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Facial features are important sources of information about perceived trustworthiness. Masks and protective clothing diminish the visibility of facial cues by either partially concealing the mouth and nose or covering the entire face. During the pandemic, the use of personal protective equipment affected and redefined who trusts whom in society. This study used the classical investment game of interpersonal trust with Chinese participants to explore the impact of occlusion on interpersonal trust. Faces with moderate initial trustworthiness were occluded by a mask or protective clothing in Experiment 1 and were digitally occluded by a square in Experiment 2, and faces with three levels of initial trustworthiness were occluded by a mask in Experiment 3. Results showed that both undergraduates (Experiment 1a) and non-student adults (Experiment 1b) perceived the faces with protective clothing as more trustworthy than faces wearing standard masks and faces not wearing masks. Faces with the top halves showing were perceived as trustworthy as full faces, while faces with the bottom halves showing were perceived as less trustworthy. The effect of masks is weak and complex. Masks reduced participants' trust in faces with high initial trustworthiness, had no effect on faces with low and moderate initial trustworthiness, and only slightly increased the trust of undergraduates in faces with moderate initial trustworthiness. Our findings indicate that the lack of information caused by occlusion and the social significance associated with occlusion collectively affect people's trust behavior in Chinese society. We believe the findings of this study will be useful in elucidating the effects of personal protective equipment usage on perceptions of trustworthiness.

In the pivotal water resource region of the Yellow River Basin in China, precise prediction of water resources is essential for their effective and rational management. This study introduces a novel approach to water resource prediction by employing the Harris Hawks Optimization-Long Short-Term Memory (HHO-LSTM) model. This method overcomes the constraints faced by traditional techniques in processing time series data and various variable factors. It encompasses a comprehensive description of the multi-source hydrological data collection process within the Yellow River Basin, followed by meticulous data preprocessing. The data set for this study includes estimates of four critical water quality parameters, and the efficacy of the model is gauged through the mean squared error (MSE) and root mean squared error (RMSE) metrics. This facilitates the projection of future water quality trends in specific areas by leveraging historical water quality data. The HHO-LSTM model has demonstrated outstanding accuracy and robustness in predicting water quality across diverse temporal scales and water resource variables, marking a significant advancement in water resource management within the Yellow River Basin. This approach not only enhances current management strategies but also contributes valuable insights for ongoing water resource research and decision-making processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Both lung cancer and cardiometabolic diseases are leading causes of death in China, and they share some common risk factors. However, the prevalence and long-term effect of pre-existing cardiometabolic comorbidities (CMCs) on the survival of middle-aged and elderly lung cancer patients are still not clear. METHODS We consecutively recruited 3477 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients between January 2011 and December 2018 from four cancer specialty hospitals in China. Univariable and multivariable adjusted Cox proportional hazard models were conducted to evaluate the risk factors associated with mortality. Hazard ratio (HR) for mortality and corresponding 95% CI were calculated. RESULTS The prevalence of CMCs was 30.0% in middle-aged NSCLC patients and 45.5% in elderly NSCLC patients. Log-rank analysis presented statistically significant differences in median survival time between patients with CMCs and without CMCs in both the middle-aged group (21.0 months vs. 32.0 months, P < 0.01) and the elderly group (13.0 months vs. 17.0 months, P = 0.01). Heart failure (HR = 1.754, 95% CI: 1.436-2.144, P < 0.001) and venous thrombus embolism (HR = 2.196, 95% CI: 1.691-2.853, P < 0.001) were independent risk factors for the survival of middle-aged NSCLC patients, while heart failure (HR = 1.709, 95% CI: 1.371-2.130, P < 0.001) continued to decrease overall survival in the elderly group. Hyperlipidemia may be a protective factor for survival in middle-aged group (HR = 0.741, 95% CI: 0.566-0.971, P = 0.030). CONCLUSIONS Our findings demonstrate for the first time the prevalence and prognostic value of pre-existing CMCs in Chinese middle-aged and elderly NSCLC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species, Achalinus sheni sp. nov., from central Hunan Province is described, based on the results of molecular systematics and