National Nutrition and Health Systematic Survey for Children 0–17 Years of Age in China

The main purpose of the National Nutrition and Health Systematic Survey for children 0-17 years of age in China(CNHSC)was to collect basic data on the nutrition,development,and health status for children in different regions across China using evidence-based,reliable,and cost-effective approaches.Children and their parents or guardians from seven regions(south,southwest,north,northwest,eastern,central,and northeast China)in China were recruited.A multi-stage stratified randomized sampling method was used.Two provinces were randomly sampled from each of the seven regions,from which one urban district and one rural country were also randomly sampled,resulting in a total of 28 survey counties/districts.Dietary surveys,health examinations,laboratory testing,and questionnaires were used to collect dietary intake,nutritional status,child development,and health status information.Nutrition,health,and lifestyle assessment of children and their parents was determined using the Knowledge Attitude Practice(KAP)survey.Greater than 100,000 children(38,000 children<6 years of age and 66,000 children6-17 years of age)completed the survey.The survey provided comprehensive data on child nutrition and health status for future studies and will serve as the basis for an integrated nutrition and health improvement strategies proposal for children in China.

Prediction of delayed graft function using different scoring algorithms: A single-center experience

AIM To compare the performance of 3 published delayed graftfunction(DGF) calculators that compute the theoretical risk of DGF for each patient.METHODS This single-center,retrospective study included 247 consecutive kidney transplants from a deceased donor.These kidney transplantations were performed at our institution between January 2003 and December 2012.We compared the occurrence of observed DGF in our cohort with the predicted DGF according to three different published calculators. The accuracy of the calculators was evaluated by means of the c-index(receiver operating characteristic curve).RESULTS DGF occurred in 15.3% of the transplants under study.The c index of the Irish calculator provided an area under the curve(AUC) of 0.69 indicating an acceptable level of prediction,in contrast to the poor performance of the Jeldres nomogram(AUC = 0.54) and the Chapal nomogram(AUC = 0.51). With the Irish algorithm the predicted DGF risk and the observed DGF probabilities were close. The mean calculated DGF risk was significantly different between DGF-positive and DGF-negative subjects(P < 0.0001). However,at the level of the individual patient the calculated risk of DGF overlapped very widely with ranges from 10% to 51% for recipients with DGF and from 4% to 56% for those without DGF.The sensitivity,specificity and positive predictive value of a calculated DGF risk ≥ 30% with the Irish nomogram were 32%,91% and 38%. CONCLUSION Predictive models for DGF after kidney transplantation are performant in the population in which they were derived,but less so in external validations.

Data-driven slicing for dimension reduction in regressions:A likelihood-ratio approach

To efficiently estimate the central subspace in sufficient dimension reduction,response discretization via slicing its range is one of the most used methodologies when inverse regression-based methods are applied.However,existing slicing schemes are almost all ad hoc and not widely accepted.Thus,how to define datadriven schemes with certain optimal properties is a longstanding problem in this field.The research described here is then twofold.First,we introduce a likelihood-ratio-based framework for dimension reduction,subsuming the popularly used methods including the sliced inverse regression,the sliced average variance estimation and the likelihood acquired direction.Second,we propose a regularized log likelihood-ratio criterion to obtain a data-driven slicing scheme and derive the asymptotic properties of the estimators.A simulation study is carried out to examine the performance of the proposed method and that of existing methods.A data set concerning concrete compressive strength is also analyzed for illustration and comparison.

Sensory innervation around immediately vs. delayed loaded implants: a pilot study

