Effects of serum inflammatory factors,health index and disease activity scores on ankylosing spondylitis patients with sleep disorder

BACKGROUND Patients with ankylosing spondylitis(AS)frequently suffer from comorbid sleep disorders,exacerbating the burden of the disease and affecting their quality of life.AIM To investigate the clinical significance of serum inflammatory factors,health index and disease activity scores in patients with AS complicated by sleep disorders.METHODS A total of 106 AS patients with comorbid sleep disorders were included in the study.The patients were grouped into the desirable and undesirable prognosis groups in accordance with their clinical outcomes.The serum levels of inflammatory factors,including C-reactive protein,erythrocyte sedimentation rate,interleukin(IL)-6,tumour necrosis factor-αand IL-1β,were measured.Disease activity scores,such as the Bath AS functional index,Bath AS disease activity index,Bath AS metrology index and AS disease activity score,were assessed.The health index was obtained through the Short Form-36 questionnaire.RESULTS The study found significant associations amongst serum inflammatory factors,health index and disease activity scores in AS patients with comorbid sleep disorders.Positive correlations were found between serum inflammatory factors and disease activity scores,indicating the influence of heightened systemic inflammation on disease severity and functional impairment.Conversely,negative correlations were found between disease activity scores and health index parameters,highlighting the effect of disease activity on various aspects of healthrelated quality of life.Logistic regression analysis further confirmed the predictive value of these factors on patient outcomes,underscoring their potential utility in risk assessment and prognostication.CONCLUSION The findings demonstrate the intricate interplay amongst disease activity,systemic inflammation and patientreported health outcomes in AS patients complicated by sleep disorders.The results emphasise the need for comprehensive care strategies that address the diverse needs and challenges faced by these patients and underscore the potential relevance of serum inflammatory factors,health index and disease activity scores as prognostic markers in this patient population.

Combining RUSLE model and the vegetation health index to unravel the relationship between soil erosion and droughts in southeastern Tunisia

Droughts and soil erosion are among the most prominent climatic driven hazards in drylands,leading to detrimental environmental impacts,such as degraded lands,deteriorated ecosystem services and biodiversity,and increased greenhouse gas emissions.In response to the current lack of studies combining drought conditions and soil erosion processes,in this study,we developed a comprehensive Geographic Information System(GIS)-based approach to assess soil erosion and droughts,thereby revealing the relationship between soil erosion and droughts under an arid climate.The vegetation condition index(VCI)and temperature condition index(TCI)derived respectively from the enhanced vegetation index(EVI)MOD13A2 and land surface temperature(LST)MOD11A2 products were combined to generate the vegetation health index(VHI).The VHI has been conceived as an efficient tool to monitor droughts in the Negueb watershed,southeastern Tunisia.The revised universal soil loss equation(RUSLE)model was applied to quantitatively estimate soil erosion.The relationship between soil erosion and droughts was investigated through Pearson correlation.Results exhibited that the Negueb watershed experienced recurrent mild to extreme drought during 2000–2016.The average soil erosion rate was determined to be 1.8 t/(hm2•a).The mountainous western part of the watershed was the most vulnerable not only to soil erosion but also to droughts.The slope length and steepness factor was shown to be the most significant controlling parameter driving soil erosion.The relationship between droughts and soil erosion had a positive correlation(r=0.3);however,the correlation was highly varied spatially across the watershed.Drought was linked to soil erosion in the Negueb watershed.The current study provides insight for natural disaster risk assessment,land managers,and stake-holders to apply appropriate management measures to promote sustainable development goals in fragile environments.

Analysing the relationship between drought and soil erosion using vegetation health index and RUSLE models in Godavari middle sub-basin,India

