were randomly divided into normal control (NC, n=14) and high-fat diet (HFD) groups (n=40). After 6 weeks, the rats in the HFD group were injected intraperitoneally streptozotocin once (30 mg/kg). Thirty rats with fasting blood glucose higher than 11.7 mmol/L were randomly divided into diabetes (DM) and TSF groups, 15 rats in each group. Rats in the NC and DM groups were intragastrically administered with saline, and those in the TSF group were given with TSF (2.4 g/kg) once daily for 20 weeks. Expression levels of Bax, Bcl-2, and caspase-3 in colonic smooth muscle layer were measured by Western blotting and immunohistochemical staining. The number of ICC was determined by immunohistochemical staining. Immunofluorescence was used for analyzing the ratio of classically activated macrophages (M1) and alternatively activated macrophages (M2) to total macrophages. Electron microscopy was used to observe the epithelial ultrastructure and junctions. RESULTS: TSF appeared to partially prevented loss of ICC in DM rats (P<0.05). Compared with the NC group, expression levels of Bcl-2, Bax, caspase-3, and TNF-α as well as the ratio of M1 to total macrophages increased in DM rats (all P<0.05), and the ratio of M2 to total macrophages decreased (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Compared with the DM group, TSF decreased the expression levels of abovementioned proteins and restore M2 to total macrophages ratio (P<0.05 or P<0.01). TSF appeared to attenuate the ultrastructural changes of epithelia and improve the tight and desmosome junctions between epithelia reduced in the DM rats. CONCLUSION: Reduced number of ICC in DM rats may be associated with damage of the intestinal barrier. The protective effects of TSF on ICC may be through repair of the epithelial junctions, which attenuates inflammation and inflammation-initiated apoptosis in colon of DM rats.

[Factors and Their Interaction Effects on the Distribution of PM2.5 in the Yangtze River Delta Based on Grids].

Spatial features of PM2.5 concentration in the Yangtze River Delta in 2016 were analyzed using remote sensing data. Selecting factors among meteorology, topography, vegetation, and emission list of air pollutants, factors and their interaction effects on the spatial distribution of PM2.5 concentration were studied based on GAM, with an evaluation unit of 0.25°×0.25° for the grid. It showed that:① With a more significant difference between the north and south, PM2.5 concentration was generally higher in the north and west but lower in the south and east. In the southern part of the delta, the concentration was mostly lower than 35 µg·m-3, with noncompliance of the PM2.5 concentration scattered in urban areas like islands. Meanwhile, PM2.5 concentration is generally over 35 µg·m-3, and the pollution appeared like sheets. ② Besides, PM2.5 concentration showed an apparent positive spatial autocorrelation with "High-High" PM2.5 agglomeration areas in the north of the delta and "Low-Low" PM2.5 agglomeration areas in the south. ③ Based on GAM, hypsography, temperature, and precipitation negatively affected PM2.5 concentration, whereas pollutant emissions positively affected it. The effect of wind was minor when its speed <2.5 m·s-1, and more negatively significant when its speed ≥ 2.5 m·s-1. Hypsography, temperature, and precipitation were higher in the southern part of the delta, but they were lower in the northern part, leading to a higher PM2.5 concentration in the northern parts and lower in the southern parts. A higher wind speed in the east and lower in the west also led to a concentration difference between them. ④ All factors had passed a significant pair interaction test, except for hypsography and PM2.5 emission, and they all showed a significant interaction effect on the distribution of PM2.5 in the Yangtze River Delta.

[Orographic Influences on the Spatial Distribution of PM2.5 on the Fen-Wei Plain].

Topography not only has an effect on the spatial distribution of pollutants by restricting populations and industrial activities, but also affects the formation, transmission, accumulation, diffusion, and sedimentation of PM2.5. Topography is, therefore, an essential variable for understanding the spatial distribution of PM2.5, especially in basin areas. Based on gridded data and both natural and human indexes, this paper examines orographic effects on the distribution of PM2.5 on the Fen-Wei Plain based on the change point method, regression, the geographical detector method, and bivariate spatial autocorrelation. The results indicate that:① The relief amplitude of the plain is generally lower in its central part than at its edge, which is similar to the attitudinal distribution in this region; ② The distribution of PM2.5 is negatively related to relief amplitude, with high concentrations in central area and lower concentrations at the edge; ③ Based on the geographical detector analysis, PM2.5 patterns in this region are shaped by human factors including population, gross domestic product(GDP), and energy consumption, as well as natural factors including meteorological conditions and vegetation; and ④ Topography has a significant effect on both human and natural factors; an increase of relief amplitude is associated with a decrease in population, GDP, and energy consumption based on power function. Accordingly, temperature goes down linearly; precipitation, relative moisture, and wind speed increase linearly; and the vegetation index increases based on a logarithmic function.

