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Under the dual background of the continuous economic development and the accelerating aging population in China, the pension security system is facing severe sustainability pressure, and the importance of pension fund investment and operation is also constantly highlighted. This paper will take the aging process of the Chinese population as the macro background and conduct a systematic study on the risk issues in the field of pension investment. Firstly, it will clarify the relevant concepts of population aging and pension investment, and sort out the three types of pension models: defined benefit (DB), defined contribution (DC), and hybrid. On this basis, it will analyze the current situation of the pension investment market in China and the existing problems, such as the low upper limit of individual pension account contributions and product homogeneity. Then, it will analyze the four core risks faced by pension investment - longevity risk, macroeconomic fluctuation risk, inflation risk, and policy adjustment risk - and explore their formation mechanisms. Through typical pension financial product cases, it will specifically verify the impact of the above risks on actual investment operations. Finally, it will propose risk response strategies and development suggestions from the perspectives of individuals, financial institutions, and the state. Beyond clarifying the types of pension investment risks and the direction of response, this study also points out remaining research gaps in areas such as risk quantification and micro-investment behavior. In the future, in-depth discussions can be further carried out on risk modeling, investor behavior analysis, and pension financial product innovation.

The system complexities in urban transportation are increasing. It is difficult for modular planning methods to predict traffic changes, people traveling patterns and mobility needs to develop for a sustainable context. To address this, there has been a paradigm shift in the adoption of Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs). ANNs are capable of understanding patterns of traffic data, and thus can be employed to predict traffic flow, forecast public transit demand or determine the accident risk. The ability to predict these trends enables the country to proactively manage traffic, make smart investments into local safety infrastructure and optimize its public transport system. ANNs are good at discerning patterns in massive data sets and evolving when conditions change. There are, however, difficulties in terms of data availability model interpretability and computational requirements. Given the ongoing improvements in data generation and computational resources, ANNs can revolutionize urban transport planning, creating tomorrow's cities of better functioning, sustainable, and equitable.

Abstract Background: Blood and oral fluid-based HIV self-tests are important for reaching the undiagnosed especially in key populations. The study objectives were to: (1) evaluate the oral fluid-based OraQuick® HIV Self-Test (HIV-ST) performance compared with laboratory reference testing; (2) document if intended users can correctly perform the HIV-ST; (3) document if intended users can successfully interpret contrived positive, negative, and invalid results; and (4) document if intended users can understand the key messages in the product labeling. Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited consenting adults who were representative of intended users of HIV self-testing from four community sites in Canadian provinces between June 2022 and January 2024. The results of the observed HIV self-tests were compared with results of the laboratory-based “gold standard” Abbott Alinity HIV Antigen/Antibody Combo test. Usability outcomes for critical and noncritical self-test procedure steps were also determined. Results: Overall, 951 participants were recruited and consented with 911 available for all analyses. With respect to socio-demographics: 84% of participants were between 18-45 years of age, 73% had at least college education, 48% were cis-male, and 45% were employed; 26% identified as White, 23% as African, Caribbean or Black, 5% as Indigenous [First Nations, Métis or Inuit], 33% as Asian, and 6% as LatinX. Primary performance analysis on the 911 completed HIV-ST revealed a positive percent agreement of 100% (1/1) and a negative percent agreement of 100% (880/880, 95% CI: 99.9-100%) with the comparator method. For usability determination, the average success rate for steps identified as “critical” for successful completion of the test was 94.1%. Approximately 97% of participants found the instructions easy to follow, and 98% of participants indicated that they would use the test again. Of the 465 participants who interpreted the strong positive, weak positive, negative, and invalid contrived results, most participants were able to interpret the results correctly. Conclusions: Having an oral fluid-based HIV self-test approved in Canada can offer an accurate, acceptable, and less invasive alternative to blood-based HIV self-testing. The addition of an oral-fluid self-test along with the current licensed blood-based HIV self-test could significantly increase HIV testing rates by offering individuals a choice of self-testing devices.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), a genetic cardiovascular disease, is the leading cause of cardiac death in young people, often due to atrial fibrillation (AF). AF is generally treated using antiarrhythmics and anticoagulants, which have adverse side effects after long-term use, and are therefore unsuitable for young HCM patients. AF is characterized by a rapid and irregular atrial heartbeat, marked by a short action potential duration and atrial effective refractory period in atrial cardiomyocytes. Prior studies have indicated that the renin-angiotensin system is involved in lowering both, so it has been hypothesized that angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), which inhibit the renin-angiotensin system, could prevent AF. Therefore, in this study, we propose a research protocol to examine the viability of ACE inhibitors and ARBs as prophylactic measures against the development of AF in HCM patients. To test this, we suggest extracting atrial cardiomyocytes from HCM patients by performing enzyme dissociation on myocardial tissue. The isolated cardiomyocytes will then be treated in vitro with an ACE inhibitor, an ARB, a combination of both, or a control saline solution, and the patch-clamp technique will be used to determine the frequency and duration of their action potentials. We expect action potential duration and atrial effective refractory period to be longer in treated cells, while neither medication will provide a greater advantage, and, as prior research suggests, the combination will not yield significant benefits. The study will continue by testing the effects of ACE inhibitors and ARBs on the function of atrial myocardial organoids created from differentiated stem cells with an HCM mutation. The results of this study could present a new preventative measure against AF for HCM patients which would be safe for long-term use.

