Objective This study prospectively investigates the association between immunoglobulin G(IgG)N-glycan traits and ischemic stroke(IS) risk.Methods A nested case-control study was conducted in the China suboptimal healt...Objective This study prospectively investigates the association between immunoglobulin G(IgG)N-glycan traits and ischemic stroke(IS) risk.Methods A nested case-control study was conducted in the China suboptimal health cohort study,which recruited 4,313 individuals in 2013–2014. Cases were identified as patients diagnosed with IS, and controls were 1:1 matched by age and sex with cases. Ig G N-glycans in baseline plasma samples were analyzed.Results A total of 99 IS cases and 99 controls were included, and 24 directly measured glycan peaks(GPs) were separated from Ig G N-glycans. In directly measured GPs, GP4, GP9, GP21, GP22, GP23, and GP24 were associated with the risk of IS in men after adjusting for age, waist and hip circumference,obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. Derived glycan traits representing decreased galactosylation and sialylation were associated with IS in men(FBG2S2/(FBG2 + FBG2S1 + FBG2S2): odds ratio(OR) = 0.92, 95% confidence interval(CI): 0.87–0.97;G1n: OR = 0.74, 95% CI: 0.63–0.87;G0n: OR =1.12, 95% CI: 1.03–1.22). However, these associations were not found among women.Conclusion This study validated that altered Ig G N-glycan traits were associated with incident IS in men, suggesting that sex discrepancies might exist in these associations.展开更多
BACKGROUND Dementia is a prevalent condition in type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)patients.While Chinese herbal medicine(CHM)is often employed as complementary therapy for glycemic control,its effect in controlling likeli...BACKGROUND Dementia is a prevalent condition in type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)patients.While Chinese herbal medicine(CHM)is often employed as complementary therapy for glycemic control,its effect in controlling likelihood of dementia has not yet been fully elucidated.AIM To compare the risk of dementia between T2DM patients with and without CHM treatment.METHODS We undertook a nested case-control study and obtained data on patients 20-70 years of age who received medical care for T2DM between 2001 and 2010 from the National Health Insurance Research database in Taiwan.Cases,defined as those with dementia that occurred at least one year after the diagnosis of T2DM,were randomly matched to controls without dementia from the study cohort at a 1:1 ratio.We applied conditional logistic regression to explore the associations between CHM treatment and dementia.RESULTS A total of 11699 dementia cases were matched to 11699 non-dementia controls.We found that adding CHM to conventional care was related to a lower risk of dementia[adjusted odds ratio(OR)=0.51],and high-intensity CHM treatment was associated with an adjusted OR of 0.22.CONCLUSION This study shows that the cumulative CHM exposure was inversely associated with dementia risk in an exposureresponse manner,implying that CHM treatment may be embraced as a disease management approach for diabetic patients to prevent dementia.展开更多
BACKGROUND Type 1 diabetes(T1D)is a severe and prevalent metabolic disease.Due to its high heredity,an increasing number of genome-wide association studies have been performed,most of which were from hospital-based ca...BACKGROUND Type 1 diabetes(T1D)is a severe and prevalent metabolic disease.Due to its high heredity,an increasing number of genome-wide association studies have been performed,most of which were from hospital-based case-control studies with a relatively small sample size.The association of single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs)and T1D has been less studied and is less understood in natural cohorts.AIM To investigate the significant variants of T1D,which could be potential biomarkers for T1D prediction or even therapy.METHODS A genome-wide association study(GWAS)of adult T1D was performed in a nested case-control study(785 cases vs 804 controls)from a larger 5-year cohort study in Suzhou,China.Potential harmful or protective SNPs were evaluated for T1D.Subsequent expression and splicing quantitative trait loci(eQTL and sQTL)analyses were carried out to identify target genes modulated by these SNPs.RESULTS A harmful SNP for T1D,rs3117017[odds ratio(OR)=3.202,95%confidence interval(CI):2.296-4.466,P=9.33×10-4]and three protective SNPs rs55846421(0.113,0.081-0.156,1.76×10-9),rs75836320(0.283,0.205-0.392,1.07×10-4),rs362071(0.568,0.495-0.651,1.66×10-4)were identified.Twenty-two genes were further identified as potential candidates for T1D onset.CONCLUSION We identified a potential genetic basis of T1D,both protective and harmful,using a GWAS in a larger nested case-control study of a Chinese population.展开更多
This paper discusses the nested case-control analysis under a class of general additive-multiplicative hazard models which includes the Cox model and the additive hazard model as special cases.A pseudo-score is constr...This paper discusses the nested case-control analysis under a class of general additive-multiplicative hazard models which includes the Cox model and the additive hazard model as special cases.A pseudo-score is constructed to estimate the regression parameters.The resulting estimator is shown to be consistent and asymptotically normally distributed.The limiting variance-covariance matrix can be consistently estimated by the nested case-control data.A simulation study is conducted to assess the finite sample performance of the proposed estimator and a real example is provided for illustration.展开更多
