[The incidence of school violence and its relevant factors among senior students of rural primary schools in Guizhou and Anhui Province in 2016]

Objective: To understand the incidence of school violence and its related factors among senior students in rural primary schools in Guizhou and Anhui provinces in 2016. Methods: From September to November 2016, one county was randomly selected from 47 impoverished counties of Guizhou and one county was randomly selected from 18 impoverished counties of Anhui Province by using multi-stage cluster sampling method. A total of 4 schools were randomly selected from primary schools which had more than 70% students with rural resident registration in each selected county, and 3 classes were randomly selected from fifth and sixth grades of each selected school. All students in each selected class were included in this study. A total of 2 521 students were included, and 2 506 valid questionnaires were collected with an effective response rate about 99.4%. Self-designed questionnaires were used to collect data on individual information, family information, and the incidence of school violence with related factors. Multivariable logistic regression was conducted to analyze related factors of school violence. Results: The incidence of violence in rural primary schools was 50.4% (1 264/2 506) in 2016. The number of students who had physical assault, fought or been bullied was 682 (27.2%), 689 (27.5%) and 764 (30.5%), respectively. The results of multivariable logistic regression showed that the OR (95%CI) values of incidence of school violence for male students was 2.13(1.78-2.54) compared with female students; and the OR(95%CI) values of incidence of school violence for students with high peer acceptance, high family intimacy, more physical activity and mother who had education background of junior high school, senior high school, technical secondary school and junior college, bachelor's degree or above were 0.39 (0.26-0.57), 0.47 (0.40-0.57), 0.64 (0.52-0.78), 0.79 (0.66-0.96), and 0.65 (0.46-0.92) compared with those with low peer acceptance, low family intimacy, less physical activity and mother who had primary education and below. Conclusion: The incidence of violence in rural primary schools is not optimistic. Gender, peer acceptance, family intimacy, physical activity and mother education are related to school violence.

Cosmological Constraints from Multiple Probes in the Dark Energy Survey

The combination of multiple observational probes has long been advocated as a powerful technique to constrain cosmological parameters, in particular dark energy. The Dark Energy Survey has measured 207 spectroscopically confirmed type Ia supernova light curves, the baryon acoustic oscillation feature, weak gravitational lensing, and galaxy clustering. Here we present combined results from these probes, deriving constraints on the equation of state, w, of dark energy and its energy density in the Universe. Independently of other experiments, such as those that measure the cosmic microwave background, the probes from this single photometric survey rule out a Universe with no dark energy, finding w=-0.80_{-0.11}^{+0.09}. The geometry is shown to be consistent with a spatially flat Universe, and we obtain a constraint on the baryon density of Ω_{b}=0.069_{-0.012}^{+0.009} that is independent of early Universe measurements. These results demonstrate the potential power of large multiprobe photometric surveys and pave the way for order of magnitude advances in our constraints on properties of dark energy and cosmology over the next decade.

Experimental 3D coherent diffractive imaging from photon-sparse random projections

The routine atomic resolution structure determination of single particles is expected to have profound implications for probing structure-function relationships in systems ranging from energy-storage materials to biological molecules. Extremely bright ultrashort-pulse X-ray sources - X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) - provide X-rays that can be used to probe ensembles of nearly identical nanoscale particles. When combined with coherent diffractive imaging, these objects can be imaged; however, as the resolution of the images approaches the atomic scale, the measured data are increasingly difficult to obtain and, during an X-ray pulse, the number of photons incident on the 2D detector is much smaller than the number of pixels. This latter concern, the signal 'sparsity', materially impedes the application of the method. An experimental analog using a conventional X-ray source is demonstrated and yields signal levels comparable with those expected from single biomolecules illuminated by focused XFEL pulses. The analog experiment provides an invaluable cross check on the fidelity of the reconstructed data that is not available during XFEL experiments. Using these experimental data, it is established that a sparsity of order 1.3 × 10-3 photons per pixel per frame can be overcome, lending vital insight to the solution of the atomic resolution XFEL single-particle imaging problem by experimentally demonstrating 3D coherent diffractive imaging from photon-sparse random projections.

