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These studies show, quite contrary to the economic historians' previous understanding of the early state that embedded a "redistributive" economy, the perspective of an early stage of a commodity economy, based on mass-production of ritual or everyday objects in huge factories.[37] The studies also show that it is beneficial, and indeed necessary, for the archaeologists who deal with matters in economy to conduct research under agendas developed by social historians, so the meaning of their material evidence can be fully appreciated by historians in cross-cultural analyses. Simply speaking, the ancient Chinese economy since the Bronze Age had the strong characteristics of that of a "domain state", in which the royal house and the state produced large proportions of the material provision that it needed to survive, and made its budget (if any) based on it.[30] It can also be considered a lineage economy in which the whole economy was sliced into many largely independent domains organized by the lineages. The evidence suggests that the private economy was not only supplemental to the state economy, but was indispensable to the healthy operation of the state economy. If there is an overall argument about the early Chinese economy in the book, it is the view of the two editors that the ancient Chinese economy differs from the Polanyi-Finley model of substantivist economy for its strong trend towards market exchange, commercialization of its products, and manipulation of prices (1-2). [Extracted from the article]

This study delves into the Pre-Qin Confucian understanding of "ren 人" (human beings), focusing on the tripartite dimensions of "shen 身" (body), "qing 情" (sentiment), and "xin 心" (mind) as viewed through the lens of "li 礼" (ritual). By analyzing the works of Confucius, Mencius, Xunzi, and other significant early texts, we unravel how these early Confucian philosophers reconceptualized human beings within the framework of "li 礼" (ritual). In doing so, they presented a novel perspective on the human experience that emphasized the interconnectedness of these three dimensions, transforming the way people thought about themselves and their place in the world. This research illuminates the unique contributions of Pre-Qin Confucianism to the understanding of human beings and provides valuable insights into the philosophical breakthroughs of this period in Chinese thought. Furthermore, this understanding of human beings persisted throughout the subsequent imperial history of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Migration modes were correlated with clinical outcomes. • The worm was prone to migrate toward the cortical surface after medication. • Lesions distal from the original site may represent a delayed immune reaction. To differentiate diagnostic and prognostic factors from the clinical material of patients with cerebral sparganosis in central South China. Consecutive patients with cerebral sparganosis from our hospital between 2010 and 2018 were retrospectively enrolled. The clinical manifestations, radiographic features, treatment, and outcomes of these patients were analyzed. Thirty patients with cerebral sparganosis were included, and foci migration on magnetic resonance imaging was detected in 22 patients, from whom we observed 4 migration modes: interlobar migration (50.0%, 11/22); transmidline migration (27.3%, 6/22); transventricular migration (13.6%, 3/22); and cerebellum-brainstem migration (9.1%, 2/22). The percentage of good outcomes was higher in patients with live worm capture than in those without live worm capture (75.0%, 12/16 vs 33.3%, 2/6). Exposure to preoperative antiparasitic medication was associated with worm migration toward the cortical surface, which led to a higher probability of live worm capture. We propose 4 modes of sparganosis migration that are correlated with worm capture and neurologic prognosis. We found that exposure to antiparasitic medication was associated with worm migration toward the cortical surface, leading to a higher probability of live worm capture. These observations suggest a novel significance for preoperative medication of cerebral sparganosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: To assess the general and nutritional health of children with attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).Methods and Study Design: The National Multicenter Sleep Research Database for 23791 school-age children in grades 1-6 from 9 cities in China was accessed. Children with a specialist diagnosis of ADHD or not (non-ADHD) in 2005 were studied. National anthropometric growth standards for children aged 2-18 years classified children as underweight, wasted, stunted (short stature presumed nutritional), or overweight/obesity. Independent variables were preterm birth, sleep quality and prior disease and ADHD was the dependent variable. Binary logistic regression models were developed along with interaction analyses for associated disorder or disease on overweight/obesity, and stunted.Results: Some 18731 records were analyzed for 808 children with ADHD. The comparative prevalences for ADHD with non-ADHD children were stunted 9.8% vs 5.9% (p<0.001) and overweight/ obesity (32.6% vs 29.6%, p=0.002) respectively. ADHD boys were more often underweight (7.5% vs 5.3%, p=0.027), but not in girls. ADHD likelihood Odds Ratios, ORs (with 95%CI) were for premature birth 1.838, (1.393-2.423), allergic diseases 1.915 (1.526-2.399), otitis media 1.54 (1.118- 2.146), tonsillar or adenoid hypertrophy1.662 (1.348-2.050), gastroesophageal reflux 3.008(1.792-1.792-5.049), and sleep disorder 2.201(1.847-2.623) were ADHD risk factors. Only poor sleep quality and ADHD exhibited an interaction for stunted with OR=0.409 (0.233-0.719).Conclusions: Compromised and complex nutritional health in ADHD children challenges clinical nutrition with a range of health problems, albeit coherent with the needed nutritional emphasis in the 'first 1000 days'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The clinical features of eczema and dermatitis in the elderly have not been fully studied. To investigate the proportion and clinical features of geriatric eczema patients in mainland China. Patients and methods: A multicenter cross-sectional study conducted in outpatients with eczema from 39 tertiary hospitals in 15 provinces. Results: 1128 elderly patients (12.88%) had eczema and dermatitis. The mean age of those was 68.2 ± 6.8 years (range, 60-90 years) with a median course of 5.5 ± 8.9 years, which is much longer than that of non-geriatric patients (2.6 ± 4.1 years, p < 0.001). Compared to non-geriatric patients, more patients involved in extremities (76.2% vs 61.5%, p < 0.001) and trunk (37.2% vs 26.4%, p < 0.001), but less in head and neck (18.3% vs 30.4%, p < 0.001; 25.3% vs 20.6%, p < 0.001). 13.4% of eczema and dermatitis in the elderly was widespread, which is much higher than that of 8% in non-geriatric group (13.4% vs 8%, p < 0.001). 22.9% of geriatric eczema patients reported severe itching, which is much higher than that of 14% in counterparts (22.9% vs 14%, p < 0.001). A positive correlation was observed between age and severe itching (Spearman's rank correlation test, p < 0.001). More geriatric patients had xerosis (39.6% vs 30.4%, p < 0.001) and more lichenification was found (25.6% vs 13.3%, p < 0.001). Conclusion: More than 10% of eczema occurs in the elderly patients. Longer disease duration, more severe itching, more extremities and trunk involvement, and prone to widespread, xerosis, and lichenification make it a special entity which should be studied further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scientific expenditure and distribution of higher education drive the sustainable and stable development of regional economy. Currently, China faces an imbalance in the allocation of higher education resources. To solve the problem, it is necessary to study the spatiotemporal difference of higher education development. Therefore, this paper explores how higher education varies in time and space and measures how the spatiotemporal difference and input of higher education affects regional economy. Firstly, the authors divided the influence of spatiotemporal difference and input of higher education on regional economy into four aspects. Next, the spatiotemporal differences of higher education were examined in detail. Based on the four aspects, an equilibrium model was established for regional economic development, and the law of evolution to equilibrium was analyzed. Experimental results verify the effectiveness of the established model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traditional temperature-humidity index (THI) based on observation stations has been widely used to evaluate regional climate comfort, but it is impossible to obtain the spatiotemporal characteristics of larger-scale regional comfort. This study uses MODIS remote sensing data combined with a geographically weighted regression (GWR) model to improve the classic THI model, and the results are compared with traditional interpolation methods to analyze the spatiotemporal evolution of annual and monthly average climate comfort in China from 2005 to 2018. The GWR model uses the land surface temperature (LST), the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and a digital elevation model (DEM) as independent variables to fit the air temperature and accurately express the surface air temperature. According to the average annual THI change from 2005 to 2018, the cooler-more comfortable area increased to 136.11 km2, and the annual average comfort level in China changed from cold to comfortable. The Yunnan Province has the most comfortable months, and the central provinces have more comfortable periods than the southeastern coastal provinces. Except for Xinjiang, Tibet, and parts of Northeast China, the spatial distribution of the annual comfort level in China tends to change from comfortable to cold with increasing latitude. Compared