Characteristics of the HIV/AIDS Epidemic among People Aged≥50 Years in China during 2018–2021

Objective This study aimed to determine the current epidemiological status of PLWHA aged≥50 years in China from 2018 to 2021.It also aimed to recommend targeted interventions for the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS in elderly patients.Methods Data on newly reported cases of PLWHA,aged≥50 years in China from 2018 to 2021,were collected using the CRIMS.Trend tests and spatial analyses were also conducted.Results Between 2018 and 2021,237,724 HIV/AIDS cases were reported among patients aged≥50 years in China.The main transmission route was heterosexual transmission(91.24%).Commercial heterosexual transmission(CHC)was the primary mode of transmission among males,while non-marital non-CHC([NMNCHC];60.59%)was the prevalent route in women.The proportion of patients with CHC decreased over time(Z=67.716,P<0.01),while that of patients with NMNCHC increased(Z=153.05,P<0.01).The sex ratio varied among the different modes of infection,and it peaked at 17.65 for CHC.The spatial analysis indicated spatial clustering,and the high-high clustering areas were mainly distributed in the southwestern and central-southern provinces.Conclusion In China,PLWHA,aged≥50 years,were predominantly infected through heterosexual transmission.The primary modes of infection were CHC and NMNCHC.There were variations in the sex ratio among different age groups,infected through various sexual behaviors.HIV/AIDS cases exhibited spatial clustering.Based on these results,the expansion of HIV testing,treatment,and integrated behavioral interventions in high-risk populations is recommended to enhance disease detection in key regions.

Effect of a Nutrition Education Intervention on Food Safety Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Mothers of Children under 5 Years in the Peri-Urban Areas of Bobo-Dioulasso: Before and after Study

Background: This study assessed the effect of a nutrition education intervention. This intervention aimed to improve the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of mothers on food safety in the peri-urban areas of Bobo-Dioulasso in Burkina Faso. Methods: A total of 243 mothers of children under 5 years in the peri-urban of Bobo-Dioulasso were administered the FAO questionnaire for food safety knowledge, attitudes, and practices assessment during two cross-sectional surveys, before and after the intervention, in January and October 2017. The intervention included two components consisting of a theoretical phase (counselling and discussion) and cooking demonstrations implemented for ten months. To account for the before-and-after design of the study, the McNemar’s test was used to assess the effect of the intervention on food safety KAP of mothers of children under 5 years. Results: The mean age of mothers was 29 ± 6.2 years and 50.6% of them were between 20 and 29 years old. One for knowledge (cooking thoroughly with, p-value = 0.0001) and another for attitudes (perceived benefits of reheating leftovers before eating them, p-value = 0.0001), significantly increased after the intervention. In terms of food safety practices, all the indicators (cleaning of dirty surfaces, plates and utensils and storage of perishable foods) significantly increased (all p = 0.0001 Conclusion: This study provided some evidence of an effective nutrition education intervention for improving maternal KAP on food safety for their child’s feeding.

Review of Two Years of Surgical Activities of the General Surgery Department of the Reference Health Center of Commune I of Bamako Mali

The objectives of this work were to evaluate the surgical activities carried out in the general surgery department of the Reference Health Center of Commune I of Bamako, to describe the sociodemographic characteristics of the operated patients, to determine the main pathologies encountered and to evaluate qualitatively the result of the treatment. In order to improve performance, and the quality of care, and to identify common pathologies in the surgical department, we undertook a retrospective study on surgical activities from January 2009 to December 2010. At the end of this study, out of 474 men and 187 women (equal sex ratio 2.53);we were able to determine the frequency of surgical pathologies. Farmers, housewives and pupils/students were the most represented with 25.9% respectively;20% and 13.3%. The most frequently observed pathologies were wall hernia (44.8%), prostate adenoma (12%) and acute appendicitis (10.5%). The average length of hospitalization was 3.43 days. Infectious complications affected 25 patients (3.8% of cases) and a death rate of 0.45% (i.e. 3 patients). The average cost of care was 53,500 FCFA. Indeed, the reality of surgical practice in health centers was not the same because of the level of skills of practicing surgeons.

