A Topology-Controlled Photonic Cavity Based on the Near-Conservation of the Valley Degree of Freedom

We demonstrate a novel path to localizing topologically-nontrivial photonic edge modes along their propagation direction. Our approach is based on the near-conservation of the photonic valley degree of freedom associated with valley-polarized edge states. When the edge state is reflected from a judiciously oriented mirror, its optical energy is localized at the mirror surface because of an extended time delay required for valley-index-flipping. The degree of energy localization at the resulting topology-controlled photonic cavity (TCPC) is determined by the valley-flipping time, which is in turn controlled by the geometry of the mirror. Intuitive analytic descriptions of the "leaky" and closed TCPCs are presented, and two specific designs--one for the microwave and the other for the optical spectral ranges--are proposed.Comment: 5 pages, 6 figure

Lifecycle performance measurement of public-private partnerships: a case study in China’s water sector

Numerous public-private partnership (PPP) infrastructure projects have been operating in China after nearly 30 years of development. Surprisingly, few lessons and experiences have been drawn from these existing cases, thereby creating an urgent demand for a comprehensive evaluation of their performance. Thus, this paper presents a timely contribution to the assessment of a representative PPP project in China’s water sector, the Chengdu No. 6 Water Plant B Project, from a lifecycle perspective. Through a triangulation method, the project is generally deemed a success providing instructive lessons on the future evolutionary development of PPPs in China despite several imperfections caused by particular historical factors. Moreover, this paper advances the performance measurement of PPPs offering empirical insights to promote the efficacy of conceptual performance measurement frameworks. The outcomes of this research are especially valuable to the current Chinese PPP community where huge opportunities and challenges simultaneously exist

Analysis of temporal and spatial evolution characteristics and influencing factors of land use transformation in Hebei Province from the perspective of supply and demand

This study focuses on the counties and districts of Hebei Province as the research unit. It adopts a supply-demand perspective to analyze the spatial-temporal evolution characteristics of farmland utilization transformation in the province, investigate the coordination of this transformation, and explore the influencing factors. The weight of indicators is calculated using the entropy weighting method and Analytic Hierarchy Process The comprehensive evaluation model is then applied to calculate the supply-demand transformation index of farmland utilization in Hebei Province for the years 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2020. Furthermore, the spatial-temporal evolution characteristics are analyzed using the kernel density estimation method. The coupling coordination degree model is selected to explain the relationship between the supply-demand transformation of farmland utilization. Finally, the influencing factors are analyzed using the geographical detector model. The research findings are as follows: 1) The supply-demand transformation index of farmland utilization in Hebei Province has shown an increasing trend during the study period. The standard deviation of the supply transformation index has increased over time, while the demand transformation index has increased at a faster rate. High-density supply transformation is concentrated in the southeast, particularly in the eastern part of Shijiazhuang. Conversely, the northwest exhibits a low-density supply transformation. High-density demand transformation is observed in urban areas across the province, with a significant expansion from 2010 to 2015. 2) There is a strong correlation between the supply and demand transformation of farmland utilization. The coupling coordination degree has gradually improved from 2005 to 2015, transitioning from rapid to stable growth. The level of coupling coordination has shifted from imbalance to coordination. The mountainous areas in the northwest of Hebei Province exhibit relatively lower coupling coordination degrees, while the plains in the southeast demonstrate higher levels. 3) The supply transformation of farmland utilization is closely correlated with the natural environment, particularly elevation and topography. On the other hand, the demand transformation is closely associated with socio-economic development, with a scarcity of supply driving an increase in the demand transformation index. Industrial developed areas show a higher intensity of demand for farmland utilization. 4) To ensure the sustainable utilization of farmland while meeting food production needs, it is crucial to enhance contiguous farmland and mechanization levels, promote the integration of agriculture and tourism, establish an ecological barrier around Beijing-Tianjin, and optimize the ecological compensation mechanism for farmland. The above findings provide valuable insights into farmland utilization transformation and suggest important strategies for its sustainable development

Association between serum uric acid levels and peripheral artery disease in Chinese adults with hypertension