[Evolution of the Distribution of PM2.5 Concentration in the Yangtze River Economic Belt and Its Influencing Factors].

Intensive social and economic activity has led to serious pollution in the Yangtze River economic belt since 2000. It is urgent to study the evolution of the distribution of PM2.5 concentration and its influencing factors in this area, to adopt new ways of development into practice and promote comprehensive regional air pollution prevention and control. Based on PM2.5 concentration estimated by remote sensing retrieval, this paper studied the evolution of the distribution of PM2.5 concentration in the Yangtze River economic belt from 2000 to 2016, and analyzed spatial non-stationarity of the influence of natural and socio-economic factors on this evolution via a geographically weighted regression model. The results showed that:①The general law of PM2.5 concentration presented as higher in the east and lower in the west, with a significant trait of the pollution agglomerations corresponding to urban agglomerations. ②Taking the year 2007 as a divide, annual concentration of PM2.5 went through a pattern of annually increasing from 2000 to 2007. and then wavelike decreasing from 2007 to 2016. The annual average concentration increased to 44.1 µg·m-3 in 2007 from the record of 27.2 µg·m-3 in 2000, and then decreased to 33.6 µg·m-3 in 2016. In terms of regions polluted, before 2007, it covered areas including the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomerations, the Yangtze River Middle Reaches urban agglomerations, and the Chengdu-Chongqing urban agglomerations, before quickly stretching to their neighboring areas; after 2007, the extent of areas covered shrank. ③Based on spatial auto-correlation analysis, PM2.5 concentration had a significant spatial auto-correlation with hot spots spread over Shanghai, Jiangsu, north-central Anhui, northern Zhejiang, and the central part of Hubei, while cool spots were located in Yunnan, the western and southern parts of Sichuan, and the western part of Guizhou. ④There is a space-time discrepancy by socio-economic and natural factors in the distribution of PM2.5 concentration. The socio-economic factors mainly have a positive influence on the concentration, whereas precipitation, one of the natural factors, has a negative influence. The remaining natural factors not only varied in their degree of influence, but also triggered the influence either in a positive or negative manner from time to time and space to space.

The Psychological Impact of the COVID-19 Epidemic on Guangdong College Students: The Difference Between Seeking and Not Seeking Psychological Help.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has considerably psychologically impacted Chinese college students. Several types of online mental health services were widely implemented for college students during the outbreak. This study investigated the relationship between college students' mental health status and psychological help-seeking behavior to test the phases-decision-making model (PDM). METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among college students in Guangdong Province using an online platform. In total, 4,164 students were assigned to the "counseling group" or "non-counseling group" according to whether they had sought psychological help because of the COVID-19 outbreak; the groups were matched based on age, sex, and grade. Demographics, perceived mental health, and experience with seeking psychological help were recorded. Fear, depression, and trauma were assessed by the COVID-19 Fear Screening Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire, and Impact of Event Scale-6. RESULTS: The fear, depression, and trauma scores were significantly higher in the counseling group than in the non-counseling group (P s < 0.001). Fear (OR = 1.27, p < 0.001), depression (OR = 1.02, p = 0.032), trauma (OR = 1.08, p < 0.001), poor perceived mental health status (OR = 3.61, p = 0.001), and experience with seeking psychological help (OR = 7.06, p < 0.001) increased the odds of seeking psychological help. CONCLUSION: During the COVID-19 epidemic, the rate of psychological help-seeking was still low, and college students in poor psychological condition sought psychological counseling more. Fear, depression, trauma, experience with seeking psychological help, and perceived mental health can effectively predict psychological help-seeking behavior. These findings emphasized the importance of closely monitoring college students' psychological status, providing psychological intervention, and improving the probability of seeking psychological help.

