Short-term associations of particulate matter with different aerodynamic diameters with mortality due to mental disorders and dementia in Ningde, China

Limited evidence is available regarding the impact of ambient inhalable particulate matter (PM) on mental disorder (MD) or dementia-related deaths, particularly PM1, PM1-2.5, and coarse particles (PM2.5-10). Moreover, individual confounders have rarely been considered. In addition, evidence from low-pollution areas is needed but is inadequate. Using death records from the Death Registration System during 2015-2021 in Ningde, a coastal city in southeast China, we combined a conditional quasi-Poisson model with a distributed lag nonlinear model to estimate the nonlinear and lagged associations of PM exposure with MD or dementia-related deaths in Ningde, China, comprehensively controlling for individual time-invariant confounders using a time-stratified case-crossover design. The attributable fraction and number were calculated to quantify the burden of MD or dementia-related deaths that were related to PMs. We found J-shaped relationships between MD or dementia-related deaths and PMs, with different thresholds of 13, 9, 19, 33 and 12 μg/m3 for PM1, PM1-2.5, PM2.5, PM10 and PM2.5-10. An inter-quartile range increase for PM1, PM1-2.5, PM2.5, PM10 and PM2.5-10 above the thresholds led to an increase of 31.8% (95% confidence interval, 14.3-51.9%), 53.7% (22.4-93.1%), 32.6% (15.0-53.0%), 35.1% (17.7-55.0%) and 25.9% (13.0-40.3%) in MD-related deaths at lag 0-3 days, respectively. The associations were significant in the cool season rather than in the warm season and were significantly greater among people aged 75-84 years than in others. The fractions of MD-related deaths attributable to PM1, PM1-2.5, PM2.5, PM10 and PM2.5-10 were 5.55%, 6.49%, 7.68%, 10.66%, and 15.11%, respectively; however, only some of them could be protected by the concentrations recommended by the World Health Organisation or China grade I standard. Smaller associations and similar patterns were observed between PMs and dementia-related death. These findings suggest stricter standards, and provide evidence for the development of relevant policies and measures.

Global insights into micro-macro mechanisms and environmental implications of limestone calcined clay cement (LC3) for sustainable construction applications

Limestone calcined clay cement (LC3) has gained attention in the research paradigm, and useful data is available in scattered form, necessitates comprehensive review to provide global insight into important research questions, i.e., micro-macro response, and environmental implications, keeping in view the future research directions. In this regard, the current article provides a comprehensive insight into LC3, focusing on its micro-macro mechanisms and critically examining different aspects such as chemical composition, hydration chemistry with special attention on phase assemblage, impacts of various salts and carbonation, rheological properties, mechanical behavior, high-temperature exposure, and compatibility with different admixtures. Additionally, this article explores the sustainable and environmentally friendly applications of LC3, with an emphasis on its economic and environmental advantages highlighted by pertinent data and lifecycle assessments (LCA). Comprehensive data was gathered from a micro-macro perspective considering SCMs from different regional sources, and comparisons were drawn with Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC). Further, comparative economic and environmental aspects for different grades of LC3 and OPC were evaluated and analyzed considering energy demand, cost-effectiveness, and energy efficiency. The micro-macro characteristics of LC3 are found to be majorly dependent on its constituent, particularly clinker composition and alumina content in SCMs, which varies regionally. This review study outlines the critical research directions, i.e., enhancement of mechanical behavior and rheology, incorporation of super plasticizers and waste materials for resource conservation, and improvement of carbonation resistance for durability to make LC3 a sustainable and first-choice cement.

Spatiotemporal distribution and pollution control of pollutants in a Cr(VI)-contaminated site located in Southern China

Soil and groundwater Cr(VI) pollution resulting from improper disposal and accidental spills is a critical problem worldwide. In this study, a comprehensive study was conducted to assess the hydrogeological conditions of a contaminated site, obtain spatiotemporal distribution and trend forecasts of pollutant Cr(VI), and determine the feasibility of applying clayey engineered barriers for pollution control. The results showed that the hydraulic conductivity (K) of the clayey barrier (1.56E-5 m/d) is several orders of magnitude lower than that of the stratum beneath the contaminated site, with K values ranging from 0.0014 to 4.76 m/d. Cr(VI) exhibits high mobility and a much higher concentration in the vadose zone, with maximum values of 6100 mg/kg in topsoil and 2090 mg/L in the perched aquifer. The simulation results indicated that the groundwater in the vicinity of the contaminated site, as well as downstream of the Lianshui River, is seriously threatened by Cr(VI). Notably, the pollution plume could occur downstream of the Lianshui River after 8 years. The retention efficiency of clayey engineered barriers will decrease over time, at 61.6% after 8 years and 33% after 20 years. This work contributes to an in-depth understanding of Cr(VI) migration at contaminated sites.