Factors Associated with Mortality in Children Aged 1 Month to 15 Years Hospitalized in the Pediatric Ward of the Kalaban-Coro Reference Health Center: Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction: Infant and child mortality is a worldwide concern, but developing countries such as Mali are more affected. The aim of this study was to investigate morbidity and factors associated with mortality in children aged 1 month to 15 years. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study which took place from January 1 to December 31, 2020 covering children aged 1 month to 15 years hospitalized at the Kalaban-Coro CSRéf. Data were entered into Excel and analyzed using SPSS version 20 software. Results: Five hundred children aged 1 months to 15 years were included. The age range 1 to 5 years (53.6%) and male sex (58.2%) were the most represented. Malaria (72.2%), acute respiratory infections (6.2%) and diarrhea/dehydration (3%) were the main morbidities. Mortality was estimated at 10.6%, and the two main causes of death were malaria (56.6%) and acute respiratory infections (7.54%). Univariate analysis revealed a statistically significant association between the dependent variable (death) and age (p Conclusion: This study confirms the high rate of infant and child morbidity and mortality in our health facilities. Strengthening human resources and intensifying behavior-change communication can help reverse the trend.

Quality-adjusted life years and surgical waiting list:Systematic review of the literature

BACKGROUND The quality-adjusted life year(QALY)is a metric that is increasingly used today in the field of health economics to evaluate the value of different medical treatments and procedures.Surgical waiting lists(SWLs)represent a pressing problem in public healthcare.The QALY measure has rarely been used in the context of surgery.It would be interesting to know how many QALYs are lost by patients on SWLs.AIM To investigate the relationship between QALYs and SWLs in a systematic review of the scientific literature.METHODS The study was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Statement.An unlimited search was carried out in PubMed,updated on January 19,2024.Data on the following variables were investigated and analyzed:Specialty,country of study,procedure under study,scale used to measure QALYs,the use of a theoretical or real-life model,objectives of the study and items measured,the economic value assigned to the QALY in the country in question,and the results and conclusions published.RESULTS Forty-eight articles were selected for the study.No data were found regarding QALYs lost on SWLs.The specialties in which QALYs were studied the most in relation to the waiting list were urology and general surgery,with 15 articles each.The country in which the most studies of QALYs were carried out was the United States(n=21),followed by the United Kingdom(n=9)and Canada(n=7).The most studied procedure was organ transplantation(n=39),including 15 kidney,14 liver,5 heart,4 lung,and 1 intestinal.Arthroplasty(n=4),cataract surgery(n=2),bariatric surgery(n=1),mosaicplasty(n=1),and septoplasty(n=1)completed the surgical interventions included.Thirty-nine of the models used were theoretical(the most frequently applied being the Markov model,n=34),and nine were real-life.The survey used to measure quality of life in 11 articles was the European Quality of Life-5 dimensions,but in 32 articles the survey was not specified.The willingness-to-pay per QALY gained ranged from$100000 in the United States to€20000 in Spain.CONCLUSION The relationship between QALYs and SWLs has only rarely been studied in the literature.The rate of QALYs lost on SWLs has not been determined.Future research is warranted to address this issue.

The Shenzhen Experience:A Sequel to The Story of Spring

From almost nothing in the 1970s,Shenzhen today has emerged as a thriving trade and innovation hub,pioneering the country’s innovative development.IN the 1990s,one of the most popular songs in China was The story of spring,a tribute to the country’s reform and opening-up started in 1978 that ushered in a new“spring”of growth in China.One of the decisions taken at that time was to develop a county in southern China into a pilot for many of the reforms to be implemented.The county was the predecessor of today’s metropolis Shenzhen,a thriving industrial hub boasting many firsts.

THE ROOTS AND FRUITS OF CHINESE SPRING FESTIVAL

Traditional festivals forge a nation’s cultural identity and solidarity.Through opulent customs and celebratory activities,they convey the collective psyche,emotions,and aspirations of a nation.As a key part of Chinese culture,traditional Chinese festivals reinforce the bond among Chinese people and preserve our cultural roots.Of all Chinese festivals,the Spring Festival is the most important,both culturally and historically.