[Influencing Factors of Ozone Concentration in Xi'an Based on Generalized Additive Models].

Based on the ozone monitoring data from 2014 to 2018, we presented the variation of ozone concentration in Xi'an and revealed the effects of ozone concentration by meteorological factors based on the generalized additive model (GAM). The results showed that ① with increasing ozone concentration year by year, the assessment standard of ozone pollution was overtaken by three consecutive years since 2016. However, the rising trend was slowed down since 2017 as a result of the strengthened pollution control during summer. ② The monthly curve of ozone concentration was presented as a reversed "V" model with a rising trend accompanying the rising temperature from January to July and a decreasing one during the rest of the year, peaking in July in terms of average monthly ozone concentration. However, this model would turn into an "M" in years with high precipitation when the valley witnessed the highest precipitation in a month. ③ The ozone pollution increased from the year 2014 to 2018 with a stretch-forward ozone polluted time. Furthermore, the rates of ozone non-attainment increased from 1.9% in 2014 to 14% in 2018. In addition, the time ozone pollution emerged advanced from July to May. ④ Based on the GAM model, ozone concentration was non-colinearly related to temperature, air pressure, sunshine duration, and relative humidity. However, the curves of these factors varied considerably, with a positive influence of temperature and sunshine duration and a negative influence of air pressure and relative humidity. The influence of precipitation was mainly witnessed in summers, while no influence of wind was observed. Furthermore, ozone pollution can be easily triggered under the following conditions:temperature>24℃, air pressure <962 hPa, sunshine duration>9 h, and a relative humidity 36%-65% with no rain.

E. coli diversity: low in colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Escherichia coli are mostly commensals but also contain pathogenic lineages. It is largely unclear whether the commensal E. coli as the potential origins of pathogenic lineages may consist of monophyletic or polyphyletic populations, elucidation of which is expected to lead to novel insights into the associations of E. coli diversity with human health and diseases. METHODS: Using genomic sequencing and pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) techniques, we analyzed E. coli from the intestinal microbiota of three groups of healthy individuals, including preschool children, university students, and seniors of a longevity village, as well as colorectal cancer (CRC) patients, to probe the commensal E. coli populations for their diversity. RESULTS: We delineated the 2280 fresh E. coli isolates from 185 subjects into distinct genome types (genotypes) by PFGE. The genomic diversity of the sampled E. coli populations was so high that a given subject may have multiple genotypes of E. coli, with the general diversity within a host going up from preschool children through university students to seniors. Compared to the healthy subjects, the CRC patients had the lowest diversity level among their E. coli isolates. Notably, E. coli isolates from CRC patients could suppress the growth of E. coli bacteria isolated from healthy controls under nutrient-limited culture conditions. CONCLUSIONS: The coexistence of multiple E. coli lineages in a host may help create and maintain a microbial environment that is beneficial to the host. As such, the low diversity of E. coli bacteria may be associated with unhealthy microenvironment in the intestine and hence facilitate the pathogenesis of diseases such as CRC.

[A 50-year study on the epidemiology of hypertension in Heilongjiang Province of China].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the epidemiological characteristics of hypertension and its attributing factors in Heilongjiang province and establish a comprehensive basis for the prevention and control of hypertension in this region. METHODS: Using the stratified chunk method, a survey lasting 50 years was conducted on a sample of 299 677 (including 158 782 males and 140 895 females) patients, aged 15 and above, residing in both rural and urban areas of Heilongjiang province from 1958 to 2007. Both blood pressure measurement and analysis on attributing factors of hypertension were carried out in 1958, 1979, 1991, 1999 and 2007. RESULTS: The prevalence of hypertension was significantly higher in Heilongjiang than in other provinces. It elevated annually, reaching a 3-fold increase in 50 years with an accelerating pace (17.06% to 25.69%) in the recent 8 years. Among the people examined, the prevalence of hypertension increased with aging. Furthermore, the prevalence of hypertension varied among different professions. Office workers had the highest prevalence (41.67%). Compared with; female population, male participants had a much higher prevalence before the age of 55 (P<0.0001). Body mass index, gender, hypertriglyceridemia, age, low-high density lipoprotein cholesterol and family history were identified as major risk factors for the development of hypertension in Heilongjiang province. However, the awareness (48.90%), treatment (25.33%) and control (4.32%) rates of hypertension in this region were relatively low. CONCLUSION: The results of the present study identified Heilongjiang province as a high-risk region for hypertension. It also suggests the necessity to plan and implement actions for the effective prevention and treatment of hypertension in this region.

