Reevaluating health metrics:Unraveling the limitations of disabilityadjusted life years as an indicator in disease burden assessment

In 1993,the World Bank released a global report on the efficacy of health promotion,introducing the disability-adjusted life years(DALY)as a novel indicator.The DALY,a composite metric incorporating temporal and qualitative data,is grounded in preferences regarding disability status.This review delineates the algorithm used to calculate the value of the proposed DALY synthetic indicator and elucidates key methodological challenges associated with its application.In contrast to the quality-adjusted life years approach,derived from multi-attribute utility theory,the DALY stands as an independent synthetic indicator that adopts the assumptions of the Time Trade Off utility technique to define Disability Weights.Claiming to rely on no mathematical or economic theory,DALY users appear to have exempted themselves from verifying whether this indicator meets the classical properties required of all indicators,notably content validity,reliability,specificity,and sensitivity.The DALY concept emerged primarily to facilitate comparisons of the health impacts of various diseases globally within the framework of the Global Burden of Disease initiative,leading to numerous publications in international literature.Despite widespread adoption,the DALY synthetic indicator has prompted significant methodological concerns since its inception,manifesting in inconsistent and non-reproducible results.Given the substantial diffusion of the DALY indicator and its critical role in health impact assessments,a reassessment is warranted.This reconsideration is imperative for enhancing the robustness and reliability of public health decisionmaking processes.

The burden of depression,anxiety and schizophrenia among the older population in ageing and aged countries:an analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background Depression,anxiety and schizophrenia among older persons have become global public health challenges.However,the burden of these disorders in ageing and aged countries has not been analysed.Aims To investigate the burden of depression,anxiety and schizophrenia among older adults in ageing and aged countries.Methods Using data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019,we calculated the estimated annual percentage change(EAPC)in the age-standardised incidence rates(ASiR)and age-standardised disability-adjusted life years(DALYs)rates(ASDR)for depression,anxiety and schizophrenia of older people in ageing countries(China,India,Indonesia)and aged countries(Japan,Italy,Portugal)between 1990 and 2019.Trends in incidence and DALYs were analysed by gender and age.Results In 2019,the highest incidence of depression,anxiety and schizophrenia in the older population in aged countries was in Japan(927271.3(752552.3-1125796.5),51498.2(37625.7-70487.3)and 126.0(61.0-223.2),respectively),while the highest incidence in ageing countries was in China(5797556.9(4599403.4-7133006.5),330256.1(246448.9-445987.4)and 1067.7(556.2-1775.9),respectively).DALYs for these disorders were similar,with the highest in Japan and China.From 1990 to 2019,the ASIR for depressive disorders decreased in aged countries but increased in ageing countries;the ASIR for anxiety disorders and schizophrenia declined in both ageing and aged countries.The ASDR for depressive disorders was consistent with the ASIR but not for anxiety disorders and schizophrenia.The ASIR for depressive disorders was higher in older women,while the opposite was observed in anxiety disorders and schizophrenia.Notably,the conditions of burden of depressive disorders,anxiety disorders and schizophrenia in the 65-70-year-old age group were the most burdensome.Conclusions The incidence and DALYs of these three mental disorders increased while exhibiting differences between ageing and aged countries.Raising awareness about formulating health policies for preventing and treating mental disorders in the older population is necessary to reduce the future burden posed by the ageing challenge.

Taxpayers Fraudulent Behavior Modeling The Use of Datamining in Fiscal Fraud Detecting Moroccan Case

The fraudulent behavior of taxpayers impacts negatively the resources available to finance public services. It creates distortions of competition and inequality, harming honest taxpayers. Such behavior requires the government intervention to bring order and establish a fiscal justice. This study emphasizes the determination of the interactions linking taxpayers with tax authorities. We try to see how fiscal audit can influence taxpayers’ fraudulent behavior. First of all, we present a theoretical study of a model pre established by other authors. We have released some conditions of this model and we have introduced a new parameter reflecting the efficiency of tax control;we found that the efficiency of a fiscal control have an important effect on these interactions. Basing on the fact that the detection of fraudulent taxpayers is the most difficult step in fiscal control, We established a new approach using DATA MINING process in order to improve fiscal control efficiency. We found results that reflect fairly the conduct of taxpayers that we have tested based on actual statistics. The results are reliable.