The interaction and mediation effects between the host genetic factors and Epstein-Barr virus VCA-IgA in the risk of nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Previous studies have demonstrated strong associations between host genetic factors and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) VCA-IgA with the risk of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). However, the specific interplay between host genetics and EBV VCA-IgA on NPC risk is not well understood. In this two-stage case-control study (N = 4804), we utilized interaction and mediation analysis to investigate the interplay between host genetics (genome-wide association study-derived polygenic risk score [PRS]) and EBV VCA-IgA antibody level in the NPC risk. We employed a four-way decomposition analysis to assess the extent to which the genetic effect on NPC risk is mediated by or interacts with EBV VCA-IgA. We consistently found a significant interaction between the PRS and EBV VCA-IgA on NPC risk (discovery population: synergy index [SI] = 2.39, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.85-3.10; replication population: SI = 3.10, 95% CI = 2.17-4.44; all pinteraction  < 0.001). Moreover, the genetic variants included in the PRS demonstrated similar interactions with EBV VCA-IgA antibody. We also observed an obvious dose-response relationship between the PRS and EBV VCA-IgA antibody on NPC risk (all ptrend  < 0.001). Furthermore, our decomposition analysis revealed that a substantial proportion (approximately 90%) of the genetic effects on NPC risk could be attributed to host genetic-EBV interaction, while the risk effects mediated by EBV VCA-IgA antibody were weak and statistically insignificant. Our study provides compelling evidence for an interaction between host genetics and EBV VCA-IgA antibody in the development of NPC. These findings emphasize the importance of implementing measures to control EBV infection as a crucial strategy for effectively preventing NPC, particularly in individuals at high genetic risk.

Laboratory investigation on the retention performance of a soil-bentonite mixture used as an engineered barrier: insight into the effects of ionic strength and associated heavy metal ions

Soil-bentonite (S-B) materials are promising backfill materials for use as engineered barriers in heavy metal-contaminated sites. The effects of contaminant exposure on the retention performance of the S-B barrier remain unrevealed. In this study, based on the pollution status of an abandoned ferroalloy factory located in southern China, the retention performance of the S-B mixture toward Cr(VI) and Zn(II) was studied through adsorption and diffusion experiments sequentially; the separate effect of ionic strength (binary solution) and the combined effect of ionic strength and associated heavy metal ion (ternary solution) were discussed. In NaCl-Cr(VI)/Zn(II) binary solutions, the adsorption of Zn(II) onto the S-B mixture is larger than that of Cr(VI). K_d, Q_max, and ɛ_acc (accessible porosity) of Cr(VI) increase through increasing ionic strength, while Zn(II) shows the opposite trend; D_e (effective diffusion coefficient) values for both Cr(VI) and Zn(II) increased with increasing ionic strength and follow a sequence of Cr(VI) > Zn(II), indicating a better retention performance of the S-B mixture to Zn(II). For a given ionic strength, the adsorption of Zn(II) was larger than that of Cr(VI), which can be attributed to the retention specificity of the S-B mixture to anion and cation. In Cr(VI)-Zn(II)-NaCl ternary solutions, the adsorptions of Cr(VI) and Zn(II) are enhanced in varying degrees when compared with their binary solution, which probably could be attributed to the ion bridge role of Cr(VI)/Zn(II) to connect each other that relatively increased the adsorption capacity of S-B material. This work will contribute to an in-depth understanding of the retention performance of the S-B mixture in complicated chemical environments and facilitate the selection of future remediation strategies.

Machine learning-based models for predicting gas breakthrough pressure of porous media with low/ultra-low permeability

Gas breakthrough pressure is a significant parameter for the gas exploration and safety evaluation of engineering barrier systems in the carbon dioxide storage, remediation of contaminated sites, and deep geological repository for disposal of high-level nuclear waste, etc. Test for determining gas breakthrough pressure is very difficult and time-consuming, due to the low/ultra-low conductivity of the specimen. It is also difficult to get a comprehensive and high-precision model based on limited results obtained through individual experiments, as the measurements of gas breakthrough pressure were influenced by many factors. In this study, a collected database was built that covered a lot of former test data, and then, two models were developed by the random forest (RF) algorithm and multiexpression programming (MEP) method. The MEP model constructed with explicit expressions for the gas breakthrough pressure overcame the drawbacks of common "black box" models. Meanwhile, five significant indicators were selected from ten common features using the permutation importance algorithm. The RF model was interpreted by the Shapley value and the PDP/ICE plots, while the MEP model was analyzed through the proposed explicit expression, showing strong consistence with that in former studies. Finally, robustness analysis was conducted, and stability of the proposed two models was verified.

