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The Central Asian Orogenic Belt is the world’s largest accretionary orogenic belt, associated with the closure of the Paleo-Asian Ocean (PAO). However, the final closure timing of the eastern PAO remains contentious. The Permian-Triassic sedimentary sequences in the Wangqing area along the Changchun-Yanji suture zone offer important clues into this final closure. New data on petrology, whole-rock geochemistry, zircon U-Pb geochronology and zircon Hf isotopes of sedimentary rocks from the Miaoling Formation and Kedao Group in Wangqing area provide new insights into the final closure of the eastern end of the PAO. The maximum deposition ages of the Miaoling Formation and Kedao Group have been constrained to the Late Permian (ca. 253 Ma) and early Middle Triassic (ca. 243 Ma), respectively. These sedimentary rocks exhibit similar geochemical characteristics, showing low textural and compositional maturities, implying short sediment transport, with all detrital zircons suggesting their origins from felsic igneous rocks. The εHf(t) values of the Miaoling Formation range from −6.09 to 12.43 and from −2.20 to 7.59 for the Kedao Group, implying these rocks originated from NE China. Considering our new data along with previously published data, we propose that a reduced remnant ocean remained along the Changchun-Yanji suture zone in the early Middle Triassic (ca. 243 Ma), suggesting the final closure of the eastern PAO likely occurred between the latest Middle Triassic and early Late Triassic.
Large-scale outbreaks of the dinoflagellate Karenia mikimotoi caused substantial mortality of abalone, Haliotis discus hannai in Fujian, China in 2012, resulting in 20 billion in economic losses to abalone industries. However, the mechanism behind the mortality, especially the reaction of abalone to this microalgal toxicity, which possibly differed significantly from the former ‘fish killer’ strain in the South China Sea (SCS). Our study revealed that K. mikimotoi FJ-strain exhibited a four-fold higher haemolytic toxicity than the SCS-strain during the late exponential phase. At the microalgal cell density of 3 × 107 cell L−1, the FJ-strain caused abalone mortality of 67% in 48 h, with decreased granulocyte–hyalinocyts ratio and phagocytic activity by 58.96% and 75.64%, respectively, increased haemocyte viability by 4.8-fold and severe gill damage. The toxic effect only worked for the haemolytic toxicity from active algal cells, which were probably produced under the contact of algal cells and abalone gills. However, under exposure to the SCS-strain, more than 80% of individuals survived under aeration. The results indicated that FJ-strain was a new K. mikimotoi ecotype with stronger toxicity. It evoked severe effects, with complete abalone mortality within 24 h under the cascading effect of non-aeration (dissolved oxygen declined to 2.0 mg L−1), when exposed to K. mikimotoi FJ-strain at the above density. Thus, apart from the microalgal toxicity, DO depletion exacerbated the mortality of abalone in the experiment. The massive abalone mortalities in Fujian were probably caused by the combination of microalgal toxic effects and oxygen depletion, leading to immunological depression and histopathological disruption.
Soft drink consumption has become a highly controversial public health issue. Given the pattern of consumption in China, sugar-sweetened beverage is the main type of soft drink consumed. Due to containing high levels of fructose, a soft drink may have a deleterious effect on handgrip strength (HGS) due to oxidative stress, inflammation and insulin resistance. However, few studies show an association between soft drink consumption and HGS in adults. We aimed to investigate the association between soft drink consumption and longitudinal changes in HGS among a Chinese adult population. A longitudinal population-based cohort study (5-year follow-up, median: 3·66 years) was conducted in Tianjin, China. A total of 11 125 participants (56·7 % men) were enrolled. HGS was measured using a handheld digital dynamometer. Soft drink consumption (mainly sugar-containing carbonated beverages) was measured at baseline using a validated FFQ. ANCOVA was used to evaluate the association between soft drink consumption and annual change in HGS or weight-adjusted HGS. After adjusting for multiple confounding factors, the least square means (95 % CI) of annual change in HGS across soft drink consumption frequencies were −0·70 (–2·49, 1·09) for rarely drinks, −0·82 (–2·62, 0·97) for < 1 cup/week and −0·86 (–2·66, 0·93) for ≥ 1 cup/week (Pfor trend < 0·05). Likewise, a similar association was observed between soft drink consumption and annual change in weight-adjusted HGS. The results indicate that higher soft drink consumption was associated with faster HGS decline in Chinese adults.
