Observation on the Nursing Effect of Ginger Moxibustion on Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Patients with Heart Failure Due to Yang Qi Deficiency

Objective:To evaluate the nursing measures and effects of ginger moxibustion in the treatment of heart failure(yang qi deficiency type)with gastrointestinal symptoms.Methods:86 patients with heart failure(yang qi deficiency type)accompanied by gastrointestinal symptoms who were admitted to the hospital between January 2023 and January 2024 were selected and divided into 43 cases in each group by random number table grouping;Group I implemented integrated care,while Group II adopted conventional care.The indicators of care were compared between the two groups.Results:After the nursing care,the digestive symptom scores of Group I were lower than those of Group I,and the psychological scores were lower than those of Group II(P<0.05).Conclusion:Ginger moxibustion can improve gastrointestinal symptoms and enhance the psychological health of patients with heart failure(yang qi deficiency type)with gastrointestinal symptoms.

Does local vaginal estrogen after tension-free transobturator vaginal tape reduce overactive bladder symptoms in postmenopausal women? A prospective randomized, controlled study

Objective:We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of topical estrogen after transvaginal tension-free vaginal tape-obturator(TVT-O)in the treatment of de novo overactive bladder symptoms that appear after surgery.Methods:This is a prospective randomized controlled study performed in the Urology and Gynecology Departments,Kasr Al Ainy Hospital,Cairo University,Cairo,Egypt.Two hundred and ten postmenopausal females presenting during the period between January 2017 and November 2020 with stress urinary incontinence were included in the study.Patients were divided into two groups,105 patients in Group A(treatment group)and 105 patients in Group B(control group).Patients in Group A underwent transvaginal TVT-O followed by local vaginal estrogen treatment for 6 months,while patients in Group B underwent transvaginal TVT-O only.The study included any postmenopausal female with urodynamic stress urinary incontinence.All patients had to fulfill a 3-day bladder diary,overactive bladder symptoms score,urine analysis,urodynamic study,and post-voiding residual urine measurement by abdominal ultrasound preoperatively and at 3-month and 6-month follow-ups.Results:At 6-month follow-up,daytime frequency was reduced to 8%in Group A(increased to 21%in Group B)with a statistically significant difference between both groups(p=0.009).At 6-month follow-up,nocturia was 8%in Group A(11%in Group B)with no statistically significant difference between both groups(p=0.469).There was a statistically significant difference between both groups as regards to urinary urgency at 6-month follow-up(p=0.024).There was a statistically significant difference in postoperative wound healing events as regards to cure,hyperemia,gapping,and wound infection 1 week after intervention between both groups(p=0.008).No local or systemic side-effects were reported from local estrogen use.Conclusion:Local vaginal estrogen treatment given to postmenopausal patients after midurethral sling procedures can reduce the symptoms of daytime frequency and urinary urgency.Long-term follow-up is needed.

Correlation between the neuroendocrine axis,microbial species,inflammatory response,and gastrointestinal symptoms in irritable bowel syndrome

BACKGROUND This study examines the complex relationships among the neuroendocrine axis,gut microbiome,inflammatory responses,and gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with irritable bowel syndrome(IBS).The findings provide new insights into the pathophysiology of IBS and suggest potential therapeutic targets for improving patient outcomes.AIM To investigate the interactions between the neuroendocrine axis,gut microbiome,inflammation,and gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with IBS.METHODS Patients diagnosed with IBS between January 2022 and January 2023 were selected for the study.Healthy individuals undergoing routine check-ups during the same period served as the control group.Data were collected on neuroendocrine hormone levels,gut microbiome profiles,inflammatory biomarkers,and gastrointestinal symptomatology to analyze their interrelations and their potential roles in IBS pathogenesis.RESULTS IBS patients exhibited significant dysregulation of the neuroendocrine axis,with altered levels of cortisol,serotonin,and neuropeptides compared to healthy controls.The gut microbiome of IBS patients showed reduced diversity and specific alterations in bacterial genera,including Bifidobacterium,Lactobacillus,and Faecalibacterium,which were associated with neuroendocrine disturbances.Additionally,elevated levels of inflammatory markers,such as C-reactive protein,interleukin-6,and tumor necrosis factor-α,were observed and correlated with the severity of gastrointestinal symptoms like abdominal pain,bloating,and altered bowel habits.CONCLUSION The findings suggest that targeting the neuroendocrine axis,gut microbiome,and inflammatory pathways may offer novel therapeutic strategies to alleviate symptoms and improve the quality of life in IBS patients.