The sorption performance of corroded Gaomiaozi bentonite by evolved cement water at different temperatures: the case of europium removal

In the Chinese high-level radioactive waste geological disposal program, Gaomiaozi (GMZ) bentonite has been selected as the potential buffer/backfill material. After the closure of the repository, the Ca-OH-type alkaline solution (evolved cement water) released by cement degradation may last for more than 100,000 years. The bentonite will undergo the corrosion of evolved cement water (ECW) for a long period. This work focuses on the sorption property of GMZ bentonite altered by ECW. Firstly, the corrosion experiments on compacted GMZ specimens with the dry density of 1.70 Mg/m³ were carried out under constant volume conditions at two temperatures. Then, the sorption of europium (Eu (III)) onto the corroded GMZ bentonite was studied by batch experiments. The results of batch sorption tests indicate that the altered GMZ bentonite keeps an effective removal property with the uptake of Eu (III) more than 99%. The effect of high-temperature conditions of the repository on the sorption property of bentonite is not significant. The results also suggest that the evolved cement water presents no detrimental effect on the long-term adsorption performance of bentonite even under higher temperature conditions.

Investigation on gas permeability of compacted GMZ bentonite with consideration of variations in liquid saturation, dry density and confining pressure

During the long term operation of a disposal repository, gas will be inevitably generated. Determination of gas permeability of compacted bentonite is of great importance for the safety assessment of the engineered barrier system. In the present work, the steady-state and residual pressure methods were employed to determine the gas permeability of GaoMiaoZi (GMZ) bentonite with consideration of variations in liquid saturation, dry density and confining pressure. Results show that, gas migration in saturated GMZ bentonite was mainly controlled by diffusion with an effective gas permeability of 1E-23 m² - 1E-25 m². While in unsaturated GMZ bentonite, significant gas flow rates could be observed, which increased stably with the increase of gas injection pressure. Klinkenberg effect was significant when gas flow through GMZ bentonite. The Klinkenberg corrected gas permeability decreased by 3.5-5.5 orders of magnitude as the liquid saturation increased from 10% to 70%. A decreasing magnitude of 1-2 orders in Klinkenberg corrected gas permeability was presented with the dry density increased from 1.5 Mg/m³ and 1.7 Mg/m³. The Klinkenberg corrected gas permeability decreased by 0-1 orders of magnitude as the confining pressure increased from 3 MPa to 7 MPa. By using the accessible porosity, gas measured intrinsic permeability could be determined with values ranged between 1E-15 m² to 4E-15 m², which was higher than the water measured one by 5 orders of magnitude. Additionally, a generalized power law was successfully adopted in this study to describe the evolution of gas relative permeability with the liquid saturation. Overall, the effective gas permeability, Klinkenberg corrected gas permeability, intrinsic and relative permeability determined in this study provided a comprehensive perspective to assess the buffering property of GMZ bentonite in multi-physical field coupling environment. The parameters obtained can be adopted in further simulation works for long-term safety analysis of the disposal repository from the viewpoint of gas migration.

Experimental and numerical study on heavy metal contaminant migration and retention behavior of engineered barrier in tailings pond

Heavy metal pollution is a serious environmental problem globally, particularly in mines and tailings ponds. In this study, based on laboratory and field tests, the migration of heavy metal contaminants in a tailings pond and the retention behavior of a compacted bentonite engineered barrier system on the heavy metal contaminants were analyzed by a numerical simulation. The results demonstrate that the hydraulic conductivity of compacted bentonite is lower than that of the tailings from the laboratory tests. The hydraulic conductivity of the tailings sand decreased with an increase in the dry density and increased with an increase in the concentration of the chemical solution, which could be attributed to the large amounts of fine-grained soil contained in the tailings, according to the grain size distribution test. The hydraulic conductivity of the tailings from the engineering geological survey was between 2.0 × 10^-6 and 9.0 × 10^-5 m/s, and followed the order: tail coarse sand ＞ tail silty sand ＞ tail medium sand ＞ tail fine silt. The numerical simulation of the seepage could satisfactorily describe the actual working condition of the tailings dam. With the groundwater seepage, the migration range of the heavy metal contaminant in the researched tailings pond reached a maximum of 45 m for 5 years. The retention efficiencies of the 0.2 m engineered barrier against the heavy metal contaminant for 15 and 30 years were 45.4% and 57.2%, respectively. Moreover, the retention efficiency would exceed 87% when the engineered barrier thickness is increased to 0.5 m. The results of model validation show that the calculated results are in good agreement with the measured ones. These findings can provide effective ideas for the prevention and control of environmental pollution in mines and tailings ponds.