Burden of gallstone disease in the United States population:Prepandemic rates and trends

BACKGROUND Gallstone disease is one of the most common digestive disorders in the United States and leads to significant morbidity,mortality,and health care utilization.AIM To expand on earlier findings and investigate prepandemic rates and trends in the gallstone disease burden in the United States using national survey and claims databases.METHODS The National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey,National Inpatient Sample,Nationwide Emergency Department Sample,Nationwide Ambulatory Surgery Sample,Vital Statistics of the United States,Optum Clinformatics®Data Mart,and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Medicare 5%Sample and Medicaid files were used to estimate claims-based prevalence,medical care including cholecystectomy,and mortality with a primary or other gallstone diagnosis.Rates were age-adjusted(for national databases)and shown per 100000 population.RESULTS Gallstone disease prevalence(claims-based,2019)was 0.70%among commercial insurance enrollees,1.03%among Medicaid beneficiaries,and 2.09%among Medicare beneficiaries and rose over the previous decade.Recently,in the United States population,gallstone disease contributed to approximately 2.2 million ambulatory care visits,1.2 million emergency department visits,625000 hospital discharges,and 2000 deaths annually.Women had higher medical care rates with a gallstone disease diagnosis,but mortality rates were higher among men.Hispanics had higher ambulatory care visit and hospital discharge rates compared with Whites,but not mortality rates.Blacks had lower ambulatory care visit and mortality rates,but similar hospital discharge rates compared with whites.During the study period,ambulatory care and emergency department visit rates with a gallstone disease diagnosis rose,while hospital discharge and mortality rates declined.Among commercial insurance enrollees,rates were higher compared with national data for ambulatory care visits and hospitalizations,but lower for emergency department visits.Cholecystectomies performed in the United States included 605000 ambulatory laparoscopic,280000 inpatient laparoscopic,and 49000 inpatient open procedures annually.Among commercial insurance enrollees,rates were higher compared with national data for laparoscopic procedures.CONCLUSION The gallstone disease burden in the United States is substantial and increasing,particularly among women,Hispanics,and older adults with laparoscopic cholecystectomy as the mainstay treatment.Current practice patterns should be monitored for better health care access.

High-chromium vanadium-titanium magnetite all-pellet integrated burden optimization and softening-melting behavior based on flux pellets

High-chromium vanadium-titanium magnetite(HVTM)is a crucial polymetallic-associated resource to be developed.The allpellet operation is a blast furnace trend that aims to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the future.By referencing the production data of vanadium-titanium magnetite blast furnaces,this study explored the softening-melting behavior of high-chromium vanadium-titanium magnetite and obtained the optimal integrated burden based on flux pellets.The results show that the burden with a composition of 70wt%flux pellets and 30wt%acid pellets exhibits the best softening-melting properties.In comparison to that of the single burden,the softening-melting characteristic temperature of this burden composition was higher.The melting interval first increased from 307 to 362℃and then decreased to 282℃.The maximum pressure drop(ΔPmax)decreased from 26.76 to 19.01 kPa.The permeability index(S)dropped from 4643.5 to 2446.8 kPa·℃.The softening-melting properties of the integrated burden were apparently improved.The acid pellets played a role in withstanding load during the softening process.The flux pellets in the integrated burden exhibited a higher slag melting point,which increased the melting temperature during the melting process.The slag homogeneity and the TiC produced by over-reduction led to the gas permeability deterioration of the single burden.The segregation of the flux and acid pellets in the HVTM proportion and basicity mainly led to the better softening-melting properties of the integrated burden.

The Impact of Tax Policies on Taxpayers Budget in Terms of Risk, Sensitivity and Volatility

Local and central governments are concerned to develop fiscal policies that are based on principles already enshrined in the literature as the principle of equity and/or the principle of fiscal appropriateness. Beyond these principles, the governments want to make sure that all taxpayers have the capacity to pay at maturity the tax debts owed to the public budget. In crisis situations, as recent experience has shown, governments adopt fiscal policy measures, with the sole purpose of procuring financial resources to cover the huge government budget deficits. In this situation, a natural question arises： Do governments need, for the elaboration of their fiscal policy, an analysis that takes into account the taxpayer＇s budget？ Or is it sufficient that they confine only to the theoretical principles enshrined in the literature or the tax paying ability of the taxpayers？ The answer can only be affirmative, because any taxpayer＇s budget is an inexhaustible source of resources for the public budgets. It is undisputed that in the taxpayer＇s budget, the tax expenditures coexist with other categories of expenditures such as consumption expenditures, durable expenditures and public utilities expenditures. Each expenditure type is risk-bearing. To study the structure of budget expenditures within the taxpayer, the authors suggest the use of three indicators innovative for the science of public finance： the risk, the sensitivity coefficient and the coefficient of volatility. Depending on the values registered by the three indicators of fiscal policies, expenditures can be classified as risky, volatile and sensitive which may lead to risks of failure to collect the taxes and/or to tax evasion. Innovative for the science of public finances is that the fundamentation of the fiscal policies is realized using the three indicators, the budget of the taxpayer and the networking between the categories of expenditures that fall within its budget structure