BACKGROUND When opportunistic infections occur, patients with inflammatory bowel disease(IBD) commonly display a significantly increased rate of morbidity and mortality.With increasing use of immunosuppressive agents ...BACKGROUND When opportunistic infections occur, patients with inflammatory bowel disease(IBD) commonly display a significantly increased rate of morbidity and mortality.With increasing use of immunosuppressive agents and biological agents,opportunistic infections are becoming a hot topic in the perspective of drug safety in IBD patients. Despite the well-established role of opportunistic infections in the prognosis of IBD patients, there are few epidemiological data investigating the incidence of opportunis-tic infections in IBD patients in China. Besides, the risk factors for opportunistic infection in Chinese IBD patients remain unclear.AIM To predict the incidence of opportunistic infections related to IBD in China, and explore the risk factors for opportunistic infections.METHODS A single-center, prospective study of IBD patients was conducted. The patients were followed for up to 12 mo to calculate the incidence of infections. For each infected IBD patient, two non-infected IBD patients were selected as controls. A conditional logistic regression analysis was used to assess associations between putative risk factors and opportunistic infections, which are represented as odds ratios(OR) and 95% confidence intervals(CIs).RESULTS Seventy(28.11%) out of 249 IBD patients developed opportunistic infections.Clostridium difficile infections and respiratory syncytial virus infections were found in 24 and 16 patients, respectively. In a univariate analysis, factors such as the severity of IBD, use of an immunosuppressant or immunosuppressants, high levels of fecal calprotectin, and C-reactive protein or erythrocyte sedimentation rate were individually related to a significantly increased risk of opportunistic infection. Multivariate analysis indicated that the use of any immunosuppressant yielded an OR of 3.247(95%CI: 1.128-9.341), whereas the use of any two immunosuppressants yielded an OR of 6.457(95%CI: 1.726-24.152) for opportunistic infection. Interestingly, when immunosuppressants were used in combination with infliximab(IFX) or 5-aminosalicylic acid, a significantly increased risk of opportunistic infection was also observed. The relative risk of opportunistic infection was greatest in IBD patients with severe disease activity(OR = 9.090; 95%CI: 1.532-53.941, relative to the remission stage). However, the use of IFX alone did not increase the risk of opportunistic infection.CONCLUSION Factors such as severe IBD, elevated levels of fecal calprotectin, and the use of immunosuppressive medications, especially when used in combination, are major risk factors for opportunistic infections in IBD patients. The use of IFX alone does not increase the risk of opportunistic infection.展开更多
BACKGROUND Currently, it is difficult to predict the complications of children at the early stage of sepsis. Brighton pediatric early warning score(PEWS) is a disease risk assessment system that is simple and easy to ...BACKGROUND Currently, it is difficult to predict the complications of children at the early stage of sepsis. Brighton pediatric early warning score(PEWS) is a disease risk assessment system that is simple and easy to operate, which has good sensitivity and specificity in disease recognition among children. Because detection indicators vary widely in children, a single indicator is difficult to assess the posttreatment status of children with sepsis.AIM To investigate the relationship between serological markers, Brighton PEWS, and death in children with sepsis after treatment.METHODS A total of 205 children diagnosed with sepsis at our hospital were enrolled. The baseline data, serum scores, and PEWS scores were recorded. In the nested casecontrol study, children who died during the study period were included in an observation group. According to the matching principle, the children who were not dead in the same cohort were included in a control group. The influencing factors of death in children with sepsis after treatment and the value of each evaluation index in predicting the prognosis of children were analyzed.RESULTS A total of 96 children were enrolled in the study, including 48 each in the observation group and the control group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that antibacterial treatments within 1 h(P = 0.017), shock(P = 0.044),multiple organ dysfunction syndrome(MODS)(P = 0.027), serum procalcitonin(PCT)(P = 0.047), serum albumin(ALB)(P = 0.024), and PEWS(P = 0.012) were independent risk factors for the death of children with sepsis. The area under the curve of the combination of ALB, PCT, and PEWS to predict the death in children with sepsis was the highest(0.908).CONCLUSION Antibacterial treatments within 1 h, shock, MODS, PCT, ALB, and PEWS are independent risk factors for the death of children with sepsis. The predictive accuracy of the combination of PCT, ALB, and PEWS for the prognosis of children with sepsis is the best.展开更多