Calcitonin gene-related peptide enhances osteogenic differentiation and recruitment of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in rats

The present study evaluated the effects of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) on bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) in vitro and in a rat model of mandibular distraction osteogenesis (MDO). Rat BMMSCs were isolated then treated with CGRP or CGRP antagonist (CGRP8-37). The proliferation and migration ability of BMMSCs was determined using 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine and Transwell assays, respectively. Osteogenic-related gene expression was analyzed with reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. For the in vivo analysis, thirty MDO rats were randomly assigned to control, CGRP or CGRP8-37 groups. To evaluate the mobilization of BMMSCs, nestin and stromal cell-derived factor 1 (SDF-1) were detected by immunohistochemistry and ELISA. Rats were sacrificed following 14 days and new bone formation was assessed by histological and micro-computed tomography analysis. In the in vitro results, the CGRP group demonstrated significantly higher migration and proliferation, as well as enhanced alkaline phosphatase and runt-related transcription factor 2 expression compared with the control. In the in vivo experiments, bone mineral density of the newly formed bone in the CGRP group was significantly higher than controls. The nestin and SDF-1 expression in the CGRP group was also significantly upregulated. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that CGRP administration increased new bone formation, possibly via enhancing BMMSC migration and differentiation in MDO rats.

Short sleep duration is associated with increased risk of pre-hypertension and hypertension in Chinese early middle-aged females

PURPOSE

The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between sleep duration and hypertension in a middle-aged Chinese population.

METHODS

Cross-sectional data of 20,505 individuals aged 35-64 years from Taizhou longitudinal study was used. Logistic regression models were used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) for the risk of pre-hypertension and hypertension in association with sleep duration.

RESULTS

Short sleep duration was associated with high systolic and diastolic blood pressure in comparison with sleep duration of 7-8 h in females. Short sleep duration was also associated with an increased risk of hypertension in females. Age-stratified analysis showed that as compared with sleep duration of 7-8 h, sleep duration <6 h increased risk of hypertension after controlling for multiple covariates with an OR of 1.766 (1.024-2.775) in early middle-aged females of 35-44 years. More importantly, sleeping less than 6 h is associated with increased risk of pre-hypertension in females of this age category, after controlling for multiple covariates with an OR of 1.769 (1.058-2.958).

CONCLUSIONS

Sleeping less than 6 h a day is associated with increased risk of pre-hypertension and hypertension in Chinese early middle-aged females. The high-risk populations require sufficient sleep, which could probably prevent the increased risk of pre-hypertension as well as hypertension.

Pseudospin-induced chirality with staggered optical graphene

Pseudospin has an important role in understanding many interesting physical phenomena that are associated with two-dimensional materials such as graphene. Pseudospin has been proposed to be directly related to angular momentum, and orbital angular momentum was recently experimentally demonstrated to be an intrinsic property of pseudospin in a photonic honeycomb lattice. However, in photonics, the interaction between spin and pseudospin for light has not been investigated. In this letter, we propose that in an optical analog of staggered graphene (that is, a photonic honeycomb lattice waveguide with in-plane inversion symmetry breaking), the pseudospin mode can strongly couple to the spin of an optical beam that is incident in certain directions. The spin-pseudospin coupling that is caused by the spin-orbit conversion in the scattering process induces a strong optical chiral effect for the transmitted optical beam. Spin-pseudospin coupling of light opens the door to the design of pseudospin-mediated spin or valley-selective photonic devices.

STAT3 is a key pathway in primary intraosseous squamous cell carcinoma arising from an odontogenic keratocyst

PURPOSE

Primary intraosseous squamous cell carcinoma (PIOSCC) arising within an odontogenic keratocyst (OKC) is rare malignancy, entailing a poor prognosis for delayed diagnosis. The number of reports concerning this entity is extremely small. The aim of this study is to present the clinical and pathologic characteristics of PIOSCC and investigate its pathogenesis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study describes three patients with mandibular PIOSCC derived from an OKC over a seven-year period, each of which suffering from decompression in mandible. Important diagnostic criteria included the absence of overlying oral mucosal ulceration, the absence of a distant potential primary tumor, and the presence of a completely intraosseus lesion. The malignant transformation of OKC to PIOSCC was confirmed by pathologic evaluation of surgical resection specimens. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to evaluating expression of Ki-67, p65, EGFR, phospho-AKT, and STAT3 in each of the three tumors and adjacent cyst walls.