Impact of Tax Audit on Tax Compliance with Reference to Category“A”Taxpayers:A Case Study in Hawassa City Administration,South Nations,Nationalities and Peoples’Regional State of Ethiopia

The main issue faced by all tax authorities is that it has never been easy to persuade all taxpayers to comply with the regulations of a tax system.Business sector is one of the fastest growing sectors of the economy in Ethiopia.The study specifically sought the effect of tax audit,fines and penalties,and tax education and knowledge on tax compliance in Hawassa City,south nations,nationalities and peoples’regional state.Population under this research comprises Hawassa City audit officers who are 50 audit officers.Since the number of staff is not large,the study used census approach.Data were collected using structured questionnaire,both primary and secondary data were used.Descriptive statistical tools and correlation and multiple regressions analysis were used in analyzing the data collected.The study findings showed that probability of tax audit,and tax knowledge and education have positive effect on level of tax compliance.Similarly,fines/penalties have positive effect on level of tax compliances.The study provides some preliminary evidence that probability of tax audit,imposing fines/penalties and provision of tax knowledge and education will improve tax compliance.There should be stiff enforcement of fines and penalties to deter tax evasion.Additionally,tax authorities should simplify processes involved in filling of returns and payment of taxes.

Voluntary tax compliance behavior of individual taxpayers in Pakistan

Governments settle their financial obligations and pay for the public expenditures largely through finances generated from taxes.For many developing countries like Pakistan,the state authorities are still having difficulty to achieve tax compliance.Existing literature has yet to traverse individual’s tax compliance behavior on developing countries.The current study,however,explores the relationships among voluntary tax compliance behavior of individual taxpayers with selected economic,social,behavioral and institutional factors.This individual tax compliance behavior is studied through the multi-perspective lenses of the theory of attribution,equity theory,expected utility theory,and social exchange theory.Quantitative design using the survey method was employed to collect data from 435 individual taxpayers through questionnaire.For testing linkage between constructs,through mediation and moderation tests,structural equation modeling technique was used.The results suggest that tax compliance simplicity has a larger impact on tax filing than perception about Government Spending and tax morale.Furthermore,perception of fairness significantly mediates the strengths between morale,simplicity,government spending and compliance behavior.

Ferroptosis biomarkers predict tumor mutation burden's impact on prognosis in HER2-positive breast cancer

BACKGROUND Ferroptosis has recently been associated with multiple degenerative diseases.Ferroptosis induction in cancer cells is a feasible method for treating neoplastic diseases.However,the association of iron proliferation-related genes with prognosis in HER2+breast cancer(BC)patients is unclear.AIM To identify and evaluate fresh ferroptosis-related biomarkers for HER2+BC.METHODS First,we obtained the mRNA expression profiles and clinical information of HER2+BC patients from the TCGA and METABRIC public databases.A four gene prediction model comprising PROM2,SLC7A11,FANCD2,and FH was subsequently developed in the TCGA cohort and confirmed in the METABRIC cohort.Patients were stratified into high-risk and low-risk groups based on their median risk score,an independent predictor of overall survival(OS).Based on these findings,immune infiltration,mutations,and medication sensitivity were analyzed in various risk groupings.Additionally,we assessed patient prognosis by combining the tumor mutation burden(TMB)with risk score.Finally,we evaluated the expression of critical genes by analyzing single-cell RNA sequencing(scRNA-seq)data from malignant vs normal epithelial cells.RESULTS We found that the higher the risk score was,the worse the prognosis was(P<0.05).We also found that the immune cell infiltration,mutation,and drug sensitivity were different between the different risk groups.The highrisk subgroup was associated with lower immune scores and high TMB.Moreover,we found that the combination of the TMB and risk score could stratify patients into three groups with distinct prognoses.HRisk-HTMB patients had the worst prognosis,whereas LRisk-LTMB patients had the best prognosis(P<0.0001).Analysis of the scRNAseq data showed that PROM2,SLC7A11,and FANCD2 were significantly differentially expressed,whereas FH was not,suggesting that these genes are expressed mainly in cancer epithelial cells(P<0.01).CONCLUSION Our model helps guide the prognosis of HER2+breast cancer patients,and its combination with the TMB can aid in more accurate assessment of patient prognosis and provide new ideas for further diagnosis and treatment.