Observer-based robust high-order fully actuated attitude autopilot design for spinning glide-guided projectiles

This paper investigates the design of an attitude autopilot for a dual-channel controlled spinning glideguided projectile(SGGP),addressing model uncertainties and external disturbances.Based on fixed-time stable theory,a disturbance observer with integral sliding mode and adaptive techniques is proposed to mitigate total disturbance effects,irrespective of initial conditions.By introducing an error integral signal,the dynamics of the SGGP are transformed into two separate second-order fully actuated systems.Subsequently,employing the high-order fully actuated approach and a parametric approach,the nonlinear dynamics of the SGGP are recast into a constant linear closed-loop system,ensuring that the projectile's attitude asymptotically tracks the given goal with the desired eigenstructure.Under the proposed composite control framework,the ultimately uniformly bounded stability of the closed-loop system is rigorously demonstrated via the Lyapunov method.Validation of the effectiveness of the proposed attitude autopilot design is provided through extensive numerical simulations.

Trajectory tracking guidance of interceptor via prescribed performance integral sliding mode with neural network disturbance observer

This paper investigates interception missiles’trajectory tracking guidance problem under wind field and external disturbances in the boost phase.Indeed,the velocity control in such trajectory tracking guidance systems of missiles is challenging.As our contribution,the velocity control channel is designed to deal with the intractable velocity problem and improve tracking accuracy.The global prescribed performance function,which guarantees the tracking error within the set range and the global convergence of the tracking guidance system,is first proposed based on the traditional PPF.Then,a tracking guidance strategy is derived using the integral sliding mode control techniques to make the sliding manifold and tracking errors converge to zero and avoid singularities.Meanwhile,an improved switching control law is introduced into the designed tracking guidance algorithm to deal with the chattering problem.A back propagation neural network(BPNN)extended state observer(BPNNESO)is employed in the inner loop to identify disturbances.The obtained results indicate that the proposed tracking guidance approach achieves the trajectory tracking guidance objective without and with disturbances and outperforms the existing tracking guidance schemes with the lowest tracking errors,convergence times,and overshoots.

Association between the frontoparietal network,clinical symptoms and treatment response in individuals with untreated anorexia nervosa

Background Anorexia nervosa(AN)has been characterised as a psychiatric disorder associated with increased control.Currently,it remains difficult to predict treatment response in patients with AN.Their cognitive abilities are known to be resistant to treatment.It has been established that the frontoparietal control network(FPCN)is the direct counterpart of the executive control network.Therefore,the resting-state brain activity of the FPCN may serve as a biomarker to predict treatment response in AN.Aims The study aimed to investigate the association between resting-state functional connectivity(RSFC)of the FPCN,clinical symptoms and treatment response in patients with AN.Methods In this case-control study,79 female patients with AN and no prior treatment from the Shanghai Mental Health Center and 40 matched healthy controls(HCs)were recruited from January 2015 to March 2022.All participants completed the Questionnaire Versionof the Eating Disorder Examination(version 6.0)to assess the severity of their eating disorder symptoms.Additionally,RSFC data were obtained from all participants at baseline by functional magnetic resonance imaging.Patients with AN underwent routine outpatient treatment at the 4th and 12th week,during which time their clinical symptoms were evaluated using the same measures as at baseline.Results Among the 79 patients,40 completed the 4-week follow-up and 35 completed the 12-week follow-up.The RSFC from the right posterior parietal cortex(PPC)and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex(diPFC)increased in 79 patients with AN vs 40 HCs after controlling for depression and anxiety symptoms.By multiple linear regression,the RSFC of the PPC to the inferior frontal gyrus was found to be a significant factor for self-reported eating disorder symptoms at baseline and the treatment response to cognitive preoccupations about eating and body image,after controlling for age,age of onset and body mass index.The RSFC in the dIPFC to the middle temporal gyrus and the superior frontal gyrus may be significant factors in the treatment response to binge eating and loss of control/overeating in patients with AN.Conclusions Alterations in RSFC in the FPCN appear to affect self-reported eating disorder symptoms and treatment response in patients with AN.Our findings offer new insight into the pathogenesis of AN and could promote early prevention and treatment.