RESULTS

Analysis by IHC indicated that Ki67, P65, EGFR and STAT3 were substantially elevated in PIOSCC. There was an obvious positive correlation between Ki67, P65, EGFR and STAT3 expression in adjacent benign epithelium. Each tumor exhibited long-standing chronic inflammation in the benign odontogenic cyst, suggesting that a sustained immune response may be partially responsible for malignant transformation of the benign cystic lining cells.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings indicate that inflammation may be the principal mediator in PIOSCC ex-OKC, and the STAT3 signaling pathway is an important contributor to this process. Combined detection of Ki67, P65, and EGFR in the lesional epithelium can support the diagnosis of PIOSCC.

Reliability and relative validity of three physical activity questionnaires in Taizhou population of China: the Taizhou Longitudinal Study

OBJECTIVE

To examine the test-retest reliabilities and relative validities of the Chinese version of short International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-S-C), the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ-C), and the Total Energy Expenditure Questionnaire (TEEQ-C) in a population-based prospective study, the Taizhou Longitudinal Study (TZLS).

STUDY DESIGN

A longitudinal comparative study.

METHODS

A total of 205 participants (male: 38.54%) aged 30-70 years completed three questionnaires twice (day one and day nine) and physical activity log (PA-log) over seven consecutive days. The test-retest reliabilities were evaluated using intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs) and the relative validities were estimated by comparing the data from physical activity questionnaires (PAQs) and PA-log.

RESULTS

Good reliabilities were observed between the repeated PAQs. The ICCs ranged from 0.51 to 0.80 for IPAQ-C, 0.67 to 0.85 for GPAQ-C, and 0.74 to 0.94 for TEEQ-C, respectively. Energy expenditure of most PA domains estimated by the three PAQs correlated moderately with the results recorded by PA-log except the walking domain of IPAQ-S-C. The partial correlation coefficients between the PAQs and PA-log ranged from 0.44 to 0.58 for IPAQ-S-C, 0.26 to 0.52 for GPAQ-C, and 0.41 to 0.72 for TEEQ-C, respectively. Bland-Altman plots showed acceptable agreement between the three PAQs and PA-log.

CONCLUSION

The three PAQs, especially TEEQ-C, were relatively reliable and valid for assessment of physical activity and could be used in TZLS.

First Report of Meloidogyne enterolobii on Cotton and Soybean in North Carolina, United States

Stunted cotton plants (Gossypium hirsutum L. cvs. PHY 375 WR and PHY 565 WR) from two separate fields near Goldsboro in Wayne County, North Carolina were collected by the NCDA&CS Agronomic Division nematode lab for nematode assay and identification in December 2011. The galls on cotton plants were very large in comparison with those commonly associated with Meloidogyne incognita Kofoid and White (Chitwood) infected cotton. In August 2012, the lab also received heavily galled roots of soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr. cv. 7732) from Wayne and Johnston counties. Population densities of the 2nd-stage juveniles ranged from 150 to 3,800 per 500 cc soil. Female perineal patterns were similar to M. incognita, but PCR and DNA sequencing matched that of M. enterolobii Yang and Eisenback (4). DNA sequences of ribosomal DNA small subunit, internal transcribed spacer, large subunit domain 2 and 3, intergeneric spacer, RNA polymerase II large subunit, and histone gene H3, were found to be 100% homologous when comparing populations of M. enterolobii from North Carolina and China. Species identification was also confirmed using PCR by a species-specific SCAR primer set MK7-F/MK7-R (2). M. enterolobii Yang & Eisenback was described in 1983 from a population causing severe damage to pacara earpod tree (Enterolobium contortisiliquum (Vell.) Morong) in China (4). In 2004, M. mayaguensis Rammah & Hirschmann, a species described from Puerto Rico, was synonymized with M. enterolobii based on esterase phenotype and mitochondrial DNA sequence (3). M. enterolobii is considered to be a highly pathogenic species and has been reported from vegetables, ornamental plants, guava, and weeds in China, Africa, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Florida in the United States (1,3,4). Of particular concern is its ability to develop on crop genotypes carrying root-knot-nematode resistance genes (Mi-1, Mh, Mir1, N, Tabasco, and Rk) in tobacco, tomato, soybean, potato, cowpea, sweet potato, and cotton. Consequently, this species was added to the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization A2 Alert list in 2010. Two populations of M. enterolobii one from soybean and one from cotton were reared on tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L. var. lycopersicum) in a greenhouse setting. Eggs were extracted using NaOCl and inoculated, at a rate of 7,000 per 15-cm-diameter clay pot, into a sandy soil mixture (1:1 washed river sand and loamy sand). Tomato, peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.), cotton, watermelon (Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai), pepper (Capsicum annuum L.), and root-knot-susceptible and -resistant tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L. cvs. K326 and NC 70, respectively) were transplanted immediately into the infested soil with four replications. Root galls on the host differentials were evaluated after 90 days. Reproduction occurred on all hosts except for peanut, which is consistent with reports for M. enterolobii and M. incognita race 4 (4). Adult females from pepper plants used in the host differential test were sequenced on partial 18S and ITS1 region and confirmed to be M. enterlobii. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a natural infection of North Carolina field crops with M. enterolobii. References: (1) J. Brito et al. J. Nematol. 36:324, 2004. (2) M. S. Tigano et al. Plant Pathol. 59:1054, 2010. (3) J. Xu et al. Eur. J. Plant Pathol. 110:309, 2004. (4) B. Yang and J. D. Eisenback. J. Nematol. 15:381, 1983.

