Objective To analyze the urban drinking water quality and its influencing factors in Anhui Province from 2014 to 2022, and to provide a scientific basis for water quality improvement and protection. Methods The data were collected, saved and monitored according to the Standard Test Method for Drinking Water (GB/T5750-2006) and evaluated according to the Hygienic Standard for Drinking Water (GB 5749-2006). Results A total of 20 941 samples were collected, and the overall qualified rate was 84.26%. The qualified rate of urban drinking water increased from 76.9% in 2014 to 93.3% in 2022, and the qualified rate of water quality was on the rise (χ²=544.43, P＜0.01). From 2014 to 2022, the qualified rate of water quality in dry season was higher than that in wet season (χ²=35.98, P<0.001), the qualified rate of surface water was higher than that of ground water (χ²=4440.8, P<0.001), and the qualified rate of peripheral tap water was higher than that of factory water (χ²=145.1, P<0.001). Among all kinds of disinfection methods, chlorination disinfection had the highest qualified rate (χ²=1483.8, P<0.001). The qualified rate of water quality increased with the increase of the scale of water plant. Among the inspected indicators, the main unqualified indicators were chlorine dioxide (7.72%), fluoride (7.41%), free residual chlorine (3.90%), and total bacterial count (2.13%). Conclusion The passing rate of urban drinking water quality in Anhui Province is on an upward trend, and the quality of urban drinking water has improved. However, it is still important to pay attention to the problem of excessive microorganism and fluoride in water, and the quality of drinking water varies from place to place.

Cancer is a major chronic disease that threatens human health, while traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a unique method for cancer prevention and treatment in China. After about 70 years of innovation and development, TCM has made constant progress in areas such as the clinical diagnosis, treatment, evidence-based researches, and mechanism exploration of cancer. It has special advantages in aspects such as reducing toxicity, enhancing treatment efficacy, managing symptoms, accelerating recovery, preventing recurrence and metastasis, and prolonging advanced-stage survival. However, there are still bottlenecks for TCM in cancer care. This paper cuts in the key links between TCM and western medicine in their combined application in cancer prevention and treatment, and take the original TCM theories on cancer as the lead, high-quality evidence-based researches as the drive, and analysis on the dynamic mechanism as the core, to show the advantages and effects of TCM in cancer treatment in an all-round way. It also aims to provide novel strategies for sustainable and innovative development and for formulation of comprehensive schemes that integrate TCM and western medicine for cancer prevention and treatment.

Cancer is a major chronic disease that threatens human health, while traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a unique method for cancer prevention and treatment in China. After about 70 years of innovation and development, TCM has made constant progress in areas such as the clinical diagnosis, treatment, evidence-based researches, and mechanism exploration of cancer. It has special advantages in aspects such as reducing toxicity, enhancing treatment efficacy, managing symptoms, accelerating recovery, preventing recurrence and metastasis, and prolonging advanced-stage survival. However, there are still bottlenecks for TCM in cancer care. This paper cuts in the key links between TCM and western medicine in their combined application in cancer prevention and treatment, and take the original TCM theories on cancer as the lead, high-quality evidence-based researches as the drive, and analysis on the dynamic mechanism as the core, to show the advantages and effects of TCM in cancer treatment in an all-round way. It also aims to provide novel strategies for sustainable and innovative development and for formulation of comprehensive schemes that integrate TCM and western medicine for cancer prevention and treatment.