AIM To assess the relationship between serum levels of insulin-like growth factor-1(IGF1)/IGF-binding protein-3(IGFBP3)and the risk of esophageal carcinoma.METHODS We assessed the relationship between the serum levels...AIM To assess the relationship between serum levels of insulin-like growth factor-1(IGF1)/IGF-binding protein-3(IGFBP3)and the risk of esophageal carcinoma.METHODS We assessed the relationship between the serum levels of these molecules and the risk of esophageal cancer in a prospective,nested case-control study of participants from the Japan Collaborative Cohort Study.A baseline survey was conducted from 1988 to 1990.Of the 110585 enrolled participants,35%donated blood samples.Those who had been diagnosed with esophageal cancer were considered cases for nested case-control studies.A conditional logistic model was used to estimate odds ratios for the incidence of esophageal cancer associated with serum IGF1 and IGFBP3 levels.RESULTS Thirty-one cases and 86 controls were eligible for the present assessment.The molar ratio of IGF1/IGFBP3,which represents the free and active form of IGF1,was not correlated with the risk of esophageal carcinoma.A higher molar difference between IGFBP3and IGF1,which estimates the free form of IGFBP3,was associated with a decreased risk of esophageal carcinoma(P=0.0146),and people in the highest tertile had the lowest risk(OR=0.107,95%CI:0.017-0.669).After adjustment for body mass index,tobacco use,and alcohol intake,the molar difference of IGFBP3-IGF1 was inversely correlated with the risk of esophageal carcinoma(P=0.0150).CONCLUSION The free form of IGFBP3,which is estimated by this molar difference,may be inversely associated with esophageal cancer incidence.展开更多
The Hot Universe Baryon Surveyor (HUBS) mission will carry a nested X-ray telescope capable of observing an energy range from 0.5 keV to 2 keV to study hot baryon evolution. In this paper, we report the latest progres...The Hot Universe Baryon Surveyor (HUBS) mission will carry a nested X-ray telescope capable of observing an energy range from 0.5 keV to 2 keV to study hot baryon evolution. In this paper, we report the latest progress in the design and construction of nested X-ray telescopes which were designed to use a three-stage conic-approximation type assembly to simplify the manufacturing process. The mirror substrate is made using the thermal glass slumping method, with mirrors characterized by a root-mean-square roughness of 0.3 nm, with expected high reflectivity and good thermal stability. We also discuss methods of telescope construction and conduct a deformation analysis of the manufactured mirror. The in situ measurement system program is developed to guide the telescope assembly process.展开更多
Data security is a very important part of data transmission over insecure channels connected through high-speed networks. Due to COVID-19, the use of data transmission over insecure channels has increased in an expone...Data security is a very important part of data transmission over insecure channels connected through high-speed networks. Due to COVID-19, the use of data transmission over insecure channels has increased in an exponential manner. Hybrid cryptography provides a better solution than a single type of cryptographical technique. In this paper, nested levels of hybrid cryptographical techniques are investigated with the help of Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) and Paillier cryptographical techniques. In the first level, information will be encrypted by DNA and at the second level, the ciphertext of DNA will be encrypted by Paillier cryptography. At the decryption time, firstly Paillier cryptography will be processed, and then DAN cryptography will be processed to get the original text. The proposed algorithm follows the concept of Last Encryption First Decryption (LEFD) at the time of decryption. The computed results are depicted in terms of tables and graphs.展开更多
Using Genetic Algorithms (GAs) is a powerful tool to get solution to large scale design optimization problems. This paper used GA to solve complicated design optimization problems in two different applications. The ai...Using Genetic Algorithms (GAs) is a powerful tool to get solution to large scale design optimization problems. This paper used GA to solve complicated design optimization problems in two different applications. The aims are to implement the genetic algorithm to solve these two different (nested) problems, and to get the best or optimization solutions.展开更多
Nests are important structures for birds to raise their offspring and for signaling.Many birds incorporate feathers into the nest,since feathers were traditionally thought to serve the function of insulation.Hypothese...Nests are important structures for birds to raise their offspring and for signaling.Many birds incorporate feathers into the nest,since feathers were traditionally thought to serve the function of insulation.Hypotheses in recent years have considered that some birds place feathers in conspicuous locations in the nest for decoration to trigger a fear response in the competitors.In this study,we investigated whether decorative feathers could deter nest usurpation by Crested Mynas(Acridotheres cristatellus)by manipulating nest box contents.The results revealed that Crested Mynas preferred black feathers to white feathers as decorations and occupied nest boxes decorated with black feathers significantly less than those decorated with white feathers,suggesting that black decorative feathers in the nest could be more effective in preventing nest usurpation by Crested Mynas and that white decorative feathers may have other functions.The black feathers in the nest are prominently placed at the edge of the nest to convey the message that“this nest is occupied”or“the owner of this nest has been preyed upon”to visitor Crested Mynas,thus effectively preventing them from usurping the nest at a later stage.展开更多
