Potential morphological responses of an artificial beach to a flood in extreme events: field observation and numerical modelling

Conch Island is a typical artificial island at the Tanghe Estuary in Bohai Sea,China.To improve natural environment and boost local tourism,beach nourishment will be applied to its north-western shore.The projected beach is landward and opposite to the Jinmeng Bay Beach.Nowadays,with climate changes,frequent heavy rainfalls in Hebei Province rise flood hazards at the Tanghe Estuary.Under this circumstance,potential influences on the projected beach of a flood are investigated for sustainable managements.A multi-coupled model is established and based on the data from field observations,where wave model,flow model and multifraction sediment transport model are included.In addition,the impacts on the projected beach of different components in extreme events are discussed,including the spring tides,storm winds,storm waves,and sediment inputs.The numerical results indicate the following result.(1)Artificial islands protect the coasts from erosion by obstructing landward waves,but rise the deposition risks along the target shore.(2)Flood brings massive sediment inputs and leads to scours at the estuary,but the currents with high sediment concentration contribute to the accretions along the target shore.(3)The projected beach mitigates flood actions and reduces the maximum mean sediment concentration along the target shore by 20%.(4)The storm winds restrict the flood and decrease the maximum mean sediment concentration by 21%.With the combined actions of storm winds and waves,the maximum value further declines by 38%.(5)A quadratic polynomial relationship between the deposition depths and the maximum sediment inputs with flood is established for estimations on the potential morphological changes after the flood process in extreme events.For the uncertainty of estuarine floods,continuous monitoring on local hydrodynamic variations and sediment characteristics at Tanghe Estuary is necessary.

Horizontal structure of convergent wind shear associated with sporadic E layers over East Asia

At present,the main detection instruments for observing sporadic E(Es)layers are ground-based radars,dense networks of ground-based global navigation satellite system(GNSS)receivers,and GNSS radio occultation,but they cannot capture the whole picture of the horizontal structure of Es layers.This study employs the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model with thermosphere and ionosphere eXtension model(WACCM-X 2.1)to derive the horizontal structure of the ion convergence region(HSICR)to explore the shapes of the large-scale Es layers over East Asia for the period from June 1 to August 31,2008.The simulation produced the various shapes of the HSICRs elongated in the northwest-southeast,northeast-southwest,or composed of individual small patches.The close connection between Es layer critical frequency(foEs)and vertical ion convergence indicates that the HSICR is a good candidate for revealing and explaining the horizontal structure of the large-scale Es layers.

Long-term bone and lung consequences associated with hospital-acquired severe acute respiratory syndrome:a 15-year follow-up from a prospective cohort study

The most severe sequelae after rehabilitation from SARS are femoral head necrosis and pulmonary fibrosis. We performed a 15-year follow-up on the lung and bone conditions of SARS patients. We evaluated the recovery from lung damage and femoral head necrosis in an observational cohort study of SARS patients using pulmonary CT scans, hip joint MRI examinations, pulmonary function tests and hip joint function questionnaires. Eighty medical staff contracted SARS in 2003. Two patients died of SARS, and78 were enrolled in this study from August 2003 to March 2018. Seventy-one patients completed the 15-year follow-up. The percentage of pulmonary lesions on CT scans diminished from 2003(9.40 ± 7.83)% to 2004(3.20 ± 4.78)%(P < 0.001) and remained stable thereafter until 2018(4.60 ± 6.37)%. Between 2006 and 2018, the proportion of patients with interstitial changes who had improved pulmonary function was lower than that of patients without lesions, as demonstrated by the one-second ratio(FEV1/FVC%, t = 2.21, P = 0.04) and mid-flow of maximum expiration(FEF25%–75%, t = 2.76, P = 0.01). The volume of femoral head necrosis decreased significantly from 2003(38.83 ± 21.01)% to 2005(30.38 ± 20.23)%(P = 0.000 2), then declined slowly from 2005 to 2013(28.99 ± 20.59)% and plateaued until 2018(25.52 ± 15.51)%. Pulmonary interstitial damage and functional decline caused by SARS mostly recovered, with a greater extent of recovery within 2 years after rehabilitation. Femoral head necrosis induced by large doses of steroid pulse therapy in SARS patients was not progressive and was partially reversible.