with the traditional interpolation method, the THI model based on remote sensing data can more accurately express the spatial distribution characteristics of climate comfort in areas with sparse stations (e.g., northern Qinghai, western Xinjiang, and Hengduan Mountains), especially in mountainous areas in the southwest. This model can also reduce the influence of terrain, elevation, and other factors on the spatial distribution characteristics of comfort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Carbon dioxide (CO2) has the potential to extend the storage time of raw milk, but its industrial application in this regard has not been thoroughly explored. This study aimed to investigate the microflora of CO2‐treated and untreated raw milk from South China using Illumina sequencing. The sequencing results confirmed the presence of Delftia, Pseudomonas and Serratia as the main spoilage species in raw cow milk from South China. However, CO2 treatment was found to selectively inhibit the growth of these spoilage bacteria. Principal coordinate analysis revealed differences in the microbiota structures of samples collected from the Fuyi and Guanyuan sites. Additionally, a total of 119 and 120 bacterial species were identified in the Fuyi and Guanyuan samples, respectively. The spoilage of raw milk from the Fuyi and Guanyuan was delayed by 7 and 19 days, respectively, with the application of CO2 treatment. Conversely, the samples without CO2 treatment were found to be contaminated with Pseudomonas fluorescens and Serratia. Moreover, the CO2‐treated samples from the Fuyi and Guanyuan ranches exhibited a different composition of spoilage bacteria, with a significant increase in the number of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) compared to the control samples. This study suggests that LAB have a remarkable tolerance to CO2, which is consistent with their selection in fruit, vegetable and meat products stored in CO2‐enriched modified atmosphere packaging. The findings of this study provide a foundation for further exploration of the potential application of CO2 treatment in raw milk processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Icewine produced in China is becoming popular, but there is only limited knowledge available on the yeast population that occurs during fermentation and also on the selection of indigenous Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains for its production. In this work, we first investigated yeast species and the evolution of yeast population in spontaneous fermentations of icewine produced in the Qilian region of China and then analyzed the biodiversity and important enological properties of S. cerevisiae isolates. RESULTS: Seven species of five genera including S. cerevisiae, S. uvarum, Torulaspora delbrueckii, Hanseniaspora uvarum, Lachancea thermotolerans, Metschnikowia aff. fructicola and H. osmophila were identified by the colony morphology on Wallerstein Laboratory Nutrient medium and sequence analysis of the 26S rRNA gene D1/D2 domain. Saccharomyces cerevisiae, H. uvarum and L. thermotolerans were the dominant species, representing almost 87% of the total yeast isolates. Microvinification with seven preselected S. cerevisiae strains were performed on Vidal. All selected strains could complete fermentations, and the enochemical parameters were within the acceptable ranges of the wine industry. W5B3 produced higher amounts of ethyl hexanoate and ethyl octanoate than other strains. R3A10 was a low volatile acid producer and the corresponding icewine presented the highest values on some odorants including β‐damascenone, 1‐octen‐3‐ol, ethyl 2‐methylbutyrate, and isoamyl alcohol. Vidal icewines fermented with R3A10, R3A16 and W5B3 were well accepted by the judges because of superior sensory quality. CONCLUSION: Three indigenous strains (R3A10, R3A16 and W5B3) could be used as starters and could potentially improve the regional character of the icewine in Qilian. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During our ongoing survey of basidiomycetous yeasts associated with plant leaves in virgin forest, five Colacogloea strains were isolated in the Baotianman Nature Reserve, Henan Province, central China. Phenotypes from cultures and a phylogeny based on the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions and the D1/D2 domains of the large subunit (LSU) rRNA gene were employed to characterize and identify these isolates. As a result, two new species, namely Colacogloea celtidis sp. nov. and C. pararetinophila sp. nov., are introduced herein. In the phylogeny of combined ITS and LSU dataset, the new species C. celtidis sp. nov. formed a clade with the unpublished Colacogloea strain (KBP: Y-6832), and together these formed the sister group to C. armeniacae, while C. pararetinophila sp. nov. was retrieved as a sister to C. retinophila. A detailed description and illustration of both new species, as well as the differences between them and their closest relatives in the genus are provided. Results from the present study will add to our knowledge of the biodiversity of Colacogloea in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mongolian Plateau has undergone multi-stage denudation since the Late Triassic, and the NE-trending Langshan Mountains in the southern margin of the Mongolian Plateau is crucial to unraveling the Meso-Cenozoic cooling and exhumation history of the Mongolian Plateau. The Langshan Mountains are dominated by Precambrian gneiss and Permian–Middle Triassic granitic plutons crosscut by a set of NE-striking thrust faults. A joint thermochronological study was conducted on 31 granitic and gneissic samples along the HQ and CU transects across the Langshan Mountains and other two samples from the BQ in the north of the Langshan Mountains. Four biotite/muscovite and three K-feldspar 40 Ar/ 39 Ar plateau ages range from 205 ± 1 to 161 ± 1 and 167 ± 1 to 131 ± 1 Ma, respectively. Thirty-three apatite fission track (AFT) ages are between 184 ± 11 and 79 ± 4 Ma, with mean track lengths from 11.1 ± 1.8 to 13.1 ± 1.4 μm of mostly unimodal distributions. Thirty-one single-grain raw AHe ages are in a range of 134 ± 8 to 21 ± 1 Ma. The AFT ages decrease monotonously from NW to SE until thrust faults along the two transects, with an age-jump across thrust F35. Joint thermal history modelling shows a three-stage cooling history as a result of denudation, especially with spatial differentiation in the first stage. Relative slow cooling at c. 0.6–1.0 °C/Ma occurred in the BQ and the northern part of the HQ transect during 220–100 Ma and the northern part of the CU transect during 160–100 Ma, respectively, with an amount of c. 2–3 km denudation between 160 and 100 Ma, implying little movement along the thrusts F13 and F33. In the middle and southern parts of the HQ transect and the southern part of the CU transect, rapid cooling at c. 4.0–7.0 °C/Ma, with c. 6–9 km denudation during 170–130 or 160–100 Ma, respectively, is probably influenced by thrusting of F35, F38 and F42 and the resultant tilting. A combination of thrusting, tilting, and denudation led to the youngering trends towards thrusts in different parts. However, there was no significant denudation across the Langshan Mountains in the second stage from c. 100 or 80 Ma until the last stage of rapid denudation (c. 2 km) since 20–10 Ma, which is simultaneous with the rapid uplift of the northern part of the Tibetan Plateau at c. 15 Ma. A youngering trend of AFT ages from the inner to the peripherals of the Mongolian Plateau implies the outward propagation of the Mongolian Plateau since the Mesozoic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to establish an effective prognostic nomogram with or without plasma Epstein-Barr virus DNA (EBV DNA) for nondisseminated nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).Methods: The nomogram was based on a retrospective study of 4630 patients who underwent radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center from 2007 to 2009. The predictive accuracy and discriminative ability of the nomogram were determined by a concordance index (C-index) and calibration curve and were compared with EBV DNA and the current staging system. The results were validated using bootstrap resampling and a prospective cohort study on 1819 patients consecutively enrolled from 2011 to 2012 at the same institution. All statistical tests were two-sided.Results: Independent factors derived from multivariable analysis of the primary cohort to predict recurrence were age, sex, body mass index (BMI), T stage, N stage, plasma EBV DNA, pretreatment high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and hemoglobin level (HGB), which were all assembled into the nomogram with (nomogram B) or without EBV DNA (nomogram A). The calibration curve for the probability of recurrence showed that the nomogram-based predictions were in good agreement with actual observations. The C-index of nomogram B for predicting recurrence was 0.728 (P < .001), which was statistically higher than the C-index values for nomogram A (0.690), EBV DNA (0.680), and the current staging system (0.609). The C-index of nomogram B (0.730) and nomogram A (0.681) remained higher for predicting recurrence among patients treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (P < .001). The results were confirmed in the validation cohort.Conclusions: The proposed nomogram with or without plasma EBV DNA resulted in more accurate prognostic prediction for NPC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is a common cause of death globally, and case reports and empirical studies on CO poisoning are widely examined. However, to the authors' knowledge, CO poisoning deaths in the mainland China are scarcely studied. Therefore, this study aims to explore the incidence trend of CO poisoning deaths that occurred in Wuhan - a mega city in Central China - for a six-year period (2009-2014). This arguably is the first comprehensive study to provide an overall analysis of CO poisoning deaths