An Uneven Impact of Emerging Technologies on Taxpayers With Various Income Levels Audited by the IRS: Empirical Evidence From an AI Technology Application and Regression Models

This study aims to investigate the influence of emerging technology adoption on tax compliance, encompassing both the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) compliance audits and taxpayers’ compliance performance (collectively, tax compliance). We employed the Gradient Descent optimization algorithm, an artificial intelligence (AI) technology application, to scrutinize the connection between the quality of US tax filings and the development of emerging technology, among other contributing factors. Additionally, we utilized multiple linear regression to evaluate the relationships between dependent variables, specifically IRS audit rates and the no-change rate at different income levels,1 and several independent variables, including a proxy for emerging technology in the form of tax software. Our findings reveal that while emerging technology significantly impacts tax compliance within the IRS and taxpayers’ performance, its effects vary across income groups. Notably, emerging technology seems to confer greater advantages to higher-income individuals compared to their lower-income counterparts. These study results hold considerable policy implications for government decision-makers in promoting the adoption of emerging technology among lower-income taxpayers.

Influencing Factors of Taxpayers'Tax Compliance in the Perspective of Government Governance

At present,government governance reflects that the new public management plays an irreplaceable role in promoting the social participation of democratic individuals,stimulating the vitality of the society,as well as improving the equal consultation between citizens and governments under the guidance of the governance spirit.Especially in the process of transformation of the industrial society,significant changes have taken place in government governance modes.The government plays important roles in the democratic society to form clear theoretical frameworks in view of then-understanding towards the modernization of government governance.With significant development of information technology,existing modes of social and economic developments had transformed in addition to profound social changes.These developments would affect the research on government governance.In the perspective of government governance,it is of great significance to explore its role in the influence towards tax compliance especially under the current system and mechanism to create an excellent tax compliance spirit.From existing research,the main aspects used in measuring government governance are the openness of government affairs,social justice,and individuals5 understanding of the tax law.With existing research,201 survey questionnaires of the subjects,validity analysis,descriptive statistics analysis,correlation analysis,regression analysis,and other methods,this study made bold assumptions on the relationship between government governance and tax compliance.The conclusion in which government governance,measured in terms of government affairs,degree of social justice,and personal understanding of the tax law would influence taxpayers5 tax compliance in terms of then-consciousness towards tax compliance.At present time,the study of government governance and taxpayers,tax compliance has practical significance and application value.This study would provide an opportunity for citizens to have a preliminary understanding of overall tax compliance and maintain the spirit of tax compliance from an individuaFs subjective consciousness in addition to providing suggestions to improve government governance for promoting tax compliance.

Cardiovascular risk burden and disability:findings from the International Mobility in Aging Study(IMIAS)

BACKGROUND The association of cardiovascular risk burden with disability is unclear.We examined the association between trajectories of the Framingham general cardiovascular disease risk score(FGCRS)with the trajectories of limitations of physical function in older adults.METHODS A total of 1219 participants with no disabilities from the International Mobility in Aging Study(IMIAS)study who had up to three repeated measures of FGCRS between 2012–2016 and without a history of stroke or coronary heart disease at baseline and follow-up were included.FGCRS at baseline was assessed and categorized into tertiles.Physical function was evaluated with the Short Physical Performance Battery(SPPB).The data were analyzed using linear mixed-effects models.RESULTS At baseline,FGCRS ranged between 3–94(mean score:24±15.8),participants were 32(2.6%),502(41.2%)and 685(56.2%)in lowest,middle,and highest tertiles,respectively.In the trajectories of limitations of physical function,the lowest FGCRS had no differences,while the middle and highest had a decrease in physical performance between 2012–2014(P=0.0001).Age,being female,living in Andes Mountains,having middle and highest FGCRS,higher alcohol consumption,being obese,lack of exercise and cognitive impairment increase the probability of disability(P<0.05).Alternatively,living in more developed regions and having a higher educational level reduced the probability of disability during the follow-up time(P<0.05).CONCLUSIONS Higher cardiovascular risk burden is associated with decreased physical performance,especially in gait.Results suggest SPPB may provide a measure of cardiovascular health in older adults.