Roles of thermospheric neutral wind and equatorial electrojet in pre-reversal enhancement,deduced from observations in Southeast Asia

Previous studies have proposed that both the thermospheric neutral wind and the equatorial electrojet(EEJ)near sunset play important roles in the pre-reversal enhancement(PRE)mechanism.In this study,we have used observations made in the equatorial region of Southeast Asia during March–April and September–October in 2010–2013 to investigate influences of the eastward neutral wind and the EEJ on the PRE’s strength.Our analysis employs data collected by the Gravity Field and Steady-State Ocean Circulation Explorer(GOCE)satellite to determine the zonal(east-west direction)neutral wind at an altitude of~250 km(bottomside F region)at longitudes of 90°–130°E in the dusk sector.Three ionosondes,at Chumphon(dip lat.:3.0°N)in Thailand,at Bac Lieu(dip lat.:1.7°N)in Vietnam,and at Cebu(dip lat.:3.0°N)in Philippines,provided the data we have used to derive the PRE strength.Data from two magnetometers—at Phuket(dip lat.:0.1°S)in Thailand and at Kototabang(dip lat.:10.3°S)in Indonesia—were used to estimate the EEJ strength.Our study is focused particularly on days with magnetically quiet conditions.We have found that the eastward neutral wind and the EEJ are both closely correlated with the PRE;their cross-correlation coefficients with it are,respectively,0.42 and 0.47.Their relationship with each other is weaker:the cross-correlation coefficient between the eastward neutral wind and the EEJ is just 0.26.Our findings suggest that both the eastward neutral wind and the EEJ near sunset are involved in the PRE mechanism.Based on the weak relationship between these two parameters,however,they appear to be significantly independent of each other.Thus,the wind and the EEJ are likely to be influencing the PRE magnitude independently,their effects balancing each other.

毛建草愈伤组织诱导及植株再生

毛建草(Dracocephalumrupestre)是一种重要的药用植物。然而,其叶片外植体再生系统尚未建立。以毛建草大田叶片和组培苗叶片为外植体,探讨植物生长调节剂对愈伤组织诱导和分化、不定芽增殖及生根的影响,建立了叶片离体再生体系。结果表明,大田叶片愈伤组织诱导的最适培养基为MS+1.0 mg·L^(-1)6-BA+0.1 mg·L^(-1)2,4-D+1.0 mg·L^(-1)IAA,诱导率达84.51%,不定芽分化最佳培养基为MS+3.0 mg·L^(-1)6-BA+0.5 mg·L^(-1)TDZ+0.5 mg·L^(-1)IAA,分化率为66.37%;组培苗叶片愈伤组织诱导的最适培养基为MS+2.0mg·L^(-1)6-BA+0.1mg·L^(-1)2,4-D+0.5mg·L^(-1)IAA,诱导率达86.73%,不定芽分化最佳培养基为MS+2.0mg·L^(-1)6-BA+2.0mg·L^(-1)TDZ+0.05mg·L^(-1)IAA,分化率为53.48%。不定芽增殖适宜培养基为MS+2.0mg·L^(-1)6-BA+0.05mg·L^(-1)NAA,增殖率为83.57%,最适生根培养基为1/2MS+0.1mg·L^(-1)NAA+0.1mg·L^(-1)IBA,生根率为86.97%;在草炭:蛭石=1:1(v/v)的混合基质中组培苗长势最好。该研究建立了毛建草叶片离体培养再生体系,为毛建草种质资源保存和种苗快繁提供了技术支持。

Prevalence and risk evaluation of cardiovascular disease in the newly diagnosed prostate cancer population in China:A nationwide,multi-center,population-based cross-sectional study