Drought is a natural phenomenon posing severe implications for soil,groundwater and agricultural yield.It has been recognized as one of the most pervasive global change drivers to affect the soil.Soil being a weakly renewable resource takes a long time to form,but it takes no time to degrade.However,the response of soil to drought conditions as soil loss is not manifested in the existing literature.Thus,this study makes a concerted effort to analyze the relationship between drought conditions and soil erosion in the middle sub-basin of the Godavari River in India.MODIS remote sensing data was utilized for driving drought indices during 2000-2019.Firstly,we constricted Temperature condition index(TCI)and Vegetation Condition Index(VCI)from Land Surface Temperature(LST)and Enhanced Vegetation Index(EVI)derived from MODIS data.TCI and VCI were then integrated to determine the Vegetation Health Index(VHI).Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation(RUSLE)was utilized for estimating soil loss.The relationship between drought condition and vegetation was ascertained using the Pearson correlation.Most of the northern and southern watersheds experienced severe drought condition in the sub-basin during2000-2019.The mean frequency of the drought occurrence was 7.95 months.The average soil erosion in the sub-basin was estimated to be 9.88 t ha^(-1)year^(-1).A positive relationship was observed between drought indices and soil erosion values(r value being 0.35).However,wide variations were observed in the distribution of spatial correlation.Among various factors,the slope length and steepness were found to be the main drivers of soil erosion in the sub-basin.Thus,the study calls for policy measures to lessen the impact of drought and soil erosion.

The Establishment of a New Air Health Index Integrating the Mortality Risks Due to Ambient Air Pollution and Non-Optimum Temperature

A composite Air Health Index(AHI)is helpful for separately emphasizing the health risks of multiple stimuli and communicating the overall risks of an adverse atmospheric environment to the public.We aimed to establish a new AHI by integrating daily mortality risks due to air pollution with those due to non-optimum temperature in China.Based on the exposure-response(E-R)coefficients obtained from time-series models,the new AHI was constructed as the sum of excess mortality risk associated with air pollutants and non-optimum temperature in 272 Chinese cities from 2013 to 2015.We examined the association between the“total AHI”(based on total mortality)and total mortality,and further compared the ability of the“total AHI”to predict specific cardiopulmonary mortality with that of“specific AHIs”(based on specific mortalities).On average,air pollution and non-optimum temperature were associated with 28.23%of daily excess mortality,of which 23.47%was associated with non-optimum temperature while the remainder was associated with fine particulate matter(PM2.5)(1.12%),NO2(2.29%,),and O3(2.29%).The new AHI uses a 10-point scale and shows an average across all 272 cities of 6 points.The E-R curve for AHI and mortality is approximately linear,without any thresholds.Each one unit increase in“total AHI”is associated with a 0.84%increase in all-cause mortality and 1.01%,0.98%,1.02%,1.66%,and 1.71%increases in cardiovascular disease,coronary heart disease,stroke,respiratory diseases,and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease mortality,respectively.Cause-specific mortality risk estimates using the“total AHI”are similar to those predicted by“specific AHIs.”In conclusion,the“total AHI”proposed herein could be a promising tool for communicating health risks related to exposure to the ambient environment to the public.

Examining Health of Wetlands with Multiple Ecosystem Services as Targets in China’s Coastal Regions

Coastal zones are key interconnectors of terrestrial and marine ecosystems.Due to the degradation and fragmentation of coastal wetlands,there is an urgent need to develop assessment methodology to compare the health of wetland ecosystems at different spatial scales.This will help efficiently develop and implement protections using easy-to-access ecosystem health data.This study aims to understand the spatial distribution of coastal and inland wetland health for China’s coastal regions.A Wetland Health Index(WHI)was developed to provide a basis for policy and decision making.Four utilization models—Long Term Model,Open Model,Nature Reserve Model,and Protected and Economic Model—were defined in the context of China’s coastal regions to specifically examine wetland health.Results show that the average WHI score was 63.6 with the range of 44.8–84.3 for 35 National Nature Reserves(NNRs),and the southern NNRs generally performed better than the northern NNRs.The wetlands in the southern provinces/municipalities are relatively healthier than their northern counterparts.The competent authority has slight influence on WHI scores but duration of conservation establishment does not show a clear correlation.With increasing economic activity,the differences in health conditions(WHI scores)of China’s coastal regions also increase.Gross Domestic Product(GDP)or economic intensification does not relate to WHI scores.Appropriate trade-offs between wetland management and economic development could contribute to improve health conditions,conservation and utilization of coastal and inland wetlands.