BackgroundHigher serum uric acid (SUA) can cause gout, which is principally characterized by arthritis due to monosodium urate crystal deposition in the lower extremities. High levels of SUA have been linked to endothelial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and inflammation, all of which are involved in the pathogenesis of peripheral artery disease(PAD). To date, the relationship between SUA levels and PAD is still poorly understood.MethodAn analysis of 9,839 Chinese adults with essential hypertension from the ongoing China H-type Hypertension Registry Study was conducted in this cross-sectional study. Patients with an ABI ≤0.9 was diagnosed with PAD. Hyperuricemia was defined as SUA levels >420 mol/L in men and >360 mol/L in women. The association between SUA levels and PAD was evaluated using multivariable logistic regression models based on odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs).ResultsThe enrolled subjects ranged in age from 27 to 93 years, with a mean age of 63.14 ± 8.99 years. The proportion of male patients was 46.22%, and the prevalence of hyperuricemia was 50.72%. In males, hyperuricemia was positively associated with the risk of PAD (adjusted OR per SD increase: 1.72, 95% CI 1.17 to 2.53, P =0.006). Males in the highest SUA tertile were significantly more likely to have PAD (adjusted OR: 2.63, 95% CI 1.42 to 4.86, P = 0.002; P for trend = 0.001). However, this positive relationship was not observed in females (adjusted OR: 1.29, 95% CI 0.77 to 2.17, P = 0.327; P for trend = 0.347).ConclusionAccording to this cross-sectional study, higher SUA levels were positively associated with PAD in male hypertensive patients, while this positive relationship disappeared in female participants

Traditional Chinese medicine Dingkun pill to increase fertility in women with a thin endometrium—a prospective randomized study

ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to optimize the treatment methods of infertility, which is suggested to be mainly caused by thin endometrium, using a special form of traditional Chinese medicine, the Dingkun pill (DKP), to increase the beneficial endometrial effect of conventional hormone/progestogen therapy.MethodsA total of 307 patients visiting our specialized gynecological endocrinology department because of infertility, which we suggested to be caused by thin endometrium [endometrial thickness (EMT) < 7 mm], were randomly assigned to the experimental group and the control group. The experimental group was treated with estradiol + sequential dydrogesterone + DKP (every day); the control group received hormonal treatment without the Chinese medicine. All patients were monitored in terms of follicle diameter, EMT, and endometrial type every 2 days from the 8th to the 10th day of the menstrual cycle until ovulation day during three menstrual cycles. Serum progesterone levels on 7–8 days after ovulation were measured, and the cumulative pregnancy rate during three menstrual cycles between the two groups was compared.ResultsEMT on ovulation day in the experimental group was significantly higher than that in the control group (7.88 vs. 7.15 mm; p < 0.001). The proportion of type A and type B endometrium in total was significantly higher in the experimental group than that in the control group (83.2% vs. 77.7%; p < 0.05). Progesterone levels were significantly higher in the experimental group than those in the control group (10.874 vs. 10.074 ng/mL; p < 0.001). The cumulative pregnancy rate, the main outcome of the study, was significantly higher in the experimental group than that in the control group (29.2% vs. 15.7%; p < 0.05).ConclusionDKP added to conventional estrogen/progestogen therapy can significantly improve EMT and luteal function in patients attending due to infertility. Because this regimen increased the cumulative pregnancy rate in our study, we conclude that DKP can be used to increase the so-called “thin endometrium infertility”

A Systematic Survey of Mini-Proteins in Bacteria and Archaea

BACKGROUND: Mini-proteins, defined as polypeptides containing no more than 100 amino acids, are ubiquitous in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. They play significant roles in various biological processes, and their regulatory functions gradually attract the attentions of scientists. However, the functions of the majority of mini-proteins are still largely unknown due to the constraints of experimental methods and bioinformatic analysis. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In this article, we extracted a total of 180,879 mini-proteins from the annotations of 532 sequenced genomes, including 491 strains of Bacteria and 41 strains of Archaea. The average proportion of mini-proteins among all genomic proteins is approximately 10.99%, but different strains exhibit remarkable fluctuations. These mini-proteins display two notable characteristics. First, the majority are species-specific proteins with an average proportion of 58.79% among six representative phyla. Second, an even larger proportion (70.03% among all strains) is hypothetical proteins. However, a fraction of highly conserved hypothetical proteins potentially play crucial roles in organisms. Among mini-proteins with known functions, it seems that regulatory and metabolic proteins are more abundant than essential structural proteins. Furthermore, domains in mini-proteins seem to have greater distributions in Bacteria than Eukarya. Analysis of the evolutionary progression of these domains reveals that they have diverged to new patterns from a single ancestor. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Mini-proteins are ubiquitous in bacterial and archaeal species and play significant roles in various functions. The number of mini-proteins in each genome displays remarkable fluctuation, likely resulting from the differential selective pressures that reflect the respective life-styles of the organisms. The answers to many questions surrounding mini-proteins remain elusive and need to be resolved experimentally

Ovarian tissue cryopreservation in the pediatric with rare diseases- experience from China’s first and the largest ovarian tissue cryobank