Cardiovascular risk burden,dementia risk and brain structural imaging markers:a study from UK Biobank

Background Cardiovascular risk burden is associated with dementia risk and neurodegeneration-related brain structure,while the role of genetics and incident cardiovascular disease(CVD)remains unclear.Aims To examine the association of overall cardiovascular risk burden with the risk of major dementia subtypes and volumes of related brain regions in a large sample,and to explore the role of genetics and CVD onset.Methods A prospective study among 354 654 participants free of CVD and dementia(2006-2010,mean age 56.4 years)was conducted within the UK Biobank,with brain magnetic resonance imaging(MRl)measurement availablefor 15104participants since 2014.CVD risk burden was evaluated by the Framingham General Cardiovascular Risk Score(FGCRS).Dementia diagnosis was ascertained from inpatient and death register data.Results Overamedian 12.0-yearfollow-up,3998 all-cause dementia cases were identified.Higher FGCRS was associated with increasedall-cause dementia risk after adjusting for demographic,major lifestyle,clinical factors and the polygenic risk score(PRS)of Alzheimer's disease.Comparing the high versus low tertile of FGCRS,the odds ratios(ORs)and 95%confidence intervals(Cls)were 1.26(1.12 to 1.41)for all-cause dementia,1.67(1.33 to 2.09)for Alzheimer's disease and 1.53(1.07 to 2.16)for vascular dementia(all p_(treng)<0.05).Incident stroke and coronary heart disease accounted for 14%(95%Cl:9% to 21%)of the association between FGCRS and all-cause dementia.Interactions were not detected for FGCRS and PRS on the risk of any dementia subtype.We observed an 83%(95%Cl:47%to 128%)higher all-cause dementia risk comparing the high-high versus low-low FGCRS-PRS category.For brain volumes,higher FGCRS was associated with greater log-transformed white matter hyperintensities,smaller cortical volume and smaller grey matter volume.Conclusions Our findings suggest that the positive association of cardiovascular risk burden with dementia risk also applies to major dementia subtypes.The association of cardiovascular risk burden with all-cause dementia is largely independent of CVD onset and genetic predisposition to dementia.

Global, regional, and national burden of early-onset gastric cancer

Objective: The burden of gastric cancer(GC) across different age groups needs updating. We determined the GC global, regional, and national burden profiles and changes in incidence for 3 sequential 5-year intervals from 2003 to 2017.Methods: The latest incidence and mortality estimates of GC from 185 countries and regions were extracted from the GLOBOCAN 2022 database. The 5-year interval age-standardised incidence rates(ASIRs) were evaluated using cancer registry data from volumes X±XII of the Cancer Incidence in Five Continents(CI5). Correlation analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between ASIR or the age-standardised mortality rate(ASMR) and the Human Development Index(HDI).Results: There was an estimated global 968,000 new GC cases and 660,000 deaths in 2022, with male predominance. GC ASIRs and ASMRs were 9.2 and 6.1 per 100,000 persons, respectively. East Asia had the highest burden, with 53.8% of cases and 48.2% of deaths among all geographic regions. There was a significant correlation between ASIR and HDI. Over three 5-year intervals from 2003 to 2017, the incidence of GC notably decreased in most countries but peaked at 2008±2012 in New Zealand, Turkey, and South Africa. Several countries in Europe, Oceania, and America suggest an increasingly concerning trend among younger individuals, especially females.Conclusions: GC is a significant health issue, especially among males and in geographic regions with an HDI, such as eastern Asia. While the incidence of GC is decreasing in many countries due to prevention efforts and improved treatments, a rising trend persists among younger individuals. Comprehensive prevention strategies tailored to different age patterns are clearly needed.