Gut microbiome-based thiamine metabolism contributes to the protective effect of one acidic polysaccharide from Selaginella uncinata(Desv.)Spring against inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory bowel disease(IBD)is a serious disorder,and exploration of active compounds to treat it is necessary.An acidic polysaccharide named SUSP-4 was purified from Selaginella uncinata(Desv.)Spring,which contained galacturonic acid,galactose,xylose,arabinose,and rhamnose with the main chain structure of→4)-α-d-GalAp-(1→and→6)-β-d-Galp-(1→and the branched structure of→5)-α-l-Araf-(1→.Animal experiments showed that compared with Model group,SUSP-4 significantly improved body weight status,disease activity index(DAI),colonic shortening,and histopathological damage,and elevated occludin and zonula occludens protein 1(ZO-1)expression in mice induced by dextran sulfate sodium salt(DSS).16S ribosomal RNA(rRNA)sequencing indicated that SUSP-4 markedly downregulated the level of Akkermansia and Alistipes.Metabolomics results confirmed that SUSP-4 obviously elevated thiamine levels compared with Model mice by adjusting thiamine metabolism,which was further confirmed by a targeted metabolism study.Fecal transplantation experiments showed that SUSP-4 exerted an anti-IBD effect by altering the intestinal flora in mice.A mechanistic study showed that SUSP-4 markedly inhibited macrophage activation by decreasing the levels of phospho-nuclear factor kappa-B(p-NF-κB)and cyclooxygenase-2(COX-2)and elevating NF-E2-related factor 2(Nrf2)levels compared with Model group.In conclusion,SUSP-4 affected thiamine metabolism by regulating Akkermania and inhibited macrophage activation to adjust NF-κB/Nrf2/COX-2-mediated inflammation and oxidative stress against IBD.This is the first time that plant polysaccharides have been shown to affect thiamine metabolism against IBD,showing great potential for in-depth research and development applications.

Embracing a Vibrant Year of the Dragon

CHINA TODAY,THE eight-day-long Spring Festival holiday saw a tourism boom across the country whose blend of pop and traditional culture illumined Lunar Chinese New Year celebrations.Local Beijing authorities attest to the 100 or more cultural events staged in the capital’s parks during the Spring Festival holiday that enriched its abundantly festive ethos.Temple fairs,enshrining such live folk art activities as calligraphy,lantern-making,shadow-puppetry,and sugar-figurine blowing,in particular drew droves of visitors.

Spring Festival Celebrations Fire Maltese Fascination with Chinese Culture--An Exclusive Interview with Director of the China Cultural Center in Malta Yuan Yuan

THRONGS of shoppers,in a department store adorned with colorful Spring Festival posters,vying to try their hand either at Chinese calligraphy or traditional Chinese lantern-making,might seem incongruous in a European setting.The background to this vibrant scenario was The Point,Malta’s largest shopping mall,as part of the island country’s 2023 Chinese New Year celebrations,courtesy of the China Cultural Center in Malta.

The Roots and Fruits of Chinese Spring Festival

The Chinese New Year-the most important holiday in the country-offers a window into China’s past and present.T RADITIONAL festivals forge a nation’s cultural identity and solidarity.Through opulent customs and celebratory activities,they convey the collective psyche,emotions,and aspirations of a nation.As a key part of Chinese culture,traditional Chinese festivals reinforce the bond among Chinese people and preserve our cultural roots.

Discussion on the Free Quenching Heat Treatment Process of Automotive Leaf Springs

Free quenching of automotive leaf springs is a new technology that has gradually started to be applied in the industry in China in recent years.Only a few manufacturers are applying it in the industry.Through more than half a year of on-site practice,the changes in the hot forming of spring plates before free quenching have been explored,and finally a heat treatment process that meets the production requirements of our company has been developed,achieving normal production.