В текущей научной литературе самые различные нелинейные обыкновенные дифференциальные уравнения широко и успешно применяются для описания реальных процессов в различных областях естественных наук: в оптике, в теории упругости, молекулярной физике и др. К примеру, уравнения Ермакова и Риккати используют для решения квантового уравнения Шредингера, в электродинамике. Однако хорошо и надежно разработанных и общепринятых методов решения нелинейных дифференциальных уравнений, к сожалению, не имеется. Кроме того, большинство уравнений Риккати не интегрируются даже в квадратурах. В настоящей работе для построения решений нелинейных уравнений Ермакова и Риккати предлагается использовать соответствующие так называемые присоединенные линейные дифференциальные уравнения, решения последних находится в виде степенных рядов с помощью современных компьютерных систем аналитических вычислений. Предложенным способом в настоящей работе вычислены решения для некоторых нелинейных уравнений Ермакова и Риккати. Показано непосредственной подстановкой, что полученные решения в виде степенных рядов удовлетворяют рассмотренным нелинейным уравнениям Ермакова и Риккати с известной точностью. Для описания химических и физических свойств наноструктур на квантовом уровне могут быть использованы решения нелинейных уравнений Ермакова и Риккати. Решения нелинейных уравнений Ермакова и Риккати могут успешно применяться при решении стационарных и времени-зависящих уравнений Шредингера. In the current scientific literature, a variety of nonlinear ordinary differential equations are widely and successfully used to describe real processes in various fields of natural sciences: optics, elasticity theory, molecular physics, etc. For example, the Ermakov and Riccati equations are used to solve the quantum Schrodinger equation, in electrodynamics. However, unfortunately, there are no welland reliably developed and generally accepted methods for solving nonlinear differential equations. In addition, most of the Riccati equations are not integrated even in quadratures. In this paper, to construct solutions to the nonlinear Ermakov and Riccati equations, it is proposed to use the corresponding so-called connected linear differential equations, the solutions of the latter are in the form of power series using modern computer systems of analytical calculations.In this paper, solutions for some nonlinear Ermakov and Riccati equations are calculated using this proposed method. It is shown by direct substitution that the obtained solutions in the form of power series satisfy the considered nonlinear equations of Ermakov and Riccati with a known accuracy. Solutions of nonlinear Ermakov and Riccati equations can be used to describe the chemical and physical properties of nanostructures at the quantum level. Besides, solutions of nonlinear Ermakov and Riccati equations can be successfully applied in solving stationary and time-dependent Schrodinger equations.