Background:Cardiovascular disease(CVD)has emerged as the leading cause of death from prostate cancer(PCa)in recent decades,bringing a great disease burden worldwide.Men with preexisting CVD have an increased risk for major adverse cardiovascular events when treated with androgen deprivation therapy(ADT).The present study aimed to explore the prevalence and risk evaluation of CVD among people with newly diagnosed PCa in China.Methods:Clinical data of newly diagnosed PCa patients were retrospectively collected from 34 centers in China from 2010 to 2022 through convenience sampling.CVD was defined as myocardial infarction,arrhythmia,heart failure,stroke,ischemic heart disease,and others.CVD risk was estimated by calculating Framingham risk scores(FRS).Patients were accordingly divided into low-,medium-,and high-risk groups.χ2 or Fisher’s exact test was used for comparison of categorical variables.Results:A total of 4253 patients were enrolled in the present study.A total of 27.0%(1147/4253)of patients had comorbid PCa and CVD,and 7.2%(307/4253)had two or more CVDs.The enrolled population was distributed in six regions of China,and approximately 71.0%(3019/4253)of patients lived in urban areas.With imaging and pathological evaluation,most PCa patients were diagnosed at an advanced stage,with 20.5%(871/4253)locally progressing and 20.5%(871/4253)showing metastasis.Most of them initiated prostatectomy(46.6%,1983/4253)or regimens involving ADT therapy(45.7%,1944/4253)for prostate cancer.In the present PCa cohort,43.1%(1832/4253)of patients had hypertension,and half of them had poorly controlled blood pressure.With FRS stratification,as expected,a higher risk of CVD was related to aging and metabolic disturbance.However,we also found that patients with treatment involving ADT presented an originally higher risk of CVD than those without ADT.This was in accordance with clinical practice,i.e.,aged patients or patients at advanced oncological stages were inclined to accept systematic integrative therapy instead of surgery.Among patients who underwent medical castration,only 4.0%(45/1118)received gonadotropin releasing hormone antagonists,in stark contrast to the grim situation of CVD prevalence and risk.Conclusions:PCa patients in China are diagnosed at an advanced stage.A heavy CVD burden was present at the initiation of treatment.Patients who accepted ADT-related therapy showed an original higher risk of CVD,but the awareness of cardiovascular protection was far from sufficient.

RETINOBLASTOMA RELATED 1 switches mitosis to meiosis in rice

The transition from mitosis to meiosis is a critical event in the reproductive development of all sexually reproducing species.However,the mechanisms that regulate this process in plants remain largely unknown.Here,we find that the rice(Oryza sativa L.)protein RETINOBLASTOMA RELATED 1(RBR1)is essential to the transition from mitosis to meiosis.Loss of RBR1 function results in hyper-proliferative sporogenous-celllike cells(SCLs)in the anther locules during early stages of reproductive development.These hyperproliferative SCLs are unable to initiate meiosis,eventually stagnating and degrading at late developmental stages to form pollen-free anthers.These results suggest that RBR1 acts as a gatekeeper of entry into meiosis.Furthermore,cytokinin content is significantly increased in rbr1 mutants,whereas the expression of type-B response factors,particularly LEPTO1,is significantly reduced.Given the known close association of cytokinins with cell proliferation,these findings imply that hyper-proliferative germ cells in the anther locules may be attributed to elevated cytokinin concentrations and disruptions in the cytokinin pathway.Using a genetic strategy,the association between germ cell hyper-proliferation and disturbed cytokinin signaling in rbr1 has been confirmed.In summary,we reveal a unique role of RBR1 in the initiation of meiosis;our results clearly demonstrate that the RBR1 regulatory module is connected to the cytokinin signaling pathway and switches mitosis to meiosis in rice.

Mortality Burden of Liver Cancer in China: An Observational Study From 2008 to 2020

Background and Aims:China accounts for nearly half of liver cancer deaths globally.A better understanding of the current liver cancer mortality will be helpful to establishing priorities for intervention and to decreasing the disease burden of liver cancer.The study aimed to explore and predict the mortality burden of liver cancer in China.Methods:Data were extracted from the Disease Surveillance Point system of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention from 2008 to 2020.Crude and age-standardized liver cancer mortality rates were reported by sex,urban or rural residence,and region.Trends in liver cancer mortality rates from 2008 to 2020 were estimated as average annual percentage change(AAPC).The changing trend of live cancer mortality in the future is also predicted.Results:In 2020,the crude mortality of liver cancer was 25.57/100,000,and males and people lived in rural areas had higher age-standardized liver cancer mortality rates than females and people lived in people in urban areas.Crude mortality and age-standardized mortality rates in southwest provinces(Guangxi,Sichuan,Tibet)and in a northeast province(Heilongjiang)were higher than that in other provinces,and age-specific mortality rates increased with age.From 2008 to 2020,liver cancer mortality rates decreased,but people under 50 years of age had a higher AAPC than those over 50 years of age,possibly because of the adoption of hepatitis B virus vaccination in newborns and children.Furthermore,the mortality of liver cancer in 2021–2030 is predicted to have a downward trend.Conclusions:Liver cancer mortality rates declined in China from 2008 to 2020.Future interventions to control liver cancer mortality need to focus on people of male sex,older age,and living in rural areas or less developed provinces.