Health Assessment and Protection Countermeasures of Ecosystem of the Dajiu Lake in Shennongjia

The Dajiu Lake is an important subtropical alpine wetland in central China.In May of 2019,an ecological investigation was conducted on water quality and aquatic organisms(phytoplankton,zooplankton and zoobenthos)of the Dajiu Lake in Shennongjia forest region.The results showed that parameters of water quality in No.5 and No.9 sub lakes of the Dajiu Lake corresponded with standard of class II water of the Environmental Quality Standards for Surface Water(GB 3838-2002),while other sub lakes corresponded with standard of class III water.Diversity indexes of phytoplankton and zooplankton ranged from 2.0 to 3.0,and there were two families(Chironomidae and Libellulidae Rambur)of one phylum(Arthropoda)in zoobenthos.Comprehensive health index of entropy weight was used to evaluate water ecological status of the Dajiu Lake,and water quality of No.5,No.8 and No.9 sub lakes was in a healthy status,while other sub lakes were in sub-health status.Finally,corresponding countermeasures were proposed according to protection needs of the Dajiu Lake.

Assessment of Heavy Metal Concentration and Evaluation of Health Risk of Some Vegetables Cultivated in Loumbila Farmland, Burkina Faso

Vegetables such as spinach, African eggplant, cabbage, eggplant, okra, chili peppers and tomatoes are found in our everyday foods and are the most important dietary source of nutrient. But, it becomes deleterious to human as well as animals as it accumulates toxic metals in their tissue when grown in contaminated soil. The mostly consumed vegetables like spinach, African eggplant (fruit and leaves), Corchorus olitorius leaf, Amaranthus hybridus leaf, cabbage, eggplant, okra, pepper and tomato were collected from Loumbila market gardening. Heavy metals copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd) and zinc (Zn) were measured using atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS) model AANALYST 200 from PERKIN ELMER. The results of this study showed that the concentrations of lead (0.49 to 8.59 mg/kg) and zinc (20.73 to 71.29 mg/kg) in spinach, African eggplant (fruit and leaves), Corchorus olitorius leaf, Amaranthus hybridus leaf, cabbage, eggplant, okra, pepper and tomato exceeded the permissible level of FAO and WHO standard. The daily plant metal intake for Cd (0.001 - 0.015 mg/kg), Pb (0.041 - 0.730 mg/kg), and Cu (0.703 - 1.543 mg/kg) is higher than the recommended daily intake of metals but does not exceed the tolerable limit. The calculated values of the health risk indices show high values for Cd, Pb, Zn, Ni and Cu while low values are observed for Cr. Except for Cr, the IRS evaluated for all the studied metals were greater than one (IRS > 1). This implies that exposed populations are susceptible to developing diseases linked to the following metals: Cd, Pb, Zn, Ni and Cu.

Concept and evaluation of bay health:the role of numerical model in the Yueqing Bay,China

To better evaluate the three-dimensional bay health and predict the dynamic bay health conditions, a concept of numerical bay health was introduced and a method of numerical bay health evaluation（NBHE） was developed.To support the NBHE method, a numerical bay health index（NBHI） system was constructed, which assess the natural and socio-economic effects on the entire bay. Five index groups are combined to formulate the NBHI,including geometry, hydrodynamics and sediment dynamics, bio-ecology, water quality and socio-economy.Each group has different number of indices selected and weighted using AHP method according to their importance. Data were mainly synthesized from a variety of numerical models together with monitoring programs, which provide superior to other approaches in discriminating data integrity and predicting data in future. The NBHE method using NBHI system was applied in the Yueqing Bay during spring tide in April 2007.According to the NBHE results, Sta. A, at the surface level of the estuarine mouth, has a healthy geometry condition, sub-healthy hydrodynamic and sediment dynamic condition, and unhealthy water quality and bioecology conditions. The integrated healthy score at Sta. A indicates its sub-healthy condition.

Prostate health index can stratify patients with Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System score 3 lesions on magnetic resonance imaging to reduce prostate biopsies

We aim to evaluate prostate health index as an additional risk-stratification tool in patients with Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System score 3 lesions on multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging.Men with biochemical or clinical suspicion of having prostate cancer who underwent multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging in two tertiary centers(Queen Mary Hospital and Princess Margaret Hospital,Hong Kong,China)between January 2017 and June 2022 were included.Ultrasound-magnetic resonance imaging fusion biopsies were performed after prostate health index testing.Those who only had Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System score 3 lesions were further stratified into four prostate health index risk groups and the cancer detection rates were analyzed.Out of the 747 patients,47.3%had Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System score 3 lesions only.The detection rate of clinically significant prostate cancer in this group was 15.0%.The cancer detection rates of clinically significant prostate cancer had statistically significant differences:5.3%in prostate health index<25.0,7.4%in prostate health index 25.0-34.9,17.9%in prostate health index 35.0-54.9,and 52.6%in prostate health index≥55.0(P<0.01).Among the patients,26.9%could have avoided a biopsy with a prostate health index<25.0,at the expense of a 5.3%risk of missing clinically significant prostate cancer.Prostate health index could be used as an additional risk stratification tool for patients with Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System score 3 lesions.Biopsies could be avoided in patients with low prostate health index,with a small risk of missing clinically significant prostate cancer.

