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Despite good hepatitis B virus (HBV) inhibition by nucleoside analogs (NAs), cases of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) still occur. This study proposed a non-invasive predictive model to assess HCC risk in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) receiving NAs treatment. Data were obtained from a hospital-based retrospective cohort registered on the Platform of Medical Data Science Academy of Chongqing Medical University, from 2013 to 2019. A total of 501 patients under NAs treatment had their FIB-4 index updated semiannually by recalculation based on laboratory values. Patients were divided into three groups based on FIB-4 index values: < 1.45, 1.45-3.25, and ≥ 3.25. Subsequently, HCC incidence was reassessed every six months using Kaplan-Meier curves based on the updated FIB-4 index. The median follow-up time of CHB patients after receiving NAs treatment was 2.5 years. HCC incidences with FIB-4 index < 1.45, 1.45-3.25, and ≥ 3.25 were 1.18%, 1.32%, and 9.09%, respectively. Dynamic assessment showed that the percentage of patients with FIB-4 index < 1.45 significantly increased semiannually (P < 0.001), and of patients with FIB-4 index ≥ 3.25 significantly decreased (P < 0.001). HCC incidence was the highest among patients with FIB-4 index ≥ 3.25. The FIB-4 index effectively predicted HCC incidence, and its dynamic assessment could be used for regular surveillance to implement early intervention and reduce HCC risk.

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ABSTRACT Despite good hepatitis B virus (HBV) inhibition by nucleoside analogs (NAs), cases of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) still occur. This study proposed a non-invasive predictive model to assess HCC risk in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) receiving NAs treatment. Data were obtained from a hospital-based retrospective cohort registered on the Platform of Medical Data Science Academy of Chongqing Medical University, from 2013 to 2019. A total of 501 patients under NAs treatment had their FIB-4 index updated semiannually by recalculation based on laboratory values. Patients were divided into three groups based on FIB-4 index values: < 1.45, 1.45-3.25, and ≥ 3.25. Subsequently, HCC incidence was reassessed every six months using Kaplan-Meier curves based on the updated FIB-4 index. The median follow-up time of CHB patients after receiving NAs treatment was 2.5 years. HCC incidences with FIB-4 index < 1.45, 1.45-3.25, and ≥ 3.25 were 1.18%, 1.32%, and 9.09%, respectively. Dynamic assessment showed that the percentage of patients with FIB-4 index < 1.45 significantly increased semiannually (P < 0.001), and of patients with FIB-4 index ≥ 3.25 significantly decreased (P < 0.001). HCC incidence was the highest among patients with FIB-4 index ≥ 3.25. The FIB-4 index effectively predicted HCC incidence, and its dynamic assessment could be used for regular surveillance to implement early intervention and reduce HCC risk.

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OBJECTIVES: From an anthropological genetic perspective, little is known about the ethnogenesis of African descendants in Puerto Rico. Furthermore, historical interactions between Indigenous Caribbean and African descendant peoples that may be reflected in the ancestry of contemporary populations are understudied. Given this dearth of genetic research and the precedence for Afro-Indigenous interactions documented by historical, archeological, and other lines of evidence, we sought to assess the biogeographic origins of African descendant Puerto Ricans and to query the potential for Indigenous ancestry within this community. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Saliva samples were collected from 58 self-identified African descendant Puerto Ricans residing in Puerto Rico. We sequenced whole mitochondrial genomes and genotyped Y chromosome haplogroups for each male individual (n = 25). Summary statistics, comparative analyses, and network analysis were used to assess diversity and variation in haplogroup distribution between the sample and comparative populations. RESULTS: As indicated by mitochondrial haplogroups, 66% had African, 5% had European, and 29% had Indigenous American matrilines. Along the Y chromosome, 52% had African, 28% had Western European, 16% had Eurasian, and, notably, 4% had Indigenous American patrilines. Both mitochondrial and Y chromosome haplogroup frequencies were significantly different from several comparative populations. DISCUSSION: Biogeographic origins are consistent with historical accounts of African, Indigenous American, and European ancestry. However, this first report of Indigenous American paternal ancestry in Puerto Rico suggests distinctive features within African descendant communities on the island. Future studies expanding sampling and incorporating higher resolution genetic markers are necessary to more fully understand African descendant history in Puerto Rico.

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The role of government size and digitization in the process of environmental quality is a matter of considerable debate in the field of environmental economics. BRICS economies have suffered from environmental pollution. This paper scrutinizes that how CO2 emissions respond to government size and digitization in BRICS economies. Empirical estimates of the ARDL approach show that government size has a positive impact on CO2 in Brazil, India, and China, while negative impact on CO2 in Russia in the long run. The long-run estimates reveal a negative and significant effect of digitization on CO2 in Brazil, India, and China. Education and e-learning activities have a favorable and crucial role played in environmental quality in Brazil, India, and China. Based on these findings, BRICS authorities should improve the efficiency of government expenditures and invest more in digitization to improve the quality of the environment.

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