Dissecting the association between gut microbiota,body mass index and specific depressive symptoms:a mediation Mendelian randomisation study

Background Observational studies highlight the association between gut microbiota(GM)composition and depression;however,evidence for the causal relationship between GM and specific depressive symptoms remains lacking.Aims We aimed to evaluate the causal relationship between GM and specific depressive symptoms as well as the mediating role of body mass index(BMI).Methods We performed a two-sample Mendelian randomisation(MR)analysis using genetic variants associated with GM and specific depressive symptoms from genome-wide association studies.The mediating role of BMI was subsequently explored using mediation analysis via two-step MR.Results MR evidence suggested the Bifidobacterium genus(β=0.03;95%CI-0.05 to-0.02;p<0.001 andβ=0.03;95%CI-0.05 to-0.02;p<0.001)and Actinobacteria phylum(β=-0.04;95%CI-0.06 to-0.02;p<0.001 andβ=-0.03;95%CI-0.05 to-0.03;p=0.001)had protective effects on both anhedonia and depressed mood.The Actinobacteria phylum also had protective effects on appetite changes(β=-0.04;95%CI-0.06 to-0.01;p=0.005),while the FamilyⅪhad an antiprotective effect(β=0.03;95%CI 0.01 to 0.04;p<0.001).The Bifidobacteriaceae family(β=-0.01;95%CI-0.02 to-0.01;p=0.001)and Actinobacteria phylum(β=-0.02;95%CI-0.03 to-0.01;p=0.001)showed protective effects against suicidality.The two-step MR analysis revealed that BMl also acted as a mediating moderator between the Actinobacteria phylum and appetite changes(mediated proportion,34.42%)and that BMI partially mediated the effect of the Bifidobacterium genus(14.14%and 8.05%)and Actinobacteria phylum(13.10%and 8.31%)on both anhedonia and depressed mood.Conclusions These findings suggest a potential therapeutic effect of Actinobacteria and Bifidobacterium on both depression and obesity.Further studies are required to translate these findings into clinical practice.

Network analysis of suicide ideation and depression-anxiety symptoms among Chinese adolescents

Background The co-occurrence of depression and anxiety among adolescents is typically associated with suicide ideation.Aims The study aimed to investigate the symptom-level relationship between suicide ideation and the comorbidity of depression and anxiety.Methods 1501 adolescents aged 12-19 years were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire(PHQ-9)and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale,and 716 adolescents who scored≥5 on both scales were selected as participants.Network analysis was used to identify the network structure of depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms.Participants were categorised into either the suicide ideation or non-suicide ideation groups based on their scoring on the suicide-related item in PHQ-9.A comparison was made between the depression-anxiety symptom networks of the two groups.Results‘Restlessness’,‘sad mood’and‘trouble relaxing’were the most prominent central symptoms in the depression-anxiety symptom network,and‘restlessness’,‘nervousness’and‘reduced movement’were the bridge symptoms in this network.‘Sad mood’was found to be directly related to‘suicide ideation’with the highest variance.The network structure was significantly different in properties between the suicide ideation group and the non-suicide ideation group,with‘restlessness’and‘sad mood’exhibiting significantly higher influence in the network of the suicide ideation group than that in the non-suicide ideation group.Conclusion Restlessness and sad mood could be targeted for the intervention of depression-anxiety symptoms among adolescents with suicide ideation.