morphological characters according to five specimens. Our molecular phylogeny inferred from the mitochondrial CO1 gene fragment revealed that this new species is most closely related to A. yunkaiensis, but a considerable amount of genetic divergence exists between them (p-distance ranging from 5.8% to 6.4%) and much distinct genetic divergence exists compared with other known Achalinus species (p-distance ranging from 10.4% to 15.8%), supporting its validity. Morphologically, it can be distinguished from its congeners by: (1) dorsal scales strongly keeled, 23 rows throughout the body, the outmost row smooth and significantly enlarged; (2) tail relatively short, TaL/TL 0.183 ~ 0.224; (3) the suture between internasals subequal to the suture between prefrontals; (4) loreal one, subrectangular, LorH/LorL 0.53 ~ 0.57; (5) ventrals 161-170, anal entire, subcaudals 55-61, not paired; (6) the length of supraocular equal to or longer than the length of upper anterior temporal; and (7) vertebral line inconspicuous and subcaudal streak absent. Currently, 27 species of Achalinus are known in the world, amongst which 20 species are distributed in China. Moreover, a key to species of the genus Achalinus is provided in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the fast response of East Asian summer precipitation to COVID-19–induced aerosol emission reductions is examined using the Community Earth System Model, version 2.2 (CESM2.2). The emission reductions decreased aerosol optical depth and cloud cover over northern China in June 2020. The troposphere became warmer, strengthening the land–sea thermal contrast and anomalous southerly winds. The subtropical westerly jet accelerated and shifted southward, favoring low-level convergence, upward air motions, and subsequent condensational heating over the Yangtze River basin (YRB). The feedback of condensational heating in return strengthened the convergence and ascent. The western North Pacific subtropical high was intensified, which further enhanced the moisture advection and convergence over the YRB. Both the enhanced moisture convergence and ascent increased precipitation over the YRB during June 2020. Furthermore, local and remote emission reductions show different impacts on convection and moisture transport over the YRB. The emission reductions over China caused stronger convective precipitation (1.15 vs 0.63 mm day-1 ) but weaker larger-scale precipitation (1.17 vs 2.24 mm day-1 ) than the emission reductions outside China. In addition to the emission reductions, the sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies in 2020 also play an important role in increasing precipitation over the YRB, contributing about 42.8%. The relative contribution of SST anomalies also increases under the COVID-19–induced emission scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant-parasitic nematodes (PPNs) are significant pests that result in considerable economic losses in global crop production. Due to the high toxicity of chemical nematicides, there is a need to develop new strategies for nematode control. In this context, nematophagous fungi may offer a viable option for biological control. Two fungal strains (GUCC2212 and GUCC2232) were isolated from cysts of Globodera sp., identified as Neocosmospora stercicola. The fungal filtrates of the strains were evaluated for their nematicidal activity against three species of PPNs: Aphelenchoides besseyi, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus and Ditylenchus destructor. The fermentation filtrates of two strains exhibited substantial toxicity towards the evaluated nematodes, with mortality rates reaching up to 100% within 72 h. Concurrently, N. stercicola also demonstrated predatory and parasitic behavior. The eggs of Globodera sp. were parasitized by the two strains. N. stercicola represents a newly recorded species in China and a novel nematophagous species. In conclusion, the two strains of N. stercicola show promise as biocontrol agents for PPNs management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Volcanic ash interbeds in the Late Ordovician strata in South China record high-frequency volcanic activity. To assess the impact of these volcanic events on the climate and marine biological evolutionary crisis during the Late Ordovician Mass Extinction (LOME), we present high-resolution measurements of mercury (Hg) concentrations and organic carbon isotope ratios (d13Corg) in an Ordovician-Silurian sedimentary succession (Muchanggou section). The results show that high-frequency volcanic ash layers and Hg enrichments developed synchronously in the Katian graptolite P. pacificus (Lower Subzone) and T. typicus biozones and are coupled with a negative shift of ~1? in d13Corg, which reflects the perturbation of the surface carbon and mercury cycles by intense volcanic activity. Based on volcanic Hg fluxes, it is estimated that more than 1.1 × 1013 tons of CO2 were emitted by the Katian volcanic activities in South China, which interrupted the growth of the polar ice sheet and the rapid cooling of tropical oceans in the mid-Boda