The objective of this prospective cohort study was to determine the effect of an abnormal fecal consistency score on weight gain and mortality in male Holstein calves and to identify risk factors associated with the occurrence of an abnormal fecal consistency score. This study enrolled 2,616 calves entering a calf-raising facility in Ontario, Canada, between January 2018 and December 2020. Fecal consistency scores were assigned twice daily for the first 28 d following arrival, where a score of 2, indicating runny consistency, and 3, indicating watery consistency, were classified as diarrhea. Severe diarrhea was classified by a score of 3. Serum total protein was measured upon arrival and the source of the calf (i.e., whether the calf came from a drover, local farm, or auction) was recorded. Body weight measurements were also collected at arrival and at 14, 56, and 77 d after arrival. Calf mortality and disease treatment during the first 77 d were recorded. On average, calves had diarrhea for 16% (4.51 d) of the first 28 d under observation, and severe diarrhea for 7% (1.87 d) of the 28 d under observation. Using a repeated measures linear regression model, we found the proportion of days with diarrhea significantly decreased weight gain at 14, 56, and 77 d following arrival. An increased proportion of days with diarrhea increased the risk of mortality, which was determined using a Cox proportional hazards model. We also found, using 2 Cox proportional hazards models, that a higher proportion of days with an abnormal fecal score increased the hazard of antibiotic treatment. With respect to factors associated with the occurrence of abnormal fecal consistency, we found that arrival weight and the source of calves were statistically significant predictors. Specifically, for every additional kilogram of body weight at arrival, the proportion of days with diarrhea decreased by 7%. With respect to source, calves from drovers had a higher proportion of days with diarrhea compared with those sourced directly from local dairy farms. Our results highlight the substantial influence the presence of abnormal fecal consistency has on short-term weight gain, mortality risk, and morbidity risk. We also demonstrate that diarrhea occurrence can be predicted using body weight at arrival and calf source. Further research should evaluate longer-term effects of diarrhea and better understand the effect of arrival weight on neonatal calf disease risk.

BackgroundIn the LATTE study, daily oral cabotegravir + rilpivirine demonstrated higher rates of efficacy than efavirenz + 2 nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) through Week 96 in antiretroviral therapy (ART)-naive adults with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1. We present the results from 6 years of continued treatment with oral cabotegravir + rilpivirine.MethodsLATTE was a phase IIb, randomized, multicenter, partially blinded, dose-ranging study in ART-naive adults with HIV-1. After a 24-week induction phase with cabotegravir + 2 NRTIs, participants with HIV-1 ribonucleic acid (RNA) <50 copies/mL were randomized to receive cabotegravir (10, 30, or 60 mg) + rilpivirine (25 mg) in the maintenance phase through Week 96 and switched to cabotegravir 30 mg + rilpivirine 25 mg in the open-label phase through Week 312.ResultsOf 160 participants who entered the maintenance phase, 111 completed the study at Week 312. At Week 312, 105 (66%) participants maintained HIV-1 RNA <50 copies/mL, 15 (9%) had HIV-1 RNA ≥50 copies/mL, and 40 (25%) had no virologic data. Eight participants met protocol-defined virologic failure criteria through Week 312, 2 of whom met protocol-defined virologic failure criteria after Week 144. Six participants developed treatment-emergent resistance to 1 or both agents during the study, 3 of whom developed integrase inhibitor resistance substitutions. Two participants (1%) reported drug-related serious adverse events. Few adverse events led to withdrawal during the open-label phase (n = 5, 3%).ConclusionsOral cabotegravir + rilpivirine demonstrated efficacy in the majority of participants and an acceptable safety profile through 6 years of treatment, demonstrating its durability as maintenance therapy for HIV-1.