It has been suggested that added sugar intake is associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, previous studies only focused on sugar-sweetened beverages; the evidence for associations with total added sugars and their sources is scarce. This study aimed to examine the associations of total added sugars, their physical forms (liquid v. solid) and food sources with risk of NAFLD among adults in Tianjin, China. We used data from 15 538 participants, free of NAFLD, other liver diseases, CVD, cancer or diabetes at baseline (2013–2018 years). Added sugar intake was estimated from a validated 100-item FFQ. NAFLD was diagnosed by ultrasonography after exclusion of other causes of liver diseases. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were fitted to calculate hazard ratios (HR) and corresponding 95 % CI for NAFLD risk with added sugar intake. During a median follow-up of 4·2 years, 3476 incident NAFLD cases were documented. After adjusting for age, sex, BMI and its change from baseline to follow-up, lifestyle factors, personal and family medical history and overall diet quality, the multivariable HR of NAFLD risk were 1·18 (95 % CI 1·06, 1·32) for total added sugars, 1·20 (95 % CI 1·08, 1·33) for liquid added sugars and 0·96 (95 % CI 0·86, 1·07) for solid added sugars when comparing the highest quartiles of intake with the lowest quartiles of intake. In this prospective cohort of Chinese adults, higher intakes of total added sugars and liquid added sugars, but not solid added sugars, were associated with a higher risk of NAFLD.
To set the sleeping mode for the Yutu-2 rover, a visual pose prediction algorithm including terrain reconstruction and pose estimation was first studied. The terrain reconstruction precision is affected by using only the stereo navigation camera (Navcam) images and the rotation angles of the mast. However, the hazard camera (Hazcam) pose is fixed, and an image network was constructed by linking all of the Navcam and Hazcam stereoimages. Then, the Navcam pose was refined based on a multiview block bundle adjustment. The experimental results show that the mean absolute errors of the check points in the proposed algorithm were 10.4 mm over the range of
$\boldsymbol{L}$
from 2.0 to 6.1 m, and the proposed algorithm achieved good prediction results for the rover pose (the average differences of the values of the pitch angle and the roll angle were −0.19 degrees and 0.29 degrees, respectively). Under the support of the proposed algorithm, engineers have completed the remote setting of the sleeping mode for Yutu-2 successfully in the Chang’e-4 mission operations.
Thyroid cancer (TC) incidence has increased greatly during the past decades with a few established risk factors, while no study is available that has assessed the association of the Chinese Health Dietary Index (CHDI) with TC. We conducted a 1:1 matched case–control study in two hospitals in Shanghai, China. Diet-quality scores were calculated according to CHDI using a validated and reliable FFQ. Conditional logistic regression analysis and restricted cubic spline analysis were used to reveal potential associations between CHDI score and TC risk. A total of 414 pairs of historically confirmed TC patients and healthy controls were recruited from November 2012 to December 2015. The total score of cases and controls were 67·5 and 72·8, respectively (P < 0·001). The median score of total vegetables, fruit, diary products, dark green and orange vegetables, fish, shellfish and mollusk, soyabean, whole grains, dry bean and tuber in cases was significantly lower than those in controls. Compared with the reference group (≤60 points), the average (60–80 points) and high (≥80 points) levels of the CHDI score were associated with a reduced risk of TC (OR: 0·40, 95 % CI 0·26, 0·63 for 60–80 points; OR: 0·22, 95 % CI 0·12, 0·38 for ≥80 points). In age-stratified analyses, the favourable association remained significant among participants who are younger than 50 years old. Our data suggested that high diet quality as determined by CHDI was associated with lower risk of TC.
Insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R) is a cell surface receptor, belonging to the tyrosine kinase receptor superfamily. IGF1R plays a role not only in normal cell development but also in malignant transformation, which has become a candidate therapeutic target for the treatment of human cancer. This study aimed to explore insertions and deletions (indels) in IGF1R gene and investigate their association with growth traits in four Chinese cattle breeds (Xianan cattle, Jinnan cattle, Qinchuan cattle and Nanyang cattle). The current paper identified a 28-bp indel by polymerase chain reaction within IGF1R gene. The analysis showed that there was a significant correlation between the locus and the hucklebone width of Nanyang cattle in four periods, in which it was highly correlated at 6, 12 and 18 months. At the age of 6 months, it was also significantly correlated with body height, body weight and body length. Association analysis showed that the locus in Jinnan cattle was extremely significantly correlated with body slanting length and body weight, and significantly correlated with chest circumference. There was no significant correlation between this locus and growth traits of Xianan cattle and Qinchuan cattle. The detected indel in the IGF1R gene was significantly associated with growth traits in Jinnan and Nanyang cattle, and could be used as a molecular marker for growth trait selection.
Prospective cohort studies linking organ meat consumption and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are limited, especially in Asian populations. This study aimed to prospectively investigate the association between organ meat consumption and risk of NAFLD in a general Chinese adult population. This prospective cohort study included a total of 15 568 adults who were free of liver disease, CVD and cancer at baseline. Dietary information was collected at baseline using a validated FFQ. NAFLD was diagnosed by abdominal ultrasound after excluding other causes related to chronic liver disease. Cox proportional regression models were used to assess the association between organ meat consumption and risk of NAFLD. During a median of 4·2 years of follow-up, we identified 3604 incident NAFLD cases. After adjusting for demographic characteristics, lifestyle factors, vegetable, fruit, soft drink, seafood and red meat consumption, the multivariable hazard ratios (95 % CI) for incident NAFLD across consumption of organ meat were 1·00 (reference) for almost never, 1·04 (0·94, 1·15) for tertile 1, 1·08 (0·99, 1·19) for tertile 2 and 1·11 (1·01, 1·22) for tertile 3, respectively (Pfor trend < 0·05). Such association did not differ substantially in the sensitivity analysis. Our study indicates that organ meat consumption was related to a modestly higher risk of NAFLD among Chinese adults. Further investigations are needed to confirm this finding.
Previous studies have demonstrated structural and functional changes of the hippocampus in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). However, no studies have analyzed the dynamic functional connectivity (dFC) of hippocampal subregions in melancholic MDD. We aimed to reveal the patterns for dFC variability in hippocampus subregions – including the bilateral rostral and caudal areas and its associations with cognitive impairment in melancholic MDD.
Methods
Forty-two treatment-naive MDD patients with melancholic features and 55 demographically matched healthy controls were included. The sliding-window analysis was used to evaluate whole-brain dFC for each hippocampal subregions seed. We assessed between-group differences in the dFC variability values of each hippocampal subregion in the whole brain and cognitive performance on the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB). Finally, association analysis was conducted to investigate their relationships.
Results
Patients with melancholic MDD showed decreased dFC variability between the left rostral hippocampus and left anterior lobe of cerebellum compared with healthy controls (voxel p < 0.005, cluster p < 0.0125, GRF corrected), and poorer cognitive scores in working memory, verbal learning, visual learning, and social cognition (all p < 0.05). Association analysis showed that working memory was positively correlated with the dFC variability values of the left rostral hippocampus-left anterior lobe of the cerebellum (r = 0.338, p = 0.029) in melancholic MDD.
Conclusions
These findings confirmed the distinct dynamic functional pathway of hippocampal subregions in patients with melancholic MDD, and suggested that the dysfunction of hippocampus-cerebellum connectivity may be underlying the neural substrate of working memory impairment in melancholic MDD.
