Retinal nerve fiber layer defects and chronic kidney disease:the Kailuan Eye Study

AIM:To investigate whether retinal nerve fiber layer defects(RNFLDs)is a potential risk factor for chronic kidney disease(CKD)in Chinese adults.METHODS:The Kailuan Eye Study was a populationbased study that included 14440 participants.All participants underwent detailed assessments,RNFLDs were diagnosed using color fundus photographs.RESULTS:Overall,12507 participants[8533 males(68.23%)]had complete systemic examination data and at least one evaluable fundus photograph.RNFLDs were found in 621 participants[5.0%;95%confidence interval(CI):4.6%-5.34%],and 70 cases of multiple RNFLDs were found(11.27%).After adjusting multiple factors,RNFLDs was significantly associated with CKD severity,the ORs of CKD stage 3,stage 4 and stage 5 were 1.698,4.167,and 9.512,respectively.Multiple RNFLDs were also associated with CKD severity after adjusting multiple factors,the ORs of CKD stage 3 and stage 5 were 4.465 and 11.833 respectively.Furthermore,2294 participants had CKD(18.34%,95%CI:17.68%-18.99%).After adjusting for other factors,CKD presence was significantly correlated with the presence of RNFLDs.CONCLUSION:The strongest risk factors for RNFLDs are CKD and hypertension.Conversely,RNFLDs can be an ocular feature in patients with CKD.Fundoscopy can help detect systemic diseases,and assessment for RNFLDs should be considered in CKD patients.

A Quality Evaluation System for Dissertation Based on Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process

A dissertation is a research report or scientific paper written by an author to obtain a certain degree. It reflects postgraduates’ research achievements and the educational quality of an institute, even a country. To construct an optimized quality evaluation system for postgraduate dissertation (QESPD), we summarized the influencing factors and invited 10 experienced specialists to rate and prioritize them based on fuzzy analytic hierarchy process. Four primary indicators (innovation, integrity, scientificity and normativity) and 16 sub-indicators were selected to form the evaluation system. The order of primary indicators by weight, was innovation (0.4269), scientificity (0.2807), integrity (0.1728) and normativity (0.1196). The top five sub-dimensions were theoretical originality, scientific value, data reliability, design rationality and evidence credibility. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed system, a case study was performed. In the case study, it was demonstrated that the established two-index-hierarchy QESPD in this study was a more scientific and reasonable evaluation system worthy of promotion and application.

Dietary fiber intake and its association with diabetic kidney disease in American adults with diabetes:A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND Dietary fiber(DF)intake may have a protective effect against type 2 diabetes(T2D);however,its relationship with diabetic kidney disease(DKD)remains unclear.AIM To investigate the potential association between DF intake and the prevalence of DKD in individuals diagnosed with T2D.METHODS This cross-sectional study used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey collected between 2005 and 2018.DF intake was assessed through 24-h dietary recall interviews,and DKD diagnosis in individuals with T2D was based on predefined criteria,including albuminuria,impaired glomerular filtration rate,or a combination of both.Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between DF intake and DKD,and comprehensive subgroup and sensitivity analyses were performed.RESULTS Among the 6032 participants,38.4%had DKD.With lower DF intake-T1(≤6.4 g/1000 kcal/day)-as a reference,the adjusted odds ratio for DF and DKD for levels T2(6.5-10.0 g/1000 kcal/day)and T3(≥10.1 g/1000 kcal/day)were 0.97(95%CI:0.84-1.12,P=0.674)and 0.79(95%CI:0.68-0.92,P=0.002),respectively.The subgroup analysis yielded consistent results across various demographic and health-related subgroups,with no statistically significant interactions(all P>0.05).CONCLUSION In United States adults with T2D,increased DF intake may be related to reduced DKD incidence.Further research is required to confirm these findings.

Sex differences in the association between the muscle quality index and the incidence of depression: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND Depression presents significant challenges to mental health care.Although phy-sical activity is highly beneficial to mental and physical health,relatively few stu-dies have conducted on the relationship between them.AIM To investigate the association between muscle quality index(MQI)and incidence of depression.METHODS The data used in this cross-sectional study were obtained from the 2011-2014 National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey,which included informa-tion on MQI,depression,and confounding factors.Multivariable logistic regre-ssion models were employed,while taking into account the complex multi-stage sampling design.A restricted cubic spline model was utilized to investigate the non-linear relationship between the MQI and depression.Additionally,subgroup analyses were performed to identify influential factors.RESULTS The prevalence of depression in this population was 8.44%.With the adjusted model,the MQI was associated with depression in females(odds ratio=0.68,95%confidence interval:0.49-0.95)but not in males(odds ratio=1.08,95%confidence interval:0.77-1.52).Restricted cubic spline adjustment of all covariates showed a significant negative non-linear relationship between depression and the MQI in females.The observed trend indicated an 80%decrease in the risk of depression for each unit increase in MQI,until a value of 2.2.Subsequently,when the MQI exceeded 2.2,the prevalence of depression increased by 20%for every unit increase in the MQI.Subgroup analyses further confirmed that the MQI was negatively associated with de-pression.CONCLUSION The MQI was inversely correlated with depression in females but not males,suggesting that females with a higher MQI might decrease the risk of depression.