that sampled the mainland Chinese population. Using the data provided by the legal physicians who are employed in nine districts of Wuhan, a total of 131 cases of CO poisoning that resulted in the death of 156 victims are collected. Out of the total, 76 cases (97 deaths) are classified as accidents, 49 cases (51 deaths) are suicides, three cases (four deaths) are homicides, one case (three deaths) is homicide-suicide, and one case (one death) is classified as undetermined. Male victims are found to be the dominant sex group (53.5%; N = 83); with a mean age of 44.9 years, while female victims averagely aged 46.1 years. The highest death occurring month is in January, and followed by February and December. Coal or charcoal burning is found to be the major cause of suicide CO poisoning death (66.7%), while fire accident is the major cause of accidental CO poisoning death (60.8%) in Wuhan during the six-year period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on the development of disciplinary structure in China's top research universities. Using the science structures of Mainland China, the world, and the world's top 10 universities as three reference standards, we measure the disciplinary structure 'distance' between the Chinese '985 universities' and the references, and analyze whether the 985 universities are moving toward or away from the reference groups (RG) in terms of disciplinary structure. The results show that most of the 985 universities' disciplinary structures are very similar to China's science structure. The disciplinary structure distances between the 985 universities and both the world reference and the world's top universities reference have narrowed recently, but the overall degrees of similarity are still low. Another important finding is that the rise of biomedical science has played an important role in the 985 universities' move from a native 'sci-engineering focused' structure to an international 'bio-science focused' structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microtendipes globosus sp. nov. (Diptera: Chironomidae) from Xishan Island, China is described and illustrated from a male imago. The new species is characterized by a spherical median volsella with 9-10 long setae, the basal lobe of the superior volsella with 10-12 setae, tergite IX without median seta, and the absence of pigment marks on the wings. An identification key to the males belonging to the genus Microtendipes in China is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: This multicenter, open‐label, randomized study (Registration No. ChiCTR‐OCH‐14004528) aimed to compare the efficacy and effects of oxcarbazepine (OXC) with levetiracetam (LEV) as monotherapies on patient quality of life and mental health for patients with newly diagnosed focal epilepsy from China. Methods: Patients with newly diagnosed focal epilepsy who had experienced 2 or more unprovoked seizures at greater than a 24‐h interval during the previous year were recruited. Participants were randomly assigned to the OXC group or LEV group. Efficacy, safety, quality of life, and mental health were evaluated over 12‐week and 24‐week periods. Results: In total, we recruited 271 newly diagnosed patients from 23 centers. Forty‐four patients were excluded before treatment for reasons. The rate of seizure freedom of OXC was significantly superior to that of LEV at 12 weeks and 24 weeks (p < 0.05). The quality of life (except for the seizure worry subsection) and anxiety scale scores also showed significant differences from before to after treatment in the OXC and LEV groups. Conclusions: OXC monotherapy may be more effective than LEV monotherapy in patients with newly diagnosed focal epilepsy. Both OXC and LEV could improve the quality of life and anxiety state in adult patients with focal epilepsy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the longitudinal prediction of intensity and emotional connection (EC) related to online social networking use at baseline on the risk of incident depression at nine-month follow-up among adolescents.Methods: A total of 3196 secondary school students, who were online social networking users and free of depression at baseline, were included in this study. Multilevel logistic regression models were applied to investigate the longitudinal prediction of two dimensions of online social networking use intensity (social function use intensity (SFUI), entertainment function use intensity (EFUI)) and EC scores at baseline on incident depression at follow-up.Results: The incidence of depression was 23.37 per 100-person-years during a nine-month follow-up period. Baseline SFUI and EFUI scores were significantly associated with higher level of incident depression (adjusted OR = 1.017, 95% CI: 1.004-1.029 for SFUI, p = 0.010; adjusted OR = 1.046, 95% CI: 1.012-1.080 for EFUI, p = 0.007), after adjustment of significant background factors and baseline depressive symptom score. The associations of EC at baseline and its interaction with SFUI and EFUI on incident depression were statistically non-significant.Conclusion: Online social networking use seems be a risk factor of depression among adolescents, regardless of its specific functions. Early intervention is recommended to reduce the level of online social networking use intensity as a means of preventing depression among adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the clinical features of multicentric reticulohistiocytosis (MRH).Methods: The clinical manifestations, laboratory examination results and histologic characteristics of eleven patients with MRH were collected and compared with those of 33 patients with rheumatoid arthritis.Results: In total, 72.7% of the MRH patients were women. The median age was 46 years (range 33-84 years). Diagnosed by specific pathologic features, all MRH patients exhibited cutaneous involvement. The dorsa of the hands, arms, face and auricle were the most commonly affected areas. Nodules were also located on the legs, scalp, trunk, neck, and even the hypoglossis and buccal mucosa. Ten MRH patients (90.9%) had symmetric polyarthritis. Compared with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, MRH patients were more likely to have distal interphalangeal joint (DIP) involvement (63.6% vs 24.2%, P = 0.017) and less likely to have elbow (36.4% vs 72.7%, P = 0.003), ankle (45.5% vs 93.9%, P < 0.001) and metacarpophalangeal joint (MCP) (36.4% vs 78.8%, P = 0.009) involvement. Positivity for rheumatoid factor (RF) (36.4% vs 84.6%, P = 0.001) and anti-CCP antibody (9.1% vs 81.8%, P = 0.000), as well as the median RF titer [43.8 (31.7-61.0) vs 175.4 (21.3-940.3), P = 0.021], in MRH patients was lower than in RA patients. Elevation of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was also less common in MRH patients than in RA patients (36.4% vs 72.7%, P = 0.030). After treatment with median- to large-dose corticosteroids and disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, 8 patients achieved complete remission and 2 patients partial remission (skin lesions ameliorated, joint lesions not ameliorated).Conclusion: Always pathologically diagnosed, MRH is a systemic disease involving RA-like erosive polyarthritis and a specific distribution of skin nodules characterized by "coral beads". More DIP involvement and less elbow, ankle and MCP involvement are seen in MRH than in RA. In addition, less positivity and lower-titer RF, uncommon presence of anti-CCP antibodies and ESR elevation may be helpful to distinguish MRH from RA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research examines the intention of undergraduate medical students to withdraw from the medical profession and pursue a career in a different field upon graduation during COVID-19. We leverage the first and most comprehensive nationwide survey for medical education in China, which covered 98,668 enrolled undergraduate students from 90 out of 181 Chinese medical schools in 2020. We focus on these students' self-reported intention to leave the healthcare industry (the "dropout intention") before and after the outbreak of the epidemic. We also designed a randomized experiment to test whether and to what extent medical students dropout intention responded to an information nudge that highlighted the prosociality of health professionals in the fight against the virus. Results from a difference-in-differences model and a student fixed effect model suggest that after the onset of COVID-19, the proportion of Chinese undergraduate medical students with a dropout intention declined from 13.7% to 6.8%. Furthermore, the nudge information reduced the intent-to-drop-out probability by 0.8 additional percentage points for students in their early college years. There was large heterogeneity underneath the treatment effect. Specifically, we find that prior dropout intention and exposures to COVID-19-related information tended to mitigate the nudge effects. Data on students' actual dropout outcomes support our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In order to study the influence of long-term growth process and evolution environment on intestinal bacteria of different breeds, the intestinal bacteria and volatile fatty acids among the faeces of Min, Landrace and Yorkshire pigs were analysed by Illumina high-throughput sequencing of the 16S-rDNA and gas chromatography. Results: The shared core microbiota of Landrace, Yorkshire and Min pig were 1273, accounting for 69.56% of total abundance of organisms. The proportion of Firmicutes in Min pig faeces (57.89%) was significantly higher than that in Landrace and Yorkshire pig faeces (47.01% and 46.40%, respectively) (P < 0.05), but that of Bacteroidetes was exactly opposite. Moreover, Min pig presented more highly efficient membrane transport, environmental adaptation, carbohydrate transport, and metabolism than Yorkshire pig (P < 0.05). The acetic acid/total volatile fatty acid ratio in Min pig was significantly higher than that in Landrace pig (P < 0.05), and the isobutyric acid/total volatile fatty