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Penaeus monodon (mean initial wet weight 1·19 (SE 0·01) g) were fed seven diets in triplicate: a control diet (D1) without carotenoids; three diets formulated to supply 0·1 % astaxanthin alone (D2), 0·2 % astaxanthin alone (D3), and a combination of 0·1 % astaxanthin and 1 % cholesterol (D4); three diets with 0·07 % canthaxanthin alone (D5), 0·13 % canthaxanthin alone (D6), and a combination of 0·07 % canthaxanthin and 1 % cholesterol (D7). Weight gain (WG, %), specific growth rate (SGR, %/d) and survival were chosen as parameters of shrimp growth performance. Total antioxidant status (TAS), superoxide dismutase (SOD), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were chosen as indices of shrimp plasma antioxidant capacity. Meanwhile, digestibility, retention efficiency and tissue carotenoids were also investigated to determine the additive effect of cholesterol on the efficiency of astaxanthin and canthaxanthin. After 74 d rearing, WG and SGR of shrimp fed D2-D4 and D7 were higher than those of shrimp fed D1 (P, 0·05). Shrimp fed D4 had the highest survival. The apparent digestibility coefficients (ADC) of astaxanthin in D2-D4 were higher than those of canthaxanthin in D5-D7 (P,0·05). Although ADC of astaxanthin were quite high (. 98 %) in D2 -D4 and no differences were found among them (P.0·05), the carotenoid retention efficiencies in the whole body, muscle and shell (D2-D3 treatments) were considerably low; however, cholesterol supplementation significantly improved the carotenoid retention efficiencies in the whole body, muscle and shell (D4 treatment). Accordingly, the addition of cholesterol also significantly enhanced the carotenoid contents of tissues. Shrimp fed supplemented carotenoid diets (D2 -D7) had higher TAS and lower SOD, ALT and AST than shrimp fed D1 (P, 0·05). A low dissolved oxygen stress test was conducted for 7 d after the rearing trial and shrimp survival was also compared among the treatments. The survival of shrimp fed the diets supplemented with astaxanthin or canthaxanthin was higher than that of shrimp fed D1 during the stress test (P,0·05). In conclusion, all data suggested that astaxanthin was better than canthaxanthin as the dietary carotenoid source in the commercial diet of P. monodon, and the supplement of cholesterol could positively enhance the efficiency of astaxanthin and canthaxanthin.Key words: Penaeus monodon: Astaxanthin: Canthaxanthin: Cholesterol Carotenoids could yield beneficial effects on growth, survival or maturation in black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon) (1 -3) , Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) (4) and kuruma prawn (Marsupenaeus japonicus) (5) . Moreover, dietary supplementation of carotenoids improved or corrected the colour of penaeids, especially those intensively cultured, for a better market price (4) . Besides pigmentation properties of carotenoids, increasing attention is being directed towards defining the biological function of astaxanthin in aquatic animals (4) . Among the biological functions of carotenoids...

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PurposeEvidence between air pollution and COPD admissions is inconsistent and limited in China. In this study, we aimed to explore the effects of air pollutants on COPD admissions in Beijing, China.Patients and methodsDaily COPD hospital admission visits derived from tertiary and secondary hospitals in Beijing were retrieved from January 2013 to February 2017. Air pollutant levels and meteorological data over the same periods were also achieved. Generalized additive model was applied to estimate the percentage changes with 95% CIs in daily admissions corresponding to 10 µg/m3 increases in pollutants levels [1 mg/m3 in carbon monoxide (CO)], stratified by age, gender, and season.ResultsSeventy-three thousand seventy-six COPD hospital admission visits were included with mean daily visits of 48 (21). Cumulative lag effect with per 10 µg/m3 increase in air pollutant levels was largest for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) with 3.03% (95% CI: 1.82%–4.26%) at lag 06, for sulfur dioxide (SO2) with 2.07% (95% CI: 1.00%–3.15%) at lag 01, for particulate matter ≤10 µm in aerodynamic diameter (PM10) with 0.92% (95% CI: 0.55%–1.30%) at lag 07, and for particulate matter ≤2.5 µm in aerodynamic diameter (PM2.5) with 0.82% (95% CI: 0.38%–1.26%) at lag 06, respectively. Percentage increase for each 1 mg/m3 increase in CO was 5.99% (95% CI: 2.74%–9.34%) at lag 06. Further, stronger effects on COPD admissions were found in warm seasons than in cold seasons.ConclusionShort-term exposures to PM2.5, PM10, NO2, SO2, and CO had adverse effects on COPD hospitalizations in Beijing with different magnitudes and lag days.

BackgroundHealthcare resource utilisation for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in China is not well understood. This Delphi panel study aimed to describe the clinical management pathways for moderate and severe AD patients in urban China and to define the amount and cost of healthcare resources used.MethodsA panel of 11 experts was recruited from urban China to participate in two rounds of preparatory interviews. In the first round, 9 physicians specialised in dementia gave a qualitative description of the clinical management of AD patients. In the second round, 2 hospital administrators were asked about the cost of AD management and care. Results from the interviews were discussed by the experts in a Delphi panel meeting, where consensus was reached on quantitative aspects of AD management, including the rate of healthcare resource utilisation, the respective unit costs and caregiving time.ResultsInterviewees reported that mild AD is under-recognised in China; most patients are diagnosed with moderate to severe AD. Loss of independence and agitation/aggression are the main drivers for healthcare resource utilisation and contribute to a heavier caregiver burden. It was estimated that 70 % moderate AD patients are independent/non-aggressive at the time of diagnosis, 15 % are independent/aggressive, 10 % are dependent/non-aggressive, and 5 % are dependent/aggressive. Dependent/aggressive AD patients are more likely to be hospitalised (70–90 %) than accepted in a nursing home (0–20 %), while the opposite is true for dependent/non-aggressive patients (5–35 % for hospitalisation vs. 80 % for nursing home). Independent AD patients require 1–3 hours/day of caregiver time, while dependent patients can require up to 12–15 hours/day. Experts agreed that AD complicates the management of age-related comorbidities, found in 70–80 % of all AD patients, increasing the frequency and cost of hospitalisation.ConclusionsThe Delphi panel approach was an efficient method of gathering data about the amount of healthcare resources used and associated costs for moderate and severe AD patients in urban China. The results of this study provide a useful source of information for decision makers to improve future healthcare policies and resource planning, as well as to perform economic evaluations of AD therapies.