Association between composite dietary antioxidant index and stroke among individuals with diabetes

BACKGROUND Recent research has underscored the potentially protective role of dietary antioxidants against chronic conditions,such as cardiovascular diseases and stroke.The composite dietary antioxidant index(CDAI),which reflects the overall intake of key dietary antioxidants,has been identified as a crucial metric for exploring this relationship.Although previous research has shown a negative correlation between CDAI levels and stroke risk in prediabetic individuals,there remains a substantial gap in understanding this association among individuals with diabetes,who are at an inherently greater risk for cerebrovascular events.AIM To investigate the association between CDAI and stroke risk in individuals with diabetes.METHODS Using a cross-sectional study design,this investigation analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey spanning from 2003 to 2018 that included 6735 participants aged over 20 years with diabetes.The CDAI was calculated from 24-h dietary recalls to assess intake of key antioxidants:Vitamins A,C,and E;carotenoids;selenium;and zinc.Multivariate logistic regression and restricted cubic spline analysis were used to rigorously examine the relationship between CDAI and stroke risk.RESULTS The participant cohort,with an average age of 59.5 years and a slight male majority,reflected the broader demographic characteristics of individuals with diabetes.The analysis revealed a strong inverse relationship between CDAI levels and stroke risk.Remarkably,those in the highest quintile of CDAI demonstrated a 43%lower prevalence of stroke compared to those in the lowest quintile,even after adjustments for various confounders.This finding not only highlights the negative association between CDAI and stroke risk but also underscores the significant potential of antioxidant-rich diets in reducing stroke prevalence among patients with diabetes.CONCLUSION Our findings suggested that CDAI was inversely associated with stroke prevalence among patients with diabetes.These results suggest incorporating antioxidant-rich foods into dietary regimens as a potential strategy for stroke prevention.

Assessment of the triglyceride glucose index in adult patients with chronic diarrhea and constipation

BACKGROUND Accumulating evidence suggests that the gut microbiome is involved in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance(IR).However,the link between two of the most prevalent bowel disorders,chronic diarrhea and constipation,and the triglyceride glucose(TyG)index,a marker of IR,has not yet been investigated.AIM To investigate the potential association between TyG and the incidence of chronic diarrhea and constipation.METHODS This cross-sectional study enrolled 2400 participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey database from 2009-2010.TyG was used as an exposure variable,with chronic diarrhea and constipation as determined by the Bristol Stool Form Scale used as the outcome variables.A demographic investigation based on TyG quartile subgroups was performed.The application of multivariate logistic regression models and weighted generalized additive models revealed potential correlations between TyG,chronic diarrhea,and constipation.Subgroup analyses were performed to examine the stability of any potential associations.RESULTS In the chosen sample,chronic diarrhea had a prevalence of 8.00%,while chronic constipation had a prevalence of 8.04%.In multiple logistic regression,a more prominent positive association was found between TyG and chronic diarrhea,particularly in model 1(OR=1.45;95%CI:1.17-1.79,P=0.0007)and model 2(OR=1.40;95%CI:1.12-1.76,P=0.0033).No definite association was observed between the TyG levels and chronic constipation.The weighted generalized additive model findings suggested a more substantial positive association with chronic diarrhea when TyG was less than 9.63(OR=1.89;95%CI:1.05-3.41,P=0.0344),and another positive association with chronic constipation when it was greater than 8.2(OR=1.74;95%CI:1.02-2.95,P=0.0415).The results of the subgroup analyses further strengthen the extrapolation of these results to a wide range of populations.CONCLUSION Higher TyG levels were positively associated with abnormal bowel health.