Design of ultrathin plasmonic quarter-wave plate based on period coupling

Based on an analysis of the surface admittance of a plasmonic film with a substrate, we propose an ultrathin quarter-wave plate consisting of a periodic plane array of symmetrical L-shaped plasmonic antennas. The period, which determines the coupling among L-shaped antennas, is an important parameter for optimizing the performance of the structure. Numerical simulation results show that an Au quarter-wave plate designed in this Letter can efficiently convert a linearly polarized light at normal incidence into circularly polarized light, whose ellipticity is 0.994 at an operating wavelength of 1550 nm. The thickness is only 30 nm, which is nearly 1/50 of the wavelength of incident light.

Interval cancers in nasopharyngeal carcinoma screening: comparing two screening intervals after a negative initial screening result

OBJECTIVES

To examine the optimal screening interval among the individuals who received a negative Epstein-Barr virus immunoglobulin A antibodies against viral capsid antigen (VCA-IgA) serum test result and who comprised the majority of the population screened for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

METHODS

Screening was performed in Sihui, Guangdong, China, offering a repeated screening for participants with an initial negative test either after 4-5 years in one centre (short interval centre), or 9-10 years in another (long interval centre). The characteristics and incidence rates (IRs) of interval NPCs (defined as cases diagnosed outside the screening protocol while within the screening interval) were compared between these two centres. Standard incidence ratios (SIRs) were also calculated using the general Sihui population as the reference.

RESULTS

Seven interval NPCs were detected in the short interval centre (IR: 17.8/10(5) person-years) and 20 in the long interval centre (IR: 20.8/10(5) person-years during the first four years and 43.5/10(5) person-years during the remaining years). The SIR in the short interval centre was 0.43 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.17-0.89); SIR in the long interval centre was 0.47 (95% CI: 0.17-1.02) during the first four years and 0.90 (95% CI: 0.49-1.51) during the remaining years. No aggressive interval NPC was observed in the short interval centre; four were identified in the long interval centre.

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence of NPC, especially aggressive NPC, was low during the first few years after a negative screening; the incidence increased to the general population level afterwards. A screening interval of 4-5 years may therefore be more suitable than 9-10 years after a negative VCA-IgA test in NPC screening.

One-way transmission of linearly polarized light in plasmonic subwavelength metallic grating cascaded with dielectric grating

We show that optical transmission of linearly polarized light through a plasmonic subwavelength metallic grating cascaded with a dielectric grating at a 45° angle to each other is asymmetric in opposite directions. A key characteristic of this asymmetric transmission is that the polarization of the transmitted light is changed. Simulation results reveal that transmission of 0.92 in one direction and 10(-5) in the opposite direction can be obtained at normal incidence at a wavelength of 1550 nm. Because of their high optical performance and loose fabrication requirements, the structures may provide practical applications in the control of light transmission.

Intraosseous Venous Malformations of the Facial Bone: A Retrospective Study in 11 Patients

Objectives:

To investigate the clinical symptoms, computed tomography (CT) features and treatments of intraosseous venous malformations (IVM) that occur in the facial bone.

Methods and Results:

Eleven patients with facial IVM were treated with two surgical techniques, excision ( n = 4) or curettage ( n = 7). No recurrence was encountered at follow-up (45.8 ± 16.0 months). Postoperative deformities were left in two paediatric patients who were treated with excision.

Conclusions:

The diagnosis of IVM can be difficult and is mainly based on clinical symptoms and CT features. IVM should be differentiated from other lesions, including ameloblastoma, odontogenic cysts, osteosarcoma, aneurysmal bone cysts and arteriovenous malformations, among others. Conventional block biopsy should be replaced by fine needle aspiration cytology for further diagnosis. Curettage is a more appropriate method for IVM compared with excessive en-bloc osteotomy, while transosseous embolo-sclerotherapy may be a promising alternative method. Finally, the terminological confusion between ‘intraosseous haemangioma’ and ‘intraosseous venous malformation’ should be avoided according to the binary classification.