The interactions between avian brood parasites and their hosts provide an informative and easy-to-handle system for studying coevolution.Avian brood parasitism reduces the reproductive success of hosts,and thus,hosts ...The interactions between avian brood parasites and their hosts provide an informative and easy-to-handle system for studying coevolution.Avian brood parasitism reduces the reproductive success of hosts,and thus,hosts have evolved anti-parasitic strategies,such as rejecting parasitic eggs and adopting aggressive nest defense strategies,to avoid the cost brought on by brood parasitism.To test whether host anti-parasitic strategies are adjusted with the risk of being parasitized when the breeding seasons of brood parasites and hosts are not synchronous,we conducted a field experiment assessing nest defense and egg recognition behaviors of the Isabelline Shrike(Lanius isabellinus),a host of the Common Cuckoo(Cuculus canorus).In the local area,the host Isabelline Shrike begins to breed in April,whereas the summer migratory Common Cuckoo migrates to the local area in May and begins to lay parasitic eggs.Results showed that nest defense behaviors of the Isabelline Shrike increases significantly after cuckoo arrival,showing higher aggressiveness to cuckoo dummies,with no significant difference in attack rates among cuckoo,sparrowhawk and dove dummies,but their egg rejection did not change significantly.These results imply that Isabelline Shrikes may adjust their nest defense behavior,but not egg rejection behavior,with seasonality.展开更多
We examined habitat preferences and nesting requirements of sympatric populations of Middle Spotted Woodpecker(Dendrocoptes medius) and Syrian Woodpecker(Dendrocopos syriacus).We carried out our study in 2015–2018 in...We examined habitat preferences and nesting requirements of sympatric populations of Middle Spotted Woodpecker(Dendrocoptes medius) and Syrian Woodpecker(Dendrocopos syriacus).We carried out our study in 2015–2018 in natural mountain forests of Southwest Iran.We compared selected features of nesting,territory,and outside territory tree stands of the studied woodpeckers.The Middle Spotted Woodpecker occupied only oak forests,but the Syrian Woodpecker inhabited heterogenic forests that included the preferred tree of this species,the Mount Atlas Mastic.We recorded that in the breeding territories of the Middle Spotted Woodpecker,a greater area covered by tree crowns,as well as a larger number of trees,and a larger trunk basal area were observed in comparison to the territories occupied by the more plastic Syrian Woodpecker.Different habitat preferences demonstrated by both species could be a result of the selection of tree stands that provide the necessary food resources for each woodpecker species.Adaptation of Syrian Woodpecker to use heterogenic forest stands including tree species that produce fruits and as Mount Atlas Mastic trees,which likely allowed this species to colonise in Asia and Europe non-forest tree stands as orchards or gardens.Our results showed that poor tree condition and large tree trunk dimensions had a positive impact on the selection of nesting sites by both species.The presence of trees with large trunk dimensions was associated with multiple years of use of woodpecker breeding sites in the studied forests.Maintaining habitats in suitable condition for both studied woodpeckers can be achieved by preserving natural forests in the mountain regions of Iran.展开更多
Shorebird populations are declining worldwide,mainly due to human disturbances and loss of coastal wetlands.However,supratidal habitats as saltpans could play a role in buffering human impact.Saltpans have shown to be...Shorebird populations are declining worldwide,mainly due to human disturbances and loss of coastal wetlands.However,supratidal habitats as saltpans could play a role in buffering human impact.Saltpans have shown to be important as feeding or breeding sites of some shorebird species.A potential conservation strategy to increase shorebird populations in saltpans is to manipulate the cues that birds use to select optimal breeding habitat.Here it is hypothesized that shorebirds are attracted to bivalve shells due to the advantages they offer.Following this hypothesis,we supplemented a restored saltpan in 2019 and 2021 with bivalve shells,expecting an increase in the number of breeding birds’ nests.More than 75% of Kentish Plover(Charadrius alexandrinus) and Little Tern(Sternula albifrons) nests were found in patches with shells in both years.The best model for both species indicates that the presence of shells is the factor that most correlates with the location of nests.The probability of choosing one place over another to settle their nest increases in areas with an abundance of shells,double in the case of the Kentish Plover and triple in the case of the Little Tern.The result of this study may constitute a valuable tool for attracting birds to restored saltpans and could contribute to the success of expensive restoration projects where time is usually a constraint.展开更多
