Table_2_Association between blood pressure control status, visit-to-visit blood pressure variability, and cognitive function in elderly Chinese: A nationwide study.DOCX

BackgroundCognitive function is a concern among the elderly, which is related to the quality of life, life expectancy, and economic burdens. The relationship between blood pressure (BP) control status, visit-to-visit BP variability, and cognitive function remains controversial.MethodsWe aimed to explore the association between BP control status at baseline, visit-to-visit BP variability, and cognitive function. This study included 3,511 elderlies in the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, covering four waves for 7-year follow-up (baseline 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2018). BP was measured in Wave 2011, 2013, and 2015. Cognitive function was measured by Mini-Mental State Exam in Wave 2018. Participants were divided into two groups: mid-old group for reflecting midlife BP and cognition (45–59 years at baseline but aged 60 or over in Wave 2018), and old-old group for reflecting late-life BP and cognition (aged 60 or over at baseline). We use univariate analysis and general linear model to analyze.ResultsLate-life BP showed stronger associations with cognitive function than midlife BP. As to late-life BP control status, controlled hypertension group get higher cognitive score than uncontrolled hypertension group in language (adjusted β = −0.34, 95%CI −0.68 to 0.00), and untreated hypertension group in orientation (adjusted β = −0.41, 95%CI −0.72 to −0.11), language (adjusted β = −0.35, 95%CI −0.67 to −0.04), and total (adjusted β = −0.99, 95%CI −1.85 to −0.12). Regarding visit-to-visit BP variability, midlife visit-to-visit systolic blood pressure (SBP) variability was associated with language (adjusted β = −3.70, 95% CI −5.83 to −1.57), while late-life visit-to-visit SBP variability was associated with orientation (adjusted β = −2.99, 95% CI −4.84 to −1.14), recall (adjusted β = −1.69, 95% CI −2.89 to −0.48), language (adjusted β = −2.26, 95% CI −4.13 to −0.38), and total (adjusted β = −9.50, 95% CI −14.71 to −4.28); Midlife diastolic blood pressure (DBP) variability and pulse pressure (PP) variability showed a significant relationship with language (adjusted β = 3.25, 95% CI −1.31 to −5.19) and calculation (adjusted β = −0.26, 95% CI −0.47 to −0.04), respectively. No significant correlation was found between midlife BP control status, late-life visit-to-visit DBP variability, late-life visit-to-visit PP variability, and cognitive score. There was no significant correlation between BP and memory.ConclusionsBP control status and visit-to-visit BP variability were significantly related to cognitive function among the Chinese elderly. Receiving effective late-life antihypertensive treatment and keeping SBP stable might contribute to prevent the development of cognitive impairment and dementia, especially for orientation and language function.</p

Table_1_Association between blood pressure control status, visit-to-visit blood pressure variability, and cognitive function in elderly Chinese: A nationwide study.DOCX

BackgroundCognitive function is a concern among the elderly, which is related to the quality of life, life expectancy, and economic burdens. The relationship between blood pressure (BP) control status, visit-to-visit BP variability, and cognitive function remains controversial.MethodsWe aimed to explore the association between BP control status at baseline, visit-to-visit BP variability, and cognitive function. This study included 3,511 elderlies in the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, covering four waves for 7-year follow-up (baseline 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2018). BP was measured in Wave 2011, 2013, and 2015. Cognitive function was measured by Mini-Mental State Exam in Wave 2018. Participants were divided into two groups: mid-old group for reflecting midlife BP and cognition (45–59 years at baseline but aged 60 or over in Wave 2018), and old-old group for reflecting late-life BP and cognition (aged 60 or over at baseline). We use univariate analysis and general linear model to analyze.ResultsLate-life BP showed stronger associations with cognitive function than midlife BP. As to late-life BP control status, controlled hypertension group get higher cognitive score than uncontrolled hypertension group in language (adjusted β = −0.34, 95%CI −0.68 to 0.00), and untreated hypertension group in orientation (adjusted β = −0.41, 95%CI −0.72 to −0.11), language (adjusted β = −0.35, 95%CI −0.67 to −0.04), and total (adjusted β = −0.99, 95%CI −1.85 to −0.12). Regarding visit-to-visit BP variability, midlife visit-to-visit systolic blood pressure (SBP) variability was associated with language (adjusted β = −3.70, 95% CI −5.83 to −1.57), while late-life visit-to-visit SBP variability was associated with orientation (adjusted β = −2.99, 95% CI −4.84 to −1.14), recall (adjusted β = −1.69, 95% CI −2.89 to −0.48), language (adjusted β = −2.26, 95% CI −4.13 to −0.38), and total (adjusted β = −9.50, 95% CI −14.71 to −4.28); Midlife diastolic blood pressure (DBP) variability and pulse pressure (PP) variability showed a significant relationship with language (adjusted β = 3.25, 95% CI −1.31 to −5.19) and calculation (adjusted β = −0.26, 95% CI −0.47 to −0.04), respectively. No significant correlation was found between midlife BP control status, late-life visit-to-visit DBP variability, late-life visit-to-visit PP variability, and cognitive score. There was no significant correlation between BP and memory.ConclusionsBP control status and visit-to-visit BP variability were significantly related to cognitive function among the Chinese elderly. Receiving effective late-life antihypertensive treatment and keeping SBP stable might contribute to prevent the development of cognitive impairment and dementia, especially for orientation and language function.</p