Genetic Parameters and Genome-Wide Association Studies for Body Size Traits of Shuxuan Cattle in China

In domestic cattle,the body size traits have important implications in terms of breed characteristics and production performance.Shuxuan cattle is a dual-purpose breed mainly raised in Sichuan province,China,for which we have known less about the genetic parameters and underlying candidate genes in relation to the body size traits.In this study,we obtained the genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs)using the Illumina Bovine BeadChip in 275 Shuxuan cattle.These SNPs were first used for estimating genetic parameters for the withers height(WH)and diagonal body length(BL).Using the bivariate animal model,the estimates(±standard error)of heritabilities were 0.71±0.22 and 0.49±0.29 for BL,and their genetic correlation was 0.64±0.37.Second,the genome-wide association study(GWAS)was performed.However,these did not result into genome-wide significant SNPs for both WH and BL traits.According to a less stringent suggestive significance,some positional candidate genes were found,and some of them(such as FAM110B,TAS1R2,PAX3,and FHIT)were previously reported in literature to be associated with body size traits in cattle.In conclusion,we estimated the genetic parameters in Shuxuan cattle using genomic information for the first time,which are required for implementing the genomic selection programs in the future.

Implementation and Evaluation of a Postpartum Care Program for Mothers Raising Infants: A Pilot Study

Background: The aims of this pilot study were to implement and evaluate a postpartum care program for mothers raising children younger than one year to provide physical relaxation, and to reduce mothers’ parenting problems. Methods: A day-service and group-type postpartum care program was implemented with the aim of interacting with peers, promoting local communication, and relaxing mothers. Results: Forty-five pairs of mothers and infants participated in the study. Most of the mothers experienced relaxation, communicated with each other, resolved physical problems, reduced childcare concerns, and developed parenting friends. Conclusions: In addition, feasibility was assured as they were very satisfied with the content of programs such as baby massage and aroma treatment.

Standardized Semi-Quantitative Evaluation of [123I]FP-CIT SPECT in a Multicenter Study

To the best of our knowledge no multicenter studies have been published using standardized semi-quantitative evaluation of [123I]FP-CIT scan (DAT-SPECT). The aims of this study were: 1) to cross-compare semi-quantitative software-assisted evaluations of DAT-SPECTs performed in three centers with different equipments;2) to assess the accuracy of semi-quantitative evaluations of DAT-SPECT and 3) to identify the threshold with the best accuracy, sensitivity and specificity in a patient population with suspected parkinsonian syndrome. Materials and Methods: Two hundred twenty patients (mean age at the time of SPECT acquisition, 67.4 ± 9.5 yy) acquired in three centers (Ospedale San Luigi Gonzaga;Ospedale San Giovanni Battista Molinette;Ospedale Mauriziano Umberto I) were included. All of them underwent DAT-SPECT from January 2006 to July 2010. All exams were analyzed with the freely available software BASGAN and semi-quantitative data were used to predict disease. In particular, analyses were based on the values from the most deteriorated putamen and caudate, normalized for age and corrected for equipment. ROC analysis was performed and area under the curve (AUC) was estimated. Results: Analysis showed high AUCs (0.898, 0.864, 0.900 and 0.891 for each center and for the multicenter setting, respectively) confirming the very good accuracies reached. The best cut-off were 0.72 and 0.82 for putamen and caudate respectively. These thresholds allowed sensitivities and specificities in each center and in the multicenter setting of 76% and 96%, 91% and 82%, 93% and 90%, 86% and 89% respectively. No significant differences were observed between sensibility and specificity in each center. Conclusion: A unique threshold useful for all centers with high and similar sensitivities and specificities is possible after correction for age and equipments. The high accuracy reached in this multicenter trial by the semi-quantitative analysis seems similar to accuracies from qualitative analysis in other multicenter studies.

Cyclist Warning Systems: Design and Evaluation

Cyclists belong to the group of vulnerable road users and, thus, need particular protection in road traffic. One way to enhance cyclists’ safety is to use urban data (e.g., infrastructure data, accident statistics) to inform cyclists about potentially dangerous areas, allowing them to better adjust to the situation and elevate their self-protection. However, the question is how to inform cyclists about such dangerous areas. In this paper, we present the results of two field studies, investigating two wearables (headphones vs. smart glasses) and different signal options to inform cyclists about dangerous areas. Study participants were cycling along a predefined track and could experience the different wearables and signals. The main aim of the studies was to find out how cyclists perceive and experience the different approaches. Participants’ impressions were captured with questionnaires and interviews. Our results show a clear preference of the headphones over the smart glasses and signaling with intermittent audio while being in the dangerous area. However, we also found that participants’ acceptance of the approach was influenced by the additional perceived benefit the respective wearable would have in daily life. Using a wearable solely to be warned, although this would increase safety, was less acceptable. We discuss the implications of these findings for the design of cyclist warning systems.