基金supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China [No.81673247, 8187268281903401]。
文摘Objective This study prospectively investigates the association between immunoglobulin G(IgG)N-glycan traits and ischemic stroke(IS) risk.Methods A nested case-control study was conducted in the China suboptimal health cohort study,which recruited 4,313 individuals in 2013–2014. Cases were identified as patients diagnosed with IS, and controls were 1:1 matched by age and sex with cases. Ig G N-glycans in baseline plasma samples were analyzed.Results A total of 99 IS cases and 99 controls were included, and 24 directly measured glycan peaks(GPs) were separated from Ig G N-glycans. In directly measured GPs, GP4, GP9, GP21, GP22, GP23, and GP24 were associated with the risk of IS in men after adjusting for age, waist and hip circumference,obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. Derived glycan traits representing decreased galactosylation and sialylation were associated with IS in men(FBG2S2/(FBG2 + FBG2S1 + FBG2S2): odds ratio(OR) = 0.92, 95% confidence interval(CI): 0.87–0.97;G1n: OR = 0.74, 95% CI: 0.63–0.87;G0n: OR =1.12, 95% CI: 1.03–1.22). However, these associations were not found among women.Conclusion This study validated that altered Ig G N-glycan traits were associated with incident IS in men, suggesting that sex discrepancies might exist in these associations.
文摘BACKGROUND Dementia is a prevalent condition in type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)patients.While Chinese herbal medicine(CHM)is often employed as complementary therapy for glycemic control,its effect in controlling likelihood of dementia has not yet been fully elucidated.AIM To compare the risk of dementia between T2DM patients with and without CHM treatment.METHODS We undertook a nested case-control study and obtained data on patients 20-70 years of age who received medical care for T2DM between 2001 and 2010 from the National Health Insurance Research database in Taiwan.Cases,defined as those with dementia that occurred at least one year after the diagnosis of T2DM,were randomly matched to controls without dementia from the study cohort at a 1:1 ratio.We applied conditional logistic regression to explore the associations between CHM treatment and dementia.RESULTS A total of 11699 dementia cases were matched to 11699 non-dementia controls.We found that adding CHM to conventional care was related to a lower risk of dementia[adjusted odds ratio(OR)=0.51],and high-intensity CHM treatment was associated with an adjusted OR of 0.22.CONCLUSION This study shows that the cumulative CHM exposure was inversely associated with dementia risk in an exposureresponse manner,implying that CHM treatment may be embraced as a disease management approach for diabetic patients to prevent dementia.
基金the National Science Foundation for Young Scientists of China(No.81602919)the National Science Foundation for Young Scientists of China(No.82070814)+1 种基金the Suzhou Science and Technology Development Plan(No.SYS2018099)and the 5th Suzhou Health Talent Program(No.GSWS2019071).
文摘BACKGROUND Type 1 diabetes(T1D)is a severe and prevalent metabolic disease.Due to its high heredity,an increasing number of genome-wide association studies have been performed,most of which were from hospital-based case-control studies with a relatively small sample size.The association of single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs)and T1D has been less studied and is less understood in natural cohorts.AIM To investigate the significant variants of T1D,which could be potential biomarkers for T1D prediction or even therapy.METHODS A genome-wide association study(GWAS)of adult T1D was performed in a nested case-control study(785 cases vs 804 controls)from a larger 5-year cohort study in Suzhou,China.Potential harmful or protective SNPs were evaluated for T1D.Subsequent expression and splicing quantitative trait loci(eQTL and sQTL)analyses were carried out to identify target genes modulated by these SNPs.RESULTS A harmful SNP for T1D,rs3117017[odds ratio(OR)=3.202,95%confidence interval(CI):2.296-4.466,P=9.33×10-4]and three protective SNPs rs55846421(0.113,0.081-0.156,1.76×10-9),rs75836320(0.283,0.205-0.392,1.07×10-4),rs362071(0.568,0.495-0.651,1.66×10-4)were identified.Twenty-two genes were further identified as potential candidates for T1D onset.CONCLUSION We identified a potential genetic basis of T1D,both protective and harmful,using a GWAS in a larger nested case-control study of a Chinese population.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(10971033,11101091)
文摘This paper discusses the nested case-control analysis under a class of general additive-multiplicative hazard models which includes the Cox model and the additive hazard model as special cases.A pseudo-score is constructed to estimate the regression parameters.The resulting estimator is shown to be consistent and asymptotically normally distributed.The limiting variance-covariance matrix can be consistently estimated by the nested case-control data.A simulation study is conducted to assess the finite sample performance of the proposed estimator and a real example is provided for illustration.
