Colorectal cancer's burden attributable to a diet high in processed meat in the Belt and Road Initiative countries.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CRC) plays a significant role in morbidity, mortality, and economic cost in the Belt and Road Initiative ("B and R") countries. In addition, these countries have a substantial consumption of processed meat. However, the burden and trend of CRC in relation to the consumption of a diet high in processed meat (DHPM-CRC) in these "B and R" countries remain unknown. AIM: To analyze the burden and trend of DHPM-CRC in the "B and R" countries from 1990 to 2019. METHODS: We used the 2019 Global Burden of Disease Study to collate information regarding the burden of DHPM-CRC. Numbers and age-standardized rates (ASRs) of deaths along with the disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) were determined among the "B and R" countries in 1990 and 2019. Using joinpoint regression analysis, the average annual percent change (AAPC) was used to analyze the temporal trends of age-standardized DALYs rate (ASDALR) from 1990 to 2019 and in the final decade (2010-2019). RESULTS: We found geographical differences in the burden of DHPM-CRC among "B and R" countries, with the three highest-ranking countries being the Russian Federation, China, and Ukraine in 1990, and China, the Russian Federation, and Poland in 2019. The burden of DHPM-CRC generally increased in most member countries from 1990 to 2019 (all P < 0.05). The absolute number of deaths and DALYs in DHPM-CRC were 3151.15 [95% uncertainty interval (UI) 665.74-5696.64] and 83249.31 (95%UI 15628.64-151956.31) in China in 2019. However, the number of deaths (2627.57-2528.51) and DALYs (65867.39-55378.65) for DHPM-CRC in the Russian Federation has declined. The fastest increase in ASDALR for DHPM-CRC was observed in Vietnam, Southeast Asia, with an AAPC value of 3.90% [95% confidence interval (CI): 3.63%-4.16%], whereas the fastest decline was observed in Kyrgyzstan, Central Asia, with an AAPC value of -2.05% (95% CI: -2.37% to -1.73%). A substantial upward trend in ASR of mortality, years lived with disability, years of life lost, and DALYs from DHPM-CRC changes in 1990-2019 and the final decade (2010-2019) for most Maritime Silk Route members in East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, North Africa, and the Middle East, as well as Central Europe, while those of the most Land Silk Route members in Central Asia and Eastern Europe have decreased markedly (all P < 0.05). The ASDALR for DHPM-CRC increased more in males than in females (all P < 0.05). For those aged 50-74 years, the ASDALR for DHPM-CRC in 40 members exhibited an increasing trend, except for 20 members, including 7 members in Central Asia, Maldives, and 12 high or high-middle social development index (SDI) members in other regions (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The burden of DHPM-CRC varies substantially across "B and R" countries and threatens public health. Relevant evidence-based policies and interventions tailored to the different trends of countries in SDIs or Silk Routes should be adopted to reduce the future burden of CRC in "B and R" countries via extensive collaboration.

Comparing albuvirtide plus ritonavir-boosted lopinavir regimen to two nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors plus ritonavir-boosted lopinavir in HIV-infected individuals who failed initial treatment: a retrospective comparative cohort study.