High dietary fibre intake has been associated with a lower risk of diabetes, but the association of dietary fibre with prediabetes is only speculative, especially in China, where the supportive data from prospective studies are lacking. This study aimed to examine the association between dietary fibre intake and risk of incident prediabetes among Chinese adults. We performed a prospective analysis in 18 085 participants of the Tianjin Chronic Low-grade Systemic Inflammation and Health cohort study who were free of diabetes, prediabetes, cancer and CVD at baseline. Dietary data were collected using a validated 100-item FFQ. Prediabetes was defined based on the American Diabetes Association diagnostic criteria. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95 % CI. During 63 175 person-years of follow-up, 4139 cases of incident prediabetes occurred. The multivariable HR of prediabetes for the highest v. lowest quartiles were 0·85 (95 % CI 0·75, 0·98) (P for trend = 0·02) for total dietary fibre, 0·84 (95 % CI 0·74, 0·95) (P for trend < 0·01) for soluble fibre and 1·05 (95 % CI 0·93, 1·19) (P for trend = 0·38) for insoluble fibre. Fibre from fruits but not from cereals, beans and vegetables was inversely associated with prediabetes. Our results indicate that intakes of total dietary fibre, soluble fibre and fibre derived from fruit sources were associated with a lower risk of prediabetes.
We aimed to describe the demographic and clinical profile, and management of frequent attenders to a psychiatric liaison service.
Background
Frequent Attenders to emergency departments contribute significantly to the burden on health services and by definition are subjectively highly stressed. It is therefore important that mental health services develop effective responses to this group of patients. A systematic literature search indicated a paucity of information on this group of patients.
Method
We conducted a case series of 49 frequently attending patients to the Psychiatric Liaison service in Tower Hamlets, East London NHS Foundation Trust.
We defined frequent attenders as seeing the Psychiatric Liaison Service 5 or more times in 2018. We excluded 4 patients aged <18 years or >65 years.
For each patient we collected data regarding their demographics; the details of each attendance to the Psychiatric Liaison Service; and their use of other psychiatric services.
We then conducted a multivariate analysis, including stratification of patients based on number of attendances to identify correlation between frequency of attendance and the other information.
Result
Demographic: The 45 patients reviewed had a mean age of 37 and a mean of 7 attendances during the study period.
Clinical: 89% had a history of emotional trauma, 71% of substance misuse, and 49% of any personality disorder. Only 9% of the patients were under the care of the locality Personality Disorder Service.
73% of the patients were under the care of any other psychiatric service. There was no correlation between being under other services and the frequency of attendance.
Only 31% had contact with the locality Frequent Attenders Service during the study period, as this was established recently.
Conclusion
Psychiatric Frequent Attenders have complex needs, which do not fit neatly into existing psychiatric diagnoses and services.
The high frequency of emotional trauma, substance misuse and personality disorder indicates a need for training of clinicians in these services to manage these patients, as well as planning for referral pathways for this group of patients who provide services with major challenges in appropriate pathways to care and follow-up
Anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery is associated with high mortality if not timely surgery. We reviewed our experience with anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery to assess the preoperative variables predictive of outcome and post-operative recovery of left ventricular function.
Methods:
A retrospective review was conducted and collected data from patients who underwent anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery repair at our institute from April 2005 to December 2019. Left ventricular function was assessed by ejection fraction and the left ventricular end-diastolic dimension index. The outcomes of reimplantation repair were analysed.
Results:
A total of 30 consecutive patients underwent anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery repair, with a median age of 14.7 months (range, 1.5–59.6 months), including 14 females (46.67%). Surgery was performed with direct coronary reimplantation in 12 patients (40%) and the coronary lengthening technique in 18 (60%). Twelve patients had concomitant mitral annuloplasty. There were two in-hospital deaths (6.67%), no patients required mechanical support, and no late deaths occurred. Follow-up echocardiograms demonstrated significant improvement between the post-operative time point and the last follow-up in ejection fraction (49.43%±19.92% vs 60.21%±8.27%, p < 0.01) and in moderate or more severe mitral regurgitation (19/30 vs 5/28, p < 0.01). The left ventricular end-diastolic dimension index decreased from 101.91 ± 23.07 to 65.06 ± 12.82 (p < 0.01).