Although neurophysiological and psychophysical proof of osseoperception is accumulating, histomorphometric evidence for the neural mechanisms of functional compensation following immediate and delayed implant loading is still lacking. For this randomized split-mouth study, six mongrel dogs randomly received one of four treatment protocols at 36 implant-recipient sites over 16 weeks （third maxillary incisor, third and fourth mandibular premolar）： immediate implant placement and immediate loading （liP＋ IL）; delayed implant placement and delayed loading （DIP＋DL）; delayed implant placement and immediate loading （DIP＋IL）; and natural extraction socket healing （control）. Histomorphometry was performed in the peri-implant bone and soft tissues within 300 pm around the implants. Immunocytochemistry and transmission electron microscopy were used to confirm the presence of neural structures and to reveal their ultrastructural characteristics, respectively. Myelinated nerve fibres densely populated the peri-implant crestal gingival and apical regions, although they were also identified in the woven bone and in the osteons near the implant threads. Compared with the control group in the mandible, the group that received IIP＋IL showed a higher innervation （in N.mm^-2, 5.94±1.12 vs. 3.15±0.63, P〈0.001） and smaller fibre diameter （in pm, 1.37±0.05 vs. 1.64±0.13, P=0.016）, smaller axon diameter （in pm, 0.89±0.05 vs. 1.24±0,10, P=0.009） and g-ratio （0.64±0.04 vs. 0.76±0.05, P〈0.001） in the middle region around the implants. Compared with DIP＋IL in the mandible, IIP＋IL had a higher nerve density （in N.mm^-2, 13.23±2.54 vs. 9.64±1.86, P=0.027）, greater fibre diameter （in pm, 1.32±0.02 vs. 1.20±0.04, P=0.021）, greater axon diameter （in μm, 0.92±0.01 vs. 0.89±0.03, P=-0.035） and lower g-ratio （0.69±0.01 vs. 0.74±0.01, P=-0.033） in the apical region around the implants. It may be assumed that the treatment protocol with liP＋ IL is the preferred method to allow optimized peri-implant re-innervation, but further functional measurements are still required.

Early prediction of major depression in chronic hepatitis C patients during peg-interferon α-2b treatment by assessment of vegetative-depressive symptoms after four weeks

AIM: To study the predictive value of the vegetative- depressive symptoms of the Zung Depression Rating Scale for the occurrence of depression during treatment with peg-interferon α-2b of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients. METHODS: The predictive value of vegetative- depressive symptoms at 4 wk of treatment for the occurrence of a subsequent diagnosis of major depressive disorder (MDD) was studied in CHC patients infected after substance use in a prospective, multi- center treatment trial in Belgium. The presence of vegetative-depressive symptoms was assessed using the Zung Scale before and 4 wk after the start of antiviral treatment. RESULTS: Out of 49 eligible patients, 19 (39%) developed MDD. The area under the ROC curve of the vegetative Zung subscale was 0.73, P = 0.004. The sensitivity at a cut-point of > 15/35 was 95% (95% CI: 74-100). The positive predictive value equalled 44% (95% CI: 29-60). CONCLUSION: In this group of Belgian CHC patients infected after substance use, antiviral treatment caused a considerable risk of depression. Seven vegetativedepressive symptoms of the Zung scale at wk 4 of treatment predicted 95% of all emerging depressions, at a price of 56% false positive test results.

Safety Evaluation of Stop-Sign Mounted Beacons—A Cross-Sectional Study

Agencies in Iowa have utilized both overhead flashing beacons and stop-sign mounted beacons. Although several studies have shown that overhead flashing beacons are effective, some concerns have been raised about driver confusion. The main concern is that a driver may interpret a multiface flashing beacon with a red indication for their approach as an all-way stop control. As a result, the Iowa DOT has been advocating use of stop-sign mounted beacons rather than overhead flashing beacons. Since little information is available about this countermeasure, data for intersections with (treatment) and without (control) stop-sign mounted beacons were identified and a cross-sectional analysis conducted (due to few confirmable installation dates). Rural stop-controlled intersections with stop-sign mounted beacons in Iowa (USA) were identified (40 in total). Intersection characteristics such as number of approaches, intersection angle etc. were extracted. Additionally, characteristics of individual approaches such as roadway surface (gravel/paved), advanced stop-sign rumble strips, and advance signing were recorded. One or more control locations were manually selected for each treatment intersection based on matching roadway configuration, presence of lighting, advance stop line rumble strips, number of approaches, channelization, traffic volume, and proximity. Propensity scores were estimated to match 40 control locations for comparison. Negative binomial models for different injury combinations at nighttime and daytime were developed with an indicator variable for presence and absence of stop-sign mounted beacons. Presence of stop-sign mounted beacons was associated with a 5% - 54% reduction in nighttime crashes. Injury nighttime crashes decreased by 54% and total nighttime crashes reduced by 18%.