event. As volcanism weakened, increased weathering led to the growth of the polar ice sheet and cooling in the Hirnantian. Both regional and global biodiversity declined rapidly with the end of volcanism, which suggests that the marine ecological crisis was related to a series of disruptions in biogeochemical cycles in the post-volcanic period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The subfamily Megophryinae, as a representative batrachian group of the Oriental Realm and one of the most diverse groups of amphibians, has attracted considerable attention due to continued conjecture regarding its generic classification and failure to reach a satisfactory consensus. China boasts the richest diversity of Asian horned toads, containing some two thirds of the total species cataloged. However, most species have a complicated taxonomic history, resulting in multiple misidentifications. As such, an overall clarification of historical records and regional checklists is required. In the current investigation, we established the phylogeny of the Asian horned toads and performed detailed examinations with redefinitions of several important morphological traits. Based on the phylogenetic relationships and morphological differences, we propose a new ten-genus classification for the Asian horned toad subfamily Megophryinae: i.e., Brachytarsophrys, Atympanophrys, Grillitschia, Sarawakiphrys gen. nov., Jingophrys gen. nov., Xenophrys, Megophrys, Pelobatrachus, Ophryophryne, and Boulenophrys. Revisions on the diagnosability, distribution, and content of each genus are provided. Furthermore, we present a careful review of the taxonomic history of Asian horned toad species from China and provide a monograph of congeners, including six species of Brachytarsophrys, four species of Atympanophrys, five species of Jingophrys gen. nov., 10 species of Xenophrys, two species of Ophryophryne, and 60 species of Boulenophrys. Finally, we discuss the importance of traditional morphological traits based on multiple populations in taxonomic work as well as taxonomic inflation caused by the genetic species delimitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aquaporin-4 (AQP4) is highly polarized to perivascular astrocytic endfeet. Loss of AQP4 polarization is associated with many diseases. In Alzheimer's disease (AD), AQP4 loses its normal location and thus reduces the clearance of amyloid-b plaques and tau protein. Clinical and experimental studies showed that moxibustion can improve the learning and memory abilities of AD. To explore whether moxibustion can affect the polarization of AQP4 around the blood-brain barrier (BBB), we used spatial transcriptomics (ST) to analyze the expression and polarization of Aqp4 in wild-type mice, APP/PS1 mice, and APP/PS1 mice intervened by moxibustion. The results showed that moxibustion improved the loss of abnormal polarization of AQP4 in APP/PS1 mice, especially in the hypothalamic BBB. Besides, the other 31 genes with Aqp4 as the core have similar depolarization in APP/PS1 mice, most of which are also membrane proteins. The majority of them have been reversed by moxibustion. At the same time, we employed the cerebrospinal fluid circulation gene set, which was found to be at a higher level in the group of APP/PS1 mice with moxibustion treatment. Finally, to further explore its mechanism, we analyzed the mitochondrial respiratory chain complex enzymes closely related to energy metabolism and found that moxibustion can significantly increase the expression of mitochondrial respiratory chain enzymes such as Cox6a2 in the hypothalamus, which could provide energy for mRNA transport. Our research shows that increasing the polarization of hypothalamic Aqp4 through mitochondrial energy supply may be an important target for moxibustion to improve cognitive impairment in APP/PS1 mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flavonoids from Actinidia arguta Sieb. Zucc. can reduce uric acid in mice. However, the molecular basis of its biosynthesis is still unclear. In this paper, we used a combination of extensively targeted metabolomics and transcriptomics analysis to determine the types and differences of flavonoids in the fruit ripening period (August to September) of two main cultivated varieties in northern China. The ethanol extract was prepared, and the potential flavonoids of Chrysin (Flavone1), Rutin (Flavone2), and Daidzein (Flavone3) in Actinidia arguta Sieb. Zucc. were separated and purified by HPD600 macroporous adsorption resin and preparative liquid chromatography. The structure was identified by MS-HPLC, and the serum uric acid index of male Kunming mice was determined by an animal model test.125 flavonoids and 50 differentially regulated genes were identified. The contents of UA (uric acid), BUN (urea nitrogen), Cr (creatinine), and GAPDH in mouse serum and mouse liver glycogen decreased or increased in varying degrees. This paper reveals the biosynthetic pathway of uric acid-reducing flavonoids in the fruit of Actinidia arguta Sieb. Zucc., a major cultivar in northern China, provides valuable information for