Orientation and Function of Examination Evaluation in the Reform of College Entrance Examination

With the aim of deepening the college entrance examination reform,this paper analyzes the orientation and role of examination evaluation in the reform of college entrance examination.Firstly,the paper expounds the implementation of the college entrance examination reform and affirms the necessity of several related educational reforms.Secondly,it expoxmds the orientation of examination evaluation.Finally,it summarizes the function of examination evaluation from four aspects:guiding the development of students*comprehensive quality,supervising teaching work,promoting the progress of teaching work,and guiding examination propositions.The advantages of examination evaluation are emphasized to promote the reform of college entrance examination and further drive the progress of the education reform in China.

A STUDY ON ECONOMY EVALUATION ON THE PROFIT AND LOSS OF GEOLOGIC ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ABOUT GEOLOGIC ENVIRONMENTAL EXPLOITATION PROJECT

The problems of environmental geology refer to the geologic phenomena, incidents or accidents arising from action of environmental geology. The action is mainly the mutual influence between human activity and geologic environment. When human activity is uncoordinated with objective laws of the geologic environment, the problems of environmental geology or economic loss would occur.Therefore,the level and the changing orientation of geologic environmental quality are relative to the types of human activity,particularly relative to human intentional-activities of geologic environmental exploitation project. The geologic environment fitting to mining may not fit to urban construction,and fitting to water conservancy and hydroelectric projects may not fit to communication,and so on.Economy evaluation on the profit and loss of geologic environmental quality is exactly to depict the level of the profit and loss of geologic environmental quality about geologic environmental exploitation projects and the

QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus与QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube在骨关节结核辅助诊断中的比较研究

目的:评价QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus(简称“QFT-Plus”)和QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube(简称“QFT-GIT”)检测辅助诊断骨关节结核的应用价值及其检测结果的一致性。方法:选取2023年4—9月于首都医科大学附属北京胸科医院就诊的骨关节结核患者88例作为观察组,非结核性骨关节疾病患者123例作为对照组。所有研究对象同时行外周血QFT-Plus和QFT-GIT检测。分析QFT-Plus和QFT-GIT辅助诊断骨关节结核的价值,评价两种方法检测结果的一致性。结果:211例研究对象中,剔除4例检测为不确定结果者,最终将207例研究对象检测结果纳入诊断性能评估(观察组86例,对照组121例)。QFT-Plus检测的敏感度为95.3%(95%CI:87.9%~98.5%),特异度为70.2%(95%CI:61.2%~78.0%),阳性预测值为65.5%(95%CI:60.2%~77.5%),阴性预测值为95.5%(95%CI:88.3%~98.6%);QFT-GIT检测的敏感度为91.9%(95%CI:83.4%~96.4%),特异度为66.9%(95%CI:57.7%~75.1%),阳性预测值为66.4%(95%CI:57.1%~74.6%),阴性预测值为92.0%(95%CI:83.8%~96.5%)。QFT-Plus和QFT-GIT检测结果的总一致率为91.8%(95%CI:88.1%~95.5%),阳性一致率为92.4%(95%CI:87.7%~97.2%),阴性一致率为90.9%(95%CI:84.9%~96.9%),一致性检验Kappa值为0.832(95%CI:0.756~0.908,P<0.001)。结论:QFT-Plus与QFT-GIT检测结果具有良好的一致性,在骨关节结核诊断中具有相似的辅助诊断效能。

GAN与Diffusion在传统纹样设计中的实验研究

传统纹样是中国优秀传统文化的重要组成部分,传统人工设计已经无法满足纹样的现代设计需求,生成式AI为传统纹样设计提供了新的设计路径和方法。文章将生成式AI应用于传统纹样设计中,通过适配实验优选基于GAN的Style GAN和基于Diffusion的Stable Diffusion两种主流图像生成模型进行实验,采用技术分析与艺术分析相结合,对实验结果进行多角度、多维度对比分析,为设计师选择生成设计方法提供参照。实验结果表明,两个模型均能满足基本的艺术设计需求。Style GAN模型生成的纹样图像更接近真实图像的分布,具有更高的图像质量和多样性;Stable Diffusion模型能较好地传承传统纹样的基因,艺术性与创造性兼具,更加符合传统纹样的艺术设计需求。

A survey and evaluation of population-based screening for gastric cancer

Screening and early diagnosis of gastric cancer play important roles in reducing the mortality of gastric cancer. A vast amount of study data on gastric cancer screening and early diagnosis has been accumulated in and out of China in the past decades. The practice of gastric cancer screening has also been efficiently carried out in different countries and regions. However, no widely accepted principle of population screening for gastric cancer has been developed yet. Screening for gastric cancer requires extensive exploration both theoretically and practically. This article focuses on the method and program of gastric cancer screening based on population. Moreover, the current situation of gastric cancer screening and its evaluation are evaluated.