[Metabolomics analysis identifies serum glycerophospholipid expression: a comparison between men and women with asthma]

Objective: To determine whether asthma has a different metabolic glycerophospholipid profile in serum between women and men with asthma. Methods: Fifty-one outpatients with asthma (17 men, 34 women) were enrolled from Peking University Third Hospital from Jan 2015 to Dec 2015. Clinical data such as gender, age, body mass index, pulmonary function were recorded. Glycerophospholipid profile were measured in serum using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)-based metabolomics analysis. Projections to latent structures-discriminate analysis (PLS-DA) was used to compare the differences of glycerophospholipid level between men and women. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) Curve was established from men and women. Results: Significantly different glycerophospholipid level were confirmed quantitatively between women and men. Levels of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylcholine acetal phospholipid (PCP), lysophosphatidyl ethanolamine (LPE), alkyl phosphatidylethanolamine [PE(O)] were significantly higher in women relative to men [PE36: 2, PCP32: 1, LPE18: 0, and PE(O40: 7) was 0.050 (0.037, 0.079) vs 0.043 (0.000, 0.071), 0.057 (0.035, 0.727) vs 0.034 (0.000, 0.057), 0.233 (0.129, 0.390) vs 0.126 (0.075, 0.212), 0.007(0.000, 0.041) vs 0.000 (0.000, 0.000), respectively, all P<0.05). Levels of lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC), lysophosphatidylserine (LPS), and lysophosphatidylphosphatidylcholine [LPC(O)] were significantly lower in women compared to men [Levels of LPS22: 6, LPS20: 4, and LPS18: 1 were 0.000(0.000, 0.003) vs 0.009(0.000, 0.012), 0.015(0.010, 0.026) vs 0.047(0.022, 0.081), 0.008(0.003, 0.179) vs 0.020(0.008, 0.040), respectively, all P<0.05]. Area Under ROC Curve (AUC) of LPS (LPS20: 4) was 0.814. Conclusions: Glycerophospholipid levels in serum are significantly different between women and men asthmatic patients. LPS may contribute to gender based differences in asthmatics.

A Randomized Single-Blinded Trial of Ibuprofen- versus Opioid-Based Primary Analgesic Therapy in Outpatient Otolaryngology Surgery

Objective

To compare the efficacy of pain control and opioid consumption between patients who receive opioid as primary analgesic therapy and those who receive ibuprofen.

Study Design

Prospective randomized trial.

Setting

Tertiary care academic hospital.

Subject and Methods

Adult patients undergoing outpatient otolaryngology surgery were assigned to take hydrocodone/acetaminophen or ibuprofen for postoperative analgesia. Patient-recorded pain scores and analgesic consumption were analyzed.

Results

Out of 185 recruits, 108 (58%) completed responses. Fifty-six patients (52%) received opioid medication for primary analgesic treatment versus 52 (48%) who received ibuprofen. There was no difference in reported pain scores between the treatment groups. Those who received ibuprofen as primary therapy reported a significantly lower consumption of opioid medication at 2.04 tablets/pills (95% CI, 0.9-3.1) versus 4.86 (3.6-6.1; P = .001). Based on multivariate analysis, male sex and older age exhibited lower reported pain scores, while older age and use of ibuprofen as primary therapy exhibited lower opioid requirements.

Conclusion

For postoperative pain management in outpatient otolaryngology procedures, ibuprofen as primary therapy can provide equally effective pain control as compared with hydrocodone/acetaminophen while decreasing overall opioid requirement. Prescription pill counts are further described to help guide physician practices in the era of an opioid epidemic.