the development of food and drug homologous functional foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Professional Master of Pharmacy (M. Pharm.) education program in China has undergone 10 years of development and has rapidly achieved great progress. The aim of this study was to summarize and introduce the development of M. Pharm. education in China. Materials and Methods: The data related to M. Pharm. education in China was obtained from literature retrieval, the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China (MOE), and related university websites. Some data was obtained from the Chinese National Steering Committee for the Professional Degree of Pharmacy Graduate Education (NSCPDP). The NSCPDP data was a result of questionnaires sent to 113 training institutions in 2021 and from a survey of recent graduates of China Pharmaceutical University (CPU) in 2019. Results: The main findings are that the training goals, degree education, qualifications and admission standards of institutions, training fields, curriculum setting, teaching methods, professional practice, faculty teams, quality assurances and evaluations, degree awarding and employment direction in the M. Pharm. education system are relatively well developed, and that M. Pharm. education has become an important part of pharmacy education in China. Conclusion: M. Pharm. education in China not only draws lessons from foreign advanced experience in the administration of schools and universities, but also has formed its own Chinese characteristics and emphasis. M. Pharm. education in China has a bright future through a program of continuous quality improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study assessed the effects of esmolol injection in patients with in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) with refractory ventricular fibrillation (VF)/pulseless ventricular tachycardia (pVT). Methods: From January 2018 to December 2021, 29 patients with IHCA with refractory shockable rhythm were retrospectively reviewed. Esmolol was administered after advanced cardiovascular life support (ACLS)-directed procedures, and outcomes were assessed. Results: Among the 29 cases, the rates of sustained return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), 24-h ROSC, and 72-h ROSC were 79%, 62%, and 59%, respectively. Of those patients, 59% ultimately survived to discharge. Four patients with cardiac insufficiency died. The duration from CA to esmolol infusion was significantly shorter for patients in the survival group (SG) than for patients in the dead group (DG) (12 min, IQR: 8.5-19.5 vs. 23.5 min, IQR: 14.4-27 min; p = 0.013). Of those patients, 76% (22 of 29) started esmolol administration after the second dose of amiodarone. No significant difference was observed in the survival rate between this group and groups administered an esmolol bolus simultaneously or before the second dose of amiodarone (43% vs. 64%, p = 0.403). Of those patients, 31% (9 of 29) were administered an esmolol bolus for defibrillation attempts ≤ 5, while the remaining 69% of patients received an esmolol injection after the fifth defibrillation attempt. No significant differences were observed in the rates of ≥ 24-h ROSC (67% vs. 60%, p = 0.73), ≥ 72-h ROSC (67% vs. 55%, p = 0.56), and survival to hospital discharge (67% vs. 55%, p = 0.56) between the groups administered an esmolol bolus for defibrillation attempts ≤ 5 and defibrillation attempts > 5. Conclusion: IHCA patients with refractory shockable rhythms receiving esmolol bolus exhibited a high chance of sustained ROSC and survival to hospital discharge. Patients with end-stage heart failure tended to have attenuated benefits from beta-blockers. Further large-scale, prospective studies are necessary to determine the effects of esmolol in patients with IHCA with refractory shockable rhythms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endophytes in the seeds of plants have shown plant growth promoting (PGP) properties. Highland barley is an economically important crop and a major part of the local diet in the Tibetan Plateau, China, with potential health benefits. We applied culture-dependent and culture-independent methods to study endophytic bacteria in the seeds of eight Highland barley varieties. Based on the seed properties, the variety Ali was clearly separated from the other varieties except the variety CM. Most of the 86 isolates were assigned into genus Bacillus. Approximately half of the isolates showed PGP properties in vitro. Compared to the not-inoculated plants, inoculation with the isolate Bacillus tequilensis LZ-9 resulted in greater length and number of roots, and in bigger aboveground and root weights. Based on the 16S rRNA gene sequencing, the seed microbiome was majorly affiliated with the phylum Proteobacteria and the family Enterobacteriaceae. Overall, the bacterial community compositions in the different varieties were different from each other, yet the between variety differences in community composition seemed relatively small. The differences in community compositions were associated with differences in the total and reducing sugar contents and viscosity of the seeds, thus possibly connected to differences in the osmotic pressure tolerance of the endophytes. The results suggested that the seed endophytes are likely to promote the growth of Highland barley since germination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