acid ratio in Min pig was significantly larger than that in Yorkshire pig (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the content of branched chain volatile fatty acids in Min pig was significantly higher than that in Yorkshire pig (P < 0.05). Conclusions: This study demonstrated that Min pig, as an excellent breed in the cold area of China, possessed special intestinal floral structure compared to the imported pigs in order to satisfy their physiological and metabolic demands, which may influence their characteristics such as resistance to cold, diseases, and crude feeding, and the ability to deposit intramuscular fat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Dioszegia is comprised of anamorphic basidiomycetous yeasts and is classified in the family Bulleribasidiaceae of the order Tremellales. Currently, 24 species have been described and accepted as members of the genus, although its diversity and global distribution have not been thoroughly investigated. In this study, yeasts were isolated from plant leaves collected in the Guizhou and Henan Provinces of China and identified through a combination of morphological and molecular methods. Phylogenetic analyses of the combined ITS and LSU sequences coupled with morphological studies revealed three novel species, D. guizhouensis sp. nov., D. foliicola sp. nov., and D. aurantia sp. nov., proposed here. Additionally, our phylogenetic analyses suggest that the recently discovered species D. terrae is a synonym of D. maotaiensis. This study presents detailed descriptions and illustrations of three new Dioszegia species and highlights distinctions between them and their close relatives. The findings of this study contribute to our knowledge of the biodiversity of Dioszegia, offering a foundation for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Experimental studies have shown that disinfection byproducts (DBPs) including haloacetic acids (HAAs) can cause liver toxicity, but evidence linking this association in humans is sparse. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to explore the associations between HAA exposures and liver injury. METHODS: We included 922 women between December 2018 and January 2020 from the Tongji Reproductive and Environmental (TREE) cohort study in Wuhan, China. Urinary HAA concentrations including trichloroacetic acid (TCAA) and dichloroacetic acid (DCAA) and serum indicators of liver function, including alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) were measured. Liver injury was defined as if any of serum indicator levels were above the 90th percentile. Multivariate logistic and linear regression models were fitted to assess the associations of urinary HAA concentrations with the risk of liver injury and liver function indicators. Stratified analyses by age, body mass index (BMI), alcohol use, and passive smoking were also applied to evaluate the potential effect modifiers. RESULTS: There is little evidence of associations of urinary TCAA concentrations with liver injury risk and liver function indicators. However, urinary DCAA concentrations were associated with a higher risk of liver injury [odds ratios (OR) for 1-interquartile range (IQR) increase in natural log (ln) transformed DCAA concentrations: 1.45; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.07, 1.98]. This association was observed only among nondrinkers (푝interaction =0.058). We also found that a 1-IQR increase in ln-transformed DCAA concentrations was positively associated with ALT levels (percentage change =6.06%; 95% CI: 0.48%, 11.95%) and negatively associated with AST/ALT (percentage change= -4.48%; 95% CI: -7.80%, -1.04%). In addition, urinary DCAA concentrations in relation to higher GGT levels was observed only among passive smokers (푝interaction =0.040). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that exposure to DCAA but not TCAA is associated with liver injury among women undergoing assisted reproductive technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, lung cancer has become one of the most common malignant tumors in the world, which seriously threatens the life and health of mankind. Lung cancer is also the most common cancer in China. According to the latest report released by the National Cancer Center, the incidence and fatality rate of lung cancer in China rank first among malignant tumors, which has brought great disease burden to the Chinese. In this paper, using ethyl acetoacetate as the starting material, eight benzo[d]imidazolium[2,1-b]thiazole target compounds containing chromone were synthesized in five steps through alpha halogenation, cyclization, hydrolysis, condensation and cyclization reaction. MTT assay was used to evaluate the in vitro inhibitory activity of the target compounds on A549 and H2228 cancer cells. The IC50 values of the target compounds to A549 and H2228 cell lines ranged from 17.63 to 369.09 μmol/L. Some target compounds have moderate anti-tumor activity in vitro, which could be used to prepare related anti-tumor drugs for lung cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sex pheromones serve a critical role in Lepidopterans finding mates. Male moths perceive and react to sex pheromones emitted by conspecific females through a delicate pheromone communication system. Pheromone receptors (PRs) are the key sensory elements at the beginning of that process. The codling moth (Cydia pomnonella) is an important pome fruit pest globally and a serious invasive species in China. Pheromone‐based techniques have been used successfully in monitoring and controlling this species. We conducted ribonucleic acid sequencing analysis of the codling moth antennal transcriptome and identified 66 odorant receptors (ORs) in a population from Xinjiang province, China, of which 14 were PRs, including two novel PRs (CpomOR2e and CpomOR73). Four PRs that contain full‐length open reading frames (CpomOR1, OR2a, OR5, OR7) and four PRs with ligands that have not been reported previously (CpomOR1, OR2a, OR5, OR7) were selected to deorphanize in the heterologous Xenopus oocyte expression system. Specifically, we found that CpomOR2a and CpomOR5 responded to (E,E)‐8, 10‐dodecadien‐1‐yl acetate (codlemone acetate). Furthermore, CpomOR5 (EC50 = 1.379 × 10−8 mol/L) was much more sensitive to codlemone acetate than CpomOR2a (EC50 = 1.663 × 10−6 mol/L). Since codlemone acetate is an important component of C. pomonella sex pheromone, our results improve the current understanding of pheromone communication in codling moths and will be helpful for the development of pest management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To explore the cross‐level relationships between group organisational citizenship behaviour, emotional intelligence, work engagement and nurse–patient relationship. Background: Group‐level factors influencing nurse–patient relationship are seldom studied. Method: A cross‐sectional questionnaire survey was conducted among 1,246 nurses from 55 nursing groups in a 3A hospital in China, and the data were analysed by multilevel analysis. Results: Group organisational citizenship behaviour is positively related to nurse–patient relationship with work engagement as a mediator. Emotional intelligence moderates the relationship between group organisational citizenship behaviour and nurse–patient relationship. Specifically, high emotional intelligence reduces the positive impact of group organisational citizenship behaviour on nurse–patient relationship. Conclusions: This study provides new insights into the influencing factors of nurse–patient relationship based on the social information processing theory. In groups with high group organisational citizenship, positive work engagement and emotional intelligence, nurses are more likely to deliver better performance in patient care, leading to better nurse–patient relationships. Implications for Nursing Management: This study suggests that influencing factors at both group and individual levels should be considered while establishing nurse–patient relationships. A positive group climate and personal ability development significantly improve patient care quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Maximising conservation benefits on state-owned land. • Quantifying land costs, ecological values and human values in an integrated climate context. • Adaptation of model parameters to research sites based on machine learning. • Ecological corridors avoiding the objective fragmentation of the Marxan model results. • Phased implementation of conservation plans. In China, especially in countries with state-owned land use rights, the loss of urban bird diversity due to rapid urbanisation can't be contained or ameliorated by equitably weighing the ecological and economic values of land. Climate change could further threaten urban bird biodiversity and ultimately lead to a "tragedy of the commons". The Beijing Ecological Cultivation Area (BECA) is one such area that has suffered from low eco-efficiency due to climate change and chaotic management. There is a need to find more effective solutions for urban bird conservation to reduce the negative impacts of rapid urbanisation while avoiding wasting more conservation costs. For this purpose, the protection priorities for BECA based on 4 global future climate models (RCP2.6, RCP4.5, RCP6.0 and RCP8.5) for the years 2041–2060, 56 species of local resident birds in the "Beijing Terrestrial Wildlife - Birds" were used as study subjects, which were identified through systematic conservation planning (scp) with combinatorial modelling (MaxEnt-Marxan). In addition, three scenarios were innovatively developed in Marxan with maximum respect for the original land use types. The eco-efficiency and eco-corridor of these three scenarios were compared and identified through ArcGis. The results of the survey show that 'Comprehensive Conservation' has the largest mean distribution area, with the results for RCP 2.6–8.5 being: 52.34%; 65.25%; 48.34%; and 45.42%. It had the highest spatial continuity, the lowest fragmentation, and the highest conservation efficiency. Moreover, We recommend a phased implementation of the conservation plans and and suggest planning options for three landform types: High-altitude mountain; Medium or Low-altitude shallow mountainous; and Water conservation areas. It is important to establish ecological corridors from the Huairou district's northern part to the Yanqing district's northeastern part and beyond. This paper quantifies the land costs, ecological values and human impact factors of the planning area in a comprehensive climate context with the theme of conserving urban bird diversity. This study aims to maximise the conservation benefits of urban bird diversity and to provide basic research for ecological conservation on state-owned land. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Experimental studies show that disinfection byproducts (DBPs) can inhibit oocyte maturation, decrease fertilization capacity, and impair embryo development, but human evidence is lacking. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to evaluate the associations between exposure to drinking water DBPs and in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes. METHODS: The study included 1,048 women undergoing assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment between December 2018 and January 2020 from a prospective cohort study, the Tongji Reproductive and Environmental study in Wuhan, China. Exposure to DBPs was assessed by dichloroacetic acid (DCAA) and trichloroacetic acid (TCAA) in up to four urine samples, which were collected on the day of both enrollment and oocyte retrieval. Multivariable generalized linear mixed models, accounting for multiple IVF cycles per woman, were applied to evaluate the associations between urinary biomarkers of DBP exposures and IVF outcomes. Stratified analyses were used to explore the potential effect modifiers. RESULTS: The included 1,048 women underwent 1,136 IVF cycles, with 960 (91.6%), 84 (8.0%), and 4 (0.4%) women contributing one cycle, two cycles, and three cycles, respectively. We found that elevated quartiles of urinary DCAA and TCAA concentrations were associated with reduced numbers of total oocytes and metaphase II oocytes and that urinary DCAA concentrations with a lower proportion of best-quality embryos (all 푝 for trends<0.05). Moreover, elevated quartiles of urinary DCAA concentrations were associated with decreased proportions of successful implantation, clinical pregnancy, and live birth (14%, 15%, and 15% decreases in adjusted means comparing the extreme quartiles, respectively; all 푝 for trends<0.05). Stratification analyses showed that the inverse associations of urinary TCAA concentrations with multiple IVF outcomes were stronger among women ≥30 y of age (푝 for interactions<0.05). DISCUSSION: Exposure to drinking water DBPs was inversely associated with some IVF outcomes among women undergoing ART treatment. Further study is necessary to confirm our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Metabolomic signatures of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in Tibetan Chinese population, a group with high diabetes burden, remain largely unclear. Identifying the serum metabolite profile of Tibetan T2DM (T-T2DM) individuals may provide novel insights into early T2DM diagnosis and intervention. Methods: Hence, we conducted untargeted metabolomics analysis of plasma samples from a retrospective cohort study with 100 healthy controls and 100 T-T2DM patients by using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. Results: The T-T2DM group had significant metabolic alterations that are distinct from known diabetes risk indicators, such as body mass index, fasting plasma glucose, and glycosylated hemoglobin levels. The optimal metabolite panels for predicting T-T2DM were selected using a tenfold cross-validation random forest classification model. Compared with the clinical features, the metabolite prediction model provided a better predictive value. We also analyzed the correlation of metabolites with clinical indices and found 10 metabolites that were independently predictive of T-T2DM. Conclusion: By using the metabolites identified in this study, we may provide stable and accurate biomarkers for early T-T2DM warning and diagnosis. Our study also provides a rich and open-access data resource for optimizing T-T2DM management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the characteristics of intracranial infection (ICI) in patients after neurosurgery, and the influence of rational use of antibiotics. Methods: The medical records of 127 patients with neurosurgery-related ICI who were admitted into Jincheng People's Hospital, Jincheng, Shanxi, China from April 2019 to April 2022 were selected. The results of bacterial culture and drug susceptibility tests of cerebrospinal fluid were collected, and the profile of bacteria in the cerebrospinal fluid specimens of patients and the different bacterial compositions were analyzed. Results: A total of 148 strains of pathogenic bacteria were cultured and isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid samples of 127 patients, out of which 91 strains of Gram-positive bacteria accounted for 61.49 %, and 57 strains of Gram-negative bacteria accounted for 38.51 %. The Gram-positive bacteria were Staphylococcus aureus, coagulase-negative Staphylococcus, and hemolytic Staphylococcus, while the Gram-negative bacteria comprised the pathogenic bacteria Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The Gram-positive bacteria were more sensitive to rifampicin (91.21 %), vancomycin (95.60 %), and linezolid (97.80 %), while the Gram-negative bacteria were more sensitive to imipenem (84.21 %), meropenem (75.44 %) and amikacin (77.19 %). Conclusion: Gram-positive bacteria are the main pathogenic bacteria implicated in ICI after neurosurgery in patients. A further large-scale study is needed for better delineation of the disease presentation and prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an 8‐week electronic couple‐based psychosocial support platform (WeChat) for gynaecological cancer. Design: Randomised controlled trial. Setting: Oncology hospital in Shaanxi Province, China. Participants: A total of 98 dyads of women with gynaecological cancer and their intimate male partners were included. Methods: Couple dyads were randomly allocated to either the WeChat couple‐based psychosocial support or to a control group receiving eight WeChat articles on general education content related to diet and exercise. Main outcome measures: The primary outcome was sexual function assessed with the Female Sexual Function Index. The secondary outcomes of relationship satisfaction and quality of life were assessed with the Chinese version of Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale, Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy‐General and The World Health Organization Quality of Life BREF. These outcomes were assessed before randomisation, and immediately and 3 months after the intervention. Results: The study showed that the sexual function of women participants in the intervention group did not reach a significant level compared with the control group. Relationship satisfaction in the intervention programme improved significantly (adjusted mean difference 4.7, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.0–7.4; p = 0.001) and quality of life (QoL 6.9, 95% CI 0.5–13.3; p = 0.035) 3 months after the intervention in women with gynaecological cancer. The intervention programme also showed significant positive effects on optimising relationship satisfaction (adjuste mean difference 3.0, 95% CI 0.3–5.7; p = 0.027) of male partners. Conclusions: The results provided additional knowledge and an evidence base for the application of the support programme to improve relationship satisfaction and QoL among couples living with gynaecological cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Effect of leaf size on herbivory is tested with 5754 leaves of 42 tree species. • Effects of leaf size on herbivory differs among seasons. • Effect of leaf size on herbivory is species specific. • Effect of leaf size on herbivory is contingent on both external and intrinsic factors. • A one-off survey with few species may give misleading information. Insect herbivory on plant leaves is a major determinant of plant fitness, especially the growth and survival of tree seedlings in forests. Leaf size is believed to significantly affect the intensity of herbivory. Studies often assume the relationship between leaf size and herbivory to be monotonic; however, this relationship is influenced by many factors—the magnitude and direction of which are different—indicating a complex non-monotonic pattern. In this study, we investigated the herbivory of 5754 leaves of 422 seedlings belonging to 42 subtropical tree species over two seasons in southwest China. The effects of leaf size on herbivory differed among seasons; a hump-shaped pattern was detected in December, while a pattern of monotonic increase was detected in September. A variety of patterns, including complex non-monotonic hump-shaped patterns, as well as patterns indicating monotonic decrease and increase existed among species, although most species displayed no significant correlations. The relationship between leaf size and insect herbivory did not follow a constant rule, but differed across species and seasons, indicating that the effects of leaf size on the foraging preferences of insect herbivores may be contingent on both external (e.g., temperature) and intrinsic (e.g., other leaf traits) factors. Therefore, a one-off survey focusing on few species may not provide complete understanding of the overall pattern of the effect of leaf size on herbivory. Similar variations may also exist in other ecological processes, which should be given due consideration in future studies on biotic interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of novel plasma radio frequency generator and its single-use