[Effect of comprehensive intervention on hypertension control program in workplaces in China]

Objective: To evaluate the effect of comprehensive intervention program on hypertension control in workplaces in China. Methods: The study design was a non-randomized controlled trial. First, 20 sub-centers were selected across China, then hypertension patients in 2-4 workplaces were selected as the intervention group, and hypertension patients in 1 comparable workplace selected, as the control group in each sub-center. The comprehensive intervention strategy which integrating workplace primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases and standardized management of hypertension was adopted in the intervention group for at least 2 years. Patients in the control group continued their usual health care, and only baseline data and 2-year data was collected. Analyses were conducted for hypertension patients in 30 stated-owned enterprises (SOEs), including 20 for the intervention group and 10 for the control group. The primary outcome was the control rate ofhypertension while the intervention effect (IE) was estimated by using the formula: differential value of intervention group[rate (mean)]-differential value of control group[rate (mean)]. Results: Overall, 2 622 patients completed the 2-year follow-up, of which 2 055 were in the intervention group and 567 in the control group, respectively. After 2 years of intervention, the IE on the level of SBP and DBP for intervention group and control group were-7.5 and-3.9 mmHg, respectively (P<0.05). BMI decreased by 0.4 kg/m(2), with the regular exercise rate as 36.4% and alcohol consumption rate decreased by 14.0%, respectively (P<0.05). The smoking rate decreased by 6.1% (P>0.05). The overall hypertension control rate was 25.0%, and further subgroup analysis showed that our intervention program was particularly effective for those with high education level (27.6%), white-collar employees (41.9%), and those from SOEs whose affiliated hospital had been separated away (41.9%). Conclusion: The comprehensive intervention program could greatly improve the hypertension control in the workplaces in China.

Reduction of off-flavours and the impact on the functionalities of lentil protein isolate by acetone, ethanol, and isopropanol treatments

The changes of flavour profiles in lentil protein isolate (LPI) in response to organic solvent treatments (acetone, ethanol, and isopropanol; 35-95% v/v), and the resulting impacts on the isolate colour and physicochemical and functional attributes were investigated. The major constituents of volatile compounds were aldehydes (∼46.59%) and (E,E)-3,5-octadien-2-one (∼31.79%) in the untreated LPI. Acetone treatment greatly raised ketones by ∼79.59%. In contrast, ethanol and isopropanol, except at 95% (v/v), significantly lowered total volatile compounds and had higher protein contents (∼84.55%) than the others (∼76.98%); surface charge, surface hydrophobicity, solubility and emulsion stability of these LPIs were examined. LPIs obtained from 75% (v/v) ethanol and isopropanol treatments showed slightly lower solubility but improved surface hydrophobicity to produce emulsions with a similar stability as compared with the untreated LPI. Overall, ethanol and isopropanol treatments (75% v/v) produced high quality off-flavour-reduced LPIs which may be used in various food systems.

[Airway inflammation and small airway wall remodeling in neutrophilic asthma]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the distribution of airway inflammation phenotype in patients with bronchial asthma (asthma), and to analyze clinical characteristics, inflammatory cytokines, pulmonary small vessels remodeling and small airway wall remodeling in patients with neutrophilic asthma.

METHODS

Sixty-three patients with asthma were enrolled from January 2015 to December 2015 in Peking University Third Hospital. Clinical data including gender, age, body mass index (BMI), pulmonary function tests (PFTs), asthma control test (ACT) were recorded. All the patients underwent sputum induction. The cellular composition of the sputum was evaluatedand the concentration of active MMP-9 in the sputum tested. Blood routine tests were done and the concentration of IgE, periostin, and TGF-beta1 levels were measured in serum by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Small airway wall remodeling was measured in computed tomography (CT) scans, as the luminal diameter, luminal area, wall thickness and wall area % adjusted by body surface area (BSA) at the end of the 6th generation airway, in which the inner diameter was less than 2 mm. Small vascular alterations were measured by cross-sectional area (CSA), and the total vessel CSA < 5 mm² was calculated using imaging software.

RESULTS

The distributions of airway inflammatory phenotypes of the asthmatic patients were as follows: neutrophilic asthma (34.9%, 22/63), eosinophilic asthma (34.9%, 22/63), mixed granulocytic asthma (23.8%, 15/63), and paucigranulocytic asthma (6.3%, 4/63). The neutrophilic subtype patients had a significantly higher active MMP-9 level in sputum compared with the eosinophilic phenotypepatuents, as 179.1 (74.3, 395.5) vs. 50.5 (9.7, 225.8), P<0.05. Sputum neutrophil count was negatively correlated with FEV1%pred (r=-0.304,P<0.05), and positively correlated with active MMP-9 level in sputum (r=-0.304, P<0.05), and positive correlation trend with airway wall thickness (r=0.533, P=0.06). There was a significantly negative correlation of active MMP-9 level in sputum with FEV1%pred (r=-0.281, P<0.05), in positive correlation with small airway wall area (%)(r=0.612, P<0.05), and inpositive correlation trend with airway wall thickness (r=0.612, P=0.06). Neutrophils count in peripheral blood was positively correlated with neutrophil counts in sputum.