X-linked Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease type 1(CMT1X) is the second most common form of inherited peripheral neuropathy that is caused by mutations in the gap junction beta-1 (GJB1) gene. Using targeted exome-sequencing, we investigated four CMT families from central-southern China and identified two novel missense variants (p.F31S and p.W44G) and two previously reported variants (p.R220Pfs*23 and p.R164Q) of GJB1. All four probands presented typical early-onset peripheral neuropathy, of which the R220Pfs*23 carrier also had neurologic manifestations in the central nervous system. We then constructed GJB1 expression vectors and performed cell biological analysis in vitro. Expression of FLAG-tagged GJB1 at various time points after transfection revealed evident protein aggregation with both wild-type and mutant forms, indicated with immunostaining and immunoblotting. Detergent-based sequential fractionation confirmed that all mutants were higher expressed and more prone to aggregate than the wild-type, whereas the R220Pfs*23mutant showed the greatest amount of SDS-solublemultimers and monomers among groups. Moreover, intracellular aggregation probably occurs in the endoplasmic reticulum compartment rather than the Golgi apparatus. Gap junction plaques were present in all groups and were only compromised in frameshift mutant. Further evidence reveals significant intracellular stress granule formation induced by mutated GJB1 and impaired cell viability indicative of cytotoxicity of self-aggregates. Together, our findings demonstrate novel GJB1 variants-induced cell stress and dysfunction and provide insights into understanding the pathomechanisms of GJB1-CMTX1 and other related disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Five ascomycetous strains were isolated from dead branches and leaves of Salix (Salicaceae) and Osmanthus fragrans (Oleaceae), respectively. BLAST searches with ITS sequences in GenBank suggested a high degree of similarity to Botryosphaeria dothidea. To accurately identify these strains, we further analysed their morphological characteristics of asci, ascospores, all conidiophore cells and conidia. Phylogenetic relationships, based on ITS, rpb2, tef1 and tub2 gene sequences, confirmed our strains represented two novel species, which are introduced here as B. salicicola and B. osmanthuse spp. nov. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background In this study, three Neopestalotiopsis taxa were identified, associated with leaves of Zingiber officinale, Elaeagnus pungens and Salacca zalacca. New information Based on morphology and multi-gene analyses of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), beta-tubulin (TUB2) and translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF1), the five strains of Neopestalotiopsis represent two novel and one known species. They are introduced with descriptions, illustrations and notes herein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, four new species of Phragmidium were proposed based on morphological and molecular characters. In morphology, Phragmidium rosae-roxburghii sp. nov. was distinguished to related taxa by its unique square to diamond-shaped urediniospores; Ph. rubi-coreani sp. nov. differed from Ph. barclayi and Ph. cibanum because of teliospores with fewer cells and shorter pedicels; urediniospores of Ph. potentillaefreynianae sp. nov. were bigger than Ph. duchesneae-indica; and Ph. rosae-laevigatae sp. nov. produced bigger urediniospores than Ph. jiangxiense. The phylogenetic analyses based on the combination of two loci (ITS and LSU) also supported our morphological conclusion. In the meantime, three previously known species were also described herein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biochar is considered as a soil amendment for enhancing crop productivity. However, limited information is available on the residual effect of biochar application on rice grain yield and yield attributes. In this study, a fixed field experiment was conducted in a double rice-cropping system from 2017 to 2019. The dynamics of rice grain yield and yield attributes were monitored in the six growing seasons with 0, 20, and 40 t/ha biochar application. The re- sults showed that the averaged grain yields in the first four seasons were increased by 2.56-16.84% and 6.15-10.77% with 20 and 40 t/ha biochar application. The trend of increased grain yield in rice with biochar application during the first seasons was mainly attributable to an increase in total biomass, panicles per m2 and spikelets per panicle. Nonetheless, the grain yields in the sixth season were not influenced by biochar addition due to decreases in panicles per m2 and spikelets per panicle. Thus, it can be seen that the