polypectomy snares for endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) of gastrointestinal (GI) polyps. Methods: A total of 217 patients with 413 GI polyps were recruited from four centers in China. Patients were assigned to experimental or control groups using a central randomization method. The experimental group used the novel plasma radio frequency generator and its matched single-use polypectomy snares (Neowing, Shanghai), while the control group used the high-frequency electrosurgical unit (Erbe, Germany) and disposable electrosurgical snares (Olympus, Japan). The primary endpoint was the en bloc resection rate, and the non-inferiority margin was set at 10%. Secondary endpoint included operation time, coagulation success rate, intraoperative and postoperative bleeding rate, and perforation rate. Results: The en bloc resection rate was 97.20% (104/107) in the experimental group and 95.45% (105/110) in the control group (P = 0.496). The operation time was 29.14 ± 20.21 min in the experimental group and 30.26 ± 18.74 min in the control group (P = 0.671). The average removal time of a single polyp in the experimental group was 7.52 ± 4.45 min, which was slightly shorter than that in the control group 8.90 ± 6.67 min, with no statistical difference (P = 0.076). The intraoperative bleeding rates of the experimental group and control group were 8.41% (9/107) and 10.00% (11/110), respectively (P = 0.686). No intraoperative perforation occurred in either group. The postoperative bleeding rates of the experimental group and the control group were 1.87% (2/107) and 4.55% (5/110), respectively (P = 0.465). No postoperative perforation occurred in the experimental group (0/107), while one case of delayed perforation occurred in the control group (1/110, 0.91%). There was no statistical difference between the two groups. Conclusions: Endoscopic mucosal resection of GI polyps with the novel plasma radio frequency generator is safe and effective, and non-inferior to the conventional high-frequency electrosurgical system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autophagy plays an important role in the infectious processes of diverse pathogens. For instance, cellular autophagy could be harnessed by viruses to facilitate replication. However, it is still uncertain about the interplay of autophagy and swine acute diarrhea syndrome coronavirus (SADS-CoV) in cells. In this study, we reported that SADS-CoV infection could induce a complete autophagy process both in vitro and in vivo, and an inhibition of autophagy significantly decreased SADS-CoV production, thus suggesting that autophagy facilitated the replication of SADS-CoV. We found that ER stress and its downstream IRE1 pathway were indispensable in the processes of SADS-CoV-induced autophagy. We also demonstrated that IRE1-JNK-Beclin 1 signaling pathway, neither PERK-EIF2S1 nor ATF6 pathways, was essential during SADS-CoV-induced autophagy. Importantly, our work provided the first evidence that expression of SADS-CoV PLP2-TM protein induced autophagy through the IRE1-JNK-Beclin 1 signaling pathway. Furthermore, the interaction of viral PLP2-TMF451-L490 domain and substrate-binding domain of GRP78 was identified to activate the IRE1-JNK-Beclin 1 signaling pathway, and thus resulting in autophagy, and in turn, enhancing SADS-CoV replication. Collectively, these results not only showed that autophagy promoted SADS-CoV replication in cultured cells, but also revealed that the molecular mechanism underlying SADS-CoV-induced autophagy in cells. Author summary: SADS-CoV, a novel bat-origin pathogen belonging to the family Alphacoronavirus, was confirmed to be the aetiological agent that caused mass death of piglets in southern China in 2017. Strikingly, since the outbreak of SADS-CoV, multiple studies have highlighted the risk of cross-species transmission due to its broad cell tropism. A better understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms is expected to result in a more specific SADS-CoV prevention and control measures. As yet, the pathogenic mechanisms of SADS-CoV have so far not been characterized well. Here, we found that SADS-CoV infection induced a complete autophagy process in vitro and in vivo to facilitate virus propagation. Furthermore, it's indicated that ER stress and IRE1 pathway played indispensable functions in SADS-CoV-induced autophagy. Notably, we have provided first evidence that SADS-CoV PLP2-TMF451-L490 domain induced autophagy by interacting with substrate-binding domain of GRP78 to activate the IRE1-JNK-Beclin 1 signaling pathway. Overall, our study presented detailed mechanism of SADS-CoV-induced autophagy as well as a contribution for SADS-CoV pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, based on the engineering background of the No. 8222 working face of the Tashan coal mine in Shanxi Province, China, true triaxial experiments were carried out on Geotechnical Consulting and Testing Systems rock mechanics testing machine using cubic coal samples, and the numerical simulation was conducted through the FLAC3D software. Moreover, the stress evolution law of different layers of extra-thick coal seams and the failure mechanism of top coal in the fully mechanized caving were investigated, and the failure structure model of top coal was established. The results show that there are differences in the principal stress values at different layers of the top coal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In this study, a case of infection with RVC was identified and the full-length genome of RVC in China was sequenced. A natural recombination event was observed in the RVC genome. Collectively, our data suggest that the RVC exists in China and it can be mixed with other diarrhea viruses, which brings new challenges to the prevention and control of diarrhea disease in pigs. Our data provide a new insight into the evolution of the rotavirus. Swine enteric disease is the predominant cause of morbidity and mortality, and viral species involved in swine enteric disease include rotaviruses and coronaviruses, among others. Awareness of the circulating porcine rotavirus group C (PoRVC) in pig herds is critical to evaluate the potential impact of infection. At present, due to the lack of disease awareness and molecular diagnostic means, the research on RVC infection in China is not well-studied. In this study, diarrhea samples collected from pig farms were detected positive for RVC by PCR, and the full-length RVC was not previously reported for Chinese pig farms. This rotavirus strain was designated as RVC/Pig/CHN/JS02/2018/G6P6. A natural recombination event was observed with breakpoints at nucleotides (nt) 2509 to 2748 of the VP2 gene. Phylogenetic analysis based on nsp1 revealed that a new branch A10 formed. Collectively, our data suggest a potentially novel gene recombination event of RVC in the VP2 gene. These findings provide a new insight into the evolution of the rotavirus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, increasing numbers of cases of acute gastroenteritis caused by Group A rotavirus (RVA) G12 strains have been reported in humans from many countries around the world, but G12 RVA detection in animals is currently less reported. Pigs are an important animal reservoir of zoonotic RVs and a mixing vessel for RVs. In 2020, RVA infection cases in piglets increased in China, which attracted more attention. During an epidemiological survey, a new type of porcine G12P[7] strain (CN127) was detected in pig farms across several provinces. Complete genome analyses revealed that strain CN127 possessed a Wa‐like backbone with a genotype constellation of G12‐P[7]‐I1‐C1‐M1‐R1‐A8‐N1‐T1‐E1‐H1. The A8 genotype is indicative of its porcine rotavirus origin. Sequence identities and phylogenetic analyses showed that the VP2, VP4, NSP1, NSP4 and NSP5 genes were most closely related to those of porcine rotaviruses, but the VP1, VP6, VP7 and NSP2‐3 genes were most closely related to those of human rotaviruses. CN127 likely emerged due to genetic reassortment between porcine and human rotavirus. In vivo experiments showed that CN127 infection caused gastrointestinal tract lesions in piglets and histopathological changes in the lung, liver and mesenteric lymph nodes (MLNs). In the small intestine, RVA antigen was detected in the duodenum and jejunum but not in the ileum. In the extra‐intestinal tissues, RVA antigen was detected in the lung but not in the MLNs. Viral RNA was detected in the intestinal and extra‐intestinal tissues as well as blood. This study reveals that RVA G12P[7] may become an epidemic strain in China and also provides further evidence that cocirculating human and porcine strains could produce new genotype rotaviruses with high virulence in piglets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives: To assess the prevalence and associated factors of depression and anxiety among caregivers of patients with atrial fibrillation. Background: Depression and anxiety are common in caregivers of patients with cardiovascular diseases, including heart failure and coronary artery disease. However, studies about depression and anxiety among caregivers of patients with atrial fibrillation are limited. Design: Cross‐sectional study. Methods: We enrolled 465 dyads of patients with atrial fibrillation and their primary family caregivers from Beijing Anzhen Hospital between September 2020 and March 2021. The patient–caregiver dyads were excluded if primary family caregivers had previous mental disorders before the patient diagnosis of atrial fibrillation. Depression and anxiety of patients and caregivers were measured by Patient Health Questionnaire‐9 and Generalized Anxiety Disorder‐7 scale. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to assess factors associated with depression and anxiety of caregivers. STROBE guidelines were followed to report this study. Results: The prevalence of caregiver depression (Patient Health Questionnaire‐9 score ≥5) and anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder‐7 score ≥5) was 14.0% and 13.5% respectively. Caregiver number of comorbidities ≥2 and patient depression were significantly associated with caregiver depression. Caregiver age ≥65 years, caregiver female sex and patient anxiety were predictors of caregiver anxiety. Conclusions: Depression and anxiety are common in caregivers of patients with AF. Better management of caregiver mental problems and associated factors may benefit both patients and caregivers. Relevance to clinical practice: Clinicians and nurses should pay more attention to depression and anxiety in caregivers of patients with atrial fibrillation, and provide support to caregivers in most need. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Extranodal natural killer T-cell lymphoma (NKTCL), nasal type, is a rare and aggressive malignancy that occurs predominantly in Asian and Latin American populations. Although Epstein-Barr virus infection is a known risk factor, other risk factors and the pathogenesis of NKTCL are not well understood. We aimed to identify common genetic variants affecting individual risk of NKTCL.Methods: We did a genome-wide association study of 189 patients with extranodal NKTCL, nasal type (WHO classification criteria; cases) and 957 controls from Guangdong province, southern China. We validated our findings in four independent case-control series, including 75 cases from Guangdong province and 296 controls from Hong Kong, 65 cases and 983 controls from Guangdong province, 125 cases and 1110 controls from Beijing (northern China), and 60 cases and 2476 controls from Singapore. We used imputation and conditional logistic regression analyses to fine-map the associations. We also did a meta-analysis of the replication series and of the entire dataset.Findings: Associations exceeding the genome-wide significance threshold (p<5 × 10(-8)) were seen at 51 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) mapping to the class II MHC region on chromosome 6, with rs9277378 (located in HLA-DPB1) having the strongest association with NKTCL susceptibility (p=4·21 × 10(-19), odds ratio [OR] 1·84 [95% CI 1·61-2·11] in meta-analysis of entire dataset). Imputation-based fine-mapping across the class II MHC region suggests that four aminoacid residues (Gly84-Gly85-Pro86-Met87) in near-complete linkage disequilibrium at the edge of the peptide-binding groove of HLA-DPB1 could account for most of the association between the rs9277378*A risk allele and NKTCL susceptibility (OR 2·38, p value for haplotype 2·32 × 10(-14)). This association is distinct from MHC associations with Epstein-Barr virus infection.Interpretation: To our knowledge, this is the first time that a genetic variant conferring an NKTCL risk is noted at genome-wide significance. This finding underlines the importance of HLA-DP antigen presentation in the pathogenesis of NKTCL.Funding: Top-Notch Young Talents Program of China, Special Support Program of Guangdong, Specialized Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education (20110171120099), Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University (NCET-11-0529), National Medical Research Council of Singapore (TCR12DEC005), Tanoto Foundation Professorship in Medical Oncology, New Century Foundation Limited, Ling Foundation, Singapore National Cancer Centre Research Fund, and the US National Institutes of Health (1R01AR062886, 5U01GM092691-04, and 1R01AR063759-01A1). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a rapid detection method using solid sampling electrothermal vaporization atomic absorption spectrometry (SS-ETV-AAS) was established for cadmium in chocolate. The instrumental system includes a solid sampling ETV unit, a catalytic pyrolysis furnace, an AAS detector, and a gas supply system with only an air pump and a hydrogen generator. Herein, MgO material with 1.0–1.5 mm particle size was first employed to replace the kaolin filler previously used to further shorten the peak width and to thereby improve the sensitivity. With 350 mL/min of air, a chocolate sample was heated for 25 s from 435 to 464 °C to remove water and organic matrices; then, after supplying 240 mL/min hydrogen and turning down air to 120 mL/min, a N2/H2 mixture gas was formed to accelerate Cd vaporization from chocolate residue under 465 to 765 °C. Under the optimized conditions, the detection limit (LOD) was obviously lowered to 70 pg/g (vs. previous 150 pg/g) with R2 > 0.999; the relative standard deviations (RSD) of repeated measurements for real chocolate samples ranged from 1.5% to 6.4%, indicating a favorable precision; and the Cd recoveries were in the range of 93–107%, proving a satisfied accuracy. Thus, the total analysis time is less than 3 min without the sample digestion process. Thereafter, 78 chocolate samples with different brands from 9 producing countries in China market were collected and measured by this proposed method. Based on the measured Cd concentrations, a dietary exposure assessment was performed for Chinese residents, and the target hazard quotient (THQ) values are all less than 1, proving no significant health risk from intaking chocolate cadmium for Chinese residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trichomonascaceae is the largest family of ascomycetous yeast in the order Saccharomycetales. In spite of the extensive body of research on Trichomonascaceae in China, there remain new species to be discovered. Here, we describe four new species isolated from several rotting wood samples from Henan Province, Central China. Phylogenetic analysis of a combined ITS and nrLSU dataset with morphological studies revealed four new species in the Trichomonascaceae: Diddensiella luoyangensis, Sugiyamaella cylindrica, Su. robnettiae, and Zygoascus detingensis. Clustering in the Diddensiella clade, D. luoyangensis’ closest neighbour was D. transvaalensis. Meanwhile, Su. cylindrica clustered in the Sugiyamaella clade closest to Su. marilandica and Su. qingdaonensis. Also clustering in the Sugiyamaella clade, Su. robnettiae was most closely related to Su. chuxiongensis. Finally, Z. detingensis occupied a distinct and separated basal branch from the other species of the genus Zygoascus. These results indicate a high species diversity of Trichomonascaceae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kodamaea includes a growing number of interesting yeasts of the family Debaryomycetacae that are widely distributed in temperate, subtropical and tropical regions of different continents. During recent yeast collections in Henan and Yunnan Province in China, several isolates of Kodamaea were obtained from rotting wood, all of which represent undescribed taxa. Based on morphological and phylogenetic analyses (ITS and LSU rDNA), three new species are proposed: K. hongheensis f.a., sp. nov., K. ovata f.a., sp. nov. and K. yamadae f.a., sp. nov. In addition, sixteen Candida species, which are members of the Kodamaea clade based on phylogenetic analysis, are transferred to Kodamaea as new combinations. Our results indicate high species diversity of Kodamaea waiting to be discovered in rotting wood from tropical and subtropical China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yamadazyma is one of the largest genera in the family Debaryomycetaceae (Saccharomycetales, Saccharomycetes) with species mainly found in rotting wood, insects and their resulting frass, but also recovered from flowers, leaves, fruits, tree bark, mushrooms, sea water, minerals, and the atmosphere. In the present study, several strains obtained from rotting wood in Henan and Yunnan Provinces of China were isolated. Based on morphology and a molecular phylogeny of the rDNA internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) and the D1/D2 domain of the large subunit (LSU) rDNA, these strains were identified as three new species: Yamadazyma luoyangensis, Y. ovata and Y. paraaseri; and three previously described species, Y. insectorum, Y. akitaensis, and Y. olivae. The three new species are illustrated and their morphology and phylogenetic relationships with other Yamadazyma species are discussed. Our results indicate a high undiscovered diversity of Yamadazyma spp. inhabiting rotting wood in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study applied the C-band vertically pointing radar with frequency-modulation continuous-wave technology to obtain the continuous observation data of four shallow and two deep snow events during the winter of 2015-2016 in the midlatitudes of China. Generating cells (GCs) were found near the echo tops in every event. The ice particle number concentration (N), ice water content (IWC), and median mass diameter (Dm) retrieved from radar Doppler spectra were used to analyze the microphysical properties in the snow clouds. The clouds were divided into upper GC and lower stratiform (St) regions according to their vertical structure. The fall streaks (FSs) associated with GCs were embedded in the St regions. In the GC regions, the N values in shallow events were smaller compared with those in deep events, and Dm and IWC were larger. In the St regions, N decreased compared with that in the GC regions, and Dm and IWC increased, implying the existence of aggregation and deposition growth. The growth of particle size and mass mainly occurred in the St regions. The increases of N were usually observed near -5°C accompanied by bimodal Doppler spectra, which might be caused by ice multiplication. The average ratios of the median N, Dm, and IWC inside GCs to those outside GCs were 2, 1.3, and 2.5, respectively, for shallow events, with 1.7, 1.2, and 2.3, respectively, for deep events. These values were basically the same as those for the FSs, implying the importance of GCs to the enhanced ice growth subsequently found in FSs. The larger values of N, Dm, and IWC inside GCs could be related to the upward air motions inside GCs. The first Ze-IWC relationship suitable for snow clouds in the midlatitudes of China was also established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to assess brown