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.81473506Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province,No.LY16H290001 and No.LY17H290009+1 种基金Project of Department of Construction of Zhejiang Province,No.WKJ-ZJ-1531Zhejiang TCM Science and Technology Project,No.2016ZB047 and No.2017ZA056
文摘BACKGROUND When opportunistic infections occur, patients with inflammatory bowel disease(IBD) commonly display a significantly increased rate of morbidity and mortality.With increasing use of immunosuppressive agents and biological agents,opportunistic infections are becoming a hot topic in the perspective of drug safety in IBD patients. Despite the well-established role of opportunistic infections in the prognosis of IBD patients, there are few epidemiological data investigating the incidence of opportunis-tic infections in IBD patients in China. Besides, the risk factors for opportunistic infection in Chinese IBD patients remain unclear.AIM To predict the incidence of opportunistic infections related to IBD in China, and explore the risk factors for opportunistic infections.METHODS A single-center, prospective study of IBD patients was conducted. The patients were followed for up to 12 mo to calculate the incidence of infections. For each infected IBD patient, two non-infected IBD patients were selected as controls. A conditional logistic regression analysis was used to assess associations between putative risk factors and opportunistic infections, which are represented as odds ratios(OR) and 95% confidence intervals(CIs).RESULTS Seventy(28.11%) out of 249 IBD patients developed opportunistic infections.Clostridium difficile infections and respiratory syncytial virus infections were found in 24 and 16 patients, respectively. In a univariate analysis, factors such as the severity of IBD, use of an immunosuppressant or immunosuppressants, high levels of fecal calprotectin, and C-reactive protein or erythrocyte sedimentation rate were individually related to a significantly increased risk of opportunistic infection. Multivariate analysis indicated that the use of any immunosuppressant yielded an OR of 3.247(95%CI: 1.128-9.341), whereas the use of any two immunosuppressants yielded an OR of 6.457(95%CI: 1.726-24.152) for opportunistic infection. Interestingly, when immunosuppressants were used in combination with infliximab(IFX) or 5-aminosalicylic acid, a significantly increased risk of opportunistic infection was also observed. The relative risk of opportunistic infection was greatest in IBD patients with severe disease activity(OR = 9.090; 95%CI: 1.532-53.941, relative to the remission stage). However, the use of IFX alone did not increase the risk of opportunistic infection.CONCLUSION Factors such as severe IBD, elevated levels of fecal calprotectin, and the use of immunosuppressive medications, especially when used in combination, are major risk factors for opportunistic infections in IBD patients. The use of IFX alone does not increase the risk of opportunistic infection.
文摘BACKGROUND Currently, it is difficult to predict the complications of children at the early stage of sepsis. Brighton pediatric early warning score(PEWS) is a disease risk assessment system that is simple and easy to operate, which has good sensitivity and specificity in disease recognition among children. Because detection indicators vary widely in children, a single indicator is difficult to assess the posttreatment status of children with sepsis.AIM To investigate the relationship between serological markers, Brighton PEWS, and death in children with sepsis after treatment.METHODS A total of 205 children diagnosed with sepsis at our hospital were enrolled. The baseline data, serum scores, and PEWS scores were recorded. In the nested casecontrol study, children who died during the study period were included in an observation group. According to the matching principle, the children who were not dead in the same cohort were included in a control group. The influencing factors of death in children with sepsis after treatment and the value of each evaluation index in predicting the prognosis of children were analyzed.RESULTS A total of 96 children were enrolled in the study, including 48 each in the observation group and the control group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that antibacterial treatments within 1 h(P = 0.017), shock(P = 0.044),multiple organ dysfunction syndrome(MODS)(P = 0.027), serum procalcitonin(PCT)(P = 0.047), serum albumin(ALB)(P = 0.024), and PEWS(P = 0.012) were independent risk factors for the death of children with sepsis. The area under the curve of the combination of ALB, PCT, and PEWS to predict the death in children with sepsis was the highest(0.908).CONCLUSION Antibacterial treatments within 1 h, shock, MODS, PCT, ALB, and PEWS are independent risk factors for the death of children with sepsis. The predictive accuracy of the combination of PCT, ALB, and PEWS for the prognosis of children with sepsis is the best.