Lung adenocarcinoma with initial binocular symptoms

Dear Editor,Lung adenocarcinoma with choroidal metastasis is a common form of cancer,with breast cancer accounting for 40%-53%and lung cancer accounting for 20%-29%of primary cases with choroidal metastases[1].This type of metastatic cancer typically affects people aged 40-70y,and is more prevalent in women than men[1].Ocular symptoms,including vision loss,can be an early indication of the disease,as many tumors are asymptomatic in their early stages.Studies have shown that 40.3%of cases involve the macular region,which explains why ocular symptoms are often the first manifestation of the disease[2].When choroidal metastasis is suspected in patients without a history of cancer,a combination of diagnostic tools should be used to identify the primary source of the tumor.Choroidal tumors can serve as an indication of future lung cancer diagnosis in some patients with lung cancer[1].In this report,we present a case of bilateral lung adenocarcinoma where ocular symptoms were the first indication of the disease.

Prevalence of prolonged grief disorder and its symptoms among bereaved individuals in China:a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background The prevalence of prolonged grief disorder(PGD)and its symptoms among the bereaved population in China vary considerably.Aims This meta-analysis aims to estimate the prevalence of PGD and its symptoms among bereaved individuals in China.Methods We conducted a literature search in major Chinese and English databases from their inception to 4 October 2023,for cross-sectional studies on the prevalence of PGD or its symptoms in bereaved Chinese individuals.The risk of bias of the included studies and certainty of the evidence were assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist for Studies Reporting Prevalence Data(‘JBI checklist’)and the Grading of Recommendations,Assessment,Development and Evaluations(GRADE),respectively.The‘metaprop’package in R V.4.1.2 was used to synthesise the prevalence.Results A total of 28 studies involving 10994 bereaved individuals were included in the analysis,with JBI checklist scores between 3 and 7.The combined prevalence(95%confidence interval)of PGD and its symptoms was 8.9%(4.2%to 17.6%)and 32.4%(18.2%to 50.8%),respectively.PGD and its symptoms were most prevalent among those who had lost their only child(22.7%)and those bereaved by earthquakes(80.4%),respectively.The GRADE system assigned a very low certainty level to the evidence for the pooled prevalence of PGD and its symptoms.Conclusions The pooled prevalence of PGD and its symptoms indicate a potential high need for grief counselling services among bereaved individuals in China.This need is particularly pronounced in those who have lost their only child and those bereaved due to earthquakes.Further methodologically rigorous studies are needed to provide more accurate prevalence estimates.PROSPERO registration number CRD42023432553.

Trajectories of depressive symptoms and risk of cardiovascular disease,cancer and mortality:a prospective cohort study