An empirical study on evaluation indexes of scientific research achievements in nursing

Objective: The purpose of this empirical study was to investigate the evaluation indexes of nursing research results and to provide references for the optimization of nursing research results and their clinical applications.Methods: A total of 150 clinical nursing studies were randomly selected, the clinical applications of their results were investigated,and the results were evaluated using the evaluation indexes of nursing research achievements.Results: The results of 101 clinical nursing studies were promoted through their application, accounting for 82.79%, but they were mostly promoted and applied in small areas. When the evaluation indexes of nursing research results were used to evaluate the results, the scores for the applied results were higher than those of unapplied results, and the difference was statistically significant(P < 0.05). Considering the levels of the results, the scores of the results of studies at the national level were higher than those of studies at the municipal and hospital levels; the scores of the results of studies at the provincial level were higher than those at the hospital level; and the scores of the results of originally innovative studies were higher than those of partially innovative studies. The differences were statistically significant(P < 0.05). In terms of overall scores, the scores of the results at the provincial level were higher than those at the hospital level, and the difference was statistically significant(P < 0.05).Conclusions: The evaluation indexes of nursing research results in this study can scientifically and effectively evaluate the level,value, and effectiveness of the nursing research results and can promote the clinical application of the optimized results.

Constructing Large Scale Cohort for Clinical Study on Heart Failure with Electronic Health Record in Regional Healthcare Platform:Challenges and Strategies in Data Reuse

Regional healthcare platforms collect clinical data from hospitals in specific areas for the purpose of healthcare management.It is a common requirement to reuse the data for clinical research.However,we have to face challenges like the inconsistence of terminology in electronic health records (EHR) and the complexities in data quality and data formats in regional healthcare platform.In this paper,we propose methodology and process on constructing large scale cohorts which forms the basis of causality and comparative effectiveness relationship in epidemiology.We firstly constructed a Chinese terminology knowledge graph to deal with the diversity of vocabularies on regional platform.Secondly,we built special disease case repositories (i.e.,heart failure repository) that utilize the graph to search the related patients and to normalize the data.Based on the requirements of the clinical research which aimed to explore the effectiveness of taking statin on 180-days readmission in patients with heart failure,we built a large-scale retrospective cohort with 29647 cases of heart failure patients from the heart failure repository.After the propensity score matching,the study group (n=6346) and the control group (n=6346) with parallel clinical characteristics were acquired.Logistic regression analysis showed that taking statins had a negative correlation with 180-days readmission in heart failure patients.This paper presents the workflow and application example of big data mining based on regional EHR data.

Preparation and evaluation of tamsulosin hydrochloride sustained-release pellets modified by two-layered membrane techniques

The aim of the present study was to develop tamsulosin hydrochloride sustained-release pellets using two-layered membrane techniques.Centrifugal granulator and fluidizedbed coater were employed to prepare drug-loaded pellets and to employ two-layered membrane coating respectively.The prepared pellets were evaluated for physicochemical characterization,subjected to differential scanning calorimetry(DSC)and in vitro release of different pH.Different release models and scanning electron microscopy(SEM)were utilized to analyze the release mechanism of Harnual■ and home-made pellets.By comparing the dissolution profiles,the ratio and coating weight gain of Eudragit■ NE30D and Eudragit■ L30D55 which constitute the inside membrane were identified as 18:1 and 10%-11%.The coating amount of outside membrane containing Eudragit■ L30D55 was determined to be 0.8%.The similarity factors(f_(2))of home-made capsule and commercially available product(Harnual■)were above 50 in different dissolution media.DSC studies confirmed that drug and excipients had good compatibility and SEM photographs showed the similarities and differences of coating surface between Harnual■ and self-made pellets before and after dissolution.According to Ritger-Peppas model,the two dosage form had different release mechanism.

Equity Study in Health Workforce on Tuberculosis Control in China: a Nationwide Evaluation

We aimed to describe the distribution of tuberculosis （TB） health workers in China and provide evidences of potential inequity for policy development. We used Lorenz curves and Gini index to characterize the distribution of TB health workers by population size, geographical area and number of annual registered TB cases. An additional stratified analysis was done by three economic regions. The Gini index were 0.33 for population size, 0.62 for geographical area and 0.30 for number of registered tuberculosis cases that indicated an acceptable average, significant inequity and a relative average distribution nationwide respectively.