positive effects of biochar application on rice yield and yield attributes depend on the duration of biochar application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All current global climate models (GCMs) only utilize grid-averaged surface heat fluxes to drive the atmosphere, and thus, their subgrid horizontal variations and partitioning are absent. This can result in many simulation biases. To address this shortcoming, a novel parameterization scheme considering the subgrid variations of the sensible and latent heat fluxes to the atmosphere and the associated partitioning is developed and implemented into the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Climate Earth System Model 1.2 (CESM1.2). The evaluations show that in addition to the improved boreal summer precipitation simulation over eastern China and the coastal areas of the Bay of Bengal, the longstanding overestimations of precipitation on the southern and eastern margins of the Tibetan Plateau (TP) in most GCMs are significantly mitigated. The improved precipitation simulation on the southern and eastern margins of the TP is from suppressed large-scale precipitation. Moisture advection for precipitation production is blocked toward the southern edge of the TP, and the intensity of the moisture transport to the eastern edge is weakened. The corrected large-scale circulation in the lower atmosphere due to the realistic simulations of the grid-scale surface radiative and heat fluxes is responsible for the change in moisture transport. In terms of global annual mean states, some improvements are obtained by the new scheme compared to the default CESM1.2 and the scheme stochastically allocating the subgrid surface heat fluxes to the atmosphere (i.e., without subgrid partitioning included). This study highlights the importance of subgrid surface energy variations and partitioning to the atmosphere in the simulation of the hydrological and energy cycles in GCMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eucommia ulmoides is a rare tree species in China with high medicinal and gum value. Nine strains of hyphomycetous fungi were isolated from the leaf litter of E. ulmoides in Guizhou Province. Preliminary identifications based on ITS indicated that they belong to the genus Cladosporium. Morphology and phylogenetic analyses based on the internal transcribed spacer regions (ITS) of the nrDNA, the partial translation elongation factor 1-a (tef1) gene and partial of actin (act) gene confirmed that the strains represent four species, including two novel taxa, viz., Cladosporium eucommiae and C. guizhouense and two new substrate records for known species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Encephalitozoon cuniculi (E. cuniculi) is a microsporidian parasite commonly detected in rabbits and can infect humans and cause encephalitozoonosis. And Toxoplasma gondii is a prevalent parasite distributed worldwide and can infect almost all warm-blooded animals, including humans. The aim of the current study was to investigate the seroprevalence of E. cuniculi and Toxoplasma gondii, and risk factors of infection in pet rabbits reared in eastern coastal areas of China (Tianjin, Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shanghai and Fujian). Total 222 blood samples of pet rabbits were collected from local veterinary hospitals. The seropositivity rates of E. cuniculi were 16.22% (36/222) according to an Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Female pet rabbits was significantly higher than that in males (P=0.002), Zhejiang were markedly higher than those in Jiangsu and Shanghai (P=0.017, P=0.022), and cross-breed rabbits were dramatically higher than those in Chinchilla, New Zealand white, Rex (P=0.02, P=0.006, P=0.008). The seroprevalence of T. gondii was 13.06% (29/222) by the method of ELISA. The seroprevalence in Zhejiang was significantly higher than that in Shanghai (P=0.017). No difference in seroprevalence was detected with respect to the gender, age, species, health status, or season. These findings show that E. cuniculi and T. gondii are present and spread in pet rabbits. Therefore, pet rabbits should be considered as an important reservoir of encephalitozoonosis for humans and maybe important implication for public health in eastern coastal areas of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The surface evapotranspiration (ET) process is the key link in the interaction between land and atmosphere. However, the influence of different environmental factors on ET over transitional climate zones and the physical pattern of the interaction between multiple factors remain unclear. Therefore, based on the continuous observation data during the vegetation growing season of a typical grassland in the Semi-Arid Climate and Environment Observation of Lanzhou University (SACOL) station from 2007 to 2012, the influence pattern of multiple environmental factors on ET over China's transitional climate zone was analysed. Each environmental factor exhibited significant seasonal and interannual variations. The mean value of ET was 1.67 mm day-1. Although