Objective:To analyze the root canal diameter of the mandibular first premolar by using finite element analysis to simulate the stress distribution of dentin under three different preparation methods,and to provide the basis for clinical root canal preparation strategies of the mandibular first premolars.Methods:Twenty-one patients with complete cone beam computed tomography(CBCT)images were selected.The original DICOM format data from CBCT were imported into Mimics 21.0 software to measure the root canal diameter at 3,6,9,and 12 mm from the apex and the root canal taper was segmentally calculated.Based on this,three-dimensional finite element models of the dental and periodontal tissues were constructed.Control group,maximum diameter preparation group,uniform preparation group,and 0.06 taper instrument preparation group were designed.In ANSYS Workbench 17.0 finite element analysis software,a 200 N load was applied to the buccal,lingual,and occlusal surfaces in various groups,and the stresses on dentin in various groups were analyzed.Results:The analysis of root canal taper at 3-6 mm,6-9 mm,and 9-12 mm from the apex of mandibular first premolar teeth showed that the taper was similar in the mesial-distal direction at 3-6 mm from the apex.The average taper in the buccal-lingual direction at 6-9 mm from the apex was 0.29,which was greater than the taper in the apical 1/3 and coronal 1/3.Under the same load,the peak stress values in dentin of mandibular first premolar teech in various groups were increased sequentially:4.693 6,16.304 0,14.278 0,and 18.682 0 MPa.The stress in maximum diameter preparation group concentrated on the canal wall with the highest stress value.The stress in uniform preparation group concentrated on the root surface,and the stress values on each section were lower than those in maximum diameter preparation group.The stress in 0.06 taper instrument preparation group concentrated on the apical 1/3 of the root surface.Conclusion:The root canal of the mandibular first premolar has a unique elliptical taper shape,and there are significant differences in diameter and taper between the mesial-distal and buccal-lingual directions.Different preparation methods result in different stress distributions on the canal wall,and the uniform preparation is the best method for enlarging the canal.

Objective:To discuss the effect of long-term use of chlorhexidine on the resistance of Enterococcus faecalis(E.faecalis),and to clarify its mechanism.Methods:The standard strain of E.faecalis was repeatedly exposed to chlorhexidine for 10 generations,and the minimum inhibitory concentration(MIC)was recorded at each passage.The bacteria collected from the 10th generation with increased MIC values were designated as the E.faecalis chlorhexidine-resistant strains(E.faecalis-Cs).The growth curves of two strains were drawn;the morphology of two strains were observed by transmission electron microscope;the number of biofilm formation of two strains was detected by crystal violet staining;the bacterial hydrophobicities of two strains were detected by microbial adhesion to hydrocarbons(MATH)method;the expression levels of S-ribosylhomocysteine lyase(LuxS)mRNA in the bacterial biofilms of two strains were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR(RT-qPCR)method.Results:From the 0th to the 10th generation,the MIC values of E.faecalis were gradually increased.The growth curves of E.faecalis and E.faecalis-Cs showed no significant differences.The transmission electron microscope observation results showed that both E.faecalis and E.faecalis-Cs appeared oval or diplococcal,with intact cell wall structures,smooth edges,and evenly distributed cytoplasm.There were no significant differences in the morphology,size,cell wall thickness,or integrity between two types of bacteria.The crystal violet staining results showed that compared with E.faecalis,the number of biofilm formation of E.faecalis-Cs was significantly increased(P<0.05).The MATH results showed tha the hydrophobicity of E.faecalis-Cs was significantly higher than that of E.faecalis(P<0.05).The RT-qPCR results showed that the expression level of LuxS mRNA in the biofilms of E.faecalis-Cs was significantly higher than that of E.faecalis(P<0.05).Conclusion:E.faecalis develops the resistance after repeated exposure to the chlorhexidine,and the pathogenicity of the resistant strain is enhanced.The high expressin of quorum sensing(QS)system LuxS gene and stronger biofilm forming ability of bacteria may be the potential mechanism for E.faecalis to tolerate the chlorhexidine.

Adaptation, Psychological ; Adolescent ; COVID-19 ; Child ; China ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; SARS-CoV-2