Metallic nanofilm half-wave plate based on magnetic plasmon resonance

We proposed and fabricated a nanofilm half-wave plate consisting of periodic arrays of orthogonally coupled slit-hole resonator structures in Au film. Experimental results reveal that 95.2% of energy of the incident linearly polarized light is converted to the perpendicular polarization direction after reflection from the nanostructure. The wave plate is single layer with only 180 nm thickness, which is much thinner than the operation wavelength. Our method can be expanded to other resonant structures or transmitted case.

Unidirectional transmission realized by two nonparallel gratings made of isotropic media

We realize a unidirectional transmission by cascading two nonparallel gratings (NPGs) made of isotropic, lossless, and linear media. For a pair of orthogonal linear polarizations, one of the gratings is designed as a polarizer, which is a reflector for one polarization and a transmitter for the other; another grating is designed as a polarization converter, which converts most of one polarized incident wave into another polarized transmitted wave. It is demonstrated by numerical calculation that more than 85% of the incident light energy can be transmitted with less than 1% transmission in the opposite direction for linearly polarized light at normal incidence, and the relative bandwidth of the unidirectional transmission is nearly 9%. The maximum transmission contrast ratio between the two directions is 62 dB. Unlike one-way diffraction grating, the transmitted light of the NPGs is collinear with the incident light, but their polarizations are orthogonal.

Sclerotherapy of voluminous venous malformation in head and neck with absolute ethanol under digital subtraction angiography guidance

OBJECTIVES

Venous malformation (VM) is the most common symptomatic low-flow vascular malformation, which predominantly occurs in the head and neck region. The aim of this paper was to evaluate the results of endovascular sclerotherapy of voluminous VM, when the lesion is either >or=15 cm in maximum diameter or the lesion invades more than one anatomical space, in the head and neck region using absolute ethanol under digital subtraction angiography (DSA) guidance.

METHODS

A total of 23 patients with head and neck VMs between October 2005 and December 2008 were retrospectively reviewed. All patients received direct puncture ethanol sclerotherapy under DSA guidance. Follow-up assessments were performed at 3-25 months after therapies were completed, and complications were reported in some cases.

RESULTS

All patients were satisfied with the results of therapy. Seventeen patients (73.9%) achieved excellent responses and six patients (26.1%) achieved good responses in magnetic resonance imaging assessments. Minor complications developed during the procedures, all of which were successfully managed with full recovery during follow-ups. Serious complications such as acute pulmonary hypertension, cardiovascular collapse and pulmonary embolism were not encountered.

CONCLUSION

It is concluded that sclerotherapy with absolute ethanol under DSA guidance is an important alternative therapy for voluminous and extensive VM, as the procedure is reasonably safe and offers good therapeutic results.

Unidirectional transmission in non-symmetric gratings made of isotropic material

We achieve a broadband unidirectional transmission or One-way diffraction grating by cascading two parallel gratings made of isotropic material with different periods. In order to significantly reduce the reciprocal transmission of the zero order, one of them is chosen to be a subwavelength grating and designed as a wideband reflector for the incident-wave. It is demonstrated that more than 65 percent of the incident-wave energy can be transmitted unidirectionally with less than 0.22 percent transmission in the opposite direction at normal incidence for TE polarization. And, the relative bandwidth of the unidirectional transmission is greater than 10 percent.

Double-resonance nanolaser based on coupled slit-hole resonator structures

This work investigates a kind of metallic magnetic cavity based on slit-hole resonators. Two orthogonal hybrid magnetic resonance modes of the cavity with a large spatial overlap are predesigned at the wavelengths of 980 and 1550 nm. The Yb:Er codoped material serving as a gain medium is set in the cavity; this enables the resonator to have a high optical activity. The numerical result shows that the strong lasing at 1550 nm may be achieved when the cavity array is pumped at 980 nm. This double resonance nanolaser array has potential applications in future optical devices and quantum information techniques.

Malignant solitary fibrous tumors of the head and neck: a clinicopathological study of nine consecutive patients

Malignant solitary fibrous tumor (MSFT) is one of the angiosarcomas arising from or resembling the components of blood vessels. Because of its rarity, the diagnosis is difficult. Between 1998 and 2008, 24 patients were diagnosed as having hemangiopericytomas (16) and solitary fibrous tumors (8). Nine of them were confirmed to be MSFT and treated at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine. All patients were treated with surgery as the primary modality. Eight patients received postoperative adjuvant radiation therapy. The average follow-up duration was 4.6 years (range: 6 months-10 years). Of the nine patients reviewed in this study, three died of locoregional or distant metastasis, six survived 6 months-6 years (four survived over 4 years). The size of primary tumor, the number of mitoses per 10 high powered fields and cervical lymph node metastasis seemed to be correlated with poor prognosis in MSFT patients, although the small number of patients did not permit the performance of statistical analysis.