Trends in Mortality of Cirrhosis in China: An Analysis of the China Death Surveillance Database from 2008 to 2020

Background and Aims:China accounts for 14.9%of total cirrhosis deaths worldwide.A detailed and comprehensive understanding of the contemporary status of cirrhosis mortality in China is crucial for establishing strategies for intervention and decreasing the disease burden of cirrhosis worldwide.The study aimed to report the cirrhosis mortality rates in our whole country or province over time.Methods:Mortality data from 2008 to 2020 were retrieved from the Disease Surveillance Point System(DSPs)of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.The crude mortality rate and age-standardized mortality rate of patients with cirrhosis were stratified by sex,residential location,and region.The average annual percentage change(AAPC)in cirrhosis mortality rates from 2008 to 2020 was also calculated.Results:The crude mortality rate of cirrhosis was 4.57/100,000 people in 2020.Compared with females and individuals living in urban areas,males and people living in rural areas had greater age-standardized mortality.The crude mortality rate and age-standardized mortality rate in provinces in Southwest China(Guangxi,Yunnan,Guizhou,and Qinghai)were greater than those in other provinces.Moreover,with increasing age,the age-specific mortality rate increased significantly.From 2008 to 2020,the mortality rate of cirrhosis in China decreased except for in males aged 50–59 years,females aged 45–49 years and females aged 80–84 years.Conclusions:The mortality rate of patients with cirrhosis in China decreased from 2008 to 2020.In the future,interventions of cirrhosis mortality control need to pay more attention to all males,females aged 45–49 and 80–84 years,and people living in rural areas and in provinces in Southwest China.

Trends of Mortality in End-Stage Liver Disease—China,2008–2020

Introduction:Liver cancer and cirrhosis represent the most prevalent forms of end-stage liver diseases(ESLDs).Notably,in China,deaths attributed to ESLDs contribute significantly to the global mortality rate of these disorders.Enhanced comprehension of the mortality profile associated with ESLDs in China could provide crucial insights into intervention prioritization,which could in turn help reduce the overall global burden of these diseases.Methods:Data were obtained from China’s Disease Surveillance Points system.The presentation includes both crude and age-standardized mortality rates,stratified by sex,residential location,and region.Using Joinpoint Regression,trends in annual mortality rates were estimated from the period of 2008 to 2020 and expressed as the average annual percentage change(AAPC).Results:In 2020,the gross mortality rate of ESLD stood at 30.08 cases per 100,000 individuals.A higher age-standardized ESLD mortality rate was observed in males and rural populations in comparison to their female and urban counterparts,respectively.Noticeably,the highest mortality rates associated with liver cancer and cirrhosis were reported in South and Southwest China,respectively.A positive correlation was noticed between age-specific ESLD mortality rates and advancing age.Interestingly,an annual decrease in the ESLD mortality rate was observed from 2008 to 2020.In urban contexts,the AAPC of cirrhosis was noted to be higher than that of liver cancer.Conclusions:The mortality rate associated with ESLDs in China decreased between 2008 and 2020.Nevertheless,the death burden attributable to ESLD continues to be alarmingly high.Future initiatives should prioritize the reduction of ESLD mortality in particular populations:males,elderly individuals,and those residing in rural regions of South and Southwest China.The emphasis of future interventions should beplaced on antiviral therapy for adults diagnosed with viral hepatitis,and on the prevention of hepatitis B virus(HBV)infection across all demographics.

Efficacy and safety of low-dose interleukin-2 in combination with methotrexate in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis:a randomized,double-blind,placebo-controlled phase 2 trial

Rheumatoid arthritis(RA)is an aggressive autoimmune arthritis,and current therapies remain unsatisfactory due to low remission rate and substantially adverse effects.Low-dose interleukin-2(Ld-IL2)is potentially a therapeutic approach to further improve the disease.This randomized,double-blind,placebo-controlled trial was undertaken to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Ld-IL2 in patients with active RA.Patients were randomly assigned(1:1)to receive Ld-IL2,defined as a dose of 1 million IU,or placebo in a 12-week trial with a 12-week follow-up.Three cycles of Ld-IL2 or placebo were administered subcutaneously every other day for 2 weeks(a total of 7 doses),followed by a 2-week break.All patients received a stable dose of methotrexate(MTX).The primary outcomes were the proportion of patients achieving the ACR20,DAS28-ESR<2.6,and the change from baseline in CDAI or SDAI at week 24.Secondary endpoints included other clinical responses and safety.The primary outcomes were achieved in the perprotocol population.The improvements from baseline in CDAI and SDAI were significantly greater across time points for the LdIL2+MTX group(n=17)than for the placebo+MTX group(n=23)(P=0.018 and P=0.015,respectively).More patients achieved ACR20 response in the Ld-IL2+MTX group than those in the placebo+MTX group at week 12(70.6%vs 43.5%)and at week 24(76.5%vs 56.5%)(P=0.014).In addition,low Treg and high IL-21 were associated with good responses to Ld-IL2.Ld-IL-2 treatment was well-tolerated in this study.These results suggested that Ld-IL2 was effective and safe in RA.ClinicalTrials.gov number:NCT 02467504.