Artificial rearing influences the morphology,permeability and redox state of the gastrointestinal tract of low and normal birth weight piglets

Background： In this study the physiological implications of artificial rearing were investigated. Low（LBW） and normal birth weight（NBW） piglets were compared as they might react differently to stressors caused by artificial rearing. In total, 42 pairs of LBW and NBW piglets from 16 litters suckled the sow until d19 of age or were artificially reared starting at d3 until d19 of age. Blood and tissue samples that were collected after euthanasia at 0, 3, 5, 8 and 19 d of age. Histology, ELISA, and Ussing chamber analysis were used to study proximal and distal small intestine histomorphology, proliferation, apoptosis, tight junction protein expression, and permeability. Furthermore, small intestine,liver and systemic redox parameters（GSH, GSSG, GSH-Px and MDA） were investigated using HPLC.Results： LBW and NBW artificially reared piglets weighed respectively 40 and 33% more than LBW and NBW sowreared piglets at d19（P 〈 0.01）. Transferring piglets to a nursery at d3 resulted in villus atrophy, increased intestinal FD-4 and HRP permeability and elevated GSSG/GSH ratio in the distal small intestine at d5（P 〈 0.05）. GSH concentrations in the proximal small intestine remained stable, while they decreased in the liver（P 〈 0.05）. From d5 until d19, villus width and crypt depth increased, whereas PCNA, caspase-3, occludin and claudin-3 protein expressions were reduced. GSH,GSSG and permeability recovered in artificially reared piglets（P 〈 0.05）.Conclusion： The results suggest that artificial rearing altered the morphology, permeability and redox state without compromising piglet performance. The observed effects were not depending on birth weight.

Theoretical perspective on synthetic man-made life:Learning from the origin of life

Creating a man-made life in the laboratory is one of life science's most intriguing yet challenging problems.Advances in synthetic biology and related theories,particularly those related to the origin of life,have laid the groundwork for further exploration and understanding in this field of artificial life or man-made life.But there remains a wealth of quantitative mathematical models and tools that have yet to be applied to this area.In this paper,we review the two main approaches often employed in the field of man-made life:the top-down approach that reduces the complexity of extant and existing living systems and the bottom-up approach that integrates welldefined components,by introducing the theoretical basis,recent advances,and their limitations.We then argue for another possible approach,namely"bottom-up from the origin of life":Starting with the establishment of autocatalytic chemical reaction networks that employ physical boundaries as the initial compartments,then designing directed evolutionary systems,with the expectation that independent compartments will eventually emerge so that the system becomes free-living.This approach is actually analogous to the process of how life originated.With this paper,we aim to stimulate the interest of synthetic biologists and experimentalists to consider a more theoretical perspective,and to promote the communication between the origin of life community and the synthetic man-made life community.

Urban-Rural Disparity in Mortality Patterns of Respiratory Diseases Among Older Adults—China,1987-2021

What is already known about this topic?Respiratory diseases(RDs)are the primary cause of death in older adults in China.However,there is limited evidence regarding the disparity in mortality rates of RDs between urban and rural areas among the elderly population.What is added by this report?The age-standardized mortality rate(ASMR)due to RDs in the elderly population in both urban and rural areas of China has shown a consistent decrease.This trend is observed in both males and females.However,there was no significant change in the average annual percentage of ASMR for pneumonia among the urban elderly population and rural elderly men throughout the study period.What are the implications for public health practice?Efforts should be made in China to reduce mortality from chronic lower respiratory disease and pneumonia among the elderly,particularly in urban populations.

Stable correlation and robust feature screening

In this paper,we propose a new correlation,called stable correlation,to measure the dependence between two random vectors.The new correlation is well defined without the moment condition and is zero if and only if the two random vectors are independent.We also study its other theoretical properties.Based on the new correlation,we further propose a robust model-free feature screening procedure for ultrahigh dimensional data and establish its sure screening property and rank consistency property without imposing the subexponential or sub-Gaussian tail condition,which is commonly required in the literature of feature screening.We also examine the finite sample performance of the proposed robust feature screening procedure via Monte Carlo simulation studies and illustrate the proposed procedure by a real data example.