Background: Albuvirtide (ABT), a fusion inhibitor against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, has good efficacy and tolerability for HIV treatment. However, there is a paucity of data regarding ABT-based regimen as second-line therapy. This current study evaluated the efficacy and safety of switching to ABT + ritonavir-boosted lopinavir (LPV/r) treatment in a cohort of HIV-infected individuals who failed initial treatment. Methods: This retrospective comparative cohort study included patients who failed initial treatment and switched to either ABT + LPV/r (the ABT group) or two nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) + LPV/r (the NRTI group) between November 2019 and December 2020 in the People's Hospital of Zhaojue County in Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, China. All individuals were followed up from baseline to 12 weeks after conversion, or until the patient developed unacceptable toxic effects or was loss of follow-up. The proportion of patients who achieved virological suppression (viral load <50 copies/mL) at week 12 was considered a primary efficacy endpoint. Safety outcomes included the incidence of adverse events and laboratory abnormalities. All participants underwent resistance testing before regimen conversion. The linear regression model was applied to evaluate the association of CD4+ T cell count with the patient's clinical characteristics. Results: A total of 71 patients were included in this study, the two groups were comparable at baseline in terms of age, sex, CD4+ T cell count, and viral load. The suppression of HIV-1 RNA to levels <50 copies/mL was achieved in 82.4% (28/31) and 29.7% (11/34) of patients in the ABT group and the NRTI group, respectively (P<0.001). Older age (P=0.016) and higher alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels (P=0.038), but not rescue regimen, were associated with attenuated CD4+ T cell recovery. Most adverse events mild in severity, with abdominal pain as the most reported event in two groups (26.8%, 19/71), and no severe adverse events were detected. Conclusions: Conversion to ABT + LPV/r therapy appears to be an effective and safe strategy. This treatment regimen has great potential to be generalized in the HIV-infected population, although further testing in a larger patient population is required to verify these results.

Determinants of suboptimal immune recovery among a Chinese Yi ethnicity population with sustained HIV suppression.

OBJECTIVES: Despite sustained viral suppression with effective antiretroviral therapy (ART), HIV-infected patients with suboptimal immune recovery are still at high risk of both non-AIDS-related and AIDS-related events. The aim of this study was to investigate determinants potentially associated with suboptimal CD4 + T cell count recovery during free ART with sustained viral suppression among an HIV-infected Yi ethnicity population in Liangshan Prefecture, an area in China with high HIV prevalence. METHODS: This retrospective study included HIV-infected Yi adults (≥ 18 years and baseline CD4 + T cell count less than 500 cells/µL) for whom ART supported by National Free Antiretroviral Treatment Program was initiated between January 2015 and December 2018 in Zhaojue County, Liangshan Prefecture. Virological suppression (viral load < 50 copies/mL) was achieved within 12 months after ART initiation, and sustained virological suppression was maintained. Multivariate log-binomial regression analysis was used to assess determinants of suboptimal immune recovery. RESULTS: There were 140 female and 137 male patients in this study, with a mean age of 36.57 ± 7.63 years. Most of the Yi patients were infected through IDU (48.7%) or heterosexual contact (49.8%), and the anti-HCV antibody prevalence was high (43.7%, 121/277). Of the 277 patients with a mean ART duration of 3.77 ± 1.21 years, complete immune recovery occurred in only 32.9%. The baseline CD4 + T cell count in patients with suboptimal and intermediate immune recovery was 248.64 ± 108.10 and 288.59 ± 108.86 cells/µL, respectively, which was much lower than the baseline 320.02 ± 123.65 cells/µL in patients who achieved complete immune recovery (p < 0.001). Multivariable analysis demonstrated that low pre-ART CD4 + cell count and coinfection with HCV were associated with immune recovery of the HIV patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that for HIV-infected Yi patients in Liangshan Prefecture, prompt ART initiation after diagnosis of HIV infection should be applied, and curative HCV treatment should be given to patients with HCV/HIV coinfection to improve the immunological effectiveness of ART. Trial registration None.

Sofosbuvir plus Ribavirin is effective for HCV elimination in people living with HIV from rural area of China.