基金Supported by the Ministry of Education,Culture,Sports,Science,and Technology and from the Ministry of Health,Labour and Welfare,Japan
文摘AIM To assess the relationship between serum levels of insulin-like growth factor-1(IGF1)/IGF-binding protein-3(IGFBP3)and the risk of esophageal carcinoma.METHODS We assessed the relationship between the serum levels of these molecules and the risk of esophageal cancer in a prospective,nested case-control study of participants from the Japan Collaborative Cohort Study.A baseline survey was conducted from 1988 to 1990.Of the 110585 enrolled participants,35%donated blood samples.Those who had been diagnosed with esophageal cancer were considered cases for nested case-control studies.A conditional logistic model was used to estimate odds ratios for the incidence of esophageal cancer associated with serum IGF1 and IGFBP3 levels.RESULTS Thirty-one cases and 86 controls were eligible for the present assessment.The molar ratio of IGF1/IGFBP3,which represents the free and active form of IGF1,was not correlated with the risk of esophageal carcinoma.A higher molar difference between IGFBP3and IGF1,which estimates the free form of IGFBP3,was associated with a decreased risk of esophageal carcinoma(P=0.0146),and people in the highest tertile had the lowest risk(OR=0.107,95%CI:0.017-0.669).After adjustment for body mass index,tobacco use,and alcohol intake,the molar difference of IGFBP3-IGF1 was inversely correlated with the risk of esophageal carcinoma(P=0.0150).CONCLUSION The free form of IGFBP3,which is estimated by this molar difference,may be inversely associated with esophageal cancer incidence.
基金supported by National Key R&D Program of China (2022YFF0709101)China National Space Administration (D050104)National Natural Science Foundation of China (62105244 and U2030111)。
文摘The Hot Universe Baryon Surveyor (HUBS) mission will carry a nested X-ray telescope capable of observing an energy range from 0.5 keV to 2 keV to study hot baryon evolution. In this paper, we report the latest progress in the design and construction of nested X-ray telescopes which were designed to use a three-stage conic-approximation type assembly to simplify the manufacturing process. The mirror substrate is made using the thermal glass slumping method, with mirrors characterized by a root-mean-square roughness of 0.3 nm, with expected high reflectivity and good thermal stability. We also discuss methods of telescope construction and conduct a deformation analysis of the manufactured mirror. The in situ measurement system program is developed to guide the telescope assembly process.
文摘Data security is a very important part of data transmission over insecure channels connected through high-speed networks. Due to COVID-19, the use of data transmission over insecure channels has increased in an exponential manner. Hybrid cryptography provides a better solution than a single type of cryptographical technique. In this paper, nested levels of hybrid cryptographical techniques are investigated with the help of Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) and Paillier cryptographical techniques. In the first level, information will be encrypted by DNA and at the second level, the ciphertext of DNA will be encrypted by Paillier cryptography. At the decryption time, firstly Paillier cryptography will be processed, and then DAN cryptography will be processed to get the original text. The proposed algorithm follows the concept of Last Encryption First Decryption (LEFD) at the time of decryption. The computed results are depicted in terms of tables and graphs.
文摘Using Genetic Algorithms (GAs) is a powerful tool to get solution to large scale design optimization problems. This paper used GA to solve complicated design optimization problems in two different applications. The aims are to implement the genetic algorithm to solve these two different (nested) problems, and to get the best or optimization solutions.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.31970427 and 32270526 granted to W.L.).
文摘Nests are important structures for birds to raise their offspring and for signaling.Many birds incorporate feathers into the nest,since feathers were traditionally thought to serve the function of insulation.Hypotheses in recent years have considered that some birds place feathers in conspicuous locations in the nest for decoration to trigger a fear response in the competitors.In this study,we investigated whether decorative feathers could deter nest usurpation by Crested Mynas(Acridotheres cristatellus)by manipulating nest box contents.The results revealed that Crested Mynas preferred black feathers to white feathers as decorations and occupied nest boxes decorated with black feathers significantly less than those decorated with white feathers,suggesting that black decorative feathers in the nest could be more effective in preventing nest usurpation by Crested Mynas and that white decorative feathers may have other functions.The black feathers in the nest are prominently placed at the edge of the nest to convey the message that“this nest is occupied”or“the owner of this nest has been preyed upon”to visitor Crested Mynas,thus effectively preventing them from usurping the nest at a later stage.