Pregnancy outcomes after fertility preservation in women with endometrial carcinoma and atypical endometrial hyperplasia:A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective:The objective of the study was to compare the effects of assisted reproductive technology(ART)and spontaneous pregnancy on pregnancy outcomes in women with endometrial carcinoma(EC)and atypical endometrial hyperplasia(AEH)following fertility-sparing treatments.Methods:Relevant studies published through July 2020 were identified from PubMed and Web of Science literature searches.The pregnancy outcomes of ART and spontaneous pregnancy were summarized and compared for women with complete remission of EC/AEH after fertility-sparing treatments.A subgroup analysis was performed based on whether patients had received in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer(IVF-ET)treatment.The complete remission and recurrence rates of EC/AEH following fertility-sparing treatments were estimated.The effect of pregnancy on recurrence rates of EC/AEH was also calculated.Results:Sixteen observational studies reporting pregnancy outcomes or recurrence with ART or spontaneous pregnancy for women with EC/AEH after fertility-sparing treatments were included.The complete remission rate of EC/AEH was 81.5%(95%CI,78%–85%).Compared with spontaneous pregnancy,the pregnancy rate of ART was significantly higher(66.8%vs.43.7%,OR=2.64,95%CI 1.71–4.05,P<0.00001,I^(2)=14%).Subgroup analysis showed that the pregnancy rate of IVF-ET was significantly higher than that of spontaneous pregnancy(62.7%vs.35.1%,OR=2.85,95%CI 1.44-5.63,P=0.003,I^(2)=29%).The live birth rate of ART was significantly higher than that of spontaneous pregnancy(75.3%vs.47.8%,OR=3.96,95%CI1.76-8.77,P=0.0009,I^(2)=45%).The recurrence rate of EC/AEH was 31%(95%CI 24%–39%).Clinical pregnancy could reduce the recurrence rate of EC/AEH,but there was no significant evidence of an association.Conclusions:ART,especially IVF-ET,could significantly improve pregnancy outcomes in women with EC/AEH receiving fertility-sparing treatments.Following complete remission,ART treatment might be a better option for women with EC/AEH than spontaneous pregnancy.

The effect of serum luteinizing hormone on trigger day with a GnRH antagonist protocol in IVF/ICSI treatment

Objective:To investigate the effect of serum luteinizing hormone(LH)on trigger day with a Gonadotrophinreleasing hormone(GnRH)antagonist protocol in patients receiving in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection(IVF/ICSI)treatment for pregnancy outcomes.Methods:We retrospectively reviewed the medical documents of patients receiving IVF/ICSI with fresh embryo transfers from the Reproductive Medicine Center of Peking University People's Hospital between January 2016 and December 2018.730 patients were included and divided into three groups by their serum LH level determined on trigger day.All patients were categorized into Group A,Group B,and Group C based on LH concentrations<1.0 IU/L,1.0–5.0 IU/L,and from 5.0 to 10.0 IU/L on trigger day during the cycle,respectively.Comparisons were made between the three groups.Results:There was a significant difference in implantation rates between Group A and Group C(24.8%versus 40.1%,respectively,P<0.05).The clinical pregnancy rates(39.3%versus 54.3%,respectively,P=0.078)and live birth rate(LBR)(32.1%versus 46.5%,respectively,P=0.116),though the differences were not significant.Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the OR of Group C for clinical pregnancy(OR=1.849,P=0.040)and for LBR(OR=1.915,P=0.034)were significant using Group A as the base level.Conclusions:Our study has demonstrated that patients with higher serum LH levels(5.0–10.0 IU/L)on trigger day in the GnRH antagonist protocol may confer better clinical outcomes than those with lower LH levels(<1.0 IU/L).