Background Depressive symptoms are established risk factors for various health outcomes.However,previous studies assessed depressive symptoms at a single time point,neglecting individual variations over time.Aims To identify depressive symptoms trajectories through repeated measures and examine their associations with cardiovascular disease(CVD),cancer and mortality.Methods This study included 20634 UK Biobank participants free of CVD and cancer at baseline with two or more assessments of depressive symptoms during 2006-2016.Group-based trajectory modelling identified depressive symptoms trajectories.Incident CVD,cancer and mortality were followed up until 2021 through linked registries.Results Six depressive symptoms trajectories were identified:no symptoms(n=6407),mild-stable(n=11539),moderate-stable(n=2183),severe-decreasing(n=206),moderate-increasing(n=177)and severe-stable(n=122).During a median follow-up of 5.5 years,1471 CVD cases,1275 cancer cases and 503 deaths were documented.Compared with the no symptoms trajectory,the mildstable,moderate-stable and severe-stable trajectories exhibited higher CVD risk,with hazard ratios(HRs)(95%CIs)of 1.19(1.06 to 1.34),1.32(1.08 to 1.34)and 2.99(1.85 to 4.84),respectively.Moderate-increasing and severe-stable trajectories were associated with higher mortality risks,with HRs(95%CIs)of 2.27(1.04 to 4.93)and 3.26(1.55 to 6.88),respectively.However,the severedecreasing trajectory was not associated with higher risks of adverse outcomes.We did not find significant associations between any trajectory and cancer.Conclusions Trajectories related to stable and increasing depressive symptoms,but not the trajectory associated with severe depressive symptoms at the initial assessment but decreasing at the follow-up,were associated with higher risks of CVD and mortality.Alleviating severe depressive symptoms at the initial onset may mitigate CVD and mortality risks.

Current Insights on Vitamin D Intake, Status and Symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Narrative Review

The association between Vitamin D and IBS has attracted growing interest because of vitamin D’s involvement in immune system function and reduction of inflammation. IBS, a prevalent gastrointestinal condition marked by symptoms such as stomach pain, bloating, and changed bowel habits, implies that sufficient levels of Vitamin D may impact the symptomatology and quality of life associated with IBS. This review aimed to unveil current insights on vitamin D intake, status and symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. A search was conducted on Embase, Scopus, Medline, and Cochrane Library, as well as a reference list of relevant studies. This paper also examined the current therapeutic practices for using vitamin D in the management of IBS. Although several studies demonstrate a positive association between vitamin D administration and the alleviation of IBS symptoms, the data is not yet definitive. Moreover, the review emphasised the necessity for additional rigorous clinical studies to determine a definitive therapeutic function of vitamin D in IBS based on the literature. The role of vitamin D in the modulation of gut health, particularly in IBS, has garnered significant attention due to its potential impact on both inflammation and the integrity of the gut barrier. Vitamin D, acting as a hormone precursor, is recognised for its crucial involvement in maintaining calcium balance and promoting bone health.

Observer-Based Adaptive Robust Precision Motion Control of a Multi-Joint Hydraulic Manipulator

Hydraulic manipulators are usually applied in heavy-load and harsh operation tasks.However,when faced with a complex operation,the traditional proportional-integral-derivative(PID)control may not meet requirements for high control performance.Model-based full-state-feedback control is an effective alternative,but the states of a hydraulic manipulator are not always available and reliable in practical applications,particularly the joint angular velocity measurement.Considering that it is not suitable to obtain the velocity signal directly from differentiating of position measurement,the low-pass filtering is commonly used,but it will definitely restrict the closed-loop bandwidth of the whole system.To avoid this problem and realize better control performance,this paper proposes a novel observerbased adaptive robust controller(obARC)for a multi-joint hydraulic manipulator subjected to both parametric uncertainties and the lack of accurate velocity measurement.Specifically,a nonlinear adaptive observer is first designed to handle the lack of velocity measurement with the consideration of parametric uncertainties.Then,the adaptive robust control is developed to compensate for the dynamic uncertainties,and the close-loop system robust stability is theoretically proved under the observation and control errors.Finally,comparative experiments are carried out to show that the designed controller can achieve a performance improvement over the traditional methods,specifically yielding better control accuracy owing to the closed-loop bandwidth breakthrough,which is limited by low-pass filtering in fullstate-feedback control.

Disturbance Observer-Based Predictive Tracking Control of Uncertain HOFA Cyber-Physical Systems

Dear Editor,In this letter,an output tracking control problem of uncertain cyber-physical systems(CPSs)is considered in the perspective of high-order fully actuated(HOFA)system theory,where a lumped disturbance is used to denote the total uncertainties containing parameters perturbations and external disturbances.