基金funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 31970427 and 32270526 to WL)。
文摘The interactions between avian brood parasites and their hosts provide an informative and easy-to-handle system for studying coevolution.Avian brood parasitism reduces the reproductive success of hosts,and thus,hosts have evolved anti-parasitic strategies,such as rejecting parasitic eggs and adopting aggressive nest defense strategies,to avoid the cost brought on by brood parasitism.To test whether host anti-parasitic strategies are adjusted with the risk of being parasitized when the breeding seasons of brood parasites and hosts are not synchronous,we conducted a field experiment assessing nest defense and egg recognition behaviors of the Isabelline Shrike(Lanius isabellinus),a host of the Common Cuckoo(Cuculus canorus).In the local area,the host Isabelline Shrike begins to breed in April,whereas the summer migratory Common Cuckoo migrates to the local area in May and begins to lay parasitic eggs.Results showed that nest defense behaviors of the Isabelline Shrike increases significantly after cuckoo arrival,showing higher aggressiveness to cuckoo dummies,with no significant difference in attack rates among cuckoo,sparrowhawk and dove dummies,but their egg rejection did not change significantly.These results imply that Isabelline Shrikes may adjust their nest defense behavior,but not egg rejection behavior,with seasonality.
文摘We examined habitat preferences and nesting requirements of sympatric populations of Middle Spotted Woodpecker(Dendrocoptes medius) and Syrian Woodpecker(Dendrocopos syriacus).We carried out our study in 2015–2018 in natural mountain forests of Southwest Iran.We compared selected features of nesting,territory,and outside territory tree stands of the studied woodpeckers.The Middle Spotted Woodpecker occupied only oak forests,but the Syrian Woodpecker inhabited heterogenic forests that included the preferred tree of this species,the Mount Atlas Mastic.We recorded that in the breeding territories of the Middle Spotted Woodpecker,a greater area covered by tree crowns,as well as a larger number of trees,and a larger trunk basal area were observed in comparison to the territories occupied by the more plastic Syrian Woodpecker.Different habitat preferences demonstrated by both species could be a result of the selection of tree stands that provide the necessary food resources for each woodpecker species.Adaptation of Syrian Woodpecker to use heterogenic forest stands including tree species that produce fruits and as Mount Atlas Mastic trees,which likely allowed this species to colonise in Asia and Europe non-forest tree stands as orchards or gardens.Our results showed that poor tree condition and large tree trunk dimensions had a positive impact on the selection of nesting sites by both species.The presence of trees with large trunk dimensions was associated with multiple years of use of woodpecker breeding sites in the studied forests.Maintaining habitats in suitable condition for both studied woodpeckers can be achieved by preserving natural forests in the mountain regions of Iran.
基金Servicio de Gestión del Medio Natural-Delegación de Cádiz from Consejería de Sostenibilidad, Medioambiente y Economía Azul (regional government)Saltpan Initiative Project (MAVA Foundation) and MEDARTSALT project (EU-ENICBC) provided the funding for the studyfunded by the Margarita Salas Grant (2021-067/PN/MS-RECUAL/CD) from the Ministry of Universities of the Government of Spain and the European Union。
文摘Shorebird populations are declining worldwide,mainly due to human disturbances and loss of coastal wetlands.However,supratidal habitats as saltpans could play a role in buffering human impact.Saltpans have shown to be important as feeding or breeding sites of some shorebird species.A potential conservation strategy to increase shorebird populations in saltpans is to manipulate the cues that birds use to select optimal breeding habitat.Here it is hypothesized that shorebirds are attracted to bivalve shells due to the advantages they offer.Following this hypothesis,we supplemented a restored saltpan in 2019 and 2021 with bivalve shells,expecting an increase in the number of breeding birds’ nests.More than 75% of Kentish Plover(Charadrius alexandrinus) and Little Tern(Sternula albifrons) nests were found in patches with shells in both years.The best model for both species indicates that the presence of shells is the factor that most correlates with the location of nests.The probability of choosing one place over another to settle their nest increases in areas with an abundance of shells,double in the case of the Kentish Plover and triple in the case of the Little Tern.The result of this study may constitute a valuable tool for attracting birds to restored saltpans and could contribute to the success of expensive restoration projects where time is usually a constraint.