[Spatial-temporal Variation of Ozone Concentration and Its Driving Factors in China].

Based on the ozone monitoring data from 2015 to 2017, this study presents the spatial-temporal variation of the ozone concentration and its driving factors in major cities in China via Kriging interpolation, spatial autocorrelation analysis, hotspot analysis, and geographical detector. The results show that:① The ozone pollution became increasingly heavier from 2015 to 2017, with the number of cities in which the 90th percentile of daily maximum 8-h ozone concentration exceeded the air quality standard (GB 3095-2012) increased from 74 to 121, and the proportion of non-attainment days increased from 5.2 percent to 8.1 percent. ② Ozone pollution mainly happened from April to September, during which the non-attainment days contributed 87.5 percent to 95.3 percent to the yearly total number of ozone polluted days. From May to July, ozone concentrations increased the most dramatically, with the proportion of non-attainment days increasing from 10.6 percent in 2015 to 20.5 percent in 2017. Moreover, in 2017, 83.0 percent of the moderate ozone pollution and 91.0 percent of the severe ozone pollution happened from May to July. ③ With the ever increasing ozone concentration over the North China Plain, the high ozone polluted areas such as the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration are connected geographically. They form the most highly polluted area in China, which includes the Bohai Rim region, Zhongyuan urban agglomeration, Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration, Shanxi Province, Guanzhong area, and the middle part of Inner Mongolia. In addition, cities in Pearl River Delta region, Chengdu-and-Chongqing urban agglomeration, and the southern part of East China are also gathering speed in terms of ozone pollution, among which Chengdu-and-Chongqing urban agglomeration has become a new ozone-polluted center. ④ The spatial agglomeration of ozone concentration has been enhanced year by year with hot spots distributed mainly in the North China Plain and the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. In contrast, there are cold spots in Northeast China, Southwest China, and Southern China. ⑤ The analysis results from geographical detector show that meteorological factors, industrialization, urbanization, and emissions of ozone precursors all have a significant effect on the distribution of the ozone concentration, but there are also discrepancies in the priority of the driving factors in different regions and seasons.

[Pollution Characteristics and Emission Factors of VOCs from Vehicle Emissions in the Tianjin Tunnel].

The pollution characteristics and emission factors (EFs) of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of vehicles were investigated using the tunnel test method on weekdays and weekends in the Wujinglu Tunnel in Tianjin, China. Gas samples in the tunnel were collected with 3.2 L stainless steel canisters and 99 VOCs species were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The concentration levels, variation characteristics, and EFs of the VOCs were analyzed. The ozone formation potentials (OFPs) and secondary organic aerosol formation potentials (SOAFPs) of the VOCs in the tunnel were calculated. Moreover, a comparison of the study results with current literature was conducted. The total concentrations of VOCs at the inlet and midpoint are (190.85±51.15) µg·m-3 and (257.44±62.02) µg·m-3, respectively. The total EFs are (45.12±10.97) mg·(km·veh)-1 and the EFs for alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, aromatics, halocarbons, and oxygenated volatile organic compounds (OVOCs) are (22.79±7.15), (5.04±1.20), (0.78±0.34), (9.86±2.81), (0.26±0.17), and (6.25±2.27) mg·(km·veh)-1, respectively. They are notably smaller than the values obtained in a previous test in 2009. Isopentane, toluene, ethylene, methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), and ethane were the top five species among the VOC EFs. The ratios of methyl tert-butyl ether/benzene (MTBE/B) and methyl tert-butyl ether/toluene (MTBE/T) are 1.07 and 0.77, respectively. This implies that the contribution of evaporative emissions from vehicles to VOCs emissions cannot be ignored. The OFPs and SOAFPs in the tunnel are (145.50±37.85) and (43.87±12.75) mg·(km·veh)-1, respectively. Compared with the test in 2009, the OFPs and SOAFPs are 94.23% and 90.88% smaller, respectively. The sharp decrease of the OFPs and SOAFPs is closely related to stricter emission standards and the upgrade of oil products.