People living with HIV (PLWH) bear higher prevalence of HCV coinfection. An accessible directly acting antivirals regimen with less drug-drug interaction with antiretroviral therapy (ART) is urgently needed in source limited regions. We aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of SOF + RBV for 24 weeks regimen in HIV-HCV coinfected patients in Liangshan Prefecture, China. PLWH under ART from China's national free antiretroviral treatment project (CNFATP) and diagnosed with treatment-naïve HCV infection were enrolled. SOF + RBV was administrated for 24 weeks and patients were followed for ≥ 12 weeks. The efficacy and safety were analyzed and related factors were explored. 58 patients completed 24 weeks of SOF + RBV and had all tests done. Genotype prevalence in this population was G3 44.8% (n = 26), G6 31.0% (n = 18) and G1 17.2% (n = 10) respectively. 52/58 (89.7%) patients achieved SVR12 while 10.3% experienced therapeutic failure. However, SVR12 was neither significantly different between groups of different gender, age, transmission routines, CD4+ cell count, HIV infection duration, ART duration and HBsAg prevalence nor influenced by HCV viral load, genotypes and hepatic stiffness. The regimen was well-tolerated without any serious AEs or AEs leading to treatment adjustment or discontinuation reported. PLWH in Liangshan showed a high prevalence of HCV coinfection with GT3 and GT6 as the most frequent genotypes. SOF + RBV for 24 weeks could achieve good SVR12 in this population and was well-tolerated. It has great potential to be generalized in coinfected population in source-limited regions.

Deficiency of Pdk1 contributes to primordial follicle activation via the upregulation of YAP expression and the pro­inflammatory response.

The molecular mechanisms underlying the activation of primordial follicles are poorly understood. The serine/threonine protein kinase phosphoinositide­dependent kinase 1 (PDK1), a pivotal downstream effector of phosphatidyl inositol­3 kinase (PI3K) signaling, plays a vital role in cellular signaling. In order to identify the function of PDK1 in ovarian follicle development, this study used conditional Pdk1 deletion in mouse oocytes by crossing Pdk1loxP/loxP mice with transgenic mice carrying Gdf­9 promoter­mediated Cre recombinase and found that Pdk1flx/flxGdf9Cre mice were subfertile with increased serum follicle­stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) levels compared with Pdk1flx/flx mice. The deletion of Pdk1 in oocytes induced massive primordial follicle activation, leading to premature ovarian failure (POF). Further investigation revealed that enhanced Yes­associated protein (YAP) expression and an increased pro­inflammatory response also contributed to massive primordial follicle activation. PDK1 formed the complex with the core kinases of Hippo signaling and regulated the expression levels of YAP. On the whole, the findings of the present study demonstrate that PDK1 serves as an indispensable gatekeeper for maintaining the primordial follicle pool and provide a deeper understanding of POF treatment.

The effect of bisphenol a exposure onto endothelial and decidualized stromal cells on regulation of the invasion ability of trophoblastic spheroids in in vitro co-culture model.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a kind of environmental endocrine disruptors (EEDs) that interfere embryo implantation. Trophoblast invasion plays a crucial role during embryo implantation. In this study, the effects of BPA on invasion ability of human trophoblastic Jeg-3 spheroids and regulation of endothelial and stromal cells on trophoblastic spheroids invasion, and its possible mechanism were investigated. The results showed that BPA at 10 and 100 µM can inhibit the attachment of Jeg-3 spheroid onto Ishikawa cells. BPA at 1-100 µM also activate ERE-Luc reporter expression in the transfected cells, which was through the ERα, but not ERß or GPR30 binding. Endothelial receptivity ability was harmed by BPA treatment since receptivity markers of LIF, EGF, MUC1 and integrin αVß3 were decreased after BPA treatment. The invasion ability of trophoblastic spheroids generated from Jeg-3 cell line was inhibited by BPA and this effect was mediated through canonical ERs pathway and MMP2/MMP9 down-regulation and TIMP1/PAI-1 up-regulation. Besides, BPA treated decidualized stromal cells suppressed Jeg-3 spheroid outgrowth and invasion in co-culture assay. Our study would give a better understanding on the possible mechanism of BPA effect on human embryo implantation process.

Cooperation control strategies for China's cross-region pollution in a lake basin based on green reduction cost.