Beyond Stitches: Analysis of Disease Burden in a Bangladeshi RMG Factory

Introduction: Bangladesh has experienced remarkable growth in RMG over the past 25 years. With the knitwear industry providing more than 4 million direct jobs, providing better occupational health and safety of workers remains a challenge. Aim of the study: The aim of the study was to analyze the disease burden of a RMG factory, and to highlight occupational health risks. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was employed for this analysis. A 17-month data entry (January 2020 - May 2021) was gathered from the factory in-house clinic. The socio-demographic and clinical diagnosis entries of 8421 entries were analyzed. Result: The population of the factory workers is 5370, where 40% (2148) are female workers and 60% (3222) are male workers. The mean age of respondents is 30 years, with a SD of ±7 years. Among the chief complaints, the most common was vomiting (14%;2262) fever (14%;2247), runny nose (11%;1842), cough (9%;1465), and loose motion (8%;1364). In the diagnosis categories, gastrointestinal diseases were more predominantly diagnosed (35%;2978), followed by viral fever (21%;1772), neurological diseases (16.5%;1389) and musculoskeletal disorders (9%;768). The average cost of medicine for each respondent is BDT 36. The factory covered costs of all medication for 99% (8380) of respondents. Only 0.5% (37) was referred to a tertiary hospital for further evaluation. Conclusion: Garments workers suffer mostly from long-term occupational health hazards. Factory owners and policy makers can contribute in various ways to improving primary healthcare options for workers.

Factors influencing the employed caregiver burden for patients with dementia residing in nursing homes:A cross-sectional study from China

Objective:The institutionalization of care for patients with dementia is becoming a trend.Understanding the burden on employed caregivers and exploring associated factors are of great importance in practice.Therefore,this study aimed to examine the relationship between basic attributes,caring ability,and caregiver burden in employed caregivers practicing in nursing homes.Methods:This cross-sectional study included 541 employed caregivers in 11 four-star nursing homes in Zhejiang Province from April to December 2022.Caregiver burden was assessed using the Zarit Burden Interview(ZBI).Demographic characteristics of participants,characteristics of the older patients with dementia,caring characteristics,training in dementia care,and caring abilities were collected for analysis of influencing factors.A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was conducted to explore the factors influencing the burden on employed caregivers in nursing homes.Results:The ZBI score of employed caregivers in nursing homes was 40.42±10.18,representing a moderate caregiver burden.Factors such as age(U=27.82,P<0.001),residence(U=7.89,P<0.001),educational level(H=55.81,P<0.001),self-care of older patients with dementia(H=85.21,P<0.001),daily care hours(H=73.25,P<0.001),number of older people with dementia cared for(H=14.56,P<0.012)and training in dementia care(U=-9.43,P<0.001)were significantly associated with caregiver burden.Caring ability was negatively associated with caregiver burden(r=-0.22,P<0.01).Furthermore,after controlling for demographic characteristics,the characteristics of older people with dementia,caring characteristics,training in dementia care,and caring ability explained 8.5%,5.8%,and 4.8%of the caregiver burden,respectively.Conclusion:The burden of employed caregivers on patients with dementia in nursing homes can be attributed to various factors.We recommend tailored interventions,such as dementia care training and reviewing the number and duration of hours worked to reduce the burden experienced by caregivers.

Changes on Stroke Burden Attributable to Ambient Fine Particulate Matter in China

Objective In recent decades,China has implemented a series of policies to address air pollution.We aimed to assess the health effects of these policies on stroke burden attributable to ambient fine particulate matter(PM_(2.5)).Methods Joinpoint regression was applied to explore the temporal tendency of stroke burden based on data from the Global Burden of Disease 2019 study.Results The age-standardized rates of disability-adjusted life year(DALY)for stroke attributable to ambient PM2.5 in China,increased dramatically during 1990-2012,subsequently decreased at an annual percentage change(APC)of-1.98[95% confidence interval(CI):-2.26,-1.71]during 2012-2019.For ischemic stroke(IS),the age-standardized DALY rates doubled from 1990 to 2014,and decreased at an APC of-0.83(95%CI:-1.33,-0.33)during 2014-2019.Intracerebral hemorrhage(ICH)showed a substantial increase in age-standardized DALY rates from 1990 to 2003,followed by declining trends,with APCs of-1.46(95%CI:-2.74,-0.16)during 2003-2007 and-3.33(95%CI:-3.61,-3.06)during 2011-2019,respectively.Conversely,the age-standardized DALY rates for subarachnoid hemorrhage(SAH)generally declined during 1990-2019.Conclusion Our results clarified the dynamic changes of the ambient PM_(2.5)-attributable stroke burden in China during 1990-2019,highlighting the health effects of air quality improvement policies.