Objective:To investigate the characteristics of consonant among children with speech sound disorder (SSD) and to provide an empirical basis for the subsequent clinical evaluation and evidence-based intervention.Methods:In this retrospective research a total of 1 395 children diagnosed with SSD from the Language-Speech Clinic of the Department of Children Health Care, Children′s Hospital, Capital Institute of Pediatrics from January 2007 to December 2018 were enrolled and underwent the phonological examination on the lexical level with picture naming, according to phoneme development in Chinese mandarin. The Chi-square trend test was applied to analyze the differences and trends of the proportion of consonant error subtypes in children of different age groups. The Chi-square test was conducted to compare the proportion of consonant error subtypes in different gender.Results:The 1 395 children diagnosed with SSD included 1 044 boys and 351 girls, with an age of (5.1±0.8) years. The occurrence of consonant errors in different locations of articulation was the highest for blade-alveolar /l/ (71.8%, 1 002/1 395) and the lowest for labial/b/(9.3%, 130/1 395). The occurrence of consonant errors of labial/p/f/, supra-dental/z/c/s/, blade-alveolar/t/l/, blade-palatal/ch/r/, velar/k/h/, and lingua-palatal/q/decreased with age (all P<0.05). The occurrence of consonant errors of labial/b/m/, supra-dental/z/c/, blade-alveolar/n/l/, blade-palatal/sh/, velar/h/, and lingua-palatal/x/were higher in boys than those in girls (10.3% (108/1 044) vs. 6.3% (22/351), 11.4% (119/1 044) vs. 6.0% (21/351), 64.8% (676/1 044) vs. 51.9% (182/351), 67.8% (708/1 044) vs. 59.8% (210/351), 16.7% (174/1 044) vs. 8.8% (31/351), 73.7% (769/1 044) vs. 66.1% (232/351), 58.0% (606/1 044) vs. 47.6% (167/351), 24.0% (251/1 044) vs. 14.2% (50/351), and 39.9% (417/1 044) vs. 27.6% (97/351); χ2 =5.167, 8.533, 16.889, 7.447, 12.863, 7.412, 11.650, 14.900, and 17.099, all P<0.05). The error types of consonant were substitution, omission, and distortion. Omission was the main error type of blade-alveolar/l/(53.3%, 743/1 395), distortion was the main error type of velar/h/(11.8%, 165/1 395), and substitution was the main error type of all other consonants. Substitution with blade-palatal/ch/having the highest occurrence of error (60.2%, 840/1 395). Conclusions:The occurrence of the blade-alveolar/l/error is the highest in children with SSD, with boys demonstrating more serious articulation problems. The main error type of consonant is substitution, with blade-palatal/ch/having the highest occurrence of error. These results suggest the necessity of attending to preschoolers′ articulation development. Phonological training targeting blade-alveolar/l/and blade-palatal/ch/should be carried out as early as possible.

Objective:To investigate the time and characteristics of screen exposure, to analyze the risk factors affecting screen exposure in children aged 3 years and younger, and to provide scientific basis for the intervention of screen exposure in children.Methods:The data were collected by convenience sampling from 317 children for routine examination aged 0-36 months who visited the Department of Child Healthcare, Children′s Hospital, Capital Institute of Pediatrics from December 2019 to December 2020. Self-designed questionnaires of the screen exposure were completed by the parents. The basic information, home nurture environment and screen exposure conditions were investigated. Children <18 months of age who used electronic devices and 18-36 months of age who spent more than 1 h/d on electronic devices were defined as with screen exposure. The differences between <18 and 18-36 months of age were compared by rank sum test. Chi-square test and multivariate Logistic regression were used to analyze the association between screen exposure and potential influential factors.Results:Among 317 children, 209 were boys and 108 girls, aged (28±10) months. There were 117 patients aged <18 months and 200 patients aged 18-36 months. Screen exposure time was 0.3 (0, 1.0) h/d and 1.2 (0.6, 2.0) h/d in children aged <18 months and aged 18-36 months, respectively ( Z=-6.770, P<0.01). The proportion of screen exposure was 25.6% (30/117) and 49.0% (98/200) in two age groups, respectively. Logistic regression analysis disclosed that not being the first child ( OR=3.81, 95% CI: 1.13-12.77, P=0.030), caregivers spending >1 h/d on electronic devices in front of their children ( OR=7.39, 95% CI: 2.24-24.46, P=0.001), caregivers believing that screen exposure can promote early childhood development ( OR=4.14, 95% CI: 1.26-13.52, P=0.019) were risk factors for children′s screen exposure in <18 months of age. Caregivers spending >1 h/d on electronic devices in front of their children ( OR=3.29, 95% CI: 1.78-6.08, P<0.01) was risk factor for children′s screen exposure in 18-36 months of age. Mothers with bachelor′s or higher degree ( OR=0.19, 95% CI: 0.05-0.66, P=0.009; OR=0.35, 95% CI: 0.19-0.66, P=0.001), no television in living room ( OR=0.11, 95% CI: 0.03-0.42, P=0.001; OR=0.45, 95% CI: 0.21-0.98, P=0.045) were protective factors for children′s screen exposure in children <18 months and 18-36 months of age. Conclusions:Excessive screen exposure is common among children aged 3 years and younger. The exposure time increases with age, and is affected by several factors.