UNLABELLED: The cross-region water pollution issue has always been the widespread concern around the world. It becomes especially critical for China due to the imbalance relates to environmental costs that have accompanied rapid growth of economy. Though the government makes great efforts to improve it, the potential for water pollution conflict is still great. We consider the problem of determining combined control strategies for China's cross-region lake pollution based on the environmental green costs. The problem is first formulated as a generalized bilevel mathematical program where the upper level consists in each region that reduces environmental green costs including three parts: the reduction cost, pollution permit trade cost and cost of environment damage, while the lower level is represented by pollution permit equilibrium market. Finally, we take an empirical analysis in Taihu lake. The numerical study shows that the minimum costs of both total and regional are obviously superior to the current processing costs, which provides theoretical basis for the price of emission permits. IMPLICATIONS: Today, China's rapid gross domestic product (GDP) growth has come at a very high cost, as real estate prices have skyrocketed, the wealth gap has widened, and environmental pollution has worsened. China's central government is urged to correct the GDP-oriented performance evaluation system that is used to judge administrative region leaders. The cross-region water pollution issue has become a troubling issue that urgently needs to be resolved in China. This paper will not only actively aid efforts to govern Lake Taihu and other cross-region valleys, but it will also provide a supplement for theoretical research on cross-region pollution issues.

Serum levels of TSP-1, NF-κB and TGF-ß1 in polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) patients in northern China suggest PCOS is associated with chronic inflammation.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine the levels of thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1), transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1) and nuclear factor kappaß (NF-κß) in polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) patients with and without insulin resistance and after treatment with cyproterone acetate/ethinyloestradiol with or without concomitant metformin. DESIGN: Prospective. PATIENTS: Patients with PCOS and healthy women were recruited. Patients were subdivided into obese and nonobese based on body mass index. Patients with PCOS were also grouped according to homoeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) ≥ 2·69 or <2·69, and by PCOS phenotype. Patients with PCOS-IR were treated with a 6-month course of cyproterone acetate/ethinyloestradiol with or without concomitant metformin. MEASUREMENTS: Inflammatory markers were examined at baseline, and after 6 months of treatment. RESULTS: A total of 445 women with PCOS (mean age 25·9 ± 2·7 years; 298 obese, 147 nonobese) and 213 normal controls (mean age 24·9 ± 3·0 years) were included. Regardless of obesity status, testosterone, free androgen index (FAI), luteinizing hormone/follicle-stimulating hormone (LH/FSH) ratio, HOMA-IR, TSP-1 and NF-κB in the PCOS groups were significantly higher than in the control group, whereas TSP-1 was lower in the PCOS groups (all, P < 0·05). Patients with PCOS without IR had lower TSP-1 levels than control patients (P < 0·05). Treatment with cyproterone acetate/ethinyloestradiol with addition of metformin reduced the level of NF-κB, TGF-ß1 and HOMA-IR and increased the level of TSP-1. CONCLUSIONS: These results support the association between PCOS and chronic inflammation.

A model for interprovincial air pollution control based on futures prices.

UNLABELLED: Based on the current status of research on tradable emission rights futures, this paper introduces basic market-related assumptions for China's interprovincial air pollution control problem. The authors construct an interprovincial air pollution control model based on futures prices: the model calculated the spot price of emission rights using a classic futures pricing formula, and determined the identities of buyers and sellers for various provinces according to a partitioning criterion, thereby revealing five trading markets. To ensure interprovincial cooperation, a rational allocation result for the benefits from this model was achieved using the Shapley value method to construct an optimal reduction program and to determine the optimal annual decisions for each province. Finally, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region was used as a case study, as this region has recently experienced serious pollution. It was found that the model reduced the overall cost of reducing SO2 pollution. Moreover, each province can lower its cost for air pollution reduction, resulting in a win-win solution. Adopting the model would therefore enhance regional cooperation and promote the control of China's air pollution. IMPLICATIONS: The authors construct an interprovincial air pollution control model based on futures prices. The Shapley value method is used to rationally allocate the cooperation benefit. Interprovincial pollution control reduces the overall reduction cost of SO2. Each province can lower its cost for air pollution reduction by cooperation.