Conclusions:
Surgical repair of anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery has good mid-term results with low mortality and reintervention rates. The coronary lengthening technique has good operability and leads to excellent cardiac recovery. The decision to concomitantly correct mitral regurgitation should be flexible and be based on the pathological changes of the mitral valve and the degree of mitral regurgitation.
Seaweeds have numerous biologically active ingredients, such as polysaccharides, polyphenols and carotenoids, that are beneficial to human health. Although these benefits might be related to the synthesis, secretion or reabsorption of uric acid, no studies have explored the relationship between seaweeds consumption and hyperuricaemia (HUA) in the general population. The aim of this study was to investigate whether seaweeds consumption is related to HUA in a large-scale adult population. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 32 365 adults (17 328 men and 15 037 women) in Tianjin, People’s Republic of China. Frequency of seaweeds consumption was assessed by a validated self-administered FFQ. HUA was defined as serum uric acid levels >420 μmol/L in men and >350 μmol/L in women. The association between seaweeds consumption and HUA was assessed by multiple logistic regression analysis. Restricted cubic spline functions were used for non-linearity tests. The prevalence of HUA in men and women was 21·17 % and 5·93 %, respectively. After adjustments for potential confounding factors, the OR (95 % CI) for HUA across seaweed consumption (g/1000 kcal per d) were 1·00 (reference) for level 1, 0·91 (95 % CI 0·81, 1·02) for level 2; 0·90 (95 % CI 0·81, 1·01) for level 3; 0·86 (95 % CI 0·78, 0·97) for level 4 in men and 0·90 (95 % CI 0·73, 1·10) for level 2; 0·82 (95 % CI 0·67, 1·00) for level 3; 0·84 (95 % CI 0·68, 1·03) for level 4 in women, respectively. A negative correlation between seaweeds consumption and HUA in males but not in females was observed. Further studies are needed to explore the causal relationship.
Patients with schizophrenia and individuals with schizotypy, a subclinical group at risk for schizophrenia, have been found to have impairments in cognitive control. The Dual Mechanisms of Cognitive Control (DMC) framework hypothesises that cognitive control can be divided into proactive and reactive control. However, it is unclear whether individuals with schizotypy have differential behavioural impairments and neural correlates underlying these two types of cognitive control.
Method:
Twenty-five individuals with schizotypy and 26 matched healthy controls (HCs) completed both reactive and proactive control tasks with electroencephalographic data recorded. The proportion of congruent and incongruent trials was manipulated in a classic colour-word Stroop task to induce proactive or reactive control. Proactive control was induced in a context with mostly incongruent (MI) trials and reactive control in a context with mostly congruent (MC) trials. Two event-related potential (ERP) components, medial frontal negativity (MFN, associated with conflict detection) and conflict sustained potential (conflict SP, associated with conflict resolution) were examined.
Results:
There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of behavioural results. In terms of ERP results, in the MC context, HC exhibited significantly larger MFN (360–530 ms) and conflict SP (600–1000 ms) amplitudes than individuals with schizotypy. The two groups did not show any significant difference in MFN or conflict SP in the MI context.
Conclusions:
The present findings provide initial evidence for dissociation of neural activation between proactive and reactive cognitive control in individuals with schizotypy. These findings help us understand cognitive control deficits in the schizophrenia spectrum.
Limited literatures report the management of congenital left atrial appendage aneurysm (LAAA) which is extremely rare. Chest X-ray firstly showed an enlarged left cardiac silhouette for a 3-year-old patient with pneumonia. Echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging confirmed a large cyst attached to the left atrium. Aneurysmectomy was performed through lateral thoracotomy using step-by-step method and under the guidance of transoesophageal echocardiography. We aim to show the safety and efficacy of this approach applied to children associated with congenital LAAA.