Additional file 1 of Influence of Chinese National Centralized Drug Procurement on the price of policy-related drugs: an interrupted time series analysis

Additional file 1: Supplementary Table 1. The list of included drugs in this study. Supplementary Figure 1. Monthly change trends of fisher price index of policy-related drugs between July 2019 and December 2019

Appendix from Facial growth and development trajectories based on three-dimensional images: geometric morphometrics with a deformation perspective

Developmental changes of facial shape are commonly investigated through geometric morphometrics. A limitation with this approach is the inability to investigate patterns of morphological changes at local scale. This could be addressed through quantifying the deformation required to deform one shape to another. This study aimed to investigate changes in mean, rate, and variance of facial shape at local scale using geometric morphometrics through deformation perspective. A total of 2112 Europeans 3 to 40 years-old from the three-dimensional Facial Norms project were included. Shape and rate trajectories from partial least-squares regressions revealed that the developmentally protrusive nasal bridge was due to local expansion in surrounding tissues as opposed to shape changes in nasal bridge per-ser. Local expansion of the supraorbital region, in particular the medial part in males, resulted in the sloping forehead and deep-situated eyes with development. Facial shape variation increased non-linearly with age (p < 0.05), with features having larger rate of change becoming more developmentally diversified. In summary, our deformation perspective facilitates unravelling morphogenetic processes underlying shape changes. Our extended analytical scope inspires novel measures worthy of consideration while establishing facial growth charts. The analytical framework in this study is broadly applicable for analysis of shape changes in general

Additional file 1 of Influencing factors, gender differences and the decomposition of inequalities in cognitive function in Chinese older adults: a population-based cohort study

Supplementary Material

DataSheet1_Antibiotic Use in China’s Public Healthcare Institutions During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Analysis of Nationwide Procurement Data, 2018–2020.docx

Background: The overuse of antibiotics is a serious public health problem and a major challenge in China, and China lacks up-to-date evidence on the nationwide antibiotic use in different healthcare settings. The changes of China’s antibiotic use under the COVID-19 pandemic are still unknown.Objective: This study aimed to investigate the use of antibiotics in China’s public medical institutions based on a three-year nationwide surveillance and to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on China’s antibiotic consumption.Methods: This study used nationwide drug procurement data from the China Drug Supply Information Platform (CDSIP). We retrospectively analyzed antibiotic procurement data of 9,176 hospitals and 39,029 primary healthcare centers (PHCs) from 31 provinces in mainland China from January 2018 to December 2020. Antibiotic utilization was measured by defined daily doses (DDDs) and DDD per 1,000 inhabitants per day (DID). Generalized linear regression models were established to quantify the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on antibiotic use.Results: The total antibiotic consumption among all healthcare settings increased from 12.94 DID in 2018 to 14.45 DID in 2019, and then dropped to 10.51 DID in 2020. More than half of antibiotics were consumed in PHCs, especially in central regions (59%–68%). The use of penicillins (J01C) and cephalosporins (J01D) accounted for 32.02% and 28.86% of total antibiotic consumption in 2020. During 2018–2020, parenteral antibiotics accounted for 31%–36% of total antibiotic consumption; the proportion is more prominent in central and western regions and the setting of hospitals. Access category antibiotics comprised 40%–42% of the total utilization. Affected by COVID-19, the antibiotic consumption was significantly dropped both in hospitals (β = −.11, p Conclusion: The consistent preferred use of penicillin and cephalosporin, as well as injections, among China’s public healthcare institutions should draw concern. China’s antibiotic consumption significantly declined during the COVID-19 pandemic, which brings opportunities for antibiotic use management in China.</p