A model to determining the remaining useful life of rotating equipment,based on a new approach to determining state of degradation

Condition assessment is one of the most significant techniques of the equipment’s health management.Also,in PHM methodology cycle,which is a developed form of CBM,condition assessment is the most important step of this cycle.In this paper,the remaining useful life of the equipment is calculated using the combination of sensor information,determination of degradation state and forecasting the proposed health index.The combination of sensor information has been carried out using a new approach to determining the probabilities in the Dempster-Shafer combination rules and fuzzy c-means clustering method.Using the simulation and forecasting of extracted vibration-based health index by autoregressive Markov regime switching(ARMRS)method,final health state is determined and the remaining useful life(RUL)is estimated.In order to evaluate the model,sensor data provided by FEMTO-ST Institute have been used.

Fluoroquinolone-macrolide combination therapy for chronic bacterial prostatitis： retrospective analysis of pathogen eradication rates, inflammatory findings and sexual dysfunction

We previously demonstrated the safety and efficacy of fluoroquinolone-macrolide combination therapy in category Ⅱ chronic bacterial prostatitis （CBP）. The aim of this study is to retrospectively compare the microbiological and clinical findings of two treatment schemes for CBP based on the combination of azithromycin （500 rag, thrice-weekly） with a once-daily 500- or 750-mg dose of ciprofloxacin （Cipro-500 or Cipro-750 cohort, respectively）. Combined administration of azithromycin （1500 mg week^-1） with ciprofloxacin at the rate of 750 mg day^- 1 for 4 weeks rather than at 500 mg day^- 1 for 6 weeks increased the eradication rates from 62.35% to 77.32% and the total bacteriological success from 71.76% to 85.57%. A significant decrease in pain and voiding signs/symptoms and a significant reduction in inflammatory leukocyte counts and serum prostate-specific antigen （PSA） were sustained throughout an 18-month follow-up period in both groups. Ejaculatory pain, haemospermia and premature ejaculation were significantly attenuated on microbiological eradication in both groups, but the latter subsided more promptly in the Cipro-750 cohort. In total, 59 Cipro-750 patients showed mild-to-severe erectile dysfunction （ED） at baseline, while 22 patients had no ED on microbiological eradication and throughout the follow-up period. In conclusion fluoroquinolone-macrolide therapy resulted in pathogen eradication and CBP symptom attenuation, including pain, voiding disturbances and sexual dysfunction. A once-daily 750-mg dose of ciprofloxacin for 4 weeks showed enhanced eradication rates and lower inflammatory white blood cell counts compared to the 500-mg dose for 6 weeks. Our results are open to further prospective validation.

Heavy Metal Contamination of Vegetables

In India, several (>50) vegetables are widely used as food due to their high nutrition values. However, vegetables in industrial area are getting contaminated with heavy metals by disturbing biological and biochemical processes in the human body. In present study, the risk of human health by heavy metals (Fe, As, Cr, Mn, Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd and Hg) through the intake of common vegetables i.e. Solanum lycopersicum, Solanum melongena, Amaranthus tricolor L., Chenopodium album L., Spinacia oleracea and Coriandrum sativum obtained from the largest coal burning basin, Korba, India is described . The concentration of Fe, As, Cr, Mn, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb and Hg in the soils (n = 6) was ranged from 18,328 - 37,980, 85 - 105, 34 - 72, 314 - 760, 146 - 165, 126 - 164, 1.11 - 1.39, 116 - 148 and 0.11 - 0.21 mg/kg with mean value (p = 0.05) of 28,011 ± 6582, 96 ± 6, 57 ± 11, 597 ± 148, 153 ± 5, 145 ± 11, 1.26 ± 0.10, 133 ± 11 and 0.16 ± 0.03 mg/kg, respectively. The contamination, sources and bioaccumulation, pollution and health risk indices of the heavy metals i.e. As, Fe, Cr, Mn, Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd and Hg in the plants are described.