BackgroundThere is limited information about the efficacy of ovarian tissue cryopreservation (OTC) in children. In the present study, we report eight patients with rare diseases who underwent OTC in China’s first and largest ovarian tissue cryobank.ProcedureData from girls with rare diseases who underwent OTC between September 2020 and November 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. We also compared the number of cryopreserved cortex pieces, follicle number, and AMH in those with rare diseases and age-matched children with non-rare diseases who also underwent OTC in our cryobank.ResultsThe median age of the children was 5.88 ± 3.52 (range 2-13) years old. Unilateral oophorectomy was undertaken via laparoscopy in all of the children. The diseases in the 8 patients were: 4 mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS I two cases, IVA two cases), 1 Diamond-Blackfan anemia (DBA), 1 Fanconi anemia (FA), 1 hyperimmunoglobulin E syndrome (HIES), 1 Niemann-Pick disease. The number of cryopreserved cortex pieces was 17.13 ± 6.36, and the follicle count per 2 mm biopsy was 447.38 ± 524.35. No significant difference in age, the count of cryopreserved cortex pieces, follicle number per 2 mm biopsy, and AMH level was seen between the 20 children with non-rare diseases and those with rare diseases.ConclusionsThe reports help practitioners counsel girls with rare diseases about fertility preservation. The demand for OTC in pediatrics will likely grow as a standard of care

Childhood Sexual Abuse and the Development of Recurrent Major Depression in Chinese Women

Background Our prior study in Han Chinese women has shown that women with a history of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) are at increased risk for developing major depression (MD). Would this relationship be found in our whole data set? Method Three levels of CSA (non-genital, genital, and intercourse) were assessed by self-report in two groups of Han Chinese women: 6017 clinically ascertained with recurrent MD and 5983 matched controls. Diagnostic and other risk factor information was assessed at personal interview. Odds ratios (ORs) were calculated by logistic regression. Results We confirmed earlier results by replicating prior analyses in 3,950 new recurrent MD cases. There were no significant differences between the two data sets. Any form of CSA was significantly associated with recurrent MD (OR 4.06, 95% confidence interval (CI) [3.19–5.24]). This association strengthened with increasing CSA severity: non-genital (OR 2.21, 95% CI 1.58–3.15), genital (OR 5.24, 95% CI 3.52–8.15) and intercourse (OR 10.65, 95% CI 5.56–23.71). Among the depressed women, those with CSA had an earlier age of onset, longer depressive episodes. Recurrent MD patients those with CSA had an increased risk for dysthymia (OR 1.60, 95%CI 1.11–2.27) and phobia (OR 1.41, 95%CI 1.09–1.80). Any form of CSA was significantly associated with suicidal ideation or attempt (OR 1.50, 95% CI 1.20–1.89) and feelings of worthlessness or guilt (OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.02–2.02). Intercourse (OR 3.47, 95%CI 1.66–8.22), use of force and threats (OR 1.95, 95%CI 1.05–3.82) and how strongly the victims were affected at the time (OR 1.39, 95%CI 1.20–1.64) were significantly associated with recurrent MD

Associations of Educational Attainment, Occupation, Social Class and Major Depressive Disorder among Han Chinese Women

Background The prevalence of major depressive disorder (MDD) is higher in those with low levels of educational attainment, the unemployed and those with low social status. However the extent to which these factors cause MDD is unclear. Most of the available data comes from studies in developed countries, and these findings may not extrapolate to developing countries. Examining the relationship between MDD and socio economic status in China is likely to add to the debate because of the radical economic and social changes occurring in China over the last 30 years. Principal findings We report results from 3,639 Chinese women with recurrent MDD and 3,800 controls. Highly significant odds ratios (ORs) were observed between MDD and full time employment (OR = 0.36, 95% CI = 0.25–0.46, logP = 78), social status (OR = 0.83, 95% CI = 0.77–0.87, logP = 13.3) and education attainment (OR = 0.90, 95% CI = 0.86–0.90, logP = 6.8). We found a monotonic relationship between increasing age and increasing levels of educational attainment. Those with only primary school education have significantly more episodes of MDD (mean 6.5, P-value = 0.009) and have a clinically more severe disorder, while those with higher educational attainment are likely to manifest more comorbid anxiety disorders. Conclusions In China lower socioeconomic position is associated with increased rates of MDD, as it is elsewhere in the world. Significantly more episodes of MDD occur among those with lower educational attainment (rather than longer episodes of disease), consistent with the hypothesis that the lower socioeconomic position increases the likelihood of developing MDD. The phenomenology of MDD varies according to the degree of educational attainment: higher educational attainment not only appears to protect against MDD but alters its presentation, to a more anxious phenotype