the maximum values of sensible heat flux and vapour pressure deficit occurred in April and June, respectively, the maximum values of other environmental factors appeared from July to August. Net radiation, soil moisture, and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) were the main controlling factors of ET over the grassland, with correlation coefficients of 0.54, 0.52, and 0.46, respectively. The analysis of multiple environmental factors showed that when soil moisture, wind speed, net radiation, and NDVI reached 0.2 m³ m-3, 2 m s-1, 100 W m-2, and 0.2, respectively, ET varied in contrast with vapour pressure, vapour pressure deficit, and air temperature under the influences of weather processes, land–atmosphere coupling, and drought stress. These findings deepen our understanding of the role of ET in the land–atmosphere coupling process over the transitional climate zone in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social stratum differences lay behind the winter sports body-building activities of Chinese residents. Guided by social stratification theory this paper takes heterogeneity research as the paradigm, and carries out in-depth interviews to explore the winter sports body-building behaviors and concepts of Chinese citizens in three classes, namely, middle class (white collar), working class (blue collar), and unemployed (jobless) class. In addition, the authors explored the correlation of participation and experience of each class with economy, education, and society dimensions of snow sports culture. This paper holds that: a. Difference in economic conditions determine the level, scope, and degree of the participation of winter sports; b. The improvement of education level accelerates the socialization progress of participants, but it also increases the differentiation of individual participation and intensifies social stratification; c. The bidding and holding of Beijing Winter Olympics greatly promotes the development of winter sports in China, and forms a feature of "middle-class consumers", while the consumption of the working class and unemployed (jobless) residents is more "rational". The paradigm of social stratification and heterogeneity research helps relevant researchers to break away from the narrow perspective of finding the individual-level causality behind winter sports body-building, laying the basis for social, and sports researchers to recognize and understand the unequal social structure of winter sports participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nidirana guangxiensis sp. nov., a new music frog species, is proposed, based on a series of specimens collected from Mt Daming, Guangxi, southern China. The new species is close to N. yeae, N. daunchina, N. yaoica, and N. chapaensis from southwestern and south-central China and northern Indochina, while the relationships among these species remain unresolved. Nidirana guangxiensis sp. nov. can be distinguished from all known congeners by the genetic divergences in the mitochondrial 16S and COI genes, the behavior of nest construction, the advertisement call containing 6-11 rapidly repeated regular notes, and a combination of morphological characteristics. Furthermore, the Nidirana populations recorded in Guangxi are clarified in this work, providing valuable new information on the knowledge of the genus Nidirana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil wind erosion is one of the critical drivers of land degradation in the black soil region of northeastern China. In this study, 137Cs background value and soil wind erosion rate was studied by using 137Cs nuclide tracing technique in the black soil region of northeastern China, and wind erosion characteristics such as background value and soil erosion rate over the years were clarified, which has guiding significance for soil and water conservation and agricultural sustainable development in the black soil region of northeast China. The mean area activity of the Hilltop area was 1541 Bq·m-2, which was lower than the background value of 1879.7 Bq·m-2 in the study area. At the top of the hill, soil erosion occurred to some extent. The 137Cs profile has distributional characteristics that can be divided into three categories. Most of the 137Cs area activity in Hilltop area is evenly distributed in 0-15 cm, and the 137Cs area activity below 15 cm decreased gradually until it disappeared. The spatial difference of wind erosion rate is significant in the study area, mainly between 7.17-10.13 t·hm-2a-1. The average wind erosion rate of hilltops with different tillage quality depths has little difference. The average wind erosion rate is 8.60 t·hm-2a-1, which belongs to mild erosion. However, its erosion rate is higher than the tolerable soil loss of 2 t·hm-2a-1 in the black soil region of northeast China. As a result, soil erosion control in the black soil region of northeast China still requires attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poor soil physical properties, serious salinization and low soil nutrients are the limiting factors for crop yield in saline-sodic