Semen analysis in chronic bacterial prostatitis： diagnostic and therapeutic implications

The significance and diagnostic value of semen analysis in chronic bacterial prostatitis has been extensively debated and remains controversial. To investigate the diagnostic relevance of semen culture in the bacteriological workup of prostatitis patients, we retrospectively analyzed a clinical database of 696 symptomatic patients. All patients were routinely subjected to a four-glass test, followed by semen culture and analysis. This allowed to dissect from the database three different diagnostic scenarios, and to compare the ＇two-glass＇ pre-/post- massage test and the standard ＇four-glass＇ test with a ＇five-glass＇ test （four-glass plus post-VB3 semen culture）. The ＇five-glass＇ test showed 3.6- or 6.5-fold increases in relative sensitivity and lesser reductions （-13.2% or -14.7%） in relative specificity for traditional uropathogens （TUs） compared with the four-glass or two-glass test, respectively. The area under the ROC curve and Jouden＇s index were increased, whereas positive and negative likelihood ratios were lower than comparators, indicating that the ＇five-glass＇ assay may be superior in confirming the negative outcome of both standard tests. The five-, four-, and two-glass tests detected TUs （Enterobacteriaceae, Enterococci, etc.） in 120, 33, and 20 patients and unusual pathogens （Streptococci, other Gram-positive species, Mycoplasmata, and others） in 130, 56, and 45 patients, respectively. When patients were subjected to pharmacological treatment, including a combination of a fluoroquinolone and a macrolide, no differences in eradication rates were observed between groups diagnosed with different tests, irrespective of pathogen category. Eradication was associated with long-term sign/symptom remission; no significant intergroup differences in sign/symptom scores were observed throughout a 24-month off-therapy follow-up period. In conclusion, our data support the usefulness of semen analysis in the diagnostic workup ofprostatitis patients when this test is used to complement the four-glass Meares and Stamey test. Improvement of microbiological assays conveys important diagnostic and therapeutic implications.

The combined role of MRI prostate and prostate health index in improving detection of significant prostate cancer in a screening population of Chinese men

Using prostate-specific antigen(PSA)for prostate cancer(PCa)screening led to overinvestigation and overdiagnosis of indolent PCa.We aimed to investigate the value of prostate health index(PHI)and magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)prostate in an Asian PCa screening program.Men aged 50–75 years were prospectively recruited from a community-based PSA screening program.Men with PSA 4.0–10.0 ng ml^(−1) had PHI result analyzed.MRI prostate was offered to men with PSA 4.0–50.0 ng ml−1.A systematic prostate biopsy was offered to men with PSA 4.0–9.9 ng ml^(−1) and PHI≥35,or PSA 10.0–50.0 ng ml^(−1).Additional targeted prostate biopsy was offered if they had PI-RADS score≥3.Clinically significant PCa(csPCa)was defined as the International Society of Urological Pathology(ISUP)grade group(GG)≥2 or ISUP GG 1 with involvement of≥30%of total systematic cores.In total,12.8%(196/1536)men had PSA≥4.0 ng ml^(−1).Among 194 men with PSA 4.0–50.0 ng ml^(−1),187(96.4%)received MRI prostate.Among them,28.3%(53/187)had PI-RADS≥3 lesions.Moreover,7.0%(107/1536)men were indicated for biopsy and 94.4%(101/107)men received biopsy.Among the men received biopsy,PCa,ISUP GG≥2 PCa,and csPCa was diagnosed in 42(41.6%),24(23.8%),and 34(33.7%)men,respectively.Compared with PSA/PHI pathway in men with PSA 4.0–50.0 ng ml^(−1),additional MRI increased diagnoses of PCa,ISUP GG≥2 PCa,and csPCa by 21.2%(from 33 to 40),22.2%(from 18 to 22),and 18.5%(from 27 to 32),respectively.The benefit of additional MRI was only observed in PSA 4.0–10.0 ng ml^(−1),and the number of MRI needed to diagnose one additional ISUP GG≥2 PCa was 20 in PHI≥35 and 94 in PHI<35.Among them,45.4%(89/196)men with PSA≥4.0 ng ml^(−1) avoided unnecessary biopsy with the use of PHI and MRI.A screening algorithm with PSA,PHI,and MRI could effectively diagnose csPCa while reducing unnecessary biopsies.The benefit of MRI prostate was mainly observed in PSA 4.0–9.9 ng ml^(−1) and PHI≥35 group.PHI was an important risk stratification step for PCa screening.