rust resistance in 60 new sugarcane varieties bred by the China Sugarcane System in recent years and in 34 major varieties cultivated in sugarcane growing areas in China. The resistance of these sugarcane varieties to brown rust was investigated in the field, and molecular markers were used to detect the brown rust-resistance gene Bru1. The results of the field survey showed that 66 (70.21%) of the 94 sugarcane varieties were highly resistant to moderately resistant, and 28 (29.79%) were susceptible to highly susceptible. The Bru1 gene was detected in 54 (57.45%) of the 94 sugarcane varieties. Seven highly resistant varieties and five resistant varieties did not carry Bru1, suggesting that they carry other genes associated with brown rust resistance. This study provides a scientific basis and identifies disease-resistant germplasm for selection of plants for sugarcane production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Multiple site changes in capsid protein can affect the biological characteristics of PPV1. • PPV1 can be divided into 4–5 subgroups. • PPV1 can be geographically divided into Asian and European lineages. • PPV1 in China is evolving in two directions: one is becoming increasingly like early NADL-2 strains, while the other is evolving towards 27a-like strains. • The NS gene and VP2 gene of PPV1 may have a combined effect and affect the expression of the 127b repeat sequence after the VP2 terminator. Porcine parvovirus (PPV) is a pathogen of infectious reproductive disease, which can cause stillbirth, mummification, embryo death, and infertility (SMEDI) syndrome in pigs. The objective of this study was to gain new insights into the evolution and phylogeny of the PPV1 genome. In this study, we isolated two new PPV1 (HLJ202108-Y and SDLC202109) from northern China and sequenced their whole genomes. The new isolates were found to have three amino acid substitutions (K195R, K562R, and S578P) in nonstructural protein 1. The VP2 amino acid site contained nine nonsynonymous substitutions, including six substitutions of the Kresse strain corresponding to the NADL-2 strain and three substitutions of A414S, S436T, and N555K. Genetic evolution analysis was conducted on 107 reference sequences available in the GenBank database, and 4–5 PPV1 taxa were defined. The new isolates were in the same phylogenetic cluster as strain 27a. The changes in the cluster, specifically marker amino acids, and their potential role in enhancing pathogenicity are discussed in this study. Furthermore, the evolutionary tree map results showed that the strains in China were evolving in two directions: one was becoming increasingly similar to early NADL-2 strains, while the other was evolving toward 27a-like strains. We also compared the proliferation ability of the isolated strains in susceptible cells by analyzing the multistep growth curves. The results showed that the virulence titer of the mutant strain was high. In summary, this study introduced the latest changes in PPV and discussed the virus characteristics that were considered to affect virulence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Diet is a modifiable risk factor of T2DM with the potential to improve the patients' quality of life. The diet-diabetes relationship has received considerable attention in past decades. This study describes dietary intake of nutrients in a matched case-control study of adults with and without T2DM.Methods and Study Design: Dietary nutrient intake was evaluated by semi-quantitative FFQ and biochemical indexes were studied in enrolled 207 participants with T2DM (diabetes group) and 215 healthy participants (control group). The t-test of two independent-sample and chi-square test were used to compare data by age and other characters. Exploratory factor analysis was used for dietary pattern analysis. Logistic regression analysis were used to test the effect of different dietary patterns and dietary intakes on the risk of T2DM.Results: The blood glucose, triglyceride and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were significantly higher in the diabetes group (p<0.05). Three major dietary patterns were identified, "High-salt and high-fat", "Traditional Chinese" and "Western" dietary patterns. With or without adjustment, highest quintile of high-salt and high-fat dietary pattern showed a significantly higher risk of T2DM than the lowest quintile. (OR=2.08, 95%CI: 1.24, 3.49, OR=1.70, 95%CI: 0.98, 2.54, OR=1.67, 95%CI: 0.97, 2.51).Conclusions: Individuals with a high-fat and high-salt dietary pattern had an increased risk of T2DM. These findings offered further insights into the dietary structure of T2DM patients. These findings put nutrition education at the center for T2DM patient management. Further follow-up study is needed to assess the dynamic changes of nutrient-metabolism association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spathaspora is an important genus of d-xylose-fermenting yeasts that are poorly studied in China. During recent yeast collections in Yunnan Province in China, 13 isolates of Spathaspora were obtained from rotting wood and all represent undescribed taxa. Based on morphological and phylogenetic analyses (ITS and nuc 28S), five new species are proposed: Spathaspora elongata, Sp. mengyangensis, Sp. jiuxiensis, Sp. parajiuxiensis and Sp. rosae. Our results indicate a high species diversity of Spathaspora waiting to be discovered in rotting wood from tropical and subtropical southwest China. In addition, the two Candida species, C. jeffriesii and C. materiae, which are members of the Spathaspora clade based on phylogeny, are transferred to Spathaspora as new combinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aims to estimate the prevalence and risk factors of macrosomia and LGA (large for gestational age) in non-GDM (gestational diabetes mellitus) pregnant women in Fuyang, Anhui Province of China.Methods: A large population-based cohort study was conducted among non-GDM pregnant women aged 18-45 years. Maternal sociodemographic data prior to pregnancy were collected using interviewer-administered standardized questionnaire. Maternal obstetrical delivery records and newborn hospital records were extracted from antenatal care booklets and hospital discharge abstracts. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the predictors of macrosomia and LGA.Results: The incidence of macrosomia and LGA was 9.2 and 15.9%, respectively. Mothers ≥35 years of age (aOR 2.75, 95% CI 1.98, 3.80), male neonates (aOR 1.68, 95% CI 1.51, 1.89), overweight and obese (aOR 1.61, 95% CI 1.34, 1.92 and aOR 3.05, 95% CI 2.05, 4.56, respectively) were associated with increased risk of macrosomia. Compared with the less educated mothers, the educated mothers were more likely to have increased risk of macrosomia. IFA (iron and folic acid) supplements intake during pregnancy was more likely to deliver macrosomia or LGA (aOR1.32, 95% CI 1.08, 1.49 and aOR1.42, 95% CI 1.24, 1.61, respectively) as compared with no IFA supplements intake. SCr (serum creatinine concentration) >80 µmol/L was related to decreased risk of macrosomia (aOR 0.73, 95% CI 0.61, 0.86) and LGA (aOR 0.67, 95% CI 0.59, 0.77) as compared with normal range (44-80 µmol/L).Conclusions: There was a high prevalence of macrosomia and LGA in non-GDM pregnant women in China. Healthcare educations and reasonable body weight are necessary for pregnant women to prevent macrosomia and LGA. Pregnant women should be checked regularly and have the first prenatal visit as soon as possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mammalian orthoreoviruses (MRVs) infect almost all mammals, and there are some reports on MRVs in China. In this study, a novel strain was identified, which was designated as HLJYC2017. The results of genetic analysis showed that MRV HLJYC2017 is a reassortant strain. According to biological information analysis, different serotypes of MRV contain specific amino acid insertions and deletions in the σ1 protein. Neutralizing antibody epitope analysis revealed partial cross-protection among MRV1, MRV2, and MRV3 isolates from China. L3 gene recombination in MRV was identified for the first time in this study. The results of this study provide valuable information on MRV reassortment and evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Procambarus clarkii produces high-quality, delicious meat that is high in protein, low in fat, and rich in calcium and phosphorus. It has become an important aquatic resource in China. Our objectives are (i) to analyze the level of genetic diversity of P. clarkii populations; (ii) to explore the genetic differentiation (Gst); and (iii) to propose appropriate strategies for the conservation. Results: In this study, Shannon's index (I) and Nei's gene diversity index (H) for P. clarkii were high (I=0.3462 and H = 0.2325 on average and I = 0.6264, H = 0.4377 at the species level) based on the SSR markers. The expected heterozygosity value of 17 microsatellite loci in 25 crayfish populations was 0.9317, the observed heterozygosity value was 0.9121, and the observed number of alleles per locus was 2.000; and the effective number of alleles per locus was 1.8075. Among the P. clarkii populations, the inbreeding coefficient within populations (Fis) was 0.2315, overall inbreeding coefficient (Fit) was 0.4438, genetic differentiation coefficient among populations (Fst) was 0.3145 and gene differentiation (Gst) was 0.4785 based on SSR analyses. The cluster analysis results obtained by unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) analysis, principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) and STRUCTURE analysis were similar. A mantel test showed that the isolation-by-distance pattern was not significant. Conclusions: The high Gst among P. clarkii populations is attributed to genetic drift and geographic isolation. The results indicated that more P. clarkii populations should be collected when formulating conservation and aquaculture strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]