Gegen Qinlian Decoction (GQD), a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula, has long been used for the treatment of common metabolic diseases, including type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, the main limitation of its wider application is ingredient complexity of this formula. Thus, it is critically important to identify the major active ingredients of GQD and to illustrate mecha-nisms underlying its action. Here, we compared the effects of GQD and berberine, a hypothetical key active pharmaceutical ingredient of GQD, on a diabetic rat model by comprehensive analyses of gut microbiota, short-chain fatty acids, proinflammatory cytokines, and ileum transcriptomics. Our results show that berberine and GQD had similar effects on lowering blood glucose levels, modulating gut microbiota, inducing ileal gene expression, as well as relieving systemic and local inflammation. As expected, both berberine and GQD treatment significantly altered the overall gut microbiota structure and enriched many butyrate-producing bacteria, including Faecalibacterium and Roseburia, thereby attenuating intestinal inflammation and lowering glucose. Levels of short-chain fatty acids in rat feces were also significantly elevated after treatment with ber-berine or GQD. Moreover, concentration of serum proinflammatory cytokines and expression of immune-related genes, including Nfkb1, Stat1, and Ifnrg1, in pancreatic islets were significantly reduced after treatment. Our study demonstrates that the main effects of GQD can be attributed to berberine via modulating gut microbiota. The strategy employed would facilitate further stan-dardization and widespread application of TCM in many diseases.

Objective:To investigate the features and trends of functional speech sound disorder and related erroneous consonants in children, so as to provide evidence for clinical evaluation and rational intervention.Methods:Clinical data of 1 562 children diagnosed with functional speech sound disorder in the language-speech clinic of the Department of Child Health Care, Children′s Hospital, Capital Institute of Pediatrics from January 2007 to December 2018 were analyzed retrospectively. By using the mandarin phonetic test table, the picture-naming method was adopted to test the word-level pronunciation. The Chi-square test was conducted to analyze the incidence of consonant errors in different age groups, gender and different places of articulation. The trend in incidence of the consonant errors in different age groups and during the last 12 years were analyzed by chi-square trend test. Results:A total of 1 562 cases were diagnosed with functional speech sound disorder, including 1 171 males and 391 females, the age was 4-17 years. The incidence of consonant errors in different places of articulation was 43.0% (672/1 562) for labial, 47.0% (734/1 562) for lingua-palatal, 63.7% (995/1 562) for velar, 77.7% (1 213/1 562) for linguo-alveolar, 78.9% (1 233/1 562) for apico-dental and 81.6% (1 274/1 562) for palatal. The incidence of consonant errors in males on labial, lingua-palatal, linguo-alveolar and palatal was higher than that in females (44.7% (523/1 171) vs. 38.1% (149/391), 49.1% (575/1 171) vs.40.7% (159/391), 80.1% (938/1 171) vs.70.3% (275/391), 82.8% (970/1 171) vs.77.7% (304/391), χ2 =5.138, 8.379, 16.126 and 5.042,all P<0.05). The incidence of consonant errors on labial, lingua-palatal, velar, linguo-alveolar, apico-dental and palatal decreased with age (χ2 =27.023, 13.230, 20.579, 29.718, 26.390, and 17.887, all P<0.01). The incidence of consonant errors on labial, linguo-alveolar, apico-dental increased with years (χ2 =9.030, 51.894 and 18.507, all P<0.01). Conclusions:The incidence of palatal errors is the highest in children with functional speech sound disorder. As part of the palatal errors could not be completely self-healing with growing, the phonological therapy for palatal errors should be carried out as early as possible. The incidence of consonant errors on labial, linguo-alveolar, and apico-dental presents an upward tendency with years, more attention should be paid to the factors related to the acquisition of these consonants.