Assessing food security performance from the One Health concept:an evaluation tool based on the Global One Health Index

Background Food systems instantiate the complex interdependencies across humans,physical environments,and other organisms.Applying One Health approaches for agri-food system transformation,which adopts integrated and unifying approaches to optimize the overall health of humans,animals,plants,and environments,is crucial to enhance the sustainability of food systems.This study develops a potential assessment tool,named the global One Health index-Food Security(GOHI-FS),aiming to evaluate food security performance across countries/territories from One Health perspective and identify relevant gaps that need to be improved for sustainable food systems.Methods We comprehensively reviewed existing frameworks and elements of food security.The indicator framework of GOHI-FS was conceptualized following the structure-process-outcome model and confirmed by expert advisory.Publicly available data in 2020 was collected for each indicator.The weighting strategy was determined by the Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process.The data for each indicator was normalized and aggregated by weighted arithmetic mean.Linear regressions were performed to evaluate the associations of GOHI-FS with health and social-economic indicators.Results The GOHI-FS includes 5 first-level indicators,19 second-level indicators and 45 third-level indicators.There were 146 countries/territories enrolled for evaluation.The highest average score of first-level indicators was Nutrition(69.8)and the lowest was Government Support and Response(31.3).There was regional heterogeneity of GOHI-FS scores.Higher median scores with interquartile range(IQR)were shown in North America(median:76.1,IQR:75.5-76.7),followed by Europe and Central Asia(median:66.9,IQR:60.1-74.3),East Asia and the Pacific(median:60.6,IQR:55.5-68.7),Latin America and the Caribbean(median:60.2,IQR:57.8-65.0),Middle East and North Africa(median:56.6,IQR:52.0-62.8),South Asia(median:51.1,IQR:46.7-53.8),and sub-Saharan Africa(median:41.4,IQR:37.2-46.5).We also found significant associations between GOHI-FS and GDP per capita,socio-demographic index,health expenditure and life expectancy.Conclusions GOHI-FS is a potential assessment tool to understand the gaps in food security across countries/territories under the One Health concept.The pilot findings suggest notable gaps for sub-Saharan Africa in numerous aspects.Broad actions are needed globally to promote government support and response for food security.

五月缤纷节日

伴随着五月的和风，五月将是一个节日气氛浓厚的月份。5月1日是大家所熟知的国际劳动节（http://www.123-4.com/living/jjr/laodong.htm)；5月4日是青年节（http://culture.china.com/zh_cn/zhuanti/54/)；5月8日是红十字日（http://www.beijing999.com.cn/hazzs.asp)；5月31日是世界无烟日（http://heaith.sohu.com/smcke/)。而今年的5月11日。

Quantitative Assessment of Soil Health Under Different Planting Patterns and Soil Types

Soil health assessment is an important step toward understanding the potential effects of agricultural practices on crop yield, quality and human health. The objectives of this study were to select a minimum data set for soil health evaluation from the physical, chemical and biological properties and environmental pollution characteristics of agricultural soil and to develop a soil health diagnosis model for determining the soil health status under different planting patterns and soil types in Chongming Island of Shanghai, China. The results showed that the majority of the farmland soils in Chongming Island were in poor soil health condition, accounting for 48.9% of the survey samples, followed by the medium healthy soil, accounting for 32.2% of the survey samples and mainly distributed in the central and mid-eastern regions of the island. The indicators of pH, total organic carbon, microbial biomass carbon and Cd exerted less influence on soil health, while the soil salinization and nitrate accumulation under a greenhouse cropping pattern and phosphate fertilizer shortage in the paddy field had limited the development of soil health. Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes, hexachlorocyclohexanes and Hg contributed less to soil health index (SHI) and showed no significant difference among paddy field, greenhouse and open-air vegetable/watermelon fields. The difference of the SHI of the three soil types was significant at P = 0.05. The paddy soil had the highest SHI values, followed by the gray alluvial soil, and the coastal saline soil was in a poor soil health condition, indicating a need to plant some salt-tolerant crops to effectively improve soil quality.