A Study on the Pedagogical Application of Chinese New Year Culture in International Chinese Language Education

Culture teaching is an inseparable part of International Chinese Language Education,and it has great significance in international Chinese language teaching.Students can enhance their interest in Chinese language learning and improve their learning effect through understanding the excellent traditional Chinese culture,at the same time,culture teaching can help to disseminate the Chinese culture and promote the development of a multicultural world.Taking the teaching of Chinese New Year culture as an example,we analyze the current teaching materials involving Chinese New Year culture with high popularity and acceptance,put forward effective teaching methods matching the feasibility of teaching Chinese New Year culture,and then present the specific teaching design of Chinese New Year culture,in order to provide references for the teaching of culture in International Chinese Language Education.

Analysis of the Spirit of Struggle in the New Era Based on General Secretary Xi Jinping’s New Year’s Greetings in the Past Decade

In order to realize the national rejuvenation,General Secretary Xi Jinping attaches great importance to the spiritual strength of struggle,and has repeatedly advocated that all people should exalt the spirit of strive on different occasions.According to his New Year’s greetings since 2014,Xi Jinping has illustrated the connotation of the spirit of enterprising,the necessity of carrying forward and the requirements for practicing the spirit of struggle from different perspectives,pointing out that all Chinese must keep in mind both domestic and international situations,strive in unity,work creative and industrious with the enthusiasm of seizing every minute,catch the opportunity and solve the problem,make substantial progress on the new journey to construct China into a great modern socialist country in all respects.

Changes in Avian Spring Arrival Dates of 115 Species in the Central Appalachians over 127 Years

Global climate change affects many facets of avian ecology, such as shifts in breeding phenology and migration patterns. Migrating bird species respond to changes in climate by shifting their temporal patterns of spring migration. However, variation in species’ responses exists based on various life history traits, which exposes some species to an increased risk of phenological mismatch. This study examined the spring arrival dates of 115 migrating species over 127 years (1889-2015) using archival sources in West Virginia, USA, making this research unique in the length of study, the high number of species studied, and the historical crowd-sourced observations analyzed. Of the 115 taxa, 45 showed significant negative slopes of spring arrival dates (arriving earlier in the spring) plotted against the year. In contrast, only nine species showed positive slopes (arriving later in the spring), albeit non-significant. The average advance of spring arrival date for all species was 1.7 days per decade, and an advance of 2.6 days per decade in species that showed significance. Arrival dates were associated with increasing spring temperatures—for each 1˚C increase, the arrival date advanced by 0.81 days/decade. Several life history traits were linked to species that advanced their first arrival dates, including a shorter distance migrated to reach wintering grounds, increasing populations, and foraging habitat. Most avian species are advancing their spring arrival dates in response to climate change. However, the implications of earlier spring arrival are unclear. We draw attention to shifts in arrival dates and wintering ranges, leading to a possible increase in overwintering in the mid-latitudes of North America.

Alternation of the Atmospheric Teleconnections Associated with the Northeast China Spring Rainfall during a Recent 60-Year Period

Northeast China(NEC)is China’s national grain production base,and the local precipitation is vital for agriculture during the springtime.Therefore,understanding the dynamic origins of the NEC spring rainfall(NECSR)variability is of socioeconomic importance.This study reveals an interdecadal change in the atmospheric teleconnections associated with the NECSR during a recent 60-year period(1961-2020).Before the mid-1980s,NECSR had been related to a Rossby wave train that is coupled with extratropical North Atlantic sea surface temperature(SST),whereas,since the mid-1980s,NECSR has been linked to a quite different Rossby wave train that is coupled with tropical North Atlantic SST.Both Rossby wave trains could lead to enhanced NECSR through anomalous cyclones over East Asia.The weakening of the westerly jet over North America is found to be mainly responsible for the alternation of the atmospheric teleconnections associated with NECSR during two epochs.