soil. Long-term cattle manure application is an important measure that can affect the physicochemical properties and increase the maize yield of saline-sodic soil. This experiment included five treatments according to the history of cattle manure application: a control treatment with no cattle manure (CK) and treatments with cattle manure application for 14 years (14 a), 17 years (17 a), 20 years (20 a), and 25 years (25 a). The results indicated that compared with the CK treatment, longterm cattle manure application to saline-sodic soil resulted in significant increases in soil organic matter (SOM), soil total nitrogen (TN) and available nutrients at the 0-20 cm and 20-40 cm depths (p<0.05). The soil physical properties improved significantly, and cattle manure application significantly decreased the soil bulk density (ρb) and soil density (ρd) and increased the soil total porosity (ft) and water-holding capacity (WHC). With the number of years of cattle manure application, the soil pH, electrical conductivity (EC), exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) and sodium adsorption ratio (SAR1:5) decreased significantly, and the maize yield gradually increased over time from 8690 kg/hm² in the CK treatment to 14 690 kg/hm² in the 25a treatment. There were significant differences among all treatments (p<0.05). The results showed that long-term cattle manure application decreased the soil ρb and saline-alkaline properties, which was the main factor that affected the maize yield in the saline-sodic soil, especially for soil ρb. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species of Leaf Litter Toad, Leptobrachella shimentaina sp. nov., is described from the Shimentai and Luokeng nature reserves of northern Guangdong Province, southern China. The new taxon can be distinguished from all recognized congeners by a combination of discrete morphological character state differences relating to its small body size (SVL 26.4--28.9 mm in six adult males, 30.1 and 30.7 mm in two adult females); a number of apparently fixed color pattern character differences (including eye coloration and color pattern features from dorsal, ventral, and dorsolateral surfaces of its head, body, limbs, and ventrum); the morphological and discrete characteristics of the external phenotype (the skin texture of dorsum and ventrum, the presence of supra-axillary and ventrolateral glands, the wide dermal fringes and rudimentary webbing on toes, and the uninterrupted longitudinal ridges under toes). Two samples of this new species previously were proposed as representing a new, unnamed species. We now substantiate this claim by providing diagnostic comparisons of discrete character differences. In addition, we also discuss taxonomic uncertainty surrounding the identity of two congeners, L. chishuiensis and L. purpurus, which we interpret as indicative of taxonomic inflation in the species-rich subfamily Megophryidae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To summarize the potential characteristics of convalescent patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in China based on emerging clinical tongue data and guide the treatment and recovery of COVID-19 patients from the perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine tongue diagnosis., Methods: In this study, we developed and validated radiomics-based and lab-based methods as a novel approach to provide individualized pretreatment evaluation by analyzing different features to mine the orderliness behind tongue data of convalescent patients. In addition, this study analyzed the tongue features of convalescent patients from clinical tongue qualitative values, including thick and thin, fur, peeling, fat and lean, tooth marks and cracked, and greasy and putrid fur., Results: We included 2164 tongue images in total (34% from day 0, 35.4% from day 14 and 30.6% from day 28) from convalescent patients. The significance results are shown as follows. Firstly, as the recovery time prolongs, the L average values of tongue and coat decrease from 60.21 to 57.18 and from 60.06 to 57.03 respectively. Secondly, the decrease of abnormality rate of tongue coat, included greasy tongue fur, putrid fur, teeth-mark, thick-thin fur, are of significant statistical difference ( < 0.05). Thirdly, the average value of gray-level co-occurrence matrices increases from 0.173 to 0.194, the average value of entropy increases from 0.606 to 0.665, the average value of inverse difference normalized decrease from 0.981 to 0.979, and the average value of dissimilarity decrease from 0.1576 to 0.1828. The details of other radiomics features are describe in results section., Conclusions: Our experiment shows that patients in different recovery periods have a relationship with quantitative values of tongue images, including L color space of the tongue and coat radiomics features analysis. This relationship can help clinical doctors master the recovery and health of patients as soon as possible and improve their understanding of the potential mechanisms underlying the dynamic changes and mechanisms underlying COVID-19.