Extreme exposure of fluoride and arsenic contamination in shallow coastal aquifers of the Ganges delta,transboundary of the Indo-Bangladesh region

Globally,shallow aquifer groundwater(GW)has been severely affected in recent decades for both geogenic and anthropogenic reasons.The hydro-geochemical characteristics of the GW change inconsistently with the addition of unwanted inorganic trace elements into the GW aquifer of the Indo-Bangladesh delta region(IBDR),such as arsenic(As)along with fluoride(F-)contamination.Contaminated GW can have a negative impact on drinking water supplies and agricultural output.GW pollution can have serious adverse effects on the environment and human health.Thus,the GW quality of this region is deteriorating progressively,and human health threatening by various life-threatening disorders.Hence,the current study concentrated on the GW quality evaluation and prediction of possible health issues in the IBDR due to elevated contamination of As along with F-within GW aquifers by considering sixteen causative.Field survey-based statistical methods such as entropy quality index(EWQI)combined with health risk index(HRI)was implemented for evaluating the As and F-sensitivity with the help of correlation testing and principal component analysis.The study's outcome explains that a substantial portion of the IBDR has been vastly experiencing inferior GW quality,environmental issues,and health-related problems in dry and wet seasons,correspondingly for As and F-exposure.Piper diagram verified the suitability of water that almost 55%of GW across the study area’s aquifers are unfit for drinking as well as cultivation of crops.Sensitivity analysis and the Monte Carlo simulation method were also applied to assess the contaminant's concentration level and probable health risk appraisal.The present study concludes that the elevated exposure of As and F-pollution has to be monitored regularly and prevent unwanted GW contamination through implementing sustainable approaches and policies to fulfil the sustainable development goal 6(SDG-6)till 2030,ensuring the most basic human right of clean,safe,and hygienic water.

Performance of the Prostate Health Index in predicting prostate biopsy outcomes among men with a negative digital rectal examination and transrectal ultrasonography

The [-2]proPSA （p2PSA） and its derivatives, the p2PSA-to-free PSA ratio （%p2PSA）, and the Prostate Health Index （PHI） have greatly improved discrimination between men with and without prostate cancer （PCa） in prostate biopsies. However, little is known about their performance in cases where a digital rectal examination （DRE） and transrectal ultrasonography （TRUS） are negative. A prospective cohort of 261 consecutive patients in China with negative DRE and TRUS were recruited and underwent prostate biopsies. A serum sample had collected before the biopsy was used to measure various PSA derivatives, including total prostate-specific antigen （tPSA）, free PSA, and p2PSA. For each patient, the free-to-total PSA ratio （%fPSA）, PSA density （PSAD）, p2PSA-to-free PSA ratio （%p2PSA）, and PHI were calculated. Discriminative performance was assessed using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve （AUC） and the biopsy rate at 91% sensitivity. The AUC scores within the entire cohort with respect to age, tPSA, %fPSA, PSAD, p2PSA, %p2PSA, and PHI were 0.598, 0.751, 0.646, 0.789, 0.814, 0.808, and 0.853, respectively. PHI was the best predictor of prostate biopsy results, especially in patients with a tPSA of 10.1-20 ng ml-1. Compared with other markers, at a sensitivity of 91%, PHI was the most useful for determining which men did not need to undergo biopsy, thereby avoiding unnecessary procedures. The use of PHI could improve the accuracy of PCa detection by predicting prostate biopsy outcomes among men with a negative DRE and TRUS in China.

Aircraft air conditioning system health state estimation and prediction for predictive maintenance

The vast potential of system health monitoring and condition based maintenance on modern commercial aircraft is being realized through the innovative use of Airplane Condition Monitoring System(ACMS) data.However there are few methods addressing the issues of failure prognostics and predictive maintenance for commercial aircraft Air Conditioning System(ACS).This study developed a Bayesian failure prognostics approach using ACMS data for predictive maintenance of ACS.First, a health index characterizing the ACS health state is inferred from a multiple sensor signals using a data driven method.Then a dynamic linear model is proposed to describe the degradation process for failure prognostics.Bayesian inference formulas are carried out for degradation estimation and prediction.The developed approach is applied on a passenger aircraft fleet with ACMS data recorded for one year.The analysis of the case study shows that the developed method can produce satisfactory prognostics results, where all the ACS failure precursors are identified in advance, and the relative errors for the failure time prediction made when just entering the degradation warning stage are less than 8%.This would allow operators to proactively plan future maintenance.