Monoamine Oxidase-B Inhibitor Rasagiline Effects on Motor and Non-Motor Symptoms in Individuals with Parkinson’s Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Objective: In the manuscript titled Monoamine Oxidase-B Inhibitor Rasagiline Effects on Motor and Non-Motor Symptoms in Individuals with Parkinsons Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, the objective was to conduct a systematic review with meta-analysis to investigate the effects that Rasagiline has on motor and non-motor symptoms in individuals with PD. Introduction: Rasagiline is a second-generation monoamine oxidase-B (MAO-B) inhibitor used both as monotherapy and adjunctive therapy for Parkinsons Disease (PD). Methods: A systematic literature search and meta-analysis were performed with randomized control trials that investigated the effects of Rasagiline on motor and non-motor symptoms in individuals with PD. The systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Cochrane, and EBSCO databases. Methodological quality was assessed using the Cochrane Grading Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach. Results: Fourteen studies were included in our review. There were trivial to small and statistically significant improvements in motor symptoms for individuals with PD treated with Rasagiline compared to placebo. Non-motor symptoms showed no significant improvement with Rasagiline compared to placebo in five of six meta-analyses. Results were based on very low to moderate certainty of evidence. Conclusion: 1 mg/day Rasagiline significantly improved Parkinsonian motor symptoms in individuals with PD compared with placebo. For all outcomes, the 1 mg/day Rasagiline group was favored over the placebo group.

Marital Status as a Moderator:Exploring the Relationship between Social Engagement and Depressive Symptoms in China’s Older Adult Population

Objective This study aims to explore the complex relationship between social engagement and depressive symptoms among older adults in China,focusing particularly on the moderating role of marital status.Methods This study used data from the latest Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey(CLHLS).The analysis used the latent class analysis to delineate personality clusters and hierarchical linear regression,supplemented by the PROCESS macro,to investigate the effects of social engagement and marital status on depressive symptoms.Results The analysis encompassed 7,789 respondents(mean age:82.53[s=11.20]years),with 54%female.The personality analysis categorized participants into four clusters,with the majority(77.60%)classified as Confident Idealists,who exhibited the lowest levels of depressive symptoms.Hierarchical linear regression analysis yielded several significant findings:Higher levels of social engagement were significantly associated with fewer depressive symptoms(t=-7.932,P<0.001,B=-0.463).Marital status was a significant factor;married individuals reported fewer depressive symptoms compared to their unmarried counterparts(t=-6.368,P<0.001,B=-0.750).There was a significant moderating effect of marital status on the relationship between social engagement and depressive symptoms(t=-2.092,P=0.037,B=-0.217).Conclusion This study demonstrates that,among Chinese older adults,both social engagement and marital status significantly influence depressive symptoms.Higher social engagement,particularly in other activities like doing household chores,gardening,reading newspapers or books,and playing cards or Mahjong,is associated with fewer depressive symptoms,especially among married individuals.

This pain drives me crazy:Psychiatric symptoms in women with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome

BACKGROUND Interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome(IC/BPS)is an at least 6-mo noninfectious bladder inflammation of unknown origin characterized by chronic suprapubic,abdominal,and/or pelvic pain.Although the term cystitis suggests an inflammatory or infectious origin,no definite cause has been identified.It occurs in both sexes,but women are twice as much affected.AIM To systematically review evidence of psychiatric/psychological changes in persons with IC/BPS.METHODS Hypothesizing that particular psychological characteristics could underpin IC/BPS,we investigated in three databases the presence of psychiatric symptoms and/or disorders and/or psychological characteristics in patients with IC/BPS using the following strategy:("interstitial cystitis"OR"bladder pain syndrome")AND("mood disorder"OR depressive OR antidepressant OR depression OR depressed OR hyperthymic OR mania OR manic OR rapid cyclasterisk OR dysthymiasterisk OR dysphoriasterisk).RESULTS On September 27,2023,the PubMed search produced 223 articles,CINAHL 62,and the combined PsycLIT/PsycARTICLES/PsycINFO/Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection search 36.Search on ClinicalTrials.gov produced 14 studies,of which none had available data.Eligible were peer-reviewed articles reporting psychiatric/psychological symptoms in patients with IC/BPS,i.e.63 articles spanning from 2000 to October 2023.These studies identified depression and anxiety problems in the IC/BPS population,along with sleep problems and the tendency to catastrophizing.CONCLUSION Psychotherapies targeting catastrophizing and life stress emotional awareness and expression reduced perceived pain in women with IC/BPS.Such concepts should be considered when implementing treatments aimed at reducing IC/BPS-related pain.

