Adiposity has unique influence on the renin-aldosterone axis and blood pressure in black children

OBJECTIVE: To comparatively examine the effects of adiposity on the levels of plasma renin activity (PRA), plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC), and aldosterone-renin ratio (ARR) in young black and white children. STUDY DESIGN: We prospectively assessed 248 black and 345 white children and adolescents. A novel analytical technique was used to assess the concurrent influences of age and body mass index (BMI) on PRA, PAC, and ARR. The estimated effects were depicted by colored contour plots. RESULTS: In contrast to whites, blacks had lower PRA (2.76 vs 3.36 ng/mL/h; P < .001) and lower PAC (9.01 vs 14.59 ng/dL; P < .001). In blacks, BMI was negatively associated with PRA (P = .001), consistent with an association with a more expanded plasma volume; there was no association with PAC. In whites, BMI was positively associated with PAC (P = .005); we did not detect a BMI-PRA association. The effects of BMI on ARR were directionally similar in the two race groups but more pronounced in blacks. Mean systolic blood pressure was greater in blacks with lower PRA (P < .01), higher PAC (P = .015), and higher ARR (P = .49). CONCLUSIONS: An increase in adiposity was associated with a suppressed PRA in blacks and an increase in PAC in whites. The unique relationship between adiposity and renin-aldosterone axis in blacks suggests the possible existence of a population-specific mechanism characterized by volume expansion, which could in turn enhance the influences of adiposity on blood pressure in black children and adolescents

A semiparametric recurrent events model with time-varying coefficients

We consider a recurrent events model with time-varying coefficients motivated by two clinical applications. We use a random effects (Gaussian frailty) model to describe the intensity of recurrent events. The model can accommodate both time-varying and time-constant coefficients. We use the penalized spline method to estimate the time-varying coefficients. We use Laplace approximation to evaluate the penalized likelihood without a closed form. We estimate the smoothing parameters in a similar way to variance components. We conduct simulations to evaluate the performance of the estimates for both time-varying and time-independent coefficients. We apply this method to analyze two data sets: a stroke study and a child wheeze study

Research on the Comprehensive Cognitive Practice Teaching Mode of Engineering Management Majors -Take Jiangxi Normal University as an Example

To improve the quality of talent training, this paper discusses the feasible teaching mode of comprehensive cognitive practice for Engineering Management through summarizing more than ten years of exploration and practice of Jiangxi Normal University. Focusing on the problem of “three focuses and three limits” in the practical teaching of Engineering Management majors, this paper analyzes the four key problems existing in China’s Engineering Management majors, based on the conclusion of the existing comprehensive cognitive practice teaching mode. The paper also puts forward a special comprehensive cognitive practice mode and its implementation path on the account of practical explorations. This mode achieves the “three sharing”, realizes the “linkage of multiple effects”, and obtains the satisfactory teaching effect and social benefit, which can provide a reference for the construction of related discipline in other colleges and universities

A comparative photocatalytic study of TiO2 loaded on three natural clays with different morphologies

[EN] In this work, a sol-gel method was used to load TiO2 nanoparticles on three clays (kaolinite, halloysite and palygorskite) with different morphologies (plates, tubes, and rods with micro tunnels), and then the photocatalytic performance of obtained clay-TiO2 composites for degradation of methyl orange was comparatively investigated. The results surprisingly show that the trend of photocatalytic performance of composites is opposite to that of special surface area of corresponding clays. By concentrated analysis of the loading status of TiO2, the lowest photocatalytic efficiency of palygorskite-TiO2 composite is mainly ascribed to (1) the aggregation of TiO2 nanoparticles on Pal surface, not the amount of TiO2 and (2) the relatively weak adsorption of Pal to methyl orange. The additional adsorption of hydroxyl surface of Kaol to methyl orange and little TiO2 in the lumen of Hal tube leads to the better photocatalytic performance of kaolinite-TiO2 composite than halloysite-TiO2 composite. Finally, kaolinite is proved to be an excellent carrier to support nano TiO2 resulting in a good photocatalytic performance and cycle stability, and the study can provide a direct guidance to select appropriate clay-photocatalyst composites for different practical applications.This work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41502032) and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (2019XKQYMS76).Wu, A.; Wang, D.; Wei, C.; Zhang, X.; Liu, Z.; Feng, P.; Ou, X.... (2019). A comparative photocatalytic study of TiO2 loaded on three natural clays with different morphologies. Applied Clay Science. 183:1-12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clay.2019.105352S11218

Growth Targets Management, Regional Competition and Urban Land Green Use Efficiency According to Evidence from China

Based on the panel data of 257 prefecture-level cities in China from 2010 to 2017, this paper measured urban land green use efficiency (ULGUE), incorporating undesirable outputs, via the super efficiency slack-based model (SBM). It also explored the effect, mechanism, and heterogeneity of growth targets management and regional competition on ULGUE via the time-varying gravitational spatial weight matrix and the spatial self-lagging model. The results show that growth targets management and regional competition have significant positive effects on ULGUE, and enhance the ULGUE by promoting local investment attraction, increasing innovation inputs, optimizing environmental regulations and strengthening commercial activities. Additionally, growth targets management has a more significant effect on eastern cities, non-central cities, and mature urban agglomeration, while regional competition has a more significant effect on central cities, non-central cities, and developmental urban agglomeration. Therefore, considering development as the priority, setting relatively aggressive economic growth targets and optimizing the regional competition mechanism for growth targets management can help improve the ULGUE and promote high-quality economic development in China

Access to Digital Financial Services and Green Technology Advances: Regional Evidence from China

Using data of 265 Chinese cities from 2010 to 2017, we studied the impact of access to digital financial services on green technology advances in the context of regional competition. We found that access to digital financial services significantly promotes green technology advances within the region but inhibits those in other regions. We also found that modest regional competition can promote green technology advances, whereas excessive competition impairs the positive relationship between access to digital financial services and green technology advances. We identified a significantly positive spatial spillover effect for green technology advances

Teaching Reform of Courses for Ideological and Political Education Based on Simulation Information Technology: Taking the Course Group of Engineering Valuation in Jiangxi Normal University for Example

In higher engineering education, professional courses and ideological and political theory courses go in the same direction, which is an important task of the current professional curriculum construction. This paper introduces the key and difficult problems in the teaching content of the course Engineering Valuation in the Department of Engineering Management and Real Estate of Jiangxi Normal University. Based on the characteristics of simulation information technology such a s BIM and VR and the differences of ideological and political elements, it updates and improves the cases of courses for ideological and political education, gives full play to the synergistic effect, and realizes the "triple" talent training goal of knowledge, ability and literacy

Complex-Shaped Porous Cu Bodies Fabricated by Freeze-Casting and Vacuum Sintering

Porous Cu bodies with complex shapes were fabricated by freeze-casting and vacuum sintering water-based CuO slurry. The sintered bodies showed no noticeable macroscopic defects and good shape tolerance. The interconnected pore tunnels were observed by electronic microscopy. The pore size became smaller and the porosity and volume shrinkage of sintered porous bodies decreased with the increase of solid content in the slurry. XRD results showed the CuO was fully decomposed by vacuum sintering into Cu without any second phases. This new fabrication method may be especially economical when small quantities of porous parts are required