Burden of gastrointestinal cancers among working-age population over past thirty years in China

BACKGROUND Although gastrointestinal(GI)cancers have been becoming a great public health concern in China,there is currently a lack of comprehensive literature on the overall burden and changing trends of GI cancers in the working-age population.AIM To assess the burden of GI cancers and to examine the overall,age-and genderspecific trends among the working-age population in China from 1990 to 2019.METHODS Data were extracted from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019.The burden of GI cancers was indicated by incidence,mortality,disability-adjusted life-years(DALYs),age-standardized incidence rate(ASIR),age-standardized mortality rate,and age-standardized DALYs rate.Trends in the burden of GI cancers from 1990 to 2019 were examined using annual percent change and average annual percent change with Joinpoint regression models.RESULTS For overall GI cancers,a declining trend was observed in the ASIR,age-standardized mortality rate,and agestandardized DALYs rate,with reductions of 0.74%,2.23%,and 2.22%,respectively,from 1999 to 2019 in the Chinese working-age population.However,an increasing trend was observed in the ASIR for overall GI cancers from 2016-2019.The number of either incident cases,mortality cases,and DALYs was higher for colon/rectum cancer and liver cancer in younger participants but lower for esophageal,gallbladder,biliary tract,pancreatic,and stomach cancer among older subjects.Moreover,sex disparity in the GI cancers burden was also examined over 30 years.CONCLUSION The total burden of GI cancers remained heavy among the working-age population in China,although declining trends were observed from 1999 to 2019.Disparities in the GI cancers burden existed between sexes,age groups,and cancer types.Population-based precision prevention strategies are needed to tackle GI cancers among working-age individuals,considering the age,sex,and cancer type disparities in China.

A Novel Sensing Imaging Equipment Under Extremely Dim Light for Blast Furnace Burden Surface:Starlight High-Temperature Industrial Endoscope

Blast furnace(BF)burden surface contains the most abundant,intuitive and credible smelting information and acquiring high-definition and high-brightness optical images of which is essential to realize precise material charging control,optimize gas flow distribution and improve ironmaking efficiency.It has been challengeable to obtain high-quality optical burden surface images under high-temperature,high-dust,and extremelydim(less than 0.001 Lux)environment.Based on a novel endoscopic sensing detection idea,a reverse telephoto structure starlight imaging system with large field of view and large aperture is designed.Combined with a water-air dual cooling intelligent self-maintenance protection device and the imaging system,a starlight high-temperature industrial endoscope is developed to obtain clear optical burden surface images stably under the harsh environment.Based on an endoscope imaging area model,a material flow trajectory model and a gas-dust coupling distribution model,an optimal installation position and posture configuration method for the endoscope is proposed,which maximizes the effective imaging area and ensures large-area,safe and stable imaging of the device in a confined space.Industrial experiments and applications indicate that the proposed method obtains clear and reliable large-area optical burden surface images and reveals new BF conditions,providing key data support for green iron smelting.

Global Burden of Fungal Infections and Antifungal Resistance from 1961 to 2024: Findings and Future Implications

Background: Antifungal resistance (AFR) is a global public health problem with devastating effects, especially among immunocompromised individuals. Addressing AFR requires a One Health approach including Antifungal Stewardship (AFS). This study aimed to comprehensively review global studies published on fungal infections and AFR and to recommend solutions to address this growing problem. Materials and Methods: This was a narrative review that was conducted using published papers on fungal infections, AFR, and AFS between January 1961 and March 2024. The literature was searched using PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and EMBASE. Results: This found that there has been an increase in fungal infections globally, especially among immunocompromised patients. Due to this increase in fungal infections, there has been a proportionate increase in the use of antifungal agents to prevent and treat fungal infections. This increased use of antifungal agents has worsened the problem of AFR contributing to increased morbidity and mortality. Globally, fungal infections have contributed to 150 million infections annually and 1.7 million deaths per year. By the year 2023, over 3.8 million people died from fungal infections. Addressing AFR remains a challenge because the treatment of antifungal-resistant infections is difficult. Finally, the treatment of fungal infections is a global challenge exacerbated by the limited number of antifungal agents to treat invasive fungal infections. Conclusion: The results of this study indicated that fungal infections and AFR are prevalent across humans, animals, agriculture, and the environment. Addressing this problem requires the provision of solutions such as improving the awareness of AFR, conducting further research on the discovery of new antifungal agents, and implementing AFS programs. If this global problem is not addressed, the morbidity and mortality associated with AFR will continue to rise in the future.