Quantum Realities and Observer-Dependent Universes: An Advanced Observer Model

This paper presents a novel observer model that integrates quantum mechanics, relativity, idealism, and the simulation hypothesis to explain the quantum nature of the universe. The model posits a central server transmitting multi-media frames to create observer-dependent realities. Key aspects include deriving frame rates, defining quantum reality, and establishing hierarchical observer structures. The model’s impact on quantum information theory and philosophical interpretations of reality are examined, with detailed discussions on information loss and recursive frame transmission in the appendices.

Prevalence and Tasks Associated with Respiratory Symptoms among Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Handlers in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso in 2019

Introduction: The uncontrolled management of waste electrical and electronic equipment (W3E) causes respiratory problems in the handlers of this waste. The objective was to study the stains associated with respiratory symptoms in W3E handlers. Methods: The study was cross-sectional with an analytical focus on W3E handlers in the informal sector in Ouagadougou. A peer-validated questionnaire collected data on a sample of 161 manipulators. Results: the most common W3E processing tasks were the purchase or sale of W3E (67.70%), its repair (39.75%) and its collection (31.06%). The prevalence of cough was 21.74%, that of wheezing 14.91%, phlegm 12.50% and dyspnea at rest 10.56%. In bivariate analysis, there were significant associations at the 5% level between W3E repair and phlegm (p-value = 0.044), between W3E burning and wheezing (p-value = 0.011) and between W3E and cough (p-value = 0.01). The final logistic regression models suggested that the burning of W3E and the melting of lead batteries represented risk factors for the occurrence of cough with respective prevalence ratios of 4.57 and 4.63. Conclusion: raising awareness on the wearing of personal protective equipment, in particular masks adapted by W3E handlers, favoring those who are dedicated to the burning of electronic waste and the melting of lead could make it possible to reduce the risk of occurrence of respiratory symptoms.

Intraseasonal variability of the Kuroshio observed via mooring at 18°N

Insufficient observations near the origin of the Kuroshio have led to incomplete understanding of the intraseasonal variability(ISV)of the Kuroshio.Direct measurements of the Kuroshio velocity were performed with an array of three profiler moorings(122.7°E,123°E,and 123.3°E)along 18°N from January 2018 to February 2020.The ISV of the Kuroshio at 18°N was investigated based on a combination of mooring observations and global high-resolution HYbrid Coordinate Ocean Model reanalysis data.The estimated time-averaged transport in the upper 350 m across the observation transect was 6.5±2.6 Sv(1.0 Sv=10^(6)m^(3)/s).Two significant ISV peaks at 50-60 and~100 d were recognized in the power spectra of the meridional velocity and transport.Further analysis indicated that the ISV at 50-60 d was caused by westward-propagating eddies at average propagation speed of~13 cm/s and wavelength of~635 km.Another ISV peak at~100 d was mainly caused by northward-propagating eddies generated in the North Equatorial Current region.Further investigation indicated that the ISV of the Kuroshio at 18°N is dominated by meridional transport,rather than by the zonal migration of the Kuroshio main axis.Our findings provide a better understanding of the ISV of the Kuroshio east of Luzon Island.