Dysbiosis of the Gut Microbiome in Lung Cancer.

Lung cancer (LC) is one of the most serious malignant tumors, which has the fastest growing morbidity and mortality worldwide. A role of the lung microbiota in LC pathogenesis has been analyzed, but a comparable role of the gut microbiota has not yet been investigated. In this study, the gut microbiota of 30 LC patients and 30 healthy controls were examined via next-generation sequencing of 16S rRNA and analyzed for diversity and biomarkers. We found that there was no decrease in significant microbial diversity (alpha diversity) in LC patients compared to controls (P observed = 0.1422), while the composition (beta diversity) differed significantly between patients and controls (phylum [stress = 0.153], class [stress = 0.16], order [stress = 0.146], family [stress = 0.153]). Controls had a higher abundance of the bacterial phylum Actinobacteria and genus Bifidobacterium, while patients with LC showed elevated levels of Enterococcus. These bacteria were found as possible biomarkers for LC. A decline of normal function of the gut microbiome in LC patients was also observed. These results provide the basic guidance for a systematic, multilayered assessment of the role of the gut microbiome in LC, which has a promising potential for early prevention and targeted intervention.

[Prevalence, awareness, treatment, and risk factors of hypertension in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence, rates of awareness, treatment, and control, and risk factors of hypertension among the residents in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province. METHODS: 5523 residents, 2325 males and 3198 females, aged 15 and over, underwent questionnaire survey to understand their general conditions, history of present disease, awareness of disease, treatment, working condition, etc, and measurement of blood pressure (BP), height, body mass, and serum glucose and triglyceride. RESULTS: The no-standardized prevalence of hypertension was 31.30% in general (1674/5348), 38.52% in the males (829/2152), and 26.44% in the females (845/3196). The corresponding standardized prevalence rates of hypertension were 24.91%, 37.72%, and 20.75% respectively. The rates of awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension were 57.41%, 32.74%, and 5.85% respectively. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that employment condition, family history of hypertension, alcohol consumption, body mass index, level of triglyceride and serum glucose were risk factors of hypertension. CONCLUSION: Hypertension is highly prevalent is highly prevalent and the rates of awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension are still rather low in Harbin.

Comparison of Chang Run Tong and Forlaxin Treatment of Constipation in Elderly Diabetic Patients.

OBJECTIVE: Constipation is quite common and has impact on life quality in the elderly diabetic patients; therefore it is important to seek better treatments. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of Chang Run Tong (CRT) decoction on constipation in elderly diabetic patients in comparison with the effect of Macrogol 4000 powder (Forlax). DESIGN: This study was designed as a prospective study consisting of two parallel arms: CRT group and Forlax group. SETTINGS/LOCATION: The study was conducted in China-Japan Hospital. Subject interventions: Eighty elderly diabetic patients with constipation were evaluated, among them 52 patients were treated with CRT and 28 patients were treated with Forlax. OUTCOME MEASURES: The patients were interviewed for Bristol stool scale, spontaneous complete bowel movements (SCBM) and symptoms of defecation feeling, defecation weakness, feeling of incomplete evacuation, bloating, and flatulence at different time points. The changes of all above parameters from treatment for 2 and 4 weeks and follow-up for 1 and 2 months with reference to the baseline (before treatment) were compared between CRT and Forlax treatments. The treatment efficiency was evaluated and compared between two different treatments. RESULTS: For the improvement of Bristol stool scale, SCBM and feeling of incomplete evacuation, CRT was significantly better than Forlax at different time points (p < 0.01, p < 0.001). For the symptoms of defecation feeling, defecation weakness, bloating, and flatulence, CRT was significantly better than Forlax for follow-up improvement (p < 0.01, p < 0.001); whereas no difference was found at other time points of the treatment (p > 0.05). Furthermore, CRT had a significantly better treatment efficiency than Forlax (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Both CRT and Forlax treatment could effectively improve bowel habits and symptoms of constipation in elderly diabetic patients. CRT was better than Forlax to treat constipation in elderly diabetic patients and had better follow-up improvement after stopping drugs.