[Infrared radiative characteristic of Ho3+ in heavy metal tellurite glasses].

Ho3+ doped and Ho3+/Yb3+ co-doped low phonon heavy metal tellurite glasses with large refractive indices were designed and fabricated. Based on optical absorption, Judd-Ofelt parameters Omega2, Omega4 and Omega6 were derived to be 4.373 x 10(-20), 1.906 x 10(-20) and 1.451 x 10(-20) cm2, respectively. Then the radiative transition probabilities, radiative lifetimes and fluorescence branching ratios were calculated. The efficient infrared emission in Ho3+/Yb3+ co-doped bismuth tellurite glass system was recorded under the pumping of a 982 nm diode laser and Yb3+ was considered to be a preferable sensitizer for catching remarkable pumping energy and transferring considerable energy to Ho3+. The maximum absorption and calculated emission cross sections are 5.63 x 10(-21) cm2 at 1.95 mm and 6.24 x 10(-21) cm2 at 2.05 mm, respectively, which are larger than the values in phosphate and fluoride glasses, and are beneficial in lowing laser threshold as well as realizing efficient laser output of Ho3+. Low maximum photon energy and high emission cross sections indicate that Ho3+/Yb3+ co-doped low phonon bismuth tellurite glasses will be promising infrared laser materials.

[Spectral power distribution and quantum yield of Sm3+-doped bismuth tellurite glass under the excitation of violet LED].

A new method for measuring the spectral power distribution in Sm3+-doped bismuth tellurite glass with higher refractive index and lower phonon energy by using integrating sphere was introduced and designed for the first time. Fluorescence measurement system was constituted by integrating sphere of 10-inch diameter, which was connected to a DDC detector. A standard halogen lamp was used to calibrate the measurement system and the auxiliary standard halogen lamp was employed for collating inner change in integrating sphere. The total radiant flux, total luminous flux and total quantum yield were calculated by luminous flux distribution and photon distribution, which were derived from spectral power distribution, and the values were 55 microW, 0.02 lm and 4.07%, respectively. In the present paper, the integrating sphere-method was applied to measure the luminescence parameters of the multichannel transition emissions in Sm3+, and it was considered as an accurate way to characterize luminescence parameters for luminescence and laser material.

[Growth inhibitory effects of lipofectamine-mediated DCC gene on ovarian epithelial carcinoma].

OBJECTIVE: To study the inhibitory effects of lipofectamine-mediated deleted colorectal carcinoma gene on ovarian epithelial carcinoma (ovarian cancer) cell line SKOV3. METHODS: We constructed a recombinant eukaryotic expression vector pcDNA3.1 (+)-DCC containing exogenous human DCC cDNA and vector with neomycin resistance gene, which were introduced by lipofectamine-mediated gene transfection into SKOV3 cell line that does not express DCC endogenously, thus forming SKOV3/DCC. Therefore, the experimental cells were classified into SKOV3/DCC, SKOV3/Neo and SKOV3. By using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and immunocytochemistry, the expression of DCC mRNA and its protein were examined. RESULTS: Exogenous DCC had successfully been transferred into SKOV3 cells and obtained permanent expression. The growth speed of SKOV3/DCC was slower than the other two groups, there was significant difference between them (P < 0.01). SKOV3/DCC clones number was 38 +/- 8, while SKOV3 and SKOV3/Neo were 192 +/- 8 and 186 +/- 10, respectively, there was significant difference between them (P < 0.01). The percentage of G(1) phase cells increased to 78.0%, which that of S phase decreased to 5.3% by analyzing cell cycle, there was significant difference between them (20.0% and 3.2%, P < 0.01). The ultrastructural changes of the cells were observed under electron microscope, revealing growth retardation. CONCLUSION: DCC gene played an important role in generation and development of ovarian carcinomas.