Carotid artery resection and reconstruction: clinical experience of 28 consecutive cases

The aim of this study was to analyse the experience at a single institution in carotid artery resection with or without reconstruction performed as part of an oncological procedure or emergency haemostasis. A total of 28 patients were included in this retrospective study; 17 underwent ligation or resection of the carotid artery, and 11 underwent reconstruction of the carotid artery. The perioperative complications and surgical outcomes were recorded and analysed. Of the 17 patients with ligation or resection of the carotid artery, 4 developed neurologic deficit within 2 weeks postoperatively. Three patients with malignant tumours died 1 month (1) and 4 months (2) postoperatively. Of the 11 patients undergoing carotid reconstruction, no major cerebral complications were noted after operation. Colour Doppler showed patent vascular graft 1 year postoperatively in nine patients. Due to the higher complication rates both in short and long term with ligation or resection of the carotid artery, resection and revascularization of the carotid artery is advocated for patients with carotid artery involvement when possible.

[Primary intraosseous carcinoma of the jaws: case report and review of the literature]

Because of lacking characteristic symptoms, primary intraosseous carcinoma of the jaws can't be easily diagnosed early. A case of intraosseous mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the maxilla was reported and relevant literature was reviewed. The possible etiology, clinical symptoms, radiology, histopathology, diagnosis and treatments were discussed.

High-contrast light-by-light switching and AND gate based on nonlinear photonic crystals

We present a light-by-light photonic crystal configuration consisting of a bend waveguide with three embedded Kerr-type nonlinear rods and a T-branch waveguide. We show that such a configuration can also demonstrate all-optical AND gate operation with extremely high-contrast between the OFF state and ON state in its transmission. Because the presented photonic crystal configuration of all-optical light-by-light switching is simple, this facilitates fabricating practical all-optical devices and further large-scale optical integration.

Fish sauce and gastric cancer: an ecological study in Fujian Province, China

AIM: To explore the relationship between consumption of fish sauce and the risk of gastric cancer in Fujian Province.

METHODS: An ecological study was carried out. A total of 11000 subjects from 55 townships were randomly selected from 10 counties within Fujian Province. All subjects were local residents who had been living in Fujian Province for more than 20 years, within the age group of 45-74 years. Trained interviewers conducted face-to-face interviews with a standardized questionnaire, which covered the frequency and amount of food intake, dietary habit, tobacco and alcohol consumption and history of chronic gastric diseases. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed using Epi-info and SAS statistical packages, respectively.

RESULTS: A significant correlation between monthly consumption of fish sauce and mortality of gastric cancer was found. Pearson’s coefficient of correlation was statistically significant with r = 0.7356 for males, r = 0.5246 for females (P < 0.01). In the multivariate analysis, consumption of fish sauce still showed an association with the risk of gastric cancer. No significant positive correlation between esophagus cancer, liver cancer, colon cancer and consumption of fish sauce were observed.

CONCLUSION: Long-term intake of fish sauce may be related to high mortality of gastric cancer. Consumption of fish sauce might be one of important and unique etiologic factors of gastric cancer in Fujian Province. Further studies are needed to confirm this ecological study.

Diet and gastric cancer: a case-control study in Fujian Province, China

AIM: To explore the relationship between consumption of fish sauce, other dietary factors, living habits and the risk of gastric cancer.

METHODS: From May 1994 to July 1995, a population-based 1:2 case-control study was in Carried out in high-risk areas of gastric cancer, Changle and Fuqing cities, Fujian Province. Totally 272 cases and 544 age, gender-matched controls were included. Risk state analyses were made by ASRS package.

RESULTS: Risk state single-factor analysis indicated that gastric cancer risk rose with high intake of fish sauce (OR = 2.57), salted vegetables (OR = 1.41), salted/fried fish and small shrimps (OR = 1.57), low consumption of fresh vegetables (OR = 1.95), fresh citrus fruits (OR = 1.41), other fresh fruits (OR = 1.31), green tea (OR = 1.72), exposure to moldy foods (OR = 2.32), irregular dinners (OR = 5.47) and familial history of malignancy (OR = 3.27). No significant relationship was observed between smoking, drinking, salt intake, use of refrigerator and gastric cancer risk. The results of risk state conditional Logistic regression showed that fish sauce, salted dried fish and small shrimps, irregular dinners, familial history of malignancy were included in the best risk set. The summary ARS for the four factors was 75.49%.

CONCLUSION: High intake of fish sauce, salted foods, moldy foods, irregular dinners and familial history of malignancy were possible risk factors for gastric cancer, whereas fresh vegetables and fruits. And green tea might have protective effects for gastric cancer.