Changes in Spring Snow Cover over the Eastern and Western Tibetan Plateau and Their Associated Mechanism

The spring snow cover(SC)over the western Tibetan Plateau(TP)(TPSC)(W_TPSC)and eastern TPSC(E_TPSC)have displayed remarkable decreasing and increasing trends,respectively,during 1985–2020.The current work investigates the possible mechanisms accounting for these distinct TPSC changes.Our results indicate that the decrease in W_TPSC is primarily attributed to rising temperatures,while the increase in E_TPSC is closely linked to enhanced precipitation.Local circulation analysis shows that the essential system responsible for the TPSC changes is a significant anticyclonic system centered over the northwestern TP.The anomalous descending motion and adiabatic heating linked to this anticyclone leads to warmer temperatures and consequent snowmelt over the western TP.Conversely,anomalous easterly winds along the southern flank of this anticyclone serve to transport additional moisture from the North Pacific,leading to an increase in snowfall over the eastern TP.Further analysis reveals that the anomalous anticyclone is associated with an atmospheric wave pattern that originates from upstream regions.Springtime warming of the subtropical North Atlantic(NA)sea surface temperature(SST)induces an atmospheric pattern resembling a wave train that travels eastward across the Eurasian continent before reaching the TP.Furthermore,the decline in winter sea ice(SIC)over the Barents Sea exerts a persistent warming influence on the atmosphere,inducing an anomalous atmospheric circulation that propagates southeastward and strengthens the northwest TP anticyclone in spring.Additionally,an enhancement of subtropical stationary waves has resulted in significant increases in easterly moisture fluxes over the coastal areas of East Asia,which further promotes more snowfall over eastern TP.

A state-of-the-art review on geothermal energy exploration in Morocco: Current status and prospects

In the last few decades, addressing the global challenge of implementation of strategies for renewable energy and energy efficiency has become crucial.Morocco, since 2009, has made a steadfast commitment to sustainability, with a particular focus on advancing the development of renewable energy resources. A comprehensive strategy has been formulated, centering on utilizing the country's energy potential to drive progress in this vital sector. Morocco is considered a country with abundant thermal water, indicating deep reservoirs with significant hydrothermal potential. Geothermal zones were selected based on the abundance of hot springs where water temperatures were high and geothermal gradients were significant. The abundance and importance of hot springs, combined with recent volcanism and ongoing non-tectonic activity linked to alpine orogeny, strongly suggest that these regions are promising reservoirs for geothermal energy. This great potential also extends to neighboring countries. In northeast and south Morocco, the temperature of thermal water ranges from 26 to 54℃. This study serves as an inclusive review of the geothermal potentialities in Morocco.

Celebrate Chinese New Year Together with the World

On December 22,the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly adopted by consensus a resolution officially listing the Chinese New Year(also known as the Spring Festival),as a United Nations(UN)floating holiday in its calendar of conferences and meetings,starting from 2024.

Introducing a 2nd Universal Space-Time Constant Can Explain the Observed Age of the Universe and Dark Energy

The purpose of this paper is to introduce new theoretical concepts as opposed to accepting the existence of dark entities, such as dark energy. This research sought to introduce a 2nd universal space-time constant, besides having a finite speed constant (speed of light in vacuum c). A finite universal age constant b is introduced. Namely, this paper shows that the changes in the Earth’s anomalistic year duration over time support the hypothesis of the age of the universe correlating with a maximum number of orbital revolutions constant. Neglecting the gravitational influence of other cosmological entities in the proximity of the Earth, the constant maximum number of revolutions is herewith determined solely by the Earth’s orbital revolutions around the Sun. The value of the universal age constant b is calculated to be around 13.8 billion orbital revolutions, derived out of an equation related to the changes in the Earth’s anomalistic year duration over time and the so-called Hubble tension. The above-mentioned calculated value b correlates well with the best fit to measured data of the cosmic microwave background radiation (CMBR) by the Planck spacecraft, the age of the observed universe is measured to be approximately 13.787 ± 0.020 billion years (2018 final data release). Developing a theory with this 2nd universal space-time constant b, being covariant with respect to the Lorentz transformations when time spans are large, gives results such as: A confirmation of the measured CMBR value of 13.787 ± 0.020 billion years. Correlating well with the observed expansion rate of the universe (dark energy). The universe’s expansion accelerating over the last four to five billion years.