Bovine FcRn-Mediated Human Immunoglobulin G Transfer across the Milk-Blood Barrier in Transgenic Mice

<div><p>Maternal-fetal IgGs transport occurs either prenatally or postnatally, which confers the newborns with passive immunity before their own immune system has matured. However, little is known about the mechanisms of postnatal IgGs passage in the mammary gland. To investigate how FcRn mediates the IgGs transport in the mammary gland, we first generated bFcRn and anti-HAV mAb transgenic mice, and then obtained HF transgenic mice expressing both transgenes by mating the above two strains. Transgene expression of bFcRn in the four lines was determined by qRT-PCR and western blot. We then localized the expression of bFcRn to the acinar epithelial cells in the mammary gland, and anti-HAV mAb was mainly detected in the acini with weak staining in the acinar epithelial cells. Human IgGs could be detected in both milk and serum of HF transgenic mice by western blot and ELISA. A significantly lower milk to serum ratio of human IgGs in HF mice compared with that of anti-HAV mAb mice, indicating that bFcRn could transport human IgGs across the milk-blood barrier from milk to serum during lactation in HF mice. While, there were no transport of murine IgGs, IgAs, or IgMs. These results provide understandings about the mechanisms of maternal-fetal immunity transfer in the mammary gland.</p></div

Clinical information of the trials for the immunotherapy.

Clinical information of the trials for the immunotherapy.</p

Is Adjuvant Cellular Immunotherapy Essential after TACE-Predominant Minimally-Invasive Treatment for Hepatocellular Carcinoma? A Systematic Meta-Analysis of Studies Including 1774 Patients

<div><p>Purpose</p><p>Cellular immunotherapy has appeared to be a promising modality for the treatment of malignant tumor. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of cellular immunotherapy combined with minimally invasive therapy.</p><p>Methods</p><p>We searched PubMed, Web of Science and The Cochrane Library through March 2016 for relevant studies. Short-term efficacy (the disease control rate, the control rate of quality life and the AFP descent rate) and long-term efficacy (overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) rate) were compared as the major outcome measures. The meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager 5.3.</p><p>Results</p><p>A total of 1174 references in 3 databases were found of which 19 individual studies with 1774 HCC patients enrolled in this meta-analysis. Meta-analysis results showed that cellular immunotherapy combined with minimally-invasive treatment significantly improved the measures of short-term response (the disease control rate (OR = 5.91, P = 0.007), the control rate of quality lift (OR = 3.38, P = 0.003) and the AFP descent rate (OR = 4.48, P = 0.02)). Also higher 6-month PFS (OR = 2.78, P = 0.05), ≥12-month PFS (OR = 3.56, P<0.00001) rate and 6-month OS (OR = 2.81, P = 0.0009), 12-month OS (OR = 3.05, P<0.00001) and 24-month OS (OR = 3.52, P<0.0001) rate were observed in patients undergoing cellular immunotherapy.</p><p>Conclusions</p><p>This meta-analysis suggested that cellular immunotherapy is a feasible adjuvant treatment that could be beneficial for the improvement of the clinical outcomes for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients after minimally invasive treatment, including short-term response and long-term survival.</p></div

bFcRn cannot transport murine IgAs and IgMs across the mammary gland.

<p>bFcRn could neither increase the concentration of IgAs and IgMs (A and C) nor transport them across the milk-blood barrier in the mammary gland (B and D). The ratio of serum/milk indicates the transfer of IgAs or IgMs from serum to milk. The data were combined from three independent experiments; the bars represent the means ± SD (n = 7–8 mice per group).</p