This cross-sectional study aimed to examine the associations between dietary fibre (DF) intake and depressive symptoms in a general adult population in Tianjin, China. A total of 24 306 participants (mean age 41 years; range 18–91 years) were enrolled. DF intake was assessed using a validated self-administered FFQ. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Self-Rating Depression Scale. Associations between DF intake and depressive symptoms were estimated using logistic regression analysis. Socio-demographic, behavioural, health status and dietary factors were adjusted. In men, compared with participants in the lowest quartiles for total, soluble, vegetable and soya DF, OR for depressive symptoms in the highest were 0·83 (95 % CI 0·69, 0·99), 0·74 (95 % CI 0·63, 0·87), 0·79 (95 % CI 0·65, 0·96) and 0·69 (95 % CI 0·60, 0·81), respectively. In women, compared with participants in the lowest quartiles for vegetable and soya DF, the OR for depressive symptoms in the highest were 0·77 (95 % CI 0·64, 0·93) and 0·82 (95 % CI 0·70, 0·95), respectively. No association was found between total or soluble DF intake and depressive symptoms in women. No association was found between insoluble, cereal, fruit or tuber DF intake and depressive symptoms in men and women. Linear associations between DF intake and depressive symptoms were only detected for soya DF (men, β = –0·148, P < 0·0001; women, β = –0·069, P = 0·04). Results suggest that intake of soluble, vegetable and soya DF was inversely associated with depressive symptoms. These results should be confirmed through prospective and interventional studies.
No studies have reported on how to relieve distress or relax in medical health workers while wearing medical protective equipment in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The study aimed to establish which relaxation technique, among six, is the most feasible in first-line medical health workers wearing medical protective equipment.
Methods
This was a two-step study collecting data with online surveys. Step 1: 15 first-line medical health workers were trained to use six different relaxation techniques and reported the two most feasible techniques while wearing medical protective equipment. Step 2: the most two feasible relaxation techniques revealed by step 1 were quantitatively tested in a sample of 65 medical health workers in terms of efficacy, no space limitation, no time limitation, no body position requirement, no environment limitation to be done, easiness to learn, simplicity, convenience, practicality, and acceptance.
Results
Kegel exercise and autogenic relaxation were the most feasible techniques according to step 1. In step 2, Kegel exercise outperformed autogenic relaxation on all the 10 dimensions among the 65 participants while wearing medical protective equipment (efficacy: 24 v. 15, no space limitation: 30 v. 4, no time limitation: 31 v. 4, no body position requirement: 26 v. 4, no environment limitation: 30 v. 11, easiness to learn: 28 v. 5, simplicity: 29 v. 7, convenience: 29 v. 4, practicality: 30 v. 14, acceptance: 32 v. 6).
Conclusion
Kegel exercise seems a promising self-relaxation technique for first-line medical health workers while wearing medical protective equipment among COVID-19 pandemic.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the hepatic manifestation of the metabolic syndrome. Recent evidence has suggested the protective effects of honey consumption against the metabolic syndrome, but the association between honey intake and NAFLD is still unclear. We investigated how the consumption frequency of honey was associated with NAFLD in the general population. This was a cross-sectional study of 21 979 adults aged 20–90 years. NAFLD was diagnosed based on the ultrasound-diagnosed fatty liver without significant alcohol intake and other liver diseases. Diet information, including consumption frequency of honey, was assessed by a validated 100-item FFQ. OR with 95 % CI were calculated by the binary logistic regression model, adjusting for confounding factors identified by the directed acyclic graph. Overall, 6513 adults (29·6 %) had NAFLD. Compared with participants consuming ≤1 time/week of honey, the multivariable OR of NAFLD were 0·86 (95 % CI 0·77, 0·97) for 2–6 times/week and 1·10 (95 % CI 0·95, 1·27) for ≥1 times/d (Pfor trend = 0·90). The results were generally similar in subgroups of BMI at a cut-point of 24·0 kg/m2 (Pfor interaction = 0·10). In this large-scale study, consuming honey 2–6 times/week was inversely associated with NAFLD, whereas consuming honey ≥1 times/d had no association with NAFLD. These results need replication in other large-scale prospective studies.