CONCLUSION

Neutrophil count in airway is related to lung function in asthmatic patients. Neutrophils may accelerate small airway wall remodeling through the release of active MMP-9. Neutrophil count in peripheral blood is related to neutrophils count in sputum, which may be used as a substitute for evaluating inflammatory phenotype.

Encapsulation of omega 3-6-9 fatty acids-rich oils using protein-based emulsions with spray drying

With an increased awareness of the link between the consumption of omega 3-6-9 fatty acid-rich oils and health, the food industry has been developing innovative strategies for raising their levels within the diet. Microencapsulation is one approach used to protect those oils from oxidative deterioration and to improve their ingredient properties (e.g., handling and sensory). Spray drying is the most commonly used technique to develop microcapsules. The preparation of protein-stabilized emulsions is a fundamental step in the process in order to produce microcapsules with good physical properties, effective protection and controlled release behaviors. This review describes types of emulsions prepared by animal and plant proteins, discusses the relationship between emulsion properties and microcapsule properties, and identifies key parameters to evaluate physical properties (e.g., moisture content, water activity, particle size, surface oil and entrapment efficiency), oxidative stability and release behavior of spray-dried microcapsules for industrial application.

[Effectiveness of self-management behavior intervention on type 2 diabetes based on self-determination theory]

OBJECTIVE

To provide autonomy support from three dimensions based on self-determination theory (SDT), i.e. professional support, peer support, family support, and to investigate whether this intervention can improve diabetes self-management behavior and glycemic control of diabetic patients, and to analyze the influencing factors of the effect.

METHODS

Using convenient sampling method, three communities were selected respectively in Beijing. Each community selected health service stations with similar conditions as different intervention groups. The diabetic patients managed by the station who were eligible for inclusion were recruited into this intervention group. The community stations were divided into three groups. The routine intervention group only issued knowledge manuals and conducted health management according to the requirements of basic public health services. Peer support groups were divided into small groups and carried out doctor-led group activities. Based on doctor-led peer support activities, the doctors and peers were trained to provide autonomy support based on self-determination theory, and their family members were trained in the form of manuals to provide autonomy support, forming a concerted support of the three dimensions. Activity processes and materials were also designed based on SDT. The intervention duration was 3 months, and the main evaluation indexes were HbA1c and patients' self-management behaviors, skills, knowledge, and self-efficacy scores.

RESULTS

Before and after the intervention, the HbA1c of routine intervention group were 7.40%±1.37%, 7.30%±1.18%. The HbA1c of peer support group before and after the intervention were 7.33%±1.15% and 7.13%±1.27%. The HbA1c of autonomy support group before and after the intervention were 7.42%±1.22% and 6.78%±0.80%. Before and after the intervention, the self-management score in routine intervention group was 10.54±2.28 and 10.80±2.15, the score in peer support group was 11.09±1.89 and 11.40±1.78, the score in autonomy support group was 10.34±1.99 and 11.10±1.65, respectively. The HbA1c and self-management score increased higher in autonomy support group than in the other two groups. After intervention, the control rate in autonomy support group was higher than in the other two groups. According to the multi-factor analysis, the value of HbA1c after intervention was positively related to the baseline HbA1c, and negatively related to self-management behavior. The value in autonomy support group was higher than in routine intervention group. Baseline self-management behavior, self-efficacy, knowledge, skill, family support, autonomy support, peer support and age were positively correlated with the change of behavior.

CONCLUSION

self-management behavior intervention based on self-determination theory can effectively promote self-management behavior and glycemic control of diabetic patients, and the effect is better than single peer support activities.